{"question_id": "20230303_0", "search_time": "2023/03/15/03:26", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/05/world/spacex-nasa-crew-5-astronaut-launch-scn/index.html", "title": "SpaceX, NASA launches 3 astronauts and 1 cosmonaut to the ISS ..."}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/26/world/spacex-launch-saturday-iss-dwarf-tomatoes-scn/index.html", "title": "SpaceX launches tomato seeds, other supplies to space station | CNN", "text": "CNN —\n\nSpaceX is carrying a fresh haul of supplies to the International Space Station this weekend after bad weather at the launch site forced the company to wave off its first attempt.\n\nThe mission took off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida around 2:20 p.m. ET Saturday. The original liftoff date had been Tuesday.\n\nThe bounty of supplies on board includes a pair of new solar arrays for the space station, dwarf tomato seeds and a range of science experiments. There will also be treats for the astronauts on the space station, like ice cream and Thanksgiving fare like spicy green beans, cranberry apple desserts, pumpkin pie and candy corn.\n\nThe solar arrays will be installed outside the floating laboratory during spacewalks scheduled for November 29 and December 3. They will give the space station a power boost.\n\nSpaceX has launched more than two dozen resupply missions to the space station over the past decade as part of a multibillion-dollar deal with NASA. This launch comes amid SpaceX’s busiest year to date, with more than 50 operations so far, including two astronaut missions.\n\nThe cargo on board includes a number of health-related items, such as the Moon Microscope kit. The portable handheld microscope will allow astronauts to collect and send images of blood samples to flight surgeons on the ground for diagnostics and treatment.\n\nTomatoes in space\n\nNutrients are a key component of maintaining good health in space. But fresh produce is in short supply on the space station compared with the prepackaged meals astronauts eat during their six-month stays in low-Earth orbit.\n\n“It is fairly important to our exploration goals at NASA to be able to sustain the crew with not only nutrition but also to look at various types of plants as sources for nutrients that we would be hard-pressed to sustain on the long trips between distant destinations like Mars and so forth,” said Kirt Costello, chief scientist at NASA’s International Space Station Program and a deputy manager of the ISS Research Integration Office.\n\nAstronauts have grown and tasted different types of lettuce, radishes and chiles on the International Space Station. Now, the crew members can add some dwarf tomatoes — specifically, Red Robin tomatoes — to their list of space-grown salad ingredients.\n\nThe experiment is part of an effort to provide continuous fresh food production in space.\n\nThe dwarf tomato seeds will be grown under two different light treatments to measure the impact on the number of tomatoes that can be harvested as well as the plants’ nutritional value and taste. Red Robin tomatoes will also be grown on Earth as a control experiment. The two crops will be compared to measure the effects of a zero-gravity environment on tomato growth.\n\nThe space tomatoes will be grown inside small bags called plant pillows installed in the Vegetable Production System, known as the Veggie growth chamber, on the space station. The astronauts will frequently water and nurture the plants.\n\n“Tomatoes will be a new adventure for us on the veggie team, trying to figure out how to keep these thirsty plants well watered without overwatering,” said Gioia Massa, NASA’s space crop production scientist and principal investigator for the tomato study.\n\nThe tomatoes will be ready for their first taste test in the spring.\n\nThe crew is expecting tomato harvests 90, 97 and 104 days after the plants begin to grow. During taste tests, the crew will rate the flavor, aroma, juiciness and texture of the tomatoes grown using the different light treatments. Half of each tomato harvest will be frozen and returned to Earth for analysis.\n\nGrowing plants on the space station not only provides the opportunity for fresh food and creative taco nights, it can also boost the mood of the crew during their long spaceflight.\n\nSurveys will track astronauts’ moods as they care for and interact with the plants to see how nurturing the seedlings enhances the crew’s experience amid the isolation of the space station.\n\nThe hardware is still in development for larger crop production on the space station and eventually other planets, but scientists are already planning what plants might grow best on the moon and Mars. Earlier this year, a team successfully grew plants in lunar soil that included samples collected during the Apollo missions.\n\n“Tomatoes are going to be a great crop for the moon,” Massa said. “They’re very nutritious, very delicious, and we think the astronauts will be really excited to grow them there.”", "authors": ["Ashley Strickland Jackie Wattles", "Ashley Strickland", "Jackie Wattles"], "publish_date": "2022/11/26"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/23/tech/spacex-ax-1-undocking-saturday-scn/index.html", "title": "All-private SpaceX astronaut mission to return home from the ISS ...", "text": "New York CNN Business —\n\nTesla officially announced a three-for-one stock split, meaning the company’s stock price — which has jockeyed between $600 and $1,000 for a year — is about to get more affordable for investors.\n\nThe mission, called AX-1, was brokered by the Houston, Texas-based startup Axiom Space, which books rocket rides, provides all the necessary training, and coordinates flights to the ISS for anyone who can afford it.\n\nThe four crew members — Michael López-Alegría, a former NASA astronaut-turned-Axiom employee who is commanding the mission; Israeli businessman Eytan Stibbe; Canadian investor Mark Pathy; and Ohio-based real estate magnate Larry Connor — are slated to leave the space station aboard their SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule on Sunday at 8:55 pm ET. That’s another 24-hour delay from what NASA and Axiom were targeting on Saturday.\n\nThey now plan to spend a day free flying through orbit before plummeting back into the atmosphere and parachuting to a splashdown landing off the coast of Florida at about 1 pm ET Monday, according to a tweet from Kathy Lueders, the head of NASA’s human spaceflight program.\n\nAX-1, which launched on April 8, was originally billed as a 10-day mission, but delays have extended the mission by about a week.\n\nDuring their first 12 days on the space station, the group stuck to a regimented schedule, which included about 14 hours per day of activities, including scientific research that was designed by various research hospitals, universities, tech companies and more. They also spent time doing outreach events by video conferencing with children and students.\n\nThe weather delays then afforded to them “a bit more time to absorb the remarkable views of the blue planet and review the vast amount of work that was successfully completed during the mission,” according to Axiom.\n\nIt’s not clear how much this mission cost. Axiom previously disclosed a price of $55 million per seat for a 10-day trip to the ISS, but the company declined to comment on the financial terms for this specific mission beyond saying in a press conference last year that the price is in the “tens of millions.”\n\nThe mission has been made possible by very close coordination among Axiom, SpaceX and NASA, since the ISS is government-funded and operated. And the space agency has revealed some details about how much it charges for use of its 20-year-old orbiting laboratory.\n\nFor each mission, bringing on the necessary support from NASA astronauts will cost commercial customers $5.2 million, and all the mission support and planning that NASA lends is another $4.8 million. While in space, food alone costs an estimated $2,000 per day, per person. Getting provisions to and from the space station for a commercial crew is another $88,000 to $164,000 per person, per day.\n\nBut the extra days the AX-1 crew spent in space due to weather won’t add to their own personal overall price tag, according to a statement from NASA.\n\n“Knowing that International Space Station mission objectives like the recently conducted Russian spacewalk or weather challenges could result in a delayed undock, NASA negotiated the contract with a strategy that does not require reimbursement for additional undock delays,” the statement reads.\n\nIt’s not the first time paying customers or otherwise non-astronauts have visited the ISS, as Russia has sold seats on its Soyuz spacecraft to various wealthy thrill seekers in years past.\n\nThe 11-person crew aboard the International Space Station on April 9, 2022. Clockwise from bottom right: Expedition 67 Commander Tom Marshburn with Flight Engineers Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveev, Sergey Korsakov, Raja Chari, Kayla Barron, and Matthias Maurer; and Axiom Mission 1 astronauts (center row from left) Mark Pathy, Eytan Stibbe, Larry Conner, and Michael Lopez-Alegria. NASA\n\nBut AX-1 is the first mission with a crew entirely comprised of private citizens with no active members of a government astronaut corps accompanying them in the capsule during the trip to and from the ISS. It’s also the first time private citizens have traveled to the ISS on a US-made spacecraft.\n\nThe mission has set off yet another round of debate about whether people who pay their way to space should be referred to as “astronauts,” though it should be noted a trip to the ISS requires a far larger investment of both time and money than taking a brief suborbital ride on a rocket built by companies like Blue Origin or Virgin Galactic.\n\nLópez-Alegría, a veteran of four trips to space between 1995 and 2007 during his time with NASA, had this to say about it: “This mission is very different from what you may have heard of in some of the recent — especially suborbital — missions. We are not space tourists. I think there’s an important role for space tourism, but it is not what Axiom is about.”\n\nThough the paying customers will not receive astronaut wings from the US government, they were presented with the “Universal Astronaut Insignia” — a gold pin recently designed by the Association of Space Explorers, an international group comprised of astronauts from 38 countries. López-Alegría presented Stibbe, Pathy and Connor with their pins during a welcome ceremony after the group arrived at the space station.", "authors": ["Jackie Wattles"], "publish_date": "2022/04/23"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/06/tech/nasa-artemis-launch-delay-recap-scn/index.html", "title": "Here's why it's taking NASA so long to attempt another Artemis I launch", "text": "Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more.\n\nNew York CNN Business —\n\nNASA’s massive new moon rocket hit another snag during its latest attempt to launch an uncrewed test mission, and it will be at least a few weeks — rather than days — before the rocket can make its next attempt.\n\nThe longer delay can be attributed to several factors, including quirks of scheduling, possible traffic at the launch site, and NASA’s desire to make sure it’s solved the latest issues with leaky fuel.\n\nTo recap what went down on Saturday, September 3: Launch officials went confidently into this weekend’s attempt to launch the rocket, called the Space Launch System or SLS. But then, as the rocket was once again being loaded with super-cold liquid hydrogen propellant, it sprung a big leak. And NASA said Tuesday that it will begin to attempt to correct those issues while the rocket is still on the launch pad.\n\nBut, eventually, the space agency will still need to roll the rocket back to the nearby Vehicle Assembly Building, a 4.2-mile trip that takes roughly 10 hours, in order to “reset the system’s batteries,” according to a Tuesday blog post from NASA.\n\nAnd when it comes to setting a new launch date, timing will be complicated.\n\nTiming can be everything\n\nOn a given day, there are specific spans of time — or “launch windows” — set aside when the rocket is permitted to launch, and they can range from about a half hour to a few hours per day. But even those windows aren’t available every day. There are also “launch periods,” which are spans of days when the moon lines up with the Earth in a way that’s favorable for this mission.\n\nThe latest launch period ended on Tuesday, September 6, and NASA had said there was no way the SLS would be ready to fly during that time.\n\nThe next launch period runs from September 19 to October 4. But there’s another potential issue: NASA is planning to launch its Crew-5 mission, which will carry a fresh crew of astronauts to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX rocket, on October 3. And NASA will have to work to make sure that one launch won’t conflict with another.\n\nLater in October, yet another launch period will begin, running from October 17 to October 31. That period will offer up 11 possible launch windows for the SLS. (Note: there are no available launch times on October 24, 25, 26 and 28.)\n\nExactly which period and window NASA targets will depend on a variety of factors, including how well it can coordinate with SpaceX regarding the Crew-5 launch and how long the SLS rocket remains on the launch pad as engineers work through the leak issue, according to Jim Free, NASA’s associate administrator for exploration systems development.\n\nSuper-cool fuel\n\nWhen the SLS rocket is fueled up, it requires massive amounts of super-chilled liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen to be pumped into the rocket’s tanks. When loading the hydrogen, the fuel begins pumping in slowly but then ramps up its speed in what’s called a “fast fill.” And it was during that fast fill that a “large leak” occurred — bigger even than the leaks that NASA identified during the August 29 launch attempt.\n\nThat’s why launch officials want to make sure they pin down a fix and the root of the issue before making the next attempt. As of Saturday, one guess was that an issue with a valve may have caused the hydrogen to be overpressurized, putting it under 60 pounds per square inch of pressure rather than the 20 pounds per square inch they’d hoped, Michael Sarafin, Artemis Mission Manager, said Saturday.\n\nLeading up to Saturday, NASA had also tried to troubleshoot several issues it encountered during the first attempt to launch the SLS rocket on August 29. It addressed some leaks that occurred during fueling, and assessed the risks on an issue with an engine cooling system and a crack in some foam coating one of the rocket’s tanks.\n\nNASA may choose to take another peek at those issues as it works toward the next launch attempt as well.\n\nFurther complicating the selection of the next target launch date is the precarious Florida weather. For any rocket launch, rough winds, lightning or other unfavorable conditions can force more delays. Late summer and early autumn can also bring hurricanes to the Florida coastline where the SLS sits.\n\nNASA is working through the possibilities, and the public can expect more answers in the coming days and weeks.\n\nThis is rocket science\n\nAs NASA officials have said before, they’re hoping to convey that these delays and technical issues don’t necessarily point to a significant issue with the rocket.\n\nBefore the SLS, NASA’s Space Shuttle program, which flew for 20 years, endured frequent scrubbed launches. SpaceX’s Falcon rockets also have a history of scrubs for mechanical or technical issues.\n\nThis is, after all, rocket science.\n\n“I can tell you that these teams know exactly what they’re doing, and I’m very proud of them,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said Saturday. “We tried to stress that this is a test and a test has certain risk, and we pounded that in every public comment that we had in order to get expectations in alignment with reality.”\n\nFree, the NASA associate administrator, added that his team will always go into a launch attempt optimistic that liftoff will occur.\n\n“I’m sure there’s going to be a question of, ‘Are we confident?’” he said. “I actually love that question because it’s like (asking), ‘Are you confident you were going to get out of bed this morning?”\n\nThis mission, called Artemis I, is expected to pave the way for numerous other missions to the moon. The Artemis II mission, slated for as early as next year, is expected to follow a similar flight path around the moon but will have crew on board. And later this decade, Artemis III is expected to land astronauts on the lunar surface for the first time since NASA’s mid-20th century Apollo program.", "authors": ["Jackie Wattles"], "publish_date": "2022/09/06"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/04/world/artemis-sls-rollout-scn/index.html", "title": "Artemis I: NASA's mega moon rocket is back on the launchpad for ...", "text": "Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more.\n\nCNN —\n\nThe hulking rocket at the heart of NASA’s plans to return humans to the moon arrived at the launchpad Friday morning as the space agency gears up for another attempt to get the Artemis I mission off the ground.\n\nLiftoff of the uncrewed test mission is slated for November 14, with a 69-minute launch window that opens at 12:07 a.m. ET. The launch will stream live on NASA’s website.\n\nThe Space Launch System, or SLS, rocket began the hours-long process of trekking 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) from its indoor shelter to Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida late Thursday evening. It arrived at its destination nearly 9 hours later.\n\nThe rocket had been stowed away for weeks after issues with fuel leaks that thwarted the first two launch attempts and then a hurricane rolled through Florida, forcing the rocket to vacate the launchpad and head for safety.\n\nThe Artemis team again is monitoring a storm that could be heading toward Florida, but officials felt confident to move ahead with rollout, according to Jim Free, associate administrator for NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate.\n\nThe unnamed storm could develop near Puerto Rico over the weekend and will slowly move northwest early next week, said meteorologist Mark Burger, the launch weather officer with the US Air Force at Cape Canaveral.\n\n“The National Hurricane Center just has a 30% chance of it becoming a named storm,” Burger said. “However, that being said, the models are very consistent on developing some sort of a low pressure.”\n\nWeather officers don’t anticipate it becoming a strong system, but they will watch for potential impacts into the middle of next week, he said.\n\nReturning the 322-foot-tall (98-meter-tall) SLS rocket to the nearby Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, gave engineers a chance to take a deeper look at issues that have been plaguing the rocket and to perform maintenance.\n\nIn September, NASA raced against the clock to get Artemis I off the ground because there was a risk of draining batteries essential to the mission if it spent too long on the launchpad without liftoff. Engineers were able to recharge or replace batteries throughout the rocket and the Orion spacecraft atop it as they sat in the VAB.\n\nThe overall goal of NASA’s Artemis program is to return humans to the moon for the first time in half a century. And the Artemis I mission — expected to be the first of many — will lay the groundwork, testing the rocket and spacecraft and all their subsystems to ensure they are safe enough for astronauts to fly to the moon and back.\n\nBut getting this first mission off the ground has been trying. The SLS rocket, which cost roughly $4 billion, ran into problems as it was loaded with super-chilled liquid hydrogen, springing a series of leaks. A faulty sensor also gave inaccurate readings as the rocket attempted to “condition” its engines, a process that cools the engines down so they’re not shocked by the temperatures of its super-chilled fuel.\n\nNASA has worked to troubleshoot both issues. The Artemis team decided to mask the faulty sensor, essentially ignoring the data it puts out. And following the second launch attempt in September, the space agency ran another ground test when the rocket was still on the launchpad.\n\nThe purpose of the cryogenic demonstration was to test the seals and use updated “kinder and gentler” loading procedures of the supercold propellant, which is what the rocket would experience on launch day. While the test didn’t go exactly as planned, NASA said it met all its objectives.\n\nNASA officials again emphasized that these delays and technical issues don’t necessarily point to a significant problem with the rocket.\n\nBefore the SLS, NASA’s space shuttle program, which flew for 30 years, endured frequent scrubbed launches. SpaceX’s Falcon rockets also have a history of scrubs for mechanical or technical issues.\n\n“I do want to reflect on the fact that this is a challenging mission,” Free said. “We’ve seen challenges just getting all our systems to work together and that’s why we do a flight test. It’s about going after the things that can’t be modeled. And we’re learning by taking more risk on this mission before we put crew on there.”\n\nThe Artemis I mission is expected to pave the way for other missions to the moon. After takeoff, the Orion capsule, which is designed to carry astronauts and sits atop the rocket during liftoff, will separate as it reaches space. It’ll fly empty for this mission, apart from a couple of mannequins. The Orion capsule will spend a few days maneuvering out to the moon before entering its orbit and beginning the trek back home days later.\n\nOverall, the mission is expected to last for 25 days, with the Orion capsule’s splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego set for December 9.\n\nThe purpose of the journey is to gather data and test out the hardware, navigation and other systems to ensure both the SLS rocket and Orion capsule are ready to host astronauts. The Artemis program aims to land the first woman and first person of color on the lunar surface this decade.\n\nThe Artemis II mission, slated for 2024, is expected to follow a similar flight path around the moon but will have crew on board. And in 2025, Artemis III is expected to land astronauts on the lunar surface for the first time since NASA’s Apollo program.", "authors": ["Jackie Wattles Ashley Strickland", "Jackie Wattles", "Ashley Strickland"], "publish_date": "2022/11/04"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/08/tech/spacex-iss-launch-friday-scn/index.html", "title": "SpaceX launch: Tourists just launched to the ISS. Here's everything ...", "text": "New York CNN Business —\n\nTesla officially announced a three-for-one stock split, meaning the company’s stock price — which has jockeyed between $600 and $1,000 for a year — is about to get more affordable for investors.\n\nSpaceX/Axiom Space\n\nThe spacecraft, which separated from the rocket after reaching orbit, is now free flying through orbit and will spend all day Friday slowly maneuvering closer to the ISS, where it’s slated to dock Saturday around 7:45 am ET.\n\nThe trip was brokered by the Houston, Texas-based startup Axiom Space, which seeks to book rocket rides, provide all the necessary training, and coordinate flights to the ISS for anyone who can afford it. It’s all in line with the US government’s and the private sector’s goal to boost commercial activity on the ISS and beyond.\n\nOn board this mission, called AX-1, are Michael Lopez-Alegría, a former NASA astronaut turned Axiom employee who is commanding the mission; Israeli businessman Eytan Stibbe; Canadian investor Mark Pathy; and Ohio-based real estate magnate Larry Connor.\n\nIt’s not the first time paying customers or otherwise non-astronauts have visited the ISS, as Russia has sold seats on its Soyuz spacecraft for various wealthy thrill seekers in years past. But this is the first mission that includes a crew entirely comprised of private citizens with no active members of a government astronaut corps. It’s also the first time private citizens have traveled to the ISS on a US-made spacecraft.\n\nHere’s everything you need to know.\n\nHow much did this all cost?\n\nAxiom previously disclosed a price of $55 million per seat for a 10-day trip to the ISS, but the company declined to comment on the financial terms for this specific mission — beyond saying in a press conference last year that the price is in the “tens of millions.”\n\nThe mission is made possible by very close coordination among Axiom, SpaceX and NASA, since the ISS is government-funded and operated.\n\nAnd the space agency has revealed some details on how much it’ll charge for use of its 20-year-old orbiting laboratory.\n\nFood alone costs $2,000 per day, per person, in space. Getting provisions to and from the space station for a commercial crew is another $88,000 to $164,000 per person, per day. For each mission, bringing on the necessary support from NASA astronauts will cost commercial customers another $5.2 million, and all the mission support and planning that NASA lends is another $4.8 million.\n\nWho is flying?\n\nLopez-Alegría, a veteran of four trips to space between 1995 and 2007 during his time with NASA, is commanding this mission as an Axiom employee.\n\nAx-1 Crew (left to right) Larry Connor, Mark Pathy, Michael López-Alegría, and Eytan Stibbe. Chris Gunn for Axiom Space\n\nFor more about the three paying customers, check out our coverage here.\n\nIs it safe to go to the ISS, given the Russia conflict?\n\nRussia is the United States’ primary partner on the ISS, and the space station has long been hailed as a symbol of post-Cold War cooperation.\n\nUS-Russian relations on the ground, however, have hit a fever pitch amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The United States and its allies have slapped hefty sanctions on Russia, and the country has retaliated in numerous ways, including by refusing to sell Russian rocket engines to US companies. The head of Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, has even taken to social media to threaten to pull out of the ISS agreement.\n\nDespite all the bluster, NASA has repeatedly sought to reassure that, behind the scenes, NASA and its Russian counterparts are working together seamlessly.\n\n“NASA is aware of recent comments regarding the International Space Station. US sanctions and export control measures continue to allow US-Russia civil space cooperation on the space station,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a recent statement. “The professional relationship between our international partners, astronauts and cosmonauts continues for the safety and mission of all on board the ISS.”\n\nAre they astronauts or tourists?\n\nThis is a question stewing in the spaceflight community right now.\n\nThe US government has traditionally awarded astronaut wings to anyone who travels more than 50 miles above the Earth’s surface. But commercial astronaut wings — a relatively new designation handed out by the Federal Aviation Administration — might not be handed out quite so liberally.\n\nLast year, the FAA decided to end the entire Commercial Space Astronaut Wings program on January 1, 2022. Now, the FAA plans to simply list the names of everyone who flies above the 50-mile threshold on a website.\n\nWhether it’s fair to still refer to people who pay their way to space as “astronauts” is an open question, and countless observers — including NASA astronauts — have weighed in.\n\nNot everyone is too concerned about mincing words.\n\n“If you’re strapping your butt to a rocket, I think that’s worth something,” former NASA astronaut Terry Virts told National Geographic when asked about the issue. “When I was an F-16 pilot, I didn’t feel jealous about Cessna pilots being called pilots. I think everybody’s going to know if you paid to be a passenger on a five-minute suborbital flight or if you’re the commander of an interplanetary space vehicle. Those are two different things.”\n\nIf you ask the AX-1 crew, they don’t love being referred to as “tourists.”\n\n“This mission is very different from what you may have heard of in some of the recent — especially suborbital — missions. We are not space tourists,” Lopez-Alegría told reporters earlier this month, referring to the brief supersonic flights put on by Jeff Bezos’ company Blue Origin. “I think there’s an important role for space tourism, but it is not what Axiom is about.”\n\nThe crew did undergo extensive training for this mission, taking on much of the same tasks as professional astronauts-in-training. But the fact is that the three paying customers on this flight — Stibbe, Pathy, and Connor — weren’t selected from a pool of thousands of applicants and aren’t dedicating much of their lives to the endeavor.\n\nAxiom itself has been more flippant about word usage in the past.\n\n“Commercial human spaceflight. Space Tourism. Whatever you call it — it’s happening. And soon,” the company wrote on its website.\n\nWhat will they do while they’re in space?\n\nEach of the crew members has a list of research projects they plan to work on.\n\nConnor will be doing some research on how spaceflight affects senescent cells, which are cells that have ceased the normal replication process and are “linked to multiple age-related diseases,” according to Axiom. That research will be done in partnership with the Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic.\n\nAmong the items on Pathy’s to-do list is some additional medical research, focused more on children’s health, that he’ll conduct in partnership with several Canadian hospitals, and some conservation-awareness initiatives.\n\nStibbe will also do some research and focus on “educational and artistic activities to connect the younger generation in Israel and around the globe,” according to Axiom. Stibbe is flying on behalf of the Ramon Foundation — a space education non-profit named for Israel’s first astronaut, Ilan Ramon, who died in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003. ​Stibbe’s Axiom bio says he and Ramon shared a “close” friendship.\n\nDuring downtime, the crew will also get a chance to enjoy sweeping views of Earth. And, at some point, they’ll share a meal with the other astronauts on board. Their food was prepared in partnership with celebrity chef and philanthropist Jose Andrés. Their meals “lean on flavors and traditional dishes of Commander López-Alegría’s native Spain,” according to Axiom.", "authors": ["Jackie Wattles"], "publish_date": "2022/04/08"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/01/business/spacex-falcon-heavy-launch-ussf-44-scn/index.html", "title": "SpaceX's Falcon Heavy, world's most powerful rocket, launches ...", "text": "Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more.\n\nCNN —\n\nSpaceX’s Falcon Heavy — a towering, three-pronged vehicle that is the most powerful operational rocket in the world — returned to the skies on Tuesday for the first time since mid-2019.\n\nThe rocket launched at 9:41 a.m. ET from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, hauling satellites to space for the US military in a secretive mission dubbed USSF-44.\n\nThe Falcon Heavy debuted in 2018 to much fanfare as SpaceX CEO Elon Musk elected to launch his personal Tesla Roadster as a test payload on the launch. The car is still in space, taking an oblong path around the sun that swings out as far as Mars’ orbital path.\n\nSince that first test mission, SpaceX has launched only two other Falcon Heavy missions, both in 2019. One sent a hulking TV and phone service satellite to orbit for Saudi Arabia-based Arabsat, and the other delivered a batch of experimental satellites for the US Department of Defense.\n\nBut the rocket had not launched since 2019, as the vast majority of SpaceX’s missions don’t require the Falcon Heavy’s amped up power. SpaceX’s workhorse Falcon 9 rocket, on the other hand, has launched nearly 50 missions so far this year alone.\n\nWith each Falcon Heavy launch, the rocket puts on a dramatic showing back on Earth.\n\nAfter Tuesday’s mission, the company only attempted to recover two of the Falcon Heavy rocket’s first-stage rocket boosters — the tall white sticks that are strapped together to give the rocket its heightened power at liftoff.\n\nAs planned, the center booster was left to plunge into the ocean, where it will remain, because it did not have enough leftover fuel to guide its journey home, according to a news release from the US military’s Space Systems Command.\n\nThe two side boosters, however, made their signature synchronized landing on ground pads near the Florida coastline.\n\nIn the past, SpaceX has attempted to land all three of the rocket’s boosters back on landing pads on land and at sea so that they can be refurbished and reused on future missions. It does this to cut down on mission costs. The company has yet to suceed at retrieving all three, although it’s come dramatically close. The two side boosters made a pinpoint, synchronized landing on ground pads after an April 2019 mission, and the rocket’s center booster touched down on a sea-faring platform. But then, rough waves at sea toppled it over.\n\nAll about this rocket\n\nThough the Falcon Heavy is the most powerful operational rocket in the world, there are two massive rockets waiting in the wings to claim that title.\n\nNASA’s Space Launch System, or SLS, rocket, which is currently slated to attempt its inaugural launch later in November to send the uncrewed Artemis 1 mission around the moon, is sitting in the Kennedy Space Center’s towering Vehicle Assembly Building, which lies just a few miles from the launch pad where the Falcon Heavy will take flight.\n\nWhile the Falcon Heavy gives off about five million pounds of thrust, SLS is expected to put off as much as 8.8 million pounds of thrust — 15% more thrust than the Saturn V rockets that powered the mid-20th Century moon landings.\n\nAnd just across the Gulf Coast, at SpaceX’s experimental facilities in South Texas, the company is in the final stages of preparing for the first orbital launch attempt of its Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket. Though the test flight is still awaiting final approval from federal regulators, it could take flight before the end of the year.\n\nThe Starship system is expected to out-power both SLS and Falcon Heavy by a wide margin. The forthcoming Super Heavy booster, which is designed to vault the Starship spacecraft into space, is expected to put off about 17 million pounds of thrust alone.\n\nBoth the SLS rocket and SpaceX’s Starship are integral to NASA’s plans to return astronauts to the surface of the moon for the first time in half a century.\n\nSpaceX also has its own, ambitious vision for the Starship: ferrying humans and cargo to Mars in the hopes of one day establishing a permanent human settlement there.\n\nAll about this mission\n\nThere is not much publicly available information about the USSF-44 mission. In a news release, the US military’s Space Systems Command said only that the launch will put multiple satellites into orbit on behalf of the Space Systems Command’s Innovation and Prototyping Delta, which is focused on quickly developing space technology as it relates to tracking objects in space as well as a range of other activities.\n\nThe Space System Command declined to provide additional information about the mission when reached by email. It referred questions to the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, which also declined comment.\n\nThe US military is one of the primary drivers of the domestic rocket economy, doling out lucrative launch contracts that are coveted by private launch companies including SpaceX and its chief competitor in the area, United Launch Alliance, which is a joint operation between Boeing and Lockheed Martin.", "authors": ["Jackie Wattles"], "publish_date": "2022/11/01"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/28/world/artemis-1-moon-rocket-mars-scn/index.html", "title": "Artemis 1: Why NASA wants to return to the moon before sending ...", "text": "Turn to CNN for live coverage from Kennedy Space Center in Florida this week. Space correspondent Kristin Fisher will bring us moment-by-moment reporting from the launch, along with a team of experts.\n\nKennedy Space Center, Florida CNN —\n\nBefore landing the first humans on Mars, NASA wants to return to the lunar surface – but in a way that we’ve never explored the moon before.\n\nWhen the uncrewed Artemis I mission launches on Wednesday, it’s just the first step toward the future of space exploration.\n\nThe last crewed landing on the moon, Apollo 17, was nearly 50 years ago. The final Apollo mission’s record for the longest crewed deep space flight still stands: 12.5 days.\n\nThrough the Artemis program, which aims to land humans at the unexplored lunar south pole and eventually on Mars, astronauts will go on long-duration deep space missions that test all of the bounds of exploration.\n\n“We’re going back to the moon in order to learn to live, to work, to survive,” said NASA administrator Bill Nelson during a news conference earlier this month.\n\n“How do you keep humans alive in those hostile conditions? And we’re going to learn how to use the resources on the moon in order to be able to build things in the future as we go – not a quarter of a million miles away, not a three-day journey – but millions and millions of miles away on a months and months if not years-long journey.”\n\nNew posters from NASA depict different stages of the Artemis I journey. NASA\n\nNASA astronaut Randy Bresnik discussed the importance of using lunar exploration as a way to prepare for landing on Mars.\n\nWhen camping in the Alaskan wilderness, you wouldn’t just rely on new gear and shoes that haven’t been broken in yet, he said. Mars isn’t the place to test out new gear for the first time, either.\n\n“We’re gonna go to some local places a little closer first,” Bresnik said. “Then you can come back home if your if your shoelaces break or something like that.”\n\nAstronauts have lived and worked aboard the International Space Station, which circles about 254 miles above the planet in low-Earth orbit, for more than 20 years. Their experiences, which can last between six months to nearly a year, have revealed how the microgravity environment affects the human body.\n\n“Every day that I personally spent on the space station, I looked at it as walking on Mars,” said NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, Chief of the Astronaut Office at Johnson Space Center in Houston. “That is why we’re up there. We’re trying to make life better on Earth and we’re trying to expand humanity into our solar system.”\n\nREAD MORE: Artemis I by the numbers\n\nOn Artemis II, scheduled for 2024, astronauts will follow a similar path as Artemis I – circling the moon at a wider distance than any of the Apollo missions. Artemis III, slated for late 2025, will land the first woman and the next man at the moon’s south pole, where permanently shadowed regions may harbor ice and other resources that could sustain astronauts during long moonwalks.\n\n“Our moon serves as basically a celestial library right next door,” said Jacob Bleacher, NASA’s chief exploration scientist. “Lunar rocks and lunar ice basically serve as the books of this library. We can use them to begin to reveal how the solar system has evolved. This can really help us gain insight into what was happening here on Earth when life was establishing a foothold in the solar system.”\n\nThe Artemis program involves establishing a sustained human presence on the moon and putting an orbiting lunar outpost called the Gateway in place.\n\nThis illustration shows SpaceX's Starship human lander design that will carry the first NASA astronauts to the surface of the moon through the Artemis program. NASA\n\n“We want to stay on the lunar surface and learn on the lunar surface so that we can get the most science and know how we’re going to go to Mars,” said Jim Free, associate administrator for NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate. “On Apollo, we did incredible science at the equator. This time, we’re going to the South Pole.”\n\nOver time, the SLS rocket will evolve, Nelson said. By the time the Artemis IV mission rolls to the launchpad later this decade to dock with the Gateway, the rocket will be taller and even more powerful than the version used for Artemis I.\n\nArtemis I is a test mission, Nelson stressed. It serves as the inaugural flight of the Space Launch System Rocket, the Orion spacecraft and its heat shield, as well as protective gear for future astronauts and measuring radiation exposure.\n\nA series of science experiments and technology demonstrations inside Orion and flying outside of it on small satellites called CubeSats, will gather additional data about the space environment future Artemis astronauts will face.\n\nThe lessons learned from Artemis I, which will be collected when it splashes down in October, could inform the next steps of the Artemis program.\n\nCurrently, the first five Artemis missions have been planned, and NASA is working on laying out the details for missions six through ten, Free said.\n\nTeams at NASA are “going through the broad exploration objectives and then narrowing down to an architecture which takes us out to Mars,” Free said. “We’re looking at rolling through that architecture, decisions and process in the early part of next year.”\n\nThe goal of landing humans on Mars by 2033 was set by the Obama Administration, and NASA administrators have upheld the goal ever since.\n\n“With the Artemis I launch, NASA is at a historic inflection point, poised to begin the most significant series of science and human exploration missions over a generation,” said Bhavya Lal, NASA associate administrator for technology, policy, and strategy.", "authors": ["Ashley Strickland"], "publish_date": "2022/08/28"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/26/tech/spacex-launch-crew-4-crew-dragon-walkup-scn/index.html", "title": "SpaceX to launch another historic astronaut mission tomorrow ...", "text": "New York CNN Business —\n\nTesla officially announced a three-for-one stock split, meaning the company’s stock price — which has jockeyed between $600 and $1,000 for a year — is about to get more affordable for investors.\n\nThis mission, called Crew-4, will mark a return to the crewed launches that SpaceX conducts in partnership with NASA after the company concluded the first all-private mission to the space station for wealthy paying customers on Monday. Crew-4 is slated to take off in the early hours of Wednesday morning — at 3:52 am ET, to be exact — before arriving at the ISS around 8 pm ET that same day.\n\nOn board Crew-4 will be NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren (who will command the mission), Robert Hines, and Jessica Watkins, and Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, who is flying on behalf of the European Space Agency.\n\nThe less than 40-hour turnaround between the conclusion of SpaceX’s all-private mission, called AX-1, and the launch of Crew-4 is unprecedented for the company. NASA’s human spaceflight lead, Kathy Leuders, said during a press conference Tuesday that the safety teams recognized they needed to take things “one step at a time.”\n\n“This is the time where you’ve got to rest and get ready to fly and still be watching the hardware and making sure you’re making the right decision,” Leuders said.\n\nHere’s everything you need to know about Crew-4.\n\nWhat makes this flight historic?\n\nWatkins will become the first Black woman to complete such a mission.\n\nThough more than a dozen Black Americans — including four Black women — have traveled to space since Guion Bluford became the first to do so in 1983, no Black woman has had the opportunity to live and work in space for an extended period, as the ISS has enabled more than 200 astronauts to do since 2000.\n\n“This is certainly an important milestone, I think, both for our [space] agency and for the country,” Watkins said during a press conference last month. “I think it really is just a tribute to the legacy of the Black women astronauts that have come before me as well as to the exciting future ahead.”\n\nShe has a long history with NASA, having begun her career there as an intern, and she previously held roles at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California, and at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, where she worked with the Curiosity Mars rover. A trained geologist, she’s studied the surface of the red planet.\n\nWatkins’ crew mates refer to her by the nickname “Watty.”\n\nWho else is on this mission?\n\nThis mission’s crew is among the first to include as many women as men. Cristoforetti, who previously traveled to the ISS in 2014, is also the sole woman in ESA’s astronaut corps. But Cristoforetti told reporters last month that the situation was “bound to end very soon.”\n\n“We definitely expect to have some some great female [ESA] colleagues by the end of the year,” she added.\n\nCristoforetti, a veteran of the Italian Air Force who’s earned her fighter pilot wings, joined ESA in 2009.\n\nHines is a 22-year veteran of the US Air Force, and this will mark his first time traveling to space since he was selected for the NASA astronaut corps in 2017.\n\nNASA astronauts Jessica Watkins, left, Kjell Lindgren, second from left, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, second from right, and NASA astronaut Robert Hines, right, are seen as they depart the Launch and Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Joel Kowsky/NASA\n\nLindgren, who will command this mission, is certified in emergency medicine, and used to work as a flight surgeon on the ground at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, supporting other astronaut missions. Lindgren was born in Taiwan and spent much of his childhood in England before moving to the United States and attending the US Air Force Academy.\n\nThe four astronauts have spent months training together, and even took time to do some extracurricular bonding. Watkins noted they went on a kayaking trip in Eastern Washington “just to get to spend some time getting to know each other and understanding how we all function … and what makes each of us tick, and I think that’s going to be really crucial.”\n\n“We get along great. It is just such a joy to have these folks on this team,” Lindgren added.\n\nHow are they getting to space?\n\nThe crew will travel to the ISS aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, which will mark the seventh crewed mission since entering service in 2020.\n\nThough SpaceX designed the Crew Dragon to be reusable and three capsules are already in service, Crew-4 will fly aboard a brand new spacecraft.\n\nThe astronauts get to select the name for their capsule, and this group chose Crew Dragon “Freedom.”\n\nThe Crew Dragon was developed by SpaceX under a $2.6 billion contract with NASA as part of the “Commercial Crew Program.” The idea behind the program was to move NASA into a customer role — allowing private companies to design, build and test a new spacecraft to serve NASA astronauts while still giving the company ownership over the vehicle.\n\nSince SpaceX controls the vehicle, it has the ability to sell seats to whomever it wishes, hence the all-private mission that the company just concluded and one previous space tourism mission last September.\n\nNASA has deemed the program a massive success, and the space agency is adopting the same contracting method for several vehicles involved in its efforts to explore the moon.\n\nWhat will they do in space?\n\nAfter arriving Wednesday evening, the crew will be greeted by the cohort of astronauts already aboard the ISS — including three NASA astronauts and an ESA astronaut who were part of SpaceX’s Crew-3 mission — and three Russian cosmonauts.\n\nThere’ll be a five-day handover period, during which the Crew-3 astronauts will help the Crew-4 astronauts settle in, before Crew-3 returns home aboard their own SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.\n\nThen the Crew-4 astronauts will set to work on all the science experiments and space station maintenance duties they have on their to-do list.\n\n“Experiments will include studies on the aging of immune systems, organic material concrete alternatives, and cardiorespiratory effects during and after long-duration exposure to microgravity,” according to NASA. “These are just some of the more than 200 science experiments and technology demonstrations that will take place during their mission.”\n\nA SpaceX capsule carrying four astronauts — including the first Black woman to join the International Space Station crew — successfully docked with the ISS Wednesday evening, kicking off a five-month mission.", "authors": ["Jackie Wattles"], "publish_date": "2022/04/26"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/2022/03/27/nasa-funds-four-ideas-commercial-space-stations-plans-iss-deorbit/6782521001/", "title": "NASA funds four ideas for commercial space stations, plans ISS ...", "text": "Space is important to us and that’s why we're working to bring you top coverage of the industry and Florida launches. Journalism like this takes time and resources. Please support it with a subscription here.\n\n—\n\nFor the past 20 years, commercial space companies have focused on ways of getting people and cargo to space.\n\nNow, they are turning their attention to creating destinations in space.\n\nWith the International Space Station set to be decommissioned by 2030, NASA will transition from premier gatekeeper of U.S. access to the space station to become just one of many customers of private space stations in what many hope will be a robust low-Earth orbit economy.\n\nCurrently, there are only two destinations in low-Earth orbit, the ISS and a smaller modular station being built by China.\n\nWithin the next decade, NASA expects that to change.\n\nISS is costly and old, commercial stations are not\n\nThe ISS, which has been continuously occupied since 2000, is beginning to show its age.\n\nThe main portion of the station repeatedly endures impacts from visiting spacecraft, as well as harsh cycles of heating and cooling from orbiting the Earth 16 times a day.\n\nNASA spends about $1.1 billion in operating and maintenance costs on the station.\n\nWith an increasingly expensive and aging station and higher-than-ever confidence in the low-Earth orbit capabilities of its commercial partners, NASA intends to shift its focus to its return-to-the-moon Artemis program.\n\nWith NASA as a customer, private companies will foot the bill for maintenance and operation of destinations in space, potentially saving NASA — and the American taxpayers — billions.\n\nNASA funding commercial station development\n\nEvery space station since the Soviet Union's pioneering Salyut 1 in 1971, has been built by NASA and its partners or the national space programs of Russia or China.\n\nThe agency's plan to transition from a low-Earth orbit destination provider to a customer of independent commercial low-Earth orbit destinations (CLDs) was first outlined in the NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2017. At the time, the ISS was set to be decommissioned in 2024.\n\nSince then, the Biden administration has committed to extending operations of the ISS through 2030. NASA's international partners have also signaled their intention to continue operations until then.\n\nIn an effort to duplicate the success it had in fostering commercial cargo and crew transportation to the ISS, NASA is funding initial efforts with Axiom Space, Blue Origin, Nanoracks, and Northrop Grumman to develop commercial space destinations through 2025.\n\nAxiom Space has been tapped to develop at least one transitional module that will attach to the ISS and one day separate to become its own space station.\n\nBlue Origin, Nanoracks, and Northrop Grumman Systems were selected by NASA to develop free-flying, independent commercial low-Earth orbit destinations (CLDs).\n\nCommercial stations aren't a new idea\n\nThe concept of commercial destinations in space is not new.\n\nBigelow Aerospace, a company founded 20 years ago to develop orbital destinations, had been floating the idea of a commercial space station to NASA years before the agency planned for the retirement of the ISS.\n\nIn 2017, it proposed an idea to launch a small outpost station to the moon with United Launch Alliance's Vulcan rocket.\n\nIt also planned to pursue an opportunity to develop a free-flying station with NASA using its B2100 \"Olympus\" inflatable habitat designed for crew and tourists.\n\nBigelow Aerospace was certainly ahead of its time in 2010 when it proposed the concept of connecting an inflatable module to the ISS.\n\nIts Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) was launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 and installed on the ISS in 2016.\n\nSince then, Bigelow Aerospace passed on an opportunity to bid on a NASA contract to connect another commercial module to the ISS.\n\nThat opportunity was ultimately awarded to Axiom Space for the development of its Axiom Hub 1 — a major first step in the race to develop commercial destinations in space.\n\nCompany founder, Robert Bigelow, said that the funding was too low and his company was more interested in an opportunity to develop a free-flying space station.\n\nBigelow Aerospace suffered what many architects of the future do, facing the reality of grand ideas.\n\nIn practicality, getting massive inflatable space stations and large numbers of crew members to orbit requires massive launchers — such as Blue Origin's New Glenn, SpaceX's Starship, NASA's SLS, or ULA's Vulcan — and multiple fast, reliable, and safe crew transportation options.\n\nEven now, those options are not readily available. SpaceX is a sole provider of commercial crewed spaceflight, while the New Glenn, Starship, SLS, and Vulcan rockets are all still in development.\n\nBeing ahead of its time and citing impacts from the global pandemic, Bigelow Aerospace has all but closed up shop.\n\nIn March 2020 its entire workforce was laid off. In December 2021, it transferred ownership and operation of the ISS BEAM module to NASA Johnson Space Center.\n\nThere are other commercial providers succeeding where Bigelow Aerospace failed.\n\nNanoracks owns and operates a commercial airlock on the ISS.\n\nSierra Space has its own version of an inflatable habitat in the works called the Large Integrated Flexible Environment which is a planned component of Blue Origin's bet on a commercial space station called the \"Orbital Reef.\"\n\nBoth of these companies have won big with NASA investment to develop the next era of commercial space stations in a robust economy in low-Earth Orbit.\n\nAxiom Station to lead the way\n\nThe first step toward a revolutionary new economy in low-Earth orbit was taken in 2020 when NASA awarded Axiom Space a $140 million contract ordering at least one habitable commercial module that will attach to the ISS — the opportunity that Bigelow Aerospace passed on.\n\nAs explained in a statement provided by NASA, the contract is a first stepping stone for a commercial partner “to demonstrate its ability to provide products and services and begin the transition to a sustainable low-Earth orbit economy in which NASA is one of many customers.”\n\nAxiom Space has plans to build not only the module that will attach to the ISS but to build onto the initial module and ultimately separate from the ISS as a free-flying, self-sustaining facility called Axiom Station.\n\nAxiom Hub 1, the first module of the eventual Axiom Station, will consist of crew quarters with windows and will be capable of supporting research and in-space manufacturing.\n\nSpeaking to FLORIDA TODAY, Axiom Space Executive Chairman Kam Ghaffarian said, “We're expecting the first module in our space station to be launched in mid-2024.”\n\n“There will be additional modules that will be launched. And initially, our modules will dock with the current ISS. And then as ISS retires, somewhere between 2028 to 2030, we will separate from the International Space Station, and we'll be operating as the first private commercial space station in orbit,” continued Ghaffarian.\n\nAxiom Hub 1 is currently being constructed in Europe by Thales Alenia Space.\n\nWork began in October 2021, just 14 months after the program's launch. The fabrication of the module is expected to wrap up soon followed by initial integration and testing operations.\n\n“We've been working on the project; we've been developing hardware. We will be in orbit by 2024, way ahead of everybody else. And as a result, we would have huge first-mover advantage,” said Ghaffarian.\n\nGhaffarian believes that Axiom Space has the advantage over other companies working to develop their own free-flying space stations because “the other companies do not have the ability to connect to the International Space Station. We're the only one that has access,\" he said.\n\nDelivery of Axiom Hub 1 to Houston for final assembly, outfitting, and integration by Axiom Space is expected in early 2023.\n\nWhile hardware is currently being constructed, Axiom Space still has a few logistics to work through starting with how the first module will make it to orbit in the first place.\n\n\"We're not 100% sure yet as to who we're going to contract with for the transportation to take that to orbit for us when it's ready,\" said Ghaffarian.\n\nIn an effort to further open the ISS to commercialization, in 2021 NASA solicited proposals to support up to two private astronaut missions a year to the ISS.\n\nNASA has also selected Axiom Space as the provider of the first two private astronaut missions to the ISS. NASA has stated that it will use data and information collected from the first two private astronaut missions to the ISS before announcing the selection of a third mission.\n\nLike NASA's Commercial Crew Program astronaut missions, Axiom Space is partnered with SpaceX for crew transport using its Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsules.\n\nThe first private astronaut mission, AX-1, is slated to launch from Kennedy Space Center on April 3 sending three paying customers and a former professional NASA astronaut on a 10-day mission with eight spent aboard the ISS to conduct scientific research.\n\nThe second private astronaut mission, AX-2, is targeted to launch between fall 2022 and late spring 2023.\n\nNASA plans for more than one station\n\nIn contrast to Axiom Space's exclusive access to build onto the ISS, 11 companies submitted proposals to NASA to develop independent free-flying space stations.\n\nFrom the 11 proposals, NASA selected Blue Origin, Nanoracks, and Northrop Grumman Systems in December 2021 awarding a total estimated $415.6 million for Phase 1 development which is expected to last through 2025.\n\nAfter the initial design phase, NASA intends to move forward with at least one of the companies to certify the space station design as safe for NASA crew members and purchase services from the provider(s).\n\nBlue Origin has partnered with Sierra Space receiving a total $130 million award in Phase 1 funding to develop its proposed \"Orbital Reef\" space station.\n\nBlue Origin and Sierra Space plan to develop the \"Orbital Reef\" and make it enticing to business partners, researchers, and tourists alike by teaming with Boeing, Redwire Space, Genesis Engineering Solutions, and Arizona State University (ASU).\n\nIn a Blue Origin-provided statement, Brent Sherwood, senior vice president of advanced development programs said, \"the Orbital Reef mixed-use space business park will offer reduced costs and complexity, turnkey services, and inspiring space architecture to support any business.\"\n\nBlue Origin's proposal features the most attractive options for wealthy space tourists, as well as, scientific researchers.\n\nTo make \"Orbital Reef\" an easy-to-reach, all-in-one excursion and destination in space, Blue Origin partnered with Sierra Space and Boeing to provide multiple cargo and crew transportation options.\n\nLindy Elkins-Tanton, ASU vice president of interplanetary initiative, explained it as \"a village. Think of it as many different organizations and people in their own parts of \"Orbital Reef\" doing their own activities.\"\n\nAt any given time, the large station would be able to support up to 10 occupants.\n\nIt would also be large enough to provide spaces for scientific research, in-space manufacturing, and even \"exotic hospitality\" for tourists.\n\nAlso unique to Blue Origin's proposal is the opportunity for visitors to experience space without the constraints of a spacesuit.\n\nGenesis Engineering Solutions will contribute essentially a space version of a one-person submarine to conduct excursions outside of the main station.\n\n“Until now, excursions outside spacecraft have required the challenge, inconvenience, risk, and expense of spacesuits. Orbital Reef changes that with the Single Person Spacecraft, an efficient and tourist-safe alternative,” said Brand Griffin, program manager for Genesis Engineering.\n\nNorthrop Grumman — partnered with Dynetics, Leidos, and more unnamed partners — was awarded $125.6 million in Phase 1 funding.\n\nNorthrop Grumman expects to leverage its extensive space experience to develop an as-of-yet unnamed space station.\n\nInitially, it will be capable of supporting four permanent crew members with expectations to expand to eight in the future as the market demands.\n\n“Our station will enable a smooth transition from International Space Station-based LEO missions to sustainable commercial-based missions where NASA does not bear all the costs but serves as one of many customers,” said Steve Krein, vice president, civil and commercial space, Northrop Grumman in a Northrop Grumman-provided statement.\n\nNorthrop Grumman's design also incorporates capabilities to support science, manufacturing, and tourism.\n\n\"Multiple docking ports will allow future expansion to support exploration crew, analog habitats, laboratories, crew airlocks, and facilities capable of artificial gravity,\" as described in a statement issued by Northrop Grumman.\n\nNanoracks, awarded $160 million in Phase 1 funding, has partnered with Voyager Space and Lockheed Martin to develop its space station called \"Star Lab.\"\n\nThe proposed \"Star Lab\" will be able to continuously support up to four astronauts and \"include a large inflatable habitat, designed and built by Lockheed Martin, a metallic docking node, a power and propulsion element, a large robotic arm for servicing cargo and payloads, and a state-of-the-art laboratory system to host a comprehensive research, science, and manufacturing capability,\" as explained in a statement provided by Nanoracks.\n\nNanoracks Chairman Jeffrey Manber, says that it's smart that NASA is investing in multiple space stations, just as it provided funding for more than one ISS cargo supplier and chose both SpaceX and Boeing to ferry passengers to the ISS.\n\nHe pointed out that for nearly a decade the U.S. had relied on one provider — Russia — to carry NASA astronauts to the space station before SpaceX began doing so in 2019.\n\nRussia's invasion of Ukraine would have complicated, if not ended, the NASA-Russia flights, said Manber.\n\n\"So you know, this crisis shows the value of the United States moving into a new era where there will be multiple smaller private space stations,\" Manber said. \"So that we're not single-point dependent on any company, any team, and we have a really robust presence in space.\"\n\nJamie Groh is a space reporter for Florida Today. You can contact her at JGroh@floridatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter at @AlteredJamie.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/03/27"}]}
{"question_id": "20230303_1", "search_time": "2023/03/15/03:26", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/28/health/fda-advisers-vote-omicron-booster/index.html", "title": "FDA advisers vote to include an Omicron-specific component for a ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nThe US Food and Drug Administration’s independent Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee voted Tuesday to support recommending inclusion of an Omicron-specific component for a Covid-19 booster vaccine.\n\nTwenty-one voting members of the FDA’s independent committee voted on the question:\n\n“Does the committee recommend inclusion of a SARS-CoV-2 Omicron component for COVID-19 booster vaccines in the United States?”\n\nNineteen of the members voted yes, two voted no.\n\n“I voted in favor of Omicron because I think it’s important to broaden immunity,” said Dr. Wayne Marasco, a professor of medicine with the department of cancer immunology and virology Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Harvard Medical School. “I will say that I was pretty impressed today that we can do better.”\n\n“I think this is a step in the right direction, but we have to reevaluate this as we move forward,” he added.\n\nThe committee felt that a modified vaccine would offer broader protection to match the coronavirus strain that is in circulation now.\n\nTwo Omicron subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5, are now dominating transmission of Covid-19 in the United States, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.\n\nFuture US Covid-19 vaccines will be different\n\nThis means that the Covid-19 vaccine people in the US will get in the future will be different. The committee does not determine how, and the committee was not asked to vote on what sublineage to include or whether the booster should be monovalent vaccine or a bivalent vaccine, which would include two strains.\n\nDr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said there will be a conversation going forward to determine who needs another booster and what that booster will look like. Marks noted that a bivalent vaccine targeting the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants seemed to be the preference of the committee.\n\nWhen the FDA’s independent vaccine advisers had met in April, they agreed that they had to develop a framework for how the country can keep up with the evolving virus with an appropriate vaccine strategy.\n\nThe FDA said in May that the “new normal” may include an annual Covid-19 and flu shot for people in the fall. Cases are expected to rise again in the fall and winter.\n\nChallenging work ahead\n\nDr. Arnold Monto, the acting chair of the independent vaccine advisers committee, suggested determining what goes into the booster will not be easy.\n\n“I think we have done the best we can in a difficult situation with imperfect data and inability to say what is going to follow what looks like Omicron 4 or 5 wave,” said Monto. “We’ve looked at the options that are available and come up with a set of recommendations and some advice that FDA can follow.”\n\nMoving forward to create a vaccine to best fight a virus that changes quickly is “uncharted territory”\n\n“Looking in the past doesn’t help us a great deal to look in the future for this virus which has baffled a lot of us and made predictions almost irrelevant,” Monto added.\n\nWhat the companies are working on\n\nCurrent Covid-19 vaccines are based on the coronavirus that emerged in late 2019, but Pfizer and Moderna have been working on updated versions of the vaccines. The current vaccines are not as effective against the variants in circulation.\n\nModerna presented details about its bivalent Covid-19 vaccine booster, mRNA-1273.214, which the company said elicits “potent” immune responses against the Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5.\n\nModerna’s bivalent booster vaccine candidate contains components of both Moderna’s original Covid-19 vaccine and a vaccine that targets the Omicron variant.\n\nPfizer/BioNTech also presented data to the committee that showed that their two Covid-19 vaccine boosters targeting Omicron showed a substantially higher immune response than its current Covid-19 vaccine. Preliminary lab studies suggest the vaccines could neutralize the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5.\n\nAnother vaccine maker, Novavax, has committee support for emergency use authorization in the United States, but the FDA has not yet authorized its vaccine. Novavax told the committee that it has been developing variant-specific updated versions of its Covid-19 vaccine as well as a Covid-19 and flu combination vaccine.\n\nBroader is better\n\nThe World Health Organization told the independent committee of vaccine advisers Tuesday that the vaccination strategy going forward should probably be based around a vaccine that would offer as broad a kind of protection as possible, rather than just continuing with the vaccines that were made against the original strain that is no longer in circulation.\n\n“I still think there’s value in increasing the breath of immunity and I will reiterate that we’re not trying to match what may circulate,” said Dr. Kanta Subbarao with the World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Reference and Research on Influenza and the University of Melbourne. “It is not so much to match what is likely to circulate because there’s so much uncertainty about the trajectory of this evolution.”\n\nIncluding Omicron in a future vaccine would help because Omicron is the most distinct of the variants of concern that have emerged she said, but a standalone vaccine that would match just Omicron would not likely be broad enough to protect against other variants going forward.\n\n“We’re trying to increase the breadth of the immune response without losing the benefit from the index vaccine that’s performed so well,” she added.\n\n“We simply don’t have enough information on any of the other variants, but I could make a strong case based on our experience with influenza that using a virus to boost that is antigenitically as far as possible, is a better strategy than something that is partway there,” she added.\n\nThe longer that Omicron is the dominant variant circulating in the world, the odds are that whatever comes after it will come from Omicron.\n\n“At least that’s a realistic possibility,” Jerry Weir, director of the Division of Viral Products in FDA’s vaccine research office, told the committee.\n\nFuture Covid-19 vaccine strategy\n\nGoing forward, as the committee determines how to create a process for the future if people will need regular Covid-19 boosters, members agreed that there needed to be better central coordination on studies and on what the plans should be going forward.\n\n“Without such a plan, we’re going to be playing Whack a Mole as this virus evolves, because it’s going to continue to evolve,” said committee member Dr. Bruce Gellin, chief of global public health strategy with the Rockefeller Foundation.\n\n“We’ll get better at this, but we still need to get ahead of it,” he said.\n\nWeir, with the FDA, tried to help the committee keep what they have accomplished in perspective.\n\n“I think we’ve made enormous progress in this whole endeavor over the last few months, but I’ll remind you that the sort of parallel track of influenza strain selection, which works very well, was a process that was honed over many, many years and so we probably have quite a bit of work. This is a different virus. We have a lot of work to do on the strain selection process for Covid vaccines.”\n\nGet CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team.\n\nSeveral committee members also were concerned about the lack of data concerning what should go into future pediatric vaccines.\n\n“In terms of extrapolating available data, I am very hesitant to extrapolate that from adults into children,” said committee member Dr. Archana Chatterjee, who is dean of Chicago Medical School. “I think the pediatric studies need to be done and they need to be done now.”\n\nFollowing the VRBPAC vote, the FDA will rule on the updated vaccine. Next a panel of independent experts that advise the CDC will take a closer look at the available data and make a recommendation, and the head of the CDC would decide if they should sign off on it.", "authors": ["Jen Christensen"], "publish_date": "2022/06/28"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/07/health/novavax-covid-vaccine-fda/index.html", "title": "FDA advisers support Novavax's Covid-19 vaccine for authorization ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nVaccine advisers to the US Food and Drug Administration decided Tuesday that authorizing Novavax’s Covid-19 vaccine – which uses different technology from the three vaccines currently in use in the US – for emergency use in adults would be beneficial.\n\nMost of the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee voted “yes” in response to a question of whether the benefits of Novavax’s vaccine, given as a two-dose primary series, outweigh its risks in people 18 and older, based on available evidence. Twenty-one members voted yes, one abstained, and none voted no.\n\nIf the full FDA gives the vaccine the green light, it will become the fourth Covid-19 vaccine authorized in the United States.\n\nNovavax’s vaccine is made using small laboratory-built pieces of the coronavirus to stimulate immunity. This protein-based approach is a more traditional one for vaccine development than the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.\n\nCommittee member Dr. Jay Portnoy, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, said he sees the vote as an opportunity.\n\n“This is a different technology. It’s a more traditional protein-based vaccine,” Portnoy said. “The vaccine deserves the opportunity to be given and studied.”\n\n“Certainly, the benefits outweigh the risks for a primary series,” committee member Dr. Michael Nelson, asthma, allergy and clinical immunology division chief at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, said of the vote.\n\n“I think this group was in full recognition that this is probably a three-dose series and then will need to accumulate data supporting the need for booster doses and subsequent doses to probably make it a three-dose vaccine,” he said, hinting at how discussions might continue for the vaccine to be used as a booster shot.\n\nAhead of Tuesday’s meeting, an FDA briefing document found that although most adverse reactions to the vaccine were mild to moderate and lasted just a few days, myocarditis and pericarditis – inflammation of the heart muscle and inflammation of tissue surrounding the heart – happened in six people after vaccination. For five of them, the inflammation emerged within just two weeks of getting the vaccine. In one person, it happened 28 days later.\n\nThe cases were similar to myocarditis after the mRNA Covid-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, and they raise “concern for a causal relationship” with Novavax’s vaccine, according to the FDA document.\n\nNovavax said in a statement that there wasn’t a substantial difference in rates of myocarditis between clinical trial participants who got the vaccine (0.007%) and those who got a placebo (0.005%).\n\nNovavax seeks US authorization\n\nIn November, Indonesia became the first country to grant emergency use authorization of Novavax’s vaccine. It has also been authorized in the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, South Korea, Australia, India, the Philippines and New Zealand, among other countries.\n\nIn late January, Novavax announced that it had submitted a request for the FDA to authorize its coronavirus vaccine for emergency use.\n\nNovavax is prepared to ship doses of its vaccine from the Serum Institute in India when the FDA authorizes it.\n\n“Our hope is that the FDA takes the recommendation of this VRBPAC committee … along with all the manufacturing data that we’ve given them and with the results of their inspection of our plant in India, and can reach a decision. We hope that’s soon,” Stanley Erck, Novavax’s president and chief executive officer, told CNN on Tuesday.\n\nThe company’s first shipment to the United States will be “a few million” doses, he said.\n\nAs for who could receive the vaccine, “there are tens of millions of people who have not had their primary vaccine for one reason or another,” Erck said. “That’s one market for us.”\n\nHe added that other markets for the vaccine include children and, eventually, people who need booster doses to maintain protection against Covid-19.\n\nNovavax’s request for authorization was based on data including the results of two large clinical trials that demonstrated an overall efficacy of about 90% and a “reassuring safety profile,” according to the company. The trials were conducted before the Omicron coronavirus variant dominated in the United States.\n\n“The Advisory Committee’s positive recommendation acknowledges the strength of our data and the importance of a protein-based COVID-19 vaccine developed using an innovative approach to traditional vaccine technology,” Erck said in a statement after Tuesday’s meeting.\n\n“We have heard in today’s VRBPAC meeting the significant support for our vaccine from physicians, healthcare organizations, and consumers who are eagerly anticipating a protein-based vaccine option,” he said. “We look forward to the FDA decision.”\n\nOverall, the uptake of Covid-19 vaccinations – especially booster doses – in the United States has been slow, and one FDA official described it as a “very serious” problem in Tuesday’s meeting.\n\n“We do have a problem with vaccine uptake that is very serious in the United States, and anything we can do to get people more comfortable to be able to accept these potentially life-saving medical products is something that we feel we are compelled to do,” said Dr. Peter Marks, director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.\n\nDr. Eric Rubin, editor-in-chief of the New England Journal of Medicine and a member of VRBPAC, asked in the meeting why there is a need for another Covid-19 vaccine in the United States when three have been authorized or approved: those from Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen.\n\n“The Janssen vaccine is currently not being used as a frontline vaccine the same way as the mRNA vaccines, which leaves the issue of vaccines for those who might not want to take an mRNA vaccine because of concerns they might have,” Marks responded, referring to the vaccines developed by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.\n\n“Having a protein-based alternative may be more comfortable for some in terms of their acceptance of vaccine,” Marks said.\n\nMore than two-thirds of the US population is fully vaccinated with at least their initial series, but Novavax officials have said that they plan to seek authorization of the vaccine for use as a booster dose too – and it can be used in people who got another vaccine type as their initial series.\n\nProtein-based vaccines like Novavax’s work by getting the body’s immune system to recognize little modified pieces of the virus it’s targeting. In this case, that means pieces of the coronavirus spike protein.\n\nWhen the genetic sequence for the virus that causes Covid-19 was published, scientists around the world quickly identified it as a coronavirus because of the “spike proteins” on its surface. These spikes form large protrusions, giving coronaviruses the appearance of wearing crowns, and “corona” is the Latin word for “crown.”\n\nNovavax scientists identified the gene for the spike protein and created a modified version of that gene. The researchers cloned the genes into a baculovirus that infects insects. They then infected moth cells – specifically, cells from the fall armyworm – prompting them to produce the coronavirus spike protein. These virus-like nanoparticles were harvested to make Novavax’s vaccine.\n\nOverall, the vaccine relies on recombinant nanoparticle technology and Novavax’s adjuvant, called Matrix-M, to stimulate an immune response and high levels of neutralizing antibodies.\n\nGet CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team.\n\n“The whole idea of the vaccine is to show the immune system something that looks, tastes and acts like a virus, with the exception that it doesn’t make you sick. So we made the spike protein. We put it in a particle – basically, like a soap bubble – and it’s the size of the virus,” Dr. Gregory Glenn, president of research and development for Novavax, told CNN last year.\n\n“It’s not infectious. We never touch the coronavirus itself,” Glenn added. “Then that is given to people, and they make an immune response that’s very much focused just on the spike – and I would say, the hallmark of our vaccine is, it gives a very strong immune response with very few side effects, and the dose is very small and the vaccine can be stored with normal refrigerated temperatures.”", "authors": ["Jacqueline Howard"], "publish_date": "2022/06/07"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/15/health/fda-covid-vaccine-youngest-children-vrbpac-vote/index.html", "title": "FDA advisers vote in favor of authorizing Covid-19 vaccines for ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nVaccine advisers to the US Food and Drug Administration voted unanimously on Wednesday in favor of expanding the emergency use authorizations for the Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines to include children as young as 6 months.\n\nAll 21 members of the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee voted “yes” in response to the question: “Based on the totality of scientific evidence available, do the benefits of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine when administered as a 2-dose series (25 micrograms each dose) outweigh its risks for use in infants and children 6 months through 5 years of age?”\n\nAnd all the committee members voted yes in response to the question: “Based on the totality of scientific evidence available, do the benefits of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine when administered as a 3-dose series (3 micrograms each dose) outweigh its risks for use in infants and children 6 months through 4 years of age?”\n\nThe FDA, which typically follows the committee’s decisions, will now decide whether to authorize the vaccines for emergency use in the youngest children.\n\nHowever, shots can’t be given until the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s own vaccine advisers have voted on whether to recommend them and CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky has signed off on the recommendation.\n\nThe CDC’s vaccine advisers are expected to vote Saturday. The White House has said shots could begin as early as next week.\n\nChildren younger than 5 are the only age group not currently eligible to be vaccinated against Covid-19. About 17 million kids will become eligible for Covid-19 vaccines once they’re authorized for this age group.\n\n“To be able to vote for authorization of two vaccines that will protect children down to 6 months of age against this deadly disease is a very important thing,” said committee member Dr. Archana Chatterjee, dean of the Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University.\n\nShe compared the day to December 2020, when the first Covid-19 vaccines were authorized for adults and older teens.\n\n‘Benefits seem to clearly outweigh the risks’\n\n“The benefits seem to clearly outweigh the risks, particularly for those with young children who may be in kindergarten or in collective child care,” committee member Oveta Fuller, an associate professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Michigan Medical School, said of the Moderna vaccine.\n\nCommittee member Dr. Art Reingold added that even though the risk of Covid-19 hospitalization and death is lower for young children than for adults, children already get vaccinations to protect them against diseases for which their risk is low.\n\n“If we have a vaccine with benefits that outweigh the risks, then making it available to people is a reasonable choice,” said Reingold, of the University of California, Berkeley.\n\n“I would point out that we as a country continue to give a large number of vaccines to children where the risk of the child dying or being hospitalized of those diseases are pretty close to zero,” he said, such as polio and measles.\n\nThe number of Covid-19 hospitalizations and deaths in children is concerning and much higher when compared with influenza-related deaths and hospitalizations, FDA official Dr. Peter Marks said at Wednesday’s meeting.\n\n“There still was, during the Omicron wave, a relatively high rate of hospitalization during this period,” said Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “That rate of hospitalization actually is quite troubling, and if we compare this to what we see in a terrible influenza season, it is worse.”\n\nMarks said the number of deaths for children 4 and under during the first two years of the pandemic “also compares quite terribly to what we’ve seen with influenza in the past.”\n\n“We are dealing with an issue where I think we have to be careful that we don’t become numb to the number of pediatric deaths because of the overwhelming number of older deaths here. Every life is important,” he said, adding that “vaccine-preventable deaths are ones we would like to try to do something about.”\n\nMarks said the Covid-19 vaccines are an intervention similar to the influenza vaccine, which has been broadly and routinely used and accepted to prevent deaths.\n\nModerna vaccine ‘well-tolerated’ in youngest children\n\nThe Moderna vaccine is already authorized for adults. In a meeting Tuesday, the FDA’s advisers voted unanimously in favor of expanding the emergency use authorization to include older children and teens, ages 6 to 17, saying it would also offer more benefits than risks.\n\nModerna’s Covid-19 vaccine, when given as a 25-microgram dose, is “well-tolerated” in children ages 6 months to 5, said Dr. Rituparna Das, Moderna’s vice president of Covid-19 vaccines clinical development, during Wednesday’s meeting as she described the safety profile of the vaccine among this age group and adverse reactions.\n\n“Pain was the most common event,” Das said. “Young children’s events included fever, headache, fatigue, myalgia, arthralgia, nausea, vomiting and chills. For infants and toddlers, events included fever, irritability, crying, sleepiness and loss of appetite.”\n\nThese reactions were more common after the second dose of vaccine and resolved within two or three days, Das said, adding that fever was an important assessment of the vaccine’s safety for this age group.\n\nFever after any dose of vaccine happened in about a quarter of the children, but more often after the second dose, and one incident of febrile seizure was considered to be related to vaccination, Das told the committee members. The child who had the seizure remained in the vaccine study and got a second dose of vaccine with no serious events.\n\nNo deaths or cases of myocarditis or pericarditis were reported among vaccine recipients, Das said.\n\n“In summary, mRNA-1273 was well tolerated,” she said, using the technical name of Moderna’s vaccine. “Local and systemic reactions were seen less frequently in these youngest groups.”\n\nConcern over number of doses\n\nVRBPAC member Dr. Paul Offit said in Wednesday’s meeting that children who get the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine will have to complete a three-dose series to get sufficient protection.\n\n” ‘Do the benefits outweigh the risks’ is something I can support, but I do have some concerns about this vaccine,” said Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania.\n\nCommittee member Dr. Jeannette Lee of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences also mentioned concern that some children might not complete all three doses and that uptake of the vaccine will be slow.\n\n“Three doses will certainly benefit. I have a lot of concern that many of these kids will not get a third dose,” she said. “My concern is that you have to get the three doses to really get what you need.”\n\nData from a phase 2/3 trial of the Pfizer vaccine included 1,678 children who had received a third dose during the period when the Omicron coronavirus variant dominated. The vaccine appeared to be safe and had a strong immune response. The data has not been peer-reviewed or published in a medical journal.\n\nAntibody levels tested one month after the third dose showed that the vaccine produced a similar immune response as two doses in 16- to 25-year-olds, the companies said.\n\nIn FDA briefing documents, it was noted that among young children who had received the vaccine in trials, there were no cases of anaphylaxis, myocarditis or pericarditis, and the most common adverse reactions among children 6 months to 23 months were irritability, drowsiness, decreased appetite and tenderness at the injection site. For children 2 to 4 years old, the most common adverse reactions were fatigue and pain and redness at the injection site.\n\nWill these children get vaccinated?\n\nThere is already slow uptake of Covid-19 vaccines among children in the United States.\n\n“Having vaccine options for the youngest children is very important; however, we have seen a relatively low uptake of Covid vaccines in children in the 5- to 12-year-old group, and so my concern is that uptake in the youngest children under 5 years old might also be lower than we would like,” Dr. Dan Barouch, director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, told CNN on Wednesday.\n\nGet CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team.\n\nBarouch, who is not a member of the FDA advisory committee, helped develop and study the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine.\n\nHe said there were “striking” differences in how many adults are fully vaccinated compared with children and teens.\n\nChildren 5 to 11 were the most recent group to become eligible for vaccination, in November. But just 29% of these children are fully vaccinated with their two-dose primary series in the United States, according to the CDC, compared with about:", "authors": ["Jacqueline Howard"], "publish_date": "2022/06/15"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/01/health/acip-cdc-updated-covid-booster/index.html", "title": "CDC signs off on updated Covid-19 boosters | CNN", "text": "CNN —\n\nDr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, signed off Thursday on the recommendation of the agency’s independent vaccine advisers in favor of updated Covid-19 vaccine boosters from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.\n\nThe CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 13 to 1 earlier in the day to recommend updated mRNA boosters for Americans this fall.\n\nWalensky’s decision means the shots could be available by Friday, according to pharmaceutical manufacturers, which began shipping the new doses after the US Food and Drug Administration authorized them Wednesday.\n\n“The updated COVID-19 boosters are formulated to better protect against the most recently circulating COVID-19 variant,” Walensky said in a statement. “They can help restore protection that has waned since previous vaccination and were designed to provide broader protection against newer variants. This recommendation followed a comprehensive scientific evaluation and robust scientific discussion. If you are eligible, there is no bad time to get your COVID-19 booster and I strongly encourage you to receive it.”\n\nThe updated boosters have instructions that tell our cells to make antibodies against two strains of the virus that causes Covid-19: the original strain and the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants, which share the same spike.\n\nPfizer/BioNTech’s updated vaccine is a 30-microgram dose authorized for people 12 and older. Moderna’s updated vaccine is a 50-microgram dose authorized for people 18 and older.\n\nThe CDC said in the statement that it “also expects to recommend updated COVID-19 boosters for other pediatric groups” in the coming weeks.\n\nPeople are eligible for the updated boosters as long as they have completed all primary doses in their vaccine series. The committee recommended that the new boosters be given at least two months after the last dose of any Covid-19 vaccine and up to three months after an infection.\n\nThe new formulations do not replace shots for the primary series.\n\nThe boosters were approved based on studies in mice bred to have human ACE-2 receptors – the doors the coronavirus uses to get into our cells – but clinical trial data showing how well they may work in humans won’t be available for another month or two.\n\nThis is similar to the way annual flu shots are studied and approved, but it’s the first time for Covid-19 vaccines.\n\nIn approving the vaccines, regulators also reviewed data behind different two-strain boosters. Those carry instructions to fight the original strain of the Omicron variant, BA.1, along with the original virus. Those boosters have been studied in about 1,400 people. They have been authorized for use in the UK and Canada but will not be available in the US.\n\nSeveral of the committee members said Thursday that they were uncomfortable recommending a vaccine with no human data to back it.\n\n“We’re been extrapolating the data that has been seen with the bivalent BA.1, and hopefully, we’ll have similar data for BA.4 and BA.5,” said Dr. Pablo Sanchez, a pediatrician at Ohio State University and a member of the committee.\n\n“So I’m just concerned about that extrapolation. And because and ultimately, I really don’t want to establish a precedent of recommending a vaccine that we don’t have clinical data,” said Sanchez, who voted against the recommendation.\n\nThat prompted a quick rebuttal from government experts who work with the committee.\n\n“I just would like to remind the committee that every year, we use influenza vaccines that are based on new strains without clinical studies being done,” said Dr. Melinda Wharton, associate director for vaccine policy at the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.\n\nDr. Doran Fink, deputy director of the FDA’s Division of Vaccines and Related Products Applications, said, “I do appreciate the amount of discomfort that I’m hearing from committee members who are being asked to take this leap with the Covid vaccines that they haven’t been asked to make previously with the Covid vaccines.\n\n“FDA felt very comfortable with the approach of extrapolating the safety and effectiveness or rather the known and potential benefits,” Fink said. “We recognize that we’ve taken a different path than the regulatory authorities have in Europe and Canada.”\n\nFink said the US chose to go this route based on feedback from its independent advisory group and projections for the viruses that may be circulating in this country over the fall and winter.\n\nOn Thursday, the committee saw new modeling data that suggested there were substantial risks to waiting to roll out new boosters.\n\nAccording to the CDC’s forecasts, boosters given to US adults in September could prevent 137,000 more hospitalizations and 9,700 deaths than if the boosters were held until November.\n\nNew analyses on the cost-effectiveness of the boosters suggest that the US could save at least $63 billion in medical costs between August and March 31 if as many people get these boosters as got flu shots during the 2021-22 season.\n\nIn the studies that looked at the shot targeting BA.1 along with the original, the boosters broadened immunity against many variants, and they were proven to be better than the older single-strain boosters because they made higher levels of antibodies.\n\nModerna presented tantalizing data suggesting that the two-strain shots it developed against the Beta variant might extend the length of protection people get from their vaccines, which currently drops off significantly after about four months. It said a study on these results was being prepared for publication\n\nGet CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team.\n\nIn mice bred to have human ACE-2 receptors, the two-strain vaccines against BA.4 and BA.5 protected better against infections in their lungs, compared with the original vaccine.\n\nAbout two-thirds of the total US population is vaccinated against Covid-19 with an initial series, according to data from the CDC. But less than half of those with their initial series – and less than a third of the total population – has also gotten a booster.", "authors": ["Brenda Goodman"], "publish_date": "2022/09/01"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/14/health/moderna-vaccine-for-teens-kids-fda-vrbpac/index.html", "title": "FDA advisers vote in favor of authorizing Moderna Covid-19 vaccine ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nVaccine advisers to the US Food and Drug Administration decided unanimously Tuesday in favor of expanding the emergency use authorization of Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine to include older children and teens, ages 6 to 17, saying it would offer more benefits than risks.\n\nAll 22 members of the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee voted “yes” in response to two questions of whether the benefits of the vaccine – when given as two 100-microgram doses for ages 12 to 17 and two 50-microgram doses for ages 6 to 11 – outweigh its risks, based on the available scientific evidence.\n\n“The questions are whether the data support us voting for an emergency use authorization, and I would say that that is probably true,” committee member Dr. Archana Chatterjee, dean of the Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University, said in Tuesday’s meeting.\n\n“I am supportive of these two voting questions,” said member Dr. Hank Bernstein, a professor of pediatrics at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell.\n\n“A third dose will likely be indicated due to evolving variants that are going to continue since so many people are continue to be unvaccinated, even with the primary series,” he said. “I think adding this vaccine, making it more available to families, is good. Families like more choice.”\n\nThe FDA, which typically follows the committee’s decisions, will now decide whether to authorize the vaccine for emergency use in these age groups. The Moderna vaccine is already authorized for adults.\n\nHowever, shots can’t be given until the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s own vaccine advisers have voted on whether to recommend them and CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky has signed off on the recommendation.\n\nQuestions emerge around a third dose\n\nThe committee members voted on the benefits of Moderna’s vaccine as a two-dose primary series for children and teens, but discussions could continue on if or when booster doses might be needed for younger ages.\n\n“I’m comfortable saying that I think the benefits clearly outweigh the risks, but I say that with the comfort being provided that there will be a third dose,” member Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania, said in Tuesday’s meeting.\n\nPfizer/BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine is already authorized for use as a booster dose in children as young as 5.\n\nOffit said three doses of vaccine are needed to help protect against coronavirus variants, such as Omicron’s BA.1 and BA.2 subvariants.\n\n“I disagree with the term ‘booster dose.’ The third dose is not a booster dose for the Omicron subvariants,” Offit said. “This is a three-dose primary series.”\n\nLanguage about the future need for additional doses could be included in the emergency use authorization for the vaccine, Chatterjee said.\n\nYet “the importance of additional doses as the pandemic progresses cannot be minimized,” she added.\n\n“It’s something for our FDA colleagues to maybe take note of,” she said. “They can certainly put language in the authorization document to suggest that additional doses might be needed in these children that will be receiving only two doses to start with.”\n\nFor children and teens ages 6 to 17, Moderna found in clinical trials that two doses of its vaccine provided a similar immune response as two doses in adults, according to a FDA briefing document.\n\nModerna’s vaccine has been estimated to be 93.3% effective against symptomatic Covid-19 among adolescents ages 12 to 17 when the original coronavirus and the Alpha variant were dominant.\n\nThe vaccine was estimated to be 76.8% effective against symptomatic Covid-19 for children ages 6 to 11 when the Delta variant was dominant. However, the FDA also noted that for children in that age group, the “vaccine efficacy could not be reliably determined due to the small number of COVID-19 cases accrued during the study.”\n\nThe vaccine was also found to be safe in all age groups, with adverse reactions described as “mostly mild to moderate in severity, generally of short duration,” and happening more frequently after the second dose than the first, according to the FDA briefing document.\n\nInjection site pain was the most commonly reported adverse reaction. As for serious adverse events, the document described them as infrequent and didn’t raise any concerns. No deaths were reported.\n\nAlthough there were no known cases of myocarditis or pericarditis associated with the vaccine, they are acknowledged as one of the known risks and have been reported mostly in males ages 18 to 24.\n\nUp next: Vaccines for younger kids\n\nThe vaccine advisers are scheduled to meet again Wednesday to consider amending the emergency use authorization of Moderna’s vaccine to include even younger children, ages 6 months through 5 years old.\n\nGet CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team.\n\nThey will also discuss amending the authorization of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to include ages 6 months through 4 years.\n\nThe safety of Covid-19 vaccines for younger children will be an important part of those discussions, an FDA official said Tuesday.\n\n“These vaccines will essentially extend down to the younger age ranges of as low as 6 months,” Dr. Peter Marks, director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, told the committee. “Obviously, the safety in this population is of paramount importance, and I think there’ll be a fair amount of discussion by the committee on this particular area.”\n\nThe White House has said vaccines for the youngest children could start next week if the FDA and CDC authorize them.", "authors": ["Jacqueline Howard"], "publish_date": "2022/06/14"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/13/health/covid-vaccine-young-kids-fda-meeting/index.html", "title": "FDA advisers to weigh expanding Covid-19 vaccines to younger ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nSeveral months after older children became eligible to get vaccinated against Covid-19, the United States might be just days away from offering vaccines to those younger than 5.\n\nThe US Food and Drug Administration’s independent Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee is set to meet Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss amending the emergency use authorization (EUA) of Moderna’s and Pfizer/BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccines to include younger ages.\n\nChildren under 5 – about 18 million people – are the only US age group that isn’t eligible to get a Covid-19 vaccine.\n\nThe Moderna vaccine is authorized for use in adults, but on Tuesday, the advisers will discuss including children 6 through 17; on Wednesday, they will consider expanding the authorization to infants and children ages 6 months through 5.\n\nThe Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is approved for people 16 and older, and it’s authorized for use in children as young as 5. At Wednesday’s meeting, advisers will discuss amending the EUA to include child-size doses of the vaccine for infants and children ages 6 months through 4.\n\nAccording to FDA briefing documents posted Sunday, an agency review found that data supports the effectiveness of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, given as a three-dose series, in preventing the disease in children 6 months through 4 years old. According to another document, a FDA review found that Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine is also safe and effective in younger kids.\n\nIn their meetings Tuesday and Wednesday, VRBPAC members will vote on whether the benefits of the Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines outweigh risks for younger children.\n\nWhat’s next after vaccine advisers meet\n\nAfter the FDA vaccine advisers vote, the agency will consider their decision and weigh whether it should authorize the vaccines.\n\nHowever, shots can’t be given until the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisers have voted on whether to recommend them and CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky has signed off on the recommendation.\n\nThe White House has said vaccines for the youngest children could start next week.\n\nThe rollout of vaccines for this group could mirror that for older children, as pediatricians’ offices will play a significant role in helping get shots into arms.\n\nSome in-pharmacy clinics also are preparing to administer more vaccines.\n\n“We plan to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to children 18 months through four years of age at our national network of 1,100 MinuteClinic locations once the FDA and CDC have provided guidance and inventory is received,” CVS spokesperson Matt Blanchette said in an emailed statement Monday.\n\n“Our MinuteClinic clinicians comprised of board-certified Family Nurse Practitioners, Physician Associates, and Nurses, have significant experience providing vaccinations to a younger population as well as private exam rooms, which will make the process easier for kids, parents, and guardians,” the statement says.\n\nChildren under 5 typically have lower Covid-19 case rates than other age groups. But in the first week of June, hospitalization rates among these kids were slightly higher than among adults under the age of 50 and four times higher than those of other children.\n\nAt least 481 US children under the age of 5 have died of Covid-19, according to the CDC.\n\nPfizer’s data\n\nPeople 5 and older are already eligible for Pfizer/BioNTech’s two-dose Covid-19 vaccine and a booster dose – but in Wednesday’s meeting, VRBPAC members will discuss whether to add younger children to the emergency use authorization.\n\nAccording to a briefing document, Pfizer’s three-dose Covid-19 vaccine for children younger than 5 appears to be safe and generated an immune response in trials that’s comparable to the response in older people.\n\nOne trial included more than 4,500 children ages 6 to 23 months and 2 to 4 years. Some got three 3-microgram shots, with the second shot coming three weeks after the first and the third shot given at least eight weeks after the second. The rest got a placebo.\n\nThe FDA briefing document says the Pfizer vaccine for this age group induced responses comparable to what has been seen in 16- to 25-year-olds. There weren’t enough Covid-19 cases to establish vaccine efficacy in the study, but the FDA noted that this vaccine is known to be less protective against the Omicron variant.\n\nA preliminary analysis put vaccine efficacy for children younger than 5 at 80.4%, with three Covid-19 cases in the vaccine group and seven in the placebo group. All the cases happened while the Omicron variant was dominant in the United States.\n\n“Given the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic and likelihood of continued SARS-CoV-2 transmission during the ensuing months, deployment of the vaccine for use among children 6 months through 4 years of age will likely have a beneficial effect on COVID-19 associated morbidity and mortality in this age group,” the FDA said in its analysis.\n\nThere were no cases of anaphylaxis. There were also no cases of myocarditis or pericarditis – inflammation of the heart muscle and inflammation of tissue surrounding the heart – reported among more than 3,000 vaccine recipients in the trial, but it wasn’t a large enough group to rule out the risk.\n\nThe most common adverse reactions among children 6 to 23 months were irritability, drowsiness, lack of appetite and tenderness at the injection site. For children 2 to 4 years old, the most common adverse reactions were pain or redness at the injection site and fatigue.\n\nIt’s not clear how long the vaccine will be effective; the agency noted that the evaluation period was limited and that protection is known to wane over time in older ages. The agency also said it’s “likely that a booster dose will be needed in addition to the three-dose primary series to increase robustness, breadth, and duration of protection.”\n\nModerna’s data\n\nThe immune response and safety profile of Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine also appear to be favorable for the youngest children, according to the FDA briefing documents.\n\nVRBPAC members will discuss Moderna’s vaccine on Tuesday and Wednesday, evaluating whether it should be authorized for younger ages.\n\nIn trials evaluating more than 6,000 children 6 months to under 6 years old, Moderna scientists found that two 25-microgram doses of vaccine, given 28 days apart, yielded a similar immune response as the two-dose vaccine series does in adults 18 to 25.\n\nFor children and teens ages 6 to 17, Moderna found that two doses of its vaccine provided a similar immune response as two doses in adults.\n\nThe vaccine was also found to be safe in all age groups, with adverse reactions described as “mostly mild to moderate in severity, generally of short duration,” and happening more frequently after the second dose than the first, according to the document. Injection site pain was the most commonly reported adverse reaction. As for serious adverse events, the document described them as infrequent and didn’t raise any concerns. No deaths were reported.\n\nAlthough there were no known cases of myocarditis or pericarditis associated with the vaccine, it is acknowledged as one of the known risks and has been reported mostly in males ages 18 to 24.\n\nGet CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team.\n\nThe FDA did not require the vaccine makers to submit vaccine efficacy data for emergency use authorization for young children, but Moderna’s vaccine has been estimated to be 93.3% effective against symptomatic Covid-19 among teens ages 12 to 17 when the original coronavirus and the Alpha variant were dominant.\n\nThe vaccine was estimated to be 76.8% effective against symptomatic Covid-19 for children ages 6 to 11 when the Delta variant was predominant. However, the FDA also noted that for children in that age group, the “vaccine efficacy could not be reliably determined due to the small number of COVID-19 cases accrued during the study.”\n\nThe vaccine was tested during a time when the Omicron variant was dominant. It was estimated to be 36.8% effective against symptomatic Covid-19 for children ages 2 to 5 and 50.6% protective for children 6 months to 23 months.\n\nVaccine efficacy estimates “were generally consistent” with what has been seen in adults, according to the FDA briefing document.", "authors": ["Jacqueline Howard"], "publish_date": "2022/06/13"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/03/health/novavax-covid-19-vaccine-fda/index.html", "title": "Covid-19: FDA advisers to weigh risks and benefits of Novavax's ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nAfter more than a year with two types of Covid-19 vaccines in use in the United States, another will be up for consideration by the US Food and Drug Administration next week.\n\nThe FDA’s vaccine advisers are set to meet Tuesday to consider Novavax’s coronavirus vaccine for the nation.\n\nBased on data included in an agency briefing document posted Friday, an FDA review found that the vaccine’s efficacy was 90.4% overall against mild, moderate or severe Covid-19 for a period of 2½ months after completing the two-dose primary series. The document notes that, in a primary analysis, the vaccine efficacy fell to 78.6% among adults 65 and older.\n\nThose efficacy numbers were collected before the emergence of the Omicron coronavirus variant. It remains unclear how long protection lasts or how well the vaccine will protect against Omicron.\n\nIn an announcement published in December, the company reported that the vaccine had “broad cross-reactivity against Omicron and other circulating variants from a primary 2-dose regimen, with responses that increased following a third dose at six months.”\n\nNovavax’s vaccine, called NVX-CoV2373, is given as two doses three weeks apart for the primary vaccination series.\n\nAlthough most adverse reactions to the vaccine were mild to moderate and lasted just a few days, the FDA did describe rare events of myocarditis and pericarditis – inflammation of the heart muscle and inflammation of tissue surrounding the heart – associated with the vaccine.\n\n“Multiple events of myocarditis/ pericarditis were reported in temporal relationship to NVX-CoV2373 administration, similar to myocarditis following mRNA COVID-19 vaccines and raising concern for a causal relationship to NVX-CoV2373,” the FDA’s briefing document says.\n\nThe document describes six cases that happened after vaccination with Novavax. Five were among males ranging in age from 16 to 67. Of the six cases, five were hospitalized but have since recovered.\n\nAn increased risk of myocarditis and pericarditis has been identified among people who received the mRNA Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines now used in the United States.\n\nIn a statement Friday, Novavax addressed the heart inflammation concerns specifically: “We have learned that we can expect to see natural background events of myocarditis in any sufficiently large database, and that young males are at higher risk. Myocarditis is most often caused by nonspecific viral infections.” It said that the rate of myocarditis in vaccinated participants was similar to the placebo group: 0.007% and 0.005%, respectively.\n\nThe company added, “we believe there is insufficient evidence to establish a causal relationship. We will continue to monitor all adverse events, including myocarditis and pericarditis.”\n\nThe most common adverse reactions to the vaccine were pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache and muscle ache. Reactions were reported more commonly in younger participants in the vaccine’s clinical trials.\n\nIn its briefing document, the FDA summarized, “The known benefits among vaccine recipients 18 years of age and older relative to placebo are reduction in the risk of mild to severe COVID-19 occurring at least 7 days after the second primary series vaccination.”\n\nIn Tuesday’s meeting, the FDA’s vaccine advisory committee members will vote on the question “Based on the totality of scientific evidence available, do the benefits of the Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine when administered as a 2-dose series outweigh its risks for use in individuals 18 years of age and older?”\n\n‘We believe our vaccine offers a differentiated option’\n\nIn late January, Novavax announced that it had submitted a request for the FDA to authorize its coronavirus vaccine for emergency use in the United States.\n\nIn November, Indonesia became the first country to grant emergency use authorization of Novavax’s vaccine. It has since been authorized in the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, South Korea, Australia, India, the Philippines and New Zealand, among other countries.\n\nEven though most adults in the United States have been vaccinated against Covid-19, the head of the company has said that it sees Novavax’s vaccine as a potential option for booster doses, regardless of which type of vaccine was given for a person’s initial doses.\n\nNovavax’s vaccine was developed as a protein subunit vaccine, a more traditional type of technology than the mRNA used for the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. Other examples of subunit vaccines are the hepatitis B and pertussis vaccines.\n\n“We believe our vaccine offers a differentiated option built on a well-understood protein-based vaccine platform that can be an alternative to the portfolio of available vaccines to help fight the Covid-19 pandemic,” Novavax CEO Stanley Erck said in a statement in January.\n\nNovavax’s protein-based coronavirus vaccine relies on something called recombinant nanoparticle technology and Novavax’s adjuvant, called Matrix-M, to stimulate an immune response and high levels of neutralizing antibodies.\n\nProtein-based vaccines like Novavax’s work by getting the body’s immune system to recognize little modified pieces of the virus it’s targeting. In Novavax’s case, that means pieces of the coronavirus spike protein.\n\nWhen the genetic sequence for the virus that causes Covid-19 was published, scientists around the world quickly identified it as a coronavirus because of the “spike proteins” on its surface. These spikes form large protrusions, giving coronaviruses the appearance of wearing crowns, and “corona” is the Latin word for “crown.”\n\nNovavax scientists identified the gene for the spike protein and created a modified version of that gene. The researchers cloned the genes into a baculovirus that infects insects. They then infected moth cells – specifically, cells from the fall armyworm – prompting them to produce the coronavirus spike protein.\n\nThese virus-like nanoparticles were harvested to make Novavax’s vaccine.\n\n“The whole idea of the vaccine is to show the immune system something that looks, tastes and acts like a virus, with the exception that it doesn’t make you sick. So we made the spike protein. We put it in a particle – basically, like a soap bubble – and it’s the size of the virus,” Dr. Gregory Glenn, president of research and development for Novavax, told CNN last year.\n\n“It’s not infectious. We never touch the coronavirus itself,” Glenn added. “Then that is given to people, and they make an immune response that’s very much focused just on the spike – and I would say, the hallmark of our vaccine is, it gives a very strong immune response with very few side effects, and the dose is very small and the vaccine can be stored with normal refrigerated temperatures.”\n\nNovavax starts Phase 3 trial of Omicron-specific booster\n\nAs Novavax seeks emergency use authorization of its NVX-CoV2373 vaccine, it also is studying a separate vaccine that specifically targets the Omicron variant, called NVX-CoV2515. The company announced this week that it has started a Phase 3 trial of this vaccine, assessing its safety and efficacy as a booster shot.\n\n“The trial will also seek to determine the antibody responses to a bivalent vaccine, containing both NVX-CoV2373 and NVX-CoV2515, administered in participants who have received a booster series of an mRNA vaccine,” Novavax said in a news release.\n\nGet CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team.\n\nThe trial will analyze the Omicron-specific vaccine and a bivalent vaccine in more than 1,000 participants in Australia.\n\nTwo doses of either the Omicron-specific vaccine or the original NVX-CoV2373 vaccine will be given after three doses of either the Pfizer-BioNTech and/or Moderna vaccines that were received at least three months before participants joined the trial.\n\nSimilarly, two doses of the Omicron-specific vaccine or the original NVX-CoV2373 will be given after two doses of either mRNA vaccines received at least six months before joining the trial.\n\nTwo doses of the bivalent vaccine will be administered in participants vaccinated with three doses of either mRNA vaccine at least three months before joining the trial.\n\nThe trial will last about 10 months, and initial results are expected in the second half of this year.", "authors": ["Jacqueline Howard Nadia Kounang", "Jacqueline Howard", "Nadia Kounang"], "publish_date": "2022/06/03"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/19/health/cdc-advisers-vote-for-boosters-for-kids/index.html", "title": "CDC signs off on boosters for 5-11-year-olds | CNN", "text": "CNN —\n\nThe US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signed off on boosters for 5- to 11-year-olds following the independent vaccine advisers recommendation for an additional dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine following a primary series.\n\nThe CDC’s vaccine advisers voted 11-1, with 1 abstention Thursday to support recommending a booster dose, which the US Food and Drug Administration authorized earlier this week.\n\nThe recommendation they voted on was: “A single Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine booster dose is recommended for persons ages 5-11 years at least 5 months after the primary series, under the FDA’s Emergency Use Authorization.”\n\nThe CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices endorsed the booster for children at least five months after they received their two-dose series. This would be a third dose for healthy children and a fourth dose for children who are immunocompromised.\n\nThe committee voted for the booster after hearing details about Pfizer’s application to the FDA to expand access to the boosters for this age group. Waning antibody levels have been seen in children who have received a primary vaccination series, and booster doses achieved antibody levels higher than what was seen after the primary series.\n\nThe company said data from its clinical trials showed it raised Omicron-fighting antibodies by 36 times in this age group. The trial that included 4,500 children ages 5 through 11 saw no new safety issues, according to the company.\n\n“Overall, the benefits of Covid vaccines continue to outweigh the risks as we continue to see, regardless of what age group is highlighted, receipt of the Covid vaccine primary series continues to be critically important for the prevention of severe Covid-19 morbidity and mortality and overall Covid-19 vaccine booster doses have been shown to increase protection against all outcomes in those 12 and over,” said Dr. Sara Oliver, a pediatric infectious disease specialist and the lead for the Covid-19 vaccines ACIP Work Group. “It’s likely that children ages 5 through 11 would benefit from a Covid-19 vaccine booster dose.”\n\nThe Omicron variant of the coronavirus has been tough on kids. Studies from the New York State Department of Health and the CDC found that the effectiveness of two doses of Pfizer’s vaccine for children ages 5 to 12 fell significantly during the Omicron surge, falling from 68% to about 12% against infection. Two doses of the vaccine did seem to keep kids out of the hospital.\n\nWhile not at the same levels as during the Omicron wave, Covid-19 cases among children have been increasing. The number of new Covid-19 cases among children in the US grew nearly 76% last week from two weeks prior, the American Academy of Pediatrics said Monday.\n\nAccording to the latest report from the CDC, 1,547 children have died of Covid-19 in the US and 364 of them were in the 5-11 year-old age range.\n\nThe American Academy of Pediatrics says that almost 13.2 million kids in the US have tested positive for Covid-19 during the pandemic, with more than 5.3 million of those cases coming this year. Those numbers are probably undercounted, as testing has fallen off in much of the country.\n\nLooking at electronic health records, with more than 700,000 doses administered, there were no real safety problems found with the Pfizer vaccine in children, according to a presentation given to the committee.\n\nAnaphylaxis rates in children ages 5-11 following the Pfizer vaccination were comparable to the rate seen in people ages 12 and older. In the three months after the initial vaccine series, there were 10 potential cases of myocarditis or pericarditis, both types of heart inflammation, but four of those cases were determined not be related to the vaccination, the CDC said in its presentation.\n\n“The general picture is that myocarditis associated with mRNA vaccination relative to viral myocarditis tends to be clinically mild and patients have good prognosis and a fairly short recovery period,” the CDC’s Dr. Tom Shimabukuro told the committee.\n\nThe rates were also lower in this age group than were seen in adolescence. The rate was also lower after a booster dose.\n\nMost children, if they experienced any problems with the vaccine were considered non-serious, like pain at the injection site. This was similar to adults’ reaction after their second dose.\n\nVaccination is an important protection for children. The risk of dying from Covid-19 for children 12 years and older in February of 2020 was 20 times higher among unvaccinated children, compared to those with the primary vaccine series and a booster dose.\n\nWhile scientists initially believed that Covid-19 didn’t impact children nearly as much as it did adults, deaths from Covid-19 in 5 -11-year-olds were greater than for a number of other pediatric vaccine preventable diseases. In 2020, it was one of the leading causes of death for children in this age range.\n\n“It’s important to highlight that vaccine coverage for these other conditions, these other diseases, is relatively high, indicating that most parents accept vaccination for Hepatitis A, meningococcal, varicella, rubella and rotavirus even though deaths from these diseases are relatively rare,” said Dr. Matt Daley, who is chair of the COVID 19 vaccines workgroup and a senior investigator with the Institute for Health Research Kaiser Permanente Colorado.\n\nParents should also keep in mind that a child who gets Covid-19 can, like adults, develop long-Covid, Daley said, even after a child has a mild case of Covid-19. Long Covid symptoms can last for years after the initial infection. People who were previously vaccinated were less likely to have symptoms between 12 and 20 weeks after infection compared to those that were unvaccinated, the CDC said.\n\nChildren ages 5 - 11 were also the most vulnerable age group to develop multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, also known as MIS-C, a rare but serious Covid-19-related condition. Among this age group, there have been 3,800 MIS-C cases and 16 deaths, according to the CDC’s presentation.\n\n“Data do not suggest potential safety concerns regarding a Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine booster for children five to seven years of age beyond those previously identified in older age groups,” said Dr. Helen Keipp Talbot in her safety findings presentation to the committee.\n\nTalbot was the one expert who voted against the booster dose for this age group. While she is in favor of vaccinating children against Covid-19, she thinks public health leaders should concentrate on the low vaccination rate among this age group instead of focusing on boosters.\n\n“I really want children to be vaccinated,” said Talbot, an associate professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University. “We really need to spend our time and effort on educating the 70% who have not been (vaccinated). Boosters are great once we’ve got everyone their first round and I think that needs to be a priority.”\n\nIn the 5-11 age group, only 35% of children have had one dose and only 28% are fully vaccinated according to the CDC.\n\nFollowing the ACIP vote, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky will decide whether to sign off on the ACIP recommendation.\n\nGet CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team.\n\nWalensky, who gave opening remarks in the meeting advocated for more people of all ages to get the Covid-19 vaccine.\n\n“There are too many who do not have the protection necessary as we face yet another increase in cases and hospitalizations,” she told the committee. “We all hoped to never see the death tolls rise this high, reaching a number that was unfathomable when we first learned of this virus.”\n\n“The sadness I feel for lives lost, the families devastated and the communities changed is steep,” Walensky added. “We have the tools we need to protect these people from severe disease and prevent any more tragic deaths.”", "authors": ["Jen Christensen"], "publish_date": "2022/05/19"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/18/health/cdc-covid-vaccine-children-under-5/index.html", "title": "CDC recommends Covid-19 vaccines for children as young as 6 ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nUS Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky signed off on Covid-19 vaccinations for children under 5 on Saturday, clearing the way for vaccinations to be administered soon.\n\nThis move comes after vaccine advisers to the CDC voted unanimously on Saturday in support of recommending the Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines to children as young as 6 months.\n\n“Together, with science leading the charge, we have taken another important step forward in our nation’s fight against COVID-19. We know millions of parents and caregivers are eager to get their young children vaccinated, and with today’s decision, they can,” Walensky said in a statement. “I encourage parents and caregivers with questions to talk to their doctor, nurse, or local pharmacist to learn more about the benefits of vaccinations and the importance of protecting their children by getting them vaccinated.”\n\nVaccinations may not begin until Tuesday in some places.\n\nPresident Joe Biden praised the CDC’s decision to recommend the vaccines on Saturday.\n\n“Today is a monumental step forward in our nation’s fight against the virus, with virtually every American now eligible for the protections that COVID-19 vaccines provide,” Biden said in a written statement, adding: “For parents all over the country, this is a day of relief and celebration.”\n\nWalensky signed off on the administration of two doses of Moderna’s vaccine in children ages six months to 5 years, and three doses of Pfizer’s vaccine in children ages six months to 4 years. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) noted on Saturday that if any Pfizer vaccine is given, then the vaccination series needs to contain three doses.\n\n“We’ll be monitoring inventory as the vaccines are delivered starting Monday to clinics, pharmacies and other clinical settings to determine when the search for the under-five vaccines will be available on vaccines.gov,” Dr. Kevin Chatham-Stephens, the Pediatric Vaccine Planning and Implementation Lead with the CDC’s Vaccine Task Force, said in ACIP’s meeting.\n\n“Parents and caregivers can reach out to the child’s pediatrician or family practice doctor or a local health department, pharmacy, et cetera to ask if they have the vaccine, understanding that not every clinic or pharmacy will get their vaccine on Monday.”\n\nThe Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines are now authorized for young children\n\nOn Friday, the US Food and Drug Administration expanded the emergency use authorizations for Moderna’s vaccine to include children 6 months through 17 years and Pfizer/BioNTech’s for children 6 months through 4 years.\n\nThe CDC’s vaccine advisers will be discussing use of the Moderna vaccine in older children ages 6 to 17 years of age at their meeting June 23.\n\nAbout 17 million kids under the age of 5 are now are eligible for Covid-19 vaccines.\n\nCovid-19 is the leading cause of infectious disease-related death in people up to 19 years old, but data shows that those deaths can be prevented through vaccination, Dr. Matthew Daley said in Friday’s ACIP meeting.\n\n“Covid-19 is the leading cause of death among infectious diseases for people ages 0 to 19 years. And Covid-19 is the seventh most common of all causes of death for people ages 0 to 19 years,” Daley, senior investigator with the Institute for Health Research at Kaiser Permanente Colorado, told the committee.\n\n“Through March of 2022, unvaccinated people 5 years of age and older had 10 times the risk of dying from Covid-19 compared to those vaccinated with at least the primary series,” Daley said, adding that in other words, the data “provide real-world evidence that most deaths from Covid-19 are preventable through vaccination.”\n\nIn Saturday’s ACIP meeting, Dr. Veronica McNally said she was “struck” by the impact Covid-19 has had on children.\n\n“I am struck by these numbers: 2 million cases, 20,000 hospitalizations and over 200 deaths. And I am also concerned that there’s really an underappreciation for the potential severity of a respiratory virus in kids in this age and an unclear understanding sometimes in parents about the long-term consequences, including MIS-C,” McNally said.\n\nWill the youngest children get vaccinated?\n\nMany public health experts worry that even though the Covid-19 vaccines are now authorized for younger age groups, parents of these children might not take their kids to get them.\n\n“The hard work only continues,” after recommending the vaccine, Daley said, citing the importance of communicating to parents “how vitally important these vaccines are to protect children’s lives.”\n\nThere is already slow uptake of Covid-19 vaccines in children.\n\n“Having vaccine options for the youngest children is very important; however, we have seen a relatively low uptake of Covid vaccines in children in the 5- to 12-year-old group, and so my concern is that uptake in the youngest children under 5 years old might also be lower than we would like,” Dr. Dan Barouch, director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, said Wednesday.\n\nBarouch, who is not involved in the FDA’s or CDC’s decisions, helped develop and study the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine.\n\nHe said there were “striking” differences in how many adults are fully vaccinated compared with children and teens.\n\nChildren 5 to 11 were the most recent group to become eligible for vaccination, in November. But just 29% of these children are fully vaccinated with their two-dose primary series in the United States, according to the CDC, compared with about:\n\n60% of adolescents 12 to 17\n\n64% of adults 18 to 24\n\n67% of adults 25 to 39\n\n75% of adults 40 to 49\n\n82% of adults 50 to 64\n\n94% of adults 65 to 74\n\n88% of adults 75 and older\n\n“We are planning and preparing for the rollout of pediatric vaccines. Of course, there’s a lot of work to be done to look at uptake of this vaccine. Some of the polls and surveys that have gone out to the public have indicated an ongoing lessening of parents considering giving their children these vaccines over time,” said Lori Tremmel Freeman, chief executive officer of the National Association of County and City Health Officials.\n\nAccording to a Kaiser Family Foundation’s Vaccine Monitor survey published in May, only 18% of parents of children under 5 said they would vaccinate their child against Covid-19 as soon as a vaccine was available.\n\n“I think the more the pandemic is in the rearview mirror for some people – or they believe it is – then the less compelled they will be to do this, and so we have a big public health education campaign ahead of us,” Freeman said. “Also, health departments at the local level will be looking to understand the landscape of their community in terms of how many providers, pediatricians and pharmacies have actually signed up to give out the vaccine.”\n\nPediatrics groups support ACIP’s recommendation\n\nThe American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) both released statements Saturday in support of a vote to recommend Covid-19 vaccines in children as young as six months.\n\nSpeaking in the CDC meeting on Saturday, Dr. Bonnie Maldonado, chair of the AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases, said it would be important to focus distribution equitably.\n\n“As of June 8, 23 million children ages five to 17 have received two doses of Covid vaccine. But another 26 million in this age group have yet to receive any doses. Our work is cut out for us. We must also all work together to reduce disparities and address barriers to vaccination in every community so that all children and families can benefit from the protection of these vaccines,” she said.\n\nPatsy Stinchfield, with NAPNAP, also spoke in support of the recommendation but asked ACIP to stress the importance of vaccination in this age group.\n\n“I was a bit dismayed with some of the headlines coming out after the VRBPAC decision emphasizing quote, it’s up to the parents. This can be misinterpreted to consider this vaccine in young children as optional. We don’t say to parents of a baby with a cardiac defect, ‘it’s up to you for your child to have open heart surgery.’ We say, ‘your child needs open heart surgery’,” she said.\n\n“We don’t get out of pandemics with ‘it’s-up-to-you’-type strategies,” she said.\n\n‘Benefits seem to clearly outweigh the risks’\n\nUnder the FDA’s authorization, the Moderna vaccine can be given as a two-dose primary series, at 25 micrograms each dose, to infants and children 6 months through 5 years of age. For older children, ages 6 to 11, the doses are 50 micrograms each.\n\nThe Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine now can be given as a three-dose primary series, at 3 micrograms each dose, for use in infants and children 6 months through 4 years.\n\nDr. Paul Offit, a vaccine adviser to the FDA, said Wednesday that children who get the Pfizer vaccine will have to complete a three-dose series to get sufficient protection.\n\n” ‘Do the benefits outweigh the risks’ is something I can support, but I do have some concerns about this vaccine,” said Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania.\n\nDr. Jeannette Lee of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, who also serves on the FDA’s vaccine advisory committee, agreed.\n\n“Three doses will certainly benefit. I have a lot of concern that many of these kids will not get a third dose,” she said. “My concern is that you have to get the three doses to really get what you need.”\n\nAccording to clinical trial data, common side effects for both vaccines include pain at the injection site, headache, fever, chills and fatigue. The vaccines appeared to elicit similar immune responses in children as has been seen in adults.\n\nThe FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee determined that the benefits of both vaccines outweigh the risks and noted that the vaccines have been “well-tolerated” among the children who got them in clinical trials.\n\n“The benefits seem to clearly outweigh the risks, particularly for those with young children who may be in kindergarten or in collective child care,” committee member Oveta Fuller, an associate professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Michigan Medical School, said in a discussion about the Moderna vaccine.\n\nThe number of Covid-19 hospitalizations and deaths in children is concerning and much higher when compared with influenza-related deaths and hospitalizations, said Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.\n\n“There still was, during the Omicron wave, a relatively high rate of hospitalization during this period,” he said. “That rate of hospitalization actually is quite troubling, and if we compare this to what we see in a terrible influenza season, it is worse.”\n\nGet CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team.\n\nMarks said the number of deaths for children 4 and under during the first two years of the pandemic “also compares quite terribly to what we’ve seen with influenza in the past.”\n\n“We are dealing with an issue where I think we have to be careful that we don’t become numb to the number of pediatric deaths because of the overwhelming number of older deaths here. Every life is important,” he said, adding that “vaccine-preventable deaths are ones we would like to try to do something about.”\n\nHe added that the Covid-19 vaccines are an intervention similar to the influenza vaccine, which has been broadly and routinely used and accepted to prevent deaths in all ages.", "authors": ["Jacqueline Howard"], "publish_date": "2022/06/18"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/27/health/covid-fall-booster-vaccine-vrbpac-walkup/index.html", "title": "FDA advisers to consider whether Omicron-specific vaccines are ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nThe United States is preparing for the possible need to update its Covid-19 vaccines.\n\nThe US Food and Drug Administration’s independent Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee is set to meet Tuesday to discuss whether the composition of Covid-19 vaccines should be modified to target a specific coronavirus strain, and if so, which strain should be selected.\n\nThat means the Covid-19 vaccinations that people receive in the future could be somewhat or completely different formulations than what are administered now. The current vaccines are based on the coronavirus that emerged in late 2019, but the experts will discuss Tuesday if vaccines should also target the Omicron variant.\n\nIn their meeting, VRBPAC members will vote on the question: “Does the committee recommend inclusion of a SARS-CoV-2 Omicron component for COVID-19 booster vaccines in the United States?”\n\nThis is a moment of transition for the approach to the coronavirus vaccines. Anticipation is mounting that vaccinations could be needed annually – similar to how seasonal flu shots are administered each year.\n\n“There’s anticipation that we would need a fall booster and what that framework would look like and if a vaccine is needed due to a different variant,” Lori Tremmel Freeman, chief executive officer of the National Association of County and City Health Officials, told CNN.\n\n“This becomes challenging, because is it really a booster if it’s not the same formulation? And should we be talking about it in that way or is it simply a new vaccination?” Freeman added. “We don’t discuss that we have received boosters of flu shots over the years. It’s just part of getting your flu shot every year. So this transition is an important one.”\n\nIn May, a trio of top FDA officials wrote in the medical journal JAMA that the United States might need to update its Covid-19 vaccines each year and “a new normal” may include an annual Covid-19 vaccine alongside a seasonal flu shot.\n\n“By summer, decisions will need to be made for the 2022-2023 season about who should be eligible for vaccination with additional boosters and regarding vaccine composition,” wrote Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research; Principal Deputy Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock; and FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf.\n\n“Administering additional COVID-19 vaccine doses to appropriate individuals this fall around the time of the usual influenza vaccine campaign has the potential to protect susceptible individuals against hospitalization and death, and therefore will be a topic for FDA consideration,” they wrote.\n\n‘This is going to be … a transitional year’\n\nThe FDA’s vaccine advisers previously met in April to discuss how the composition of Covid-19 vaccines could change to target any new and emerging coronavirus variants. The committee agreed that there needs to be a framework for how and when such changes take place.\n\nFDA’s Marks has called this year a “transitional” one in how we view the evolving Covid-19 vaccine schedule.\n\n“The hypothesis now is that this is going to look somewhat like influenza. In this 2022-23 season, instead of just getting vaccinated against influenza, you’ll also get your booster for Covid-19. And we’ll see how that goes,” Marks told Bloomberg in an opinion article earlier this month.\n\n“If people who get that boost do well and we seem to have avoided another big wave from October to March-April of next year, we will have gotten people used to that,” he said.\n\nPeople age 5 and older are already eligible for booster doses, and certain immunocompromised people and adults 50 and older are eligible for additional doses of Covid-19 vaccine.\n\n“We have to start thinking about vaccines that we can adjust strains of once a year and make it more of a flu model rather than saying, OK, every five months or four months, you’ll get another booster,” Marks told Bloomberg. “The idea here is that next year we have one campaign, and we don’t have to follow it up with another booster campaign. Ultimately, next-generation vaccines would ideally help hold us for that full year.”\n\nCurrently, the original versions of the Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccines are used in the United States – but vaccine makers have been working on updated versions of their vaccines.\n\nModerna has developed a bivalent Covid-19 vaccine booster, named mRNA-1273.214, which the company announced this month has been shown to elicit “potent” immune responses against the Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5. This bivalent booster vaccine candidate contains components of both Moderna’s original Covid-19 vaccine and a vaccine that targets the Omicron variant. T\n\nOn Saturday, Pfizer and BioNTech said their two Covid-19 vaccine boosters targeting Omicron showed a substantially higher immune response than its current Covid-19 vaccine, and preliminary lab studies suggest the vaccines could neutralize the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5.\n\nAnother vaccine maker, Novavax, has received VRBPAC’s support for emergency use authorization in the United States, but has not not yet been authorized by the FDA. Novavax scientists also have been developing variant-specific updated versions of their Covid-19 vaccine as well as a Covid-19 and flu combination vaccine.\n\n‘Booster uptake so far isn’t that great’\n\nPublic health experts worry that there might be a sluggish uptake of any modified Covid-19 vaccines in the future.\n\n“Our booster uptake so far isn’t that great, and so another booster is not going to necessarily cause people to run out and get the boosters they’ve already missed,” Freeman said.\n\nAbout two-thirds of the US population – 67% – is fully vaccinated against Covid-19 with at least their initial series of vaccine, but less than a third – 32% – have received their booster, according to data from the CDC, as of Friday.\n\nVaccination rates for children still lag far behind other age groups – just 30% of children ages 5 to 11 and 60% of those ages 12 to 17 are fully vaccinated, compared with nearly 77% of adults. National data on vaccination rates for children under 5, who became eligible this month, will likely not be available for a few weeks.\n\nThe CDC still considers receiving two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccines or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as being fully vaccinated. Any additional doses are called “boosters,” and completing all recommended boosters of vaccine is considered being “up to date.”\n\nBut that language and messaging around completing booster doses – and considering them as being up to date instead of as part of being fully vaccinated – “is not working,” said Dr. Peter Hotez, vaccine scientist and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, told CNN. That is evident in the slow uptake of additional doses.\n\n“Since the beginning of January 2021, I’ve said this was always a three-dose vaccine,” he said.\n\nNow, people who have not yet completed their booster doses are becoming more vulnerable to Covid-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths.\n\n“There’s heavy consequences because we’re starting to see not only breakthrough hospitalizations, but even breakthrough deaths in people getting only two doses of the vaccine and not getting the booster – especially those over the age of 65 – so this is more than a theoretical discussion. Lives are being lost because of the messaging,” Hotez said.\n\nGet CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team.\n\nAt the moment, vaccine-induced protection against Covid-19 seems to not stay durable for as long as vaccine experts would hope, but it is not so clear why. Waning protection could be due to the vaccines themselves or due to the emergence of coronavirus variants evading the vaccines.\n\nHotez said that he thinks the White House should convene a panel of vaccine experts – outside of FDA’s VRBPAC – in a special meeting to determine whether the Covid-19 vaccine technology has a weakness when it comes to durability and what that means for future vaccine strategies.\n\n“There’s two things happening at once. There could be waning immunity,” Hotez said, but at the same time, there have been variants like Delta and Omicron arriving on the scene.\n\n“If all we had to worry about was Delta, would we be having a problem? Or would things have held up? And so I don’t know the answer to that,” Hotez said. “That’s why you want to convene the experts.”", "authors": ["Jacqueline Howard"], "publish_date": "2022/06/27"}]}
{"question_id": "20230303_2", "search_time": "2023/03/15/03:26", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/03/world/germany-train-derailment-intl/index.html", "title": "Germany train derailment: Four killed, 15 severely injured after ...", "text": "Berlin CNN —\n\nAt least four people were killed and 15 severely injured when a train derailed in southern Germany on Friday, according to local police.\n\nThe regional train was traveling in the direction of Munich when it derailed near Burgrain, north of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, a ski resort in the Bavarian Alps.\n\n”The number of fatally injured in the train accident unfortunately increases to four people,” Upper Bavaria South Police, which have taken over rescue efforts, tweeted Friday afternoon.\n\nPolice said of the approximately 30 injured passengers, 15 have sustained serious injuries and were admitted to hospitals in the surrounding area.\n\nRescue operations are still ongoing at the scene of the crash near Burgrain. Josef Hornsteiner/dpa/AP\n\nStephan Scharf, an official from the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, had told CNN earlier that 60 people were receiving medical treatment.\n\nThe accident occurred on the last day of school before the Pentecost, a religious holiday celebrated in Bavaria. It was not immediately clear how many students were on board when the train came off the tracks.\n\nPhotos and videos from the scene shared on social media show carriages of a double-decker regional train rolled down an embankment and caught in leafy trees, as rescue workers carried people away on stretchers.\n\nProsecutors and police have launched an investigation into the cause of the accident, police told CNN.", "authors": ["Nadine Schmidt"], "publish_date": "2022/06/03"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/28/china/china-zhengzhou-car-pile-up-intl-hnk/index.html", "title": "Zhengzhou: More than 200 cars involved in massive pileup in China ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nOne person was killed during a massive pileup involving more than 200 vehicles in the central Chinese city Zhengzhou on Wednesday, according to state media.\n\nThe pileup took place on a bridge that was shrouded in heavy morning fog, which caused multiple vehicles to crash, according to state-owned The Global Times.\n\nPhotos from the scene show the long multi-lane bridge, stretching across fields and the Yellow River, strewn with vehicles crammed into each other. Cars, cargo trucks, lorries and other vehicles can be seen in the pileup.\n\nAn aerial photo showing the multi-vehicle collision on Zhengxin Yellow River Bridge in Zhengzhou, China, on December 28. Stringer/AFP/Getty Images\n\nIn videos filmed from the ground, the air is still thick with fog. One clip shows a truck sliding forward, crashing into several smaller cars, as sirens ring in the distance.\n\nMany drivers and passengers were trapped in their cars, according to The Global Times. Emergency response workers and fire rescuers were deployed to the scene, including personnel from the traffic and health departments.\n\nOne eyewitness told The Global Times the pileup stretched several kilometers long, and that moisture on the bridge made the road particularly slippery.\n\nMore than 200 vehicles were involved in the pileup, caused by fog, according to state media. Stringer/AFP/Getty Images\n\nIn some areas, visibility that morning was only 200 meters (about 656 feet), according to Reuters, citing the local meteorology agency. Several hours after the pileup, police had issued a warning for cars not to cross the bridge due to the fog.\n\n“In the winter the temperature is low and there is often heavy fog,” traffic police posted on their official account on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter. It reminded drivers to slow down, use their lights, and to leave dangerous areas as quickly as possible.\n\nThe overpass connects Zhengzhou with the city of Xinxiang. Police shut down the bridge during rescue operations, with traffic resuming later that afternoon.", "authors": ["Jessie Yeung Jennie Chen", "Jessie Yeung", "Jennie Chen"], "publish_date": "2022/12/28"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/local/2013/12/14/one-dead-in-crash-on-dewey-avenue-in-rochester/4022421/", "title": "Toddler, woman die in Dewey Ave. crash", "text": "Steve Orr and Chad Roberts\n\nStaff writers\n\nA driver who apparently was fleeing police by careening along on the wrong side of the road in bad weather conditions caused a two-vehicle crash that left a young boy and a woman dead Friday night on Rochester's west side.\n\nA Greece police official had tried to pull over the driver 12 blocks north of the accident site in connection with a shoplifting complaint, but the motorist raced off and the officer chose not to pursue him, Greece police said.\n\nThe crash occurred at 10 p.m. at 1196 Dewey Avenue, across the street from Aquinas Institute, where Dewey intersects with Albemarle Street., Capt. John Corbelli of the Rochester Police Department said\n\nA 2½-year-old boy, who was riding in a 2001 Saturn driven by his mother, died shortly before 11 p.m. after being taken to Strong Memorial Hospital by Rural/Metro Medical Services ambulance, Corbelli said. The boy's mother sustained relatively minor injuries.\n\nA 35-year-old Rochester woman, an occupant of the striking car, died at the scene, Corbelli said. A male occupant of the striking car, a 2013 Toyota Camry, suffered life-threatening injuries and is being treated at Strong.\n\nNames of the four persons involved in the crash have not been released.\n\nThe occupants of the Camry were being sought by Greece police in connection with a larceny complaint at the Walmart store in Northgate Plaza in Greece. Security there described the suspect vehicle to a passing Greece patrol officer and told him it had headed south on Dewey.\n\nThe officer drove more than 2 ½ miles south on Dewey looking for the car, eventually passing from the town into the city and finally encountering the suspect vehicle stopped in traffic on Dewey at West Ridge Road, the Greece Police Department said in a statement Saturday morning.\n\n\"As traffic started up, the officer activated his emergency lights, in an attempt to make a stop of the suspect vehicle,\" the statement said. \"The vehicle cut to the left, passing other cars as it sped off south on Dewey.\"\n\nThe unidentified officer chose not to pursue the Camry and shut off his emergency lights, according to the statement. He made that decision, the statement said, after considering \"road conditions at the time, the severity of the crime and the fact that he had obtained a plate number on the suspect vehicle.\"\n\nThe Greece officer advised a radio dispatcher to alert city police to the situation, then turned around and headed north toward the town line, the statement said.\n\nThe Camry continued south on Dewey at a high rate of speed, Rochester police investigators believe. Witnesses reported the car driving on the wrong side of the road in a reckless manner in snowy and icy conditions.\n\nAs the vehicle passed Seneca Parkway, the striking vehicle lost control, crossed from the southbound lane to the northbound lane, and collided with the Saturn.\n\nThe crash scene is 12 blocks, or nine-tenths of a mile, from the point where Greece police said their officer encountered the suspect Camry. There are five traffic signals on Dewey between West Ridge and Albemarle with two lanes of traffic in each direction.\n\nGreece Police Capt. Brian Uhrmacher said Saturday the officer, whose name he declined to disclose, handled the situation properly.\n\n\"We train not only the supervisors but the officers on patrol to weigh several circumstances when becoming involved in a pursuit. This didn't reach the level of being a pursuit, but the officer did consider several of those factors in deciding whether or not to pursue the vehicle\n\n\"In my opinion, the officer made a very good decision not to pursue it,\" Uhrmacher said.\n\nHe also said the officer was \"well within his rights\" to continue his search for the suspects, and to try and pull them over, after crossing into the city.\n\nShortly after the crash occurred, a Rochester officer was notified by a passing motorist. That officer responded along with Rochester firefighters and Rural/Metro paramedics to assist the occupants of the two vehicles, Corbelli said. Greece officers also responded to the scene.\n\nRochester police investigators, with assistance from reconstruction technicians and the New York State Police, processed the scene overnight. The area was open to traffic Saturday morning.\n\nUhrmacher said two bad choices led to the double-fatal crash.\n\n\"These people apparently made a decision to go to the Walmart store and commit a crime there. When our officer attempted to stop them, a decision was made … not to stop for the officer,\" he said. \"As a result we've got a tragic situation. It's a tragedy any time of the year, but we've got several families that are going to be affected during the holiday season.\"", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2013/12/14"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/05/asia/bangladesh-sitakunda-container-depot-fire-intl/index.html", "title": "Bangladesh container depot fire kills 49 people, injures hundreds ...", "text": "Hong Kong CNN —\n\nAt least 49 people have been killed and more than 300 injured, after a fire tore through a container depot in southeastern Bangladesh over the weekend.\n\nThe fire started on Saturday night at the BM Container Depot in Sitakunda, in Chittagong District, according to state-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS).\n\nAmong the dead are at least nine firefighters who had been deployed to douse the flames, BSS reported. Two firefighters remained missing late on Sunday.\n\nFirefighters were still working to extinguish the blaze on Sunday afternoon, as containers filled with chemicals including hydrogen peroxide or sulphur continued to erupt, Reuters reported, citing fire service officials.\n\nWhile the cause of the fire remains unknown, fire service officials said it may have originated from a vessel of hydrogen peroxide and diffused to other containers.\n\n“It’s really getting harder as toxic fumes engulfed the area,” Newton Das, a fire service official, told Reuters.\n\nLocal residents told the agency that the initial blast caused the neighborhood to quake, and subsequently broke some of the glass windows on local infrastructure.\n\nAn injured victim is brought to a hospital following the blaze. Str/Reuters\n\nFirefighters assess the damage at the site of the fire. Str/Reuters\n\nThe depot’s authorities have announced that they would provide 10 lakh Bangladeshi taka (around $11,200) in compensation to each family of the workers who died in the fire, BSS said.\n\nThey also promised to pay six lakh Bangladeshi taka (around $6700) to each critically injured worker who lost body parts in the fire and four lakh Bangladeshi taka (around $4500) to other injured workers.\n\nThe company has formed a five-member inquiry committee to probe the deadly incident, the state news agency reported.\n\nThe incident is the latest in a string of fatal industrial accidents over several years in the South Asian nation.\n\nIn December, at least 38 people were killed after a fire destroyed a launch on the Sugandha River, in the southern district of Jhalakathi.\n\nA few months earlier, at least 52 people died and about 50 others were left injured when a huge fire swept through a juice factory in Rupganj, east of the capital Dhaka.", "authors": ["Sophie Jeong Teele Rebane Sana Noor Haq", "Sophie Jeong", "Teele Rebane", "Sana Noor Haq"], "publish_date": "2022/06/05"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2019/07/05/redding-com-news-roundup-rolling-updates-july-2019/1628353001/", "title": "Redding.com news roundup: Rolling updates in July 2019", "text": "In this roundup, you'll read about:\n\nA new scholarship program at Simpson University for fire victims.\n\nThe identification of two people who died, one in a crash in Shasta Lake and another who was hit by a train.\n\nA man in a wheelchair who was struck by a car in Red Bluff.\n\nRepairs along Interstate 5 after the 2018 Delta Fire.\n\nAn outage that affected a handful of Redding households.\n\nA tree branch came crashing down near a couple's picnic at Caldwell Park.\n\nThe community viewing of \"Seattle is Dying.\"\n\nAn effort to block the proposed wind farm near Burney.\n\nThe results from Redding police's DUI checkpoint.\n\nA boat that exploded over the Fourth of July weekend on Lake Shasta.\n\nJuly 31\n\nVictims of the Carr Fire or Camp Fire may be eligible to receive tuition scholarships offered by Simpson University in Redding.\n\nThe university said that it will distribute Carr & Camp Fire Scholarship awards of up to $15,000.\n\nRecipients must show proof of being impacted by one of last year's wildfires, including address verification of an affected location, an insurance claim application and an application with the Federal Emergency Management Association.\n\nIndividuals must also commit to living on the Simpson campus, unless the recipient is approved to live off campus.\n\nMore information is available at simpsonu.edu/scholarships.\n\nJuly 30\n\nShasta Lake crash victim identified\n\nAfter seven days, Shasta County Coroner's Office has identified the 64-year-old man killed in a Shasta Lake traffic collision on July 23.\n\nThe coroner's office identified the victim as William Francis Coleman of Redding. Coleman was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash off Kennett Road at about 3 p.m. July 23 after suffering \"significant injuries\" as a result of the crash, according to a press release.\n\nThe incident remains under investigation by the California Highway Patrol.\n\nJuly 24\n\nFatal train victim identified\n\nThe Shasta County Coroner's Office has identified the person hit and killed by a train last week in south Redding.\n\nLt. Gene Randall said 28-year-old Lottie Adell Guillen, of Redding, died at the scene of the incident Friday near Star Drive and Eastside Road.\n\nMan in wheelchair struck by vehicle as he crossed the street\n\nA Red Bluff man was hospitalized with critical injuries on Wednesday after he was hit by a car while crossing the street in a power wheelchair.\n\nThe injured man, a 59-year-old whose identity was not released by police, was within a marked crosswalk near the 300 block of Main Street in Red Bluff when he was stuck by a minivan at about 12:43 p.m, according to a news release.\n\nRed Bluff police identified the driver as 19-year-old Brenden Medellin. Neither drugs nor alcohol appear to be a factor in the collision, police said.\n\nThe 59-year-old was taken to St. Elizabeth's Community Hospital before being flown to Mercy Hospital in Redding.\n\nA portion of Main Street was shut down for about an hour following the incident.\n\nThe incident remains under investigation by the Red Bluff Police Department.\n\nJuly 15\n\nRepairs complete on I-5 after 2018 Delta Fire\n\nWork is done on the Interstate 5 project to clear out damage and debris from 2018's Delta Fire, the California Department of Transportation announced Monday.\n\nSpokeswoman Lupita Franco said some 10,000 burnt trees were removed, culverts have been replaced and other repairs were made north of Redding, including a new guardrail and signs. Measures also were taken to prevent erosion, she said.\n\nThe fire forced the closure of both sides of the freeway in early September near Lakehead.\n\nJuly 13\n\nREU outage affects neighborhood\n\nAn early morning power outage affected a residential area near Lake Boulevard in Redding.\n\nIn a tweet posted at 7:53 a.m., Redding Electric Utility (REU) announced its working to restore power to 16 customers in the area of Panorama Drive. REU estimates power should be back on by 7 p.m.\n\nNo cause of the outage has been released.\n\nTemperatures are expected to soar to 102 Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Those without power are advised to seek out cooling stations like the Shasta County Library in Redding.\n\nJuly 11\n\nTree branch almost hits couple at Caldwell Park\n\nA Redding couple may have escaped serious injury Wednesday evening after a large oak branch broke came crashing down just a few feet from where they were having a picnic.\n\nEdward McNeill said he and his wife, Adriana, were with their pit bull, Wedda, lying on the grass at Caldwell Park. It was after 7 p.m. when they heard a crackling sound.\n\n\"I was not thinking anything of it and then that branch came tumbling down,\" he said. \"I'll tell you, it was scary.\"\n\nThe branch landed about 7 to 8 feet from where the McNeills had spread a blanket.\n\n\"I had bark that landed on me,\" he said and added someone at the city should check the trees other branches. \"That is as close as I've come to death.\"\n\nThe incident comes about five months after a Feb. 13 winter storm dumped about a foot of heavy, wet snow in Redding. The historic storm toppled trees and left thousands of North State homes without power.\n\nCity officials have said a quarter of the trees have been damaged by the storm.\n\nJuly 10\n\n'Is Redding dying?': Discussion centers on homelessness, crime\n\nUpwards of 200 people gathered at the Cascade Theatre on Tuesday to watch a documentary on homelessness in Seattle and compare it to Redding's transient situation.\n\nThe documentary \"Seattle is Dying\" has drawn attention recently for its position that Washington's largest city is \"rotting from within\" because of homelessness as well as the crime and littering it can lead to.\n\nThe event was sponsored by the Shasta Builders Exchange. Joe Chimenti, Shasta County's District 1 Supervisor and a former executive for the builders exchange, introduced the film, posing the question: Is Redding dying, too?\n\n\"We are not,\" Chimenti said. \"Are we facing some sound issues? Yes. ... Great societies, like we are, rise above that, and that's what we're hereto do, is start embracing the strategies that empower us.\"\n\nAfter the one-hour documentary, District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett took the stage and said part of the problem is recent changes in California law that portray a more lax attitude toward low-level crime.\n\nBridgett advocated for an increase in the number of police, prosecutors and jail space to address the problem.\n\n\"The state’s not gonna come in and fix it,\" Bridgett said. \"They’re actually what’s making it bad for us.\"\n\nThe full post-movie discussion is available for residents to view on the Facebook page for the Shasta County District Attorney's Office.\n\nMore:530 Fire Watch: Cal Fire suspends residential burn permits in Shasta, east Trinity counties\n\nMore:The 5 digital benefits of a Record Searchlight subscription\n\nJuly 8\n\nCitizen's group wants to block new wind farms in Shasta County\n\nA citizen's group that opposes the construction of Shasta County's second major wind energy production facility said it has asked the Shasta County Board of Supervisors to place a countywide moratorium on any more large energy generation projects.\n\nPortland, Oregon-based Pacific Wind Development, LLC — a subsidiary of Avangrid Renewables, LLC — wants to build as many as 100 turbines about 35 miles northeast of Redding and 6 miles west of Burney.\n\nThe new wind turbine proposal, called the Fountain Wind Project, would be located on leased timberland near the communities of Montgomery Creek, Round Mountain, Oak Run, Moose Camp, Big Bend and Wengler.\n\nMore:Even after Caltrans agrees to pay $37.3M, agency and family's lawyers still disagree on case\n\nMore:After World Cup win — and local controversy — Megan Rapinoe still praises 'hometown love'\n\nMore:CHP: I-5 speeder clocked at 108 mph in Ford Fiesta\n\nAvangrid's proposed Fountain Wind project calls for three-blade turbines that are nearly as tall as the Shasta Dam.\n\nCitizens in Opposition to the Fountain Wind Project said the nearly 38,000-acre forested area earmarked to house the turbines is located in a high fire hazard zone. According to industry research, wind turbines are mostly fire-free compared to other energy-production industries, although lightning strikes, electrical malfunction or even overheated bearings and gearboxes have triggered wind turbine fires that could spread to the surrounding land.\n\nThe proposed development would contain more than twice the number of wind turbines that now operate at the Hatchet Ridge Development near Burney, in between Mt. Shasta and Mt. Lassen. Hatchet Ridge, owned by renewable energy firm Pattern Energy, reached full capacity in 2010.\n\nThe Fountain Wind proposal could come before the Shasta County Planning Commission in late 2019 or early 2020.\n\nAdditional information about the citizens' group and its online petition can be found at Stop Fountain Wind, www.stopfw.com.\n\nJuly 6\n\nAt DUI checkpoint, RPD screen 526 vehicles, make 1 arrest\n\nRedding police said they arrested one person on suspicion of driving under the influence Friday night at a DUI and driver's license checkpoint.\n\nThe checkpoint was set up on Benton Driver south of Quartz Hill Road between 7 to 11 p.m.\n\nOfficers screened a total of 526 vehicles. Three drivers were cited for driving on a suspended license while four were cited for driving without a license, police said.\n\nJuly 5\n\n'One big boom' as custom-built boat explodes on Lake Shasta\n\nThree Klamath Falls residents escaped without major injury after their motorboat exploded on July 4 on Lake Shasta.\n\nAccording to police, Bryce Balan, 26, along with his wife Kristen Balin, 26, and Jared Aguiar, 27, had been camping at the Arbuckle Flat Campground and went to fuel up their vessel at the Silverthorn Resort gas pumps.\n\nAt 6:45 p.m., as the custom-built 1985 boat was backing up from the dock, police said the vessel exploded and threw all three people into the lake.\n\nOne of the men reported they'd been tossed 15 feet into the air before landing in the water, said Shasta County Sheriff Boating Safety Unit Officer Jim Lindquist.\n\n\"It sounds pretty much like it was just one big boom and the fuel tank remained intact, which kept the fire from spreading everywhere,\" said Lindquist. \"They were very lucky that their injuries weren't more severe.\"\n\nDock workers at Silverthorn rescued the couple and their friend from the water and extinguished the fire.\n\nREAD:Woman in hospital with 'severe injuries' after getting swept into ACID diversion dam\n\nREAD:'You don't go and raise your dinner': Redding-area eagles defy odds by taking in baby hawk\n\nThe boat's occupants sustained only minor cuts and did not ask to be seen by paramedics.\n\nThe vessel was a total loss, Lindquist said: \"The entire of the top of the boat was blown off.\"\n\nWhile the boat's blower — which evacuates gas fumes from enclosed areas of the boat before the engine is started — was being used before the explosion, Lindquist said, \"It appears there was some kind of either slow fume leak or ... something ignited.\"\n\nLindquist said that Balin reported being a skilled boater and owning the boat \"for a while and used it successfully without a problem.\"\n\nREAD:Sheriff: Man jumps off boat to get out of sobriety test, then asks deputy to rescue him\n\nWatch this video from 2017 about the law that went into effect in 2018 requiring a California Boater Card:", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2019/07/05"}, {"url": "https://www.theweek.co.uk/news/environment/953574/worlds-most-extreme-weather-events-2021", "title": "The most extreme weather events in 2021 | The Week UK", "text": "This year was regarded by scientists, politicians and environmentalists as pivotal in the global effort to take action on climate change.\n\nStark warnings and alarming forecasts were issued, as regions that were previously not considered to be on the frontline of climate change saw unprecedented weather events destroy homes and claim lives. As mercury levels in Moscow hit record-breaking highs in June, the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned that the world was reaching a “point of no return”\n\nIn August, Boris Johnson described the latest global assessment from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as a “wake-up call to the world”. The “most comprehensive” climate report from the panel issued a “code red for humanity”, said The Independent, and stated the link between global warming and the increased rate and severity of extreme weather events.\n\nClimate scientist Professor Hannah Cloke said that this year’s extreme weather events “ought to serve as a canary in the coal mine to spur faster action to adapt society to the reality of a changing climate”.\n\nHere are some of the most costly weather incidents recorded so far this year.\n\nRecord-breaking snowfall, Madrid In the first weeks of 2021, Storm Filomena brought record-breaking levels of snow for Madrid and elderly Spanish citizens were warned to stay at home as temperatures plummeted. The heaviest snow for 50 years brought transport in and out of the city to a “standstill”, Euronews reported. The snowstorm caused around €1.4bn (£1.2bn) of damage, The New York Times said.\n\nStorm Christoph, UK The period from 18 to 20 January 2021 was “one of the wettest three-day periods on record” for North Wales and North-West England, according to the Met Office. Homes in Cheshire were flooded, and residents were evacuated from homes in Manchester and Merseyside. Once Storm Christoph cleared, significant snowfall also led to travel disruption with icy conditions and road closures. Liberal Democrat councillor Richard Kilpatrick told the Manchester Evening News the atmosphere was one of “anxiety and disbelief”.\n\nCyclone Ana, Fiji Cyclone Ana “pummelled” Fiji towards the end of January, “just a month after category 5 Cyclone Yasa tore through the country’s northern islands”, The Guardian said. Satyendra Prasad, Fiji’s ambassador to the United Nations, said the cyclone – which caused more than 10,000 people to take refuge in 318 evacuation centres across the country – had left behind “a difficult recovery”.\n\nWinter storms, Texas The Week US reported that 3.5 million businesses and homes were left without power in February as temperatures dropped to -13℃ in some areas of Texas. Power went out across the state, leaving many vulnerable people in extremely cold conditions. The total death toll rose from 151 to 210 in July, after a decision was made to include deaths caused by the collapse of the state electric power grid in the final count, The Guardian reported.\n\nDust storm, China Flights were grounded and schools shut in what the South China Morning post reported as the worst sandstorm in a decade. But what was widely reported as a sandstorm in China was, in fact, a dust storm - “and that’s much worse”, said The Conversation. The miniscule particles can travel “much, much further” than sand, and can cause health risks if they are “drawn deep into the lungs”. In Beijing, the sky became orange as dust and pollution caused hazardous air quality.\n\nFlooding, New South Wales In March, Sydney and New South Wales (NSW) residents felt the effects of extreme flooding. The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) urged residents to take care of both their physical and mental health as heavy downpours lead to rivers and dams overflowing, with thousands evacuated from their homes.\n\nCyclone Seroja In April 160 people died in Indonesia after a tropical cyclone “hit a remote cluster of islands”, Climate Home News reported. Landslides and flash floods displaced at least 22,000 people, the news site adds. Reaching Western Australia days after it made landfall in Indonesia, residents in the town of Kalbarri, north of Perth, said the storm was “absolutely terrifying”, the BBC reported. Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan said Cyclone Seroja was \"like nothing we have seen before in decades”.\n\nRecord temperatures, Moscow As temperatures reached 34.8℃ in Moscow, “the absolute record for any day in June was hit”, The Moscow Times reported. The “abnormal temperatures” of the “record-breaking heatwave” weren’t just recorded in the capital; Penza, Vologda and Petrozavodsk also broke heat records during the month.\n\nHeat dome, Pacific Northwest Soaring temperatures across the Northwest United States “rewrote the record books” this year, National Geographic reported. The “heat dome” was the “most dramatic example” of an extreme weather event, said The Guardian’s global environment editor Jonathan Watts, and the meteorological phenomenon led to evacuations across states that weren’t “remotely prepared for the heat”. Lytton, a village in Canada’s British Columbia, was “engulfed and largely destroyed by a wildfire” as a result of the temperatures, National Geographic continued. Blistering Pacific Northwest temperatures should act as a wake-up call", "authors": ["Julia O"], "publish_date": "2021/07/22"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/08/europe/berlin-vehicle-incident-germany-intl/index.html", "title": "Berlin: One person dead, six with life-threatening injuries after car ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nA 29-year-old man drove a car into a crowd of people in a busy Berlin shopping district on Wednesday, killing a teacher and leaving six others with life-threatening injuries, authorities said.\n\nThe driver, identified by police as a German-Armenian national, ploughed into pedestrians on a sidewalk around 10:30 a.m. near Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, a well-known Berlin landmark. The car then crashed into a shop window on an adjoining street, according to the city’s police and fire department.\n\nIris Spranger, Berlin’s top security official, said the woman killed was a teacher accompanying a group of high school students on a trip from the German state of Hesse.\n\nFourteen of those students are among the injured, Berlin police said, adding that their relatives have been informed.\n\nSix people sustained life-threatening injuries and three others were seriously hurt, the Berlin fire department said. In total, 17 people have been injured, it said.\n\nThe driver was apparently detained by members of the public at the scene and then arrested by a police officer in the area, Berlin police spokesman Thilo Cablitz said. Police are trying to determine whether the man deliberately rammed into the crowd or whether it was an accident, possibly due to a medical emergency, he added.\n\nThe suspect is currently in the hospital, Berlin Police President Barbara Slowik said in a news conference on Wednesday afternoon.\n\n“We currently do not have conclusive evidence for a politically motivated act,” Slowik said.\n\nLater Wednesday, Spranger said that the driver “appears” to be a “mentally impaired person.”\n\nPolice have called on members of the public to submit videos or images from the scene so that officers can review them for clues.\n\nInvestigators are in the process of searching the man’s car, a small silver Renault, but there was no letter of confession found inside the vehicle, as previously reported by some local media outlets, Spranger said.\n\n“I am told there are posters in the car but there are no actual letters of confession. But one needs to be very careful with such statements,” Spranger added.\n\nMore than 130 emergency services personnel responded to the incident, Berlin’s mayor, Franziska Giffey, said in a post on Twitter thanking them for their quick action.\n\n“I am deeply affected by this incident. We know that there is one dead and there are several seriously injured. The police are working urgently to clarify the situation,” Giffey tweeted.\n\nGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he was “deeply saddened by the gruesome crime,” on Twitter.\n\nThe driver was detained after ploughing into a shop front in Berlin's Charlottenburg district. Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images\n\nPolice and emergency services secure the area after the incident. Fabian Sommer/picture alliance/Getty Images\n\nVideos and images shared on social media showed blankets covering what appeared to be a body in an area cordoned off by police and a helicopter circling above.\n\nScottish-American actor John Barrowman, who was at the scene, said that the car careened onto the pavement and hit people before crashing into a storefront window. “I heard the bang and the crash when we were in a store and then we came out and we just saw the car,” he said in a video posted on Twitter, adding that he saw a number of people with injuries.\n\nWednesday’s incident unfolded near the spot of a fatal attack on December 19, 2016, when Anis Amri, a Tunisian national with Islamist terrorist links, rammed a tractor trailer truck into a crowded Christmas market, killing 12 people and injuring 48. Amri was later shot dead by police in Italy.", "authors": ["Benjamin Brown Eliza Mackintosh", "Benjamin Brown", "Eliza Mackintosh"], "publish_date": "2022/06/08"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/07/30/police-pursuits-local-policy/30895539/", "title": "Local policies reduce fatal police chases", "text": "Sean Lahman\n\n@seanlahman\n\nMore than 300 people are killed in the U.S. each year during high-speed police chases.\n\nBut in Monroe County, only two fatalities have occurred during police pursuits since 1999, and in both cases those pursuits lasted less than a mile.\n\nThe Democrat and Chronicle analyzed federal data on police pursuits in conjunction with a nationwide USA TODAY investigation into the matter.\n\nWhile the number of fatal police pursuits has remained fairly steady nationwide, the local numbers have shown dramatic improvement.\n\n“I don’t think it’s luck,” said Greece Police Chief Patrick Phelan. “I think it’s a matter of good policy and good training.\n\n“We have a clear understanding of the dangers involved in pursuits and we take that very seriously.” he said. “We don’t enter into pursuits lightly.”\n\nDaniel Varrenti, Brockport police chief and president of the Monroe County Chiefs of Police Association, says that local departments have worked together to develop stringent policies on when officers should pursue a suspect in a motor vehicle.\n\n“Collaboratively and collectively, we all felt that we didn’t want to put people’s lives in danger over non-serious situations,” he said. “We don’t want to see people die, whether it’s an innocent bystander or a fleeing suspect,” Varrenti said. “Regardless of what somebody may have done, everybody’s life is valuable.”\n\nBut the desire to avoid escalating a situation doesn’t mean that police will simply let suspected criminals go when they decide not to cooperate.\n\n“It’s not a ‘no pursuit’ policy,” Varrenti said. “We can’t say we won’t hold people accountable for their actions. We can’t say we won’t stop people even for something like a stolen vehicle.”\n\nDeadly police chases\n\nDuring a span of a few weeks in 2007, two high-speed pursuits in Monroe County ended with fatal crashes.\n\nOn June 25, a trooper with the New York State Police attempted to pull over a vehicle on North Clinton Avenue during a multi-agency drug investigation. The car did not stop, and the driver, Reynaldo Bonilla, 23, of Rochester attempted to flee with two passengers. He hit a curb and crashed into a tree just north of East Ridge Road. A passenger in the front seat, 27-year-old Omar Marquez, was killed.\n\nOfficials said that the chase did not last long enough for the officers involved to decide whether or not to continue their pursuit.\n\n“It lasted a mile, at the most,” said State Police Maj. Steven White. “Normally, it takes longer to determine whether to terminate (the chase) or not.”\n\nPolice in the town of Greece said a pursuit that occurred weeks earlier was just as brief. On May 14, 2007, a patrol officer spotted a woman running from an exit at the Mall at Greece Ridge with her arms full of clothes that still had the tags on them. The officer pulled behind her car after it exited the mall’s parking lot and turned on his lights, but the vehicle sped off.\n\nLess than a mile later, the driver, 44-year-old Pamela Chatman, lost control of her vehicle near the intersection of West Ridge Road and Mount Read Boulevard. She was ejected from her vehicle and died from her injuries.\n\n“I think that pursuit was completely within policy,” Phelan said this week, although he was not chief of the Greece Police Department at the time.\n\nHe said his department’s pursuit policy had been tweaked since then, but not as a direct result of Chatman’s crash.\n\n“It was an unfortunate accident, but I don’t think there’s any lesson to be learned from that case.”\n\nTraining and policy\n\nPhelan and other officials say that training is vitally important for police officers, helping them to be prepared for whatever situation they might encounter on the job.\n\n“We know that in stressful situations, police officers fall back on their training,” Phelan said. “It’s a huge part of what they do, and that’s why we put so much emphasis on training.”\n\nRecruits at the police academy receive training in both emergency driving and pursuit policies, but it starts with intensive training in making traffic stops.\n\n“There are good and better ways to stop a vehicle,” Varrenti said. “If you turn your lights and sirens on from a quarter-mile behind, a driver who is inclined to flee probably will.”\n\nVarrenti says it’s preferable for the officer to wait until they are closer to the vehicle. At that point, the officer can transmit the vehicle’s license plate number and a description of the car. The officer can also make a better assessment of who is in the vehicle.\n\n“If you conduct a stop in accordance with the way we train officers to do it, you limit the opportunity for them to flee,” Varrenti said. “It’s not a guarantee, but it s an important factor.”\n\nIf a vehicle does refuse to pull over, officers are trained to go through a mental checklist, starting with the reason for making a vehicle stop in the first place. Did an officer see a driver roll through a red light, or was the stop initiated because the license plate comes back to a felony suspect?\n\nOfficers also need to be aware of the conditions which might make a pursuit more dangerous, including the time of day, the weather conditions, and the suspect’s vehicle. Is it a 1984 Ford Escort or is it a shiny new Lamborghini?\n\n“All of those things go through their mind during the initial decision about whether to pursue,” Varrenti said, “and the supervisor, who is at a distance, can provide another evaluation of all of those criteria.”\n\nOnce a pursuit ensues, both the pursuing officer and the supervisor are constantly re-evaluating the circumstances as they change. Did the pursuit move from a rural area to a high traffic area, or are the vehicles entering a school zone? How fast is the pursuit, and how much traffic is around?\n\nIf the decision is made to end the pursuit, Varrenti said, most officers are OK with that.\n\n“We’re not afraid to put aside our egos, put out a description of the vehicle and let another agency catch them at some other time.”\n\nBesides, he added, high-speed pursuits are nothing like what we might see on television.\n\n“Pursuits are not fun. They put everybody in danger, including the officer,” he said. “When we can avoid them we will.”\n\nEvolution in approach\n\nVarrenti, who served in the town of Irondequoit before becoming Brockport’s chief, said that policies on pursuits have changed dramatically in the course of his 36-year career. Phelan, who has been with the Greece Police Department for 28 years, agreed.\n\n“Many years ago, we would pursue for lesser offenses, and let pursuits go on longer,” Phelan said.\n\n“We’ve learned as a police community, that with them (pursuits) comes a significant risk to human life. It doesn’t mean we’re not going to do it, because there is also a significant risk in letting the person go in some circumstances.”\n\nThe thinking about vehicle pursuits continues to evolve. Anytime one occurs — even if it’s discontinued quickly — the internal review process can reveal new lessons and lead to changes in policy or training.\n\nPart of the evolution has been a realization that the people who decide to flee the police might not share a concern over escalating a dangerous situation.\n\n“Our challenge is to react in a safe and rational manner when we’re dealing with people who aren’t safe and rational. Its not always an easy thing,” Phelan said.\n\nSLAHMAN@Gannett.com", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2015/07/30"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/19/europe/brussels-metro-station-push-intl-scli/index.html", "title": "Woman survives push from platform as train driver stops with inches ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nA man who pushed a woman in front of an approaching train at a Brussels metro station on Friday January 14 has been detained on suspicion of attempted manslaughter, according to prosecutors.\n\nThe woman narrowly survived after the driver was able to pull the emergency brake just in time to avoid a fatal accident. In footage of the event, she can be seen with her head on the tracks as the train comes to a halt in front of her.\n\nIn a statement given to CNN, the Brussels public prosecutor’s office confirmed that police had been called to the Rogier metro station around 7:45 p.m. local time because “a young man had pushed a woman onto the metro tracks.”\n\nA man pushed a woman onto the tracks of a Brussels metro station on Friday. The train driver was able to pull the emergency brake in time to avoid a fatal accident. @jen_maeva03/Tik Tok\n\nWhen the police arrived, they determined that the victim had already been rescued by witnesses. According to the public prosecutor’s office, rescue services attended to both the victim and the metro driver and they received hospital treatment before being discharged.\n\n“It appears that a young man, after walking back and forth on the platform, pushed a woman on the metro tracks as a metro was approaching the station,” the public prosecutor’s office said. “The driver, warned by other people on the platform, was able to stop the metro before it hit the victim. Thanks to the quick intervention of the metro driver, not a single passenger in the metro was injured.”\n\nThe public prosecutor’s office said that the assailant fled along the tracks after the train stopped but was intercepted a few minutes later at the Brouckere station.\n\nAfter questioning by the police, the suspect was then placed in the custody of the Brussels public prosecutor, who is seeking a charge of attempted manslaughter, according to the statement.\n\nThe public prosecutor’s office said that “the investigation is still ongoing to determine the exact circumstances of the events and the motive of the suspect.”", "authors": ["Mick Krever Hannah Ryan", "Mick Krever", "Hannah Ryan"], "publish_date": "2022/01/19"}, {"url": "https://www.theweek.co.uk/news/953219/ten-things-you-need-to-know-today-21-june-2021", "title": "Ten Things You Need to Know Today: 21 June 2021 | The Week UK", "text": "Covid-era rail tickets launched\n\nNew flexible season tickets have gone on sale aimed at commuters who travel to work only two or three days a week. The new tickets can be used for eight days in any month-long period. They are part of the government's planned shake-up of rail services but are being introduced early in response to the trend towards more home working. Ministers say commuters could save between £60 and £350 a year.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2021/06/21"}]}
{"question_id": "20230303_3", "search_time": "2023/03/15/03:27", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/03/politics/biden-student-loan-forgiveness-status/index.html", "title": "Where Biden's student loan forgiveness plan stands | CNN Politics", "text": "Washington CNN —\n\nPresident Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness program remains on hold while a federal appeals court considers a legal challenge brought by six GOP-led states.\n\nThe Biden administration continues to accept applications for student loan forgiveness, which is worth up to $20,000 per borrower, but it is not currently allowed to cancel student loan debt due to a temporary, administrative hold put on the program by the 8th US Circuit Court of Appeals on October 21.\n\nNext, the appeals court will decide whether to grant a preliminary injunction requested by the states. If granted, the student loan forgiveness program could be kept on hold while litigation continues and the court hears from both parties on the merits of the case. If the injunction is not granted, debt cancellation may begin while the appeal plays out.\n\nThe ruling on the preliminary injunction could come at any time.\n\nA lower court judge dismissed the lawsuit on October 20, ruling that the states did not have the legal standing to bring the challenge. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett also rejected a separate challenge to Biden’s student loan forgiveness program, declining to take up an appeal brought by a Wisconsin taxpayers group.\n\nOn November 10, a federal judge in Texas struck down Biden’s student loan forgiveness program, declaring it illegal.\n\nThe lawsuit was filed by a conservative group, the Job Creators Network Foundation, in October on behalf of two borrowers who did not qualify for debt relief. The Biden administration is also facing lawsuits from Arizona’s GOP Attorney General Mark Brnovich and the Cato Institute.\n\nMany of the lawsuits claim that the Biden administration does not have the legal authority to broadly cancel student loan debt. But lawyers for the government argue that Congress gave the secretary of education the power to discharge debt in a 2003 law known as the HEROES Act.\n\nTwenty-six million people have so far applied for student loan forgiveness with 16 million borrowers approved for relief, the Biden administration said on November 10. The application opened on October 14.\n\nBut borrowers should not expect to see their debts canceled until the appeals court lifts the hold on the program.\n\nHow can borrowers apply for student loan forgiveness?\n\nBorrowers can apply online here: https://studentaid.gov/debt-relief/application.\n\nApplicants can expect to receive an email confirmation once their application is successfully submitted. Then, borrowers will be notified by their loan servicer if and when the debt cancellation has been applied to their account.\n\nBorrowers have until December 31, 2023, to submit an application.\n\nIf the court allows the administration to grant student loan forgiveness, an estimated 8 million eligible borrowers may receive the debt cancellation automatically because the Department of Education already has their income information on file. Those borrowers may begin to see their debt canceled on November 15, at the earliest, if there is not a legal pause in place at that time.\n\nWho may be eligible for student loan forgiveness?\n\nIf Biden’s program is allowed to move forward, individual borrowers who earned less than $125,000 in either 2020 or 2021 and married couples or heads of households who made less than $250,000 annually in those years could see up to $10,000 of their federal student loan debt forgiven.\n\nIf a qualifying borrower also received a federal Pell grant while enrolled in college, the individual is eligible for up to $20,000 of debt forgiveness.\n\nThere are a variety of federal student loans and not all are eligible for relief. Federal Direct Loans, including subsidized loans, unsubsidized loans, parent PLUS loans and graduate PLUS loans, are eligible.\n\nBut federal student loans that are guaranteed by the government but held by private lenders are not eligible unless the borrower applied to consolidate those loans into a Direct Loan before September 29.\n\nThis story has been updated with additional information.", "authors": ["Katie Lobosco"], "publish_date": "2022/11/03"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/20/politics/biden-laws-passed-priorities-to-get-done-executive-orders/index.html", "title": "5 significant bills and 5 executive orders Biden signed in his first ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nPresident Joe Biden took the oath of office a year ago with the country facing challenges not seen in generations.\n\nOn top of a once-in-a-century pandemic, the new President inherited an economy that had crumbled as Covid-19 cases rose and a nation so divided that his predecessors supporters had stormed the US Capitol two weeks prior in a bid to stop his ascent. Still, expectations for Biden were sky high among Democrats after Jon Ossoff and the Rev. Raphael Warnock won run-off elections in Georgia to become the Peach State’s senators and flip the chamber to the Democrats, giving the Democrats control of Congress by the narrowest of margins.\n\nOver the last year, Biden managed to get some of his top priorities passed through Congress but remains stymied on others, leaving him with less than a year to work with Democrats to pass his legislative agenda before the next Congress is sworn-in following the 2022 midterm elections. He also used his executive branch powers to sign 77 executive orders in his first year in office, outpacing his predecessors former President Donald Trump, who signed 58 executive orders in the same time; former President Barack Obama, who signed 41; and former President George W. Bush, who signed 56, according to data from the Federal Register.\n\nHere are the top five bills Biden signed into law this year, his top five executive orders and the top five things he will prioritize in 2022.\n\nFive marquee laws Biden signed in his first year\n\n1. The American Rescue Plan Act and extending existing Covid-19 programs\n\nUS President Joe Biden signs the American Rescue Plan on March 11, 2021, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC. - Biden signed the $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill and will give a national address urging \"hope\" on the first anniversary of the start of the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images) Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images\n\nBiden signed the American Rescue Plan, a sweeping $1.9 trillion package, into law in early March. The series of measures – which make up one of the most consequential pieces of legislation in decades intended to bolster the US’ recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – included stimulus payments of up to $1,400 per person for about 90% of American households, a $300 federal boost to weekly jobless benefits and an expansion of the child tax credit of up to $3,600 per child.\n\nThe plan, which did not receive support from any Republicans in Congress, also included $350 billion in state and local aid, as well as billions of dollars for K-12 schools to help students return to the classroom, to assist small businesses hit hard by the pandemic and for vaccine research, development and distribution.\n\nThat same month, Biden also signed two bills extending existing economic relief during the pandemic. He signed legislation into law extending the Paycheck Protection Program – the federal government’s key relief effort to deliver aid to small businesses hard hit by the pandemic. He also signed through the COVID-19 Bankruptcy Relief Extension Act, which extended temporary bankruptcy relief provisions granted by the CARES Act.\n\n2. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act\n\nBiden signed the legislation into law in November, which infuses $1.2 trillion dollars into Americans’ traditional “hard” infrastructure, such as roads and bridges. The bill’s passage was marked at a White House event with lawmakers from both parties.\n\nThe legislation provided $550 billion in new federal investments for American roads, bridges, mass transit, rail, airports, ports and waterways. The package also included $65 billion for improving broadband infrastructure and billions for improving the electric grid and water systems. Another $7.5 billion is going toward establishing a nationwide network of plug-in electric vehicle chargers.\n\nThe “hard” infrastructure package is part one of a two-part infrastructure plan proposed by Biden. The second portion, a $1.75 trillion economic and climate package called “Build Back Better,” has yet to pass in the Senate.\n\n3. Bills to avoid a government shutdown and keep the federal government running\n\nBiden signed two stopgap measures – one in late September and one in December – to avoid a government shutdown.\n\nDecember’s extension, which came just hours before a midnight deadline, marked the end of an impasse over some Republican senators’ objections to Biden’s Covid-19 vaccine requirements. Funding in the December stopgap bill extends through mid-February.\n\nIn December, Biden also signed a bill raising the national debt limit by $2.5 trillion and extending it into 2023.\n\nAdditionally, the President signed two emergency provisions for funding in July and September – the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act and the Emergency Security Supplemental Appropriations Act.\n\nThe first provided additional emergency funding to address the aftermath of the January 6 insurrection, financial needs arising from the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and expenses incurred at the US Capitol as a result of the pandemic. The second bill provided funding for disaster relief and Afghanistan evacuees, among other appropriations.\n\n4. Juneteenth National Independence Day Act\n\nBiden signed a bill into law in the summer establishing June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day – a US federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the US.\n\nThe Juneteenth holiday commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union Major General Gordon Granger announced the end of slavery in Galveston, Texas, in accordance with President Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Emancipation Proclamation. Efforts to establish Juneteenth as a federal holiday gained momentum following Black Lives Matter protests sparked by the police killing of George Floyd.\n\nJuneteenth is the first federal holiday established since Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983 and becomes at least the 11th federal holiday recognized by the US federal government.\n\n5. Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act\n\nThe Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which banned imports from China’s Xinjiang region, was signed into law in December.\n\nThe new law bans imports unless an importer can prove the goods were not made with forced labor in the region of the country accused of human rights violations over its treatment of Muslim-majority Uyghurs.\n\nFive significant executive orders Biden signed in his first year\n\n1. Reversing Trump-era policies\n\nThe first days of the Biden administration were marked, largely, by a reversal of actions taken by the Trump administration. Biden campaigned, in part, on dismantling his predecessor’s legacy, and moved quickly to undo some of Trump’s policies starting on day one. In his first 100 days in office, Biden signed more than 60 executive actions, 24 of which were direct reversals of Trump’s policies.\n\nIn his first hours after he was inaugurated, Biden halted funding for the construction of Trump’s border wall, reversed his travel ban targeting largely Muslim countries and embraced progressive policies on the environment and diversity that Trump spent four years blocking. Biden also reversed several of Trump’s attempts to withdraw from international agreements, beginning the process of rejoining the Paris climate accord and halting the United States’ departure from the World Health Organization. And he imposed a mask mandate in federal buildings, a symbolic break with Trump’s handling of the pandemic.\n\nBiden later revoked Trump-era executive orders targeting TikTok and other Chinese apps, another aimed at “Preventing Online Censorship,” and an order to build “the Garden of American Heroes” announced by Trump during an Independence Day celebration at Mount Rushmore in 2020.\n\n2. Vaccine requirements\n\nPerhaps the most controversial executive action taken by Biden in the past year was his effort to mandate Covid-19 vaccinations or testing for large businesses, an effort ultimately thwarted by the Supreme Court.\n\nIn September, as part of a push to get more Americans vaccinated, Biden directed the Labor Department to require all businesses with 100 or more employees to ensure their workers are either vaccinated or tested once a week. He also signed an executive order requiring all government employees to be vaccinated, with no option of regular testing to opt out. And he required the 17 million health care workers at facilities receiving funds from Medicare and Medicaid to be fully vaccinated, expanding the mandate to hospitals, home care facilities and dialysis centers around the country.\n\nAs companies rushed to implement policies, the requirement was met with nearly immediate court challenges. And last week, in a devastating blow to the administration, the Supreme Court blocked the requirement for large businesses, but allowed the mandate for certain health care workers to go into effect nationwide. However, the action may have led to some increased vaccinations despite its failure. Citigroup, for instance, reported 99% compliance with its vaccine mandate.\n\n3. Gun control\n\nWhile talks on Capitol Hill have failed to produce any breakthroughs on gun reform legislation, Biden has sought to take some actions on gun control in his first year, which comes amid a record-breaking spike in homicides and gun violence.\n\nUS President Joe Biden speaks about gun violence prevention in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 8, 2021. - Biden unveiled measures aimed at curbing rampant US gun violence, especially seeking to prevent the spread of untraceable \"ghost guns.\" BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images\n\nLast year, Biden took a limited set of steps directing his administration to tighten restrictions on so-called ghost guns and pistol stabilizing braces that allow the weapons to be used more accurately. He also expanded background checks for certain types of guns, made new investments in intervention programs for violence-prone communities, and created model “red flag” legislation for states to pass.\n\nBiden campaigned on sweeping actions to curb gun violence, but those actions fell short of more significant reforms requiring legislation. Biden and top administration officials have repeatedly called on Congress to pass a bill on background checks, one aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of abusers and the Build Back Better Act, which includes programs for community violence intervention, but those bills remain stalled.\n\n4. Climate targets\n\nBiden leveraged his executive power in December to direct the federal government to get to net-zero emissions by 2050, a step toward meeting his stated climate goals as his sweeping Build Back Better agenda, which has significant climate provisions, remains stalled in Congress.\n\nThe executive order directed the US government to buy clean energy, purchase electric vehicles, and make federal buildings more energy efficient. The federal government maintains 300,000 buildings, drives 600,000 cars and trucks in its vehicle fleet and spends hundreds of billions of dollars each year. That action came after Biden pledged that the US will reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 50% to 52% below its 2005 levels by 2030.\n\n5. Improving government processes\n\nBiden also took steps last year to streamline government services, aiming to improve the customer experience on a variety of services run by the federal government that can be frustrating and time-consuming; for instance, waiting in line at the airport, renewing your passport, filing taxes, the process of retiring, paying back student loans, applying for a small business loan, changing your name and using telehealth services.\n\nThat order, signed in December, directed 17 federal agencies to focus on more than 30 key areas where Americans can expect more efficient services and less hassle. The reform efforts are organized around major life experiences, from having a child to surviving a natural disaster. Notably, Americans will be able renew passports online. And it will allow tax filers to schedule a customer support call-back when they are trying to reach the IRS for help. Those actions, officials said, would be completed within the year.\n\nBiden’s top five 2022 priorities\n\n1. Covid-19\n\nHow Biden handles the coronavirus pandemic is the defining issue of his presidency. Nearly two years into the pandemic, the US is grappling with a surge of the Omicron variant, with cases and hospitalizations again on the rise in many states across the country.\n\nThe administration will soon be making one billion at-home rapid tests available to Americans for free after it received criticism for test shortages amid the Omicron surge. The President has also said his administration will distribute 400 million high-quality masks to Americans for free to help stop the spread of the virus. The administration also continues to allocate $1.9 trillion in funds from the Democrats’ Covid-19 emergency relief law the President signed into law last year.\n\nDespite the administration rolling out a national vaccination program last year and vaccines being free and readily available to Americans, the President faces a steep challenge in getting the rest of the country vaccinated. Tens of millions of Americans are bucking the advice of health and medical experts and refuse to get the shot, as disinformation about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines runs rampant throughout the nation.\n\n2. Build Back Better\n\nThe centerpiece of Biden’s domestic agenda – a nearly $2 trillion climate and economic spending package – remains stalled in the Senate amid opposition from Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. The massive piece of legislation includes key party priorities that Democrats want to deliver before the midterm elections in November and while they still have control of the House, Senate and White House.\n\nSenate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has said the chamber will vote on a revised version of the package that the Democrat-led House has already passed and said, “We will keep voting on it until we get something done.” What the package ultimately looks like remains uncertain. But in the current bill, most of the funding is focused on reducing the cost of child and health care and combating the climate crisis. It would create universal pre-kindergarten, send families an enhanced child tax credit and provide beefed-up subsidies on the Affordable Care Act exchanges.\n\nThe White House will also be focusing this year on implementing the bipartisan infrastructure law – the first part of Biden’s two-part infrastructure plan – and touting the benefits of the law to the American people ahead of the midterm elections.\n\n3. Voting rights\n\nThe President and congressional Democrats are under pressure to pass legislation to safeguard voting access amid a push by Republicans across the nation to make it harder for people to vote. The Democratic-led House has approved a measure that combined key provisions of two major voting bills – the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act – but its fate remains uncertain in the Senate.\n\nThe problem is Democrats don’t have the votes to pass the voting legislation under the current Senate rules because of Republican opposition and they also do not appear to have the votes to change those rules. Manchin and Sinema have been steadfast in their opposition to changing the filibuster rules, which require 60 votes to end debate on legislation.\n\nThe President recently ramped up efforts on the issue and delivered a forceful speech in Atlanta vowing to protect voting rights and calling on the Senate to amend the filibuster rules.\n\n4. Inflation\n\nPrices rose at the fastest pace in nearly 40 years last month as the US economy continues to struggle to rebound from the coronavirus pandemic. Global supply chain issues, worker shortages and high consumer prices are all contributing to the economic anxiety currently gripping the United States and causing Biden’s approval ratings to dip.\n\nThe White House has taken several steps to attempt to mitigate supply chain issues and lower prices for Americans, including extending hours and speeding up operations at key ports and assembling a task force dedicated to the issue. In an attempt to lower high gas prices, Biden directed the release of 50 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve – the largest release from the reserve in US history – in coordination with other major countries. The Omicron variant is now threatening to put renewed pressure on global supply chains and exacerbate existing issues that the administration will be working to manage this year.\n\n5. Foreign policy challenges\n\nBiden came into office vowing to restore the US’ credibility on the world stage and is currently facing several foreign policy challenges that will test that promise.\n\nRussia has amassed tens of thousands of troops on the Ukrainian border and the world is watching to see whether Russian President Vladimir Putin invades the nation. US officials have grown increasingly pessimistic about the possibility of salvaging the Iran nuclear deal and have warned of turning to other options if diplomacy fails. And China remains accused of forced labor and human rights abuses in the country’s western region of Xinjiang.\n\nParticularly in the wake of the a messy withdrawal from Afghanistan, Biden faces the challenge of defining the US’ role in the world under his administration as well as responding to crises that may occur.", "authors": ["Maegan Vazquez Kate Sullivan Betsy Klein", "Maegan Vazquez", "Kate Sullivan", "Betsy Klein"], "publish_date": "2022/01/20"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/31/politics/biden-student-loan-forgiveness-faq/index.html", "title": "Everything you need to know about Biden's student loan forgiveness ...", "text": "Washington CNN —\n\nPresident Joe Biden’s federal student loan forgiveness program, which promises to deliver up to $20,000 of debt relief for millions of borrowers, is on hold as legal challenges work their way through the courts.\n\nThe Supreme Court will hear arguments on February 28 in two cases concerning the forgiveness program, with a decision expected by late June or early July.\n\nAbout 26 million people had already applied by the time a federal district court judge struck down the program on November 10, 2022 – prompting the government to stop taking applications. No debt has been canceled thus far.\n\nThe administration officially launched the application on October 17, 2022, following a brief “beta period” during which its team assessed whether tweaks were needed.\n\nIf the courts ultimately allow the program to move forward, not every student loan borrower is eligible for the debt relief. First, only federally held student loans qualify. Private student loans are excluded.\n\nSecond, high-income borrowers are generally excluded from receiving debt forgiveness. Individual borrowers who make less than $125,000 a year and married couples or heads of households who make less than $250,000 annually could see up to $10,000 of their federal student loan debt forgiven.\n\nIf a qualifying borrower also received a federal Pell grant while enrolled in college, the individual is eligible for up to $20,000 of debt forgiveness. Pell grants are awarded to millions of low-income students each year, based on factors including their family’s size and income and the cost charged by their college. These borrowers are also more likely to struggle to repay their student debt and end up in default.\n\nHere’s what else borrowers need to know about the proposed student loan forgiveness plan:\n\nWhat are the legal challenges to Biden’s forgiveness plan?\n\nThe Biden administration faced several lawsuits over the student loan forgiveness program, two of which have made it to the Supreme Court. The plaintiffs argue that the Department of Education is overstepping its authority.\n\nOne of the lawsuits was brought by six Republican-led states, headed by Nebraska, that argue that the student loan forgiveness program violates the separation of powers and the Administrative Procedure Act, a federal law that governs the process by which federal agencies issue regulations.\n\nA lower court judge dismissed this lawsuit on October 20, ruling that the plaintiffs did not have the legal standing to bring the challenge. In November, the 8th US Circuit Court of Appeals reversed and blocked the program.\n\nThe other challenge that the Supreme Court will hear was brought by two individual borrowers – Myra Brown and Alexander Taylor – who are not qualified for full debt relief forgiveness and who say they were denied an opportunity to comment on the secretary of education’s decision to provided targeted student loan debt relief to some.\n\nThe lawsuit was filed with the backing of a conservative group called the Job Creators Network Foundation. A federal judge in Texas ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, striking down the program on November 10.\n\nLawyers for the government say that Congress gave the secretary of education “expansive authority to alleviate the hardship that federal student loan recipients may suffer as a result of national emergencies,” like the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a memo from the Department of Justice.\n\nWhen will I receive my debt relief?\n\nIt’s unclear when, or if, borrowers will see debt relief under Biden’s program.\n\nAdministration officials expected to be able to grant relief before January, when payments were set resume after the pandemic-related pause expired. But now debt cancellation won’t occur until at least June when the Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling.\n\nOn November 22, 2022, the Biden administration extended the pandemic-related pause on payments until 60 days after the litigation is resolved. If the program has not been implemented and the litigation has not been resolved by June 30, payments will resume 60 days after that.\n\nThe White House has said that it has already approved 16 million applications for debt relief. The Department of Education will hold on to that information so it can quickly process those borrowers’ relief if the government prevails in court.\n\nIf and when the program moves forward, an estimated 8 million borrowers may receive debt relief automatically because the Department of Education already has their income on file.\n\nIf the government restarts taking applications, borrowers can apply online here: https://studentaid.gov/debt-relief/application.\n\nApplicants can expect to receive an email confirmation once their application is successfully submitted. Then, borrowers will be notified by their loan servicer when the debt cancellation has been applied to their account.\n\nBorrowers were expected to have until December 31, 2023, to submit an application.\n\nWhat kind of federal loans are eligible?\n\nThere are a variety of federal student loans and not all are eligible for relief if the program is allowed to proceed. Federal Direct Loans, including subsidized loans, unsubsidized loans, parent PLUS loans and graduate PLUS loans, are eligible.\n\nBut federal student loans that are guaranteed by the government but held by private lenders are not eligible unless the borrower applied to consolidate those loans into a Direct Loan by September 29, 2022.\n\nThe Department of Education initially said these privately held loans, many of which were made under the former Federal Family Education Loan program and Federal Perkins Loan program, would be eligible for the one-time forgiveness action – but reversed course last September when six Republican-led states sued the Biden administration, arguing that forgiving the privately held loans would financially hurt states and student loan servicers.\n\nDefaulted Federal Family Education Loans and defaulted Perkins Loans would be eligible for the debt relief even if they are privately held.\n\nWhat year is the income threshold based on?\n\nIf Biden’s program is allowed to move forward, eligibility is based on a borrower’s adjusted gross income for either tax year 2020 or 2021. Adjusted gross income can be lower than your total wages because it considers tax deductions and adjustments, like contributions made to a 401(k) retirement plan.\n\nA taxpayer’s adjusted gross income can be found on line 11 of IRS Form 1040.\n\nHow will the government know what my income was?\n\nThe Department of Education says it already has income information for nearly 8 million borrowers, likely because of financial aid forms or previously submitted income-driven repayment plan applications. If the program is allowed to move forward, those borrowers will automatically receive the debt relief if they meet the income requirement, unless they choose to opt out. The department has said it will email borrowers who will be considered for debt relief but don’t need to apply.\n\nMillions of other borrowers will need to apply for student loan forgiveness if the Department of Education doesn’t have their income information on file. When they submit the application, borrowers are required to self-attest that their income is under the eligibility threshold. They are required to certify that the information provided is accurate upon penalty of perjury.\n\nThe Biden administration has said that applicants who are “more likely to exceed the income cutoff” will be required to submit additional information, like a tax transcript. Officials expect that just 5% of borrowers with eligible federal student loans would not qualify due to the income threshold.\n\nWill I have to pay taxes on the amount of debt canceled?\n\nBorrowers will not have to pay federal income tax on the student loan debt forgiven, thanks to a provision in the American Rescue Plan Act that Congress passed in 2021.\n\nBut it’s possible that some borrowers may have to pay state income tax on the amount of debt forgiven. There are a handful of states that may tax discharged debt if state legislative or administrative changes are not made beforehand, according to the Tax Policy Center. The tax liability could be hundreds of dollars, depending on the state.\n\nI’m a current student. Am I eligible for forgiveness?\n\nYes, some current students would be eligible under Biden’s plan if it’s allowed to take effect. Eligibility for borrowers who filed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as the FAFSA, as an independent will be based on the individual’s own household income.\n\nEligibility for borrowers who are enrolled as dependent students, generally those under the age of 24, will be based on parental income for either 2020 or 2021.\n\nI have student debt from graduate school. Am I eligible for forgiveness?\n\nYes, if your income meets the eligibility threshold and the program is allowed to be implemented.\n\nI’m a parent and took out a Parent PLUS loan. Am I eligible?\n\nYes, you could be eligible if your income meets the threshold. A parent borrower with federal Parent PLUS loans for multiple children is still only eligible for up to $20,000 of loan forgiveness.\n\nBut a parent is only eligible for up to $20,000 in debt relief if he or she received a Pell grant for his or her own education. If only the child received a Pell grant, the parent is eligible for up to $10,000 in forgiveness.\n\nHow do I know if I ever received a Pell grant?\n\nMost borrowers can log in to Studentaid.gov to see if they received a Pell grant while enrolled in college. Information about Pell grants received is displayed on the account dashboard and on the My Aid page. This is also where borrowers can find out how much they owe and what kind of loans they have.\n\nBorrowers who received a Pell grant before 1994 won’t see their Pell grant information online, but they are still eligible for the $20,000 in student loan forgiveness.\n\nAs long as borrowers received at least one Pell grant, they are eligible.\n\nThe Biden administration has said that eligible borrowers who have received Pell grants will automatically receive the additional debt relief.\n\nAm I eligible for forgiveness if my loans are in default?\n\nYes, defaulted federal student loans would be eligible for debt relief under Biden’s program.\n\nFor borrowers who have a remaining balance on their defaulted student loans after the cancellation is applied, there will be an opportunity to get out of default once payments resume later this year as part of what the Department of Education is calling its “Fresh Start” initiative.\n\nHow will my payments change going forward?\n\nBorrowers who have debt remaining after either $10,000 or $20,000 is wiped away could see their monthly payment amounts recalculated if they are enrolled in a standard repayment plan. Under a standard repayment plan, borrowers pay a fixed amount that ensures loans are paid off within 10 years.\n\nBorrowers who are already enrolled in an income-driven repayment plan are not likely to see their monthly payment amounts change due to the forgiveness, because their payments are based on household income and family size.\n\nBorrowers have not been required to make payments on their federal student loans since March 2020 because of the government’s pandemic-related pause.\n\nWhat about Biden’s new income-driven repayment plan?\n\nAlong with Biden’s August announcement about canceling some federal student loan debt, he also said he would create a new plan that would make repayment more manageable for borrowers.\n\nThere are currently several repayment plans available for federal student loan borrowers that lower monthly payments by capping them at a portion of their income.\n\nThe new income-driven repayment plan proposal will cap payments at 5% of a borrower’s discretionary income, down from 10% that is offered in most current plans, as well as reduce the amount of income that is considered discretionary. It would also forgive remaining balances after 10 years of repayment, instead of 20 years.\n\nBiden is also proposing that the new plan cover the borrower’s unpaid monthly interest. This could be very helpful for people whose monthly payments are so low that they don’t cover their monthly interest charge and end up seeing their balances explode, growing larger than what was originally borrowed.\n\nThe new plan is currently going through a formal rulemaking process, and the Department of Education has said it expects provisions of the new plan to take effect later this year.\n\nCan I get a refund for what I paid during the pandemic pause?\n\nYes. Borrowers have not been required to make payments on their federal student loans since March 13, 2020, because of the pandemic-related pause. But if borrowers did make payments, they are allowed to contact their loan servicer to request a refund.\n\nThis story has been updated with additional information.", "authors": ["Katie Lobosco"], "publish_date": "2022/08/31"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/02/28/supreme-court-biden-student-loan-forgiveness-arguments-live-updates/11326563002/", "title": "Recap: Supreme Court Conservatives skeptical of Biden loan ...", "text": "WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court's conservative wing signaled deep skepticism Tuesday over President Joe Biden's plan to wipe away $400 billion in student loan debt, suggesting the administration may have overstepped its authority by creating a program estimated to benefit more than 40 million borrowers.\n\nOver the course of several hours, a majority of the justices repeatedly turned to questions about the law Biden relied on to create the program – and whether the law gave him that power. The court will not issue its decision in the two cases until later this year and the position justices signal at arguments don't always predict the outcome of the case.\n\nSix conservative states and two borrowers sued over the program and there has been considerable debate, heading into the arguments, over whether they were the right parties to sue. But that issue largely took a backseat to broader questions about Biden's authority.\n\n\"We take very seriously the idea of separation of powers and that power should be divided to prevent its abuse,” Cheif Justice John Roberts said. “This is a case that presents extraordinarily serious, important issues about the role of Congress and about the role that we should exercise in scrutinizing that significance.\"\n\nRecap:Supreme Court's conservative justices signal skepticism of Biden's loan forgiveness plan\n\nHere's a look at what's happening at the Supreme Court.\n\nBiden administration appeals to ‘high stakes’ as SCOTUS oral arguments conclude\n\nThe Supreme Court concluded oral arguments in the student loan debt forgiveness cases after three and half hours with Biden’s lawyer citing “the high stakes\" in her closing remarks.\n\nPivoting from the legal arguments, U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar made an emotional appeal about the “tens of millions of student loan borrowers in this country” who were devastated financially by the COVID-19 pandemic. She said they will be hurt even more financially after Biden’s freeze on student loan repayments ends.\n\nNinety percent of the borrowers covered by Biden’s plan make $75,000 or less, she said. Twenty-six million Americans have applied for debt forgiveness and 16 million have been approved.\n\n“For those Americans, this is a critical lifeline to ensure that they are not subject to the severe negative consequences of delinquency and default on student loan debt,” Prelogar said. “And the relief for these Americans has been held up by two student loan borrowers who don't even have standing and whose claims fail on the merits.”\n\n– Joey Garrison\n\nWhat is the Federal Family Education Loan Program? And what does it have to do with the mass forgiveness plan?\n\nMyra Brown, one of the plaintiffs in the suit backed by the Job Creators Network Foundation, holds debt issued through the Federal Family Education Loan program.\n\nThis is a specific type of student loan backed by the federal government but held by private entities. The program has since been discontinued as the government now directly issues student loans. But many people still carry debt in the form of a FFEL loan.\n\nBorrowers in the FFEL program were cut out of the administration’s mass debt forgiveness plan. When the plan was first announced, they had been able to consolidate their debts into a loan owned directly by the federal government. That transfer would then allow borrowers to access the debt relief program.\n\nBut by Sept. 29, 2022, the administration barred FFEL borrowers from relief even through consolidation. That move followed one of the many lawsuits filed to challenge Biden's mass debt forgiveness plan.\n\nMOHELA, the quasi-state agency based in Missouri, oversees these FFEL loans in addition to direct loans. The justices have debated what role the loan servicer should play in the litigation.\n\n– Chris Quintana and Nirvi Shah\n\nElena Kagan, Ketanji Brown Jackson lean toward Biden plan on fairness concerns\n\nTwo of the high court's liberal justices, appearing to side with the Biden administration, pushed back at criticism from some of the conservative justices that the Biden student loan debt forgiveness program is unfair.\n\n\"Congress passed a statute that dealt with loan repayment for colleges, and it didn't pass a statute that dealt with loan repayment for lawn businesses,” Associate Justice Elena Kagan said. “And so, Congress made a choice and that may have been the right choice or it may have been the wrong choice, but that's Congress's choice.\"\n\nAssociate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson also questioned the fairness argument.\n\n“I just don't know how far we can go with this notion of, to the extent that the government is providing much-needed assistance to people in an emergency, it's going to be unfair to those who don't get the same benefit.”\n\n– Joey Garrison\n\nHow much would the student loan forgiveness plan cost?\n\nEstimates for the overall cost of the program vary, but the Congressional Budget Office estimated the plan would cost about $400 billion. The agency, however, said its estimate was “highly uncertain.” The Committee for a Responsible Federal, a nonprofit, put the cost of the forgiveness plan at about $360 billion.\n\n– Chris Quintana\n\nMore:Biden's student loan forgiveness will cost US about $400 billion, CBO estimates\n\nJohn Roberts, Samuel Alito raise concerns about 'fairness' with Biden's plan\n\nChief Justice John Roberts raised what he called “the fairness argument,” echoing a common criticism from opponents of President Biden’s student loan program who argue it punishes Americans who couldn’t afford college or worked hard to pay off their loans.\n\nRoberts introduced a hypothetical situation of two high school graduates, neither of whom could afford college. One took out a loan to attend. The other started a lawn care business with help from a bank loan instead of going to college.\n\n“At the end of four years, we know statistically, that the person with the college degree is going to do significantly financially better over the course of life than the person without,” Roberts said. “And then along comes the government and tells that person, you don't have to pay your loan.”\n\nRoberts said the person who started a lawn care service still had to pay off their business loans “even though his tax dollars are going to support the forgiveness of the loan for the college graduate who is going to make a lot more than him over the course of his lifetime.”\n\nAssociate Justice Samuel Alito echoed those concerns. “I think it's a fair question to say, what is your client’s view about the fairness question that some people have posed, and that was really reiterated for you by the chief justice?\n\nU.S. Solicitor Genreal Elizabeth Prelogar responded by saying that Congress, by passing the HEROES Act, has made the judgment that the education secretary can provide student loan relief during emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic.\n\n“You can make this critique of every prior exercise of HEROES Act authority,” she said.\n\n– Joey Garrison\n\nJohn Roberts: 'More than half the people' don't need help on student loans\n\nChief Justice John Roberts pressed the Biden administration on its own findings that more than half of borrowers predicted they would be able to repay their loans – and suggested, given that, Congress should be the entity that decided how to structure the program.\n\n\"If more than half the people say they don't need this relief, extending relief to that breadth certainly raises questions,\" Roberts argued.\n\nElizabeth Prelogar, the Biden administration's attorney, countered that in some higher income brackets that might be the case but not so much for Americans making less money.\n\n– John Fritze and Joey Garrison\n\nCrowd outside Supreme Court thins, though feelings on loan forgiveness remain strong\n\nA crowd of largely Black and Latino students, borrowers, advocates and politicians started to dissipate after an hours-long rally for loan forgiveness in front of the Supreme Court. Against a backdrop of Bob Marley music, activists had begun packing away their signs reading \"Drop the Debt,\" \"Student Debt Cancellation Is Legal,\" \"Dreams Not Debt\" and \"C.L.E.A.R. My Student Loans.\"\n\nC.L.E.A.R. stands for Cancel Loans for Education and Repartioand is a campaign by the New Georgia Project, the state's largest civic engagement group. Students and borrowers with the group arrived at the rally, which featured a slate of high-profile speakers, late, their overnight bus from Georgia having run into some hiccups along the way.\n\nMaggie Bell, the group's lead organizer, said she wasn't fazed by the travel snafu nor the lukewarm prospects of a supportive ruling from the court. \"We're going to see cancellation through now,\" she said, noting the group rallied for forgiveness outside the White House and U.S. Education Department last year. \"We didn't start this not to see it finish.\"\n\nBell, 24, attended Albany State University, a Georgia HBCU, with a Pell Grant and has roughly $40,000 in debt. Of that, $30,000 is in the form of federal loans, so Biden's proposal to erase $20,000 of her debt would be life-changing.\n\nSuch relief would be particularly vital for Black and Brown borrowers, Bell said. Black borrowers, for example, generally take on more student debt than their white counterparts.\n\n\"We get sold on this idea of the American Dream, where you get your degree and then it's open access to your dream career, dream car, house, starting a family,\" she said. Loan forgiveness, she continued, could serve as a form of reparations for these communities.\n\n– Alia Wong\n\nMore:Student debt relief blocked, potentially hurting Black and Latino families the most\n\nPrelogar: If Biden could postpone student loan debt payments, he can cancel debt\n\nU.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar pushed back against the plaintiffs’ claims that Biden abused his power granted in the Heroes Act, likening the cancelation of student loan debt to postponing loan repayments, which was allowed under the same law.\n\n“This is how secretaries across administrations have implemented the Heroes Act,” Prelogar said.\n\nShe argued that to suggest Biden’s forgiveness of student loan debt “creates a brand-new program,” as argued by Nebraska and other states that sued the Biden administration, would “leave very little room for the Heroes Act to operate at all.”\n\nPrelogar added: “The fact that there are already statutory provisions for things like deferment and forbearance and discharge demonstrates that Congress could foresee that all of those are ways that you grant financial relief to student loan borrowers.”\n\n– Joey Garrison\n\nMany borrowers will still owe even if Biden plan allowed to go forward\n\nNebraska Solicitor General James Campbell stated that 20 million borrowers would be left without student loan balances if the debt forgiveness were approved. That matches figures the Biden administration has shared previously.\n\nHowever, many borrowers would still have at least $20,000 in student loan debt if Biden’s plan were allowed to stand – even if they received the full $20,000 of relief. According to data from the Education Department, roughly 11.7 million borrowers owe more than $40,000.\n\n– Chris Quintana\n\nAmy Coney Barrett, liberal justices piling on over standing\n\nAssociate Justice Amy Coney Barrett is one of the first conservatives in this section of the argument to wade into whether the states have standing to sue.\n\nThe states argue, in part, that a state-created entity known as MOHELA that services student loans would lose revenue under the plan. But MOHELA, a quasi-state agency in Missouri, didn’t actually bring the lawsuit. Missouri did.\n\nA key question for the court is whether Missouri can sue on behalf of MOHELA.\n\nBarrett, a Trump nominee who has twice before dismissed emergency cases the challenging loan plan, pressed the states on the point.\n\n“Do you want to address why MOHELA’s not here?” Barrett asked. “If MOHELA is an arm of the state, why didn't you just strong arm MOHELA” and tell them to pursue the case?\n\nCampbell, who is representing the states, said that is “a question of state politics.”\n\nBarrett’s comments came after the court’s liberal wing also pressed hard on whether the six conservative states that have sued over Biden’s student loan forgiveness program have standing to sue. If the court decides the states were not actually harmed by the plan, then Biden could win the case on a procedural point.\n\n– John Fritze\n\nNext up in SCOTUS oral arguments: Nebraska’s James Campbell\n\nMore than an hour into the Supreme Court’s oral arguments over Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan, the states who are suing over the $400 billion proposal now get their say.\n\nThe states are being represented by Nebraska Solicitor General James Campbell.\n\nCampbell is likely to face a series of difficult questions from the court’s liberal wing – and perhaps some of its conservatives as well – over whether the plaintiffs in the cases were actually harmed by Biden’s plan. If the answer to the question is \"no\" for all the plaintiffs, Biden would eke out a narrow win.\n\nA key signal to watch in this portion of the argument: How much the court’s conservatives jump into the fray over standing.\n\n“The secretary is attempting to bypass Congress on one of today’s most debated policy questions,” Campbell told the court.\n\n– John Fritze\n\nWhat is the major questions doctrine?\n\nConservative legal thinkers have been pushing for years to curb the \"administrative state,\" arguing that federal agencies should have less power to act unless there's clear congressional approval. The Supreme Court has been bolstering that effort by relying on something called the \"major questions doctrine\" to decide high-profile cases.\n\nUnder that doctrine, courts can invalidate regulations that have a major effect on the economy, are a matter of great \"political significance\" and are not explicitly authorized in the law – though no one is entirely sure how to define those terms. The Biden administration says the doctrine doesn't even apply in the student loan case because the law, they say, is clear on its own. The plaintiffs disagree.\n\nThe same doctrine was used in 2021 to prevent Biden from extending an eviction moratorium tied to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Supreme Court struck down the moratorium, ruling Congress couldn't have contemplated the law leading to a halt of evictions.\n\n– John Fritze\n\nMore:Biden's ability to bypass Congress, starting with student debt relief, faces 'major' legal hurdle\n\nBrett Kavanaugh: Student loan forgiveness program ‘seems problematic’ under precedent\n\nAssociate Justice Brett Kavanaugh, speaking for the first time during the Supreme Court oral arguments, pressed the Biden administration on why the student loan program shouldn’t suffer the same fate as other executive actions the court has struck down.\n\nCongress, Kavanaugh said, “could have…referred to loan cancellation” in the law, but it didn’t. Instead, Kavanaugh said, the administration relied on “general language” in an “old statute” to create a “massive new program.”\n\n“That seems problematic,” under Supreme Court precedent, Kavanaugh said. “Why does this case not fit into that formula that we’ve seen before?”\n\nLong considered at the center of the court – and occasionally a gettable vote for the court’s liberal wing – Kavanaugh is always an important justice to watch in the arguments. He can also be sometimes hard to read, asking tough questions of both sides.\n\n– John Fritze\n\nWhat is the HEROES Act?\n\nMany of the justices are probing the power associated with the HEROES Act of 2003. The statute was enacted after 9/11. That law, the administration argues, gives the education secretary the ability to “waive” or “modify” student loans during a national emergency. That, in turn, would give the administration the ability to discharge debt en masse due to the pandemic.\n\nThe states argue the law does not give the secretary the ability to erase debt.\n\nThe HEROES Act has also been used as the justification for the ongoing pause on federal student loan payments. Those obligations were first paused in March 2020 under former President Donald Trump's administration at the onset of the pandemic. Both administrations extended the moratorium – which included setting interest rates on federal student loans at zero percent – multiple times. That pause could last through August depending on when the court issues its opinion deciding the two cases challenging the debt forgiveness plan.\n\n– Chris Quintana\n\nJohn Roberts drills Biden administration over separation of powers\n\nIn a troubling sign for the prospects of Biden’s student loan program, Chief Justice John Roberts smacked down the central premise of the administration's legal argument: that the president had the authority to act unilaterally to wipe out student loan debt without Congress.\n\n\"We take very seriously the idea of separation of powers and that power should be divided to prevent its abuse,” Roberts said.\n\nRoberts said the student loan case reminded him of a case in 2020 in which the Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, blocked unilateral action by former President Donald Trump to dismantle the Obama-era DREAMers program for undocumented immigrants.\n\n“This is a case that presents extraordinarily serious, important issues about the role of Congress and about the role that we should exercise in scrutinizing that significance,” he said.\n\n– Joey Garrison\n\nHow much federal student loan debt is there?\n\nAccording to the Education Department's most recent figures from the fourth quarter of 2022, there are 43.5 million federal student loan borrowers who hold about $1.63 trillion in debt. That figure has steadily grown in recent years, and is more than double the $516 billion owed by 28.3 million borrowers in 2007.\n\nThe Biden administration has estimated that roughly 40 million borrowers are eligible for itsmass forgiveness program.\n\n– Chris Quintana\n\nFreshman year, and already deep in debt\n\nAntwan McPherson and Justice Stanton, both 19, came to Washington from North Carolina for the day to rally for student debt forgiveness – even though it won't apply to them.\n\nThe two students at North Carolina A&T are still freshmen and have already accumulated thousands in debt. \"I've come to understand early how much debt I'll have if I continue on,\" said McPherson, who's from Chicago and chose to attend the North Carolina school because it was a relatively inexpensive Historically Black College and University (HBCU).\n\nEven if he gets a minimum wage job after college, he said, he wouldn't be able to pay off what he owes. \"Say you make a certain amount in a year, you really don't make that amount because you're paying it back,\" he said. \"So you work hard just to pay it back.\"\n\nMcPherson said he's \"not too optimistic\" about the prospects of Biden's debt cancellation plan given the conservative leanings of the high court.\n\nStanton, however, is more hopeful \"that our efforts aren't going to waste.\"\n\n\"I don't think it's fair that as students, most of us being so young, that we have such a burden of paying all these debts and we barely have our lives figured out,\" Stanton said.\n\nDebt \"could limit me in terms of whether I want a house in the future, my career, if I wanted to open a business,\" Stanton continued. \"It all would be way harder if I have to pay back money just for an education that should be free.\"\n\n– Alia Wong\n\nWhat is MOHELA?\n\nThe Justices have gone back and forth over the role of the Higher Education Loan Authority of the State of Missouri, or, as it’s better known, MOHELA. It's a quasi-state agency in Missouri that services federal loans nationally.\n\nThe Justices asked if MOHELA suffering financial losses as a result of the debt forgiveness program would be enough for Missouri to bring a case against the federal government. MOHELA has previously stated it did not have a role in Missouri’s litigation.\n\nMOHELA is also the servicer that manages the federal government’s Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, an initiative meant to erase the debt of those working in the public sector.\n\n– Chris Quintana\n\nElizabeth Prelogar: Who is the Biden administration's attorney?\n\nThe Biden administration is being represented by U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, who has been serving in the position since 2021.\n\nSometimes referred to as the \"10th justice,\" the solicitor general leads a team of lawyers who argue before the Supreme Court on behalf of the federal government and decide whether to appeal lower court rulings when the government is a party to a lawsuit.\n\nPrelogar, a former Fulbright fellow and Harvard Law School graduate, clerked for Attorney General Merrick Garland, then a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. She also clerked for two Supreme Court associate justices, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan.\n\n– John Fritze\n\nMore:Senate confirms Elizabeth Prelogar as government's top Supreme Court lawyer\n\nEarly questions from conservatives signal opposition to Biden\n\nThree members of the Supreme Court’s conservative wing – Chief Justice John Roberts, and Associate Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito – have focused heavily on whether the Biden administration had the authority to execute its student loan forgiveness plan.\n\nIt’s very early in the arguments – a lot can shift over the course of the next several hours – but it’s not a great sign for Biden that there’s so much focus on the merits of the case rather than a debate about whether the correct plaintiffs filed suit in the case.\n\nAlito zeroed in on an argument Biden has been making: That the court’s difficult-to-meet standard for when a president can act alone shouldn’t apply. The administration had asserted that the standard had previously been used to assess regulations, not benefit programs.\n\n“Drawing a distinction between benefits programs and other programs seems to presume that when it comes to the administration of benefits programs, a trillion dollars here, trillion dollars there, doesn't really make that much difference to Congress,\" Alito said.\n\n– John Fritze\n\nJustices question 'half a trillion' cost of Biden’s actions\n\nJustices pressed the Biden administration's lawyer on the projected $400 billion cost of Biden’s action to forgive student loan debt, suggesting such a move goes beyond the 2003 Heroes Act that allows the president to “waive or modify” loan provisions.\n\n“Congress shouldn't have been surprised when half a trillion dollars is wiped off the books?” Chief Justice John Roberts said.\n\nAssociate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, one of the three liberal justices, echoed Roberts’ questioning: “How do you deal with? That seems to favor the argument that this a major challenge,” Sotomayor said.\n\nU.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar said canceling student loan debt is not based on regulatory authority but “the administration of a benefits program.”\n\n“It’s perfectly logical for Congress to broadly empower the executive to provide benefits, especially in a crisis situation or an emergency like we've seen with COVID-19,” she said.\n\n– Joey Garrison\n\nClarence Thomas, John Roberts use first questions to question Biden’s power\n\nAssociate Justice Clarence Thomas started off the arguments Tuesday questioning under what authority the administration seeks to cancel student loans. The law Biden relied on gives the administration power to “waive or modify” loan provisions.\n\nIs what Biden did a “waiver or a modification,” Thomas pressed. There’s no explicit provision in the law that allows the loans to be “cancelled,” Thomas pointed out.\n\nChief Justice John Roberts picked up that same argument.\n\n“We’re talking about half a trillion dollars and 43 million Americans,” Roberts said. “How does that fit under the normal definition of modify?”\n\n– John Fritze\n\nSupreme Court arguments underway in Biden student loan forgiveness plan\n\nThe Supreme Court’s arguments over President Joe Biden's student loan program got underway a little after 10:10 a.m. ES.T Representing the Biden administration, and starting off the arguments, is Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar.\n\nPrelogar told the court that without the plan, “defaults and delinquencies will surge.” Congress “expressly authorized” the loan forgiveness during emergencies, she said.\n\n– John Fritze\n\nKetani Brown Jackson hands down first merits opinion\n\nAssociate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson handed down her first merits opinion Tuesday in a battle between states over who gets the proceeds of abandoned money orders.\n\nJackson wrote for a unanimous court that as a general matter the proceeds should go to the state where the product was purchased. By tradition, the court tries to assign the least senior justice an opinion that is unanimous.\n\n– John Fritze\n\nAffirmative action:What Justice Jackson's recusal from Harvard case means for Black students\n\nHundreds gather outside Supreme Court for student loan forgiveness debate\n\nHundreds of protesters gathered outside the Supreme Court on Tuesday ahead of the arguments about Biden's student loan forgiveness program – most of whom appeared to support the plan.\n\nSome carried signs that read \"Cancel Student Debt.\" Others proclaimed that \"Student debt cancellation is illegal.\" They chanted phrases throughout, such as \"D-E-B-T, student debt is crushing me!\" and \"Education is a right!\"\n\nThe turnout appeared to be the largest since the high court held arguments last year in the blockbuster affirmative action cases.\n\nEliana Reed, 26, said efforts to preserve Biden's debt relief program are a \"no brainer.\" That millions of Americans are subject to insurmountable debt they're unable to pay off with their jobs \"feels so obviously wrong,\" said Reed, who has about $17,000 in student debt left.\n\nThe issue \"taps into so many different groups of people.\"\n\n– John Fritze and Alia Wong\n\nSupreme Court denied student loan challenges before\n\nBefore the Supreme Court scheduled arguments in Tuesday’s student loan cases, it had twice before balked at lawsuits challenging the program.\n\nAssociate Justice Amy Coney Barrett in November denied a challenge to the loan forgiveness program from a conservative legal group on behalf of two people entitled to \"automatic\" cancellation of their debt. The plaintiffs claimed that the automatic cancellation would create \"excess tax liability under state law.\"\n\nA month earlier, the court batted away a lawsuit from a Wisconsin taxpayer group.\n\nThe reason there are so many lawsuits is that groups opposed to the program have been attempting to find a plaintiff who has standing – in other words, who can demonstrate they are injured by the effort in a way that allows them to challenge it in federal court.\n\nWhether the current plaintiffs have standing will be a central part of the argument Tuesday as well.\n\n– John Fritze\n\nMore:Biden will be playing defense on student loans at the Supreme Court. Here's why.\n\nBiden: 'I have your back' on student loans\n\nBiden addressed the student loan litigation briefly during remarks Monday night.\n\n“My administration is making our case to the Supreme Court, and I’m confident the legal authority to carry out that plan is there,” the president said at a White House ceremony celebrating Black History Month. “I promise you. I have your back.”\n\n– Joey Garrison\n\nPlaintiffs: 'There is a student loan crisis'\n\nThe plaintiffs challenging Biden's student loan forgiveness plan acknowledge that the current student loan system isn't working. They just don't think Biden's plan will fix it.\n\n\"There is a student loan crisis in this country,\" Karen Harned, chief legal officer for the Job Creators Network Foundation, said on a call with reporters Monday. \"But this crisis cannot and will not be solved by the president creating a $400 billion program behind closed doors without any input from Congress or the American people.\"\n\nQuestions:Is Biden's student debt forgiveness plan dead?\n\nRough ride ahead:Biden will be playing defense on student loans at Supreme Court\n\nThe group is representing two borrowers: One who didn't qualify for forgiveness because her loans are held by a private, commercial entity and another who didn't qualify for the maximum possible relief because he wasn't a Pell Grant recipient.\n\nBiden's proposal would wipe away $20,000 worth of debt for borrowers who also used a Pell Grant to pay tuition. Pell Grants are awarded to students from low-income families. He also wants to erase $10,000 in debt for most other borrowers.\n\n– John Fritze\n\nPlan B on student loan forgiveness? White House won't say.\n\nWith many experts predicting President Joe Biden is in for a rough argument Tuesday over his $400 billion student loan forgiveness plan, a natural question has come up repeatedly in recent days: Is there a Plan B if the administration's effort is ultimately struck down?\n\nGive points to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre for answering the question consistently: \"We are very much confident in our legal authority here,\" Jean-Pierre told reporters Monday – echoing the answer she gave to the same question Friday. \"That's why our Justice Department has taken it all the way to the Supreme Court.\"\n\nTranslation: If there is a backup plan, the administration isn't ready to talk about it. That's not a surprise, though. A major element of the litigation is whether the administration used the right law to set up the loan forgiveness program. Acknowledging the administration is combing through federal statutes looking for some other way to authorize the program would give ammunition to the plaintiffs on the eve of the arguments.\n\n– John Fritze and Joey Garrison\n\nJustice Thomas wrote of 'crushing weight' of student loans\n\nThe Supreme Court won't have far to look if it wants a personal take on the \"crushing weight\" of student debt that underlies the Biden administration’s college loan forgiveness plan. Associate Justice Clarence Thomas was in his mid-40s and in his third year on the nation's highest court when he paid off the last of his debt from his time at Yale Law School.\n\nThomas, the court's longest-serving justice and staunchest conservative, has been skeptical of other Biden administration initiatives. And when the Supreme Court hears arguments Tuesday involving President Joe Biden’s debt relief plan that would wipe away up to $20,000 in outstanding student loans, Thomas is not likely to be a vote in the administration’s favor.\n\nWhat to know:Everything to know about student loan forgiveness plan\n\nPlan B:Millions of borrowers have had billions in student loan debt erased, and there's more to come.\n\nBut the justices' own experiences can be relevant to how they approach a case, and alone among them, Thomas has written about the role student loans played in his financial struggles.\n\nA fellow law school student even suggested Thomas declare bankruptcy after graduating “to get out from under the crushing weight of all my student loans,” the justice wrote in his best-selling 2007 memoir, “My Grandfather’s Son.” He rejected the idea.\n\n– Associated Press\n\nWhat's in Biden's student loan forgiveness plan?\n\nBiden proposed wiping away $20,000 worth of debt for borrowers who also used a Pell Grant to pay tuition. Pell Grants are awarded to students from low-income families. The president also wants to erase $10,000 in debt for most other borrowers.\n\nOnly borrowers with an income less than $125,000, or $250,000 for married couples, would be able to have any debt forgiven.\n\nAbout 26 million people applied for relief before lawsuits stopped the entire program in its tracks. And of those, 16 million were approved to have a portion, or depending on their balance, all their debt erased. For now, applications are closed.\n\n– Nirvi Shah and Chris Quintana\n\nBlueprint:Find more about options from savings plans to student loans", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/02/28"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/03/01/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-kavanaugh-barrett/11372771002/", "title": "Kavanaugh, Barrett key on student loan forgiveness, experts say", "text": "WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court's conservative majority sent a clear signal this week that President Joe Biden's student loan forgiveness plan is in peril. But even as they agree with the prediction, some observers are putting an asterisk on it.\n\nTwo asterisks, to be precise: One next to Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett and the other alongside Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh.\n\nDuring three-and-a-half hours of oral argument Tuesday in the two student loan cases, both former President Donald Trump appointees lobbed tough questions at Biden's attorney. But they also posed unexpected questions more favorable to the administration – and that makes both jurists worth watching when the court hands down its decision later this year.\n\nWhen is the Supreme Court decision date on student loan forgiveness?\n\nThe Supreme Court is weighing two challenges to Biden's $400 billion student loan forgiveness plan, which would wipe away up to $20,000 in debt for some.\n\nFollowing the oral arguments, the justices will cast tentative votes in private and the most senior justice in the majority and minority will assign opinions for their side. Drafts of those opinions circulate among the justices, a process that usually takes more than three months. In this case, a decision is expected before July.\n\nBarrett posed a number of questions suggesting she could side with the court's three-member liberal wing on standing, that is whether the plaintiffs were actually injured by the plan. Kavanaugh, at one point, questioned why one word in the law – \"waive\" – didn't give the administration the power to forgive student loans.\n\nWhy Amy Coney Barrett's questions about standing could matter\n\nSix conservative states that challenged the Biden plan argued, in part, that a state-created entity known as MOHELA that services student loans would lose revenue if the debt was forgiven. MOHELA, a quasi-state agency in Missouri, directs some of its money back to the state. Missouri sued, in part, based on the potential loss of revenue.\n\nThere's just one problem with the states' argument: MOHELA itself didn't sue.\n\n\"If MOHELA is really an arm of the state...all of this would be a lot easier,\" Barrett said. \"If MOHELA is an arm of the state, why didn't you just strong arm MOHELA and say 'you've got to pursue this suit'?\"\n\nTakeaways:Key moments from the Supreme Court's arguments on student loans\n\nRecap:Supreme Court's conservative justices signal skepticism of Biden's loan plan\n\nExplainer:How many justices are on the Supreme Court?\n\nThe question is key because if the court rules the states and borrowers were not harmed by the policy, it would hand Biden a narrow win. Barrett sided with Biden in two earlier emergency cases challenging the student loan plan – presumably on similar questions about standing.\n\n\"Barrett, along with the three liberal justices, seemed deeply skeptical that any of the parties have standing,\" said Adam Minsky, an attorney, author and expert on student debt. \"I do think there is a possibility the Biden administration could prevail if there are five justices who agree...that the challengers don't have standing.\"\n\nDeclined:Barrett denies second challenge to Biden student loan forgiveness program\n\nBut given the court's 6-3 conservative composition, even if Barrett decided to join with the court's liberals on standing, they would need one more vote for a majority. Based on the arguments Tuesday, it's not clear where that fifth vote would come from.\n\n\"I would not be surprised if she voted to find that no one has standing in either case,\" said Thomas Berry, editor-in-chief of the Cato Supreme Court Review. \"The key question is whether there is a potential fifth vote to find that no party has standing.\"\n\nWhy court observers are talking about Brett Kavanaugh's question\n\nKavanaugh, at one point, asserted that \"some of the finest moments in the court's history were pushing back against presidential assertions of emergency power.\" Some of its \"biggest mistakes,\" he then added, were when it didn't.\n\nBut Kavanaugh also returned to the language of the law, which allows the Department of Education to \"waive or modify\" loan provisions after an emergency, like the COVID-19 pandemic. Why, Kavanaugh asked the states' lawyer, didn't \"waive\" authorize Biden’s plan?\n\n\"That is an extremely broad word. In 2003, Congress was very aware of potential emergency actions in the wake of Sept. 11 and war, possible terrorist attacks, and yet it put that extremely broad word, 'waive,' into the statute,\" he said.\n\nExplainer:Everything to know about Biden's student loan forgiveness plan\n\nBorrowers:‘We just keep getting hit’: Borrowers rally for student loan debt relief\n\nBut just like Barrett on standing to sue, even if Kavanaugh sided with the court's liberals on the issue of Biden's authority to implement the plan – a big \"if,\" given some of his other questions – one more vote would still be needed for a majority.\n\n\"As Kavanaugh noted more than once, Congress used an 'extremely broad word' when it gave the education secretary the authority to 'waive' provisions related to student debt,\" said Smita Ghosh, appellate counsel Constitutional Accountability Center. \"He asked...why the court should 'not just read that as written.' That is exactly what the government is asking the court to do.\"", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/01"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/27/politics/supreme-court-title-42/index.html", "title": "Supreme Court says Trump-era border restriction will remain in ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nThe Supreme Court said Tuesday that the controversial Trump-era border restriction known as Title 42 will remain in effect while legal challenges play out, a move that ensures that federal officials will be able to continue to swiftly expel migrants at US borders at least for the next several months.\n\nThe 5-4 order is a victory for Republican-led states that urged the Supreme Court to step in and block a lower court opinion that ordered the termination of the authority. The Biden administration has said it was prepared for the authority to end and had put in place precautions to guard against confusion at the border and any potential surge of migrants.\n\nIn its order, the court also agreed to take up the states’ appeal this term. The court said it would hear arguments on the case during its argument session that begins in February 2023.\n\nJustices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan said they’d deny the application, but they did not explain their thinking. Conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch also dissented and explained his thinking in an order joined by liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.\n\nGorsuch said he does “not discount the States’ concerns” about border security. But Gorsuch noted that Title 42 was put in place to combat Covid-19, and “the current border crisis is not a Covid crisis.”\n\n“Courts should not be in the business of perpetuating administrative edicts designed for one emergency only because elected officials have failed to address a different emergency,” Gorsuch wrote.\n\nSince March 2020, Title 42 has allowed US border agents to immediately turn away migrants who have crossed the southern border in the name of Covid-19 prevention.\n\nImmigrant advocates and public health experts have long denounced use of the public health authority along the US southern border, arguing it was an inappropriate pretext for barring migrants from entering the United States. In nearly three years, the authority has been used over 2 million times to turn migrants away, according to US Customs and Border Protection.\n\nAt the border, migrants have been waiting in encampments in Mexico for months, anticipating the end of the authority so they can make their claim of asylum in the US. Immigrant advocates have tried to disseminate updates and information to migrants, but desperation has grown, especially as temperatures drop.\n\nEl Paso, Texas, has been at the center of the crisis as thousands of migrants have crossed that region of the border. The city opened government-run shelters at its convention center, hotels and several unused schools to care for migrants, though some have still had to sleep on the streets in cold temperatures.\n\nThe Department of Homeland Security has been putting in place a plan for the end of the authority that includes surging resources to the border, targeting smugglers and working with international partners.\n\n“We will continue to manage the border, but we do so within the constraints of a decades-old immigration system that everyone agrees is broken. We need Congress to pass the comprehensive immigration reform legislation President Biden proposed the day he took office,” the department said in a statement.\n\nThe White House said it would comply with the order.\n\n“Today’s order gives Republicans in Congress plenty of time to move past political finger-pointing and join their Democratic colleagues in solving the challenge at our border by passing the comprehensive reform measures and delivering the additional funds for border security that President Biden has requested,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.\n\nAsked to respond to the ruling, President Joe Biden told reporters his administration will enforce the Trump-era immigration restriction, even if he thinks it’s past time to revoke it.\n\n“The court is not going to decide until June apparently, and in the meantime we have to enforce it – but I think it’s overdue,” Biden told reporters on the White House South Lawn.\n\nSolicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar acknowledged to the Supreme Court last week that returning to traditional protocols along the border will pose a challenge, but said there’s no longer a basis to keep the Covid-era rules in place.\n\n“The government in no way seeks to minimize the seriousness of that problem. But the solution to that immigration problem cannot be to extend indefinitely a public-health measure that all now acknowledge has outlived its public-health justification,” Prelogar wrote in a filing with the Supreme Court.\n\nLawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union, who are representing families subject to Title 42, had in arguments underscored the dangers faced by asylum seekers subject to the authority and sent back to Mexico.\n\nLee Gelernt, the lead counsel for the plaintiffs in the case, told CNN in a statement that they are “deeply disappointed” by the ruling, but will continue to fight to end the policy.\n\n“We are deeply disappointed for all the desperate asylum seekers who will continue to suffer because of Title 42, but we will continue fighting to eventually end the policy,” Gelernt said.\n\nSteve Vladeck, CNN Supreme Court analyst and professor at the University of Texas School of Law, called the order “procedurally bizarre.”\n\n“This order is procedurally bizarre, in that it agrees to a request to freeze a district court ruling by states that weren’t even parties to that decision solely to decide whether they should have been allowed to intervene and defend that ruling on appeal,” Vladeck said. “Title 42 aside, that has enormous potential consequences for the ability of states going forward to fight to keep the current president from rescinding policies of her predecessors.”\n\nThe GOP-led states had argued that they’d be harmed by the lifting of the authority because of the influx of migrants entering the United States.\n\n“The border crisis that Respondents bizarrely and eagerly seek to cause would also inflict enormous harms to the States,” a filing, submitted last Wednesday, reads.\n\nThis story has been updated with additional reporting.", "authors": ["Ariane De Vogue Priscilla Alvarez", "Ariane De Vogue", "Priscilla Alvarez"], "publish_date": "2022/12/27"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/04/25/supreme-court-remain-in-mexico-title-42-migrant-protection-protocols/7438489001/", "title": "Supreme Court hears challenge about 'remain in Mexico' policy as ...", "text": "The high court will consider whether Biden properly ended Trump's \"Remain in Mexico\" policy.\n\nThough it's a different program, the case could have implications for Title 42.\n\nThe Supreme Court case has once again thrust immigration to the fore ahead of the midterm elections.\n\nWASHINGTON – The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Tuesday over President Joe Biden’s effort to suspend a Trump-era policy requiring asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their cases are considered, elevating immigration at the nation's highest court as it becomes a central issue in the fall midterm elections.\n\nThe appeal brings President Donald Trump's \"remain in Mexico\" policy back before the justices only months after a majority said the Biden administration did not properly shut down the controversial program and ordered immigration officials to reinstate it.\n\nImmigration has resurfaced as a key election controversy as the Biden administration comes under fire from Republicans and some Democrats for attempting to end a related policy known as Title 42, in which migrants are rapidly expelled from the USA without legal review. Though the two programs are based on different laws, experts say the Supreme Court’s ruling in Biden v. Texas may have implications for Title 42.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/04/25"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/02/07/biden-state-of-the-union-sotu-address-updates/11204405002/", "title": "State of the Union 2023 address recap: Biden lays out ambitious ...", "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C — President Joe Biden took credit Tuesday for what he said was the country's economic revival while pushing an agenda of reducing prescription drug costs, protecting abortion rights and banning assault weapons.\n\nThe economy was reeling two years ago, Biden said in his second State of the Union address delivered in a packed House chamber. In a preview of an expected reelection campaign announcement, he noted that the unemployment rate was at 50-year low while inflation has been easing.\n\n“We’ve been sent here to finish the job,” Biden said, invoking a phrase he used several times in his speech.\n\nBut the rancorous atmosphere in the House chamber telegraphed fights ahead, including over budget priorities and avoiding a catastrophic default on the nation’s debt. At several points in Biden’s speech, was interrupted by Republicans, who criticized his handling of border policy and pushed back when he accused them of trying to cut popular entitlements.\n\nSOTU analysis:Pivot point: Joe Biden faced a different chapter of his presidency in his State of the Union\n\nHeckles, spats and deflection:The biggest moments you missed from Biden's State of the Union\n\nState of the Union takeaways:Blue-collar Joe, GOP boos and a 2024 preview\n\nThe latest on Biden's speech:\n\nBlue-collar pitch: Promoting his economic plan, Biden assured Americans that he wants to invest in “places and people that have been forgotten,” arguing that “too many people have been left behind or treated like they’re invisible.”\n\nPromoting his economic plan, Biden assured Americans that he wants to invest in “places and people that have been forgotten,” arguing that “too many people have been left behind or treated like they’re invisible.” Biden calls Pelosi 'greatest speaker’ ever: Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi isn’t sitting behind Biden for his address but she got a special call-out from the president anyway.\n\nFormer House Speaker Nancy Pelosi isn’t sitting behind Biden for his address but she got a special call-out from the president anyway. Biden touts progress on insulin prices while pushing for more: Biden renewed his call to cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month for every American.\n\nBiden renewed his call to cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month for every American. Biden spars with GOP over Social Security and Medicare: The president prompted protests in the chamber from Republican lawmakers when he repeated his accusation that the GOP was trying to cut entitlements. When the protests continued, Biden said he wasn’t arguing that all Republicans back reviewing entitlement programs every five years. “But it’s being proposed,” he said.\n\nSanders: Biden has 'failed' American people; calls for 'new generation'\n\nSarah Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas, at age 40 the youngest governor in the country, didn't hesitate to point out that 80-year-old Joe Biden is the oldest president in history – and added that it is time for a \"new generation\" of Republican leadership.\n\n\"Biden and the Democrats have failed you,\" Sanders said in the formal GOP response to Biden's State of the Union address. \"It's time for a change.\"\n\nSpeaking from the governor's mansion in Little Rock, Ark., Sanders cited domestic issues like inflation, immigration, and crime. Also criticizing the president's foreign policy, Sanders said Biden is \"unfit\" to be Commander-in-Chief.\n\nCiting the Republican majority in the House, Sanders said: \"We will hold the Biden administration accountable.\"\n\n– David Jackson\n\nThe GOP:In Republican response to Biden's State of the Union, a vow to block the president's agenda\n\nBiden calls Paul Pelosi 'tough'\n\nBiden called out the political violence that was unleashed in the wake of Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack.\n\n“With democracy, everything is possible. Without it, nothing is,” he said.\n\nBiden introduced Paul Pelosi, the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who was violently attacked in their home by an intruder, saying the assailant was “unhinged by the Big Lie” that the election was stolen.\n\n“Here tonight in this chamber is the man who bears the scars of that brutal attack, but is as tough and strong and as resilient as they get. My friend, Paul Pelosi,\" he said. “But such a heinous act never should have happened.”\n\n– Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy\n\nPaul Pelosi attack:Video footage of violent home attack on Paul Pelosi released\n\nBiden gets personal and celebrates Cancer Moonshot initiative\n\nBiden celebrated the Cancer Moonshot initiative, aimed at advancing cancer prevention and treatment,\n\n“Our goal is to cut the cancer death rates at least by 50% in the next 25 years. Turn more cancers from death sentences to treatable diseases. Provide more support for patients and their families.” The issue is also deeply personal to Biden, as one of his sons, Beau Biden, passed away due to brain cancer. “It’s personal to so many of us.”\n\nBiden also singled out Maurice and Kandice Barron, a pair of guests invited by First Lady Jill Biden. Their daughter, Ava Barron, was diagnosed with a form of kidney cancer when she was one year old. “She turns four next month,” Biden said to wide cheers from the audience. “They just found out Ava’s beating the odds and is on her way to being cured from cancer.”\n\n– Ken Tran\n\nCancer treatment:New cancer therapy takes personalized medicine to a new level\n\nBiden says US stood up to China\n\nFacing Republicans who’ve accused him of being too soft on China, Biden said he responded clearly last week when a Chinese surveillance balloon floated over the United States.\n\nChina knows that if U.S. sovereignty is threatened, Americans will act to protect the country.\n\n“And we did,” Biden said, an apparent reference to his decision to shoot down the balloon.\n\n– Maureen Groppe\n\nChinese spy balloon:Chinese spy balloon went over other US missile and nuclear weapons sites, lawmaker says\n\nBiden: Stop production, trafficking of fentanyl\n\nCiting Americans’ growing dependence on prescription drugs, Biden called for a major campaign to stop the production, sale and trafficking of fentanyl.\n\nBiden noted that fentanyl is killing more than 70,000 Americans a year. But his remarks were met with contempt from some members of Congress.\n\n“It’s your fault!” several Republicans shouted.\n\n– Michael Collins\n\nWhat is fentanyl poisoning?:These State of the Union guests lost their son to it\n\nBiden says VA working to end 'the silent scourge of suicide'\n\nBiden said when he first appointed Denis McDonough to run the Department of Veterans Affairs, the country was losing up to 25 veterans a day to “the silent scourge of suicide,” and continues to lose 17 per day.\n\n“The VA is doing everything it can, including expanding mental health screenings and a proven program that recruits veterans to help other veterans understand what they’re going through and get the help they need,”\n\n– Erin Mansfield\n\nMilitary suicide:Amid suicide crisis, the Army says it will rush mental health providers to Alaska\n\nBiden calls for higher teacher pay\n\nBiden hasn't touched much on education issues during the address but did take a moment to outline several priorities on that front. Among them: expanding access to preschool and raising teacher pay.\n\nIn 2021, teachers made less than 77 cents on the dollar compared with other college graduates. Yet surveys show teachers work more than 50 hours a week on average. Close to 1 in 5 work elsewhere at another job. It's no surprise that nearly half of U.S. schools are short teachers. Some states and districts have proposed or enacted pay bumps but they've been modest at best.\n\nFederal legislation again before Congress this session would set a teacher salary floor of $60,000. While raising teacher pay has garnered the support of some Republicans, the American Teacher Act is unlikely to get far. In some states teachers make less than $50,000 on average.\n\n– Alia Wong\n\nTeacher shortage:Amid crippling teacher shortages, some schools are turning to unorthodox solutions\n\nBiden urges lawmakers to protect abortion rights\n\nBiden called on lawmakers to “restore” abortion rights after the Supreme Court last year overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that established a constitutional right to abortion.\n\n“The vice president and I are doing everything to protect access to reproductive health care and safeguard patient safety,” Biden said, noting that states across the country have implemented abortion bans and restrictions.\n\n“Make no mistake about it. If Congress passes a national ban, I will veto it,” the president vowed.\n\n– Marina Pitofsky\n\nRoe v. Wade overturned:Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, eliminating constitutional right to abortion\n\nAbortion pills:20 Republican attorneys general warn CVS, Walgreens against selling abortion pills by mail\n\nBiden renews call to stand with Ukraine 'as long as it takes'\n\nCalling Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a “test for the ages,” Biden said the U.S. passed that test by standing for sovereignty.\n\nThat matters, Biden said, because it “prevents open season for would-be aggressors.”\n\nHis argument – and promise to stand with Ukraine “as long as it takes” – comes as some Republicans are calling for greater scrutiny, or even a curtailment, of U.S. involvement.\n\n– Maureen Groppe\n\nUkraine latest:Ukraine pushes to exclude Russia from 2024 Paris Olympics\n\nBono at the SOTU:Here's why musician, advocate Bono is at Biden's State of the Union address\n\nAmerica’s border problems won’t be fixed until Congress acts, said Biden.\n\nSince launching a new border plan last month, unlawful migration from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela has come down 97%, Biden said.\n\n“We now have a record number of personnel working to secure the border, arresting 8,000 human smugglers and seizing over 23,000 pounds of fentanyl in just the last several months,” he said.\n\nHe urged Congress to pass his plan to provide the equipment and officers to secure the border. He also asked Congress to pave a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, those on temporary status, farm workers, and essential workers.\n\n– Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy\n\nBorder politics:Republicans said Biden wasn't doing enough on the border. New GOP-led House is demanding answers\n\nBiden highlights ‘courage’ of Brandon Tsay and calls for assault weapon bans\n\nBiden singled out Brandon Tsay’s heroism two weeks ago when he disarmed the Monterey Park shooter who killed 11 people who attended a Chinese Lunar New Year celebration. Tsay, who is in attendance, received a standing ovation from lawmakers as Biden acknowledged him.\n\n“He saved lives. It’s time we do the same as well,” Biden said. “Ban assault weapons once and for all.”\n\nMass shootings typically lead lawmakers to call for such actions but it’s unlikely that a ban will pass in a divided Congress with many Republican lawmakers who have vowed that they will not waver on gun control.\n\n– Elisabeth Buchwald\n\n'Still too high':Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin orders independent panel to study military suicide\n\nMarjorie Taylor Greene yells at Biden multiple times\n\nRep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a fervent opponent of Biden who has called for his impeachment, yelled at him twice during the State of the Union address.\n\nThe first time came as Biden said Republicans want to cut Social Security and Medicare – an accusation that Greene refuted when she stood up yelled “Liar!”\n\nGreene later yelled, “China spied on us!” near the end of Biden’s speech.\n\nShe also yelled to “close the border” and “it’s your fault” when the president talked about the fentanyl crisis.\n\n– Candy Woodall\n\nHeckling lawmakers:Marjorie Taylor Greene, other Republicans spar with Biden over Social Security, Medicare\n\nState of the Union guests:Lawmakers highlight policing, abortion, wrongful imprisonment\n\nBiden on Tyre Nichols’ death: ‘Something good must come from this’\n\nBiden used his speech to pay tribute to Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man who died after being beaten by Memphis police officers.\n\nBiden called for more police training and more resources to reduce violent crime, along with more investments in housing, education and training.\n\nNoting that Nichols’ mother and stepfather were seated in the first lady’s box, Biden urged lawmakers to commit themselves to making the words of Nichols’ mother come true: “Something good must come from this.”\n\n– Michael Collins\n\nTyre Nichols killing:7 more Memphis police employees under investigation in Tyre Nichols' death, city attorney says\n\nBiden invokes Uvalde massacre in call for gun reform\n\nIn a call to action on gun violence, Biden invoked his trip to Uvalde, Texas, after the Robb Elementary School shooting where 19 students and two teachers were killed.\n\n“Do something, do something. That was the plea of parents who lost their children in Uvalde, I met with everyone.” Biden said, then pointing to the bipartisan gun reform law he signed. “Thank god we did. Passing the most sweeping gun safety law in three decades.”\n\n– Ken Tran\n\nUvalde shooting:Her daughter was killed in Uvalde. She's suing police, the school district and a gunmaker.\n\nCOVID is under control but vigilance necessary, says Biden\n\nWhile COVID-19 deaths are down nearly 90%, and the end of the public health emergency is close, Biden said the country will remember the pain of losing loved ones will never go away for many.\n\n“Families grieving. Children orphaned. Empty chairs at the dining room table. We remember them, and we remain vigilant,” he said.\n\nBiden said it was important to remain vigilant and monitor dozens of variants and support new vaccines and treatments. He urged Congress to fund these efforts and keep America safe.\n\n– Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy\n\nThe COVID emergency declaration is ending:What it means for tests, vaccines, treatment\n\nBiden: Police departments 'must be held accountable'\n\nSaying Tyre Nichols’ mother wants something good to come from his death at the hands of police officers in Memphis, Biden called for police reform.\n\n“When police officers or departments violate the public trust, they must be held accountable,” he said.\n\nBiden also pointed to an executive order he signed affecting federal officers that banned chokeholds, restricted no-knock warrants, and implemented “other key elements of the George Floyd Act.”\n\n– Erin Mansfield\n\nTyre Nichols:Ex-Memphis police officer took a photo of Tyre Nichols after beating, document says\n\nBiden urges Congress to act on labor reform\n\nBiden called for Congress to take up labor reform and worker protections as he touted his support for unions and his pledge to be “the most pro-union president.”\n\n“I’m so sick and tired of companies breaking the law by preventing workers from organizing,” said Biden. “Workers have a right to form a union.”\n\nBiden also urged action on additional worker protections and benefits, including paid family and medical leave and affordable child care, specifically calling for the return of the expanded Child Tax Credit.\n\n– Ken Tran\n\nLabor secretary makes move:Former Boston mayor Marty Walsh stepping down as Biden Labor Secretary for job with NHL union\n\nBiden calls for rebooting the expanded Child Tax Credit\n\nParents who qualify for the Child Tax Credit (CTC) won’t be getting as hefty checks as last year. That’s because the enhanced CTC, which parents could also opt to receive in installments rather than waiting to receive it in a lump sum payment when they file their taxes, expired.\n\nThe enhanced CTC increased payments from $2,000 per qualifying child to $3,600 for children ages 5 and under and $3,000 for children ages 6 through 17. This year it will go back to $2,000 for qualifying children of all ages.\n\nIn his remarks, Biden vowed to “restore the full Child Tax Credit which gave tens of millions of parents some breathing room and cut child poverty in half, to the lowest level in history.”\n\n– Elisabeth Buchwald\n\nChild tax credit this year:How much is the Child Tax Credit for 2023? Here's what you need to know about qualifying.\n\nBiden: Ban ‘junk fees’ on hotel bills, other services\n\nBiden urged Congress to pass legislation to ban excess fees that companies often tack onto hotel bills, airline tickets and other services.\n\n“Americans are tired of being played for suckers,” he said.\n\nThe Junk Fee Prevention Act, if approved, would bar so-called “resort fees” that can add up to $90 a night on hotel bills, stop cable internet and cell phone companies from charging up to $200 more when a customer switches providers, and prohibit airlines from charging up to $50 roundtrip for families to sit together, Biden said.\n\n– Michael Collins\n\nJunk fees:Biden moves to limit credit fees to $8 for missed payments in latest \"junk fee\" crack down\n\nSocial Security and Medicare benefits draw tension during speech\n\nBiden’s State of the Union address comes as he and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have started talks on the debt ceiling and government spending.\n\nTension has been building between the two parties over Social Security and Medicare benefits. McCarthy said Republicans aren’t going to cut those programs, but Democrats say the math will force those cuts if the GOP demands lowered government spending.\n\nBiden in his speech said Republicans want to cut the programs, to which Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., stood up and yelled “Liar!” as other members booed the president.\n\n“OK, so we agree,” Biden said. “Social Security and Medicare is off the books.”\n\nBipartisan cheers returned to the chamber.\n\n– Candy Woodall\n\nMedicare:Medicare launches plan to negotiate prices for the costliest drugs. Here's what to know.\n\nBiden takes credit for deficit cuts\n\nBiden celebrated the government’s deficit cuts seen under his administration in his State of the Union address.\n\n“For the last two years, my administration has cut the deficit by more than $1.7 trillion, the largest deficit reduction in American history,” Biden said. The deficit’s cut was partly a result of higher tax revenues that Biden touted but also the end of spending related to the pandemic.\n\nBiden also took a jab at former President Donald Trump for increases in the federal deficit under Trump’s administration. “Under the previous administration, the American deficit went up four years in a row,” Biden said, to boos and jeers from Republican lawmakers.\n\n– Ken Tran\n\nWhat happens if the US hits the debt ceiling?:Here's what to expect if we reach debt limit.\n\nBiden says Republicans want to ‘take the economy hostage’ in debt ceiling talks\n\nBiden accused Republicans of wanting to “take the economy hostage” unless he agrees to their demands for spending cuts during debt ceiling talks.\n\nBiden demanded Republicans show “what their plans are.” House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has not specified what Republicans want axed.\n\n“Some Republicans want Medicare and Social Security to sunset every five years,” Biden said, prompting loud boos from Republicans in Congress.\n\n– Joey Garrison\n\nMedicare and debt ceiling fight:How Medicare and Social Security benefits factor into the Kevin McCarthy debt ceiling fight\n\nBiden defends Inflation Reduction Act\n\nPresident Biden touted the Inflation Reduction Act which he signed into law, saying he was taking on powerful interest to bring health care costs down.\n\n“You know, we pay more for prescription drugs than any major country on earth,” he said. “Big Pharma has been unfairly charging people hundreds of dollars – and making record profits.”\n\nHaving capped the cost of insulin at $35 a month for seniors on Medicare, Biden said it was time to help Americans not on Medicare, including 200,000 young people with Type I diabetes who need insulin to save their lives. “Let’s cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month for every American who needs it,” he said. The law also caps out-of-pocket drug costs for seniors on Medicare at a maximum $2,000 per year.\n\nHe also promised to veto any attempts to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act.\n\n– Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy\n\nCredit fees:Biden moves to limit credit fees to $8 for missed payments in latest \"junk fee\" crack down\n\nBiden tangles with GOP lawmakers over Social Security and Medicare\n\nBiden got into an unusual back and forth with Republicans over whether GOP lawmakers want to end the automatic continuation of Social Security and Medicare.\n\nWhen some vocally protested, Biden responded: “Anyone who doubts it, contact my office. I’ll give you a copy of the proposal.”\n\nWhen the protests continued, Biden said he wasn’t arguing that all Republicans back reviewing entitlement programs every five years.\n\n“But it’s being proposed,” he said.\n\n– Maureen Groppe\n\nMedicare debate:How Medicare and Social Security benefits factor into the Kevin McCarthy debt ceiling fight\n\nCheers and boos for Biden\n\nProgressive members of the House, known as “the Squad,” cheered as President Joe Biden pushed for fair taxes and called out low tax rates for billionaires.\n\n“You tell ‘em, Joe,” said Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.\n\nHe also had plenty of jeers from the Republican side of the chamber when he slammed former President Donald Trump’s fiscal record and accused the House GOP of trying to cut Social Security and Medicare. The latter attracted loud boos.\n\nRep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., stood up and yelled, “Liar!” from the back of the chamber.\n\n– Candy Woodall\n\nTalkative Biden:On average, Biden is most talkative president in six decades of State of Union addresses\n\nBiden repeats call for ‘billionaire’s tax’\n\nBiden used his speech to call again for Congress to pass a so-called “billionaire’s tax,” saying some of the biggest corporations in the country are raking in billions of dollars in profits but paying no federal income taxes.\n\n“That’s simply not fair,” he said.\n\nBiden did not spell out the specifics of his proposal. But in the past, he has called for a 20% levy on households with a net worth of more than $100 million.\n\n– Michael Collins\n\nWhat are the tax brackets?:What are the 2022 US federal tax brackets? What are the new 2023 tax brackets? Answers here\n\nBiden calls climate crisis ‘an existential threat’\n\nBiden said “the climate crisis doesn't care if you're in a red or blue state” as he touted his administration’s work to take on what he called “an existential threat.”\n\nHe pointed to the Inflation Reduction Act, which included the largest climate package ever, and investments from his infrastructure law.\n\nHe later went off-script, saying, “We’re still going to need oil and gas for a while.”\n\n– Joey Garrison\n\nUN Secretary-General::'No more baby steps' on climate change\n\nBiden to Congress: Continue insurance subsidies that lowered uninsured rates\n\nBiden celebrated the fact that a record number of Americans have health insurance while calling on Congress to continue expanded insurance subsidies that helped boost that rate.\n\nThose enhanced subsidies for people who purchase insurance on their own, instead of getting coverage from the government or an employer, expire after 2025.\n\n“Let’s finish the job and make the savings permanent,” Biden said as he also called for extending expanded Medicaid coverage to all states.\n\n– Maureen Groppe\n\nBiden takes made in America a step further\n\nBiden touted American manufacturing gains and a campaign promise to move more production to the U.S. from foreign countries. Biden then announced, “new standards to require all construction materials used in federal infrastructure projects to be made in America.”\n\n“American-made lumber, glass, drywall, fiber optic cables,” he said. “And on my watch, American roads, American bridges, and American highways will be made with American products.”\n\nBiden’s message echoes former President Donald Trump’s prior State of the Union addresses where he boasted about initiatives to bring back manufacturing jobs that have been lost over the years.\n\n– Elisabeth Buchwald\n\nInsulin costs:Medicare caps insulin costs at $35 a month. Can Biden get that price for all Americans?\n\nBiden touts legislative victories in infrastructure and manufacturing\n\nBiden championed his series of legislative victories that ranged from tackling the country’s supply chain shortage and sweeping investments in domestic manufacturing and infrastructure.\n\n“We’re gonna make sure the supply chain for America begins in America,” Biden said, touting a bipartisan bill he signed that made investments to boost domestic manufacturing of semiconductors.\n\n“To maintain the strongest economy in the world, we need the best infrastructure in the world,” said Biden, pointing to the bipartisan infrastructure bill. “Folks, we’re just getting started.”\n\n– Ken Tran\n\nWhy Bono is at SOTU:Here's why musician, advocate Bono is at Biden's State of the Union address\n\nBiden appeals to middle and working class people on manufacturing\n\nIn an appeal to middle class and working class people, Biden said he ran for president “to make sure the economy works for everyone” so that everyone can have pride in what they do for a living.\n\n“For decades, the middle class was hollowed out,” he said. “Too many good-paying manufacturing jobs moved overseas. Factories at home closed down. Once-thriving cities and towns that many of you represent became shadows of what they used to be.”\n\nBiden then spoke about his administration’s accomplishments in the manufacturing sector.\n\n– Erin Mansfield\n\nWhat is fentanyl poisoning?:These State of the Union guests lost their son to it\n\nMore:As Biden prepares 2024 reelection run, Dems worry blue-collar voters are slipping away\n\nBiden: ‘COVID no longer controls our lives’\n\nBiden said the nation’s economy is roaring back from the COVID-19 pandemic.\n\n“Two years ago, COVID had shut down our businesses, closed our schools, and robbed us of so much,” he said. “Today, COVID no longer controls our lives.”\n\nBiden said his administration has created 12 million jobs, “more jobs created in two years than any president has ever created in four.”\n\n– Michael Collins\n\nA full House – literally – for State of the Union\n\nPresident Joe Biden entered a full House chamber Tuesday.\n\nThe capacity crowd included House and Senate members, current and former Supreme Court justices, family and honored guests.\n\nBiden’s first words were met with a standing ovation, as he honored Republican and Democratic leaders – but also as he described the state of the union.\n\nThe applause came from Democrats and Republicans, and the standing ovations were sometimes led by a row of powerful Senate moderates, including Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Kyrsten Sinema, who recently changed her party affiliation to independent.\n\n– Candy Woodall\n\nBiden: Pelosi is 'greatest speaker’ ever\n\nFormer House Speaker Nancy Pelosi isn’t sitting behind Biden for his address but she got a special call-out from the president anyway.\n\n“I want to give special recognition to someone who I think will be considered the greatest speaker in the history of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi,” Biden said.\n\nPelosi stepped down from Democratic leadership after the midterm elections. Biden also congratulated her successor, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the first Black American to be House minority leader.\n\n– Maureen Groppe\n\nWhat are burn pits?:Why were burn pits used? Toxic fumes, medical risks explained.\n\nBiden begins speech telling McCarthy he looks forward to ‘working together’\n\nBiden began his remarks congratulating Kevin McCarthy, the new Republican House speaker, and saying he looks forward to “working together.”\n\nBiden also congratulated Democratic Leader Hakeem Jefferies, the first African American man to lead a party, and gave shout outs to Senate Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.\n\n“The story of America is a story of progress and resilience. Of always moving forward. Of never giving up,” Biden said.\n\n– Joey Garrison\n\nLabor Secretary Marty Walsh is designated survivor for 2023 State of the Union\n\nSecretary of Labor Marty Walsh is the designated survivor for this year's State of the Union address.\n\nEvery year, a top government official is chosen as the “designated survivor” as a way to maintain the presidential line of succession in case of a catastrophic event where multiple officials in the line are unable to assume office.\n\n– Ken Tran\n\nMarty Walsh:Former Boston mayor Marty Walsh stepping down as Biden Labor Secretary for job with NHL union\n\nBono is at the State of the Union\n\nBono, the Irish lead singer of U2, is attending the State of the Union as a guest of first lady Jill Biden.\n\nBono is a longtime social justice advocate who co-founded the nonprofit ONE Campaign to address poverty and preventable diseases and Prouct RED to address HIV and AIDS in Africa.\n\nHe’s sitting next to Paul Pelosi, husband of former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.\n\n– Erin Mansfield\n\nWhat is fentanyl poisoning?:These State of the Union guests lost their son to it\n\n2 Californians will sit behind Biden\n\nVice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy may not share a political party. But they do have something in common. Both are from California.\n\nThat gave them at least one thing to talk about as they stood on the rostrum, waiting for Biden’s speech to begin.\n\n– Maureen Groppe\n\nBiden gets a Supreme Court majority for speech, if not policies\n\nAt least for tonight, President Joe Biden landed a majority of the Supreme Court.\n\nFive sitting Supreme Court justices stepped into the House chamber before the president’s remarks: Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justices Elena Kagan, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett and Ketanji Brown Jackson.\n\nThat’s a decent turnout for an event some current and former justices have derided as a “political pep rally” and a “childish spectacle.”\n\nWhether the president can cobble together a majority for any of his policies pending at the court – on immigration, student loan debt relief or environmental rules – remains to be seen.\n\n– John Fritze\n\nBiden to get bipartisan escort into House chamber\n\nBiden will be escorted into the House chamber by a bipartisan group of House and Senate officials, including Senate leaders Chuck Schumer, D-NY, and Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.\n\n–Michael Collins\n\nFace masks uncommon as pre-pandemic normality returns\n\nFew lawmakers were wearing face masks as they filed onto the House floor for Biden’s State of the Union speech.\n\nAnd unlike last year, members of Congress were allowed to bring guests, a return to pre-pandemic normality.\n\n“Today, COVID no longer controls our lives,” Biden will declare, according to speech excerpts the White House released in advance.\n\n– Maureen Groppe\n\nState of the economy:A look at economy's strengths, weaknesses as Biden sets to boast of record job growth in State of Union\n\nBiden arrives at Capitol\n\nBiden’s motorcade arrived at the Capitol at 8:40 p.m. ahead of his 9 p.m. State of the Union speech.\n\n“Great shape, getting better,” Biden said when a reporter asked him, “What’s the state of the union?” before he departed the White House.\n\n– Joey Garrison\n\n5 big questions for Biden's speech:Is he running? 5 big questions Joe Biden will answer in the State of the Union\n\nPoll: Republicans want GOP leaders to 'stand up’ to Biden\n\nIf Biden doesn’t find a receptive audience to his call for the two parties to work together, Republican voters could be the reason.\n\nMost Republicans (64%) want GOP congressional leaders to “stand up” to Biden on matters important to GOP, even if that makes it harder to address critical problems facing the country, according to recent polling from the Pew Research Center.\n\nAnd more are concerned that GOP lawmakers won’t focus enough on investigating the administration than the share worried that they will focus too much on investigations.\n\n– Maureen Groppe\n\nState of the Union guests:Lawmakers highlight policing, abortion, wrongful imprisonment\n\nBiden approval rating hovering in low 40s ahead of speech\n\nBiden’s second State of the Union address Tuesday comes as he remains under water politically, with more than half of voters disapproving of his job performance, according to most polls.\n\nA Washington Post-ABC poll released this week found 42% of voters approve of Biden’s job performance, while 53% disapprove. That closely matches the FiveThirtyEight average of polls.\n\nBiden’s job performance has stayed below since August 2021 in most polls. Even more troubling for Biden, most Americans can’t identify his achievements. Sixty-two percent of Americans said Biden has accomplished \"not very much\" or “little or nothing,\" in the same Washington Post-ABC News poll, while only 36% said he has accomplished \"a great deal\" or \"a good amount.\"\n\n– Joey Garrison\n\nWhat to watch for:The State of the Union is Tuesday: Here's what you can expect from Joe Biden's speech\n\nVice President Kamala Harris chats with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy ahead of speech\n\nVice President Kamala Harris shook hands with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and the two chatted, as they stood behind the rostrum waiting for Biden to enter the House chamber.\n\nThis will be the first State of the Union with McCarthy as speaker since Republicans took control of the House during the midterm elections.\n\n– Joey Garrison\n\nBiden heads to the Capitol\n\nBiden left the White House at 8:30 p.m. en route to the Capitol. Vice President Kamala Harris arrived ahead of him along with the majority of his Cabinet.\n\n– Elisabeth Buchwald\n\nPaul Pelosi arrives at State of the Union\n\nPaul Pelosi, the 82-year-old husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, arrived at the State of the Union about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.\n\nThis marks his first visit to a joint session of Congress since a video release of a brutal October attack that left him with head and hand injuries requiring surgery.\n\n– Candy Woodall\n\nLawmakers arrive for State of the Union\n\nIf handshakes across the aisle are any reliable indication, there was a hint of bipartisanship in the air as lawmakers arrived for President Joe Biden’s first State of the Union before a divided Congress.\n\nThere was also the smell of cigars in the House gallery hallways on the third floor, a sign of the changing guard and new House rules.\n\nSeveral guests and congresswomen were wearing white, as a nod to the suffragettes. That included Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who despite earlier posts did not bring a white balloon into the chamber to troll Biden about what she describes as a delayed response in taking down the Chinese spy balloon.\n\n- Candy Woodall\n\nBiden traveling to Wisconsin and Florida after speech\n\nBiden administration officials will hit the road this week, holding events in at least 20 states to highlight parts of the president’s message.\n\nBiden himself will talk about his economic agenda in Wisconsin Wednesday and will discuss Social Security and Medicare in Florida Thursday.\n\nVice President Kamala Harris is heading to Georgia and Minnesota. Multiple other cabinet members are also fanning out across the country.\n\n- Maureen Groppe\n\nHow would Biden’s billionaire tax work?\n\nTonight Biden will resurface his plan to levy more taxes on the ultra-wealthy. But how would that work?\n\nUnder the current tax system, you don’t have to pay taxes on assets like stocks, homes and artwork that can appreciate over time until you sell it. But if you hold onto them until you die, you won’t have to pay any taxes. And on top of that, heirs that inherit your assets won’t have to pay taxes if they sell them.\n\nThe Biden Administration refers to this as a tax loophole, as billionaires benefit the most since they’re more likely than working-class Americans to get compensated via stocks or other assets that appreciate over time or inherit them.\n\nTo end the practice, Biden is proposing “minimum income tax” on American households worth more than $100 million. His plan calls for the wealthiest Americans to pay a tax rate of at least 20% on their full income, including unrealized gains from assets that have increased in value since their purchase.\n\n– Elisabeth Buchwald\n\nTaxing billionaires:Should the wealthy pay taxes on expensive art and wine? Joe Biden thinks so. Here's how it would work\n\nOcasio-Cortez lays out expectations for Biden’s speech, working with Republicans\n\nAhead of Biden’s address, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D.-N.Y., said she’s hoping to “hear a really strong vision” from Biden and explained how Democrats and Republicans could find common ground after the GOP gained control of the House during the midterm elections.\n\nThe New York lawmaker told CNN she hopes to hear “about not just what we've done so far, but also our plans on executing on the enormous bills and successes that we've had in the last one to two years,\" saying “There still is implementation and execution on these plans to address our priorities around climate, taxing the rich and so much more.”\n\n– Marina Pitofsky\n\nBiden's 'finish the job' call in State of the Union echoes FDR\n\nHistorian Michael Beschloss hears echoes of Franklin D. Roosevelt in Biden’s State of the Union address.\n\nBiden will call on Republicans to work with him to “finish the job” of rebuilding the economy and uniting the country, according to excerpts of the speech released by the White House.\n\n“Finish the job” was used as a rationale for FDR's reelection, Beschloss tweeted about the phrase’s historical lineage. It was also a slogan for the World War I effort. And in a famous radio address during World War II, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill vowed to “finish the job.”\n\nAt the start of Biden’s administration, many comparisons – not all of them favorable – were made between the size and scope of Biden’s ambitions, Roosevelt’s programs and the World War II spending that lifted the nation out of the Great Depression.\n\n– Maureen Groppe\n\nSarah Huckabee Sanders: Biden is more interested in 'woke fantasies' than concerns of everyday Americans\n\nIn delivering the Republican response to the State of the Union, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sander plans to attack Biden and the Democrats over a panoply of issues that include inflation, taxes, education and so-called \"culture wars.\"\n\n\"And while you reap the consequences of their failures, the Biden administration seems more interested in woke fantasies than the hard reality Americans face every day,\" Sanders plans to say, according to speech excerpts released by her office.\n\nAnother excerpt: \"Most Americans simply want to live their lives in freedom and peace, but we are under attack in a left-wing culture war we didn’t start and never wanted to fight.\"\n\n– David Jackson\n\nState of the Union guests:Lawmakers highlight policing, abortion, wrongful imprisonment\n\nHow long does the State of the Union last? What it will take for Biden to set a SOTU record\n\nBiden’s first State of the Union address in 2022 was somewhere between the longest and shortest speeches ever given, according to The American Presidency Project. Will he keep his second address tonight short and sweet, or will he be long-winded?\n\nIf he intendeds to break the record for the shortest speech ever, he’d have it keep it under 28 minutes and 55 seconds. That was the time Richard Nixon took to deliver his address in 1972. To beat the longest address ever, he’d have to outdo his fellow Democrat former President Bill Clinton, who went on for 1 hour, 28 minutes and 40 seconds for his final State of the Union speech in 2000. Clinton also claims the spot for the second longest address, clocking in at 1 hour, 24 minutes and 58 seconds in 1995.\n\n– Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy\n\nBiden to promise investment in ‘places and people that have been forgotten’\n\nBiden will spend part of his address promoting his economic plan and assuring Americans that he wants to invest in “places and people that have been forgotten.”\n\nAmid the economic upheaval of the past four decades, too many people have been left behind or treated like they’re invisible, he will say, according to excerpts of the speech released by the White House.\n\n“Maybe that’s you watching at home,” Biden will say. “You remember the jobs that went away. And you wonder whether a path even exists anymore for you and your children to get ahead without moving away. I get it. That’s why we’re building an economy where no one is left behind. Jobs are coming back, pride is coming back because of the choices we made in the last two years. This is a blue-collar blueprint to rebuild America and make a real difference in your lives.”\n\n– Michael Collins\n\nBiden to praise recovery from Jan. 6 riot, COVID\n\nPresident Joe Biden will say “the story of America is a story of progress and resilience” in his State of the Union address as he touts a rebounding economy, COVID-19 recovery and democracy that survived the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack, according to excerpts of the speech provided by the White House.\n\nBiden will tout 12 million new jobs created under his presidency – many that came back following the pandemic – to claim economic progress. And he will reflect on a period two years ago when businesses and schools closed at the height of the pandemic.\n\n“Today, COVID no longer controls our lives,” Biden plans to say. “And two years ago, our democracy faced its greatest threat since the Civil War. Today, though bruised, our democracy remains unbowed and unbroken.”\n\n– Joey Garrison\n\nBiden to ask Republicans to work with him in SOTU speech\n\nPresident Joe Biden will make a plea to Republicans in Congress to work with him. He said after the November elections that Americans sent a divided Congress to Washington because they want them to work together.\n\n“The people sent us a clear message,” Biden will say, according to excerpts released from the White House. “Fighting for the sake of fighting, power for the sake of power, conflict for the sake of conflict, gets us nowhere.”\n\n– Erin Mansfield\n\nWhy Sen. Patty Murray and other lawmakers will be wearing crayons at State of the Union\n\nWashington Sen. Patty Murray and some of her Democratic colleagues will be wearing crayon pins to President Joe Biden's State of the Union address Tuesday to signal their support for greater investments in child care. Such care now costs more than $10,000 a year on average, and roughly half of Americans live in a child care desert. Insufficient child care takes a toll on America's economy, recent research shows, costing taxpayers $122 billion annually.\n\nPartisan gridlock has prevented progress on major child care reforms, such as Murray's Child Care for Working Families Act, which would generally cap child care expenses at 7% of a family's household income. Biden, who alluded to that cap in his last State of the Union, has also struggled to gain traction on his child care proposals.\n\n– Alia Wong\n\nLawmakers to highlight key social issues through guests\n\nTuesday night’s State of the Union address will be the first year since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic where lawmakers are allowed to bring their own guests. As part of tradition, lawmakers tend to invite guests that draw attention to issues important to them.\n\nSeveral Democratic lawmakers have invited guests to champion abortion access such as Roslyn Roger Collins, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Metropolitan New Jersey, who will attend the address alongside Rep. Bob Mendendez, D-N.J., according to Planned Parenthood.\n\nIn the wake of the brutal beating and subsequent death of Tyre Nichols in Memphis, Tennessee, members of the Congressional Black Caucus are bringing guests who have been impacted by police violence. House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has invited Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner, who died at the hands of a New York police officer in 2014.\n\n– Christine Fernando and Ken Tran\n\nRepublican response: Sarah Huckabee Sanders follows in historic footsteps with her State of the Union response\n\nArkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is the first former White House press secretary to deliver a formal State of the Union response – she is not, however, the first governor of Arkansas to do the honors.\n\nBack in 1985, the Democrats picked a young governor of Arkansas to deliver their response to President Ronald Reagan.\n\nHis name? Bill Clinton ... then-future President Bill Clinton.\n\nSanders will give the Republican rebuttal after Biden's speech.\n\n– David Jackson\n\n5 big questions for the SOTU:Is he running? 5 big questions Joe Biden will answer in the State of the Union\n\nBiden and China: Spy balloon likely to be addressed\n\nThe speech is a chance for Biden to respond to those who have criticized how he handled the suspected Chinese spy balloon that drifted over the United States last week – and to send a public message to China. Republicans have accused Biden of showing weakness by not shooting down the balloon sooner.\n\nTensions have been rising with China, which the U.S. considers its biggest strategic and economic competitor. The nations have clashed over Taiwan, technology, human rights, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and other disputes.\n\nThe Biden administration has been trying to stabilize the relationship, building what it’s called “guardrails” as it normalizes interaction. But one effort to do that – sending Secretary of State Antony Blinken to China – was postponed because of the balloon incident.\n\n– Maureen Groppe and Michael Collins\n\nIntel chair: China balloon flew over nuke sites\n\nBiden to lay out 'forceful approach’ to combatting fentanyl\n\nThe Biden administration will launch a national campaign to educate young people on the dangers of fentanyl, part of the “forceful approach” for going after fentanyl trafficking and reducing overdose deaths.\n\nOther steps include:\n\nUsing new large-scale scanners to improve efforts to stop fentanyl from being brought into the U.S. through the southern border.\n\nWorking with package delivery companies to catch more packages containing fentanyl from being shipped around the country.\n\nWorking with Congress to make permanent a temporary tool that that’s helped federal agents crack down on drugs chemically similar to fentanyl.\n\n– Maureen Groppe\n\n5 big questions on Biden's speech:Is he running? 5 big questions Joe Biden will answer in the State of the Union\n\nBiden to plug job market as recession looms\n\nPresident Joe Biden is expected to take credit for a booming job market and easing inflation when he speaks to the nation Tuesday night.\n\nBut he’ll likely leave out a litany of trouble spots, including a slumping housing market, a monthslong manufacturing downturn and elevated recession risk this year. Meanwhile, inflation is still high and economists pin at least some of the blame on Biden for showering Americans with cash in early 2021 while the economy was already healing.\n\n– Paul Davidson\n\nState of the economy:A look at economy's strengths, weaknesses as Biden sets to boast of record job growth in State of Union\n\nWho is Sarah Huckabee Sanders? Arkansas governor to giver Republican response to Biden's State of the Union address\n\nSarah Huckabee Sanders, one-time White House press secretary for former President Trump and current governor of Arkansas, will deliver the Republican rebuttal to Biden’s State of the Union address tonight.\n\nSanders, the youngest governor in the U.S., hails from a prominent political family. Her father Mike Huckabee was the 44th governor of Arkansas, serving from 1996 to 2007 before launching an unsuccessful presidential bid during the 2008 election. The younger Sanders has since cut out her own place in GOP politics, emerging as one of the more high-profile members of the Trump administration.\n\n– Anna Kaufman\n\nBono, Tyre Nichols’ family members among guests sitting with first lady Jill Biden Tuesday night\n\nThe lead singer for the rock group U2, Bono, and Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, are among the White House guests attending President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address Tuesday.\n\nGuests are chosen to highlight themes of the president’s speech or because they represent his policy initiatives.\n\nBono is the cofounder of the ONE campaign to fight poverty and preventable diseases, and (RED), which fights HIV/AIDS in Africa. Other guests who will be sitting with first lady Jill Biden during the speech include:\n\nThe mother and stepfather of Tyre Nichols, the 29-year-old Black man who died after being beaten by Memphis police officers.\n\nBrandon Tsay, the man who disarmed the Monterey Park gunman who killed 11 people and injured 10 others during a Lunar New Year celebration.\n\nA Texas woman who almost died because doctors were concerned that intervening when her pregnancy ran into difficulties would violate the state’s abortion ban.\n\nOne of the Massachusetts same-sex couples who sued the state for the right to marry in 2001.\n\n– Maureen Groppe\n\nWhat to expect from tonight's speech:Here's what you can expect from Joe Biden's speech\n\nBiden's speech comes amid job gains\n\nOne accomplishment Biden is sure to bring up tonight is the level of job gains under his presidency. Since he took office the unemployment rate went from 6.3% to 3.4%, per the latest jobs data.\n\nDespite recession fears and massive tech layoffs, U.S. employers added 517,000 new jobs last month, well exceeding economists' expectations of around 180,000 new jobs.\n\nThe blowout jobs report paved the way for the Federal Reserve to pass more rate hikes aimed at lowering inflation, Fed Chairman Powell said in remarks he delivered earlier today. But the rate hikes could push the economy closer to a recession, which the central bank has avoided so far.\n\n– Elisabeth Buchwald\n\nBiden’s student loan forgiveness plan remains stalled\n\nBiden has yet to fulfill his campaign promise of canceling at least $10,000 in student loan debt. Last year he unveiled a plan to make good on his promise.\n\nHowever the plan is being stalled by legal challenges. Six states – Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas and South Carolina – formed a coalition to fight the proposal. They argue that canceling student loan debt extends beyond the administration’s legal authority.\n\nThe Supreme Court is set to hear arguments for the case later this month. The Biden administration claims it is well within their legal realm to proceed with its plan. It cannot do so unless the Court rules in its favor, however.\n\n– Elisabeth Buchwald\n\nStock market under Biden\n\nSince President Joe Biden took office in January 2021, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 10%. Last year the index fell into a bear market, meaning it dropped 20% below a market peak set last January.\n\nDuring former President Donald Trump's time in office, the Dow gained 56%. That represents an annualized gain of close to 12%, one of the best stock market performances under a Republican president according to data from LPL Financial.\n\n– Elisabeth Buchwald\n\nWhat time is the State of the Union speech tonight?\n\nBiden’s State of the Union speech is Tuesday at 9 p.m. EST.\n\nHow to stream the SOTU\n\nThe speech will be livestreamed by USA TODAY.\n\nWho is the designated survivor tonight?\n\nThe State of the Union address, delivered to a joint session of Congress and a crowd that includes all nine Supreme Court justices, poses a unique scenario in which every key member of the nation’s leadership is in one room.\n\nThat makes it both a momentous affair, and a significant national security risk. For this reason, each year one member of the president’s Cabinet dubbed the \"designated survivor\" hangs back.\n\nThe practice dates back to the Cold War, during which fears of a Soviet Nuclear attack abounded and a fresh urgency surrounded protocols for the order of presidential succession. The designated survivor for 2023 has not yet been announced, but heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, and Energy have most frequently been chosen.\n\n– Anna Kaufman\n\nWhat channel is the State of the Union on?\n\nThe major TV networks and other news outlets, such as Fox News, MSNBC, CNN and PBS, are providing live coverage of the address.\n\nWhat is the State of the Union address?\n\nThe State of the Union address isn’t just a tradition in the nation’s capital. It's rooted in the Constitution.\n\nArticle II of the Constitution says the president shall “from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union.\"\n\nThat doesn’t mean the president has to give a speech – as they often do today.\n\n\"From that very general mandate in the Constitution has evolved into what we recognize today as a yearly event, with lots of pomp and circumstance,\" Claire Jerry, a curator of political history at the National Museum of American History, told USA TODAY.\n\n– Marina Pitofsky\n\nWhen did the annual message become known as State of the Union address?\n\nFrom 1790 to 1946, the speech delivered by the president to Congress was known simply as the \"Annual Message.\"\n\nIn 1947 is became the ‘State of the Union’ and has since been referred to by that name.\n\n– Anna Kaufman\n\nWhat is the origin of the state of the union address?\n\nArticle II, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution states that the president will “give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”\n\nThis language birthed the practice, allowing the executive to deliver to a joint session of Congress and the American people.\n\nIn the modern era, the speech has become a vehicle for administrations to roll out their policy priorities for the coming year and spotlight key agenda issues.\n\n– Anna Kaufman", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/02/07"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/30/politics/supreme-court-climate-change-epa-regulations/index.html", "title": "Supreme Court curbs EPA's ability to fight climate change | CNN ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nThe Supreme Court curbed the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to broadly regulate carbon emissions from existing power plants, a major defeat for the Biden administration’s attempts to slash emissions at a moment when scientists are sounding alarms about the accelerating pace of global warming.\n\nIn addition, the court cut back agency authority in general invoking the so-called “major questions” doctrine – a ruling that will impact the federal government’s authority to regulate in other areas of climate policy, as well as regulation of the internet and worker safety.\n\nThe decision issued Thursday will send shockwaves across the federal government, threatening agency action that comes without clear congressional authorization.\n\nThe ruling was 6-3. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the opinion for the conservative majority, with the three liberal justices dissenting. Roberts said that “our precedent counsels skepticism toward EPA’s claim” that the law “empowers it to devise carbon emissions caps based on a generation shifting approach.”\n\n“Under our precedents, this is a major questions case,” Roberts wrote, adding that “there is little reason to think Congress assigned such decisions to the Agency.”\n\nSteve Vladeck, CNN Supreme Court analyst and professor at the University of Texas School of Law, said the ruling “could be cataclysmic for modern administrative law.”\n\n“For a century, the federal government has functioned on the assumption that Congress can broadly delegate regulatory power to executive branch agencies. Today’s ruling opens the door to endless challenges to those delegations – on everything from climate change to food safety standards – on the ground that Congress wasn’t specific enough in giving the agency the power to regulate such ‘major’ issues,” Vladeck said.\n\nRegarding the EPA, Roberts wrote that capping carbon dioxide emissions at a level that will force a nationwide transition away from the use of coal may be a “sensible” solution.\n\n“But it is not plausible that Congress gave EPA the authority to adopt on its own such a regulatory scheme” under the law in question.\n\n“A decision of such magnitude and consequence rests with Congress itself, or an agency acting pursuant to a clear delegation from that representative body,” he wrote.\n\nWriting separately, Justice Neil Gorsuch emphasized the court’s move to limit agency power, which he considers unaccountable to the public.\n\n“While we all agree that administrative agencies have important roles to play in a modern nation, surely none of us wishes to abandon our Republic’s promise that the people and their representatives should have a meaningful say in the laws that govern them,” Gorsuch wrote.\n\nJustice Elena Kagan, writing for the dissenters, sounded the alarm about global warming and said that the court’s decision “strips” the EPA of the “power Congress gave it to respond to ‘the most pressing environmental challenge of our time.’”\n\n“The Court appoints itself – instead of Congress or the expert agency – the decision-maker on climate policy,” she wrote.\n\n“I cannot think of many things more frightening,” she concluded.\n\nThe White House on Thursday blasted the ruling.\n\n“This is another devastating decision from the Court that aims to take our country backwards,” a White House official said in a statement. “While the Court’s decision risks damaging our ability to keep our air clean and combat climate change, President Biden will not relent in using the authorities that he has under law to protect public health and tackle the climate change crisis.”\n\nMeanwhile, US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said the ruling is “a public health disaster” that will hurt Americans’ health.\n\n“A failure to regulate power plant emissions will lead to increases in asthma, lung cancer, and other diseases associated with poor air quality, and in many places, those impacts are likely to fall hardest in already heavily polluted neighborhoods,” Becerra said.\n\nAction from Congress is unlikely\n\nThe opinion calls into question the future of federal-level climate action in the US, and puts even more pressure on Congress to act to reduce planet-warming emissions.\n\nBut broad action from Congress is unlikely. Democrats in Congress have been embroiled in difficult negotiations on a climate and clean energy bill with their main holdout, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia for months, with no clear end in sight.\n\nIt’s unclear whether those negotiations on a package of clean energy tax credits and other emissions-cutting programs will yield a result. And without both major investments on clean energy and strong regulations cutting emissions by the EPA, President Joe Biden has very little hope of meeting his climate goal, independent analysis shows.\n\nCongressional Democrats also expressed fury at the court’s decision and warned of the environmental consequences.\n\nDemocratic Rep. Raúl Grijalva of Arizona, who chairs the House Natural Resources Committee, said the court has “sentenced our planet to death.”\n\n“Make no mistake, this decision – and all of the decisions this week – will be directly responsible for the harm and deaths of countless Americans,” he said.\n\nDemocratic Sen. Ed Markey, who proposed the Green New Deal, said the decision “lets polluters turn back the clock on fifty years of reduced pollution and improved air quality all across the country.”\n\n“The result of this dangerous decision is an EPA that is undermined in its ability to protect the public,” he said, adding that Congress should pass “meaningful climate and clean energy funding” and the “climate justice and clean energy package.”\n\nVladeck said the lack of congressional willpower will lead to the erosion of federal power.\n\n“It would be one thing if Congress could be expected to respond to this ruling by updating all of those delegations to make them more specific, but we – and the Court – know that it won’t, which will almost surely lead to significant deregulation across a wide swath of federal authority.”\n\nClimate impacts of power plants\n\nFossil fuels in the power sector are a huge contributor to the climate crisis. Around 25% of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions around the globe and in the US come from generating electricity, according to the EPA. And coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel, powers about 20% of US electricity. Emissions from power production rose last year for the first time since 2014, an increase that was mainly driven by coal use.\n\nThe surge in fossil fuel use is worrying not only for Biden’s climate goals – the President in his first months in office pledged to slash US emissions in half by 2030 – but also the planet. Scientists have become increasingly urgent in their warnings that to make headway on the climate crisis, emissions need to not only be reduced going forward, but the world needs to develop ways to also remove the greenhouse gas that’s been pumped into the atmosphere in decades past.\n\nIn a landmark report last year, scientists reported that the planet is warming faster than they had previously imagined it would. As it does, they said, extreme weather will become more deadly; water crises will develop and worsen; food insecurity will grow and disease will spread. To avoid the worst consequences, the world must limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (it’s already passed 1.1 degrees), and the only way to do that is to keep the vast majority of the Earth’s remaining fossil fuel stored in the ground.\n\nScope of Clean Air Act\n\nCentral to the case was the section of the Clean Air Act concerning the scope of the EPA’s ability to regulate power plants.\n\nThe Obama administration interpreted the provision broadly in a way that would justify regulations on a statewide basis. The Trump administration, however, said the EPA’s authority is much more narrow and that it could only target requirements aimed at making individual power plants more efficient.\n\nThe DC Circuit vacated the Trump rule in 2021 holding that it rested on a “fundamental misconstruction” of the law. The Biden administration is currently working on a new rule.\n\nBecause there is no current EPA rule on power plant emissions on the books, court watchers were surprised when the Supreme Court agreed to take up a challenge to the lower court opinion brought by Republican-led states.\n\nWest Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey was the main plaintiff in this case, joined by Republican attorneys general from more than a dozen other states. He was joined by lawyers representing two coal companies: The North American Coal Corporation, and Westmoreland Mining Holdings, LLC.\n\nThe plaintiffs challenged the EPA’s authority to broadly regulate greenhouse gas emissions coming from power plants and said this power should be taken away from the agency and given to Congress. They said a provision of the Clean Air Act did not give the agency such broad authority, and citing a legal principle called “the major questions doctrine,” the challengers said that such decisions with such sweeping implications had to have Congress’ clear authorization.\n\nOn the other side, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar argued that the petitioners’ case should be dismissed because there is no federal regulation for power plants on the books right now – with both the Obama-era Clean Power Plan and the Trump-era Affordable Clean Energy rule dead. The EPA has not yet issued a new rule.\n\nRepublicans ‘pleased’ with decision\n\nMorrisey on Thursday said the court “made the correct decision to rein in the EPA, an unelected bureaucracy.”\n\n“We are pleased this case returned the power to decide one of the major environmental issues of the day to the right place to decide it: the U.S. Congress, comprised of those elected by the people to serve the people,” he said. “This is about maintaining the separation of powers, not climate change.”\n\nWest Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, a Republican, also celebrated the ruling, saying that it “will stop unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. from being able to unilaterally decarbonize our economy just because they feel like it.”\n\nThis story has been updated with additional details.", "authors": ["Ariane De Vogue Ella Nilsen Veronica Stracqualursi", "Ariane De Vogue", "Ella Nilsen", "Veronica Stracqualursi"], "publish_date": "2022/06/30"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/29/politics/biden-student-loan-forgiveness-plan-lawsuit/index.html", "title": "Biden administration scales back student loan forgiveness plan as ...", "text": "Washington CNN —\n\nThe Biden administration scaled back eligibility for its student loan forgiveness plan Thursday, the same day six Republican-led states sued President Joe Biden in an effort to block his student loan forgiveness plan from taking effect.\n\nBorrowers whose federal student loans are guaranteed by the government but held by private lenders will now be excluded from receiving debt relief. Around 770,000 people will be affected by the change, according to an administration official.\n\nThe Department of Education initially said these loans, many of which were made under the former Federal Family Education Loan program and Federal Perkins Loan program, would be eligible for the one-time forgiveness action as long as the borrower consolidated his or her debt into the federal Direct loan program.\n\nOn Thursday, the department reversed course. According to its website, privately held federal student loans must have been consolidated before September 29 in order to be eligible for the debt relief.\n\nBorrowers with privately held federal student loans who have not consolidated yet are currently out of luck, though the Department of Education said it “is assessing whether there are alternative pathways” to provide relief.\n\nBorrowers with privately held federal student loans represent a small portion of the 43 million federal student loan borrowers. There are about 4 million borrowers with Federal Family Education Loans, but not all of those people are likely eligible for the loan forgiveness plan, which also includes an income requirement.\n\n“Our goal is to provide relief to as many eligible borrowers as quickly and easily as possible, and this will allow us to achieve that goal while we continue to explore additional legally-available options to provide relief to borrowers with privately owned FFEL loans and Perkins loans, including whether FFEL borrowers could receive one-time debt relief without needing to consolidate,” the Department of Education said in an emailed statement.\n\n“Borrowers with privately held federal student loans who applied to consolidate their loans into Direct Loans before September 29, 2022 will obtain one-time debt relief. The FFEL program is now defunct and only a small percentage of borrowers have FFEL loans. This is a completely different program than Direct Loans,” the statement said.\n\nLawsuit argues forgiveness will hurt loan servicers\n\nThe lawsuit was filed in a federal court in Missouri by state attorneys general from Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska and South Carolina, as well as legal representatives from Iowa.\n\n“In addition to being economically unwise and inherently unfair, the Biden Administration’s Mass Debt Cancellation is another example in a long line of unlawful regulatory actions. No statute permits President Biden to unilaterally relieve millions of individuals from their obligation to pay loans they voluntarily assumed,” Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson’s office said in a news release.\n\nThe plaintiffs argued that student loan servicers – including the Higher Education Loan Authority of the State of Missouri, known as MOHELA – are harmed by Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan. It argues that the plan creates an incentive for borrowers to consolidate Federal Family Education Loans owned by MOHELA into Direct Loans owned by the government, “depriving them (MOHELA) of the ongoing revenue it earns from servicing those loans,” according to the lawsuit.\n\nBut the Department of Education’s move to exclude borrowers with privately held federal loans from the student loan forgiveness plan could weaken that legal argument, said Luke Herrine, an assistant law professor at the University of Alabama who previously worked on a legal strategy pushing for student debt cancellation.\n\nThe White House continues to argue that its student loan forgiveness plan is legal.\n\n“Republican officials from these six states are standing with special interests, and fighting to stop relief for borrowers buried under mountains of debt,”said White House spokesman Abdullah Hasan in an emailed statement.\n\n“The President and his administration are lawfully giving working and middle class families breathing room as they recover from the pandemic and prepare to resume loan payments in January,” he said.\n\nFederal student loan payments have been paused since March 2020, thanks to a pandemic-related benefit. The pause expires on December 31.\n\nEarlier this week, a public interest lawyer who is also a student loan borrower, sued the Biden administration over the student loan forgiveness plan, arguing that the policy is an abuse of executive power and that it would stick him with a bigger state tax bill.\n\nHow Biden’s plan will work\n\nUnder Biden’s plan, individual borrowers who earned less than $125,000 in either 2020 or 2021 and married couples or heads of households who made less than $250,000 annually in those years will see up to $10,000 of their federal student loan debt forgiven.\n\nIf a qualifying borrower also received a federal Pell grant while enrolled in college, the individual is eligible for up to $20,000 of debt forgiveness. Pell grants are awarded to millions of low-income students each year, based on factors that include their family’s size and income and the cost charged by their college. These borrowers are also more likely to struggle to repay their student debt and end up in default.\n\nThe administration is expected to roll out the first wave of student loan forgiveness in October.\n\nThe Congressional Budget Office estimated this week – before the administration excluded FFEL borrowers – that Biden’s plan could cost the government $400 billion but warned that the estimate relies on several assumptions and is “highly uncertain.”\n\nEstimating the cost of student debt forgiveness is complicated because loans are generally paid back over several years. The White House argues that the CBO’s estimate should be looked at over a 30-year time frame.\n\nUntested legal waters\n\nBiden announced the forgiveness plan in August, after facing mounting pressure from Democrats to forgive some student loan debt. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren repeatedly called on the President to cancel up to $50,000 in student loan debt per borrower.\n\nBut canceling federal student loan debt so broadly is unprecedented and, until now, has yet to be tested in court. Biden initially urged Congress to take action to cancel some student debt, rather than wade into a murky legal area himself, but Democrats don’t have the votes to pass such legislation.\n\nIn a Department of Education memo released in August, the Biden administration argued that the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act of 2003 – or Heroes Act – grants the Education Secretary the power to cancel student debt to help address the financial harm suffered due to the Covid-19 pandemic.\n\nThe Heroes Act, which was enacted in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks, “provides the Secretary broad authority to grant relief from student loan requirements during specific periods,” including a war, other military operation or national emergency, according to the memo.\n\nThe lawsuit filed Thursday argues that the Heroes Act does not grant the President such broad authority.\n\nWhat happens next\n\nAdditional lawsuits challenging Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan could be forthcoming. Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, a Republican, has said he is working on developing the best legal theory to sue the administration over the action.\n\nA conservative advocacy group called the Job Creators Network is also weighing its legal options, planning to file a lawsuit once the Department of Education formalizes the student loan forgiveness plan next month.\n\nBut some legal experts are skeptical that a legal challenge to Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan could be successful.\n\nAbby Shafroth, staff attorney at the nonprofit National Consumer Law Center, previously told CNN that she believes the merits of the Biden administration’s legal statutory authority are strong and that it’s unclear who would have legal standing to bring a case and want to do so. Standing to bring a case is a procedural threshold requiring that an injury be inflicted on a plaintiff to justify a lawsuit.\n\nIf the standing hurdle is cleared, a case would be heard by a district court first – which may or may not issue a preliminary injunction to prevent the cancellation from occurring before a final ruling is issued on the merits of the hypothetical case.\n\nSeveral recent US Supreme Court decisions have touched on executive power, limiting the federal government’s authority to implement new rules. While the Supreme Court takes up a small number of cases each year, lower courts may look at what the justices have said in those cases when assessing the Department of Education’s authority.\n\nThis story has been updated with additional information.", "authors": ["Katie Lobosco"], "publish_date": "2022/09/29"}]}
{"question_id": "20230303_4", "search_time": "2023/03/15/03:27", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/19/weather/buffalo-new-york-great-lakes-snowstorm-saturday/index.html", "title": "Buffalo snow: Historic storm slams western New York with nearly 6 ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nA historic snowstorm is slamming western New York state Saturday with more than 6 feet of snow in some places, closing roads, triggering driving bans and canceling flights the weekend before the Thanksgiving holiday.\n\nAnother round of heavy lake-effect snowfall is expected to return to the Buffalo area Saturday night, according to the National Weather Service. With most of the heavy snow bands falling over Lake Ontario, north of metro Buffalo on Saturday afternoon.\n\n“Even though the band will be moving quickly, it is possible that additional amounts around a half foot or so could occur across the Buffalo metro area,” the National Weather Service said.\n\nOn Saturday afternoon, New York Governor Kathy Hochul touted the state’s storm preparedness and said crews have been working tirelessly to manage the situation.\n\n“This is the effort we’ve brought together: bringing resources, people, equipment from all over the state of New York. And because we were so preemptive in this strike, we were able to avert many tragedies,” Hochul said.\n\nShe thanked western New Yorkers for shutting down major highways, implementing travel bans and staying home before the snow started to fall which helped prevent accidents, protect human life and ensure roads are safe and clear for emergency services.\n\nHochul said she is doubling the number of New York National Guard members on the ground in Erie County to check on residents and help with snow removal.\n\nShe is also signing a request for federal reimbursement through a Federal Emergency Disaster Declaration.\n\nSo far, snowfall totals of more than 6 feet have been recorded in two locations, according to the National Weather Service. Orchard Park, where the NFL’s Buffalo Bills play, has picked up 77.0 inches in the last 48 hours, and Natural Bridge, just east of Watertown, has picked up 72.3 inches; historic numbers for the area.\n\nAs the snowfall intensified, two county residents died from cardiac complications related to shoveling and attempting to clear the ground, said Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz.\n\n“We send our deepest sympathies and remind all that this snow is very heavy and dangerous,” Poloncarz said. “Please continue to avoid shoveling this very heavy, wet snow, and use caution and avoid overexertion if you must shovel today.”\n\nWinter weather alerts are still in effect for over 8 million people across six Great Lakes states Saturday evening: Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York.\n\nForecasters and officials have been sounding the alarm on the life-threatening nature of this snowstorm, which is historic even for the Buffalo region where heavy snow is the norm during winter months. And the forceful snowfall is expected to continue through the weekend with brief periods of relief.\n\nVideo Ad Feedback See snow building as New York faces historic snowstorm 01:48 - Source: CNN\n\nAreas northeast of Lake Ontario – from central Jefferson County to northern Lewis County – were inundated with heavy snow late Friday, when the snowfall rate was up to 3 inches per hour, according to the weather service in Buffalo. Places between Watertown and Harrisville were also seeing treacherous conditions.\n\nA travel ban is still in place for the entire city of Buffalo based on current and expected weather and road conditions, according to the Erie County website.\n\nDozens of flights arriving and departing from Buffalo Niagara International Airport were canceled as storm conditions worsened, according to the airport’s website.\n\nThis month is already Buffalo’s third-snowiest November at the airport thanks to the storm, according to the local weather service office.\n\nBuffalo Mayor Byron Brown told CNN on Saturday, while his city is used to heavy snow, this is “much more than we usually get.”\n\nHe said the city could return to “some sense of normalcy” by Monday or Tuesday, assuming the worst of the storm passes through by Sunday.\n\n“This has been a very unpredictable storm with the snow bands moving, back and forth, north to south,” Brown said. “The snow has come down very fast, very wet, very heavy.”\n\nA resident hits a rail off of a home-made snow kicker after a snowstorm near Hoyt Lake in Buffalo on Sunday. Libby March/AP Cars drive through blowing, drifting snow on McKinley Parkway in Hamburg in Erie County on Sunday. Mark Mulville/The Buffalo News/AP People snowshoe through snow covered streets on Sunday in Buffalo, New York. John Normile/Getty Images A snow plow works along a street during a break in the snowstorm hitting the Buffalo area in Orchard Park, New York, on Saturday, November 19. Carlos Osorio/Reuters Zach Brown shovels his walkway in the Elmwood neighborhood of Buffalo on Saturday. Libby March/The Buffalo News/AP Snow-covered trees line a street in Orchard Park during a break in the storm on Saturday. Carlos Osorio/Reuters Heather Ahmed shovels snow on Saturday. She is among many residents of the Buffalo, New York, area who have to dig out thanks to a historic storm. John Normile/Getty Images A van is seen buried under snow at night in Buffalo on Friday, November 18. Brandon Watson/The New York Times/Redux Jenny Vega, left, and Roberto Rentas shovel snow in front of their house in Buffalo on Friday. Brendan Bannon/The New York Times/Redux Residents push a stuck vehicle in Buffalo on Friday. Lindsay DeDario/Reuters Snow blankets homes on Friday. Libby March/AP Zaria Black clears snow from her car on Friday. Joshua Bessex/AP Emergency crews transport an ill patient amidst the snowstorm on Friday. Lindsay DeDario/Reuters A car sits in a snowdrift on Friday. Joshua Bessex/AP A man walks through the snow with a shovel on Friday. Lindsay DeDario/Reuters People help dig out a plow from heavy snow in Hamburg, New York, on Friday. John Normile/Getty Images A man uses a snowblower to dig out a vehicle on Friday. Lindsay DeDario/Reuters Residents walk in the snow on Friday. Lindsay DeDario/Reuters Buffalo's City Hall is shrouded during a snowstorm on Friday. Lindsay DeDario/Reuters Firefighters work the scene of a car accident on Thursday. Snyder Fire Department/Facebook A cloud of snow is seen crossing Lake Erie as extreme winter weather hits Buffalo on Friday. Lindsay DeDario/Reuters In pictures: Snowstorm hits western New York Prev Next\n\nCounty official: Do not ignore travel bans\n\nThe colossal storm has been pounding the region for days, prompting local and state officials to issue states of emergencies to bolster response. But with a storm of this size, it only takes one or two vehicles to slow down clearing operations, Poloncarz noted.\n\n“A reminder to all employers: if your business is located in a driving ban area or your employees are currently in a driving ban area, it is illegal to make them come into work,” Poloncarz said online.\n\nThe snowstorm, which came with a forecast for the Buffalo region not seen in more than 20 years, has been making travel miserable for many drivers, despite authorities’ emphasis on staying off the roads.\n\nGood Samaritans help dig out a plow Friday in Hamburg, New York. John Normile/Getty Images\n\n“I can say that our deputies have been just absolutely inundated with calls for service as it pertains to disabled motor vehicles and stranded motorists,” Erie County Undersheriff William J. Cooley said during a news conference Friday night. “We implore the residents to just, please, obey the travel ban, you become part of the problem very quickly when you’re out there on the streets.”\n\nMore than 300 citations were issued to drivers who violated the travel ban, Poloncarz said late Friday.\n\n“Please, do not be the reason that an ambulance cannot get to the hospital,” he said. “There are many vehicles that are not only getting stuck but are just being abandoned by the owners.”\n\nChristopher Middlebrooks and his son Mitchell Middlebrooks work to clear their driveway Friday in Buffalo. Libby March/AP\n\nSnow has been falling for an extended period of time at a rapid pace, making it difficult for crews to respond.\n\n“In some cases, we are going to far surpass 5 feet of snow and that’s in a 21-hour period of time,” said Bill Geary, the county’s public works commissioner. “It’s a remarkable amount of time.”", "authors": ["Aya Elamroussi Mallika Kallingal", "Aya Elamroussi", "Mallika Kallingal"], "publish_date": "2022/11/19"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2016/04/28/snowfall-record-new-york-city-blizzard-january/83658046/", "title": "Upon further review, January snowfall was biggest ever in NYC", "text": "Doyle Rice\n\nUSA TODAY\n\nUpon further review, the mammoth blizzard that paralyzed the Northeast in January turned out to be the biggest ever recorded in New York City.\n\nThe storm dumped 27.5 inches in New York from Jan. 22-24, not the previously reported 26.8 inches, according to a report released Thursday by the National Weather Service.\n\nThat makes it an all-time snowstorm record for a location where records go back to 1869, only a few years after the Civil War ended.\n\nThe error stemmed from miscommunication between the Central Park Conservancy, which correctly measured the snowfall, and the weather service's New York forecast office, the report says.\n\nThe correct daily totals were 0.2 inch of snow on Jan. 22; 27.3 inches on Jan. 23, and a trace of snow on Jan. 24.\n\nThe weather service reviewed January blizzard data at eight locations from Washington to New York after questions arose about snow measurement techniques and whether snow records were accurate.\n\nOther blizzard records at official snow measurement locations at New York's LaGuardia and JFK airports, as well as at airports in Philadelphia and the three in the D.C. area, were found to be accurate.\n\nMeasurements at Newark's airport, however, were not done correctly, calling into question the location's 28.1-inch record total. That total may be revised at a later date.\n\nThe blizzard dropped more than 40 inches of snow in some areas and set or tied 25 all-time, single-day snowfall records.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2016/04/28"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/11/08/snow-noreaster-storm-east-coast-snow/1691259/", "title": "Nor'easter leaves behind power outages, heavy snow", "text": "Kevin McCoy and Doug Stanglin, USA TODAY\n\nSuperstorm Sandy knocked out power to many on the East Coast\n\nThe nor'easter added snow to the mix of bad weather\n\nGasoline rationing begins today in New York City\n\nThe nor'easter that brought new woes to recovery efforts from Superstorm Sandy began moving off the New England coast at mid-morning Thursday, leaving behind new power outages, transport snarls and school cancellations from a night of high winds and heavy snow, including a record 4.7 inches in New York City's Central Park.\n\nMeteorologist Frank Nocera said temperatures over the next couple of days will be in the 50s in southern New England, and on Sunday it could edge into the 60s.\n\nPacking gusts as high as 54 miles per hour, the storm dumped significant amounts of snow in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York as it rolled through the tri-state area hit by Sandy early last week.\n\nClintonville, Conn., measured 13.5 inches of snow, the highest so far from the storm, AccuWeather reported. Freehold, N.J., followed with 13 inches, and Bronxville, N.Y., got 9.5 inches.\n\nThe 4.7 inches that draped Central Park overnight was 1.7 inches more than it has ever gotten this early in the winter since record-keeping began in 1869, AccuWeather reported.\n\nElsewhere in the tri-state region, downed tree limbs and overhead electrical lines triggered new power disruptions just as the area utilities was restoring thousands outages caused by Sandy.\n\nConsolidated Edison reported 11,000 new outages late Wednesday, raising the total for New York City and the Westchester County northern suburb to 75,000.\n\n\"God hates us!\" the New York Post's front page complained Thursday over the weather one-two punch.\n\nNew Yorkers are still recovering from the first punch. Friday, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and officials on Long Island\n\ndecided to start rationing gasoline.\n\nGasoline will be available to drivers with license plate numbers ending in an\n\nodd number starting Friday morning. Drivers with plate numbers ending in an even number can gas up on Saturday.\n\nBloomberg said Thursday that only 25% f the city's gas stations are\n\nopen. He estimated the tight gas supplies could last another two weeks.\n\nIn New Jersey, the new storm also added a layer of frustration for coastal residents and property owners still trying to clean up from Sandy's coastal devastation.\n\nWork crews lined up to cross the bridge onto the Seaside Heights, N.J., barrier island while plow trucks cleared the roads of snow.\n\n\n\nBilly Major, who owns an amusement park in Seaside Heights and a construction company, said his workers had been waiting in line at the bridge since 6 a.m., but had gotten no information from state and local officials as to when they could get back to work.\n\n\"I'm paying them to stand in line,\" Major said in frustration. \"If they're not allowed in in a couple of hours, I'm sending them home.\"\n\nVIDEO:Weather forecasting with hand puppets 60 years ago\n\nAirports in New York City and New Jersey, meanwhile, reported delays of 15 minutes or less Thursday morning while winter weather and flood warnings were dropped as the nor'easter lumbered away.\n\nBut not before the snow and wind at times shut down the Long Island Rail Road and its Penn Station terminus in Manhattan during Wednesday night's rush hour and again into the night.\n\nThe shutdown stranded riders at closed stations far from home. Although the New York City subway system was running near normal on Sandy-modified routes, the LIRR warned of weather-related delays and cancellations Thursday morning.\n\n\"Can New York please get a break. Have no idea how I'm getting to school,\" one LIRR rider tweeted late Wednesday night.\n\nBut the storm also canceled or forced delayed openings for scores of schools, forcing parents to change work schedules already scrambled by last week's storm.\n\nUnder ordinary circumstances, a storm of this sort wouldn't be a big deal. But large swaths of the landscape were still an open wound, with the electrical system highly fragile and many of Sandy's victims still mucking out their homes and cars and shivering in the deepening cold. As the storm picked up in intensity Wednesday evening, lights started flickering off again.\n\nMark L. Fendrick, of Staten Island, shared his frustration with others on Twitter Wednesday night, saying, \"My son had just got his power back 2 days ago now along comes this nor'easter and it's out again.\"\n\nAhead of the storm, public works crews in New Jersey built up dunes to protect the stripped and battered coast, and new evacuations were ordered in a number of communities already emptied by Sandy. New shelters opened.\n\nNot everybody hunkered down.\n\nKatie Wilford left her Brick Township home near Barnegat Bay as the nor'easter approached. She bundled her sons Nick, 14, and Matthew, 10, into the minivan in search of an open motel.\n\n\"It's a little overwhelming,\" she said. \"I can't believe we're doing this again. We're going on Day 10 with no power. That's a long time. I just want the sun to come out and things to be normal again.\"\n\nIn New York City, police went to low-lying neighborhoods with loudspeakers, urging residents to leave. But Mayor Bloomberg didn't issue mandatory evacuations, and many people stayed behind, some because they feared looting, others because they figured whatever happens couldn't be any worse than what they have gone through already.\n\n\"I'm staying,\" said 61-year-old Staten Islander Iliay Bardash. \"Nothing can compare to what happened Still, authorities urged caution. The city manager in Long Beach, N.Y., urged the roughly 21,000 people who ignored previous mandatory evacuation orders in the badly damaged barrier-island city to get out.\n\nAll construction in New York City was halted — a precaution that needed no explanation after a crane collapsed last week in Sandy's high winds and dangled menacingly over the streets of Manhattan. Parks were closed because of the danger of falling trees. Drivers were advised to stay off the road after 5 p.m. and part of the busy Long Island Expressway was shut down in both directions because of icing.\n\nSandy, which struck less than two days ago, killed more than 100 people in 10 states, with most of the victims in New York and New Jersey. Long lines persisted at gas stations but were shorter than they were days ago. By early Thursday, more than 292,700 homes and business in New York state were without power, and another 403,000 in New Jersey lacked electricity. In some areas, the numbers began climbing again Wednesday evening.\n\nNew York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said damages and economic losses from Sandy were estimated to be $50 billion in the New York-New Jersey region, and $33 billion for New York alone. \"That is a staggering cost,\" he said.\n\nContributing: Gary Strauss in McLean, Va., Oren Dorell, in Toms River, N.J.; The Associated Press", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2012/11/08"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/18/weather/new-york-great-lakes-snowstorm-friday/index.html", "title": "Drivers in western New York's Erie County still advised to stay off the ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nEven by western New York standards, Friday’s snowstorm was colossal, bringing eye-level accumulation totals to some areas and prompting officials to tell many people who are used to driving in bad weather to stay off the roads.\n\n“I can say that our deputies have been just absolutely inundated with calls for service as it pertains to disabled motor vehicles and stranded motorists,” Erie County Undersheriff William J. Cooley said at a news conference Friday night as heavy, wet snow continued to fall. “We implore the residents to just, please, obey the travel ban, you become part of the problem very quickly when you’re out there on the streets.”\n\nSnowfall totals reached 5 feet in at least two locations. Orchard Park, where the Buffalo Bills had been scheduled to play their now-relocated NFL game Sunday, had snowfall totals of up to 66 inches by Friday evening. Blasdell, about eight miles from Buffalo, recorded 65 inches as of 8:30 p.m.\n\nThe storm had contributred to two deaths. Two Erie County residents died after suffering cardiac events related to shoveling or blowing snow, County Executive Mark Poloncarz said earlier.\n\n“We send our deepest sympathies and remind all that this snow is very heavy and dangerous,” Poloncarz tweeted. At the news conference he advised residents to wait another day before trying to clear out the snow.\n\nBuffalo’s highest three-day snowfall is 56.1 inches, which occurred in December 2001, CNN Meteorologist Brandon Miller said. One area of the city reported almost 20 inches as of Friday morning.\n\n“In those areas where the snow is falling that fast, it can be very dangerous,” Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown told CNN’s “The Situation Room With Wolf Blitzer.” “Fortunately, most of metro area Buffalo is in good shape. … South Buffalo has gotten hit extremely hard.”\n\nHighmark Stadium in Orchard Park, home of the Buffalo Bills, was blanketed Friday with several feet of snow. From Buffalo Bills\n\nPoloncarz said the lake-effect snow event had hit the south towns of Buffalo “with a vengeance, very hard and all these communities are in a state of emergency at this point.”\n\nAs the region waited out the storm:\n\n• As of Friday night, it was snowing 1-3 inches in the area, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.\n\n• Buffalo has a ban on vehicle travel in the southern part of the city and advisories elsewhere.\n\n• According to FlightAware.com, about 70% of outgoing flights were canceled at the Buffalo airport, which has almost 13 inches of snow.\n\n• The NFL earlier this week moved the Bills’ game against the Cleveland Browns to Detroit. The team hopes to travel from Buffalo on Saturday.\n\n• Hamburg, around 15 miles south of Buffalo, had almost 34 inches of snow by 8 a.m.\n\n• Buffalo public schools were closed Friday. So are Erie County services.\n\nEarlier, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul Implored residents to take caution this weekend and described the storm as a “major, major” snowfall event that could be as life-threatening as the November 2014 snowstorm that claimed the lives of 20 people in the Buffalo region.\n\nHochul declared a state of emergency for 11 counties.\n\nNicole Erb told CNN early Friday afternoon: “It’s a mess out here,” in the backyard of her Orchard Park home.\n\nShe estimated she has about 4 feet of snow around her house.\n\nThis isn’t Erb’s first snow storm as she’s lived in western New York her entire life. “We know how to handle it,” she said, “It’s keeping people off the roads so plows can do their things, checking in with your elderly neighbors, and not using generators inappropriately.”\n\nA man in Buffalo uses a snow blower to clear an area around a vehicle. Lindsay DeDario/Reuters\n\nBut even some of the people clearing roads were getting stuck, Poloncarz, the Erie County executive, said.\n\n“There are vehicles stuck on roads who should not be driving. There are even some snow plows getting stuck in the worst parts of the storm,” he wrote on Twitter.\n\nFirefighters respond Thursday in Snyder, New York, to a vehicle crash on I-290. Snyder Fire Department/Facebook\n\nCommercial traffic was banned on the New York State Thruway (Interstate 90) between exits 53 and 59, according to the agency that operates the highway. Other parts of major interstates – including 290 and 990 – were also shut down.\n\nOfficials in Erie County – which includes Buffalo – also declared a state of emergency and banned driving beginning Thursday night. Prohibitions on driving in the northern and southern part of the county were lifted Friday afternoon.\n\n“The lake effect snow from (the storm) is very heavy and may cause tree branches to fall and damage vehicles, property or powerlines. Watch where you park, and be aware of your surroundings if going outside,” Erie County officials wrote online.\n\nResidents of Williamstown in Oswego County near Lake Ontario saw 24 inches of snow as of Thursday evening, according to the weather service. In neighboring Oneida County, some spots were blanketed with 14 inches of snow in the 24 hours before Thursday evening, per the weather service.\n\nA front loader digs out a supermarket parking lot Friday after the storm hit Hamburg, New York. John Normile/Getty Images\n\nWhat to expect this weekend\n\nThe heaviest snow has shifted just a few miles south of the hardest hit region early Friday evening, according to CNN meteorologist Taylor Ward. But the snow band is expected to return back to the north later in the evening and even shift far enough north that downtown Buffalo gets into the heavy snow again overnight and early Saturday.\n\nMuch of the area gets a break by Saturday afternoon as the snow shifts even farther north. A final band comes through Saturday evening and into the overnight hours before snow tapers off early Sunday.\n\n“Colder air will continue to pour across the region, resulting in a prolonged lake effect snow event, which will last through this weekend.” National Weather Service forecasters in Buffalo said Friday morning. “Two intense plumes of lake effect snow with snowfall rates of at least 3 inches per hour will continue northeast of the lakes through tonight.”\n\nLake-effect snow happens when very cold, windy conditions form over a relatively warm lake – meaning the lake might be 40 degrees while the air is zero degrees, Miller explained. The temperature clash creates instability, which allows for the most extreme winter weather to occur.\n\nA cloud of snow is seen crossing Lake Erie on Friday. Lindsay DeDario/Reuters\n\nOther areas affected by the storm include parts of the Upper Peninsula and the western Lower Peninsula of Michigan, where gusty winds and heavy snow will also cause near zero visibility and unsafe travel conditions.", "authors": ["Aya Elamroussi Steve Almasy", "Aya Elamroussi", "Steve Almasy"], "publish_date": "2022/11/18"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2015/01/28/new-england-digs-out-blizzard/22459129/", "title": "Battered Boston bracing for next round of snow", "text": "John Bacon\n\nUSA TODAY\n\nThe Blizzard of 2015 turned into Big Dig 2015 in Boston and across much of New England on Wednesday as shovel-toting residents greeted by bright sunshine began the arduous task of returning normalcy to the snow-encased region.\n\nThe 34.5 inches that fell in Worcester, Mass., made this week's snowstorm the biggest in the city's history. The 24.6 inches measured in Boston made it the city's biggest January storm on record.\n\nAnd more could be on the way.\n\n\"It looks like we could have a rollicking weather pattern over the next couple weeks,\" AccuWeather meteorologist Joe Sobel.\n\nThe first round will be Friday, when Sobel said 2-4 inches — \"just a nuisance\" — are likely. Another storm is setting up for Sunday night and into Monday. Sobel said it was too soon to estimate what that would bring.\n\n\"Neither storm looks anything like what they are digging out of now,\" Sobel said. \"But looking at the weather pattern it certainly would not surprise me if they see another major storm or two down the road.\"\n\nMost Boston area school districts remained closed Wednesday, and Boston Mayor Martin Walsh urged residents to stay off roads as much as possible to allow access for plows and emergency vehicles. Walsh said he expected the city to be fully operational Thursday.\n\nHe shrugged off concerns of more storms.\n\n\"If there is snow on Friday, we will be out there,\" Walsh said Wednesday. \"We will rebound. We live in Boston and we have to expect snow.\"\n\nThe region did slowly come to life Wednesday as roads began to open, flights resumed and trains, buses and subways ran on limited schedules.\n\nStill, the relentless force of Tuesday's blizzard stunned even winter-hardened New Englanders. The snow was accompanied by wind gusts in excess of 70 mph. The entire island of Nantucket lost power for hours as the mighty storm blasted an area from eastern Long Island to Maine.\n\nIn Marshfield, Mass., the storm punched out a 40-to-50-foot section of a seawall. In Newport, R.I., it toppled a 110-foot replica of a Revolutionary War sailing vessel in dry dock, breaking its mast and puncturing its hull.\n\nLunenburg, Hudson, and Auburn Mass., each recorded 3 feet of snow, topping the storm's records from the National Weather Service. In Portland, Maine (23.8 inches) and Providence (19.1 inches), it was their fourth- biggest snowfall on record, according to the weather service.\n\n\"I had to jump out the window because the door only opens one way,\" Chuck Beliveau said in the hard-hit central Massachusetts town of Westborough. \"I felt like a kid again.\"\n\nTwo deaths on Long Island were tied to the storm by police: a 17-year-old who crashed into a light pole while snow-tubing and an 83-year-old man with dementia who was found dead in his backyard.\n\nIn New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio fended off criticism that the city went too far in closing streets and public transportation in advance of the storm, which dealt the city a glancing blow. Still, Central Park was hit with a healthy 10-inch snowfall.\n\nThe storm \"was real, and it was as big as it was projected to be, but it moved eastward, and thank God for that,\" de Blasio said in explaining the extraordinary precautions taken by the city. \"So the bottom line is we got lucky.\"\n\nThe mayor said he would rather err on the side of caution than leave the city strapped. \"Would you rather be ahead of the action or behind?\" he asked. \"Would you rather be safe or unsafe?\"\n\nContributing: G. Jeffrey MacDonald in Boston; Doyle Rice and Greg Toppo in McLean, Va.; Associated Press", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2015/01/28"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/11/16/lake-effect-snow-storm-buffalo-area/10711918002/", "title": "'Paralyzing' lake-effect snowstorm takes aim at western New York ...", "text": "Snowfall will be measured in feet, not inches, around Buffalo, New York, over the next few days as a potentially historic lake-effect snowstorm wallops the western part of the state.\n\nSerious warnings: Even the normally staid National Weather Service described the upcoming storm as \"paralyzing.\"\n\nEven the normally staid National Weather Service described the upcoming storm as \"paralyzing.\" Travel will be difficult to impossible , according to the weather service, which advises people to have an emergency kit in their vehicles before venturing out.\n\n, according to the weather service, which advises people to have an emergency kit in their vehicles before venturing out. How to prepare: Officials are urging people to have enough food and water for the long-duration event and to stay off the roads once the storm starts, AccuWeather said.\n\nOfficials are urging people to have enough food and water for the long-duration event and to stay off the roads once the storm starts, AccuWeather said. Winds won't help: Winds gusting up to 35 mph will add to the wintry misery.\n\nIn addition to western New York, lake-effect snow is likely over the next few days in western and Upper Michigan, northern Indiana, northeast Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania, Weather.com said.\n\nHow does climate change affect you? Subscribe to the weekly Climate Point newsletter\n\nHow much snow will fall in Buffalo?\n\nWhile the weather service said up to 4 feet was possible in some areas, AccuWeather said an incredible 6 feet of snow was not outside the realm of possibility.\n\n\"Buffalo and its southern suburbs may receive as much as 3 to 6 feet of snow by Sunday,\" AccuWeather meteorologist Matt Benz said, adding that the heaviest snow may fall over two stretches – Thursday night into Friday and Saturday into Saturday night. \"These two periods will likely feature the worst conditions of this event.\"\n\nSnow could fall at rates of up to 4 inches an hour, AccuWeather said. The storm also could bring what's known as thundersnow, a thunderstorm that produces snow instead of rain, forecasters warned.\n\nWHAT IS LAKE EFFECT SNOW:Here's how it happens and how much snow it can bring with it.\n\nTHUNDERSNOW:What is thundersnow and how does it form? Explaining how a thunderstorm can produce snow\n\nThe weather service has issued a Lake Effect Snow Warning for the Buffalo area on Wednesday. It will stay in effect through the weekend.\n\nThe area includes Orchard Park, New York, where the Buffalo Bills are scheduled to play the Cleveland Browns Sunday afternoon in what could be a classic NFL snow game.\n\nWhat is lake-effect snow?\n\nLake-effect snow, which can last only a few minutes or up to several days, develops from narrow bands of clouds that form when cold, dry arctic air passes over a large, relatively mild lake.\n\nAs the cold air passes over the unfrozen and \"warm\" waters of the Great Lakes, warmth and moisture are transferred into the lowest portion of the atmosphere, the weather service said. The air rises, and clouds form and grow into narrow bands that produce 2 to 3 inches of snow an hour or even more.\n\n\"These early-season events can be potent, as lake water temperatures are still quite mild compared to the middle to the latter part of winter,\" Benz said. As of Tuesday morning, water temperatures for the Great Lakes were generally in the 50s. Meanwhile, air temperatures over the next few days will hover mainly in the 20s and 30s, forecasters said.\n\nWINTER WEATHER:Snowstorm with frigid temperatures impacting about 20 states this week, winter weather forecast says\n\nLake-effect snow events in the Buffalo region have wreaked havoc across the metro area before, closing schools and highways for days on end. A snowstorm in November 2014 resulted in 26 deaths, the Capital Weather Gang said, most of them from heart attacks while shoveling snow.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/11/16"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/27/weather/arctic-winter-storm-new-york-blizzard-tuesday/index.html", "title": "Snow-inundated Buffalo faces more challenges in the aftermath of ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nDays into the deadly winter storm that bedeviled much of the country, the challenges are far from over for residents and authorities in Buffalo, New York.\n\nThe death toll continues to climb as authorities check on homes and cars for anyone who was stranded in the storm. At least 31 people died in New York’s Erie County as the storm buried Buffalo in up to 50.3 inches of snow. At least 25 others across 11 US states have been reported dead in the storm.\n\n“We’re, unfortunately, finding bodies on the street and in snow banks,” Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on Tuesday evening.\n\n>> GET LIVE UPDATES\n\nMore than 7,000 utility workers were working around the clock to restore power in the area, navigating through broken trees and poles, according to Twitter posts from Poloncarz and National Grid US.\n\nLocal health officials were urgently responding to medical requests, including arranging transportation for people who need dialysis treatments – many of which were disrupted or delayed because of the storm. “Dialysis isn’t an optional or elective treatment. It has to be done regularly – several times a week – or that person dies,” the Erie County health department said.\n\nBuffalo police, meanwhile, arrested at least eight people by Tuesday afternoon in connection with business break-ins during the storm.\n\nAnd efforts of firefighters and other emergency vehicles working in the area were hampered by the hundreds of vehicles abandoned in the snow across Buffalo after fierce blizzard conditions made for blinding drives over the Christmas weekend, officials said.\n\nA driving ban remained in effect in Buffalo amid a two-day effort to clear at least one lane on every street to accommodate emergency responders, Poloncarz said at a news conference.\n\n“There’s a lot of roads that are completely blocked right now, that have no access whatsoever. And people are trying to drive on these roads or trying to get into these neighborhoods, and they can’t,” Poloncarz said.\n\n“Please, please,” he said. “I’m begging: Stay home. If it’s an emergency situation, call 911.”\n\nA weary Buffalo on Tuesday after days of winter weather that left parts of the city impassable. Joed Viera/AFP/Getty Images\n\nDriving ban in effect; flood mitigation\n\nBuffalo could see up to another half an inch of snow into Tuesday night and a daytime high of 30 degrees falling to 27 at night in New York’s second-most populous city.\n\nBut temperatures are expected to rise throughout the rest of the week, and local officials are worried that may cause flooding.\n\nThe flood risk is small, according to the National Weather Service, which said that snow melting alone “rarely causes flooding.” And even though there’s light rain forecast for the region, “it should take around an inch of rain from this system before flooding becomes a concern,” the weather service said.\n\nStill, the leader of Erie County’s Department of Homeland Security & Emergency Services said crews were working to prevent any possibility of floods.\n\nAs temperatures warm, authorities wanted “to make sure that we are cleared from curb to curb and as in many areas as possible so that when it melts it can run off and it can find its appropriate drainage,” commissioner Daniel Neaverth said.\n\nOther steps toward recovery include:\n\n• President Joe Biden on Monday approved an emergency declaration for New York, freeing up federal resources to help disaster relief efforts in Erie and Genesee counties.\n\n• One hundred military police from the New York National Guard are heading to Erie County, along with state police from other parts of New York, Poloncarz said. New Jersey state police will fill in for New York officers diverted to Buffalo, he said.\n\n• Buffalo Niagara International Airport is expected to stay closed until late Wednesday morning, the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority said, after snow equipment was brought in from Pittsburgh to help it reopen.\n\n• More supermarkets in western New York were expected to reopen after road conditions had paralyzed earlier efforts to distribute stockpiled ready-to-eat meals to food banks, officials said.\n\n• Major highways – including the New York State Thruway, Interstates 20 and 990, and Routes 400 and 219 – have reopened, the state Transportation Department’s Rochester office announced.\n\nIt was a signal, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a tweet, “that we are finally turning the corner on this once-in-a-generation storm.”\n\n‘Gut-wrenching’ effort to check on residents plods on\n\nThe storm in Buffalo has been deemed more ferocious than the blizzard of 1977, which left 23 people there dead. The weekend weather “was just horrendous,” Poloncarz said earlier. “And it was horrendous for 24 hours in a row.”\n\nIndeed, blizzard conditions were recorded for 37.5 hours, CNN meteorologist Tom Sater said, noting, “That just doesn’t happen.”\n\nEven emergency and recovery vehicles were at times stuck in snow. “We had rescuers rescuing the rescuers,” Buffalo Deputy Mayor Crystal Rodriguez-Dabney told “CNN This Morning” on Tuesday, adding those problems have been resolved.\n\nHundreds of vehicles were abandoned in the snow in Buffalo, New York State Police Acting Superintendent Steven Nigrelli said, adding authorities were going door-to-door, car-to-car, checking for people.\n\nA utility worker straps a rope to a truck in an attempt to tow another in Buffalo, New York, on Monday. Joed Viera/AFP/Getty Images\n\nOne reported death in Erie County was attributed to an EMS delay, while others involved people who were outside, in cars, had no heating or suffered cardiac arrest.\n\nThe death toll is expected to rise, officials have said. Once roads are cleared, law enforcement planned to prioritize welfare checks, Erie County Sheriff John Garcia said Monday.\n\n“I have a bad feeling about that. I think the death toll is going to go up. When you have 420 EMS calls that are unanswered, it’s just gut-wrenching,” the sheriff said as his team planned to help get “people to doctors, nurses, to hospitals and … dialysis.”\n\nBy Tuesday evening, there were “just under 2,000” residents without power across Buffalo, Mayor Byron W. Brown said on Twitter, adding officials were still working to restore power to everyone.\n\nGetting the lights back on has been no easy task as utility crews have faced dangerous weather conditions, Hochul said.\n\nPeople and vehicles move about Monday on Main Street in Buffalo. Craig Ruttle/AP\n\nMore than 50 have died nationwide in storm\n\nAt least 56 storm-related deaths have been reported across several states:\n\n• New York: In addition to the 31 deaths in Erie County, one fatal carbon monoxide poisoning has been reported in Niagara County.\n\n• Colorado: Police in Colorado Springs reported two deaths related to the cold since Thursday, with one man found near a power transformer of a building, possibly seeking warmth, and another in a camp in an alleyway.\n\n• Kansas: Three people have died in weather-related traffic accidents, the Highway Patrol said Friday.\n\n• Kentucky: Three people have died, officials have said, including one involving a vehicle crash in Montgomery County.\n\n• Missouri: One person died after a van slid off an icy road and into a frozen creek, Kansas City police said\n\n• New Hampshire: A hiker was found dead in Franconia on Christmas morning, Lt. James Kneeland, a spokesperson for the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, said.\n\n• Ohio: Nine people have died as a result of weather-related auto crashes, including four in a Saturday morning crash on Interstate 75, when a tractor-trailer crossed the median and collided with an SUV and a pickup, authorities said.\n\n• South Carolina: Two men – including a 91-year-old who went outside on Christmas Day to fix a broken water pipe – died due to the storm in Anderson County, the coroner’s office there said. The other victim died on Christmas Eve after his home lost power.\n\n• Tennessee: The Department of Health on Friday confirmed one storm-related fatality.\n\n• Vermont: One woman in Castleton died after a tree fell on her home, according to the police chief.\n\n• Wisconsin: The State Patrol on Thursday reported one fatal crash due to winter weather.\n\nPeople traverse Main Street in Buffalo, on Monday after a massive snowstorm blanketed the city. Craig Ruttle/AP\n\n100 inches of snow sets Buffalo record\n\nAcross the country, cities and towns remain covered with thick snow: Baraga, Michigan, got 42.8 inches of snow while Henderson Harbor, New York, got 40.8 inches.\n\nBuffalo has had the snowiest start ever to a winter season, with 92.7 inches of measurable snowfall from October through Christmas Day, according to the National Weather Service. The latest storm came just one month after the region was slammed with a historic snowstorm.\n\nAnd thanks to another 7.3 inches of snow that fell Monday, the city has already reached 100 inches for the season – faster than any previous year going back to the 1880s, when record keeping began. Half this season’s record-pace snowfall has occurred since Friday.\n\nCorrection: An earlier version of this story gave the wrong time frame for snowfall accumulation in Baraga, Michigan, and Henderson Harbor, New York. Baraga got 42.8 inches of snow and Henderson Harbor got 40.8 inches over three days.", "authors": ["Dakin Andone Christina Maxouris Artemis Moshtaghian Nouran Salahieh", "Dakin Andone", "Christina Maxouris", "Artemis Moshtaghian", "Nouran Salahieh"], "publish_date": "2022/12/27"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/23/weather/christmas-arctic-winter-storm-poweroutages-friday/index.html", "title": "Winter storm's icy cold and wind knocks out power to over a million ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nA massive winter storm battered the US on Friday with frigid temperatures, high winds and heavy snow, leaving at least nine people dead, knocking out power to over a million customers and wrecking holiday plans from coast to coast.\n\nThe storm – expected to intensify throughout Friday as it barrels through the Midwest and East – is making for grim road conditions with poor visibility and ice-covered streets. Coastal flooding is also an issue, particularly along the shorelines of the Northeast.\n\nAll modes of travel – planes, trains and automobiles – were being disrupted: There were hundreds of miles of road closures and flight cancellations were growing rapidly. In New York, flooding along the Long Island Rail Road forced part of the Long Beach branch to temporarily shut down.\n\nRelated: Follow live updates\n\n“Christmas is canceled,” said Mick Saunders, a Buffalo, New York, resident who was two hours into blizzard conditions that are expected to last through Sunday morning. “All family and friends agreed it’s safer this way.”\n\nAt least 9 deaths have been reported since Wednesday.\n\nIn north-central Kansas, three people were killed in separate car crashes on Wednesday evening; one death was confirmed to be weather-related, and two were believed to be weather-related but need more investigation, according to Kansas Highway Patrol spokesperson Lt. Candice Breshears.\n\nIn Kansas City, one person died after losing control of their Dodge Caravan on icy roads Thursday afternoon, according to the Kansas City Police Department. “The Dodge went down the embankment, over the cement retaining wall and landed upside down, submerged in Brush Creek,” police said in a statement.\n\nIn Kentucky, three people died due to the storm, including two in vehicle crashes and the other a “housing insecure” person in Louisville, Gov. Andy Beshear said. The man’s body was found outside with no obvious signs of trauma and an autopsy would determine the cause of death, police said.\n\nAnd in Ohio, four people have died “as a result of weather-related auto accidents” and several others have been injured, according to Gov. Mike DeWine.\n\nLife threatening cold has pushed all the way to the Gulf Coast and the Mexican border, with below zero wind chills reported as far south as Austin and Atlanta. Many locations in the eastern US are in for their coldest Christmas Eve in decades as the Arctic blast reaches its peak.\n\nMore than one million customers in the US are experiencing power outages amid the winter weather and frigid temperatures, according to the website PowerOutage.US. Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania have the most outages.\n\nSnow blankets buildings in Buffalo, New York, on Wednesday, December 28. Joed Viera/AFP/Getty Images National Guard troops check on Buffalo residents on December 28. Jeffrey T. Barnes/AP A traveler searches for luggage December 28 at a Southwest Airlines baggage holding area in Denver International Airport. More than 90% of Wednesday's US flight cancellations were Southwest flights, according to flight tracking website FlightAware. Southwest canceled more than 2,500 flights. Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images People help push a car out of snow in Buffalo on Tuesday, December 27. John Normile/Getty Images Niagara Falls in New York is partially frozen on December 27. Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Travelers at Baltimore/Washington International Airport deal with the impact of canceled flights on December 27. Michael McCoy/Reuters A gas station canopy lays on its side after high winds and heavy snow in Lackawanna, New York, on December 27. The historic winter storm dumped up to 4 feet of snow on the area. John Normile/Getty Images Hundreds of unclaimed suitcases sit near the Southwest Airlines baggage claim area in Tennessee's Nashville International Airport after the airline canceled thousands of flights on December 27. Seth Herald/AFP/Getty Images A street is blanketed by snow in downtown Buffalo on Monday, December 26. Gov. Kathy Hochul/Twitter/AP A person clears a snow-covered driveway in Buffalo on December 26. Faith Aktas/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images A man and a boy walk across the frozen Reflecting Pool towards the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, on December 26. Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images Firefighters carry rescue equipment as they respond to a fire on a snow-covered street in Buffalo on Sunday, December 25. Jalen Wright/The New York Times/Redux Snow blankets a neighborhood in Cheektowaga, New York, on Christmas Day. Western New York is drowning in thick \"lake effect\" snow -- which forms when cold air moves over the warm waters of the Great Lakes -- just one month after the region was slammed with a historic snowstorm. John Waller via AP A man tries to dig out his car after he got stuck in a snowdrift about a block from home in Buffalo on Saturday, December 24. Derek Gee/The Buffalo News via AP Icicles created by a sprinkler hang from an orange tree in Clermont, Florida, on December 24. Paul Hennessy/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images A young holiday traveler passes the time at Detroit Wayne County Metro Airport on December 24. Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images Pedestrians deal with the cold in Chicago on December 24. Pat Nabong/Chicago Sun-Times via AP Hoak's Restaurant in Hamburg, New York, is seen covered in ice from the spray of Lake Erie on December 24. Kevin Hoak via Reuters Nissan Stadium employees clear the field in Nashville before the an NFL football game on December 24. Mark Zaleski/AP Amanda Kelly cleans off snow and ice from her car in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday, December 23. Joseph Scheller/Columbus Dispatch/USA Today Network Cars drive in whiteout conditions in Orchard Park, New York, on December 23. Mark Mulville/The Buffalo News/AP Travelers sleep while lines of people pass through a security checkpoint at Denver International Airport. David Zalubowski/AP Snow-covered buildings are seen in Louisville, Kentucky. Leandro Lozada/AFP/Getty Images The waters of Lake Erie wash over the shoreline in Hamburg, New York, on December 23. John Normile/Getty Images Snow collects on a bison at the Longfield Farm in Goshen, Kentucky, on December 23. Michael Clevenger/Courier Journal/USA Today Network Volunteers welcome a homeless person to a shelter at Louisville's Broadbent Arena on December 23. Leandro Lozada/AFP/Getty Images Stones are removed from a road in Westport, Massachusetts, after a storm surge made landfall, flooding many coastal areas on December 23. Peter Pereira/The Standard-Times/AP The Louisville skyline is obscured by steam rising from the Ohio River on December 23. Matt Stone/The Louisville Courier/USA Today Network Antonio Smothers jump-starts his vehicle in Nashville on December 23. Seth Herald/AFP/Getty Images Rows of headstones at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery are blanketed by drifting snow in Mandan on Thursday, December 22. Tom Stromme/The Bismarck Tribune/AP Migrants warm themselves by a fire next to the US-Mexico border fence on December 22 in El Paso, Texas. John Moore/Getty Images Robert Arnold puts chains onto the tires of his semitrailer while he waits for the eastbound lane of I-70 to reopen in Silverthorne, Colorado, on December 22. Jason Connolly/AFP/Getty Images A musician departs following a show on Broadway in Nashville on December 22. Seth Herald/AFP/Getty Images Brady Myers helps turn the Stewpot Community Services day shelter for the unhoused into an emergency overnight shelter in Jackson, Mississippi, on December 22. Barbara Gauntt/Clarion Ledger/USA Today Network Vehicles travel along Interstate 44 on December 22, in St. Louis. Jeff Roberson/AP A person walks through the snow on December 22 in downtown Minneapolis. Alex Kormann/Star Tribune/AP A clean car passes a snow-covered car in Des Moines, Iowa. Charlie Neibergall/AP Travelers walk in front of flight information screens at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago on December 22. Nam Y. Huh/AP Ice collects on a window in Oklahoma City on December 22. Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman/USA Today Network Bus riders wait at a sheltered stop in Chicago on December 22. Charles Rex Arbogast/AP An accident involving a semi-tractor-trailer blocks the eastbound lanes of Interstate 80 in West Des Moines on December 22. Bryon Houlgrave/The Des Moines Register/AP Kids shovel snow off a sidewalk and driveway in Minneapolis on December 22. Abbie Parr/AP Travelers arrive for their flights at O'Hare International Airport on December 22 in Chicago. Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP/Getty Images Mist rises above ice flows on the Yellowstone River on December 22 in Paradise Valley, Montana. William Campbell/Getty Images Students walk to school buses after early dismissal at a middle school in Wheeling, Illinois, on December 22. Nam Y. Huh/AP Miguel Salazar clears sidewalks in Denver on December 22. Hyoung Chang/Denver Post/Getty Images Travelers arrive at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport on December 21. Alex Kormann/Star Tribune/AP Salt is prepared to be loaded onto a truck at the Department of Public Works sanitation yard in Milwaukee on December 21. Mike De Sisti/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel/AP Propane heaters sit next to pens at the City of Mission Animal Shelter in Mission, Texas, on December 21. Joel Martinez/The Monitor/AP Crews de-ice a Southwest Airlines plane before takeoff in Omaha, Nebraska, on December 21. Chris Machian/Omaha World-Herald/AP An Iowa Department of Transportation plow clears a road in Iowa City on December 21. Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press Citizen/AP Snow covers homes in Seattle on December 20. Daniel Kim/The Seattle Times/AP In pictures: Winter storm impacts the US Prev Next\n\nIn all, more than 200 million people in the US were under wind chill alerts from the Canadian border to the Mexican border and from Washington state to Florida, with below-zero wind chills expected in the Southeast by Friday. Other winter weather alerts are in effect for blizzard conditions, ice, snow as well as flooding.\n\n“The National Weather Service’s Watch Warning graphic depicts one of the greatest extents of winter weather warnings and advisories ever,” the agency said Thursday.\n\nRecord cold Christmas Eve for many\n\nNotably, parts of Montana, South Dakota and Wyoming have already seen wind chills below minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit in the past two days.\n\nThe entire state of Texas was seeing temperatures below freezing by early Friday afternoon, according to weather observations from around the state.\n\nNew York Gov. Kathy Hochul warned residents about the “epic, statewide hazard” of winter weather.\n\n“I called it a kitchen sink storm because it is throwing everything at us but the kitchen sink,” Hochul said at a press conference Friday afternoon. “We’ve had ice, flooding, snow, freezing temperatures, and everything that mother nature could wallop at us this weekend.”\n\nFor Brian Trzeciak, the storm was “living up to the warnings” at his home in Hamburg, New York. Buffalo’s airport, just to the north, reported zero visibility shortly after noon on Friday.\n\n“Whiteout conditions, frigid temperatures, and the waves are like what you would see during a hurricane,” he told CNN.\n\nHe and his family decided to cancel their Christmas plans because of the dangers from the storm.\n\n“My mother lives about 30 minutes away and so does my sister and her family, in the other direction,” he said. “We always get together for Christmas Eve and Christmas, but we’re all hunkering down in our houses until it all stops on Monday.”\n\nDriving bans are in place in Erie, Genesee, Niagara and Orleans counties in Western New York because of whiteout conditions.\n\nAs many as 250 people could be stranded in their cars in Erie County in a situation that Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said put first responders at unnecessary risk. Brown told CNN Friday night that forecasts call for 36 to 48 inches of snow. The area has had wind gusts of 79 mph.\n\nMany will experience a cold holiday unlike any other: Atlanta, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Tallahassee, Florida, are all forecast to have their coldest high temperature ever recorded on December 24, according to the National Weather Service.\n\nWashington DC is forecast to see its second coldest Christmas Eve, only behind 1989. In New York, it will be the coldest Christmas Eve since 1906. Chicago is expecting temperatures to rebound above zero, but will still experience its coldest Christmas Eve since 1983.\n\nMuch of Florida will experience the peak of their cold on Christmas Day. It will be coldest Christmas Day since 1983 for Miami, Tampa, Orlando and West Palm Beach.\n\nStorm expected to become ‘bomb cyclone’\n\nCars drive in whiteout conditions in Orchard Park, New York on Friday. Mark Mulville/The Buffalo News/AP\n\nOn Friday, the storm unleashed more heavy snow and blizzard conditions, particularly in the Midwest.\n\nAs it treks east across the country, the storm is expected to become a “bomb cyclone,” a rapidly strengthening storm which drops 24 millibars of pressure within 24 hours. The storm’s pressure was forecast to match that of a Category 2 hurricane as it moved into the Great Lakes on Friday morning.\n\nGovernors in at least 13 states, including Georgia and North Carolina in the South, have implemented emergency measures to respond to the storm. Declarations of a state of emergency in several states have included the activation of National Guard units.\n\nMore than 5,500 Friday flights have already been canceled as of 9:30 p.m. ET, after nearly 2,700 cancellations on Thursday, according to flight tracking site FlightAware.\n\n• It will remain very cold: Friday will bring record-low temperatures in large swaths of the US, including from the Lower Mississippi Valley, northeastward into the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys and stretching across large sections of the east from the Southeast, through the Southern to Central Appalachians and into the mid-Atlantic, according to the National Weather Service.\n\n• Dangerous wind chills: The plummeting temperatures will be accompanied by high winds, which will create dangerous wind chills across nearly all the central to eastern US.\n\n• Blizzard warnings: The Upper Midwest will see frigid temperatures, heavy snow and high winds. The warning applies to parts of Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota and Michigan. Buffalo, New York, will go under a blizzard warning Friday morning. Such warnings go in effect when snow and wind of 35 mph will reduce visibility to less than a quarter of a mile for at least three hours.\n\n• Whiteout conditions: Blizzard conditions may exist even if snowfall stops, because high winds can pick up snow already on the ground and cause low visibility.\n\nSeparate storm system in Pacific Northwest\n\nA separate storm system is bringing heavy mixed precipitation to the Pacific Northwest on Friday.\n\nA winter storm warning is in effect for western Washington, including Seattle, until 7 p.m. PST Friday. Additional snowfall of up to 2 inches is possible and ice accumulations could reach a quarter of an inch. Precipitation will begin as snow and transition to sleet/freezing rain and then finally to rain. More power outages are likely and travel will be made very difficult.\n\nThe ice caused the closure of runways at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, where nearly half of flights going into and out of the airport were canceled, according to FlightAware. Further, all express services for Sound Transit, a regional transportation network in the Seattle metro area, were suspended Friday due to the icy conditions.\n\nA winter storm warning is also in effect for northeastern Oregon, including Portland, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. PST. Total snow and sleet accumulations of up to one inch and ice accumulations of .2 to .4 inches is likely as well as winds gusting to 55 mph. Wind chills as low as zero are possible, and frostbite is possible on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes.\n\nOne of the biggest dangers of the massive winter storm besides heavy snow and blizzard conditions is the rapid drop in temperatures over a short period of time. The air will continue to get and feel colder, especially during night hours.", "authors": ["Aya Elamroussi Ray Sanchez Eric Levenson", "Aya Elamroussi", "Ray Sanchez", "Eric Levenson"], "publish_date": "2022/12/23"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/local/arizona/2023/01/17/record-breaking-snowfall-blankets-northern-arizona/69814470007/", "title": "Record-breaking snowfall blankets northern Arizona", "text": "More than 2 feet of snow fell over two days across parts of northern Arizona, becoming the 25th largest snow event in Flagstaff history and breaking the record for single-day snow accumulation on Sunday.\n\nThe Flagstaff Airport measured 14.8 inches on Sunday, smashing the previous record of 8.9 inches that held for 45 years. As snow continued to fall, accumulation eventually reached 30 inches at the airport by Tuesday morning.\n\nThe last time Flagstaff saw a storm of this magnitude was in late January 2021 when officials measured a 33.2-inch snowfall.\n\nPower outage:More than 1,400 APS customers without power in Munds Park\n\nThe areas impacted by the storm were expansive, said meteorologist Benjamin Peterson, including most areas at elevation above 5,500 feet, stretching from the northern rim of the Grand Canyon east to the White Mountains.\n\nBut the heaviest snow hit the Williams, Parks and Flagstaff area before tapering off to the east and south, Peterson said.\n\n\"We were definitely in the center of this one,\" he said.\n\nSnow plows worked nonstop to clear roadways since the snow first started to fall on Saturday evening, but driving conditions are still hazardous, especially on side streets.\n\nIn addition to some road closures, the intense snowfall also prompted closures throughout the city. Northern Arizona University canceled classes Monday through Wednesday due to the inclement weather, delaying the start of the school's spring semester.\n\nFlagstaff Unified School District also closed schools on Tuesday as snow continued to fall and road conditions remained questionable.\n\nFurther, the Flagstaff City Council meeting scheduled for Jan. 17 was conducted virtually after the city closed all administrative offices and non-essential facilities with the intention to reopen Wednesday.\n\nAnother storm is in the forecast later this week and could bring an extra 4 to 5 inches of snow to Flagstaff with potential snowfall stretching down toward the Valley by Friday morning, Peterson said.\n\nContact northern Arizona reporter Lacey Latch at llatch@gannett.com or on social media @laceylatch. Coverage of northern Arizona on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is funded by the nonprofit Report for America and a grant from the Vitalyst Health Foundation in association with The Arizona Republic.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/01/17"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2016/01/24/east-coast-blizzard-aftermath/79259922/", "title": "Battered East Coast begins digging out from deadly blizzard", "text": "Doyle Rice, and John Bacon\n\nUSA TODAY\n\nThe sun came out, travel bans slowly lifted, and the great dig-out of 2016 was in full force Sunday across much of the East after a brutal, record-setting snowstorm paralyzed much of the region.\n\nThe storm rolled off the coast and into the Atlantic, leaving behind clear skies and gusty winds. Baltimore and New York eased their bans on road travel and started revving up public transportation. Washington, D.C.'s Metro transit system was scheduled to remain shut all day Sunday, but expected to reopen on a limited basis Monday morning. The region's airports struggled to handle traffic, and more than 12,900 flights were canceled.\n\nD.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on Sunday said city schools and government would be closed Monday, but that the city would provide free breakfasts and lunches to students at 10 locations. Amtrak also reported that it would operate on Monday in the mid-Atlantic region, but on a modified schedule.\n\nThe snowstorm was the biggest ever recorded for three cities — Baltimore (29.2 inches), Allentown, Pa. (31.9) and Harrisburg, Pa. (34), the National Weather Service said. New York City picked up 26.8 inches of snow, missing its all-time record by one-tenth of an inch. The city was recruiting laborers to shovel snow for $13.50 per hour.\n\n“This was one of the worst storms to ever hit New York City, and we need all hands on deck to dig us out,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said.\n\nBroadway was back in business Sunday after shows were canceled Saturday. In Central Park, the mood was festive, with people saying \"good morning\" and \"hello\" as they glided on cross-country skis or toted a sled toward a hill. Jermaine Fletcher and Linda Kuo walked arm-in-arm along the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, happy to be out after more than 24 hours holed up indoors.\n\n\"The snow is pretty,\" said Kuo, 33, of Manhattan. \"It's always really pretty the day after.\"\n\nResearcher: Number of blizzards doubled in past 20 years\n\nWas Washington's snow measurement accurate?\n\nWashington saw 17.8 inches of snow at Reagan National Airport, the city's official measurement, while suburban Washington Dulles Airport was blasted with 29.3 inches. In nearby Arlington, Va., Allie Vasquez, 12, was spending all day in the snow, helping shovel out an elderly neighbor on an unplowed street before sledding with friends.\n\n\"Snow drifts are 3 or 4 feet deep in some places,\" Allie said. \"I can barely walk through it. It's crazy.\"\n\nMore than 50,000 people along the eastern seaboard remained without power Sunday, much improved from the height of the storm when 250,000 utility customers were affected. South Carolina, where icy conditions prevailed, and New Jersey, hard hit by storm surges during high tides, continued to have the biggest problems with outages.\n\nAt one point, more than 60 million people had been under warnings for a blizzard, winter storm or freezing rain as the storm roared from Georgia to Massachusetts. At least 28 people died in storm-related incidents, the Associated Press reported Sunday afternoon.\n\nIn Greenville, S.C., an elderly couple died from carbon monoxide poisoning inside their home, The Greenville News reported. The couple had lost power during the storm and a family member had helped them set up a generator inside their garage, officials said. Somehow a door propped open to vent the deadly gas became closed and carbon monoxide filled the house.\n\nSunday: Snow is over, but flight cancellations top 12,000\n\nIn some areas, the heavy snow meant roof collapses. Several were reported in York County, Pa., including the roof of a hangar at York Airport, the York Daily Record reported.\n\nOn Sunday, the storm began loosening its icy grip. New York City and Long Island lifted travel bans that had included all transit from New Jersey bridges and tunnels into and out of the city. Baltimore lifted its driving ban but still required vehicles to be equipped with special tires or chains.\n\n\"Historical snow storm. Please be patient, it will take awhile for clean-up especially small streets,\" Baltimore's Transportation Department tweeted.\n\nIn Virginia, Gov. Terry McAuliffe toured parts of the state by helicopter and said interstates were cleared and \"commerce is back.\"\n\n\"Every Virginia resident was touched by this storm, every part of our state saw some snow,\" McAuliffe said. \"This was a massive storm for us in the commonwealth.\"\n\nRunways at two of Washington’s major airports — Dulles and Reagan National, both in Virginia — remained shut for the day as crews grappled with heavy and drifting snow. At National Airport, more than 10% of Monday's schedule had already been grounded.\n\nAirports in New York and Philadelphia will operate, but with greatly reduced schedules.\n\nCoastal communities from North Carolina to southern New England worked to recover from flooding that struck during high tides amid the blizzard and high winds.\n\n\"This, in my opinion, is worse than (Hurricane) Sandy,\" Len Desiderio, the mayor of Sea Isle City, N.J., told CBS Philly Sunday. \"We're dealing with severe flooding.\"\n\nIn Philadelphia, residents dug out on Sunday afternoon, even as many side streets had yet to see a plow. A few locals took matters into their own hands. Seth Rohrbaugh attempted to dig out the exit of an off-street parking site at a Fairmount apartment complex.\n\n“I figure people are going to have places to go,” he said. “I might as well help the people who are snowed in.”\n\nThe financial cost of the storm remains to be calculated, but it is going to be in the billions, experts said.\n\n“This event has all the makings of a multibillion-dollar economic cost,” said meteorologist Steven Bowen of Aon Benfield, a London-based global re-insurance firm. After adding up damage to homes, vehicles, businesses and more, \"we're potentially looking at one of the costlier winter storm events in recent memory,” he said.\n\nThe Blizzard of 1996, which was similar in size and scope to this weekend's storm, had a $4.6 billion economic cost (in 2016 dollars), Bowen said. “No two events are identical, but this provides some context as to how costly these storms can be.”\n\nContributing: Ben Mutzabaugh, Melanie Eversley, Gregg Zoroya and Greg Toppo, USA TODAY; Brittany Horn, The (Wilmington) News Journal", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2016/01/24"}]}
{"question_id": "20230303_5", "search_time": "2023/03/15/03:27", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/02/28/tiktok-ban-federal-devices-biden/11363733002/", "title": "Federal agencies have 30 days to remove TikTok from government ...", "text": "The White House has announced it's giving federal agencies 30 days to remove TikTok from all government-issued devices.\n\nMonday's move comes as the popular Chinese-owned social media app faces increased scrutiny in Washington and in states across the country over security concerns – with critics claiming that the Chinese government could use TikTok to gain access to private user data or spread misinformation.\n\nTikTok is already not allowed on White House devices. Other federal agencies, including the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security, have similar restrictions in place.\n\nNow, remaining federal agencies will follow. According to the guidance memorandum from the Office of Management and Budget, all executive agencies and their contractors must remove TikTok or any app from its parent company, ByteDance, within 30 days of Monday's notice – with few exceptions for national security, law enforcement and research purposes.\n\n\"The Biden-Harris administration has invested heavily in defending our nation’s digital infrastructure and curbing foreign adversaries’ access to Americans’ data,\" said Chris DeRusha, the federal chief information security officer. \"This guidance is part of the administration’s ongoing commitment to securing our digital infrastructure and protecting the American people’s security and privacy.\"\n\nBanning TikTok? Restrictions on the popular video app are spreading across the US\n\nMore:Is TikTok the new Google? Why TikTok is Gen Z's favorite search engine\n\nThe guidance fulfills requirements of the No TikTok on Government Devices Act, which was passed by Congress in December.\n\nReuters first reported on the guidance.\n\nTikTok, China respond to White House's move\n\nAfter the White House's move Monday, TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter called such bans of the social media app \"little more than political theater.\"\n\n\"The ban of TikTok on federal devices passed in December without any deliberation, and unfortunately that approach has served as a blueprint for other world governments,\" Oberwetter said in a statement sent to USA TODAY. \"We hope that when it comes to addressing national security concerns about TikTok beyond government devices, Congress will explore solutions that won’t have the effect of censoring the voices of millions of Americans.\"\n\nIn a press briefing Tuesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry accused the U.S. government of abusing state power.\n\nNovember:FBI director says TikTok poses national security threat, and he's 'extremely concerned'\n\n\"How unsure of itself can the world’s top superpower be to fear a young people’s favorite app like that?\" Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said. The U.S. government \"has been over-stretching the concept of national security and abusing state power to suppress foreign companies. We firmly oppose those wrong actions.\"\n\nChina has long blocked numerous foreign social media platforms and messaging apps – such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.\n\nBill to ban TikTok nationwide\n\nMonday's guidance also arrives as House Republicans were expected to move forward Tuesday with a bill that would give President Joe Biden the power to ban TikTok nationwide – as well as other software applications that threaten national security.\n\nThe legislation is proposed by the chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee, Rep. Mike McCaul, R-Texas. McCaul has been a vocal critic of TikTok, saying the app is being used by the Chinese Communist Party to \"manipulate and monitor its users while it gobbles up Americans’ data to be used for their malign activities.\"\n\nThe American Civil Liberties Union is among those that oppose the bill. In a press release Monday, the ACLU said such a ban would violate First Amendment rights and noted the U.S. government \"can’t ban a social media platform simply because the app is from a Chinese company.\"\n\nIn addition to the federal restrictions on TikTok, more than half of U.S. states have issued full or partial bans for state-issued devices.\n\nMore:South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem issues executive order blocking TikTok from state devices\n\nWhat's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day.\n\nAlso on Monday, Canada announced that it is similarly banning TikTok from all government-issued mobile devices. And last week, the European Union’s executive branch said it has temporarily banned TikTok from employee-used phones for cybersecurity reasons.\n\nContributing: The Associated Press", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/02/28"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2023/03/01/tiktok-screen-time-limit/11372810002/", "title": "TikTok announces 60-minute daily screen time limit for users under ...", "text": "TikTok is rolling out a new screen time limit for users under 18.\n\nOn Wednesday, the social media platform announced \"changes to help teens manage their time on TikTok.\" Every account belonging to TikTok users under 18 years old will soon automatically set to a 60-minute daily screen limit, the company said.\n\nThe default time limit for eligible accounts is expected to arrive in the coming weeks.\n\nThere will still be an option for teen TikTokers to continue using the app beyond the 60-minute limit – but they will have to enter a prompted passcode, \"requiring them to make an active decision to extend that time,\" Cormac Keenan, head of trust and safety at TikTok, wrote in Wednesday's announcement.\n\n\"While there's no collectively-endorsed position on the 'right' amount of screen time or even the impact of screen time more broadly, we consulted the current academic research and experts from the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children's Hospital in choosing this limit,\" Keenan wrote, while also citing research supported by TikTok.\n\nIn addition to mounting concerns surrounding the time teens spend on social media overall, TikTok's move arrives as the popular Chinese-owned app faces increased scrutiny in Washington over security concerns.\n\nWhite House:Federal agencies have 30 days to remove TikTok from government-issued devices\n\nTick-tock, TikTok:As Biden sets deadline for ban of social media app, here's what we know\n\nOn Monday, the White House announced that federal agencies have 30 days to remove TikTok from all government-issued devices, and House Republicans are pushing for a nationwide ban. TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter called such bans of the social media app \"little more than political theater.\"\n\nScreen time is skyrocketing among young people\n\nTikTok's screen limit changes come as experts around the world stress concerns over the rising time that young people spend on screens, particularly on platforms like TikTok and other social media apps, with studies pointing to impacts on both physical and mental health.\n\nKids and screen time:How parents can manage during prolonged pandemic\n\nA study from Common Sense media, a nonprofit research organization, noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the growth in screen time – with media use among tweens (defined in the study as kids age 8 to 12) and teens rising 17% from 2019 to 2021.\n\nIn 2021, tweens used an average of five hours and 33 minutes of screen media each day and teens had an average of eight hours and 39 minutes, the study said.\n\nIn a statement Wednesday, Common Sense Media founder and CEO James P. Steyer said TikTok's \"new features, particularly the screen time limits, are definitely a positive step to create a safer space for teens and families, but TikTok also needs to go further.\"\n\n\"TikTok continues to capture users' personal data and often nudges teens toward harmful content that can expose them to drugs, eating disorders, violence and more,\" Steyer continued. \"The nation's youth mental health crisis is rampant, and all social media companies need to make teens' well-being a priority, not merely an afterthought.\"\n\nScreen controls for parents, caregivers\n\nIn addition to the default screen time limit, Keenan said that TikTok will send every teen account a weekly recap of their screen time.\n\nTikTok is also introducing several new features to \"Family Pairing,\" which allows parents, caregivers and their children to customize safety settings.\n\nAmong the new features, caregivers will be able to set daily screen time limits for their teens – including scheduling different time limits for certain days of the week – mute notifications for certain times of the day and use a screen time dashboard to see how much their teens are using the app.\n\nExperts note that the needs of each family and individual are different. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends creating a family media plan to help navigate screen habits and customize priorities.\n\nStudy:Screen time among teenagers during COVID more than doubled outside of virtual school\n\nWhat's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day.\n\nBeyond families and teen users, TikTok said screen time controls will be available to everyone.\n\n\"Everyone will soon be able to set their own customized screen time limits for each day of the week and set a schedule to mute notifications,\" Keenan wrote. \"In addition, we're rolling out a sleep reminder to help people more easily plan when they want to be offline at night. People can set a time, and when it's reached, a pop-up will remind them it's time to log off.\"", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/01"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/02/28/white-house-tiktok-bans-legislation-what-we-know/11364439002/", "title": "TikTok bans: What we know about government efforts to ban the app", "text": "Once portrayed as nothing more than a dance app for kids, TikTok is under renewed federal scrutiny over its possible implications for national security.\n\nThe White House on Monday moved to ban the popular Chinese-owned social media platform from all government-issued devices, giving federal agencies 30 days to delete the app. The guidance has exceptions for \"law enforcement activities, national security interests and activities, and security research.\"\n\nMeanwhile, House Republicans are expected to move forward Tuesday with a bill that would give President Joe Biden the power to enact nationwide bans on TikTok and other software applications that are threatening to national security.\n\nHere's what we know.\n\nWhy is the government concerned about TikTok?\n\nThe Biden administration and lawmakers in both parties have expressed concern that the Chinese Communist Party could gather information about American customers through TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, or that it could be used to spread misinformation.\n\nSen. Mark Warner, D-Va., chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, called TikTok “an enormous threat” in an interview last year.\n\n\"TikTok is the Chinese Communist Party's backdoor into American phones,\" Texas Republican Rep. Michael McCaul, the House Foreign Affairs Committee chair who introduced the bill that would make it easier for Biden to ban the app.\n\nIn 2020, Biden said that TikTok is a “matter of genuine concern.” But last month, the president indicated he's \"not sure\" whether a ban is the right call.\n\nFBI Director Christopher Wray testified in December the agency was concerned about Chinese officials controlling the app’s algorithm and argued the app could be used \"to collect data through it on users which can be used for traditional espionage operations.\"\n\nFCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said in December he \"welcomes\" a TikTok ban on federal devices. \"Every day that this drags on is another day that Americans are left exposed to the unique threats posed by TikTok,\" he said.\n\nWhy will TikTok be banned on government-issued devices?\n\nThe White House's push to remove TikTok from government-issued devices is part of a broader efforts to secure American \"digital infrastructure,\" security and privacy, according to a memo released Monday.\n\nThe guidance fulfills requirements of the \"No TikTok on Government Devices Act,\" passed by the Senate in December.\n\nWhat does the White House say?\n\nThe White House is taking \"every step\" it can within its authority to protect American data, Principal Deputy Press Secretary Olivia Dalton said Tuesday.\n\n“We've been clear about our concerns about apps like TikTok,\" she said. \"The Biden administration is focused on the challenge of certain countries, including China, seeking to leverage digital technologies and Americans data in ways that present unacceptable national security risks.\"\n\nDalton declined to comment on McCaul's bill and whether there should be a federal ban on the social media app.\n\nWhat does TikTok say?\n\nTikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter said Monday that banning the app is \"little more than political theater.\"\n\n\"The ban of TikTok on federal devices passed in December without any deliberation, and unfortunately that approach has served as a blueprint for other world governments,\" Oberwetter said in a statement sent to USA TODAY. \"We hope that when it comes to addressing national security concerns about TikTok beyond government devices, Congress will explore solutions that won’t have the effect of censoring the voices of millions of Americans.\"\n\nWhat does China say?\n\nIn a Tuesday press briefing, the Chinese Foreign Ministry accused the U.S. government of abusing state power.\n\n\"How unsure of itself can the world’s top superpower be to fear a young people’s favorite app like that?\" Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said. The U.S. government \"has been over-stretching the concept of national security and abusing state power to suppress foreign companies. We firmly oppose those wrong actions.\"\n\nHow many people use TikTok?\n\nOberwetter declined to share with USA TODAY an exact number of monthly TikTok users in the U.S., but said that \"over 100 million\" people use the app each month.\n\nThe app is particularly prevalent among young people; some 67% of teens say they use TikTok, with 16% saying they use it \"almost constantly,\" according to PEW Research Center data.\n\nHas a ban been attempted before?\n\nFormer President Donald Trump in 2020 issued executive orders to ban TikTok and another app with roots in China, but the bans were stopped in court. The Biden White House revoked Trump's orders in June 2021.\n\nThe Senate voted in December on bipartisan legislation to ban TikTok from government phones, but it didn't pass the House.\n\nIs an all-out TikTok ban next?\n\nIt's unclear whether Congress or the Biden administration would move to ban all access to the app nationwide.\n\nSen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., introduced legislation in January that would ban the app from being downloaded on any U.S. device.\n\nTikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee about the popular app’s privacy and security practices in March. It’s the first time a TikTok CEO will appear before a congressional committee.\n\nDig deeper:\n\nContributing: Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Bart Jansen", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/02/28"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/23/politics/fbi-investigation-huawei-china-defense-department-communications-nuclear/index.html", "title": "CNN Exclusive: FBI investigation determined Chinese-made ...", "text": "Washington CNN —\n\nOn paper, it looked like a fantastic deal. In 2017, the Chinese government was offering to spend $100 million to build an ornate Chinese garden at the National Arboretum in Washington DC. Complete with temples, pavilions and a 70-foot white pagoda, the project thrilled local officials, who hoped it would attract thousands of tourists every year.\n\nBut when US counterintelligence officials began digging into the details, they found numerous red flags. The pagoda, they noted, would have been strategically placed on one of the highest points in Washington DC, just two miles from the US Capitol, a perfect spot for signals intelligence collection, multiple sources familiar with the episode told CNN.\n\nAlso alarming was that Chinese officials wanted to build the pagoda with materials shipped to the US in diplomatic pouches, which US Customs officials are barred from examining, the sources said.\n\nFederal officials quietly killed the project before construction was underway. The Wall Street Journal first reported about the security concerns in 2018.\n\nThe canceled garden is part of a frenzy of counterintelligence activity by the FBI and other federal agencies focused on what career US security officials say has been a dramatic escalation of Chinese espionage on US soil over the past decade.\n\nSince at least 2017, federal officials have investigated Chinese land purchases near critical infrastructure, shut down a high-profile regional consulate believed by the US government to be a hotbed of Chinese spies and stonewalled what they saw as clear efforts to plant listening devices near sensitive military and government facilities.\n\nAmong the most alarming things the FBI uncovered pertains to Chinese-made Huawei equipment atop cell towers near US military bases in the rural Midwest. According to multiple sources familiar with the matter, the FBI determined the equipment was capable of capturing and disrupting highly restricted Defense Department communications, including those used by US Strategic Command, which oversees the country’s nuclear weapons.\n\nWhile broad concerns about Huawei equipment near US military installations have been well known, the existence of this investigation and its findings have never been reported. Its origins stretch back to at least the Obama administration. It was described to CNN by more than a dozen sources, including current and former national security officials, all of whom spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.\n\nF.E. Warren Air Force Base, a strategic missile base, is located in Cheyenne, Wyoming, an area near a host of cell towers using Huawei equipment. From F.E. Warren Air Force Base/Facebook\n\nIt’s unclear if the intelligence community determined whether any data was actually intercepted and sent back to Beijing from these towers. Sources familiar with the issue say that from a technical standpoint, it’s incredibly difficult to prove a given package of data was stolen and sent overseas.\n\nThe Chinese government strongly denies any efforts to spy on the US. Huawei in a statement to CNN also denied that its equipment is capable of operating in any communications spectrum allocated to the Defense Department.\n\nBut multiple sources familiar with the investigation tell CNN that there’s no question the Huawei equipment has the ability to intercept not only commercial cell traffic but also the highly restricted airwaves used by the military and disrupt critical US Strategic Command communications, giving the Chinese government a potential window into America’s nuclear arsenal.\n\n“This gets into some of the most sensitive things we do,” said one former FBI official with knowledge of the investigation. “It would impact our ability for essentially command and control with the nuclear triad. “That goes into the ‘BFD’ category.”\n\n“If it is possible for that to be disrupted, then that is a very bad day,” this person added.\n\nTurning doves into hawks\n\nFormer officials described the probe’s findings as a watershed moment. The investigation was so secret that some senior policymakers in the White House and elsewhere in government weren’t briefed on its existence until 2019, according to two sources familiar with the matter.\n\nThat fall, the Federal Communications Commission initiated a rule that effectively banned small telecoms from using Huawei and a few other brands of Chinese made-equipment. “The existence of the investigation at the highest levels turned some doves into hawks,” said one former US official.\n\nIn 2020, Congress approved $1.9 billion to remove Chinese-made Huawei and ZTE cellular technology across wide swaths of rural America.\n\nBut two years later, none of that equipment has been removed and rural telecom companies are still waiting for federal reimbursement money. The FCC received applications to remove some 24,000 pieces of Chinese-made communications equipment—but according to a July 15 update from the commission, it is more than $3 billion short of the money it needs to reimburse all eligible companies.\n\nAbsent more money from Congress, the FCC says it plans to begin reimbursing approved companies for about 40 percent of the costs of removing Huawei equipment. The FCC did not specify a timeframe on when the money will be disbursed.\n\nIn late 2020, the Justice Department referred its national security concerns about Huawei equipment to the Commerce Department, and provided information on where the equipment was in place in the US, a former senior US law enforcement official told CNN.\n\nAfter the Biden administration took office in 2021, the Commerce Department then opened its own probe into Huawei to determine if more urgent action was needed to expunge the Chinese technology provider from US telecom networks, the former law enforcement official and a current senior US official said.\n\nThat probe has proceeded slowly and is ongoing, the current US official said. Among the concerns that national security officials noted was that external communication from the Huawei equipment that occurs when software is updated, for example, could be exploited by the Chinese government.\n\nDepending on what the Commerce Department finds, US telecom carriers could be forced to quickly remove Huawei equipment or face fines or other penalties.\n\nReuters first reported the existence of the Commerce Department probe.\n\n“We cannot confirm or deny ongoing investigations, but we are committed to securing our information and communications technology and services supply chain. Protecting US persons safety and security against malign information collection is vital to protecting our economy and national security,” a Commerce Department spokesperson said.\n\n\n\nVideo Ad Feedback Inside Huawei's connection to rural America 02:55 - Source: CNN\n\nUS counterintelligence officials have recently made a priority of publicizing threats from China. This month, the US National Counterintelligence and Security Center issued a warning to American businesses and local and state governments about what it says are disguised efforts by China to manipulate them to influence US policy.\n\nFBI Director Christopher Wray just traveled to London for a joint meeting with top British law enforcement officials to call attention to the Chinese threats.\n\nIn an exclusive interview with CNN, Wray said the FBI opens a new China counterintelligence investigation every 12 hours. “That’s probably about 2,000 or so investigations,” said Wray. “And that’s not even talking about their cyber theft, where they have a bigger hacking program than that of every other major nation combined, and have stolen more of Americans’ personal and corporate data than every nation combined.”\n\nAsked why after years of national security concerns raised over Huawei, the equipment is still largely in place atop cell towers near US military bases, Wray said that, “We’re concerned about allowing any company that is beholden to a nation state that doesn’t adhere to and share our values, giving that company the ability to burrow into our telecommunications infrastructure.”\n\nHe noted that in 2020, the DOJ indicted Huawei with racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to steal trade secrets.\n\n“And I think that’s probably about all I can say on the topic,” said Wray.\n\nCritics see xenophobic overreach\n\nDespite its tough talk, the US government’s refusal to provide evidence to back up its claims that Huawei tech poses a risk to US national security has led some critics to accuse it of xenophobic overreach. The lack of a smoking gun also raises questions of whether US officials can separate legitimate Chinese investment from espionage.\n\n“All of our products imported to the US have been tested and certified by the FCC before being deployed there,” Huawei said in its statement to CNN. “Our equipment only operates on the spectrum allocated by the FCC for commercial use. This means it cannot access any spectrum allocated to the DOD.”\n\n“For more than 30 years, Huawei has maintained a proven track record in cyber security and we have never been involved in any malicious cyber security incidents,” the statement said.\n\nIn its zeal to sniff out evidence of Chinese spying, critics argue the feds have cast too wide a net — in particular as it relates to academic institutions. In one recent high-profile case, a federal judge acquitted a former University of Tennessee engineering professor whom the Justice Department had prosecuted under its so-called China Initiative that targets Chinese spying, arguing “there was no evidence presented that [the professor] ever collaborated with a Chinese university in conducting NASA-funded research.”\n\nAnd on Jan. 20, the Justice Department dropped a separate case against an MIT professor accused of hiding his ties to China, saying it could no longer prove its case. In February, the Biden administration shut down the China Initiative entirely.\n\nThe federal government’s reticence across multiple administrations to detail what it knows has led some critics to accuse the government of chasing ghosts.\n\n“It really comes down to: do you treat China as a neutral actor — because if you treat China as a neutral actor, then yeah, this seems crazy, that there’s some plot behind every tree,” said Anna Puglisi, a senior fellow at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology. “However, China has shown us through its policies and actions it is not a neutral actor.”\n\nChinese tech in the American heartland\n\nAs early as the Obama administration, FBI agents were monitoring a disturbing pattern along stretches of Interstate 25 in Colorado and Montana, and on arteries into Nebraska. The heavily trafficked corridor connects some of the most secretive military installations in the US, including an archipelago of nuclear missile silos.\n\nFor years, small, rural telecom providers had been installing cheaper, Chinese-made routers and other technology atop cell towers up and down I-25 and elsewhere in the region. Across much of these sparsely populated swaths of the west, these smaller carriers are the only option for cell coverage. And many of them turned to Huawei for cheaper, reliable equipment.\n\nBeginning in late 2011, Viaero, the largest regional provider in the area, inked a contract with Huawei to provide the equipment for its upgrade to 3G. A decade later, it has Huawei tech installed across its entire fleet of towers, roughly 1,000 spread over five western states.\n\nAs Huawei equipment began to proliferate near US military bases, federal investigators started taking notice, sources familiar with the matter told CNN. Of particular concern was that Huawei was routinely selling cheap equipment to rural providers in cases that appeared to be unprofitable for Huawei — but which placed its equipment near military assets.\n\nFederal investigators initially began “examining [Huawei] less from a technical lens and more from a business/financial view,” explained John Lenkart, a former senior FBI agent focused on counterintelligence issues related to China. Officials studied where Huawei sales efforts were most concentrated and looked for deals that “made no sense from a return-on-investment perspective,” Lenkart said.\n\n“A lot of [counterintelligence] concerns were uncovered based on” those searches, Lenkart said.\n\nBy examining the Huawei equipment themselves, FBI investigators determined it could recognize and disrupt DOD-spectrum communications — even though it had been certified by the FCC, according to a source familiar with the investigation.\n\n“It’s not technically hard to make a device that complies with the FCC that listens to nonpublic bands but then is quietly waiting for some activation trigger to listen to other bands,” said Eduardo Rojas, who leads the radio spectrum lab at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida. “Technically, it’s feasible.”\n\nTo prove a device had clandestine capabilities, Rojas said, would require technical experts to strip down a device “to the semi-conductor level” and “reverse engineer the design.” But, he said, it can be done.\n\nAnd there was another big concern along I-25, sources familiar with the investigation said.\n\nWeather camera worries\n\nAround 2014, Viaero started mounting high-definition surveillance cameras on its towers to live-stream weather and traffic, a public service it shared with local news organizations. With dozens of cameras posted up and down I-25, the cameras provided a 24-7 bird’s eye view of traffic and incoming weather, even providing advance warning of tornadoes.\n\nBut they were also inadvertently capturing the movement of US military equipment and personnel, giving Beijing — or anyone for that matter — the ability to track the pattern of activity between a series of closely guarded military facilities.\n\nThe intelligence community determined the publicly posted live-streams were being viewed and likely captured from China, according to three sources familiar with the matter. Two sources briefed on the investigation at the time said officials believed that it was possible for Beijing’s intelligence service to “task” the cameras — hack into the network and control where they pointed. At least some of the cameras in question were running on Huawei networks.\n\nViaero CEO Frank DiRico said it never occurred to him the cameras could be a national security risk.\n\n“There’s a lot of missile silos in areas we cover. There is some military presence,” DiRico said in an interview from his Colorado office. But, he said, “I was never told to remove the equipment or to make any changes.”\n\nIn fact, DiRico first learned of government concerns about Huawei equipment from newspaper articles — not the FBI — and says he has never been briefed on the matter.\n\nDiRico doesn’t question the government’s insistence that he needs to remove Huawei equipment, but he is skeptical that China’s intelligence services can exploit either the Huawei hardware itself or the camera equipment.\n\n“We monitor our network pretty good,” DiRico said, adding that Viaero took over the support and maintenance for its own networks from Huawei shortly after installation. “We feel we’ve got a pretty good idea if there’s anything going on that’s inappropriate.”\n\nScouring the country for Chinese investments\n\nBy the time the I-25 investigation was briefed to the White House in 2019, counterintelligence officials begin looking for other places Chinese companies might be buying land or offering to develop a piece of municipal property, like a park or an old factory, sometimes as part of a “sister city” arrangement.\n\nIn one instance, officials shut down what they believed was a risky commercial deal near highly sensitive military testing installations in Utah sometime after the beginning of the I-25 investigation, according to one former US official. The military has a test and training range for hypersonic weapons in Utah, among other things. Sources declined to provide more details.\n\nFederal officials were also alarmed by what sources described as a host of espionage and influence activities in Houston and, in 2020, shut down the Chinese consulate there.\n\nUS Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Richard P. Donoghue announcing indictments against China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, several of its subsidiaries and its chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou on January 28, 2019. Joshua Roberts/Reuters\n\nBill Evanina, who until early last year ran the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, told CNN that it can sometimes be hard to differentiate between a legitimate business opportunity and espionage — in part because both might be happening at the same time.\n\n“What we’ve seen is legitimate companies that are three times removed from Beijing buy [a given] facility for obvious logical reasons, unaware of what the [Chinese] intelligence apparatus wants in that parcel [of land],” Evanina said. “What we’ve seen recently — it’s been what’s underneath the land.”\n\n“The hard part is, that’s legitimate business, and what city or town is not going to want to take that money for that land when it’s just sitting there doing nothing?” he added.\n\nA complicated problem\n\nAfter the results of the I-25 investigation were briefed to the Trump White House in 2019, the FCC ordered that telecom companies who receive federal subsidies to provide cell service to remote areas — companies like Viaero — must “rip and replace” their Huawei and ZTE equipment.\n\nThe FCC has since said that the cost could be more than double the $1.9 billion appropriated in 2020 and absent an additional appropriation from Congress, the agency is only planning to reimburse companies for a fraction of their costs.\n\nGiven the staggering strategic risk, Lenkart said, “rip and replace is a very blunt and inefficient remediation.”\n\nDiRico, the CEO of Viaero, said the cost of “rip and replace” is astronomical and that he doesn’t expect the reimbursement money to be enough to pay for the change. According to the FCC, Viaero is expected to receive less than half of the funding it is actually due. Still, he expects to start removing the equipment within the next year.\n\n“It’s difficult and it’s a lot of money,” DiRico said.\n\nSome former counterintelligence officials expressed frustration that the US government isn’t providing more granular detail about what it knows to companies — or to cities and states considering a Chinese investment proposal. They believe that not only would that kind of detail help private industry and state and local governments understand the seriousness of the threat as they see it, but also help combat the criticism that the US government is targeting Chinese companies and people, rather than Chinese state-run espionage.\n\n“This government has to do a better job of letting everyone know this is a Communist Party issue, it’s not a Chinese people issue,” Evanina said. “And I’ll be the first to say that the government has to do better with respect to understanding the Communist Party’s intentions are not the same intentions of the Chinese people.”\n\nA current FBI official said the bureau is giving more defensive briefings to US businesses, academic institutions and state and local governments that include far more detail than in the past, but officials are still fighting an uphill battle.\n\n“Sometimes I feel like we’re a lifeguard going out to a drowning person, and they don’t want our help,” said the current FBI official. But, this person said, “I think sometimes we [the FBI] say ‘China threat,’ and we take for granted what all that means in our head. And it means something else to the people that we’re delivering it to.”\n\n“I think we just need to be more careful about how we speak about it and educate folks on why we’re doing what we’re doing.”\n\nIn the meantime, the “rip and replace” program has remained fiercely controversial.\n\n“It’s not going to be easy,” DiRico said. “I’m going to be up nights worrying about it, but we’ll do what we’re told to do.”\n\nThis story has been updated to reference Wall Street Journal reporting.", "authors": ["Katie Bo Lillis"], "publish_date": "2022/07/23"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/12/politics/trump-mar-a-lago-investigation/index.html", "title": "FBI took 11 sets of classified material from Trump's Mar-a-Lago ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nThe Justice Department removed 11 sets of classified documents from former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence while executing a search warrant this week for possible violations of the Espionage Act and other crimes, according to court documents unsealed and released on Friday.\n\nThe property receipt, which was also released on Friday, for Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home shows that some of the materials recovered were marked as “top secret/SCI” – one of the highest levels of classification.\n\nThe search warrant identifies three federal crimes that the Justice Department is looking at as part of its investigation: violations of the Espionage Act, obstruction of justice and criminal handling of government records. The inclusion of the crimes indicates the Justice Department has probable cause to investigate those offenses as it was gathering evidence in the search. No one has been charged with a crime at this time.\n\nThe warrant receipt didn’t detail the subject of these classified documents but did note that federal agents seized just one set marked “top secret/SCI.”\n\nAgents also took four sets of “top secret” documents, three sets of “secret” documents, and three sets of “confidential” documents, court documents show. In total, the unsealed warrant shows the FBI collected more than 20 boxes, as well as binders of photos, sets of classified government materials and at least one handwritten note.\n\nThe warrant, which was unsealed and released publicly following a federal judge’s order, was obtained by CNN ahead of its release. The moment marks an unprecedented week that began with the search – an evidence-gathering step in a national security investigation.\n\nSearch warrant reveals new details about scope of FBI probe\n\nWhile details about the documents themselves remain scarce, the laws cited in the warrant offer new insight into what the FBI was looking for when it searched Trump’s home, an unprecedented step that has prompted a firestorm of criticism from the former President’s closest allies.\n\nThe laws cover “destroying or concealing documents to obstruct government investigations” and the unlawful removal of government records, according to the search warrant released Friday.\n\nAlso among the laws listed is one known as the Espionage Act, which relates to the “retrieval, storage, or transmission of national defense information or classified material.”\n\nAll three criminal laws cited in the warrant are from Title 18 of the United States Code. None of them solely hinge on whether information was deemed to be unclassified.\n\nOne of the less-sensitive items taken from Trump’s resort, according to a the property receipt, was a document about pardoning Roger Stone, a staunch Trump ally who was convicted in 2019 of lying to Congress during its probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election. (Trump pardoned Stone before leaving office, shielding Stone from a three-year prison term.)\n\nIt’s unclear how the Stone-related document seized during the search is tied to the broader criminal probe into Trump’s potential mishandling of classified materials.\n\nDuring the search, FBI agents also recovered material about the “President of France,” according to the warrant receipt. The French embassy in Washington declined to respond Friday to the development.\n\nFBI agents searched ’45 Office’ at Mar-a-Lago\n\nThe court documents released Friday also offer new details about the search itself and revealed that FBI agents were only allowed access to specific locations within Mar-a-Lago as they combed Trump’s resort residence for potential evidence of crimes.\n\nThe judge authorized the FBI to search what the bureau called the “45 Office,” an apparent reference to Trump’s place in history as the 45th President. Agents were also permitted to search “all other rooms or areas” at Mar-a-Lago that were available to Trump and his staff for storing boxes and documents.\n\n“The locations to be searched include the ’45 Office,’ all storage rooms, and all other rooms or areas within the premises used or available to be used by FPOTUS and his staff and in which boxes or documents could be stored, including all structures or buildings on the estate,” the warrant says, using the acronym “FPOTUS” to refer to the Former President of the United States.\n\nThe FBI’s warrant application to the judge specifically said that federal agents would avoid areas being rented or used by third parties, “such as Mar-a-Lago members” and “private guest suites.” Trump owns the sprawling estate, and it is his primary residence as well as a members-only club and resort.\n\n“It is described as a mansion with approximately 58 bedrooms, 33 bathrooms, on a 17-acre estate,” FBI agents told the judge in their application, describing the Mar-a-Lago property.\n\nTrump did not oppose release of search warrant\n\nThe FBI search at the resort in Palm Beach, Florida, on Monday was followed by days of silence from the Justice Department, as is the department’s normal practice for ongoing investigations.\n\nThen on Thursday, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that the department had moved to unseal the search warrant and two attachments, including an inventory list, but also stressed that some of the department’s work must happen outside of public view.\n\n“We do that to protect the constitutional rights of all Americans and to protect the integrity of our investigations,” Garland said, while explaining that he would not provide more detail about the basis of the search.\n\nTrump said in a late-night post on his Truth Social platform Thursday that he would “not oppose the release of documents” and that he was “going a step further by ENCOURAGING the immediate release of those documents.”\n\nThe court had instructed the Justice Department to confer with Trump about its request to unseal the warrant documents and set a Friday deadline to report back on whether he opposed their release.\n\nTrump’s team had contacted outside attorneys about how to proceed, and the former President’s orbit was caught off guard by Garland’s announcement.\n\nIn a pair of posts to Truth Social following Garland’s statement, Trump continued to claim that his attorneys were “cooperating fully” and had developed “very good relationships” with federal investigators prior to Monday’s search at Mar-a-Lago.\n\n“The government could have had whatever they wanted, if we had it,” Trump said. “Everything was fine, better than most previous Presidents, and then, out of nowhere and with no warning, Mar-a-Lago was raided, at 6:30 in the morning, by VERY large numbers of agents, and even ‘safecrackers.’”\n\nThis story and headline have been updated with additional developments.", "authors": ["Katelyn Polantz Zachary Cohen Sara Murray Marshall Cohen", "Katelyn Polantz", "Zachary Cohen", "Sara Murray", "Marshall Cohen"], "publish_date": "2022/08/12"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/29/politics/biden-student-loan-forgiveness-plan-lawsuit/index.html", "title": "Biden administration scales back student loan forgiveness plan as ...", "text": "Washington CNN —\n\nThe Biden administration scaled back eligibility for its student loan forgiveness plan Thursday, the same day six Republican-led states sued President Joe Biden in an effort to block his student loan forgiveness plan from taking effect.\n\nBorrowers whose federal student loans are guaranteed by the government but held by private lenders will now be excluded from receiving debt relief. Around 770,000 people will be affected by the change, according to an administration official.\n\nThe Department of Education initially said these loans, many of which were made under the former Federal Family Education Loan program and Federal Perkins Loan program, would be eligible for the one-time forgiveness action as long as the borrower consolidated his or her debt into the federal Direct loan program.\n\nOn Thursday, the department reversed course. According to its website, privately held federal student loans must have been consolidated before September 29 in order to be eligible for the debt relief.\n\nBorrowers with privately held federal student loans who have not consolidated yet are currently out of luck, though the Department of Education said it “is assessing whether there are alternative pathways” to provide relief.\n\nBorrowers with privately held federal student loans represent a small portion of the 43 million federal student loan borrowers. There are about 4 million borrowers with Federal Family Education Loans, but not all of those people are likely eligible for the loan forgiveness plan, which also includes an income requirement.\n\n“Our goal is to provide relief to as many eligible borrowers as quickly and easily as possible, and this will allow us to achieve that goal while we continue to explore additional legally-available options to provide relief to borrowers with privately owned FFEL loans and Perkins loans, including whether FFEL borrowers could receive one-time debt relief without needing to consolidate,” the Department of Education said in an emailed statement.\n\n“Borrowers with privately held federal student loans who applied to consolidate their loans into Direct Loans before September 29, 2022 will obtain one-time debt relief. The FFEL program is now defunct and only a small percentage of borrowers have FFEL loans. This is a completely different program than Direct Loans,” the statement said.\n\nLawsuit argues forgiveness will hurt loan servicers\n\nThe lawsuit was filed in a federal court in Missouri by state attorneys general from Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska and South Carolina, as well as legal representatives from Iowa.\n\n“In addition to being economically unwise and inherently unfair, the Biden Administration’s Mass Debt Cancellation is another example in a long line of unlawful regulatory actions. No statute permits President Biden to unilaterally relieve millions of individuals from their obligation to pay loans they voluntarily assumed,” Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson’s office said in a news release.\n\nThe plaintiffs argued that student loan servicers – including the Higher Education Loan Authority of the State of Missouri, known as MOHELA – are harmed by Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan. It argues that the plan creates an incentive for borrowers to consolidate Federal Family Education Loans owned by MOHELA into Direct Loans owned by the government, “depriving them (MOHELA) of the ongoing revenue it earns from servicing those loans,” according to the lawsuit.\n\nBut the Department of Education’s move to exclude borrowers with privately held federal loans from the student loan forgiveness plan could weaken that legal argument, said Luke Herrine, an assistant law professor at the University of Alabama who previously worked on a legal strategy pushing for student debt cancellation.\n\nThe White House continues to argue that its student loan forgiveness plan is legal.\n\n“Republican officials from these six states are standing with special interests, and fighting to stop relief for borrowers buried under mountains of debt,”said White House spokesman Abdullah Hasan in an emailed statement.\n\n“The President and his administration are lawfully giving working and middle class families breathing room as they recover from the pandemic and prepare to resume loan payments in January,” he said.\n\nFederal student loan payments have been paused since March 2020, thanks to a pandemic-related benefit. The pause expires on December 31.\n\nEarlier this week, a public interest lawyer who is also a student loan borrower, sued the Biden administration over the student loan forgiveness plan, arguing that the policy is an abuse of executive power and that it would stick him with a bigger state tax bill.\n\nHow Biden’s plan will work\n\nUnder Biden’s plan, individual borrowers who earned less than $125,000 in either 2020 or 2021 and married couples or heads of households who made less than $250,000 annually in those years will see up to $10,000 of their federal student loan debt forgiven.\n\nIf a qualifying borrower also received a federal Pell grant while enrolled in college, the individual is eligible for up to $20,000 of debt forgiveness. Pell grants are awarded to millions of low-income students each year, based on factors that include their family’s size and income and the cost charged by their college. These borrowers are also more likely to struggle to repay their student debt and end up in default.\n\nThe administration is expected to roll out the first wave of student loan forgiveness in October.\n\nThe Congressional Budget Office estimated this week – before the administration excluded FFEL borrowers – that Biden’s plan could cost the government $400 billion but warned that the estimate relies on several assumptions and is “highly uncertain.”\n\nEstimating the cost of student debt forgiveness is complicated because loans are generally paid back over several years. The White House argues that the CBO’s estimate should be looked at over a 30-year time frame.\n\nUntested legal waters\n\nBiden announced the forgiveness plan in August, after facing mounting pressure from Democrats to forgive some student loan debt. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren repeatedly called on the President to cancel up to $50,000 in student loan debt per borrower.\n\nBut canceling federal student loan debt so broadly is unprecedented and, until now, has yet to be tested in court. Biden initially urged Congress to take action to cancel some student debt, rather than wade into a murky legal area himself, but Democrats don’t have the votes to pass such legislation.\n\nIn a Department of Education memo released in August, the Biden administration argued that the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act of 2003 – or Heroes Act – grants the Education Secretary the power to cancel student debt to help address the financial harm suffered due to the Covid-19 pandemic.\n\nThe Heroes Act, which was enacted in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks, “provides the Secretary broad authority to grant relief from student loan requirements during specific periods,” including a war, other military operation or national emergency, according to the memo.\n\nThe lawsuit filed Thursday argues that the Heroes Act does not grant the President such broad authority.\n\nWhat happens next\n\nAdditional lawsuits challenging Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan could be forthcoming. Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, a Republican, has said he is working on developing the best legal theory to sue the administration over the action.\n\nA conservative advocacy group called the Job Creators Network is also weighing its legal options, planning to file a lawsuit once the Department of Education formalizes the student loan forgiveness plan next month.\n\nBut some legal experts are skeptical that a legal challenge to Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan could be successful.\n\nAbby Shafroth, staff attorney at the nonprofit National Consumer Law Center, previously told CNN that she believes the merits of the Biden administration’s legal statutory authority are strong and that it’s unclear who would have legal standing to bring a case and want to do so. Standing to bring a case is a procedural threshold requiring that an injury be inflicted on a plaintiff to justify a lawsuit.\n\nIf the standing hurdle is cleared, a case would be heard by a district court first – which may or may not issue a preliminary injunction to prevent the cancellation from occurring before a final ruling is issued on the merits of the hypothetical case.\n\nSeveral recent US Supreme Court decisions have touched on executive power, limiting the federal government’s authority to implement new rules. While the Supreme Court takes up a small number of cases each year, lower courts may look at what the justices have said in those cases when assessing the Department of Education’s authority.\n\nThis story has been updated with additional information.", "authors": ["Katie Lobosco"], "publish_date": "2022/09/29"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/08/health/states-lift-school-mask-mandates-cdc/index.html", "title": "As states plan to lift school mask mandates, CDC remains vague on ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nAs many states see declines in their daily Covid-19 case numbers and hospitalization rates, some have moved forward with plans to lift a significant mitigation measure: mask mandates in schools.\n\nThe moves go against guidance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but the agency has remained mum about the states’ decisions, simply telling CNN on Monday that it still recommends universal masking for all in schools.\n\nHowever, some public health experts have questioned whether it’s time for the CDC to update its school guidance, especially as the nation mulls over what life after the pandemic might look like. Without federal guidance on when and how to transition out of the pandemic phase and into a Covid-19 endemic phase, some states are taking steps on their own.\n\n‘Dropping like a rock’\n\nThe Democratic governors of three East Coast states – Connecticut, Delaware and New Jersey – announced Monday that they will lift mask requirements in schools in the coming weeks.\n\nIn Connecticut, Gov. Ned Lamont said he recommends ending the statewide mask mandate in schools and childcare centers effective February 28, leaving decisions on mask requirements in schools to officials at the local level.\n\nIn Delaware, Gov. John Carney said that public and private K-12 mask mandates will expire March 31, and in New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy said the state’s universal mask mandate for schools and child-care settings will lift March 7.\n\nAll three states referenced declines in their Covid-19 case counts, hospitalizations, test positivity rates and rates of transmission as reasons why they are planning to lift restrictions.\n\n“Our case count, hospitalizations, the spot positivity rate, the rate of transmission are all dropping like a rock,” Murphy told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Monday, adding that the state is making progress with vaccinations and that there will be better ventilation options in four weeks, when the mask mandate lifts.\n\n“We’ve adhered overwhelmingly with the CDC guidance. The reason why we’re making this step today is our reality in New Jersey,” Murphy said. “We are now in a dramatically different place than the norm right now across the country, which is why we feel like we can decouple and take this step.”\n\nAlso Monday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the state’s indoor mask requirement will expire February 15, though unvaccinated people will still need to wear masks indoors. He noted that California’s case rate has decreased 65% since its Omicron peak, and hospitalizations have stabilized across the state.\n\nAnd the Oregon Health Authority announced Monday that the state will remove general mask requirements for indoor public places no later than March 31.\n\nBut as these states change their policies, the White House has not changed its position.\n\n“The guidance is very clear, which is that we recommend masking in schools. That is the recommendation from the CDC,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said during a news briefing Monday, referring to the CDC’s guidance urging universal mask-wearing in schools for everyone 2 and older, regardless of a person’s vaccination status.\n\n“It is also true that at some point when the science and the data warrants, of course, our hope is that that’s no longer the recommendation – and they are continually assessing that,” Psaki said of CDC officials. “It is also true that it’s always been up to local school districts to make determinations about how to implement these policies.”\n\nCDC spokesperson Jade Fulce wrote in an email to CNN on Monday that “CDC guidance is meant to supplement — not replace — any federal, state, tribal, local, or territorial health and safety laws, rules, and regulations. The adoption and implementation of our guidance should be done in collaboration with regulatory agencies and state, tribal, local, and territorial public health departments, and in compliance with state and local policies and practices.”\n\nWhen asked whether the CDC plan to release any updated guidance on when it’s appropriate to lift mask mandates in schools, the agency responded that “CDC continuously reviews data on the pandemic as well as the latest science to identify when changes to guidance are recommended.”\n\n‘There has been … a lack of clarity for some time’\n\nThe CDC could improve its communications with state leaders and the public regarding its mask guidance – including when and why mask mandates should be implemented, what the benefits are, and the science and data behind such recommendations, Glen Nowak, co-director of the Center for Health & Risk Communication at the University of Georgia and former head of media relations for the CDC, told CNN on Monday.\n\n“There has been, I think, a lack of clarity for some time regarding what the end goal is,” Nowak said.\n\n“Even now, it would help if the CDC talked about what they were thinking or what they were doing, if anything, with respect to updating their mask guidelines and recommendations,” Nowak said. “What efforts are underway, and what are they trying to do? What are they trying to learn? I think, right now probably still among many people, that’s sort of a mystery.”\n\nState and local officials have had to “take matters into their own hands” when it comes to changing school mask mandates, and that’s bad news for federal public health authorities, CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen told CNN’s John Berman on Monday.\n\n“That means that the federal government is becoming less and less relevant,” said Wen, who is also an emergency physician and professor of health policy and management at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. “If the CDC guidance that they’re putting out is now not being followed by virtually anyone, that makes the CDC and our federal public health authorities have less credibility.\n\n“And so I really believe that they need to be changing their guidance, and look, they don’t have to do it overnight. They can say ‘here is an off-ramp to masking. You meet these criteria, and this is how you can begin to remove masks or remove other restrictions.’ But we need to hear their leadership here. The CDC has already lost a lot of trust and credibility. This is their time to rebuild and remove restrictions as quickly as they were put in.”\n\nWhen it comes to lifting mask mandates, the decisions are typically based on the risk of someone getting infected with the coronavirus within the community, Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, told CNN on Monday.\n\n“If you’re fully vaccinated and boosted, and the broad community spread is low to moderate, then your risk is low,” Benjamin said. In New Jersey and some other states that plan to lift school mask mandates, state officials project that community spread of Covid-19 will probably be low.\n\nBenjamin added that as the country looks ahead, beyond the public health emergency phase of Covid-19, it might be time for the CDC to update its guidance on mask-wearing in schools and the surrounding communities, especially as such guidance is based on data from Covid-19 case counts and test positivity rates in communities. Many people test for Covid-19 at home, which can skew data if they don’t report their results.\n\nSeparately, many state governors and leading public health experts are also calling for the White House to release guidance on what the end of the pandemic, and a transition into an endemic phase, might look like for the country. “Endemic” means a disease has a constant presence in a population but isn’t overwhelming health systems or affecting an alarmingly large number of people, as typically seen in a pandemic.\n\nConsideration for lifting mask mandates\n\nAs some governors set timelines for the end of their states’ school mask mandates, Dr. Carlos del Rio, the executive associate dean of the Emory University School of Medicine, said it’s the right thing to do for school districts in highly vaccinated communities.\n\n“In a highly vaccinated community, as the cases are decreasing right now with Omicron, in a couple of weeks, maybe removing masks is actually the right thing to do. It allows us the opportunity to actually peel off one of those restrictions that has been so controversial,” del Rio told CNN’s Bianna Golodryga on Monday. He added that there are other mitigation measures that schools can adopt, such as improving air ventilation in classrooms.\n\nDel Rio said communities should continue to monitor Covid-19 cases as well as track hospitalizations and test positivity rates.\n\nHe thinks there are two possible metrics for lifting mask mandates, he told CNN in an email Monday: hospitalization rates and capacity levels in intensive care units.\n\nGet CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team.\n\n“If hospitalizations are clearly coming down and positivity rates are coming down in the community, it is the right thing to do,” del Rio told Golodryga of lifting school mask mandates.\n\nOn the other hand, many states that continue to see high Covid-19 case counts and low vaccination rates have not changed their school mask policies. For instance, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday that the state will continue to recommend face masks in schools, citing low vaccinations rates in children.\n\nWhen asked what it will take for him to lift that recommendation, Beshear said he will look at the positivity rate and vaccination rate in people 18 and under.", "authors": ["Jacqueline Howard"], "publish_date": "2022/02/08"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/31/politics/biden-student-loan-forgiveness-faq/index.html", "title": "Everything you need to know about Biden's student loan forgiveness ...", "text": "Washington CNN —\n\nPresident Joe Biden’s federal student loan forgiveness program, which promises to deliver up to $20,000 of debt relief for millions of borrowers, is on hold as legal challenges work their way through the courts.\n\nThe Supreme Court will hear arguments on February 28 in two cases concerning the forgiveness program, with a decision expected by late June or early July.\n\nAbout 26 million people had already applied by the time a federal district court judge struck down the program on November 10, 2022 – prompting the government to stop taking applications. No debt has been canceled thus far.\n\nThe administration officially launched the application on October 17, 2022, following a brief “beta period” during which its team assessed whether tweaks were needed.\n\nIf the courts ultimately allow the program to move forward, not every student loan borrower is eligible for the debt relief. First, only federally held student loans qualify. Private student loans are excluded.\n\nSecond, high-income borrowers are generally excluded from receiving debt forgiveness. Individual borrowers who make less than $125,000 a year and married couples or heads of households who make less than $250,000 annually could see up to $10,000 of their federal student loan debt forgiven.\n\nIf a qualifying borrower also received a federal Pell grant while enrolled in college, the individual is eligible for up to $20,000 of debt forgiveness. Pell grants are awarded to millions of low-income students each year, based on factors including their family’s size and income and the cost charged by their college. These borrowers are also more likely to struggle to repay their student debt and end up in default.\n\nHere’s what else borrowers need to know about the proposed student loan forgiveness plan:\n\nWhat are the legal challenges to Biden’s forgiveness plan?\n\nThe Biden administration faced several lawsuits over the student loan forgiveness program, two of which have made it to the Supreme Court. The plaintiffs argue that the Department of Education is overstepping its authority.\n\nOne of the lawsuits was brought by six Republican-led states, headed by Nebraska, that argue that the student loan forgiveness program violates the separation of powers and the Administrative Procedure Act, a federal law that governs the process by which federal agencies issue regulations.\n\nA lower court judge dismissed this lawsuit on October 20, ruling that the plaintiffs did not have the legal standing to bring the challenge. In November, the 8th US Circuit Court of Appeals reversed and blocked the program.\n\nThe other challenge that the Supreme Court will hear was brought by two individual borrowers – Myra Brown and Alexander Taylor – who are not qualified for full debt relief forgiveness and who say they were denied an opportunity to comment on the secretary of education’s decision to provided targeted student loan debt relief to some.\n\nThe lawsuit was filed with the backing of a conservative group called the Job Creators Network Foundation. A federal judge in Texas ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, striking down the program on November 10.\n\nLawyers for the government say that Congress gave the secretary of education “expansive authority to alleviate the hardship that federal student loan recipients may suffer as a result of national emergencies,” like the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a memo from the Department of Justice.\n\nWhen will I receive my debt relief?\n\nIt’s unclear when, or if, borrowers will see debt relief under Biden’s program.\n\nAdministration officials expected to be able to grant relief before January, when payments were set resume after the pandemic-related pause expired. But now debt cancellation won’t occur until at least June when the Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling.\n\nOn November 22, 2022, the Biden administration extended the pandemic-related pause on payments until 60 days after the litigation is resolved. If the program has not been implemented and the litigation has not been resolved by June 30, payments will resume 60 days after that.\n\nThe White House has said that it has already approved 16 million applications for debt relief. The Department of Education will hold on to that information so it can quickly process those borrowers’ relief if the government prevails in court.\n\nIf and when the program moves forward, an estimated 8 million borrowers may receive debt relief automatically because the Department of Education already has their income on file.\n\nIf the government restarts taking applications, borrowers can apply online here: https://studentaid.gov/debt-relief/application.\n\nApplicants can expect to receive an email confirmation once their application is successfully submitted. Then, borrowers will be notified by their loan servicer when the debt cancellation has been applied to their account.\n\nBorrowers were expected to have until December 31, 2023, to submit an application.\n\nWhat kind of federal loans are eligible?\n\nThere are a variety of federal student loans and not all are eligible for relief if the program is allowed to proceed. Federal Direct Loans, including subsidized loans, unsubsidized loans, parent PLUS loans and graduate PLUS loans, are eligible.\n\nBut federal student loans that are guaranteed by the government but held by private lenders are not eligible unless the borrower applied to consolidate those loans into a Direct Loan by September 29, 2022.\n\nThe Department of Education initially said these privately held loans, many of which were made under the former Federal Family Education Loan program and Federal Perkins Loan program, would be eligible for the one-time forgiveness action – but reversed course last September when six Republican-led states sued the Biden administration, arguing that forgiving the privately held loans would financially hurt states and student loan servicers.\n\nDefaulted Federal Family Education Loans and defaulted Perkins Loans would be eligible for the debt relief even if they are privately held.\n\nWhat year is the income threshold based on?\n\nIf Biden’s program is allowed to move forward, eligibility is based on a borrower’s adjusted gross income for either tax year 2020 or 2021. Adjusted gross income can be lower than your total wages because it considers tax deductions and adjustments, like contributions made to a 401(k) retirement plan.\n\nA taxpayer’s adjusted gross income can be found on line 11 of IRS Form 1040.\n\nHow will the government know what my income was?\n\nThe Department of Education says it already has income information for nearly 8 million borrowers, likely because of financial aid forms or previously submitted income-driven repayment plan applications. If the program is allowed to move forward, those borrowers will automatically receive the debt relief if they meet the income requirement, unless they choose to opt out. The department has said it will email borrowers who will be considered for debt relief but don’t need to apply.\n\nMillions of other borrowers will need to apply for student loan forgiveness if the Department of Education doesn’t have their income information on file. When they submit the application, borrowers are required to self-attest that their income is under the eligibility threshold. They are required to certify that the information provided is accurate upon penalty of perjury.\n\nThe Biden administration has said that applicants who are “more likely to exceed the income cutoff” will be required to submit additional information, like a tax transcript. Officials expect that just 5% of borrowers with eligible federal student loans would not qualify due to the income threshold.\n\nWill I have to pay taxes on the amount of debt canceled?\n\nBorrowers will not have to pay federal income tax on the student loan debt forgiven, thanks to a provision in the American Rescue Plan Act that Congress passed in 2021.\n\nBut it’s possible that some borrowers may have to pay state income tax on the amount of debt forgiven. There are a handful of states that may tax discharged debt if state legislative or administrative changes are not made beforehand, according to the Tax Policy Center. The tax liability could be hundreds of dollars, depending on the state.\n\nI’m a current student. Am I eligible for forgiveness?\n\nYes, some current students would be eligible under Biden’s plan if it’s allowed to take effect. Eligibility for borrowers who filed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as the FAFSA, as an independent will be based on the individual’s own household income.\n\nEligibility for borrowers who are enrolled as dependent students, generally those under the age of 24, will be based on parental income for either 2020 or 2021.\n\nI have student debt from graduate school. Am I eligible for forgiveness?\n\nYes, if your income meets the eligibility threshold and the program is allowed to be implemented.\n\nI’m a parent and took out a Parent PLUS loan. Am I eligible?\n\nYes, you could be eligible if your income meets the threshold. A parent borrower with federal Parent PLUS loans for multiple children is still only eligible for up to $20,000 of loan forgiveness.\n\nBut a parent is only eligible for up to $20,000 in debt relief if he or she received a Pell grant for his or her own education. If only the child received a Pell grant, the parent is eligible for up to $10,000 in forgiveness.\n\nHow do I know if I ever received a Pell grant?\n\nMost borrowers can log in to Studentaid.gov to see if they received a Pell grant while enrolled in college. Information about Pell grants received is displayed on the account dashboard and on the My Aid page. This is also where borrowers can find out how much they owe and what kind of loans they have.\n\nBorrowers who received a Pell grant before 1994 won’t see their Pell grant information online, but they are still eligible for the $20,000 in student loan forgiveness.\n\nAs long as borrowers received at least one Pell grant, they are eligible.\n\nThe Biden administration has said that eligible borrowers who have received Pell grants will automatically receive the additional debt relief.\n\nAm I eligible for forgiveness if my loans are in default?\n\nYes, defaulted federal student loans would be eligible for debt relief under Biden’s program.\n\nFor borrowers who have a remaining balance on their defaulted student loans after the cancellation is applied, there will be an opportunity to get out of default once payments resume later this year as part of what the Department of Education is calling its “Fresh Start” initiative.\n\nHow will my payments change going forward?\n\nBorrowers who have debt remaining after either $10,000 or $20,000 is wiped away could see their monthly payment amounts recalculated if they are enrolled in a standard repayment plan. Under a standard repayment plan, borrowers pay a fixed amount that ensures loans are paid off within 10 years.\n\nBorrowers who are already enrolled in an income-driven repayment plan are not likely to see their monthly payment amounts change due to the forgiveness, because their payments are based on household income and family size.\n\nBorrowers have not been required to make payments on their federal student loans since March 2020 because of the government’s pandemic-related pause.\n\nWhat about Biden’s new income-driven repayment plan?\n\nAlong with Biden’s August announcement about canceling some federal student loan debt, he also said he would create a new plan that would make repayment more manageable for borrowers.\n\nThere are currently several repayment plans available for federal student loan borrowers that lower monthly payments by capping them at a portion of their income.\n\nThe new income-driven repayment plan proposal will cap payments at 5% of a borrower’s discretionary income, down from 10% that is offered in most current plans, as well as reduce the amount of income that is considered discretionary. It would also forgive remaining balances after 10 years of repayment, instead of 20 years.\n\nBiden is also proposing that the new plan cover the borrower’s unpaid monthly interest. This could be very helpful for people whose monthly payments are so low that they don’t cover their monthly interest charge and end up seeing their balances explode, growing larger than what was originally borrowed.\n\nThe new plan is currently going through a formal rulemaking process, and the Department of Education has said it expects provisions of the new plan to take effect later this year.\n\nCan I get a refund for what I paid during the pandemic pause?\n\nYes. Borrowers have not been required to make payments on their federal student loans since March 13, 2020, because of the pandemic-related pause. But if borrowers did make payments, they are allowed to contact their loan servicer to request a refund.\n\nThis story has been updated with additional information.", "authors": ["Katie Lobosco"], "publish_date": "2022/08/31"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/30/politics/mar-a-lago-justice-department-response/index.html", "title": "Mar-a-Lago search: Justice Department says documents were likely ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nUS government documents were “likely concealed and removed” from a storage room at Mar-a-Lago as part of an effort to “obstruct” the FBI’s investigation into former President Donald Trump’s potential mishandling of classified materials, the Justice Department said in a blockbuster court filing Tuesday night.\n\nMore than 320 classified documents have now been recovered from Mar-a-Lago, the Justice Department said, including more than 100 in the FBI search earlier this month.\n\nTuesday’s filing represents the Justice Department’s strongest case to date that Trump concealed classified material he was keeping at Mar-a-Lago in an attempt to obstruct the FBI’s investigation into the potential mishandling of classified material.\n\nThe Justice Department revealed the startling new details as part of its move to oppose Trump’s effort to intervene in the federal investigation that led to the search of his Florida resort and his desire for a “special master” to be appointed to the case.\n\nTrump has pushed an “incomplete and inaccurate narrative” in his recent court filings about the Mar-a-Lago search, the Justice Department said.\n\n“The government provides below a detailed recitation of the relevant facts, many of which are provided to correct the incomplete and inaccurate narrative set forth in Plaintiff’s filings,” prosecutors wrote.\n\nIt presents a strong rebuttal of the criticisms of the FBI’s unprecedented search of a former President’s residence, laying out clearly how Trump had failed to return dozens of classified documents even after his lawyer attested that he had provided all classified material in his possession.\n\nVideo Ad Feedback Honig says DOJ filing shows FBI had no choice but to search Mar-a-Lago 02:29 - Source: CNN\n\nA picture on the final page of the filing showing classified documents arrayed on the floor of Trump’s office – full of highly classified markings like “HCS,” meaning human intelligence sources – hammered home how sensitive the material Trump had taken was.\n\nAt issue is Trump’s compliance with a grand jury subpoena, issued in May, demanding that he turn over classified documents from Mar-a-Lago. Prosecutors said Tuesday that some documents were likely removed from a storage room before Trump’s lawyers examined the area, while they were trying to comply with the subpoena. The timeline is essential, because Trump’s lawyers later told investigators that they searched the storage area and that all classified documents were accounted for.\n\n“The government also developed evidence that government records were likely concealed and removed from the Storage Room and that efforts were likely taken to obstruct the government’s investigation,” prosecutors wrote. “This included evidence indicating that boxes formerly in the Storage Room were not returned prior to counsel’s review.”\n\nThe allegations came after the DOJ’s filing went into specific detail about actions from Trump’s team that the department implies were obstructive to its probe.\n\nIn the filing opposing Trump’s request, DOJ argues that the former president lacks standing over presidential records “because those records do not belong to him,” as presidential records are considered property of the government.\n\nThe Presidential Records Act makes clear that “[t]he United States” has “complete ownership, possession, and control of them,” the DOJ filing states.\n\nTrump has argued that his constitutional rights have been violated and that some of the documents seized earlier this month contain material covered by privilege – particularly executive privilege.\n\nThe Justice Department was ordered to submit the filing by Judge Aileen Cannon, who has already indicated she is inclined to grant Trump’s request for third party oversight of documents the FBI seized Mar-a-Lago.\n\nThe role of a special master is to filter out any materials seized in a search that don’t belong in the hands of investigators because of a privilege. Special masters have been used in high-profile cases before, but usually in cases where the FBI has searched an attorney’s office or home and there is a need to filter out materials concerning attorney-client privilege. Trump’s request has centered on the need to protect documents concerning executive privilege from his conduct as president.\n\nSignals from Cannon, a Trump appointee, that she is leaning toward appointing a special master in the Mar-a-Lago search have raised eyebrows among legal observers. For one, Trump filed his request for the appointment two weeks after the search of his Florida home, risking the potential that the Justice Department is already done with the bulk of its review. Secondly, Trump and the judge alike have pointed to civil rules concerning special master appointments, when the search warrant is arising in a criminal context.\n\nSince the August 8 search, a number of previously secret court filings the DOJ submitted to obtain the warrant have been made partially public in part because of a bid for transparency filed in court by several media organizations, including CNN.\n\nThose redacted documents have revealed that the search was connected to a DOJ investigation into alleged violations of the Espionage Act, criminal mishandling of government documents and obstruction of justice. According to an FBI affidavit that was released last week, an FBI review of 15 boxes retrieved by the National Archives from Mar-a-Lago in January found 184 documents bearing classification markings – some of them identified as particularly sensitive government documents.\n\nTrump, in seeking the special master, has stressed in court filings the lack of criminal enforcement in the Presidential Records Act, a Watergate-era law laying out the process for preserving presidential records. He did not mention the three criminal statutes the DOJ cited in its warrant documents. Trump’s lawyers have also emphasized his supposedly unfettered ability when he was president to declassify documents, though the statutes in question don’t require that the materials be classified.\n\nWednesday morning, Trump posted on his social media platform on Truth Social for the first time since the Justice Department filing and once again claimed to have declassified documents that were found at his Mar-a-Lago residence.\n\nIn one of his most recent posts, Trump appeared to comment on the photo of top-secret documents laid out on the floor, saying, “Terrible the way the FBI… threw documents haphazardly all over the floor,” and, “Lucky I Declassified!”\n\nIn other posts, he attacked the FBI and DOJ generally and said, “This is the time, after many years of lawbreaking & unfairness, to clean things up. All things for a reason. DRAIN THE SWAMP!!!” He repeated his false claims of a stolen election and said, “Our Country is going to hell!” He also claimed crowds are “already forming” for his rally on Saturday.\n\nTrump’s attorney limited what DOJ could look at during June visit\n\nA top Justice Department official contends that federal investigators were limited in what they could look through when visiting the resort in June – contrary to the Trump team’s narrative of total cooperation.\n\nTrump’s lawyer requested that the FBI come to the resort to pick up the documents after the Trump team had received a grand jury subpoena in May seeking any materials marked classified, according to the Justice Department.\n\nDOJ’s account also undermined claims by Trump and his allies that the former President had declassified the materials in question.\n\n“When producing the documents, neither counsel nor the custodian asserted that the former President had declassified the documents or asserted any claim of executive privilege,” the filing said. “Instead, counsel handled them in a manner that suggested counsel believed that the documents were classified: the production included a single Redweld envelope, double-wrapped in tape, containing the document.”\n\nIn the DOJ’s account, Trump’s lawyer said that all the remaining documents from Trump’s White House were being kept in the storage at Mar-a-Lago. “Counsel further represented that there were no other records stored in any private office space or other location at the Premises and that all available boxes were searched,” the filing said.\n\nProsecutors confirmed Trump’s assertion that the visiting DOJ and FBI officials were then allowed to visit the storage area.\n\n“Critically, however, the former President’s counsel explicitly prohibited government personnel from opening or looking inside any of the boxes that remained in the storage room, giving no opportunity for the government to confirm that no documents with classification markings remained,” the DOJ said.\n\nDOJ reveals grand jury proceedings related to Mar-a-Lago search happening in DC\n\nThe Justice Department confirmed that grand jury subpoenas had been issued in its probe, and that the grand jury that issued them had been empaneled in DC. The department included a copy of a May 11 subpoena for government records at Mar-a-Lago marked as classified that indicated the existence of the DC federal grand jury. Before making the subpoena public, the department on Monday got permission to do so from Chief Judge Beryl Howell in the DC District Court, according to a footnote in its brief.\n\nThe reference to Howell suggests that in addition to Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart and Cannon in Florida, a third judge is now involved in the DOJ’s probe.\n\nThis story has been updated with additional details.", "authors": ["Jeremy Herb Tierney Sneed Marshall Cohen Evan Perez Sara Murray", "Jeremy Herb", "Tierney Sneed", "Marshall Cohen", "Evan Perez", "Sara Murray"], "publish_date": "2022/08/30"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/04/politics/student-loan-forgiveness-application-rules/index.html", "title": "Biden's student loan forgiveness application is coming soon. Here's ...", "text": "Washington CNN —\n\nThe application for President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan is expected to go live as soon as this week.\n\nAnnounced in late August, the plan will deliver federal student loan forgiveness to millions of low- and middle-income borrowers.\n\nIndividuals who earned less than $125,000 in either 2020 or 2021 and married couples or heads of households who made less than $250,000 annually in those years will see up to $10,000 of their federal student loan debt forgiven.\n\nIf a qualifying borrower also received a federal Pell grant while enrolled in college, the individual is eligible for up to $20,000 of debt forgiveness.\n\nIn addition to federal Direct Loans used to pay for an undergraduate degree, federal PLUS loans borrowed by graduate students and parents may also be eligible if the borrower meets the income requirements.\n\nFacing mounting legal challenges to the student loan forgiveness policy, the Biden administration announced some last-minute changes to the program last week. Borrowers are still awaiting final details on the policy.\n\nThe Department of Education regularly updates the Federal Student Aid website with information on the forgiveness program.\n\nHere’s what we know so far:\n\nHow to apply\n\nThe application has not been released yet but the Biden administration has said it will come out sometime in October.\n\nThe online application will be short, according to the Department of Education. Borrowers won’t need to upload any supporting documents or use their Federal Student Aid ID to submit the application.\n\n“Once you submit your application, we’ll review it, determine your eligibility for debt relief and work with your loan servicer(s) to process your relief. We’ll contact you if we need any additional information from you,” the department said an email to borrowers last week.\n\nBorrowers will have more than a year to apply. The deadline will be December 2023.\n\nTo be notified when the process has officially opened, sign up at the Department of Education subscription page.\n\nWhen will forgiveness start?\n\nAbout 8 million people are expected to receive student loan forgiveness automatically because the Department of Education already knows what their income is, likely due to previously submitted financial aid forms or income-driven repayment plan applications.\n\nIt’s unclear when exactly debts will be discharged. But due to ongoing lawsuits, the government has agreed in court to hold off canceling any federal student loan debt before October 17.\n\nLast-minute eligibility change\n\nThe Biden administration scaled back eligibility for the program last week, as it faces mounting legal challenges to the policy.\n\nThe program will now exclude borrowers whose federal student loans are guaranteed by the government but held by private lenders. The administration has said the change could affect about 700,000 people.\n\nThe Department of Education initially said these loans, many of which were made under the former Federal Family Education Loan program and Federal Perkins Loan program, would be eligible for the one-time forgiveness action as long as the borrower consolidated his or her debt into the federal Direct Loan program.\n\nBut the agency has reversed course after six Republican-led states sued the Biden administration, arguing that forgiving the privately held loans would financially hurt states and student loan servicers.\n\nNow, privately held federal student loans must have been consolidated before September 29 in order to be eligible for the debt relief.\n\nBorrowers can opt out of the program\n\nThe White House clarified last week that borrowers will be able to opt out if they don’t want to receive the debt forgiveness.\n\nThe Biden administration’s announcement came hours after a borrower sued, arguing that he would be forced to pay state taxes on the amount canceled – an expense he would otherwise avoid.\n\nThere are a handful of states that may tax the debt discharged under Biden’s plan if state legislative or administrative changes are not made beforehand, according to the Tax Foundation.\n\nOngoing legal challenges\n\nThere are currently at least three significant lawsuits aiming to block the Biden administration from implementing its student loan forgiveness plan.\n\nRepublican states are leading the charge. In addition to the lawsuit filed by six Republican-led states that say they could be hurt financially by the forgiveness plan, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich also filed a lawsuit last week.\n\nBrnovich, a Republican, argues that the policy could reduce Arizona’s tax revenue because the state code doesn’t consider the loan forgiveness as taxable income, according to the lawsuit. The complaint also argues that the forgiveness policy will hurt the attorney general office’s ability to recruit employees. Currently its employees may be eligible for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, but some potential job candidates may not view that as a benefit if their student loan debt is already canceled, the lawsuit argues.\n\nA federal judge has already denied the request in the third lawsuit – from a borrower who sued arguing that they would incur a bigger state tax bill due to the loan forgiveness. The plaintiff, a public interest lawyer at the Pacific Legal Foundation, has until October 10 to file a revamped lawsuit.\n\nHow much will the program cost?\n\nThe nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said in a report released last week that the student loan cancellation could come at a price of $400 billion but noted that those estimates are still “highly uncertain.”\n\nThe Biden administration argues that the CBO’s cost estimate should be viewed over a 30-year time period and came out with its own analysis two days later. It said the program will cost an average of $30 billion per year over the next decade and $379 billion over the course of the program.\n\nBeware of scams\n\nThe Department of Education is warning borrowers of scams related to the student loan forgiveness program that ask for payment in return for help getting debt relief.\n\n“Make sure you work only with the US Department of Education and our loan servicers, and never reveal your personal information or account password to anyone,” it said in an email to borrowers.", "authors": ["Katie Lobosco"], "publish_date": "2022/10/04"}]}
{"question_id": "20230303_6", "search_time": "2023/03/15/03:27", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/31/health/health-care-concerns-kff-poll/index.html", "title": "Costs top Americans' health care concerns, new poll finds | CNN", "text": "CNN —\n\nAmericans’ biggest health care priorities revolve largely around affordability, according to a new Kaiser Family Foundation poll, with most wanting to see Congress tackle drug prices. More broadly, inflation and rising costs dominate the public’s concerns.\n\nThe findings, released Thursday, show that 55% of Americans call inflation and rising prices the biggest problem facing the US, far ahead of the Russian invasion of Ukraine (18%), climate change (6%), the Covid-19 pandemic (6%) or crime (6%).\n\nThat’s true across party lines, although the sentiment is most pronounced within the GOP: About 70% of Republicans call inflation the country’s biggest issue, compared with 53% of independents and 46% of Democrats.\n\nSimilarly, other recent polls have found the rising cost of living dominating Americans’ minds. In a new Quinnipiac poll, 30% of Americans picked inflation as the most urgent issue facing the US, with the Russia/Ukraine crisis following at just 14%. NBC polling also found Americans more focused on economic concerns than foreign policy or other issues. And a new Gallup survey said 17% of Americans cited inflation as the nation’s top problem, the highest level in its polling since 1985.\n\nThe focus on costs remains even when Americans are asked specifically about their priorities for possible health care legislation, the KFF poll finds. Most US adults (61%) say it should be a priority for Congress to limit how much drug companies can raise prescription drug prices each year to no more than the rate of inflation. About half (53%) say Congress should make it a priority to cap out-of-pocket costs for insulin at $35 monthly and to place a limit on out-of-pocket health care costs for seniors (52%).\n\nFewer, 42%, call it a priority to expand government-provided health insurance in states that have not expanded Medicaid access or to increase funding for access to mental health services and training for mental health providers. Only 25% say that providing more Covid-19 pandemic response funding should be a priority.\n\n“The public’s priorities in health reflect deep concern about prices of everything right now, including drug prices,” KFF President and CEO Drew Altman said in a news release. “That doesn’t mean other things that have long been popular do not have public support too; they do. It just means prices are the preeminent concern.”\n\nIn their personal finances, most Americans express at least some worry about being able to afford gasoline or other transportation costs (71%) and unexpected medical bills (58%), with many concerned about paying for monthly utility bills (50%) and food (47%). In February 2020, just 40% worried about paying for gas, 38% about monthly utilities and 34% about food, KFF found.\n\nConcerns are magnified for lower-income Americans. Nearly 8 in 10 Americans in households making less than $40,000 a year say they worry about affording as or transportation costs, with more than 6 in 10 also concerned about affording unexpected medical bills (66%), monthly utilities (65%), rent or mortgage payments (63%) and food (62%).\n\nAbout half of Americans, 51%, say they’ve put off or gone without some form of medical service in the past year because of its costs.\n\nTwelve years after its passage, the Affordable Care Act remains popular, the KFF poll finds, with 55% of the public viewing it favorably. About one-quarter, 24%, say the law has directly helped them and their family, with 20% saying it hurt them and the rest that it’s had no direct effect.\n\nOf those who say they’ve seen a positive personal impact, about half say the ACA mainly helped by letting someone in their family get or keep health coverage, with 30% saying the ACA mainly made it easier to get needed health care and 20% that it mainly lowered health care or health insurance costs.\n\nGet CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team.\n\nViews of both the ACA and its effects are also sharply divided along partisan lines, with 43% of Democrats and just 7% of Republicans saying the ACA has helped them.\n\nAmong Americans under 65 who have private health insurance, 56% say they know nothing about the No Surprises Act, a law taking effect this year that protects people with private health insurance from getting large medical bills when they accidentally receive out-of-network health care. Only about 21% say they know even something about the legislation.", "authors": ["Ariel Edwards-Levy"], "publish_date": "2022/03/31"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/14/business/kroger-albertsons-merger/index.html", "title": "Kroger-Albertsons merger: Two of the largest supermarkets in ...", "text": "New York CNN Business —\n\nKroger announced Friday that it plans to buy Albertsons in a nearly $25 billion deal that could change the US retail industry and impact how millions of customers buy their groceries.\n\nThe deal, which is expected to close in 2024, would combine two of the largest supermarket chains in the country and create one of its largest private employers. The two companies have a combined 710,000 workers – most of them unionized in an industry with low union rates – nearly 5,000 stores and more than $200 billion in sales. The companies say they reach 85 million households.\n\nThe retail industry has consolidated in recent years, and merging would give the companies greater scale to fend off competition from Amazon (AMZN), Walmart (WMT) and other retail giants. Traditional supermarkets have been pressured by these companies and others – discount chains such as Dollar General (DG) and Aldi, warehouse clubs like Costco (COST), and online grocers.\n\nThe merger “accelerates our position as a more compelling alternative to larger and non-union competitors,” Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen said in a statement Friday.\n\nIf the deal is completed, it would be one of the largest mergers in US retail history – dwarfing Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods in 2017 for $13.7 billion. The company would become the third largest retail chain in America by sales. Its combined market share in the $1.4 trillion grocery industry would be 13.5%, according to Morgan Stanley, making it the second largest grocer behind Walmart’s 15.5% share.\n\nThe move also comes as companies battle higher costs and food inflation reaches its highest level in decades. Prices at grocery stores continued to soar last month. The food at home index, a proxy for grocery store prices, increased 0.7% in September from the month prior and 13% over the last year.\n\nKroger said the deal would benefit consumers and it will use half a billion dollars in cost savings from the merger to invest in lower prices. Albertsons is known for having higher prices than Kroger and analysts say Kroger may try to lower the chain’s prices.\n\nKroger (KR) will buy Albertsons for $34.10 a share — a roughly 30% premium above the grocery chain’s average share price over the course of the past month. Shares of Kroger (KR) slid 5% in early trading Friday, while Albertsons dropped 7%.\n\nThe two companies operate dozens of grocery chains. Kroger operates Ralphs, Harris Teeter, Dillons, Fred Meyer and others, while Albertsons owns Safeway and Vons. The companies said they will spin off nearly 400 stores to form a new rival in an effort to gain antitrust clearance.\n\nAnalysts expect some store closures if the deal goes through and also say it will be a significant hurdle to pass antitrust scrutiny.\n\n“A deal of this size that has a direct impact on consumers would face significant scrutiny from regulators and take a long time period to be approved,” Joseph Feldman, an analyst at Telsey Advisory Group, said.\n\nConsumer watchdogs, unions, and Democrats have already come out strongly against the deal. They say it would harm consumers by raising prices and driving out competition. It could also spur a new wave of consolidation in the industry among smaller companies attempting to compete.\n\nThe United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), which represents 1.3 million workers in grocery stores, meatpacking plants and other essential industries along the food supply chain also voiced some concern about the proposed merger.\n\n“The proposed merger has serious implications for hundreds of thousands of our UFCW members and America’s families who are more concerned than ever about inflation’s impact on the price of their food and groceries, prescription drugs, and gas. As America’s largest union of essential workers, protecting the livelihoods of this nation’s grocery workers, union and non-union, is our highest priority,” UFCW International president Marc Perrone, said in a statement Friday.\n\n“To be clear, the UFCW will oppose any merger that threatens the jobs of America’s essential workers, union and non-union, and undermines our communities,” he said.\n\nSen. Bernie Sanders called it a “absolute disaster” and called on the Biden administration to reject the deal. The American Economic Liberties Project, an anti-monopoly organization, said the “merger would be disastrous for market competition, small businesses, and especially – consumers’ pockets.”\n\nFTC chair Lina Khan is critic of corporate consolidation, and the regulator has blocked large retail mergers in the past, including Staples’ attempts to combine with Office Depot.\n\nThe FTC is currently looking into anti-competitive practices in the grocery industry and requested information last year from Kroger and others on the causes of empty shelves and surging prices in the United States.", "authors": ["Nathaniel Meyersohn Jordan Valinsky", "Nathaniel Meyersohn", "Jordan Valinsky"], "publish_date": "2022/10/14"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/14/business/jeff-bezos-charity/index.html", "title": "Jeff Bezos for the first time says he will give most of his money to ...", "text": "Washington CNN Business —\n\nAmazon founder Jeff Bezos plans to give away the majority of his $124 billion net worth during his lifetime, telling CNN in an exclusive interview he will devote the bulk of his wealth to fighting climate change and supporting people who can unify humanity in the face of deep social and political divisions.\n\nThough Bezos’ vow was light on specifics, this marks the first time he has announced that he plans to give away most of his money. Critics have chided Bezos for not signing the Giving Pledge, a promise by hundreds of the world’s richest people to donate the majority of their wealth to charitable causes.\n\nVideo Ad Feedback Exclusive: Jeff Bezos offers his advice on taking risks right now 01:50 - Source: CNN\n\nIn a sit-down interview with CNN’s Chloe Melas on Saturday at his Washington, DC, home, Bezos, speaking alongside his partner, the journalist-turned-philanthropist Lauren Sánchez, said the couple is “building the capacity to be able to give away this money.”\n\nAsked directly by CNN whether he intends to donate the majority of his wealth within his lifetime, Bezos said: “Yeah, I do.”\n\nBezos said he and Sánchez agreed to their first interview together since they began dating in 2019 to help shine a spotlight on the Bezos Courage and Civility Award, granted this year to musician Dolly Parton.\n\nThe 20-minute exchange with Bezos and Sánchez covered a broad range of topics, from Bezos’s views on political dialogue and a possible economic recession to Sánchez’s plan to visit outer space with an all-female crew and her reflections on a flourishing business partnership with Bezos.\n\nDolly Parton\n\nThat working relationship was on display Saturday as Bezos and Sánchez announced a $100 million grant to Parton as part of her Courage and Civility Award. It is the third such award, following similar grants to chef Jose Andrés, who has spent some of the money making meals for Ukrainians — and the climate advocate and CNN contributor Van Jones.\n\n“When you think of Dolly,” said Sánchez in the interview, “Look, everyone smiles, right? She is just beaming with light. And all she wants to do is bring light into other people’s worlds. And so we couldn’t have thought of someone better than to give this award to Dolly, and we know she’s going to do amazing things with it.”\n\nThe throughline connecting the Courage and Civility Award grantees, Bezos said, was their capacity to bring many people together to solve large challenges.\n\n“I just feel honored to be able to be a part of what they’re doing for this world,” Bezos told CNN.\n\nUnity, Bezos said, is a trait that will be necessary to confront climate change and one that he repeatedly invoked as he blasted politicians and social media for amplifying division.\n\nHow to give it away\n\nBut the couple’s biggest challenge may be figuring out how to distribute Bezos’ vast fortune. Bezos declined to identify a specific percentage or to provide concrete details on where it would likely be spent.\n\nDespite being the fourth-wealthiest person in the world, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Bezos has refrained from setting a target amount to give away in his lifetime.\n\nBezos has committed $10 billion over 10 years, or about 8% of his current net worth, to the Bezos Earth Fund, which Sánchez co-chairs. Among its priorities are reducing the carbon footprint of construction-grade cement and steel; pushing financial regulators to consider climate-related risks; advancing data and mapping technologies to monitor carbon emissions; and building natural, plant-based carbon sinks on a large scale.\n\nThough Bezos is now Amazon’s (AMZN) executive chair and not its CEO — he stepped down from that role in 2021 — he is still involved in the greening of the company. Amazon is one of more than 300 companies that have pledged to reduce their carbon footprint by 2040 according to the principles of the Paris Climate Agreement, Bezos said, though Amazon’s (AMZN) footprint grew by 18% in 2021, reflecting a pandemic-driven e-commerce boom. Amazon’s (AMZN) reckoning with its own effect on the climate mirrors its outsized impact on everything from debates about unionization to antitrust policy, where the company has attracted an enormous level of scrutiny from regulators, lawmakers, and civil society groups.\n\nBezos compared his philanthropic strategy to his years-long effort constructing a titanic engine of e-commerce and cloud computing that has made him one of the most powerful people in the world.\n\n“The hard part is figuring out how to do it in a levered way,” he said, implying that even as he gives away his billions, he is still looking to maximize his return. “It’s not easy. Building Amazon was not easy. It took a lot of hard work, a bunch of very smart teammates, hard-working teammates, and I’m finding — and I think Lauren is finding the same thing — that charity, philanthropy, is very similar.”\n\n“There are a bunch of ways that I think you could do ineffective things, too,” he added. “So you have to think about it carefully and you have to have brilliant people on the team.”\n\nBezos’ methodical approach to giving stands in sharp contrast to that of his ex-wife, the philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, who recently gave away nearly $4 billion to 465 organizations in the span of less than a year.\n\nThe economic downturn\n\nWhile Bezos and Sánchez plot out their plans for Bezos’ immense wealth, many people of more modest means are bracing for what economists fear may be an extended economic downturn.\n\nLast month, Bezos tweeted a warning to his followers on Twitter, recommending that they “batten down the hatches.”\n\nThe advice was meant for business owners and consumers alike, Bezos said in the interview, suggesting that individuals should consider putting off buying big ticket items they’ve been eyeing — or that companies should slow their acquisitions and capital expenditures.\n\n“Take some risk off the table,” Bezos said. “Keep some dry powder on hand…. Just a little bit of risk reduction could make the difference for that small business, if we do get into even more serious economic problems. You’ve got to play the probabilities a little bit.”\n\nMany may be feeling the pinch now, he added, but argued that as an optimist he believes the American Dream “is and will be even more attainable in the future” — projecting that within Bezos’ lifetime, space travel could become broadly accessible to the public.\n\nBezos and Sánchez’s partnership\n\nSánchez said the couple make “really great teammates,” though she laughed, “We can be kind of boring,” Sánchez said. Bezos smiled and replied, “Never boring.”\n\nSánchez, the founder of Black Ops Aviation, the first female-owned and operated aerial film and production company is a trained helicopter pilot. She said in the interview that they’ve both taken turns in the driver’s seat.\n\nBezos has credited his own journey to space for helping to inspire his push to fight climate change. Now, it is Sánchez’s turn.\n\nSánchez told CNN she anticipates venturing into orbit herself sometime in 2023. And while she did not directly address who will be joining her — quickly ruling out Bezos as a crewmate — she said simply: “It’ll be a great group of females.”\n\nWashington’s NFL team\n\nBezos may be adding NFL owner to his resume. CNN recently reported that Bezos and Jay-Z are in talks on a potential joint bid on the Washington Commanders.\n\nIt is not clear if the two have yet spoken with Dan Snyder and his wife, Tanya, the current owners of the NFL team, about the possibility.\n\nBut during the interview on Saturday, Melas asked Bezos if the speculation was true.\n\n“Yes, I’ve heard that buzz,” Bezos said with a smile.\n\nSánchez chimed in with a laugh, “I do like football. I’m just going to throw that out there for everyone.”\n\nBezos added, “I grew up in Houston, Texas, and I played football growing up as a kid … and it is my favorite sport … so we’ll just have to wait and see.”\n\n– CNN’s Chloe Melas contributed to this report", "authors": ["Brian Fung"], "publish_date": "2022/11/14"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/25/politics/means-testing-student-loan-forgiveness-what-matters/index.html", "title": "The frustrating truth about who is excluded from student loan debt ...", "text": "A version of this story appears in CNN’s What Matters newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here.\n\nCNN —\n\nPresident Joe Biden officially announced his student loan forgiveness plan, but there are so many questions that remain, including:\n\nHow much, exactly, will it cost?\n\nWill it add to inflation?\n\nDoes Biden actually have the authority to wave a pen and make this happen?\n\nBut the overriding question for a lot of people who didn’t go to college, those who already paid off their loans or folks who make more than $125,000 (or more than $250,000 if they’re married couples or heads of households) is this: What about me?\n\nPeople who are interested in buying an electric vehicle with help from a federal tax credit but who make more than $150,000 ($300,000 if married) are asking the same thing.\n\nUniversal proposals are a thing of the past\n\nIt’s a 180 in the national conversation from the 2020 presidential campaign when serious candidates like Andrew Yang were pushing the idea of a universal basic income for all Americans – the idea that every adult American should get a $1,000 per month paycheck, regardless of their income – and Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey was pushing “baby bonds” to be given to nearly every American child to address racial inequality.\n\nIncome limits, or means testing, is the government’s way of targeting help to the people that really need it.\n\nIt also creates new layers of government bureaucracy to verify income and can lead to complaints about unfairness and stigmas. More on that below.\n\nInflation fears are real\n\nThere are also valid concerns that funneling all this cash out in the economy – it will be hundreds of billions of dollars, but we don’t know exactly how much – will only add to the rampant inflation that has made American life so much more expensive.\n\n“We need to make college affordable, not send a $10,000 gift to people that already have, in many cases, advanced degrees,” said Marc Goldwein, senior policy director at the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, during an interview with CNN’s Poppy Harlow before the loan forgiveness was formally announced.\n\nThe larger problem is the cost of college\n\nGoldwein argued that targeting people with college loans at all is unfair to people who don’t go to college or don’t pursue advanced degrees.\n\n“Disproportionately, student debt is held by people that have advanced degrees and pretty good income, and they can bear it a lot more than everyday Americans that are seeing the cost of their gasoline and clothing go up,” Goldwein said.\n\nNot everyone with college debt finishes college\n\nIndivar Dutta-Gupta of the Center for Law and Social Policy agrees that college affordability is a larger program that must be addressed. But he pushed back during our phone conversation when I said Biden’s program is focused on people who have degrees and earning potential.\n\n“A lot of them don’t have degrees,” he said. “About 40% of people with student debt have no college degree. That’s one thing people don’t realize.”\n\nThere is overlap, he said, between people in poverty and people who have attended some college. His concern is that the income limit creates barriers to getting the help to people who may struggle to prove their income.\n\n$125,000 does not go as far in some places\n\nIt’s also true that individuals with loan debt making $125,000 or less today may earn more in the future.\n\nThere is an added geographic disparity to consider. There are likely more people in New York or California, for example, who make more than $125,000 and yet still feel crushed by their student loan debt than people in more affordable states.\n\nIt’s a step toward racial equality\n\nOne major selling point of the college debt forgiveness announced by Biden is that it can particularly help people of color and also people who take jobs that help society function.\n\nNAACP President Derrick Johnson told CNN’s Jim Sciutto on Thursday that while he opposes means testing for loan forgiveness, he can appreciate that it is targeted.\n\n“Now we’re talking about teachers, we’re talking about federal employees, we’re talking about state and municipal employees, individuals who make sure that our economy grows, that maintain the necessary services for our citizens, and who really make democracy work,” Johnson said.\n\nHe also argued – and it’s a valid point – that the government did not ask for means tests when it helped businesses during the pandemic or cut corporate taxes in the hope of fueling job growth.\n\nThere’s been some attention on Twitter to the fact that people like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia who oppose the student loan forgiveness had loans for small businesses forgiven during the pandemic through a government program.\n\nExpanded child tax credit was a much broader benefit\n\nAnother pandemic program that was more broadly applied and had more potential to transform the country was the temporary expansion of the child tax credit, which cut down on poverty by putting money in the pockets of the vast majority of American parents and lifting millions of kids out of poverty while it was in effect, according to studies.\n\nIts income threshold was very high and determined by the IRS, which cut down on the difficulty of applying it. A major issue for the tax credit was that families who made too little to file income taxes were not always identified and paid by the IRS.\n\nThe expansion of the tax credit ended when Democrats could not convince Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia to keep it without substantial tweaks. Read more from CNN’s Tami Luhby.\n\nThe end of the child tax credit expansion was a throwback to 1996, when a Republican Congress and then-President Bill Clinton agreed to drastically scale back the federal government’s role in applying welfare programs and instituted new work requirements that cut down on who qualified.\n\nSome programs are nearly universal\n\nNot all US programs have means testing. Every child in the US is guaranteed a spot in a public school. Every American senior has health insurance through Medicare. Every American who works for about 10 years gets Social Security benefits. Most Americans who lose a full-time job are eligible for unemployment insurance.\n\nThere are catches. Public education varies greatly from state to state and district to district. Social Security benefits are based on income. And some of Medicare’s premiums are on a sliding scale. Unemployment insurance often misses people with gig or part-time work and businesspeople.\n\nThe cost of unlimited benefits makes them politically untenable in the US. Which means the best the government can do to forgive debt or encourage EV purchasing is targeting people who make a certain amount of money.\n\n", "authors": ["Zachary B. Wolf"], "publish_date": "2022/08/25"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/13/economy/health-care-workers-inflation/index.html", "title": "Americans have largely avoided health care inflation so far -- but ...", "text": "New York CNN Business —\n\nAlthough Americans have been paying a lot more at the pump and the supermarket this year, they have largely been spared from price hikes for their job-based health insurance and doctor visits.\n\nBut that’s about to change.\n\nMost workers can expect to see premiums and out-of-pocket costs increase in 2023 at a faster rate than in recent years due to inflation, experts say. They’ll learn just how much during their employers’ open enrollment period, which typically takes place this month and next.\n\n“It’s going to be harder than ever for employees to be able to afford some of the basics of health care — and those are people who have insurance,” said David Guilmette, chief executive officer for health solutions at Aon, a professional services firm.\n\nAbout 155 million Americans have work-based health insurance, the largest source of coverage by far, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.\n\nCompanies are trying to minimize the cost increases as they strive to hire and retain workers in the tight job market, experts say. This could force some businesses to subsidize even more of their health plans — employers cover about 81% of workers’ premiums, on average — or find other ways to reduce their overall spending on medical care.\n\nDelayed impact of inflation on health care\n\nWhile the cost of gas, food and other essentials can change quickly based on inflation and market conditions, health care operates differently. The premiums and out-of-pocket charges that consumers pay are typically set in advance and last a year. What’s more, contracts between insurers and medical providers are usually locked in for several years.\n\nIn fact, health care costs are bucking their own typical trend. They nearly always rise faster than general inflation, but that hasn’t been the case this year.\n\nStill, hospitals, doctors and other providers are feeling the pricing pressure. Their costs for labor, particularly nurses and service staff, and supplies have increased sharply due to inflation and demand. And they are seeing more patients this year, after many people avoided going to the doctor and getting medical tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid-19.\n\nBecause of that delay in care, patients are often sicker when they come in, said Dr. Jeff Levin-Scherz, population health leader at Willis Towers Watson, an advisory firm. Treating people with more advanced cancers, cardiovascular problems and other conditions is more intensive and expensive.\n\nTo address these and other factors, providers are pushing insurers to hike their reimbursement rates when contracts are up for renewal.\n\nCompanies to spend more\n\nEmployers are expected to see their average health care costs soar by 6.5% to more than $13,800 per employee next year, according to Aon’s recent survey of nearly 700 large employers.\n\nThat’s more than double the 3% increase to health care budgets that companies experienced for 2022, but still well below the 8.2% spike in annual inflation, as measured by the September Consumer Price Index.\n\nWorkers are projected to shell out an average of 2.6% more for health care this year, compared to 2021, Aon calculated. That stems from a 0.6% increase in monthly premiums and a 5.2% jump in out-of-pocket costs, on average.\n\nAon has not yet determined how much more employees will pay next year, but it is expected to be a larger increase than it was for 2022.\n\nEmployees, however, may be spared the full impact of inflation. After years of hiking deductibles, co-payments and co-insurance levels, many employers are now reluctant to make it even more expensive for their workers to actually seek care, experts said. So companies are making changes to their health insurance plans to minimize the increases.\n\n“There’s been a real crisis in affordability,” said Levin-Scherz. Employers “don’t want to offer meaningless health insurance plans for people.”\n\nSteps employers are taking\n\nSome 20% of companies added more funds into their health care plans without taking money away from employee pay or other benefits this year, and another 30% are planning or considering doing so in the next two years, according to a Willis Towers Watson survey of 455 mid-sized and large companies released last month.\n\nBut workers are still feeling the impact. Some 14% of employers shifted costs to workers through out-of-pocket expenses this year, while 24% did so through premium contributions, the survey found.\n\nA growing number of employers are also looking to shield workers who earn less. More than a quarter of companies surveyed said that employees who are low wage or hold certain types of jobs are being charged lower premiums than other staffers in 2022, and another 13% are planning to or considering implementing similar measures in the coming two years, the survey found.\n\nSeveral larger employers are looking to reduce the underlying costs in the health care system, said Elizabeth Mitchell, CEO of Purchaser Business Group on Health, which represents nearly 40 private companies and public entities that buy health coverage for more than 21 million Americans.\n\nThey are expanding workers’ access to telehealth and to primary care to try to restrain price increases. Some are challenging hospital charges, which are more transparent than in the past, and identifying higher-quality providers for their employees.\n\n“What our members are trying to do is actually intervene in the delivery system, more than they might have in the past,” Mitchell said.\n\nIncreases expected to continue\n\nNext year will only be the start of an extended period of increased health care costs, experts said.\n\nBecause contracts between providers and insurers will expire at different times, the pricing pressure will continue. That will likely result in even steeper hikes: Some 71% of employers surveyed by Willis Towers Watson said they were expecting “moderate to significant increases” in their costs over the next three years.\n\n“Now that we’re in a period of higher inflation, that’s going to be making its way into these contracts,” said Debbie Ashford, North American chief actuary for health solutions at Aon. “For 2023, the 6.5% [increase] is somewhat muted.”", "authors": ["Tami Luhby"], "publish_date": "2022/10/13"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/24/business/ivory-soap-curious-consumer/index.html", "title": "An iconic soap with two weird claims to fame -- \"It floats\" and it's \"99+ ...", "text": "New York CNNBusiness —\n\nWalk into a Walmart, Target, any drugstore chain in your neighborhood or a corner bodega for New York City dwellers, and chances are you’ll find an Ivory Soap bar, or a pack of 10 bars for under $5, sitting on the shelf.\n\nThis iconic cake of soap, invented almost 150 years ago, has become a part of Americana largely by advertising its two strange merits: “It Floats” and it’s “99+44⁄100% Pure.”\n\nThe original product is a no-frills, plain white, mild-scented bar soap with the name “IVORY” etched into it in script. Impressively, it has stayed exactly that way for 143 years – barring the addition of an Aloe scented variety, and is also still around.\n\nIvory soap’s longevity flies in the face of a notoriously fickle market for personal beauty products where new trends can appear and disappear in a flash.\n\nProcter & Gamble first sold Ivory Soap in 1879 with the taglines \"It Floats\" and it's \"99 and 44/100 Percent Pure.\" 369828992/Rusty - stock.adobe.com\n\nSo why has Ivory Soap stood the test of time? One theory is because of its clever advertising and branding. Ivory Soap packaging famously, and relentlessly, touts the attributes of purity and buoyancy.\n\n“That’s brilliant execution,” said David Placek, founder of Lexicon Branding, a branding expert who has helped name such popular consumer products as “Swiffer,” “Blackberry” and “Dasani.”\n\n“Just think about it. How many other soaps can you think of that tout an attribute that’s analogous to “It Floats?” said Placek. “I can’t think of another. It makes you remember it because it also makes you think about other soaps that don’t float.”\n\nBecause Ivory Soap’s taglines have remained consistent and endured for over a century and through generations of consumers, they’ve seeped into the subconscious, said Placek.\n\n“Even if you’ve not used Ivory Soap you know about it and you remember it,” he said.\n\nThe need for floating soap\n\nIvory Soap is the brainchild of Procter & Gamble. Not the huge multinational consumer brands conglomerate that it is today, but of two individuals – Harley Procter (son of P&G cofounder William Procter) and James N. Gamble (son of P&G’s other cofounder, James Gamble).\n\nIt was in the late 19th century, a period when river bathing was prevalent among large swaths of the population. Now imagine losing your grip on a bar of soap when you’re immersed waist-deep in murky water.\n\nBut what if there was a soap bar that could float?\n\nAn Advertisement for Ivory Soap from Procter and Gamble circa 1879. (Photo by Fotosearch/Getty Images) Fotosearch/Archive Photos/Getty Images\n\nAn AdAge article about Ivory Soap’s invention explained how Gamble at the time was trying to create a new type of gently formulated soap. The R&D process inadvertently created a batch of soap that was found to float because air bubbles got trapped inside.\n\nGamble, according to P&G’s website, recognized the “floating soap” could revolutionize the washing experience in more ways than one.\n\nHe initially thought the floating soap could be used both for laundry and for washing up. Over time, the soap bar primarily became a bath soap.\n\nNaming the soap was another story.\n\nAccording to P&G legend, Harley Procter came upon the word “ivory” while attending church and thought it perfectly fit the new soap’s look and feel and both men adopted “Ivory Soap” as the name.\n\nAdvertisement for Ivory Soap by the Procter and Gamble Company in Cincinnati, Ohio, 1897. (Photo by Jay Paull/Getty Images) Jay Paull/Archive Photos/Getty Images\n\nP&G launched the soap in 1879 hyping it not only as a soap bar that floated but for its purity.\n\nThat claim, according to the company, hinged on a study of the soap by chemistry professors at the request of the inventors. One study showed the soap had only a small amount of impurities – 56/100 of a percent – of non-soap material in it.\n\nSo they decided to play that up in Ivory Soap’s advertising, rounding it up to create its second iconic tagline – “99 and 44-100% pure.”\n\nP&G maintains that while it continues to innovate its Ivory Soap, the product is still made with a simple formula free of dyes and parabens meant to gently cleanse the skin.\n\nIt has, however, extended the brand to other products.\n\nIvory Soap Advertising Poster (Photo by Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images) Library of Congress/Corbis Historical/Getty Images\n\nIn the 1950s, according to the AdAge article, P&G launched a light-duty dishwashing detergent under the Ivory brand, followed by liquid hand soaps in the 1980s and moisturizing body washes in 1996 with the introduction of Ivory Moisture Care. Today, the Ivory personal care portfolio also includes baby care products, hair and body washes and deodorant.\n\nIvory soap has become so iconic that in 2001 P&G donated a collection of its Ivory Soap artifacts to the Smithsonian Institution, including its earliest advertising and a bar of unused soap from the 1940s.\n\nLexicon Branding’s Placek said Ivory Soap is a product way ahead of its time. “It was ‘pure’ before pure, clean and simple products became as popular as they are with consumers today,” he said.", "authors": ["Parija Kavilanz"], "publish_date": "2022/09/24"}]}
{"question_id": "20230303_7", "search_time": "2023/03/15/03:27", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/26/health/exercise-long-life-study-wellness/index.html", "title": "Exercise more than recommended amounts for longest life, study ...", "text": "Subscribe to CNN’s Fitness, But Better newsletter. Sign up for our newsletter series to ease into a healthy routine, backed by experts.\n\nCNN —\n\nA longer life may mean scheduling in even more than the recommended amount of weekly exercise, according to a new study.\n\nAdults should get 150 to 300 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous physical activity a week, according to the World Health Organization. But people who surpass those levels live longer than those who don’t.\n\nResearchers analyzed more than 116,000 adults in a study published Monday in the American Heart Association journal Circulation. Participants self-reported their leisure time activity in questionnaires several times over the course of 30 years, and researchers estimated the association between the time and intensity of exercise with rates of death.\n\nThe highest reduction in early death was in people who reported 150 to 300 minutes a week of vigorous physical activity or 300 to 600 minutes of moderate physical activity – or an equivalent mix of the two, said study author Dong Hoon Lee, a research associate in the department of nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.\n\n“It is also important to note that we found no harmful association among individuals who reported (more than four times) the recommended minimum levels of long-term leisure-time moderate and vigorous physical activity,” he added in an email.\n\nThe recommended minimum may not be enough if you are hoping to live longer, authors of a new study said. Adobe Stock\n\nExamples of moderate activity include a very brisk walk, mowing the lawn or playing tennis doubles, while vigorous activity includes things like hiking, jogging or playing soccer, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.\n\nThe study results support WHO’s current physical activity guidelines, but also pushes for higher levels to see even more benefit in living a longer life, Lee said.\n\nHow to add more movement\n\nYou may be thinking, “10 hours a week of moderate activity sounds like a lot. There is no way I can work that in with all my other responsibilities.”\n\nAnd yes, it may take some intentionality and effort. But studies have also shown the best ways to work in exercise into routines so that they stick.\n\nA megastudy published in December 2021 showed that the best exercise programs include planning when you work out, getting reminders, offering incentives and discouraging missing more than one planned workout in a row.\n\n“If people are hoping to boost their physical activity or change their health behaviors, there are very low-cost behavioral insights that can be built into programs to help them achieve greater success,” said the December study’s lead author Katy Milkman, the James G. Dinan Professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and author of “How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be.”\n\nAnd you don’t have to add it all in at once. Just 11 minutes of exercise a day made a difference on life span, according to a 2021 study.\n\nYou can make it a brisk walk outside or on the treadmill, do four sets of a three-minute body-weight exercise sequence, practice a yoga flow or pick three upbeat songs to dance to, said CNN fitness contributor Dana Santas, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and mind-body coach in professional sports.", "authors": ["Madeline Holcombe"], "publish_date": "2022/07/26"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/27/health/weight-exercise-benefits-lower-death-risk-wellness/index.html", "title": "Combining weight training with another activity could lower your risk ...", "text": "Editor’s Note: Sign up for CNN’s Fitness, But Better newsletter series. Our seven-part guide up will help you ease into a healthy routine, backed by experts.\n\nCNN —\n\nAerobic activities and weight training have health benefits on their own, but combining them could have even greater effect when it comes to disease prevention and early death risk.\n\nPeople who lifted weights once or twice per week, as well as the recommended amount of aerobic activities, had a 41% lower risk of dying early, according to a study published Tuesday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.\n\nThe research team based its findings on the self-reports and health information of nearly 100,000 men and women who participated in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial, which began in 1998 and followed participants until 2016. Participants answered questionnaires in 2006 about their exercise habits over the past year, and the authors of this latest study checked whether these participants had developed cancer or died by 2016.\n\nOlder adults who did weight training without any aerobic activity reduced their risk of early death from any cause by up to 22%, a percentage that depended on the number of times they lifted weights within a week – using weights once or twice weekly was associated with a 14% lower risk, and the benefit increased the more times someone lifted weights.\n\nThose who did aerobic exercise lowered their risk by up to 34%, compared with participants who didn’t do any weight training or aerobic exercise. But the lowest risk – 41% to 47% – was among those who met recommended weekly amounts of aerobic activity (see below for guidance) and lifted weights once or twice per week, compared with those who weren’t active. The authors didn’t find a lower risk for death from cancer.\n\nParticipants’ education, smoking status, body mass index, race and ethnicity didn’t impact the findings, but sex did – the associations were more significant among women, the researchers found.\n\n“The findings in this study are predictable, but it is significant that the authors provide the expected results as data in older people,” said Haruki Momma, a lecturer in the department of medicine and science in sports and exercise at Tohoku University in Japan, via email. Momma wasn’t involved in the study.\n\n“This is one of the most important points of this study,” Momma added. “Previous studies in older adults are limited.”\n\nThe findings support the joint benefits of muscle-strengthening activities via weight training along with aerobic activity, in amounts that roughly align with current physical activity guidelines, the authors said.\n\nThe World Health Organization recommends that older adults (ages 65 and up) do at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate intensity exercise or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise per week. Aerobic activities include walking, dancing, running or jogging, cycling, and swimming.\n\nMuscle-strengthening exercises should be done at least twice weekly if possible, according to the guidelines. Those can help prevent falls and related injuries, as well as declines in bone health and ability.\n\nWeight-training exercises you can do for 30 to 60 minutes include dead lifts, overhead dumbbell presses and dumbbell lateral raises, which involves using your back and shoulder muscles to lift light dumbbells so that your arms and body form a T shape.\n\nImportant note: If you experience pain while exercising, stop immediately. Check with your doctor before beginning any new exercise program.\n\nUnderstanding strength and death risk\n\nThe authors didn’t have information about the specific weight training or aerobic exercises participants did.\n\n“As the authors stated, there was no information about training intensity, training load, volume (sets and repetitions),” Momma said via email. “Therefore, the optimal prescription for regular muscle-strengthening exercises to prevent mortality remains unclear. However, this limitation is not limited to this study. Studies of muscle-strengthening exercise epidemiology are prone to this limitation.”\n\nBut the researchers did have some ideas about how either exercise might help with prevention of disease or early death.\n\nWeight training can improve body composition or lean muscle mass, which has been previously associated with greater protection against dying early from any cause and cardiovascular disease.\n\nHaving more lean muscle and less body fat can help with balance, posture and regulating cholesterol levels, Dr. Nieca Goldberg told CNN in March. Goldberg, the medical director of Atria New York City and clinical associate professor of medicine at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine, wasn’t involved in the study.\n\n“We know that individuals with obesity are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, glucose intolerance and some cancers, so improving that (health) profile is beneficial,” Goldberg said. “People who participate in regular activity … may also have a healthier outlook and have other healthy lifestyles.”\n\nThe increased benefit from combining both exercises could be because the two work together to improve health, Dr. William Roberts, a professor in the department of family medicine and community health at the University of Minnesota, told CNN in March. A balanced regimen more closely mimics the lifestyles of our ancestors, he added.\n\nAdditionally, muscle helps functions of the endocrine and paracrine systems, the authors said – the ones responsible for hormones and cell communication, respectively. Weight training might also be done in social settings, the researchers added, and having social connections has been linked with living longer.\n\nThe authors noted that there could be measurement errors associated with participants recalling their exercise habits, and that the study might not be applicable to people of color and younger individuals, as most of the participants were non-Hispanic White and age 71 on average.\n\nFuture studies that are more diverse, longer and attentive over time would be beneficial for understanding the relationships between these exercises and early death risk, the authors said.\n\nBut for now, older adults who do either exercise should incorporate the other into their daily lives, Momma said.\n\n“Some physical activity is better than none at all,” Momma said. “Because the fitness levels and chronic conditions among the elderly vary with (the) individual, please be as physically active as your abilities and conditions allow.”", "authors": ["Kristen Rogers"], "publish_date": "2022/09/27"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/24/health/exercise-10-minutes-deaths-prevented-wellness/index.html", "title": "Study reveals impact 10 minutes of exercise can have on adults over ...", "text": "Editor’s Note: Subscribe to CNN’s Fitness, But Better newsletter: Get back in the groove. Sign up for our newsletter series to ease into a healthy routine, backed by experts.\n\nCNN —\n\nCould you find 10 minutes in your day to increase your physical activity? It might be lifesaving, according to a new study.\n\nMore than 110,000 US deaths could be prevented each year if adults over 40 added 10 minutes of daily moderate to vigorous physical activity to their normal routines, according to the study published Monday in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.\n\nAn increase of 20 or 30 minutes could lead to even more lives saved, the study noted.\n\n“We know exercise is good for us. This study provides additional evidence of the benefits at the population level: if all adults in the United States (over age 40) were to exercise just a bit more each day, a large number of deaths could be prevented each year,” said Pedro Saint-Maurice, the study’s first author and an epidemiologist at the National Cancer Institute, via email.\n\nThe study used accelerator data the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey recorded from participants ages 6 and older between 2003 and 2006. Researchers then looked at the activity levels of nearly 5,000 participants ages 40 to 85 and tracked death rates through the end of 2015.\n\nThe method used to conduct the study was rigorous, said Peter Katzmarzyk, professor of pediatric obesity and associate executive director for population and public health sciences at Louisiana State University’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center.\n\nAlthough the number of prevented deaths is an estimate, it “is a valid approach since it would be almost impossible to conduct an actual human trial to manipulate people’s activity levels and look at long term outcomes like deaths,” said Katzmarzyk, who was not involved in the study, in an email.\n\n“We have reported previously that even a little bit of exercise can result in health benefits,” said Saint-Maurice. “This study doesn’t focus on the benefits for individuals, but rather at the level of the population. We can make our nation healthier by encouraging everyone to add an additional 10 minutes of activity or more each day.”\n\nImportant note: If you experience pain while exercising, stop immediately. Check with your doctor before beginning any new exercise program.\n\nThere are many ways to add 10 more minutes of activity into your day -- like walking, yoga or dancing in your kitchen, said Santas. Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post/Getty Images\n\nHow to get your 10 more minutes\n\nDaily exercise is not just for gym rats, said Dana Santas, a CNN fitness contributor and mind-body coach for professional athletes.\n\n“Fitting in ten minutes of exercise every day is so much easier than people think. Consider how fast ten minutes goes by when you’re mindlessly scrolling social media or watching your favorite TV show,” Santas said in an email. “It’s not a big time investment, but it can deliver big health benefits.”\n\nWalking outside or on a treadmill is one of the best and simplest ways to bring consistent physical activity into your life, Santas said.\n\nYoga, for those who are practiced at it and those less so, is another great option, with the added benefits of stress relief and the ease of online access to all levels of instruction, Santas said.\n\nAnother at-home activity with a low cost of entry: body weight exercises.\n\nWith no equipment, it is easy to get in four rounds of three-minute body weight exercises – and you get an extra two minutes of benefit.\n\nThe key is finding a sequence of movements that will moderately work your full body, balancing upper body strength, lower body strength and cardiovascular exercise, like 10 to 25 pushups, 25 to 40 squats and a minute of jogging in place, Santas said.\n\nAnd when in doubt, you can always dance it out.\n\nTurning on some of your favorite songs and moving alone in your kitchen or grabbing family and friends in the living room is exercise that feels more like a celebration. It takes only three or four songs to get you to your 10-minute goal, Santas said, but no one will blame you if you can’t stop there.\n\nExercise doesn’t have to be grueling to be effective, and bumping up your routine by just a little bit can have huge impacts, the experts said.", "authors": ["Madeline Holcombe"], "publish_date": "2022/01/24"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/10/health/steps-for-weight-loss-wellness/index.html", "title": "How many steps a day should you take to lose weight | CNN", "text": "Editor’s Note: Sign up for CNN’s Fitness, But Better newsletter series. Our seven-part guide up will help you ease into a healthy routine, backed by experts.\n\nCNN —\n\nPut on your walking shoes and don’t forget your step counter: You can reduce your risk for cancer, heart disease and early death by getting up to 10,000 steps a day, but any amount of walking helps, according to a new study.\n\nStudies show the average person gains between 1 and 2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kilograms) each year from young adulthood through middle age, slowly leading to an unhealthy weight and even obesity over time.\n\n“People really can reduce their risk of obesity by walking more,” said study author Dr. Evan Brittain, associate professor in the division of cardiovascular medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.\n\nThe study also found key benefits for chronic diseases and conditions: “Diabetes, sleep apnea, hypertension, diabetes, depression, and GERD showed benefit with higher steps,” said Brittain via email.\n\n“The relationship with hypertension and diabetes plateaued after about 8,000 to 9,000 steps but the others were linear, meaning higher steps continued to reduce risk,” he said. “I would say that the take home messages are that more steps are better.”\n\nIt’s yet another study illustrating the powerful impact that walking and other forms of exercise have on our health. In fact, if you get up and move for 21.43 minutes each day of the week, you cut your risk of dying from all causes by one-third, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.\n\nAn increase in steps can help with chronic conditions such as diabetes and depression, the study says. SeventyFour/iStockphoto/Getty Images\n\nCurrent physical activity recommendations for adults are 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking, dancing, bicycling, doubles tennis and water aerobics, and two days of muscle-strengthening activity each week.\n\n“Physical activity is just absolutely magnificent,” Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at National Jewish Health in Denver, told CNN in an earlier interview.\n\n“And when if you blend that with eating a more plant-based diet, de-stressing, sleeping enough and connecting with others — that’s your magic recipe,” Freeman said. “It’s the fountain of youth, if you will.”\n\nLower obesity risk with more steps\n\nActivity trackers allow researchers to get more accurate data that can be compared with health records. ricka_kinamoto/Adobe Stock\n\nThe study analyzed an average of four years of activity and health data from more than 6,000 participants in the National Institutes of Health’s All of Us Research Program, dedicated to research on ways to develop individualized health care.\n\nParticipants in the study, published on October 10, 2022, in the journal Nature Medicine, wore activity trackers at least 10 hours a day and allowed researchers access to their electronic health records over multiple years.\n\n“Our study had an average of 4 years of continuous activity monitoring. So, we were able to account for the totality of activity between when monitoring started and when a disease was diagnosed, which is a major advantage because we didn’t have to make assumptions about activity over time, unlike all prior studies,” Brittain said.\n\nPeople in the study ranged in age from 41 to 67 and had body mass index levels from 24.3, which is considered in the healthy weight range, to 32.9, which is considered obese.\n\nResearchers found that people who walked 4 miles a day — about 8,200 steps — were less likely to become obese or suffer from sleep apnea, acid reflux and major depressive disorder. Sleep apnea and acid reflux respond well to weight loss, which can reduce pressure on the throat and stomach, while exercise is a cornerstone treatment for depression.\n\nThe study also found that overweight participants (those with BMIs ranging from 25 to 29) cut their risk of becoming obese by half if they increased their steps to 11,000 steps a day. In fact, “this increase in step counts resulted in a 50% reduction in cumulative incidence of obesity at 5 years,” the study found.\n\nApplying the data to a specific example, the authors said individuals with BMIs of 28 could lower their risk of obesity 64% by increasing steps from about 6,000 to 11,000 steps per day.\n\nWhat about the benefits of 10,000 steps?\n\nHealth benefits rose with every step, the study found, but peaked at 10,000 steps – after that the effects faded. Counting steps may be especially important for people who do unstructured, unplanned physical activity such as house work, gardening and dog walks.\n\n“Notably, we detected an association between incidental steps (steps taken to go about daily life) and a lower risk of both cancer and heart disease,” noted study coauthor Borja del Pozo Cruz, an adjunct associate professor at the University of Southern Denmark in Odense, Denmark, and senior researcher in health sciences for the University of Cadiz in Spain.\n\nDel Pozo Cruz and his team recently published a similar study that found walking 10,000 steps a day lowered risk for dementia by 50%. Risk decreased by 25% with as few as 3,800 steps a day, according to the previous study.\n\nHowever, if walking occurred at a brisk pace of 112 steps a minute for 30 minutes, it maximized risk reduction, leading to a 62% reduction in dementia risk. The 30 minutes of fast-paced walking didn’t have to occur all at once, either – it could be spread out over the day.\n\nResearchers found the association between peak 30-minute steps and risk reduction to be dependent on the disease studied.\n\nThe study also found an association between step intensity and health benefits as well, “although the relationships were less consistent than with step counts,” researchers said.\n\n“But the truth is, the same goal has always applied: Challenge yourself at whatever fitness level you’re at. Obviously check with your doctor first, but your goal is to become breathless for 30 minutes each day.”", "authors": ["Sandee Lamotte"], "publish_date": "2022/10/10"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/30/health/nordic-walking-heart-health-study-wellness/index.html", "title": "The workout that beats HIIT for better heart health, according to a ...", "text": "Editor’s Note: Before beginning any new exercise program, consult your doctor. Stop immediately if you experience pain.\n\nCNN —\n\nIf you’re looking for a cardiovascular activity that will get your heart pumping and improve daily life, running or interval training may immediately come to mind. To maximize your workout, however, you may want to give Nordic walking a try, new research suggests.\n\nThis low-impact, whole-body workout that originated in Finland can be performed at different intensity levels. It incorporates the use of specially designed poles that you work in opposition to your legs – that is, your left arm and right foot work in tandem, and your right arm and left foot. The poles’ planting and push-off help boost you along, and the system is especially helpful when walking up or down hills.\n\nPatients with coronary heart disease who participated in Nordic walking had a greater increase in their functional capacity, or the ability to carry out daily activities, compared with those who performed high-intensity interval training or continuous training at a moderate-to-vigorous level, according to a recent study in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology.\n\nFew studies have examined the effects of Nordic walking on cardiac rehab patients, yet other forms of exercise, namely HIIT workouts, have been extensively studied, said senior author Dr. Jennifer Reed, director of exercise physiology and cardiovascular health at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute in Canada. No other study has directly compared the above three exercise regimens.\n\n“Our research showing the superior benefits of Nordic walking on functional capacity highlights an alternative exercise option that requires minimal cost and equipment to improve physical and mental health,” she said.\n\nTotal-body movement\n\nNordic walking exercises 80% to 90% of your muscles when done properly, according to the American Nordic Walking Association, while walking and running only recruit 40%. The additional shoulder, chest and arm muscles used are the deltoids, pectorals, upper abdominals, forearm flexors, subscapularis, triceps and external obliques. Moreover, using these additional muscles leads to a 20% increase in calorie burn compared with regular walking, according to a study published in the journal Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport.\n\nDuring Reed’s study, researchers had 130 patients in a 12-week training program performing either 60 minutes of Nordic walking on an indoor track; 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous continuous training (e.g., cycling or rowing); or a 45-minute HIIT workout. At the end of the training program, and again after a 14-week post-regimen observation period, the participants took two six-minute walk tests to measure functional capacity.\n\nAll of the exercise regimens helped alleviate the patients’ depression and improved their quality of life, but functional capacity was greatest after Nordic walking, the researchers found. The walkers had a 19% boost in functional capacity versus 13% for those doing the HIIT workouts and 12% for those doing the moderate-to-vigorous continuous training.\n\nPatients with coronary heart disease who did Nordic walking for 12 weeks had a greater increase in the ability to perform everyday activities than those who did interval training, a study said. Yashoda/Image Source/Getty Images\n\n“The six-minute walk test to measure functional capacity is an evidence-based and typically reproducible test,” said physician Dr. Jonathan H. Whiteson, associate professor of rehabilitation and medicine at NYU Langone Health in New York City. He was not involved in the study.\n\n“However, as a walking test to measure improvements of different exercise regimens, it is important to recognize that training is task-specific, and so it is not such a surprise that the walking intervention, rather than the other two exercise interventions that did not focus only on walking, produced the greater increase.”\n\nA more objective measure of aerobic training is a cardio-pulmonary exercise test, or metabolic stress test, which can measure fitness levels through metabolic analysis, said Whiteson, who also serves as medical director of cardiac rehabilitation at NYU Langone Health. “Use of CPET testing would have enhanced the results of this study. That being said, all modalities improved functional capacity, and that is the goal of a cardiac rehab program, as it correlates well with reduced risk for future cardiac events.”\n\nThe fact that Nordic walking is primarily a walking exercise and the other training programs included a variety of aerobic exercises may definitely be the reason why it came out No. 1 in the walk test, Reed acknowledged. The use of poles while walking may have improved speed and postural control, and increased walking-stride length.\n\nEither way, Whiteson had one note of caution: To achieve an increase in functional capacity, Nordic walking must be done vigorously, and it takes coordination and balance, he said. Thus, it might not be a good choice for everyone.\n\nBuilding off of the study, her team is poised to begin a clinical trial that will explore the effects of combining different exercise types on patients with cardiovascular disease, such as pairing HIIT workouts with Nordic walking.\n\nSign up for CNN’s Fitness, But Better newsletter series. Our seven-part guide up will help you ease into a healthy routine, backed by experts.\n\nFeel the burn\n\nThe positive study results have also piqued the team’s interest in further exploring the potential benefits of Nordic walking on other health measures, such as upper- and lower-body strength, and cardiovascular health indicators such as blood glucose and lipids. Positive results may point to its use for those with other conditions, such as obesity and diabetes.\n\nIn the United States, only 20% to 30% of the patients who qualify for, and can benefit from, cardiac rehabilitation are referred and participate, Whiteson said. This lack of active rehab participants makes research like Reed’s important, as it points to another exercise modality they can use – and a very practical one, as it can be done outside of a gym. “It also helps remind health care providers and patients that cardiac rehab is an essential part of their recovery regimen, future health and well-being.”\n\nPerhaps the biggest takeaway from the study, both Reed and Whiteson said, is that everyone can benefit from exercise. “There is no magic pill for health, but exercise is medicine that simultaneously targets multiple health conditions,” Reed said. “When it comes to physical activity, I like to say, ‘Some is better than none, and more is better than some.’”", "authors": ["Melanie Radzicki Mcmanus"], "publish_date": "2022/06/30"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/05/health/muscle-strengthening-exercises-disease-death-risk-wellness/index.html", "title": "Doing 30 to 60 minutes of one exercise weekly could help you live ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nYou might have heard that strengthening exercises most benefit your muscular and skeletal health, but they could have two other big perks: helping you prevent disease and live longer.\n\nNow we may know how much time to spend on those exercises, according to new research published Monday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.\n\nCompared with people who didn’t do muscle-strengthening activities, those who did 30 to 60 minutes of resistance, strength or weight training weekly had a 10% to 20% lower risk of early death from all causes, and of getting heart disease, diabetes or cancer at all, the research authors found. These types of exercises are designed to improve muscular fitness by exercising muscles against external resistance, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.\n\nA person uses kettlebells for a strengthening exercise. dusan petkovic/Adobe Stock\n\nCombining 30 to 60 minutes of strengthening exercises with any amount of aerobic activity enhanced the benefit, resulting in a 40% lower risk of premature death, a 46% lower incidence of heart disease and a 28% lower chance of dying from cancer. The research is also the first to examine long-term links between muscle-strengthening activities and diabetes risk, the authors said.\n\n“Many previous studies showed a favorable influence of muscle-strengthening exercises on noncommunicable diseases and early death risk,” said the study’s first author Haruki Momma, a lecturer in the department of medicine and science in sports and exercise at Tohoku University in Japan, via email. “We could expect our findings to some extent because this study was planned to integrate previous findings.”\n\nThe new research is an analysis of 16 prior studies, which amounted to a pool of data from nearly 480,000 study participants. They were between 18 and 98 years old, and most were based in the United States. Participants either self-reported their engagement in muscle-strengthening activities or answered questions during interviews.\n\n“The study methods are sound and the findings are important, but not surprising to me,” said Dr. William Roberts, a professor in the department of family medicine and community health at the University of Minnesota, via email. He wasn’t involved in the study. Thirty to “60 minutes per week sticks out as a doable amount for most people and makes me feel good about the 5 to 15 minutes of strength exercises I do every morning.”\n\nThe findings are “great news for people who are active and greater news for those who are inactive as they can improve their health with a small time investment,” added Roberts, who is a past president and current fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. “That said, people should start slow and build slowly to avoid the pain of too much activity too soon.”\n\nImportant note: If you experience pain while exercising, stop immediately. Check with your doctor before beginning any new exercise program.\n\nHow strength manages health risks\n\nThe new research didn’t explore why strength training is so effective in lowering risk of early death and certain diseases. But this type of exercise is important for reducing body fat and building lean muscle, which can help with balance, posture and regulating cholesterol levels, said Dr. Nieca Goldberg, the medical director of Atria New York City and clinical associate professor of medicine at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine. Goldberg wasn’t involved in the study.\n\n“We know that individuals with obesity are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, glucose intolerance and some cancers, so improving that (health) profile is beneficial,” Goldberg said. Additionally, “people who participate in regular activity … may also have a healthier outlook and have other healthy lifestyles.”\n\nThe stronger benefit from mixing aerobics with strengthening exercises could be because the two “appear to work together and help each other move toward better outcomes,” Roberts said. “A balanced program of strength and aerobic activity is probably best and probably more closely mimics the activities of our ancestors, which helped determine our current gene sets.”\n\nAerobic exercises include walking, dancing, running or jogging, cycling, and swimming, Goldberg said. Weight-training exercises you can do for 30 to 60 minutes include deadlifts, overheard dumbbell presses and dumbbell lateral raises, which involves using your back and shoulder muscles to lift light dumbbells so that your arms and body form a T shape.\n\nMost participants didn’t benefit from doing the strengthening exercises for longer than one hour, but the research didn’t examine why that was the case.\n\nHowever, results of previous studies have varied, Roberts said: Some have shown improved health at higher activity levels.\n\n“This is pool data, meaning it’s several studies put together. So when you do one study with a lot of people, you could measure for other variables that could potentially cause (the worse outcome beyond 60 minutes),” Goldberg said. “We can’t explain it based on this study. More studies will need to be done.”\n\nThe finding concerning lower diabetes risk could be explained by muscle-strengthening activities increasing or preserving skeletal muscle mass, which has a major role in regulating blood sugar levels, the authors said.\n\nOverall, the main takeaway is to get active and stay active with an exercise program you like and can stick with, Roberts and Goldberg said.\n\n“You do not need to train for the marathon to be healthy and improve your health,” Roberts added via email. “A combination of 5-10 minutes of strength exercise and 30 minutes of walking most days of the week will produce great health benefits across the population.”", "authors": ["Kristen Rogers"], "publish_date": "2022/03/05"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/06/health/step-dementia-risk-wellness/index.html", "title": "Walk this number of steps each day to cut your risk of dementia | CNN", "text": "Sign up for CNN’s Fitness, But Better newsletter series. Our seven-part guide up will help you ease into a healthy routine, backed by experts.\n\nCNN —\n\nWant to reduce your risk for dementia? Slap on a step counter and start tallying your steps – you’ll need between 3,800 and 9,800 each day to reduce your risk of mental decline, according to a new study.\n\nPeople between the ages of 40 and 79 who took 9,826 steps per day were 50% less likely to develop dementia within seven years, the study found. Furthermore, people who walked with “purpose” – at a pace over 40 steps a minute – were able to cut their risk of dementia by 57% with just 6,315 steps a day.\n\n“It is a brisk walking activity, like a power walk,” said study coauthor Borja del Pozo Cruz, an adjunct associate professor at the University of Southern Denmark in Odense, Denmark, and senior researcher in health sciences for the University of Cadiz in Spain.\n\nEven people who walked approximately 3,800 steps a day at any speed cut their risk of dementia by 25%, the study found.\n\n“That would be enough, at first, for sedentary individuals,” said del Pozo Cruz in an email.\n\n“In fact, it is a message that doctors could use to motivate very sedentary older adults – 4k steps is very doable by many, even those that are less fit or do not feel very motivated,” he added. “Perhaps, more active and fitter individuals should aim for 10k, where we see maximum effects.”\n\nBut there was a even more interesting result buried in the study, according to an editorial entitled “Is 112 the New 10,000?” published Tuesday in JAMA Neurology.\n\nThe largest reduction in dementia risk – 62% – was achieved by people who walked at a very brisk pace of 112 steps per minute for 30 minutes a day, the study found. Prior research has labeled 100 steps a minute (2.7 miles per hour) as a “brisk” or moderate level of intensity.\n\nThe editorial argued that individuals looking to reduce their risk of dementia focus on their walking pace over their walked distance.\n\n“While 112 steps/min is a rather brisk cadence, ’112’ is conceivably a much more tractable and less intimidating number for most individuals than ‘10,000,’ especially if they have been physically inactive or underactive,” wrote Alzheimer’s researchers Ozioma Okonkwo and Elizabeth Planalp in the editorial. Okonkwo is an associate professor in the department of medicine at the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at the University of Wisconsin–Madison; Planalp is a research scientist in Okonkwo’s lab.\n\n“We do agree this is a very interesting finding,” said del Pozo Cruz via email. “Our take is that intensity of stepping matters! Over and above volume. Technology could be use to track not only number of steps but also pace and so these types of metrics can also be incorporated in commercial watches. More research is needed on this.”\n\nPeople who walked with \"purpose\" -- at a pace over 40 steps a minute -- were able to cut their risk of dementia by 57% with just 6,315 steps a day, a new study said. West Photo/Adobe Stock\n\nDon’t have a step counter? You can count the number of steps you take in 10 seconds and then multiply it by six – or the number of steps you take in six seconds and multiply it by 10. Either way works. But remember, not everyone’s steps are the same length, nor are their fitness levels. What might be a brisk pace for a 40-year-old may not be sustainable for a 70-year-old.\n\nEditor’s Note: Before beginning any new exercise program, consult your doctor. Stop immediately if you experience pain.\n\nInside the study\n\nThe study, also published Tuesday in JAMA Neurology, analyzed data from over 78,000 people between the ages of 40 and 79 who wore wrist accelerometers. Researchers counted each person’s total number of steps per day, and then placed them into two categories: Fewer than 40 steps per minute – which is more of an amble, like when you’re walking from room to room – and more than 40 steps per minute, or so-called “purposeful” walking. The researchers also analyzed peak performers – those who took the most steps within 30 minutes over the course of a day (although those 30 minutes did not have to occur on the same walk).\n\nResearchers then compared that person’s steps against their diagnosis of dementia of any type seven years later. After controlling for age, ethnicity, education, sex, socio-emotional status and how many days they wore an accelerometer, researchers also factored out such lifestyle variables as poor diet, smoking, alcohol use, medication use, sleep issues and a history of cardiovascular disease.\n\nThe study did have some limitations, its authors point out – it was only observational, so it cannot establish a direct cause and effect between walking and a lower risk of dementia. In addition, “the age range of participants may have resulted in limited dementia cases, meaning our results may not be generalizable to older populations,” the study said.\n\n“Because there are often considerable delays in dementia diagnosis, and this study did not include formal clinical and cognitive assessments of dementia, it is possible that the prevalence of dementia in the community was much higher,” the authors added.\n\nWhile agreeing that the findings cannot be interpreted as a direct cause and effect, “the mounting evidence in support of the benefits of physical activity for maintaining optimal brain health can no longer be disregarded,” wrote Okonkwo and Planalp.\n\n“It is time for the management of physical inactivity to be considered an intrinsic part of routine primary care visits for older adults,” they added.\n\nResearch adds up\n\nIndeed, recent research published in July has found many leisure activities, such as household chores, exercise, adult education classes and visiting with family and friends, affected dementia risk in middle-aged people.\n\nAdults who were highly engaged in physical activity such as frequent exercise had a 35% lower risk of developing dementia compared with people who were the least engaged in these activities, researchers found.\n\nRegularly doing household chores lowered risk by 21% while daily visits with family and friends lowered the risk of dementia by 15%, when compared with people who were less engaged.\n\nEveryone in the study benefited from the protective effect of physical and mental activities, whether or not they had a family history of dementia, researchers found.\n\nAnother study published in January found that exercise may slow dementia in active older people whose brains already showed signs of plaques, tangles and other hallmarks of Alzheimer’s and other cognitive diseases.\n\nThat study found exercise boosts levels of a protein known to strengthen communication between brain cells via synapses, which may be a key factor in keeping dementia at bay.\n\n“Dementia is preventable to a great extent,” said del Pozo Cruz. “Physical activity as well as other lifestyle behaviors such lack of alcohol and smoking, maintaining a healthy diet and weight and sleep can put you on the right track to avoid dementia.”", "authors": ["Sandee Lamotte"], "publish_date": "2022/09/06"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/12/health/walking-cancer-heart-early-death-wellness/index.html", "title": "Walking can lower risk of early death, but there's more to it than ...", "text": "Sign up for CNN’s Fitness, But Better newsletter series. Our seven-part guide up will help you ease into a healthy routine, backed by experts.\n\nCNN —\n\nPut on your walking shoes and don’t forget your step counter: You can reduce your risk for cancer, heart disease and early death by getting up to 10,000 steps a day, but any amount of walking helps, according to a new study.\n\nHealth benefits rose with every step, the study found, but peaked at 10,000 steps – after that the effects faded. Counting steps may be especially important for people who do unstructured, unplanned physical activity such as house work, gardening and dog walks.\n\n“Notably, we detected an association between incidental steps (steps taken to go about daily life) and a lower risk of both cancer and heart disease,” noted study coauthor Borja del Pozo Cruz, an adjunct associate professor at the University of Southern Denmark in Odense, Denmark, and senior researcher in health sciences for the University of Cadiz in Spain.\n\n“By and large, I think the study is well done and it certainly continues to add to the foundation of knowledge that tells us exercise is good stuff,” said Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at National Jewish Health in Denver, Colorado. He was not involved in the research.\n\n“Physical activity is just absolutely magnificent,” Freeman said. “And when if you blend that with eating a more plant-based diet, de-stressing, sleeping enough and connecting with others – that’s your magic recipe. It’s the fountain of youth, if you will.”\n\nWalking helps dementia too\n\nDel Pozo Cruz and his team recently published a similar study that found walking 10,000 steps a day lowered risk for dementia by 50%. Risk decreased by 25% with as few as 3,800 steps a day, according to the previous study.\n\nHowever, if walking occurred at a brisk pace of 112 steps a minute for 30 minutes, it maximized risk reduction, leading to a 62% reduction in dementia risk. The 30 minutes of fast-paced walking didn’t have to occur all at once, either – it could be spread out over the day.\n\n“Our take is that intensity of stepping matters – over and above volume,” said del Pozo Cruz via email.\n\nThe new study, published Monday in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, followed 78,500 people between the ages of 40 and 79 from England, Scotland and Wales who wore wrist step counters for 24 hours a day over a seven day stretch.\n\nAfter counting each person’s total number of steps each day, researchers placed them into two categories: Fewer than 40 steps per minute – which is more of an amble, like when you’re walking from room to room – and more than 40 steps per minute, or so-called “purposeful” walking.\n\nA third category was created for peak performers – those who took the most steps per minute within 30 minutes over the course of a day (although, again, those 30 minutes did not have to occur in sequence).\n\nAbout seven years later, researchers compared that data to medical records and found people who took the most steps per minute – in this case, approximately 80 steps per minute – showed the biggest reduction in risk for cancer, heart disease and early death from any cause.\n\nResearchers found the association between peak 30-minute steps and risk reduction to be dependent on the disease studied.\n\n“We observed a 62% reduction for dementia: This figure was almost 80% for CVD mortality and incidence and much less (approx. 20%) for cancer,” del Pozo Cruz said via email.\n\n“This may be related with specific pathways by which physical activity is beneficial,” he said. “It pushes the body in general: can generate more muscle, a bigger heart and a better fitness, all of which are known protective factors for cardiovascular disease and cancer, and other health issues too.”\n\nGet breathless\n\nWhat’s the takeaway? You don’t have to fixate on the numbers of steps (unless you really want to), Freeman said.\n\n“Does every step count? Absolutely. And we know that brisk walking each day brings on extra benefits in terms of blood pressure reduction and cardiovascular training and so forth,” said Freeman, who was the founding chair of the American College of Cardiology’s Nutrition & Lifestyle workgroup.\n\n“But the truth is, the same goal has always applied: Challenge yourself at whatever fitness level you’re at. Obviously check with your doctor first, but your goal is to become breathless for 30 minutes each day.”\n\nWhat is breathlessness as it applies to exercise? It’s not gasping and panting so hard you can barely breathe. Instead, breathlessness is when you are walking with someone, they talk to you, and you have a bit of trouble talking back, Freeman said.\n\n“Spend 30 minutes being breathless at whatever pace you’re at, and then keep challenging yourself to be slightly unsatisfied at your current level so you can get better and better,” Freeman said.\n\nBeing more physically active often jumpstarts other healthy habits, such as an improved diet, and discourages unhealthy ones, such as smoking, he added.", "authors": ["Sandee Lamotte"], "publish_date": "2022/09/12"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/02/health/walking-blood-sugar-study-wellness/index.html", "title": "Just 2 minutes of walking after eating can help blood sugar, study says", "text": "Sign up for CNN’s Fitness, But Better newsletter series. Our seven-part guide up will help you ease into a healthy routine, backed by experts.\n\nCNN —\n\nFor centuries, people in the sunny Mediterranean would get up after long, leisurely meals and take a walk, often to the town square to see neighbors and socialize. Walking is so much a part of that lifestyle it is listed as a foundation of the über-healthy Mediterranean diet.\n\nThat may be one of the reasons studies have found the Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk for diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, stroke and some cancers – all the while strengthening bones, improving brain health, warding off dementia and depression and helping with healthy weight loss.\n\nNow you can add another reason to take a post-meal stroll – it may lower your blood sugar.\n\nThat excursion doesn’t need to take up a huge amount of your time either: Walking as little as two to five minutes after a meal can do the trick, according to a 2022 study in the journal Sports Medicine.\n\nStanding after a meal can help, too, but not as much as putting one foot in front of the other, said study coauthor Aidan Buffey, a doctoral student in the physical education and sport sciences department at the University of Limerick in Ireland.\n\nGoing for a short walk after eating may help control your blood sugar. Siam Pukkato/Adobe Stock\n\n“Intermittent standing breaks throughout the day and after meals reduced glucose on average by 9.51% compared to prolonged sitting. However, intermittent light-intensity walking throughout the day saw a greater reduction of glucose by an average of 17.01% compared to prolonged sitting,” Buffey told CNN via email.\n\n“This suggests that breaking prolonged sitting with standing and light-walking breaks throughout the day is beneficial for glucose levels,” he added.\n\nStanding is good, but walking is better\n\nThe meta-analysis, published in February, analyzed seven studies comparing the impact of sitting, standing and walking on the body’s insulin and blood sugar levels. People in the studies were asked either to stand or walk for two to five minutes every 20 to 30 minutes over the course of a full day.\n\n“Between the seven reviewed studies, the total activity time throughout the observation was roughly 28 minutes with the standing and light walking breaks lasting between 2 to 5 minutes,” Buffey said.\n\nStanding was better than heading straight for the desk or the couch to sit when it came to blood sugar levels, but it didn’t help lower insulin in the bloodstream, the analysis found.\n\nHowever, if people went for a short walk after eating, their blood sugar levels rose and fell more gradually, and their insulin levels were more stable than either standing or sitting, the study noted.\n\nKeeping blood sugars from spiking is good for the body as large spikes and fast falls can raise the risk for diabetes and heart disease, experts say. Studies have shown blood sugar levels will spike within 60 to 90 minutes after eating, so it’s best to get moving soon after finishing a meal.\n\nHow does movement help? Muscles need glucose to function, so movement helps clear sugars from the bloodstream – that’s the reason why many runners rely on carbo-loading before a marathon or race, for example.\n\nWant to get more out of your efforts than lower blood sugars? Step up your game to meet the minimum physical activity standards for Americans: 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity and two days of muscle strengthening activity a week.\n\n“People who are physically active for about 150 minutes a week have a 33% lower risk of all-cause mortality than those who are physically inactive,” the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes.\n\nTranslated, that means if you get up and move for just 21.43 minutes each day of the week, you cut your risk of dying from anything by one-third.\n\nThat’s worth the effort, right?", "authors": ["Sandee Lamotte"], "publish_date": "2022/09/02"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/14/health/exercise-depression-study-wellness/index.html", "title": "It doesn't take a lot of exercise to fight depression, study says | CNN", "text": "Subscribe to CNN’s Fitness, But Better newsletter. Sign up for our newsletter series to ease into a healthy routine, backed by experts.\n\nCNN —\n\nGet up and move – even small doses of physical activity, such as brisk walking, may substantially lower the risk of depression, according to a new data analysis.\n\n“Most benefits are realized when moving from no activity to at least some,” the study authors wrote.\n\nRecommended levels of exercise in the United States, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, include aerobic activity at moderate levels (such as a brisk walk) for 2.5 hours a week, along with a workout of all major muscle groups twice a week.\n\nAlternatively, a person can choose a vigorous aerobic exercise, such as running, for 1.25 hours each week, along with the same amount of strength training.\n\nModerate to vigorous exercise is good for us, according to the CDC. It improves sleep; lowers blood pressure; protects against heart disease, diabetes and cancer; reduces stress; boosts mood; and fights anxiety and depression.\n\nBut in today’s busy world, many people find it difficult to fit in a jog or a visit to the gym. Add depression to the mix, and the motivation for exercise drops even further, experts say.\n\nAbout 1.25 hours of brisk walking per week could yield an 18% lower risk of depression compared with not exercising, according to a new meta-analysis. Adobe Stock\n\nEvery little bit helps\n\nThe meta-analysis, published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, looked at 15 studies involving over 190,000 people to determine how much exercise was needed to reduce depression.\n\nAdults who did activities equivalent to 1.25 hours of brisk walking per week had an 18% lower risk of depression compared with those who did not exercise, the study said.\n\nMoving up to an “activity volume equivalent to 2.5 hours of brisk walking per week was associated with 25% lower risk of depression,” the study authors said.\n\nThe benefits were strongest when a person transitioned from being a couch potato to adding movement to the day, the study said. However, exercising over the recommended levels did not provide any additional benefits.\n\n“Our findings therefore have important new implications for health practitioners making lifestyle recommendations, especially to inactive individuals who may perceive the current recommended target (of exercise) as unrealistic,” the authors wrote.\n\nPrior research\n\nA study published in 2018 found similar results: People who exercised had about 43% fewer days of poor mental health.\n\n“Even just walking just three times a week seems to give people better mental health than not exercising at all,” study author Adam Chekroud, an assistant adjunct professor of psychiatry at Yale University, told CNN at the time.\n\nExercising in 45-minute sessions three to five times a week was the most beneficial for improving mental health, the 2018 study found. However, even doing household chores reduced poor mental health days by about 10%, the study said.\n\nA study published in 2020 found that even light exercise helped protect children against developing depression. The 2020 study revealed that 60 minutes of simple movement each day at age 12 was linked to an average 10% reduction in depression at age 18.\n\nThe types of movement included running, biking and walking, as well as activities like doing chores, painting or playing an instrument.", "authors": ["Sandee Lamotte"], "publish_date": "2022/04/14"}]}
{"question_id": "20230303_8", "search_time": "2023/03/15/03:27", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/04/homes/mortgage-rates-august-4/index.html", "title": "Mortgage rates drop below 5% for first time since April | CNN Business", "text": "Mortgage rates dropped for the second week in a row, falling below 5% for the first time since mid-April.\n\nThe 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.99% in the week ending August 4, down from 5.3% the week before, according to Freddie Mac. But that is still significantly higher than this time last year when it was 2.77%.\n\nRates rose sharply at the start of the year, hitting a high of 5.81% in mid-June. But since then, economic concerns have made them more volatile.\n\n“Mortgage rates remained volatile due to the tug of war between inflationary pressures and a clear slowdown in economic growth,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.\n\nThe up and down is expected to continue, he said.\n\n“The high uncertainty surrounding inflation and other factors will likely cause rates to remain variable, especially as the Federal Reserve attempts to navigate the current economic environment.”\n\nThe drop comes as surprisingly positive reports for some economic indicators counterbalanced the talk of looming recession, said George Ratiu, Realtor.com’s manager of economic research.\n\n“Without a clear direction, markets are confining mortgage rates to move within a tighter range, as the sharp upward push has moderated,” he said.\n\nIn response to high inflation the Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate by 75 basis points last week, the second hike of that size in as many months.\n\nThe Federal Reserve does not set the interest rates borrowers pay on mortgages directly. Instead, mortgage rates tend to track 10-year US Treasury bonds. But they are indirectly impacted by the Fed’s efforts to tame inflation.\n\nAs for consumers, he said, they continue to spend, amassing a record $16.2 trillion in household debt according to data the Federal Reserve released this week.\n\n“The big question for consumers is whether companies will over-react to the recession concerns and start trimming payrolls,” Ratiu said. “A sharp pullback in hiring could have a direct impact on people’s ability to keep spending, especially with today’s high inflation.”\n\nAffordability still the biggest challenge\n\nThe higher costs to finance a home have already had an impact on buyers. Sales of both new construction and existing homes have fallen in recent months as buyers take a break from house hunting.\n\nBuyers are finding homes even less affordable as inflation takes a larger chunk of their income and the rising cost of borrowing has reduced their purchasing power.\n\nA year ago, a buyer who put 20% down on a $390,000 home and financed the rest with a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage at an average interest rate of 2.77% had a monthly mortgage payment of $1,277, according to numbers from Freddie Mac.\n\nToday, a homeowner buying the same priced house with an average rate of 4.99% would pay $1,673 a month in principal and interest. That’s nearly $400 more each month.\n\nWith increased borrowing costs setting an affordability ceiling for many buyers, home sales are dropping, said Ratiu. At the same time, inventory is improving.\n\n“This brought a welcome sign in this year’s real estate markets – price cuts,” Ratiu said.\n\nHowever, with buyers dropping out, some sellers are holding back too, feeling they have missed the market’s peak, according to Realtor.com. Homeowners with equity may not be compelled to sell in this slower market with higher financing costs.\n\n“As the number of new listings softens, it raises the concern that the nascent improvement in inventory may prove elusive as we approach the latter stages of summer,” said Ratiu.", "authors": ["Anna Bahney"], "publish_date": "2022/08/04"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/29/homes/mortgage-rates-december-29/index.html", "title": "Mortgage rates rose this week after falling for six straight weeks ..."}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/03/homes/mortgage-rates-november-3/index.html", "title": "Mortgage rates dip back below 7% | CNN Business", "text": "Mortgage rates fell this week after surpassing 7% for the first time in 20 years last week.\n\nThe 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.95% in the week ending November 3rd, down from 7.08% the week before, according to Freddie Mac. A year ago, the 30-year fixed rate stood at 3.09%.\n\nMortgage rates continue to hover around 7%, causing the once-hot housing market to cool considerably, said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.\n\nThe 30-year fixed rate had risen almost every week since late August and has more than doubled since the beginning of the year.\n\nThe rapid rise has been fueled by the Federal Reserve’s unprecedented campaign of hiking interest rates in order to tame soaring inflation. The combination of the central bank’s rate hikes, investor’s concerns about a recession and mixed economic news has made mortgage rates increasingly volatile over the past several months.\n\nThe Fed announced yesterday it would raise its benchmark interest rate by another 75 basis points, the sixth rate increase this year and the fourth-consecutive hike of that size.\n\n“Yesterday’s interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve will certainly inject additional lead into the heels of the housing market,” Khater said.\n\nHe added that demand is declining as some potential buyers try to navigate the unpredictable landscape, while others remain sidelined because they cannot qualify for a loan.\n\nInflation remains a challenge\n\nFollowing the Fed’s meeting on Wednesday, Chairman Jerome Powell said that the possibility of a “soft landing,” in which the economy cools without crashing into a recession, has narrowed but it is still possible.\n\n“The inflation picture has become more and more challenging over the course of this year,” he said. “That means we have to have policy be more restrictive, and that narrows the path to a soft landing.”\n\nWhile the Fed does not set the interest rates borrowers pay on mortgages directly, its actions influence them. Mortgage rates tend to track the yield on 10-year US Treasury bonds. As investors see or anticipate rate hikes, they make moves which send yields higher and mortgage rates rise.\n\nBoth two-year and 10-year Treasury yields rose higher in the wake of Wednesday’s announcement, a sign that capital markets see a rising probability of recession in 2023, said George Ratiu, Realtor.com’s manager of economic research.\n\n“With inflation still running at a 40-year high and the Fed expecting a few more rate increases to combat it, mortgage rates will experience upward pressure through the end of 2022,” said Ratiu.\n\nRates moved lower over the past week because yesterday’s Fed announcement was already priced into the mortgage market, said Lawrence Yun, chief economist at the National Association of Realtors. But inflation is not where the Fed would like it to be yet and rates are expected to remain volatile.\n\n“Mortgage rates are near 20-year highs, and that hurts homebuyers,” said Yun. “Once inflation is contained, mortgage rates will start to drift lower. It may be another year or two before that happens.”\n\nMore people priced out\n\nAs rates rise, homeownership becomes increasingly out of reach for people who can’t afford, or don’t even qualify for a home loan.\n\nWith mortgage rates about 4 percentage points higher than last year, a buyer of a median-priced home is looking at a monthly mortgage payment that is $1,000 higher, according to Realtor.com.\n\n“This dramatic jump in financing costs has effectively shrunk most buyers’ budgets,” said Ratiu.\n\nIt isn’t just mortgage rates that have gone up from last year, home prices have significantly increased as well.\n\nBased on September 2021’s median home price and 30-year fixed mortgage rate, and assuming a 20% down payment, a typical homebuyer would have been looking at a $1,296 monthly payment, according to Realtor.com. This year, due to both higher prices and mortgage rates that are hovering around 7%, a typical buyer is facing a $2,296 monthly payment.\n\nIn order for this year’s buyer to have the same monthly payment as last year, the median home price would have to decline by 45%, to about $235,000.\n\nPrices aren’t dropping that much, but they are starting to creep down in some areas.\n\n“Most homes are priced based on comparable properties that sold in the past six months, a period which does not capture today’s much-higher rates and buyers’ inability to afford them,” said Ratiu. “With household incomes lagging inflation and borrowing costs still rising, we can expect transactions to continue declining, and prices to continue to fall.”", "authors": ["Anna Bahney"], "publish_date": "2022/11/03"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/real-estate/2022/12/08/current-housing-market-mortgage-rates-home-prices/10811966002/", "title": "Are home prices still going up? What's happening with mortgage ...", "text": "Potential buyers remained reluctant to take the plunge on financing a home purchase even as mortgage rates fell for the fourth straight week.\n\nMortgage applications decreased 2% the week ending Dec. 2 compared to the previous week. And the average loan size for a purchase application was at its lowest level since January 2021.\n\nMeanwhile, the average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage trended down to 6.33% as of Dec. 8, according to the latest data from Freddie Mac. The fixed-rate mortgage has more than doubled from a year earlier when it averaged 3.1%.\n\nThe pandemic-era housing boom, combined with decades-high inflation and volatile mortgage rates, are forcing prospective homebuyers and homesellers to sit on the sidelines and wait for the dust to settle.\n\nHOUSING:The 10 best real estate markets of 2023: Goodbye COVID boomtowns, hello mid-sized markets\n\nLearn more: Best mortgage lenders\n\nEXCLUSIVE:After little progress on lending discrimination, a mortgage fairness crisis looms\n\n“Mortgage rates decreased for the fourth consecutive week, due to increasing concerns over lackluster economic growth,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “While the decline in rates has been large, homebuyer sentiment remains low with no major positive reaction in purchase demand to these lower rates.”\n\nWhat’s happening with mortgage rates?\n\nOver the last four weeks, mortgage rates have declined by three-quarters of a point, the largest decline since 2008, according to Khater.\n\nIn late October, the average rate on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage pushed past 7%. But with signs that inflation is cooling, the Federal Reserve could ease up on its aggressive rate hikes, and mortgage rates could have peaked, =experts say.\n\nThe 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.33% as of December 8, 2022, down from last week when it averaged 6.49%. A year ago at this time, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.1%.\n\nThe 15-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 5.67%, down from last week when it averaged 5.76%. The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 2.38% a year ago.\n\n“Despite the ongoing decline in mortgage rates that started in October, prospective homebuyers continue to delay decisions to purchase homes, even as home prices flatten or fall,” says Bob Broeksmit, president and CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association. “The average loan size for a purchase application last week was at its lowest level in nearly two years, another indication that home prices are cooling.”\n\nHOUSING MARKET FIRST-TIMER?:15+ real estate terms you should know, from FICO to escrow\n\nHow are mortgage rates affecting affordability?\n\nCurrently, the typical family cannot afford to buy a median-priced home as the qualifying income exceeds earned income, says Nadia Evangelou, senior economist and director of real estate research for the National Association of Realtors.\n\nHowever, housing affordability rose about 8% in the last four weeks as mortgage rates moved closer to 6%, she says.\n\n“If inflation continues to slow down, mortgage rates may stabilize near 6% in 2023. With a 6% mortgage rate, housing will become more affordable for many buyers,” she says. “In this scenario, the typical family will earn about $1,000 more than the income needed to purchase a mid-priced home. With more buyers back in the market, the housing market may turn around at the beginning of the new year.”\n\nFIXED VS ADJUSTABLE MORTGAGE RATE:Mortgage rates top 7%. Is a fixed or an adjustable rate the best bet right now?\n\nWhat is holding homebuyers back?\n\nFear of a recession and high mortgage rates have given buyers pause. Many people have been priced out of the market altogether and small drops in the interest rate will not make a difference, said Lisa Sturtevant, chief economist at Bright MLS.\n\nAffordability remains a big constraint in the market. Over the past three years, home prices have increased by more than 40% nationally.\n\n“In 2019, a family needed an income of about $52,000 to qualify to purchase the median-priced home, and their monthly payment would have been about $1,220,” says Sturtevant. “Fast forward, homebuyers now need an income of nearly $100,000 to qualify for the median-priced home, and the typical monthly payment has shot up to more than $2,200.”\n\nEven as rates decrease and house prices soften, economic uncertainty continues to limit homebuyer demand as we enter the last month of the year, says Khater.\n\nREAL ESTATE EXPLAINED:Housing market grinding to a halt? High mortgage rates bring sales and listings down\n\nCan homebuyers time mortgage rates?\n\nProspective buyers may be tempted to try to “time” rates to try to jump into the market when rates dip, but timing rates is difficult, says Sturtevant.\n\nBuyers would be better served by shopping for rates and getting quotes from multiple lenders.\n\n“There is a lot of variability in rates, terms, and mortgage products in this changing market,” she says.\n\nMORTGAGES:Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac will back mortgages of more than $1 million in 2023\n\nWhat’s happening with the housing market?\n\nPending home sales slid for the fifth consecutive month in October, according to the National Association of Realtors. Three of four U.S. regions recorded month-over-month decreases, and all four regions recorded year-over-year declines in transactions.\n\n\"October was a difficult month for home buyers as they faced 20-year-high mortgage rates,\" said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. \"The West region, in particular, suffered from the combination of high interest rates and expensive home prices. Only the Midwest squeaked out a gain.\"\n\nTotal housing inventory at the end of October was 1.22 million units, which was down 0.8% from both September and one year earlier (1.23 million). Unsold inventory sits at a 3.3-month supply at the current sales pace, up from 3.1 months in September and 2.4 months in October 2021.\n\n\"Inventory levels are still tight, which is why some homes for sale are still receiving multiple offers,\" Yun added. \"In October, 24% of homes received over the asking price. Conversely, homes sitting on the market for more than 120 days saw prices reduced by an average of 15.8.\"\n\nAre home prices still rising?\n\nEven though home prices remain high year-over-year, they’re not increasing at the same pace as the year before.\n\nWhereas last October, the national median existing-home price for all housing types rose by 13% from the previous year, in October 2022, home prices rose by only 6.6% year-over-year.\n\nThe median existing-home price for all housing types in October was $379,100, a gain of 6.6% from October 2021 ($355,700), as prices rose in all regions. This marks 128 consecutive months of year-over-year increases, the longest-running streak on record.\n\nSwapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is a housing and economy correspondent for USA TODAY. You can follow her on Twitter @SwapnaVenugopal and sign up for our Daily Money newsletter here.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/12/08"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/27/homes/mortgage-rates-october-27/index.html", "title": "Mortgage rates top 7% for the first time since 2002 | CNN Business", "text": "Mortgage rates rose again this week, topping 7% for the first time since 2002.\n\nThe 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 7.08% in the week ending October 27, up from 6.94% the week before, according to Freddie Mac. A year ago, the 30-year fixed rate stood at 3.14%.\n\nThe last time the average rate surpassed 7% was in April 2002.\n\nMortgage rates have risen almost every week since late August and have more than doubled since the beginning of the year.\n\nThe rapid rise has been fueled by the Federal Reserve’s unprecedented campaign of hiking interest rates in order to tame soaring inflation. The combination of the central bank’s rate hikes, investor’s concerns about a recession and mixed economic news has made mortgage rates increasingly volatile over the past several months.\n\nThe rising rates are leading to stagnation in the housing market, said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.\n\n“As inflation endures, consumers are seeing higher costs at every turn, causing further declines in consumer confidence this month,” said Khater. “Many potential homebuyers are choosing to wait and see where the housing market will end up, pushing demand and home prices further downward.”\n\nThe average mortgage rate is based on a survey of conventional home purchase loans for borrowers who put 20% down and have excellent credit, according to Freddie Mac. But many buyers who put down less money up front or have less than perfect credit will pay more.\n\nInflation remains stubborn\n\nWhile the Fed does not set the interest rates borrowers pay on mortgages directly, its actions influence them. Mortgage rates tend to track the yield on 10-year US Treasury bonds. As investors see or anticipate rate hikes, they make moves which send yields higher and mortgage rates rise.\n\nThis week the 10-year yield remained above 4%, a level last seen in 2008.\n\nInvestors are anticipating another rate hike at next week’s Fed meeting, said Hannah Jones, economic data analyst at Realtor.com.\n\nAnalysts expect the central bank to announce another 75-basis-point hike since the most recent inflation data has not shown sufficient signs of cooling. If that happens, it will be the fourth 75-basis-point hike in a row, marking the largest series of Fed rate hikes in more than three decades.\n\nAffordability continues to take a hit\n\nHigher mortgage rates are making it even harder for prospective buyers to afford a home.\n\nOver the past year, mortgage rates have climbed nearly four percentage points and listing prices have increased 13.9%. That has made the monthly payment on a median priced home close to 75% higher today compared to one year ago, according to Realtor.com.\n\nAt this time last year, a buyer who put 20% down on a $390,000 home and financed the rest with a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage at an average interest rate of 3.14% had a monthly mortgage payment of $1,339, according to calculations from Freddie Mac.\n\nToday, a homeowner buying the same priced house with an average rate of 7.08% would pay $2,093 a month in principal and interest. That’s $754 more each month.\n\n“Home shoppers are hamstrung by the rising cost of homeownership and inflation, which has led many to drop out of the market,” said Jones. She pointed to the recent report on existing home sales, which declined 23.8% year-over-year in September marking the eighth consecutive month of slowing, according to the National Association of Realtors.\n\nDemand for mortgages has dropped dramatically as well, with applications at their slowest pace since 1997, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.\n\nHomebuyers who remain on the hunt are finding homes they can afford in lower priced markets, Jones said. “As a result, affordable markets are seeing sustained housing demand.”\n\nBut as long as mortgage rates and prices remain high, Jones said, many buyers will remain on the sidelines or downsize their expectations.\n\n“Some may find renting to be the better option in the short term, while others may consider other home types such as condos,” said Jones. “Buyers who remain in the market may see lower prices and have some leverage relative to the last few months, though they will have to be cognizant of how higher mortgage rates impact housing costs.”", "authors": ["Anna Bahney"], "publish_date": "2022/10/27"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/07/homes/mortgage-rates-july-7/index.html", "title": "Mortgage rates see largest decline since 2008 | CNN Business", "text": "Mortgage rates dropped for the second week in a row, notching the largest decline since December, 2008.\n\nThe 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 5.30% in the week ending July 7, down from 5.70% the week before, according to Freddie Mac. That is still significantly higher than this time last year when it was 2.90%\n\nRates rose sharply at the start of the year, hitting a high of 5.81% in mid-June. But since then, economic concerns have pushed them lower. The 40 basis point fall offset some of the significant rate increases of May and June.\n\n“Over the last two weeks, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dropped by half a percent, as concerns about a potential recession continue to rise,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.\n\nBut affording a home still remains a challenge. Mortgage rates are at their highest levels since the late 2000’s and listing prices have grown by more than 8.5% year-over-year for 24 consecutive months, said Joel Berner, Realtor.com’s senior economic research analyst.\n\nIf there’s any silver lining for homebuyers, it’s that more homes are hitting the market, he said. In June, active listings increased by the largest annual growth in the history of Realtor.com’s data.\n\n“With more homes on the market, sellers are being forced to compete on prices,” he said. “Though the cost of financing a home remains high relative to recent years, buyers will have more chances to find homes in their price range as the undersupplied and overheated housing market starts to cool.”\n\nHigher rates are also tamping down demand among prospective buyers. Mortgage applications dropped 5.4% in the week ending July 1 from the week before, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.\n\n“Rates are still significantly higher than they were a year ago, which is why applications for home purchases and refinances remain depressed,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s associate vice president of economic and industry forecasting. “Purchase activity is hamstrung by ongoing affordability challenges and low inventory, and homeowners still have reduced incentive to apply for a refinance.”\n\nBuyers are finding it harder to buy homes as inflation takes a larger chunk of their income and the cost of borrowing has reduced their purchasing power.\n\nA year ago, a buyer who put 20% down on a median priced $390,000 home and financed the rest with a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage at an average rate of 2.90% had a monthly mortgage payment of $1,299, according to calculations from Freddie Mac.\n\nToday, a homeowner buying the same priced house with an average rate of 5.30% would pay $1,733 a month in principal and interest. That’s $434 more each month.\n\nThe decline in mortgage rates this week follows recent volatility in the 10-year Treasury yield, which dropped below 2.8% in the first week of July after spending most of June above 3%.\n\nWhile the Federal Reserve does not set the interest rates borrowers pay on mortgages directly, its actions influence them. Mortgage rates tend to track 10-year US Treasury bonds. As investors see or anticipate rate hikes, they often sell government bonds, which sends yields higher and with it, mortgage rates.\n\nIn addition, continued fears that we are heading into a bear market have driven investors into safer, longer-term bonds, said Berner.\n\n“This inversion might sound ominous, especially in the midst of sustained inflation that both markets and the Fed agree will likely require more fed funds rate hikes to tame, but it remains to be seen whether these market conditions will lead to increases in the unemployment rate or decreases in production that characterize a recession,” he said.", "authors": ["Anna Bahney"], "publish_date": "2022/07/07"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/28/homes/mortgage-rates-july-28/index.html", "title": "Mortgage rates fall as fears about the US economy loom | CNN ...", "text": "Mortgage rates dropped last week as fears grow that the US economy is entering a recession.\n\nThe 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 5.30% in the week ending July 28, down from 5.54% the week before, according to Freddie Mac. That is still significantly higher than this time last year when it was 2.80%.\n\nRates rose sharply at the start of the year, hitting a high of 5.81% in mid-June. But since then, concerns about inflation and the possibility that the US economy may be entering a recession have made them more volatile.\n\nThe demand to buy a home continues to tumble as buyers face higher rates, record-high home prices, increased recession risk, and declining consumer confidence, said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist.\n\n“It’s clear that over the past two years, the combination of the pandemic, record low mortgage rates, and the opportunity to work remotely spurred greater demand,” Khater said. “Now, as the market adjusts to a higher rate environment, we are seeing a period of deflated sales activity until the market normalizes.”\n\nMortgage rates fell as investors anticipated yet another 75 basis-point rate hike from the Federal Reserve at its meeting on Wednesday. It was the second hike of that size in as many months.\n\nThe Federal Reserve does not set the interest rates borrowers pay on mortgages directly. Instead, mortgage rates tend to track 10-year US Treasury bonds, which fell last week ahead of the central bank’s meeting. But they are indirectly impacted by the Fed’s efforts to tame inflation.\n\nThe Fed also said Wednesday that it may moderate its pace of interest rate increases in the months ahead.\n\n“The statement was welcomed by financial markets as a sign that the Fed expects inflation to slow more noticeably, requiring a less aggressive response,” said George Ratiu, Realtor.com manager of economic research. “These moves are expected to keep upward pressure on borrowing costs, including mortgage rates, moving forward.”\n\nCosts of borrowing grow\n\nConsumers will feel the impact of the Fed’s increase over the next couple of months, Ratiu said, with credit card interest rates and rates for new car loans rising in the next few billing cycles.\n\n“Borrowers who have adjustable-rate mortgages – or those who are expecting to sign up for one soon – can expect to see a bump in rates,” he said.\n\nThe higher costs to finance a home are already having an impact. Buyers are finding homes even less affordable as inflation takes a larger chunk of their income and the rising cost of borrowing has reduced their purchasing power.\n\nA year ago, a buyer who put 20% down on a median priced $390,000 home and financed the rest with a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage at an average interest rate of 2.80% had a monthly mortgage payment of $1,282, according to numbers from Freddie Mac.\n\nToday, a homeowner buying the same priced house with an average rate of 5.30% would pay $1,733 a month in principal and interest. That’s $451 more each month.\n\nDemand among buyers is cooling off\n\nAs a result of the high cost of buying a home, demand among buyers has slowed and many sellers are seeing their properties sit longer on the market.\n\n“For those motivated to sell, price reductions are becoming a go-to strategy,” Ratiu said. “We can expect the re-balancing in housing markets to continue and to pick up speed, especially as we look toward the fall and winter seasons.”\n\nThe Federal Reserve’s moves are designed to tamp down inflation by reducing demand.\n\nWhile home prices have continued to climb to record highs in June, the number of sales is falling.\n\nApplications for mortgages are also dropping, declining last week for the fourth consecutive week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.\n\n“Increased economic uncertainty and prevalent affordability challenges are dissuading households from entering the market, leading to declining purchase activity that is close to lows last seen at the onset of the pandemic,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s associate vice president of economic and industry forecasting.", "authors": ["Anna Bahney"], "publish_date": "2022/07/28"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/15/homes/mortgage-rates-december-15/index.html", "title": "Mortgage rates drop for fifth week in a row | CNN Business", "text": "Washington, DC CNN —\n\nMortgage rates fell once again this week, dipping for the fifth straight week.\n\nThe 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.31% in the week ending December 15, down from 6.33% the week before, according to Freddie Mac. A year ago, the 30-year fixed rate was 3.12%.\n\nMortgage rates have risen throughout most of 2022, spurred by the Federal Reserve’s unprecedented campaign of harsh interest rate hikes to tame soaring inflation. But mortgage rates have tumbled in the last several weeks, following data that showed inflation may have finally reached its peak.\n\nInflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, cooled considerably in November and was at its lowest level in nearly a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ closely watched index, released on Tuesday.\n\nHowever, the Fed announced on Wednesday that it will continue to raise interest rates — albeit by a smaller amount than it has been, while acknowledging that inflation is easing. The rate hike was already factored in to where mortgage rates are, but signaled more good news on inflation.\n\n“Mortgage rates continued their downward trajectory this week, as softer inflation data and a modest shift in the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy reverberated through the economy,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.\n\n“The good news for the housing market is that recent declines in rates have led to a stabilization in purchase demand,” he added. “The bad news is that demand remains very weak in the face of affordability hurdles that are still quite high.”\n\nThe average mortgage rate is based on mortgage applications that Freddie Mac receives from thousands of lenders across the country. The survey includes only borrowers who put 20% down and have excellent credit. Many buyers who put down less money upfront or have less-than-perfect credit will pay more than the average rate.\n\nInflation picture improves\n\n“While this move was largely expected by investors, the Fed signaled to capital markets at yesterday’s meeting that it sees its aggressive monetary tightening having an effect on inflation,” said George Ratiu, Realtor.com’s manager of economic research.\n\nWhile the Fed does not set the interest rates borrowers pay on mortgages directly, its actions influence them. Mortgage rates tend to track the yield on 10-year US Treasury bonds. When that rate goes up, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage typically goes up, too. When the Treasury rate goes down, so do mortgage rates.\n\nBut this isn’t the end of rate hikes.\n\nFed Chair Jerome Powell mentioned in his remarks that with prices still rising at a high rate, more rate increases are needed and the central bank remains committed to rate hikes until the pace of inflation notches a noticeable slowdown, Ratiu said.\n\n“For investors, the Fed’s tightening still presents the risk of pushing the economy into a recession in 2023,” he said. “However, most economic indicators continue to show signs of resilience. Additionally, this week’s Consumer Price Index data showed continued moderation in the price growth trajectory.”\n\nWhat this means for real estate markets is that the continued cooling in inflation measures should ease the upward pressure on mortgage rates, said Ratiu.\n\n“While a return to the 3.0% range is not likely in the near future, even a flattening of rates in the 5.5% - 6.0% range in 2023 would offer housing markets an improved foundation,” he said.\n\nMortgage applications tick up\n\nFor people looking to buy a home, and homeowners wanting to sell, the retreat in mortgage rates over the past several weeks has been welcome.\n\n“With more homes available for sale, and more of them sporting price cuts, some buyers are running the math and finding that the slide in rates is offering better options within their budgets,” said Ratiu.\n\nAfter a month of declines, mortgage applications ticked up last week as buyers looked to take advantage of several weeks of slightly lower rates, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.\n\n“Overall, applications increased, driven by increases in purchase and refinance activity,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s vice president and deputy chief economist. “However, with rates more than three percentage points higher than a year ago, both purchase and refinance applications are still well behind last year’s pace.”\n\nThe MBA expects the recent downward trend in mortgage rates to continue, said Bob Broeksmit, president and CEO of the MBA. These lower rates, he said, “along with moderating home prices, should encourage more homebuyers to return to the market in early 2023.”", "authors": ["Anna Bahney"], "publish_date": "2022/12/15"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/13/homes/mortgage-rates-october-13-2022/index.html", "title": "Mortgage rates hit 20-year high", "text": "After taking a breather last week, mortgage rates rose again – moving even closer to 7%.\n\nThe 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.92% in the week ending October 13, up from 6.66% the week before, according to Freddie Mac. It is the highest average rate since April 2002. A year ago, the 30-year fixed rate stood at 3.05%.\n\nMortgage rates have more than doubled in the past year as the Federal Reserve pushed ahead with its unprecedented campaign of hiking interest rates in order to tame soaring inflation. The combination of the central bank’s rate hikes, investor’s concerns about a recession and mixed economic news has made mortgage rates volatile over the past several months.\n\n“We continue to see a tale of two economies in the data,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “Strong job and wage growth are keeping consumers’ balance sheets positive, while lingering inflation, recession fears and housing affordability are driving housing demand down precipitously.”\n\nHe said the next several months will undoubtedly be important for the economy and the housing market. Already, home sales are dropping and prices are cooling.\n\nThe average mortgage rate is based on a survey of conventional home purchase loans for borrowers who put 20% down and have excellent credit, according to Freddie Mac. But many buyers who put down less money up front or have less than perfect credit will pay more.\n\nInflation still running hot\n\nThe Fed’s efforts to curb inflation are having a profound impact on the mortgage market. But inflation is still higher than expected, suggesting the central bank will continue to aggressively raise interest rates.\n\nThe Fed does not set the interest rates borrowers pay on mortgages directly, but its actions influence them. Mortgage rates tend to track the yield on 10-year US Treasury bonds. As investors see or anticipate rate hikes, they make moves which send yields higher and mortgage rates rise.\n\n“Investors and lenders are reacting to inflation still running at a hot pace, posing significant concerns for the economy and consumers,” said George Ratiu, senior economist and manager of economic research at Realtor.com.\n\nAs a result of the higher rates, more prospective buyers have dropped out of the market causing home prices to soften and sales to decrease. But there is still a shortage of available homes for sale in relation to buyer demand, which has kept prices strong.\n\n“The consequences are evident in rent growth and high home prices,” said Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors. “Even with an anticipated fall in home prices in some markets – principally in California – homes will continue to be unaffordable, while rents are squeezing non-owners.”\n\nYun said even with an economic recession looming, the Federal Reserve is unlikely to let up on its aggressive monetary policy of raising interest rates.\n\n“The 10-year Treasury yield broke past 4% this morning, and mortgage rates will be fighting to hold at a 7% average rate in the upcoming weeks,” said Yun.\n\nWith fewer people looking for a mortgage to purchase or refinance a home and an uncertain economic picture ahead, credit is getting harder to come by, said Bob Broeksmit, president and CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association.\n\n“We have seen credit tighten as both lenders and borrowers grapple with ongoing economic uncertainty and affordability challenges,” he said. “Despite strong wage and job growth in September, prospective homebuyers remain reluctant to jump into the housing market.”\n\nAffordability still challenging for homebuyers\n\nHigher mortgage rates are making it even harder for prospective buyers to afford a home.\n\n“With incomes lagging behind inflation, homebuyers’ ability to finance a purchase has been slashed by mortgage rates which surged from 3.1% at the start of 2022 to almost 7%,” said Ratiu.\n\nFor a family earning the median household income of $71,000 and using a 20% down payment, a typical home purchase budget was $448,700 in January of this year, according to Realtor.com. This week, the same family could only afford a $339,200 home.\n\nAnd monthly payments have gone up considerably.\n\nA year ago, a buyer who put 20% down on a $390,000 home and financed the rest with a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage at an average interest rate of 3.05% had a monthly mortgage payment of $1,324, according to calculations from Freddie Mac.\n\nToday, a homeowner buying the same-priced house with an average rate of 6.92% would pay $2,059 a month in principal and interest. That’s $735 more each month.", "authors": ["Anna Bahney"], "publish_date": "2022/10/13"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/20/homes/mortgage-rates-october-20/index.html", "title": "Mortgage rates rise again, creeping closer to 7% | CNN Business", "text": "Mortgage rates rose again this week, stopping just short of the 7% mark.\n\nThe 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.94% in the week ending October 20, up from 6.92% the week before, according to Freddie Mac. A year ago, the 30-year fixed rate stood at 3.09%.\n\nMortgage rates have more than doubled since the beginning of this year as the Federal Reserve pushed ahead with its unprecedented campaign of hiking interest rates in order to tame soaring inflation. The combination of the central bank’s rate hikes, investor’s concerns about a recession and mixed economic news has made mortgage rates increasingly volatile over the past several months.\n\n“The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage continues to remain just shy of 7% and is adversely impacting the housing market in the form of declining demand,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.\n\nHome sales have been falling, month over month, since February and are now in the longest housing sales slump since October 2007 during the subprime mortgage collapse.\n\nRate hikes are taking a toll\n\nThe Fed’s aggressive rate hikes are taking a toll on the housing market.\n\nWhile the Fed does not set the interest rates borrowers pay on mortgages directly, its actions influence them. Mortgage rates tend to track the yield on 10-year US Treasury bonds. As investors see or anticipate rate hikes, they make moves which send yields higher and mortgage rates rise.\n\nThis week, the 10-year US Treasury hit a high not seen since 2008, an indication that mortgage rates could rise even further.\n\nRising rates have scared off many home buyers. Mortgage applications are now into the fourth month of declines, dropping to the lowest level in 25 years, said Joel Kan, Mortgage Bankers Association’s vice president and deputy chief economist.\n\n“The speed and level to which rates have climbed this year have greatly reduced refinance activity and exacerbated existing affordability challenges in the purchase market,” he said. “Residential housing activity, ranging from new housing starts to home sales, have been on downward trends coinciding with the rise in rates.”\n\nApplications to purchase a home were down 38% from a year ago and refinances have fallen off a cliff, down 86% from last year, according to MBA.\n\nBut inflation is still running hot, which means rates could go even higher.\n\n“With their next meeting two weeks away, the Fed will continue to take decisive action to bring prices back down to a healthy level,” said Hannah Jones, economic data analyst at Realtor.com.\n\nAffordability remains a challenge\n\nHigher mortgage rates are making it even harder for prospective buyers to afford a home.\n\n“Buyers, builders and sellers alike have taken a step back to consider their best course of action given heightened mortgage rates and persistent inflation,” said Jones.\n\nHome buyer sentiment hit its lowest level since 2011 according to Fannie Mae and home builder sentiment fell for the 10th month in a row this month as construction activity slowed, according to a report from the National Association of Home Builders. Sellers are responding to the shift in the market and pulling back on listing activity, resulting in a decrease in new listings compared to last year.\n\nA year ago, a buyer who put 20% down on a $390,000 home and financed the rest with a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage at an average interest rate of 3.09% had a monthly mortgage payment of $1,331, according to calculations from Freddie Mac.\n\nToday, a homeowner buying the same-priced house with an average rate of 6.94% would pay $2,063 a month in principal and interest. That’s $732 more each month.\n\nThe average mortgage rate is based on a survey of conventional home purchase loans for borrowers who put 20% down and have excellent credit, according to Freddie Mac. But many buyers who put down less money up front or have less than perfect credit will pay more.\n\n“Though price growth has cooled and prices have begun to come down, high and still climbing mortgage rates mean many of today’s buyers face larger home payments than they would have when home prices were at their peak,” said Jones. “Buyers who are able to be flexible may be able to find a deal this fall by zeroing in on affordable areas or by taking advantage of the market conditions and leveraging some bargaining power as homes sit on the market longer.”", "authors": ["Anna Bahney"], "publish_date": "2022/10/20"}]}
{"question_id": "20230303_9", "search_time": "2023/03/15/03:27", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/arts/2022/09/06/indianapolis-arts-2022-concerts-theater-dance-indy-jazz-fest-joshua-bell-the-bodyguard/10018317002/", "title": "Indianapolis arts in 2022: The best fall music, theater and dance", "text": "Central Indiana arts organizations are going for bold this fall. With big beloved classics, tributes to iconic national artists and art focused on major historical moments, audiences are in for an impact.\n\nThe Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre's \"Tick, Tick... Boom!\" will come on the heels of the popular Netflix movie, and Indiana Repertory Theatre will produce a play that focuses on Chinese history in the U.S. with the story of Afong Moy. Star musicians — including Indiana's own violinist Joshua Bell and soprano Angela Brown — are among the performers.\n\nHere are 12 concerts, plays and more that you don't want to miss.\n\nBalancing Acts\n\nSept. 23-25 at the Toby at Newfields, 4000 Michigan Road. $35-$55. indyballet.org\n\nArtistic Director Victoria Lyras has carried famous choreographer George Balanchine's legacy to Indianapolis Ballet. The company received permission from The George Balanchine Trust to stage selected works, and this performance will show some of his most iconic and challenging ones.\n\nJoshua Bell\n\nSept. 29 at the Palladium, 1 Carter Green in Carmel. Tickets start at $45 and are available at thecenterpresents.org\n\nBloomington native and Indiana University graduate Joshua Bell will return to Indiana for a concert alongside pianist and NPR \"From the Top\" host Peter Dugan. The Grammy winner has released more than 40 albums across a 30-year career.\n\n'Tick, Tick... Boom!\"\n\nSept. 30-Oct. 30. Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre, 705 N. Illinois St. $25-$45. phoenixtheatre.org\n\nThe recent Netflix movie has increased the profile of the musical by Jonathan Larson, who's most famous as the creative mind behind \"Rent.\" \"Tick, Tick... Boom!\" is an autobiographical story that chronicles a composer who's facing challenges in his personal and professional life as he tries to fulfill his dream of writing the next great American musical.\n\n'The Bodyguard: The Musical'\n\nOct. 1-2 at the Basile Theatre at the Athenaeum, 401 E. Michigan St. Starting at $30. ipacindy.org\n\nA singing superstar hires a former Secret Service agent bodyguard to protect her, and love and a battle of the wills ensues. It's all set to a soundtrack with hits that include \"Run to You,\" \"I Wanna Dance with Somebody\" and \"I Will Always Love You.\" Indiana Performing Arts Theatre will produce the show, and KaidyDid Productions will direct.\n\nIndy Jazz Fest\n\nOct. 1-2 at MacAllister Amphitheater in Garfield Park. Tickets range from $50-$200 and are available at indyjazzfest.net\n\nThe city's flagship jazz concert returns, with Robert Glasper, Tank and the Bangas, Lalah Hathaway, Norman Brown and more set to headline. The festivities also will include additional performances Sept. 30 at the Jazz Kitchen.\n\nSantino Fontana\n\nOct. 7-8 at The Cabaret, 924 N. Pennsylvania St., $65-$105. thecabaret.org\n\nThe Tony winner, who's known for playing the lead in \"Tootsie\" as well as roles in The CW's \"Crazy Ex-Girlfriend\" and NBC's \"Shades of Blue,\" will perform.\n\n'The Chinese Lady'\n\nOct. 11-Nov. 6 at Indiana Repertory Theatre, 140 W. Washington St. Season packages are available, and watch irtlive.com for single tickets to go on sale.\n\nPlaywright Lloyd Suh, who is from the Indianapolis area, wrote this work that's inspired by the true story of teenager Afong Moy. She was recognized as the first Chinese woman to come to America, and she was seen as exotic for her customs and bound feet. The play's story chronicles the discovery of identity — of both the young woman and the young American nation.\n\nBrahms and Mussorgsky's 'Pictures at an Exhibition'\n\nOct. 14-15 at Hilbert Circle Theatre, 45 Monument Circle. $16-$93. indianapolissymphony.org\n\nTwo of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's best — Concertmaster Kevin Lin and Principal Cello Austin Huntington — will perform Johannes Brahms' celebrated Concerto for Violin, Cello & Orchestra in A Minor, Op. 102. Also on the program are Mikhail Glinka's Overture to Ruslan and Lyudmila, Carlos Simon's \"Fate Now Conquers\" and Modest Mussorgsky's \"Pictures at an Exhibition.\" Student tickets are available for $10.\n\n\"People just listen to him\":What makes ISO Concertmaster Kevin Lin so extraordinary\n\nEpic Playlist\n\nOct. 15 at Schrott Center for the Arts at Butler University. Season subscriptions are on sale, and watch icomusic.org for single tickets.\n\nJessie Montgomery's \"Banner\" draws on the National Anthem's music to explore many different 21st-century U.S. experiences. And Kenny Broberg, winner of the Indianapolis-based 2021 American Pianists Awards, will perform Robert Schumann's Piano Concerto, Op. 54 in A Minor.\n\n'Carmina Burana'\n\nOct. 20-23 at Indiana Repertory Theatre, 140 W. Washington St. Subscriptions are available now, and individual tickets will go on sale Sept. 26. dancekal.org\n\nThe classic has become one of Dance Kaleidoscope's best-known works thanks to the vision of Artistic Director David Hochoy. It will return again in two acts — \"The Day\" and \"The Night\" — that include a mythical Wheel of Fortune, wedding, birth, war, witchcraft and an homage to victims of the AIDS epidemic.\n\nOnyxFest\n\nNov. 3-6 and Nov. 10-12. IndyFringe Basile Theatre, 719 E. St. Clair St., and IUPUI Campus Center Theatre, 420 University Blvd. Watch for tickets to go on sale at onyxfest.com.\n\nThe festival that celebrates Black playwrights is back with six shows this fall. Plots include a suburban woman who encounters strange noises in her family's home, homelessness, a school shooting, divorce and an exploration of poet Mari Evans.\n\n'Tosca'\n\nNov. 11-13 at the Tarkington Theater, 3 Carter Green in Carmel. Watch indyopera.org/tosca.html for tickets.\n\nIndy's own soprano Angela Brown will play the leading role in the classic opera about a woman and her lover under threat from the chief of police during a political investigation.\n\nContact IndyStar arts reporter Domenica Bongiovanni at 317-444-7339 or d.bongiovanni@indystar.com. Follow her on Facebook , Instagram or Twitter: @domenicareports.\n\nContact IndyStar pop culture reporter Rory Appleton at 317-552-9044 and rappleton@indystar.com, or follow him on Twitter at @RoryDoesPhonics.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/09/06"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/2021/08/03/15-biggest-comedians-coming-sarasota-tampa-miami-orlando-florida-joe-rogan-dave-chappelle-ron-white/5386666001/", "title": "15 biggest comedians coming to Florida: Sarasota, Tampa Bay ...", "text": "We’re living in a golden age of stand-up comedy where at any given moment, you can pull up a killer Netflix special. Hours of additional material are available through the countless podcasts that comedians now host and appear on, with comics Joe Rogan and Marc Maron ranking among the world’s most popular podcasters. And after a long hiatus from live shows for many during the pandemic, star comedians are hitting the road again with plenty visiting Florida.\n\nStarting this week, for instance, we have superstar Ron White performing six sold-out shows over four nights at the cozy McCurdy’s club in downtown Sarasota. He then embarks on a proper tour of much larger auditoriums, theaters and casinos that will bring him back to the region to play the Hard Rock in Tampa in December.\n\nRon White:Star comedian to play shows at McCurdy's to help Sarasota comedy club hit hard by pandemic\n\nSebastian Maniscalco:Star comedian to play Tampa's Amalie Arena\n\nDave Chappelle:Star comedian takes down hecklers at Sarasota's Van Wezel\n\nTicket Newsletter:Sign up to receive the latest news on things to do, restaurants and more every Friday\n\nThis weekend also finds Dave Chappelle, who crushed here at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall a few years ago, returning to Florida. It’s possible, without even flying, to see both these comedy greats perform this weekend.\n\nInitially, we were going to offer a list of the biggest comedians coming to Florida through the rest of 2021. But there were just too many excellent options, so we kept the list to just the next two months. We also skipped all the great comedians just playing clubs, which might hold a few hundred, and focused on comics playing venues that typically hold more than a thousand.\n\nPresented in chronological order, here are the 15 biggest comedians playing Florida in August and September, with their additional Sunshine State dates also listed.\n\nFive things:Every Floridian should eat, drink, read, watch and listen to at least once\n\nBest beaches:10 of our favorite beaches from all across Florida\n\nBest beachfront restaurants:10 of our favorite beachfront restaurants from all across Florida\n\nRon White\n\nThursday (Aug. 5)-Sunday, McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, Sarasota; Dec. 17, Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts, Melbourne; Dec. 18, Hard Rock Live, Hollywood; Dec. 19, Hard Rock Event Center, Tampa\n\nBest known as a member of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour that performed together in the early 2000s, Ron White established himself as a solo star with the smash 2003 album “Drunk in Public” and its follow-up “You Can’t Fix Stupid.” White’s latest release, “If You Quit Listening, I’ll Shut Up,” premiered on Netflix in 2018.\n\nDave Chappelle\n\nFriday (Aug. 6)-Sunday; Hard Rock Live, Hollywood\n\nHonored with the Kennedy Center’s Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2019, the 47-year-old Dave Chappelle reigns as the top comedian in the country. In recent years he’s won three straight Best Comedy Album Grammy awards, released five Netflix specials and hosted “Saturday Night Live” on the first episode after the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Also, local audiences will likely recall Chappelle’s stellar 2017 shows at Van Wezel, including the one during which he hilariously took down a couple hecklers.\n\nKatt Williams\n\nAug. 20, BB&T Center, Sunrise; Aug. 21, Amalie Arena, Tampa; Aug. 27, VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville; Aug. 28, Addition Financial Arena, Orlando\n\nThe comic whose 2018 Netflix special “Great America” was recorded at Jacksonville’s Florida Theatre – with Williams riffing on the city for about 10 minutes at the start – returns to Florida for multiple arena shows. Along with his prior HBO specials, Williams has appeared on shows including an Emmy-winning turn on “Atlanta” and in films such as this summer’s “The House Next Door: Meet the Blacks 2.”\n\nKatt Williams:Comedian skewers Jacksonville in Netflix special\n\nPaula Poundstone\n\nAug. 21, Key West Theater, Key West; Dec. 4, Lyric Theatre, Stuart; Dec. 9, The Parker, Fort Lauderdale; March 19, Capitol Theatre, Clearwater\n\nOne of the top comedians to emerge in the 1980s, Paula Poundstone shot to fame with her 1990 HBO special “Cats, Cops and Stuff” and subsequent appearances as a correspondent on “The Tonight Show” and “The Rosie O’Donnell Show.” Ranked No. 88 on Comedy Central’s 2004 list of the 100 greatest stand-ups of all time, Poundstone has been heard in recent years on NPR programs “A Prairie Home Companion,” “Wait Wait ... Don’t Tell Me!,” and her own show “Live from the Poundstone Institute.”\n\nJoe Rogan\n\nAug. 26, BB&T Center, Sunrise; Aug. 27, Amalie Arena, Tampa; Aug. 28, Amway Center, Orlando\n\nCommanding an army of loyal followers thanks to his hugely popular podcast “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Rogan’s career as a stand-up comedian started in the late 1980s, before he first found national fame on “NewsRadio” in the 1990s and then as the host of “Fear Factor” in the early 2000s. Rogan has released a bunch of comedy albums and specials during the past two decades including the Netflix specials “Triggered” (2016) and “Strange Times” (2018).\n\nLive music guide:15 biggest concerts coming to Florida in summer 2021. Here's how you can buy tickets.\n\nSunshine suds:A 12-pack of our favorite Florida craft breweries\n\nBill Burr\n\nAug. 28, Hard Rock Live, Hollywood\n\nBill Burr’s many credits include co-creating and starring in the Netflix animated sitcom “F Is for Family” as well as memorable roles in the hit AMC series “Breaking Bad” and then Disney+’s “The Mandalorian.” Burr’s greatest gift, though, is stand-up comedy, which he’s been excelling at since the 1990s. Burr’s latest special “Paper Tiger” premiered on Netflix in 2019 and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Comedy Album.\n\nSebastian Maniscalco\n\nSept. 1-3, Hard Rock Live, Hollywood; Nov. 4-7, Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Fort Myers; Nov. 18, Amalie Arena, Tampa\n\nBefore he plays a recently announced Tampa show and numerous Fort Myers dates in November, Sebastian Maniscalco will perform a string of September shows at Hollywood’s Hard Rock Live. The comedian has sold out venues such as Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall, where he recorded his latest Netflix special “Stay Hungry.” He also has acted in films such as Best Picture Oscar winner “Green Book” and Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman.”\n\nBrian Regan\n\nSept. 9, Broward Center for the Performing Arts, Fort Lauderdale; Sept. 10, Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Fort Myers; Sept. 11, Saenger Theatre, Pensacola\n\nThe Miami-born comedian, who played Sarasota earlier in 2021 as Van Wezel’s first main stage act in more than a year, returns to Florida. Along with this year’s Netflix special “On the Rocks,” recorded during the pandemic at an outdoor Utah amphitheater, Brian Regan also recently appeared on the third season of the series “Loudermilk,” with co-creator Peter Farrelly calling it “the best performance on television this year.”\n\nInterview: Brian Regan, Van Wezel's first main stage act in a year, on new Netflix special and more\n\nNikki Glaser\n\nSept. 10, Hard Rock Live, Orlando; Nov. 5, Tampa Theatre, Tampa\n\nNikki Glaser visits Orlando’s Hard Rock Live in September before returning to Florida later in November to play the historic Tampa Theatre. Along with her stand-up specials, most recently 2019’s “Bangin’” and a half-hour for the series “The Degenerates” on Netflix, the comic is known for her no-holds-barred appearances on Comedy Central roasts, as well as hosting the series “Not Safe with Nikki Glaser” on the same channel.\n\nWhitney Cummings\n\nSept. 10, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, Ponte Vedra Beach; Sept. 11, Capitol Theatre, Clearwater; Nov. 12, Coral Springs Center For The Arts, Coral Springs; Nov. 13, Hard Rock Live, Orlando\n\nA talented comedian, writer and actress, Whitney Cummings’ career as a stand-up comic took off following her 2010 Comedy Central special “Money Shot.” She then created, produced and starred in NBC’s “Whitney” (2011-13) as well as co-creating the CBS sitcom “2 Broke Girls,” which also debuted in 2011 and ran through 2017. Cummings was a producer and writer for the 2018 revival of “Roseanne” on ABC, with her latest comedy special, “Can I Touch It?,” premiering on Netflix in 2019.\n\nHasan Minhaj\n\nSept. 17, Adrienne Arsht Center, Miami; Sept. 18, David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa; Sept. 19, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Orlando\n\nThe comedian, who rose to fame on “The Daily Show” before hosting his own current events show “Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj,” is set to kick off his The King’s Jester tour in Florida. Minhaj previously released the 2017 stand-up special “Homecoming King” on Netflix, earning Peabody Awards for it and “Patriot Act,” and headlined the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in 2017.\n\nTaylor Tomlinson\n\nSept. 24, Hard Rock Live, Orlando; Sept. 25, Tampa Theatre, Tampa; Oct. 22, Florida Theatre, Jacksonville; Oct. 23, The Parker, Fort Lauderdale\n\nThe comedian visits Orlando’s Hard Rock Live and Tampa Theatre in September on her Deal With It tour, returning for more Florida shows the following month. Last year, she released her debut hourlong special “Quarter-Life Crisis” on Netflix, previously appearing on the streaming service’s series “The Comedy Lineup” as well as competing on the last season of “Last Comic Standing.”\n\nMartin Lawrence\n\nSept. 24, Amway Center, Orlando; Oct. 1, VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville; Oct. 2, FTX Arena, Miami\n\nOne of the biggest stars of the 1990s thanks to his hit Fox sitcom “Martin” and movies such as “House Party,” “Boomerang” and the blockbuster action film “Bad Boys,” Martin Lawrence also hosted “Def Comedy Jam” during the ’90s and issued his debut comedy album “Live Talkin’ S---.” In 2020, Lawrence returned to the spotlight with the hit film “Bad Boys for Life” and will bring his LIT AF tour back to Florida with a rotating cast that includes Rickey Smiley, DeRay Davis, Adele Givens and Clayton Thomas for the Orlando date.\n\nJeff Foxworthy\n\nSept. 29, RP Funding Center, Lakeland\n\nThe top-selling comedy-recording artist of all time, with his 1993 album “You Might Be a Redneck If...” certified triple platinum and subsequent releases selling nearly as well, Jeff Foxworthy also formed the Blue Collar Comedy Tour that made stars out of his pals Bill Engvall, Ron White and Larry the Cable Guy in the early 2000s. In 2017, Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy teamed up for the Netflix special “We’ve Been Thinking.”\n\nTom Segura\n\nSept. 30, Florida Theatre, Jacksonville; Oct. 1, Hard Rock Live, Hollywood; Oct. 2, David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa; Oct. 3, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Orlando\n\nTom Segura starts a string of Florida shows at the end of September at Jacksonville’s Florida Theatre. The comedian rose to fame with his numerous Netflix specials, most recently last year’s “Ball Hog.” He also co-hosts podcasts “Your Mom’s House” with his wife and fellow comic Christina Pazsitzky, and “2 Bears, 1 Cave” with the Tampa-born and raised comic Bert Kreischer.\n\nWade Tatangelo, the Herald-Tribune’s entertainment editor, may be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com. Email entertainment reporter Jimmy Geurts at jimmy.geurts@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.​​​​​​", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2021/08/03"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/2019/02/06/netflix-star-paul-rust-returns-iowa-city-floodwater-comedy-festival/2788010002/", "title": "Netflix star Paul Rust returns to Iowa City for Floodwater Comedy ...", "text": "Floodwater Comedy Festival is back in Iowa City. This time, the festival will play host to one of the most well-known Iowa-born comedians.\n\nThe comedy festival is set to flood the streets of Iowa City with comedians from across the country Feb. 28 through March 2 at six different venues in town.\n\nThe three headlining performers include Paul Rust, the Le Mars native who became a comedy star after landing the co-lead role on the Netflix romantic comedy show \"Love\" alongside Gillian Jacobs in 2016.\n\nFeaturing more than 50 different comedians spread across over 15 events, proceeds from the festival will go to the Johnson County Crisis Center and the National Alliance on Mental Illness, NAMI.\n\nFestival passes that get buyers into all events are $55 and can be purchased online through littlevillagetickets.com. Tickets to individual shows are also available.\n\n“We tried to stuff as much as we can in three days. We’ll give everyone as many options as we can,\" Mike Lucas, a local comedian and one of the festival's executive producers, said Wednesday. \"There’s sketch shows, improv shows, AV-type shows where we have stuff projected. There’s musical stuff, there’s the Paul Rust reading.”\n\nRust graduated from the University of Iowa in 2004 soon began performing comedy with the iconic Los Angeles comedy troupe The Upright Citizens Brigade. As an actor, he's performed in Quentin Trantino's Academy Award-winning movie \"Inglorious Basterds,\" the comedy movie \"I Love You Beth Cooper\" in 2009 and numerous other TV and movie roles. He's best known as the co-star of \"Love,\" which was created by Rust, his wife Lesley Arfin and comedy film-making heavyweight Judd Apatow.\n\nHe has also served as a writer on the beloved Emmy-winning sitcom \"Arrested Development.\"\n\nRust's event at the comedy festival is slated for 6:30 p.m. March 2 at The Mill. Far from a traditional stand-up performance, the event will feature UI Theatre Department students helping perform Rust's original Upright Citizen Brigade sketches. Then Rust will take questions from the audience. Tickets are $8 now, $10 at the door.\n\n\"For me, adding him was like manna from heaven,\" Lucas said.\n\nLeela Bassuk, co-executive producer of the festival and a junior at the University of Iowa, said that the festival collaborated with the UI Theatre Department last year to bring UI alum and Hollywood producer Spencer Griffin back to Iowa City. This year, they aimed to bring Rust to town. By messaging him through the festival's Instagram account, Bassuk was helped land Rust and bring him back to his alma mater.\n\n\"His career in comedy, or his career in general, is just inspiring to anyone in the arts,\" Bassuk said.\n\nThe other two headliners are musical comedian Catherine Cohen and the Seattle-based stand-up Solomon Georgio.\n\nGeorgio has performed on Conan O'Brien's late night show \"Conan,\" acted in Comedy Central's \"Drunk History\" and the HBO show \"Crashing.\" He's also worked as a writer on \"SpongeBob SquarePants\" and \"Adam Ruins Everything.\" He will perform at 9 p.m. March 2 at The Mill. Tickets are $12 now, $15 at the door.\n\nCohen has performed on the HBO show \"High Maintenance.\" The New York-based comedian was recently featured in a New York Times story about the resurgence of musical comedians, calling her performance character \"a preposterously preening, rigorously self-regarding, sexually arrogant diva in Lululemon leggings\" who makes \"jokes you can hum.\" She will perform at 9 p.m. March 1 at the Blue Moose Tap House. Tickets are $12 now, $15 at the door.\n\nBassuk, a member of UI's Paberback Rhino comedy troupe, said she heard Cohen's name thrown around a lot while she was working in the NYC comedy scene as an intern last summer.\n\n\"She's just super unique, amazingly funny,\" Bassuk said. \"I just have the sense that this is someone that will be the face of this next generation of comedy.\"\n\nThe festival is marked with a series of other non-traditional comedy events.\n\nFestival favorite the Iowa City Police Log features, featuring local Christopher Patton whose Twitter feed shares often humorous passages from the Iowa City Police Department's daily activity log, will return this year. The event features comedians recreating some of the weirdest logs of the year. The event is at 10 p.m Feb. 2 at The Mill. Tickets are $5.\n\nPanic! is an event that will feature comedians standing on stage with a screen behind them. They will improvise sketches to match the random images and videos shown behind them. The event is at 7 p.m. March 1 at the Iowa City Yacht Club. Tickets are $5.\n\nThe festival will also put a spotlight on about 35 local or Iowa-based comedians, Lucas said. Nearly half of those are college students, from both UI and Iowa State University.\n\nFor Bassuk, the festival is an invaluable opportunity for both the city and the comedians working inside town. For local comedians and students, the chance to meet and talk with nationally-touring comedians could be invaluable.\n\nFor the citizens of Iowa City, Floodwater can serve as an opportunity to see the comedy scene of Iowa City up close and under the bright lights.\n\n\"There's so much comedy going on in this city at all times,\" Bassuk said. \"This is us showing the community that yeah, we're here and we're doing really good comedy. We're not just hobbyists here in Iowa City.\"\n\nReach Zach Berg at 319-887-5412, zberg@press-citizen.com or follow him on Twitter at @ZacharyBerg.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2019/02/06"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2022/11/08/jeopardy-tournament-champions-why-amy-schneider-felt-intimidated/8256557001/", "title": "Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions: Why Amy Schneider felt ...", "text": "It’s the “Jeopardy!” matchup we’ve been waiting for: Amy Schneider, Matt Amodio and Mattea Roach throw down in a no-stakes exhibition game Tuesday, making their Tournament of Champions debut.\n\nParticipants include winners of at least four games since 2020's Tournament of Champions, as well winners of college, professors and second-chance tournaments. Schneider, Amodio and Roach received byes in the bracket and will each battle a pair of quarterfinals winners for the semifinals, beginning Wednesday with Schneider. Amodio plays Thursday, and Roach Friday.\n\nFinals begin Nov. 14, and the first contestant to win three games will be awarded the $250,000 grand prize.\n\nSchneider, who trails only tournament host Ken Jennings in consecutive games won (40 compared with Jennings' 74),says she was excited to return, but also intimidated. She was accustomed to competing against contestants who \"had never played before,\" but now, \"everyone I was going up against didn't just have experience, they'd won a bunch.\"\n\nAmodio and Roach won an impressive 38 and 23 games, respectively.\n\nRoach predicts exhibition game viewers will \"be just eating it up. We all had a lot of fun. We all had moments where we really shone in the game.\"\n\n'Jeopardy!' Tournament of Champions schedule: When Amy Schneider, Matt Amodio and Mattea Roach will battle\n\n'I may have just broken the Jeopardy!-verse':'Jeopardy!' EP announces Second Chance Tournament\n\nTuesday's game coincides with the second anniversary of Alex Trebek's death from pancreatic cancer. The show dedicated a category to the longtime host, whom Amodio equates to \"the Santa Claus of my childhood, the Easter Bunny.\"\n\nAhead of their friendly faceoff, USA TODAY chatted with the \"Jeopardy!\" legends about their tournament strategy, returning to the stage and how the quiz show has changed their lives. (Edited for length and clarity.)\n\nQuestion: How did you prepare for the Tournament of Champions?\n\nMatt Amodio: I think of preparing for \"Jeopardy!\" as something I do just by nature of my curious self. I hear about something I don't know in the world and want to go learn more. So I didn't focus on preparation so much as just imagining what kind of thing am I running into that they might ask about?\n\nMattea Roach: I started taking it a bit more seriously six weeks in advance, which was twice as long (as my first \"Jeopardy!\" run). I mostly did a lot of the same things in terms of just reviewing old games on the J! Archive. People have set up really ingenious ways of doing online practice games, and so I figured I might as well do some of those.\n\nAmy Schneider: Mostly, it was the same stuff that I've been doing prior to my first run, just going through old games and looking for things I didn't know. I did practice writing down Final Jeopardy! answers, because the act of writing it down had thrown me off. I was just visualizing all of the scenarios that might happen.\n\n'Not fans,' apparently:Machine Gun Kelly clue hilariously stumps 'Jeopardy' contestants\n\nMatt Amodio finally dethroned: 'Jeopardy!' champion loses after 38 victories\n\nDid you alter your playing strategy?\n\nAmodio: I don't think there's anything I could do to change it that would make it better. So I stuck with the same strategy.\n\nRoach: I knew I wanted to wager bigger on Daily Doubles, because there were going to be some really big wagerers in this tournament. The other thing, too, is changing a bit the way I attack the board. I did want to try picking from higher values first.\n\nSchneider: Not a lot. I did (decide) to be more conscious of looking for Daily Doubles and keeping that more at the top of my mind. But for the most part, it all seemed to work fine the first time, so I didn't want to mess with it too much.\n\nCNBC cancels 'The News with Shepard Smith': Former Fox News anchor to depart this month\n\nIt's time to consider: Free ad-supported streamers\n\nDid you feel rusty at all?\n\nAmodio: I did feel rusty. Practicing at home just can never replicate the stress of being on the stage with the lights and everybody staring at you.\n\nRoach: It is a little bit like riding a bike. But it takes a little while to get comfortable up there again. It was also nice that Matt, Amy and I had the exhibition match, which was a noncompetitive game. I was really worried about blowing the exhibition match and then having that affect my game playing the next day.\n\nSchneider: Actually, a little bit. It took me longer than I expected to get back into the really, really focused state.\n\nThe best free streaming serviced, ranked: Freevee, Roku, Tubi and more\n\nWhat did you think your chances of winning it all were going into the tournament?\n\nAmodio: I went in saying, don't judge your success on winning it all or not. Just try to acquit yourself well, play well and you can be happy with the outcome no matter what.\n\nRoach: Very slim. I believe that there are players in this tournament who are better at \"Jeopardy!\" than me, and doing the finals over a best-of-seven series minimizes the influence of luck.\n\nSchneider: Not as good as everybody kept telling me. I have people all the time being like, “Oh, you're going to crush it.” And I'm like, “That's really not helping me out, actually.” I went there (trying) to win. I definitely thought that I was capable of it, but I really just I didn't know.\n\n'The Crown' makes a royal return:The 50 best TV shows to watch on Netflix in November\n\nHow has your \"Jeopardy!\" winning streak changed your life?\n\nAmodio: I am continuing on my path to become a professor, and I got my Ph.D. So some parts of my life I'm trying to keep focus on, but it's become harder because there's this huge “Jeopardy!” component. I get stopped in the streets, which is surreal because I'm a shy, nerdy guy, so I'm not used to having strangers come up and say, “Can I take a picture with you?”\n\nRoach: I'm not living high on the hog. I live in my same apartment. I did take a little vacation for the first time in a couple years. You never want to be the person who wins the lottery and then five years later is deeper in debt than they were before. My life has changed in ways that are going to continue making themselves known to me over the next couple of years, like the decision to not go to (law) school right away and to pursue other opportunities. I'm hosting a podcast now (The Backbench), which I would never have had the platform (to do).\n\nSchneider: The biggest thing about it is hearing from other trans people about what it's meant to them. It's something where I always felt like living in the Bay Area, things were kind of easy for me, and I felt like I should be giving back to my community more. \"Jeopardy!\" has given me the chance to really do that, and it means a lot to me.\n\n'Jeopardy' champ Amy Schneider: Winner quits day job, says she's 'excited' for the new challenge", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/11/08"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/2022/01/20/theater-comedy-columbus-winter-2022-come-from-away-hasan-minaj/9172548002/", "title": "'Come From Away' theater show and comedians on bill for Columbus", "text": "Michael Grossberg\n\nSpecial to The Columbus Dispatch\n\nGreater Columbus theater companies, presenters and comedians aim to warm up the winter season with laughter and feel-good fare.\n\nBrian Regan, Hasan Minhaj, John Crist and Trevor Wallace will bring their standup acts to town, while Short North Stage, CATCO,Abbey Theater of Dublin and Red Herring Theater Company will present new and newer plays that, respectively, find humor in boy bands, school girls, American presidents and Hollywood teen idols.\n\nPerhaps the most anticipated winter show will be the delayed Broadway in Columbus tour of “Come From Away,” the heartwarming Broadway musical about the Canadian hospitality extended to stranded airline passengers after 9/11.\n\nmgrossberg1@gmail.com\n\nColumbus winter author events: First indigenous US poet laureate among writers featured in Columbus book events\n\nDance and classical music: Columbus Symphony, 'Swan Lake,' 'Dancing with the Stars Live' among highlights of season\n\n\n\n'Altar Boyz'\n\nSHORT NORTH STAGE, GARDEN THEATER, 1187 N. HIGHT ST.\n\nDetails: The off-Broadway musical comedy, a 90-minute concert-style one-act, parodies and pays tribute to the boy bands of the late 1990s and early 2000s.\n\nTimes: 7 p.m. Jan. 20-22; 2 p.m. Jan. 23; 7 p.m. Jan. 27-29; 2 p.m. Jan. 30; 7 p.m. Feb. 3-5; 2 p.m. Feb. 6; 7 p.m. Feb. 10-12; and 2 p.m. Feb. 13\n\nAdmission: $44 to $54, with $20 student-rush tickets available two hours prior to each show\n\nCOVID policy: Masks and proof of vaccination or negative COVID test required.\n\nContact: 614-469-0939, www.cbusarts.com, www.shortnorthstage.org\n\nBrian Regan\n\nPALACE THEATRE, 34 W. BROAD ST.\n\nDetails: The comedian, who plays Mugsy in the Amazon Prime series “Loudermilk” and appeared twice on Jerry Seinfeld’s series “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee,” incorporates body language and facial expressions into his observational, sarcastic and self-deprecating humor about everyday events, childhood, sports and science projects.\n\nTime: 8 p.m. Jan. 21\n\nAdmission: $35 to $210\n\nCOVID policy: Masks and proof of vaccination or negative COVID test required.\n\nContact: CBUSArts Ticket Center (614-469-0939, www.cbusarts.com)\n\nHasan Minhaj\n\nPALACE THEATRE, 34 W. BROAD ST.\n\nDetails: The comedian, acclaimed for his 2017 performance hosting the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and his “Homecoming King” Netflix special, hosted and created the Peabody- and Emmy-winning Netflix comedy series “Patriot Act” and was a correspondent on “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart.”\n\nTimes: 7 and 9:30 p.m. Jan. 22\n\nAdmission: $45 to $179.50\n\nCOVID policy: Masks and proof of vaccination or negative COVID test required.\n\nContact: 614-469-0939, www.cbusarts.com\n\n2021 in theater:Year in review/theater: Budget cuts, cancellations didn't stop theater groups from forging ahead\n\n\n\n'School Girls: Or, the African Mean Girls Play'\n\nCATCO, RIFFE CENTER'S STUDIO TWO THEATRE, 77 S. HIGHT ST.\n\nDetails: An acclaimed 2017 off-Broadway hit, Jocelyn Bioh’s comedy-drama revolves around conflicts among girls at a Ghanaian boarding school in 1986 in West Africa and issues of bullying and colorism (conflicts between dark-skinned and lighter-skinned Africans).\n\nTimes: 7:30 p.m. Jan. 27; 8 p.m. Jan. 28-29; 2 p.m. Jan. 30; 7:30 p.m. Feb. 3; 8 p.m. Feb. 4-5; 2 p.m. Feb. 6; 7:30 p.m. Feb. 10; 8 p.m. Feb. 11-12; 2 p.m. Feb. 13\n\nAdmission: $45\n\nCOVID policy: Masks and proof of vaccination or negative PCR COVID test within 72 hours of attending a production for all patrons 12 years of age and older required.\n\nContact: 614-469-0939, www.cbusarts.com, www.catco.org\n\n\n\nJohn Crist\n\nRIFFE CENTER'S DAVIDSON THEATRE, 77 S. HIGH ST.\n\nDetails: The comedian, a Georgia native, has created comedy-sketch videos for Buzzfeed, opened for Jeff Foxworthy and Seth Meyers, and often focuses on Christian subculture. His YouTube sketches include “Every parent at Disney” and “If golf and soccer switched announcers.”\n\nTime: 7 p.m. Jan. 28\n\nAdmission: $49.75 to $149.75\n\nCOVID policy: Masks and proof of vaccination or negative COVID test required.\n\nContact: 614-469-0939, www.cbusarts.com\n\n'Come From Away'\n\nBROADWAY IN COLUMBUS, COLUMBUS ASSOCIATION FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, OHIO THEATRE, 39 E. STATE ST.\n\nDetails: The inspirational one-act musical weaves true stories about the American airline passengers stranded in Gander, Newfoundland, on the day of the 2001 terrorist attacks, and the many Canadians who welcomed, housed and fed them with extraordinary hospitality.\n\nTimes: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 8-10; 8 p.m. Feb. 11; 2 and 8 p.m. Feb. 12; and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Feb. 13\n\nAdmission: $39 to $119\n\nCOVID policy: Masks and proof of vaccination or negative COVID test required; Bindle check-in app recommended.\n\nContact: CBUSArts Ticket Center (614-469-0939, www.cbusarts.com)\n\nMike Faist:Gahanna native Mike Faist garners rave reviews for breakthrough role in Spielberg's 'West Side Story'\n\n'The Duchess'\n\nABBEY THEATER OF DUBLIN, 5600 POST ROAD, DUBLIN\n\nDetails: Warren G. Harding and his talented, ambitious wife are at the center of the new political comedy, by former Ohio Supreme Court justice Herb Brown (writer of the CATCO-produced plays “Henry Ford’s Model E,” “The Price of Power,” “The Final Table” and “You’re My Boy”), about the political career and romantic affairs in the early 1910s of Harding, the scandal-plagued Ohioan who became president in 1921.\n\nTimes: 7 p.m. Feb. 10-12; 2 p.m. Feb. 13, 7 p.m. Feb. 16-19, with on-demand streaming available Feb. 16-19\n\nAdmission: $15 to $25\n\nCOVID policy: Masks encouraged\n\nContact: 614-410-4550, dublinohiousa.gov/abbey-theater\n\n'The Schedule'\n\nRed Herring Theater Company, 3723 S. High St.\n\nColumbus theater news:Eclipse Theatre Company unveils roster of 'thought-provoking' comedies for 2022 season\n\nDetails: The semi-professional troupe launches its 2022 season with Columbus writer-filmmaker Sheldon Gleisser’s farcical new comedy about a Hollywood teen idol whose manager tries to fix a potentially career-destroying mix-up between a Rolling Stone magazine interviewer and a high-class call girl.\n\nTimes: 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays from Feb. 17 through March 6\n\nAdmission: $30\n\nCOVID policy: Masks and proof of vaccination or negative COVID test required.\n\nContact: 614-723-9116, www.redherringtheater.org\n\nTrevor Wallace\n\nRIFFE CENTER'S DAVIDSON THEATRE, 77 S. HIGH ST.\n\nDetails: The 29-year-old comedian-writer-actor, whose act is suggested for mature audiences because of frank sexuality and profanity, has attracted more than 1 billion views across his social-media channels and been featured on Comedy Central, MTV, and E! News.\n\nTimes: 7 p.m. Feb. 25\n\nAdmission: $29 to $75\n\nCOVID policy: Masks and proof of vaccination or negative COVID test required.\n\nContact: 614-469-0939, www.cbusarts.com", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/01/20"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/2022/03/01/illinois-state-fair-sammy-hagar-circle-among-acts-summer/9328152002/", "title": "Illinois State Fair concerts: Disney star Demi Lovato among acts", "text": "Sammy Hagar & the Circle, Brooks & Dunn, Demi Lovato, Disturbed and TLC & Shaggy are among the acts coming to the 2022 Illinois State Fair Grandstand.\n\nSam Hunt will open the Grandstand on Friday, with Demi Lovato coming on Saturday. Brooks & Dunn will play on Aug. 14.\n\nJim Peterik brings The Ides of March on Aug. 15, with Willie Nelson making his long-awaited return to the fair on Aug. 16. TLC & Shaggy grace the stage on Aug. 17, Jon Pardi comes on Aug. 18 and Trevor Noah comes to Springfield on Aug. 19.\n\nMore:World-class linguist, journalist was a 'popularizer of language to the general public'\n\nDisturbed performs on Aug. 20, with Sammy Hagar closing the fair on Aug. 21.\n\nThe Grand Central Stage will return to the state fair this summer, said spokeswoman Krista Lisser. The nightly free shows will be at the south end of the Reisch Pavilion.\n\nHeadlining the free Powerlight Festival at the Lincoln Stage is Jordan Feliz on Aug. 21. Adelaide and 7eventh Time Down are also on the bill.\n\nHagar and Tonic had been slated to open the 2021 state fair, but a storm rolled in that afternoon canceling the show along with the Twilight Parade and ribbon cutting.\n\nHagar is a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee who was the lead singer of Van Halen after a solo career that included his 1984 hit \"I Can't Drive 55.\" Hagar was previously part of the rock band Montrose and supergroup Chickenfoot.\n\nThe Circle features bassist Michael Anthony, along with drummer Jason Bonham and guitarist Vic Johnson. Anthony was also part of Van Halen.\n\nBrooks & Dunn have played the state fair multiple times, the last time in 2008.\n\nThe duo parted ways in 2009 before getting back together in 2016.\n\nBrooks & Dunn have had 20 #1 singles dating back to 1991, including \"Boot Scootin' Boogie,\" \"Play Something Country,\" \"Only in America\" and \"A Man This Lonely.\"\n\nThe hard rock band Disturbed formed in Chicago in 1994. The band's hits include \"Down with the Sickness\" and a remake of Simon & Garfunkel's \"The Sound of Silence.\" Simon praised the 2015 version as \"powerful.\"\n\nOpening for Disturbed is Nita Strauss.\n\nTLC is known for its 1990s hits \"No Scrubs\" and \"Waterfalls\" while Shaggy charted with the 2000 hit \"It Wasn't Me.\"\n\nCountry singer Sam Hunt is best known for his 2020 hit \"Body Like A Back Road.\"\n\nJon Pardi struck No. 1 with \"Dirt on My Boots\" and sang on Brooks & Dunn's hit \"My Next Broken Heart.\" Joining Pardi on the bill are Lainey Wilson and country trio Chapel Hart.\n\nWell-known for some work on the big and small screens along with behind a microphone, Lovato got a start on \"Barney and Friends,\" moved on to the Disney Channel and then to a multi-platinum recording career that has produced 14 platinum singles including \"Skyscraper,\" \"Give Your Heart a Break,\" \"Heart Attack,\" \"Cool for the Summer,\" \"Confident\" and \"Sorry Not Sorry\"; seven top-five albums; and over 4 million albums sold.\n\nLovato has also become a strong and strident advocate for mental health.\n\nRising star iyla – spelled undercase – will open for Lovato.\n\nGetting its start in Berwyn, Peterik's Ides of March had several hits in Chicago during the 1960s before hitting it big with the 1970 hit, \"Vehicle,\" which hit No. 2 on the Billboard charts.\n\nThe Ides of March have been continuously performing since 1990 with their original lineup, including Peterik, who went on to found Survivor, best known for \"Eye of the Tiger\" from the third \"Rocky\" film.\n\nFor much of the 1980s, Nelson was as much a part of the fair as the Butter Cow and Jim Thompson riding down the Giant Slide.\n\nNelson hasn't performed at the fairgrounds in 21 years, but all that changes as the American country music icon returns to the state fair Aug. 16 with Elle King.\n\nNelson has done just about everything one can do in the music industry and then some, with his advocacy for farmers and the legalization of marijuana.\n\nNoah replaced Jon Stewart in the anchor chair at TDS in 2015, continuing the show's tradition of skewering American and international politics through groundbreaking satire. Noah's autobiography, \"Born a Crime,\" became a bestseller in 2016 and reflects on his childhood as a mixed-race child in apartheid-era South Africa.\n\nHe has continued his stand-up work while behind the anchor desk, producing three Netflix comedy specials.\n\nAll shows start at 8 p.m. The Ides of March show has free admission; all other shows require admission.\n\nContact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie. Zach Roth contributed to the publication of this article.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/03/01"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/wisconsin-family/2021/09/15/first-stage-milwaukees-childrens-theater-restarts-productions-with-covid-19-protections/8262042002/", "title": "First Stage, Milwaukee's children's theater restarts productions", "text": "As performing arts groups figure out how to return to in-person productions after being virtual, or closed, for months during the pandemic, audiences have been at the top of their minds — evaluating both how anxious they are to return to theaters and how comfortable they will feel with safety precautions as they come back.\n\nFor First Stage — whose audiences are made up largely of children who are too young to be vaccinated — that metric becomes more complicated.\n\nEarlier this month, Milwaukee's major performing arts groups, including First Stage, announced that people 12 and older would either have to be vaccinated or test negative for COVID-19 to attend productions. Because First Stage can't require vaccines for much of their audience, they're emphasizing a strategy endorsed for schools by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — layering protective strategies.\n\n\"Many of the things we're doing to protect people are similar to other theater groups,\" said Betsy Corry, First Stage's managing director. \"But other things we're dealing with are different because our audience is different and who we put on stage is different, so we're adding all these other layers.\"\n\nCorry said mask mandates will be in place, and noted that \"masks all the time for everybody\" is how First Stage has successfully staged theater academy classes and summer camps.\n\nAdditionally, there will be capacity caps in live performances to allow \"distance between pods of families,\" and the first row of seats will be empty to provide distance between the audience and on-stage actors. There won't be intermissions, concessions or merchandise sales to cut down on places where people would naturally congregate, and when school field trips restart in January, there will only be one performance per day instead of two in order to allow for theater cleaning.\n\nWhen the pandemic forced everything to close in March 2020, First Stage halted in-person performances. They took some time to pivot to recorded productions and virtual summer acting camps. When the 2020-'21 school year started, they provided virtual classes, performances and curriculum to schools that typically relied on them for field trips. They also restarted their in-person theater academy classes, with mask mandates, small class sizes and strict social distancing.\n\nThis season's typical run of plays for families will start with a holiday show in November, with school group shows beginning in January, but First Stage has already performed its first live production of the year, \"How to actually graduate in a virtual world\" at Milwaukee Black Theater Festival's youth night. The short play is the first of a series of three productions in \"Amplify,\" the theater company's BIPOC series.\n\nThis year's Amplify series is the second time First Stage has produced its BIPOC short play series, but last spring's version was completely virtual. This year's plays have limited in-person performances and are also available on the company's YouTube channel.\n\n\"After our spring productions, we sat around to figure out what would be next and what we would be able to do in fall,\" said Jeff Frank, First Stage's artistic director. \"We want to work our way back to full productions, and we decided these pieces are a logical step in that direction because they're shorter in length and less burdensome on production.\"\n\nFrank also said these plays — focused on increasing representation of people of color both in the cast and in the content creation — are key to First Stage's mission.\n\n\"We've always prided ourselves on the representation of young people on our stage. We're in the minority of theaters for young audiences that utilize age-appropriate casts,\" said Frank. \"It's important for young people to see themselves in the stories represented. We've done well over the years in trying to address that in all the things we're doing, but all of us still have work to do in making sure we emphasize inclusion.\"\n\n\"How to actually graduate in a virtual world\" follows a group of Black students during the pandemic as they realize their graduation will have to be virtual. As the students brainstorm how to make their graduation special (through Zoom meetings), they speak to many of the difficulties children everywhere have experienced as a result of the pandemic.\n\nThe play was written by award-winning playwright Nikkole Salter. Frank says her involvement was one of the silver linings of the pandemic — that the Zoom-based world we've all embraced over the past 18 months has allowed artists across the country to learn about and participate in Milwaukee theater.\n\nFrank said Salter researched Milwaukee as she wrote the play so she could insert references that would resonate for local audiences. After Frank and his production team read through a draft of the script and gave Salter notes, they brought the young actors into the picture to give their feedback.\n\n\"The young people were trying out the different voices and roles in the play and telling her what seemed authentic to them and what rang true,\" said Frank. \"There were a few things where the kids would say, 'I don't know that this is something I would actually say,' and then Nikkole would make adjustments. It's an amazing gift for the young people and the artist that they got to share this camaraderie and the joy of creation.\"\n\nWhile First Stage learned many ways to pivot during the pandemic — creating virtual platforms that will continue to supplement their traditional work and building relationships with new people throughout the country — Frank is excited to take steps toward getting (cautiously and safely) back to normal.\n\n\"Art has been so necessary these past 18 months, and we found ways to provide that art virtually, and now we're also finding ways to come back,\" said Frank. \"These stories are more important than ever. It's not about escape, it's about seeking out experiences to deal with an increasingly complex world. Telling stories is the most effective way to do that.\"\n\nWhat to know about Amplify: First Stage's BIPOC play series\n\n\"How to actually graduate in a virtual world\": Available on First Stage's YouTube channel Sept. 1 through Dec. 5:\n\n\"Step Kids\": A one-act musical about a group of students who meet at an audition for the school's competitive dance team. Available on YouTube Oct. 11 through Dec. 5; limited capacity at Milwaukee Youth Arts Center Oct. 2 at 4 and 7 p.m., Oct. 3, at 1 and 4 p.m.\n\n\"The tale of La Llorona as told by Consuelo Chavez:\" A group of middle schoolers can't go trick-or-treating due to a thunderstorm, so they share their favorite ghost stories. Available on YouTube Oct. 30 through Dec. 5; limited capacity at Marcus Center's Todd Wehr Theater Oct. 23 at 4 and 7 p.m., Oct. 24 at 1 and 4 p.m.\n\nContact Amy Schwabe at (262) 875-9488 or amy.schwabe@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @WisFamilyJS, Instagram at @wisfamilyjs or Facebook at WisconsinFamily.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2021/09/15"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/24/entertainment/mo-amer-netflix-series-interview-cec/index.html", "title": "Mo Amer on his new Netflix show: 'It was so hard' | CNN", "text": "CNN —\n\nYou may already know Mo Amer for playing a sidekick on “Ramy,” for being the Muslim comedian who somehow got seated next to Eric Trump on a plane, or for being cast to appear alongside The Rock in the upcoming “Black Adam” superhero film.\n\nBut you’re about to know him as something else: the star of his own Netflix series.\n\n“Mo,” which began streaming Wednesday, is a semi-autobiographical dramedy about a Palestinian refugee “laughing the pain away” as he tries to navigate life in Houston and the convoluted US immigration system.\n\nAudiences who know Amer through his Netflix standup specials will recognize some of the storyline. Mohammed Amer was 9 years old when the first Gulf War forced his Palestinian family to flee Kuwait. They found a new home in the Houston suburb of Alief, Texas. And it took Amer 20 years to become a US citizen.\n\nHis character on the show, Mo Najjar, is still on a long journey fighting for asylum in the United States. And as Netflix says in its summary of the show, along the way he “straddles the line between two cultures, three languages and a ton of bullshit.”\n\nAmer, 41, spoke with CNN about how he finds the humor in bleak situations, what he hopes viewers of his show will see, why language and authenticity were so important to him while making it and one key thing he has in common with his character. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.\n\nYou’ve said making this show was the hardest thing you’ve ever done. Why? What did you have to do to prepare?\n\nSo much was going on when the show got picked up. The pandemic broke out. We were one of the first shows that was greenlit to have a Zoom (writers’) room. And then not only do we have a global pandemic where everybody was at home, we also had civil unrest and George Floyd’s murder. The emotionality that was involved in it and the roller coaster rides that everybody was going through, my writers, everybody was having so many issues. It was incredibly difficult to work through that. And I was going through a divorce.\n\nAnd then there was the weight of the story. This is the first-ever (American) show starring a Palestinian with a Palestinian family fleeing war. How do you handle that? How do you balance out all the stories that I’ve accumulated? We had an embarrassment of riches because it was based off of my life, and fortunately and unfortunately, it was a lot that we went through.\n\nIt was so hard. But also incredibly invigorating. I can’t tell you how many times I had 20-hour plus days. Sometimes there were two days in a row where I slept an hour.\n\nIn \"Mo,\" Amer plays the semi-autobiographical character Mo Najjar, whose immigration woes force him to work under the table to support his family. Netflix\n\nHas your family had a chance to see the show? What did they think?\n\nTo see these scenarios from my life recreated, it was incredibly emotional for my mom, but she’s also very happy. She’s so excited to have these stories being shared.\n\nFor people who aren’t related to you, or who are not as familiar with the Palestinian experience, what do you hope they’ll see when they watch the show?\n\nThis is a show about belonging. This is a show about identity and wanting to be seen. This is a show about somebody who just wants to feel like he’s part of something. I think that just relates universally to everyone, not just immigrants and refugees. There are people who are struggling to take care of their families, living paycheck to paycheck, people who have to take odd jobs under the table even though they are American citizens.\n\nAlso, I want people to take away that Houston (where the show largely takes place and was filmed) is an incredibly diverse city. It has a lot to offer and it’s exported of some of the best music in the world. Nobody really understands the depth that Houston has.\n\nIt was really important to factor in all these things and do them as much justice as possible, while also balancing the subject matter of Palestine, politics, religion, Catholicism, Islam and multicultural relationships. It was incredibly important that every piece of it was authentic.\n\nAnd not only having a show that’s slapstick funny. This is a show that is a comedy, yes, of course. It’s hella funny. But it’s also very grounded. And whenever something emotional happens, we’re going to sit in it and we’re going to embrace it and we’re going to go through it. It’s very important to have those moments and let it breathe.\n\nIn “Mo” we see meetings with immigration lawyers, decades-long case delays and the struggle of trying to work under the table without papers. These aren’t topics that sound very funny on the surface. So how do you find the humor in them?\n\nWhenever you hire a shitty attorney, the jokes really write themselves. And unfortunately, when you talk about immigration, it also writes itself, because the immigration process, I hate to say it, but it is kind of a joke. It’s just so incredibly unorganized. This is such a highly digitized world. But still there are all these documents sitting there. There’s such a waiting process that exists for these families.\n\nIt’s sad, but it really writes itself. And in deeply depressing or sad moments, comedy is a natural relief. You just naturally start laughing if you cry too much. Also, when you laugh too much, you start to cry. It’s just a natural thing that happens.\n\nA flashback scene from \"Mo\" depicts the family as they're about to leave Kuwait for a new life in Houston, Texas. Netflix\n\nThe first time we hear you speaking on the show, you’re talking in Spanish with a coworker. And then we also hear you speaking Arabic at home. And then at different points we hear you speaking in English, sometimes in different accents, depending on who you’re talking to. How important do you think language is to the show and the story?\n\nIt’s so important to me. A lot of Arab immigrants that I know picked up Spanish really easily, just because it’s basically a common language. So many Spanish words come from Arabic. And it was just easy to speak that way, but also it was an idea of immediately assimilating into an area and connecting with people. And it was really important to highlight this code switching as well of assimilating and really wanting to be seen, and for another person to feel comfortable – whether it be the cowboy that you’re selling Yeezys to or with my girlfriend switching to speaking in Spanish and seeing that connection.\n\nIn scenes with his girlfriend Mexican-American girlfriend Maria (Teresa Ruiz), Mo often speaks in Spanish. Netflix\n\nThat’s how it is. You come home, you start speaking Arabic. You leave the house, you start speaking English. Millions of people across the world live this way. And what’s important is communicating that and to have that on television. Because I’ve never seen it.\n\nYour character loves olive oil so much that he carries a bottle in his pocket. Is that based on real life?\n\nFacts.\n\nDo you have a bottle of olive oil in your pocket right now?\n\nNot right now. I did bring one with me to L.A. where I’m shooting this movie (Black Adam). It’s from our home village of Burin. We get shipments every six months of fresh-pressed olive oil, unfiltered like you’ve never had before in your life. Yeah, that’s very, very real.\n\nMo's love of olive oil -- and hatred of strange hummus flavors -- is so strong that he pulls out his own bottle of olive oil to share at a grocery store sample table in the show's first episode. Rebecca Brenneman/Netflix\n\nYou wrote the flashback scene showing your family’s escape from Kuwait years ago. Why did you feel compelled to write that down and share it?\n\n(Dave) Chappelle actually said, “You should do a short film in front of your special.” (“Vagabond,” which Netflix released in 2018) I couldn’t sleep for four days. I just kept thinking about it and thinking about it. Then I just had this moment of inspiration, and I wrote it out.\n\nI showed it to Dave and I showed it to other people, I even shared it with Ramy (Youssef, the “Ramy” star who’s now an executive producer of Amer’s show). Everybody was like, “Man, you should save this for a TV show. It’s spectacular.” I just saved it and waited for the right time.", "authors": ["Catherine E. Shoichet"], "publish_date": "2022/08/24"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/14/entertainment/squid-game-reality-show-cec/index.html", "title": "A real-life 'Squid Game' competition is coming to Netflix | CNN", "text": "CNN —\n\nNetflix’s smash-hit “Squid Game,” a fictional South Korean series in which contestants compete in a series of schoolyard games that will kill them if they lose, all for a few billion won, is bleak, dystopian and searingly political.\n\nSo naturally, the streamer is turning the series – known for starring a ginormous laser-eyed killer doll – into a reality show.\n\nEnter “Squid Game: The Challenge,” a new reality competition series apparently based on the original series, which became Netflix’s most popular show of all time upon its release in late 2021. The platform announced casting for the new series on Tuesday in a vague promo with appearances from the aforementioned “Red Light, Green Light” doll and a slew of masked guards who carry out killings.\n\n“Squid Game: The Challenge” is set to offer the largest cash prize in reality TV history – $4.56 million – to one of its 456 competitors (the largest cast in reality TV history), the streamer said in a statement.\n\nDo you want to play a game? Enter to join Squid Game: The Challenge at https://t.co/MaXfZnqmvb pic.twitter.com/6gYLXlplDC — Netflix (@netflix) June 14, 2022\n\nThe original “Squid Game” became an international phenomenon for its sharp social commentary as much as its arresting visuals and entertaining conceit. “Squid Game” sends up the wealthy ruling class and the harm they inflict upon the low-income and marginalized members of their society (though the low-income competitors are often corrupted by the lure of wealth). In the fictional show’s competition, the poor are literally disposable – they’re killed if they lose a game, and they continue to get picked off as they vie for a life-changing sum, all to the amusement of the game’s rich creators.\n\nNetflix hasn’t announced how they plan to adapt the game in which a giant doll fatally zaps people or masked guards fatally shoot competitors in the head if they fail to carve a honeycomb candy correctly, but it’s safe to assume there will be no murder.\n\nThe series is casting now for brave, self-punishing souls interested in competing in harrowing games. And though the original show was created by South Korean director Hwang Dong-hyuk and primarily starred Korean actors who spoke Korean throughout, Netflix’s new “Squid Game” is seeking “English-language speakers from any part of the world.”\n\nFans of the original “Squid Game” who’d prefer not to compete in the game themselves got good news this week, too: Netflix officially renewed the series for a second season.", "authors": ["Scottie Andrew"], "publish_date": "2022/06/14"}, {"url": "http://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2020/04/19/best-concert-films-streaming-now-netflix-hulu-amazon-prime/5163124002/", "title": "The best concert movies to stream now on Netflix, Hulu & Amazon ...", "text": "There are no actual concerts to enjoy for now. And there are things about the live experience that can't be captured in a livestream or a concert film — that whole communal vibe, the sensation of coming together as one nation under a groove, the traffic.\n\nBut we can relive the magic of actual performances while keeping a safe social distance from the comfort of our homes by watching classic concert films through streaming services like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime without spending a dime. (If you're already a subscriber to those services.)\n\nThis list is based on things we found a way to stream easily and at no added cost. You can certainly pay to watch \"Monterey Pop,\" the classic D.A. Pennebaker documentary that features that iconic scene of Jimi Hendrix setting fire to his Fender. And we highly recommend you do so if you've got the cash to burn like a Hendrix guitar.\n\nBut these won't put you over budget in these trying times.\n\n'Stop Making Sense' (1984)\n\nIt's the essential concert film, a timeless document of Talking Heads in their prime and their element, artfully starting a show with David Byrne alone on stage performing \"Psycho Killer\" to a beat we're made to think is coming from the boom box he's carried on stage.\n\nThen, bassist Tina Weymouth makes her entrance, sharing the edge of the spotlight on \"Heaven,\" followed by drummer Chris Frantz on \"Thank You For Sending Me an Angel\" and guitarist Jerry Harrison on \"Found a Job.\" It's a striking introduction to both the band and Jonathan Demme's masterfully directed film, a nearly 90-minute masterpiece overflowing with surprises.\n\nBy the time they hit the heavy-grooving arthouse funk of \"Burning Down the House,\" the stage is crowded with auxiliary players, from Parliament-Funkadelic keyboard ace Bernie Worrell to Brothers Johnson guitar god Alex Weir.\n\nAfter ceding the spotlight to Weymouth and Frantz for a crowd-pleasing \"Genius of Love\" by Tom Tom Club, their side gig, Byrne returns in what remains his most iconic stage look — the \"big suit\" — for \"Girlfriend is Better.\"\n\nDemme's film captures one of America's greatest live acts at their absolute creative zenith, clearly caught up in the joy of what they've managed to achieve. And at the center of that energy is Byrne, a dancing fool who remains one of the more endearingly idiosyncratic entertainers rock 'n' roll will ever know.\n\nWhere to stream: Amazon Prime.\n\n'Wattstax' (1973)\n\nStax Records held this concert on the seventh anniversary of the 1965 Watts riots. Richard Pryor introduces this Mel Stuart documentary on the day's events as \"a soulful expression of the black experience.\"\n\nAnd it certainly feels that way, as the tone is set with a series of interviews about the black experience as it stood at the time.\n\nAs Jesse Jackson says, before leading the crowd in a call and response of \"I am somebody\" with fists held high: \"This is a beautiful day. It is a new day. It is a day of black awareness.\"\n\nThen he brings out Kim Weston to kick off the concert with \"Lift Every Voice and Sing,\" which Jackson calls the Black National Anthem. The Staple Singers take the stadium to church while capturing the spirit of the black pride they were there to honor with a funky invocation to \"Respect Yourself.\"\n\nAnd after great performances by such Stax heavyweights as Rufus Thomas (lightening the mood with \"Do the Funky Chicken\"), an extremely charming Carla Thomas and the Bar-Kays, Isaac Hayes brings the film to a rousing conclusion with a very funky \"Theme From Shaft\" and the gritty social commentary of \"Soulsville.\"\n\nWhere to stream: YouTube.\n\n'LoudQuietLoud: A Film About the Pixies' (2006)\n\nThis documentary goes behind the scenes to capture all the awkwardness and tension that appears to have defined what life was like when Pixies chose to set aside the differences that cause them to implode in 1993 and launch perhaps the most successful indie-rock reunion tour in history 11 years later.\n\nKim Deal travels on a separate tour bus with her sister Kelley to preserve her own sobriety while David Lovering gets hooked on Valium and Joey Santiago struggles to keep his composure as the house of cards begins to fall in on itself.\n\nThat can make for some fairly uncomfortable viewing, if not quite on the level of the Beatles' \"Let It Be\" or Wilco's \"I Am Trying to Break Your Heart.\"\n\nBut other than one scene of Black Francis storming offstage in a huff when Lovering has some kind of drug-related episode behind the kit, the time they spend on stage together, reconnecting with the songs on which their legend ultimately rests, it's obvious why this was such a celebrated tour.\n\nIt also serves as a thrilling reminder that these Boston rockers were a revolutionary force without whose often-duplicated whisper-to-a-scream dynamic it's hard to imagine what rock music in the '90s would've sounded like. It certainly wouldn't have been as explosive.\n\nWhere to stream: YouTube.\n\n'The Last Waltz' (1978)\n\nThis Martin Scorsese film captures the Band signing off with a farewell concert for the ages on Thanksgiving Day, 1976. Whatever underlying tensions led them to leave all this behind don't come through in the playing, which is often joyous and as sharp as ever.\n\nIn addition to their own performance, they rounded up such iconic fans as Neil Young, Muddy Waters, Joni Mitchell, Eric Clapton, Dr. John, Van Morrison, Emmylou Harris and Neil Diamond to join them.\n\nBob Dylan’s performance alone would make this concert more than worth your while. Robbie Robertson squeezes out sparks at the helm of Dylan's most inspired backing band — the Band, of course — on a beautiful version of \"Forever Young,\" which gives way to a fiery “Baby Let Me Follow You Down.\"\n\nThen, everyone crowds the stage to join in on a stately, gospel-flavored version of Dylan's \"I Shall Be Released,\" the perfect ending to a damn near perfect concert.\n\nAnd Scorsese fleshes out those live performances with backstage interviews to put the show in context with an eye toward elevating both the Band and this particular concert to the mythic status they've enjoyed for decades now because of it.\n\nWhere to stream: Amazon Prime.\n\n'Live at the Paramount' (2011)\n\nThis concert film captures Nirvana live in 1991, rocking Seattle on Halloween night in the midst of changing everything with \"Nevermind,\" the breakthrough album they'd released just five weeks earlier.\n\nIt's a bracing reminder of just how undeniable a force these guys were at that point in not only their trajectory but rock 'n' roll's trajectory, arriving just in time to save the day. This is what history felt like before it was history, preserved on 16 mm film.\n\nGranted, the concert gets off to a somewhat muted start with a cover of the Vaselines song, \"Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam.\" But it feels more like the calm before the storm when Dave Grohl's drums kick in on an electrifying \"Aneurysm.\"\n\nKurt Cobain sings like his voice is a raw nerve he can't stop himself from touching, shredding vocal cords with each intensely vulnerable cry, from \"Drain You\" to \"Smells Like Teen Spirit\" to \"About a Girl.\" He sounds tortured and wounded and fully committed to coaxing some salvation from these songs.\n\nHis guitar work is just as cathartic, harnessing feedback while leading his bandmates through a steady stream of primal fuzz-guitar riffs.\n\nIt's the sound of rock 'n' roll ready to conquer the world again. And it did.\n\nWhere to stream: YouTube.\n\n'Amazing Grace' (2018)\n\nDirector Sydney Pollack's documentary on the making of Aretha Franklin's classic gospel album of the same name, a live two-record set recorded in 1972 at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts, was shelved for nearly 40 years due to technical problems.\n\nThen they figured out a way to synchronize the audio and video and it was scheduled for release in 2011. That's when Franklin sued, delaying its release until after her death in 2018, at which point Franklin's family gave the film its blessings.\n\nIt's a stunning document of Franklin in her soulful prime, the daughter of a Detroit minister connecting with the gospel music of her youth with the assistance of a choir and a small soul combo while accompanying herself on piano at times.\n\nShe's clearly caught up in the spiritual transcendence of the moment, from the opening line of \"Holy Holy\" through \"What a Friend We Have in Jesus\" to \"Amazing Grace\" and more.\n\nYou don't have to be religious to get caught up in the spirit of a talent as timeless as Franklin's connecting with a higher power. You can feel her feeling it and that's what matters here.\n\nWhere to stream: Hulu.\n\n'The Song Remains the Same' (1976)\n\nHow many concert films start with a series of fantasy sequences, one involving a gangster werewolf, another featuring John Bonham on a tractor? Fortunately, I can only think of one.\n\nBut it's worth it to get to the music Led Zeppelin performed at Madison Square Garden over the course of three nights in the summer of '73. Additional footage was shot later at Shepperton Studios.\n\nYou're 12 minutes into the foolishness before the concert starts, Bonham bashing his way through the opening beat of \"Rock and Roll.\" Even that doesn't signal the end of the fantasy sequences. Not by a long shot.\n\nAgain, the concert footage is its own reward. It's Led Zeppelin in their misspent youth, on the road in support of \"Houses of the Holy,\" rocking their way through such obvious highlights as \"Black Dog,\" the Jimmy Page solo that ushers in a slow-burning \"Since I've Been Loving You\" and \"Dazed and Confused.\"\n\nWhere to stream: YouTube.\n\n'Shut Up and Play the Hits' (2012)\n\nDo we really need to know how many Thomas Pynchon books James Murphy owns? We do not. But establishing shots are what they are in documentaries of this nature.\n\nAfter eight minutes and change of precious little in the way of action, Murphy expresses his dissatisfaction at how slowly things are moving, speaking for us all when he says, “We want some of this time back.\"\n\nOnce they kick off the concert with \"Dance Yrself Clean\" a bit later, though, all is forgiven.\n\nThis was supposed to be LCD Soundsystem's final performance, a four-hour victory lap that finds them dusting off an awe-inspiring number of their greatest hits at Madison Square Garden. It's a brilliant performance that's beautifully captured by directors Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern.\n\nAnd the interviews actually add to the experience, much like that earlier \"Last Waltz,\" offering real insights into what makes Murphy tick.\n\nWhere to stream: Hulu.\n\n'Homecoming: A Film By Beyoncé' (2019)\n\nBeyoncé directed this film of her headlining set at Coachella. And she fully captured the impact of that moment, taking the stage as a queen, an image of Egyptian Queen Nefertiti on her cape, and as the first black woman ever to headline America's premier music festival.\n\nLike Richard Pryor said of Wattstax, this performance is a soulful expression of the black experience. But it's just as much a celebration of Beyoncé as a galvanizing force in American culture, as well as a two-hour tribute to historically black colleges and universities.\n\nShe's in total command of the moment from the time she swaggers through her royal entrance to a stage that's packed with an array of dancers and a marching band and choir on stadium bleachers.\n\nShe's already undergone her first of several costume changes by the time she's sung her first word, the marching band's horn section lifting a stunning performance of \"Crazy in Love\" to new heights.\n\nHighlights range from an uplifting \"Freedom\" to \"Sorry,\" \"Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)\" and a Destiny's Child reunion. Meanwhile, her behind-the-scene narration offers fascinating insights into her creative process.\n\nIf you still don't get what makes Beyoncé an iconic entertainer after watching this performance, maybe you're just not meant for Beyoncé's world.\n\nWhere to stream: Netflix.\n\n'Heima' (2007)\n\nThis is a stunning document of Sigur Ros staging a homecoming tour of Iceland, which offers a breathtaking backdrop to the cinematic grandeur of the band's emotionally charged yet ethereal post-rock.\n\nThere are open-air performances and smaller events in unlikely locations — from a dimly lit cave to community halls and a deserted fish factory — and an unplugged performance for family and friends at a coffee shop. Even the indoor concerts often cut away to scenes of the Icelandic countryside.\n\nThe effect is transcendent in ways that couldn't hope to complement the music more effectively. At times they incorporate singers and musicians from the town they're visiting into the mix.\n\nIn many ways, this film could be the perfect introduction to the band for those who may not be familiar with their music. It's also the closest a 21st-century concert film has come to rivaling the artistry of Demme's masterful \"Stop Making Sense.\"\n\nWhere to stream: Amazon Prime.\n\n'Sign o' the Times' (1987)\n\nThis self-directed concert film was shot to hype the masterful two-record set with which it shares a name, capturing Prince in his late-'80s prime, with most songs (and between-song segues) filmed at Paisley Park.\n\nSheila E. makes her entrance on the title track, marching onstage at the front of a drum line and taking her place behind the drum kit for the second song, an exultant rendition of \"Play in the Sunshine.\" Prince is in top form as he makes his way through several costume changes, tearing it up on guitar while showing off his sexiest James Brown moves.\n\nThe set draws primarily on \"Sign o' the Times,\" including such obvious highlights as \"U Got the Look,\" the title track and \"I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man.\" But he throws in a smoldering, gospel-flavored re-imagining of \"Little Red Corvette\" for old time's sake.\n\nIt didn't set the multiplex on fire like he'd done with \"Purple Rain\" just three years earlier, but its stature has grown over time.\n\nWhere to stream: Amazon Prime.\n\n'The Kids Are Alright' (1979)\n\nThis is the film that introduced my generation to the glory of the Who, first seen here on \"The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.\" Tommy Smothers asks Pete Townshend where he came up with his legendary windmill move. Townshend quickly answers, \"That was bowling.\"\n\nAnd so it goes, a series of loopy exchanges giving way to a truly explosive performance of \"My Generation\" that ends in an actual explosion as Townshend smashes his guitar. Keith Moon had rigged his kick drum to explode, which it does. Then when Smothers returns, Townshend grabs his acoustic guitar and smashes it to bits. It's the Who in a nutshell — the power, the humor, the chaos, the destructive urges.\n\nJeff Stein's film takes fans on a journey from their early days through Woodstock to their final performance with Moon, an epic \"Won't Get Fooled Again\" filmed just three months before his death.\n\nIt also features candid interviews with Townshend and the greatest live performance in the history of rock 'n' roll — \"A Quick One, While He's Away\" at \"The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus.\"\n\nNew York Times reviewer Janet Maslin dismissed it at the time as \"willfully uninformative.\" But everything you need to know about the Who is right there in those live performances.\n\nWhere to stream: Amazon Prime.\n\n'Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970' (1998)\n\nYes, this is a second entry on the Who. A lot of people still consider them the greatest live band in the history of rock (myself included). And a large percentage of those fans would point to this film, captured more than a year into touring on \"Tommy,\" as the most compelling documented evidence to support such a claim in the form of a concert-length film.\n\nIt features them rocking a festival crowd within months of a similar concert at Leeds University that led to the seminal \"Live at Leeds\" release, an album often celebrated as the greatest live recording any rock act ever made.\n\nYou'd never know they took the stage at 2 a.m.\n\nThis is that rarest of all breeds of concert films where when nearing the end — they start \"We're Not Gonna Take It,\" the anthem that brings \"Tommy\" to a close — there's an overwhelming sadness knowing it's almost over. I want every concert film to mess with my emotions that profoundly.\n\nIt helps that Moon and Townshend are such entertaining lunatics to witness. Their antics kept making me smile and laugh and gasp and, on occasion, blurt out a reaction at the screen while John Entwistle, rocking a skeleton shirt, was making my jaw hit the floor with his stellar musicianship.\n\nThe physicality of Townshend throwing his entire body into the performance makes the music that much more electrifying, with his endless stream of jumps and windmills. And Moon is a rock 'n' roll madman on the kit throughout. This is a document of everything that made the Who so special in the first place.\n\nThe only downside is director Murray Lerner edited it down from a three-hour set to not quite 90 minutes. Now that we're all stuck inside, it may be time for him to run that other 90 minutes up the flagpole and see who salutes.\n\nWhere to stream: YouTube.\n\n'Under Great White Northern Lights' (2009)\n\nThis Emmett Malloy documentary follows the White Stripes' Canadian tour in the summer of 2007, both onstage and off, in support of \"Icky Thump,\" the band's final album.\n\nDid they know this was their final tour? There's no mistaking the emotion in that last scene, in which Meg White weeps on the piano bench as Jack White sits beside her singing \"Easy come, easy go / Be a star of the show / I'm giving up all I know to get more.\"\n\nIt ends a hug that couldn't be more awkward or more genuine, a disarmingly bittersweet coda to a film that feels more like a celebration of the chemistry that made them the 21st century's most electrifying bet for keeping rock 'n' roll alive.\n\nThe action begins with the trash-rocking splendor of a raunchy \"Let's Shake Hands.\" Guitarist Jack White turns to his partner, one of rock's most underrated drummers, coming out of a squealing guitar break to remind her \"You can do what you want to, Meg.\"\n\nThey effortlessly live up to the promise of that opener on highlights as relentless as \"Black Math,\" \"Ball and Biscuit,\" \"Icky Thump\" and \"Seven Nation Army.\"\n\nAnd when they do ease up on the accelerator, those moments are just as engaging, from Meg's lead vocal on \"In the Cold, Cold Night\" to \"We Are Going to Be Friends\" and an electrifying rendition of Bacharach and David's \"I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself.\"\n\nWhere to stream: YouTube.\n\n'If It Ain't Stiff, It Ain't Worth a F' (1977)\n\nThis documentary chronicles a U.K. package tour designed to hype the roster at Stiff Records, a pioneering indie label whose stars included Wreckless Eric, Ian Dury & the Blockheads, Nick Lowe, Larry Wallis and a bespectacled computer operator who'd taken the name of a previous rock 'n' roll legend in vain, a savage young Elvis Costello.\n\nAs a snapshot of an oft-neglected yet exhilarating moment in the history of the U.K music scene, it definitely rises to the challenge. As a concert film, it's even more engaging, lo-fi though it is.\n\nLowe leads a band of Stiff all-stars and his Rockpile bandmates Terry Williams and Dave Edmund, in \"Heart of the City,\" a version that filters the reckless abandon of punk through the musicianship of pub-rock veterans.\n\nCostello makes the most of the dramatic possibilities of \"Watching the Detectives\" at the helm of the freshly assembled Attractions, as talented a backing band as any in the history of rock.\n\nAnd Ian Dury does his best to steal the show, leading his bandmates in an exhilarating rendition of \"Blockheads\" before calling back his label mates to join him on the star-studded finale, \"Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll.\"\n\nWhere to stream: Amazon Prime.\n\nReach the reporter at ed.masley@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4495. Follow him on Twitter @EdMasley.\n\nSupport local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2020/04/19"}]}
{"question_id": "20230303_10", "search_time": "2023/03/15/03:27", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2022/02/27/sag-awards-2022-winners-live/6924902001/", "title": "SAG Awards 2022: 'CODA' wins for best cast, Will Smith and Jessica ...", "text": "The heartwarming Sundance Film Festival hit \"CODA\" won best acting ensemble while Will Smith and Jessica Chastain took top individual honors at Sunday's Screen Actors Guild Awards.\n\nSmith took home best male actor in a film at the 28th SAG Awards ceremony – the first major awards show of 2022 – and called it \"one of the greatest moments of my career right now, being called for 'King Richard' sitting next to Venus Williams.\" Smith plays the tennis champion's father, who \"is a dreamer like no one you’ve ever known. He has a power of belief that borders on insanity – and sometimes tips over the border, which is absolutely necessary to turn something impossible possible.\"\n\n'A tricky day to celebrate':Andrew Garfield, Brian Cox, Lady Gaga support Ukraine at SAG Awards\n\nChastain nabbed best female actor in a film for \"The Eyes of Tammy Faye.\" \"I’m completely stunned,\" said the actress, who was victorious over Lady Gaga and Olivia Colman in a stacked category. She struck an inspirational tone when speaking to her fellow thespians: \"For those of you who are struggling and feel unseen, you are one job away. I promise.\"\n\nMarlee Matlin took the stage with her \"CODA\" co-stars to accept the SAG honor for best ensemble. \"This validates the fact that us deaf actors can work like everyone else,\" she said through an interpreter before teaching the crowd “I love you” in American Sign Language.\n\n\"CODA\" cast member Troy Kotsur, who snagged best male supporting actor in a film, made history as the first deaf actor to win an individual SAG award, while \"West Side Story\" star Ariana DeBose is the first Latina actress to receive a film honor as well as the first openly queer woman of color to earn a SAG trophy. \"My heart’s beating in my chest right now. It’s taken a long time for me to be comfortable calling myself an actor,\" said DeBose, a \"Hamilton\" alum who started on the stage before she moved to the screen.\n\nIn the TV categories, \"Succession\" won best drama ensemble while \"Ted Lasso\" was named top comedy cast.\n\nA few actors who took the stage made note of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. \"Succession\" star Brian Cox called the attacks \"very, very awful,\" while Chastain said her \"heart is with our international family who is fighting for their safety and freedom.\"\n\nFrom Lady Gaga to Kerry Washington: See the 10 best dressed at the 2022 Screen Actors Guild Awards\n\nCheck out all the SAG winners (in bold) from Sunday's televised ceremony:\n\nMOVIES\n\nEnsemble cast\n\n\"Belfast\"\n\nWINNER: \"CODA\"\n\n\"Don't Look Up\"\n\n\"House of Gucci\"\n\n\"King Richard\"\n\nActor\n\nJavier Bardem, \"Being the Ricardos\"\n\nBenedict Cumberbatch, \"The Power of the Dog\"\n\nAndrew Garfield, \"tick, tick ... BOOM!\"\n\nWINNER: Will Smith, \"King Richard\"\n\nDenzel Washington, \"The Tragedy of Macbeth\"\n\nActress\n\nWINNER: Jessica Chastain, \"The Eyes of Tammy Faye\"\n\nOlivia Colman, \"The Lost Daughter\"\n\nLady Gaga, \"House of Gucci\"\n\nJennifer Hudson, \"Respect\"\n\nNicole Kidman, \"Being the Ricardos\"\n\nSupporting actress\n\nCaitriona Balfe, \"Belfast\"\n\nCate Blanchett, \"Nightmare Alley\"\n\nWINNER: Ariana DeBose, \"West Side Story\"\n\nKirsten Dunst, \"The Power of the Dog\"\n\nRuth Negga, \"Passing\"\n\nSupporting actor\n\nBen Affleck, \"The Tender Bar\"\n\nBradley Cooper, \"Licorice Pizza\"\n\nWINNER: Troy Kotsur, \"CODA\"\n\nJared Leto, \"House of Gucci\"\n\nKodi Smit-McPhee, \"The Power of the Dog\"\n\nTELEVISION\n\nEnsemble in a drama series\n\n\"The Handmaid's Tale\"\n\n\"The Morning Show\"\n\n\"Squid Game\"\n\nWINNER: \"Succession\"\n\n\"Yellowstone\"\n\nActress in a drama series\n\nJennifer Aniston, \"The Morning Show\"\n\nWINNER: Jung Ho-yeon, \"Squid Game\"\n\nElisabeth Moss, \"The Handmaid's Tale\"\n\nSarah Snook, \"Succession\"\n\nReese Witherspoon, \"The Morning Show\"\n\nActor in a drama series\n\nBrian Cox, \"Succession\"\n\nBilly Crudup, \"The Morning Show\"\n\nKieran Culkin, \"Succession\"\n\nWINNER: Lee Jung-jae, \"Squid Game\"\n\nJeremy Strong, \"Succession\"\n\nEnsemble in a comedy series\n\n\"The Great\"\n\n\"Hacks\"\n\n\"The Kominsky Method\"\n\n\"Only Murders in the Building\"\n\nWINNER: \"Ted Lasso\"\n\nActor in a comedy series\n\nMichael Douglas, \"The Kominsky Method\"\n\nBrett Goldstein, \"Ted Lasso\"\n\nSteve Martin, \"Only Murders in the Building\"\n\nMartin Short, \"Only Murders in the Building\"\n\nWINNER: Jason Sudeikis, \"Ted Lasso\"\n\nActress in a comedy series\n\nElle Fanning, \"The Great\"\n\nSandra Oh, \"The Chair\"\n\nWINNER: Jean Smart, \"Hacks\"\n\nJuno Temple, \"Ted Lasso\"\n\nHannah Waddingham, \"Ted Lasso\"\n\nActor in a comedy series\n\nMichael Douglas, \"The Kominsky Method\"\n\nBrett Goldstein, \"Ted Lasso\"\n\nSteve Martin, \"Only Murders in the Building\"\n\nMartin Short, \"Only Murders in the Building\"\n\nWINNER: Jason Sudeikis, \"Ted Lasso\"\n\nActress in a comedy series\n\nElle Fanning, \"The Great\"\n\nSandra Oh, \"The Chair\"\n\nWINNER: Jean Smart, \"Hacks\"\n\nJuno Temple, \"Ted Lasso\"\n\nHannah Waddingham, \"Ted Lasso\"\n\nActor in a TV movie or miniseries\n\nMurray Bartlett, \"The White Lotus\"\n\nOscar Isaac, \"Scenes from a Marriage\"\n\nWINNER: Michael Keaton, \"Dopesick\"\n\nEwan McGregor, \"Halston\"\n\nEvan Peters, \"Mare of Easttown\"\n\nActress in a TV movie or miniseries\n\nJennifer Coolidge, \"The White Lotus\"\n\nCynthia Erivo, \"Genius: Aretha\"\n\nMargaret Qualley, \"Maid\"\n\nJean Smart, \"Mare of Easttown\"\n\nWINNER: Kate Winslet, \"Mare of Easttown\"", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/02/27"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2023/02/23/sag-awards-nominees-how-to-watch/11305416002/", "title": "SAG Awards 2023: How to watch tonight's show live on Netflix's ...", "text": "One of Hollywood’s biggest nights will look a bit smaller this year.\n\nAfter more than two decades on television, the 29th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will stream exclusively online this weekend. The genre-smashing “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and Irish dark comedy “The Banshees of Inisherin” lead the nominations with five apiece, including outstanding cast (SAG’s equivalent of a best picture Oscar). The ensemble nominees are rounded out by Steven Spielberg’s personal family drama “The Fabelmans,” as well as the star-studded “Babylon” and “Women Talking.”\n\nHere’s everything else you need to know about the actor-voted awards and how you can watch the show:\n\nWhere can I watch SAG Awards 2023?\n\nThe SAG Awards will be broadcast live Sunday (8 p.m. EST/5 PST) on Netflix's official YouTube channel. Future shows will stream live on Netflix beginning in 2024, after airing on TBS and TNT for the past 25 years. The ceremony will be held at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles. No host has been announced for the awards, which were host-free in 2021 and 2022.\n\nWho are the presenters?\n\n\"Aftersun\" Oscar nominee Paul Mescal is confirmed to present during Sunday's ceremony, along with Emily Blunt, Jessica Chastain, Aubrey Plaza, Jeff Bridges, Zendaya, Amy Poehler, Don Cheadle, Ashley Park, Haley Lu Richardson, Jason Bateman, Jenna Ortega, Adam Scott, Matt Bomer, Ariana DeBose, Eugene Levy, Quinta Brunson, Janelle James, Jenny Slate, Orlando Bloom, James Marsden and Mark Wahlberg.\n\nAdditionally, the stars of all five films nominated for best cast will introduce clips from their respective movies, including Rooney Mara (\"Women Talking\"), Michelle Williams (\"The Fabelmans\"), Diego Calva (\"Babylon\"), Brendan Gleeson (\"The Banshees of Inisherin\") and Stephanie Hsu (\"Everything Everywhere All at Once\").\n\nWho is expected to win SAG Awards?\n\n\"Everything Everywhere\" is near-unanimously predicted to take home best cast, according to pundits on awards site GoldDerby, putting it in pole position heading into Oscar night. After all but sweeping the season, Cate Blanchett is expected to pick up best actress for her career-defining performance in \"Tár,\" although look out for the beloved Michelle Yeoh (\"Everything Everywhere\") as a strong potential spoiler.\n\nDespite recent setbacks at the British Academy Film Awards, where they lost to stars of \"Banshees,\" Angela Bassett (\"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever\") and Ke Huy Quan (\"Everything Everywhere\") are still favored to win SAG's best supporting actress and best supporting actor prizes, respectively. Best actor is a three-way race between Colin Farrell (\"Banshees\"), Brendan Fraser (\"The Whale\") and Austin Butler (\"Elvis\"), although the latter has the edge after his BAFTA and Golden Globes victories.\n\nWho else will be honored?\n\nAndrew Garfield will present the SAG life achievement award to his \"Amazing Spider-Man\" co-star Sally Field, a two-time Oscar-winning actress best known for roles in \"Lincoln,\" \"Norma Rae,\" \"Places in the Heart\" and \"Forrest Gump.\" SAG's previous life achievement honorees include Helen Mirren, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Carol Burnett. The award recognizes career achievement and humanitarian accomplishment.\n\nHow are SAG Awards decided?\n\nThe SAG Awards celebrate movies and TV and are voted on by 122,600 eligible voters within the actors' union SAG-AFTRA. Because the trophies are entirely voted on by actors – who also make up the largest branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences – the SAG Awards are often a reliable bellwether for future Oscars glory. Films such as \"CODA,\" \"Parasite\" and \"Spotlight\" all won the best cast prize at SAG before taking home Academy Awards for best picture. The best actor and best actress Oscar winners have also both lined up with SAG for eight of the past 10 years.\n\nOn top of all that, the SAG Awards are one of the last major opportunities for this year's nominees to give a speech before Oscar voting opens March 2. With so many tight races, they'll be eager as ever to clinch some final votes from their peers.\n\nGet ready for the Oscars:", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/02/23"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2014/01/18/sag-awards-news-story/4639729/", "title": "McConaughey, 'American Hustle' win at SAG Awards", "text": "Brian Truitt\n\nUSA TODAY\n\nAmerican Hustle danced off with the big honor of the evening at the 20th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles, winning outstanding cast in a motion picture.\n\nBradley Cooper dedicated his co-stars' win to filmmaker David O. Russell. \"He is an actor's director,\" Cooper said. \"He is the reason why we all wanted to become actors as children.\"\n\nCate Blanchett followed up on her win at last weekend's Golden Globes with the best actress honor for Blue Jasmine.\n\n\"Thank you to those who voted for me,\" she said. \"For those who didn't, better luck next year.\"\n\nDallas Buyers Club co-stars Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto added to their own Golden Globe wins, and Lupita Nyong'o, who plays an abused plantation worker in 12 Years a Slave, took the trophy for supporting actress.\n\n\"I've been able to recently find some characters I could humble myself to their humanities and then get feverishly drunk on their obsessions,\" McConaughey said after winning for best actor.\n\nLIST:The SAG Awards winners\n\nPHOTOS:From the red carpet\n\nLeto dedicated his supporting actor award for his portrayal of a transgender AIDS patient to \"the Rayons of the world, the people who made a choice to live their lives not as others would have them live it but as they have chosen to dream it.\"\n\nThe SAG Award marked his third prize in a week for the role — he also won a Golden Globe and a Critics' Choice Award, and is also up for an Academy Award on March 2.\n\nFellow Oscar nominee Nyong'o — also a recent Critics' Choice winner — acknowledged Solomon Northup, the real-life inspiration for the movie: \"Thank you so much for a life well lived and a story hard to tell but told so well.\"\n\nIn the TV categories, best actress in a drama series went to Downton Abbey star Maggie Smith, and Bryan Cranston added to his Breaking Bad trophy case with an award for best actor. The series also won for best ensemble in a drama.\n\n\"I've had so many crappy jobs in my life,\" he said, \"and the only thing that got me through was dreaming that I could make a living as an actor.\"\n\nPhil Spector star Helen Mirren won her fifth SAG Award, this time for outstanding actress in a movie or miniseries, while outstanding actor honoree Michael Douglas added to his Emmy and Golden Globe victories for playing Liberace in Behind the Candelabra.\n\n\"I've got a 97-year-old member of SAG back at home who I know is particularly proud of me getting this award,\" he said, referring to his actor father Kirk Douglas. \"But I want to thank all of you here tonight for helping me get out of his shadow for a little bit.\"\n\nJulia Louis-Dreyfus did a comic turn with her Veep co-star Matt Walsh when accepting for best actress in a comedy, while Modern Family's Ty Burrell imparted lessons from his fictional book, Acting: How to Do It Good, after winning his first SAG Award for best comedic actor.\n\nLesson No. 4, he joked, is \"Have no skill set other than being a needy extrovert.\"\n\nBurrell's show won for best comedy ensemble — the fourth in a row for Modern Family.\n\nThe Screen Actors Guild also honored Rita Moreno with a life achievement award, presented by Morgan Freeman.\n\n\"A world-class actress, singer and dancer,\" he said, \"Rita's also a fighter who battled to break free of racial and sexual barriers that plagued Hollywood's golden age.\"\n\nMoreno, 82, accepted the award with singing, dancing and even a bleeped-out four-letter word. \"Hopefully, it's early in the third act of my life. The truth is, I still can't believe it.\"", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2014/01/18"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2013/01/28/argo-oscars-upset-sag/1869767/", "title": "'Argo' heats up the Oscar race", "text": "Scott Bowles, USA TODAY\n\nA string of wins puts hostage drama in the hunt\n\n%27Lincoln%27 still a favorite with many analysts\n\n%27Argo%27 has already claimed wins at the Golden Globes%2C Critics%27 Choice%2C PGA and SAG awards\n\nLOS ANGELES — Argo must have a chip on its shoulder, because the film has been taking no prisoners of late.\n\nEver since Ben Affleck was snubbed for a best-director Oscar nomination on Jan. 10, the Iran hostage drama has been pummeling the competition. Argo seized top picture wins from the Golden Globes, the Producers Guild Award and, on Sunday night, a surprise victory at the Screen Actors Guild Awards for best ensemble cast.\n\nThe comeback has infused the Feb. 24 Academy Awards with an element it rarely sees: tension.\n\nAnd while many analysts still lean toward Steven Spielberg's biopic Lincoln as the favorite, others now see a neck-and-neck sprint.\n\n\"The tide is with Argo at the moment,\" says Jeremy Kay, U.S. editor of the London-based trade publication Screen International. \"Lincoln remains a strong contender, but this has become largely a two-horse race.''\n\nNot that Affleck should be polishing an acceptance speech yet. Kay notes that no movie has won a best-picture Oscar without an accompanying best-director nomination since 1989's Driving Miss Daisy, which took the top statuette even though director Bruce Beresford wasn't nominated.\n\n\"It's historically unlikely,\" Kay says of Argo's chances. \"But if I were personally going to bet, it would be on Argo.\"\n\nThe film has cleaned up among critics as well. Argo has seized at least 10 best-picture wins from critics circles, compared to Lincoln's two, according to a tally by film site Moviecitynews.com.\n\nFilm author Bryan O'Neill, whose latest book, Original Plots: The Unified Field Theory of Storytelling, examines successful screenplays, says Argo has flourished by taking on a real-life story that didn't scream blockbuster.\n\n\"Being a hostage-crisis film (set) in the '70s, the appeal could have been limited,\" he says.\n\nBut with a box office haul of $118 million and counting, O'Neill says, the film struck a nerve with the public. And that has given it momentum in the drawn-out awards season, which typically makes the best-picture Oscar race a predictable call.\n\n\"With ticket prices going up, the audience votes with their dollars,\" he says. \"It's nice when great storytelling is rewarded, so it's no surprise Argo is able to stand above the rest.\"\n\nBut will it maintain its perch? Kay says that while Lincoln hasn't taken many best-picture honors yet, its pedigree — Spielberg as director, Academy Award winner Daniel-Day Lewis in the title role — could still resonate with Oscar voters.\n\n\"The academy is its own animal,\" he says. \"Voters don't pay that much attention to other awards. And Lincoln has Oscar darlings in its corner.\"\n\nNot to mention millions at the box office. The movie, which is considered a lock for a best-actor win for Day-Lewis, has already done $167 million. Argo received seven Oscar nominations, including a best-supporting-actor nomination for Alan Arkin. Lincoln nabbed a pack-leading dozen nominations, including Spielberg for director, Tommy Lee Jones for supporting actor and Sally Field for supporting actress.\n\nThere are dark horses in the race — Silver Linings Playbook, Zero Dark Thirty, Les Misérables —\"but right now it appears to be Lincoln vs. Argo,\" Kay says. \"What's exciting is you just don't know who is going to win this year.\"", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2013/01/28"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2019/12/11/screen-actors-guild-awards-nominations-snubs/4392207002/", "title": "Screen Actors Guild Awards snubs: Eddie Murphy, Little Women ...", "text": "No Eddie Murphy, no Robert De Niro, no \"Little Women.\"\n\nTwo days after Golden Globe nominations, Wednesday morning's Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations further narrowed the field of Oscar contenders. The five movie categories and eight TV categories were voted on by the 160,000 members of the SAG-AFTRA guild.\n\nWhile \"Bombshell\" led all honorees with four nominations, including best ensemble and acting nods for stars Charlize Theron, Margot Robbie and Nicole Kidman, many others were left out.\n\nHere's who won't be vying for \"The Actor\" trophies when the 26th annual SAG Awards air live Jan. 19 (8 p.m. ET/5 PT) on TNT and TBS.\n\nSee the full list of nominees:Screen Actors Guild Awards 2019\n\nThe top nominees:'Bombshell' leads Screen Actors Guild nominations with four top honors, including best ensemble\n\nEddie Murphy\n\nMurphy returned to moviemaking after a three-year hiatus as proto-rap pioneer Rudy Ray Moore in Netflix's \"Dolemite Is My Name.\" While Murphy, who received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance, was considered a front-runner for a SAG best actor nomination, he didn't get the spot.\n\nRobert De Niro\n\nWhile co-stars Joe Pesci and Al Pacino were nominated for their respective roles in Martin Scorsese's \"The Irishman,\" De Niro, who played the title character, did not receive a best actor nomination. \"Irishman\" is up for best ensemble and De Niro will be honored at the SAG Awards with a Life Achievement Award.\n\n'Little Women'\n\nDirector Greta Gerwig's adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's \"Little Women\" did not earn any acting nominations for its much-praised cast, including lead actress Saoirse Ronan.\n\nMatt Damon\n\nDirector James Mangold's depiction of the Le Mans endurance race car in \"Ford v Ferrari\" brought a nomination for Christian Bale. But Damon (along with co-star Tracy Letts) did not make the cut.\n\nAwkwafina\n\nThe comic actress showed impressive range in Lulu Wang’s drama \"The Farewell,\" earning a best actress Golden Globe nomination (where the movie also received a best foreign film nod). But she was overlooked by SAG, as was \"The Farewell.\"\n\nAwkwafina on Golden Globes nomination:May Aunt sent the oddest text\n\n'Knives Out'\n\nTalk about instant momentum. Rian Johnson's \"Knives Out\" wowed critics and moviegoers alike at the box office, with an $126 million opening weekend worldwide and three Golden Globe nominations. But the all-star cast of Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Plummer couldn't snag an ensemble nomination.\n\n'Richard Jewell'\n\nPaul Walter Hauser's transformation into the wrongly accused title character in Clint Eastwood's \"Richard Jewell\" was passed over by SAG voters, who did not give Hauser, or castmates Kathy Bates and Sam Rockwell, a nomination.\n\nAlfre Woodard\n\nWoodard's dramatic role as a prison warden on death row in \"Clemency\" received neither Golden Globe nor SAG Award nominations.\n\n'The Two Popes'\n\nBoth heads of the Catholic Church were denied awards for \"The Two Popes.\" Jonathan Pryce, as the liberal pope Francis, missed out on a best actor nomination, and Anthony Hopkins, as the conservative Pope Benedict, came up short in best supporting actor, though both were nominated for Golden Globes.\n\nAntonio Banderas\n\nThe actor won't be represented at the SAG Awards for his critically praised performance in \"Pain and Glory,\" his eighth film with director Pedro Almodóvar.\n\nShia LaBeouf\n\nLaBeouf wrote \"Honey Boy\" about his own turbulent childhood, playing his father onscreen alongside Lucas Hedges (as a younger LaBeouf). Neither actor earned a SAG nomination.\n\n'Succession'\n\nHBO’s addictive media-titan drama had a breakthrough second season this summer that both Emmy and Golden Globe voters paid attention to. But the strong cast, and standouts Jeremy Strong and Kieran Culkin, were left out of the TV drama categories. SAG voters went with far more boring choices, like the ho-hum second season of “Big Little Lies.”\n\nSandra Oh\n\nThe \"Killing Eve\" star is having a harder time making an impact this awards season, first losing the Emmy to co-star Jodie Comer in September and now losing out on both Golden Globes and SAG nominations. Oh won this award for the first season of “Eve.”\n\nJulia Louis-Dreyfus, cast of ‘Veep’\n\nHBO’s political comedy has been a perennial SAG favorite, but neither lead actress Louis-Dreyfus nor the ensemble cast (who both took home SAGs in 2018) were able to squeeze into the packed TV comedy categories.\n\nBilly Porter\n\nThe \"Pose\" actor made history at this year’s Emmy awards with his best drama actor win for FX’s LGBTQ-focused series “Pose,” but SAG voters weren’t nearly as in “Vogue” as the Television Academy. Porter’s outstanding performance was overlooked.\n\nContributing: Kelly Lawler", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2019/12/11"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2013/12/11/sag-award-nominations/3985691/", "title": "'12 Years a Slave' leads SAG Awards movie nods", "text": "Scott Bowles\n\nUSA TODAY\n\nAlso scoring multiple nominations%3A %27The Butler%2C%27 %27Dallas Buyers Club%27 and %27August%3A Osage County\n\nAwards are good predictor of Oscar competition\n\nThe SAG Awards will be handed out on Jan. 18 on TNT and TBS\n\nLOS ANGELES — 12 Years a Slave, Lee Daniels' The Butler, Dallas Buyers Club and August: Osage County struck first Wednesday in Hollywood's three-month awards campaign, scoring multiple Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations.\n\nSlave, the true story of a man living in New York during the 1800s who is kidnapped and sold into slavery, earned nominations for best performance by a cast (SAG's equivalent of best picture), for Chiwetel Ejiofor for best lead actor, Michael Fassbender for supporting actor and Lupita Nyong'o for supporting actress.\n\nButler, the drama based on a real White House butler, earned nominations for best cast, best actor for Forest Whitaker and supporting actress for Oprah Winfrey.\n\nClub, the true story of an AIDS patient who struggles to get medication to fellow patients, had a surprisingly strong day, earning a best cast nomination along with a best lead actor nomination for Matthew McConaughey and supporting actor nomination for Jared Leto.\n\nOsage, a drama about the lives of strong-willed women dealing with the disappearance of their alcoholic patriarch, also had a morning few analysts predicted, scoring nominations for best cast, best lead actress for Meryl Streep and best supporting actress for Julia Roberts.\n\nOn the television front, HBO's Behind the Candelabra earned two lead-actor nominations for Matt Damon and Michael Douglas, while Breaking Bad received nominations for best dramatic cast, best dramatic actor for Bryan Cranston and best dramatic actress for Anna Gunn.\n\nThe Screen Actors Guild Awards is one of the strongest predictors in Oscar's acting categories.\n\nLast year, 14 of the 20 SAG nominees for acting went on to receive Oscar nominations. And three of the four SAG winners claimed the Oscar, as well (Tommy Lee Jones in Lincoln being the exception).\n\nBut SAG is less predictable at calling the best-picture race. In the 18 years that SAG has handed out a best ensemble award, its equivalent of best picture, only nine have gone on to win best picture. Last year, Argo claimed best ensemble and best picture.\n\nThe SAG Awards will be handed out on Jan. 18 on TNT and TBS.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2013/12/11"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2023/02/26/sag-awards-2023-best-dressed-red-carpet/11355352002/", "title": "SAG Awards 2023 best dressed: Jenna Ortega, Sheryl Lee Ralph ...", "text": "The Screen Actors Guild Awards are known for honoring the best of the best in film and television, but the titans of red carpet fashion can't be forgotten.\n\nFilms such as \"Everything Everywhere All at Once,\" \"The Banshees of Inisherin\" and \"The Fabelmans\" may have had top billing going into Sunday’s ceremony with their nominations, but a slew of celebrity ensembles brought their own star power to the party.\n\nSeveral A-list stars, including Sheryl Lee Ralph, Zendaya and Quinta Brunson, delivered elegant looks that are deserving of their own marquee.\n\nFrom gorgeous gowns to stylish suits, check out all the best looks from the awards show.\n\nSheryl Lee Ralph\n\n\"Abbott Elementary\" star and Emmy-winning actress Sheryl Lee Ralph sparkled on the red carpet in a sophisticated nude dress and matching cape.\n\nHaley Lu Richardson\n\n\"The White Lotus\" star Haley Lu Richardson served up old Hollywood glamour at the SAGs, stunning in a strapless, pearl-encrusted dress.\n\nJenna Ortega\n\n\"Wednesday\" star Jenna Ortega channeled the gothic flair of her \"Addams Family\" character on the red carpet and gave it a high-fashion edge, donning a sleek, asymmetrical black dress with a chic slit.\n\nZendaya\n\n\"Euphoria\" star and Emmy-winning actress Zendaya was a floral princess on the red carpet, wearing an ethereal pink dress that featured a to-die-for rose-covered train.\n\nQuinta Brunson\n\nQuinta Brunson donned a black-and-white dress that paired a playful white seashell bodice with a shimmery black train.\n\nJessica Chastain\n\n\"George and Tammy\" star Jessica Chastain gave Barbie a run for her money in the pink-wearing department, electrifying the SAGs red carpet in a vibrant, fuchsia gown.\n\nEmily Blunt\n\n\"The English\" star Emily Blunt shone on the red carpet in a form-fitting scarlet dress with a delicate floral graphic.\n\nKathryn Newton\n\n\"Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania\" star Kathryn Newton was larger-than-life with vintage glamour, gracing the red carpet with a 1950s-esque, lavender dress.\n\nCara Delevigne\n\nModel-turned-actress Cara Delevigne was a sartorial force at the SAGs, striking a powerful pose on the red carpet in a crisp, suit-dress ensemble.\n\nAriana DeBose\n\n\"West Side Story\" star and BAFTAs breakout Ariana DeBose \"did the thing\" in a playful, hot pink suit on the SAGs red carpet.\n\nMore from the SAG Awards:", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/02/26"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/billgoodykoontz/2022/02/08/troy-kotsur-oscar-nomination/6701204001/", "title": "Arizona's Troy Kotsur wins a SAG Award for 'CODA.' Is an Oscar next?", "text": "Arizona's Troy Kotsur won a Screen Actors Guild Award Sunday for his performance in the film \"CODA.\"\n\nKotsur won best male actor in a supporting role for the film; the film's ensemble also won for best cast.\n\nThe win could make Kotsur the front-runner for the Academy Award, for which he's also been nominated. He's the first deaf actor ever nominated for best supporting actor.\n\n\"You all know what it's like to be a starving actor,\" he said during his acceptance speech. \"Back then I used to sleep in my car, I slept in my dressing room backstage, I couch surfed and all of that. You feel me, right?\"\n\nHe thanked several people, including the \"CODA\" cast and his wife. And he had a special message for their daughter, Kyra.\n\n\"You know Kyra, this award is not for you to hang your jewelry on, all right?\" he said. \"Keep that in mind.\"\n\nKotsur, who was born in Mesa and after years in LA has moved back, is only the second deaf actor to be nominated for an Oscar.\n\n\"It’s good to be recognized for my work and my craft not only because I’m deaf but my skill as an actor,\" Kotsur said through an interpreter in an interview with The Arizona Republic on Feb. 8, the day the Oscar nominations were announced.\n\nKotsur, a favorite on the awards circuit this year, was nominated for best supporting actor for his work in \"CODA.\" The acronym stands for \"Children of Deaf Adults\"; Kotsur plays the father of a young woman (Emilia Jones) who is the only hearing member of their family. She must decide whether to accept a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music or stay in their Massachusetts town and help with the family fishing business.\n\nIn a nice twist, Marlee Matlin plays Kotsur's wife in the film. She is the only other deaf actor to be nominated for an Oscar. She won for best actress for the 1986 film \"Children of a Lesser God.\"\n\nKotsur shared a virtual hug with his wife when he got the news\n\nKotsur, who went to Gaullaudet University, already made history when he became the first deaf actor nominated for a Screen Actors Guild award for an individual performance, for \"CODA.\"\n\nKotsur was in Los Angeles on business when the nominations were announced. But he still made it a family affair.\n\n\"I was sitting with my phone because my wife was with me on FaceTime, because I’m in California and she’s in Arizona,\" he said. \"I wanted to celebrate with her together. If I didn’t get it, we’d still be together no matter what.\n\n\"It happened and I actually hugged my phone. I prefer an in-person hug with my wife, but it’s better than nothing.\"\n\nKotsur is right that he wasn't nominated because he is deaf, but because he gave a great performance. However, he also knows the responsibility this kind of role carries, and how it inspires other deaf actors.\n\n\"I’ve met many of them and there’s many deaf actors who are passionate but they feel limited,\" he said. \"They feel like Hollywood isn’t ready for them. So it was just a matter of time. With our film, it’s finally a game-changer. It’s giving young deaf people more hope, and hope for their future.\"\n\nAs for his future, what else? \"I’m really hoping to direct in the future, too, because I really love working closely with actors, and that emotion,\" Kotsur said. \"Working with deaf or hearing actors, you have that relatability. I’m looking forward to that. This is just the beginning.\"\n\nThe other nominees for best supporting actor are Kodi Smit-McPhee for \"The Power of the Dog,\" Ciaran Hands for \"Belfast,\" Jesse Plemons for \"The Power of the Dog\" and J.K. Simmons for \"Being the Ricardos.\"\n\nOscar nominations 2022: 'The Power of the Dog' leads with 12, Kristen Stewart nabs first nod\n\nSteven Spielberg also gets nomination\n\nAnother nominee with Arizona ties: Steven Spielberg, who you may have heard of. Spielberg, who attended Arcadia High School, was nominated for best director for \"West Side Story.\"\n\nSpielberg previously won two Oscars for best director — for the 1993 film \"Schindler's List\" and the 1998 film \"Saving Private Ryan.\"\n\nThe other nominees for best director are Kenneth Branagh for \"Belfast,\" Ryusuke Hamaguchi for \"Drive My Car,\" Paul Thomas Anderson for \"Licorice Pizza\" and Jane Campion for \"The Power of the Dog.\"\n\nSpielberg is currently making \"The Fabelmans,\" about the time he spent growing up in Arizona.\n\nReach Goodykoontz at bill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. Twitter: @goodyk. Subscribe to the weekly movies newsletter.\n\nSubscribe to azcentral.com today. What are you waiting for?", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/02/08"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2013/01/24/movie-forum-movie-43-screen-actors-guild/1862169/", "title": "Movie Forum: The 'Movie 43' mystery", "text": "USA TODAY Movies\n\nThe Movie Forum is divided over who will win the Lead Actress and Supporting Actor SAG awards\n\nMovie Forum consensus%3A Daniel Day- Lewis wins Lead Actor%3B Anne Hathaway wins Supporting Actress\n\nDon%27t expect Oscar wins for %27Beasts%27 or %27Amour%27%3B The nominations were the honors for these films\n\nEvery Wednesday, the Movie Forum convenes to discuss the latest news from the film world and answer questions submitted by you, the reader.\n\nThis week, movie reporters Scott Bowles and Brian Truitt looked ahead to this weekend's SAG awards, discussed Arnold's new film The Last Stand (and its lackluster performance) and examined the weirdness that is...Movie 43. We also answered readers questions about Ben Affleck's Oscar snubbing, and the likelihood of awards wins for Zero Dark Thirty, Beasts of the Southern Wild and Amour.\n\nEnjoy the chat and submit your questions for next week below.\n\nJohn Elliot: Welcome to the USA TODAY Movie Forum!\n\nI'm John Elliot, online producer for USA TODAY Movies and I will serve as your moderator. Joining me today is USA TODAY movie reporters Scott Bowles and Brian Truitt.\n\nIt is FREEZING here on the East Coast, so come snuggle by the Forum fire and let's talk movies!\n\nHow this works - Each week we solicit questions, online, from our readers on the latest news from the world of film.\n\nThis week? SAG awards, a lackluster Last Stand (and what it means for action films this year) and what exactly is Movie 43?\n\nBrian and Scott will start by sharing their thoughts this week's topics, then we will move on to reader submitted questions.\n\nSO…let's get the Forum started!\n\nThis Sunday, Jan 27 we're treated to our second awards show of the season: SAG! The Screen Actors Guild Awards…what should we expect from these performance-focused awards?\n\nBrian Truitt: Hey John! Hey Scott! Hey peeps! Yes, awards season is in full swing and the SAGs are interesting because it is ALL about the acting. They call their trophy \"the Actor\" for goodness sakes.\n\nI think we will really start seeing how the Oscars will play out, especially in terms of best pic and the lead actor and actress categories.\n\nScott Bowles: I have a conflicted relationship with the SAG awards, sort of like dating an alcoholic. On the one hand, it's one of the industry's most accurate barometers of who is going to win Oscar's acting categories. On the other, it takes a lot of suspense from the Academy Awards. So, like an abusive spouse who says he's sorry, I'll probably cave and let it back into my home. You rooting for anyone, Brian?\n\nBrian Truitt: Aren't we supposed to be objective, Scott? HAH! I think I'm rooting a little for Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence to get some love, although I think Lincoln and its horde of insanely good thespians may take the overall cast award - the SAG equivalent of best pic. How about you, sir?\n\nScott Bowles: I agree, Brian. I have to put my vote in for Bradley here, only because he doesn't seem to be an actor who takes himself too seriously. The race I'm most interested in, though, is the ensemble award, which is SAG's equivalent of Best Picture. Argo gets my vote here, though it could be a showdown between Les Mis and Lincoln.\n\nBrian Truitt:Argo winning the Globe for best drama was cool but I think that may be the end of the line. I figure it's a two-horse race between Les Mis and Lincoln, which would be a lock if it had Russell Crowe singing. I would also like to see Nicole Kidman grab a supporting SAG for her Paperboy role just to send Oscar pundits into a snit.\n\nJohn Elliot: Ok, you two...play prognosticator: Who is the big winner sunday night?\n\nScott Bowles: Ok, here's my guess: Day-Lewis for Lincoln, Jessica Chastain for Zero Dark, De Niro for Silver Linings, Anne Hathaway for Les Mis and Lincoln for best ensemble. Mr. Truitt?\n\nBrian Truitt: I believe Honest Abe's gonna loom large taking best ensemble, and Tommy Lee Jones and DDL taking the actor awards. I'll say Jennifer Lawrence for lead actress and Anne Hathaway for Les Mis - she has the best chance of running the entire table.\n\nScott Bowles: And though we're a movie forum, a side note about the TV candidates: Bryan Cranston for Breaking Bad, Claire Danes for Homeland, Alec Baldwin for 30 Rock, Tina Fey for 30 Rock (the show is in its last season) and Breaking Bad for ensemble show. Yeah, I'm a Breaking Bad, er, junkie.\n\nBrian Truitt: Ooooh, going rogue! We're like Sarah Palin! I can see Russia from my desk!\n\nScott Bowles: And now to our Super Bowl predictions...\n\nBrian Truitt: My picks: Jeff Daniels in Newsroom, Danes in Homeland , Baldwin and Fey from 30 Rock.\n\nAnd 49ers. But don't tell anybody I was Kaepernicking while I was typing that.\n\nJohn Elliot:The Last Stand, the first leading role film by Arnold Schwarzenegger since leaving the Governor's mansion, opened this past weekend to a rather lackluster box office…What does this mean for the Ex-Governator?\n\nBrian Truitt: Oh Ahhhnuld. What happened, man? As a guy who grew up on his movies, I think the problem now is nobody in this generation seems him as a real film star anymore, unfortunately.\n\nScott Bowles: It means the governor is going to have to shed his iconic image of the past. I'm not sure the old-school shoot 'em ups are as viable as they once were in the wake of our recent mass shootings. The movie actually wasn't bad, but it's tricky to go from politics to acting. The reverse tends to work better. See Ronald Reagan.\n\nBrian Truitt: Yeah, the politics were a diversion. And as much as I do like a good shoot-em-up, you're right, Scott. One of the reasons why Last Stand and Gangster Squad did a big faceplant were because of all the gun talk in mass media now. Some people might just feel guilty by going to see one of these movies.\n\nScott Bowles: It will be an interesting test to see how Sylvester Stallone's Bullet to the Head is going to do. The title alone could turn some people off. And between Arnold, Sly and Bruce Willis, why is it all of our action heroes are AARP qualified. We still have action movies (comic book adaptations, etc.), but the standard shooter is fading. Maybe Arnold was right years ago with his film Last Action Hero.\n\nBrian Truitt: I agree, the films that were integral to my childhood like Commando, Predator and Raw Deal just don't work anymore. They need to have some other genre to mash up with them, for better or worse. I'd be a little concerned if I was Sly, for sure. But I think there is still an audience for The Expendables type super team-up, or something like Fast and Furious that has its sixth movie out later this year.\n\nJohn Elliot: Does this signal anything for early 2013's crop of action flicks?\n\nScott Bowles: Go team violence! Brian, you're right on the money. The old formula of a renegade with a gun and a chip on his shoulder seems outdated. But when we're talking about a group of heroes taking action, it seems less...offensive? It may be a while before we accept lone gunmen theory in theaters.\n\nBrian Truitt: I think the rest of this year's crop will be just fine, if hopefully there are not more real-life incidents of violence. Plus, films coming out around this time usually are not very good, or someone involved thought they weren't very good. So your big action flicks like GI Joe and Fast and Furious and the new Die Hard I think will have their audiences.\n\nScott Bowles: Take a look at some of the marquee summer action films, and only a few of them are of the old-school shoot-em-ups. Iron Man 3, World War Z, After Earth. They will have their share of violence and mayhem, to be sure. But the violence will likely be far-fetched enough not to offend the PG-13 crowds.\n\nJohn Elliot: And finally…What EXACTLY is Movie 43?\n\nBrian Truitt: The sequel to Movie 42, or course.\n\nScott Bowles: All right, smart guy. Movie 43, if nothing else, is going to be one of the more unusual cinematic experiments in a while. You've got 12 directors, doing \"inter-connected\" shorts of raunchy humor. My guess is a few stars went on a bender, made a lewd home movie and thought, 'Hey, we could make millions off this.\"\n\nBrian Truitt: What's weird is just how A-list this thing is. Hugh Jackman, Terrence Howard, Kate Winslet, Richard Gere, Liev Schreiber, Uma Thurman, Halle Berry. There are a few Oscars in there along with a lot of f-words tossed by Oscar nominee Naomi Watts.\n\nScott Bowles: Actually, the red-band trailer looks like the movie could have some offensive laughs. But a word of warning to readers: The studio is not screening this for critics, which likely means it's lousy. It's a surprising move, given the stars involved. Either they needed money or proof that they know swear words.\n\nBrian Truitt: Oh no doubt this this thing is probably terrible. But the red-band trailer is hilariously offensive and I am not sure it needs critics. This thing would get ravaged, but if it's any good it'll have word of mouth. And the cast list alone will get butts in seats,\n\nScott Bowles: And likely bared on screen.\n\nBrian Truitt: What's kinda cool to see, though, is how much fun it looks these guys are having. Any other movie would have Schreiber and Watts in some kind of tragic drama. Here, they're a wacky married couple. And when would you ever picture Halle Berry and The Office UK creator Stephen Merchant the same movie scene?\n\nThere's something appealing about that. If you are game for Movie 43, I would suggest two other hilarious anthology-type comedies to prepare: Kentucky Fried Movie and Amazon Women on the Moon.\n\nJohn Elliot: And remember: You won't understand the subtle plot intricacies if you HAVEN'T seen Movie 42!\n\nBrian Truitt: Or Movies 1-41. I'm lost already!\n\nJohn Elliot:Movie 26 was NOT canon!\n\nBrian Truitt:Movie 14 was an unfortunate reboot.\n\nJohn Elliot: Alright...Let's take some questions from our lovely readers!\n\nJohn H. from Milwaukee asks:\n\n\n\nI hear a lot about zero dark thirty, good and bad. what did you think, and what are it's chances at the awards. I loved it!\n\nScott Bowles: Ok, I know this is blasphemy, but I actually didn't care for it. My problem is that the real story (done really well in documentary form) is so dramatic that a dramatization of it actually pales. There were elements to the raid -- a closing window, uncertainty if bin Laden were in that actual house -- that the movie doesn't really address. The film has taken a lot of heat for its depiction of torture. But it doesn't have much depiction of action. Still, it's a craftsman movie, and is working with audiences and likely award voters.\n\nBrian Truitt: It does seem like Chastain is its best shot of major Oscar glory. I think the best pic field is really deep and unless there's a late surge, probably won't make any waves there.\n\nScott Bowles: My other issue: The trailer makes it look like a Hurt Locker redo. There isn't NEARLY as much action in Zero as Locker. But I think you're right, Brian. Jessica's character, a behind-the-scenes agent orchestrating the hunt, is an unusual tack for a war film, and could pay off for Jessica come statuette time.\n\nBrian Truitt: Somebody told me that Zero Dark Thirty wasn't as interesting as an episode of Homeland. And I don't cheat on Carrie Mathison!\n\nGuest asks:\n\nWhat are your thoughts on some of the less known Best Picture Nominees? Amour, Beasts of the Southern Wild,etc?\n\nScott Bowles:Amour is going to be wiped from memory on Feb. 25, the day after the Oscars. No one has seen it, and tracking numbers indicate no one is going to. But Beasts has been an unmitigated success, already doubling its production cost. And I think once moviegoers see some clips of this cinematic fairy tale, it's going to give a big boost, particularly on the DVD front. But I wouldn't expect trophies for these films. The cliche here had better be true: being nominated is the honor.\n\nBrian Truitt: Too true, Scott. I think Amour has a great chance at taking the Oscar for foreign film, and that's where it'll get its props. Beasts is a true dark horse and probably has little chance of besting the likes of Lincoln or Les Mis, but it really is a spectacular film that will have legs long past this awards season.\n\nLaura from Chicago asks:\n\nHow did Ben Affleck not get nominated for best director? That seems impossible if his film is nominated.\n\nBrian Truitt: It still stings a little, doesn't it, Laura? Totally agreed. It was a whopper of snubberation, but the two categories are independent of each other. Pics like Django Unchained and Zero Dark Thirty are up for the big prize, but their directors aren't. Oscar can be weird in that way.\n\nScott Bowles: Actually, it's not impossible, it's inevitable. Now that the Academy has increased the number of eligible films to 10, but kept best director nominees to 5, the academy is going to have to make a Sophie's Choice every year. Ben is the most glaring snub here -- no one expected Michael Haneke to take his spot. But he was hardly the only surprising exclusion. Kathryn Bigelow, too, won't hear her name called.\n\nJohn Elliot: Unfortunately, it is time for us to wrap up...\n\nThank you Scott and Brian. And a VERY big thank you to all our readers who participated and submitted questions.\n\nScott Bowles: Thank you John and Brian, and stay warm on the East Coast. And hey, it's cold here in LA, too. I may have to put on a cardigan.\n\nBrian Truitt: Thanks Scott and John. It was a pleasure being in Thunderdome — er, the Movie Forum — with you guys. I'll leave Scott to his 60-degree \"freezing\" weather while it's 19 here, and wish a merry week to all readers!\n\nJohn Elliot: Remember: you can submit your burning movie questions all week long, right here.\n\nThank you all for joining us for the USA TODAY Movie Forum! Please join us again next Wednesday at 3 PM EST/12 PM PST for another edition of Movie Forum.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2013/01/24"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2019/01/26/sag-awards-australian-open-postage-prices-government-shutdown/2668000002/", "title": "SAG Awards, Australian Open finals: 5 things to know this weekend", "text": "Editors\n\nUSA TODAY\n\nReopening the government begins, but it's not that not easy\n\nThe shutdown may have ended Friday, but getting the federal government back to full speed will be a challenge. The process will start this weekend as TSA workers and air traffic controllers who manage the nation's airspace will get back to full strength staffing wise after absences caused issues and delays for travelers. National parks will reopen soon, but some won't right away due to the cleanup of trash, graffiti and human waste. Federal workers also will receive back pay, but it isn't entirely clear how fast it will happen. Some 800,000 federal employees who have been on unpaid leave or working without pay missed their second paycheck this week. Before signing a measure to end the shutdown late Friday, President Donald Trump praised federal workers for their sacrifices and promised he would see that they receive back pay as soon as possible.\n\nSAG Awards honor Hollywood's best and an American sweetheart\n\nOne of America’s sweethearts hands the torch to another when Tom Hanks presents Alan Alda with a lifetime achievement award at the 25th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday (5 p.m. PT/ 8 p.m. ET on TNT and TBS). Alda, 82, a Golden Globe- and Emmy-winner, will become the 55th recipient of the annual award given to an actor who fosters the \"finest ideals of the acting profession.\" Despite a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, the actor says he educated himself about the nervous system disorder and developed an exercise program, including boxing, a version of tai chi and marching to John Philip Sousa music. Before the award show gets underway, stars hit the red carpet at 2:30 p.m. PT/ 5:30 p.m. ET, available on livestreams on the TNT, SAG Awards and People websites. \"A Star Is Born,” \"Black Panther,” ''BlacKkKlansman,” ''Bohemian Rhapsody” and ''Crazy Rich Asians\" are competing for best movie ensemble cast.\n\nPrefer to listen? Check out the 5 things podcast below and subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts:\n\nPompeo seeks U.N. backup in recognizing Venezuela's Guaidó\n\nSecretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to New York City on Saturday for a meeting of the United Nations' Security Council to discuss the political upheaval unfolding in Venezuela. Pompeo, along with newly-named special envoy Elliott Abrams, will press other member countries to recognize Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s interim president over incumbent leftist leader Nicolas Maduro. The Trump administration has already ordered all non-emergency U.S. diplomatic staff to leave the South American nation as it faces massive turmoil and violence. At least a dozen protesters have been killed in recent violence in the country, according to the Associated Press.\n\nPrice of postage goes up this weekend\n\nThe price of a first-class stamp increases 5 cents Sunday, from 50 cents to 55 cents. The nickel increase is the largest percentage rise since 1991, when postage increased from 25 to 29 cents. The stamp hike is part of a package of increases on mailing services averaging 2.5 percent, the Postal Service announced. Other changes:\n\nEach additional letter ounce will drop from 21 cents to 15 cents. So mailing a 2-ounce letter — a wedding invitation, say — will cost 70 cents instead of 71 cents.\n\nPriority Mail: Mailing a small box rises from $7.20 to $7.90, while a medium box jumps from $13.65 to $14.35.\n\nPriority Mail Express: Shipping an envelope ASAP will cost $25.50 instead of $24.70.\n\nOsaka wins Aussie Open title, takes over No. 1\n\nIt was double the pleasure for Naomi Osaka on Saturday at the Australian Open. Osaka beat Petra Kvitova for the Aussie Open title, her second career Grand Slam singles championship. In the process, Osaka also earned the No. 1 ranking for the first time in her career. On the men’s side on Sunday, we are treated with a championship showdown between two legends. Novak Djokovic is looking for his eighth Australian Open title when he faces off with Rafael Nadal (3:30 a.m. ET). The duo has combined for 31 major championships in their careers (Nadal owns 17, Djokovic 14). This will be their eighth matchup in a Grand Slam final, with Nadal holding a 4-3 edge coming into Sunday.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2019/01/26"}]}
{"question_id": "20230303_11", "search_time": "2023/03/15/03:28", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/02/26/newspapers-dilbert-comic-scott-adams-racist-comments/11354547002/", "title": "Newspapers drop Dilbert after racist comments from creator Scott ...", "text": "Corrections and clarifications: USA TODAY did not publish the Dilbert comic strip. A previous version of this article was incorrect.\n\nNumerous newspapers, including the USA TODAY Network, and a major comic distributor announced they will stop running the widely syndicated comic strip Dilbert after the creator described people who are Black as part of a \"hate group\" that white people should \"get away\" from.\n\nScott Adams, the creator of the strip that debuted in 1989 that pokes fun at office culture, received backlash from comments he made Wednesday on his YouTube channel \"Real Coffee with Scott Adams.\"\n\nAs news organizations announced they were pulling the comic strip because of Adams' remarks, the comic strip creator continued to defend his remarks.\n\nWhat did Scott Adams say?\n\nThe backlash against Adams began Wednesday when he referenced a Rasmussen Reports survey that had asked whether people agreed with the statement “It's OK to be white.\"\n\nMost agreed, but Adams noted that 26% of Black respondents disagreed and others weren't sure.\n\nThe Anti-Defamation League says the phrase was popularized in 2017 as a trolling campaign by members of the discussion forum 4chan but then began being used by some white supremacists.\n\nAdams, who is white, repeatedly referred to people who are Black as members of a \"hate group\" or a \"racist hate group\" and said he would no longer \"help Black Americans.\"\n\n“Based on the current way things are going, the best advice I would give to white people is to get the hell away from Black people,” Adams said.\n\nAI: ChatGPT is poised to upend medical information. For better and worse.\n\nLive weather updates: Southern California under siege with historic snow, rain, air rescues - and it's not over\n\nNewspapers pull Dilbert, condemn Adams' comments\n\nThe USA TODAY Network, which includes USA TODAY and other newspapers owned by Gannett, such as The Arizona Republic and Detroit Free Press, announced Friday it would stop publishing Dilbert \"due to recent discriminatory comments by its creator.\"\n\nOther news organizations also did the same:\n\nAndrews McMeel Universal Chairman Hugh Andrews and CEO and President Andy Sareyan said in a joint statement Sunday that the syndication company was “severing our relationship” with Adams.\n\nChairman Hugh Andrews and CEO and President Andy Sareyan said in a joint statement Sunday that the syndication company was “severing our relationship” with Adams. The Los Angeles Times said Saturday it would discontinue Dilbert Monday \"in most editions\", as it will last appear on March 12 since Sunday Comics are printed in advance.\n\nsaid Saturday it would discontinue Dilbert Monday \"in most editions\", as it will last appear on March 12 since Sunday Comics are printed in advance. The New York Times said Sunday it would no longer be publishing the comic strip. Danielle Rhoades Ha, a spokeswoman for The New York Times, said the comic appeared only in the international print edition and not in the outlet's U.S. edition or online.\n\nsaid Sunday it would no longer be publishing the comic strip. Danielle Rhoades Ha, a spokeswoman for The New York Times, said the comic appeared only in the international print edition and not in the outlet's U.S. edition or online. The Washington Post said Saturday it had “ceased publication\" of Dilbert. A spokesperson said it was too late to stop the strip from running in upcoming print editions, including Sunday.\n\nsaid Saturday it had “ceased publication\" of Dilbert. A spokesperson said it was too late to stop the strip from running in upcoming print editions, including Sunday. The Plain Dealer in Cleveland and other publications that are part of Advance Local media announced they were pulling Dilbert. Chris Quinn, editor of The Plain Dealer, said it was \"not a difficult decision\" as the outlet is \"not a home for those who espouse racism. \"\n\nother publications that are part of Advance Local media announced they were pulling Dilbert. Chris Quinn, editor of The Plain Dealer, said it was \"not a difficult decision\" as the outlet is \"not a home for those who espouse racism. \" The San Antonio Express-News, part of Hearst Newspapers, said Saturday it will drop the Dilbert comic strip, effective Monday, “because of hateful and discriminatory public comments by its creator.”\n\nDistributor drops Dilbert\n\nMajor comics syndicator Andrews McMeel Universal said in a statement that the syndication company was “severing\" their relationship with Adams.\n\nBy Monday morning, Adams no longer appeared in searches on GoComics and “Dilbert” comics were gone from the website, which also features many top comic strips like “Peanuts” and “Calvin and Hobbes,” as well as political cartoons.\n\n\"As a media and communications company, AMU values free speech,\" the statement said. \"But we will never support any commentary rooted in discrimination or hate.\"\n\nScott Adams defends comments\n\nIn another episode of his online show Saturday, Adams said he had been making a point that “everyone should be treated as an individual” without discrimination and \"you should absolutely be racist whenever it’s to your advantage.\"\n\n\"But you should also avoid any group that doesn’t respect you, even if there are people within the group who are fine,” Adams said.\n\nAdams has also continued to defend his remarks on Twitter, noting that he was getting \"canceled.\"\n\nWhile Adams' strips are no longer on GoComics, he maintains an extensive archive on his own website.\n\nIn a YouTube episode released Monday, Scott Adams said that new “Dilbert” strips will only be available on his subscription service on the Locals platform.\n\n“They made a business decision, which I don’t consider anything like censorship,” he said of Andrews McMeel Universal, adding that his comments about Black people were hyperbole.\n\nElon Musk tweets support for Adams\n\nMeanwhile, Tesla, Twitter and Space X CEO tweeted support for Adams.\n\n\"For a *very* long time, US media was racist against non-white people, now they’re racist against whites & Asians,\" Musk tweeted. \"Same thing happened with elite colleges & high schools in America. Maybe they can try not being racist.\"\n\nMusk later agreed with a tweet saying Adams’ comments “weren’t good” but had an “element of truth” to them.\n\nContributing: Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY; Associated Press\n\nFollow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/02/26"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/02/27/bidens-student-loan-plan-hits-scotus-dilbert-dropped-5-things-podcast/11357122002/", "title": "Biden's student loan plan hits SCOTUS, Dilbert dropped: 5 Things ...", "text": "On today's episode of the 5 Things podcast: Supreme Court set to address Biden's student loan forgiveness plan\n\nThe Supreme Court will hear oral arguments this week on President Joe Biden's student loan forgiveness plan. Plus, USA TODAY White House Correspondent Rebecca Morin looks at refugees under the Biden administration, USA TODAY and other newspapers drop the Dilbert comic after racist comments by its creator, USA TODAY Health Reporter Karen Weintraub talks about how chatbots could upend medicine, and USA TODAY Money & Personal Finance Reporter Medora Lee explains how an end to the pandemic boost to SNAP benefits will affect millions of Americans.\n\nLive updates:Follow along as Supreme Court hears arguments on Biden's student loan forgiveness plan\n\nPodcasts:True crime, in-depth interviews and more USA TODAY podcasts right here.\n\nHit play on the player above to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript below.This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nGood morning. I'm Taylor Wilson and this is 5 Things you need to know Monday, the 27th of February 2023. Today, the ramifications of the Supreme Court's upcoming decision on President Joe Biden's student loan forgiveness plan. Plus, a closer look at refugees under Biden, and what chatbots might mean for the future of medicine.\n\n♦\n\nThe Supreme Court will begin picking through President Joe Biden's student loan forgiveness plan this week with several hours of oral arguments set to begin tomorrow. And the court's decision, expected later this year, will represent a broader decision about presidential power. It could hurt Biden's ability to pursue other policies like abortion and immigration, and that could be a problem for a president likely seeking reelection with a gridlocked Congress.\n\nIn addition to addressing presidential power, the court's decision could also address whether COVID-19 is still a national emergency, since it was that emergency that let the Department of Education execute its loan forgiveness program. You can follow along with all the latest this week on USATODAY.com.\n\n♦\n\nPresident Joe Biden has pledged to fix a broken refugee program in the US, but two years later he's not even close to his goal. I spoke with USA TODAY White House Correspondent Rebecca Morin to find out more. Rebecca, welcome to 5 Things.\n\nRebecca Morin:\n\nGreat, thank you for having me.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nWhat did you find in your analysis about refugee admissions under the Biden administration?\n\nRebecca Morin:\n\nRight now, the Biden administration is trying to build up resources and take more refugees. According to our analysis, the United States only admitted 20% of the number that they have as their ceiling, which is 125,000.\n\nWith that, there's been a couple of humanitarian crises that the United States has helped out with. Afghan refugees who were coming after the United States pulled out of Afghanistan, Ukrainian refugees after Russia invaded. And so the US right now is being saddled with these different humanitarian crises. All those people, who are supposed to be part of this goal, they're they're waiting in line, and this line is getting very long because of just lack of resources.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nIn general, how does the Biden White House compare with past administrations when it comes to refugee admissions?\n\nRebecca Morin:\n\nThe Trump administration had the least amount of refugees admitted into the US. Trump also made the goal historically low. In fiscal year 2020, it was 18,000. And then in fiscal year 2021, before President Biden came in and revised it, it was 15,000. And the last full year of the Obama administration it was 85,000 refugees that they were trying to get in, and President Obama was just shy of that. Maybe the only other time we saw lower refugee intake was right after 9/11.\n\nIn the '90s it was hundreds of thousands. In the '80s there was up to 200,000 refugees coming in to the US, being admitted in.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nRebecca, what does the Biden White House say about some of these numbers? Especially considering that Biden himself campaigned on pledges to change some of the Trump era policies when it comes to refugees?\n\nRebecca Morin:\n\nThe administration has been very clear that these goals that they're setting, they're not going to meet immediately. Even when they announce fiscal year 2023, which is also 125,000, that it's not going to be something that happens now.\n\nI talked to a State department official who basically said, \"Yes, refugee admissions are a lagging indicator of our progress.\" It's going to take more time to feel the impact. Right now they're saying they're interviewing more refugees, so they're trying to get up there.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nWhat do advocates say needs to change specifically under Biden, when it comes to refugees?\n\nRebecca Morin:\n\nSome of the advocates I talked to, one of the big concerns, the long wait times. The time for refugees to go through this process, it could be a year, it could be two years. It's a pretty long process. They have to be referred by a different agency to the US, and so that takes time. And that's one of the biggest complaints that some of these advocates have.\n\nThe United States has a very rigorous background check, and some advocates want to see maybe a more streamlined process. They just don't have the infrastructure in place to try and really nail down everything that they need to do. They need to help everyone, and right now they don't really have enough people to do so.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nAll right. Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY White House Correspondent. Thanks so much.\n\nRebecca Morin:\n\nThank you.\n\n♦\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nA number of newspapers, including USA TODAY, are dropping the widely syndicated comic strip Dilbert. That's after its creator described people who are Black as part of a hate group that white people should get away from. Scott Adams is under fire for comments he made on his YouTube channel, where he also said he would no longer help Black Americans. And he said, \"Based on the current way things are going, the best advice I would give to white people is to get the hell away from Black people.\"\n\nThe USA TODAY Network, including USA TODAY and other local papers owned by Gannett, announced Friday that it would stop publishing Dilbert due to the discriminatory comments by its creator. Other publications, including the New York Times and Washington Post, announced the same.\n\n♦\n\nChatbots driven by artificial intelligence could upend the future of medicine. One of them, ChatGPT, could help patients and doctors alike, but it's not without its skeptics. USA TODAY Health Reporter Karen Weintraub explains. Karen, welcome back to the show.\n\nKaren Weintraub:\n\nThanks so much for having me.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nSo what is ChatGPT and how does it work?\n\nKaren Weintraub:\n\nYeah. It's an interactive, large language model. So you can type in a question and it will give you a pretty convincing answer. May not be right, but it will be convincing. It's used right now for anything. Some people are using it, and shouldn't be, to write their term papers. Other people are using it to ask questions like you would in a search.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nWhat potential could this application bring for both patients and doctors?\n\nKaren Weintraub:\n\nFor patients, conceivably, if the information is right, it could be helpful. Let's say you went to the doctor and they said that you had some ailment. You didn't understand what the doctor said. You might be able to type in what is X, and it will give you an explanation for that that probably is pretty accurate. Where it's going to be potentially questionable, a diagnosis for instance. You enter fatigue, which is a really common thing, a lot of people are fatigued. There could be 100 or 1,000 probably different reasons for fatigue. It might give you six options. Maybe those are right, maybe those are wrong. The more specific you can be, the better, more likely it will be to be accurate, but it's hard to tell at this point.\n\nSo the use for patients is one thing, and pretty soon all of us will have access. There's currently free access to ChatGPT. A million people signed up in the first two days that it was available. The concern really is coming also from if doctors were to use it. In some cases it might be beneficial, where a doctor could get maybe more ideas for a diagnosis that they might not have thought about themselves. But also, it's impossible to tell the source of the information right now on these technologies. We use research trials to say this drug is good for this type of person, and there's no way to figure out using ChatGPT where that information came from, whether it was a study or just those words were associated and that's why it came up.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nAnd so what else are skeptics saying about ChatGPT when it comes to medicine?\n\nKaren Weintraub:\n\nThe problem with it is that it's just language. It associates words. So if you entered something like \"diabetes treatment,\" it might say metformin, which is a common diabetes treatment. That doesn't necessarily mean metformin is the right treatment for you if you have diabetes, but it appears commonly on the internet, and so that's why it shows up.\n\nSo it's not a thinking being, it's just sort of telling you what the language model says is the most common thing. And so that could be problematic. If it told you that maybe you had some terrible type of cancer, you would be very upset by that and it might not be right.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nIs there any legal framework for how doctors and medical professionals are allowed to use this technology?\n\nKaren Weintraub:\n\nRight now there is no legal framework, and there's some consideration in Congress about that. Some of the experts I talked to said they think there should be guardrails around the use of ChatGPT and similar technologies for medical care. There should always be a human in the process. You shouldn't just be relying on a diagnosis from a digital algorithm.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nAll right, Karen Weintraub, you're always opening our eyes about interesting stories from the world of health. Thanks so much.\n\nKaren Weintraub:\n\nThank you.\n\n♦\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nA pandemic era boost to SNAP benefits is set to expire at the end of this month. So what's that mean for millions of Americans? I spoke with USA TODAY Money and Personal Finance Reporter Medora Lee to find out. Medora, welcome back to 5 Things.\n\nMedora Lee:\n\nHi, thanks for having me.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nFirst off, what are SNAP benefits?\n\nMedora Lee:\n\nSNAP benefits are Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formally called food stamps, to help low-income families afford nutritious, healthy foods.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nMedora, who will be affected by these SNAP expirations?\n\nMedora Lee:\n\nAnyone who receives these SNAP benefits will be affected. And the USDA says that there are about 42 million Americans who receive these benefits, so that's a lot of people.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nHow much will SNAP recipients actually lose each month when these expire?\n\nMedora Lee:\n\nOn average, there have been some studies and they say that people will be losing about $90 a month, but some people can lose upwards of $250 a month. It depends on various things. SNAP benefits are calculated based on income, number of people in your household, and certain expenses you have to pay.\n\nEven if you think it's only going to be $90 a month, that is going to feel particularly difficult for some people, I think, because of inflation. So you're basically seeing a reduction in the number of dollars you can use to spend on food, and we all know the price of the carton of eggs. So this could be a big surprise. And a lot of food banks have been preparing for this because they expect a big rush of people are going to start coming to the food banks, starting March.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nAll right. Medora Lee covers money and personal finance for USA TODAY. Thanks, Medora.\n\nMedora Lee:\n\nThank you. Bye.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nThanks for listening to 5 Things. You can find us every day of the week right here, wherever we get your audio. I'm back tomorrow with more of 5 Things from USA TODAY.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/02/27"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2023/02/27/daily-briefing-everything-everywhere-all-once-takes-top-prize-sag-awards/11356476002/", "title": "'Everything Everywhere All at Once,' SAG Awards, Russia, Italy ...", "text": "Dozens of people have died in a shipwreck off Italy’s southern coast. More harsh weather is expected in California. \"Everything Everywhere All at Once\" won the top prize at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Next stop: Oscars.\n\n👋 It's Jane Onyanga-Omara and Julius Lasin, Daily Briefing authors. A bear doing coke on screen is pretty crazy. So is the wild true story that inspired it. USA TODAY movie critic Brian Truitt fact checks what's true and what isn't about \"Cocaine Bear.\"\n\nNow, here we go with Monday's news\n\nPutin says Russia will 'take into account' NATO's nuclear capability\n\nRussian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview broadcast Sunday that after Russia suspended its participation in the last arms control agreement with Washington, it would “take into account” the nuclear weapons capabilities not only of the United States but of other NATO countries. Putin had said in a speech suspending Russia's role in the 2010 New START treaty last week that France and Britain, not parties to the agreement, had joined the U.S. in targeting Russia with nuclear weapons. In an interview with Russian TV, he said he took the action to \"preserve our country, ensure security and strategic stability.\" Putin repeated his common theme that the West is bent on destroying Russia and that his one-year-old war in Ukraine is part of a battle for Russia's very survival. Read more\n\n'Everything Everywhere All at Once' wins big at SAG Awards\n\nThe sci-fi multiverse-hopping \"Everything Everywhere All at Once\" won the top prize at the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday night, the last stop on the road to next month's Oscars ceremony. The acclaimed indie movie cemented its status as the Academy Awards frontrunner by winning the SAG honor for best cast, while star Michelle Yeoh snagged best actress and Jamie Lee Curtis and Ke Huy Quan took home supporting actor honors. And Brendan Fraser scored a victory for \"The Whale,\" winning best actor. See all of the winner's from Sunday's show.\n\nMore news to know now\n\n🛒 Tens of millions of Americans will see the pandemic boost to their SNAP benefits expire at the end of February.\n\nto their SNAP benefits expire at the end of February. 🏥 Jimmy Carter is in hospice care. Explaining the end-of-life care over 1 million Americans choose.\n\nExplaining the end-of-life care over 1 million Americans choose. 🎤 \"American Idol\": Katy Perry shouts America has \"failed us\" at school shooting survivor's audition .\n\nKaty Perry shouts America has \"failed us\" at school shooting survivor's audition 🚊Contaminated waste shipments from Ohio train derailment will continue after a temporary pause.\n\nwill continue after a temporary pause. 🎧 On today's 5 Things podcast, USA TODAY Health Reporter Karen Weintraub looks at the potential impact of artificial intelligence chatbots on the future of medicine. You can listen to the podcast every day on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your smart speaker.\n\n🌤 What's the weather up to in your neck of the woods? Check your local forecast here.\n\nMore unusual weather expected after historic snow, rain in California\n\nMore harsh weather is expected in California this week after the state was hit with a historic weather front that impacted a wide swath of Southern California with stunning snow, record rains, and flooding. The first of two new storms brought rain and snow Sunday to northern California. Blizzard warnings will go into effect at 4 a.m. Monday and will last until Wednesday for much of the Sierra Nevada. The snow won't sweep down to the edge of coastal cities as it did in recent days, but this week's forecast for Los Angeles does call for high temperatures in the low 50s — about 15 degrees below normal. Read more about the weather in the U.S.\n\nDozens dead off Italy after migrant shipwreck\n\nRescue crews searched by sea and air Monday for the dozens of people believed still missing from a shipwreck off Italy’s southern coast that drove home once again the desperate and dangerous crossings of migrants seeking to reach Europe. At least 80 people survived Sunday’s shipwreck off the Calabrian coast, but rescue crews recovered 62 bodies, including those of several children and the corpse of a young man Monday morning. Dozens more were feared dead given survivor reports that the ship, which set off from Turkey last week, had carried about 170 people. Read more\n\nJust for subscribers:\n\nThese articles are for USA TODAY subscribers. You can sign up here. Become a USA TODAY subscriber during our Presidents Day sale to unlock unlimited access to nationwide news, exclusive newsletters and access to our eNewspaper.\n\nUSA TODAY Network, others drop Dilbert comic after creator's racist comments\n\nNumerous newspapers, including USA TODAY, announced they will stop running the widely syndicated comic strip Dilbert after the creator described people who are Black as part of a \"hate group\" that white people should \"get away\" from. Scott Adams, the creator of the strip that has poked fun at office culture since its debut in 1989, received backlash from comments he made Wednesday on his YouTube channel \"Real Coffee with Scott Adams.\" As news organizations announced they were pulling the comic strip, Adams continued to defend his remarks, noting on Twitter that he was getting \"canceled.\" Read more\n\n📷 Photo of the day: Damian Lillard has a historic scoring night 📷\n\nPortland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard scored 71 points in a 131-114 win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday night. Lillard's astonishing points tally is tied for the eighth-most points scored in a game in NBA history. Read more about Lillard's record night and see more photos from this NBA season here.\n\nOne more thing\n\nSupport journalism like this – subscribe to USA TODAY here.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/02/27"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2022/02/02/whoopi-goldberg-suspended-the-view-holocaust-race-meghan-mccain/9312773002/", "title": "Whoopi Goldberg suspended from 'The View': What we know", "text": "Whoopi Goldberg is suspended from \"The View\" after her \"wrong and hurtful\" comments on the Holocaust during the January 31 episode of the show.\n\nDuring a discussion with co-hosts, Goldberg claimed the Holocaust, which involved the murder of 6 million Jews and other victims, was not \"about race.\" Her co-stars, anti-Semitism groups and fans on social media immediately pushed back on her statement. The TV host quickly apologized and addressed her comments on-air during \"The View\" the next day.\n\nStill, ABC News president Kim Godwin announced Goldberg's suspension on February 1, effective immediately.\n\nJoy Behar started off the show on February 2 as moderator and quickly addressed Goldberg's suspension.\n\n\"You all saw the news, Whoopi will be back here in two weeks,\" she said.\n\nHere is everything we know about the situation and her suspension.\n\nWhat did Whoopi Goldberg say to get suspended?\n\nGoldberg made her initial comments during a discussion about a Tennessee school board banning the book \"Maus\" from the eighth grade English and language arts curriculum.\n\nThe graphic novel, written by comic artist Art Spiegelman, tells the story of his Jewish parents living in 1940s Poland and follows them through their internment in Auschwitz.\n\nMore:'Maus' sales soar after book is banned by Tennessee school board\n\nDuring the show's discussion of the book ban, Goldberg said: \"Let's be truthful about it, because the Holocaust isn't about race,\" Goldberg said Monday. \"It's about man's inhumanity to man. That's what it's about.\"\n\nCo-host Behar chimed in, saying, \"Well, they considered Jews a different race,\" in reference to the Nazis. \"View\" contributor Ana Navarro also pushed back, saying, \"But it's about white supremacy.\"\n\nGoldberg doubled down.\n\n\"But these are two white groups of people,\" she said. \"You're missing the point. The minute you turn it into race, it goes down this alley. Let's talk about it for what it is. It's how people treat each other. It's a problem. It doesn't matter if you're Black or white, cause Black, white, Jews ... everybody eats each other.\"\n\nWhat backlash did Goldberg receive?\n\nThe comments drew a quick response on Twitter and Goldberg became a trending topic on the social media platform that day.\n\nAnti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt was one of the users who corrected the host on Twitter.\n\n\"(The Nazis) dehumanized them and used this racist propaganda to justify slaughtering 6 million Jews,\" he added. \"Holocaust distortion is dangerous,\" Greenblatt wrote.\n\nStandWithUs, an organization dedicated to education about Israel and fighting anti-Semitism, tweeted that the Holocaust \"was driven by multiple factors, and there is no doubt that one of them was Nazi racism against Jews.\"\n\n\"Nazis back then and white supremacists today consider Jews to be a different and inferior race,\" the organization added, along with a clip of the discussion on \"The View.\"\n\nHow long is Whoopi Goldberg suspended from 'The View?'\n\nGoldberg is suspended from \"The View\" for two weeks, Godwin announced in statement February 1.\n\n“While Whoopi has apologized, I’ve asked her to take time to reflect and learn about the impact of her comments,\" Godwin said, calling her words \"wrong and hurtful.\" \"The entire ABC News organization stands in solidarity with our Jewish colleagues, friends, family and communities.\"\n\nHow did Goldberg address the criticisms?\n\nGoldberg apologized on social media writing, \"On today's show, I said the Holocaust 'is not about race, but about man's inhumanity to man.' I should have said it is about both.\"\n\nShe added: \"I stand corrected. The Jewish people around the world have always had my support and that will never waiver. I'm sorry for the hurt I have caused.\"\n\nThe social media apology was followed up with her on-air apology saying she is \"grateful\" for the corrections and that \"the information I got was really helpful and helped me understand some different things.”\n\nGreenblatt was also invited on \"The View\" to discuss why Goldberg's words had been hurtful. He added that the show should consider hiring a Jewish co-host as they're still seeking to fill Meghan McCain's spot since her departure last year.\n\nMcCain's last day on \"The View\" was in August and the show has yet to announce her replacement. Since her departure, guest co-hosts have joined the show during the 25th season. Current hosts are Goldberg, Behar, Sunny Hostin and Sara Haines.\n\n'The View' turns 25: OG hosts talk chemistry, tensions and replacing Meghan McCain\n\nWhat did Meghan McCain say about the controversy?\n\nFormer \"View\" co-host Meghan McCain, whose views frequently conflicted with those of Goldberg while on the show, wrote a column for the Daily Mail about Goldberg's comments.\n\n\"I hope this can be used as a teachable moment to explain to millions of Americans why conflating the Holocaust as something that is specific and limited to 'white people' is insane, ahistorical and anti-Semitic,\" McCain wrote. \"For as much as the left is fond of using Nazi comparisons and imagery, the truth of the Holocaust, who it targeted and why, deserves to be known and understood by all.\"\n\nContributing: Charles Trepany, USA TODAY; The Associated Press", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/02/02"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/50-states/2022/04/22/lion-man-garden-state-bud-amelia-earhart-news-around-states/50125535/", "title": "Lion Man, Garden State bud: News from around our 50 states", "text": "From USA TODAY Network and wire reports\n\nCORRECTION: This article originally misstated details about a museum in the works in Atchison, Kansas, the birthplace of famed aviator Amelia Earhart. The centerpiece of the new Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum is Muriel – the world’s last remaining Lockheed Electra 10-E. Named after Earhart's younger sister, Grace Muriel Earhart Morrissey, Muriel is identical to the plane Earhart flew on her final flight around the world.\n\nAlabama\n\nFlorence: An organization that has staged dozens of protests against a Confederate monument in north Alabama filed suit contending the city is trying to limit the demonstrations in violation of free-speech guarantees. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday by Project Say Something and its founder, Camille Bennett, claims the city and Police Chief Ron Tyler are trying to clamp down on the protests by telling the group when, where and how it can demonstrate against the monument, located at the Lauderdale County Courthouse. Bennett said the organization, a nonprofit she founded about eight years ago, has tried to work with the city, the TimesDaily reports. “Alabama has a long history of confronting racial injustice through peaceful demonstration, and it is imperative that we not lose that ability to speak truth to power when the situation demands it,” Bennett said in a statement. The city has not responded to the federal lawsuit in court, and city officials declined comment. Project Say Something held as many as 175 demonstrations at the monument in 2020 but cut back the following year because the city used its noise and parade permit ordinances to discourage them, the lawsuit said. The chief relocated the demonstrations to a “protest zone” away from the courthouse to shrink the potential audience, it claimed, and he threatened to issue citations.\n\nAlaska\n\nJuneau: U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland is in the midst of her first visit to the state in the role, including a visit to a community at the center of a long-running dispute over a proposed land exchange aimed at building a road through a national wildlife refuge. Residents of King Cove have seen a road as a life and safety issue. Haaland was in King Cove on Wednesday with Gov. Mike Dunleavy and U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Dunleavy’s office said. King Cove residents have long sought a land connection through Izembek National Wildlife Refuge to Cold Bay, which is about 18 miles away and has an all-weather airport. The refuge is near the tip of the Alaska Peninsula and contains internationally recognized habitat for migrating waterfowl. “The federal government needs to consider human safety and quality of life factors for residents in King Cove. The locals deserve to be heard by the federal government,” Dunleavy said in a statement. A U.S. Justice Department attorney last summer said Haaland had not decided what position she would take on a proposed land exchange, saying Haaland planned to review the record and visit King Cove before making a decision. A planned trip to Alaska last year didn’t materialize.\n\nArizona\n\nPhoenix: The state’s Republican House speaker on Thursday was named one of five recipients of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage award for his refusal to consider overturning the 2020 election results despite massive pressure from ex-President Donald Trump and his supporters. Speaker Rusty Bowers rebuffed repeated direct efforts by Trump, his attorney Rudy Giuliani and others to overturn results that saw President Joe Biden narrowly defeat Trump in Arizona. Trump and Giuliani urged Bowers in a phone call to retroactively change Arizona law to allow the Legislature to chose a different slate of presidential electors than those picked by the voters. “I am very grateful for this honor yet cannot help but feel undeserving of it,” Bowers said in a statement. “Honoring my oath and the people’s choices at the ballot box are not heroic acts – they are the least that Arizonans should expect from the people elected to serve them.” The award created by Kennedy’s family in 1989 is designed “to recognize and celebrate the quality of political courage that he admired most” and is given each year to one or more political figures. This year’s award honors those who showed “courage to protect and defend democracy in the United States and abroad.” The awards will be presented at a May 22 ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston.\n\nArkansas\n\nFort Smith: A local agency says it’s seeing an uptick in calls for help after the end of a statewide rent relief program. The Arkansas Department of Human Services closed its program April 1, leaving many renters struggling to find additional avenues to keep their families housed. The Arkansas Rent Relief Program provided up to 15 months of relief for unpaid rent and utilities due on or after April 1, 2020. As of the beginning of this month, about 30,000 applications had been paid at the close of the program, totaling $92.5 million in funding distributed. Some households are still waiting for assistance as their applications are being processed. As of April 7, about 3,700 applications were still being processed across the state. In the U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey taken from Jan. 26 to Feb. 7, 41.4% of Arkansas households surveyed said they were not current on rent or mortgage, making eviction or foreclosure either very likely or somewhat likely in the next two months. Dana Crawford, family services manager at the Crawford-Sebastian Community Development Council, said she has seen an uptick in calls looking for help following the closure of the state’s rental assistance program. “We did have the Arkansas Fresh Start, but we have since depleted those funds,” Crawford said.\n\nCalifornia\n\nSacramento: Parents of middle and high school students in the state would be warned about the dangers of firearms every year under a measure that advanced Wednesday. But they would no longer be required to tell school officials if they keep guns in the house, under the revised legislation. The state Senate Education Committee three weeks ago rejected the firearms reporting requirement as an invasion of privacy. So Democratic state Sen. Anthony Portantino reworked his bill, eliminating the parental reporting. The narrower version cleared the same committee Wednesday on a 5-1 vote. His revised bill requires schools to include information on the safe storage of firearms in the annual notifications they send home to parents of students in middle and high schools, starting in the 2023-24 school year. Legislation with a similar requirement has already passed the California Assembly. More than two-thirds of school shootings involve weapons taken from the students’ home, friends or relatives, Portantino said. “This is an attempt to try to empower school districts to do everything they can to make the school environment safe,” he said. “This errs on the side of caution.” If there are threats or perceived threats of school shootings, the proposal requires investigators to check the state’s firearm database to see if the suspect’s family has registered firearms.\n\nColorado\n\nAurora: The police chief who led the force in the Denver suburb when a gunman killed 12 people in a movie theater a decade ago is returning to temporarily lead the embattled department following the firing of its last chief. Daniel J. Oates, who served as police chief in Aurora from 2005 to 2014 before retiring as police chief in Miami Beach, Florida, will serve as interim chief and help in the selection of the next police chief, the city announced Wednesday. City manager Jim Twombly said he hired Oates “because he has established trust within our community and many of our officers.” Earlier this month Twombly fired Police Chief Vanessa Wilson, who was hired in 2020 as the city faced scrutiny over the death of Elijah McClain – a case that received widespread attention in the wake of protests of racial injustice and police brutality. McClain died after being stopped by police, put in a chokehold and injected with the powerful sedative ketamine in 2019. Three police officers and two paramedics were indicted in McClain’s death last year. Wilson acted quickly to fire officers for misconduct, including officers who took and shared photos appearing to mock McClain’s death. Twombly praised Wilson’s community outreach but said he fired her because of concerns about her leadership and management of the department, without getting into specifics. Wilson disputed Twombly’s assessment and alleged she was forced out for political reasons.\n\nConnecticut\n\nWestport: Emergency responders rescued 50 dogs and cats from a fire at a pet boarding facility after three people had escaped the flames by jumping from a second-floor window, authorities said Thursday. The fire was reported shortly before midnight Wednesday in a two-story building on Post Road East, Assistant Chief Jeff Gootman of the Westport Fire Department said in a news release. Firefighters responded and found heavy fire on the second floor of the building, which housed a pet boarding facility on the first floor and basement and an apartment on the second floor, Gootman said. After firefighters extinguished the flames, they searched the building and determined that the three people on the second floor had jumped to safety from a window, Gootman said. None required hospitalization. Westport firefighters and police officers removed approximately 50 dogs and cats from the boarding facility, Gootman said. The cause of the fire was under investigation Thursday.\n\nDelaware\n\nWilmington: After decades of criticism over use of force and a strained relationship with the community, the Wilmington Police Department’s policies and procedures are coming under legal scrutiny. A federal lawsuit filed against Wilmington officers involved in the 2020 shooting of a man found sleeping in an SUV lists years of departmental procedures claiming city police are unable to handle many situations, including making contact with unarmed individuals. The civil lawsuit touches on documented accounts of how Wilmington officers have not been taught to give proper verbal warning prior to using deadly force or to take cover when officers believe someone is armed. The lawsuit also claims department supervisors, among others, fail to check that officers use their standard-issue equipment and fail to prohibit officers from making false statements. These failures create unwritten policies, allowing Wilmington officers to engage in acts of excessive force without accountability, which in turn result in injury to civilians, according to the lawsuit filed on behalf of Jabri K. Hunter, who was shot by a Wilmington officer April 12, 2020. “These inadequate training policies existed prior to the date of this incident and continue to this day,” said the lawsuit targeting the officers involved in the shooting, Chief Robert Tracy and the city.\n\nDistrict of Columbia\n\nWashington: Mayor Muriel Bowser and other community leaders announced Thursday that the city’s annual census of individuals experiencing homelessness showed a decline for the sixth straight year, WUSA-TV reports. Over the past year, the overall number of people experiencing homelessness has dropped 13.7%. Since 2016, when the Bowser administration began its Homeward DC plan, homelessness has declined by 47% total, data show. For the 2016 Point in Time count, 8,350 people were experiencing homelessness. In 2022, that number was 4,410. That’s the lowest recorded number going back to at least 2005, the mayor’s office said. The 2022 results also show declines in family homelessness (down 14%), homelessness among single adults (down 12%), and chronic homelessness for families (down 26%) and single adults (down 22%). “These results are a culmination of years of working together – across government, with our community partners and providers, and with residents in all eight wards – to implement Homeward DC and build systems and resources that meet the needs of D.C. residents,” Bowser said in a statement. “While we are proud of these results, we know there’s more work to do.”\n\nFlorida\n\nTallahassee: Black lawmakers staged a sit-in on the Florida House floor Thursday to protest a congressional map pushed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis that they say will diminish the state’s Black representation in the U.S. House. The DeSantis map would increase Florida’s GOP presence and dismantle two districts now represented by Black members of Congress. As debate on the maps was nearing an end, Reps. Angie Nixon and Tray McCurdy opened up their suit jackets to display “Stop the Black Attack” T-shirts and shouted the same phrase. They sat on the state seal in front of the House speaker’s rostrum and were soon joined by other other Black Democrats and other supporters. The Republican-led chamber called a recess, all GOP lawmakers left the floor, and the state Florida Channel stopped broadcasting the proceedings. “This is good trouble! Necessary trouble!” Nixon shouted, echoing a phrase used by the late civil rights activist and congressman John Lewis. The group sang “We Shall Overcome” and prayed. Some members went on Facebook to stream live feeds of the protest. Nixon said in a text message to the Associated Press that the lawmakers would not leave the floor unless they were physically removed.\n\nGeorgia\n\nAtlanta: Democrat Stacey Abrams’ gubernatorial campaign asked a federal judge Wednesday to shut down unlimited contributions to a committee controlled by Republican incumbent Brian Kemp. The filing is yet more litigation over the constitutionality of a 2021 Georgia law that allows certain top elected officials and party nominees to create “leadership committees” that can raise campaign funds without limits and coordinate spending with campaigns. The judge earlier denied a request by Abrams to start taking unlimited amounts before she clinches the Democratic nomination May 24. Kemp narrowly beat Abrams in the 2018 general election, and they would match up again if Kemp survives a Republican primary challenge from former U.S. Sen. David Perdue and others. The law allows the governor and lieutenant governor, opposing major party nominees, and both party caucuses in the state House and Senate to form leadership committees. Donors can give as much as they want, while they can’t directly give candidates for statewide office more than $7,600 for a primary or general election and $4,500 for a runoff election. Opponents say the law unconstitutionally favors incumbents over challengers because they can raise limitless sums for years ahead of an election.\n\nHawaii\n\nHonolulu: Public school students must continue wearing masks in classrooms despite state officials lifting the same rules for airports and public transportation following Monday’s federal judge decision to remove mask requirements on U.S. flights. Masks are no longer required in Hawaii airports, on city buses or in handicapped vans, but all public students will be required to wear masks through the end of the school year, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports. “I understand that there are different perspectives regarding the Hawaii State Department of Education’s indoor masking in schools,” interim Superintendent Keith Hayashi said in a letter to parents. “We will continue to implement universal indoor masking in schools.” Federal transportation officials announced Monday that they would no longer enforce mask rules after a U.S. judge’s decision to strike down the mandate on domestic flights. The four largest U.S. airlines almost immediately dropped their mask requirements, and Hawaiian Airlines announced late Monday that it would follow suit. “We ask for our guests’ patience and understanding as we update all our communications and announcements,” the airline said. “We advise travelers to stay informed and follow mask requirements that may remain in effect at their origin or arrival airports.”\n\nIdaho\n\nBoise: Two men have been sentenced to jail time and banned from hunting for years after pleading guilty to poaching a grizzly bear near Yellowstone National Park. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game said in a press release that Rex Baum, 79, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in connection with the female grizzly’s death last year. He was ordered to serve 3 days in jail and was banned from hunting for a decade. Baum’s son, Jared Baum, of Ashton, was sentenced to 30 days in jail and banned from hunting for life after pleading guilty to a felony in connection with the incident. Fish and Game officers discovered the grizzly’s carcass April 9, 2021, after the bear’s radio tracking collar signaled it had died, the Idaho Statesman reports. X-rays of the bear showed she had been shot more than a dozen times. Conservation officers visited the bear’s den, discovering a dead male cub. The agency contacted the two men after sending a warrant to Google for records of electronic devices that had been in the area around the time of the grizzly’s death. Idaho grizzlies are federally protected. Last month, Gov. Brad Little joined Montana and Wyoming governors in petitioning for the bears to be removed from Endangered Species Act protections.\n\nIllinois\n\nSpringfield: The city will have a starring role in the state’s latest marketing campaign, with the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Cozy Dog Drive-In, and other sites featured in the new promotion. Gov. J.B. Pritzker officially announced the new campaign, “Middle of Everything,” at a ceremony Monday at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium. While the Windy City is spotlighted heavily, Springfield gets plenty of love as well, with sites related to the 16th president, such as Lincoln’s Home and Lincoln’s Tomb, promoted in addition to the museum and a statue of Lincoln sitting on a park bench outside the museum. Pritzker said the $30 million campaign would help to recover tourism dollars lost during the COVID-19 pandemic and put the state in a position to grow in the years to come. A series of TV ads will run with the campaign, directed by Illinois native Jane Lynch, famous for roles such as in the TV series “Glee” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” The Dolton-raised actor, a graduate of Illinois State University, narrates a quartet of 30-second ads that showcase a Lincoln impersonator at the Lincoln Home, a muscle car at the Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices downtown, Lynch interviewing a family at the Cozy Dog and speaking with a ghost of Lincoln at “Ghosts of the Library” in the ALPLM, among others.\n\nIndiana\n\nIndianapolis: Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Thomas McDermott Jr. released a new video ad Wednesday of him smoking marijuana in honor of 4/20, a cannabis-related celebration. McDermott, who will face Republican Sen. Todd Young on Nov. 8, has been vocal about his support for the legalization of marijuana, but the video of him lighting it up is a first. In the video the Hammond mayor posted on Twitter, McDermott lights a joint and smokes it in an Illinois backyard, where marijuana consumption has been legalized. He talks to an attorney, a physician, a criminal defense attorney, a professional distiller and another elected official about the benefits of legalizing weed. “Here’s the bottom line,” McDermott says in the video. “We need to legalize marijuana on the federal level. We need to also legalize cannabis in Indiana as well, so Hoosiers can get the health and economic benefits of cannabis.” The mayor admitted last year on his “Left of Center” podcast that he smoked marijuana at a recent Grateful Dead show at Wrigley Field. McDermott unveiled the ad the same day the Indiana Democratic Party launched a tour to push marijuana legalization. It started publicly advocating for the policy change in November, but with Republicans in control at the Statehouse, it went nowhere in the 2022 legislative session.\n\nIowa\n\nDyersville: This year’s Major League Baseball Field of Dreams game between the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs will have an opening act. The Cedar Rapids Kernels and Quad Cities River Bandits will play a regular season minor league baseball game in the stadium located near the iconic diamond from the movie Aug. 9. That showdown is set to take place just two days before MLB’s second-straight visit to the famous farmland and in the same ballpark used last season by the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees. The Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds will play on the same field Aug. 11. “I think it just adds to an entire week now up there,” said Kernels general manager Scott Wilson. “Instead of just one night even with the major league game, you’ve got Tuesday night with us. It gives the Field of Dreams some opportunity to do some things on Wednesday between us and have that game on Thursday.” It’s a marquee matchup of minor league teams have been rivals in the Midwest League for years. The River Bandits are the High-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. The Kernels are the High-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. The two teams, who are are located in Eastern Iowa, will become the first two minor league teams to play on the field.\n\nKansas\n\nAtchison: Aviator Amelia Earhart vanished as she tried to fly around the world in 1937, along with navigator Fred Noonan and their Lockheed Electra 10-E airplane. The centerpiece of the new Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum is Muriel – the world’s last remaining Lockheed Electra 10-E. Named after Earhart's younger sister, Grace Muriel Earhart Morrissey, Muriel is identical to the plane Earhart flew on her final flight around the world. That museum is in the works in Atchison, Earhart’s birthplace. Museum founder and president Karen Seaberg announced last week that supporters had already donated $10 million of the estimated $15 million needed to create the museum, including corporate powerhouses FedEx, Garmin and Lockheed Martin. The museum is expected to open next year, according to its website. Earhart, born in 1897 in Atchison, was a social worker in Boston in 1923 when she became the 16th woman in the U.S. to be issued a pilot’s license. She subsequently became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic and the first person to fly solo from Hawaii to the U.S. mainland. She was also the first woman to fly nonstop across the U.S. She became a celebrity and drew attention by rejecting traditional women’s roles and speaking in support of the proposed Equal Rights Amendment. Earhart also created her own line of women’s clothing, featuring comfortable outfits designed for “active living.”\n\nKentucky\n\nFrankfort: Gov. Andy Beshear said Thursday that he will form an advisory team amid a broad review as he weighs whether to take executive action to legalize access to medical marijuana. Beshear said he instructed his legal team to analyze potential options for executive action to create a framework to make medical cannabis available for people suffering from specified ailments. The Democratic governor also made a direct appeal to Kentuckians to offer their views on the issue. “I want to be clear: I am for medical cannabis,” Beshear said at his weekly news conference. “I want it done in the right way. And we’re going to be looking at our legal options very closely. And at the same time, we want to hear from you.” The advisory team will travel the state to gather public input, and Kentuckians will be able to express their views directly to the governor’s office, he said. The expanded review reflects the governor’s growing frustration after the latest bill to legalize medical marijuana died in the state Senate during the legislative session that ended last week. Lawmakers failed to “get the job done,” with Kentucky falling behind the majority of states that make medical cannabis available as an alternative to opioid medications, the governor said.\n\nLouisiana\n\nNew Orleans: A federal judge and court-appointed monitors hired to oversee reform of the New Orleans Police Department said Wednesday that the long-troubled agency could reach full compliance this year after a nearly decade-old court-backed overhaul of its policies and practices. “I’m proud of how far NOPD has come,” U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan, who approved the agreement in 2013 a highly critical 2011 investigation and report by the U.S. Justice Department. Morgan tempered her praise with acknowledgment of continuing problems, including the short-handed department’s slowdown in recruiting and allegations of wrongdoing by officers who work private duty details arranged through the department. But the department has shown transparency in dealing with such setbacks, Morgan said. The reform agreement, embodied in a court document called a consent decree, was welcomed by department critics when it was negotiated during former Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s administration. They said it was needed for a department that had been plagued by recurring scandals involving corruption or questionable use of force for decades. But the consent decree had its critics as well, including police officer representatives who said it hampered police work.\n\nMaine\n\nAugusta: Democratic Gov. Janet Mills signed off on a $1.2 billion supplemental budget Wednesday that sends more than half the money to residents in the form of $850 relief checks. Backed by dozens of lawmakers and Cabinet members, the governor signed the bill into law in the State House Hall of Flags. “What this budget shows once again – through hard work and good faith negotiation – Democrats, Republicans and independents can come together to do what is right for Maine people. And that we can do so without rancor or bitter partisanship that has sometimes divided Augusta in the past,” she told the assembly. The swift action means the checks will be mailed to more than 850,000 Mainers as early as June. Lawmakers overwhelmingly approved the budget proposal in a show of bipartisanship. Mills proposed returning much of the money to Mainers, taking a suggestion from Republicans as a historic surplus ballooned thanks to federal spending and rosier-than-expected revenue forecasts. It was originally touted as pandemic relief but is now called inflationary relief. Mills’ opponent in the upcoming election, Republican former Gov. Paul LePage, derided the relief checks as a “gimmick.”\n\nMaryland\n\nAnnapolis: Gov. Larry Hogan signed measures into law Thursday aimed at increasing public safety, jobs, environmental stewardship and mental health resources. The Republican governor, who prioritized initiatives to support the police and fight crime this legislative session, signed legislation to increase transparency in the criminal justice system and to create a state gun analytics center to coordinate resources to screen and vet gun cases to improve the prosecution of gun crimes. “Violent crime continues to be Marylanders’ top priority, and today we’re signing our Judicial Transparency Act so that the public knows more about the sentences that are being handed down for violent criminals,” Hogan said. “We’re further expanding our warrant apprehension efforts and strengthening prosecutions on gun crimes.” Hogan opened his remarks before signing 103 bills with House Speaker Adrienne Jones and Senate President Pro Tem Melony Griffith by noting it was the first time two Black women were the presiding officers representing the Maryland House and Senate together at a bill signing. The criminal justice measures marked a compromise between the Republican governor and the General Assembly, which is controlled by Democrats.\n\nMassachusetts\n\nMartha’s Vineyard: A local family will go to court Friday over its continuing fight over a piece of land in Aquinnah that the Kennedy family donated to the Vineyard Conservation Society in 2013. Tanisha Gomes and her family say they are the rightful owners of that 5.7-acre property and are challenging the society’s motion for summary judgment, which asks a judge to throw out the case. In 2017, Gomes received a letter from Fidelity National Law Group, a firm that represents Vineyard Conservation Society Inc., to inform her and 19 members of her family about title problems with the land. The letter informed Gomes and her relatives that a lawsuit was filed with Dukes County Superior Court against the family, who are considered heirs of Louisa Pocknett. Pocknett, described in the complaint as the former owner of the property, died Aug. 29, 1874, and was a member of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. The family members were asked to sign an agreement to verify they had no right, title or interest in Lot 240, which was indicated on a plan entitled “Plan of Gay Head.” After further research, Gomes and her family found that Lot 240 remains in Pocknett’s name on the town of Aquinnah’s assessor’s website and objected to the lawsuit due to discrepancies surrounding incomplete deeds.\n\nMichigan\n\nLansing: Republican state Sen. Lana Theis opened a session with an invocation by claiming children are being attacked by “forces” that want to indoctrinate them with ideas their parents do not support. Three Democrats walked out of last week’s meeting to protest her apparent reference to how schools address sexual orientation and gender identity and critical race theory. Within days, one who tweeted criticism of the prayer was targeted by Theis in a fundraising email, calling Sen. Mallory McMorrow a liberal social media “troll” and accusing her of wanting to “groom” and “sexualize” kindergartners and teach “that 8-year-olds are responsible for slavery.” McMorrow responded Tuesday with a forceful, impassioned floor speech that resonated nationwide. “I am a straight, white, Christian, married, suburban mom” who wants “every kid to feel seen, heard and supported – not marginalized and targeted because they are not straight, white and Christian,” she said. Theis, who declined to speak after the session, released a statement in which she did not apologize but again accused Democrats of trying to undermine parents as the primary decision-makers in their children’s education. McMorrow’s 5-minute speech found an engaged audience on social media, racking up millions of views across Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.\n\nMinnesota\n\nSt. Cloud: Mike Dando, a St. Cloud State University English professor, has helped to create a new superhero comic and is aiming to teach students in grades 5-12 literacy skills, critical thinking and self-reflection this summer through an often overlooked medium. Exploring concepts like Afrofuturism and the African diaspora, students can imagine new worlds by reading and analyzing the story of the first Black superhero, Lion Man. In 2018, after the highly successful “Black Panther” movie debuted, Dando worked with a group of artists and professors around the world to revisit Lion Man, the first Black superhero comic, written in 1947 by Black Philadelphia journalist Orrin Cromwell Evans. The original story follows Lion Man, a scientist turned superhero tasked by the United Nations to watch over a magical mountain full of uranium in Africa to prevent war. When All-Negro Comics Inc.’s paper supplier refused to help the company produce another book because its founders were Black, only one Lion Man issue was ever published – until now. Dando’s new, much longer Lion Man comic book follows the character’s journey of self-discovery and heroism as he works to save a group of other heroes trapped in monstrous bodies. He served as editor and project manager for the work written by John Jennings and illustrated by David Brame. Thanks to a grant from St. Cloud State, the team was able to make copies of the comic book – one of which is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York – and Dando will work with a variety of after-school clubs this summer to talk about the narrative structure and themes of the book, as well as teach students how to make their own comics.\n\nMississippi\n\nGulfport: Volunteers on Thursday planted several types of grasses along a stretch of Mississippi Gulf Coast beach to help restore habitat for newly hatched Least Tern chicks. Audubon Delta, along with Harrison County Sand Beach Authority and Gulfport High School, partnered to install several species of beach grasses into a globally recognized conservation zone in Gulfport in order to stabilize the beach, encourage dune formation and provide coverage for the endangered birds. The area was destroyed after hurricanes Ida and Zeta and several tropical storms over the past two years, officials said. The project was made possible by a Caring for Our Coasts grant issued by Citgo and Restore America’s Estuaries.\n\nMissouri\n\nSt. Louis: City leaders on Thursday announced plans for a new institute designed to make the region a major player in geospatial technology. Andy Taylor, executive chairman of the rental car company Enterprise Holdings, is providing financing for the Taylor Geospatial Institute, along with eight St. Louis-area research institutions. The institute will provide funding for research and program development and expects to attract leading scientists to St. Louis, organizers said. Taylor said in a statement that he hopes the institute “will cement St. Louis as the world’s true center for geospatial excellence.” A news release says research and training will focus on topics such as food security, improving health care systems, and national security. Officials did not disclose how much money the Taylor family is investing, but the family has funded more than $1 billion in St. Louis civic initiatives and cultural institutions through the years.\n\nMontana\n\nHelena: Lawmakers have rejected an attempt to call a special legislative session to investigate the state’s election processes amid continued false claims by ex-President Donald Trump and his supporters that the 2020 election was stolen. A poll of 149 lawmakers found just 44 approving a special session by Tuesday’s deadline, short of the 75 needed. The secretary of state’s tally showed 60 lawmakers rejected the special session, and another 45 didn’t return their ballots, which counts as a “no” vote. One legislative seat is vacant. Earlier this year, Republican lawmakers tried to reach an agreement to ask Gov. Greg Gianforte to call a special session to create new voting districts for the Public Service Commission before three federal judges had to decide how to even out the populations in the five districts. However, GOP leaders were unable to get a commitment from all Republicans to limit the special session to addressing just the voting districts. Gianforte said he would not call a special session without such an agreement. After the court set the PSC districts for the 2022 elections, 10 lawmakers asked for the poll on whether lawmakers wanted to hold a special session on election integrity.\n\nNebraska\n\nLincoln: Former U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson endorsed state Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks on Thursday in her campaign for the state’s 1st Congressional District. Pansing Brooks, a Democrat, is looking to replace former U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, a Republican who resigned after he was convicted on charges that he lied to federal authorities about an illegal campaign contribution. Nelson, a Democrat, said Pansing Brooks has worked with both parties while in the Nebraska Legislature and passed more than 60 bills. Pansing Brooks will face state Sen. Mike Flood, a Republican, in a June 28 special election to determine who will serve the remainder of Fortenberry’s term in Congress. She’s also expected to face Flood again in November, assuming that they both win their parties’ May 10 primary nomination as expected. Nelson is the most recent Democrat to have served as Nebraska’s governor, with a tenure from 1991 to 1999. He was a U.S. senator from 2001 to 2013. Pansing Brooks has served in the Legislature since 2015 and is leaving office in January due to term limits.\n\nNevada\n\nLas Vegas: Most of the five leading Republican candidates for governor who gathered Wednesday for a campaign forum offered dire assessments of the state’s tourism-dependent economy, rising crime and struggling schools – and asked for votes for their visions to fix them. Several also blamed Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo, the consensus GOP front-runner, for skipping the event. “We want to have the best, well-run, state in the country,” said Guy Nohra, a Reno venture capitalist, drawing applause from among about 100 people at a Republican women’s club luncheon in Las Vegas. “But we don’t. We’re 50th in everything,” said Nora, who called his foray into politics the culmination of an American dream after his own teenage experience fighting a war in his home country, Lebanon, and his business ventures in the U.S. The event also featured North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee, Gardnerville surgeon Fred Simon, former U.S. Sen. Dean Heller and firebrand northern Nevada lawyer Joey Gilbert.\n\nNew Hampshire\n\nConcord: The state House approved a resolution Thursday in support of New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation presidential primary before advancing a bill opponents said would threaten it. The nonbinding resolution came a week after the Democratic National Committee approved a plan to revoke the guaranteed first-place spots in the presidential nominating calendar long held by the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary. Noting New Hampshire has withstood previous challenges, lawmakers affirmed their commitment to the tradition and said candidates are well-served by campaigning in a state with an engaged citizenry and “well-run, free and fair elections.” But a supporter of a bill to create a provisional ballot system later called the current system “laughable,” claiming it allows people to cast fraudulent ballots with virtually no consequences. Under current law, voters who arrive at the polls without the necessary identification fill out affidavits promising to provide documentation within 10 days; those who don’t can be investigated and charged with fraud. The votes themselves remain valid, but under a bill sent to the House Finance Committee on Thursday, the state would create a new type of “affidavit ballots” that would be thrown out if voters fail to follow up. Opponents called it an expensive and complicated solution to a problem that doesn’t exist and said creating a system that would delay the final results for more than a week would threaten the state’s ability to hold the first primary.\n\nNew Jersey\n\nBloomfield: The flowers were finally on full display Thurday as recreational marijuana sales began in the Garden State. Michael Barrows wore his Grateful Dead T-shirt and Jerry Garcia face mask for opening day of legal cannabis sales and was one of dozens of people who lined up before dawn to join the celebratory scene. “It’s pretty amazing, exciting, and if I get pulled over on the way home, and I’m ever asked if I have any drugs in the car, now I’m allowed to say ‘only this,’ ” Barrows said, holding up the canister of marijuana flower he had just purchased. Possession of cannabis is legal now in New Jersey, though driving under the influence is still prohibited. Barrows, 60, joined a steady stream of other novelty-seekers, longtime marijuana users and medical patients at RISE in Bloomfield, near the state’s biggest city, Newark, and not far from New York City. With soul music blaring, free doughnuts in the parking lot, a steel drum and a balloon arch at the entrance, New Jersey’s cannabis kickoff for people 21 and older had the feel of a fair more than a store opening. Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, who has long backed recreational marijuana legalization and signed the bill that set up the new marketplace kicking off at 13 existing medical marijuana facilities across the state, appeared at ZenLeaf in Elizabeth for its first day of recreational sales. The governor said he wouldn’t be trying any pot; earlier this week he said it’s not his “thing,” and he prefers scotch.\n\nNew Mexico\n\nCarlsbad: Habitat for about a million bats will be protected from human impacts through a deal between a nonprofit and the federal government. About 315,000 acres of southern New Mexico land owned by billionaire media tycoon Ted Turner were protected from development in a partnership between the U.S. Department of Defense and New Mexico Land Conservancy. The deal saw a conservation easement added to Armendaris Ranch, owned by Turner, due to perceived cultural significance and biological diversity on the land in Sierra and Socorro counties. The ranch land supports more than 500 vertebrate species, according to a report from the Land Conservancy, including multiple listed for federal and state protections. It also contains the Fra Cristobal Mountain Range, home to 230 desert bighorn sheep, and lava fields that include the Jornada cave system that houses bats of multiple species. “This land is laden with important and unique natural and cultural resources, and the opportunity to permanently protect a property with conservation values of this magnitude was at the heart of our organization’s decision to tackle this landscape-scale project,” said Ron Troy, southern New Mexico program manager with the Land Conservancy.\n\nNew York\n\nOlive: As western regions contend with drier conditions, New York City is under fire for sometimes releasing hundreds of millions of gallons of water a day from a key reservoir in the Catskill Mountains. The occasional releases, often around storms, have been used to manage water levels in the Ashokan Reservoir and to keep the water clear. But residents downstream say the periodic surges cause ecological harm along the lower Esopus Creek. They say the high flows churn up the water so much it turns the scenic Hudson River tributary the color of chocolate milk. “These people can afford to offer New York City cheap, clean, beautiful water by destroying ours,” said Michael Vallarella, who lives on the creek in Saugerties. Standing on his back deck recently, he swiped through pictures on his phone of the water looking like “Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory river.” The tensions between upstate residents and the city of 8.8 million people to the south touch on how the largest unfiltered water supply in the country will operate in an expected stormier future. Opponents pushing for changes to the water releases got a boost recently when state regulators told the city to take a deeper look at their effects. City officials say they’re trying to strike the difficult balance of responding to downstream concerns while delivering quality water.\n\nNorth Carolina\n\nAsheville: The fight over a downtown Confederate marker is not over, according to the attorney challenging the city’s removal of Vance Monument, and documents filed Wednesday attempt to take the issue to North Carolina’s highest court. Despite an April 5 ruling from the N.C. Court of Appeals in favor of the city, affirming a lower court judgment to dismiss the lawsuit, allowing removal of the monument, the city finds itself again in limbo. Nearing midnight Wednesday, Edward Phillips, lawyer for the Society for the Historical Preservation of the 26th North Carolina Troops, which brought the challenge against the city, filed a petition for discretionary review with the N.C. Supreme Court. This document is a request for the Supreme Court to review the decision by the Court of Appeals. It does not ensure the high court will hear an appeal, said City Attorney Brad Branham. “I am not going to cede the point until I’m told there’s just no path forward,” Phillips said. The filings add to an already lengthy process to determine the fate of the obelisk that was built to honor racist Civil War-era Gov. Zebulon Vance. The 75-foot-tall granite Vance Monument stood in Pack Square Plaza in the heart of downtown Asheville. All but its base was taken down as of June 2021 after the City Council voted to remove it. The historical preservation group is seeking to stop and potentially reconstruct the monument to Vance.\n\nNorth Dakota\n\nBismarck: A federal appeals court has upheld a ruling that dismisses a lawsuit brought by the state and several western counties that could have resulted in the construction of additional roads in parts of the Badlands. The Badlands Conservation Alliance says the ruling protects some of the most pristine areas of the Badlands from traffic and potential oil development. “I think it’s a really serious win for the Badlands, for the long-term integrity of those areas that are still roadless and considered suitable for wilderness,” said Connie Triplett, president of the alliance. A three-judge panel of the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals found the state’s and counties’ claim is barred by a 12-year statute of limitations that was passed years ago. Their ruling upholds an earlier decision by U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Hovland, who dismissed the matter in 2017, the Bismarck Tribune reports. The case began a decade ago when Billings, Golden Valley, McKenzie and Slope counties sued the federal government. The state followed with its own lawsuit, and the court consolidated the two cases. The plaintiffs sought to claim rights to section lines used in land surveying and mapping in the Little Missouri National Grassland and other areas that make up the Dakota Prairie Grasslands.\n\nOhio\n\nColumbus: A lawsuit has been filed targeting legal protections granted to health care providers that allow them to deny treatment they oppose on the basis of their conscience or religious beliefs. Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein on Wednesday sued the state over the measure known as the “conscience clause.” According to the law, a medical provider can be “excused from participating” whenever a treatment conflicts with a provider’s “moral, ethical, or religious beliefs or convictions.” Opponents of the law say it could limit abortions or other medical care. The city also argues the measure violates Ohio’s Constitution and the federal Affordable Care Act. If nurses employed by the city are opposed to a medical procedure, “they can refuse it, and we as a city can’t do anything about it,” Klein said. He also said insurance companies could refuse to pay for certain procedures, and “that obviously causes significant problems for our employees.” Republican Gov. Mike DeWine kept the language of the law in place when he signed the 2021 budget. DeWine said the provision merely sets into state law what’s already being practiced. In a statement, Attorney General Dave Yost called the lawsuit “meritless, anti-democracy and authoritarian.”\n\nOklahoma\n\nOklahoma City: Plans to fully legalize marijuana can proceed to the signature-gathering stage, the state Supreme Court ruled, paving the way for two more cannabis plans seeking voter approval. The high court’s ruling late Tuesday comes amid a marijuana boom in the Sooner State after voters in 2018 approved the most liberal medical marijuana program in the nation. Nearly 10% of Oklahoma’s 4 million residents have qualified for a medical-use card – by far the highest percentage in the country. Supporters of the two separate proposals still need to gather enough signatures to put the plans on the ballot for voters. The plans approved Tuesday, State Question 819 and a companion State Question 818, would amend the Oklahoma Constitution to protect the right of residents age 21 and older to use marijuana. It’s part of a nationwide push to legalize the recreational use of cannabis for adults, which 18 states and the District of Columbia have already approved. Because the two proposals seek to amend the constitution, supporters will have to gather more signatures, about 178,000 in 90 days, for them to qualify for the ballot. “Whether we’ll get on the November ballot this year remains to be seen,” said Jed Green, a longtime Oklahoma cannabis activist behind the plans. “We’re going to push, push and push to get it done.”\n\nOregon\n\nPortland: A Native American tribe in the state said it is assessing its legal options after learning the U.S. government plans to release water from a federally operated reservoir to downstream farmers along the Oregon-California border amid a historic drought. Even limited irrigation for the farmers who use Klamath River water on about 300 square miles of crops puts two critically endangered fish species in peril of extinction because the water withdrawals come at the height of spawning season, the Klamath Tribes said. Last year, critically endangered sucker fish central to the Klamath Tribes culture and religion didn’t have enough water to spawn, and thousands of downstream juvenile salmon died without reservoir releases to support the Klamath River’s health. The tribes said in a statement that the decision to release any water to about 1,000 farmers in the massive, federal agricultural project was “perhaps the saddest chapter yet in a long history of treaty violations” and placed the blame for the current water crisis on “120 years of ecosystem mismanagement at the hands of settler society.” The fish are important to the inland tribes’ cultural and religious practices and were once a dietary staple. The Klamath stopped fishing for the sucker fish in the 1980s as numbers dwindled. They now run a captive breeding program to ensure the species’ survival and note that no juvenile sucker fish have survived in the wild in recent years. “We have nothing left with which to ‘compromise,’ ” the Klamath Tribes said in a statement. “Global warming is certainly a global problem, but thus far its local consequences appear to be exacerbating existing and systematic inequalities between ourselves and the larger society.”\n\nPennsylvania\n\nPhiladelphia: Prosecutors said Thursday that they will not re-try a Philadelphia man whose 2012 murder conviction was overturned earlier this month, citing weak evidence and the involvement of a disgraced former detective now charged with sexually assaulting witnesses in other cases. Rafiq Dixon, 40, had been serving a life sentence in the 2011 fatal shooting of Joseph Pinkney. The 40-year-old was expected to be released from prison Thursday afternoon, hours after a Common Pleas Court judge granted the motion to withdraw charges, his attorney said. The initial case relied heavily on testimony from three witnesses who gave inconsistent accounts. All three were interviewed by former homicide detective Philip Nordo, who has been charged with various crimes including stalking, intimidating, and sexually assaulting male suspects and witnesses during his career. In June, a judge reversed the 2015 conviction of Arkel Garcia, who confessed to murder during an interrogation in which, his lawyer said, Nordo asked the teenager to view pornography with him. The ruling came after both sides presented evidence that Nordo had sexually groomed witnesses in the case and trial prosecutors had suppressed his misconduct. Garcia was also serving a life sentence.\n\nRhode Island\n\nProvidence: Democratic former state lawmaker David Segal has joined the race to succeed U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin, a fellow Democrat who’s retiring after more than two decades in office. Segal announced his decision Wednesday, saying that many voters are fed up with federal politics and that “government should be able to do more to address the concerns of our neighbors.” Segal served on the Providence City Council before winning a seat in the Rhode Island House of Representatives. He served for two terms, from 2007 to 2011. In 2010 he lost a bid for Congress and founded a national liberal advocacy organization known as Demand Progress. He’s the latest entry in a crowded Democratic field that also includes state Treasurer Seth Magaziner; Joy Fox, a former top aide to Langevin; Biden administration official Sarah Morgenthau; Omar Bah, executive director of the Refugee Dream Center in Providence; and former political strategist Michael Neary. “We have the people power to reach the voters, we have the money to compete, and we have the urgent case to make that we deserve leaders who can bring people together and ensure their voices are heard,” Segal said in his campaign announcement.\n\nSouth Carolina\n\nColumbia: The state’s highest court on Wednesday issued a temporary stay blocking the state from carrying out what was set to be its first-ever firing squad execution. The order by the state Supreme Court puts on hold at least temporarily the planned April 29 execution of Richard Bernard Moore, who drew the death sentence for the 1999 killing of convenience store clerk James Mahoney in Spartanburg. The court said in issuing the temporary stay that it would release a more detailed order later. Attorneys for the 57-year-old inmate had sought a stay, citing pending litigation in another court challenging the constitutionality of South Carolina’s execution methods, which also include the electric chair. Moore’s lawyers also wanted time to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review whether Moore’s sentence was proportionate to his crime. It has been more than a decade since the last firing squad execution in the U.S. The state of Utah carried out all three such executions in the nation since 1976, according to the Washington-based nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center. The most recent was in 2010. The South Carolina Supreme Court on Wednesday also set a May 13 execution date for Brad Sigmon, 64, convicted in 2002 of the double murder of his ex-girlfriend’s parents in Greenville County.\n\nSouth Dakota\n\nSioux Falls: A leadership shake-up and shorter wait times for service are welcomed changes for disgruntled military veterans who say the federal health care system is failing them, but that’s still not enough to appease the dozens of former soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines, as well as a handful of elected officials, who showed up at the South Dakota Veterans Council’s quarterly meeting Wednesday. Praises of this week’s removal of the now-former Sioux Falls Veterans Affairs director were tempered by caution for a need for more systematic improvements. “If you walked the halls on Tuesday, there were more smiles in the Sioux Falls VA Hospital than there have been in 14 months,” said Hawk Mayor, a Vietnam combat veteran, referring to the departure of now former Sioux Falls VA director Lisa Simoneau. “But we’ve been shut out.” Simoneau was removed from the position as of Monday after growing pressure for a regime change from both veterans, VA employees and South Dakota’s congressional delegation. Since at least October, members of the South Dakota Veterans Council have voiced concerns about a lack of responsiveness from Simoneau regarding what’s described as an inadequate level of care being provided to veterans entitled to medical services through the veterans’ health care system. Some employees at the VA have also blown the whistle in recent weeks on poor management practices and a hostile work environment under Simoneau.\n\nTennessee\n\nNashville: The state would become the latest to impose harsh penalties on doctors who violate new, strict regulations dictating the dispensing of abortion pills under a proposal headed to Republican Gov. Bill Lee’s desk. It’s part of a coordinated nationwide effort spearheaded by anti-abortion groups upset over the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s recent decision to remove a rule that required women to pick up the abortion medication in person. After Tennessee’s GOP-controlled House approved the measure last week, Senate Republicans on Thursday signed off on sending the proposal to the governor. Lee hasn’t publicly weighed in on the measure, but he has yet to veto a bill while in office and frequently stresses his opposition to abortion. According to the bill, delivery of abortion pills by mail would be outlawed, and anyone who wanted to use abortion pills would be required to visit a doctor in advance and then return to pick up the pills. The drugs may be dispensed only by qualified physicians – effectively barring pharmacists from doing so. Violators would face a Class E felony and up to a $50,000 fine. The in-person requirement had long been opposed by medical societies, including the American Medical Association, which said the restriction offers no clear benefit to patients.\n\nTexas\n\nHouston: A prominent conservative activist has been charged with unlawful restraint and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon over an October incident involving a contractor the activist hired, his attorneys said Wednesday. Jared Woodfill and Gary Polland, attorneys for Dr. Steven Hotze, said the Harris County District Attorney’s Office told them Wednesday that Hotze was indicted over allegations against a former police officer, Mark Aguirre, who worked for Hotze. Aguirre had been retained to pursue a voter fraud investigation on behalf of Houston-based Liberty Center for God and Country, a nonprofit organization Hotze runs. Aguirre was charged Dec. 14 with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after a man accused him of running him off the road and holding him at gunpoint in an effort to prove what authorities have called a bogus voter fraud scheme. Aguirre claimed an air conditioner repairman was the mastermind. He said the man’s truck was filled with fraudulent ballots when he ran his SUV into it Oct. 19, according to authorities. Aguirre told police he and some friends set up a “command post” at a Marriott hotel in suburban Houston that conducted 24-hour surveillance on the repairman for four days, according to a police affidavit.\n\nUtah\n\nSt. George: Faced with continuing drought and one of the fastest-growing populations in the U.S., the Washington County Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to apply new water restrictions to every new residential and commercial development. The new rules won’t apply to any existing homes or commercial buildings, but they could hopefully provide a better balance between what water is available and the continued demand for new construction, said Adam Snow, a member of the three-member commission, which regulates buildings requirements for all of the unincorporated areas of the county. “We want to have beautiful communities and a beautiful place to live and maintain our quality of life,” Snow said. “We’re doing it as effectively and efficiently as possible with our water, which is a very sacred resource right now.” The changes will be written into Title 10, Chapter 27 of the county code. They will only apply to projects on unincorporated county land that still need approval from the county to go forward, although they resemble similar measures being passed by cities and towns in the area. Snow said about 5% of the county’s population lives on unincorporated land.\n\nVermont\n\nMontpelier: Property owned by Vermont-recognized Native American tribes will be exempt from property taxes under a new law that takes effect in July. The legislation, signed by Gov. Phil Scott on Wednesday, recognizes that Vermont lands “are the historic and current territories of the Western Abenaki people.” “I sign it out of respect for the heritage of our Native American communities and traditions,” Scott wrote in a letter to the Legislature. “Further, the associated costs to the Education Fund and the General Fund borne by all Vermonters are forecast to be negligible.” To be exempt from the state and municipal property taxes, the property must be used for the purposes of the tribe and not leased or rented. Don Stevens, chief of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk-Abenaki Nation, has said the tax exemption allows the tribes, which rely on grants and donations, to be able to use those resources “to help uplift our people” with food security and other needs. The legislation states that “stewardship of these lands was removed from the Abenaki by European governments and settlers” and acknowledges “the Abenaki people as the traditional land caretakers of Ndakinna, which includes parts of Vermont, New England, and Quebec.”\n\nVirginia\n\nWestlake: Officials at Booker T. Washington National Monument are asking the public for help in unraveling one of its biggest mysteries. Hidden away in a section of the park just off its Jack O’ Lantern Trail rests a cemetery that predates much of the known history of the former plantation where Booker T. Washington was born a slave and later freed. The cemetery has few markings to provide context to who was buried there or when they were buried. “It’s definitely one of the biggest mysteries at the park,” said Tim Sims, senior park ranger. Archaeologist with New South Associates recently began taking a deeper look into the cemetery, commonly referred to as the Sparks Cemetery named after a person who once lived nearby. Some of the Black families who have lived near the cemetery include the Brown, Holland, Divers, Burroughs, Ferguson, Taylor, Green, Harris, English, Edwards, Starkey, Swain, Saunders, Childress and Dudley families. Sims said the names of the families were found looking through property deeds, slave records and federal census records. People with information on those possibly buried in the Sparks Cemetery are asked to contact Velma Fann, historian, at New South Associates at 770-498-4155, x126 or vfann@newsouthassoc.com.\n\nWashington\n\nOlympia: The state Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously ruled that an Edmonds city ordinance requiring that guns be locked up and kept out of unauthorized hands is preempted by state law. The ruling affirmed a three-judge state of appeals ruling last year in the case sparked by a lawsuit filed by three residents against the city of Edmonds after it approved an ordinance in July 2018 requiring residents to lock up their guns or else face fines. “Under our system of divided government, many elected bodies hold legislative power, including elected city councils. These councils, however, must legislate within constitutional constraints,” Chief Justice Steven González wrote, joined by the eight other justices on the high court. “One of those constraints is that city ordinances must not ‘conflict with general laws’ that have been enacted by the people of our state by initiative or by our state legislature.” A statewide ballot measure that passed later that same year on gun safety doesn’t mandate that a firearm be stored in a particular way or place, but it created criminal penalties for when a gun isn’t properly stored and accessed by someone who is prohibited from possessing a firearm – such as a child – and used to injure or kill, displayed in public in an intimidating manner or used during a crime.\n\nWest Virginia\n\nMorgantown: A health care system has partnered with a junior college on a program aimed at addressing the shortage of nurses in the state. Mon Health System and West Virginia Junior College signed a letter of intent to launch a nursing education program that will put students at the school on an accelerated path to becoming nurses, officials said during a signing ceremony Monday. Mon Health nurses will serve as faculty, and the students will have digital coursework as well as learning through work at the hospital – what Mon Health System President and CEO David Goldberg called patient-side, The Dominion Post reports. The program plans to open enrollment in September and start its first class next April. The collaboration, Goldberg said, will serve “to bring not only the best nurses to patient-side through Mon Health, but keep people in this community, grow our own, take care of our own neighbors, family members and friends, so we continue to be the best health care location in north-central West Virginia and improve our health care outcomes.” West Virginia Junior College CEO Chad Callen said nursing shortages are at near crisis levels in some areas of the state. “Such challenges require bold thinking and innovative, out-of-the-box approaches,” he said.\n\nWisconsin\n\nMadison: The work of an investigator looking into the 2020 presidential election generated fresh criticism Thursday after newly posted documents included a memo describing one elections worker in the state as “probably” a Democrat in part because she loves snakes and “has a weird nose ring.” Also on Thursday, a judge ordered Michael Gableman to stop deleting records, the latest legal defeat for the former state Supreme Court justice. Gableman has released two interim reports on the election won by President Joe Biden and has suggested the GOP-controlled Legislature look into decertifying his victory. Republican leaders including Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, who hired Gableman, have repeatedly said they have no intention of trying to decertify the win. Gableman’s reports have not included evidence to back up the false claims that Donald Trump won Wisconsin in 2020. A recently posted unsigned document on Gableman’s website, titled “cross pollinators,” details his probe into public employees who work in elections. That memo contends that a geographic information system analyst for Milwaukee is “probably” a Democrat because she plays video games, “has a weird nose ring,” sometimes colors her hair, “loves nature and snakes” and lives with a boyfriend but is not married to him.\n\nWyoming\n\nCasper: The state’s senior population grew at the nation’s second-fastest rate in the second decade of the millennium, the Casper Star-Tribune reports. Citing research from online resource hub AgingInPlace.org, the newspaper points to a 40% increase in the proportion of Wyoming residents who are 65 or older between 2010 and 2020, with the level sitting at 17.8% in the latest census. Only Alaska was found to have a faster-growing senior population when comparing U.S. Census Bureau data.\n\nFrom USA TODAY Network and wire reports", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/04/22"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/books/2021/12/30/usa-today-bestselling-book-2021-dav-pilkey-dog-man-the-four-winds-kristin-hannah-american-marxism/8999721002/", "title": "USA TODAY bestselling book of 2021: See the 100 most popular ...", "text": "2021 was a pretty good year for author Dav Pilkey. Not only is his children's book \"Dog Man: Mothering Heights\" USA TODAY's bestselling book of the year, but he also followed up the achievement with four more of his books landing in the Top 100 for 2021, more than any other author.\n\nIn addition to \"Mothering Heights,\" Pilkey earned top spots for \"Dog Man: Grime and Punishment\" at No. 32; \"Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls\" at No. 81; \"Cat Kid Comic Club\" at No. 28; and \"Cat Kid Comic Club: Perspective\" at No. 67.\n\nThough, much like 2021 itself, the year didn't bring all good news for the author. Pilkey's publisher Scholastic pulled one of his books in March because it said the book perpetuated passive racism. \"The Adventures of Ook and Gluk,\" published in 2010, was a spinoff of sorts of his popular \"Captain Underpants\" series that featured a time-traveling caveman who trains at Master Wong's School of Kung Fu. Pilkey publicly apologized and gave his full support to the halting of publication and distribution of the book.\n\n\"It was and is wrong and harmful to my Asian readers, friends and family, and to all Asian people. ... I hope that you, my readers, will forgive me, and learn from my mistake that even unintentional and passive stereotypes and racism is harmful to everyone. I apologize, and I pledge to do better,\" Pilkey wrote in a statement.\n\nMore:USA TODAY staff's 2021 favorite first-time reads: Add these 14 books to your to-be-read pile\n\nKristin Hannah tops this year's adult fiction with \"The Four Winds,\" (No. 2), which USA TODAY rated ★★★½ (out of four) and called \"epic and transporting, a stirring story of hardship and love that is likely to lead to a film adaptation.\" Hannah was followed in the fiction category by Matt Haig's \"The Midnight Library\" (No. 5) and Laura Dave's \"The Last Thing He Told Me\" (No. 6).\n\nUnlike 2020 when titles on politics, former President Donald Trump and race and racism dominated, we did not see as many current affairs or political books in 2021's Top 100. \"American Marxism\" by Mark R. Levin did reach No. 3 and topped the nonfiction category. Only two other current affairs books appeared: \"Peril\" by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa (No. 38) and \"The Real Anthony Fauci\" by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (No. 46).\n\nActors and rock stars also made appearances this year. Among the titles were \"Greenlights\" by Matthew McConaughey (No. 26), which was also the year's top memoir. Foo Fighter frontman Dave Grohl also appeared with \"The Storyteller\" (No. 63), and Will Smith with Mark Manson for \"Will\" came in at No. 97.\n\nUSA TODAY’s Top 100 bestselling books of 2021\n\n1. \" Dog Man: Mothering Heights,\" by Dav Pilkey\n\n2. \"The Four Winds,\" by Kristin Hannah\n\n3. \"American Marxism,\" by Mark R. Levin\n\n4. \"Atomic Habits,\" by James Clear\n\n5. \"The Midnight Library,\" by Matt Haig\n\n6. \"The Last Thing He Told Me,\" by Laura Dave\n\n7. \"The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse,\" by Charlie Mackesy\n\n8. \" Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Big Shot,\" by Jeff Kinney\n\n9. \"Where the Crawdads Sing,\" by Delia Owens\n\n10. \"It Ends With Us,\" by Colleen Hoover\n\n11. \"A Court of Silver Flames,\" by Sarah J. Maas\n\n12. \"The Four Agreements,\" by Don Miguel Ruiz\n\n13. \"The Very Hungry Caterpillar,\" by Eric Carle\n\n14. \"Dune,\" by Frank Herbert\n\n15. \"Oh, the Places You’ll Go!,\" by Dr. Seuss\n\n16. \"The Judge's List,\" by John Grisham\n\n17. \"Twelve and a Half,\" by Gary Vaynerchuk\n\n18. \"The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo,\" by Taylor Jenkins Reid\n\n19. \"The Body Keeps the Score,\" by Bessel van der Kolk\n\n20. \"They Both Die at the End,\" by Adam Silvera\n\n21. \"I Love You to the Moon and Back,\" by Amelia Hepworth; art by Tim Warnes\n\n22. \"The Song of Achilles,\" Madeline Miller\n\n23. \"Billy Summers,\" by Stephen King\n\n24. \"Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?\" by Bill Martin Jr., Eric Carle\n\n25. \"People We Meet on Vacation,\" by Emily Henry\n\n26. \"Greenlights,\" by Matthew McConaughey\n\n27. \"The Wish,\" by Nicholas Sparks\n\n28. \"Cat Kid Comic Club,\" by Dav Pilkey\n\n29. \"Bridgerton: The Duke and I,\" by Julia Quinn\n\n30 \"Rich Dad, Poor Dad,\" by Robert T. Kiyosaki with Sharon L. Lechter\n\n31. \"The Silent Patient,\" by Alex Michaelides\n\n32. \"Dog Man: Grime and Punishment,\" by Dav Pilkey\n\n33. \"Project Hail Mary,\" by Andy Weir\n\n34. \"The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue,\" by V.E. Schwab\n\n35 \"Goodnight Moon,\" by Margaret Wise Brown; art by Clement Hurd\n\n36. \"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,\" by J.K. Rowling\n\n37. \"Love You Forever,\" by Robert Munsch; art by Sheila McGraw\n\n38. \"Peril,\" by Bob Woodward, Robert Costa\n\n39. \"Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone,\" by Diana Gabaldon\n\n40. \"Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Deep End,\" by Jeff Kinney\n\n41. \"The Lincoln Highway,\" by Amor Towles\n\n42. \"The Hill We Climb,\" by Amanda Gorman\n\n43. \"Chicka Chicka Boom Boom,\" by Bill Martin Jr.\n\n44. \"Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories,\" by Jeff Kinney\n\n45. \"We Were Liars,\" by E. Lockhart\n\n46. \"The Real Anthony Fauci,\" by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.\n\n47. \"Apples Never Fall,\" by Liane Moriarty\n\n48. \"Verity,\" by Colleen Hoover\n\n49. \"Untamed,\" by Glennon Doyle\n\n50. \"Sooley,\" by John Grisham\n\n51. \"The 5 Love Languages,\" by Gary Chapman\n\n52. \"Bridgerton: The Viscount Who Loved Me,\" by Julia Quinn\n\n53. \"The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Super Easy!,\" by Ree Drummond\n\n54. \"Malibu Rising,\" by Taylor Jenkins Reid\n\n55. \"The Vanishing Half,\" by Brit Bennett\n\n56. \" Atlas of the Heart,\" by Brené Brown\n\n57. \"The 48 Laws of Power,\" by Robert Greene\n\n58. \" A Court of Thorns and Roses,\" by Sarah J. Maas\n\n59. \"1984,\" by George Orwell\n\n60. \"The Alchemist,\" by Paulo Coelho\n\n61. \"The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck,\" by Mark Manson\n\n62. \"Midnight Sun,\" by Stephenie Meyer\n\n63. \"The Storyteller,\" by Dave Grohl\n\n64. \"A Promised Land,\" by Barack Obama\n\n65. \"Green Eggs and Ham,\" by Dr. Seuss\n\n66. \"Anxious People,\" by Fredrik Backman\n\n67.\" Cat Kid Comic Club: Perspectives,\" by Dav Pilkey\n\n68. \"The President's Daughter,\" by James Patterson, Bill Clinton\n\n69. \" A Gambling Man,\" by David Baldacci\n\n70. \"The Going-to-Bed Book,\" by Sandra Boynton\n\n71. \"The Christmas Pig,\" by J.K. Rowling; art by Jim Field\n\n72. \"Caste,\" by Isabel Wilkerson\n\n73. \"Better Off Dead,\" by Lee Child, Andrew Child\n\n74. \"The Women of the Bible Speak,\" by Shannon Bream\n\n75. \"Shadow and Bone,\" by Leigh Bardugo\n\n76. \"The Stranger in the Lifeboat,\" by Mitch Albom\n\n77. \"What Happened to You?,\" by Oprah Winfrey, Bruce D. Perry\n\n78. \"The Guest List,\" by Lucy Foley\n\n79. \"You Are a Badass,\" by Jen Sincero\n\n80. \"Keep Sharp,\" by Sanjay Gupta\n\n81. \"Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls,\" by Dav Pilkey\n\n82. \"Later,\" by Stephen King\n\n83. \"From Blood and Ash,\" by Jennifer L. Armentrout\n\n84. \"Firefly Lane,\" by Kristin Hannah\n\n85. \"Cloud Cuckoo Land,\" by Anthony Doerr\n\n86. \"Think Again,\" by Adam Grant\n\n87. \"Bridgerton: Romancing Mister Bridgerton,\" by Julia Quinn\n\n88. \"One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish,\" by Dr. Seuss\n\n89. \"Then She Was Gone,\" by Lisa Jewell\n\n90. \"To Kill a Mockingbird,\" by Harper Lee\n\n91. \"The Return,\" by Nicholas Sparks\n\n92. \"Where the Wild Things Are,\" by Maurice Sendak\n\n93. \"Ugly Love,\" by Colleen Hoover\n\n94. \"The Dark Hours,\" by Michael Connelly\n\n95. \"Killing the Mob,\" by Bill O'Reilly, Martin Dugard\n\n96. \"A Time for Mercy,\" by John Grisham\n\n97. \"Will,\" by Will Smith with Mark Manson\n\n98. \"Golden Girl,\" by Elin Hilderbrand\n\n99. \"Bridgerton: An Offer from a Gentleman,\" by Julia Quinn\n\n100. \"Home Body,\" by Rupi Kaur\n\nContributing; Hannah Yasharoff", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2021/12/30"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2014/12/24/2014-best-graphic-novels-collections/20831331/", "title": "Our guide to 2014's best graphic novels and collections", "text": "David Colton, John Geddes and Brian Truitt, USA TODAY\n\nFolks are hanging mistletoe, candy canes are in vogue and It's cold outside — well, in the most places. That can only mean one thing: USA TODAY's fanboy triumvirate of David Colton, John Geddes and Brian Truitt have picked their favorite graphic novels and comic-book collections of the year.\n\nFrom the Dark Knight — celebrating 75 years of making a cape and cowl cool — to tales from the dark side, the guys have put together a list of great books (plus some titles where you won't want to wait for the trade paperbacks) for last-minute digital gift-giving or if Santa brings you some extra spending cash over the holidays.\n\nDavid Colton\n\nBatman Eternal Vol. 1 , by Scott Snyder, Jason Fabok and others (DC Comics, $39.99)\n\nDC should be praised for embracing the weekly comic-book format in recent years, but results have been mixed at best. Does anyone really know what's going on in Future's End? But this unassuming Batman weekly hit the ground running — with Commissioner Gordon framed for a fatal train accident in Gotham — and hasn't stopped since. Straightforward storytelling, dramatic rain-swept art and a gritty realism too often lacking in the tons of other Bat-books out there. In a Bat-universe filled with too many Robins, too many villains and way too many costumed sidekicks, Batman Eternal shows the Dark Knight at his classic crime-solving best.\n\nOriginal Sin , by Jason Aaron and Mike Deodato (Marvel Comics, $75)\n\nThis Marvel \"event'' arrived with the usual needless crossovers and tie-ins, but skip those and stick with that rarity in comics: A miniseries that actually changes things. Two of the most reliable creators in comics —Aaron, who has brought new life to Thor, and Mike Deodato, whose elegant artwork never disappoints — begin with a jaw-dropping premise: Someone has killed the Watcher. That sets off a mystery and a series of \"original sin'' storylines (Iron Man knew about the Hulk's gamma bomb?). But the real payoff, beyond the Watcher, is the death of one of Marvel's most durable characters. This series, it turns out, is kind of essential.\n\nThe Art of the Simon and Kirby Studio , b y Joe Simon and Jack Kirby (Abrams ComicArts, $60)\n\nThe new golden age of reprints is in full swing, but Simon and Kirby were so prolific (beyond creating Captain America, romance comics, Kirby at Marvel and more), there's still plenty of treasures unseen for decades in this giant collection. Included are 350 pages of artwork and stories, not only by Joe and Jack but by contemporaries such as Al Williamson, Leonard Starr and Mort Meskin. And where else can you find The Fly (a Spider-Man precursor?), Stuntman and Young Love? Just a wonderful compendium of the journeyman yet inspired work that built the comic industry in the 1940s and '50s.\n\nTrees , by Warren Ellis and Jason Howard (Image Comics, $2.99 each issue)\n\nGiant trees from outer space sounds like a Marvel monster book of the 1950s (\"I am Groot!\"), but instead this is a nuanced and very smart science fiction tale by Ellis (Planetary, Transmetropolitan). The hook is that the trees arrive on earth but then just stand there, ominous and foreboding. With crisp clean art by Howard, Trees achieves what so many TV sci-fi puzzle shows fail to deliver —genuine suspense. We can't wait to see what happens next.\n\nWeird Love , e dited by Craig Yoe and Clizia Gussoni (IDW, $3.99 each issue)\n\nSome of the, yes, weirdest comics ever produced were the \"true love'' and \"young romance'' comics of the 1950s and '60s. Cultural collisions abound: Women make bad choices, men are cads, the free love of the '60s looms but in the end, everyone learns their Eisenhower-era lessons and finds the straight and very narrow. Enter Yoe and wife Gussoni who have restored some of the most bizarre tales in the must-read reprint book of the year, Weird Love. Available as a comic or as a collection (out in February), these stories are a cultural time capsule of guilt, shame and teen anxiety.\n\nJohn Geddes\n\nAndre the Giant: Life and Legend\n\n, by Box Brown (First Second Books, $17.99)\n\nOne wouldn't necessarily expect the story of Andre the Giant to be told with such a delicate touch. Most understand who Andre the Giant was: one of the legendary founding fathers of modern-day professional wrestling, the scene-stealing co-star of The Princess Bride, the 7-foot-4 giant with the unmistakable voice. What Brown does in this extremely detailed and heartwarming biography is provide readers a comprehensive look into who Andre the Person was. It doesn't matter if you're a wrestling fan or not, this book is about the amazing life (and struggles) of an extraordinary man and should be on everyone's must-read list.\n\nCeleste , by I.N.J. Culbard (Self Made Hero, $24.95)\n\nCeleste is a beautiful love story. Whether it's experiencing love at first sight, realizing how much you love your family, or learning to love yourself, this book plays elegantly off the notion that the world seems to disappear for people during certain pivotal moments in life. Told with a visual and narrative grace, Culbard is an artist who understands that less is more. The book's simplicity belies the complexity of the underlying themes of love, loss, fear and loneliness. Celeste is genre-agnostic but it never feels confused. It's a sci-fi-ish fairy tale that weaves together a quirky romance, a psychological mystery and a Lovecraftian horror. Celeste is the most refreshingly different book of the year and I couldn't recommend it any higher.\n\nThe Goon: Occasion of Revenge , by Eric Powell (Dark Horse, four issues at $3.50 each)\n\nWill Powell ever stop being awesome? The latest Goon series finds everyone's favorite tough guy reunited with loyal sidekick Frankie, fighting a who's who of familiar and formidable supernatural baddies. Occasion of Revenge is different than some of Powell's past writing in that we delve deeper into the emotional emptiness that the Goon always has to hide and usually hides from. Fans still get what they come for: a whopping mess of fisticuffs, sharp dialogue and well-paced narrative that can move from touching to terrifying at the drop of a hat. Without giving away any spoilers, this four-issue series finds the Goon under attack in ways that he and we would never expect. Well worth your time and money, The Goon: Occasion of Revenge is a visual and emotional stunner.\n\nSaga: Deluxe Edition Volume 1 , by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (Image Comics, 49.99)\n\nIf comic books were akin to football teams, then Saga has officially reached dynasty status. For the third year in a row, Saga makes my best of list for all the same reasons as previous years. The series remains inventive, fresh, bold and fun. Vaughan's story continues to twist and evolve, while the illustrative mastery of Staples immerses readers even deeper into this strange and beautiful universe. I recommend picking up the newly released Saga hardcover deluxe volume that collects the first three trade paperbacks (containing the first 18 issues) but adds special extras such as sketches, scripts and a behind-the-scenes interview with the book's creators. Saga, once again, reigns supreme.\n\nSouthern Bastards Volume 1: Here Was a Man , by Jason Aaron and Jason Latour (Image Comics, $9.99)\n\nWritten by Aaron, Southern Bastards is built on a bedrock of regrets, pain and revenge. The initial arc centers around Earl Tubb, a grizzled, older man who has come back to Craw County, Ala., to finally get closure on some painful memories. It doesn't take long for him to cross paths with Coach Boss, the local high school football coach whose control in town extends well beyond the hash marks. While there's a great deal of violence, you can't help but be drawn into this southern-fried crime story and mesmerized by the primal art of Latour. He doesn't so much draw this story as he does carve it out of hickory wood. Southern Bastards is gritty, violent and unrelenting; a book that you can't put down, even as it's kicking you in the gut.\n\nBrian Truitt\n\nEl Deafo , by Cece Bell (Abrams, $10.95)\n\nBell's cartoonish childhood memoir focuses on bunny Cece's struggle with dealing with deafness at the age of 4 on and the \"superpowers\" that she feels she has with her \"Phonic Ear.\" She even compares herself to Batman, which is the most darling thing ever. However, like the Dark Knight there's something deeper here than the surface — in this case, a little girl who's hard of hearing. Bell digs into the emotions and that's where the book transcends from being a kids tome to one where anybody who's ever felt like an outsider can find a connection, whether to Cece's need to find friendship in a world she continually feels out of place in or the sheer joy of conquering an obstacle. El Deafo is a must-read for any kid and for most adults, too.\n\nThe Harlem Hellfighters , by Max Brooks and Caanan White (Broadway Books, $16.95)\n\nWar is hell but for the black American soldiers in the 369th infantry regiment during World War I, battle lines were drawn before they even stepped foot into combat. It's a fictionalized account of the highly decorated army unit, who were given their Hellfighters name ironically by the Germans they were fighting — their countrymen had much worse things to say. The men journey from the recruitment station in a Harlem dance studio to their boot camp in South Carolina and deal with racism as well as the government trying to keep them down. On Kieron Gillen's Uber, White proved himself as one of comics' best artists when it comes to drawing the horrors of the battlefield and continues to earn his stripes here, while Brooks takes his own personal interest in the historical material and weaves a dramatic period tale with themes we're still warring with in the present.\n\nIn the Dark: A Horror Anthology , edited by Rachel Deering (IDW, $49.99)\n\nOriginally launched as a Kickstarter project, Deering rounded up a murderer's row of horror-comics talent — from A-listers of the genre such as Steve Niles, Scott Snyder (who also wrote the introduction) and Tim Seeley to newcomers such as Nailbiter co-creator Mike Henderson — for an anthology that is creepier than any Twilight Zone marathon. The highlights of the ginormous collection include the childhood danger of Cullen Bunn and Drew Moss' \"Murder Farm,\" the Memetic creative team of James Tynion IV and Eryk Donovan doling out some coming-of-age scares with \"Why So Sad?\" and Justin Jordan and Tyler Jenkins' monstrous tale \"The Unseen\" that would frighten a few tentacle off Cthulhu. Go ahead and read the thing in one sitting — it's not like you needed pleasant dreams anyway.\n\nSeconds , by Bryan Lee O'Malley (Ballantine Books, ($25)\n\nEverybody in indie comics wanted to see how O'Malley was going to follow up his Scott Pilgrim series, a hit in publishing and a cult fave in the movie world with Edgar Wright's big-screen adaptation. As it turns out, he succeeded smashingly with Seconds, which centered on talented chef Katie who's toiling in her current gig, dealing with the return of an ex and trying to launch her own restaurant when she's presented with a way to revise certain aspects of her life. (Hint: It involves mushrooms.) While Pilgrim was laden with video-game pop-culture references amid one immature guy's mission to come of age while also kicking the butt of his beloved's exes, Seconds is an outstanding affair that deals more with adulthood but still has that same O'Malley swagger and style.\n\nThe Wrenchies , by Farel Dalrymple (First Second Books, $19.99)\n\nTake The Warriors gangs and the droogs of A Clockwork Orange, make them pint-sized and throw a bunch into a futuristic post-apocalypse that'd make Mad Max uncomfortable, and you get The Wrenchies, an adventure pitting tribes of children against demonic Shadowsmen who make monsters out of anybody past puberty. Maybe a little too violent and maturely themed for small youngsters, Dalrymple's paints a vast and wicked metropolitan wasteland that is scary yet beautiful and hinges the emotional journey on Hollis, a good boy forced to survive a not-great world.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2014/12/24"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2021/10/20/netflix-ted-sarandos-talks-dave-chappelle-backlash-trans-employee-walkout/8524557002/", "title": "Dave Chappelle backlash: Netflix employees walk out over trans ...", "text": "LOS ANGELES – Netflix employees made good on a promise to walk out Wednesday over Dave Chappelle’s transphobic remarks in his new stand-up special, a gesture that was amplified by emotional pleas from supporters who rallied outside company headquarters.\n\nNetflix's transgender employees say executives at the streaming service dismissed their concerns that Chappelle's controversial comments in \"The Closer\" could lead to violence against the trans community.\n\nThe first person to address the crowd of about 150 gathered near Netflix's Hollywood offices was rally organizer Ashlee Marie Preston, who said she and other members of the community had invited Chappelle “on multiple occasions” to have “transformative dialogue, (but) he has made it clear it is not of interest to him.”\n\nPreston also accused Netflix, which has repeatedly supported the comedian in recent days, of “making money off our inability to understand intersectionality.”\n\nHere's why: Netflix's support of Dave Chappelle is setting a dangerous precedent\n\nThe group's list of demands presented to Netflix executives include \"making long-term investments in content from trans, non-binary, and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) creators; fully inclusive spaces for trans and LGBTQ BIPOC employees; and accountability when content causes harm,\" according to a Twitter post by GLAAD, the LGBTQ advocacy group.\n\nAt the rally, David Huggard Jr., a contestant known as Eureka! on RuPaul’s “Drag Race,” said those who enjoy Chappelle’s special are “laughing in the face of our pain.”\n\nDuring those speeches, a counter-protester – who in contrast to most protestors didn't wear a mask – shouted “I’m just here for the jokes,” and held a sign that said “Dave Is Funny” on one side and “We Like Jokes” on the other. A scuffle ensued, which resulted in someone breaking the sign.\n\nAnother counter-protester, comedian Dick Masterson, said he attended the rally to \"support Dave (Chappelle)'s statement against cancel culture.\"\n\n\"There's a big problem when people start tying speech to violence, because it is not,\" he said. \"In this country, any speech is allowed, and violence is a hard no. There's a big canyon between those two.\"\n\nTed Sarandos: ‘I screwed up’ response to Dave Chappelle backlash\n\nThe contentious debate over Chappelle's comments has generated passionate responses from Chappelle supporters and detractors alike on social media. The issue intensified late Tuesday, as Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos did a flurry of phone interviews in which he admitted he \"screwed up\" his response to staff but reiterated his support of the comedy special.\n\nSarandos' latest messaging “speaks to a culture not just at Netflix or this industry, but something at large, which is a lot of people’s first reaction in the light of controversy is to defend the person that they’re closest to without looking at the facts of the situation,\" Netflix employee Tierra Gonzalez told USA TODAY at Wednesday's rally.\n\nSarandos allowed that storytelling can sometimes negatively impact society, but said he did not feel \"The Closer\" needed a disclaimer.\n\n\"I should have first and foremost acknowledged in those emails that a group of our employees were in pain, and they were really feeling hurt from a business decision that we made,\" Sarandos told The Hollywood Reporter. He also spoke with Deadline and Variety. \"And I, instead of acknowledging that first, I went right into some rationales.\"\n\nSarandos noted that Chappelle follows in the tradition of comedians who push boundaries, but told Variety \"I do not believe it falls into hate speech\" because Chappelle's jokes weren't intended to cause physical harm.\n\nHours before the walkout, Netflix shared a statement with USA TODAY: \"We value our trans colleagues and allies, and understand the deep hurt that’s been caused. We respect the decision of any employee who chooses to walk out, and recognize we have much more work to do both within Netflix and in our content.”\n\nThe negative spotlight on Netflix stands in stark contrast to a recent glow: The content-creating powerhouse, responsible for hits ranging from “Tiger King” to “Squid Game,” won 44 Emmys this year and hit 200 million subscribers. On Tuesday, Netflix reported third-quarter profit and subscriber growth numbers that beat Wall Street expectations.\n\nDave Chappelle described gender as 'a fact' in his new Netflix comedy special, 'The Closer'\n\nIn \"The Closer,\" Chappelle resurfaced a December 2019 controversy in which “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling drew backlash after conflating sex with gender and defending ideas suggesting that changing one's biological sex was a threat to her own gender identity.\n\n\"I agree, man. Gender is a fact,\" Chappelle, 48, said in \"The Closer.\" \"Every human being in this room, every human being on Earth, had to pass through the legs of a woman to be on Earth. That is a fact.\"\n\nMuch of our slam comes from the Black community:Not acknowledging that perpetuates racism\n\nThe LGBTQ+ community called Dave Chappelle's remarks transphobic, Netflix suspended several employees\n\n“The Closer” generated backlash on social media from both the LGBTQ+ community and some Netflix employees, who voiced concerns that the special promoted transphobic attitudes at a time when violence against such Americans is on the rise. There were a record 44 killings of trans people in 2020, according to the Human Rights Watch.\n\nLast week, Terra Field, a Netflix software engineer who is trans, was among three employees who were suspended for joining a virtual quarterly meeting of top executives without an invitation. They later were reinstated, according to The Hollywood Reporter.\n\nOn Friday, Netflix fired an employee who allegedly leaked how much Netflix had paid for “The Closer” (a reported $24.1 million), along with the special's viewership (10 million).\n\nIn an interview with The New York Times on Tuesday, the fired transgender employee, B. Pagels-Minor, who prefers a gender neutral title, said they found Sarandos’ communications to staff “dismissive,” and acknowledged being fired. But “B. categorically denies leaking sensitive information to the press,” said Laurie Burgess, the worker's attorney.\n\nA Netflix representative told the NYT that the employee \"admitted sharing confidential information externally from their Netflix email on several occasions.”\n\nDave Chappelle says he's 'Team TERF':The comedian defends J.K. Rowling in his new Netflix special\n\nIn the course of two memos to staff, Sarandos defended the company’s association with Chappelle, declined to remove the special and questioned the need for alarm.\n\n“While some employees disagree, we have a strong belief that content onscreen doesn’t directly translate to real-world harm,\" he wrote.\n\nThe storm started brewing on Oct. 7, two days after Chappelle's special debuted, when Field fired off a tweet saying: \"I work at @netflix. Yesterday we launched another Chappelle special where he attacks the trans community, and the very validity of transness – all while trying to pit us against other marginalized groups.\"\n\nThe comment went viral and led to a long Medium essay by Field, who lamented that after going through a similar upheaval in 2019 with Chappelle's \"Sticks & Stones\" special, the same debate seemed to be starting anew.\n\n\"I felt like all the work we did after ‘Sticks & Stones’ was meaningless and that having the exact same internal dialog and pile of emotional labor from the Trans* ERG was just going to get us the same canned statement about ‘artistic freedom’ (and it did),\" Field wrote.\n\nBanned Books Week: We defend 30 challenged books including 'Beloved' and '1984'\n\nCelebrities assembled for a PSA\n\nIn the wake of Chappelle's special, “Dear White People” series producer Jacklyn Moore tweeted last week that she would not work with the streaming service as long as it continues to “put out and profit from blatantly and dangerously transphobic content.”\n\nAustralian comedian Hannah Gadsby, who was cited by Sarandos in a widely disseminated memo to staff, blasted the CEO on Instagram, writing, \"Now I have to deal with even more of the hate and anger that Dave Chappelle's fans like to unleash on me every time Dave gets 20 million dollars to process his emotionally stunted partial world view.”\n\nAs part of the walkout, organizers released a public service announcement that included messages from a variety of stars and activists. The PSA was shared on Twitter by transgender actor Elliot Page, who wrote \"I stand in support with the trans, nonbinary, and BIPOC employees at Netflix fighting for more and better trans stories and a more inclusive workplace.\"\n\nJameela Jamil, star of NBC's \"The Good Place,\" delivered \"a message of love and support for those of you taking such a big risk in standing up for what you believe in.\" And Mason Alexander Park of Netflix's \"The Sandman\" said changes at the service won't happen until \"we give non-binary and trans people like myself more power and more positions to tell our own stories.\"\n\n'Being transgender is not a medical condition': The meaning of trans broken arm syndrome", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2021/10/20"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/books/2020/06/02/books-to-learn-more-anti-racism-adults-kids/5306873002/", "title": "'Antiracist Baby' and other Anti-racism books for adults, teens, kids", "text": "Books about Black history and antiracism have regularly been in the news (and on bestsellers lists) since the death of George Floyd in 2020 and subsequent nationwide protests that centered racism and police brutality.\n\nThey're back in the headlines again as Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, the country's first Black female Supreme Court nominee, faces grilling from conservative senators. On Tuesday, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas brought props to the hearing, cycling through posters of children’s books he said were used at a Washington, D.C., area private school where Jackson is a board member. He questioned whether Jackson knew the books, including Ibram X. Kendi's children’s book “Antiracist Baby,” were taught at the school, and whether or not she supports the teaching of critical race theory.\n\n\"Do you agree with this book that is being taught with kids, that babies are racist?\" Cruz asked.\n\nAfter a long pause, Jackson said: \"I do not believe that any child should be made to feel as though they are racist or as though they are not valued.\"\n\n\"You know Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson has impeccable credentials – and you know you're doing the work – when @tedcruz questions her about your books since he can’t touch her record,\" Kendi wrote in a tweet.\n\n\"Antiracist Baby,\" a picture book that introduces young readers and their parents to the concept of antiracism and encourages discussion, was one of many books by Black authors that made waves on the USA TODAY Best Selling Book List following the rise of Black Lives Matter protests, debuting at no. 49 in summer 2020 and rising as high as no. 16. It was released a year after Kendi's guidebook for adults, \"How to Be an Antiracist,\" which spent 29 weeks on the bestsellers list and reached as high as no. 2.\n\nSuch books have proven an important resource to learn more, providing a valuable look at the past and an avenue for continued research when protests are no longer front-page news.\n\n\"A lot of people don't really know the history of why things are the way that they are,\" City of Los Angeles Director of Branch Library Services Chad Helton told USA TODAY in June 2020. \"What I would recommend is really looking into the scholarship of Black history. That way you can really understand how racism has manifested itself and how it's become structural and institutional. ... All of what is happening is connected to systemic and institutionalized racism.\"\n\nIf you're looking for titles to help expand your knowledge, we've rounded up options for beginning or continuing your reading quest:\n\nNonfiction reads\n\nIf you're looking for resources on how to talk about race or to brush up on history and important Black figures, experts say these books are a good place to start.\n\n“The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness” by Michelle Alexander is a “great book to read,” because it talks about the systemic problem of the criminal justice system, says Lorenzo Boyd, associate professor of criminal justice and assistant provost of diversity and inclusion at the University Of New Haven.\n\nDr. Beverly Tatum, psychologist and author of \"Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race\" and \"Can We Talk About Race? And Other Conversations About Race in an Era of School Resegregation,\" recommends checking out \"How to Be an Antiracist\" by Ibram X. Kendi, \"White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism\" by Robin DiAngelo or \"Me and White Supremacy\" by Layla F. Saad.\n\n\"From Slavery To Freedom: A History of African Americans\" by John Hope Franklin offers a comprehensive look at how the foundation of the United States has dictated racism in the present, Helton added.\n\nExpert recommendations, picks from the bestsellers lists and more:\n\n\"How to Be an Antiracist\" by Ibram X. Kendi\n\n\"Between the World and Me\" by Ta-Nehisi Coates\n\n\"Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents\" by Isabel Wilkerson\n\n\"Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You\" by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi\n\n\"Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption\" by Bryan Stevenson\n\nby Bryan Stevenson \"The Fire Next Time\" by James Baldwin\n\n\"Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race\" by Reni Eddo-Lodge\n\n\"They Can’t Kill Us All: Ferguson, Baltimore, And A New Era In America’s Racial Justice Movement\" by Wesley Lowery\n\n\"Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do\" by Jennifer L. Eberhardt\n\n\"Raising White Kids\" by Jennifer Harvey\n\nby Jennifer Harvey \"So You Want to Talk About Race\" by Ijeoma Oluo\n\n“The Black and the Blue: A Cop Reveals the Crimes, Racism, and Injustice in America's Law Enforcement\" by Matthew Horace and Ron Harris\n\n\"Hood Feminism: Notes From The Women That The Movement Forgot\" by Mikki Kendall\n\n\"Ain't I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism\" by bell hooks\n\n\"Open Season: Legalized Genocide of Colored People\" by Ben Crump\n\n\"From Slavery To Freedom: A History of African Americans\" by John Hope Franklin\n\n\"The Third Reconstruction: How a Moral Movement Is Overcoming the Politics of Division and Fear\" by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove and William Barber II\n\n“The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness” by Michelle Alexander\n\n\"Shifting: The Double Lives of Black Women in America\" by USA TODAY reporter Charisse Jones and Dr. Kumea Shorter-Gooden\n\n\"Walking with the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement\" by John Lewis and Michael D'Orso\n\n\"White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism\" by Robin DiAngelo\n\n\"The Burden\" edited by USA TODAY Network columnist Rochelle Riley\n\n\"Sister Outsider\" by Audre Lorde\n\n\"This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color\" edited by Cherríe Moraga and Gloria Anzaldúa\n\n\"Hood Feminism: Notes From The Women That a Movement Forgot\" by Mikki Kendall\n\n\"The Third Reconstruction: Moral Mondays, Fusion Politics, and the Rise of a New Justice Movement\" by Dr. William Barber\n\n\"Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower\" by Brittney Cooper\n\n\"When and Where I Enter: The Impact of Black Women on Race and Sex in America\" by Paula Giddings\n\n\"Black Sexual Politics: African Americans, Gender, and the New Racism\" by Patricia Hill Collins\n\n\"Wandering in Strange Lands\" by Morgan Jerkins\n\n\"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings\" by Maya Angelou\n\nImpactful fiction from Black authors\n\nThe learning doesn't stop with nonfiction works. Black authors have made notable and creative contributions to the worlds of fiction and poetry writing over the years, including Pulitzer Prize-winning titles.\n\nReal-world issues are the basis for these bestselling stories and poems:\n\n\"Transcendent Kingdom\" by Yaa Gyasi\n\n\"The Underground Railroad\" by Colson Whitehead\n\n\"Their Eyes Were Watching God\" by Zora Neale Hurston\n\n\"Passing\" by Nella Larsen\n\n\"The Bluest Eye\" by Toni Morrison\n\n\"Sula\" by Toni Morrison\n\n\"The Color Purple\" by Alice Walker\n\n\"White Teeth\" by Zadie Smith\n\n\"For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf\" by Ntozake Shange\n\n\"An American Marriage\" by Tayari Jones\n\n\"The Vanishing Half\" by Brit Bennett\n\n\"Things Fall Apart\" by Chinua Achebe\n\n\"Such a Fun Age\" by Kiley Reid\n\n\"The Nickel Boys\" by Colson Whitehead\n\n\"Luster\" by Raven Leilani\n\nFour-star review:Yaa Gyasi’s 'Transcendent Kingdom' a profound story of faith, addiction and loss\n\nBooks of poetry by Black writers\n\nFrom historically-significant works of prose (Gwendolyn Brooks became the first African American to win a Pulitzer Prize in 1950 with \"Annie Allen\") to contemporary dissections of culture, these award-winning and bestselling books of poems offer a lyrical approach to sharing Black stories.\n\n\n\n\"Selected Poems\" by Gwendolyn Brooks\n\n\"I Can't Talk About the Trees Without the Blood\" by Tiana Clark\n\n\"Finna: Poems\" by Nate Marshall\n\n\"Coal\" by Audre Lorde\n\n\"Citizen: An American Lyric\" by Claudia Rankine\n\n\"There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyoncé\" by Morgan Parker\n\n\"The Tradition\" by Jericho Brown\n\n\"The Black Unicorn: Poems\" by Audre Lorde\n\n\"And Still I Rise: A Book of Poems\" by Maya Angelou\n\nMore:Amanda Gorman performs powerful poem at inauguration: Read the full text of 'The Hill We Climb'\n\nHelp explain race to kids with these children's books\n\nTalking to kids about complex world issues can be tough, but these books can help young people learn in a gentle, thoughtful way.\n\n\"I’ve seen a surge in different books to help with this situation,\" Ashay By the Bay founder and CEO Deborah Day told USA TODAY. \"There’s a lot going on… Children need storybooks and they need the parents to sometimes sit down and read with them. That’s just that closeness – that opportunity is a great way to begin the healing process.\"\n\nFor preschool and elementary school-age kids, Dr. Tatum recommends sharing \"Something Happened in Our Town\" by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins and Ann Hazzard. For teenagers, Angie Thomas' \"The Hate U Give\" is a good place to start, she told USA TODAY.\n\nBestselling stories to help younger kids:\n\n\"The Colors of Us\" by Karen Katz\n\n\"Let’s Talk About Race\" by Julius Lester\n\n\"The Skin I’m In: A First Look at Racism\" by Pat Thomas\n\nSesame Street's \"We're Different, We're the Same\" by Bobbi Jane Kates\n\n\"Something Happened in Our Town: A Child’s Story about Racial Injustice\" by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard\n\n\"I Am Enough\" by Grace Byers\n\n\"Happy in Our Skin\" by Fran Manushkin and Lauren Tobia\n\n\"Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer: The Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement\" by Carole Boston Weatherford and Ekua Holmes\n\n\"Raising White Kids: Bringing Up Children in a Racially Unjust America\" by Jennifer Harvey\n\n\"Daddy Why Am I Brown?: A healthy conversation about skin color and family\" by Bedford F. Palmer\n\n\"A Terrible Thing Happened\" by Margaret Holmes\n\n“Antiracist Baby\" by Ibram X. Kendi\n\n\"Hair Love\" by Matthew A. Cherry\n\n\"Peaceful Fights for Equal Rights\" by Rob Sanders and Jared Andrew Schorr\n\n\"The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family\" by Ibtihaj Muhammad and S.K. Ali Hatem Aly\n\n\"Have I Ever Told You Black Lives Matter\" by Shani King\n\nFor teens:\n\n\"The Hate U Give\" by Angie Thomas\n\n\"Harbor Me\" by Jacqueline Woodson\n\n\"This Book Is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How to Wake Up, Take Action, and Do The Work\" by Tiffany Jewell and Aurelia Durand\n\n\"Brown Girl Dreaming\" by Jacqueline Woodson\n\n\"Dear White People\" by Justin Simien, illustrated by Ian O'Phelan\n\n\"The Black Kids\" by Christina Hammonds Reed\n\n\"Dear Martin\" by Nic Stone\n\n\"All American Boys\" by Jason Reynolds\n\n\"The Black Flamingo\" by Dean Atta\n\n\"This Is My America\" by Kim Johnson\n\n\"Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves\" by Glory Edim\n\n\"I'm Not Dying With You Tonight\" by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal\n\n'First look for sameness':Kristen Bell's new children's book urges kids, adults to focus on commonality\n\nBlack-owned bookstores to support\n\nBigger retailers may be selling out of the book you're interested – but don't forget about local shops! These bookstores run by Black owners also offer a slew of titles if you're looking to shop local.\n\nMarcus Books: The nation's oldest Black-owned bookstore, located in Oakland, California.\n\nThe Listening Tree: A children's bookstore in Decatur, Georgia, that also offers a young entrepreneurs program for kids\n\nMahogany Books: Bookstore based in Washington, D.C.\n\nAshay By The Bay: San Francisco Bay Area kids bookstore\n\nHarriett's Bookshop: Philadelphia-based store named after Harriett Tubman\n\nSemicolon Bookstore: Chicago's only Black woman-owned independent bookstore\n\nThe Lit Bar: Bronx-based bookstore and wine bar\n\nSister's Uptown Bookstore: Family owned and operated bookstore and community space in Manhattan\n\nSankofa: Washington, D.C.-based bookstore that celebrates Pan-African culture and offers book clubs and children's events\n\nHakim's Bookstore: Philadelphia's first and oldest African American bookstore specializing in Black history\n\nCafe con Libros: Feminist, independent bookstore based in Brooklyn, New York\n\nMore:Inside historic Black bookstores' fight for survival against the COVID-19 pandemic\n\nContributing: Sara M. Moniuszko, Barbara VanDenburgh, Mary Cadden and Richard Rouan, USA TODAY.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2020/06/02"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2018/11/29/30-things-you-didnt-know-dr-seuss/38448053/", "title": "Dr. Seuss: Bet you didn't know these 30 things about the famous ...", "text": "Colman Andrews\n\n24/7 Wall Street\n\nTheodor Seuss Geisel, who was called Ted as a boy but would one day be known to the world as Dr. Seuss, was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1904. His father, Theodor Robert Geisel, who co-owned a brewery, often took young Ted to the city zoo. Perhaps inspired by these visits, Ted – with the encouragement of his mother, Henrietta – drew animal caricatures on his bedroom walls.\n\nDr. Seuss produced some 66 books in all, counting those he wrote but didn’t illustrate, those he co-authored or wrote under a pseudonym, and those that were published posthumously. He is the world’s best-selling children’s author, and according to some sources either the ninth or 11th most popular fiction writer of any kind in history. His books, which have been translated into 30 languages, have sold somewhere between 500 million and 650 million copies.\n\nVariously hailed as the American Poet Laureate of Nonsense and the Modern Mother Goose, Dr. Seuss has brought pleasure to (and encouraged reading comprehension in) four generations of children around the world. But not everything about him was family-friendly. Here are some surprising facts about this prolific author and illustrator.\n\nControversy:The debate over Dr. Seuss: When racist themes collides with childhood nostalgia\n\nTravel:Oh the Places You'll Go! Dr. Seuss museum opens its doors\n\n1.\n\nHis grandfather was a partner in the Kalmbach & Geisel brewery, known familiarly as \"Come Back and Guzzle,\" which later morphed into the Springfield Brewing Co., one of the largest such operations in New England.\n\n2.\n\nFormer President Theodore Roosevelt once humiliated him on stage, exclaiming \"What's this boy doing here?\" instead of giving him the award for selling war bonds that he was expecting.\n\n3.\n\nHis first published work was a parody of Walt Whitman's poem \"O Captain! My Captain!,\" composed as a plaint about the difficulty of Latin class for his high school newspaper.\n\n4.\n\nHe wrote a minstrel show called \"Chicopee Surprised\" as a fundraiser for a school trip, and he performed in it in blackface.\n\n5.\n\nHe was fired from the college humor magazine at Dartmouth College for drinking gin with friends in his dorm room – during Prohibition!\n\nLife prescriptions from the Doctor:Dr. Seuss quotes for every college moment\n\n6.\n\n\"Seuss\" is pronounced \"zoice\" in German, but Geisel preferred to rhyme it with \"Goose,\" as in Mother Goose.\n\n7.\n\nHe wasn't really a doctor. He began using the honorific in an attempt to mollify his father, who had wanted him to study medicine.\n\n8.\n\n\"Oh, the places you'll go!\", which became the title of his last book (published in 1990), was a Dartmouth catchphrase in the 1920s.\n\n9.\n\nHe was voted \"Least Likely to Succeed\" by Casque & Gauntlet, the senior society to which he belonged at Dartmouth.\n\n10.\n\nHe attended Oxford University in 1926, pursuing a master's degree in English, but he left after less than a year.\n\n11.\n\nHelen Palmer, a fellow student at Oxford who was to become his first wife, encouraged him to give up the academic world to concentrate on his art.\n\n12.\n\nHe and Helen were unable to have children, but he sometimes pretended humorously to have offspring, with names like Chrysanthemum-Pearl, Wickersham, Miggles and Boo-boo.\n\n13.\n\nHis first published cartoon appeared in The Saturday Evening Post in 1927.\n\n14.\n\nIn 1929, he drew a four-panel cartoon for the satirical weekly Judge that included a blatantly racist image, complete with the N-word.\n\n15.\n\nWhen it ran into financial difficulties, Judge began paying him in merchandise, including 100 cartons of shaving cream on one occasion and 13 gross of nail clippers on another.\n\n16.\n\nHe was subsequently hired to create ads by the makers of Flit, a DDT-laced bug spray produced by a subsidiary of Standard Oil of New Jersey.\n\n17.\n\nHe created a slogan for the bug spray – \"Quick, Henry, the Flit!\" – that became an oft-quoted slogan of the day a la \"Where's the Beef?\"\n\n18.\n\nSome of his Flit ads featured more racist imagery, of both blacks and Middle Easterners.\n\nMore:Dr. Seuss's political cartoons re-emerge amid criticism of Donald Trump\n\n19.\n\nHe later rejected racism, drawing cartoons such as one featuring Uncle Sam wielding a Flit-like spray to blow the \"Racial Prejudice Bug\" out of the heads of white citizens.\n\n20.\n\nWorking for another Standard Oil subsidiary, which produced Essomarine boat fuel, he became \"Admiral-in-Chief\" of the so-called Seuss Navy, an outfit made up for promotional purposes.\n\n21.\n\nHe began writing and drawing children's books because it was one of the few genres not forbidden by his ad contracts.\n\n22.\n\nHis first published children's book, \"And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street,\" was rejected by publishers 27 times before it went to press in 1937.\n\n23.\n\nIn 1939, he published a book for adults called \"The Seven Lady Godivas,\" full of cartoon nudes. It didn't sell well, and he went back to children's books.\n\n24.\n\nDuring World War II, he enlisted in the Army and co-wrote some 27 humorous instructional cartoons featuring a hapless Army recruit called Private Snafu.\n\n25.\n\nHe might have invented the word \"nerd,\" which appears in his 1950 book \"If I Ran the Zoo\" – though the derivation is disputed.\n\n26.\n\nHe wrote a fantasy movie about an evil piano teacher, \"The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T.,\" released in 1953.\n\nDebate:Are Dr. Seuss' books racist? Experts weigh in on controversy\n\n27.\n\nHelen, who was in frail health, committed suicide after Geisel had an affair with a friend's wife, Audrey Dimond – who was to become the second Mrs. Geisel.\n\n28.\n\nHe has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in recognition of the fact that his stories have inspired feature films and TV specials.\n\nMore Seuss:'The Grinch' Benedict Cumberbatch gets cranky about Christmas sweaters, standards on repeat\n\n29.\n\nHis license plate read \"GRINCH,\" a reference to one of his most famous books, \"How the Grinch Stole Christmas!\"\n\n30.\n\nHe was a heavy smoker until the early 1980s and died of oral cancer – though not until 1991, when he was 87.\n\nMethodology\n\nTo unearth little-known facts about Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel, 24/7 Wall St. consulted the Springfield Museums’ Seuss in Springfield website, Penguin Random House’s Seussville website, the website of the New England Historical Society, an article reproducing early Seuss cartoons on Buzzfeed, and the following books: “Dr. Seuss: The Cat Behind the Hat” by Caroline M. Smith; “Of Sneetches and Whos and the Good Dr. Seuss,” edited by Thomas Fensch; “Dr. Seuss & Mr. Geisel: A Biography” by Judith & Neil Morgan; “Theodor Geisel: A Portrait of the Man Who Became Dr. Seuss” by Donald E. Pease; “Who Was Dr. Seuss?” by Janet B. Pascal; and “The Beginnings of Dr. Seuss: An Informal Reminiscence,” edited by Edward Connery Lathem.\n\n24/7 Wall Street is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2018/11/29"}]}
{"question_id": "20230303_12", "search_time": "2023/03/15/03:28", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/blazers/2023/02/27/damian-lillard-71-points-trail-blazers-guards-performance-numbers/11357236002/", "title": "Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard scored 71 points against Rockets. His ...", "text": "Sunday night was indeed Dame Time.\n\nPortland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard had a night to remember by scoring 71 points during a 131-114 victory against the Houston Rockets on Sunday night at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.\n\nThe mark set franchise and career highs, while helping the Blazers snap a two-game losing streak and notch their first win since Feb. 13. Lillard had twice previously scored 61 points, both times coming in 2020.\n\n\"I think any hooper enjoys those moments when you’re hot, you’re in attack mode, you’re feeling good,\" Lillard said after the game. \"But it’s the stuff afterward that I struggle with, like when I walked off the court, was I supposed to be overly excited, or what?\"\n\nHere is Lillard's remarkable performance broken down by key numbers:\n\nFollow every game: Latest NBA Scores and Schedules\n\n71 points\n\nLillard finished the game 22 of 38 from the floor. His output tied Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell for the most points by an NBA player this season. Mitchell's big night came in an overtime win for the Cavaliers against the Bulls on Jan. 2. Lillard and Mitchell are tied with Elgin Baylor (1960) and David Robinson (1994) for eighth-most points in league history.\n\nThe last time anyone scored more than 71 points in a game was 2006 when Lakers legend Kobe Bryant poured in 81 against the Toronto Raptors.\n\n50 points\n\nSunday marked the 15th time in Lillard's career that he scored 50 or more points. That's the sixth-most in NBA history.\n\n41 first-half points\n\nLillard went into halftime with 41 points, including eight 3-pointers. That was a career-high in one half and the most in a half by any player this season.\n\n39 minutes\n\nOf the 13 70-point games in the NBA's history, Lillard's came in the fewest minutes. Kobe Bryant's 81-point game in 2006 came in 42 minutes.\n\n32 years old\n\nLillard is the oldest player in NBA history to surpass the 70-point threshold. David Robinson, who was 28 at the time of his 71-point game in 1994, previously held this record.\n\nLillard is in his 11th season in the league and has spent his entire career with the Trail Blazers.\n\n14 of 14 from free throw line\n\nLillard was perfect from the line. Lillard is a career 89% free throw shooter and has made 92% of his attempts this year, a percentage that would be the second-best of his career.\n\n13 3-pointers\n\nBy making 13 of his 22 3-point attempts, Lillard came up one triple short of the NBA record, which was set by the Warriors' Klay Thompson in 2018. Steph Curry (2016) and Zach LaVine (2019) also have games with 13 3-pointers made.\n\n8 players with 70 or more points\n\nLillard joins an exclusive club that includes Mitchell (2023), Devin Booker (2017), Kobe Bryant (2006), David Robinson (1994), David Thompson (1978), Wilt Chamberlain (1963, 1961 and four times in 1962) and Elgin Baylor (1960).\n\n1 drug test\n\nThe league rewarded Lillard's performance by giving him a drug test shortly after the game. Talk about a buzzkill.\n\n\"I know I’ve got a lot of tattoos, but when you’re doing a blood draw, it’s different from tattoos. It brought me down from here to floor,\" Lillard said after the game, gesturing from above his head and then dropping his hand.\n\nThe Associated Press contributed to this report.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/02/27"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2017/12/13/lillard-leads-portland-comeback-past-miami-102-95/108589182/", "title": "Lillard leads Portland comeback past Miami, 102-95", "text": "AP\n\nMIAMI (AP) — The Trail Blazers and Heat began the night with identical records of 13-13, so a close game was to be expected.\n\nFor Damian Lillard to take over down the stretch was also no surprise.\n\nThe two-time All-Star guard scored seven of his 18 points in the final 3:16, and the Trail Blazers overcame a 16-point second-half deficit to break their five-game losing streak, beating Miami 102-95 on Wednesday night.\n\nLillard, who came into the game averaging 26.6 points, had only one field goal in the first 31 minutes because the Heat ganged up on him defensively.\n\n\"They were trying to show me a lot of attention, so I was just trying to make the right plays,\" he said. \"But down the stretch I knew I would have to get aggressive.\"\n\nFollow every game: Latest NBA Scores and Schedules\n\nLillard converted a three-point play to put the Trail Blazers ahead to stay, 98-95, and sank two free throws on their next possession for a five-point lead.\n\n\"You almost hate seeing him have a pedestrian box score stat line going into the fourth quarter,\" Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. \"You know he's not going to sit back and not put his fingerprints on the game going down the stretch.\"\n\nCJ McCollum scored 28 points for the Trail Blazers, who climbed back above .500 and improved to 7-5 on the road.\n\n\"That was a game we needed to win coming off five losses in a row,\" McCollum said. \"We had to do whatever it takes to come away with a win.\"\n\nThe Heat dropped to 5-7 at home.\n\nMiami reserve Wayne Ellington sank seven 3-pointers and scored a season-high 24 points. Dion Waiters added 17 points for the Heat, who were hurt by three missed free throws down the stretch.\n\nPortland scored the final seven points, shutting out the Heat over the final 2:46. Miami missed its final four shots.\n\n\"These are tough to swallow,\" Ellington said. \"We played about 43 minutes of Miami Heat basketball. We've got to get better at finishing.\"\n\nThe Trail Blazers trailed 70-54 early in the second half, and 79-70 to start the fourth quarter.\n\n\"It wasn't a game where we came out and made every shot and everything went well,\" Lillard said. \"We had to go get it. That's usually how it is when you're trying to get things going back in the right direction, so we worked for it.\"\n\nThe Trail Blazers won for the third time when trailing to start the final period.\n\n\"You have to credit Portland,\" Spoelstra said. \"That's not their first rodeo in a close game on the road.\"\n\nLIMITED ROTATIONS\n\nBoth teams were short-handed. Heat forward Justise Winslow left the game in the first half with a left knee strain and did not return, and guard Tyler Johnson sat out because of a migraine.\n\nMiami was also without center Hassan Whiteside for a seventh consecutive games because of a bone bruise in his left knee.\n\nAl-Farouq Aminu had 15 points and 13 rebounds for the Trail Blazers, who were without Jusuf Nurkic and Meyers Leonard.\n\nCLAMPDOWN\n\nEllington went 5 for 5 from 3-point range in the first quarter, helping Miami to a 33-21 lead. Portland limited him to three points in the second half.\n\n\"When you make some shots in the first half, they're going to stick to you more in the second half,\" he said.\n\nMiami scored 33 points in the first quarter but only 35 in the second half.\n\nTIP-INS\n\nMiami's Kelly Olynyk had a slight edge in the matchup of former Gonzaga centers. He had 10 points and six rebounds in 28 minutes, and Portland's Zach Collins had nine points and three rebounds in 21 minutes.\n\nINJURY REPORT\n\nTrail Blazers: C Nurkic (sprained right ankle) missed his third game in a row. ... F/C Leonard (illness) also sat out. ... F Maurice Harkless (bruised left quad) returned after missing two games but didn't score in nine minutes.\n\nHeat: Winslow said he didn't think his injury was serious. ... Spoelstra said Whiteside is working out and feeling better, but he's not ready to return to practice.\n\nUP NEXT\n\nMiami: The Heat play at Charlotte on Friday night. Miami beat the Hornets earlier this week.\n\nPortland: The Trail Blazers continue a five-game trip when they play Friday night at Orlando.\n\n___\n\nFor more NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2017/12/13"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2016/05/01/trail-blazers-prepared-let-fly-against-warriors/83787120/", "title": "Trail Blazers preparing to let it fly against the Warriors", "text": "Daniel Uthman\n\nUSA TODAY Sports\n\nPORTLAND, Ore. – When an NBA team is 88 games into its season and the travel and practice schedule suddenly is at the mercy of the most recent game’s score, it can be nice when a drill doubles as a competitive challenge among friends.\n\nThat’s why the Portland Trail Blazers appreciate a drill they call “100 threes.”\n\nEach player, although not all at once, is fed the ball to take 100 three-point shots from locations all around the arc. The player who makes the most is the champion, but scores are kept for everyone who participates.\n\n2016 NBA playoffs preview: Warriors vs. Blazers\n\n“Nobody wants to be at the bottom of that list,” said Blazers guard Damian Lillard. “You’ve got guys who you guys might not think is a great shooter hitting 65, 70 threes out of 100. It takes a lot; you put a lot of time being able to make those shots.”\n\nFollow every game: Latest NBA Scores and Schedules\n\nNo team makes more than the Blazers’ next Playoff opponent, the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors, who host Portland in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC), set an NBA record with 1,077 made three-pointers this season. They are the first team to make more than 1,000 threes in a season and did it with the second-best percentage (41.6) in league history.\n\nThe Blazers like the three-point shot, too, and not just because of the drill. The fact they made 10 more than the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday in Game 6 of their first round series was a big reason the Blazers were able to build and maintain their biggest lead late in what turned out to be the series clincher.\n\nThey also like to shoot them against Golden State – or at least welcome the need to. They made a season-high 19 in a loss at Golden State on March 11 and sank 17 in a win Feb. 19 in Portland.\n\n“I believe in the percentages of the three-point shot,” said Blazers coach Terry Stotts. “If a guy is a 35% shooter, it’s going to work its way through. As long as they’re good shots and open shots and we shoot them with confidence, it’s going to work itself out. That’s part of who we are. We’ve got to take them and believe that you’re going to make them.”\n\nPortland made 33.7% of its three-point attempts against the Clippers, but shot 36.1% in their wins and 23.2% in their losses.\n\nStephen Curry optimistic he'll return earlier than expected\n\nNot surprisingly, three-point shooting also factored into the Blazers’ matchups with the Warriors this season.\n\nPortland allowed a season-high in three-pointers (18) and points in a 136-111 loss at Golden State on April 3. The Blazers’ single-game season high in points also came against the Warriors, in a 137-105 win on Feb. 19. That game was by far the Warriors’ largest losing margin in a regular season that saw them set an NBA record for wins with 73 and just nine losses. “That's hard to forget,” said Blazers guard Gerald Henderson. “That was one of the highlights of our year there.”\n\nBut Blazers center Mason Plumlee pointed out the game was a regular-season matchup, and came right after the All-Star Game, one that featured three Warriors players. “The regular season is too different, two different animals,” he said. “You can’t put any stock in that.”\n\nGolden State won the three other regular-season meetings, with the average score in their four matchups at 124-117. As is the case for most Warriors opponents, those totals stand out on the Blazers’ ledger. Portland scored 13 fewer points per game against the rest of its regular-season competition and allowed 20 fewer.\n\nHenderson, for his part, expects more defense from both teams and fewer transition opportunities than seen in their season-high outbursts of February and April. “You can't expect to win giving up that many points,” he said.\n\nBut many Blazers, including their coach, know that the Warriors put together quick, double-digit scoring spurts all the time. The key for the Blazers may be remaining confident that they can, too. All those “100 threes” drills do serve a purpose.\n\n“They’re going to make shots,” Lillard said. “We can’t get discouraged by that, but every possession matters when you play a team like that.”", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2016/05/01"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2019/01/12/mccollum-helps-trail-blazers-rout-hornets-127-96/38885283/", "title": "McCollum helps Trail Blazers rout Hornets 127-96", "text": "AP\n\nPORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Almost everything went right for the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night.\n\nJusuf Nurkic fell just short of a triple-double while resting for much of the fourth quarter of Portland's 127-96 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.\n\nThe 7-foot Nurkic had 11 points, 11 rebounds and tied career highs with eight assists and six blocks. While star guards CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard stayed on the bench for the final period, coach Terry Stotts left Nurkic in for a couple of minutes.\n\nWhen he remained stuck on eight assists, Nurkic was subbed out.\n\n\"If it's not happening right away I'm not going to chase it,\" he said.\n\nFollow every game: Latest NBA Scores and Schedules\n\nStotts said he didn't want to throw off the second unit too much down the stretch.\n\n\"I told him I'd give him two minutes,\" Stotts joked.\n\nMcCollum had 30 points, including five 3-pointers, and Lillard scored 20 before taking the final period off. Lillard had a career-high four blocked shots and the Blazers finished with a season-high 16, one short of the franchise record.\n\nPortland has now won four straight and six of seven overall. It improved to 17-7 at home, tied for best in the Western Conference.\n\nThe victory also extended the Blazers' winning streak over the Hornets in Portland to 11 straight games. Charlotte hasn't won in Portland since 2008.\n\nKemba Walker had 18 points for the Hornets, who fell to 5-14 on the road this season in the fourth of a five-game trip.\n\n\"We've got to try to not let this thing keep going in the wrong direction,\" Walker said. \"We've got to stick together and as best as we can we've got to stay positive.\"\n\nPortland also got another solid performance from its reserves. Seth Curry's 3-pointer extended Portland's lead to 50-36. Jake Layman's alley-oop dunk from Lillard put the Blazers up 61-42.\n\nPortland's backups have accounted for at least 50 points in six games this season, all Blazers wins. They had 48 points against the Hornets, but got extra work because the starters were rested.\n\nThe Blazers led 70-49 at the break and extended the lead to as many as 35 points in the third quarter.\n\n\"We just didn't compete tonight defensively. Overall we just did not compete,\" Hornets coach James Borrego said. \"Too soft on the ball, too soft on the interior. They did whatever they wanted to us offensively.\"\n\nThe Blazers were without forward Maurice Harkless for the second straight game because of left knee soreness. There was no word on how long he'll be out.\n\nOn a tear lately, Nurkic averaged 21.4 points and 11.4 rebounds over the previous eight games. On Friday he became just the third NBA player with at least 11 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and six blocks in fewer than 30 minutes.\n\n\"The big fella's been awesome,\" McCollum said. \"He's playing extremely well, he's confident. He's finishing around the basket. But what I like most about him is that he's being aggressive on both ends. Defensively he's protecting the rim for us and being selfish on the offensive end and distributing the ball.\"\n\nHEADING OUT\n\nIt was the last of a five-game homestand for the Blazers, who visit Western Conference-leading Denver on Sunday. The Nuggets beat the Blazers in their first meeting this season.\n\n\"They came here and they got one,\" Lillard said. \"We had a shot at the end of the game to beat them and we didn't feel like we played that well. So we've just got to take this brand of basketball that we've been playing over the last few games and take it to their court and go get another win.\"\n\nTIP-INS\n\nHornets: F Nicolas Batum played in Portland for seven seasons. ... Portland's 70 points at the half were the most for a Hornets opponent this season.\n\nTrail Blazers: McCollum got into the campaign to get Lillard to the All-Star game with a video where he re-creates the final dance scene from the movie \"Napoleon Dynamite.\" The video, released on social media on Thursday, was shown on the scoreboard during the first quarter.\n\nUP NEXT\n\nHornets: Visit Sacramento on Saturday night.\n\nTrail Blazers: Open a two-game trip on Sunday against the Denver Nuggets.\n\n___\n\nMore AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2019/01/12"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2014/01/20/rockets-snap-trail-blazers-five-game-win-streak/4689143/", "title": "Rockets snap Blazers' five-game winning streak", "text": "AP\n\nRockets built big early lead and answered every Blazers run to snap Portland%27s win streak at five games\n\nChandler Parson scored 31 points with 10 rebounds%2C and Dwight Howard had 24 points and 12 rebounds for Houston\n\nLaMarcus Aldridge had 27 points and 20 rebounds%2C and Damian Lillard added 24 points for Portland\n\nHOUSTON (AP) — The last time the Houston Rockets scored more than 70 points in a first half they followed it with a franchise-low 19 points after halftime.\n\nThey had no such letdown Monday night against the Portland Trail Blazers.\n\nChandler Parsons scored a season-high 31 points and Dwight Howard added 24 to lead the Rockets to a 126-113 win over Portland that snapped the Trail Blazers' five-game winning streak.\n\nThe Rockets scored a season-high to win their second straight, building a big lead early and answering every time Portland made a run.\n\nJames Harden added 22 points and had five assists and Patrick Beverley returned from a broken hand to score 17 points. Parsons added 10 rebounds and seven assists while finishing one point shy of his career-high.\n\nHarden talked about the difference between Monday night and last week's loss to Oklahoma City, when they set an NBA record for the largest scoring differential between two halves.\n\n\"We just held our composure,\" Harden said. \"We couldn't worry about what they were doing or anything. We had to figure out a way to fight through it and play harder, push the tempo a little harder and play defense.\"\n\nLaMarcus Aldridge had 27 points and 20 rebounds for the Trail Blazers, who have won seven of their last 11 games.\n\n\"We got close and we just couldn't get over that hump,\" Aldridge said. \"Our shots didn't fall for us and they made tough shots and were able to get the win.\"\n\nHouston was up by 18 points after a 3-pointer by Harden with about eight minutes left. The Trail Blazers used a 9-2 run over the next two minutes to cut it to 115-104. The Rockets struggled in that stretch, missing two layups and committing a turnover.\n\nHouston missed two 3-pointers on one possession after that before Beverley hit a jump shot. Howard gave Houston a 119-104 lead when he grabbed an alley-oop from Harden and finished with a two-handed slam.\n\nDamian Lillard added 24 points for Portland and Wesley Matthews had 18.\n\nA 7-0 run by Portland midway through the third quarter got the Trail Blazers within six points. The Rockets scored the next seven straight to pad their lead to 93-80.\n\n\"They made a run in the third quarter and instead of us complaining, we got to the bench and we talked about what we needed to do and we got a good win against a very, very good team,\" Howard said.\n\nJeremy Lin made a 3-pointer with less than 10 seconds left in the third quarter to make it 106-91 entering the fourth.\n\nHarden was fouled on a 3-point attempt and made all three free throws before hitting a 3-pointer for a 6-0 run that pushed Houston's lead to 79-61 early in the third quarter.\n\nThe Trail Blazers answered with a 9-0 spurt to cut the lead to 79-70. Aldridge had a 3-point play during that stretch and Lillard capped it with two free throws when he was fouled by Howard, who also got a technical on the play.\n\nThe Rockets scored for the first time in almost three minutes on a layup by Parsons with about seven minutes left in the quarter. Nicolas Batum made a layup before Parsons added a 3-pointer to extend Houston's lead to 84-72.\n\nMo Williams got Portland within seven points when he opened the second quarter with a jump shot. But Houston countered with eight straight points powered by two 3-pointers from Omri Casspi to push the lead to 45-30.\n\nFive straight points by Matthews a couple of minutes later cut Houston's lead to 12 points. The Rockets responded again, scoring seven points in a row to extend the lead to 60-41.\n\nCasspi scored five quick points soon after that to extend Houston's lead to 71-49. Portland scored the last seven points of the half to get within 71-56 at the break.\n\nThe Rockets made 10-of-13 3-pointers in the first half to help them to score more than 70 points in a half for the second time in a week.\n\nHouston scored on its first 11 possessions to build a 25-11 lead. Beverley, who returned to the starting lineup after missing 14 games following surgery to repair a broken right hand, had two 3-pointers in that span and Harden had one.\n\nNOTES: Houston's Terrence Jones, who scored a career-high 36 points in the last game, sat out with a deep thigh bruise. Donatas Motiejunas started in his place and finished with nine points and nine rebounds. … The Trail Blazers have scored at least 98 points in 29 games in a row. … Batum injured one of his fingers and said he \"felt it crack\" but wasn't sure of the extent of the injury after the game.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2014/01/20"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2015/10/29/mccollum-scores-37-as-blazers-down-pelicans-112-94/74786000/", "title": "McCollum scores 37 as Blazers down Pelicans 112-94", "text": "AP\n\nPORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — CJ McCollum says it's liberating to finally be able to play his game.\n\nMcCollum scored a career-high 37 points, including six 3-pointers, and the new-look Portland Trail Blazers opened the season with a 112-94 victory over the depleted New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night.\n\nIt was Portland's 15th straight home-opening victory, surpassing Boston's record of 14 (1979-92).\n\nMcCollum, in his third year, played limited minutes last season, but Portland's offseason overhaul has pushed him into a more prominent role.\n\n\"It feels good man, like a caged animal ready to be unleashed,\" McCollum said with a smile. \"The basket continues to get bigger and bigger and you continue to gain confidence.\"\n\nDamian Lillard, Portland's only remaining starter from last season, had 21 points and 11 assists. The Blazers are the third-youngest team in the NBA this season.\n\nAnthony Davis had 25 points and 10 rebounds for the Pelicans, who lost 111-95 at Golden State in their opener on Tuesday night.\n\nPortland led by as many as 30 points in the second half, but the Pelicans closed to 100-92 on a 3-pointer for Davis with just under four minutes left.\n\nThe Blazers pulled away from there. McCollum hit a jumper to make it 107-92 with 1:16 to go.\n\n\"A great shooter,\" New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry said. \"So there's not a whole lot you can do about it. He was in a rhythm.\"\n\nMcCollum was 14 for 22 from the field in Portland's first game since All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge, a fixture on the roster for the past nine years, departed for San Antonio in free agency.\n\nGuard Wesley Matthews (Mavericks), center Robin Lopez (Knicks) and forward Nicolas Batum (Hornets) also moved on from a team that went 51-31 before getting bounced from the first round of the playoffs by Memphis.\n\nNew Orleans has been hit with injuries, and was without center Omer Asik because of a right calf strain and forward Luke Babbitt with a left hamstring strain. Starter Tyreke Evans will miss six to eight weeks after surgery last week to remove bone chips in his right knee.\n\nMcCollum had 28 points in the first half, helping the Blazers to a 70-43 lead at the break.\n\n\"It's been a long time coming for me,\" McCollum said. \"I've worked so hard for this moment to get an opportunity to play opening night and the coaching staff to have trust in me.\"\n\nNew Orleans, which finished 45-37 last season and lost to the eventual NBA champion Warriors in the first round of the playoffs, struggled to keep up until a fourth-quarter rally.\n\nDavis, who averaged 24.4 points last season, had three 3-pointers. Eric Gordon finished with 20 points.\n\n\"Tonight we fought like crazy and competed, but we've got to get off to better starts,\" Gentry said. \"We were playing uphill the rest of the game. Then it has to be a perfect storm to come back. But I liked the fight.\"\n\nTIP-INS\n\nBlazers: The Trail Blazers held a moment of silence for Minnesota Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders, who died Sunday at age 60. ... Lillard's 11 assists gave him 1,506 for his career; A Blazer hasn't reached the milestone as quickly since Terry Porter.\n\nPelicans: New Orleans also was without G Norris Cole because of a left ankle sprain. To shore up the roster, the Pelicans signed Ish Smith on Monday. Veteran guard Nate Robinson was signed on Oct. 15.\n\nHOLIDAY RECOVERS\n\nPelicans guard Jrue Holiday started but is playing restricted minutes while he recovers from offseason surgery on his right leg. Holiday got the previous night off against the Warriors because he hasn't been cleared to play back-to-backs.\n\nHe finished with 12 points in 22 minutes.\n\nLILLARD'S MESSAGE\n\nLillard addressed the fans at the Moda Center before the game. \"We want to thank you guy for being the greatest fans in the league, your continued support means a lot to us, and as we begin a new season and a new chapter, we're going to need you now more than ever,\" he said.\n\nUP NEXT\n\nPelicans: Host the Warriors on Halloween.\n\nTrail Blazers: Visit the Phoenix Suns on Friday night.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2015/10/29"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2018/12/02/derozans-season-high-36-help-spurs-beat-blazers-131-118/38661535/", "title": "DeRozan's season-high 36 help Spurs beat Blazers, 131-118", "text": "AP\n\nSAN ANTONIO (AP) — A day off was the exhale the San Antonio Spurs needed after two blowout losses.\n\nDeMar DeRozan had a season-high 36 points and San Antonio overcame a big game by Damian Lillard to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 131-118 on Sunday night.\n\nThe Spurs held a rare practice Saturday morning following consecutive losses of 39 points and 31 points. The team responded with its highest scoring output in regulation this season.\n\n\"Our communication was better,\" DeRozan said. \"I just told the guys, go out there and play, relax, don't think too much.\"\n\nThe Spurs responded by shooting 70 percent on 3-pointers with at least 10 attempts for the first time since 2006, finishing 11 for 15 on 3s.\n\nFollow every game: Latest NBA Scores and Schedules\n\nLaMarcus Aldridge added 29 points and Rudy Gay had 18 as San Antonio snapped its two-game skid.\n\nLillard scored 37 points and C.J. McCollum had 24 for Portland.\n\nThe Blazers have lost five of six, giving up an average of 123.2 points in those losses.\n\n\"We've given up a lot of points, but the league's funny right now,\" Portland coach Terry Stotts said. \"San Antonio just came off of games where they've given up a lot of points.\"\n\nSpurs guard Patty Mills referred to the losses as \"embarrassing\" and \"deflating,\" but San Antonio was able to rebound with a needed win as it prepares to embark on a two-game road trip.\n\n\"It had to be better than the last two games, right?\" Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. \"Everybody's got to participate. Good individual defense matters and good team defense (matters), but there is no team defense without talking or trust. We're trying to get there with this new group.\"\n\nDeRozan scored 26 points in the second half as the Spurs rallied from a seven-point deficit in the third quarter after blowing a 12-point lead in the first half.\n\nPortland opened the second half on a 24-10 run in taking a 79-72 lead. San Antonio aided the spurt by committing four turnovers and missing five of its first six shots.\n\n\"We were trying to get L.A. going, get him in a rhythm,\" DeRozan said. \"As soon as he came out in the third quarter, I seen we were just kind of stagnant. We had a couple of turnovers in a row, I just tried to be more aggressive and put the pressure on them.\"\n\nAl-Farouq Aminu tied a season high, scoring 11 of his 20 points in the third quarter. Aminu also finished with nine rebounds.\n\nDeRozan had 18 of San Antonio's final 20 points to close the third quarter, giving the Spurs a 97-90 lead entering the fourth. He opened the game 3 for 12 but finished 13 of 27 in scoring the most points he has with San Antonio.\n\nU-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!\n\nPopovich praised coach Jeff Van Gundy for leading the United States men's basketball team to a berth in the 2019 World Cup in China with a 78-70 victory over Uruguay on Sunday. Popovich will coach the U.S. squad in the World Cup in August 2019 and in the 2020 Olympics.\n\n\"Well, of course I'm happy as heck,\" Popovich said. \"We're not in the dance if we don't qualify. Coach Van Gundy has been brilliant and he's working for pennies, zero pennies. He wants to do it for the country and he loves coaching. There's nobody better to put a team together quickly. I think this was the fifth time, I'm not sure, but four or five different teams to get the USA to be able to qualify. He deserves a lot of credit and all those guys that have given up their time to do this. It was a group effort, but he's the guy that made it go.\"\n\nWHISTLE STOP\n\nThe Spurs noticed Stotts kept whistling when he wanted the Blazers to double team defensively.\n\n\"I just noticed it,\" Aldridge said. \"I think last year and this year whenever he whistles, the double is coming. And I think he does it sometimes to try to trick you into thinking it's coming. But I thought everyone was ready for it. I thought guys went to the right spaces. I tried to make the right reads and it ended up working out.\"\n\nTIP-INS\n\nTrail Blazers: Every starter scored in double figures except Maurice Harkless, who finished with eight points on 3-for-5 shooting. ... Aminu also scored 20 points against Denver on Nov. 30. ... Evan Turner sat out with an inflamed left Achilles tendon. Turner had played in every game, averaging 8.2 points in 26 minutes.\n\nSpurs: Aldridge became the 69th player in NBA history with 7,000 field goals, joining Pau Gasol and former Spurs George Gervin, David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Kevin Willis, Dale Ellis, Terry Cummings, Moses Malone and Dominique Wilkins. ... DeRozan's previous season high was 34 points, accomplished three times. ... Marco Belinelli missed his first game of the season, sitting out due to neck stiffness. . The Spurs are 85-83 against Portland, making them the only team with a winning record against every other club in the NBA.\n\n100 PERCENT\n\nAldridge now ranks in the top 100 in league history in points, rebounds, blocks, field goals and games started.\n\nUP NEXT\n\nTrail Blazers: At Dallas on Tuesday night.\n\nSpurs: At Utah on Tuesday night.\n\n___\n\nMore AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2018/12/02"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2015/01/12/lillard-scores-34-points-trail-blazers-beat-lakers-106-94/21618733/", "title": "Lillard scores 34 points, Trail Blazers beat Lakers 106-94", "text": "AP\n\nLOS ANGELES (AP) — Damian Lillard dished out more of the same punishment to the Los Angeles Lakers that he did the last time he faced them. They still had no answer for his fourth-quarter theatrics.\n\nLillard scored 17 of his 34 points in the final 8:16, leading the Portland Trail Blazers to a 106-94 victory Sunday night and making the Northwest Division leaders the first NBA team to 30 wins.\n\n\"It's a great accomplishment to have 30 wins in 38 games,\" Lillard said. \"We've just got to keep the same mentality that we've had and always remember that we are an elite team. And we've got to keep proving that every night and stay locked in.\"\n\nFour other players scored in double figures for the Blazers, who have won 27 of their last 32 games and are a season-best 22 over .500. LaMarcus Aldridge had 15 points and nine rebounds, Wesley Matthews had 16 points and Nicolas Batum added 11. Chris Kaman had 12 rebounds and nine points in his fourth start of the season and second against his former team.\n\nLillard averaged 25 points over his previous four games against the Lakers. He scored 16 of his 39 points in the final 5:11 when the Blazers beat them 98-84 at Portland last Monday, and also had a 38-point effort against the Lakers on April 10, 2013.\n\n\"It was pretty much the same things I saw the last game against them,\" Lakers coach Byron Scott said. \"We played them really tough, and then Damien kind of takes over. We tried to pressure him, we tried to trap him at times, but he just made some great shots. He's just a heck of a player.\"\n\nMeyers Leonard put Portland ahead to stay with a 3-pointer, triggering a 17-3 run that helped the Trail Blazers open up an 89-76 lead with 6:50 to play. Lillard made a 3-pointer, a driving layup and a three-point play during a 1:54 span before Aldridge capped the rally with a 20-footer.\n\n\"We started to run some sets that I was able to get loose on,\" Lillard said. \"Our bigs did a great job in transitioning and in the halfcourt game and setting solid screens. So I was just able to get a big man in front of me and make plays, and the shots were falling.\"\n\nThe 6-foot-3 Lillard scored Portland's final eight points, including a soaring slam dunk between the 6-10 duo of Jordan Hill and Ed Davis and turned it into a three-point play after Hill fouled him.\n\n\"At that point in the game, I knew it was getting really physical. They had cut the lead down, so I knew I had to go strong and I did,\" Lillard said. \"There was a perfect amount of space, and (Hill) jumped late. So I wouldn't even say I completely jumped over him So I did. I was surprised that he didn't just let me get the two points, instead of letting it be an and-one.\"\n\nThe Lakers got to 97-90 on 3-pointers by Wayne Ellington and Wesley Johnson against a defense that entered Sunday first in the NBA in defending the 3-point shot.\n\nKobe Bryant was rested by Lakers coach Byron Scott for the sixth time in 11 games and second game in a row. The NBA's third-leading career scorer, playing in his 19th season at age 36, played in only six games last season due to a torn Achilles and a fracture in his left knee.\n\nWesley Johnson returned to the Lakers' lineup and scored 17 points after missing three games because of a strained hip flexor. Ronnie Price had a career-high 12 assists, one of which set up a driving dunk by Tarik Black that pulled the Lakers into a 69-all tie late in the third quarter.\n\n___\n\nTIP-INS\n\nTrail Blazers: Portland is 15-3 when Lillard leads them in scoring and 13-3 when Aldridge does. They shared team scoring honors twice, combining for 70 points in a 115-106 loss at Chicago, and scoring 23 apiece in a 108-95 home win against San Antonio. ... The Blazers are 20-0 when leading after three quarters. They also have won a league-best eight games when trailing after three.\n\nLakers: Bryant averaged 35.5 minutes through Lakers' first 27 games before Scott gave him three straight games off. In the five games he's played since then, he has averaged 31.4 minutes. The Lakers are 2-4 when he is out of the lineup. ... Bryant has a career scoring average of 27.8 against Portland. He had 65 points against the Blazers on March 16, 2007, and 50 on April 14, 2006. ... Hill is the only Lakers player to start in all 38 games.\n\nUP NEXT\n\nTrail Blazers: At Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night.\n\nLakers: Host Miami on Tuesday night.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2015/01/12"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2020/01/12/bucks-beat-trail-blazers-122-101-for-third-straight-win/40986621/", "title": "Bucks beat Trail Blazers 122-101 for third straight win", "text": "AP\n\nPORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks have bigger goals than a 70-win season, though their star player isn’t taking their phenomenal start for granted.\n\nGiannis Antetokounmpo had 32 points and 17 rebounds, Khris Middleton scored 30 points and the Bucks beat the Portland Trail Blazers 122-101 on Saturday night.\n\nEric Bledsoe added 29 points for the Bucks, who made 14 3-pointers led by Middleton's 4-for-4 performance.\n\nAntetokounmpo was asked afterward if the Bucks have changed their mindset from the hunters to the hunted.\n\n“We're still hunting,” the reigning MVP said. “Obviously teams are going to come and play hard against us. But at the end of the day we have to be the hunters. We have to have that mentality. That’s what we’ve been doing. We’ve won 35 games and played 41. That’s crazy.”\n\nFollow every game: Latest NBA Scores and Schedules\n\nBut Middleton downplayed it.\n\n“You can’t win a championship in the regular season,” Middleton said.\n\nAntetokounmpo had 13 points and seven rebounds in the first quarter alone and Milwaukee went on to its third straight win. That matched his entire point total from Friday night’s win over Sacramento.\n\n“Usually when I’m not aggressive the previous game, I come out the next game more aggressive,” Antetokounmpo said. “I can remember since I started playing basketball and that’s what we did tonight.”\n\nAntetokounmpo also hit multiple 3-pointers for the 18th time this season, something he did only 13 times all of last season.\n\n“I’m comfortable, but I have to keep getting better,” he said.\n\nThe Bucks led 32-24 after the first quarter as Damian Lillard did his best to keep Portland within range, scoring 12 points in the first quarter.\n\nLillard finished with 26 points while CJ McCollum scored 20 and Carmelo Anthony had 19 points and 11 rebounds, but Portland lost for the eighth time in 10 games.\n\n“Yeah, it was a good effort but we don’t show up to have a good effort,” Lillard said. “We show up to win.”\n\nThe Blazers shot just 10 for 36 from the 3-point line.\n\nThe Bucks pushed their lead to as high as 17 multiple times in the third quarter and held a 97-80 lead after the period thanks to a tip-in by Pat Connaughton before the buzzer.\n\nA three-point play by Bledsoe pushed the Bucks lead to 116-94, their biggest of the game. A couple of possessions later, coach Terry Stotts removed the Blazers starters from the game.\n\nTIP-INS\n\nBucks: Though Antetokounmpo is the biggest reason for the Bucks' NBA-best 35-6 record, the Bucks outscore their opponents by 8.3 points per 100 possessions when the MVP sits, according to NBA.com. “I think (Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer) does a really good job of integrating all his players,” Stotts said. “They have interchangeable parts, they pass, they shoot, they’re unselfish, they have rim protection.”\n\nTrail Blazers: The Blazers, who are dealing with a host of injuries, were forced to deal with illness on Saturday night. Starting center Hassan Whiteside missed the game after playing through an illness in Thursday’s road loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. McCollum missed a Jan. 5 game with an illness but according to Stotts, Whiteside was the only player still affected by the sickness that spread around the team over the past week. Anthony Tolliver started in Whiteside’s place, finishing with 11 rebounds and seven points in 28 minutes.\n\nUP NEXT\n\nBucks: Tuesday at home vs. New York Knicks.\n\nTrail Blazers: Monday at home vs. Charlotte Hornets.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2020/01/12"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2013/01/02/washington-wizards-bradley-beal-portland-trail-blazers-damian-lillard/1805537/", "title": "Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal named best December rookies", "text": "USA TODAY Sports\n\nThe Washington Wizards' Bradley Beal and the Portland Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard today were named the Kia NBA Eastern and Western Conference Rookies of the Month, respectively, for games played in December.\n\nBeal lead all Eastern Conference rookies in scoring (13.4 ppg) and total assists with (41) in December. He had six games with 15-plus points during the month and made a career-high eight field goals in a 100-95 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Dec.18.\n\nLillard led all rookies in scoring (18.4 ppg), assists (6.3 apg) and is tied for third among NBA point guards with 16 games of 20-plus points. On Dec.13 against the San Antonio Spurs he became one of just 12 NBA players to record at least 29 points, seven rebounds and six assists in a game this season.\n\nHere is a recap of the month for Beal and Lillard:\n\nBradley Beal, Washington Wizards\n\nDec. 11@ New Orleans: Posted 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists in a 77-70 victory vs. the Hornets.\n\nDec. 12 @ Houston: Recorded 20 points, four rebounds, five assists and two steals in a 99-93 loss to the Rockets.\n\nDec. 15 @ Miami: Tallied 19 points and three rebounds in a 102-72 loss to the Heat.\n\nDec. 18 @ Atlanta: Had 17 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals in a 100-95 loss to the Hawks.\n\nDamian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers\n\nDec. 1 @ Cleveland: Scored 24 points, established a career-high with 11 assists and added six rebounds in a 118-117 (2OT) win vs. the Cavaliers.\n\nDec. 13 vs. San Antonio: Had a career-high 29 points, seven rebounds and six assists in a 98-90 win vs. the Spurs.\n\nDec. 22 vs. Phoenix: Posted 25 points and seven assists in a 96-93 victory vs. the Suns.\n\nDec. 26 vs. Sacramento: Tallied 17 points, set a career-high in rebounds (eight) and tied a career-high with 11 assists in a 109-91 win against the Kings.\n\nOther nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference Rookies of the Month were Charlotte's Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Cleveland's Tyler Zeller, Detroit's Andre Drummond, and New Orleans' Anthony Davis.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2013/01/02"}]}
{"question_id": "20230303_13", "search_time": "2023/03/15/03:28", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/02/28/dictionary-com-new-words-2023/11359604002/", "title": "Dictionary.com adds over 300 new words: Here's what deadass ...", "text": "We have some new words to describe our hellscape.\n\nDictionary.com added more than 300 new words Tuesday and more than 1,200 new and revised definitions for existing words. The update comes as the dictionary works to keep up with the \"ever-changing English language.\"\n\n\"The sheer range and volume of vocabulary captured in our latest update to Dictionary.com reflects a shared feeling that change today is happening faster and more than ever before,\" John Kelly, senior director of editorial at Dictionary.com, said in a statement.\n\n\"Our team of lexicographers is documenting and contextualizing that unstoppable swirl of the English language – not only to help us better understand our changing times, but how the times we live in change, in turn, our language.\"\n\nSitch, convo, and fauxhawk:Scrabble dictionary adds hundreds of words for board game\n\nYeet, sus and cringe:Merriam-Webster adds 370 new words and phrases to its dictionary\n\nNew words added to Dictionary.com\n\nThe 313 new words added to Dictionary.com range from a variety of topics, from modern problems and identity to pop culture and politics.\n\nSome of popular additions include \"deadass,\" \"hellscape,\" \"petfluencer\" and \"woke.\" Here are the new words and what they mean:\n\nBedwetting: exhibition of emotional overreaction, as anxiety or alarm, to events, especially major decisions or outcomes.\n\nexhibition of emotional overreaction, as anxiety or alarm, to events, especially major decisions or outcomes. Cakeism: the false belief that one can enjoy the benefits of two choices that are in fact mutually exclusive, or have it both ways.\n\nthe false belief that one can enjoy the benefits of two choices that are in fact mutually exclusive, or have it both ways. Deadass: genuinely, sincerely, or truly; in fact.\n\ngenuinely, sincerely, or truly; in fact. Fan service: material added to a work of fiction for the perceived or actual purpose of appealing to the audience, used especially of material that is risqu or sexual in nature\n\nmaterial added to a work of fiction for the perceived or actual purpose of appealing to the audience, used especially of material that is risqu or sexual in nature Hellscape: a place or time that is hopeless, unbearable, or irredeemable.\n\na place or time that is hopeless, unbearable, or irredeemable. Liminal space: a state or place characterized by being transitional or intermediate in some way, or any location that is unsettling, uncanny, or dreamlike.\n\na state or place characterized by being transitional or intermediate in some way, or any location that is unsettling, uncanny, or dreamlike. Multisexual: noting or relating to a person who is sexually or romantically attracted to people of more than one gender, used especially as an inclusive term to describe similar, related sexual orientations such as bisexual, pansexual, omnisexual, etc.\n\nnoting or relating to a person who is sexually or romantically attracted to people of more than one gender, used especially as an inclusive term to describe similar, related sexual orientations such as bisexual, pansexual, omnisexual, etc. Nearlywed: a person who lives with another in a life partnership, sometimes engaged with no planned wedding date, sometimes with no intention of ever marrying.\n\na person who lives with another in a life partnership, sometimes engaged with no planned wedding date, sometimes with no intention of ever marrying. Northpaw: an athlete, usually a pitcher or boxer, who is right-handed or competes as a right-hander.\n\nan athlete, usually a pitcher or boxer, who is right-handed or competes as a right-hander. Petfluencer: a person who gains a large following on social media by posting entertaining images or videos of their cat, dog, or other pet.\n\na person who gains a large following on social media by posting entertaining images or videos of their cat, dog, or other pet. Pinkwashing: an instance or practice of acknowledging and promoting the civil liberties of the LGBTQ+ community, but superficially, as a ploy to divert attention from allegiances and activities that are in fact hostile to such liberties.\n\nan instance or practice of acknowledging and promoting the civil liberties of the LGBTQ+ community, but superficially, as a ploy to divert attention from allegiances and activities that are in fact hostile to such liberties. Queerbaiting: a marketing technique involving intentional homoeroticism or suggestions of LGBTQ+ themes intended to draw in an LGBTQ+ audience, without explicit inclusion of openly LGBTQ+ relationships, characters, or people.\n\na marketing technique involving intentional homoeroticism or suggestions of LGBTQ+ themes intended to draw in an LGBTQ+ audience, without explicit inclusion of openly LGBTQ+ relationships, characters, or people. Rage farming: the tactic of intentionally provoking political opponents, typically by posting inflammatory content on social media, in order to elicit angry responses and thus high engagement or widespread exposure for the original poster.\n\nthe tactic of intentionally provoking political opponents, typically by posting inflammatory content on social media, in order to elicit angry responses and thus high engagement or widespread exposure for the original poster. Self-coup: a coup d'état performed by the current, legitimate government or a duly elected head of state to retain or extend control over government, through an additional term, an extension of term, an expansion of executive power, the dismantling of other government branches, or the declaration that an election won by an opponent is illegitimate.\n\na coup d'état performed by the current, legitimate government or a duly elected head of state to retain or extend control over government, through an additional term, an extension of term, an expansion of executive power, the dismantling of other government branches, or the declaration that an election won by an opponent is illegitimate. Superdodger: anyone who, for unverified reasons, remains uninfected or asymptomatic even after repeated exposure to a contagious virus.\n\nanyone who, for unverified reasons, remains uninfected or asymptomatic even after repeated exposure to a contagious virus. Talmbout: a phonetic spelling representing an African American Vernacular English pronunciation of talking about, used especially online.\n\na phonetic spelling representing an African American Vernacular English pronunciation of talking about, used especially online. Tifo: a coordinated display, including large banners, flags, and sometimes signs or cards, executed cooperatively or performed in unison by the most fervent supporters and ultra fans in the stadium.\n\na coordinated display, including large banners, flags, and sometimes signs or cards, executed cooperatively or performed in unison by the most fervent supporters and ultra fans in the stadium. Trauma dumping: unsolicited, one-sided sharing of traumatic or intensely negative experiences or emotions in an inappropriate setting or with people who are unprepared for the interaction.\n\nunsolicited, one-sided sharing of traumatic or intensely negative experiences or emotions in an inappropriate setting or with people who are unprepared for the interaction. Woke: of or relating to a liberal progressive orthodoxy, especially promoting inclusive policies or ideologies that welcome or embrace ethnic, racial, or sexual minorities.\n\nWhat's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day\n\nDictionary.com updates antisemitism\n\nDictionary.com said one of its most notable updates was adjusting anti-Semitism to antisemitism. The decision to remove the hyphen and fully lowercase the word was done because it's the \"widely preferred single word form that Jewish groups, and many style guides, including those of major publications, have also adopted.\"\n\nThe definition of the word, which is \"discrimination against or prejudice or hostility toward Jews,\" does not change.\n\nHow does Dictionary.com add words?\n\nDictionary.com says it doesn't make up words – words are added \"because they’re real – because they’re really used by real people in the real world.\"\n\nDictionary.com uses the following criteria to determine whether a word should be added:\n\nIt’s a word that’s used by a lot of people. It’s used by those people in largely the same way. It’s likely to stick around. It’s useful for a general audience.\n\nFollow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/02/28"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/03/30/slay-dabbing-and-dad-bod-new-words-added-dictionary/99780610/", "title": "Slay, dabbing, and dad bod: New words added to Dictionary.com", "text": "Mary Bowerman\n\nUSA TODAY Network\n\nDictionary.com added more than 300 new words to the online dictionary Thursday, finally giving legitimacy to the practice of sending racy text messages or \"sexts\" and cat cafes.\n\nThe list of new words includes alt-right, a white nationalist movement, hangry, or becoming angry when hungry and smackdown a severe rebuke or criticism.\n\nThe addition of the new words stem from recent trends that Dictionary.com lexicographers found in pop culture, politics, marijuana use and food and fitness.\n\n“Our users turn to us to define the words they see, hear, and read—and in today’s highly politicized world, we play a necessary role in helping users dissect the meaning of words heard in this period of political discourse,” said Liz McMillan, CEO of Dictionary.com. “But not all new words spark controversy; words are often poetic and uplifting. For instance, our users have often asked why petrichor isn’t in the dictionary, and today they can look it up and get an official definition for the distinctive aroma you smell after it rains.”\n\nHere's a look at 10 of the words you can now find on Dictionary.com:​\n\nDabbing : A celebratory dance move that involves posing with one's nose in the crook of a bent elbow while extending the other arm to the side or above shoulder level.\n\n: A celebratory dance move that involves posing with one's nose in the crook of a bent elbow while extending the other arm to the side or above shoulder level. Dad bod : A man who is attractive despite being a little overweight.\n\n: A man who is attractive despite being a little overweight. Friendiversary : It's not an anniversary, but a \"friendiversary.\" It's a celebration of the date when two people became friends.\n\n: It's not an anniversary, but a \"friendiversary.\" It's a celebration of the date when two people became friends. Sext : A sexual text message or video sent to someone.\n\n: A sexual text message or video sent to someone. Slay : The act of strongly impressing someone.\n\n: The act of strongly impressing someone. Struggle bus : We've all been here before. Struggle bus is slang for a struggling with a situation or task that is difficult.\n\n: We've all been here before. Struggle bus is slang for a struggling with a situation or task that is difficult. Superfood : Avocados, turmeric, and pomegranate, are just a few superfoods, or products taht are touted for exceptionally good for one's health.\n\n: Avocados, turmeric, and pomegranate, are just a few superfoods, or products taht are touted for exceptionally good for one's health. Throw shade : to insult or criticize someone.\n\n: to insult or criticize someone. Uncanny valley : According to Dictionary.com, uncanny valley is \"a psychological concept that describes the feelings of unease or revulsion that people tend to have toward artificial representations of human beings, as robots or computer animations, that closely imitate many but not all the features and behaviors of actual human beings.\"\n\n: According to Dictionary.com, uncanny valley is \"a psychological concept that describes the feelings of unease or revulsion that people tend to have toward artificial representations of human beings, as robots or computer animations, that closely imitate many but not all the features and behaviors of actual human beings.\" B*tchface: a facial experssion someone makes when that looks threatening or angry, but is actually just the person's resting face.\n\nFollow Mary Bowerman on Twitter: @MaryBowerman", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2017/03/30"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/09/08/merriam-webster-dictionary-new-words-definitions/8023714001/", "title": "Yeet, sus and cringe: Merriam-Webster adds 370 new words and ...", "text": "You may want to yeet your old Merriam-Webster book, as the publishing company decided to level up and serve lewks by including 370 new words and phrases to its dictionary.\n\nIn a move that could be seen as sus or cringe, Merriam-Webster said on Wednesday when a word is constantly used in the same way \"over a long enough period of time,\" it becomes eligible to enter the dictionary, which the publisher does every few months. ICYMI, which stands for \"in case you missed it\" and was also just added to the dictionary, words were last added in January.\n\nMost of the notable new words added this year come from social media slang or pop culture references, while terms relating to the economy and COVID-19 pandemic also made the list.\n\n\"Some of these words will amuse or inspire, others may provoke debate. Our job is to capture the language as it is used,\" Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster’s editor at large, said in a statement. \"Words offer a window into our ever-changing language and culture, and are only added to the dictionary when there is clear and sustained evidence of use.\"\n\nNew Merriam-Webster dictionary words\n\nHere are some of the additions to the dictionary and what they mean. If you're a pumpkin spice lover, then there's good news for you: it's now in the dictionary.\n\nIf any of these terms upset you or don't feel like they belong, Merriam-Webster may suggest listening to a calming dawn chorus, which is \"the singing of wild birds that closely precedes and follows sunrise especially in spring and summer.\"\n\nshrinkflation: the practice of reducing a product's amount or volume per unit while continuing to offer it at the same price.\n\nyeet: used to express surprise, approval, or excited enthusiasm; to throw especially with force and without regard for the thing being thrown.\n\nsus: slang for suspicious, suspect.\n\ncringe: so embarrassing, awkward, etc. as to cause one to cringe.\n\nlewk: a fashion look that is distinctive to the wearer and that is noticeable and memorable to others\n\nadorkable: socially awkward or quirky in a way that is endearing\n\npwn: to dominate and defeat (someone or something)\n\nMacGyver: to make, form, or repair (something) with what is conveniently on hand\n\nballer: excellent, exciting, or extraordinary especially in a way that is suggestive of a lavish lifestyle\n\nside hustle: work performed for income supplementary to one's primary job\n\nlevel up: to advance or improve (oneself, someone else, or something) in or as if in a game\n\nLARP: a live-action role-playing game in which a group of people enacts a fictional scenario (such as a fantasy adventure) in real time typically under the guidance of a facilitator or organizer\n\nGalentine’s Day: a holiday observed on February 13th as a time to celebrate friendships especially among women\n\nContributing: Associated Press\n\nFollow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/09/08"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/college/2016/07/22/cisgender-pokemon-and-butthurt-join-dictionarycom/37420065/", "title": "cisgender-pokemon-and-butthurt-join-dictionarycom", "text": "Ryan Lasker\n\nIt's no longer considered improper English to say that when eating al-desko you caught a Pokemon while listening to a butthurt co-worker who didn't get the promotion ze was expecting.\n\nThat's because those words have been made \"official\" by Dictionary.com, which updated its database to include no fewer than 300 new words and definitions.\n\n\"Mainstream cultural conversations give Dictionary.com’s lexicographers an endless supply of words to research,\" it explained on its website.\n\nMany of the added words have to do with personal identity (\"ze,\" \"cisgender\" and \"misgender\"), technology (\"Pokemon,\" \"click fraud\" and \"gig economy\") and food (\"farm-to-table\" and \"al-desko,\" which means, naturally, eating at one's desk in an office).\n\nOther now-common terms that made the cut: \"butthurt\" (\"mental distress or irritation caused by an overreaction to a perceived personal slight\"), \"lumbersexual\" (just picture it and you'll know what it means) and \"woke\" (\"actively aware of systemic injustices and prejudices, especially those related to civil and human rights\").\n\nRelated: 10 new, old words to add to your vocabulary this year\n\nLiz McMillan, the CEO of Dictionary.com, told Time magazine that the process of adding new words is \"algorithm first and human second.\"\n\n“We get over 5.5 billion word lookups every year, and we analyze those lookups to identify new words that we haven’t seen before,” she told the magazine. “And when we see a critical mass of volume against a particular word, our lexicography team will start researching.”\n\nRyan Lasker is a George Washington University student and a USA TODAY College digital producer.\n\nThis story originally appeared on the USA TODAY College blog, a news source produced for college students by student journalists. The blog closed in September of 2017.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2016/07/22"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/05/06/brogrammer-hyperlocal-dictionarycom-adds-words/26925667/", "title": "Brogrammer, hyperlocal: Dictionary.com adds words", "text": "Lindsay Deutsch\n\nUSA TODAY Network\n\nFeeling some microaggression toward a blackhat who's doxxed you on a glanceable smartwatch platform?\n\nIf not, don't worry — that's just anecdata.\n\nDictionary.com unveiled its newest entries on Wednesday, focusing on new and updated technology terms along with thousands of new or revised definitions that reflect English terms used in-person and online.\n\nAccording to the company, the tech-based words were chosen based on their newsworthiness (see: revenge porn), and the volume by which words were searched on the site. Definitions have also been created for actions and items related to emerging technology like the Apple Watch (like glanceable). Scroll down for definitions.\n\nInterestingly, Dictionary.com is also assigning new, zeitgeist-attuned meanings to common words. For example, \"basic\" does not mean just \"generic\" now — its definition has been expanded on the website to include \"characterized by predictable or unoriginal style, interests, or behavior.\" (Take that, Ugg boots and lattes.)\n\nDictionary.com also added words related to an inclusive perspective on gender identification like agender, big gender and gender-fluid.\n\nHere's a selection of the new words:\n\nagender: relating to a person who does not have a specific gender identity or recognizable gender expression.\n\nanecdata: anecdotal evidence based on personal observations or opinions, random investigations, etc., but presented as fact.\n\nastroturfing: the deceptive tactic of simulating grassroots support for a product or cause undertaken by people or organizations with an interest in shaping public opinion.\n\nbasic: characterized by predictable or unoriginal style, interests, or behavior.\n\nbigender: relating to a person who has two gender identities or some combination of both.\n\nblackhat: a hacker who violates the security of a system for personal profit or for the gratification of causing damage.\n\nbrogrammer: a male computer programmer who is characterized as a bro.\n\ncrash blossom: an ambiguously worded headline whose meaning can be interpreted in the wrong way, as in \"Missing Woman Remains Found.\"\n\ncybercrime: criminal activity or a crime that involves the Internet, a computer system, or computer technology.\n\ndark web: the portion of the Internet that is intentionally hidden from search engines, uses masked IP addresses, and is accessible only with a special web browser.\n\ndox: to publish the private personal information of (another person) without the consent of that individual.\n\nesports: competitive tournaments of video games.\n\ngender-fluid: relating to a person whose gender identity or gender expression is not fixed and shifts over time or depending on the situation.\n\nglanceable: relating to information on an electronic screen that can be understood quickly or at a glance.\n\ngesture: a particular movement of the fingers or hand over a screen, used to control or interact with a digital device.\n\nhaptics: the study or use of tactile sensations and the sense of touch as a method of interacting with computers and electronic devices.\n\nhyperlocal: focused on a very small geographical community, such as a neighborhood.\n\nmicroaggression: a subtle but offensive comment or action directed at a minority or other nondominant group that is often unintentional or unconsciously reinforces a stereotype.\n\nmRDC: mobile remote deposit capture: a method of depositing a check by using a mobile device to scan an image of it and transmit the image to a bank.\n\nparallax: a 3-D effect observed when images and other elements in the foreground of a screen move at a different rate than those in the background.\n\nrevenge porn: sexually suggestive images of someone, typically a former romantic partner, that are posted online without the person's consent.\n\nship: to take an interest in a romantic relationship between fictional characters or famous people.\n\nsmartwatch: a computing device that resembles a wristwatch and is attached to a band worn around the wrist.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2015/05/06"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2018/09/24/scrabble-finally-adds-ok-ew-dictionary/1408096002/", "title": "Scrabble finally adds 'OK,' 'ew' to its dictionary", "text": "The Associated Press\n\nNEW YORK (AP) — Scrabble players, time to rethink your game because 300 new words are coming your way, including some long-awaited gems: OK and ew, to name a few.\n\nMerriam-Webster released the sixth edition of \"The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary\" on Monday, four years after the last freshening up. The company, at the behest of Scrabble owner Hasbro Inc., left out one possibility under consideration for a hot minute — RBI — after consulting competitive players who thought it potentially too contentious. There was a remote case to be made since RBI has morphed into an actual word, pronounced rib-ee.\n\nBut that's OK because, \"OK.\"\n\n\"OK is something Scrabble players have been waiting for, for a long time,\" said lexicographer Peter Sokolowski, editor at large at Merriam-Webster. \"Basically two- and three-letter words are the lifeblood of the game.\"\n\nThere's more good news in qapik, adding to an arsenal of 20 playable words beginning with q that don't need a u. Not that Scrabblers care all that much about definitions, qapik is a unit of currency in Azerbaijan.\n\n\"Every time there's a word with q and no u, it's a big deal,\" Sokolowski said. \"Most of these are obscure.\"\n\nThere are some sweet scorers now eligible for play, including bizjet, and some magical vowel dumps, such as arancini, those Italian balls of cooked rice. Bizjet, meaning — yes — a small plane used for business, would be worth a whopping 120 points on an opening play, but only if it's made into a plural with an s. That's due to the 50-point bonus for using all seven tiles and the double word bonus space usually played at the start.\n\nBeyond Scrabble:5 board games to try next\n\nMore Scrabble adds:New words like, 'facepalm' added to its dictionary\n\n\n\nThe Springfield, Massachusetts-based dictionary company sought counsel from the North American Scrabble Players Association when updating the book, Sokolowski said, \"to make sure that they agree these words are desirable.\"\n\nSokolowski has a favorite among the new words but not, primarily, because of Scrabble scores. \"It's macaron,\" he said, referring to the delicate French sandwich cookie featuring different flavors and fillings.\n\n\"I just like what it means,\" he said.\n\nMerriam-Webster put out the first official Scrabble dictionary in 1976. Before that, the game's rules called for any desk dictionary to be consulted. Since an official dictionary was created, it has been updated every four to eight years, Sokolowski said.\n\nThere are other new entries Sokolowski likes, from a wordsmith's view.\n\n\"I think ew is interesting because it expresses something new about what we're seeing in language, which is to say that we are now incorporating more of what you might call transcribed speech. Sounds like ew or mm-hmm, or other things like coulda or kinda. Traditionally, they were not in the dictionary but because so much of our communication is texting and social media that is written language, we are finding more transcribed speech and getting a new group of spellings for the dictionary,\" he said.\n\nLike ew, there's another interjection now in play, yowza, along with a word some might have thought was already allowed: zen.\n\nThere's often chatter around Scrabble boards over which foreign words have been accepted into English to the degree they're playable. Say hello to schneid, another of the new kids, this one with German roots. It's a sports term for a losing streak. Other foreigners added because they predominantly no longer require linguistic white gloves, such as italics or quotation marks: bibimbap, cotija and sriracha.\n\nScrabble was first trademarked as such in 1948, after it was thought up under a different name in 1933 by Alfred Mosher Butts, an out-of-work architect in Poughkeepsie, New York. Interest in the game picked up in the early 1950s, according to legend, when the president of Macy's happened upon it while on vacation.\n\nNow, the official dictionary holds more than 100,000 words. Other newcomers Sokolowski shared are aquafaba, beatdown, zomboid, twerk, sheeple, wayback, bokeh, botnet, emoji, facepalm, frowny, hivemind, puggle and nubber.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2018/09/24"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/11/16/scrabble-dictionary-new-words-board-game/10710369002/", "title": "Scrabble dictionary adds hundreds of words for board game", "text": "Leanne Italie\n\nAssociated Press\n\nNEW YORK – Here's the sitch, Scrabble stans. Your convos around the board are about to get more interesting with about 500 new words and variations added to the game's official dictionary: stan, sitch, convo, zedonk, dox and fauxhawk among them.\n\nOut this month, the add-ons in the seventh edition of “The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary” join more than 100,000 words of two to eight letters. The book was last updated in 2018 through a longstanding partnership between Hasbro and Merriam-Webster.\n\nThe new words include some trademarks gone generic – dumpster for one – some shorthand joy like guac, and a delicious display of more verb variations: torrented, torrenting, adulted, adulting, atted, atting (as in \"Don't at me, bro\").\n\n“We also turned verb into a verb so you can play verbed and verbing,” said Merriam-Webster’s editor at large Peter Sokolowski, a smile on his face and a word-nerd glitter in his eye during an exclusive interview with The Associated Press.\n\nYeet, sus and cringe:Merriam-Webster adds 370 new words and phrases to its dictionary\n\nWill Wordle get harder?:New York Times unveils big changes for popular word game.\n\nThe highest scoring newbie\n\nFauxhawk, a haircut similar to a mohawk, is potentially the highest-scoring newbie, he said. Embiggen, a verb meaning to increase in size, is among the unexpected. (Sample sentence: “I really need to embiggen that Scrabble dictionary.”)\n\nCompound words are on the rise in the book with deadname, pageview, fintech, allyship, babymoon and subtweet. So are the “uns,” such as unfollow, unsub and unmute. They may sound familiar, but they were never Scrabble-official, at least when it comes to the sainted game’s branded dictionary.\n\nTournament play is a whole other matter, with a broader range of agreed-upon words.\n\nSokolowski and a team of editors at Merriam-Webster have mined the oft-freshened online database at Merriam-Webster.com to expand the Scrabble book. Though the official rules of game play have always allowed the use of any dictionary that players sanction, many look to the official version when sitting down for a spot of Scrabble. Some deluxe Scrabble sets include one of the books.\n\nIn the past year or two, the Scrabble lexicon has been scrubbed of more than 200 racial, ethnic and otherwise offensive words, despite their presence in some dictionaries. That has prompted furious debate among tournament players. Supporters of the cleanup called it long overdue. Others argued that the words, however heinous in definition, should remain playable so long as points are to be had.\n\nDespite home play rules that never specifically banned offensive words, you won't find the notorious 200 in the Scrabble dictionary, with rare exceptions for those with other meanings.\n\nOne under the radar for years\n\nThe new Scrabble book includes at least one old-fashioned word that simply fell under the radar for years: yeehaw.\n\n“Yeehaw is like so many of the older, informal terms. They were more spoken than written, and the gold standard for dictionary editing was always written evidence. So a term like yeehaw, which we all know from our childhood and in movies and TV, was something you heard. You didn’t read it that often,” Sokolowski said.\n\nYeehaw, meet bae, inspo, vibed and vibing, all additions to the Scrabble dictionary. Ixnay, which was already in the book, has been promoted to a verb, so ixnayed, ixnaying and ixnays are now allowed.\n\nWelp, thingie, roid, skeezy, slushee and hygge (the Danish obsession with getting cozy) also made the cut. So did kharif, the Indian subcontinent's fall harvest.\n\nWhat's everyone talking about?Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day\n\nFoodie additions\n\nThe Merriam-Webster wordsmiths have added a slew of food-related words: iftar, horchata, kabocha, mofongo, zuke, zoodle, wagyu, queso and marg, for margarita, among them. Many Scrabble players couldn't care less about definitions – only points – but informatively:\n\nIftar is a meal taken by Muslims at sundown to break the daily fast during Ramadan. Mofongo is a traditional Puerto Rican dish made of fried or boiled plantains. Horchata is a sweet drink and kabocha is a winter squash.\n\nZonkey joins zedonk among new words using a Z, one of the highest scorers in Scrabble along with Q (each has a face value of 10 points). The difference between those two wacky-sounding animals, you ask? A zonkey is sired from a male zebra and a female donkey. The parentage of a zedonk is the other way around. Zedonk even has a playable variation: zeedonk.\n\nCOVID add-ons\n\nZoomer, for a member of GenZ, is also new. Familiar with the Middle Eastern spice blend za'atar? A less common variant, zaatar, is now in the Scrabble dictionary. Words with apostrophes aren't allowed.\n\nAnd there's more where all of that came from:\n\nOppo, jedi, adorbs, dox variant doxxed, eggcorn (a misheard slip of the ear), fintech, folx (inclusive alternative to folks), grawlix, hangry, matcha, onesie, spork, swole, unmalted, vaquita, vax and vaxxed were added.\n\nYes, jedi need not be capitalized. Wondering what grawlix means? It's this: $%!(asterisk)#, a series of typographical symbols used to replace words one doesn't want to write, usually those that got you into trouble as a kid.\n\nAmong other new eight-letter words, the kind that help players clear their seven-tile racks for 50 extra points: hogsbane, more commonly known as giant hogweed. Another: pranayam, a breath technique in yoga.\n\nSokolowski wouldn’t reveal all 500 of the new words, challenging players to hunt them down on their own. Are your Scrabble senses scrambled, so to speak?\n\n“All of these are words that have already been vetted and defined and added to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, and now we've determined they’re playable in Scrabble,” Sokolowski said. “You've got some fun new words.”\n\nSo which new entry is the word master's favorite? It's the one that sounds like the way acorn is pronounced.\n\n“I like eggcorn,” Sokolowski said, “because it's a word about words.”", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/11/16"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/02/27/yas-squad-goals-and-sausage-fest-added-oxford-dictionaries/98477138/", "title": "'Yas,' 'squad goals' and 'sausage fest' added to Oxford Dictionaries", "text": "Josh Hafner\n\nUSA TODAY\n\nOxford Dictionaries has published its latest update, adding more than 300 new words to its official collection such as \"yas,\" \"squad goals,\" \"drunk text\" and \"sausage fest.\"\n\nThat last term means \"an event or group in which the majority of participants are male,\" Oxford now explains. Also known as a \"sausage party,\" it inspired last year's crude comedy of the same name.\n\nOther newly added words include \"cat lady,\" \"drunk text\" and \"fitspiration,\" something that inspires one towards better health.\n\nOxford updates its collection every three months, often reflecting new terms and popular slang of the season. Slang and vulgar terms are marked as such, and Oxford defends their additions: \"Slang terms are just as real as any other word, and are included in the dictionary in just the same way.\"\n\nPast slang additions to the online reference guide include \"manspreading,\" \"butt-dial\" and \"cat cafe,\" but they're not all silly: Oxford's 2016 word of the year, \"post-truth,\" reflected an ominous shift in Western politics.\n\nHere's a list of notable additions from Oxford's latest update:\n\nBiatch (noun): Used as an affectionate or disparaging form of address.\n\nBrewer's droop (noun): Inability in a man to achieve or maintain an erection as a consequence of drinking an excess of alcohol.\n\nCat lady (noun): An older woman who lives alone with a large number of cats, to which she is thought to be obsessively devoted.\n\nClimate refugee (noun): A person who has been forced to leave their home as a result of the effects of climate change on their environment.\n\nCraptacular (adjective): Remarkably poor or disappointing.\n\nDrunk text (noun): A text message sent while drunk, typically one that is embarrassing or foolish.\n\nFitspiration (noun): A person or thing that serves as motivation for someone to sustain or improve health and fitness.\n\nHaterade (noun): Excessive negativity, criticism, or resentment.\n\nIn vino veritas (exclamation): Under the influence of alcohol, a person tells the truth.\n\nSausage fest (noun): An event or group in which the majority of participants are male.\n\nYas\n\n(exclamation): Expressing great pleasure or excitement.\n\nLearn more about the update and see additional words in this recent blog post at Oxford.\n\n► Related: Merriam-Webster adds new words: photobomb, ghost and microaggression", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2017/02/27"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/11/27/ivanka-inspired-complicit-named-word-year-dictionary-com/897709001/", "title": "Ivanka inspired: 'Complicit' Dictionary.com word of the year for 2017", "text": "Ivanka Trump's choice to remain involved in her father's presidency helped make \"complicit\" Dictionary.com's word of the year, but the site said the word resonates with a number of 2017's biggest stories from Washington to Hollywood.\n\n\"The word 'complicit' has sprung up in conversations this year about those who speak out against powerful figures and institutions and about those who stay silent,\" the digital dictionary said in an announcement, noting a 300% increase in look-ups for the word over last year.\n\nComplicit, defined as \"choosing to be involved in an illegal or questionable act, especially with others,\" first surged with lookups on March 12: Saturday Night Live prodded Ivanka the day prior in a faux commercial about her new perfume called Complicit, driving a 10,000% spike in the word's daily average.\n\nMore:Scarlett Johansson debuts as 'complicit' Ivanka Trump on 'SNL'\n\nIvanka remains an advisor to her father, despite indicating disagreement with him on a number of issues including climate change, support for LGBTQ Americans and whether Republican Senate nominee Roy Moore preyed on underage girls.\n\nThe next surge in lookups came on April 5, the site's data shows, when Ivanka appeared on CBS' This Morning and defined \"complicit\" as \"wanting to be a force for good and to make a positive impact.\" Ivanka, an Ivy League graduate, later said she didn't know what it meant to be \"complicit.\" Look-ups for the word spiked 11,000% after that.\n\nMore:Merriam-Webster defines complicit for Ivanka Trump\n\nA third, smaller spike came last month when Republican Sen. Jeff Flake claimed he would \"not be complicit\" with President Trump's actions. Yet Flake's actual votes had aligned with Trump's stances more than 90% of the time, as FiveThirtyEight noted, and \"complicit\" surged again.\n\nDictionary.com chooses its word of the year by analyzing spikes in look-up data that correlate with noteworthy events. The site also viewed \"complicit\" as resonating with the themes of many of 2017's largest stories, from the complicity of those who aided sexual harassment in Hollywood to social media giants like Facebook and Twitter seeming complicit with Russian propaganda.\n\nThe site also saw spikes for several other words of note:\n\nIntersex: The word trended in January after model Hanne Gaby Odiele revealed she was intersex to USA TODAY.\n\nHorologist: This term for a clockmaker saw look-ups spike after its use in the massively popular podcast S-Town.\n\nTotality: This word's surge came after the moon blocked out the sun over America in August.\n\nShrinkage: A house, featured in an iconic episode of Seinfeld in which this term was coined, hit the market earlier this year.\n\nTarnation: If you didn't see the \"what in tarnation\" jokes spring up online in early 2017, well, you kind of had to be there.\n\nFollow Josh Hafner on Twitter: @joshhafner", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2017/11/27"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/05/22/scrabble-adds-lolz-ridic-new-words/27777751/", "title": "Lolz! Scrabble adds new words and they are ridic", "text": "Lori Grisham\n\nUSA TODAY Network\n\nGetting rid of Z's in Scrabble just got a lot easier (lolz). The classic board game added more than 6,500 new words to its dictionary Thursday.\n\nThe additions are \"influenced by all parts of life including social media, slang, technology and food, plus English from around the world,\" publishing house Collins said in a statement on its website.\n\nThe new words include popular slang like \"ridic\" (short for ridiculous), \"bezzy\" (short for best friends) and \"lolz.\" Collins defines lolz as \"laughs at someone else's or one's own expense\" and is worth 13 points.\n\nThe dictionary, called Collins Official Scrabble Words, now has more than 276,000 permissible words players can use in a game.\n\nHere are a few other new words:\n\nEmoji: Digital icon used in electronic communication (14 points)\n\nTunage: music (8 points)\n\nBlech: Interjection expressing disgust (12 points)\n\nCheckbox: Small clickable box on a computer screen (28 points)\n\nWahh: Interjection used to express wailing (10 points)\n\nCakehole: Mouth (17 points)\n\nFollow @lagrisham on Twitter", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2015/05/22"}]}
{"question_id": "20230303_14", "search_time": "2023/03/15/03:28", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/30/investing/stocks-week-ahead/index.html", "title": "The Fed may have to blow up the economy to get inflation under ...", "text": "A version of this story first appeared in CNN Business’ Before the Bell newsletter. Not a subscriber? You can sign up right here.\n\nNew York CNN Business —\n\nThe Federal Reserve is most likely going to raise interest rates by three quarters of a percentage point again on Wednesday, its fourth straight supersized hike. And it’s still possible another rate increase of that magnitude could come in December.\n\nBut the big question for many investors – and American consumers – is whether the Fed will send the economy into a recession with these massive rate increases.\n\nThere are hopes that any downturn would be mild, but this is uncharted territory for the Fed. Former central bank chairs Alan Greenspan, Ben Bernanke and current Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen never had to raise rates this many times in a row by such large amounts.\n\nIt’s unclear what all this tightening will do to the economy. The housing market is already starting to show some signs of strain. Bond yields have spiked due to the Fed. And mortgage rates, which tend to move in tandem with the benchmark 10-year Treasury, have skyrocketed this year as a result.\n\nThere is also a growing chorus of Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill who are warning Fed chair Jerome Powell and other Fed members to slow down the rate hikes because they fear even tighter monetary policy will lead to a recession.\n\nBut as long as the jobs market remains healthy the Fed is probably going to continue to focus solely on its price stability mandate and ignore all that stuff about maximum employment.\n\n“The Fed has got more work to do,” said Steve Wyett, chief investment strategist at BOK Financial. “Inflation pressures take longer to come out of the system.”\n\nThe solid rebound in gross domestic product, or GDP, in the third quarter following two straight quarters of economic contraction may also quiet some (but not all) recession worriers. That could also prompt the Fed to continue its aggressive rate hiking stance…even if such a policy risks causing a recession down the road.\n\nToo many hawks?\n\nThe worry is that the Fed may be choosing to look more at current economic data and isn’t thinking enough about the lag effect of its existing rate hikes. Inflation in the US economy may not have peaked yet, but there is a growing sense that we’re pretty darn close to that.\n\n“It is critical that policymakers…prepare for a slowdown in demand as the lagged impact of rising interest rates and inflation begins to exert a powerful downward pull on economic activity,” Joseph Brusuelas, chief economist at RSM US, said in a report. He added that the economy “clearly is at risk of falling into recession in the near term.”\n\nThere’s another factor at play that could lead the Fed to raise rates sharply at its next two meetings and then slow down its pace.\n\nEvery year, there is a rotation of regional Fed presidents who get votes at the central bank’s policy meetings. The next change will take place before the Fed’s first meeting in 2023, which concludes on February 1. Experts point out that some of the new voting members may not be as inclined to support such large rate increases as the current roster of regional presidents on the policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee.\n\nSo there could be a shift from a more hawkish stance, (one likely to support higher rates) to another that is more dovish, (inclined to caution against future hikes.)\n\n“The policy temperament of the committee turns less hawkish in 2023. Sensing a closing window of opportunity, the more hawkish voting roster of this year may seek to do more while they still can, i.e. more front-loading,” said BNP Paribas Securities US economists Carl Riccadonna and Andy Schneider in a report.\n\nJobs report also on tap\n\nThe Fed meeting takes place just two days before the nation will get its next report card on the labor market. Economists are forecasting a slowdown in job growth, but not a substantial one.\n\nAccording to estimates from Reuters, experts predict that 200,000 jobs were added in October, down from jobs gains of 263,000 in September. (That September figure will likely be revised, however.)\n\nThe unemployment rate, which fell to 3.5% in September, is expected to have ticked up to 3.6% this month. But that’s still near a half-century low.\n\nThe numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics count both private sector and government jobs. Another jobs report, from payroll processor ADP, is also due out next week, and this one looks just at Corporate America.\n\nAccording to forecasts, economists expect the ADP numbers will show a further slowing down of hiring among businesses, with 190,000 jobs in September added compared to 208,000 a month earlier.\n\nEven if the pace of hiring is starting to slow, it’s clear that the labor market remains tight. Wages have grown at an above average pace, albeit not as fast as inflation.\n\nThe government said in the September jobs report that average hourly earnings rose 5% in the past 12 months. The Fed typically prefers to see wage growth in the 2% to 3% annual range as a sign that inflation is under control.\n\nAccording to figures released Friday, the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation, the so-called personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index, showed that prices were up 6.2% in the past 12 months through September.\n\nSo a more dramatic slowdown in wage growth seems unlikely as long as the job market remains robust and consumer prices keep shooting higher.\n\n“The pace of hiring is very high, unsustainable, and is pushing up wages and inflation,” economists at The Hamilton Project, a policy research group at the Brookings Institution, said in a recent report.\n\nUp next\n\nMonday: EU GDP; Eurozone inflation; earnings from Goodyear (GT), Aflac (AFL) and Avis Budget (CAR)\n\nTuesday: US ISM manufacturing index; earnings from BP (BP), Pfizer (PFE), Uber (UBER), Eli Lilly (LLY), Fox (FOXA), Prudential (PRU), Mondelez (MDLZ), AIG (AIG), AMD (AMD), Caesars (CZR), Clorox (CLX) and Electronic Arts (EA)\n\nWednesday: Fed rate decision; ADP jobs report; Germany PMI; earnings from CVS (CVS), Humana (HUM), Paramount, Yum (YUM), Ferrari (RACE), MetLife (MET), Allstate (ALL), Qualcomm (QCOM), Booking (BKNG), eBay (EBAY), MGM (MGM), Roku (ROKU) and Etsy (ETSY)\n\nThursday: Bank of England rate decision; US weekly jobless claims; US ISM services index; earnings from Cigna (CI), ConocoPhillips (COP), Marriott (MAR), Kellogg (K), Moderna (MRNA), Royal Caribbean (RCL), Wayfair (W), CNN owner Warner Bros. Discovery, Starbucks (SBUX), PayPal (PYPL), Amgen (AMGN) and Block (SQ)\n\nFriday: US jobs report; earnings from Cardinal Health (CAH), Duke Energy (DUK) and Hershey (HSY)", "authors": ["Paul R. La Monica"], "publish_date": "2022/10/30"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/12/politics/gun-violence-debate-second-amendment-what-matters/index.html", "title": "Gun violence keeps supercharging America's Second Amendment ...", "text": "A version of this story appeared in CNN’s What Matters newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here.\n\nWashington CNN —\n\n“There was blood on the floor. There was a lot of blood trailing on the floor,” one eyewitness said.\n\n“We heard a lot of loud pops,” another recalled.\n\n“There was police coming in. There was emergency vehicles pouring in,” an additional eyewitness recounted.\n\nTuesday morning’s Brooklyn subway shooting, which left 10 commuters with gunshot wounds, is the latest entry in America’s shameful tradition of gun violence.\n\n“We’re facing a problem that is hitting our entire nation right now and that is why this is a national response,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams told CNN’s Dana Bash. “We need a national response to this issue.”\n\nIt’s hard not to view this incident as yet another result of America’s polarized gun debate.\n\nMany Americans hold their right to bear arms, enshrined in the US Constitution, as sacrosanct. But critics of the Second Amendment say that right threatens another: the right to life.\n\nEach shooting seems to entrench everyone’s respective convictions.\n\nA most American problem\n\nWhile there’s a roiling debate over how to handle gun violence in the US, there’s no question about its prevalence.\n\nA rash of shootings over the weekend underscored the nationwide issue: Four people, including two teens, were shot near Nationals Park shortly after a Major League Baseball game in Washington, DC, on Saturday night, police said. In Illinois, six people were found injured after a shooting in a residential neighborhood early Sunday morning.\n\nPolice are investigating a shooting at a weekend birthday party in Indianapolis where six people were shot and one was killed. And two people were killed and 10 injured after a “targeted attack” at a Cedar Rapids, Iowa, nightclub, police say.\n\nThe head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention even deemed gun violence a “serious public health threat” last year.\n\n“Something has to be done about this,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in an exclusive interview with CNN in August. “Now is the time – it’s pedal to the metal time.”\n\nUnlike the Covid-19 pandemic, which has spread through populations worldwide, or the opioid epidemic gripping countries near and far, gun violence is a uniquely American tragedy.\n\nFrom a detailed CNN report late last year: The US has more deaths from gun violence than any other developed country per capita. The rate in the US is eight times greater than in Canada, which has the seventh highest rate of gun ownership in the world; 22 times higher than in the European Union and 23 times greater than in Australia, according to Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) data from 2019.\n\nDeadly division\n\nIn an all too familiar cycle, a shooting will prompt some to push for more gun control and others to lobby for less firearm regulation. A tense debate plays out before the issue fades from the national conversation.\n\nThen another shooting occurs – and we start the cycle over again.\n\nUnderscoring this trend on Tuesday was Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who signed a new law that allows eligible residents to carry concealed guns in public without licenses.\n\nThe move makes Georgia the 23rd state to not have a policy that requires a permit to carry concealed guns in public, per data compiled by Everytown for Gun Safety, a non-profit that focuses on gun violence prevention.\n\nOverall, a narrow majority of Americans are in favor of stricter laws on gun sales, and recent polling suggests broad support for measures that would restrict access to guns – but about half of the public says that neither stricter laws nor stricter enforcement would reduce the amount of violent crime in the US.\n\nGallup’s polling in October found that 52% of Americans think the laws covering the sales of firearms should be more strict, while just 11% said they should be less strict and 35% say they should remain as they are now.\n\nThat represents a decline in the share supporting stricter laws in recent years: About two-thirds said they favored stricter laws in Gallup polling conducted in 2018 and 2019.\n\nSupport for stricter gun laws tends to spike after high-profile mass shootings, such as the one at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, which had occurred a few weeks before Gallup measured its recent high of 67% support for stricter laws in March 2018.\n\nA Pew Research Center analysis of polling on gun laws in 2021 showed more than 8 in 10 in favor of preventing people with mental illnesses from purchasing guns (87%) and of making private gun sales and sales at gun shows subject to background checks (81%).\n\nSmaller majorities backed creating a federal database to track gun sales (66%), “banning high-capacity ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds” (64%) and “banning assault-style weapons” (63%). (Note that the results of polling on gun laws can be sensitive to question wording. Phrases noted in quotes here represent the exact wording of the poll’s questions).\n\nAn ABC News/Washington Post poll conducted in June 2021 found that 46% of Americans thought stricter gun laws would reduce the amount of violent crime in this country, while 53% said they would not. Slightly more, 51%, said stricter enforcement of gun laws would reduce the amount of violent crime, with 47% saying that would not reduce crime.\n\nWhat is Biden doing?\n\nPresident Joe Biden has made modest progress on gun control, but major steps like banning assault weapons or closing background check loopholes would require congressional action.\n\nWith those steps remaining long shots, the Biden administration has turned its attention to so-called “ghost guns,” announcing on Monday a new regulation addressing the government’s ability to track the unregulated, untraceable weapons made from kits.\n\nThe regulation specifically requires background checks before kit purchases and the inclusion of serial numbers on some components used to assemble weapons.\n\n“If you buy a couch you have to assemble, it’s still a couch. If you order a package like this one over here that includes the parts that you need and directs the assembly of a functioning firearm, you bought a gun,” Biden declared from the Rose Garden, striding over to the kit and demonstrating the ease of constructing the weapon.\n\n“It doesn’t take very long,” he said. “Anyone can order it in the mail.”\n\nCalls for something to be done about ghost guns have grown as their use in shootings across the US has proliferated, with the weapons recovered at crime scenes in some big cities more frequently.\n\nWhile ghost guns make up a relatively small percentage of the guns recovered by law enforcement, officials in several cities have reported sharp increases in those tallies, a CNN analysis of 2021 data found:\n\nIn San Francisco, for example, about 20% of the nearly 1,100 guns seized in 2021 were ghost guns, police there told CNN.\n\nNew York is on pace to again shatter the previous year’s total, according to data shared with CNN. Since the start of this year, the New York Police Department has recovered 163 ghost guns, compared with 29 over the same period in 2021, Adams said Monday. In 2021, New York authorities seized 4,497 firearms – 375, or 8.33%, were ghost guns.\n\nOf the 12,088 guns recovered in Chicago last year, 455, or 3.76%, were ghost guns, according to data from the city, up from 130 recovered in 2020, when ghost guns made up 1.15% of the 11,343 guns recovered.\n\nThe President has also named Steve Dettelbach, a former US attorney from Ohio, as his nominee to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The President’s previous nominee was forced to withdraw amid opposition in the Senate.\n\nWhat we can learn from other countries\n\nCountries that have introduced laws to reduce gun-related deaths have achieved significant changes, CNN’s detailed report found last year:\n\nA decade of gun violence, culminating with the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, prompted the Australian government to take action.\n\nLess than two weeks after Australia’s worst mass shooting, the federal government implemented a new program, banning rapid-fire rifles and shotguns, and unifying gun owner licensing and registrations across the country. In the next 10 years gun deaths in Australia fell by more than 50%. A 2010 study found the government’s 1997 buyback program – part of the overall reform – led to an average drop in firearm suicide rates of 74% in the five years that followed.\n\nOther countries are also showing promising results after changing their gun laws.\n\nIn South Africa, gun-related deaths almost halved over a 10-year-period after new gun legislation, the Firearms Control Act of 2000, went into force in July 2004. The new laws made it much more difficult to obtain a firearm.\n\nIn New Zealand, gun laws were swiftly amended after the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings. Just 24 hours after the attack, in which 51 people were killed, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that the law would change. New Zealand’s parliament voted almost unanimously to change the country’s gun laws less than a month later, banning all military-style semi-automatic weapons.\n\nBritain tightened its gun laws and banned most private handgun ownership after a mass shooting in 1996, a move that saw gun deaths drop by almost a quarter over a decade.\n\nBut America’s relationship to gun ownership is unique, and our gun culture is a global outlier. For now, the deadly cycle of violence seems destined to continue.", "authors": ["Paul Leblanc"], "publish_date": "2022/04/12"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/05/politics/republican-states-book-ban-race-lgbtq/index.html", "title": "Book bans move to center stage in the red state education wars ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nThe escalating red-state efforts to ban more books mark a new stage in the struggle to control the educational experience of America’s kaleidoscopically diverse younger generations.\n\nSince 2021, more than a dozen Republican-controlled states have passed laws or approved executive branch policies that restrict how public school teachers can talk about race, gender and sexual orientation, as in the case of the bill critics call “don’t say gay,” which Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law last week. But now, even as National Library Week arrives this week, the attempt to limit what materials are available to young people is spilling out from the classroom into the library.\n\nThough battles over access to controversial titles traditionally have been fought district by district, and even school by school, Republican-controlled states including Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Texas are now pushing statewide rules that make it easier for critics to remove books they dislike from school libraries in every community.\n\nAt the same time, although none have yet passed, more red states are seriously debating proposals that would make it easier for critics to force the removal of books even from public libraries serving the adult population.\n\n“The primary target still is school libraries and school librarians, K-12 teachers, but we are seeing this bleed over to public libraries,” says Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom at the American Library Association.\n\nTo the conservatives pushing this agenda, these new restrictions on libraries – like the parallel red-state laws limiting certain discussions in the classroom – are a means of protecting parental rights.\n\n“Parents want education for their kids: They are not interested in indoctrination through the school system,” DeSantis argued late last month when signing a bill facilitating efforts to remove books from school libraries.\n\nBut to a wide array of civil rights, civil liberties and free expression groups, these restrictions represent an effort to enshrine the values of one particular group of parents – conservative Whites – over the priorities and experiences of an increasingly diverse society in which kids of color now compose a clear majority of the public school student body nationwide.\n\nThere is an overarching trend here of interference with the right to learn and the right to access information. Vera Eidelman, a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union's Speech, Privacy and Technology Project\n\nThe parallel battles over how teachers address race, gender and sexual orientation and how libraries regulate access to books represent the broadest attempt to limit what students are taught since the “loyalty oath” demands on teachers during the red scare period of the 1950s, or even the “Scopes trial”-era laws banning the teaching of evolution during the 1920s.\n\n“There is an overarching trend here of interference with the right to learn and the right to access information,” says Vera Eidelman a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union’s Speech, Privacy and Technology Project. On both fronts, she says, critics are “targeting the same set of viewpoints and experiences and aspects of education,” primarily materials relating to race, gender roles and the experiences of LGBTQ individuals.\n\n‘Parallel movements’\n\nThe torrent of laws approved in Republican-controlled states since 2021 to limit how teachers can discuss race, gender or sexual orientation has been part of a much broader current. Since the 2020 election, the 23 states in which Republicans control both the governorship and the state legislature have approved a surge of statutes restricting abortion rights, making it more difficult to vote, barring transgender girls and women from participating in grade school or college sports, banning transgender care for minors and increasing penalties for public protest. Cumulatively, as I’ve written, these proliferating red-state measures constitute an attempt to reverse what legal analysts call the “rights revolution” of roughly the past 60 years, in which Congress and the Supreme Court have generally expanded the circle of basic civil rights and liberties guaranteed to all Americans and reduced the ability of states to curtail those rights.\n\nCritics of the new wave of red-state measures see an especially powerful through line connecting the laws that make it more difficult to vote and increase the legal penalties for disruptive public protest with the bills that censor classroom instruction or empower critics to ban books in school libraries. All three thrusts make it more difficult for opponents to mobilize opposition to the agenda the red-state Republicans are advancing.\n\n“There are parallel movements across voting rights and protest rights and education rights,” says Jonathan Friedman, director of free expression and education at PEN America, a free-speech group founded by prominent authors. “In each case, you have a kind of flowering of experimentation of legislation to see what kind of things can fit to make it harder for people to vote, to make it more costly to protest and what would make it harder to access information in school.”\n\nThe restrictions on classroom teaching have exploded across the red states since 2021. Jeffrey Sachs, a political scientist at Acadia University in Nova Scotia who tracks these proposals for PEN America, counts at least 13 Republican-controlled states that have approved laws censoring how teachers talk about “divisive concepts,” such as systematic racial inequity, and five more states with GOP governors that have imposed administrative limits on such teachings through state boards of education or other bodies.\n\nThe conservatives pushing these bills portray them as a necessary barrier against liberal attempts to “indoctrinate” students through concepts such as critical race theory, an academic analysis of systemic discrimination, or the 1619 Project, a New York Times project that stressed the impact of slavery on American society. At a recent event with DeSantis, Alicia Farrant, a mother and school board candidate in Orange County, Florida, described her state’s version of these proposals as proof that parents “will not cower to the divisive agendas that are infiltrating our public schools in order to corrupt and destroy the educational foundations of our great nation.”\n\nThis wave does not appear to have crested. The Florida legislation barring discussion of sexual orientation in the youngest grades and limiting it in older grades has spawned copycat bills in other Republican-controlled states. More states are also considering laws that would extend the classroom censorship to public colleges and universities. Other GOP-controlled states, including Missouri, are considering their own bills on race and gender, and some of the states that have already passed such laws are doubling back with new proposals – such as a proposed amendment to the state constitution in Arizona to ban the teaching of critical race theory.\n\n“The level of focus and unity of language that we are seeing across all of these different bills is pretty extraordinary,” Sachs says. “There is an incredible amount of overlap, down to the punctuation of these bills, so we can definitely consider this a national campaign and not one that is responding to the specific context of each state.”\n\nPublic libraries are not immune\n\nThis campaign has developed so much momentum that it has overflowed the classroom to reach the library – particularly those in schools, but now also, for the first time, lapping at the doors of those that serve the public.\n\nIn recent decades, these fights have unfolded mostly locally, with challenges to specific books at individual libraries. Those fights are clearly intensifying: On Monday, the American Library Association reported that in 2021 it had recorded 729 such efforts to ban books at school or public libraries, the most since it began cataloging these efforts in 2000. The most-challenged books, the group reported, were from Black or LGBTQ authors or centered on characters from those communities.\n\nBut this struggle is also expanding to a new level, with multiplying red-state efforts to create statewide policies designed to lead to the removal of more books. In Texas, for instance, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is pressuring school boards to remove what he calls “pornography” from school libraries. Abbott’s letter followed a more detailed complaint from a Republican state legislator who sent districts a letter inquiring about the presence of 850 books, including several by prominent Black or LGBTQ authors.\n\nIn Florida, DeSantis signed a bill late last month that requires school libraries to post more information about their collections and seek community input on materials they acquire. Most importantly, the new law requires the state Department of Education to collect and publish a report on which books have been removed in any district across the state.\n\nAt the bill-signing ceremony, DeSantis said these provisions would ensure that students are exposed only to age-appropriate books. The new measures will increase schools’ “ability to choose what is appropriate for different age groups,” he argued. “Parents are going to have the ability to have their voices heard.”\n\nBut opponents of the legislation say the requirement for the state Education Department to publish a list of books removed in any district provides a road map for critics to demand the removal of such books in all districts.\n\nFlorida, as is the case with many of the cultural flashpoints now dominating red-state legislatures, has moved fastest and furthest. But Georgia’s Republican-controlled legislature last week passed its own bill facilitating challenges to books in school libraries; measures targeting school libraries have also passed one chamber in the GOP-controlled legislatures in Kansas and Tennessee, though they face uncertain prospects of final approval. Similarly motivated bills have surfaced in Nebraska and Oklahoma as well.\n\nIn another escalation to the book wars, red state proposals are now emerging to ease the removal of books even in public libraries serving the adult, as well as the youth, population. These proposals generally would strip away the protection for librarians (and educators) from state obscenity laws, allowing officials to criminally charge librarians if they stock materials that a prosecutor considers obscene.\n\nWe all live in diverse communities these days … and we firmly believe that as public institutions, both public libraries and public school libraries need to serve the needs of everyone and reflect everyone’s lives in the library collection. Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom at the American Library Association\n\nRepublican legislators have introduced bills to eliminate those protections in more than half a dozen states, according to the American Library Association’s tracking. None have yet passed into law, though one has cleared the state House in Idaho. Yet given the pace at which ideas once on the fringe, such as bans on gender-affirming health care for transgender minors, are advancing through the red states, Caldwell-Stone says the library association is “deeply concerned that one of these bills will eventually pass and will be used as a means of both intimidating librarians or actually charging them with crimes – based on this falsehood that mainstream materials, published by mainstream publishers, are somehow illegal speech unprotected by the First Amendment.”\n\nLast fall, a library faced such an investigation in Campbell County, Wyoming, after a local church complained about the presence of LGBTQ and sexual education materials there; a special prosecutor appointed by the county ultimately decided not to press charges.\n\nAll these confrontations underscore the cultural chasm between increasingly diverse younger generations and the socially conservative, predominantly White and Christian, Republican coalition that holds power in the red states. Children of color have constituted a majority of the public school K-12 student body since 2014, according to federal statistics, and now make up nearly 55% of the total. Gallup recently reported that 1 in 5 members of Generation Z, as well as 1 in 10 millennials, identify as LGBTQ, far more than in older generations. And the Public Religion Research Institute has found that more than a third of young adults identify as secular, without affiliation with any organized religion.\n\nSupporters of the efforts to restrict classroom teaching and/or ban books, by contrast, often cite a threat to “traditional” morality as a justification. When DeSantis signed the bill easing challenges to school library collections, one of the speakers he brought to the podium was a mother who had been prominent in protests against school masking requirements in Volusia County. She said her concern about school libraries was prompted in part by a picture book called “Red: A Crayon’s Story,” in which a crayon labeled red discovers that it’s really blue. The mother, Rebecca Sarwi, said she objected to “subliminal messaging for kids that young” that “normalizes them to believe” that they may be “something other than the unique individual that God created them to be.”\n\nServing ‘the needs of everyone’\n\nSuch arguments highlight what may be the core issue in this intensifying dispute: Though the classroom and library restrictions are being portrayed as an effort to strengthen “parents’ rights,” in practice they mean giving one set of parents a veto over educational content not only for their own kids, but others’ as well.\n\nLibrarians “don’t disagree with parents who want to guide their children’s readings … but they stand firmly opposed to one family dictating what is available to everyone else in a school library or a public library,” Caldwell-Stone told me. “We all live in diverse communities these days … and we firmly believe that as public institutions, both public libraries and public school libraries need to serve the needs of everyone and reflect everyone’s lives in the library collection.”\n\nPolls have generally found broad skepticism about the new classroom and library restrictions. A recent CBS survey found that more than four-fifths of Americans opposed banning books because they criticized American history or discussed race. A recent Grinnell College national poll found more than 70% of Americans trusted school officials to decide what materials were appropriate for their libraries. In a recent CNN poll, only about 1 in 6 adults thought parents should have the principal say on how race is taught in schools.\n\nOne element is these (conservative) parents vs. all the other parents, and the other is the parents vs. the students. I don’t think it’s at all clear parents have rights to prevent their children from being exposed to the world. Jonathan Friedman, director of free expression and education at PEN America\n\nOpponents of the restrictive measures are trying to organize greater resistance to them. Red Wine and Blue, a nationwide group of suburban Democratic-leaning women fighting the red-state proposals, has organized a nationwide “read-in” of banned books on Thursday hosted by Dolly Parton’s sister Stella that features the authors of targeted books such as “I Am Rosa Parks” and “Heather Has Two Mommies.” That same day, a House Oversight and Reform subcommittee is holding a hearing on the book ban efforts, which could signal a turn toward greater attention to the issue from national Democrats.\n\n“After a long time of banging my head on the kitchen counter, I do feel like there’s progress and we are seeing some results,” says Katie Paris, Red Wine and Blue’s founder.\n\nParis says thousands of women have gone through the group’s training, which is designed to counter the organizing of the conservative organizations supporting the restrictions, such as Moms for Liberty. Though the number of proposed book bans continues to rise, Paris says, a smaller share of them have been approved in recent months by districts or school administrators, according to the group’s figures. In several cases, others note, students themselves are taking a more visible role in opposing these measures – as in the widespread walkouts in Florida against the “don’t say gay” bill and a lawsuit brought by Missouri students against a book ban in their school.\n\n“One element is these (conservative) parents vs. all the other parents, and the other is the parents vs. the students,” says Friedman. “I don’t think it’s at all clear parents have rights to prevent their children from being exposed to the world.”\n\nStill, even with occasional setbacks, the drive to control the flow of information to young people is demonstrating enormous energy in red states. With Congress unlikely to pass any national legislation combating this trend, opponents’ best chance to slow the tide are legal challenges, some of which are already working through the courts. In the 1982 Pico decision upholding the First Amendment rights of students, the Supreme Court ruled, as the ACLU’s Eidelman puts it, “schools cannot remove books from their shelves merely because they disagree with the ideas expressed in those books.”\n\nYet many observers note it’s unclear whether this more conservative Republican-appointed Supreme Court majority would uphold that standard. What is clear is that more of the red states appear intent on testing the boundaries of what the Supreme Court will allow through new laws facilitating the banning of books from school, or potentially even public, libraries.\n\n“This is one of the key characteristics of the era in which we live,” says Paris. “I think we’ve had to learn there are no bounds. That is what makes this a fight for democracy. This isn’t just a culture war sideshow.”", "authors": ["Ronald Brownstein"], "publish_date": "2022/04/05"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/01/uk/royal-racism-row-analysis-intl-cmd/index.html", "title": "Another race row has engulfed Buckingham Palace. Does the ...", "text": "London CNN —\n\nBritain’s royal hierarchy has changed dramatically in the past several weeks, after King Charles III became the country’s first new monarch for seven decades and several of his relatives stepped into new roles.\n\nBut there is a troubling familiarity to the first major crisis to grip the newly reorganized institution.\n\nThe royals are once again battling serious allegations of racism inside palace walls, after an honorary aide resigned and apologized following complaints that she repeatedly asked a Black British charity boss where she was “really from.”\n\n“It was like an interrogation,” Ngozi Fulani, who runs the domestic violence charity Sistah Space, told BBC Radio 4. “Although it’s not physical violence – it is an abuse.”\n\nThe aide, identified as Lady Susan Hussey in British media, served as the late Queen Elizabeth II’s lady in waiting for more than 60 years and is a godmother to the Prince of Wales.\n\nFulani was attending an event hosted by Camilla, Queen Consort, intended to highlight what she called a “global pandemic” of violence against women, and to celebrate the work of campaigners and charities who tackle the issue.\n\nBut the experience Fulani endured has overshadowed that message. “I have to really question how this can happen in a space that’s supposed to protect women against all kinds of violence,” she told the BBC.\n\nThe timing of the controversy couldn’t have been worse, erupting as it did on the first day of Prince William and Catherine’s visit to the United States for the Earthshot Awards ceremony, their first overseas trip in their new positions. Keen to draw a line under the situation playing out at home, Kensington Palace condemned the remarks of William’s godmother as “unacceptable,” adding that it was “right that the individual concerned has stepped aside with immediate effect.”\n\nNow, the royal institution is facing a fresh round of uncomfortable questions.\n\n“I was shocked. It’s 2022, and somebody can speak like that and think like that,” Diane Abbott, a Labour MP who represents Fulani and the first Black woman elected to the House of Commons in 1987, told CNN. Abbott said the suggestion that a Black person is not truly British is less prevalent today then decades ago, but still exists generationally.\n\n“King Charles III and a lot of people around him are very committed now to modernizing the monarchy. They want to modernize it, they want to keep it relevant,” Abbott said. “But this sort of incident takes them back.”\n\n“Meghan Markle talked about this, and she got roundly abused – and she’s still the target of negativity in the British press,” Abbott added, referring to the Duchess of Sussex. “I think this incident shows that what Meghan Markle was trying to indicate is true.”\n\nNgozi Fulani said the exchange was \"like an interrogation.\" Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock\n\nAn increasingly familiar debate\n\nA swell of goodwill surrounded the royals following the Queen’s death, but that sentiment was not limitless and the simple truth remains that the late monarch outshone all of her descendants, including King Charles, in terms of popularity among the public.\n\nIn the wake of his mother’s death, King Charles told religious leaders he felt he had a personal duty to “protect the diversity of our country.” But without the Queen’s unifying presence at the top of “The Firm,” the royals must now respond to serious questions about whether their institution adequately represents a multicultural Britain.\n\nThis was, after all, an aide previously at the heart of the royals’ inner circle. Hussey frequently accompanied Queen Elizabeth II to official engagements, riding alongside her to the funeral service for Prince Philip in 2021. She welcomed prime ministers and dignitaries to Buckingham Palace, stood by the throne at State Openings of Parliament, and was often pictured laughing alongside the matriarch, Charles and other royals at horse-racing events.\n\nBut now, Hussey’s comments have dragged the royal family back into a debate it has sought to dissociate itself from.\n\nQuestions of how robustly the palace confronts racism have swirled since Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, told Oprah Winfrey last year that someone in the family questioned her on the skin tone of her unborn baby.\n\nCNN was told last year that the Queen dispatched Hussey, along with her Dresser Angela Kelly, to offer advice, guidance and tutelage to Meghan after her entry into the royal family – an institution that the duchess has since said ignored her pleas over her mental health and made her feel unwelcome and isolated.\n\nAnd later last year, Britain’s Guardian newspaper unearthed documents, buried in the UK national archives, which revealed that the Queen’s courtiers had banned ethnic minority immigrants and foreigners from holding clerical positions at Buckingham Palace until at least the late 1960s.\n\nLady Susan Hussey was at the very center of the royals' inner circle. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images\n\nWhen this emerged, the palace didn’t confirm when this practice had ended but told CNN: “The Royal Household and the Sovereign comply with the provisions of the Equality Act, in principle and in practise. This is reflected in the diversity, inclusion and dignity at work policies, procedures and practises within the Royal Household.”\n\nSuch stories have forced royals to go on the defensive. Prince William told reporters in the aftermath of the Winfrey interview that the royals are “very much not” a racist family; months later, a senior royal representative later said Queen Elizabeth II supported the Black Lives Matter movement.\n\nAnd royals have since tentatively approached the thorny issue of the monarchy’s historic links to slavery, with then-Prince Charles saying in June that the “time has come” to confront the legacy of the practice. Many activists want more, such as a formal apology from the institution.\n\nIncidents like these recall a number of previous controversies and threaten to undo the efforts of the senior royals to present themselves as in-touch and relevant ambassadors for Britain – a particularly dangerous proposition in the early months of Charles’ reign.\n\nThere is progress – but it’s ‘not fast enough’\n\nHussey’s swift departure, and Kensington Palace’s immediate response, has been noted by some onlookers as a sign that the monarchy is learning from past mistakes.\n\n“A few years ago this incident would have been dismissed and Ngozi would have been regarded as too sensitive,” Abbott told CNN.\n\n“The speed of response this time, and the fact there was an apology and [William’s spokesperson] made a statement, does show that there is some progress on race issues in the royal family,” she said.\n\n“It’s not fast enough,” Abbott added. “I would like to see them have more Black people in the royal household, I would like to see them genuinely open their arms to Meghan Markle, and I would like to see them use their role to try and encourage a genuinely multiracial society.”\n\nOthers have also called for the monarchy to look inward. “There are clues here that this is a pattern; that it’s institutional,” Mandu Reid, the leader of the Women’s Equality Party who was present at the event and said she witnessed the conversion, told the BBC on Wednesday.\n\n“It really left its mark on me. It left its mark on Ngozi,” she said of the exchange, urging the royal family not to frame the incident as a one-off. “Don’t minimize, don’t deflect,” she said.\n\nAnd however much change is happening inside palace walls, the country is changing faster. On the same day of the Palace reception, results from last year’s national census revealed that people who described themselves as Christian in England and Wales fell from 59% to 46%, the first time it has dipped below half of the population. There was a huge surge in those who said they had no religion, while the number of Muslims rose to 6.5%.\n\nThe Christian faith has legal status in England, with the Church of England as the established church and the monarch as its titular head, the “Defender of the Faith.” The figures provide another example of how cultural attitudes in Britain are shifting away from those in which the monarchy is steeped.\n\nThe palace will hope that public anger over Hussey’s comments will subside following her resignation, but there are more roadbumps ahead. An immaculately timed trailer for the much-hyped Netlix documentary about Harry and Meghan was released on Thursday, with Meghan telling viewers they will “hear our story from us.”\n\nAnd, more significantly, the incident has hinted towards a question that may reappear during Charles’ reign, just as it did at times during his mother’s tenure: Can the royals adapt, or is the institution simply too archaic to represent Britain today?\n\nCORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misstated the year of Prince Philip’s funeral. It took place in 2021.", "authors": ["Rob Picheta"], "publish_date": "2022/12/01"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/50-states/2021/05/21/ballpark-vax-lottos-austin-city-limits-news-around-states/116407180/", "title": "In the ballpark, more vax lottos: News from around our 50 states", "text": "From USA TODAY Network and wire reports\n\nAlabama\n\nMontgomery: There will be new rules in place for street drinking in the city’s two entertainment districts when bigger crowds return later this summer. The Montgomery City Council unanimously approved the changes Tuesday, authorizing a new approach that Mayor Steven Reed said is geared toward creating a safer, more pedestrian-friendly environment. “It may not all happen tomorrow or this weekend, but those are some of the measures that we plan to implement going forward,” he said. People are currently allowed to drink from open containers in portions of downtown and in Cloverdale, but only after buying those drinks within those designated areas. Starting Aug. 1, they’ll need to drink from a standard cup provided by restaurants and bars, described in the ordinance as “an apple green disposable cup of any size.” They’ll also need to carry a receipt, part of an effort to stop people from bringing their own alcohol to the districts. City leaders said the details could still change before it goes into effect. “This is a work in progress as we deal (with) coming out of COVID,” Reed said. But he said the city wants to roll out improvements along the way and mentioned the possibility of big crowds by Independence Day. “That’s the hope, and we certainly want to be prepared for that,” Reed said.\n\nAlaska\n\nAnchorage: Norwegian Cruise Line has resumed ticket sales for voyages to the Last Frontier after the U.S. Senate passed a bill last week that could help save the state’s upcoming cruise season. The Alaska Tourism Restoration Act that passed unanimously would temporarily allow large cruise ships to skip required stops in Canadian ports while traveling between Washington and Alaska. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also last week issued updated guidance on mask mandates for vaccinated people, allowing them to go without masks and distancing in most places. “We remain optimistic that by working with the CDC and local port and government authorities in the destinations we visit that we will be able to resume safe cruising in the U.S. this summer,” a Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson said in an email to Alaska’s News Source. Tickets are on sale for trips on the company’s Norwegian Bliss ship for August through the end of the season. The statement from the cruise line did not specify what the end of the season would be. Ships in past have visited southeast Alaska into September. Tourism is an important industry in Alaska, particularly for many southeast Alaska communities heavily reliant on cruise ship passengers. The tourism sector was hard hit by the pandemic last year, with sailings canceled.\n\nArizona\n\nPhoenix: Health officials are hoping for a spike in COVID-19 vaccine demand with doses now available for children ages 12-15. A pop-up vaccination clinic for children is planned Saturday near downtown Phoenix, including much of the largely Latino Maryvale neighborhood. The Arizona Department of Health Services said people also will be going door-to-door to educate residents about vaccines and distribute yard signs. More than 5.6 million vaccine doses have been administered in Arizona. Nearly 3.2 million people, or 44.3% of the state’s eligible population, have received at least one dose. Nearly 2.7 million are fully vaccinated. Arizona reported 590 new cases of the coronavirus and 12 new deaths. The data posted on the state dashboard Thursday brings the totals since the pandemic began to 875,195 cases and 17,509 deaths. The number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 deviated little from the past few days at 591. Of those, 174 were in intensive care units.\n\nArkansas\n\nLittle Rock: Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Thursday that he won’t seek another extension of the emergency he declared because of the coronavirus pandemic, allowing it to expire at the end of the month. Hutchinson said the declaration that he first issued March 11, 2020, will expire May 30. “The public health concerns remain, and everyone in Arkansas needs to continue to take the virus seriously and to act accordingly,” Hutchinson said at a news conference. “The fact that I’m ending the public health emergency should not diminish anyone’s intensity on the need to get a vaccination or the need to protect from the virus that is still remaining in parts of our communities.” The Republican governor had already lifted the restrictions he’d issued because of the virus, including a mask mandate. Lawmakers this year also placed new limits on his emergency powers, expanding their ability to end his declarations and orders. Hutchinson noted that several executive orders he had issued in response to the pandemic, including loosened restrictions on telemedicine, were written into law by the Legislature this year. Meanwhile, he announced a $6.4 million ad campaign and another $2 million campaign aimed at minority communities in a bid to increase the state’s COVID-19 vaccination rate, one of the lowest in the U.S.\n\nCalifornia\n\nSimi Valley: After being closed for 14 months due to the coronavirus pandemic, the museum portion of the Reagan Presidential Library will reopen to the public next week. “We couldn’t be more pleased to reopen our doors to the community,” John Heubusch, executive director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, said in a statement Monday. “When President Reagan opened his library thirty years ago, I’m sure he never imagined it would be shut down for one day, let alone for 14 months.” The museum is scheduled to reopen May 26, initially with limited hours: Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will be open Monday, May 31, for Memorial Day. The library, which archives documents for researchers, remains closed with no scheduled reopening date, said library spokesperson Melissa Giller. In keeping with the latest federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, museum visitors who are fully vaccinated will not need to wear masks, museum officials said. People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second shot in a two-dose series or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine, according to the CDC. Proof of vaccination will not be required; the museum will work on an honor system, Giller said.\n\nColorado\n\nFort Collins: After a COVID-19 pause, the adult mental health diversion program has resumed in the 8th Judicial District, with the goal of directing people with mental health needs away from the criminal justice system and toward treatment. Since March, the program has added flexibility on who can qualify and an expanded referral program in hopes of making a bigger impact in the community, 8th Judicial District Attorney Gordon McLaughlin said. A pilot of the adult mental health diversion program in Larimer County launched in June 2019. In March 2020, due to COVID-19 restrictions on the courts, the program stopped accepting new referrals while still working with people who were already undergoing treatment, said Carrie Bielenberg, 8th Judicial District Attorney’s Office diversion coordinator. The state funding for the program was cut in June 2020. A grant from the county’s Behavioral Health Services reopened the program to new referrals March 1. Without the state funding restrictions, the program was able to expand who qualifies for the program, giving it the potential to serve more people.\n\nConnecticut\n\nHartford: On a bipartisan vote, the state Senate passed wide-ranging legislation Tuesday that declares racism a public health crisis, an issue proponents contend was exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic and needs to finally be addressed given the long-standing health care disparities in Connecticut. The legislation, designated Senate Bill 1 to underscore its importance to the Senate’s majority Democrats, passed on a 30-5 vote. It now awaits action in the House of Representatives. “This past year illuminated the inequities within our health systems,” said state Sen. Marilyn Moore, D-Bridgeport. “And I intentionally used the word ‘illuminate’ because they’ve always been there. But perhaps they existed because they were acceptable practices. But COVID-19 was the equalizer. And when we address these inequities, we make the systems better for all.” The bill creates a new state commission that will be charged with documenting the effect of racism on public health in Connecticut and coming up with its first strategic plan by Jan. 1, 2022 to begin eliminating health disparities and inequities in areas ranging from access to quality health care to air and water quality.\n\nDelaware\n\nWilmington: The state’s first lawsuit seeking to hold long-term care facilities accountable for how they cared for patients in the early days of the pandemic has been filed against a Wilmington nursing home. It’s likely to be the first of several lawsuits in Delaware that claim wrongful death and gross negligence against a long-term care facility. In the early weeks of the pandemic, about one-third of nursing homes in the state failed to follow protocols to slow the coronavirus’ spread. More failed inspections in recent months. Americans have been grappling with how the virus ravaged nursing homes. Unlike other states, Delaware has not granted long-term care facilities immunity during the pandemic, so they are not protected from lawsuits. This suit was filed March 23, nearly a year after the first Delaware nursing home resident died of COVID-19. At the center are two Brandywine Nursing and Rehabilitation Center residents who were considered high-risk for COVID-19 and died in April 2020. The facility, according to the lawsuit, provided “sub-standard care by allowing an environment to be created which exposed the Plaintiffs to an extremely dangerous and infectious disease, after being put on notice by (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid) that there was an imminent threat to the wellbeing of its residents.”\n\nDistrict of Columbia\n\nWashington: The Washington Nationals announced Wednesday afternoon that starting June 10, Nationals Park will be open to 100% capacity, and starting this Friday, fully vaccinated fans will not be required to wear masks at games, WUSA-TV reports. The Nats’ announcement comes just after D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the loosening of mask restrictions, following last week’s change in guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “The health and safety of our fans will remain our top priority as an organization, and our close collaboration with health experts and the Government of the District Columbia to maintain a safe ballpark environment will continue,” the organization said in a release. Ticketed fans who are not fully vaccinated will be required to wear an approved face covering at all times, except when actively eating or drinking in their seats.\n\nFlorida\n\nMiami: Baseball fans won’t be required to wear masks the next time they watch the Miami Marlins or the Tampa Bay Rays play at their home fields. Both teams updated their coronavirus mask policies Wednesday following recent changes to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations. The Marlins’ new policy says no fans will be required to wear masks, though those who aren’t vaccinated against COVID-19 are strongly encouraged to wear one. Vaccinated fans attending Rays games can leave their faces uncovered, but the team’s announcement says unvaccinated fans must wear masks at the ballpark. It wasn’t clear how park staff would determine who was vaccinated or how the rule would be enforced. The CDC last week said people who are fully vaccinated no longer need to wear a mask indoors or outdoors and can stop social distancing in most places. The next Marlins home game is Friday against the New York Mets. The Rays return to Florida on Tuesday to face the Kansas City Royals.\n\nGeorgia\n\nAugusta: Rural counties in general have had a tougher time getting residents vaccinated against COVID-19 compared to urban or suburban counties, a recent study found. But the Augusta area is bucking the trend, with most of the surrounding counties outperforming the urban center in Richmond County. Rural counties have been hit especially hard by the pandemic and surpassed urban counties in terms of cases per population last September, in part because of lower levels of health insurance coverage and higher rates of comorbidities that put people at greater risk, according a report this week from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But in terms of getting people vaccinated against the disease, urban counties fared better across the nation, with 45.7% receiving at least one dose of vaccine compared to 38.9%, the CDC study found. In Georgia, it was 20.7% in urban areas vs. 12.9% in rural counties, according to the study, which included data through April 10. In the Augusta area, it is almost the opposite. According to an analysis of Georgia Department of Public Health data, only Glascock and Jenkins counties among those surrounding Augusta had lower vaccination rates and a smaller number of vaccines given per 100,000 population than Richmond County. Most in fact, fared far better.\n\nHawaii\n\nHonolulu: Retailers say the state’s mask mandate is creating confusion and conflict among customers, many of whom come from different states to vacation in the islands. Hawaii still requires people to wear masks – whether vaccinated or not – at all indoor public places as well as outdoors when physical distancing is not possible. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed its mask recommendations for vaccinated people, state laws still apply, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports. Tina Yamaki, president of Retail Merchants of Hawaii, said enforcement has been a struggle throughout the pandemic, but it’s becoming harder now. “Now we’re having more visitors who say, ‘Well, we don’t have to wear masks in our state, and the CDC said,’ ” Yamaki said. “The CDC offers guidelines. It’s not the law. It’s a recommendation, and we have to follow the state law.” She said it puts retailers in a tough spot. “People are confrontational now,” Yamaki said. “We’ve had confrontations, and that’s the sad part about it. No. 1: We’re not doing it because we want to make your life harder. It’s the law. No. 2: We want to make sure everybody is safe.” Violations of the mask mandate can result in fines for the violator as well as for the retail business, Yamaki said.\n\nIdaho\n\nIdaho Falls: Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin announced Wednesday that she is running for governor, aligning her campaign with an emphasis on individual liberty, state sovereignty and traditional conservative values sure to play well in the deeply conservative state. McGeachin has strongly contested fellow Republican Gov. Brad Little’s coronavirus mitigation strategies throughout the pandemic and took them on again in her campaign announcement. “You will certainly not be required to wear a mask” in the governor’s office if she wins. “Simply put, the status quo has got to go,” McGeachin said. “Idahoans are tired of being ignored, shut out of the process, declared nonessential and discriminated against by the state.” Little never issued a statewide mask mandate, but early last year he issued a stay-at-home order and declared some jobs nonessential as COVID-19 patients threatened to overwhelm the state’s hospital system. The move was credited for bringing down the coronavirus caseload, but unemployment rose. Infections then surged again in the summer after Little lifted the restrictions. In her speech, McGeachin frequently criticized those orders as evidence of an out-of-control government. She did not mention the 190,000 Idaho residents who have been infected with the virus or the more than 2,000 who have died.\n\nIllinois\n\nSpringfield: COVID-19 cases in the state are continuing to decline, another sign of progress as Illinois nears full reopening in June. The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 1,542 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, a decrease of 20% over the previous week and 61% since April 9, when the spring spike hit a high of 4,004 cases. The statewide coronavirus test positivity rate remains steady at 2.7%, while the rate as a percentage of total tests has ticked down to 2.2%, the lowest since March 15. IDPH also reported 42 deaths. Illinois vaccination numbers, meanwhile, continue to increase. IDPH reported 47% of all adults – 4.9 million people over age 18 – have been fully vaccinated, and 64% of adults – 6.3 million people – have received at least one dose. Thursday’s numbers weren’t at the peak levels of March and April, but IDPH reported 89,832 new doses, with the seven-day average moving up to 65,998 vaccinations per day. Overall, the state has provided 10,640,990 doses of the vaccine since beginning the vaccination program in December, with 4,935,680 people having been fully vaccinated, making up 38.74% of the total population.\n\nIndiana\n\nIndianapolis: The National FFA Organization is bringing its annual convention back to Indianapolis this fall – another sign of the city’s return to normalcy amid the coronavirus pandemic. The organization, which promotes and supports youth education in agriculture, announced Wednesday that it will host its 2021 convention and expo in person Oct. 27-30 at the Indiana Convention Center. The 94th convention and expo also will have a virtual component. The National FFA annual convention has traditionally drawn 65,000 attendees and is one of the larger tourism events held in Indianapolis. “We are excited to come back to the great city of Indianapolis that has been such a gracious host to us in years past,” Mandy Hazlett, associate director of convention and events at the National FFA Organization, said in a news release. “We know the convention will look a bit different this year, but we are excited to offer this opportunity to our student members once again.” A spokeswoman for the organization said the National FFA is working with local health officials and the venue on capacity limits. “We are estimating more than likely half of the normal attendance,” said Kristy Meyer, communications manager. “The health and safety of our members are always at the forefront of our decisions.”\n\nIowa\n\nDes Moines: A new law barring local governments and school boards from enacting mask mandates stricter than what the state has in place shows “the willful ignorance” of its backers, an infectious disease doctor said Thursday. Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the bill, introduced on the final day of the session, into law in the middle of the night as witnesses to the ceremony clapped, according to video posted by Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley. Des Moines infectious disease Dr. Rossana Rosa, who has been critical of Reynolds’ pandemic response, said the law makes no sense for coping with public health during the COVID-19 pandemic or other threats that may arise. The coronavirus spreads through community interactions, and a mask primarily protects other people, not the person wearing it. “What happens to one individual is actually linked to what happens to other people in the community,” Rosa said. The new law “is completely wrong. It is so wrong, so unscientific to say that (this is about individuals). It just shows you the willful ignorance of those who put this into law.” In a statement about the bill signing, Reynolds wrote that the law “is putting parents back in control of their child’s education and taking greater steps to protect the rights of all Iowans to make their own health care decisions.”\n\nKansas\n\nTopeka: Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly is facing increasing pressure from companies, business groups and prominent Republicans to have the state stop paying an extra $300 a week in benefits to unemployed workers. The top three Republicans in the Kansas House on Wednesday called on Kelly to end the additional benefits. Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr., of Olathe, Speaker Pro Tem Blaine Finch, of Ottawa, and Majority Leader Dan Hawkins, of Wichita, issued a joint statement calling the extra benefits “counterproductive,” in response to a letter Tuesday to Kelly from the Kansas Chamber of Commerce and 180 organizations arguing that many businesses forced to restrict operations during the pandemic now are having problems hiring enough workers “to return to full capacity.” Many Republicans argue that the additional benefits discourage people from accepting employment. An analysis by Bank of America economists found that people who had earned $32,000 or less at their previous jobs can receive as much or more income from jobless aid, and some unemployed workers say the extra benefit has allowed them to take more time to look for work and puts pressure on employers to raise wages. In Kansas, the minimum wage has remained at $7.25 an hour since 2009, or about $15,000 a year full time.\n\nKentucky\n\nLouisville: Louisville Metro Government plans to begin requiring city employees to provide their COVID-19 vaccination status as it prepares to fully reopen all its facilities. Proof of vaccination won’t be required, but if a worker does not have a vaccination card on file, they must provide a declination form “without exception,” according to a memo sent to city employees Friday, said Jean Porter, spokeswoman for the Mayor’s Office. Ernestine Booth-Henry, Louisville Metro’s human resources director, said the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office reviewed the possibility of mandatory vaccinations and said there are “significant legal concerns” that should be resolved before Metro considers such a mandate. “Our focus is on encouraging all Metro employees to receive the vaccine, removing barriers that might keep them from it, including education and greater access, along with the vacation incentive we discussed,” Booth-Henry said in a statement. About 47% of Jefferson County residents were vaccinated as of Tuesday, according to state data. That’s slightly higher than the statewide rate, with 44% of Kentuckians having received at least the first dose of a vaccine. Just under 48% of the entire United States population has received at least a first vaccine shot, according to the Mayo Clinic.\n\nLouisiana\n\nLafayette: The state’s vaccination rates largely mirror 2020 voting patterns and education lines, with parishes that voted for President Donald Trump in 2020 and where residents have low rates of college degree attainment less likely to get vaccinated, data shows. About one-third of Louisiana residents have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, data from the Louisiana Department of Health shows. But in some parishes, less than a fifth of residents have received a dose. COVID-19 vaccination has been politically polarized since the shots began rolling out. The 2020 Louisiana Survey found a significant difference in the number of people willing to get the vaccine along party lines. “There is a stark partisan divide in thinking about vaccination against COVID-19,” the survey said. In early March, 17% of adults in Louisiana had received a COVID-19 vaccine, the survey found, with another 41% saying they would get the vaccine when it became available. But there was a wide gap between Republicans and Democrats, the survey found. About half of Republicans – 49% – said they had gotten the vaccine or intended to, but another 43% said they would not get the vaccine. Among Democrats, 78% said they had been or intended to be vaccinated, and 13% said they would not get the vaccine.\n\nMaine\n\nAugusta: The Legislature gathered Wednesday for what could be the final time at the Augusta Civic Center as legislative leaders contemplated moving business back to the State House. Lawmakers have been meeting at the civic center because there is plenty of space to distance themselves as a precaution against the coronavirus. But Democratic Gov. Janet Mills is easing restrictions on indoor gatherings effective next week, and legislative leaders are considering moving back to the State House. There has been no session at the State House since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020. There’s no shortage of work to be done. With less than a month before the session ends, lawmakers face a Friday deadline for finishing committee work. Lawmakers who are meeting in special session still have to address the governor’s second budget proposal and a bond package, along with bills targeting a hydropower corridor in western Maine and a proposal to create a consumer-owned electric utility. The goal is to wrap up work by the statutory deadline of June 16, though that date is not set in stone because lawmakers are in a special session.\n\nMaryland\n\nAnnapolis: The Maryland Lottery is giving away $2 million in 41 consecutive lottery drawings for people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 – the state’s latest promotion to encourage people to get inoculated. Starting Tuesday, the Maryland Lottery will hold the first of 40 consecutive daily drawings for a $40,000 prize. On July 4, the drawing will be for $400,000. “Get your shot for a shot to win,” Gov. Larry Hogan said on the lawn of the governor’s residence, with a man dressed as a large lottery ball standing by him. To be eligible, a participant must be a Maryland resident who is 18 or older and has been vaccinated in the state. Everyone who has gotten a shot will be automatically entered into the drawing. “If you’ve not been vaccinated yet, the sooner you do so, the sooner you get your shot, the more lottery drawings you will be eligible for,” Hogan said. “All winners will be notified by the Maryland Department of Health, and all funding is being provided from the Maryland lottery’s marketing fund.” Gordon Medenica, Maryland’s lottery director, emphasized that privacy will be maintained. Maryland does not require lottery winners to publicly disclose their identity.\n\nMassachusetts\n\nPittsfield: A man claims that a national addiction treatment program with offices in Pittsfield and Cummington failed to take precautions to protect him, fellow staff members and residential clients from COVID-19 infection. Stephen Seward and four co-workers filed a lawsuit in Hampshire Superior Court against Vertava Health LLC alleging that prior to February 2021 the company had no clear protocols on how to prevent or manage a COVID-19 outbreak, the Berkshire Eagle reports. Michale Aleo, the attorney representing the five employees, told the publication that when the plaintiffs would raise concerns about how the company is handling a potential outbreak, “they were either ignored or, worse, fired.” “Given this last year that we have collectively struggled through, such conduct by the facility, as the plaintiffs have alleged, is simply unconscionable,” Aleo wrote in an email. A Vertava executive declined to comment on the lawsuit and said that the company is “committed to the safety and well-being of our staff and maintaining the highest level of quality and care for our patients.”\n\nMichigan\n\nLansing: The state’s health department will urge schools to continue making students, teachers and other staff wear masks for the rest of the academic year even if they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration recently lifted a mask mandate for people who are outdoors – regardless of their vaccination status – and exempted those who are fully vaccinated from an indoor mask requirement. The move came a day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidelines that essentially work on the honor system, leaving it up to people to do the right thing. Whitmer spokesman Bob Wheaton said the forthcoming state guidance will “keep students and families safe.” About 31% of residents ages 16 to 19 have gotten at least one COVID-19 shot. Roughly 7% of those ages 12 to 15 have received one dose of a vaccine since that group became eligible nearly a week ago.\n\nMinnesota\n\nSt. Cloud: There were eight new COVID-19 deaths reported across the state Thursday and 874 new cases, according to a report from the Minnesota Department of Health. Statewide, the number of people who have tested positive for the coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic reached 597,052 on Thursday, and 7,333 people have died, according to the health department. Over that same time, 31,642 people have required hospitalization for COVID-19 in the state, and 6,434 have required intensive care, according to the report. As of Tuesday, more than 2.7 million people in the state have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and over 2.4 million have completed all doses in their series, according to the health department.\n\nMississippi\n\nJackson: Campbell’s Bakery in the Fondren neighborhood is still open for business, but back in February, owner Mitchell Moore wasn’t sure how long that might be the case. The COVID-19 pandemic that ravaged the American economy in 2020 had come home to roost, and it had already closed two of his other bakeries in the Belhaven neighborhood and Madison. It was only thanks to the kindness of strangers and the local community that he made it through the worst of it. A GoFundMe campaign helped Moore raise thousands, and more customers came by with checks to help support him even as the pandemic forced some in the restaurant business into dire straits. According to an April report from the Federal Reserve System, economists believe there may have been a 25%-30% increase in business closures in 2020 due to the pandemic. Though Moore said he doesn’t have the same level of business he once enjoyed, the fact that he’s able to work at all is something he’s thankful for. “Business is still weird,” he said. “We’re certainly busy where we’re doing as many cakes as we possibly can; the cakes are all just smaller. But things are definitely looking up.” And thanks to a new federal fund aimed at helping struggling restaurant owners, more help could be on the way.\n\nMissouri\n\nSt. Louis: Busch Stadium will return to full capacity starting June 14, the St. Louis Cardinals announced Wednesday. The news came a day after the cross-state rival Kansas City Royals announced that Kauffman Stadium would go to full capacity May 31. Major League Baseball reduced its regular season to 60 games last season due to the coronavirus pandemic, and no fans were allowed in the stands. Stadiums reopened this season with limited capacity, but the increasing numbers of vaccinated Americans combined with declines in new cases, hospitalizations and deaths have prompted ballparks to gradually increase the number of fans allowed at games. The Cardinals announced May 14 that fully vaccinated fans were no longer required to wear masks inside the stadium. Some protocols will remain in place. The Cardinals will use mobile-only ticketing. Concession stands and kiosks will not accept cash. No bags will be permitted inside the stadium, with some exceptions such as diaper bags.\n\nMontana\n\nHelena: The state’s head of public instruction wrote a letter to school superintendents Wednesday strongly recommending that districts end their mask mandates and make face coverings a personal choice starting in the fall. State Superintendent Elsie Arntzen’s letter also offers support to schools that decide to lift mask requirements for the remainder of the school year and for summer programs, KULR-TV reports. “We cannot enter another school year subjecting our students to any additional loss of instruction time,” Arntzen wrote. “We also cannot perpetuate the notion that masks will be a permanent feature in our state’s classrooms.” In February, Gov. Greg Gianforte issued an executive order urging schools to make reasonable efforts to follow guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Montana Office of Public Instruction, Arntzen noted in her letter. The CDC still recommends wearing face coverings in schools. The Montana Federation of Public Employees, which has teachers among its members, said masking decisions should be made locally. “MFPE celebrates the fact that many Montanans are ready to get vaccinated and unmask,” MFPE President Amanda Curtis said in a statement. “It’s unfortunate that our superintendent of public instruction either doesn’t understand or doesn’t honor the local control system of Montana public education established in our constitution.”\n\nNebraska\n\nOmaha: Mask mandates are expiring in several of the state’s largest cities as more people get vaccinated against COVID-19. Lincoln’s mask mandate was set to expire at the end of Thursday, Omaha’s will disappear at the end of next Tuesday, and in the Omaha suburbs, Ralston ended its mandate earlier this week, the Omaha World-Herald reports. The state has seen infection rates come down as vaccinations have become ore widely available. “Overall, we’ve been winning the race between infections and injections,” Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Director Pat Lopez said. The end to several mask mandates in Nebraska comes after the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eased its mask-wearing guidance for people who have been fully vaccinated, allowing them to stop wearing masks in many settings. The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Nebraska decreased over the past two weeks, going from 198.71 new cases per day May 3 to 100.14 new cases per day Monday. In another sign that coronavirus infections are going down, the state said the number of people hospitalized with the virus in the state slipped below 100 over the past week and hit 91 on Wednesday. Nebraska health officials also said 52.4% of the state’s population over age 16 has now been fully vaccinated.\n\nNevada\n\nLas Vegas: The Malaysia-based owner of one of the biggest casino projects ever on the Las Vegas Strip won regulatory approval Thursday to deal cards, roll dice and welcome gamblers when Resorts World Las Vegas opens June 24. With praise for the $4.3 billion development and the boost it could provide in a pandemic-battered economy, the Nevada Gaming Commission granted licenses to Genting Group, based in Kuala Lumpur, and its publicly traded subsidiary, Genting Malaysia Berhad. “We look forward to seeing it open and running,” Commission Chairman John Moran Jr. said after the unanimous vote. Scott Sibella, president of Resorts World Las Vegas, said the project six years in construction was being completed “on time and on budget.” “We want to be the most sophisticated, state-of-art casino in the world,” Sibella declared as he spoke about technological advances built into what will be the first new resort to open in more than a decade on the Strip. It will incorporate natural outdoor light in many restaurant and convention areas and a ventilation system that Sibella said was designed to produce “the best air quality money can buy.”\n\nNew Hampshire\n\nLittleton: A celebration in honor of an orphan girl who remains optimistic in spite of the many challenges she faces is back on schedule after it was canceled last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. “Pollyanna Glad Day” is a go for June 12 in Littleton, paying tribute to classic 1913 children’s book “Pollyanna” and author Eleanor Porter, who was from Littleton. “We’re mostly celebrating that we made it through a rough year,” Veronica Francis, owner of Notch Net and the Go Littleton Pollyanna Glad Shop on Main Street, told the Caledonian-Record. “There will be a celebration all around downtown. We’re ready. It’s been a tough year, and it’s fine to celebrate.” There will be music, food and souvenirs, such as a “Pollyanna Power” T-shirt depicting Pollyanna as a superhero in a cape. “We are stressing the fact that Pollyanna Day is a good day to reset gladness and reset your optimism,” said Karen Keazirian, executive director of Pollyanna of Littleton Inc.\n\nNew Jersey\n\nWest Orange: The state’s largest private employer, the RWJBarnabas Health system, will require supervisors and higher-level staff to be vaccinated for COVID-19 by the end of June – a decision it said Thursday will eventually be extended to all 35,000 members of its staff. The 11-hospital system is “committed to providing a culture of safety,” said Barry Ostrowsky, its president and CEO. “We have an obligation to do all we can to protect our patients and the communities we serve.” About 500 members of the supervisory staff are currently unvaccinated, an RWJBarnabas spokeswoman said. The policy for those who do not comply “is being finalized over the next several days,” she said. The health system appears to be the first major employer in New Jersey to require at least some of its staff to be vaccinated. No other major New Jersey company has made such a requirement, said Tom Bracken, CEO of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce. “Our position is if employers want to do it, they can do it,” he said. “We’re very much in favor of getting the workforce vaccinated. It creates a safer work environment. It helps open the economy up and gets us back to where we want to be.” Gov. Phil Murphy was pleased with the decision as well, according to a spokeswoman.\n\nNew Mexico\n\nSanta Fe: State education officials are budgeting up to $10 million in pandemic relief money to create internships for high school students, while nonprofits and school districts are bringing back summer enrichment opportunities to meet rising demand. As many as 2,600 students across New Mexico could participate in the internship program, according to the Public Education Department, which announced the program Tuesday. The agency started developing the program last year and is in the process of hiring up to 150 part-time adult coordinators. Seven tribal and 18 county governments have signed up to coordinate internships in their offices or at partner nonprofits, including summer camps. “I think there’s a lot that they can do in our summer program setting,” said Colby Wilson, CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Central New Mexico, which is planning on placing some of the interns through a partnership with county officials. Some parents are unsure about sending kids to group activities, and Wilson said registrations have been a little slower. Summer program sign-ups coincide with a vaccine rollout for children 12 and up, and demand could return to normal. On Wednesday, state officials said that more than 50,000 residents ages 12-18 registered for COVID-19 vaccines during the first week of May.\n\nNew York\n\nAlbany: Anyone who gets vaccinated at select state-run sites next week will receive a lottery scratch ticket with prizes potentially worth millions, as Gov. Andrew Cuomo tries to boost slowing vaccination rates. The pilot program will offer prizes from $20 up to $5 million and run from Monday, May 24, to Friday, May 28, at the 10 state-run sites, Cuomo said Thursday. “It’s a situation where everyone wins,” he said at a press conference in Buffalo. The governor said there’s a 1 in 9 chance of winning a scratch ticket prize in New York, which is joining other states, including Ohio, with similar lottery incentives. Only residents 18 and older are eligible, according to a press release. New York also plans to set up pop-up vaccination sites at seven airports across the state for U.S. residents, including airport workers. New York has fully vaccinated about 43% of its 20 million residents, above the national average of 37.8%. Still, Cuomo said the pace of vaccinations has slowed: New York has recorded an average of 123,806 daily shots in arms over the past 14 days. That’s down 43% from 216,040 as of April 12.\n\nNorth Carolina\n\nRaleigh: Unemployment benefit recipients could get bonuses of $1,500 if they return to work soon under a measure unveiled Thursday by Republican legislators. A Senate committee discussed but did not vote on the proposal, which is designed to get people off unemployment benefits that are boosted by supplements from the federal government. Employers are struggling to fill job vacancies as the post-coronavirus economy surges. Under the measure, the supplements would be used to give $1,500 to benefit recipients who start a new job by June 1, with the bonus lowered to $800 if they begin a job by July 1, according to media reports. “It goes against the grain to me that we got to pay people to go to work,” said Sen. Tom McInnis, R-Richmond County. “But we don’t have a choice.” McInnis said he recently spoke to a factory operator who may be be forced to fill an upcoming order overseas if he can’t find enough workers at home. The proposal also tightens unemployment benefit rules that had been loosened over the past year. Benefits would be eliminated if a person refused to take a job that pays at least 120% of the person’s state benefit, not counting federal supplements. The unemployed also would lose benefits if they fail to make three weekly job contacts or show up for interviews.\n\nNorth Dakota\n\nBismarck: The North Dakota Department of Health is partnering with Taxi 9000 to provide free transportation to Bismarck and Mandan COVID-19 vaccination sites. Krissie Guerard, health equity director for the NDDOH, said the initiative “is one more way to increase uptake in COVID-19 vaccinations to individuals that do not have access to other forms of transportation.” The service is available through June 30. To schedule a ride, an individual can call Taxi 9000 at 701-223-9000 between 5 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., seven days a week. “As a business, we want to do our part to protect our patrons,” said Gary Schumacher, proprietor of Taxi 9000. “We are already in the business of transporting our community to and from medical appointments; this is another avenue to help. As a community, we are all in this together to stop the spread of COVID-19.” Those needing assistance scheduling a vaccination can call the NDDoH COVID-19 hotline at 866-207-2880 (press 2) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Hours may vary on holidays.\n\nOhio\n\nColumbus: The state made about $2.1 billion in unemployment insurance overpayments during the coronavirus pandemic, according to Ohio’s human services agency. That figure includes overpayments that were the result of fraud or errors, Matt Damschroder, director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, said Monday. Errors could involve mistakes by businesses – such as late reporting of an employee’s wages – by individuals filing for unemployment, or by the state, Damschroder said. The overpayments came in both the traditional state unemployment insurance program and the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program. The largest amount of nonfraud overpayments came in the federal aid program that covers self-employed individuals, at about $1.2 billion. The largest amount of overpayments due to fraud involved the same federal program, with about $440 million. Ohio is working on a program that could establish waivers of the overpayments for individuals who received them through no fault of their own, Damschroder said. In the past 60 weeks, the state distributed more than $9.8 billion in unemployment compensation payments to more than 997,000 Ohioans and more than $10.8 billion in federal pandemic payments to more than 1 million residents.\n\nOklahoma\n\nTulsa: The Tulsa Health Department is contacting 1,150 people who received improperly stored doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, according to city and state health officials. The vaccine was kept in cold storage for up to two weeks longer than the recommended maximum of 14 days, Tulsa Health Department Director Bruce Dart said Wednesday. The improper storage does not present a health risk, according to Dr. Gitanjali Pai, chief medical officer at the Oklahoma State Department of Health. “There is no medical risk to the individuals who received a dose of COVID-19 vaccine that had been in storage for longer than 14 days,” Pai said. “However, past this 14-day mark, the vaccine may not be as effective at protecting you from COVID-19. For this reason, we are asking these individuals to receive another dose of the vaccine.” The doses were administered May 3-17 at the James O. Goodwin Health Center, the Central Regional Health Center, the Sand Springs Health Center, and the North Regional Health and Wellness Center. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends pregnant women not receive a third dose because of a lack of data but says all others should get another vaccination.\n\nOregon\n\nPortland: The city said Wednesday that it will increase the number of urban homeless camps it removes because of public health and safety risks beginning Monday. The “more assertive approach” from the city’s Homelessness and Urban Camping Impact Reduction Program comes after officials said the number and size of the encampments have increased since the coronavirus pandemic began, KOIN-TV reports. Before the pandemic, about 50 campsites were removed every week. But for the past year, amid altered health and safety guidance, the city removed an average of five campsites each week, leaving a buildup of trash, needles and other biohazardous waste, officials said. Eviction notices at campsites could be posted starting Monday for reasons including untreated sewage, biohazardous materials, blocked ADA access, violence, fire risk and impeding school operations, among others. Meanwhile, Gov. Kate Brown signed a measure into law Wednesday that gives tenants facing financial struggles amid the pandemic more time – until Feb. 28, 2022 – to pay their past-due rent. “Everyone deserves a warm, safe, dry place to call home – and during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been particularly critical that Oregonians be able to stay in their homes,” Brown said.\n\nPennsylvania\n\nHarrisburg: The state marked a milestone Thursday, with half of adult residents now considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The Wolf administration has said it will lift an order requiring unvaccinated people to wear masks in public once 70% of Pennsylvanians 18 and up are fully vaccinated, meaning at least two weeks beyond the last required dose. That percentage stood at 50% on Thursday, according to federal data, while 68% of adults had at least one shot. The pace of vaccinations has been slowing for weeks, with most people eager to get the shot already having done so. Health Department data shows Pennsylvania ordered only about a quarter of the vaccine doses to which it was entitled last week, signaling a steep drop-off in demand. More than 65,000 people a day are getting vaccinated in the state, according to the Health Department, down from an average of more than 100,000 a month ago. That does not include Philadelphia, which runs its own vaccination program and is also reporting lower demand. The good news: Newly confirmed coronavirus infections are falling rapidly in Pennsylvania – down almost 50% in two weeks – as the weather warms and more people get vaccinated. Hospitalizations are down, too. Gov. Tom Wolf plans to lift nearly all remaining pandemic restrictions on Memorial Day.\n\nRhode Island\n\nProvidence: Brown University will require employees to get COVID-19 vaccinations, the Ivy League school announced Thursday. Brown, which previously announced that students will need to be fully vaccinated to participate in on-campus activities this fall, said all faculty and staff will be required to be fully vaccinated by July 1. In addition, students participating in on-campus summer programs will be required to be fully vaccinated by that date. Evidence shows that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, university President Christina Paxson said. “Based on discussions with Brown’s public health and medical experts, it is clear that our priority should be to achieve near-universal levels of vaccination – 90% or greater – in the Brown community,” Paxson said in a letter to the campus community. “The sooner we can achieve near-universal vaccination, the sooner we’ll be able to lift public health restrictions on campus and return to a more normal environment for teaching and research, with full confidence that the health of the community is being protected.” Medical and religious exemptions will be granted.\n\nSouth Carolina\n\nColumbia: The University of South Carolina announced Wednesday that it is planning to have full capacity and normal tailgating at Williams-Brice Stadium for the 2021 football season. The school arrived at the decision in consultation with local and university health officials. Masks will no longer be required at home football games. The Gamecocks open Sept. 4 at home against Eastern Illinois. USC previously announced it is allowing full capacity at a home baseball game for the first time this year for Thursday’s start to a three-game series against Tennessee that closes out the regular season. “There is nothing like Gamecock game day and we are excited to welcome back all of our great fans to Williams-Brice Stadium,” athletics director Ray Tanner said in a release. “Fans will be able to enjoy all of the game day traditions as in previous years.” COVID-19 concerns forced very limited attendance this past season. Improvements to the stadium prior to the 2020 season include four new club spaces, which provide access to air conditioning, a full bar and other fan-friendly amenities for more than 8,000 attendees each game. The 2021 ticket plan features “throwback pricing” to the 2010 cost of $320 plus an applicable seat donation.\n\nSouth Dakota\n\nSioux Falls: The state’s pandemic death toll surpassed 2,000 on Thursday as health officials reported seven new deaths from COVID-19. The state’s 2,001 total deaths are the eighth-fewest among U.S. states but the eighth-highest in terms of deaths per capita, according to Johns Hopkins University researchers. However, the rate of deaths has slowed significantly since peaking late last year. Health officials said they expect both hospitalizations and deaths to continue to drop as the number of coronavirus cases decreases with widespread vaccination against the disease. “We are looking at seeing those decrease with our decrease in case counts,” state epidemiologist Josh Clayton said last week. Clayton has said there is a lag between when someone dies from COVID-19 and when their death is reported. Health officials also reported 55 people who had tested positive for the virus. The number of new cases has declined steadily in recent weeks, according to the Department of Health. However, the state continued to see severe cases of the virus, reporting that 57 people are currently in the hospital. That was an increase of four from Wednesday, when the state saw the fewest number of people in the hospital since August last year.\n\nTennessee\n\nNashville: The Tennessee Department of Correction has announced that it will soon implement pay raises for probation and parole officers after the salary increases were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The agency announced Wednesday that the 7.5% pay bump will become effective July 1. Gov. Bill Lee and the General Assembly approved the raises in 2019, but the coronavirus outbreak caused significant delays to the approval and implementation. “Our probation/parole staff supervise more than 70,000 people in our communities,” Commissioner Tony Parker said in a staff memo. “Each day, they carry out our mission of effective community supervision by ensuring those under our correctional control are compliant with following directives.” In April, the correction agency began offering $5,000 hiring bonuses for newly hired correctional officers. The agency also began offering a $4,000 retention bonus to correctional officers in order to boost retention in Tennessee’s prisons.\n\nTexas\n\nAustin: The Austin City Limits Music Festival is coming back in 2021. ACL Fest, returning after a pandemic year off from in-person performance, on Thursday morning announced the artists coming for its two October weekends. The lineup includes the first ever appearance of Texas country legend George Strait at the fest, plus young pop phenoms Billie Eilish and Miley Cyrus, Grammy-winning Houston hip-hop act Megan Thee Stallion (who infamously was a no-show for her 2019 set), and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Stevie Nicks. Rounding out the top acts on the bill are Dallas neo-soul queen Erykah Badu, hot hip-hop artist DaBaby and electronic dance act Rufus Du Sol. Other popular music artists set to perform include Texas-bred alt-rocker St. Vincent, viral hitmaker Doja Cat, indie fave Modest Mouse and ascendant indie singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers. Set for Oct. 1-3 and Oct. 8-10 on eight stages in Zilker Park, the fest will be held at full capacity. In a press release accompanying the announcement, organizers noted that they “are in regular communication with local health and public safety officials and will follow current recommendations and guidelines at the time of the festival.”\n\nUtah\n\nSalt Lake City: The Legislature passed a measure Wednesday that would bar public schools and universities from implementing mask mandates, in a move that Democrats and Republicans argued would increase unnecessary governmental oversight. Republican Rep. Val Peterson, who sponsored the bill, said county officials would still be able to invoke mask orders in consultation with local health officials in schools that have coronavirus outbreaks. The legislation only applies to COVID-19 and would not prevent people from wearing face coverings. “At some point this has to end,” Peterson said. “What this bill is really about is making sure we have those assurances to our students that they can go forward next fall and get right into the school year without the thought of masks and what that might mean.” Rep. Jennifer Dailey-Provost, a Democrat, argued that waiting to require masks until an outbreak occurs could still put children’s lives at risk. “For me, a single dead child is a child too many,” she said. “The problem with the way this is set up is, absent an actual outbreak, we can’t ask students to wear masks, and the whole point of a mask is to prevent an outbreak.” Republican Gov. Spencer Cox announced last week that Utah would not require masks in K-12 schools for the last week of the academic year.\n\nVermont\n\nBurlington: A new program in the state will replace a federal food assistance program that started during the coronavirus pandemic to help people in need and is ending in two weeks. The USDA Farmers to Families Food Box program supplied tens of thousands of food boxes to Vermonters during the peak of the pandemic, mychamplainvalley.com reports. “A lot of people suffered a pretty big economic shock,” said Vermont Foodbank CEO John Sayles, who estimated the program served one-third of the state’s residents. “A lot of those folks, this is the first time that they’ve really had to access things like food assistance.” Full Plates VT will start in early June and supply individual boxes of federal emergency assistance food to 19 sites around the state. They will contain produce, frozen protein and shelf-stable items. Beneficiaries will be required to meet an income requirement. The program starts June 3 and will run through the end of September. People can start registering Monday on the Vermont Foodbank’s website or by calling 1-833-670-2254. Meanwhile, the state has lifted the residency requirement for people eligible to get COVID-19 vaccines in the state. Now non-residents ages 12 and older can get vaccinated.\n\nVirginia\n\nRichmond: The Virginia Department of Health announced its COVID-19 vaccine data dashboard, at vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus, has been updated to reflect federal doses administered in the total number and percentage of Virginians vaccinated, as well as the number and percentage of adults vaccinated. The addition could help residents keep track of the slow march toward herd immunity. VDH previously reported the number of vaccines administered by the federal government in Virginia in a separate tab of the vaccine summary dashboard, but those doses were not included in the total doses administered and percentage of the population vaccinated. As of Wednesday, nearly 385,000 doses administered by the Department of Defense, Veterans Health Administration, Bureau of Prisons and Indian Health Service were added to the totals. The federal doses will not be reflected in the locality or demographic data because the federal government does not provide states those details, according to VDH. The department has also added new metrics showing the number and percentage of people 18 and older who are vaccinated so Virginians can track the commonwealth’s progress toward meeting President Joe Biden’s goal of having 70% of adults receive at least their first dose of a vaccine by July 4.\n\nWashington\n\nSeattle: Four counties that had been in a more restrictive second phase of the state’s current COVID-19 reopening plan joined the 35 other counties in Phase 3 as of Tuesday. Cowlitz, Ferry, Pierce and Whitman counties were previously in Phase 2. In Phase 3, restaurants, bars and gyms can operate at 50% indoor capacity. The decision last week to move all counties to Phase 3 and announce the tentative June 30 full reopening plan comes amid declining COVID-19 case counts and a push to increase vaccination rates, Gov. Jay Inslee and health officials have said. State Secretary of Health Umair A. Shah said in a statement Tuesday that about 59% of Washingtonians age 16 and up have now gotten a first vaccine dose. When that number reaches 70%, officials have said the economy can fully reopen. “We are happy to see the beginning of declining disease activity in Washington and more people getting vaccinated,” Shah said. “However, we need to continue to focus on our vaccination efforts.” State health officials have said if statewide intensive care unit capacity reaches 90% at any point, phase rollbacks could happen again. Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan said Tuesday that in-school vaccinations will be offered at Seattle Public Schools middle and high schools through the end of the school year.\n\nWest Virginia\n\nCharleston: The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped slightly to 5.8% in April, officials announced this week. The rate dropped one-tenth of a percentage point to the lowest rate since March 2020’s 5.3%. The rate jumped to a high of 15.6% in April 2020 as employers temporarily closed their doors during the pandemic but has fallen steadily since. In an effort to spur more people to go back to work, Republican Gov. Jim Justice said the state will end its additional pandemic-era boost for unemployment benefits June 19, including the additional $300-a-week federal supplement for those without a job. He said the state is considering a program that would pay a $1,000 bonus for unemployed people who go back to work. It would require the employer agreeing to pay half of the bonus, with the state covering the other half. The number of unemployed West Virginians fell by 1,500 in April, a lower number than in March. There are 45,800 unemployed state residents, WorkForce West Virginia said in a statement. Employment gains were led by 1,400 in leisure and hospitality, up from March. There were employment declines of 200 in construction; 400 in trade, transportation and utilities; and 100 in education and health services.\n\nWisconsin\n\nMadison: Republicans voted Thursday to reject more than $70 million in funding to combat homelessness in the state, a move that Democrats called a missed opportunity to address a problem worsened by the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. Tony Evers had proposed spending about $73 million over two years on a variety of initiatives designed to help homeless people, including more affordable housing. The Republican-controlled budget committee voted 12-4 along party lines to increase funding for a housing assistance program by just $1.2 million over two years. But it turned down spending about $70 million more that Evers and advocates for the homeless had wanted. Before the vote, Joe Volk, executive director of the Wisconsin Coalition Against Homelessness, urged lawmakers to immediately release $5.5 million in available money to combat homelessness. Volk said the coalition estimates that every night 20,000 people in Wisconsin have no adequate place to sleep. Republicans defended their action, saying funding for homelessness initiatives will be considered in separate bills making their way through the Legislature. Republican Sen. Duey Stroebel also noted the $2.5 billion in federal stimulus funding coming to Wisconsin can be used to target homelessness.\n\nWyoming\n\nCasper: Gov. Mark Gordon has announced plans to allocate recently received federal coronavirus relief aid toward education, health and social services, and economic diversity and development. The Republican governor has accounted for about $1 billion in funding from the American Rescue Plan, the Casper Star-Tribune reports. More than half of the amount was based on unemployment statistics. Wyoming will also receive $360 million for education and $9 million for community health centers that cannot be reallocated. Unlike the federal relief aid from last year that had to be spent within months, states have more than three years to spend funding from the American Rescue Plan. The package provides additional funding specifically for organizations such as schools, child care providers, community health centers and others. The governor’s office said in a statement Monday that a more detailed plan will be released in June that includes “proposals for initiatives or new programs for consideration by the Legislature.”\n\nFrom USA TODAY Network and wire reports", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2021/05/21"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/11/04/michigan-election-2020-live-updates-results-polls-vote/6128372002/", "title": "Michigan 2020 election live updates: Biden, Peters win in Michigan", "text": "With the majority of votes tallied in Michigan, two major races were called Wednesday evening. Joe Biden won the presidential election in the state, giving him a crucial 16 Electoral College votes, while U.S. Sen. Gary Peters narrowly defeated challenger John James.\n\nPeter Meijer defeats Hillary Scholten in west Michigan congressional race\n\nIn west Michigan, a Republican is being sent to Congress after Peter Meijer defeated Hillary Scholten in the race for the 3rd Congressional District.\n\nScholten and Meijer vied for the seat being vacated by Rep. Justin Amash, a former Republican who renounced the party and voted to impeach President Donald Trump.\n\nRead more about the race here.\n\nPeters defeats James in US Senate race, wins reelection\n\nU.S. Sen. Gary Peters defeated challenger John James Wednesday evening, winning reelection to a second six-year term. It was the count of absentee votes that put him over the top. It was a close race, with James leading throughout much of Tuesday and Wednesday.\n\nThe Associated Press and Multiple media outlets, including CNN, called the race for Peters.\n\nPeters expands lead over James\n\nU.S. Sen. Gary Peters appeared to take a stronger lead over Republican businessman John James on Wednesday evening. As of 7:45 p.m., Peters had taken a 59,587-vote lead on James, beating him 49.6-48.5% with 98% of the vote counted.\n\nRead more about the race here.\n\nRival protests shout 'count every vote,' 'stop the count' in metro Detroit\n\nRival chants of “stop the count” and \"count the votes\" echoed across Detroit as poll workers tallied absentee ballots Wednesday, in some cases just inside the door from the fevered shouts.\n\nWould-be challengers were denied entry to counting being done at the TCF Center, already filled with 570 challengers of various leanings. They pounded on the windows and chanted in support of a lawsuit President Donald Trump filed to stop the count. Elsewhere in the city, Detroit Will Breathe protesters called for the count to continue as the contentious presidential election gripped the nation.\n\nDetroit Will Breathe, a group developed during the summer in response to the killings of Black people at the hands of police, and other leaders gathered a crowd of about 250 people at 2 p.m. on West Grand Boulevard, near the Detroit Department of Elections, before marching across the city.\n\n“Don’t fall into fascist fears, all your votes are counted here,” they chanted as many residents came out of their homes to wave or put their fists up.\n\nDuring their gathering, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who cruised to victory Tuesday, commended first-time voters and the mobilization to the polls in Detroit.\n\n“We’re not done. Look at us. The day after the election we’re still working,” Tlaib said to protestors. “We’re not going to let them stop until every vote is counted.”\n\nEarlier in the day, Tlaib and Detroit Will Breathe organizer Tristan Taylor joined dozens of protesters outside Central United Methodist on Woodward Avenue as they marched toward the Spirit of Detroit carrying signs that said, “Count Every Vote.”\n\nIn Ann Arbor, community members, grassroots organizations, labor unions and congregations gathered at the University of Michigan Diag, a large open space in the middle of campus.\n\nSpeaker Angela Aimson of the Ypsilanti American Friends Service Committee said to the crowd everything that she wants to see from the U.S.: “Love, peace, justice and to be heard.”\n\nRead more about what happened at the TCF Center earlier today here.\n\n— Darcie Moran, Kristen Jordan Shamus, Omar Abdel-Baqui, Chanel Stitt, Detroit Free Press\n\nAbsentee vote count almost complete in Detroit\n\nFree Press staff writer Kristen Jordan Shamus reports from the TCF Center that Detroit's absentee vote count is down to military absentee ballots and only four tables still counting.\n\nJoe Biden wins Michigan\n\nDemocratic nominee Joe Biden has won Michigan, giving him a crucial 16 Electoral College votes.\n\nThe Associated Press called the race in Michigan. With the call, Biden held a 264-214 edge in the Electoral College and needed one more state to clinch the presidency.\n\nRead more here.\n\nPeters has slim lead on James in Senate race\n\nThe race for U.S. Senate between incumbent Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., and Republican businessman John James remains unclear.\n\nAt 5 p.m., Peters held a slim 49.2%-49% lead over James with 99% of the vote counted, according to the Associated Press tally, with 11,380 votes separating them.\n\nRead more about the race here.\n\nRally in Lansing\n\nAntrim County still working on flawed count\n\nAntrim County officials at about 4 p.m. Wednesday updated their vote count problems.\n\n\"The Antrim County Clerk’s Office has been working diligently to review the results and identify the source of discrepancies discovered early this morning,\" their statement read. \"It is clear that the unofficial results posted at 4 a.m. this morning were incorrect and have been removed.\"\n\nThe rural, heavily Republican county was showing Democratic Vice President Joe Biden beating President Donald Trump by more than 3,000 votes, with some townships showing only 2 votes for the incumbent Republican president. Trump beat Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election in Antrim County by more than 30 percentage points.\n\nAccording to Antrim County officials, vote totals counted by their election software did not match the printed tabulator tapes, which official results are based upon.\n\n\"Because of this, the printed tabulated tapes from each precinct will be counted manually and revised unofficial results will be posted,\" county officials said.\n\nResults will become official once the county board of canvassers verifies results, starting Thursday.\n\n\"Antrim County is committed to ensuring that each and every valid ballot cast is accurately counted,\" county officials stated.\n\nDuggan expects Biden to carry Michigan\n\nDemocratic presidential nominee Joe Biden will likely flip Michigan and win the state by “at least 50,000 votes,” Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said Wednesday afternoon as the city’s poll workers continued to count mail-in ballots.\n\n“I feel very good that Joe Biden’s going to carry Michigan,” Duggan said. “When I saw Ohio go for Trump by eight points, that concerned me. But the fact that Michigan is coming in tells you that we have a great, unified campaign in this state.”\n\nDuggan, whose involvement in Michigan politics goes back decades, offered his assessment of the presidential race during a press conference at Detroit City Hall.\n\nThe mayor’s remarks were interrupted briefly by a truck passing city hall on Jefferson Avenue.\n\nThe truck was covered with pro-Trump signage and had a loudspeaker blaring a pro-Trump message. “And there are some guys who are in the wrong county,” Duggan quipped as the truck drove by.\n\nMeanwhile, poll workers continued to count the city’s mail-in ballots at the nearby TCF Center. Duggan said he is unaware of any problems with the vote count. He said he expects the count to be finished by the end of the day.\n\nCoupled with the passage of Proposal N — a Detroit bond proposal to authorize $250 million to address blight — the mayor said the city is headed in the right direction.\n\n“This is the kind of city we’re trying to build — a city that can execute an election without any drama, a city that can build blight-free neighborhoods for its families and a city that provides good middle-class job opportunities for its residents.”\n\nYet the state’s election process can be improved with new laws that would allow officials to begin the mail-in vote-counting process to start earlier, he said.\n\nDuggan suggested laws similar to those in Florida, which allowed election officials to begin processing ballots two weeks in advance. In Michigan, cities with at least 25,000 people can start processing absentee ballots at 10 a.m. on Nov. 2.\n\n“Who would’ve ever thought that Florida would be the model for prompt and drama-free ballot counting? We need to get the laws changed in this state to allow the same thing,” he said.\n\n— Joe Guillen, Detroit Free Press\n\nTrump campaign files legal challenge over Michigan vote count\n\nThe Trump campaign filed a lawsuit Wednesday that seeks to stop the counting of ballots in Michigan, despite the vast majority of votes already being unofficially reported by local clerks.\n\nThe lawsuit comes as Democratic challenger Joe Biden leads President Donald Trump by approximately 46,000 votes, with 96% of the estimated vote count already tallied. While thousands of votes still need to be counted, many are from absentee ballots in traditionally Democratic strongholds.\n\nThe lawsuit was filed a little after 3:50 p.m., according to the website of the Michigan Court of Claims. The suit was assigned to Judge Cynthia Stephens.\n\nStephens is the same judge who ruled earlier this year that absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day could be counted as long as they were received within 14 days of the election. That ruling was later overturned; only ballots received by 8 p.m. on Tuesday are valid.\n\nRead the full report on the lawsuit here.\n\n— Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press\n\nCity of Detroit expects completed absentee vote count by 6 p.m.\n\nThe Detroit Department of Elections has counted roughly 162,000 absentee ballots as of 2 p.m. today, department officials announced. Officials anticipate completing the absentee ballot count by 6 p.m. Wednesday.\n\nThe city department mailed out 190,000 absentee ballots and ​178,000 were returned, shattering previous records for numbers of ballots requested and sent back.\n\nTrump campaign says it will file suit to stop vote in Michigan, but state officials say they haven't seen it yet\n\nThe Trump campaign said it will file a lawsuit Wednesday that seeks to stop the counting of ballots in Michigan, despite the vast majority of votes already being unofficially reported by local clerks.\n\nThe lawsuit alleges the campaign did not have \"meaningful access\" to areas where ballots were being counted, according to a statement from campaign manager Bill Stepien. Michigan law allows Republican and Democratic observers to monitor the vote counting process.\n\nAs of 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday, no lawsuit had been docketed in the Michigan Court of Claims. The Trump campaign did not specify where they were denied access to watching the vote count.\n\n— Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press\n\nTCF Center in Detroit limits vote challenger access\n\nAfter scores of challengers converged on the Detroit vote-counting process, election officials shut the doors Wednesday afternoon to any new people seeking to monitor the historic vote tally.\n\nWithin hours of Democratic nominee Joe Biden taking the first lead in Michigan, more than 100 challengers showed up at the TCF Center downtown, making security nervous as more than 200 challengers were already roaming the floor, monitoring poll workers as they count the absentee votes that could decide the election.\n\n“We have exceeded the amount of challengers,” an election worker told more than two dozen people who showed up at 1 p.m. to monitor the process. “We are not allowing any more challengers in at this time.”\n\nThat includes 227 Republican challengers; 268 Democrat challengers and 75 Nonpartisan challengers, including groups like the ACLU and the League of Women voters.\n\nRepublican advocates, meanwhile, believe the process is tilted in the favor of Democrats and are crying foul, saying liberal groups like the ACLU and the League of Women Voters have been allowed to freely roam the vote-counting floor, and far outnumber the Republicans who want to oversee the process as well. At one point, Republican challengers screamed at the entrance to be let in.\n\nAttorney Timothy Griffin, a Republican challenger from Virginia who has been at the TCF all day and was here overnight, says the system is unfair.\n\n“This whole thing is under suspicion,” said Griffin, who is with a group called the Election Integrity Fund. “It’s not equal …. It’s just not fair.”\n\nMeanwhile, Democratic challengers said they were showing up to make sure things were fair.\n\n“I just want to make sure that all Michigan votes are counted,” said Liz Linkewitz, 35, of Harrison Township. “This election is, as Joe Biden says, for the soul of our country.”\n\nAs of 2 p.m., Biden had secured a lead on President Trump by about 19,000 votes. Another 100,000 absentee votes are still being counted in Michigan, including 25,000 in Detroit.\n\n— Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press\n\nExplaining that '100% of new votes counted' for Biden error\n\nA since-deleted tweet posted by Matt Mackowiak, a conservative commentator and chair of Texas' Travis County Republican Party, appears to show that during one results update in Michigan, Joe Biden received 100% of newly counted votes.\n\nAttached to the tweet were two election maps appearing to show election results from earlier in the count and one from later. Mackowiak said he took the screenshots early this morning, then later acknowledged that the information was inaccurate.\n\n-- Clara Hendrickson and Kristi Tanner, Detroit Free Press\n\nUp North, Antrim County vote count \"apparently skewed,\" delayed\n\nLook at a Michigan vote count map and you'll see one county in white in Northwest Lower Michigan, with no results in.\n\nAntrim County Clerk Sheryl Guy pulled back a report of the county's unofficial vote tally Wednesday morning after it showed Vice President Joe Biden and other Democrats winning big — eyebrow-raising big — in the typical Republican stronghold.\n\n\"Early this morning, the Antrim County Clerk, Sheryl Guy, became aware of apparently skewed results in the Unofficial Election Result tabulations,\" county officials stated in a release on their Facebook page.\n\n\"Since then, the Clerk’s Office has been reviewing the results and the multiple redundancies to search out any possible discrepancies. Staff is currently working with township officials and with Election Source, the company that provides the voting software programs and hardware.\"\n\nAt about 9:30 a.m., Antrim County was reporting Democratic Vice President Joe Biden with a more than 3,000 vote lead on incumbent Republican President Donald Trump. Trump won the rural county over Hillary Clinton 62.4% to 32.8% in 2016.\n\nThat got the attention of county resident and state Rep. Triston Cole, R-Mancelona.\n\n“There is no way that we flipped from 62% Trump in 2016 to upside-down this time around,” he told Interlochen Public Radio Wednesday.\n\nCole specifically cited the results at his polling place, Chestonia Township. Antrim County’s election results earlier showed incumbent U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Watersmeet, with only 2 votes.\n\n“I can guarantee that there were 6 [Bergman votes] in my immediate family alone,” Cole told Interlochen Public Radio.\n\nGuy requested patience.\n\n“By this afternoon, we expect to have a clear answer and a clear plan of action addressing any issue,” she said. “Until then, we are asking all interested parties to bear with us while we get to the bottom of this.”\n\n-- Keith Matheny, Detroit Free Press\n\nRecount questions? We have answers\n\nOh, we were so prepared for this moment. Exhibit A: This story by Dave Boucher published originally on Oct. 22, exploring the mysteries of election recounts in Michigan.\n\nIt's a good primer whether or not Michigan will endure one in the coming days.\n\nDemocratic U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin moves toward reelection\n\nWith 99% of the expected vote counted, U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Holly, was poised for reelection in the 8th Congressional District race. She led Republican Paul Junge of Brighton, 51%-47%, as of noon Wednesday.\n\nSlotkin isn't \"totally certain\" about the win, but she has \"really strong confidence\" in her chances of winning, based on the votes already counted.\n\nShortly after 1 p.m., 100% of the votes were reported, giving Slotkin the win. She collected 222,121 votes (51.1%) compared to Junge's 204,788 votes (47.1%).\n\n— Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press\n\nProp 1: Park funding en route to victory\n\nMore than 82% of the statewide vote has been counted as of noon Wednesday, and Proposition 1 is well on its way to victory with more than 84% of voters supporting the change. That means changes will be made to how park and natural area money can be spent, how much money is spent and where the money is spent. The proposal does not raise taxes.\n\nRead the whole thing here.\n\n— Keith Matheny, Detroit Free Press\n\nJames outperforms Trump in red enclave in Michigan\n\nIt wasn't always clear from the campaign this year, especially on television, how John James wanted to align himself - or not - with the top of the Republican ticket.\n\nThat strategy may have paid off a bit around Michigan, which is currently leaning Joe Biden's way. James, the Republican candidate challenging Democratic Sen. Gary Peters for one of Michigan's seats in the U.S. Senate, outperformed President Donald Trump in Ottawa County, a traditional GOP stronghold on Lake Michigan's coast.\n\nJames, according to Ottawa County's unofficial results, won 105,689 votes, or 63.2% of the ballot. Peters received 59,065, or 35.3% in the county. Trump won 100,511 votes in Ottawa County, 59.8% of the ballot. Democratic nominee Joe Biden took 64,566 votes, 38.4% of the ballot.\n\nWhile total turnout numbers were much higher in Ottawa County than in the Nov. 2016 election, Trump won the county by fewer points than in that year. In 2016, he took 61.5% of the vote.\n\nJames improved on his 2018 run against Sen. Debbie Stabenow in the county, taking 62.5% of the Ottawa County vote.\n\n— Arpan Lobo, Holland Sentinel\n\nDetroit Mayor Mike Duggan: Biden by 'at least 50K votes'\n\nMacomb County turning 'purple'\n\nIt was once a county that many national political watchers considered a bellwether for recent presidential elections, a home for the Reagan Democrats, where voters have swung from electing Barack Obama (twice) to Donald Trump in the last three presidential elections.\n\nBut this week, on the local level, it was the Republican Party that emerged poised to take the majority of the 13-member Macomb County Board of Commissioners, after flipping two seats held by incumbent Democrats, according to unofficial and still incomplete voting results. The GOP is also preparing to take four of the five countywide seats.\n\nDespite the surge for Republicans, Sheriff Anthony Wickersham, who is a Democrat, is expected to remain, but the prosecutor, clerk/register of deeds, treasurer and public works commissioner spots will likely fall to the Republicans with 94% of the votes counted.\n\n\"Macomb County is becoming much more two counties,\" Ed Sarpolus, founder and executive director of Target-Insyght said, adding that he still thinks the county is \"purple,\" a mixture of red (Republican) and blue (Democratic) politics.\n\n— Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press\n\nFree Press editorial board to nation: Count all the votes\n\nOur colleagues on the opinion side of the Free Press - separate from us here in our news department - are weighing in today with an editorial about our state's - and the nation's - slog through a massive vote count.\n\nRead the whole thing here.\n\n25K absentee ballots left in Detroit\n\nAbout 25,000 absentee ballots from the city of Detroit still need to be counted as of about 11 a.m., said Chris Thomas, a Detroit election official.\n\nThomas said they have between 170,000 to 172,000 total absentee ballots.\n\nThere are challengers on-site, both Republican and Democrat, Thomas said, but there haven't been any major disputes or fights. \"Nothing crossing the line.\" he said.\n\n— Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press\n\nDetroit's vote-counting center picks up steam\n\nRepublican and Democratic poll challengers streamed Wednesday into TCF Center in Detroit, where absentee ballots from Detroit are being counted as the nation waits for Michigan’s election results.\n\nEarly in the morning, a group of Republican challengers entered the basement of the downtown convention center where hundreds of poll workers were sitting at tables tabulating ballots. One of the GOP challengers, Tim Griffin, is with the Thomas More Society and was helping direct the other challengers.\n\nGriffin said there should be at least one Republican at each table that is tabulating ballots.\n\n“We’re just appalled by what we’re seeing,” he said a bit later, complaining about the lack of inclusion for the GOP.\n\nLater, groups of Democratic challengers stood in line to enter the basement to try and counter the Republicans. Democrats expressed concern that the Republican challengers were slowing down the counting.\n\nDetroit’s voters are largely Democratic.\n\nDetroit Police had a solid presence, with officers and leaders standing near the entrance keeping an eye on the scene. On Monday, two unruly challengers were ejected, but today has not yet seen any similar disruptions.\n\nMeanwhile, two rallies are planned in Detroit today calling for all ballots to be counted and a peaceful transition of power. The first rally and march is scheduled to kick off at noon at Central United Methodist Church in Detroit.\n\n— Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press\n\nElection 2020 - Detroit Free Press - Omny.fm\n\nStealing the election: A reality check\n\nFrom Clara Hendrickson of the Detroit Free Press:\n\nSome people are under a false impression: Waiting until now for a final election result in Michigan means there's a problem with the integrity of the process. That's not true. In fact, the large number of absentee ballots to be counted had always been expected to delay a definitive result by days.\n\nMeanwhile, President Donald Trump has taken to Twitter for the first time since 1 a.m. Wednesday to share his concern, appearing to allude to up-in-the-air states like Michigan:\n\n\"Last night I was leading, often solidly, in many key States, in almost all instances Democrat run & controlled. Then, one by one, they started to magically disappear as surprise ballot dumps were counted. VERY STRANGE.\"\n\nTrump added: \"How come every time they count Mail-In ballot dumps they are so devastating in their percentage and power of destruction?\"\n\nTallies in key Michigan counties with outstanding votes\n\nThanks to our Dave Boucher for putting together his list of the latest results, knowing of course, that these numbers will change as the count continues:\n\nWayne:\n\nBiden: 447,793\n\nTrump: 211,275\n\nPercentage of precincts fully reporting: 659 of 1,115 (59.1%)\n\nOakland:\n\nBiden: 428,932\n\nTrump: 321,570\n\nPercentage of precincts fully reporting: 491 of 506 (97%)\n\nMacomb:\n\nTrump: 254,561\n\nBiden: 216,512\n\nPercentage of precincts fully reporting: 324 of 343 (94.5%)\n\nKent:\n\nTrump: 152,902\n\nBiden: 140,577\n\nPercentage of precincts fully reporting: About 84.5 %\n\nGenesee:\n\nBiden: 102,322\n\nTrump: 97,439\n\nPercentage of precincts fully reporting: 219 of 280 (78,21%)\n\nSecretary of state to update ballot count in Michigan\n\nShe's becoming the face of Michigan's closely watched but achingly slow vote count (though it was always forecasted to be this way). And she's about to give an update.\n\nSecretary of State Jocelyn Benson will hold a virtual press conference this morning at 11 a.m. \"to provide an update on the counting process in Michigan,\" according to her office.\n\nBiden goes ahead of Trump in Michigan as vote count continues in state's largest counties\n\nFrom Todd Spangler with the Free Press:\n\nWith the presidency on the line in a historic election, Democratic nominee Joe Biden Wednesday morning took a slim lead in Michigan which could turn out to be determinative in a tight race with President Donald Trump as millions of votes continued to be counted in key states.\n\nBy early Wednesday, the race between Trump and Biden had narrowed with Biden holding a 238-213 edge in the Electoral College and Trump continued to hold a lead in Pennsylvania, which was considered one of the keys to winning.\n\nBut in Michigan by 9:30 a.m., Biden had gone ahead of Trump for the first time by 18,080 votes, 49.4%-49.1%, according to the Associated Press count of the state's tally, with 94% of the expected vote in. That's larger than the 10,704-vote margin Trump won the state by over Hillary Clinton in 2016.\n\nIf accurate, the 4.99 million votes were still believed to be hundreds of thousands short of the total cast in the historic election, meaning it was possible Biden could add to that that total, with big numbers of ballots remained to be counted in Michigan's largest counties, including Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and Kent as of Wednesday morning.\n\nPandemic politics and our no-show election\n\nIt's not a total surprise, but still an amazing phenomenon: In the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic, more Michiganders voted by absentee ballot than in-person for the first time in our history.\n\nRead more:The uninvited guest at the Election Day polls: COVID-19\n\nMany had a good reason to stay away from crowded locations. Election Day fell on the same day the state recorded 3,106 new COVID-19 cases and 43 deaths during a pandemic that already has killed 7,400 Michiganders and infected nearly 188,000.\n\nKristen Jordan Shamus and Omari Sankofa II explore the groundbreaking election and the virus that has yet to recede from our lives.\n\nMichigan's U.S. Senate battle is looking super tight right now\n\nHere's the latest on the effort by Republican challenger John James to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Gary Peters. The Associated Press has yet to call this closely watched race.\n\nOur very own Todd Spangler has the most recent numbers.\n\nEyes on counting votes in critical Wayne County\n\nWayne County Clerk Cathy Garrett said in an early morning interview on CNN there were no problems Tuesday with ballots that were \"out of the norm,\" except for occasional machine jams.\n\nBut, as of 6:30 a.m. today, she said, about 55 percent of the county's votes had been counted.\n\nOf the county's 1115 precincts, 617 had been tabulated, she said, adding that there are 43 municipalities in the county. Wayne County, which includes Detroit, could play a key role in the race for president and Michigan's competitive senate seat.\n\nGarrett did not offer an estimate for when all the counting would be finished.\n\n\"It's just very important we are accurate,\" she added. \"We will be here until the job is done.\"\n\n— Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press\n\nWill the presidential election trigger debate over national election rules?\n\nHere's a slightly oldie but a goodie from our own Paul Egan. Sound familiar?\n\n\"And if the counting of massive numbers of absentee ballots in battleground states, such as Michigan and Pennsylvania, significantly delays officials from declaring a winner, the ensuing controversy could prompt a renewed debate over national election standards.\"\n\nWalk with Paul through the debate and what it could mean for our future elections.\n\nMichigan's high court to see return of chief judge\n\nMichigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget McCormack retained her seat in Tuesday's election, and the balance of power on the seven-member court hinged on results for the other contested seat.\n\nMcCormack, a Democratic nominee, was the top vote-getter among seven candidates with close to 1.9 million votes, with about 80% of precincts reporting.\n\nPaul Egan in Lansing has been tracking developments and you can read more about it here.\n\nSit tight: Roughly 400,000 Michigan ballots still being counted\n\nWhoa, we have a little way still to go.\n\nWith roughly 90% of the vote in, President Donald Trump led Democratic nominee Joe Biden by roughly 13,000 votes early Wednesday morning, but there were still hundreds of thousands of ballots that needed to be counted before Michigan knows its final election results.\n\nThose votes are largely absentee ballots, and are expected to help Biden over Trump.\n\nThese numbers can change at any minute, as tallies continue to come in.\n\nThe Free Press' Dave Boucher explains what's going on with this essential story.\n\nFront pages across Michigan reflect uncertainty\n\n— Amy Huschka, Detroit Free Press\n\nLongtime representative cruises to reelection\n\nU.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, on Wednesday easily won election to an 18th two-year term, with the Associated Press calling his race against state Rep. Jon Hoadley, D-Kalamazoo early in the morning.\n\nAs of 6:30 a.m., Upton, 67, held a decisive 58%-38% edge over Hoadley, with 93% of the votes counted. Upton had declared victory early Wednesday morning, saying he was grateful for the faith his constituents in southwestern Michigan continued to place in him.\n\nCheck out this story.\n\nPolitical newcomer snags House seat\n\nFor the second time in four years, Michigan's 10th Congressional District has a new representative, with Republican Lisa McClain of Bruce Township declared the winner in Tuesday's election.\n\nRead this story for all of the details.\n\nFierce Trump critic wins reelection\n\nU.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, cruised to reelection to her second two-year term Tuesday, winning as expected in the heavily Democratic Wayne County-based district.\n\nHere's the full story.\n\nMeet the people who will cast Michigan's Electoral College votes\n\nPresidential elections are won and lost in the Electoral College. Composed of 538 electors from 50 states and the District of Columbia, the institution set up by America's Founding Fathers convenes after the general election to cast its votes for the next president.\n\nThe Michigan Democratic Party and Michigan Republican Party have each nominated their slate of 16 electors. Each slate of electors is made up of 14 individuals who each represent one of the state's 14 congressional districts and two at large electors.\n\nIf Joe Biden wins more votes than Donald Trump in Michigan, the slate of electors nominated by the Democratic Party will cast the state's electoral votes. If Donald Trump wins more votes than Joe Biden in Michigan, the slate of electors nominated by the Republican Party will cast the state's electoral votes.\n\nClara Hendrickson and Nushrat Rahman with the Free Press have all of the details.\n\nDemocrats hope of grabbing state House fading as Republicans also flip seats\n\nMichigan Democrats' hopes of taking control of the state House were fading early Wednesday as both Democrats and Republicans flipped seats in Tuesday's election, based on unofficial results.\n\nFree Press Reporter Paul Egan in Lansing has the story.\n\nWinners in Michigan congressional races so far\n\nThe following is a list of races called by the Associated Press:\n\nRepublican Lisa McClain wins election to U.S. House in Michigan’s 10th Congressional District.\n\nDemocrat Andy Levin wins reelection to U.S. House in Michigan’s 9th Congressional District.\n\nRepublican Bill Huizenga wins reelection to U.S. House in Michigan’s 2nd Congressional District.\n\nRepublican Tim Walberg wins reelection to U.S. House in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District.\n\nRepublican Fred Upton wins reelection to U.S. House in Michigan’s 6th Congressional District.\n\nRepublican John Moolenaar wins reelection to U.S. House in Michigan’s 4th Congressional District.\n\nDemocrat Debbie Dingell wins reelection to U.S. House in Michigan’s 12th Congressional District.\n\nRepublican Jack Bergman wins reelection to U.S. House in Michigan’s 1st Congressional District.\n\nDemocrat Rashida Tlaib wins reelection to U.S. House in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District.\n\nDemocrat Brenda Lawrence wins reelection to U.S. House in Michigan’s 14th Congressional District.\n\nExchanging buckets for ballots as sports arenas aid elections\n\nMichigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson cast her vote at the Detroit Pistons’ training facility. About 12 hours later, she saw metal boxes on wheels with ballots inside roll into Ford Field for double checking.\n\n“I’m grateful for our sports partners in Detroit,” Benson said Tuesday night at the home of the Lions. “They really led the way for sports teams across the country to play a critical role in providing the resources we needed to run the election successfully this year.\n\n“It is something that I hope will continue in the years ahead and really underscores the work that went into today, which was truly a team effort.”\n\nThe coronavirus pandemic put stresses on the general election, so professional sports teams stepped up to offer their stadiums, arenas and practice facilities as socially distant spaces to vote and conduct other election-related activities.\n\nTwenty-plus NBA teams and half of the NFL’s 32 franchises provided a place for people to vote or assisted with the process in other ways. Meanwhile, many Major League Baseball and NHL teams also put their stadiums and arenas in play on Election Day.\n\n— Larry Lage, Associated Press\n\nLargest counties in Michigan still counting ballots as presidential race tightens\n\nWith the presidency on the line in a historic election, votes continued to be tabulated Wednesday morning with millions still left to be counted in key states, including Michigan and Pennsylvania, to decide the winner of the contest.\n\nOvernight, the race between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden narrowed with Biden holding a 238-213 edge in the Electoral College but Trump maintaining a lead in the count in Michigan and Pennsylvania, two Rust Belt states that appeared poised to determine the election as they did, along with Wisconsin, four years ago.\n\nMore:Trump falsely claims he has won election, even though ballots are still being counted\n\nIn Michigan, Trump led by about 200,000 votes, 51%-47%, according to the Associated Press count of the state's tally. If accurate, the 4.4 million votes were still as many as 1 million short — or perhaps more — of the total cast in the historic election, however, meaning it was still possible Biden could make up that difference. Huge numbers of ballots remained to be counted in Michigan's largest counties, including Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and Kent.\n\nMore than 3.2 million votes were cast by absentee ballot in Michigan. Those were the votes that were still largely to be counted and they were expected, according to polling and other modeling done by the candidates, to swing sharply toward Biden, the former vice president.\n\n— Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press\n\nWatching Detroit results\n\nOn the vote count in Detroit, from a longtime Free Press political reporter now with The New York Times:\n\nAmash blasted Trump over late-night speech\n\nA retiring West Michigan congressman who left the Republican party in part over President Donald Trump blasted the president after he falsely asserted voter fraud and prematurely declared victory.\n\nRep. Justin Amash, L-Cascade Township, joined a chorus of commentators from both sides of the political aisle in condemning the president’s late-night speech.\n\n“That was one of the most dishonest and despotic speeches ever given by a president of the United States,” Amash tweeted a little after 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday.\n\nIn the short speech early Wednesday and well before many states finished counting ballots, Trump alleged without evidence that fraud had occurred, he had already won and lawsuits were coming, according to video posted by the Washington Post.\n\n“This is a fraud on the American public. This is an embarrassment to our country,” Trump said, even after elections officials across the nation had warned for weeks the country would need more than one night to count every ballot.\n\n“This is a major fraud on our nation...We’ll be going to the Supreme Court. We want all voting to stop.”\n\nAll voting has stopped, in Michigan and elsewhere. Counting absentee ballots takes considerable time, but Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson pledged the process would be fair and accurate.\n\n— Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press\n\nToo early to call winner to replace Amash in western Michigan\n\nThe U.S. House race in western Michigan between Republican Peter Meijer and Democrat Hillary Scholten was too early to call Wednesday morning, with many votes still uncounted.\n\nThey are vying in what may be Michigan’s most competitive House race after Rep. Justin Amash decided not to seek reelection. A victory in the western Michigan district would make Scholten the first Democrat to represent Grand Rapids in Congress in 44 years. The 3rd District, which the five-term Amash has represented for a decade, stretches south to the Battle Creek area.\n\nMore:More than a name: Peter Meijer faces Hillary Scholten in competitive west Michigan race\n\nMeijer is a 32-year-old veteran who served in Iraq and later led humanitarian missions. He works in urban redevelopment and real estate. His family founded the Meijer chain of stores.\n\nScholten is a 38-year-old immigration lawyer who worked at the Justice Department during President Barack Obama’s administration.\n\nDemocrats see an opportunity to flip the seat with the departure of Amash, a Republican-turned-Libertarian who supported the impeachment of President Donald Trump. It has long been a GOP-leaning district but became a toss-up this cycle.\n\nIn her closing TV ad, Scholten said she lives on a middle-class street with no millionaires — an indirect reference to Meijer’s wealth. She pledged to protect medical coverage, including for those with preexisting conditions, amid Republicans’ attempts to repeal the Obama-era health care law.\n\nMeijer’s last ad features a Vietnam veteran saying he trusts that Meijer would protect people with preexisting conditions.\n\nThe campaign committees for House Republicans and Democrats have spent millions of dollars attacking Scholten on immigration issues and Meijer on health care.\n\n— David Eggert, Associated Press\n\nA contested election in Michigan?\n\nTo be sure, in Michigan, the ballots are still being counted today.\n\nBut with voters having cast their ballots no later than Tuesday, a big focus could turn to whether election results might be contested in the state or elsewhere in the nation.\n\nIn the lead-up to November, a flood of voting rights cases across the country has already made this election the most litigious ever. But the legal challenges mounted so far may be the tip of the iceberg. Amid threats to contest the results levied by President Donald Trump, holes in election law could present challenges.\n\nUnlike congressional contests, presidential elections are won and lost in the Electoral College, and federal law can be interpreted differently on key matters that could determine who wins. For instance, election law experts say federal law is unclear on what happens if states send two different election results to Congress, which has to ultimately certify the results.\n\nRead more about what could happen in the days to come.\n\n— Clara Hendrickson, Detroit Free Press\n\nA breakdown of the elections in Michigan so far\n\nThe race between President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden was too early to call in our battleground state early Wednesday, with many votes uncounted.\n\nSo were the state’s most competitive Senate contest in 20 years and several closely watched House races. Detroit, our state's largest city and a Democratic stronghold, was not expected to finish counting until Wednesday night as it processed a surge of absentee ballots.\n\nLEGISLATURE\n\nDemocrats must net at least four seats to control the state House for the first time in a decade. A Democratic majority would set the agenda and ease Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s ability to enact legislation. Whitmer, a first-term Democrat, has campaigned for candidates in places like suburban Detroit, Kalamazoo and Traverse City. The Republican-led Senate is not up for election.\n\nSUPREME COURT\n\nThe Michigan Supreme Court’s recent 4-3 decision to strike down a law that underpinned Whitmer’s COVID-19 emergency orders put extra attention on the race for two seats. Justice Stephen Markman, author of the opinion, is retiring.\n\nIf Chief Justice Bridget McCormack and Elizabeth Welch win, Democratic nominees will be in the court’s majority for the first time since 2010 and could rule on restrictions that were reinstated by the Whitmer administration after the ruling. Republicans nominated Mary Kelly and Brock Swartzle. McCormack was leading, and while Welch and Kelly were battling for second.\n\nBALLOT ISSUES\n\nMichigan voters were poised to overwhelmingly adopt two amendments to the state constitution. One would change how royalties paid by developers of state-owned minerals — primarily oil and natural gas — can be spent under a popular program that buys land for public use and supports projects such as construction of trails, playgrounds and boat launches. The other would require a search warrant before police examine a wireless phone or other electronic devices.\n\n— David Eggert, Associated Press\n\nDetroit voters favor blight-busting spending measure\n\nIn Detroit, Proposal N — a request by the Duggan administration to sell up to $250 million worth of bonds, to demolish blighted homes and secure others for renovation — had drawn controversy and few endorsements. Still, with 65% of precincts reporting, Detroit voters appeared to have passed it with 39,145 yes votes (67%) to 19,539 no votes (33%). The proposal is not expected to increase property taxes.\n\nMore:What is Proposal N in Detroit? Here are the basics about the blight demolition measure\n\nWith federal funding exhausted for demolition, Mayor Mike Duggan and other city officials cited a strong need to remove more dilapidated housing while preserving the best of its housing stock for renewal. Critics had said that Detroit's demolition program has been fraught with environmental problems and other issues.\n\n— Bill Laitner, Detroit Free Press\n\nWayne County incumbents poised for reelection\n\nAs expected, the roster of familiar Democrats atop Wayne County government were poised for another term in office, including Wayne County Treasurer Eric Sabree, the only countywide official to withstand a serious challenge in the primary election; as well as County Executive Warren Evans, County Sheriff Benny Napoleon and County Clerk Cathy Garrett.\n\nCheck out the full story about the matchups in the county.\n\n— Bill Laitner, Detroit Free Press\n\nLatest Michigan election results from the Associated Press\n\nAll of the following results were posted by the AP in about the last hour:\n\nRepublican Lisa McClain wins election to U.S. House in Michigan’s 10th Congressional District.\n\nDemocrat Andy Levin wins reelection to U.S. House in Michigan’s 9th Congressional District.\n\nRepublican Bill Huizenga wins reelection to U.S. House in Michigan’s 2nd Congressional District.\n\nRepublican Tim Walberg wins reelection to U.S. House in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District.\n\nMore ballots sorted in Detroit convention center\n\nThere were 50,000 additional ballots sorted at TCF Center in downtown Detroit, according to an announcement at approximately 4:40 a.m. With the announcement, hundreds of poll workers made their way for the exits to be replaced by a new shift that began to enter the building at 5:15 a.m.\n\nOn Monday, police removed two poll challengers. While there are poll challengers present this morning, there hasn’t been any excessive commotion. Absentee ballots have been processed at TCF Center since Monday, with new shifts of people moving in throughout each day.\n\nWhile many seem worn out, there appeared to be a sense of optimism that the full results could be coming soon. Just after midnight Tuesday, Detroit election official Daniel Baxter said those results could come by this evening.\n\n— Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press\n\nThe latest on Oakland County election results\n\nOakland County’s local races displayed the county’s continuing swing from red to blue as Democrats dominated top offices but — in a high-profile exception — voters returned their popular Republican sheriff to serve a sixth term.\n\nAs expected, Oakland voters appeared on pace to make former Ferndale Mayor Dave Coulter the first Democrat to be elected Oakland's county executive.\n\nRead more about the results.\n\n— Bill Laitner, Detroit Free Press\n\nElection challengers flood Detroit absentee ballot center\n\nDozens of election challengers showed up at the TCF Center before midnight in response to concerns that the process for counting Detroit’s absentee ballots was being interfered with.\n\nChallengers aligned with the ACLU, NAACP, organized labor and local grassroots organizations responded to a callout to show up at the TCF Center to counterbalance about 50 challengers from the GOP who were there to monitor the absentee vote count.\n\n“We got a call that they needed more volunteers,” said Branden Snyder, executive director of Detroit Action, an organization that focuses on housing and economic justice. “Our goal is to make sure the process is fair and equal.”\n\nAfter about 100 challengers responded to the callout, Snyder began turning some away, asking them to come back to the TCF Center in the early morning.\n\n“I think right now it’s under control,” he said. “I feel good. We’ll still be having folks out, basically making sure that all votes are counted.”\n\n— Joe Guillen, Detroit Free Press\n\nWhat it’s like to vote with COVID-19\n\nLike many Americans, Demetrius Alexander had the Nov. 3 election circled on his calendar.\n\nA positive COVID-19 test nearly ruined his plans to vote.\n\nAlexander, a 41-year-old Detroit resident, tested positive for the virus last Thursday. He isn't sure how he got it. But Tuesday morning, he felt well enough to vote. In its election health and safety guidelines, the Michigan Secretary of State's office encouraged clerks to accommodate curbside voting or separate voting booths for people who have symptoms.\n\nWhen Alexander arrived at his polling place at Henry Ford High School, he immediately let poll workers know he had tested positive.\n\nA poll worker told Alexander his COVID-19 diagnosis put elderly staff members within the precinct at risk of getting sick. Rather than allowing him to vote curbside, Alexander was told to vote at Wayne County Community College — which was not his assigned polling location. The poll workers were under the impression that at Wayne County Community College, Alexander would be able to take advantage of drive-thru voting. After a two-and-a-half-hour wait, Alexander said that was not the case.\n\nRead more about Demetrius Alexander’s mission to ensure his vote counted.\n\n— Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press\n\nListen to voters, Free Press journalists break down the news", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2020/11/04"}, {"url": "http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/12/09/paula-cooper-executioner-within/93650408/", "title": "Indiana killer Paula Cooper: The Executioner Within", "text": "Robert King\n\nrobert.king@indystar.com\n\nThis 13-chapter story, told as a real-life novel, raises questions about race, justice, poverty and abuse. But it is also the story about the human capacity for forgiveness and a young woman’s struggle to find peace.\n\nStill shrouded in darkness, she sat alone in her car, parked between night and day, between this world and the next.\n\nBehind her, a family of teddy bears sat strapped in by a seat belt. In the front seat next to her was a digital recorder. And a gun.\n\nShe picked up the recorder and clicked it on.\n\n\"This is Paula Cooper.\"\n\nA short introduction, a simple statement. Even though nothing had been simple about being Paula Cooper.\n\n\"I believe today is the 26th; 5:15 will be my death.\"\n\nShe saw it clearly now, even in the pre-dawn gloom. She'd spent so much of her life searching for peace. But early on the morning of May 26, 2015, the end was in sight. She would reach it before sunrise.\n\nShe just had a few things left to say.\n\n—\n\n\"My sister. My queen. My everything.\"\n\nEvery morning she spoke to Rhonda. Why should this morning be different?\n\n—\n\n\"My mother, I felt like you didn't love me. You didn't care about me. You cut me off. You judged me. You didn't want me at your church. You hurt me about the man I loved. But I still love you.\"\n\nOthers had forgiven Paula. Yet she never felt it from the woman who mattered most.\n\n—\n\n\"To Monica, I'm so sorry. This pain that I feel every day. I walk around. I'm so miserable inside. I can't deal with this reality.\"\n\nMonica had been like a godmother in the fairy tales — someone to fill the void in the absence of a mother's love.\n\n—\n\n\"LeShon, I love you. … You showed me how to love.You showed me how to be a woman.\"\n\nLeShon looked beyond Paula's past. As if it had never occurred.\n\n—\n\n\"Michael, I'm so proud of you. And thank you for apologizing.\"\n\nMichael was her first love. She wanted a life with him; he wanted something else.\n\n—\n\n\"Meshia … you helped me when I was down, but I explained to you better than anybody how I feel.\"\n\nMeshia knew Paula's pain; she'd just been unable to stop it.\n\n—\n\nThese were the people Paula loved most. And to each one she had revealed part of herself, but never the whole. It was a select list from a life populated by characters: Her brutal father and her innocent victim; the judge who condemned her and the man who forgave her. There were friars and a bishop and a pope; jailers and journalists; people who were zealous to save her life and people eager to end it. There were too many to consider, really. And the sun would be up soon. She could wait no longer.\n\n\"Forgive me,\" she said in a recording that would soon become part of a police investigation. \"I must go now.\"\n\nHer coda finished, Paula stepped out of the car and into the shadows. She took a seat against a blighted tree. She felt the breeze in her hair. She felt the gun in her hand.\n\nShe was familiar with death. She'd seen it up close. She'd been condemned to it, resigned to it and reprieved from it. She had debated its merits and come to terms with it. Never had she stopped thinking of it.\n\nBut the question that would vex those she was leaving behind was maddeningly simple.\n\nWhy, after all she had endured and all she had survived, after all she had done and seemed capable of doing, had she chosen to die now?\n\nTo empower the journalism behind IndyStar, please consider a subscription.\n\nThe garden spot in the woods — where her father grew vegetables and beat his daughters — was only an occasional venue of torture.\n\nMore often, for Paula Cooper, it happened at home.\n\nAs a child, Paula went to bed night after night next to her sister, listening to their parents argue, listening to her father make threats to come after them. Sometimes her mother would talk him out of it. Sometimes the man's wrath ebbed and they fell asleep. Sometimes they would be jarred awake at 3 o'clock in the morning, her father standing over them, ready to beat them.\n\nPaula believed there were other kinds of families out there. She watched the people on \"The Cosby Show,\" and they seemed to have such a nice family. But that was television. This was real. This was her family. And it looked as if there was no escaping it.\n\n—\n\nPaula was born in Chicago to Herman and Gloria Cooper on Aug. 25, 1969. Her sister, Rhonda, was three years older. Early on, the family lived in Michigan City, but by the time Paula was old enough for school they had moved to Gary.\n\nThe girls attended Bethune Grade School, a stone's throw from home. They went to nearby New Testament Baptist Church, where Paula sang in the choir and helped with the little children's Bible classes.\n\nBy the late 1970s, Gary's downward spiral from a midcentury boomtown was picking up speed. Manufacturing jobs were disappearing. White families were fleeing to the suburbs. Crime was rising. Like many black families still in the city, the Coopers were left in the wake of all this.\n\nGloria worked as a lab tech at a hospital. She had an assortment of health problems, none of them helped by the drugs and booze she added to the mixture.\n\n\"One day my mother be nice, the next day she be angry,\" Paula would tell Woman's Day, years later, when her story was national news. \"And the next day she be real strange-acting.\"\n\nHerman worked for U.S. Steel and worked construction, but his employment was sporadic. He had a girlfriend on the side and would be gone for long stretches. When he returned, chaos followed. Herman and Gloria were a volatile pair, drinking hard and arguing often, creating an atmosphere that was not just unstable, but dangerous.\n\nThe result, as Paula would say later, was that the girls had to \"fend for themselves.\" Sometimes, on evenings when Herman was gone and Gloria worked late, Paula took meals with the next-door neighbors, who allowed her to stick around and watch TV. Most of the time the girls had food and nice clothing. But, as Rhonda would say later, \"we hardly ever had any love.\"\n\nExcept from each other.\n\nIn the middle of all the darkness, Paula and Rhonda clung tightly to each other. They found moments to giggle together, play pranks together and share secrets.\n\nMore than just a sister, Rhonda became Paula's caregiver. Yet, through their early years, they were unaware of an important family secret: Rhonda was the child of a different father. It was a secret Gloria took great pains to hide, even though she allowed Rhonda's father, Ronald Williams, to visit occasionally. She said he was her uncle.\n\nBefore Herman came along, Ronald and Gloria were engaged. They broke it off, as Williams would later tell a courtroom, because he felt Gloria had a \"split personality.\" In short, he thought she was crazy.\n\nLiving with Herman Cooper didn't help.\n\nHerman beat everyone in the house. He beat Gloria in front of the girls. He beat the girls together. He beat them separately, sometimes in front of their mother. Sometimes Gloria seemed to egg on the violence.\n\n\"We did everything we was supposed to do, but it just wasn't never good enough for her,\" Paula told Woman's Day many years later. \"… She get mad at us and he'd beat us. 'Be a man,' she'd tell him. 'Take care of it,' she'd say. And he'd take care of it.\"\n\nThe girls grew up unable to remember a time before the abuse. When they were little, Paula would later say, Herman beat them \"for the things little kids do.\" When they were older, Rhonda remembered, he beat them for forgetting to take out the trash, for not doing the dishes and for skipping school.\n\nHerman employed an assortment of tools for punishment, whatever he could get his hands on — shoes, straps, sticks, a broom. Sometimes he used an electrical cord from an air conditioner.\n\n\"He'd triple it up and go to work,\" Paula would say later. \"It got to the point I was so used to it I didn't cry anymore.\"\n\nTo heighten the pain, Herman sometimes ordered the girls to remove their clothes before a beating. Questioned later, he denied that he ever abused the girls at all.\n\n—\n\nThis stark picture of Paula Cooper's childhood emerges from several sources; the courtroom testimony from Rhonda and her father; testimony from Dr. Frank Brogno, a clinical psychologist who discussed what he learned from examining Paula. Some of the glimpses into the darkness come from now-yellowed news clippings. Others come from anecdotes Paula shared with friends and loved ones and the few journalists she favored. Finally, there's the freshest source of insight into Paula's world — more than 100 personal letters she wrote to a treasured friend that were reviewed by IndyStar.\n\nTaken together, they amount to a catalog of horrors. Her father's beatings, Paula said, left her \"close to death so many times.\" With no apparent means of escape, she seemed to stop fearing death at all. \"I just cried,\" she wrote, \"until all my tears were gone away.\"\n\n—\n\nIn 1978, when Paula was 9, the tears were still flowing. Her parents separated, but it was often fuzzy as to when they were back together and when they were apart. Once, when Herman returned home to find the doors locked, he forced his way in. According to testimony Rhonda gave in court, Herman entered their home, beat up their mother and raped her in front of the two girls.\n\nThe incident seems to have been a tipping point. Not long after, Gloria began telling her daughters the world had nothing to offer them. Instead, she said, they'd all be better off going to heaven. On this point, Rhonda would say later, Gloria began pressuring her daughters. Eventually, the girls came to believe, like their mother, they had nothing to live for.\n\nGloria phoned Ronald Williams, Rhonda's father and steady friend. It was late. She'd been drinking and taking pills. She was crying. Herman had been giving her problems, she said, and things weren't good at work.\n\nShe was thinking of killing herself.\n\nWilliams had heard this kind of talk from Gloria before. Always, he had been able to console her, to talk her back from the precipice. He reminded her that she had Paula and Rhonda to think about. What would happen to them? His question made Gloria think. But only for an hour.\n\nShe called Williams back. Between her tears and her wailing, Gloria said: \"I finally found out what I'm going to do with the kids.\"\n\nWilliams was alarmed. He demanded to know what she meant.\n\n\"I'm going to take them with me,\" she replied. \"I'm going to let you speak to your daughter and Paula for the last time.\"\n\nThe girls took the phone in turns. They were crying, too. Rhonda said they were going to heaven with their mother.\n\n\"Don't do nothing drastic,\" Williams told them. \"Let me speak to your mother, OK.\"\n\nThe phone went dead.\n\nWilliams panicked. Gloria and the girls had recently moved. She hadn't shared their new address. He didn't know where to find them, how to stop her.\n\nHe called the operator and asked for his last call to be traced; it was no good. He called Gary police. Without an address, they could do nothing.\n\nThere was nothing anyone could do. Williams waited. For three weeks, he waited. He feared what had become of them.\n\nHad Gloria killed them all?\n\n—\n\nAfter she hung up the phone, Gloria decided not to act right away; she'd wait until morning. When she awoke, Gloria took the girls out to the car in the garage. She put them in the back seat and started the engine. The garage door remained closed.\n\nFrom there, accounts differ. Williams testified that a friend told him neighbors noticed something and called the fire department. Rhonda testified that, as the fumes gathered, the girls drifted off to sleep. They thought they were going to heaven; instead, they woke up in bed. How they got there isn't clear. Rhonda said Gloria had changed her mind. When the girls awoke, she said, their mother was coughing on the lawn.\n\nFrom then on, Williams tried to coax Gloria into letting him have the girls. Rhonda was his daughter, and he was fond of Paula, too. Gloria would have none of it.\n\n\"I'd rather see them both dead,\" she said.\n\n—\n\nThe girls survived their first brush with death. But Paula and her sister were being shaped in a world without hope. And now their mother had planted a seed: The ultimate escape was death.\n\nRhonda looked around at this nihilist world and began seeking a way out. Several times she tried to run. Soon, she began taking Paula with her. \"I couldn't take it no more in that house,\" she would say, \"and I didn't want her to, either.\"\n\nBy 1982, when both girls were teenagers, they made an unsuccessful attempt to run and were sent — together — to the Thelma Marshall Children's Home in Gary. Within a short time, they were returned to the Coopers. For Paula, it was the beginning of a cycle — of running and being returned home. For Rhonda, that cycle ended only when she learned Ronald Williams was her biological father. At her first opportunity, she left the Coopers to live with him.\n\nIf the move helped Rhonda, it had grievous consequences for Paula, then 13. Her sister had been the most stable person in her home. Now she was gone. Paula came to believe her parents blamed her for Rhonda's departure. Now that her father's anger had one less target, Paula's beatings grew more frequent and more brutal. Even as her parents divorced, Herman never quite left the picture. And his handiwork began to show.\n\nAt school, Paula revealed to an administrator a rash of injuries — a bruise on her thigh, a welt on her arm, a rug burn on her elbow.\n\nWhen a welfare caseworker visited the Cooper home, Herman and Gloria cursed at her. They blamed Paula's problems on interference from the courts, from the school psychologist and from the welfare department itself. When the caseworker recommended family counseling, Gloria said she'd rather go to jail.\n\nAt various times, Gloria and Herman seemed to vacillate between wanting Paula and considering her a curse. Paula began running away on her own. After one attempt, welfare officials wanted to send Paula home, but her mother objected. If Paula returned, Gloria vowed to leave.\n\nOn another occasion, when Rhonda made a rare visit to spend a weekend with Paula and her mother, arguments ensued and Williams returned for Rhonda. He couldn't find her there, but he found Paula. She was crying so loudly he heard her without going in. Gloria, who stood in front of the house fuming about Paula, simply said: \"I'm going to kill that bitch.\"\n\nPaula emerged and, seeing Williams, ran to him and jumped into his arms. He asked her if her mother would really hurt her.\n\n\"Yes.\"\n\nWilliams told her to get in the car. Gloria charged out toward them and began to threaten Paula. \"I'm going to kill you and if I don't (Herman) will.\"\n\nWilliams considered it serious business to take Paula. He lived in Illinois and assumed it would be a crime to take a child across the state line without permission of the parents. He took her anyway. Gloria and other family members threatened to phone the police.\n\nAt his home, Williams asked Paula what she wanted to do. They talked about the logistics of her staying with him without her mother's permission. It would be impossible for her to go to school. Then there was the trouble Williams might face. With tears, Paula looked at Williams and said, \"It's best for me to go home … I don't want to get you in no trouble.\" Paula's respite lasted only a few hours.\n\nEven though he wasn't keeping Paula, Williams couldn't fathom returning her home. Instead, he just let her walk away. She was young, no more than 13, but Williams believed she was safer on the streets of Chicago than at home. Under scrutiny for making such a choice, Williams later told a courtroom he thought Paula was in danger there. \"I would rather see her in the street as a slut than for her mother to blow her brains out.\"\n\nFor several days, Paula survived on her own. Inevitably, she wound up back home.\n\n—\n\nBy 1983, when Paula turned 14, she stayed away from home as much as possible. She was smoking cigarettes and drinking. She smoked marijuana almost daily. Tall, but heavy, she took speed to lose weight. She tried cocaine. She skipped school routinely. She was sexually active. Years later, she would warn others against making similar choices. But for the moment, it was her life.\n\nAnd it was a rootless life. She spent six months at a children's home in Mishawaka and three months in a juvenile detention center. She was removed from one home after only six days after she threatened a staff member and another resident — with a knife.\n\nWith each new address, Paula changed schools. She attended four high schools without ever finishing the 10th grade. Her schoolwork, decent at first, nosedived. She called a teacher \"crazy,\" resulting in a suspension. She struggled to keep friends. She developed a reputation as a bully. All the while, Paula struggled to wake up in the mornings. When she was evaluated for the problem, a doctor at a local hospital asked if she ever thought of killing herself.\n\n\"Yes,\" she replied.\n\nFor that answer, she was sent to a mental hospital. Released four days later, she returned home.\n\n\"I told people I needed help and to talk, but all they did was move me from home to home,\" Paula would write a few years later. \"I didn't care about life or trouble or consequences at all.\"\n\n—\n\nPerhaps the pinnacle of Paula's abuse came, ironically, after her father visited Gary police seeking advice on how to deal with a wayward child. Paula was 14, and Herman Cooper couldn't keep her reined in. Frustrated, he asked the police what he should do with her. It was a family matter, they said; he should do what he thought was right.\n\nFor Herman Cooper, that meant one thing: another beating. But for what he had in mind this time, he'd need some privacy. He took Paula to a woody patch near a spot where he kept a garden. Paula had been there before; so had Rhonda.\n\n\"If you scream where I take you,\" he told Paula, \"no one will hear you.\"\n\nSeveral times in her life, Paula thought her father was going to beat her to death. This was one of them. \"He just kept beating me and beating me,\" she would tell the clinical psychologist, for what seemed like half an hour. Instead of the cord or a broom or a stick, this time Herman beat her with his bare hands.\n\nWhen he was done, Herman put Paula in the car to take her home. But as they drove through the darkening streets of Gary, Paula knew she couldn't go back there. Not when the possibility of more punishment lay ahead in the Cooper house of horrors.\n\nAs Herman pulled the car up to the house, Paula jumped out and took off running into the night. Running and screaming. Herman gave chase, but porch lights began to click on. Up and down the street, neighbors stepped out to investigate the commotion. The neighbors had seen this show before; it never seemed to end. This time, though, Herman retreated.\n\nPaula ran until she wound up where the night had begun — at the police station. She told officers there about the beating, told them she couldn't go home. At least not while Herman was around. The state pulled her away from the Coopers. It isn't clear from the record where she was placed. But soon, she was sent back home.\n\n—\n\nIn the summer of 1984, when Paula turned 15, she felt as lonely as ever.\n\nAdrift, Paula briefly took up with a guy she hoped might offer her a haven. Later, she would tell others he was a rough character who dealt drugs and treated her poorly. The one thing he did for Paula was leave her pregnant.\n\nMany teenage girls would consider pregnancy a tragedy; Paula saw it as a blessing. She had almost forgotten how to care about anyone. She wanted a family, wanted someone to belong to. The child growing inside her represented someone she could love, someone who would love her in return.\n\nAnd then it was gone.\n\nGloria had been dead set against the pregnancy; she wanted Paula to end it. Paula refused and ran off — perhaps to seek help from a woman she knew in Chicago. Her mother tracked her down and, as Paula would write years later in a letter and tell friends, forced her to have an abortion.\n\nPaula was several months into the pregnancy; the procedure nearly killed her. \"She took something that would have completed my life,\" Paula would write later, \"and after that I felt I had no one.\"\n\nTo empower the journalism behind IndyStar, please consider a subscription.\n\nRuth Pelke was gentle, an old woman with silvery hair and horn-rimmed glasses. As her stepson Robert and his wife pleaded for her to leave Gary, she listened.\n\nRobert pledged to do everything necessary to make her house ready for sale — the legal stuff, the touch-up jobs, whatever. She listened as they talked to her about how dangerous her neighborhood had become.\n\nBut Ruth didn't really need reminding. Her Glen Park neighborhood was still one of the better places to live in Gary, although that wasn't saying much, given the city's downward lurch. There were abandoned houses now. There were burglaries. Her own home had been hit five times in recent years, including when her husband, Oscar, was still alive. Now, at 78, she was widowed and alone, and things were only getting worse. But Ruth had been in Glen Park for 41 years; it was home. She still had some good neighbors. Just as important, she had a mission.\n\nFor decades, she'd opened her home and heart to the neighborhood children. She'd taught them the Bible using felt cutouts of Bible characters that she stuck to a flannel board. She'd given the kids candy when they memorized Scripture. She'd driven them to church. She believed these were children who needed hope, and they could find it in Jesus. No, she finally said that night after her stepson's plea — she wouldn't be leaving the home in her neighborhood.\n\n\"I'll stay here until I go there,\" she said.\n\nRuth Pelke was pointing a finger to heaven.\n\n—\n\nThe next day, Tuesday, May 14, 1985, Ruth's doorbell rang.\n\nShe answered it and found three teenage girls standing on her porch. She didn't recognize them, but she opened her door. One of the girls said, \"My auntie would like to know about Bible classes. When do y'all hold them?\"\n\nRuth wasn't up to teaching anymore, but she wanted to help the girls. \"Come back on Saturday,\" she said. And closed the door.\n\n—\n\nThe girls — Karen Corder, Denise Thomas and Paula Cooper — walked back across the alley. Sitting on a porch, April Beverly was waiting.\n\nThe foursome — all ninth- and 10th-graders at Lew Wallace High School — left school at lunchtime that afternoon with no intention of going back. The girls walked the 10 blocks or so to an arcade near 45th and Broadway where they spent what little money they had on games and candy. When their money was gone, they headed back to the house where April was staying with her sister.\n\nThey were a ragtag bunch.\n\nAt 16, Karen Corder — known to her friends as \"Pooky\" — was the oldest. More than two years earlier, she'd given birth to a baby boy whom she'd delivered in a toilet. She'd managed to keep the pregnancy secret from her parents until the child was born, according to court records.\n\nAt 15, April Beverly was seven months pregnant. She was part of a divided family with 11 children, and she bounced between two homes, her father's and her sister's. Her mother was dead, her father had remarried. On occasion, April benefited from the kindness of the old lady across the alley. She'd listened to Ruth Pelke's Bible lessons. And the old woman had brought food over to April and her siblings when she was concerned they might be hungry.\n\nAt 14, Denise Thomas was the youngest of the four and the smallest. The others were mature young women — at different places on the spectrum of teen motherhood. Denise still looked very much like a little girl. In the context of this group, some would later describe her as a tag-along.\n\nAnd, of course, there was Paula Cooper. At 15, she was only months removed from an unwanted abortion that had nearly killed her. She was tall, somewhat heavy and had the bearing of a girl beyond her years. She would be described as the \"prime mover\" of the quartet — the ringleader. But it was a label she'd never cop to.\n\n—\n\nTo date, the sum total of their illicit behavior was strictly small-time. Karen had tried her hand at shoplifting. Paula, Karen and April had pulled off a burglary a few days before that netted them $90. Mostly, the girls were truants. And on this Tuesday afternoon away from school, their immediate priority was to raise some money so they could go back to the arcade.\n\nTheir first attempt was a harebrained scheme April cooked up to get some cash from a woman up the street. All four girls had gone to the woman's door. April introduced Denise, the small one, as her daughter. April claimed the woman's husband had taken $20 from Denise and they'd come to collect it. For added zest, April threw in this detail: The woman's husband had been naked when he stepped into the street to take Denise's money.\n\nThe woman didn't go for it.\n\nAfter that failure, April turned her focus to Ruth Pelke. She seemed to recall the lady keeping a jar of $2 bills. She thought the woman might even have some jewelry. The question was how to get to it all.\n\nAs they sat on the porch at her sister's house, April asked Paula to come inside — she might know where there was a gun. For the girls, a gun crime would be a considerable step up the criminal ladder. But the gun wasn't where April thought it was; she couldn't find it. Then it occurred to April: Something else might do.\n\n\"I have a knife you could scare the lady with,\" she said.\n\nSoon, April produced a 12-inch butcher knife. It was sharp and had a curving blade that graduated to a fine point. It was a cooking tool, but also a potentially lethal instrument. Paula took the knife and hid it in her light jacket. Out on the porch, she and April explained to the other girls: This was their new weapon of choice. And Karen came up with another approach to getting inside the old lady's home: They would ask her to write down the time and place where the Bible classes would be.\n\nIn all this planning, Paula and the other girls would forever swear, the subject of killing the old woman never came up. The most they would admit, according to Corder, was that they'd knock out the woman and rob her. Still, the reality of what they were planning — to con their way into her house, pull a knife and take the old woman's valuables — was fraught with danger.\n\nAs their scheme unfolded, April stayed back again, resting on her sister's porch; she didn't want the old woman to recognize her. Karen, Paula and Denise crossed the alley.\n\nThey rang the bell, and soon Ruth Pelke appeared at the door. This time, when she answered, Karen said: \"My auntie wants to know where the Bible classes are held at. Could you write it down for me?\"\n\nRuth said she no longer taught the classes, but she knew of a lady. \"I'll look up her telephone number for you.\" She invited the girls to come in. And she turned to walk to the desk on the far side of the room.\n\n—\n\nRuth Pelke looked for all the world like the kindly grandmother drawn up in children's books. She was also a woman whose Christian faith was essential to who she was. She went to church on Wednesday nights and twice on Sundays. She visited church members who were too old or too sick to get out. She sang in the choir. She hosted missionaries in her home on their trips back from foreign lands. She took her own missionary journeys, going deeper into the heart of Gary to share her faith with children.\n\nWhat followed — recorded in statements to police, testified to in court, reported in newspaper accounts and, in brief instances, described in letters Paula would write years later — was a scene that would shock Northwest Indiana and the rest of the state.\n\nAs Ruth Pelke crossed her living room to the desk where she kept phone numbers, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her neck.\n\nPaula had put her jacket on the couch and run up on Ruth, grabbing her from behind. For a moment, the teenager and the old woman struggled. Ruth still tended a garden and did a little work outside the house to keep fit, but she was in no shape for a chunky 15-year-old girl who now had her in a headlock.\n\nPaula threw Ruth to the floor.\n\nOn a table nearby sat an item some would describe as a vase but others likened more to a triangular snow globe. One of the girls picked it up and hit Ruth Pelke over the head. Prosecutors would allege it was Denise Thomas; Paula took the blame.\n\nPaula demanded to know where Ruth kept her valuables. She threatened to cut her with the knife. \"Give me the money, bitch,\" she said.\n\nRuth looked up and said simply: \"You aren't going to kill me.\" She began hollering for help. Paula's anger rose now. Then she looked at Ruth's head. Blood was streaming from the place where she'd been hit with the vase. Paula saw the blood and reacted in a way she would struggle to explain for the rest of her life.\n\nTo police investigators, she would say she entered \"a blackout stage.\"\n\nTo a judge, she would say, \"Something clicked in on me.\"\n\nTo a psychologist, she said the sight of the blood altered her perception of whom she was attacking: \"I saw somebody else inside of that body.\"\n\nSeveral friends and supporters who heard similar explanations from Paula concluded that, in this moment, Paula no longer saw the meek and mild Bible teacher in front of her. They believed Paula saw the woman who watched her suffer so many beatings and did nothing to stop them, the woman who took away the baby she'd wanted to love. They were convinced that, in the defenseless woman pinned to the floor, Paula saw her mother.\n\nWhatever she saw, Paula reached for the knife. She grabbed it by the handle and began slashing. She sliced open the old woman's cheek. She stabbed at her head, without deep penetration. Ruth fell back, flat on the floor. And Paula went to work, cutting her arms and legs.\n\nThe other girls stood by in disbelief.\n\nKaren Corder, the oldest, told Paula to stop.\n\nDenise Thomas, the youngest, cried and screamed for Paula to quit. Later, she would claim she yelled, \"I'm getting out of here,\" only to be met with a withering threat from Paula: \"Leave and you're dead.\"\n\nPaula's barrage was relentless. She stabbed the old woman in the belly and, finally, thrust the blade deep into the side of Ruth's chest. With that, Paula stopped; she pulled back from the carnage.\n\n\"I can't take it no more,\" she said.\n\nPaula looked at Denise; she told her to come hold the knife. But Denise refused. She looked at Karen, communicating the same message. Karen knelt beside the wounded woman. The blade remained lodged in her chest. And Karen held it in place.\n\nApril Beverly, who concocted the robbery scheme, initially held back. After the others went inside, she had come up to Ruth's porch and acted as lookout. Now she entered the house. The old woman was lying on her back, her dress covered in blood, her arms and legs still moving. Karen, she noticed, held the knife as it protruded from the woman's side. To April, it appeared that Karen wasn't just holding it: She was wiggling the knife back and forth. Out of some morbid curiosity, she would tell police later, Karen pushed the blade farther into the hole to see how deep it would go. At one point, she concluded, \"The bitch won't die.\"\n\nKaren estimated she held the knife in Ruth Pelke's side for upwards of 15 minutes; Paula thought it closer to 30.\n\nRuth Pelke moaned through most of this. The old woman's torn and tortured face was too much for the girls to bear. One of them went to the bathroom and got a towel to cover Ruth's face — and try to smother the last breaths of life from her. Paula and Denise said it was Karen; Karen said it was Paula.\n\nIn her dying moments, Ruth Pelke managed to share a few last words. Denise heard her saying the Lord's Prayer.\n\n\"Our Father, which art in heaven …\"\n\nPaula had stalked in and out of the room, and the last words she heard from Ruth were something else. Words that would haunt her the rest of her life.\n\n\"If you kill me,\" she heard Ruth say, \"you will be sorry.\"\n\nTo empower the journalism behind IndyStar, please consider a subscription.\n\nPaula and Denise began tearing the house apart, rifling through drawers, ripping items off shelves and upending furniture.\n\nFor Paula, it was a mad search for some reward for the awful business she'd just concluded. There had to be some money somewhere. Maybe some jewelry. But as she continued her desperate search, a nervousness began to grow inside her. Whether it was regret for the killing or the chilling final words of her victim, she felt uneasy. And she didn't like it. As they were going through the upstairs rooms, Paula tried to pull herself away. But the only place to go was back downstairs, where the source of her angst lay dead on the floor. She resumed the treasure hunt and soon managed to turn up some cash — all of $10. She came across a key and thought it might start the old woman's Plymouth in the garage. She ran out to give it a try. Nothing.\n\nApril joined in the search and quickly turned up another key. This time when Paula tried it, the engine stirred to life. April went inside to fetch the other girls.\n\nBy then, Karen and Denise were alone with Ruth Pelke's body. Karen had watched the rise and fall of the old woman's chest until it grew shallower. Finally, it stopped. Maybe April sensed some new panic; she sternly warned the other girls: \"If you tell anyone, I'll kill you.\"\n\nThe girls had spent roughly an hour in the old woman's house. They hadn't found a jar of $2 bills. They hadn't found a trove of jewelry. But it was time to go. Someone might come looking. Before they could leave, Karen grabbed one last item.\n\nShe knelt down again beside Ruth. The butcher knife was planted firmly in the left side of her chest, just below her breast. Karen grabbed the handle. She pulled it out. As they headed out to the car, Karen carried the knife at her side. She climbed into the back of the car and dropped it to the floor. The blade was still coated in blood.\n\n—\n\nPaula Cooper was 15. She was too young to drive. But with her three accomplices as passengers, she managed to steer Ruth's car out of the neighborhood and onto 45th Avenue. They were just down the street from Lew Wallace High School. School was out now and, almost immediately, they saw a classmate walking along the street. Almost reflexively, they waved to Beverly Byndum. And Beverly waved back.\n\nThis was the paradox they now faced. They were teenagers in possession of a car, the apex of adolescence. Yet they had acquired it in the most horrific way imaginable. Years later, Paula would say things just \"got out of control.\" But here she was — a killer. Now that the deed was done, now that they had a few bucks, Paula and the others seemed in no mood to enjoy it.\n\nBefore they arrived at the video arcade, Karen asked Paula to let her out of the car; she wanted to go back to April's house. Paula let her go, but not before asking her to perform a little task: Go back to the old lady's house and get the jacket Paula had left inside.\n\nNext, Denise said she wanted to go home. She asked Paula to let her out at a convenience store and she would make her way from there.\n\nWhen Paula and April pulled up to Candyland Arcade, they were alone. For a few minutes, they just sat there, talking about what they'd done. April hadn't witnessed everything that went on inside the house. It's not clear how many of the missing details Paula shared.\n\nPaula said she needed to use the restroom, and she ventured into the arcade. When she returned, five girls from school were standing around the car. One of them was Beverly Byndum, whom they had passed on the street. Her sister, Latesha, asked where they had come by the car. Paula said it was her sister's.\n\nWithin minutes, Karen walked up to the arcade out of breath, as if she had been running to catch up with the crew. Wherever she had been, she hadn't stayed long. Paula pulled her aside and asked if she'd gone back to the house, if she'd picked up the jacket. No, Karen replied. It was probably the last place on Earth she wanted to go. And she didn't hang around long enough to talk further about it. In a few minutes, she caught a bus for home.\n\nWhether Paula remembered it or not, she had left more than her jacket in the house. Inside one of its pockets was a newly filled prescription for birth control pills — her pills. She had picked them up earlier that morning before school. It was just one of the clues she had left for investigators to find.\n\nPaula and April looked around at the girls and asked if anyone wanted a ride home. Eagerly, their friends piled into the Plymouth. Latesha Byndum was among those who jumped into the back. As she did, she felt her foot brush across something on the floor. She reached down to pick it up. It was a knife. And there was blood on it. There was also blood on her shoe. Latesha looked at Paula and April in the front seat and asked, \"What you all do? Just kill somebody?\"\n\nThe girls looked back at Latesha.\n\nNo, they replied.\n\nAnd, in a response that would reverberate across the community, Paula and April laughed.\n\n—\n\nPaula and April dropped off their passengers at various addresses around Gary. But details about where and how they spent their next two days are choppy and imprecise.\n\nProsecutors would characterize their time in the car as a joy ride. But from this point on, Paula and April seemed to have a different sense of what to do next.\n\nApril wanted to go to a park in Hammond; she wanted to see her brother Tony; she wanted to see her boyfriend. When she found $40 in Ruth Pelke's glove box, she wanted to spend it. When they picked up April's boyfriend and he brought some alcohol, she drank it.\n\nPaula wanted to go to a girl's home where she had lived for a time; she wanted to pick up some friends there. But she quickly decided she and April needed some time to focus on what to do next. When April found the money, Paula thought they should save it for gas. While April got drunk, Paula wanted nothing to drink. She was too nervous.\n\nMost symbolic of their division, perhaps, is what happened to the money from Ruth's glove box. The girls wrestled over it, and one of the $20 bills was torn. Paula gave up the fight. April could keep the money and do with it what she wanted.\n\n—\n\nOn Wednesday morning, the day after the crime, Robert Pelke phoned Ruth's house to check up on her. She didn't pick up the phone, and he decided to check on her in person. Just three days before, he and a large portion of the extended Pelke family had taken Ruth out for a Mother's Day dinner. Just two days earlier, Robert and his wife had pushed Ruth to think about selling her house and leaving Gary. Robert rang the doorbell, with no idea how prescient that conversation had been.\n\nThere was no answer, so Robert opened the mail slot on the door and called inside. There was only silence. But through the mail slot, something caught Robert's eye: The dining room was torn apart. He went to fetch a spare key Ruth kept hidden outside. Looking around the place, he noticed Ruth's car was missing from the garage, and he assumed Ruth must be gone, too.\n\nHe found the key, unlocked the door and stepped into the house. The place appeared to have been ransacked. Pictures that had adorned the walls were now scattered about the floor. Cushions from the couch had been pulled up and cast about. And then his eyes turned to the dining room floor.\n\nThe cloaked figure of a woman lay there motionless. Her dress was caked in blood. Her arms were slashed. A towel masked her face.\n\nRobert knelt down next to her. He pulled the towel away and called her name. Still, there was no movement. He touched her, and the body was cold. He knew she was dead.\n\nRobert got up and went for the phone. In an age when every phone was a landline, Ruth's had been ripped from its place on the wall. He stepped outside and began going door to door, looking for someone who would let him use their phone. But at house after house, he found nobody. Finally, Robert looked farther up the street and saw a man and a woman getting out of a car. He approached them and asked them to call the police.\n\nHis stepmother had been murdered.\n\n—\n\nRobert's son, Bill Pelke, arrived home just after 3 o'clock from his shift at Bethlehem Steel and soon received a phone call. It was one of his uncles. Nana, he said, was dead.\n\nNana was the term of endearment everyone in the family used for Ruth. Bill had grown up listening to her Bible stories. He'd loved her flannel board tales of the three men in the fiery furnace, of Noah and the ark and his favorite — Joseph and the coat of many colors.\n\nEven as a 37-year-old man, he still loved to go to Nana's house for the holidays, to warm himself beside her fireplace and congregate there with the rest of the family. His grandfather had passed almost two years before, but Nana was still a magnet. She could still bring the family together. And now, suddenly, she was gone.\n\nAt such moments of shock, the brain's processor goes into hyperdrive. And some key facts rushed through Bill's head: Nana had been 78; she was the oldest Pelke; she'd had a good life; it must have been her time. But that instant of comfort evaporated quickly. He sensed something else in his uncle's voice that was borne out in his next words: There'd been a break-in at Nana's house. He didn't know if there was a connection.\n\nBill hung up and turned on the television, wondering if there might be some news about it. Sure enough, his father appeared on camera. He was saying something about it being a terrible murder. For Bill, everything else was a blur; he had to go. He had to be with his family.\n\nAs it turned out, Ruth Pelke had been dead for a full day.\n\n—\n\nBy that spring of 1985, crime was a painful reality in Gary. Its murder rate was among the highest in the country. It was on its way to becoming the murder capital of the United States.\n\nGary was a city in decline; poverty was growing like a cancer. But the violence was being spread through an influx of gangs with names such as The Family and the Black Gangster Disciples.\n\nYet as accustomed to crime as the city had become, the murder of Ruth Pelke shocked and angered people in a whole new way. There was the innocence of Ruth herself — the elderly Bible teacher. As one observer put it, she was a grandma to the neighborhood. The killing's effect also might have been amplified because it happened in Glen Park, which a prosecutor later described as a \"last bastion\" of the white population in a city from which white residents had disappeared.\n\nOn the day after the discovery of Ruth's body, The Post-Tribune in Gary devoted two front-page columns to the story: \"Bible teacher, 77, murdered in her home.\" It had her age wrong, but the dominant image on the page was a picture of Ruth — silver-haired and smiling behind her horn-rimmed glasses from another era.\n\nThe newspaper reported that neighborhood children \"were visibly upset and shaken by the murder.\" They spoke of Pelke as \"meek and mild,\" serving cookies during summer Bible classes and giving out boxes of candy to the children who memorized Scripture.\n\nAs for who might be responsible, the initial story carried some important nuggets: Police were searching for a 15-year-old girl who'd been seen driving Pelke's blue Plymouth. They weren't releasing her name, but the girl was a student at Lew Wallace High and lived in Gary's Marshalltown neighborhood.\n\n—\n\nPaula Cooper lived in Marshalltown.\n\nAs they combed through Ruth's house, police found the jacket with the prescription in the pocket. Eyewitnesses had seen Paula and the other girls in a car that matched the description of Ruth's missing Plymouth. And on the day Ruth's body was discovered, Gloria Cooper phoned police to report her 15-year-old daughter missing; she'd been missing since the day before.\n\nThe ink was barely dry on the newspaper stories when Karen Corder, walking around school on Thursday, two days after the crime, began looking for someone on whom she could unload her conscience. She had opted out of the joy ride and gone home and had a couple of restless nights' sleep. She found a gym teacher who'd been nice to her and said they needed to talk; she'd witnessed a murder. Soon, police were at the school. They took Karen and Denise into custody. And Karen was telling her story about the crime.\n\nIn the two days since the killing, Paula and April — with April's brother, Tony — had driven aimlessly from Gary to Hammond and to various parts of Chicago's South Side. They'd had no real sense of direction.\n\nTony pressed on in Ruth's Plymouth until the gas needle dropped well below empty. Then he pushed it some more. Finally, the car died. Their money gone, they found a phone and called April's sister. Thursday night, with the police dragnet closing around them, she took the girls to see the Gary police.\n\n—\n\nDetective William Kennedy Jr. had been looking for Paula Cooper and April Beverly for the better part of two days. When his phone rang around midnight, the news was good: They'd turned themselves in.\n\nIn addition to being a cop, Kennedy worked security at Lew Wallace High School. He'd seen Paula Cooper walking the halls. He never knew her name, but they'd exchanged hellos. Now, he was tidying up the loose ends of a case for murder against her.\n\nWhen he arrived at the station, Paula's parents were waiting. Kennedy asked Herman and Gloria Cooper if Paula could make a formal statement about the crime. Herman, speaking for everyone, declined. They were interested in talking to a lawyer, and he seemed annoyed at the article in the morning paper, which he felt pointed a finger at Paula even if it didn't name her.\n\nThe Coopers met briefly with Paula, then returned to the waiting room. Soon, Rhonda arrived at the station. She'd read the papers. She knew Paula was in jail. And she was upset. She wanted to see her sister.\n\nGloria was OK with that but urged her to persuade Paula to talk about what she'd done. When the police wouldn't let Rhonda see her sister without a parent, Gloria agreed to go with Rhonda.\n\nAfter so many years of turmoil and strife, Gloria and her two daughters were together again — for a moment alone in a police interrogation room. What they said isn't clear. But when Kennedy, the detective, rejoined them, Gloria gave Paula a nudge.\n\n\"Say something,\" she said.\n\nPaula hesitated. She said she didn't want anyone looking at her. So Kennedy turned 45 degrees and looked at a wall. Paula began to speak. She kept speaking for 15 minutes. She laid out the essential elements of Ruth Pelke's murder, described the girls' desire for money and a car, described how they came up with the Bible class as their way in. She described how she got the knife and stabbed the old woman more times than she could remember. She talked about the aftermath, when they took the car and gave rides to their friends. At one point, according to the account the detective would later make from his \"mental notes,\" Gloria Cooper asked Paula in front of the detective: Were you and Karen basically responsible for the lady's death?\n\nPaula's answer: \"Yeah, you could say that.\"\n\nWhen Paula was done, Kennedy left the room. Her mother and her sister left, too. As Paula stood alone in the interrogation room, April Beverly was giving a statement in a room nearby. When Kennedy returned to Paula, she was newly animated. She began unloading a rapid-fire addendum to her confession to the detective.\n\n\"April is lying. She's lying on me, so I'm going to tell you where the murder weapon is. It's at the McDonald's in Hammond on Calumet Avenue, next to the police station. Her brother threw it out the car right by the drive-thru window side. It was by a tree right there.\"\n\nFor Paula, this was the start of one of the great grievances of her life — her claim that the other girls lied. A few details aside, their stories largely matched up. But in the discrepancies, Paula saw injustice. And correcting the narrative to fit her exact version of the truth would become an obsession.\n\nThe legal ramifications of what she'd shared, in her two statements, were that Paula had essentially confessed to the key elements of the murder. She had gift-wrapped a case for the authorities. She also had put herself in the cross hairs of a zealous prosecutor. She had no idea just how precarious her own life had become.\n\nTo empower the journalism behind IndyStar, please consider a subscription.\n\nJack Crawford — with a swooping, blow-dried haircut that gave him an appearance not unlike the televangelists of the era — came before a bank of reporters with material certain to make a splash.\n\nA rising star in Indiana's Democratic Party, Crawford had swept into the Lake County prosecutor's job years before, having pledged to get tough on crime. Since then, he had pursued the death penalty more than any other prosecutor in the state. In the first five months of 1985, he'd already won four death penalty convictions.\n\nNow, flanked by a pair of cops, Crawford came before the gathered media with an announcement sure to make headlines: For the first time in Lake County, his office was charging four girls with murder. He would seek the death penalty against the oldest — 16-year-old Karen Corder — and if the other girls were moved out of juvenile court, he'd likely seek death for them, too.\n\n\"I've been a prosecutor for seven years,\" Crawford told the media, \"and we've never had a case like this before.\"\n\nAs zealous as he was, Crawford privately acknowledged that same day that his chance for death sentences had already taken a big hit. That's because the clerk's office announced that the judge handling the Ruth Pelke cases was Superior Court Judge James C. Kimbrough Jr.\n\nKimbrough was a former public defender and NAACP lawyer who'd grown up in the civil rights heartland of Selma, Ala. More important than all of that, everyone around the courts — from prosecutors and public defenders to reporters and clerks — knew Kimbrough hated the death penalty. Hated it for its unfairness. Hated it for its inability to deter crime. And in a county where other judges had shown themselves willing to brandish the ultimate weapon, Kimbrough hadn't sent anyone to the electric chair during 12 years on the bench. Only once had he come close: Kimbrough sentenced a man to death who had been convicted of a double murder. Soon, though, the judge reversed himself and gave the man a new trial. Eventually, he was set free.\n\nSo, at word of Kimbrough's assignment, Jack Crawford and his team murmured that the path to a death sentence was a steep one. \"We certainly thought we had an uphill climb,\" he would say later.\n\n—\n\nIn the Lake County Juvenile Detention Center, Paula Cooper's life behind bars was getting off to a rough start.\n\nShe was no stranger to jail, having spent three months in the same detention center two years earlier after she ran away from home. She was a bit weepy then, even tender, the guards remembered. But this 15-year-old version of Paula Cooper was angrier, explosive and cocky. She acted as if she owned the place. She was a handful.\n\nTwo weeks after the crime, Paula took a seat next to two of her friends in the jail during \"quiet hour.\" Soon they grew noisy. A guard told them to shut up and disperse; Paula refused. The guard ordered her back to her cell. But as she stepped into the hall, Paula struck the guard across the bridge of the nose. She fought until reinforcements arrived to pull Paula off. As they were dragging her away, Paula issued a warning: They'd better transfer the guard or she would get a knife and come after her.\n\nThe dust-up prompted a transfer for the girls — from the juvenile center to the Lake County Jail. It also made the local papers, which didn't help the cause of saving their lives.\n\nBy the end of July 1985, the cases against all four girls were formally moved to adult court. Crawford, after sifting through the ample evidence, made his purpose clear: He would seek the death penalty against all four.\n\nThe case had pricked the public's consciousness of crime at a new level.\n\nCrawford's decision made news on the Chicago television stations; it made headlines across Indiana. The public defender assigned to represent Paula, Kevin Relphorde, was incredulous. \"They must be the youngest females in the country facing the death penalty,\" he told reporters.\n\nBy then, Paula and Karen, sharing a cell in the Lake County Jail, had been locked up two months. They began telling jail staff they were considering suicide. On cards they were given to report health problems, they wrote things such as \"Give me the electric chair\" and \"Give me that shock. I want to die.\"\n\nAs a precaution, jail officers took their personal belongings and stripped them to their underwear; they were on suicide watch.\n\nPaula and Karen responded by banging on the bars and making noise. To calm them, a nurse broke out the oral sedatives. Karen took hers; Paula refused. The guards teamed up to hold down Paula so the nurse could give her a shot. But as they tried to restrain her, Paula jumped up and hit one guard in the shoulder.\n\n\"Oh you tough, huh?\" the guard replied. \"You stabbed an old lady.\" It was less than professional, but it was a gut reaction.\n\n\"Yeah, I stabbed an old lady,\" Paula replied. \"And I'd stab that bitch again. I'd stab your fucking grandmother.\"\n\nThe jail incidents were part of a pattern to be repeated in years to come. Paula didn't respond well to restraints; she bucked authority. In such instances, she could be aggressive and hostile. A psychologist noted her tendencies and something else plain to see: Battered and badgered as a girl, she was now mistrustful and suspicious.\n\nSoon, Paula's interaction with the jail staff would grow more complicated. By August 1985, about the time she turned 16, Paula began receiving a series of private visitors. Two were male corrections officers. Another was a male recreational therapist. They weren't visiting just because of their jobs.\n\nThey were coming for sex.\n\n—\n\nOutside the jail, the stories about the angry young prisoners seemed only to add to the public's contempt. And as the details of their crime emerged, they were already easy to hate. Especially the girl who had wielded the knife — Paula Cooper.\n\nPaula had not just killed Ruth Pelke; she had stabbed her 33 times, according to the coroner. Some of the cuts on her arms looked like saw marks, as if the knife had been pulled back and forth. In other instances, the 12-inch knife had been wielded with such ferocity that the tip of the blade went through Ruth's body, pierced the carpet on which she lay and chipped the wood flooring beneath. Worst of all, it appeared Ruth Pelke survived the torturous assault for more than 30 minutes. The Post-Tribune called it \"possibly the most brutal killing in Gary history.\"\n\nIf all that wasn't bad enough, two of the girls had bragged about the killing at school. As defendants go, they were about as unsympathetic as they come. With guilt hardly in doubt, letters began appearing in the Gary newspaper debating the punishment. Some asked for mercy; others wanted severe justice. One letter directed at Paula appeared under the headline, \"She should pay.\"\n\nAll of it left Kevin Relphorde, Paula's lawyer, searching for a viable strategy to save Paula's life. The evidence was overwhelming, and the prosecutor was determined, which made a plea deal unimaginable. Paula's childhood had been bad, but it didn't seem to add up to an insanity plea. Her youth and relatively clean prior record were assets, but they looked meager compared to the brutality of the crime. Then there was the jury. Any panel drawn from across Lake County would be mostly white. And Paula was a black teenager who had killed an old white woman. All of it added up to a grim outlook.\n\nAs best as Relphorde could figure, the only thing Paula had going for her was the judge. Relphorde knew of Kimbrough's opposition to the death penalty. Ultimately, he suggested to Paula a stomach-churning strategy: Plead guilty.\n\nRelphorde was a part-time public defender who'd never handled a death penalty case. But he figured Paula's chances were better in the hands of a liberal judge than with 12 angry jurors.\n\nAs risky as it sounded, Relphorde wasn't the only person who sized things up the same way. David Olson, who was Karen Corder's attorney, came to a similar conclusion. He'd had a nightmare about Karen, he told the Post-Tribune in March 1986, and awoke fearful of \"losing her.\" His fears were amplified when he attended the trial of Denise Thomas, the first suspect to answer for the death of Ruth Pelke.\n\nJust before the case against Thomas went to trial, in November 1985, prosecutors withdrew the death penalty charge, concluding she'd been more of a bystander to the crime.\n\nBut that didn't stop the jurors from reacting strongly to the horrific details of Pelke's death. They quickly found Denise guilty. Olson didn't want to risk that with death on the line for his client. So in March, 10 months after the crime, Karen went before Kimbrough with a guilty plea. Her sentencing would follow two months later.\n\nHow well Paula understood the risks of her plea — and how much say she had in it — is now a matter of dispute. Relphorde said he met with Paula regularly to talk strategy and that the plea was ultimately her decision. Years later, Paula would recall only three brief meetings with her attorney, who she said assured her the judge opposed the death penalty and would be sympathetic to a black girl. If she pleaded guilty, she said she was told, she wouldn't get a death sentence.\n\nOn April 21, 1986, Paula appeared in court to plead guilty to murder.\n\nHerman Cooper came to the courtroom that day; so did Paula's sister, Rhonda. But Gloria Cooper, Paula's mother, was nowhere to be found. She had moved to Georgia and stopped answering the calls of Paula's attorney.\n\nWhen the hearing began, Kimbrough asked Paula more than once if she knew she could be sentenced to death. Each time, Paula answered yes. To the most important question — How do you plead? — she never hesitated: Guilty.\n\nFor the record, Paula retold the story of the crime — the scheme to get into the house; what she did to Ruth; how the girls took the car.\n\n\"We went to commit a robbery, you know,\" she told the judge.\n\nWas there any discussion in advance about what you'd do with Mrs. Pelke? he asked.\n\n\"No. It wasn't a discussion to go and kill anyone, you know.\"\n\nKimbrough accepted the plea. Paula's life was now in his hands. But she would have to wait months for an answer. Relphorde left convinced Paula had made her best play: \"We were basically throwing ourselves on the mercy of the court.\"\n\nPaula's strategy seemed to appear sound when, in May 1986, Kimbrough spared Karen Corder's life, giving her 60 years in prison. In fact, three of the girls had escaped with their lives. Denise Thomas, found guilty at trial, received a 35-year sentence. April Beverly, who conceived the robbery but waited outside during the killing, pleaded guilty in exchange for a 25-year prison term.\n\nOnly Paula's fate remained unresolved.\n\nLost in the news of Corder's reprieve, perhaps, was some language the judge used in reference to Paula. It seemed ominous. Kimbrough said it had been \"conceded by all that Paula Cooper was the leader of this group of four young ladies. That Paula Cooper was the dominant factor in the crime.\" He said Corder was \"operating under the substantial domination of Paula Cooper.\" Despite such words, the prevailing view in legal circles was that Kimbrough would spare Paula's life.\n\n—\n\nAs her judgment approached, there were hints that Paula Cooper's case was starting to resonate beyond Indiana. Jack Crawford's first clue came when his secretary stepped into his office with an unusual message: \"There's a man outside who says he's from the Vatican. He's dressed like a monk and wants to talk to you about Paula Cooper's case.\"\n\nCrawford took a look. Sure enough, in a brown tunic bound at the waist with a cord, there stood a Franciscan friar. He told Crawford he was from Rome. He offered a letter validating his credentials. And he brought a simple message: Pope John Paul II and the Vatican weren't pleased with Crawford's decision to seek the death penalty.\n\nCrawford was Roman Catholic. He'd gone to Notre Dame. He knew the church's opposition to the death penalty. But, as he explained to the friar, this was a legal decision, not a religious one. The friar left unsatisfied. He would not be the last Franciscan to stand with Paula.\n\nMore surprising than the friar's appearance was the visit Crawford received in June 1986 from Paula's attorney, Kevin Relphorde.\n\nIt was just weeks before Paula's sentencing, and Relphorde had few cards to play in Paula's defense. This time, though, it appeared he might have a game changer.\n\n\"You can't execute Paula Cooper,\" he said.\n\n\"Well, why is that, Kevin?\" Crawford asked.\n\n\"She's pregnant.\"\n\n—\n\nThe sex scandal at the Lake County Jail erupted in June 1986.\n\nFor months, corrections officers Vernard Rouster, 25, and Parmaley Rainge, 27, had been coming to see Paula for sex, officials discovered. So, too, had Michael Dean Lampley, a recreational therapist from a mental health center. Their encounters occurred even as a 40-year-old female corrections officer and a police patrolman were supposed to be maintaining security for the state's highest-profile murder suspect.\n\n—\n\nOne of the guards admitted the sex began when Paula was still a week shy of 16 — the age of consent in Indiana. That people working in the jail were having sex with a captive wasn't illegal in Indiana in 1986. After the revelation, the jail workers resigned their jobs and the therapist was fired, but no one was prosecuted. Supervisors on the jail floor were suspended — for 15 days.\n\nFor all of its tawdriness, the scandal had the potential to affect Paula's case. State law prohibited the execution of a pregnant woman; punishment would have to wait. And while a death penalty appeal was certain to outlast a pregnancy, the strange episode raised the possibility of a sentencing delay.\n\nKimbrough ordered a medical exam for Paula. Quickly, the matter was put to rest: She wasn't pregnant. But, in a sign of the times, public discussion about the scandal seemed to focus less on the culpability of the jailers than on the promiscuity of the 16-year-old girl in jail.\n\nJames McNew, a deputy in Crawford's office who prosecuted the case, told the Post-Tribune he suspected Paula Cooper tried to get pregnant to stir up sympathy and avoid death.\n\nHowever it came about, the sex scandal prompted a change in state law: It became a crime for jailers to have sex with their prisoners. Soon, though, the jailhouse sex scandal would become little more than a footnote before a judgment heard around the world.\n\nTo empower the journalism behind IndyStar, please consider a subscription.\n\nBill Pelke sat on the wrong side of the courtroom.\n\nHis grandmother was the murder victim. Unwittingly, Bill took a seat on the side of the murderer. He was unfamiliar with the trappings of the courtroom. And unlike some in the community — in his own family — Bill carried no blood lust into the chamber. He thought people who committed murder should die. And Paula Cooper had killed his beloved Nana. But he wasn't fuming about it.\n\nBill had stayed away from the previous court hearings, but decided this was one he shouldn't miss. It was July 11, 1986. And for Paula Cooper, it was judgment day.\n\nCourtroom 3 of Lake Superior Court was a small space. The gallery, oriented outside a circle where the business of the court was conducted, had seats for just 43 onlookers. This day, it was packed to overflowing. People stood, straining to hear, just outside the public entrance. Lawyers and other court personnel did the same just outside the doors normally used by the judge and juries. All wanted to know the fate of a 16-year-old girl who faced a potential death sentence.\n\nInto this cauldron, Paula Cooper entered under the escort of a jail matron. She didn't need to look around to see she had few friends in the room. Her sister and her grandfather were there, but neither of her parents was present. Her mother had moved to Georgia, her father to Tennessee. As Paula entered, the matron said something that made the young defendant smile. The gesture surprised Bill Pelke; it struck him as unbefitting for the moment. When this day is done, he thought to himself, she's not going to be smiling.\n\nDeputy Prosecutor James McNew began the proceedings by calling Bill's father to testify. Robert Pelke hadn't missed a hearing — for Paula or any of the other girls. He had been the family spokesman, and he wanted a death sentence for Paula. He described going to Ruth Pelke's home when she hadn't answered the phone, finding her home in disarray and her body on the floor. He described her bloody dress and the towel wrapped around her head. When the attorneys finished questioning him, Robert asked to read a statement to the court.\n\nThis, Robert Pelke said, was a crime that deserved the maximum sentence the law would allow. He quoted the Bible about submitting to authorities and God's vengeance and punishing evildoers. He said Paula gave Ruth no second chance, and he saw no reason to give Paula one.\n\n\"Paula reveled in her doings and enjoyed it,\" he said. He spoke of ridding society of those who would prey upon the innocent. \"This is a tragedy that should never have happened,\" he said, \"and a tragedy that family and friends will never forget.\"\n\nNext, one of the girls from Lew Wallace High School testified about seeing Paula and the others on their joy ride and about finding the bloody knife on the floor of the car.\n\nA crime lab technician discussed grisly photos from the scene — pictures of Ruth Pelke, of the knife-torn carpet and the gouge marks in the hardwood floor.\n\nThe prosecution introduced into evidence the autopsy report, which expressed the damage done by the 33 stab wounds. There was also an anatomical diagram noting the points where Ruth had been wounded — so many it looked like a star chart.\n\nJailers who had been attacked and threatened by Paula detailed her bad behavior; they recounted her admission about stabbing \"an old lady.\"\n\nEntering into evidence the grisly details of the crime and the accounts of Paula's callous behavior was part of the prosecution's effort to build a case that the only just punishment was death.\n\nIn Paula's defense, only three witnesses spoke.\n\nRhonda Cooper gave a picture of how she and Paula grew up terrorized in the home of Herman Cooper. She testified to the beatings, to their father's raping their mother in front of them, to their mother's suicide attempt and to their attempts to run away.\n\nRonald Williams, Rhonda's biological father, testified that he wanted to take Paula away from the misery, but her mother refused. He spoke of Gloria's threats against Paula and of the suicide attempt.\n\nDr. Frank Brogno, a Gary psychologist who examined Paula, described how Paula's abuse left her angry and confused, depressed and hostile. He said she was prone to confusion and bizarre thinking, even drifting into fantasies. Still, he said, Paula knew right from wrong. There was still hope for her, but also a real danger she could become a sociopath.\n\nMcNew, on cross-examination, ripped into the doctor. He pointed out how Brogno had testified in Karen Corder's case that Paula was the \"prime mover\" in the crime.\n\n—\n\nRelphorde made a plea for Paula's life, saying she had gone to Ruth Pelke's home to rob, not kill. He said the other girls were intensely involved in the crime and their lives had been spared. The death penalty, he said, was applied at the whim of prosecutors. He said Ruth Pelke, a woman of faith, wouldn't want Paula to die. In the end, he said, Paula was the handiwork of an abusive home and a system that failed her.\n\n\"I don't think Paula was born violent,\" he said. \"I think Paula was a product of what was done to her.\"\n\nMcNew, closing the prosecution's case, checked all the boxes needed for a death sentence: Paula wasn't crazy. She wasn't doing someone else's bidding. She'd struck the death blows. She had a criminal record, as far as a juvenile goes, for skipping school and running away from home. And Paula's abusive childhood? To use that for an excuse, McNew said, was to insult everyone who has endured similar treatment and found a way to overcome the horrors. Giving Paula the death penalty, McNew said, would have a sobering effect on others who might be considering crime. But McNew said there was one reason, above all, for a death sentence.\n\n\"I am not seeking a deterrence to crime when I ask the death penalty on Paula Cooper. I seek justice for the family of Ruth Pelke.\"\n\n—\n\nWith the attorneys done, Kimbrough asked Paula if she had anything to say. And Paula did not shrink from the moment.\n\nShe hadn't wanted a trial, Paula began; she only wanted to tell the truth. \"Now my family life, it hasn't really been good. … Nobody understand how I feel.\"\n\n\"This man,\" she said, pointing to the prosecutor, \"sit here and say he want to take my life. Is that right? I didn't go to Mrs. Pelke's house to kill her. It wasn't planned. I didn't go there to take somebody's life. It happened. It just happened. Something. It wasn't planned. We didn't sit up and say we was going to go and kill this innocent old lady. I didn't even know the lady. But everybody put the blame on me.\"\n\nShe said Jack Crawford had described her in the newspaper as the ringleader. \"I wasn't the ringleader. I didn't make those girls go,\" she said. \"They went on their own.\"\n\nLooking around at the people in the courtroom, Paula seemed disgusted. \"Well, where was all these people at right here when I needed somebody? Where was they at? They turned their backs on me and took me through all this. All I can say is now, look where I am now, facing a possible death sentence.\"\n\nShe pointed at the Pelke family and repeated her plea that killing wasn't her intention. \"I hope you all could find some happiness in your hearts to forgive me. And I know your mother was a Christian lady, and she is in heaven right now. I read my Bible. How do you think I feel? I can't sit here and tell you I understand how you feel because I don't.\"\n\nShe acknowledged that \"sorry\" would never be good enough.\n\nPaula looked to Judge Kimbrough. But, as Bill Dolan would report in the Post-Tribune the next day, the judge \"didn't return her gaze.\" \"I don't know what the decision is going to be today, or whenever you make your decision. I know justice must be done. And whatever the circumstances, or whatever your decision is, I will accept it, even if it is death.\" She acknowledged she couldn't change what happened: She hoped to get out one day and start life over, maybe even finish school.\n\n\"Will I have a chance?\" she asked. \"Will I get a chance?\"\n\nFor a couple of minutes, Paula rambled. She repeated that she hadn't forced the other girls to act; she felt it important everyone know she wasn't a gang member. Then she reined it back in for one final thought: \"I am sorry for what I did. And I know my involvement in this case is very deep. But all I can ask you is not to take my life. That is all I can ask you. That is all I can ask is to spare my life.\"\n\nSuddenly, a commotion broke out in the courtroom. There was shouting in the gallery. \"My grandbaby, my grandbaby.\"\n\nBill Pelke looked at the wailing man near him and saw the tears run down his cheeks; the visage burned into Bill's memory. He watched the man as the bailiff escorted him out of the courtroom.\n\nIt was Paula's grandfather, making one final plea on Paula's behalf.\n\nNow it was up to the judge.\n\n—\n\nJudge James C. Kimbrough had been wading through the sordid details of Ruth Pelke's murder for more than a year. He'd parsed the depressing narrative, and people had speculated whether he had a death penalty in him, especially for a girl. Now they were about to get their answer.\n\nThere was no doubt about Paula Cooper's guilt. Kimbrough dispatched that with his first breath. The murder had been disturbing: Paula had inflicted the 33 stab wounds in the body of 78-year-old Ruth Pelke.\n\nThose were the strikes against her.\n\nBut the defendant had no prior criminal history, and she was 15 at the time of the crime.\n\nThose were factors to consider on her behalf.\n\nThe other requirements for the death penalty, Kimbrough said, didn't work in the defendant's favor. She acted of her own free will. She wasn't under the influence of drugs. Her mental problems didn't rise to the level of incompetence. But all those things, Kimbrough said, were legalities. Ultimately, he said, death penalty cases boil down to a \"political utterance.\"\n\n\"This case has received an unusual amount of publicity,\" Kimbrough said. \"There is worldwide interest in the outcome of these proceedings today. And the court is certainly aware of that interest.\"\n\nWhen he left law school in 1959, Kimbrough said, he had been \"totally against\" the death penalty — and most of the country shared the view.\n\nNearly 30 years later, he said, public sentiment had changed, perhaps because of the violent activities of people such as Paula Cooper. Now, the vast majority of the public favors the death penalty, Kimbrough said, Normally, he wrote out his sentences in advance. But this case had challenged him to the point he'd been unable to do so.\n\nKimbrough praised the deputy prosecutor for speaking \"eloquently\" — he said McNew brought the matters into focus \"better than all of the turmoil that I have been through in the last several months.\"\n\nHe criticized state law for being too general when it came to giving minors the death penalty. It left him unsure what to do on that fundamental question. \"I don't know what the right political answer to that question is.\"\n\nThen Kimbrough, in a moment of vulnerability judges don't always reveal, showed some insight into his restless mind. \"I don't believe I am ever going to be quite the same after these four cases. They have had a very profound effect on me. They have made me come to grips with the question of whether or not a judge can hold personal beliefs which are inconsistent at all with the law as they were sworn to uphold. And for those of you who have no appreciation of it, it is not a simple question. It is not a simple question for me.\"\n\nKimbrough interrupted his confessional to take issue with something Robert Pelke said: \"I do not believe the failure to impose the death penalty today would be unbiblical. … I don't profess to be an expert in religion. But I know the Bible has passages which are merciful, and do not demand or mandate an eye for an eye.\"\n\nReturning to his inner turmoil, Kimbrough said he'd concluded that a judge must decide a case based on facts, regardless of whether it satisfies him. \"I will tell you, very frankly now, on the record, that I do not believe in the death penalty.\"\n\nThis seemed to launch Kimbrough on a rant. \"Maybe in 20 years, after we have had our fill of executions, we will swing back the other way and think they are unconstitutional. Maybe.\"\n\nAt about this point, Jack Crawford, sitting at the prosecutor's table, was ready to give up hope for a death penalty. He turned to McNew, he remembered later, and whispered into his ear.\n\n\"He's not going to give it.\"\n\nThen Kimbrough directed his eyes to the girl awaiting his judgment.\n\n\"Stand up, Paula.\"\n\nShe had stabbed Ruth Pelke 33 times, he said. He was concerned about her background. She had been \"born into a household where your father abused you, and your mother either participated or allowed it to happen. And those seem to be explanations or some indication of why you may be this type of personality that you are.\"\n\n\"They are not excuses, however.\"\n\nHowever.\n\nThat word caught Crawford's attention. So did the fact that Kimbrough's shoulders seemed to slump, as if the weight of the moment was getting to the judge. Crawford leaned in and whispered again to McNew.\n\n\"I think he's going to give it. I think he's going to give it.\"\n\nKimbrough continued.\n\n\"You committed the act, and you must pay the penalty,\" Kimbrough said. Briefly, he trailed into some legalese about the charge. Then he gathered himself for the final judgment.\n\n\"The law requires me, and I do now impose, the death penalty.\"\n\n—\n\nThe courtroom erupted.\n\n\"What did he say?\"\n\nPaula Cooper looked at Kevin Relphorde for help; amid the chaos, she wasn't sure what had just happened. She looked back for the judge; he had already left the bench. She asked Relphorde what had happened. He delivered the verdict again: He gave you the death penalty.\n\nThe smile Paula wore into the courtroom was gone, indeed. Bill Pelke took note of that. Instead, he saw a river of tears streaming down her cheeks. As she was led from the courtroom, the tears soaked the top of her blouse.\n\nJust like that, Paula Cooper — at 16 years, 10 months and 16 days — became the youngest person ever sentenced to death in Indiana; she was now the youngest female on death row anywhere in the United States. In this age before the cellphone, news reporters from national outlets raced out of the courtroom to the nearest bank of pay telephones. It took a few hours, but the verdict soon circled the globe.\n\nIn the hallway outside the courtroom, Rhonda Cooper yelled in anguish at members of the Pelke family and the prosecutors nearby.\n\n\"Are you satisfied now?\"\n\nThey seemed satisfied.\n\nStrangely, one of the most unsatisfied people in the building was the source of the commotion: Judge Kimbrough.\n\nAfter delivering the verdict, he darted out of the courtroom and into the hallway leading to his chambers. There, between the two rooms, he spotted William Touchette, a public defender who handled appeals. Kimbrough told Touchette to follow him.\n\nTouchette (pronounced TOO-shay) had been among those outside the courtroom straining to hear the proceedings. Like so many local lawyers, he was friendly with the judge; they'd socialized outside of work. He followed Kimbrough into his chambers.\n\nThe judge was angry. As angry as Touchette had ever seen him. Angry that the defense hadn't given him enough to spare Paula Cooper's life. Then Kimbrough uttered seven words Touchette would never again hear from a judge.\n\n\"I want you to get me reversed.\"\n\nTo empower the journalism behind IndyStar, please consider a subscription.\n\nPaula Cooper's death sentence was one of Indiana's biggest news stories in 1986. It garnered network television news coverage. Once it hit the international news wires, it was picked up by newspapers in Europe, where it inspired protests.\n\nBut Monica Foster, working for a nonprofit death penalty defense group in Downtown Indianapolis, somehow missed all that. To her, it was as if the Paula Cooper case had never happened.\n\nIt wasn't that Foster was uninterested in current events or that she was dull. In fact, Foster was a wunderkind. She'd graduated from high school at 16, college at 19 and law school at 22. She'd come to work for the Indiana Public Defender Council, researching and offering advice to lawyers with death penalty cases, even before finishing her law degree. But at 27, she had a tendency to get absorbed in her work. And when that happened, the outside world ceased to exist.\n\nSo when William Touchette, the Lake County attorney preparing Paula Cooper's appeal, called the council looking for some help, Foster knew nothing of the case. Without hesitation, Foster agreed to be Touchette's local connection to Paula, who was being held at the Indiana Women's Prison on the city's east side. Foster even said she'd donate her time, seeing the client on evenings and weekends, as a sideline.\n\nFoster didn't realize she'd just signed on to the case that would become the most noteworthy of her career.\n\nWhen the case file arrived in her office, Foster began reading about Paula Cooper. Right away, she was puzzled.\n\nHere was a black girl from Gary who had been sentenced to death by a black judge whom even Foster knew to be one of the most liberal, anti-death penalty jurists in the state. The girl had brutally murdered an elderly woman during a robbery, but Foster told the people in her office that to get a death sentence from this judge Paula Cooper had to be some kind of rabid animal.\n\n\"She must be frothing at the mouth.\"\n\nFoster decided to go to the prison and see Paula Cooper for herself.\n\n—\n\nPaula had arrived at the Indiana Women's Prison — America's oldest women's prison — five days after her sentencing.\n\nEstablished shortly after the Civil War, it was originally in the countryside east of Indianapolis. Over time, brick storefronts and wood-frame houses sprang up around the prison's series of boxy brick buildings — situated around a grassy courtyard — and now the prison was landlocked in the middle of an urban neighborhood.\n\nAwaiting Paula was a cell tucked away on the second floor of the segregation unit. It was stark: block walls and tile floor; aluminum sink and toilet; a desk and a chair; all of it packaged in a space slightly bigger than a walk-in closet.\n\nShe had one window to the outside world. Depending on which side of the hallway she was assigned at the time, it featured either a view of the courtyard or, just beyond a fence topped by razor wire, the backside of a row of decaying houses.\n\nPaula's cell had two metal doors. One was made of bars, the other was solid. Most of the time, the solid door remained open, allowing her to talk through the bars to passing guards and nearby prisoners. But when the solid door was closed, it was as if she was locked in a vault. Worse, the prison had no air conditioning. As summer temperatures outside climbed into the 90s, the only air moving through the wing was pushed by a floor fan at the end of the hall. Most of the time, the place felt like the inside of a cook stove.\n\nHere, Paula Cooper spent 23 hours a day. In the remaining hour, she had 30 minutes to shower and 30 minutes for recreation, which meant a short walk to a larger room where she could play Ping-Pong or cards with other prisoners. Meals were delivered to her cell.\n\nShe was 16 years old and, in the grand scheme of things, set apart from the rest of the human race.\n\nThe treatment was harsher than what Paula's three co-defendants in the murder of Ruth Pelke faced. They were housed elsewhere in the prison, with the general population. They had greater freedom of movement, time outdoors and an ongoing interaction with other people. Paula was allotted 10 hours of visits per month, but she wasn't sure who would fill the time. Her sister had moved to Minnesota. Her mother had moved to Georgia. Her father had moved to Tennessee. Paula was as alone as she could be.\n\nYet she faced a struggle greater than isolation and heat. She lived in fear that the executioner was coming for her any minute. Whatever she'd been told about the appeals process hadn't registered. She thought she was about to be taken away and killed. She existed moment to moment, in dread the guards were about to drag her away to the electric chair. In letters, she would describe her situation in the bleakest of terms — \"a mental hell.\" Paula needed hope. She needed a friend. But who?\n\n—\n\nMonica Foster entered the security checkpoint at the Indiana Women's Prison and was shown to the glass-walled consultation room. In short order, she watched as a guard escorted her client in to meet her.\n\nPaula Cooper was nothing like she expected. Monica came looking for the heartless killer who had murdered an old woman in cold blood, fought the guards at the county jail and been given a ticket to the chair by the most liberal judge in Lake County.\n\nInstead, Foster found a girl, sobbing uncontrollably, who had been on suicide watch. Foster tried to calm her. After some questioning, she gathered the reason for the emotional meltdown: Paula thought they were coming any time now. To kill her.\n\nFoster's blood boiled. She realized that, since the sentencing, no one had explained to Paula the years of appeals; the good chance for a reprieve; and, should all else fail, the notice she would receive well ahead of an execution. Foster felt sorry for Paula. She explained the process. Above all, she told Paula she'd never be ambushed by the executioner.\n\nPaula went back to her cell in a little better shape, but Foster left the prison rattled. She couldn't believe how she had misjudged her client. She realized that her role in this case was about more than legal counsel. She would need to offer her client a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen.\n\nFoster began going to the prison on weekends, sitting and talking with Paula for hours. She listened to Paula talk about being depressed, and she tried to buck her up. She listened to Paula's troubles with the prison administration and offered advice on ways to get along. She listened to Paula describe the abuses of her childhood, and Foster shared some of the tougher aspects of her own. The conversation wasn't always heavy. Sometimes they talked about places they dreamed of going and about men Foster was dating. Paula, in particular, was quick with a jab about Foster's romantic failures. Even in a maximum security prison, with one of them facing death, they spent a good deal of time laughing. And Foster found Paula's laugh to be infectious. That she could laugh at all impressed Foster. The girl seemed to have some kind of resiliency. After a while, Foster could deny it no longer: She liked Paula Cooper.\n\n—\n\nBill Pelke felt no such affection.\n\nIn the 18 months since Paula Cooper killed his grandmother, Bill had lost the ability to think of Ruth Pelke as the sweet person she'd been; he could only see the murder victim. He couldn't remember the warmth of Ruth's home; he could only think of it as a crime scene. When Paula Cooper received her sentence, Pelke felt justice had been served. His father, Robert Pelke, warned him that the justice wouldn't last. On a trip to Florida they took to get away from it all, Robert Pelke said Paula would probably never see the electric chair. \"Some do-gooder will probably come along and help get her off death row,\" he'd said. Bill struggled to imagine it; he just tried to get on with his life.\n\nBut moving on wasn't easy. And at 39, Bill already had other things on his mind that bothered him. He'd dropped out of college and wound up in Vietnam during the height of the war. As a radio operator, he was supposed to take cover during the fighting and call in air support. But he still carried shrapnel in his side from the wounds he suffered. Worse than that, he carried memories of the Army buddies who'd never come back. The experience left him sick of death. When he returned home, he'd married and started a family, but his marriage failed. So many things in his life hadn't gone as he'd planned. One afternoon in November 1986, all of this seemed to coalesce in Bill's mind.\n\nBill worked in a steel mill as a crane operator. He sat 50 feet above the manufacturing floor in the cab of his crane, moving heavy loads as the need arose. But on this Sunday night shift, things were slow; his mind began to drift. He wondered why life was so hard, why God had allowed Ruth to suffer such a horrendous death. He wondered why his family — his good family — was made to suffer in the wake of the crime. It was an unlikely perch for prayer, but Bill closed his eyes and began seeing images in his mind. He saw the courtroom where Paula had been sentenced to death. He remembered the outburst of her grandfather and the tears streaming down the man's face. He remembered Paula's reaction and the tears streaming down hers, how they soaked her blouse.\n\nA hard realization hit Bill: Ruth wouldn't have wanted these things. She had invited Paula and the girls into her home to help them find faith. It occurred to Bill that Ruth would be more interested in Paula's salvation than her execution. He was certain, too, that Ruth would have hated seeing Paula's grandfather in anguish.\n\nBill thought of the Bible stories Ruth had taught and the lessons he'd learned from a lifetime in church. He remembered Jesus taught that you shouldn't forgive someone just seven times, but 70 times seven — in other words, forgiveness should be a habit. He remembered being taught that the measure of forgiveness we show others is the measure by which we shall be judged. He remembered hearing about Jesus on the cross, offering salvation to the man dying next to him, offering grace to those who sought his death. \"Forgive them,\" Jesus had said, \"for they know not what they do.\"\n\nAnd then Bill realized something: Paula hadn't known what she was doing. Nobody in their right mind would take a 12-inch butcher knife and stab someone 33 times. It was crazy. Senseless.\n\nIn his mind, Bill began to see a new image: It was the picture of Ruth, the one published countless times since her death — silver hair, horn-rimmed glasses, sweet smile. Except now, he saw her face in the picture with tears running down her cheeks. Bill felt certain Ruth wanted someone from her family to show love to Paula and hers. Bill wasn't capable of it right then, but he thought he should try. He was a blue collar guy — a steelworker — and now he was at work crying a river of his own tears. From his seat in the cab of the crane, Bill prayed: \"God, give me love and compassion for Paula Cooper and her family.\" In return, he promised God two things. First, Bill would give credit to God for giving him the ability to forgive Paula whenever success came his way. Second, he'd walk through whatever door opened as a result of forgiving Paula.\n\nEventually, the sweet memories of Ruth would come back to Bill. He would be able to put aside the horror story. First, though, he felt he had to take a greater leap of faith. He had to get in touch with his grandmother's killer. He had to reach out to Paula Cooper.\n\nTo empower the journalism behind IndyStar, please consider a subscription.\n\nThe next day, Bill phoned Paula's attorney. He wanted her prison address, and he was willing to do whatever it took to help save Paula's life. Kevin Relphorde's response wasn't encouraging: \"It's kind of late for that.\"\n\nUndeterred, Bill took the address and sat down at a desk in his Portage home to write perhaps the most intense letter of his life. He told Paula he had forgiven her; he wanted to visit her; there were Bible verses his grandmother would want him to share. He also wanted to meet her grandfather, he of the tearful courtroom outburst.\n\nBill dropped the letter in his mailbox and, at some level, thought that would be the end of it. But in the days following, he found himself checking his mailbox almost daily. Ten days after he sent his letter, an envelope showed up. The return address said: \"Ms. Paula Cooper.\"\n\nThe envelope was thick. Inside, he found a letter dated Nov. 10, 1986, six pages of a teenage girl's loopy cursive, written in pencil, on pink stationery. The contents were far from a schoolgirl's bubble gum dreams. It was a snapshot of Paula's mind on death row. Her thoughts darted back and forth — between apologies and self-pity, between empathy for those who hated her and preachiness about why they should forgive her. Much of the letter was frenetic. Sentences ran on and on like the transcriptions of a nervous talker. Her misspellings and limited punctuation seemed to reflect the erratic schooling of someone who'd been on the run since eighth grade. But it also bore the hallmarks of a mind in overdrive, overloaded with conflicting emotions. Here are some excerpts. Periods have been added for clarity.\n\nBill 11/10/86\n\nHello how are you? fine I truly hope. me I'll survive, I received your letter today & it was nice of you to write me. one of Ms Pelkes friends wrote me also, I answered it back also. Im not the mean type of person your family thinks I am but I can except that. I really do. your cousin Robert was something else & what he said about not knowing if Ms Pelke would forgiving me. Ive read my bible & I know it says the way you judge others the Lord will judge you the same way. Ive prayed for your family. a lady in a wheel chair use to visit me at the jail. she said God would be pleased if I prayed for all of you, I am doing fine. They treat me ok & I am always isolated 23 hrs a day. thats how it is on death row, it is a mental hell because no one cares except for themselves. I am thankful to the Lord for them letting the others have a little time, because I've had hell all my life. so it really doesnt matter if I live or die because Im ready any time they come …\n\nIn his initial letter, Bill expressed a desire to save Paula from her death sentence. But in her reply, Paula told Bill he need not write, travel or speak on her behalf; she just wanted his forgiveness. She seemed proud of her performance in court — how she looked his family in the face and apologized. She seemed to excuse her parents for missing her sentencing. Although they had beaten and neglected her, Paula said, her actions affected them, too.\n\nAt various times, her words ranged from fatalistic to self-pitying:\n\nI cant stay here like this & I don't want to be here, I deserve a chance one that Ive never had before. but one day Ill be free even if its when Im dead…\n\nI cry every time I think of your grand mom. the others think it's a joke because you all let them be free. Im not an evil person, or what ever you think of me to be, Im just some one who is real angry, angry with life & all the people around me …\n\nIve never done anything wrong before except ask for help, I was turned away & introduced into a life of drugs, sex & crime, but now its too late for help. Im dying inside because of this but I only hope for the best for others.\n\nIn closing, she made it clear she wanted more interaction with Bill, even if she was passive about it. She would put him on her list of allowable prison visitors; she would write him whenever he wrote her; she offered her grandfather's phone number and address. In a dark world, it was as if she had seen a flicker of light.\n\nWell, Ill go now, Ill continue to pray for all of you.\n\nTake care\n\nPaula\n\nTheir first exchange was the start of a surprising correspondence that would span years and delve into the core themes of Paula's life — searching for forgiveness; grappling with remorse; her closeness with death; her search for peace.\n\nThe letters also chart the course of a relationship that many people would struggle to understand, especially Bill Pelke's father.\n\n—\n\nAfter a second exchange of letters with Paula, Bill felt compelled to share with his parents the news of his surprising correspondence: His father had once warned of a do-gooder who would get Paula off death row. Now it appeared Bill wanted to be that do-gooder.\n\nAt first, his parents were speechless. \"We don't understand why you are doing this,\" his mother, Lola, said. Surprisingly, his father acquiesced.\n\n\"Do what you got to do,\" Robert said.\n\nBill wrote Clarence Trigg, the superintendent of the Indiana Women's Prison, a letter that spent most of a page describing Ruth Pelke's faith and her commitment to sharing it. He concluded with a request:\n\nClarence, if Ruth Pelke could speak with you right now, I am sure she would say, \"Please let Billy see Paula.\"\n\nThank you for your consideration\n\nIn the name of Jesus and His Love\n\nWilliam R. Pelke\n\nBut the prison doors weren't about to open to Bill anytime soon. Corrections officials didn't know what to make of his request — a murder victim's grandson seeking an audience with her killer. They suspected he had another motive, such as revenge.\n\n—\n\nThe aftermath of Paula's case was confounding in other ways. Since giving Paula a death sentence, Judge James C. Kimbrough had been very public about his discomfort with his own ruling. Based on the law and the case in court, he said Paula qualified for the death penalty. But he hadn't been able to square it with his own opposition to capital punishment. The decision was costing him sleep. In an interview with the (Gary) Post-Tribune, published Aug. 4, 1986, a reporter noted the judge's nervous appearance.\n\nHe fidgeted in his chair. His gaze varied — at times less steady and slanted toward the desktop. He removed his glasses, toying with them.\n\nFriends who knew Kimbrough said the judge was different than he'd been before the Paula Cooper sentencing. The man they knew as friendly and jovial, even gregarious, was more reclusive, less outgoing. \"It weighed heavily on his mind,\" said Earline Rogers, a state legislator and a friend. \"That was something he felt legally he had to do but, personally, he would not have taken that path.\"\n\nSome in the legal community began to think there was a good chance Paula's death sentence would be overturned. But Kimbrough wouldn't live to find out.\n\nOn April 30, 1987, less than a year after his judgment of Paula, Kimbrough drove his car into the back of a semi and was killed. He had been drinking. The tragedy cast a pall over the Lake County courts, but it also landed hard at the Indiana Women's Prison. When Monica Foster told Paula her judge was dead, Paula was inconsolable. Days later, in a letter to Bill Pelke, she shared her thoughts about the judge.\n\n\"all I could do was cry, even though Kimbrough sentenced me to die. I felt a closeness to him as if he were my father. I have been sentenced to die many times by a lot of people and it's only words. We are all on Death Row and the last day of April his death sentence was completed & it should teach a lot of people we all have a date that is already planned & the way it will happen.\"\n\nPaula's own father had been cruel; at least Kimbrough had agonized over the punishment he gave.\n\nThe letter about Kimbrough was the 20th she'd written to Bill Pelke in less than six months. She was surprising herself at her output: \"I didn't even know I had a good handwriting or a great vocabulary until I was locked up.\"\n\nBy then, she was 17 and a condemned killer with hours to contemplate her past, present and future. Several themes recurred in her writing.\n\nLife on death row. She struggled to sleep, to breathe, to deal with the noise. \"To be on death row is worst than when I was in a mental hospital. At least it was quiet.\" She had ailments from toothaches to a bad back. Mostly, she was confused and on edge. Life on the row made her feel like \"a walking time bomb.\"\n\nMemories of the murder. Her thoughts were plagued by it. She described what she did to Ruth Pelke as \"awful.\" She wished she could erase it. \"Every day,\" she said, \"I see my nightmare.\"\n\nDeath. It was constantly on her mind, whether by execution or by her own hand. She alternated between dread of the electric chair — \"I hope it never happens to me\" ­— and anticipation of it — \"sometimes I wish they would just go ahead & do it. They continue to put this death threat on my life and I'm tired of it.\"\n\nSuicide. She seemed to ponder the merits of killing herself. She wasn't sure what it would solve but, in words that seemed to echo from her mother, she said, \"there isn't anything here for me.\" She talked about hanging herself but acknowledged she couldn't follow through. \"I know that if I do that I might go to hell (and) I don't want that to happen.\"\n\nMeanwhile, people from across the country wrote her. Some, including a death row inmate in North Carolina, wanted a romantic relationship. Some wanted answers to the plague of juvenile crime. Others sent her Bibles and tried to save her soul. Yet her faith — another frequent topic — had grown cold. As a child, she read her Bible often, she said, but \"my faith started to shatter because of a lot of feelings, hopes and unanswered prayers. I love the Lord but we aren't rea", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2016/12/09"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/25/investing/china-capital-outflows-covid-ukraine-war-intl-mic-hnk/index.html", "title": "Foreign investors are ditching China. Russia's war is the latest trigger", "text": "Editor’s Note: A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Meanwhile in China newsletter, a three-times-a-week update exploring what you need to know about the country’s rise and how it impacts the world. Sign up here.\n\nHong Kong CNN Business —\n\nInvestors are ditching China on an unprecedented scale as a cocktail of political and business risks, and rising interest rates elsewhere, make the world’s second biggest economy a less attractive place to keep their money.\n\nChina witnessed $17.5 billion worth of portfolio outflows last month, an all-time high, according to most recent data from the Institute of International Finance (IIF). The US-based trade association called this capital flight by overseas investors “unprecedented,” especially as there were no similar outflows from other emerging markets during this period. The outflows included $11.2 billion in bonds, while the rest were equities.\n\nData from the Chinese government also showed a record bond-market retreat by foreign investors in recent months. Overseas investors offloaded a net 35 billion yuan ($5.5 billion) of Chinese government bonds in February, the largest monthly reduction on record, according to China Central Depository and Clearing. The sell-off accelerated in March, hitting a new high of 52 billion yuan ($8.1 billion).\n\n“China’s support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine was clearly the catalyst for capital to leave China,” said George Magnus, an associate at the China Centre at Oxford University and former chief economist for UBS.\n\nGeopolitical risks\n\nChina and Russia proclaimed in February that their friendship had “no limits.” That was before Russia invaded Ukraine. Now, with Russia’s economy being slammed with sanctions from all over the world, Beijing has not rushed to help out its northern neighbor, fearing that it too could get caught up in sanctions. But it has also refused to condemn Russia’s attack on Ukraine, seeking to portray itself as a neutral actor and blaming the situation on the United States.\n\n“There is nervousness about China’s ambiguous, but Russia-leaning stance on the Ukraine conflict, which raises worries that China could be targeted by sanctions if it helps Russia,” said Martin Chorzempa, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, who has studied China’s economy and US-China relations.\n\nThe war in Ukraine has also heightened concerns about the risk that China could increase its military force against Taiwan, triggering a massive flight of capital from the Asian island.\n\nBut geopolitical tension is not the only reason behind the exodus. The rate hike in the United States and China’s strict Covid-related lockdowns have also played a role in scaring investors.\n\nThe US Federal Reserve is increasing interest rates for the first time since 2018 to tame inflation, while the People’s Bank of China has entered an easing cycle to bolster its faltering economy. That means China looks less attractive to investors when compared with the United States. Earlier this month, yields on China’s 10-year government bond fell below US Treasury yields for the first time in 12 years. And the yuan hit a six-month low against the US dollar.\n\n“The rise in interest rates, especially in the US, makes the nominal return associated with Chinese fixed income assets less attractive on a relative basis,” Chorzempa said.\n\nFurthermore, Beijing’s unwavering commitment to its zero Covid policy has taken a massive economic toll, and increased uncertainties about future growth.\n\n“The economy is enfeebled and being made worse by government actions and by zero Covid policies,” said Magnus.\n\nChina’s economy slowed sharply in March — consumption slumped for the first time in more than a year, while unemployment in 31 major cities surged to a record high — as escalating Covid lockdowns in Shanghai and other major cities severely hit growth and supply chains.\n\n\n\nSome economists are even talking about the possibility of a recession this quarter, as Beijing looks determined to hold on to its zero Covid policy despite the hefty price.\n\nA number of investment banks have slashed their forecasts for China’s full-year growth in the past week. The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday cut its growth forecast for China to 4.4%, down from 4.8%, citing risks from Beijing’s strict zero Covid policy. This is well below China’s official forecast of around 5.5%.\n\nConfusion about the future\n\nWith these worries mounting, some fund managers and analysts have started questioning whether they should invest in China at all.\n\n“China is seeing deep foreign capital outflows as doubts increase regarding its basic investability,” said Brock Silvers, managing director for Kaiyuan Capital, a private equity investment firm based in Shanghai.\n\nThe pandemic is not the only reason behind China’s slowdown. A lot of the country’s current economic pain can be traced back to the sweeping regulatory crackdown on the private sector, which was unleashed by President Xi Jinping in 2020. There are fears that the government will continue to clampdown on sectors ranging from education to technology this year.\n\n“Global investors don’t want to play regulatory guessing games or worry that tomorrow’s news may deplete another otherwise attractive company or business model,” Silvers said.\n\nThe speed and ferocity with which authorities have acted against private enterprise have startled even the closest China watchers.\n\nA set of rules unveiled last July essentially shut down the $120 billion private tutoring industry, putting tens of thousands of companies out of business. Another decision by regulators to ban Didi — the country’s biggest ride-hailing app -— days after its US IPO stunned international investors and cost them dearly. The crackdown resulted in a steep sell-off in Chinese stocks worldwide.\n\nThe Nasdaq Golden Dragon index, a popular index that tracks more than 90 US-listed Chinese companies, lost 31% in the third quarter of 2021, the worst quarter on record. It then shed another 14% in the final quarter of last year. By comparison, the S&P 500 rose 0.2% and 11% respectively in the third and fourth quarters of last year. The Nasdaq Composite also surged 8% in the final quarter of 2021.\n\nSome of the money flowing out of China may have gone into US dollar assets, while there is also “a notable switch from China to India,” according to Qi Wang, chief investment officer for MegaTrust Investment in Hong Kong.\n\nShrinking appetite\n\nThe crackdown on the private sector has also impacted private equity funds that focus on China.\n\nFunds that raise US dollars to invest in China only attracted $1.4 billion in the first quarter of 2022, down 70% from the previous quarter, according to Preqin, a London-based investment data firm.\n\nA separate survey by Bain & Company showed that Greater China-focused private equity funds attracted $28 billion in new funding for the second half of last year, down 54% from the first half, as global investors are increasingly concerned about political and economic uncertainty in the Chinese market.\n\n“Looking ahead, about 55% of respondents expect the [fundraising] situation to be more challenging in next 12 months,” said Kai Zhong, a manager on the China Private Equity team at Bain & Company.\n\nOn the fence\n\nHowever, while bond and equity funds may be slashing their exposure to China, there’s evidence that global companies are continuing to invest in Chinese businesses.\n\nForeign direct investment inflows to China hit a record high of $173 billion in 2021, up 20% from the previous year, according to data from China’s Ministry of Commerce.\n\nChorzempa noted that the record FDI came even though “the regulatory uncertainty and a darkening view among policymakers outside of China was already highly salient.”\n\n“So it is not clear whether the data from the last two months represents a paradigm shift or more of a temporary recalibration to a still very strong investment relationship, especially with Europe,” he said.\n\nAccording to an annual survey conducted by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China last year, only 9% of nearly 600 European companies operating in China planned on shifting any current or planned investment out of China, the lowest share on record.\n\nStill, there are signs that some of them have become anxious about China’s zero Covid policy.\n\nEarlier this week, China’s commerce minister Wang Wentao met with a few foreign chambers to discuss the impact of the country’s zero Covid policy.\n\nJens Hildebrandt, executive director of the German Chamber of Commerce in North China, told CNN Business that the participants raised some pressing issues member companies are facing related to the Covid-containment strategy, especially in Shanghai.\n\nAn ongoing lockdown in Shanghai — a major business and manufacturing hub — has forced most businesses to shut down for weeks, threatening to disrupt key supply chains for autos and electronics. It has also made port delays worse and forced the suspension of many passenger flights, sending air freight rates soaring and putting even more pressure on global supply chains.\n\n“The current policy with lockdowns leading to productions stops, logistic and supply chain disruptions and restrictions on the movement of people do not only pose a short-term concern, but will leave their marks on the long run,” Hildebrandt said in an emailed response to CNN Business.\n\n“As foreign companies are suffering economically, we are looking for clear signals on how the Chinese government will help to ease the burden through relief programs,” he added.", "authors": ["Laura He"], "publish_date": "2022/04/25"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/50-states/2021/04/30/theme-parks-live-music-passports-college-planning-news-around-states/115894460/", "title": "Theme parks, live music passports: News from around our 50 states", "text": "From USA TODAY Network and wire reports\n\nAlabama\n\nMontgomery: After COVID-19 disrupted two school years, lawmakers are weighing a pause in an upcoming state requirement for third graders to pass a reading test before moving up to the fourth grade. The state House Education Policy Committee on Wednesday debated the Senate-passed bill by Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, that would delay the promotion requirement, now set to take effect next year, by two years. Chairwoman Terri Collins said the committee will vote next week. Opponents argued that it would be a disservice to students to delay the promotion requirement – a part of a broader state program to boost literacy – or that the state should wait until latest test scores are available to make a decision. Smitherman and others said it would be unfair to force the requirement on students who were out of the traditional classroom for long stretches during the pandemic. “The children should not be punished because of what we have right now,” Smitherman told the committee. “That student who has not been able to get there, not been able to study, they are going to flunk.” Lawmakers in both parties described the frustrations of parents and teachers in their districts as schools were closed.\n\nAlaska\n\nAnchorage: The Anchorage Assembly has voted to revoke pandemic-related restrictions on businesses and gatherings and to make them recommendations instead. The changes take effect Monday and were approved unanimously despite concerns raised by the municipality’s health department director. A local mask mandate remains in effect. Assembly member Christopher Constant, who sponsored the motion to revoke gathering limits and business requirements, said the purpose was to send a message “that we recognize it’s time to do what we’ve heard from a number of people, which is trust the people to do the right thing.” Constant said an emergency declaration remains in place, and the mayor could enact restrictions through another emergency order if there is a dramatic change with COVID-19 numbers. The city’s pandemic response has been a flashpoint in the community for months. Anchorage Health Department Director Heather Harris cited concerns with turning the requirements into recommendations. “I’ve seen just a great reduction and a lack of compliance when these types of recommendations or orders are turned into advisories, which has a dramatic impact on our overall success of the community,” Harris said.\n\nArizona\n\nVail: A Tucson-area school board ended a study session and then canceled a scheduled regular meeting after dozens of parents protested the district’s refusal to lift its mask mandate aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19. After Gov. Doug Ducey on Aug. 19 lifted a statewide mask mandate for schools, the Vail Unified School District was among many in Arizona that kept its mandate in place, and the board planned to review its policies Tuesday. An afternoon study session was underway when protesting parents, many not wearing masks, pushed their way into the board room, KGUN-TV reports. Pima County sheriff’s deputies were summoned to help keep order before the board adjourned the study session and then canceled the scheduled evening meeting. Many protesters initially refused to leave the district’s headquarters even after the cancellation. Parents who still insisted on speaking said their parental rights had been trampled, and they weren’t given a voice on Vail’s policies, KVOA-TV reports. Before eventually leaving, some protesters held an impromptu unofficial election, selecting their own board that voted to rescind the mask policies, the Arizona Daily Star reports.\n\nArkansas\n\nLittle Rock: Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Wednesday signed into law measures preventing state and local governments from requiring COVID-19 vaccines or proof of vaccination in order to access services. The ban on requiring a vaccine would also prohibit it as a condition of unemployment. The measure includes some exceptions, such as state-owned medical facilities, if approved by Legislative Council. The other measure prohibits “ vaccine passports” in order to access goods or services. Federal officials have said there is no plan to require them broadly, but some Republican governors have issued orders preventing businesses or agencies from mandating them. “These bills confirm my position that there should not be a COVID-19 vaccine requirement as a condition of employment in state government,” Hutchinson said in a statement. “It does make certain exemptions and it specifically exempts private businesses so they can make their own decision.” The Republican governor has not taken action yet on another bill sitting on his desk that would prohibit state or local governments from imposing mask mandates. Hutchinson last month lifted the state’s mask order, but cities such as Fayetteville and Little Rock have been allowed to keep theirs in place.\n\nCalifornia\n\nAnaheim: The wait is almost over for Disneyland fans. The gates to the “happiest place on Earth” and California Adventure will open again Friday morning for the first time in 412 days – the longest closure for Disneyland in its 65-year history. But things won’t be quite as they were pre-pandemic, as safety measures to help prevent the spread of coronavirus will be in place, including face mask requirements, temperature checks and social distancing – and no character hugs. Thousands of fans tuned in Monday night when the relighting of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle was broadcast live on Facebook as part of a soft reopening event for cast members and crew. As castle lights came on for the first time in more than a year, “When You Wish Upon a Star” and the sound of Walt Disney welcoming all “to this happy place” on opening day, July 17, 1955, were heard in the background. Most of the popular rides and attractions are expected to be open when guests return, including Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Disneyland. In Star Wars: At Galaxy’s Edge, reservations will be needed to board the popular Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and can be made through the attraction’s virtual queue on the Disneyland app.\n\nColorado\n\nDenver: The state’s biggest public universities will require students, faculty and staff to receive COVID-19 vaccinations before the beginning of the fall semester, school leaders announced Wednesday. The University of Colorado system’s four campuses will require the shots along with the Colorado State University system, the University of Northern Colorado and Metropolitan State University of Denver, The Denver Post reports. Fort Lewis College, the University of Denver and Colorado College in Colorado Springs previously announced students would need to be vaccinated this fall. Ken McConnellogue, a CU system spokesman, said the Colorado Department of Higher Education encouraged the move, and “the science around COVID-19 and vaccines is clear and compelling.” “Vaccines will also allow on-campus students and faculty to resume their in-person experience that is critical to academic success and personal growth,” he said. State law has long mandated college students be vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella, with exemptions possible due to religion and medical conditions. McConnellogue said campuses will allow for COVID-19 vaccine exemptions as well. The Colorado Community College System, meanwhile, announced Wednesday that it would not require COVID-19 shots.\n\nConnecticut\n\nHartford: The state will no longer allow a religious exemption from childhood immunization requirements for schools, colleges and day care facilities, becoming the sixth state to end that policy. The legislation was signed into law Wednesday by Gov. Ned Lamont, hours after the Democratic-controlled Senate passed the bill late Tuesday night. More than 2,000 opponents had rallied outside the Connecticut State Capitol, arguing the legislation unfairly infringes on their religious liberties and parental rights. “Proud to sign this bill into law to protect as many of our school children as possible from infectious diseases as we can,” Lamont said in a tweet, announcing he had signed the contentious bill. Shortly afterward, two groups opposing the legislation – We the Patriots USA Inc. and the CT Freedom Alliance, LLC. – said they plan to file state and federal lawsuits seeking to overturn the new law, which will take effect with the 2022-23 school year. “The notion that somehow the state government gets the right to cram its version of virtue down the throats of every citizen in this state is and ought to be offensive to every Connecticut resident,” said Norm Pattis, an attorney representing the organizations. He called it “far more chilling” to tell a parent how to raise their child than to expose other children to a “nominal risk” of infection.\n\nDelaware\n\nWilmington: An appointment is no longer required to get a COVID-19 shot at some clinics. With a steady supply of doses and vaccination rates slowing in the First State, officials have established walk-in hours for vaccination clinics at state service centers. All of the locations are within a 10 minute walk from a DART bus stop. Second-dose appointments may be scheduled on site, or people can walk in to get their second dose. Second doses of the Pfizer vaccine should be administered three weeks after the first dose; the recommendation for the Moderna option is four weeks. The Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine will be available Saturday at the final weekend of the Dover International Speedway vaccination event and Sunday at a Chase Center vaccination event in Wilmington. Residents can also make vaccine appointments at pharmacies and medical providers throughout the state, including hospital systems. A list of participating providers can be found on a state website. State officials have said over the next few weeks they will need to make getting vaccinated more convenient as they try to convince those who may be undecided or taking a “wait and see” approach to get inoculated. The number of vaccines administered has dropped each of the past two weeks, according to the state’s vaccine tracker.\n\nDistrict of Columbia\n\nWashington: Patrons can’t get into many clubs without an ID. Now, some business owners want to ask to see a vaccine card too, WUSA-TV reports. The conversation started with an idea proposed by the owner of Madam’s Organ, Bill Duggan, who said more than 90 venue owners and musicians have now signed on to the concept. “What a great incentive to give people to say, ‘You get the vaccine, all of a sudden you can resume your life,’ ” he said. The last time a band played at the Adams Morgan bar was March 2020. Duggan would like to ease COVID-19 restrictions by requiring so-called vaccine passports at the door. He said criticism of equity has been addressed because the city is offering walk-up, no-appointment vaccines and launching a door-to-door informational campaign. Mayor Muriel Bowser has said starting Saturday, live music venues can reopen with 25% capacity and with patrons standing at least 12 feet from the stage. When asked Monday if she could offer a timeline as to when venues can return to full capacity, Bowser said she could not. Duggan said the slow reopening is bad for business, “I just don’t understand the baby steps here,” he said. “It’s killing us.”\n\nFlorida\n\nFort Myers: While nearly 38% of U.S. adults have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, Florida is trailing that national average and is behind 36 other states and the District of Columbia in getting people their full course of shots, new federal data shows. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 98 million Americans have been fully vaccinated, or 29.5% of the total U.S. population. Counting only adults over 18, it’s 38.7%. About 68% of Americans 65 and older are fully vaccinated, the CDC reported. Florida has fully vaccinated 34.9% of its adult population. Factoring in residents of all ages, the rate is 28.1%, CDC data showed. The state’s adult vaccination numbers are lower than comparably sized states, such as New York (41.6%), New Jersey (44.4%), Michigan (39%), California (37.7%) and Illinois (37.6%). It slightly outperforms Texas (34.3%). Alabama has the nation’s lowest rate at 28.7%. Gov. Ron DeSantis made vaccinating seniors a priority early in the pandemic. On that metric, Florida is performing much better (68.6%) but still ranks 28th in vaccinating those 65 and older. Higher percentages of seniors have been fully vaccinated in multiple smaller states, plus New Jersey (70%), Virginia (70.2%) and Michigan (70.3%), according to the CDC.\n\nGeorgia\n\nAthens: University of Georgia graduates will get a spring commencement ceremony with COVID-19 modifications. UGA President Jere W. Morehead said the university will have not one but four ceremonies for the spring 2021 graduates – three for undergraduates and one for the master’s, specialist and doctoral degrees. The decision to split up commencement into multiple days was made to comply with social distancing guidelines. Additionally, this year’s graduates will sit in the stands with their guests, and there will be no formal processional. ESPN reporter and UGA graduate Maria Taylor will be the commencement speaker. For undergraduates, commencement will begin May 13 and end May 15 in Sanford Stadium. The commencement ceremony for the master’s, specialist and doctoral degree candidates is scheduled for May 14. Tickets are required, and undergraduate degree recipients are given four tickets – one for the graduate ticket and three for guests. Among other precautions, visitors will be required to wear masks over the nose and mouth. This year, because of COVID-19, UGA will not provide transportation from remote parking lots to the stadium. Officials warn that “visitors should be prepared to walk significant distances, up to 1 mile,” according to the commencement website.\n\nHawaii\n\nHonolulu: The state House on Tuesday killed a bill that would have curtailed the governor’s emergency powers, a measure that was introduced after the coronavirus pandemic prompted Gov. David Ige to issue 19 emergency proclamations to suspend laws, impose travel quarantines and take other steps to address the public health crisis. The bill said if the Legislature terminated an emergency proclamation, and the governor wanted to issue another one for the same emergency or disaster, lawmakers would have to adopt a resolution authorizing such action. The bill also said the state of emergency would be authorized for no more than 60 days. The representatives didn’t debate their decision and held a voice vote to set the bill aside by sending it back to a conference committee. With the session ending Thursday, there was not enough time remaining for lawmakers to rework the bill and return it to the House floor. The Senate had passed the measure 24-1.\n\nIdaho\n\nBoise: Gov. Brad Little on Tuesday signed into law legislation that would outlaw nearly all abortions in the conservative state by banning them once a fetal heartbeat can be detected. The Republican governor signed the bill that contains a “trigger provision,” meaning it won’t go into effect unless a federal appeals court somewhere in the country upholds similar legislation from another state. The measure makes providing an abortion to a woman whose embryo has detectible cardiac activity punishable by up to five years in prison. It would also allow the woman who receives the abortion to sue the provider. Fetal cardiac activity can be detected as early as six weeks using an invasive vaginal ultrasound – before many women discover they are pregnant. “Idaho is a state that values the most innocent of all lives – the lives of babies,” Little said in a statement. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reports there were 1,513 induced abortions in 2019. The agency says 1,049 of those occurred within the first nine weeks. The bill has exceptions for rape, incest or medical emergency. But the exception for rape and incest would likely be impossible for many women to meet, opponents said, because Idaho law prevents the release of police reports in active investigations.\n\nIllinois\n\nSpringfield: Overcrowding at some nursing homes caused a disproportionate number of preventable deaths among Black and Latino residents, state officials said Wednesday. The Department of Healthcare and Family Services is proposing $300 million in new funding for nursing homes that hire more workers or take other steps to benefit residents. Department director Theresa Eagleson told lawmakers heavy reliance on putting three or four people into one room was far more common in Medicaid-funded homes serving Black and Hispanic residents. As a result, 60% of COVID-19-related deaths of nursing home residents between March and July 2020 occurred in facilities where at least 10% of residents were in rooms with three or more people. Eagleson said her department is working on a proposed change in the Medicaid rate structure that will need legislative approval. It will more closely tie enhanced rates to higher staffing levels and good performance. Under the plan, nursing homes would pay an additional “bed tax” that the state, in turn, would use to receive a higher federal match through the Medicaid program. The increase would bring in about $300 million more to improve care, according to HFS.\n\nIndiana\n\nIndianapolis: The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra announced Thursday that it will resume in-person performances in May after not playing for live audiences for more than a year due to the pandemic. The symphony’s four-week “Spring Inspirations” concert series, set to begin May 13 at downtown Indianapolis’ Hilbert Circle Theatre, will feature a pops and classical repertoire in performances that will also be livestreamed. The symphony said in a tweet that “we are thrilled to announce our return to the stage.” The orchestra had announced in May 2020 that it had canceled its summer slate of performances because of the threat the coronavirus pandemic posed to its musicians, staff and patrons. Masks will be required for patrons attending the “Spring Inspirations” concert series, except while they are eating and drinking. Social distancing and limited capacity also will be built into the symphony’s procedures. Some rows in the venue will be blocked off, and concerts will run between 80 and 90 minutes with no intermission.\n\nIowa\n\nDes Moines: With interest in COVID-19 vaccines lagging in much of the state, Gov. Kim Reynolds said Wednesday that public health officials planned to make shots available at gathering spots like farmers markets and sports events. Reynolds said the state was holding talks with groups including the Iowa Cubs baseball team and Des Moines Downtown Farmers Market about holding mass vaccination clinics at those sites. It’s part of the governor’s effort to get 65% of Iowans vaccinated by May and 75% by June. It is believed that 70% to 85% of the population would need to be immunized before the coronavirus is effectively contained, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “We’re going to be anywhere and everywhere,” Reynolds said. “We’re taking a look at events that are happening across the state, trying to tie into them. We’re working on that this week.” The new efforts are meant to overcome a decline in vaccination demand, as 80 of the state’s 99 counties this week have reduced requests for shots. Iowa had fully vaccinated just over 32% of the population as of Wednesday, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That places Iowa 15th best in the country. The CDC data shows 43% of state’s the population has received at least one dose.\n\nKansas\n\nOverland Park: Doctors are reporting that more parents are refusing to have their sick children tested for the coronavirus because they don’t want to deal with the hassle if the result is positive. Pediatric Partners in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park recently posted an alert on its Facebook page exhorting parents to stay vigilant because so many weren’t following testing advice, The Kansas City Star reports. “We’ve had parents tell us, for instance, ‘No we have a big tournament this weekend; I don’t want to have to deal with COVID,’ ” pediatrician Kristen Stuppy said. “And they’re forgetting the fact that it’s still going to be COVID even if you don’t know that it’s COVID. So from a public health perspective it scares me.” The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children and teens who have COVID-19 symptoms be tested immediately – “especially important if they have in-person school, sports or jobs, so that anyone who may have been exposed can be alerted,” the organization says. If they have COVID-19, they need to isolate for at least 10 days. Public health officials have said for weeks that overall interest in coronavirus testing is down, which is problematic because it makes it difficult to know how much of the virus remains in the community and prevent it from spreading by having people isolate.\n\nKentucky\n\nLexington: The Railbird Music Festival, canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, plans to return live outdoor music to The Grounds at Keeneland Racetrack the weekend of Aug.28-29. Grammy-winning jam band Dave Matthews Band and home-state indie rock heroes My Morning Jacket will headline the 2021 Railbird Festival in Lexington. The event – centered on music, bourbon, Kentucky cuisine and equine culture and produced by AC Entertainment and Lexington entrepreneur David Helmers – has also announced acts including Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, Leon Bridges, Billy Strings, Black Pumas, Khruangbin, Midland, The Revivalists, Band of Horses and Margo Price. The inaugural Railbird Festival was held in 2019 with more than 30 acts that performed across the festival’s multiple stages, including The Raconteurs, Hozier and Brandi Carlile. “While we all missed live music and experiences tremendously last year, the Railbird team looked at it as a time to build on the success of our inaugural festival and come back even better than before,” said Helmers, who co-founded the festival. “We’ve been planning intensely and are excited for the festival’s return to Keeneland with a list of world-class artists, bourbon and culinary experiences.” Tickets and passes are available via RailbirdFest.com.\n\nLouisiana\n\nNew Orleans: Officials are again loosening coronavirus restrictions, announcing Thursday that restaurants, bars and other businesses in the hospitality-driven city can soon operate at 100% capacity, up from 75%. Mayor LaToya Cantrell and city health director Dr. Jennifer Avegno said the looser rules take effect Friday. “With these changes, New Orleans will be the most open it has been since the pandemic began,” Avegno said. And there are still some important restrictions. While the statewide mask mandate in Louisiana is being dropped, New Orleans is maintaining mask requirements. “There is no national public health organization or leading experts that recommend the full removal of masks right now,” Avegno said. Also, businesses will have to maintain social distancing. Varying limits remain at stadiums and indoor arenas. But other indoor gathering limits are increasing from 150 people to 250. And outdoor gatherings of 500 people will be allowed, up from 250. The easing of rules comes as the city – which was an early hot spot for COVID-19 – continues to see vaccination rates increase. Nearly 43% of the city’s residents have had at least one dose of vaccine, and nearly 36% have completed their dosages, officials said. When children are removed from the numbers, the figures go to nearly 54% and 45%, respectively.\n\nMaine\n\nPortland: The director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention said outdoor graduation ceremonies can be safely held this year. Common sense should guide the events at high schools and colleges, Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah said. Masks should be worn at events that will pack hundreds of students into a close setting, he said. “They might be outdoors this summer. That’s a good thing, and we encourage that,” Shah said during a radio appearance Wednesday on Maine Public. “When everyone disperses and has spread out, that’s a situation where you might not need a mask.” The coronavirus pandemic disrupted Maine’s graduation season last year. The University of Maine System, for example, canceled in-person graduation ceremonies for its universities. Meanwhile, one of New England’s oldest amusement parks will reopen this season after a year off due to the pandemic. Funtown Splashtown USA in Saco, which opened more than 60 years ago, was one of many amusement parks that canceled last season. The park will come back later this spring, officials said in a statement Monday, and be open fewer days in May and June than usual, with summer hours more limited. New safety requirements will include reservations, face coverings and empty seats on some rides, the park said.\n\nMaryland\n\nAnnapolis: The state is lifting its outdoor mask requirement in line with U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, Gov. Larry Hogan announced Wednesday, citing improved health metrics while strongly urging reluctant residents to get vaccinated. “If you’re an individual who does not intend to get vaccinated, we want to make sure that you understand that you are still in danger of hospitalization and death,” Hogan said. “Unvaccinated people, including younger people, are continuing to be hospitalized.” Face coverings will still be required at all large ticketed venues. They also are required indoors at all public and private businesses and when on public transportation. People who are not yet vaccinated are strongly encouraged to continue wearing masks outdoors, especially when physical distancing is not possible. Starting Saturday, all restrictions related to outdoor dining capacity and distancing will be lifted. Seated service and physical distancing requirements will remain in place indoors at bars and restaurants. Hogan made the announcement amid significant improvements in health metrics in the state. Maryland’s case rate of COVID-19 per 100,000 people has dropped 33% over the past two weeks, he said. Nearly 85% of residents over 65 and more than 60% of those 18 and over have been vaccinated.\n\nMassachusetts\n\nAgawam: The Six Flags New England amusement park announced Wednesday that it plans to reopen its rides next month with some coronavirus safety protocols in place. The park in Agawam said in a statement that it will open for members and season pass holders May 14 and to the general public the next day. “Now more than ever, families need an escape that is safe, accessible and fun,” park President Pete Carmichael said. Visits must be reserved online so that park management can manage attendance and stagger arrival times. Guests and employees will undergo health screenings, visitors will be required to wear face coverings and maintain social distancing, and the park will undergo enhanced cleaning. The safety plan, developed in consultation with epidemiologists, meets or exceeds federal, state and local guidelines for sanitization, hygiene and social distancing protocols, management said. The rides have been closed for more than a year, but the park has opened for other events.\n\nMichigan\n\nLansing: The state’s former health director said Thursday that he resigned in January after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer told him it was “time to go in a new direction,” telling lawmakers he was comfortable signing an order to relax COVID-19 restrictions despite having had a difference of opinion with the governor. Robert Gordon’s statement confirmed what Whitmer’s office had refused to say publicly despite his controversial $155,000 severance deal: that he was ousted after two years on the job. Gordon, with the governor’s support, tightened and eased coronavirus restrictions in the fall and winter after the state Supreme Court declared unconstitutional a law that underpinned her orders. On Jan. 22, the day the governor and health officials cleared the way for indoor restaurant dining to resume at 25% capacity, Gordon said he was invited to a video conference call with several members of Whitmer’s staff. He noticed she, too, was present. “The governor said to me, ‘Robert, grateful for your service. I think it’s time to go in a new direction,’ ” he told the Republican-led House Oversight Committee, which subpoenaed him after he declined to voluntarily appear. He said he was serving as an appointee, and “it’s important that the governor is comfortable with you in that role.”\n\nMinnesota\n\nSt. Cloud: Residents can now schedule appointments at community vaccination sites around the state using VaccineConnector.mn.gov. If appointments are full, people can opt to receive a notice when there are openings, according to a press release from Gov. Tim Walz’s office. Community vaccination sites are located around the state in St. Cloud, Lino Lakes, St. Paul, Bloomington, Oakdale, Mankato, Duluth and Rochester. There’s also a federally supported community vaccination program at the State Fairgrounds for residents in socially vulnerable ZIP codes in and around the Twin Cities. So far the state has administered more than 4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to nearly 2.5 million residents. Nearly one-third of Minnesotans have completed their vaccine series. “To end this pandemic, we need as many Minnesotans vaccinated as possible, as quickly as possible,” Walz said in a statement. “To drive that goal, Minnesotans can now book appointments at our Community Vaccination locations directly and at their convenience. The sooner we get shots in arms, the sooner we can get back to the things we love and the people we miss. Hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans have been able to find their COVID-19 vaccine through the Vaccine Connector, and today, that is easier than ever.”\n\nMississippi\n\nJackson: Almost two-thirds of residents 65 and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, state health officials said Wednesday. Still, overall numbers of inoculations are lagging in recent weeks – a reflection of a lack of buy-in on the vaccine from young people. “We knew that we were going to have trouble getting younger folks immunized,” said State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs, who described the effort as a “continued uphill climb.” More than 132,000 people in Mississippi were vaccinated the week of Feb. 27, according to the state Department of Health. Since then, numbers of vaccinations have dropped each week. Last week, about 74,400 were vaccinated in the state. Nearly 770,000 Mississippi residents are fully vaccinated, more than one-third of whom are over 65, according to the department. Fewer than 200,000 are younger than 40. Dobbs said as older residents most vulnerable to the coronavirus are getting vaccinated, the numbers of related deaths are also falling. The drop gives the illusion that the risk is gone, which makes some people less eager to want the vaccine. “The urgency is not there,” Dobbs said. The top health official warned against relaxing coronavirus safety precautions. In the past, when people lessened precautions, cases went back up, he said.\n\nMissouri\n\nSt. Louis: Washington University in St. Louis has become the latest college to announce plans to require students to be fully vaccinated before returning to campus this fall. KMOX-AM reports the school said faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated. The school also said it would allow some exemptions for religious or medical reasons. The university informed students in a letter that if they can’t get vaccinated before arriving, the school will help them get a shot locally. “Vaccination against COVID-19 will play a key role in allowing us to resume our regular activities, protect our community, and prevent the spread of illness both on our campuses and in the St. Louis region, including, importantly, the patients we serve in our hospitals,” the letter said. A university spokesperson said officials will provide more information for employees in the coming weeks.\n\nMontana\n\nHelena: Lawmakers have approved amendments proposed by Gov. Greg Gianforte to a bill aimed at preventing discrimination based on a person’s vaccine status. The changes appear to try to address concerns raised by health care organizations about the measure, which would prohibit employers from requiring vaccinations as a condition of employment. The Montana Hospital Association and other health care organizations argued that the bill could leave them unable to screen potential employees and would prohibit them from requiring vaccines of employees who have direct contact with patients and the public. They said the bill could lead to all employees having to wear masks and facilities limiting visitors. Gianforte, a Republican, proposed an amendment Wednesday clarifying that employees could voluntarily provide their vaccine records and that employers will not be seen as discriminating when they impose reasonable accommodations, such as requiring masks, for employees who are not vaccinated or choose not to divulge their vaccine status. Gianforte’s amendment also said nursing homes, long-term care facilities and assisted living facilities are exempt from the bill if compliance would violate regulations or guidance issued by federal agencies.\n\nNebraska\n\nOmaha: A 114-year-old woman who has taken the title of America’s oldest living person says what she wants most is to eat with her friend after a year of pandemic restrictions. Thelma Sutcliffe, of Omaha, became the nation’s oldest living person and seventh-oldest in the world April 17 when Hester Ford, a 115-year-old woman, died in North Carolina, according to the Gerontology Research Group. The Omaha World-Herald reports Sutcliffe was born Oct. 1, 1906. Her longtime friend, Luella “Lou” Mason, said she is happy that the senior living center where Sutcliffe lives is locked down, but “Thelma is as determined as ever to do what she wants to do.” Until visitors are allowed in the dining room, Thelma is taking all her meals in her room. Mason, who has Sutcliffe’s power of attorney, calls the senior living center 24 hours ahead of time to schedule visits. “She asks me every time I visit, ‘Are you going to eat with me today?’ ” Mason said. “It breaks my heart that I can’t.” Sutcliffe’s hearing and sight are fading, Mason said, but her mind is still “very sharp.” Sutcliffe received her COVID-19 shots at the earliest opportunity, but testing for the coronavirus was a nonstarter. Mason said Sutcliffe looked at the swab and said, “You’re not going to be sticking that thing up my nose. You can tell Lou to stick it up hers.”\n\nNevada\n\nLas Vegas: Clark County, which includes Las Vegas, will assume control of COVID-19 mitigation efforts Saturday, increasing capacity limits to 80% and reducing social distancing to 3 feet. Currently, the county is following capacity restrictions of 50% occupancy for public gatherings and 6 feet of social distancing. Nevada COVID-19 Response Director Caleb Cage notified the county Tuesday that the state authorized giving the county control over coronavirus mitigation and safety measures beginning May 1. The Clark County Commission approved the 42-page plan April 20. It allows some businesses to reopen, including nightclubs and adult entertainment venues. Facial coverings will continue to be required. The plan also increases occupancy for gyms, pools and water parks, libraries and museums, retail stores, indoor malls, and community and recreational centers. Salad bars, salsa bars and other self-service options will be allowed under certain conditions, and food sampling will be allowed at grocery stores. Commissioners agreed capacity and social distancing requirements will be removed when 60% of residents receive at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. That figure was at 46.5% as of Tuesday.\n\nNew Hampshire\n\nConcord: The state has scheduled 10 virtual job fairs during May. Starting May 23, New Hampshire is once again requiring that people receiving unemployment benefits be looking for work. That was waived last year during the coronavirus pandemic. “This return to our traditional, more normalized system is a sign that we are getting back to normal, and I would like to thank the team at Employment Security for their efforts in opening up access to job seekers and employers,” Gov. Chris Sununu said in a statement Wednesday. Scheduled job fairs include May 6, for veterans; May 11, one for students and the other for students and adult education in partnership with Pinkerton Academy; May 13, construction industry in partnership with ABC NH/VT; May 18, Great North Woods Region and Dartmouth Lake-Sunapee Region; May 19, Seacoast Region; May 20, White Mountains Region; May 25, Lakes Region; May 26, Monadnock Region; and May 27, Capitol and Southern Region. Employers looking to register their company and job-seekers can register for one of the fairs by going to virtualjobfairs.nh.gov.\n\nNew Jersey\n\nJersey City: Students in the state’s two largest cities have begun making their return to classrooms after learning remotely because of the COVID-19 outbreak. On Thursday, students in Jersey City began returning to school, just days after Newark officials said they were expanding in-person instruction to four days a week, up from two. Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy said Wednesday that nearly 86% of students in the state are back in person in some format, either hybrid or entirely in person. Just 25 districts, out of more than 600, are all-remote, the governor said, affecting about 115,000 students. That’s about 8.5% of the total student population in New Jersey. The return of in-person learning comes as the state’s coronavirus data trends in the right direction, as new cases over the past two weeks are down 28%. Murphy also announced that on May 10, proms, weddings and other events can resume, along with expanded outdoor capacities. Schools in New Jersey should be entirely in person by the fall, the governor has said. The state is pushing to get 70% of its adult population vaccinated by June 30. That’s 4.7 million people, Murphy has said. So far nearly 3 million people have been fully vaccinated in the state.\n\nNew Mexico\n\nSanta Fe: The state Capitol building has reopened to the public as the COVID-19 pandemic eases. It was closed to the general public for four consecutive legislative sessions. About 50 visitors wandered the corridors of the Roundhouse on Wednesday as the doors were unlocked to all visitors for the first time in roughly a year. They were asked to wear masks, and most if not all abided. Legislators shifted last spring to mostly virtual committee hearings as the pandemic took hold. Voting even took place remotely from outside the Capitol among members of the House of Representatives. The Capitol also was ringed by fencing and barricades, with troops on hand, between January and March as a consequence of security concerns linked to the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. A 60-day legislative session ending March 20 focused on economic relief and progressive initiatives such authorization for medical aid in dying. Recreational marijuana was legalized during a separate special session this year.\n\nNew York\n\nAlbany: People will no longer have to buy a jelly sandwich, chips or other snack with their beer under an executive order that state lawmakers repealed Wednesday. Last summer, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order requiring food to be sold with alcoholic beverages at bars and restaurants. At the time, COVID-19 rates were low, and the state had begun allowing New York City bars and restaurants to reopen. Lawmakers passed resolutions Wednesday to repeal the directive, which restaurant owners have blasted for months as nonsensical. Cuomo had said chips or fruit alone couldn’t count as “food,” which led to a Saratoga Springs bar offering “Cuomo Chips and Salsa.” “Witnessing the industrywide devastation during the pandemic was heartbreaking,” said Sen. John Mannion, a Democrat from central New York. “Rescinding the food with beverage mandate is the most pressing issue in all of my conversations with owners and managers.” Cuomo defended the food-with-drinks rule by citing his concerns about inebriated people mingling at bars without social distancing. “If you’re not eating a meal, and you’re just drinking, then it’s just an outdoor bar, and people are mingling, and they’re not isolated and individual tables, and that’s what we’re seeing,” he said July 16.\n\nNorth Carolina\n\nRaleigh: Residents will be allowed to assemble in larger groups and gather outdoors starting Friday without having to wear their masks. Gov. Roy Cooper announced Wednesday afternoon that the state will lift the outdoor mask mandate and boost mass gathering limits to 100 people indoors and 200 people outdoors, which represents a doubling from the current levels. The Democratic governor’s move comes as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says vaccinated Americans don’t need to cover their faces outside anymore unless they are in a big crowd of strangers. Cooper said masks will still be required indoors, and he encouraged people to remain cautious. “Masks will continue to be required indoors (and) in public places, since this virus still can spread easily when we’re inside,” Cooper said. “Even though we’re continuing our dimmer-switch approach of easing restrictions, we need to stay vigilant.” Cooper plans to eliminate social distancing and mass gathering restrictions by June 1 and eliminate the mask mandate altogether once at least two-thirds of North Carolina adults are at least partially vaccinated. Nearly half of adults in the state have gotten at least one COVID-19 shot, with more than 39% fully vaccinated, as of Tuesday, according to state health department data.\n\nNorth Dakota\n\nMinot: The coronavirus pandemic has taken down one of the state’s most popular annual festivals for a second straight year. The Norsk Hostfest in Minot bills itself as the largest Scandinavian festival in North America. Event officials cited concerns about COVID-19 hurting the tour business and travel, as well as whether participants would be willing to gather in large groups. Before last year’s cancellation, the four-day event had taken place every September in Minot for 42 straight years. It had attracted about 60,000 visitors annually and more than 100 vendors from around the world. Festival officials are making plans to bring the event back in 2022, the Minot Daily News reports.\n\nOhio\n\nColumbus: Ohioans working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic can pay income taxes to the cities where their companies are located, according to a Wednesday ruling from a Franklin County judge. The ruling, which dismissed a July 2020 lawsuit with prejudice, upheld a state law passed during last year’s shutdown that let cities keep collecting municipal income taxes from commuters whose companies temporarily closed their downtown offices. House Bill 197 allows cities to collect these taxes until 30 days after Gov. Mike DeWine rescinds his state of emergency declaration. Three employees from the conservative Buckeye Institute filed the lawsuit, claiming the bill was unconstitutional because it allowed cities to tax people who weren’t using their services. The municipal income tax for commuters is based on the idea that workers drive on city roads and use other city services like police and fire. “Ohio law permits you to be taxed based on where you live and where you actually perform work,” Buckeye Institute President Robert Alt said at the time. “But it doesn’t allow you to be taxed based on ‘let’s pretend.’ ” Traditionally, commuters got refunds for days they worked from home or at another location. But Judge Carl Aveni disagreed.\n\nOklahoma\n\nOklahoma City: Earlier this month, the Oklahoma Republican Party held its state convention at the city’s new convention center, with few attendees at the Saturday morning session wearing masks. The Oklahoma Democratic Party still plans to hold its state convention virtually in June. The parties’ different approaches to gathering in person amid the pandemic are illustrated by a new poll that shows Republican voters in the state are far more likely than Democrats to believe it is already safe to gather in groups of 10 or more. The poll, by Cole Hargrave Snodgrass and Associates, also shows Republican voters are more likely to believe the bigger risk from the pandemic now is to the economy rather than to health. “I was shocked that 36% of the voters in the state do not think gatherings of 10 or more will be safe until at least July 1 and that 15% think it will be at least 2022 before it’s OK,” said Pat McFerron, the president of the Oklahoma City company that conducted the Sooner Survey. “Among Republicans, 59% think it’s OK to meet right now. Among Democrats, it’s only 15%.” Aspects of the pandemic have divided people along partisan lines from the beginning, with particular flashpoints around mask mandates and lockdowns.\n\nOregon\n\nSalem: Gov. Kate Brown on Thursday extended Oregon’s state of emergency for COVID-19 until June 28, saying a fourth surge of the pandemic is being driven by variants of the coronavirus and causing increased cases and hospitalizations. The declaration allows Brown to issue executive orders restricting activity and helps the state utilize federal COVID-19 relief funds, the governor’s office said. Brown is putting 15 counties that encompass the state’s biggest cities into the state’s extreme risk category starting Friday, imposing restrictions that include banning indoor restaurant dining. The restaurant sector has objected to Brown’s action, with the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association declaring that the state lost more than 1,000 food service businesses in 2020 and that 200 more closed permanently so far this year. Brown said her actions are temporary. “I intend to fully reopen our economy by the end of June, and the day is approaching when my emergency orders can eventually be lifted,” Brown said in a statement. “How quickly we get there is up to each and every one of us doing our part.” Brown said more 1.2 million Oregonions are fully vaccinated, but the “overwhelming majority” of new cases are in younger, unvaccinated residents. Oregon’s population is more than 4.2 million.\n\nPennsylvania\n\nHarrisburg: Employees of a vendor paid to conduct coronavirus contact tracing in the state may have compromised the private information of at least 72,000 people, including their exposure status and their sexual orientation, the state Health Department said Thursday. Agency spokesman Barry Ciccocioppo said in an email that the department recently learned workers at Atlanta-based Insight Global “disregarded security protocols established in the contract and created unauthorized documents” outside the state’s secure data system. “We are extremely dismayed that employees from Insight Global acted in a way that may have compromised this type of information and sincerely apologize to all impacted individuals,” Ciccocioppo said. He said state computer systems, including Pennsylvania’s contact tracing app, were not implicated. Ciccocioppo said some of the records in question associated names with phone numbers, emails, genders, ages, sexual orientations, and COVID-19 diagnoses and exposure status. They did not include financial account information, addresses or Social Security numbers, he said. The company has been directed to secure the records and has hired third-party specialists to conduct a forensic examination.\n\nRhode Island\n\nProvidence: The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts is getting more than $750,000 in federal coronavirus relief funding to help arts-related small businesses, artists, and arts and culture organizations recover from the pandemic, officials said Thursday. The council’s staff during the next several weeks will review federal guidance as it determines how these funds can best be used to support the recovery of one a key economic sector. “Rhode Island artists, arts and culture organizations, arts educators and the entire community were hard hit by the pandemic and these funds will assist in the difficult work of rebuilding the arts economically, educationally and culturally,” Randall Rosenbaum, executive director of RISCA, said in a statement. Rhode Island’s arts sector contributed $2 billion to the state economy and supported almost 18,000 jobs before the pandemic. The funding from the National Endowment for the Arts is the first round of federal funding through the $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package passed last month.\n\nSouth Carolina\n\nGreenville: The one-dose COVID-19 vaccine is back in use in the state, and leaders said they are considering vaccination clinics to places people will be going this summer such as beaches and festivals. The Johnson & Johnson shot is back in use in South Carolina after a 10-day federally requested pause. There are about 33,000 doses of the vaccine being stored – and once again administered – in South Carolina. It is the least-used vaccine, at about 5% of the state’s vaccine doses given. It is also the last one to get authorization and is the most flexible vaccine because it has easier storage requirements and only requires one dose for full effectiveness. For those reasons, it would also be the most likely candidate for quick vaccine clinics that could reach lots of people. It has already been the go-to vaccine for certain populations, like those who are homeless or homebound. The state’s lead epidemiologist, Dr. Brannon Traxler, was asked during a media call Wednesday whether the state is considering making the one-dose vaccine available at beaches this summer. Traxler said such outreach vaccinations are a possibility. “We are exploring all options including taking the vaccine to, or at least close proximity to, the beaches,” she said. “We want to reach every nook and cranny of the state.”\n\nSouth Dakota\n\nSioux Falls: Most public and private colleges and universities in the state are bringing commencement back in person this year. But limiting audience sizes, requiring masks and providing for social distancing are all part of the event planning. Last spring in the earlier months of the COVID-19 pandemic, schools and universities made the choice to change graduation and commencement, either cancelling, postponing or moving to a live stream or Zoom format. Most universities are also offering a livestream of the commencement for graduates, family and friends who can’t attend in person. Policy for graduation activity is not set by the South Dakota Board of Regents, spokesperson Janelle Toman said. But all public colleges are holding their graduations May 8, and all campuses are currently requiring masks and social distancing in public indoor spaces. The University of South Dakota’s ceremony will be held at the DakotaDome, with space for up to four guests per graduate but masks required. South Dakota State University hasn’t yet pinned down a venue but is giving each student a six-ticket seating pod. Dakota State University will allow two guests each at the Fieldhouse ceremony and two more tickets for a second location where the commencement will be livestreamed.\n\nTennessee\n\nNashville: Bars and restaurants could keep up the coronavirus-era offering of to-go beers and other alcoholic drinks for two years under a bill now awaiting action from Republican Gov. Bill Lee. The Republican-supermajority Legislature finished work on the to-go drinks legislation with the Senate’s passage Wednesday. Through executive order, Lee has allowed to-go alcohol sales during the pandemic while establishments’ in-person traffic has suffered. Republican bill sponsor Sen. Brian Kelsey said the state has not been allowed to collect taxes on the to-go sales through the executive order, and the bill would ensure taxes are collected. The legislation would continue to require to-go alcohol orders to include food purchases. The extension would be effective until July 2023 under the bill.\n\nTexas\n\nDallas: The state has topped 50,000 COVID-19 deaths during the 14-month pandemic, university researchers reported Wednesday. Johns Hopkins University researchers placed the Texas COVID-19 death toll at 50,037 Wednesday, out of 3,092,597 cases. That toll is the third highest in the nation. But researchers say the rolling two-week average of new cases continues to decline, with a 480-case decrease in the average number of daily cases as of Wednesday. That is a 13% decrease. The number of vaccinated Texans continues to rise. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that almost 38% of the Texas population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 26% are fully vaccinated.\n\nUtah\n\nSt. George: Some 28% of adults living in Washington County were fully vaccinated for COVID-19 as of Thursday, while neighboring Iron County was at 25%, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC considers someone fully vaccinated two weeks after they’ve been given a single-dose shot (Johnson & Johnson) or a second shot (either Pfizer or Moderna). For those 65 and older, the figure was 42% in Washington County and 56% in Iron County. When children are included in the population figures, Washington County was at 21% fully vaccinated, with Iron County at 19%. Utah reported 396,004 total cases of coronavirus, an increase of 0.69% from the week before. The five counties with the highest percentage of their population fully vaccinated in Utah as of Tuesday are Daggett County (47%), Summit County (37%), Wayne County (33%), Kane County (28%) and Garfield County (27%). So far, 40% of people in Utah had received at least one dose of the vaccine, for a total of 1,278,979 people, including 53.8% of people 16 and older. There were 905,863 people fully vaccinated, or 28.3% of the total population.\n\nVermont\n\nMontpelier: A program started during the pandemic to provide restaurant meals to Vermonters experiencing food insecurity has served 1 million meals, Gov. Phil Scott said Thursday. Since Vermont Everyone Eats was started in August 2020, more than 200 restaurants have contributed to the 1 million meals that included nearly $1 million of Vermont-produced ingredients, the governor’s office said. “It’s been a tough year for everyone, but there have been many bright spots as Vermonters have come together to help their neighbors and strengthen their communities,” Scott said in a statement. The program was started with $5 million from the state’s coronavirus relief fund and was supported with additional money through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the governor’s office said. Meanwhile, college students from out of state who do not plan to stay in Vermont for the summer and part-time residents can start signing up for appointments to get COVID-19 vaccines. Registration opened Thursday morning on the Health Department website. People who cannot sign up online or need help can also call 855-722-7878 to make an appointment. Registration is open to all Vermonters ages 16 and older to get COVID-19 shots.\n\nVirginia\n\nRichmond: College graduations will still look different due to the pandemic, but more Virginia universities are returning to in-person ceremonies. Attendees must wear masks and follow other guidelines and safety protocols to ensure social distancing. Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond will hold a universitywide commencement ceremony online May 15, according to a statement the university released last month. Individual departments can decide whether to hold in-person graduation. Virginia Tech in Blacksburg will have 16 in-person commencement ceremonies by college from May 10 to May 16 at Lane Stadium, the university’s football stadium. Graduating students are required to register, and students are allowed to invite up to four guests. Virginia Tech will also hold a virtual commencement ceremony May 14. The University of Virginia in Charlottesville will hold its commencement outdoors May 21-23 for the class of 2021. Students will walk the lawn and process to Scott Stadium, where each student can have two guests. The class of 2020 will also get a chance to walk and attend a special ceremony, according to U.Va. President Jim Ryan. Other Virginia universities, including George Mason University, will hold spring graduation completely online.\n\nWashington\n\nEdmonds: Two fraudulent coronavirus testing sites appeared north of Seattle in downtown Edmonds on Tuesday, and local police are warning people to be alert. Edmonds police Sgt. Josh McClure said one phony testing site was in front of a Starbucks, and the other was near the ferry terminal, The Daily Herald reports. The sites have since been removed. McClure said police had not cited or arrested anyone as of Wednesday afternoon and are continuing to investigate. The fake sites were set up with a folding table and medical-appearing paraphernalia, and fraudulent health care workers instructed people to provide their names, birthdays and other personal information, McClure said. “They had forms, clipboards and stuff to make it look very official,” McClure said. People were told they’d receive test results back in two days. People who thought the sites seemed hastily prepared contacted police. Legitimate test sites can be found on an official city government website or information source, McClure said. Other fake virus testing sites have been reported in states including Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky and New York, according to the AARP Fraud Watch Network.\n\nWest Virginia\n\nCharleston: State officials are still working to hammer out details of how to send $100 savings bonds to residents ages 16 to 35 who get a COVID-19 shot. Republican Gov. Jim Justice said the incentive program to immunize young people will also apply retroactively for anyone in the age range who already received a vaccine. He said his administration is working with the U.S. Treasury Department to make arrangements for the bonds, which can take up to two decades to mature to their full value. If issuing bonds becomes too complex, he said the state will just send $100 checks. “You no question are transmitting this thing faster than anyone,” Justice said at his regularly held coronavirus news conference, addressing young people. “You are the key to this whole thing.” The incentive program would be funded through federal coronavirus relief funds. Justice first announced plans for the program Monday. The pace of the state’s vaccination drive has slowed considerably over the past month, trailing most states. Justice has aimed to motivate people through incentives and the pledge that he will consider lifting the mask mandate if 70% of eligible people get vaccinated. Currently, 47.8% of eligible residents have received at least one dose, according to state data.\n\nWisconsin\n\nMadison: State health officials say only 0.03% of people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 have tested positive for the coronavirus. The Wisconsin State Journal reports the number of so-called breakthrough cases was just 605 out of 1.8 million residents who are fully vaccinated. The state’s number of breakthrough cases is higher than the national national rate of 0.008% reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC has said that the national tally is an undercount and that some infections are expected among those who are immunized because no vaccine is 100% effective. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services released the number of breakthrough cases to the State Journal only after the newspaper repeatedly reported that health officials declined to provide the data. The 605 Wisconsin cases, found in people at least two weeks after they were fully immunized, are among 82,369 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 since Jan. 18, said Jennifer Miller, a spokesperson for the state Department of Health Services. “With such a small percentage of breakthrough cases, but with COVID-19 still active in our state, we continue to encourage everyone to get vaccinated with one of the three highly effective COVID-19 vaccines available,” Miller said.\n\nWyoming\n\nCheyenne: The University of Wyoming and Laramie County Community College say they will not require students and employees to receive COVID-19 shots before returning to campus next school year. Federal statistical models show the state is home to the most vaccine-hesitant counties in the country, according to the Casper Star-Tribune. “We are working hard to provide (students and employees) with good resources so they can make informed decisions about whether or not they choose personally to get the vaccine,” Lisa Trimble, associate vice president of institutional advancement for Laramie County Community College, told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. The campus in Cheyenne shut down in-person instruction last year in response to the coronavirus pandemic and reopened this fall to mostly online learning, with a few exceptions. The college is now expecting to reopen next fall to mostly in-person learning. “Going into the start of the fall semester, we will continue to require face masks and encourage social distancing as much as possible just to continue to keep people safe,” Trimble said. The University of Wyoming, which said Monday that more than half of its full-time, benefited employees were vaccinated, has taken a similar approach.\n\nFrom USA TODAY Network and wire reports", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2021/04/30"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/50-states/2022/05/25/wildfire-break-social-media-suits-hate-crime-reporting-news-around-states/50279845/", "title": "Wildfire break, social media suits, hate crime reporting: News from ...", "text": "From USA TODAY Network and wire reports\n\nAlabama\n\nTuscaloosa: A 54-year-old residence hall for more than 40,000 young women at the University of Alabama will come tumbling down this summer. Its replacement has been rising next door, not as tall or distinctive but with greater depth, breadth, and contemporary tech and comforts. The second Julia Tutwiler Hall – a distinctive, splayed-Y-shaped modernist tower – is planned for demolition on Independence Day. The last of the 13-story dorm’s residents moved out at the end of exams this month. The new Tutwiler, a $145 million project underway since summer 2019, is on pace to open in the fall. The new residence hall, the culmination of a 10-year plan, follows the Georgian neo-classical style more common to Capstone edifices. Unlike the second Tutwiler, the third Tutwiler is wider than it is tall, about half the height of the old tower, with a green-space quadrangle at the heart of the building. In addition to updated basics, electricity and plumbing and the like, the new 1,284-bed Tutwiler will include enhanced connectivity, safety and security measures. In addition to the double-occupancy rooms, it will also offer study, lounge and fitness rooms, with a 16,600 square-foot multipurpose space that doubles as a Federal Emergency Management Agency-rated storm shelter capable of housing all its residents. Former residents – or anyone nostalgic – can still take on a piece of the old Tutwiler through Aug. 31. Room numbers are being sold for $50 and commemorative bricks for $100.\n\nAlaska\n\nAnchorage: Razor clam fisheries in parts of the Cook Inlet area will remain closed for sport and personal use this year, continuing a years­long trend of closures as the clam population has struggled to regain numbers. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game says eastern Cook Inlet beaches from the mouth of the Kenai River to the southernmost tip of the Homer Spit are closed to clamming through the end of 2022, Anchorage TV station KTUU reports. The department said in a statement that surveys completed at Ninilchik and Clam Gulch beaches this month and last showed numbers below the threshold required to allow for limited clamming. The department said the abundance of adult razor clams at Ninilchik was 64% below where it needed to be to allow for public clamming, while the Clam Gulch population was 17% below. Razor clam fisheries closures on the eastern side of Cook Inlet date to 2015. State biologists and Fish and Game officials have struggled to explain what is causing the low numbers, but officials have pointed to a November 2010 winter storm as playing a role. The storm turned up hundreds of thousands of clams along the shores, worsening a trend of declining populations in the area.\n\nArizona\n\nPhoenix: An impassioned effort by some Republicans in the state Senate to ban the use of ballot drop boxes failed Monday. Scottsdale Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita’s efforts to change a proposal requiring drop boxes to have video monitoring was blocked by fellow GOP senators who knew House Republicans weren’t on board with the harsher proposal. And the whole exercise ended up being in vain after Sen. Paul Boyer, R-Glendale, joined all Senate Democrats in rejecting the measure outright. Ugenti-Rita said drop boxes are rife with possibilities for “ballot harvesting,” a pejorative term for dropping off completed ballots for other people. The Legislature in 2016 made it a felony to return another person’s mail ballots unless it is for a family member or if the person returning the ballot is a caregiver. She pointed to a recent documentary that alleged thousands of ballots were illegally cast in 2020 battleground states. Fact-checkers have shown the arguments made in “2000 Mules” are full of unsupported allegations that thousands of ballots were illegally deposited into drop boxes. “If you think ballot boxes contribute to ballot harvesting and can be manipulated, you would ban them, not require that we tape them,” Ugenti-Rita said. “It’s too late at that point.”\n\nArkansas\n\nFort Smith: University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Chancellor Terisa Riley has announced the appointment of Shadow JQ Robinson as the school’s next provost and vice chancellor of academic affairs, effective July 1. Ken Warden, associate vice chancellor for compliance and legislative affairs, who chaired the search, said the team was able to bring five highly skilled finalists to campus from a variety of backgrounds. “We worked diligently to ensure all UAFS constituents had the opportunity to engage with each of them,” he said. “The committee worked tirelessly to complete a thorough search, and the process resulted in a great hire with Dr. Robinson. His energy and excitement for our work is infectious. I think he is a perfect fit, poised to lead us into our next phase of greatness.” Robinson, raised in rural Kentucky in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains, said the Ozarks feel like home. And thanks to the work of those who came before him, he said, the UAFS campus and its position in the higher education landscape feel both inviting and inspiring.\n\nCalifornia\n\nSacramento: The state could soon hold social media companies responsible for harming children who have become addicted to their products, permitting parents to sue platforms like Instagram and TikTok for up to $25,000 per violation under a bill that passed the state Assembly on Monday. The bill defines “addiction” as kids under 18 who are harmed – either physically, mentally, emotionally, developmentally or materially – and who want to stop or reduce how much time they spend on social media but can’t because they are preoccupied or obsessed with it. Business groups have warned that if the bill passes, social media companies would most likely cease operations for children in California rather than face the legal risk. The proposal would only apply to social media companies that had at least $100 million in gross revenue in the past year, appearing to take aim at social media giants like Facebook and others that dominate the marketplace. It would not apply to streaming services like Netflix and Hulu or to companies that only offer email and text messaging services. “The era of unfettered social experimentation on children is over, and we will protect kids,” said Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham, a Republican from San Luis Obispo County and author of the bill.\n\nColorado\n\nPueblo: Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill into law Monday at Pueblo City Hall to ensure that parents who use assisted reproductive technology have equal protections under the law, regardless of their gender. “This bill is very simple,” Polis said at the signing. “It just makes it easier and reduces paperwork for counties and for both parents of a child through assisted reproduction to be the parents of a child, instead of one parent having to do an adoption process, which takes time and costs the county money. “This makes it automatic, just like it is for non-assisted reproduction.” Formerly called the “family affirmation act,” the bill was renamed in honor of the baby daughter of Colorado House Majority Leader Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo, and her wife, Heather Palm. “When I was carrying Marlo as the birth mother, my wife realized that even though she was the biological parent, she had no actual legal rights to Marlo unless she went through a stepparent adoption, which we thought was incredibly unfair,” Esgar said. Adoption is a costly, lengthy process, involving steps such as in-home evaluation and background checks, Esgar said. Most parents do not have to go through that process, she noted.\n\nConnecticut\n\nHartford: State officials hope timely, stepped-up reporting of hate crime investigations by local police to a new State Police investigative unit will help lead to the prevention and detection of such crimes before something violent happens. A new law requires all local and tribal police departments, resident state troopers, and constables with law enforcement duties to notify the new Hate Crimes Investigative Unit of a broader list of crimes involving bigotry and bias within 14 days, using a new standardized system, beginning Jan. 1. They must continue to share information about their local investigations with the State Police unit. “Pretty much every week, every month we get a new national report about the extent of the increase in hate crimes,” said Rep. Maria Horn, D-Salisbury, co-chair of the General Assembly’s Public Safety Committee. “These crimes are among the most corrosive ones we have because they go after the bonds that ties together as communities and as a state.” The law, signed March 10 by Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont and highlighted during a ceremonial signing Tuesday, comes days before the State Bond Commission is scheduled to release a second $5 million allocation for security grants for houses of worship and eligible nonprofits at risk of being the target of a hate crime or violent act.\n\nDelaware\n\nDover: Gov. John Carney on Tuesday vetoed a bill to legalize possession of up to an ounce of marijuana by adults for recreational use. In vetoing the measure, Carney reiterated his previously expressed concerns about legalizing recreational pot – concerns that did not dissuade fellow Democrats from pushing the legislation through the General Assembly. “I recognize the positive effect marijuana can have for people with certain health conditions, and for that reason, I continue to support the medical marijuana industry in Delaware,” Carney said in returning the bill to the state House. “I supported decriminalization of marijuana because I agree that individuals should not be imprisoned solely for the possession and private use of a small amount of marijuana – and today, thanks to Delaware’s decriminalization law, they are not. That said, I do not believe that promoting or expanding the use of recreational marijuana is in the best interests of the state of Delaware, especially our young people.” Carney’s veto comes just days after legislation to establish a state-run marijuana industry in Delaware failed to clear the state House for a second time. It’s unclear whether Democratic lawmakers will try to override Carney’s veto, which would be a rare occurrence, with a veto-override effort last popping up in 1990 and last succeeding in 1977.\n\nDistrict of Columbia\n\nWashington: The D.C. Nurses Association and Howard University Hospital have reached an agreement following nine months of a labor dispute, WUSA-TV reports. The agreement was ratified May 19, after months of negotiations between the two departments. DCNA and the hospital said the agreement will help to advance patient care and provides nurses, pharmacists, social workers, and dietitians with new resources, which will include high-quality care and services for district residents, increased compensation and benefits, and further their ability to administer safely. “It was only through the efforts and collective action of our members, with support from the community, that we were able to achieve agreement on a fair and equitable contract that recognizes our hard working healthcare professionals and their commitment to caring for patients who come to HUH for care,” Edward Smith, DCNA executive director, said in a media release. The news comes after nine months of actions from nurses at HUH that included petitions to negotiate a fair contract, an informational picket in January and a 24-hour strike in April. The agreement ensures that there will be no pay cuts for senior health care professionals in the overall compensation. The agreement will continue to maintain patient care.\n\nFlorida\n\nSanford: Two political operatives and an independent candidate who opponents say hardly campaigned and only entered a state Senate race in central Florida in 2020 to siphon off votes from a Democrat were criminally charged Tuesday. Prosecutors filed election finance charges against the candidate, Jestine Iannotti, as well as Seminole County GOP chairman Ben Paris and political consultant James “Eric” Foglesong in Seminole County, a suburb of Orlando. Some candidates with no party affiliation, “commonly referred to as ‘ghost’ candidates, have been used by political parties as a way to close elections or siphon off votes,” State Attorney Phil Archer, whose jurisdiction covers Seminole County, said in a statement. “While not illegal per se, many have questioned the ethics of the practice. However, when that candidate and the partisan political operatives involved violate election finance laws by illegally funding those races and filing false reports, it is the responsibility of government to act.” The case was investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. According to the FDLE, Iannotti illegally accepted a $1,200 cash donation from Foglesong for her campaign. The two falsely used the names of others as contributors in state campaign finance reports in order to skirt Florida laws on campaign contributions, the FDLE said.\n\nGeorgia\n\nAtlanta: A prosecutor on Monday said he would not prosecute police officers involved in a May 2020 confrontation with two college students who were stunned with Tasers and pulled from a car while they were stuck in traffic caused by protests over George Floyd’s death. Messiah Young and Taniyah Pilgrim, two students at historically Black colleges in Atlanta, were confronted by police in downtown Atlanta on May 30, 2020. Within days, then-Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard announced arrest warrants had been obtained for six officers. “Not only was law enforcement acting within the scope of their legal authority in their actions to obtain compliance, their actions were also largely consistent with the Atlanta Police Department’s own use of force policy,” Cherokee Judicial Circuit District Attorney Samir Patel said in a statement Monday. Patel dismissed the warrants filed against the officers involved: Ivory Streeter, Mark Gardner, Lonnie Hood, Roland Claud, Willie Sauls and Armon Jones. He said he is “unable to find probable cause to prosecute the officers involved for a crime under Georgia law.” Lance LoRusso, a lawyer representing Streeter and Gardner, said his clients “have been vindicated” and look forward to returning to full duty.\n\nHawaii\n\nHonolulu: Gov. David Ige on Monday signed legislation providing freedom of speech and press protections to students publishing school-sponsored media at the state’s K-12 public schools and the University of Hawaii. The “Hawaii Student Journalism Protection Act” also protects advisers from retaliation for refusing to infringe upon student press freedom. Ige told lawmakers and students gathered for a bill-signing ceremony at McKinley High School that he was the page one editor of The Messenger at Pearl City High School. “Providing student journalists with the same protections that exist for them in the industry gives them real-world opportunities and provides them a more enhanced laboratory for democracy and learning,” Ige said. Althea Cunningham, a recent McKinley graduate and student reporter at The Pinion, submitted written testimony saying students should be able to chase and report the truth with confidence. “Schools are supposed to help prepare students for the future. How is letting administrators get away with killing articles they don’t agree with helping our future journalists?” she said. Supporters say similar laws already exist in 15 other states.\n\nIdaho\n\nBoise: A local woman was sentenced Tuesday to two months in jail for her participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, siege of the U.S. Capitol building. Pam Hemphill, of Boise, will also be on probation for three years and must pay a $500 fine, U.S. District Senior Judge Royce Lamberth said. Hemphill pleaded guilty earlier this year to one misdemeanor count of parading, demonstrating or picketing in the Capitol building. In exchange, prosecutors dropped three additional misdemeanor charges. During Hemphill’s sentencing hearing, Lamberth said it’s “tempting to be lenient,” but he can’t justify letting her just walk away after her offenses at the Capitol. Like many other defendants who have been charged in connection with the siege, Hemphill posted videos to social media sites that showed her in Washington, D.C., in the days surrounding the insurrection and at the Capitol when it was happening. In one video, she compared breaking windows at the federal building to actions protesters at the Idaho Statehouse had taken the previous year. In another, she said she avoided getting into trouble after being found inside the Capitol by telling police she became lost after being pushed into the building by the crowd. The videos were later removed. “Sometimes when I see those videos I want to give you the maximum,” Lamberth said.\n\nIllinois\n\nOakbrook Terrace: A former suburban Chicago mayor pleaded guilty Monday to taking kickbacks to support the use of red-light cameras in his community. Tony Ragucci, who resigned in 2020, admitted to getting $88,000 when he was leading Oakbrook Terrace. He pleaded guilty to fraud and tax crimes. It’s the latest conviction related to how SafeSpeed LLC dealt with some Chicago-area communities that installed cameras to record traffic violations. SafeSpeed said that it didn’t authorize payoffs and that any kickbacks were part of a scheme by people who are no longer associated with the company. In April, Louis Presta, who was mayor of Crestwood, was sentenced to a year in prison for accepting $5,000. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Durkin said Ragucci is cooperating with investigators, assistance that could help him when he gets a sentence. He was a police officer before being elected mayor in 2009. Oakbrook Terrace’s red-light cameras produced nearly $17 million in revenue from 2017 to April 2021, the Chicago Tribune reports. Ragucci had defended the cameras as a way to encourage safe driving.\n\nIndiana\n\nWarsaw: A pastor who confessed to “adultery” years ago with a teenager publicly informed his congregation last weekend after church leaders confronted him, the church said Tuesday. John Lowe II has resigned, New Life Christian Church and World Outreach in Warsaw said in a statement on its website. Lowe, 65, told church members Sunday that he had “committed adultery” and wanted their forgiveness. Moments later, a woman stepped to the microphone and said the pastor had a sexual relationship with her when she was 16, according to video. “It was 27 years ago, not 20. … I was just 16 when you took my virginity on your office floor. Do you remember that? I know you do,” she said as Lowe stood nearby. She said the “lies and the manipulation have to stop.” The church said leaders confronted Lowe recently after the woman told others about a “long-held secret.” The church said the sexual conduct continued into her 20s. “We are hurting and broken for a woman who has lovingly attended and served in the church for many years, as well as for her husband and family,” the church’s statement said. “It is our deepest prayer and commitment to love, support, encourage and help her through a process of healing in any way in which we are able.” The church said “none of this” was previously known by staff.\n\nIowa\n\nDes Moines: After decades of efforts, Iowans are about to see a major change in how and where they can turn in their empty pop cans and beer bottles to get back the nickel deposit paid at the point of purchase. Iowa lawmakers’ agreement to reframe the recycling program comes as supporters and opponents alike have warned the system is on the brink of failure and could have collapsed without legislative action. Frustrated by years of work without tangible progress, key lawmakers also had threatened to repeal the entire law – known as the bottle bill – if they failed to reach a deal this year. The Iowa Senate voted 30-15 Monday to pass Senate File 2378. The House previously passed the bill in April on a 73-17 vote, so it now goes to Gov. Kim Reynolds for her signature. Under current law, Iowans can return empty cans and bottles to grocery stores and other retailers to get back a 5-cent deposit that they paid when buying the drink. The new legislation would triple the handling fee collected by the roughly 60 redemption centers around the state and authorize mobile redemption options in an effort to make their businesses financially viable. Meanwhile, grocery stores, gas stations and other retailers could refuse to accept empty bottles and cans under most conditions.\n\nKansas\n\nTopeka: The Legislature adjourned for the year Monday without handling efforts to legalize medical marijuana and enact a major overhaul of the state’s election laws. But after two years in which Gov. Laura Kelly rejected more bills than any governor in recent memory, Republicans once again overrode her veto and enacted two pieces of legislation into law. One would delay the renegotiation of $4 billion worth of contracts with private firms that serve as managed care organizations for the state’s Medicaid program. They also pushed through a bill that would prevent the governor from entering into legal agreements that change state election law without legislative approval. Meanwhile, lawmakers passed several remaining pieces of legislation, including a framework for the state’s new 988 suicide prevention hotline and a property tax break for small businesses affected by COVID-19 orders. Lawmakers did not need to pass a new set of congressional district maps, as many feared, after the Kansas Supreme Court last week upheld the original lines enacted earlier this year.\n\nKentucky\n\nLouisville: A man who was fatally shot by a deputy U.S. marshal during an arrest attempt was shot during a foot pursuit, the city’s police chief said Monday. Omari Cryer, 25, was wanted on an arrest warrant for assault, strangulation and terroristic threatening when he was tracked to a residence in Louisville on Friday, police Chief Erika Shields said at a press conference. “There was a brief foot pursuit. They ran upon a fence. Subsequently, the marshals opened fire striking Mr. Cryer,” Shields said. Shields said Cryer was in the possession of a handgun at the time he was shot. She said she anticipates any “body-worn camera footage to be released in the near future” after “essential” interviews are conducted. The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office has described the cause and manner of death as “gunshot wounds/homicide.” A group of roughly 30 protesters gathered in downtown Louisville’s Jefferson Square Park on Monday evening. Many called for more transparency from Louisville police and the U.S. Marshals Service. Antiya Parker, the mother of Cryer’s 2-year-old son, also attended the rally, holding a poster showing photos of Cryer and another with the words “Black Lives Matter.” “We’re all confused,” she said. “You got these people who are saying one thing; you got some people saying another.”\n\nLouisiana\n\nBaton Rouge: Driving while using a handheld cellphone could become a traffic violation punishable by a ticket and fine under legislation approved Monday by the state House. State Rep. Mike Huval, R-Breaux Bridge, got the bill passed with a 55-38 vote after failing to win passage earlier in the legislative session. The bill goes next to the Senate. Huval has two weeks to get it through a Senate committee hearing and floor vote before the session’s June 6 deadline for final adjournment. Amendments adopted in the House ensure that a violation will result only in a citation and fines, not arrests. Huval said the measure is needed to increase highway safety. He won House passage after recounting stories from friends and colleagues of accidents involving drivers holding cellphones. Drivers using hands-free devices would not be in violation of the proposed law.\n\nMaine\n\nMonson: Infestations of ticks contributed to a record-high death rate for young moose tracked by wildlife managers in the state’s rural areas. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife collared 70 moose calves in remote sites last winter, and 60 of them had died by the beginning of May, Maine Public reports. The 86% mortality rate was the highest since the agency started the tracking survey. Lee Kantar, the moose biologist with the wildlife department, said the winter ticks are to blame. The ticks, also called moose ticks, are a worsening problem in the areas of the northern U.S. and southern Canada that moose call home. Short winters and long falls have given the ticks more time to seek out moose, and the moose have accumulated larger numbers of them, biologists said. The ticks can gather on moose in the tens of thousands and can bleed the animals to the point of death. Maine moose are also coping with other parasites, such as brainworms. The giant animal, the largest member of the deer family, is Maine’s official state animal.\n\nMaryland\n\nOcean City: The brand-new Oceans Calling Festival is promising a star-studded lineup. The Lumineers, Alanis Morissette and Dave Matthews with Tim Reynolds are headlining the event, organizers announced Monday. And the slate of entertainers is deep for the three-day festival, set to come to the resort town from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2. Matthews and Reynolds headline the first night, with Toad the Wet Sprocket, Dirty Heads, O.A.R. and more on the bill. Playing ahead of the Lumineers are bands including Cage the Elephant, Jimmy Eat World and Pup Punk. And joining headliner Morissette on the final night are Cyndi Lauper, Sublime, St. Paul and the Broken Bones and more. One-day and three-day pass tickets for the festival go on sale Wednesday at www.oceanscallingfestival.com. One-day passes start at $99 for general admission and range up to $795 for “platinum” tickets. Three-day passes start at $185 and soar to $1,250 for “platinum” tickets. The festival is being put on in partnership with the band O.A.R., which has roots in Maryland, and will also include a culinary component featuring world-renowned chefs and cooking demos that celebrate regional cuisine. Amusement park Jolly Roger at the Pier will be inside the festival grounds.\n\nMassachusetts\n\nBoston: The city is taking additional steps to help people experiencing homelessness, substance abuse disorder and mental health issues to deter a recurrence of the humanitarian crisis at the city intesection that was once home to a sprawling homeless encampment, Mayor Michelle Wu said Tuesday. She unveiled the city’s 11-point plan amid concerns warmer weather will bring more people to the area known as Mass and Cass. The plan, developed after 20 meetings with about 250 stakeholders, addresses immediate public safety and public health needs. “As the weather warms, we are taking concrete steps to ensure safety and health,” Wu said. “Boston is creating a continuum of care for individuals experiencing homelessness and substance use disorder with pathways from living on the streets to permanent housing.” In January the city cleared out tents where up to 140 people had been living near Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard, where drug dealing and use often occured in the open. Some business owners and residents said the problems persisted. The new plan includes an increased presence of public health and public safety outreach teams; more street cleaning and beautification efforts; transportation and referrals to day centers outside the neighborhood; and increased access to permanent housing.\n\nMichigan\n\nLansing: The state’s elections bureau said late Monday that five Republican candidates for governor, including two leading contenders, failed to file enough valid nominating signatures and should not qualify for the August primary. The stunning recommendations immediately transformed the race in the battleground state and dealt a major blow to former Detroit Police Department Chief James Craig, who has led in primary polling despite campaign problems, and businessman Perry Johnson, who has spent millions of his own money to run. Democrats had challenged their petitions, alleging mass forgery and other issues. Another GOP candidate, Tudor Dixon, had also contested Craig’s voter signatures as fake. The bipartisan, four-member Board of State Canvassers will meet Thursday to consider the elections bureau’s findings of fraud across five gubernatorial campaigns. The Republican candidates, who are vying to face Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in November, could end up going to court if they do not make the ballot. Bureau staff also determined that three other lesser-known GOP candidates – Donna Brandenburg, Michael Brown and Michael Markey – did not turn in enough valid signatures. If the canvassers agree with the recommendations, the 10-person field of political newcomers would be cut in half to five.\n\nMinnesota\n\nDuluth: The USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul has been activated for service in the U.S. Navy. A weekend commissioning ceremony was held in Duluth for the Freedom class littoral combat ship. It measures nearly 400 feet long and can travel at speeds greater than 40 knots, the equivalent of about 46 mph. According to officials, the ship is designed to have significant maneuverability and will utilize a state-of-the-art system that combines diesel and gas turbines with steerable water jet propulsion, KBJR-TV reports. Gov. Tim Walz had a special message for the crew during the commissioning ceremony Saturday. “To the crew, when you sail the world’s oceans to whatever nation calls you, in order to defend the freedoms that we enjoy, know that the pride and patriotism of all Minnesotans sails with you. May the USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul protect you,” Walz said. The ship has a flight deck that’s about 1.5 times larger the most naval warships and can accommodate a crew of 140 service members. The ship was built in Marinette, Wisconsin, using Iron Range iron ore. Its commissioning, originally planned for 2021, was delayed by a problem with its propulsion system.\n\nMississippi\n\nJackson: Citing safety concerns, the Real Cowboy Association said it’s canceling the 19th Annual Black Cowboy Association Rodeo that had been scheduled for July 16 at the Mississippi Coliseum. “Unfortunately I have to announce that the 19th Annual Jackson Black Rodeo is canceled,” said a post on the group’s Facebook. “Reasons are due to previous incidents on the Fairgrounds that will restrict the event from being what it has been. I stand for the safety of All RCA Fans, Cowboys, and Cowgirls.” The Real Cowboy Association has held the annual event in Jackson for the past 19 years. The association’s goal is to influence and help promote leadership, scholarships and provide a increase in business involvement in the community, according to the group’s website. Michael Lasseter, director of the Mississippi State Fairgrounds, said providing safety for such events is mandatory. “We do not want this event to be canceled,” Lasseter said. Last week organizers of JXN Fest announced cancellation of their event, citing “unforeseen circumstances beyond our control” and “the climate of today’s times.” The moves come after a May 1 shootout between rival groups of teenagers, with a law enforcement officer fatally shooting a teen suspected of firing shots, at the Mississippi Mudbug Festival – also at the Fairgrounds.\n\nMissouri\n\nSpringfield: A state lawmaker charged with fraud involving medical treatments has been sued by a patient over the care she prescribed for him to relieve back pain. Rep. Tricia Derges, a Nixa Republican, is scheduled to go on trial in federal court next month on charges that she sold fake stem cell treatments, fraudulently used pandemic aid and wrote illegal prescriptions. In a lawsuit filed in state court this month, a patient alleges Derges, an assistant physician, used amniotic fluid injections to treat his back pain at her clinic in Springfield in 2020. He alleges he was charged over $6,000 for treatments that did not help. Derges’ attorney, Al Watkins, said the plaintiff had no problems with his treatment until the federal indictment was publicized and called the allegations “absolutely erroneous.” In that indictment filed last year, Derges is accused of claiming nearly $900,000 in federal payments for COVID-19 treatments that were not performed or had already been performed. It also alleges that she promoted amniotic fluid as a treatment for COVID-19 and other diseases by falsely claiming it contained stem cells. In February, Derges’ narcotics license was placed on probation for three years.\n\nMontana\n\nBillings: State health officials say transgender people can’t change their birth certificates even if they undergo gender-confirmation surgery, in defiance of a court order that had blocked the Republican-controlled state’s bid to restrict transgender rights. The state health department said late Monday in an emergency order that it would no longer record the category of “gender” on people’s birth certificates, replacing that category with a listing for “sex” that can be changed only in rare circumstances. Sex is “immutable,” the order said, while gender is a “social … construct” that can change over time. The order came a month after a state judge temporarily blocked enforcement of a law that required transgender people to have undergone a “surgical procedure” before being allowed to change their gender on their birth certificates. Judge Michael Moses ruled the law was unconstitutionally vague because it did not specify what procedure must be performed. The law also required transgender people to obtain a court order indicating they had had a surgical procedure. Moses’ order forced the state to revert back to a process adopted in 2017 that said transgender residents could apply to change the gender on their Montana birth certificate by filing sworn affidavits with the health department. But state health officials said the April 21 ruling put them in “an ambiguous and uncertain situation.” The new order exceeds the restrictions on transgender rights imposed by the Republican-dominated Legislature.\n\nNebraska\n\nLincoln: The University of Nebraska’s game-day tradition of football fans releasing helium-filled red balloons to celebrate the Cornhuskers’ first touchdown is ending. Balloons have been handed out to fans near the stadium entrance before games since the early 1960s. Athletic director Trev Alberts said on his radio show Monday night that a global shortage of helium led to the decision to end the practice. Russia is one of the top helium suppliers, and Alberts said U.S. sanctions in response to the war in Ukraine have caused a shortage. Alberts said university leaders want the helium that would have been used in the balloons to go to the University of Nebraska Medical Center for medical use. The release of balloons at football games has drawn criticism for at least a decade because of environmental concerns. A lawsuit filed in 2016 claimed the balloons were a health hazard to birds and other wildlife when they return to the ground. The university’s student government, in a symbolic move, voted in November to end the tradition. The Huskers’ home opener is Sept. 3 against North Dakota.\n\nNevada\n\nLas Vegas: State and national advocacy groups say 83 children remain missing in the state – 25 more than last year at this time. Officials with the Las Vegas-based nonprofit Nevada Child Seekers said a majority of the children reported missing to law enforcement in the state each year are from Las Vegas, and many are considered endangered or abducted. “We’re a 24-hour entertainment city,” Heather Doto, program manager of Nevada Child Seekers, told the Las Vegas-Review Journal. “There’s a lot to do out here. We’re a hub, and these streets are dangerous. Unfortunately, where there’s more people, you’re more likely to have more predators.” Nevada Child Seekers works on about 500 cases per year and reports a 90% success rate in finding children, according to Doto. She said the pandemic led to a rise in predators using the internet to lure children away from their homes because “predators go where children go.” Doto said Nevada Child Seekers avoids the term “runaway” on its missing children posters because it leads to the public paying less attention to those children. She said children who leave home are, in most cases, “running to something, or they’re running away from something.”\n\nNew Hampshire\n\nDover: The city’s petition to challenge the constitutionality of the state’s legislative redistricting plan was denied by the New Hampshire Supreme Court last week, but the city isn’t giving up on it just yet. Dover’s Ward 4 voters will be affected by the state’s House Bill 50, which was signed into law earlier this year and divides Ward 4 residents into two districts combined with other towns. Despite meeting the requirements in the New Hampshire Constitution that require a dedicated district for wards with sufficient population, Ward 4 was left without its own representative. City Attorney Joshua Wyatt said it’s currently unclear why the state Supreme Court denied the motion, as no rationale was presented in the rejection document. Dover had petitioned for the complaint to go straight to the high court to expedite the process, with the June 1 filing period for the state House looming. That’s been done before in redistricting cases, Wyatt said. In its legal filing, the city asked the court to address the matter directly so that, ideally, a ruling could be made in advance of the elections. Wyatt said he does not think the city will see relief or a ruling before the 2022 state House election, but the goal at that point would be to petition for new maps to be drawn before the next census.\n\nNew Jersey\n\nAtlantic City: The city’s casinos collectively saw their profitability increase in the first quarter of this year compared not only with a year earlier but also with the pre-pandemic period, according to figures released Monday. But only four of the nine casinos indivdually reported higher gross operating profits than they did in the first quarter of 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic took hold. Figures released by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement show the casinos and their online arms collectively posted a gross operating profit of $155.6 million in the first three months of this year. That’s up 63% from the first three months of 2021 and nearly 79% from the first quarter of 2019. The pandemic forced Atlantic City’s casinos to close for 31/ 2 months starting in mid-March of 2020, so 2019 is a more useful point of comparison. Yet the news was not all good. Only four casinos – Borgata, Hard Rock, Ocean and Tropicana – were more profitable in the first quarter this year than at the start of 2019. Gross operating profit represents earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and other expenses and is a widely accepted measure of profitability in the Atlantic City gambling industry. Eight of the nine casinos – all but Bally’s – were profitable in the first quarter of this year.\n\nNew Mexico\n\nSanta Fe: The largest wildfire in North America came to a near-standstill overnight amid light rain and frosty temperatures as firefighters scrambled Tuesday to clear flammable vegetation and deployed aircraft to douse smoldering forests. The blaze that started about seven weeks ago in the Rocky Mountains foothills east of Santa Fe was 41% encircled by clearings and barriers that can stop a wildfire from spreading farther. Gusty winds continued to carry hot embers across barrier such as roadways, as fire crews race to extinguish small spot fires. The fire has consumed more than 486 square miles of timber, grassland and brush, with evacuations in place for weeks. It’s among six active large fires in the state that have burned across 536 square miles. So far this year, wildland fires have burned across roughly 2,650 square miles (of the U.S. That’s roughly twice the average burn for this time of year, according to a national center for coordinating wildfire suppression. Climate change and an enduring drought are significant factors. Still, wildland firefighters braced for the anticipated return of hot, dry and windy weather later this week. A wildfire on the outskirts of Los Alamos National Laboratory was 85% contained Tuesday. In the vicinity, Bandelier National Monument is preparing to reopen some areas to visitors Friday. In southwestern New Mexico, a fire is burning through portions of the Gila National Forest and outlying areas.\n\nNew York\n\nNew York: A U.S. history and government exam for the state’s high school students has been canceled in the wake of the racist shooting at a Buffalo supermarket over concerns that material on the test could “compound student trauma,” education officials said Tuesday. The state’s Regents exam had been scheduled for June 1, but a review of the content following the May 14 shooting found that “the tragedy in Buffalo has created an unexpected and unintended context for the planned assessment,” said Emily DeSantis, a spokesperson for the state Education Department, in a statement. As a result, she said, “it is not appropriate to administer the exam with a question that could compound the grief and hardship faced by our school communities.” Ten people, all of them Black, were killed in the Tops Friendly Market when a white 18-year-old opened fire. Three others were injured. Funerals for the victims have been taking place this week. The department refused to say what the content was or give any additional information on the question of concern. In a memo sent to school administrators, Commissioner of Education Betty Rosa said it wouldn’t be possible to make a different test or modify the one that had been scheduled.\n\nNorth Carolina\n\nAsheville: A federal appeals court has ruled against arguments by U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn that he is protected from a post-Civil War era constitutional disqualification from future office for those who engaged in an insurrection. The three-judge Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that a lower federal court erred in its ruling and must revisit the arguments of whether Cawthorn engaged in the Jan. 6 insurrection. The district court had ruled the 14th Amendment disqualification from federal or state office did not apply because of the 1872 Amnesty Act that restored the right to hold office for all but those at the highest level of the Confederate rebellion. The ramifications for Cawthorn, an ambitious right-wing congressman who is only 26, could be long-running. Cawthorn recently argued the case was moot because of his May 17 Republican primary loss to state Sen. Chuck Edwards, despite support for his reelection bid from ex-President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, the U.S. House Ethics Committee is investigating allegations that Cawthorn had a conflict of interest in a cryptocurrency he promoted and engaged in an improper relationship with a member of his staff, the panel said Monday.\n\nNorth Dakota\n\nFargo: Planned Parenthood said Monday that it will offer abortion services at its clinic in Moorhead, Minnesota, if North Dakota’s only abortion clinic does not quickly relocate from Fargo should the U.S. Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade. Planned Parenthood said it expected Red River Women’s Clinic, a private clinic not affiliated with it, to make the short move across the river by July 1, if necessary. “However, if that is not the case, Planned Parenthood will begin offering abortions at our Moorhead facility so that women in the region have no interruption in services,” said Sarah Stoesz, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States. The Red River Women’s Clinic has long operated as the only abortion provider in North Dakota. Owner Tammi Kromenaker has said she would cross over to Moorhead if forced to do so but told the Associated Press in recent interviews that she has been too busy to explore details of such a move. Kromenaker said Monday that “there are too many unknowns to confirm a specific date” for relocation. The nearest clinics to the Fargo-Moorhead that currently offer abortion services are both about 240 miles away, in Minneapolis and Sioux Falls, South Dakota, though the Sioux Falls clinic would also shut down if Roe v. Wade is overturned.\n\nOhio\n\nCincinnati: A new initiative by the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts aims to remove an obstacle standing in the way of some residents obtaining housing. The clerk’s office’s online search will no longer show inactive evictions older than three years. In a release, Hamilton County Clerk of Courts Pavan Parikh said evictions remain a stain on a tenant’s record that is nearly impossible to erase, even if a tenant made good on the obligations. This new policy aims to prevent old eviction cases from hindering those who are attempting to find new housing. The older eviction cases will not be viewable online, but they remain on file in the clerk’s office and are open to the public. The hope is that with older eviction case records removed from the online search, thousands of records that may no longer reflect a tenant’s financial situation will not easily pop up and influence landlords or other screeners. This new policy still allows landlords to properly screen tenants but aims to protect tenants from those landlords or screeners who are trying to take the easy way out, Parikh said. Nick DiNardo, managing attorney of the housing practice group at Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati, said the organization is pleased with the change.\n\nOklahoma\n\nPawhuska: Rising grocery, gas and housing bills prompted leaders of one Native American tribe to make a change. The Osage Nation will temporarily pay workers 10% more to help offset inflation costs that have reached 40-year highs. Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear proposed the cost of living increase, and Osage Nation Congress approved the change in April. It took effect this month. “We have not seen a time like this inflation-wise since the 1980s,” Standing Bear said after he announced the proposal in March. The main metric used to track inflation, the U.S. consumer price index, climbed 8.5% between March 2021 and March 2022 – the largest spike in 41 years. Fuel costs, in particular, surged. Food prices increased 10%. The impact of rising costs is amplified in tribal communities and rural areas because of access and supply chain issues. “It’s as if someone is taking a pair of scissors and just cutting 10% to 15% of your paycheck every period. That’s exactly what it is,” Standing Bear said. He said tribal employees started to talk more about rising gas prices at the start of the year. Then Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in March that she believed inflation would remain high for some time. “When she made that speech, I really said, ‘That’s it. We’re going to do this cost of living,’ ” Standing Bear said.\n\nOregon\n\nPortland: The state is reporting some of the highest numbers of new COVID-19 cases since the pandemic started more than two years ago. The Oregon Health Authority reported nearly 12,000 new cases last week, and the state is averaging 1,685 new cases a day, The Oregonian/OregonLive reports. That’s higher than all but 12 weeks since the start of the pandemic in 2020. Hospitalizations continue to lag the rising case numbers and remain far below previous pandemic highs. As of Monday, 278 people were hospitalized – up 11% from a week before – and 24 were in intensive care unit beds. The tally of hospitalized patients is expected to peak at 330 occupied hospital beds June 9, according to forecasts by Oregon Health & Science University. Many of those patients are considered to be people hospitalized for other conditions who also tested positive for COVID-19. People in the 15 Oregon counties deemed to be “medium” risk of COVID-19 by federal metrics should consider donning masks indoors while out in public. Those counties are Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington, Columbia, Benton, Deschutes, Hood River, Tillamook, Yamhill, Polk, Lincoln, Lane, Wallowa, Union and Baker.\n\nPennsylvania\n\nPhiladelphia: Two former police officers whose gender discrimination and sexual harassment lawsuit led Philadelphia’s police commissioner to resign have won a $1 million verdict against the city. A federal jury on Tuesday found that Cpl. Audra McCowan and Patrol Officer Jennifer Allen endured a hostile work environment that included being put in undesirable jobs, with changing shifts, after they raised sexual harassment complaints. They each won $500,000. McCowan, Allen’s supervisor, alleged that former Commissioner Richard Ross failed to help because she had ended a romantic relationship with him in 2011. When the allegations surfaced in 2019, Ross denied engaging in any retaliation but resigned for what he called the good of the city. Philadelphia then hired Commissioner Danielle Outlaw, the first Black woman to lead the department, to succeed him. McCowan now works at a school for less than half her former pay, while Allen remains unable to work, according to their lawyer, Ian Bryson. A psychiatrist testified at the weeklong trial that both suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome from the 15 years each spent in the Philadelphia Police Department, he said. “I think this verdict sent a message that this isn’t how you treat people,” Bryson said.\n\nRhode Island\n\nNewport: Three firefighters were injured battling a major fire at a recently renovated hotel, fire officials said. The blaze at the Wayfinder Hotel was reported about 8 p.m. Monday, and crews remained on the scene Tuesday morning. Nearly 100 firefighters from multiple municipalities responded to the blaze, and all guests made it out safely, fire Chief Harp Donnelly IV said. The Red Cross responded to assist displaced guests in finding new accommodations. The cause remains under investigation. The four-story hotel has nearly 200 guest rooms, according to its website. The injured firefighters are expected to recover, Deputy Chief Mark Riding said at the scene Tuesday. “We had one firefighter go through the floor. He was rescued by the crew that was with him. We don’t know if it was from the heat or the water weight that was causing collapses,” he said. “As soon as the firefighter went through the floor, all companies were pulled out.” Hotel ownership said in a statement that they were “deeply grateful” for the efforts of firefighters. The hotel reopened in the summer of 2020 after a $16 million renovation project.\n\nSouth Carolina\n\nColumbia: In one of the year’s most closely watched congressional Republican primaries, U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace met two GOP challengers on the debate stage who are seeking to oust her from South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, one of whom immediately endorsed the other before walking off stage. In the Monday night matchup in Charleston – slated to be the only debate for Mace, Katie Arrington and Lynz Piper-Loomis ahead of the June 14 primary election – Piper-Loomis answered her opening question by saying she would be supporting Arrington before removing her microphone and leaving the debate. With Piper-Loomis having been unable to attract significant fundraising, her departure now makes official the two-way contest that had already been largely shaping up between the freshman Mace and Arrington, a former Defense Department cybersecurity expert who is making her second run for the seat. In 2018, Arrington notably knocked U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford out of the GOP primary, going on to lose the general election to Democrat Joe Cunningham, who became the first of his party in decades to flip a South Carolina House seat. Mace then ousted Cunningham in 2020 to become the first Republican woman elected to Congress from the state.\n\nSouth Dakota\n\nPierre: The Lower Brule Sioux Tribe is suing Lyman County in federal court for delaying a redistricting plan that would ensure the timely election of tribal candidates to the County Commission. The tribe said the delay prevents its residents from electing two commissioners in the upcoming election. Instead, the Lower Brule will have to wait until 2024 and 2026. Lyman County has had an at-large election process since 1992. That means candidates running for the five commissioner seats can live anywhere within the county. Lyman County contains part of the Lower Brule reservation and has a Native American population of 38%. With at-large elections, no Native American candidate has ever succeeded in winning a seat on the commission, South Dakota Public Broadcasting reports. To avoid a lawsuit, Lyman County and Lower Brule agreed that the county must establish two commissioner positions chosen by Native American voters. In October 2021, Lower Brule proposed five single-candidate districts, two of them with a Native American majority and three with a white majority. According to plaintiffs, that scheme was legal under existing South Dakota law. But in February, the Lyman County Commission enacted an ordinance establishing just two voting districts, one white with three commissioners and one Native American with two commissioners. The commission also voted to delay the changes until after the next election, leaving the at-large system in play.\n\nTennessee\n\nNashville: Beginning this month, warrant officers retired from active duty in the U.S. Army will be able to join the Tennessee National Guard. The program has been talked about for years, but Tennessee is the first to implement it, Brig. Gen. Warner Ross, Tennessee’s assistant adjutant general-Army, said in a news release. Previously it was allowed only for soldiers deemed indispensable by the secretary of the Army. Now, nearly all retired active-duty Army warrant officers are eligible. The U.S. Army and National Guard Bureau updated their policies to make the change possible last year. Tennessee formalized its own state policy this month, according to the release. “This will greatly impact the readiness across our force as it allows our organization to supplement our ranks and hard to fill positions with highly qualified individuals,” Ross said.\n\nTexas\n\nHouston: A lawyer for the family of a 29-year-old Black man who was fatally shot last month by a Houston police officer said body camera video shows he was given only seconds to raise his hands before he was shot. Jalen Randle was shot April 27 as he exited a vehicle, police said. They said he was being pursued because he was wanted on three felony warrants. Police released video of the shooting Tuesday after Randle’s family demanded it, but Assistant Chief Thomas Hardin said in the introduction to the footage that the department is still in the early stages of its investigation. A spokesman for the Houston Police Department declined to comment further because of the ongoing investigation. The video shows the officer firing once almost immediately after yelling, “Hey, let me see your hands!” as he got out of a police car. After Randle fell to the ground, the officer uttered an expletive. Attorney Ben Crump said in a statement that the video clearly shows Randle had no time to comply with the officer’s orders before he was shot. Crump said Randle was handcuffed and dragged across the ground before officers rendered aid. “The brutality displayed in this video is extremely disturbing,” said Crump, one of the nation’s top civil rights attorneys.\n\nUtah\n\nSt. George: In a coordinated statewide campaign dubbed “Flip Blitz” by water managers, governments across Utah removed 135,000 square feet of “non-functional” grass on public property last week and replaced it with more water-friendly landscaping. The vast majority – about 115,000 square feet – was taken from lawns in Washington County, where the hot desert climate and years of debate over drought, population growth and controversial projects like the proposed Lake Powell Pipeline have made the area a kind of ground zero for water conservation proposals. “This is a good example of looking at how we can do a better job and have more effective landscaping,” said Zach Renstrom, the executive director of the Washington County Water Conservancy District. “And so this is a great opportunity for everybody to kind of get together and to show what we can do.” Some advocates for stricter water conservation said that while the event seemed to present a good opportunity to talk about water issues, they worried it seemed more performative and didn’t actually offer any substantial solutions to the concerns surrounding the county’s water future. But by being an example for others, officials said they hoped the government’s actions would encourage private businesses, homeowners and others to do the same.\n\nVermont\n\nBurlington: A bill passed by the Legislature will give Vermont National Guard members an increased budget for college tuition. Those Guard members can now get a bachelor’s degree fully covered at all state schools including any Vermont State College institution or University of Vermont school. Previous benefits only paid for $11,592 of tuition a year, which fell short of some state university tuition rates, including UVM’s. The Guard will now pay up to $16,392 a year for tuition, which can also be used for a second bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree. If Guard members wish to attend a private college in Vermont, the Guard will cover tuition up to the in-state rate for undergraduate students at UVM. The new bill will also grant spouses and dependents of National Guard members stationed in Vermont immediate access to in-state tuition rates at state universities once they have moved to Vermont. As long as the spouse or dependent stays in Vermont, they have access to in-state tuition rates even if their family member in the Guard is transferred locations on military orders.\n\nVirginia\n\nMcLean: Northern Virginia voters have elected a progressive slate of candidates to a community center board after a controversy over a drag queen story hour. The normally low-key elections Saturday for three slots on the McLean Community Center Board attracted attention after complaints that the center co-sponsored a “Drag StoryBook Hour,” in which drag queens read books about gender fluidity to young children at a local library. Among those defeated in the election was Katharine Gorka, a former Trump administration official and wife of Trump loyalist Sebastian Gorka. She cited her opposition to the story hour as a top issue for her at a candidate forum earlier this month. The winning candidates in Saturday’s election – Kristina Groennings, Anna Bartosiewicz and Ari Ghasemian – had endorsements from Democrats. The board did not publish the candidates’ margin of victory. The community center board oversees a budget funded by a real-estate tax surcharge on property in the McLean area, one of the wealthiest areas of the country.\n\nWashington\n\nSpokane: Scientists will set about 1,000 traps this year in their quest to wipe out the Asian giant hornet in Washington, the state Department of Agriculture said Tuesday. Scientists believe the hornets, first detected in the Pacific Northwest state in 2019, are confined to Whatcom County, located on the Canadian border north of Seattle. “We are doing pretty good right now,” said Sven-Erik Spichiger, who is leading the fight to eradicate the hornets for the state Department of Agriculture. “We know about where the nests are located in Whatcom County.” The insects are the world’s largest hornets, with queens reaching up to 2 inches long. They are considered invasive in North America for their ability to kill other bee and hornet species, which is how they got the nickname “murder hornets.” Hornets caught in traps help scientists find the location of nests. The state eradicated three nests last year, all near the town of Blaine, and there have been no confirmed reports of Asian giant hornet nests so far this year, Spichiger said. Most of the traps will be set in northern Whatcom County, but a few will be set in the city of Bellingham, he said. The agency is also encouraging residents to set their own traps to cover more ground.\n\nWest Virginia\n\nCharleston: A congressional watchdog has determined that U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney likely broke House rules when the West Virginia Republican accepted a trip to Aruba allegedly paid for by a campaign client and family friend. The latest allegations were included in a statement released Monday by the House Ethics Committee, which said it was extending the review of an Office of Congressional Ethics report sent to the committee in December. Mooney, who is backed by former President Donald Trump and has represented the state in the House since 2015, will face Democrat Barry Wendell, an openly gay former Morgantown City Council member, in November’s general election. Mooney easily defeated incumbent Rep. David McKinley in the May 10 GOP primary for the newly redrawn 2nd District. An ethics probe launched against Mooney last year initially was about whether he had used campaign cash to make personal purchases. In the latest OCE report, HSP Direct, a direct mail fundraising company that provides services to Mooney’s campaign committee, allegedly paid for a trip for his family to Aruba along with free lodging and event space in March 2021.\n\nWisconsin\n\nMadison: One of the 10 Republicans who attempted to cast Electoral College ballots for Donald Trump in 2020 even though he lost Wisconsin said Monday that he is running to become chairman of the state elections commission, where he currently serves as a member. Robert Spindell has been an outspoken member of the bipartisan commission and supporter of the investigation into the 2020 election being led by a former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice. Spindell has also traveled the state giving a presentation he calls “Thirteen Ways the 2020 Election was Rigged in Wisconsin.” “I am far and away the best qualified for (commission chair) and it would really help the image of the Wisconsin Elections Commission if I am chosen for that,” Spindell said Monday. The next chair of the commission will hold the position heading into the November election and in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election in battleground Wisconsin. The chair by state law approves the vote canvass following elections and certifies results. The chair also sets the agenda for the commission and can exert influence over how questions are framed, an important power on the board that is evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats. The commission scheduled a vote Wednesday to elect the next chair.\n\nWyoming\n\nYellowstone National Park: Scientists are using soy pellets dropped by helicopter to eradicate exotic lake trout from Yellowstone Lake, Wyofile.com reports. After extensive efforts to trap the unwanted fish failed, biologists tried the airborne pellets and deposited them over spawning sites, according to the newspaper. The method has proved efficient, with mortality rates for those trout approaching 100% even in those areas where the concentration of pellets was lowest, the Yellowstone biologists wrote in an article published in the American Fisheries Society journal.\n\nFrom USA TODAY Network and wire reports", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/05/25"}]}
{"question_id": "20230303_15", "search_time": "2023/03/15/03:28", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2018/05/03/zoe-saldana-brings-her-three-children-walk-fame-ceremony/579574002/", "title": "Adorable alert! Zoe Saldana brings her three toddlers to Walk of Fame", "text": "Zoe Saldana rarely brings her children out in public, but Thursday was a special occasion.\n\nSurrounded by famous friends including James Cameron and Mila Kunis, the actress grinned while receiving her star on the Walk of Fame. But it was her three adorable sons, twins Bowie and Cy, 3, and Zen, 1, with husband Marco Perego who stole the spotlight.\n\nAnd yes, even Hollywood stars have trouble wrangling three little ones.\n\nBut they finally got the shot!\n\n“You are my everything,\" the Avengers: Infinity War star told her family during the ceremony. \"Every day you remind me to appreciate life’s journey. You keep me grounded. And you help me slow down when I need to take in a moment.\"\n\nMore:Zoe Saldana on meeting 'Avengers,' her 'Avatar' return and being inspired by Millennials\n\nShe continued: \"I’m taking this moment in. But you know what makes me most excited when I wake up? The three masterpieces that we have created: Zen, Cy, and Bowie. Mama te quiere, I love you.”", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2018/05/03"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2022/11/13/christina-applegate-last-role-dead-to-me-multiple-sclerosis/10691202002/", "title": "Christina Applegate suggests 'Dead to Me' is final acting role amid MS", "text": "\"Dead to Me\" character Jen Harding might be Christina Applegate's most trying acting role to date and her last.\n\nThe actress, 50, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis while filming the third and final season of the comedy (streaming Thursday on Netflix). It was as \"hard as you would possibly think it would be,\" she told Variety in an interview published last Wednesday.\n\n\"I got diagnosed while we were working,\" Applegate recalled. \"I had to call everybody and be like, ‘I have multiple sclerosis, guys.’ ... And then it was about kind of learning – all of us learning – what I was going to be capable of doing.\"\n\nIn a revealing New York Times profile published Nov. 1, the actress shared that she \"put on 40 pounds\" and couldn't \"walk without a cane\" as a result of the pain from MS.\n\nWith MS, the body's immune system begins attacking the central nervous system, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, triggering various neurological symptoms.\n\nChristina Applegate talks struggle to film 'Dead to Me' with MS: 'I can't walk without a cane'\n\nApplegate rehashed the difficulty she had filming \"Dead to Me\" to Variety. When asked if the show would be her last major role, she said, \"I’m pretty convinced that this was it.\"\n\nThe actress hasn't made any final decision on her acting career yet, telling Variety, \"I’m just a newbie to all of this. I’m trying to figure it out – and I’m also in mourning for the person that I was.\"\n\n\"I have to find a place that’s as loving as my set was, where they won’t think I’m a diva by saying, 'Hey, I can only work five hours,' \" she added.\n\nMy dad has MS:Why watching 'Wheel of Fortune' together means so much to me\n\nApplegate still has plans in the entertainment industry with an animated reboot of \"Married …With Children,\" where she'd reprise her role as Kelly Bundy. The actress also hopes to continue producing. \"I’ve got a lot of ideas in my mind, and I just need to get them executed,\" she said.\n\nChristina Applegate gives emotional speech at Walk of Fame ceremony\n\n\"Dead to Me\" Season 3 is the first time people have seen Applegate onscreen since her MS diagnosis. To cap it off, her pandemic-delayed Hollywood Walk of Fame star unveiling on Mondaywas the \"first time as a disabled person\" people saw her. \"It's very difficult,\" she told Variety.\n\n\"For me, two years ago would have been so much better!\" she said. \"But maybe this time it’s more poignant. I don’t know.\"\n\nBarefoot and using a cane to support herself, Applegate became emotional while delivering a speech at her Walk of Fame ceremony. Her \"Married with Children\" co-stars Katey Sagal and David Faustino and \"Dead to Me\" co-stars Linda Cardellini and Liz Feldman also gave speeches.\n\nA photo of Applegate at the event published by People shows the actress flashing her manicure, which reads \"f u MS.\" at the event.\n\n\"I can't stand for too long, so I'm going to thank the people that I really need to thank,\" Applegate said, before referencing her past and present co-stars. \"First of all, to my family who have spoken here today. You are my everything. ... You are my people. You are my loves.\"\n\nShe continued: \"I don't say that I have friends. I have family. These people take care of me. They take care of me every day of my life and without them I don't know what I would do.\"\n\nThe actress also honored her real family, holding back tears as she thanked \"the most important person in this world\": Sadie Grace LeNoble, her daughter with husband Martyn LeNoble.\n\n\"You are so much more than even you know,\" she said. \"You are so beautiful and kind and loving and smart and interesting, and I am blessed every day that I get to wake up and take you to your school. You are my everything.\"\n\nApplegate ended her speech with a brief reference to her health condition.\n\n\"Thank you for standing beside me through all of this,\" she added. \"Oh, by the way, I have a disease. Did you not notice? I'm not even wearing shoes. Anywho, you're supposed to laugh at that.\"\n\nApplegate went public with her MS diagnosis in August 2021, which she told her Twitter followers she'd received \"a few months\" earlier. \"It’s been a strange journey,\" Applegate wrote at the time. \"But I have been so supported by people that I know who also have this condition.\"\n\nContributing: Erin Jensen and Hannah Yasharoff\n\nI got dumped because I have MS:Should I disclose my diagnosis on dates?", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/11/13"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2018/09/19/judy-greer-makes-directorial-debut-happening-monumental-proportions/1329293002/", "title": "Judy Greer adds directing to her resume with 'Monumental' debut", "text": "You might have seen Judy Greer in the news a lot lately. Her new show \"Kidding,\" alongside Jim Carrey, has hit TV screens. She was at Jennifer Garner's Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony. Now she's making her directorial debut with \"A Happening of Monumental Proportions,\" a charming comedy about the intersecting lives of adults and kids at an elementary school.\n\nGreer, a winning comedic presence, said that directing was a lot different from what she experienced as an actor in such projects as \"13 Going on 30\" or \"Two and a Half Men.\"\n\n\"Sometimes when I'm acting, you have so much down time that you lose your momentum,\" she says. \"So it's that's always a trick of how to keep your energy up all day long. But with directing, it felt like I was never not using my brain.\"\n\nGreer made sure that everyone was on the same page while on set. As an actor, she doesn't like walking on set and not knowing what she's doing.\n\n\"I know that seems unusual or it would be a given but it's really not.\"\n\nThe 'Happening' cast\n\nGreer always has been part of comedies, but she wanted to make her own. And with a naturally funny cast, her goal was to make the heartfelt emotional moments hit just right.\n\nThe star-studded cast included Allison Janney, Rob Riggle, Jennifer Garner, Kumail Nanjiani, Common, John Cho, Jennifer Garner and Bradley Whitford.\n\nIn particular, Greer recalled all the times she laughed with Riggle and Janney, who were friends of hers that never met but clicked immediately.\n\n\"I'm friends with all of them separately, so ... watching them work together just made me so tickled,\" she says. \"It was so cool because when I'm acting, I can't laugh out loud at anything because I'm in the scene. But when I get to direct, I can just sit behind a monitor and laugh. It was so freeing and wonderful.\"\n\nYoung cast members Storm Reid and Marcus Eckert were scene-stealers.\n\n\"I was fascinated, too, with the theme of the kids acting like the adults and the adults acting like kids and that was something that I kind of noticed (with) my stepkids,\" she says. \"Just how together and grown up they had to be ... I would say I took that away from them.\"\n\nIs she really the 'best friend?'\n\nShe's known for playing the \"best friend,\" but she would like to make something clear.\n\n\"Well, I haven't played the best friend in anything in a really long time,\" she says. \"But I don't mind it ... I had a really good time doing those roles.\"\n\nIn fact, she didn't think much of it until people started pointing it out to her at press conferences. And she finds it interesting that everyone knows her for different things; sometimes, it would be that one thing alone.\n\n\"Like I get people who just really love 'Two and a Half Men' and that's how they think of me,\" she says.\n\n\"They think that's all I've done. And it's funny. They're like 'So what's it like to be on a hit sitcom?' And I'm like 'Well, I did a few episodes of it. That's not my whole career.' \"\n\nPeople could know her from a number of things, but most of those projects have comedy in common. What is Greer's secret to being funny?\n\n\"Hopefully it's the script ... but sometimes it's just the vibe on set,\" she says. \"It's light and funny and ... comedy is a lot about timing, but when you're in movies and they have at you in the editing room, it's not always up to you. So if I know that I'm doing something that's a comedy ... I just try to have as much fun with it as I can.\"\n\n'It's like dating'\n\nDirecting projects take Greer about a year to finish, which is taxing on her physical and emotional time. So she's rightfully choosy when it comes to which scripts she'll accept.\n\n\"It's kind of like dating,\" she says. \"You have chemistry with something, someone. You read something and maybe you can't shake it and you read it again. And it starts to seem visually possible.\"\n\n\"A Happening of Monumental Proportions\" will not be her last directing project. She has another script that she's trying to find financing for, and she's always reading looking for the next project.\n\n'Kidding,' 'Halloween' and more from Judy\n\nShe's excited about her latest TV show. \"Kidding,\" about a famous children's television icon who struggles to retain sanity as his family is in ruins, airs Sundays on Showtime. When she was filming, she says, every episode was better than the one before.\n\n\"It was really fun to see how the character unfolded as opposed to a movie where you read it from beginning, middle and end, and you kind of know what's going to happen,\" she says.\n\nIn the upcoming \"Halloween,\" Jamie Lee Curtis reprises her role as Laurie Strode whileGreer plays her daughter. Was Greer able to reveal anything?\n\n\"No way, man! I can't say a thing about that. I'd get in trouble,\" she said. \"But I can say ... a lot of times with movies like this, when you bring someone back to the franchise like Jamie Lee and they may be have a cameo or small role, but the fact that she was the 'star' star was really, I thought, so cool that they did that.\"\n\nMORE NEWS:", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2018/09/19"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2023/02/28/covid-student-loans-winter-weather-courteney-cox/11195833002/", "title": "COVID origin, student loan forgiveness, train derailment, Courteney ...", "text": "The origins of COVID-19 still aren't known for certain, the White House says. SCOTUS will debate President Joe Biden's plan for student loan forgiveness. Courteney Cox was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame – and her \"Friends\" co-stars Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow came along for the ride.\n\n👋 It's Jane Onyanga-Omara and Steve Coogan, Daily Briefing authors. What's America's most visited national park? It's this one, by a long shot.\n\nNow, here's Tuesday's news.\n\nU.S. agencies haven't agreed on the origins of COVID-19\n\nThe White House said there isn't a consensus across the government on the origins of COVID-19. The announcement comes after reporting that the U.S. Department of Energy concluded the pandemic most likely began after an unintentional laboratory leak in China. According to the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, the department's conclusion was made with \"low confidence,\" meaning there was a level of certainty that was not high. There have been two top theories on the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic in China: the virus jumped from animals to humans at a market or that it was accidentally leaked from a lab. However, neither theory has enough evidence to be labeled as conclusive. Kirby said that President Joe Biden asked the government to investigate how the pandemic started \"so that we can better prevent a future pandemic.\" Read more\n\nOpinion: We'll never know the full truth about COVID-19 origins. Political infighting won't help.\n\nSupreme Court to debate Biden's student loan forgiveness plan\n\nFor more than four months, tens of millions of Americans have waited for a sign about whether President Joe Biden's $400 billion student loan forgiveness plan is legal or whether it would be struck down by federal courts. The Supreme Court may finally provide some answers Tuesday, though a decision is not expected until later this year. Over the course of several hours, the nine justices will hear oral arguments in two cases challenging Biden's plan. The plaintiffs in both assert that the administration exceeded its authority by attempting to grant debt relief to an estimated 40 million people. Read more\n\nBiden will be playing defense on student loans this week at the Supreme Court. Here's why.\n\nMore news to know now\n\n'More and more prevalent': Experts say trains are becoming less safe\n\nThe Feb. 3 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, that resulted in the release of contaminated waste spurred calls for action to hold the freight rail industry accountable and steps to prevent such a disaster from happening again. In response to the National Transportation Safety Board’s initial report, president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads, Ian Jefferies, promised that the rail industry would use the report to prevent similar accidents. Still, the incident raises concerns about the safety of trains amid changes in how rail companies operate. \"It’s profits over people,\" said Kenny Edwards, Indiana state legislative director for SMART Transportation Division, an industry workers union. \"As they make cutbacks and changes, disasters like East Palestine will be more and more prevalent.\" Read more\n\nWinter weather: Storms slam Midwest as California, Northeast brace for snow\n\nParts of Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas were blasted by storms and tornadoes while heavy rain and snow blanketed much of California and parts of the West on Monday as belligerent weather marched across the U.S. In Michigan, about 150,000 homes and businesses remained in the dark Monday night, according to PowerOutage.us, after five days of high winds, snow and ice that wreaked havoc on power lines. Read more\n\nWhat's next? Winter weather remains in the forecast in parts of California and the Northeast Tuesday. In Northern California, an avalanche warning was issued for the backcountry around Lake Tahoe. Los Angeles County declared a cold weather alert for valley and mountain areas north of Los Angeles as well. In the east, New York City could get the most snow it has received all winter and a winter storm warning also covered parts of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island, with heavy snow forecast through Tuesday afternoon. Read more\n\nFrom The Oklahoman: Injury totals increase, one fatality reported after tornadoes strike Oklahoma.\n\nInjury totals increase, one fatality reported after tornadoes strike Oklahoma. A blizzard in Southern California? What to know about weird weekend weather.\n\n🌤 What's the weather up to in your neck of the woods? Check your local forecast here.\n\nJust for subscribers:\n\nThese articles are for USA TODAY subscribers. You can sign up here. Did you know we have newsletters available exclusively for subscribers? Take advantage of our Presidents Day sale for unlimited access to nationwide news and more.\n\nTom Sizemore's family told 'there is no further hope' after his brain aneurysm\n\nThe condition of actor Tom Sizemore, whose health declined earlier this month following a brain aneurysm, shows no signs of improvement as he remains in a coma. \"Today, doctors informed (Sizemore's) family that there is no further hope and have recommended (an) end of life decision,\" Sizemore's manager Charles Lago said in a statement provided to USA TODAY Monday, adding that Sizemore, 61, remains in critical condition. Sizemore, probably best known for his role in the 1998 Steven Spielberg film \"Saving Private Ryan,\" collapsed at his Los Angeles home Feb. 19. Read more\n\nPrevious coverage: Tom Sizemore, star of 'Saving Private Ryan,' is in critical condition after brain aneurysm.\n\nTom Sizemore, star of 'Saving Private Ryan,' is in critical condition after brain aneurysm. Photo gallery: The life and career of Tom Sizemore.\n\n📷 Photo of the day: Courteney Cox's Walk of Fame star ceremony 📷\n\nCourteney Cox celebrated a major career milestone with the support of pals Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow. Cox, who starred with the two on the ‘90s sitcom \"Friends,\" was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Monday. It wasn't a complete \"Friends\" reunion, however, as Cox’s other co-stars – including David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry and Matt LeBlanc – were not in attendance. Read more\n\nGo to our gallery to see more photos from Cox’s big day, and other stars with their stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.\n\nOne more thing\n\nSupport journalism like this – subscribe to USA TODAY here.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/02/28"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/07/entertainment/benedict-cumberbatch-power-of-the-dog/index.html", "title": "Benedict Cumberbatch eloquently explains how 'Power of the Dog ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nWhen in doubt, for more information, call Benedict Cumberbatch.\n\nWithout directly addressing comments made last week by actor Sam Elliot, who on a podcast criticized Netflix’s “Power of the Dog” for its “allusions of homosexuality,” Cumberbatch explained in a panel this weekend that his portrayal of closeted rancher Phil Burbank has power beyond the screen.\n\n“I think if we are to teach our sons to be feminists, if we’re to teach equality, if we’re to understand what poisons the well in men, [and] what creates toxic masculinity, we need to understand and look under the hood of characters like Phil Burbnk to see what their struggle is and why that’s there in the first place because otherwise it will just keep repeating itself,” he said in a conversation with Mariayah Kaderbhai, head of programs at BAFTA.\n\nCumberbatch’s response was to a question about why he thought the period film was an important tale to tell now and came days after Elliot, a long time staple in Western films, said in an interview on “WTF With Marc Maron” that the film was not a true Western.\n\n“You want to talk about that piece of s—?” Elliott said. “That’s what all these f—ing cowboys in that movie looked like. They’re all running around in chaps and no shirts, there’s all these allusions to homosexuality throughout the f—ing movie.”\n\nElliot received backlash for his comments but has not responded since the interview.\n\nCNN previously reached out to “Power of the Dog” director Jane Campion, Netflix and GLAAD for comment.\n\nCumberbatch, who did not refer to Elliot by name and said he had not heard the comments for himself, called the remarks “very odd.” The actor seemed to take issue with the notion “that anybody could have anything other than a heteronormative existence because of what they do for a living or where they’re born.”\n\n“I think the more we look under the hood of toxic masculinity and try to discover the root causes of it, the bigger the chance we have of dealing with it when it arises with our children in playgrounds at school, with their friends, in the behavioral patterns we might see in innocent play and just understand how to police that,” he said.\n\n“Power of the Dog” stars Kirsten Dunst, Cumberbatch, Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee. It was nominated for 12 Oscars this year including best picture and best director for Campion, who Elliot also had sharp words for.\n\n“She’s a brilliant director, I love her previous work, but what the f— does this woman from down there, New Zealand, know about the American West?” he said. “And why the f— did she shoot this movie in New Zealand and call it Montana and say ‘this is the way it was?’ That rubbed me the wrong way, pal.”\n\nElliott made his film debut in 1967’s “The Way West” and went on to other Westerns such as “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” His breakout role came in 1985’s “Mask,” alongside Cher. He’s starred in more than 30 films, appeared in over 40 television shows and has lent his voice to countless projects.", "authors": ["Sandra Gonzalez"], "publish_date": "2022/03/07"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/2022/01/24/celebs-moving-nashville-include-kathie-lee-gifford-maneet-chauhan/6601187001/", "title": "Celebs moving to Nashville include Kathie Lee Gifford, Maneet ...", "text": "Nationally-known celebrities — who aren't even country singers — are part of recent waves of people flocking to Music City and the region. Here are some of the most famous new residents from the last 20 years.\n\nKathie Lee Gifford\n\nLongtime television talk show host; actress; singer; songwriter; former \"Hee-Haw\" Honey; 68 years old\n\nMoved to Franklin: 2018\n\nWhy Middle Tennessee? \"It's a culture of kindness in Nashville,\" she told the Today show in 2019. \"They're authentically kind... and joyful!\"\n\nLook out Nashville:More people from Chicago, New York and Los Angeles are coming\n\nWhat she loves to do here: Make lunch for and write with some of Nashville’s biggest songwriters, including Brett James, Kelley Lovelace and Stephanie Bentley, she told the Tennessean.\n\nWhere you might spot Gifford: Gray's on Main in Franklin or the Franklin Farmers Market\n\nMike Wolfe\n\nCreator and star of the History Channel show \"American Pickers\"; antiques stores owner; 57 years old\n\nMoved to Leiper's Fork: 2011\n\nWhy Middle Tennessee? \"I'm a huge fan of country music,\" he told the Tennessean. \"And I love the collaborative atmosphere that's here.\"\n\nWhat he loves about it: \"I love the way people hold onto history here more than anywhere else in this country that I've ever been.\"\n\nWhere you might spot Wolfe: The Country Boy Restaurant in Leiper's Fork or his Antique Archaeology store in Marathon Village in Nashville\n\nManeet Chauhan\n\nFood Network celebrity chef; restaurant owner; 45 years old\n\nMoved to Franklin: 2014\n\nWhy Middle Tennessee? Business partners suggested Music City as a place to launch restaurants, and Chauhan visited and loved it.\n\nAll in on Nashville from the jump: \"It was love at first landing,\" Chauhan said during a 2016 Tennessean Nashville Storytellers event. \"That's how my love story with Nashville started.\"\n\nWhere you might spot Chauhan: Loveless Cafe, King's Market Cafe or at one of her Nashville restaurants, Chauhan Ale & Masala House, Chaatable, Tansuo or Mockingbird Nashville\n\nBarry Zito\n\n2002 Cy Young-award winning pitcher; book author; 43 years old\n\nMoved to Nashville: 2015\n\nWhy? Zito finished his career pitching for the AAA Nashville Sounds and decided to stay here when he retired\n\nOn moving to Nashville from California: “It felt like a reset here. No one knows me, in the malls or whatever. I feel like I can truly be myself,\" he told the Tennessean. \"I always felt I was on guard in the Bay area or Los Angeles. I don’t get any of that here, so it’s a liberation.”\n\nElisabeth Hasselbeck\n\nFormer conservative voice on national TV talk shows \"The View\" and \"Fox & Friends\"; one-time \"Survivor\" contestant, 44 years old\n\nMoved to Belle Meade: 2016\n\nWhy Nashville? Hasselbeck told the Tennessean she fell in love with the city after hosting the K-LOVE Christian music awards show here in 2015\n\nShe loves it here because: \"Nashville is a city that has eyes that see other people, the space for kindness and the hands to lift someone up when they need it.\"\n\nWhere you might spot Hasselbeck: A Titans game, a Predators game, or a fundraiser for Mending Hearts, The Next Door or other programs that serve drug-addicted women\n\nJustin Timberlake (sort of)\n\nInternational pop star; actor; founding member of 'N Sync; record producer; restaurateur; 40 years old\n\nBought a place in Leiper's Fork: 2015\n\nWhy Middle Tennessee? A Memphis native, Timberlake obtained land in Williamson County and opened a restaurant in downtown Nashville to get a feeling of \"community\" and to return to the South, his business partner, Trace Ayala, told the Tennessean.\n\nReady for a change: \"We were touring everywhere, and lived in L.A., and it was so far from where we'd come from,” Ayala said. “I think now that we've found this place and landed here, we've kind of settled things back down.”\n\nWhere you might spot Timberlake: The Twelve Thirty Club in downtown's 5th + Broadway entertainment/restaurant complex.\n\nScott Hamilton\n\nOlympic gold medal-winning figure skater; TV commentator; actor; philanthropist; cancer survivor, 63 years old\n\nMoved to Franklin: 2005\n\nWhy Middle Tennessee: Hamilton's wife, Tracie, is a Tennessee native, and the Los Angeles-based couple was looking for a different place to raise their children.\n\nQuotable: \"I love Nashville — the most giving city I've ever been in, period,\" he told the Tennessean.\n\nWhere you might spot Hamilton: Scott Hamilton Skating Club at Ford Ice Centers in Antioch and Bellevue or most any charity fundraiser event in Nashville\n\nKeb' Mo'\n\nGrammy award-winning bluesman; guitarist; singer; songwriter; actor; political activist; 70 years old\n\nMoved to Franklin: 2010\n\nWhy? Keb' Mo' found a house here while playing a show at the Ryman Auditorium, and his wife encouraged him to go for it.\n\nFirst impressions: \"I stood on the deck right there and I looked around and said, 'This ain't so bad. This'll be all right,'\" he told the Tennessean.\n\nWalk of Fame: Mo' will be inducted into the Music City Walk of Fame in April alongside country artists Deirks Bentley, Connie Smith and Bobby Bare.\n\nBen 'Zorilla' Zobrist\n\n2016 Chicago Cubs World Series hero; longtime Major League Baseball player; 40 years old\n\nMoved to Franklin: 2005\n\nWhy Middle Tennessee? His then wife, Julianna was an aspiring Christian music star, and the contemporary Christian music industry is based in Franklin and Nashville.\n\nA rocky road here: Zobrist and his ex-wife got involved in a sloppy divorce, with accusations filed in court that Julianna Zobrist an affair.\n\nKristin Cavallari\n\n\"Very Cavallari\" reality TV star; jewelry designer and store owner; ex-wife of former NFL and Vanderbilt football QB Jay Cutler; 35 years old\n\nMoved to Nashville: 2017\n\nWhy Middle Tennessee? She and Cutler spent several of their first weeks dating in Nashville. The two bought a house eight months later, hoping to move here when Cutler's football career ended.\n\nWhat she loves about Nashville: The mother of three told the Tennessean that Music City \"is a great place to raise a family.\"\n\nWhere you might spot Cavallari: Her store, Uncommon James, in the Gulch or Nashville Farmers Market or restaurant 5th & Taylor\n\nJack White\n\nRocker; producer; singer/songwriter; record label owner; 46 years old\n\nMoved to Nashville: 2005\n\nWhy the move: After exploding into rock 'n' roll fame with the White Stripes in his native Detroit, White started looking for a change. \"This was a music business town where I could do my thing on the side and sneak through the cracks,\" he told the Tennessean in 2018.\n\nThe result? \"I guess I'm a Detroiter for life, but I feel like I'm a Nashvillian now.”\n\nWhere you might spot White: Third Man Records, his record label/concert venue/record store/bar/photo studio near the Music City Center\n\nTodd and Julie Chrisley\n\nReality TV stars from USA Network's \"Chrisley Knows Best,\" real estate tycoons, restaurateurs, 52 and 49 year old\n\nMoved to Nashville: 2016\n\nBig plans for Music City: Last year, the Chrisleys told the Tennessean they planned to open a Southern home-cooking restaurant and a \"classy\" champagne bar here soon. \"If we’re going to participate in something, I want to participate in something classy, and you’re not out here bar fighting,\" Todd Chrisley said.\n\nWhere you might spot the Chrisleys: Moto, Hattie B's, Green Hills Grille, Arnold's Country Kitchen\n\nSean Brock\n\nJames Beard award-winning chef; restaurateur; founding chef of lauded Husk chain; cookbook author; New York Times bestseller\n\nMoved to Nashville: 2013\n\nWhy? To open Nashville's version of Husk, an award-winning Southern restaurant he launched in Charleston, S.C.\n\nQuotable: \"Here in Nashville, the energy is amazing right now,\" he told the Tennessean in 2016. \"What you're seeing now is a bunch of young, enthusiastic, creative people.\"\n\nWhere you might spot Brock: His flagship rustic restaurant, Audrey, in East Nashville, or his fine-dining restaurant, The Continental, in the Grand Hyatt — or his East Nashville burger joint Joyland\n\nTomi Lahren\n\nFox News personality; Fox Nation commentator; influencer; author; 29 years old\n\nMoved to Nashville: 2020\n\nQuotable: \"Nashville, Tennessee, my new and current hometown. A vibrant, tight-knit and usually safe Southern town...,\" she said in a commentary following the Christmas 2020 downtown bombing. \"I know our city is resilient, proud and strong.\"\n\nReach Brad Schmitt at brad@tennessean.com or 615-259-8384 or Twitter @bradschmitt.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/01/24"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/10/entertainment/gallery/julie-andrews/index.html", "title": "Photos: Legendary actress Julie Andrews | CNN", "text": "A gala tribute that aired Thursday celebrated Julie Andrews, the British actress and singer known for her iconic roles in \"Mary Poppins\" and \"The Sound of Music.\"\n\nThe event was hosted by the American Film Institute, which honored Andrews with its Life Achievement Award.\n\nAndrews, 86, won the best actress Oscar in 1965 for her starring role in the musical \"Mary Poppins.\" She was also nominated for the award in 1966 (\"The Sound of Music\") and 1983 (\"Victor/Victoria\").\n\nOver a career that has spanned seven decades, Andrews has also won Golden Globe Awards, Grammy Awards and Emmy Awards.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/06/10"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/people/2016/12/16/rogue-one-star-wars-julia-roberts-tina-turner-names/95523352/", "title": "'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' takes off to $29 million after ...", "text": "Free Press News Services\n\nThe boom has begun. \"Rogue One: A Star Wars,\" starring Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Forest Whitaker and more, and directed by Gareth Edwards, took off in theaters for Thursday night preview screenings, taking $29 million in box office, according to studio estimates.\n\nThe tally places \"Rogue One\" as the biggest preview of the year, ahead of \"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice\" ($27.7 million) and \"Captain America: Civil War\" ($25 million).\n\nThe standalone story in the \"Star Wars\" saga, with predominately new characters, opened behind preview screenings for last year's \"Star Wars: The Force Awakens,\" which took $57 million in Dec. 2015 on its way to an all-time record opening weekend.\n\nBut the strong \"Rogue One\" opening shows the Gareth Edwards-directed film is on its way to its own huge weekend as it officially opens Friday in 4,100 theaters.\n\nHollywood daughters shine at ceremony\n\nIt's the moment fans have been waiting for.\n\nOn Thursday, genetically blessed actors Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively graced the world with a glimpse of their adorable daughters — James, almost 2, and her newborn sister, whose name the pair has yet to reveal — as part of Reynolds' Hollywood Walk of Fame Star ceremony. The family affair marked the children's first public appearance and represented a break from the couple's traditional policy of safeguarding that outlets have come to expect from the A-listers.\n\nDuring the ceremony, Reynolds paid homage to his family, acknowledging Lively in particular. \"I want to thank my wife, Blake, who is sitting right there, who is everything to me,\" the honoree said, via People.\n\n\"You are the best thing, the best thing that has ever happened to me — second only to this star,\" he joked. \"You make everything better, absolutely everything in my life better. You've made me the father of my dreams when I thought I only had fun uncle potential.\"\n\nReynolds later thanked the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and 20th Century Fox on Instagram. \"This is one of those 'pinch me' moments. But not in the creepy way my Aunt used to do it,\" he captioned an image that showed him kneeling by his star.\n\nRoberts to take on first starring TV series role\n\nJulia Roberts is set to star in her first-ever TV series.\n\nThe Hollywood Reporter says Roberts will star in a limited series based on Maria Semple's novel, \"Today Will Be Different.\" Roberts will star as the book's main character, Eleanor Flood.\n\nSemple tells the magazine she's giddy \"Eleanor Flood will be brought to life by Julia Roberts.\"\n\nRoberts also is set to produce the series. No network for the project has been announced.\n\nRoberts has done numerous guest appearances on various TV series over the years, but this project would be her first in a regular role.\n\nTurner's life and songs inspire stage musical\n\nSimply the best news for Tina Turner fans: The music legend's life and songs are headed for the stage.\n\nProduction company Stage Entertainment says it is developing a musical based on Turner's story and written by Katori Hall, the playwright behind civil rights-era drama \"The Mountaintop.\"\n\nAlso involved are director Phyllida Lloyd, choreographer Anthony van Laast and designer Mark Thompson, who all worked on hit ABBA musical \"Mamma Mia.\"\n\nOn Friday Turner attended a workshop in London for the show, which has been in the works for a year. The 77-year-old entertainer said in a statement that \"it has been wonderful to collaborate with Katori and Phyllida and to have my story nurtured by such an amazing creative team is thrilling.\"\n\nNo venue or dates have been announced.\n\nBranigan was 52 at time of death\n\nWhen Laura Branigan, the Grammy-nominated pop singer best known for her 1982 platinum hit \"Gloria,\" died, the Associated Press, relying on information from her management company, reported in an obituary Aug. 28, 2004, that she was 47 and had been born July 3, 1957.\n\nAfter being contacted recently by one of Branigan's fans, however, the AP conducted a thorough review and established that she had actually been 52 when she died of a brain aneurysm in her sleep at her home in East Quogue, N.Y.\n\nSchool records, newspaper articles written about her in the 1950s and 1960s, and testimonials from childhood friends all indicate she was born in 1952. She is also best described as hav\n\ning grown up in Armonk, not Brewster, as the AP's original obituary said.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2016/12/16"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/05/entertainment/kirstie-alley-obit/index.html", "title": "Kirstie Alley, 'Cheers' and 'Veronica's Closet' star, dead at 71", "text": "CNN —\n\nActress Kirstie Alley, star of the big and small screens known for her Emmy-winning role on “Cheers” and films like “Look Who’s Talking,” has died after a brief battle with cancer, her children True and Lillie Parker announced on her social media.\n\nShe was 71.\n\n“We are sad to inform you that our incredible, fierce and loving mother has passed away after a battle with cancer, only recently discovered,” the statement read.\n\n“She was surrounded by her closest family and fought with great strength, leaving us with a certainty of her never-ending joy of living and whatever adventures lie ahead,” the family’s statement continued. “As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother.”\n\nTed Danson and Kirstie Alley in 'Cheers.' NBC/Getty Images\n\n“Our mother’s zest and passion for life, her children, grandchildren and her many animals, not to mention her eternal joy of creating, were unparalleled and leave us inspired to live life to the fullest just as she did,” the statement said.\n\nVideo Ad Feedback Kirstie Alley's sexy spin on 'DWTS' 02:14 - Source: HLN\n\nA representative for Alley confirmed to CNN via email on Tuesday that she had been diagnosed with colon cancer prior to her death.\n\nCareer beginnings\n\nA two-time Primetime Emmy Award winner, Alley was born in Wichita, Kansas in 1951.\n\nAfter a standout role in 1982’s “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,” she played roles in movies like 1984’s “Blind Date” and 1987’s “Summer School” opposite Mark Harmon.\n\nThat same year, Alley would follow Shelley Long to play the lead opposite Ted Danson in the latter part of TV classic sitcom “Cheers,” which premiered in 1982. Alley first appeared in 1987, playing strong and independent bar manager Rebecca Howe, staying on the acclaimed show until it ended in 1993.\n\nAfter winning the Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series in 1991 for “Cheers” and another for lead actress in a miniseries or special for 1994’s “David’s Mother,” she again found TV success in the late ’90s with series “Veronica’s Closet,” which scored her another Emmy nod.\n\nKirstie Alley in Van Nuys, California, in 1991. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Kirstie Louise Alley was born in Wichita, Kansas in 1951. Mondadori Portfolio/Everett Collection Alley with her future second husband Parker Stevenson in Aspen, Colorado, in 1979. The couple was married from 1983 to 1997 and share two children. Paul Harris/Getty Images From right, Alley appears alongside Leonard Nemoy, DeForest Kelley and William Shatner in the movie \"Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.\" The role marked Alley's feature film debut. CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images Alley poses with Gloria Steinem during the filming of the ABC TV movie \"A Bunny's Tale,\" in 1985. Donna Svennevik/Walt Disney Television Photo Archive/Getty Images George Wendt, Alley, and Ted Danson in a scene in the hit NBC TV show \"Cheers.\" Alley, who joined the cast in 1987, played the role of Rebecca Howe, which catapulted her to stardom. Ron Tom/NBCUniversal Photo Bank/Getty Images John Travolta, director Amy Heckerling, and Alley on set of the hit film \"Look Who's Talking,\" which was released in 1989. TriStar Pictures/Everett Collection John Larroquette and Alley in a scene from the 1990 film \"Madhouse.\" Orion Pictures/Everett Collection Alley and Burt Reynolds share a laugh backstage at the Emmy Awards in Pasadena, California in 1991. Both won awards for best acting in a comedy series, Alley for \"Cheers\" and Reynolds for \"Evening Shade.\" Reed Saxon/AP Alley is honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991. Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images Ashley and Mary Kate Olsen star in the 1995 film \"It Takes Two\" with Steve Guttenberg and Alley. Moviestore/Shutterstock Alley in a scene of the TV show \"Veronica's Closet.\" Alley played the title character in her second hit television show, which debuted in 1997. Everett Collection In 1998, Alley won the People's Choice Award for Favorite Female in a New Television Series for her role in \"Veronica's Closet.\" Fred Prouser/Reuters Alley, right, joins her fellow \"Cheers\" cast mates John Ratzenberger, Kelsey Grammer, Ted Danson, George Wendt and Rhea Perlman to celebrate Danson's induction into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1999. Steve Granitz/WireImage/Getty Images Alley appeared in the 1999 cult classic \"Drop Dead Gorgeous\" with Denise Richards. K Wright/New Line/Kobal/Shutterstock Alley and actress Kelly Preston, second from right, march against the American Psychiatric Association in San Francisco in 2003. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images John Travolta reunites with Alley in an episode of her critically acclaimed Showtime series \"Fat Actress\" in 2005. Kobal/Shutterstock Alley poses with her children Lillie and True at a press event in California in 2005. London Entertainment/Shutterstock Alley onstage to present at the 2007 TV Land Awards. Fred Prouser/Reuters Alley embraces fashion designer Zang Toi after walking the runway at the Zang Toi show during New York Fashion Week in 2011. Allison Joyce/Reuters Maksim Chmerkovskiy dances with Alley during her appearance as a contestant on \"Dancing with the Stars\" in 2011. Alley came in second place and competed on a second season of the show in 2015. Adam Taylor/Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty Images Alley attends a signing for her book \"The Art of Men\" in Los Angeles in 2012. Araya Doheny/FilmMagic/Getty Images Alley sings with Patricia Heaton in an episode of the ABC series \"The Middle.\" Michael Ansell/Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty Images Nick Cannon and Alley react during Alley's unmasking on \"The Masked Singer\" earlier this year. FOX/Getty Images Kirstie Alley's life in pictures Prev Next\n\nAdditionally, Alley starred in a number of memorable films, like the “Look Who’s Talking” movies, 1990’s “Madhouse” and 1999’s “Drop Dead Gorgeous” with Ellen Barkin.\n\nIn 2005, Alley co-wrote and starred in the Showtime comedy “Fat Actress” before making a foray into reality TV.\n\nShe appeared in “Kirstie Alley’s Big Life” in 2010, was a contestant on Season 12 of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” the next year and placed second on Season 22 of the British version of “Celebrity Big Brother” in 2018. In 2022, she competed in Season 7 of Fox’s “The Masked Singer.”\n\nThough she had an impressive body of work, the later part of her career was marked by Alley’s penchant for stirring controversy, especially through social media.\n\nIn a 2007 interview, Alley said she was proud of her no holds barred ways.\n\n“I’ve always felt like if someone asks me something, they want the real answer,” Alley told Good Housekeeping. “I think there’s also something about being from Kansas. Usually people think I’m from New York. The only similarity between New Yorkers and Midwesterners is that what you see is what you get.”\n\nVideo Ad Feedback Kirstie Alley looks back on her 'Cheers' years (2005) 01:44 - Source: CNN\n\n‘Her charisma was always iconic’\n\nJohn Travolta, who costarred with Alley in 1989’s hit “Look Who’s Talking” as well as two sequels, wrote on Instagram on Monday, “Kirstie was one of the most special relationships I’ve ever had. I love you Kirstie. I know we will see each other again.”\n\nJamie Lee Curtis – who worked with Alley in 2016 on episodes of TV’s “Scream Queens” – shared a statement on Facebook to pay tribute to the late actress, writing, “She was a great comic foil in @tvscreamqueens and a beautiful mama bear in her very real life. She helped me buy onesies for my family that year for Christmas. We agreed to disagree about some things but had a mutual respect and connection. Sad news.”\n\nJosh Gad tweeted, “My heart breaks for Kirstie and her family. Whether it was her brilliance in ‘Cheers; or her magnetic performance in the ‘Look Who’s Talking’ franchise, her smile was always infectious, her laugh was always contagious and her charisma was always iconic. RIP.”\n\nAlley’s “Cheers” co-star Ted Danson told Deadline he had just watched Alley in an episode of the show while on a plane before learning of her death.\n\n“I was on a plane today and did something I rarely do. I watched an old episode of ‘Cheers,’” Danson told the outlet. “It was the episode where Tom Berenger proposes to Kirstie, who keeps saying no, even though she desperately wants to say yes. Kirstie was truly brilliant in it. Her ability to play a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown was both moving and hysterically funny.”\n\n“She made me laugh 30 years ago when she shot that scene, and she made me laugh today just as hard. As I got off the plane, I heard that Kirstie had died. I am so sad and so grateful for all the times she made me laugh,” Danson added. “I send my love to her children. As they well know, their mother had a heart of gold. I will miss her.”\n\nAnother “Cheers” star, Rhea Perlman, told CNN in a statement that she and Alley became friends instantly on the set of “Cheers.”\n\n“Kirstie was a unique and wonderful person and friend. Her joy of being was boundless,” Perlman said. “We became friends almost instantly when she joined the cast of Cheers. She loved kids and my kids loved her too. We had sleepovers at her house, with treasure hunts that she created. She had massive Halloween and Easter parties and invited the entire crew of the show and their families. She wanted everyone to feel included. She loved her children deeply. I’ve never met anyone remotely like her. I feel so thankful to have known her. I’m going to miss her very, very much.”\n\n“Baywatch” actor Parker Stevenson, who was married to Alley from 1983 to 1997 and is the father of her two children, also paid tribute to her on social media. In an Instagram post, confirmed to be Stevenson’s by a representative for the actor, he wrote: “Kirstie, I am so grateful for our years together, and for the two incredibly beautiful children and now grandchildren that we have. You will be missed.”", "authors": ["Dan Heching Amy Simonson Taylor Romine", "Dan Heching", "Amy Simonson", "Taylor Romine"], "publish_date": "2022/12/05"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/08/entertainment/john-stamos-bob-saget-netflix-special/index.html", "title": "John Stamos on grieving Bob Saget and how an impromptu tribute ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nJohn Stamos and Bob Saget were an unlikely duo.\n\nWhen they worked together on the beloved family sitcom “Full House” from 1987 to 1995, they had different working styles – a disparity that could cause tension at times. Saget could be, according to Stamos, “annoying” and “goof off.”\n\n“The truth is – and, you know, I have to say it’s so funny – that we weren’t the best friends (when we were) on that show,” Stamos tells CNN. “I came in wanting to approach the sitcom with structure, whereas Bob and Dave (Coulier) just wanted to make everyone laugh all the time.”\n\nHe recalls this during a Zoom call about a new special and ode to Saget called “Dirty Daddy: The Bob Saget Tribute,” which premieres Friday on Netflix, roughly six months after the beloved TV dad died at age 65.\n\n“No one would’ve guessed that the two of us would end up being best friends,” he says.\n\nSo close, in fact, that Stamos acted as a pallbearer at Saget’s funeral – a day, he confessed on Twitter, that was “the hardest day of my life.”\n\nAt the funeral, Saget’s first wife, Sherri Kramer, gifted Stamos exactly what he needed to hear – a tribute to their unique friendship that makes Stamos laugh as he recalls her words: “Bob loved you so much,” she told him, according to Stamos, “but he also hated you for a long time.”\n\nBest friends, then brothers\n\nAfter the show ended, Saget and Stamos bonded over trying to shake their wholesome “Full House” characters, Danny Tanner and Jesse Katsopolis, respectively.\n\n“We both knew his true ‘dirty daddy’ self,” Stamos says, as did anyone who was around when the cameras would stop rolling and the jokes would begin.\n\nThe cast of \"Full House.\" Bob D'Amico/Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty Images\n\nThe more they spent time together – including, eventually, on a reboot called “Fuller House” – the more they grew to love one another. Stamos says the two even began seeing the same therapist.\n\n“He started popping into my life when I needed him the most, when I needed somebody. And then vice versa,” Stamos says. “And then we just got closer and closer and closer, and we ended up just being there for each other during the happiest and the saddest moments of our lives.”\n\nHe shares this while playing snippets of the Netflix special, growing emotional as he watches his best friend appear on screen, vacillating between crying and laughing.\n\nHe is still so sad, he says.\n\nHe plays a clip of comedian Jeff Ross, Jim Carrey, Chris Rock, John Mayer and himself riffing on stage about their mutual pal. The stage is scattered with plush chairs and Ross is hosting. Ross makes a joke: “John Mayer is here, and John very, very, very generously hired a private jet to fly Bob’s body home. He also hired a Goodyear Blimp to fly in Louis Anderson’s body.”\n\nStamos laughs, saying, “it was a light roast Bob would have loved.”\n\n‘It was such a gut punch’\n\nSaget was found dead in a hotel room on Jan. 9 at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes, Florida. An autopsy report released by the Orange County Medical Examiner’s Office later disclosed that the comedian died as a result of “head trauma.”\n\nStamos had been driving around with his 4-year-old son, Billy, trying to get him to nap, shortly before he found out the news. He was in a parking lot not far from his home when his publicist called.\n\n“He asked if I had spoken to Bob yet that day … that people are saying he’s dead,” he recalls. “I go, ‘What? He’s in Florida to do a show.’”\n\nHe hung up and called and texted Saget multiple times, then started calling Saget’s wife, Kelly Rizzo. When he reached her; she was screaming and crying. The news was true.\n\nDave Coulier, John Mayer, John Stamos and Jeff Ross were among the pallbearers at the funeral for Bob Saget, who was laid to rest at Mt. Sinai Cemetary in Los Angeles on Friday, January 14. London Entertainment/Shutterstock\n\n“I hit the ground in the parking lot. And it was downhill from there,” he says. “It was just ‘I’m so sorry.’ It was such a gut punch.”\n\nHe returned home with Billy still asleep and went out on a balcony in his house, where he saw a hummingbird hovering nearby. In the Stamos family tradition, this means a person who has died is visiting.\n\n“I don’t know why I did it, but I videotaped it,” Stamos says. “And I got video of the little hummingbird that I think was Bob.”\n\nRock ‘n’ roll shiva\n\nSince in the Jewish tradition the funeral should occur within 24 hours of the time of death, Stamos says he and friends “whipped a funeral together,” got Saget’s body home and had a ceremony less than a week after his death.\n\nStamos was there alongside “Full House” co-stars Dave Coulier, Candace Cameron Bure, Jodie Sweetin, Lori Loughlin and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.\n\nThen on Jan. 30, friends and family threw a touching and sad “impromptu rock ‘n’ roll shiva” for Saget in a small room above The Comedy Store in Hollywood, where he had started his career as a standup.\n\nStamos plays footage of himself giving an emotional speech about Saget, where he tells the audience about the “honor of being his best friend … one of his best friends, for 35 years.” The audience was filled with a mixture of friends, family and fans. Stamos played them a tribute video he made of Saget, but revisiting it was difficult.\n\n“This is hard to watch,” he says, tearing up.\n\nJohn Stamos in \"Dirty Daddy: The Bob Saget Tribute.\" Mathieu Bitton/Netflix\n\nProducer Mike Binder, a friend of Saget and Coulier, came up with the idea for the tribute, with Ross and Stamos set to host. They didn’t have much prepared, but Stamos and Mayer were able to get a band together. Binder set up cameras “just in case” and famous faces started rolling in, Stamos recalled.\n\n“I hear these two voices that sound so familiar by the door, I think, ‘That sounds like Chris Rock. That sounds like Jim Carrey.’ I had no idea they were gonna be there,” he says. “And everybody just walked on stage, and it just took off from there.”\n\nThe result is raw and intimate, and Stamos would not have a celebration of Saget’s life presented in any other way.\n\nAll proceeds from the live show went to the Scleroderma Research Foundation.\n\nHe hopes everyone sees how loved – and loving – his friend was.\n\n“He would always tell you how much he loved you, why he loved you. He never got off the phone,” Stamos says. “I could show you; it’s ‘I love you. I love you.’ Fifty times, a million times.”\n\nHe says that because Saget suffered a lot of loss in his life, he was acutely aware of getting his message of love across.\n\n“That’s our lesson and that’s for sure. I mean, a lot of people that were around him, they sure do say, ‘I love you’ a lot,” he says, laughing.\n\nStamos, picking up and strumming a guitar of Saget’s, recalls the last time he saw his friend in person.\n\nIt was a double date at Nobu in Malibu, where he left with a full heart thinking about their friendship.\n\n“That night Bob was everything that I wanted him to be,” he says. “All the best parts of him were at that dinner… I swear to God, he was just, like, at peace somehow.”\n\nHe listened, intently interested in what was going on in other people’s lives, Stamos says.\n\n“You know, sometimes you could tell, ‘He’s just asking questions because he’s supposed to because our shrink told him to,’” he laughs, “But that night was different.”\n\nHe says his favorite lines from the special come from Jim Carrey.\n\nIn the moment, which he plays over Zoom, Carrey addresses the crowd as a blues song plays in the background.\n\n“Bob wasn’t someone who was taken away from us; he was something that was given to us,” Carrey says. “And one day, when the laughs had hit a certain amount, he just unzipped his human suit and went for a ride.”\n\nHe’s probably “floating above us” at this very moment, Carrey adds, “flanked by angels.”\n\n“And they’re sayin’, ‘You made people laugh,’ ‘You made people feel loved,’ ‘You made people money,’ ‘You created a cathedral of f***ing love in this world.’ And that was your life, Bob Saget, a cathedral of love, a cathedral of laughter.”\n\n“Dirty Daddy: The Bob Saget Tribute” premieres June 10 on Netflix.", "authors": ["Marianne Garvey"], "publish_date": "2022/06/08"}]}
{"question_id": "20230303_16", "search_time": "2023/03/15/03:28", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2022/12/06/tv-shows-premiere-dates-television-schedule/10809483002/", "title": "Winter TV premiere dates: 2022-23 schedule for new and returning ...", "text": "With Jack Frost nipping at your nose (and probably toes), why not stay in and enjoy the glow of your TV or warmth of your (overheating) computer resting on your lap?\n\nIn the coming months, there are plenty of shows to get excited about, including spinoffs and remakes of beloved shows and movies. This month, \"Magnum P.I.\" (on its new network, NBC) and \"Fresh Prince\" remake \"Bel-Air\" debut new seasons. So does \"Party Down,\" after. decade-long break. In March, CBS launches its take on the 1994 spy thriller \"True Lies\" as a series.\n\nOur calendar of major highlights ensures you won't miss the return of your favorite series or the start of a new show you'll fall in love with. (All times EST/PST.)\n\nFeb. 3\n\n\"Dear Edward\" (Apple TV+): Connie Britton and Taylor Schilling star in the Jason Katims drama focused on the aftermath of a place crash in which only a young boy survives.\n\n\"Harlem\" (Amazon Prime)\n\nFeb. 8\n\n\"Not Dead Yet\" (ABC, Wednesday at 8:30; then Wednesdays at 9:30): Gina Rodriguez plays a recently single bit of a hot mess, who takes a job penning obits to help make ends meet.\n\n“A Million Little Things” (ABC, Wednesdays at 10). The final season.\n\n\"The Flash\" (CW, Wednesdays at 8): The ninth and final season of the DC Comics-inspired series.\n\nFeb. 9\n\n\"You\" (Netflix)\n\nFeb. 14\n\n\"Planet Sex with Cara Delevingne\" (Hulu): The model/actress explores topics relating to human sexuality in this docuseries.\n\nFeb. 15\n\n\"Wu-Tang: An American Saga\" (Hulu)\n\nFeb. 16\n\n\"Animal Control\" (Thursdays at 9): Joel McHale stars in the comedy centered on employees of a local Animal Control unit who wish people were as simple as animals.\n\n\"Star Trek: Picard\" (Paramount+): The final season.\n\nFeb. 17\n\n“Hello Tomorrow!” (Apple TV+): Billy Crudup stars in the series set in the future as a dedicated salesmen trying to push timeshares on the moon.\n\nLizzo tells us about Chris Evans' 'baby,' the joy of twerking and her new HBO Max doc 'Love, Lizzo'\n\nWhat's real in 'Welcome to Chippendales': From tearaway pants to tragic Playmate Dorothy Stratten\n\nFeb. 19\n\n\"American Idol” (ABC, Sundays at 8)\n\n\"The Company You Keep\" (ABC, Sundays at 10): Milo Ventimiglia stars as con artist who has a brief tryst with an undercover CIA agent (Catherine Haena Kim).\n\n\"Magnum P.I.\" (NBC, Sundays at 9): Jay Hernandez (filling the role once played by Tom Selleck) moves to a new network after CBS canceled the series.\n\nFeb. 22\n\n\"Snowfall\" (FX, Wednesdays at 10)\n\nFeb. 23\n\n“Station 19” (ABC, Thursdays at 8)\n\n“Grey’s Anatomy” ((ABC, Thursdays at 9)\n\n“Alaska Daily” (ABC, Thursdays at 10)\n\n\"Bel-Air\" (Peacock)\n\n\"Outer Banks\" (Netflix)\n\nFeb. 24\n\n\"Party Down\" (Starz, Fridays at 9): The comedy about LA caterwaiters returns for a third season, its first since 2010, with most of its original cast.\n\n“The Reluctant Traveler” (Apple TV+): Eugene Levy visits locations around the globe including the Maldives, Finland, and Tokyo.\n\n\"The Consultant\" (Amazon Prime): Things go awry after a mysterious consultant (Christoph Waltz) shows up at an app-based gaming company.\n\nFeb. 26\n\n\"The Blacklist\" (NBC, Sundays at 10): The final season.\n\nMarch 1\n\n\"Survivor\" (CBS, Wednesdays at 8)\n\n\"Star Wars: The Mandalorian\" (Disney+)\n\n\"True Lies\" (CBS, Wednesday at 10): The new series is inspired by James Cameron's 1994 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis. Steve Howey leads the TV version, portraying international spy Harry, whose high-stakes occupation is discovered by wife Helen (Ginger Gonzaga).\n\nMarch 3\n\n\"Daisy Jones & the Six\" (Amazon Prime): Riley Keough stars as the the frontwoman of a rock band in the 1970s, in this depiction of its rise and fall, based on a novel.\n\n\"Grand Crew\" (NBC, Fridays at 8:30)\n\n\"Next in Fashion\" (Netflix)\n\nMarch 6\n\n\"Perry Mason\" (HBO Max): Matthew Rhys stars in this reboot's second season, following a three-year break.\n\n\"History of the World, Part II\" (Hulu): More than four decades after Mel Brooks' original film, a sketch-comedy sequel delves into more moments from history with various stars.\n\n\"The Voice\" (NBC, Mondays at 8)\n\nMarch 17\n\n“Extrapolations” (Apple TV+): Meryl Streep leads an all-star ensemble cast for a drama focused on eight stories exploring what needs to be done to combat climate change.\n\nMarch 24\n\n“My Kind of Country” (Apple TV+): A singing competition from executive producers Reese Witherspoon and Kacey Musgraves.\n\n\"Up Here\" (Hulu): Mae Whitman stars in the musical series as an aspiring writer who leaves her small life to pursue her dreams in New York.\n\nMarch 26\n\n\"Succession\" (HBO, Sundays at 9)\n\n\"Yellowjackets\" (Showtime, Sundays at 9)\n\nMarch 29\n\n\"Riverdale\" (CW, Wednesdays at 9): The final season.\n\nMarch 31\n\n\"The Power\" (Amazon Prime): Toni Collette, John Leguizamo and Auli’i Cravalho star in the series, in which teenage girls are suddenly able to electrocute people.\n\nApril 5\n\n\"Dave\" (FX, Wednesdays at 10)\"\n\nApril 7\n\n“Schmigadoon!” (Apple TV+)\n\nApril 14\n\n“The Last Thing He Told Me” (Apple TV+): Jennifer Garner portrays a woman who has to work with her stepdaughter to get to the bottom of her husband's disappearance.\n\nApril 21\n\n\"Dear Mama\" (FX, Fridays at 10): This docuseries chronicles the relationship between Tupac and his mother, Afeni Shakur.\n\nApril 28\n\n\"The Afterparty\" (Apple TV+)\n\nMay 31\n\n\"Nancy Drew\" (CW, Wednesdays at 8)\n\nThe breathtaking 'Andor' season finale is the very best of what 'Star Wars' stories can be", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/12/06"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2019/08/07/veronica-mars-season-4-and-16-other-tv-reboots-ranked/1802820001/", "title": "'Veronica Mars' Season 4 and 16 other TV reboots ranked", "text": "Another day, another TV reboot.\n\nOur television screens are filled with revivals and remakes these days, from the GIF-able Fab Five of Netflix's \"Queer Eye\" to the short-lived cable-news antics of \"Murphy Brown\" to Kristen Bell's return to sleuthing in Hulu's \"Veronica Mars.\" More are on the way, starting with Wednesday's six-episode \"BH 90210,\" which is less a remake than a meta-reunion. New streaming service HBO Max is set to bring back \"Gossip Girl\"; the \"Mad About You\" couple is back together for Spectrum cable subscribers; and Freeform plans a new \"Party of Five.\"\n\nWith so many classic TV shows returning, it can be hard to keep track. We've definitively ranked the biggest, from the highs of \"One Day at a Time\" to the lows of \"Fuller House.\"\n\n17. 'Fuller House' (Netflix)\n\nToo corny, too stuck in the '90s, Netflix's return to the Tanner family of ABC's 1987-95 \"Full House\" is a decent effort that has nothing but nostalgia going for it. And that's just not enough.\n\n16. 'Charmed' (CW)\n\n\"Charmed\" premiered on CW last fall, just months before \"Roswell,\" and while \"Roswell\" was too similar to the original to be interesting, \"Charmed\" departed so wildly from its source material it truly shouldn't have been called \"Charmed.\" The series is somewhat fun when just taken as a story of three sister witches on a college campus, but it ignores the origins of the original WB series, which is disappointing.\n\n15. 'American Idol' (ABC)\n\nRevived just two years after it signed off on Fox, ABC's version of the once-gigantic singing competition is fluffier, hammier and more Disney-fied. Lionel Richie makes a strong effort on the judging panel, Luke Bryan is mostly harmless, but Katy Perry is a distraction.\n\n14. 'BH 90210' (Fox)\n\nThe most surprising thing about this meta version of beloved 1990s high school drama \"Beverly Hills, 90210\" (premiering Wednesday, 8 EDT/PDT) is that it's not a disaster. Most of the original cast, including Tori Spelling, Jennie Garth, Brian Austin Green, Jason Priestley, Gabrielle Carteris, Ian Ziering and even Shannen Doherty, play heightened versions of themselves who come together to put together a fictional \"90210\" reboot. Once you get past the weirdness of seeing Tori Spelling play a desperate money-seeking \"Tori Spelling,\" you realize it's just a middling soap opera about slightly washed-up celebrities trying to have one last ride. If you're a huge \"90210\" fan, it offers enough nostalgia and in-jokes to make it worthwhile.\n\n13. 'Roswell, New Mexico' (CW)\n\nOne of the more faithful reboots of recent years, CW's take on aliens-in-hiding drama makes only minor tweaks (aging up the characters, adding a few new ones) to the formula, but that doesn't quite help. Most everything the new series does, the old one did better.\n\n12. 'Murphy Brown' (CBS)\n\nThe revival of the classic sitcom about a broadcast journalists had great intentions and a political agenda for the modern era, but something about it just didn't quite click, and CBS canceled it after one season. It was too on-the-nose and over-the-top to gel into something anywhere nearly as wonderful as the original.\n\n11. 'Roseanne'/'The Conners' (ABC)\n\nSeparated from the offscreen drama that led to the unceremonious dismissal of Roseanne Barr, both versions of the family sitcom revival connected with audiences. Neither has approached the height of the old \"Roseanne,\" but there's something compelling when the series stops posturing and focuses on family.\n\n10. 'The X-Files' (Fox)\n\nFox's revival of the 1990s sci-fi hit has been inconsistent. Its first new season in 2016 was lackluster, but in its final outing in 2018, the show found some more exciting, simply scary stories to tell.\n\n9. 'Dynasty' (CW)\n\nSet in Atlanta, the splashy, steamy reboot of ABC's nighttime soap isn't quite as juicy as the original, but it still has plenty of fun family drama and catfights. Its actors, led by former Nickelodeon star Elizabeth Gillies, relishes every cheesy line and ounce of melodrama. The series has also benefited from casting actors like \"Desperate\" housewives alum Nicollette Sheridan, although she's exiting.\n\n8. 'Will & Grace' (NBC)\n\nEric McCormack, Debra Messing, Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally easily slid back into their roles as Will, Grace, Jack and Karen on the NBC sitcom. Although it's often a little dated, their chemistry and timing haven't lost much since the series went off the air in 2006. A final season will air in 2020.\n\n7. 'The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' (Netflix)\n\nNetflix promised something wicked with this horror-tinged reimagining of the teenage witch, and the series definitely delivered. Soaked in blood and Satan worship, the new \"Sabrina,\" based on the Archie Comics character, is nothing like the cutesy 1996-2003 ABC sitcom that starred Melissa Joan Hart. The reboot is beautiful and has a great cast, although sometimes it gets lost in its own complicated plots.\n\n6. 'Lost in Space' (Netflix)\n\nWill Robinson (Maxwell Jenkins) is still in danger. Netflix's \"Lost\" remake is a CGI-filled space epic that turns the cheesy 1960s sci-fi series into a tense, twisty action-adventure. Sometimes it's a little too self-serious, but most of the time it's a fun romp.\n\n5. 'Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life' (Netflix)\n\nIt was lovely to revisit Stars Hollow and check in on Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory (Alexis Bledel), especially after the original finale was so disappointing. The series faced some rough patches as its central mother/daughter duo returned more than a decade older, even if they didn't always act that way. The revival was sweet, but overall slight.\n\n4. 'Queer Eye' (Netflix)\n\nThe new Fab Five are fabulous, indeed. Bobby Berk (design), Karamo Brown (culture), Antoni Porowski (food and wine), Jonathan Van Ness (grooming) and Tan France (fashion) have revitalized the early 2000s Bravo staple. The new \"Queer Eye\" is addictive and moves beyond some of the cartoonish elements of the original series.\n\n3. 'Twin Peaks' (Showtime)\n\nDirector David Lynch ran with the revival of the 1990s ABC drama to create something weirder, wilder and ultimately more wonderful than what came before. Lynch mixed the eclectic original cast with great actors like Laura Dern and upped the surrealism and slow burn that made the original both tantalizing and frustrating.\n\n2. 'Veronica Mars' (Hulu)\n\nRebooting a TV show like \"One Day,\" is often easier than reviving one with its original cast years or even decades later. No series has pulled off that trick better than \"Veronica,\" which came back twice, first for a Kickstarter-funded movie in 2014 and now for an eight-episode fourth season on Hulu. The pulpy, neo-noir setting made Veronica's (Kristen Bell) return in her 30s make sense, and the series wisely avoided nostalgia and characters that don't matter anymore. The result was a season that felt comforting and new all at once.\n\n1. 'One Day at a Time' (Pop)\n\nThe new take on Norman Lear's 1970s CBS sitcom is the model all other TV reboots should follow. Fresh but also familiar, with sublime casting and a perfect blend of comedy and tragedy, \"One Day\" manages to feel as relevant in 2019 as it did in 1975. That Netflix canceled it after just three seasons was devastating, but this little spark of a show managed to land a fourth season on Pop TV, anyway.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2019/08/07"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies-tv/2021/01/22/walker-reboot-texas-rangers-2021-review-jared-padalecki-cw-austin/6669485002/", "title": "'Walker' reboot review: Jared Padalecki, Texas Ranger, in fantasy ...", "text": "Now, what I look for in a television show is not usually the same sensation as a Benadryl dream where a long-forgotten 1990s action show, a local heartthrob and scenes shot near my office bleed into a melodramatic melange. But I'm open to the experience, and you might be, too.\n\nThe first episode of the the CW's \"Walker\" premiered Thursday, starring Austinite and erstwhile \"Supernatural\" lead Jared Padalecki. (Not for nothing, it broke ratings records for the network.) Both familiar and hallucinatory to an local, it's a reboot of the 1993-2001 CBS procedural \"Walker, Texas Ranger,\" which starred Chuck Norris when he was better known for cowboy hats and karate kicks than for that \"Chuck Norris facts\" calendar on your coworker's desk.\n\nThe reboot — or reimagining, as Padalecki, who's also an executive producer, has characterized it — punts most of the Norris version's trappings into the sun (the ultimate lone star). The original theme song, a masterpiece of law enforcement paranoia/propaganda and also an utter bop? No more.\n\nThe supporting cast, including Walker's trusted ranger partner Trivette and love interest/assistant district attorney Alex Cahill? Written out of existence and replaced by a new rookie partner, a bartender serving sexual tension and an entire brood of Walker family members.\n\nThe Dallas-Fort Worth setting? For our purposes, the most significant jettison of the reboot, since \"Walker\" is set in Austin. The production, helped along by city-approved incentives, actually filmed in the Texas capital, including at Austin Studios, unlike a certain other network drama about first responders set in these here parts that we could mention.\n\nMore Austin TV:We asked real Austin firefighters what they thought of ‘9-1-1 Lone Star’\n\nAnd Padalecki, who just wrapped an impressive 15-season run hunting demons on the CW, is Cordell Walker in name and boots only. Norris' take on the character was one-third martial arts master, one-third shaman, one-third long arm of the law. Padalecki's Walker is a cocky loose cannon and haunted pater familias. (His arms are definitely long, though.) My man also got a haircut; RIP to the Sam Winchester locks.\n\nSpoilers for the premiere follow, pardner.\n\nWe meet Walker 2.0 right as he's meeting up with his wife, Emily (played by IRL wife Genevieve Padalecki). She's about to go do some humanitarian work in the desert, and he's on the way to family game night, giving off powerful \"emotionally constipated dad of whom little's been asked\" energy. (Men, go to therapy, it's great.)\n\nWhile playing a game with his family but looking like he needs Liam Neeson to rescue him, Walker gets an S.O.S. text from Emily. She's running through the desert, pursued by gunmen. They kill her; Walker's call comes too late. He contacts Darth Vader via seance, lets out a guttural \"NOOOOO!\" scream (4 out of 5 stars; could have used more reverb) and sinks to the ground.\n\nFlash forward! Eleven months later, Walker's returning home from some bad-guy hunting, and his new partner is a bottle of booze. His kids Stella (16, angsty, played by Violet Brinson) and August (14, responsible, wearing Padalecki's \"Gilmore Girls\"-era haircut, played by Kale Culley) have been left in the care of Walker's younger brother, Liam (played by Keegan Allen). Liam is \"the most well-groomed assistant D.A. in Austin,\" which is good for him and bad for any viewers wondering why they replaced the original show's girlfriend assistant D.A. with a brother assistant D.A. and then immediately had the two characters wrestle.\n\nWalker, who if you'll recall appears to have actual panic attacks at the prospect of playing a board game with the two children he fathered, hasn't been in touch with the family for almost a year. He misses his own homecoming, opting instead to sit in the bed of his truck, spend quality time with straight liquor and have visions of his dead wife that look like they were filmed through a Glamour Shots filter. We also get our first \"Hey! I know that!\" moment, when we're told Cordell and Emily's place is out on Lady Bird Lake.\n\nMore:Joe Rogan, Dave Chappelle, Elon Musk and Grimes have been hanging out in Austin\n\nWalker is picked up and taken home by Micki Ramirez, a state trooper who honestly is god-level patient with this drunk white man sitting on his car in the middle of nowhere and acting like he's not afraid of anything. (Because ... men like that usually aren't. Upside-down smiley face emoji goes here.)\n\nReunions are had, scenes change. Then, we get the real goods: Austin stuff, baby! A White Denim song, an establishing shot of the skyline, the Capitol. The Walker home's interior, we see, looks like that Airbnb you stayed at in Driftwood after your college friend's wedding, so points for accuracy there. And, most exciting to me, Walker drives past the Yeti flagship store at Congress Avenue and Barton Springs Road, which means that he also drove past the American-Statesman newsroom. Did I actually see the newsroom? No, but fortunately for your trusty newspaper goon, a career in legacy media has inured me to being forgotten.\n\nWe (you, me, Walker) learn that Ramirez is joining the Texas Rangers, and she's our hero's new partner. There aren't a lot of Mexican American rangers, she says, and her mom doesn't approve — mom has a point, given the agency's history as a force of racist violence in the state, including against people of Mexican descent.\n\nRamirez and Walker get to know each other over a food truck meal on South Congress — hello Maya, hello Lucy In Disguise — before Walker is called to bail Stella out of jail. She's gotten into some trouble with a friend whom she seems especially close to (I imagine this will become a plot thread). Your sense of cognitive dissonance also gets into trouble trying to make sense of the faux Austin Police Department used in the show.\n\nMore Austin landmarks: the Paramount and Stateside theaters! Walker goes to a honky tonk and flirts/talks about death/two-steps with bartender Geri (played by Odette Annable). Forming a psychosexual trauma bond with a service industry worker will have to wait for this swaggering law enforcement officer, though. He's called off to investigate a sinister truck tied to a charitable organization that sells religious figurines. A man who works in the stock room, when questioned by Walker and Ramirez, talks smack about the late Emily. Walker — a loose cannon, if you'll recall — goes a little berserk before he's restrained by Ramirez.\n\nFun fact about this scene: one snatch of dialogue mentions the truck going \"southbound on 84.\" U.S. 84, which does cut across Texas, is an east-west highway! But points for trying; no way \"9-1-1 Lone Star\" would have even used a real highway.\n\nMore:Quiz: Think you know Austin? Here are 30 trivia questions only true Austinites can answer\n\nAustin landmark check: the “Rhapsody” mural by John Yancey at Waller and 12th streets! Stella's not in school; Walker tracks her down. He makes a stop at the home of her friend, and finds out the friend's parents are undocumented. He intimates that he's going to try to expedite their papers. He recounts the conversation with Ramirez later, who says her mother's stance on Ramirez's law enforcement career is essentially, \"Who does the law protect? Not us.\"\n\nThreads are tied. Stella's found at the Walkers' favorite gazebo, where our hero drank until he saw visions of his late wife earlier. Those religious figurines — would you believe they dissolve in water and reveal heroin inside, and that the charitable organization is a front for a drug cartel? Reader, I could believe.\n\nIt seems the cartel will come back to bite us. Emily's body was found with a poker chip, which Walker now flips back and forth in his fingers like he's Leonardo DiCaprio with a top in \"Inception,\" another classic of the dead wife genre.\n\nWalker's offered a task force assignment on the border, ostensibly to suss out this cartel. The family's not jazzed about that, and Walker decides not to take it, finally learning that maybe family ... is the most important thing of all. \"Now's all we got,\" he says.\n\nWe've also got next week. The second episode of \"Walker\" airs at 7 p.m. on Thursday on the CW. See you then, highly fictionalized version of Austin.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2021/01/22"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2019/12/18/best-tv-shows-series-2010-s-decade-netflix-fx-nbc/2629284001/", "title": "Best TV shows and series of the 2010s from 'GoT' to 'Veep'", "text": "The world of TV in 2019 doesn't look anything like it did in 2010.\n\n\"Grey's Anatomy\" and \"Law & Order: SVU\" are still on the air, but before this decade, Netflix mostly sent you DVDs in the mail, \"Roseanne\" had ended in the 1990s, singers were mostly unmasked and no one worried much about how many TV shows Hollywood was making.\n\nSuffice to say, the 2010s were a significant decade for the television industry and for fans of the medium, who have more options for what and how to watch serialized stories than ever before.\n\nAmid the hundreds of shows that aired or streamed during the decade, some stood far above the rest. They are this decade's \"The Sopranos\" or \"Buffy the Vampire Slayer.\" We won't stop talking about them in 2020, or even 2030.\n\nMore:The 25 best TV shows of 2019, from 'Fleabag' to 'Chernobyl'\n\nChoosing favorites among all the series that premiered in 2010 and beyond, we excluded some greats that started at the end of the '00s but aired many '10s episodes, including \"Parks and Recreation\" and \"Mad Men.\" But we picked the 25 best TV series of the 2010s: comedies and dramas, late-night talk shows and animated series. Their characters sang, danced, killed, buoyed and knocked each other down. Their subjects included British misanthropes, fantasy kings and Russian spies.\n\nAbove all, they reminded us of the power of TV as an art form, one that will dominate the technology and culture of the 2020s, for better or worse.\n\n25. ‘The Good Fight’ (CBS All Access, 2017-present)\n\nThe ultimate TV series about The Way We Live Now, “Good Fight” has outpaced its source material, CBS’s “The Good Wife,” which didn't qualify for this list based on its 2009 premiere date. Co-creators Robert and Michelle King, freed from the broadcast restrictions of \"Wife,\" let loose in the spinoff legal drama. It’s still about lawyers in Chicago, but everyone’s just a little bit zanier in a post-2016 election world.\n\n24. ‘Halt and Catch Fire’ (AMC, 2014-2017)\n\nSome of the best TV shows demonstrate their greatness not by being perfect all the time, but by learning from past mistakes. No TV show earns the most-improved award more than “Halt,” which started as a “Mad Men” knockoff about the 1980s computer industry. It morphed into a complicated drama about communication, connection and women's struggles to achieve power at home and work. The shift came precisely in the Season 2 premiere, as the story moved away from the Don Draper-esque Joe MacMillan (Lee Pace) and made its emotional center the friendship between punky Cameron (Mackenzie Davis) and straight-laced Donna (Kerry Bishé). From that moment on, “Halt” found its voice.\n\n23. ‘Speechless’ (ABC, 2016-2019)\n\nOf all the great ABC family sitcoms during the decade (“Fresh Off the Boat,” “Black-ish,” “The Middle”), “Speechless” stands out. A series about a family in which the eldest son, JJ (Micah Fowler), has cerebral palsy, “Speechless” was the antithesis of the typical, borderline-offensive pop culture portrayal of disability. In “Speechless,” disability was never “inspiration porn” or something to be overcome to the strains of a swelling orchestra. Rather, it was a part of life that led to unique opportunities for humor. Paired with a great cast, including Minnie Driver and John Ross Bowie, “Speechless” was irreverent and hilarious, verging on bawdy and uncouth, for its three seasons.\n\n22. ‘Catastrophe’ (Amazon, 2015-2019)\n\nThe brilliance of this sitcom from across the pond – about an Irish woman and American man whose vacation fling turns into married life after an unexpected pregnancy – stems from Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney, the comedic duo behind the excellent writing and acting. Running the gamut from sweet to caustic, “Catastrophe” is an honest comedy about the unexpected twists life takes, and how much work and compromise go into marriage and aging.\n\n21. ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ (Fox, 2013-2018; NBC, 2019-present)\n\nThis almost-canceled series is far more than the sum of its workplace-sitcom parts. One of two gems from power producer Mike Schur to make this list, “Brooklyn,\" starring Andy Samberg and Andre Braugher, is the platonic ideal of a sitcom, full of characters viewers can adore and giggle with; romances that feel real and moving; and gags that are funny no matter how many times you watch suspects in a police lineup sing a Backstreet Boys song. Long-running, broadly appealing sitcoms are fewer and further between in our current TV era, making “Brooklyn” and its reliably hilarious episodes even more precious.\n\n20. ‘Last Week Tonight with John Oliver’ (HBO, 2014-present)\n\nJohn Oliver is the right man for the right era. The former “Daily Show” correspondent got his big break on HBO at a perfect moment to unleash his brand of comedy. A time capsule of much of the 2010s, “Last Week” kicked off a new genre of long-form, politically activist late-night comedy that spread beyond his weekly series, adopted by broadcast hosts like Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers. But no one has as perfect a mix of facts, anger and persuasion as Oliver.\n\n19. ‘Broad City' (Comedy Central, 2014-2019)\n\nMany TV series in the 2010s tried to capture the millennial experience, as the generation everyone loves to hate reached young adulthood. Before most TV creators “got it,” there was “Broad City,” a lewd and crude take on being young and single in New York City. Stars and creators Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson made the series both ludicrous and relatable, anchoring it with a friendship that had more chemistry than many TV romances.\n\n18. ‘American Vandal’ (Netflix, 2017-2018)\n\nA blistering lampoon of true-crime documentaries, this teen comedy had depth and maturity far beyond the ages of its protagonists. By treating high school pranks and humorous crimes with the serious tone of “Making a Murderer,” “Vandal” found a superb way to talk about the pressures of adolescence, where scrawling genitalia graffiti on a car can feel as grave as murder.\n\n17. ‘One Day at a Time’ (Netflix, 2017-2019; Pop TV, 2020-)\n\nMany of the decade's best sitcoms were single-camera comedies like “30 Rock,” filmed without the live studio audience many classic (and some derided) series employed.. But the laughter-filled multi-camera comedy is not dead; it’s just evolving, and no series better exemplified the art form than “One Day,” a remake of the 1970s Norman Lear series now focused on a Cuban-American family in Los Angeles. A modern take on mixing comedy and social issues, the series’ biggest strength is the warmth imbued in every single episode. Its passionate fan base helped make it the only series in history to make the jump from a streaming platform to basic cable, a move that will hopefully keep it on the air well into the 2020s.\n\n16. ‘BoJack Horseman’ (Netflix, 2014-2020)\n\nSome of the best TV episodes this decade were about a depressed talking horse in Hollywood. Netflix’s showbiz satire found unexpected depths by juxtaposing animated, bipedal animals dealing with serious contemporary issues to its advantage. An excellent voice cast (Will Arnett, Aaron Paul, Amy Sedaris) gave life to the most cynical series the 2010s produced.\n\n15. ‘American Crime Story,’ (FX, 2016-present)\n\nThere's been no shortage of true crime series on TV, but none were as stylish and respectful as the two seasons of “ACS.” In telling the stories of O.J. Simpson and Gianni Versace, the series never exploited violence and trauma, but rather found tragic moments from the past that illuminated something about the world today.\n\n14. ‘Fargo’ (FX, 2014-present)\n\nFX’s “American Horror Story” may be most responsible for the current boom in anthology series, but none have mastered the format quite like “Fargo.” Each season riffs on the 1996 Cohen Brothers film in its own way, portraying a standalone story that's still intimately related to the greater series. The aw-shucks Midwestern vibe is never missing, nor is great casting that has given us an ever-growing list of fabulous performances from actors including Allison Tolman, Martin Freeman, Kirsten Dunst, Ewan McGregor and Jean Smart.\n\n13. ‘Twin Peaks: The Return’ (Showtime, 2017)\n\nThe biggest trend of the latter half of this decade has been the reboot/revival/remake, as Hollywood becomes more invested in tapping its libraries of intellectual property instead of developing new story ideas (see Disney+). When bringing an aged cast back for an old story, no one succeeded the way David Lynch did when he produced 18 new episodes of his cult 1990s ABC series “Twin Peaks.” Mindbending, near farcical and perhaps better than the original, “The Return” dared to fly in the face of fan service and expectations, and was twice as rewarding as a result.\n\n12. ‘Atlanta’ (FX, 2016-present)\n\nDonald Glover’s audacious series about Earn Marks (Glover), a college dropout and father trying to climb the economic ladder as a manager for his rapper cousin Alfred (Brian Tyree Henry), is the best argument around for auteur television. Although technically a half-hour comedy, “Atlanta” resists categorization, swinging between laugh-out-loud episodes and straight-up horror stories without an ounce of whiplash between. Whenever Glover decides to return for new seasons (hopefully soon), rest assured he’ll come up with something completely new and ingenious to devour.\n\n11. ‘Alias Grace’ (Netflix, 2017)\n\nUnderseen and underrated, this adaptation of a beloved Margaret Atwood novel far outpaces its more famous cousin, Hulu's “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Sarah Gadon is a revelation as the eponymous Grace, a notorious 19th-century Canadian murderess who is being considered for a pardon due to “insanity.” Expertly written by Sarah Polley (“Stories We Tell”) and gorgeously directed by Mary Harron (“American Psycho”), the miniseries is time-twisting, potentially mystical and deeply spiritual. Even if you have read Atwood’s excellent book, it will surprise you.\n\n10. ‘Key and Peele’ (Comedy Central, 2012-2015)\n\nThis sketch comedy series would be notable if the only thing it did was introduce us to Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, two incredibly talented comedians who have since gone on to huge careers (“Get Out,” anyone?). But “Key and Peele” was more than just a starting block for its stars; it was a hilarious and smart series that captured a woefully underrepresented point of view. Their sketches routinely transcended those of their peers, nailing tricky contrasts in content and tone. The best were scathing commentaries on race in America and downright jolly affairs, like the iconic “Negrotown,” set in a magical, musical land where black people can wear hoodies and avoid getting arrested.\n\n9. ‘The Good Place’ (NBC, 2016-2020)\n\nThe 2010s without “The Good Place” would have been quite the “bad place.” Another winner from Schur, the existential afterlife comedy continuously surprises and delights. Considering how well-known it is for its often philosophical narrative, it’s easy to forget that “Good Place” is also the home of a thousand puns (”You Do the Hokey Gnocchi and You Get Yourself Some Food,” “Beignet and the Jets”). The direction and production design offers superb blink-and-you’ll-miss-it visual humor, while its writers and actors have perfected characters and performances that remain true to their core amid hundreds of mind-wipes.\n\n8. ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ (CW, 2015-2019)\n\nA mix of romantic comedy, mental-health drama and, oh yeah, original songs every single week, “Crazy Ex” was an act that many lesser series couldn’t keep up for one season, much less four critically-acclaimed ones. But with co-creator and star Rachel Bloom steering the ship, it was never in doubt that protagonist Rebecca Bunch was so much more than just a girl who followed an old boyfriend across the country. The situation is a lot more nuanced than that.\n\n7. ‘Justified’ (FX, 2010-2015)\n\nViolent, funny, horrifying, electrifying and chaotic, FX’s crime drama about a Kentucky U.S. Marshal (Timothy Olyphant at his most charming) with his own moral code consistently rose above its cop-show peers. The series is full of the kind of interesting good guys and bad guys (particularly the manic Boyd Crowder, played with panache by Walton Goggins) you’d expect from anything based on a story by legendary writer Elmore Leonard. Most importantly, over six seasons it never lost an innate sense of fun and absurdity with its unique brand of action, mystery and havoc.\n\n6. ‘Veep’ (HBO, 2012-2019)\n\nAmerican politics have changed dramatically since “Veep” premiered in the midst of the Obama presidency, and it can be hard to remember when the series was less uncanny documentary and more searing parody. A mildly disappointing final season does not erase the acerbic writing or pitch-perfect performance from Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The humor of \"Veep\" was, and still is, unparalleled.\n\n5. ‘Game of Thrones’ (HBO, 2011-2019)\n\nAt any moment during its eight seasons and 73 episodes, “Game of Thrones” could be the best or worst series on TV, but when it was at its peak, there was nothing else like it. Recency bias will emphasize the terrible series finale, the constant violence against women and the overly long episodes. But a fuller exploration of this complex series reveals impeccable acting, gorgeous costuming and an expansion of our collective ideas about what TV can achieve. Don’t think of the Iron Throne burning, or the $15 million spent on a single episode. Think instead of the powerful, near-silent shot of birds flying away as Arya (Maisie Williams), watched her father Ned (Sean Bean) be publicly executed. As much as we love the dragons, it was in subtler moments that the series really caught fire.\n\n4. ‘O.J. Made in America’ (ESPN, 2016)\n\nMuch more than a retelling of Simpson’s much-publicized murder trial, “Made in America” is a searing history of our country through the lens of race, sport and celebrity. The documentary arrived the same year as the \"American Crime Story\" take on Simpson, and it could have been a footnote. Instead, thanks to riveting and insightful filmmaking, ESPN’s five-part series outshone “People vs. O.J.” and wowed Emmy and Oscar voters alike.\n\n3. ‘Fleabag’ (Amazon, 2016-2019)\n\nWhat is left to say about Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s genius, or the brilliance of her TV show? Much ink has been spilled this year about the second season of “Fleabag,” a remarkable examination of self-actualization, love and faith. Its first, far more below-the- radar season in 2016 was nearly as accomplished a character study, boisterously funny and a coming-out party for one of the best artists working in Hollywood right now. Here’s to more Phoebe in the 10 years to come.\n\n2. ‘The Leftovers’ (HBO, 2014-2017)\n\nEven if the tone of this overwhelmingly somber series isn’t your style, it’s hard to ignore the level of artistry delivered over three seasons from co-creators Damon Lindelof (“Lost,” \"Watchmen\") and Tom Perrotta. Two percent of the earth’s population disappears without an explanation, but the story is not in the mystery but in the aftermath, the broken people forced to keep living in a world that doesn’t make any sense. Perfectly timed to a real world that felt increasingly senseless and chaotic, “Leftovers” leaned into unreality over its three short seasons, improving almost episode and culminating in a gorgeous finale, with a showstopping performance from Carrie Coon that won’t be topped anytime soon.\n\n1. ‘The Americans,’ (FX, 2013-2018)\n\nOver its six seasons, the Soviet spy drama was exemplary in its acting (particularly from Keri Russell), its writing, its directing, its music choices, its wigs and everything else. Thoughtful, insightful, thrilling and even funny at times, the series is the epitome of this era of TV. That it was able to end on such a brilliant note in 2018 (a feat few series have managed), only cements its legacy as the best of the decade.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2019/12/18"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/reviewed/2021/05/17/incredible-90-s-tv-shows-stream-now/5129682001/", "title": "26 incredible '90s TV shows to stream now", "text": "— Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed’s editors. Purchases you make through our links may earn us a commission.\n\nIt’s hard to pin down when the Golden Age of Television really began. Some argue that it started in 1999 with the premiere of The Sopranos on HBO, while others contend that it really only kicked off circa 2008, thanks to shows like Mad Men, Breaking Bad and later, Game of Thrones.\n\nBut if you came of age during the 1990s, you know better. From 1990 all the way up to the new millennium (or should I say, Willennium), television was positively glorious.\n\nOn any given night, you could tune into one of the major networks like ABC, NBC, or Fox and catch a family-friendly sitcom (like Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), an edgy teen drama (cue the Beverly Hills 90210 theme), or—if you were lucky enough to be a house with cable—channel surf over to HBO and follow groundbreaking shows like Sex and the City or Oz right from the beginning.\n\nThe best ‘90s TV shows had it all: aliens, gangsters, great friends, wise-cracking cats, vampires with souls (before it was cool) and that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Here are 26 of the most incredible '90s TV shows you can watch for the first time—or fall in love with all over again—on HBO Max, Disney+ and other streaming platforms. Lord, have mercy.\n\nGet the latest on streaming, deals and more by signing up for our weekly newsletter. It’s free and you can unsubscribe at any time.\n\n1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer\n\nFor most folks, high school is hell. But on Buffy the Vampire Slayer—the influential ‘90s teen show that was based on the 1992 box-office bomb of the same name—that metaphor is taken to its most literal place. Full of special effects that haven’t aged well (but storylines that did), Buffy gave us sexy vamps, LGBTQ+ witches, one-off episodic gems like the musical Once More With Feeling and teen angst and melodrama for days.\n\nBut perhaps its biggest contribution of all is that it gave us a heroine like Buffy Summers (played with wit and tenderness by Sarah Michelle Gellar), a blonde high school cheerleader chosen—reluctantly—by fate to save the world. A lot. In that way, show creator Joss Whedon (despite his recent controversies) helped give an entire generation of young girls the best female superhero since Wonder Woman and that slays.\n\nStream Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Hulu with the Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ bundle\n\n2. Friends\n\nHave you been on a break from this hit ‘90s sitcom since it wrapped up in 2004? With a reunion set to air later this month and the entire 10 seasons available to stream right now on HBO Max, there’s never been a better time to give the Central Perk gang another go-around, especially if you’ve been dying for a good excuse to sing along during a rendition of Smelly Cat again.\n\nStream Friends on HBO Max\n\n3. The X Files\n\nThought science fiction was all navel-gazing or men in cheesy green alien suits firing off plastic ray-guns? Think again. Fox brought new life to the genre with this hit show about a couple of FBI agents—one a skeptic, the other a true believer—charged with investigating the unknown. Often considered the best 90 sci-fi TV show of them all, The X Files launched stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson into the pop-culture stratosphere and helped make conspiracy theorists out of all of us (for an hour a week, at least).\n\nStream The X Files on Hulu with the Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ bundle\n\n4. Seinfeld\n\nAlthough Seinfeld is usually described as a “show about nothing,” this mega-hit ‘90s sitcom created by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David of eventual Curb Your Enthusiasm fame actually gives viewers a whole lot of \"somethings\" to think about. Like, is it wise to pretend to be a marine biologist just to impress a woman? Answer: No, probably not. Or, is it advisable to stock up on your favorite birth control before it goes off the market and only use it with those deemed the most “sponge-worthy”? Answer: Maybe, but ask your doctor first. As ‘90s sitcoms go, Seinfeld is arguably the best (sorry, Friends stans) and absolutely worth a rewatch.\n\nStream Seinfeld on Hulu with the Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ bundle\n\n5. Twin Peaks\n\nUnless you were an arthouse kid back in ‘70s or ‘80s, chances are that director David Lynch slipped under your radar. That is, until the 1990 premiere on ABC of Twin Peaks, which he co-created with Mark Frost. This weird murder mystery, set in a quirky fictional town in Washington state, weaves together comedy, soap opera and tragedy in a way that Lynch fans know well.\n\nAfter an acclaimed first season, the show went off the rails in season two and ended on one of the most famous cliffhangers of all time. But do yourself a favor and don’t Google it, or watch Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (Lynch’s divisive 1992 prequel) or Twin Peaks: The Return (the limited-run series that aired on Showtime in 2017) first. Just grab a hot cup of dang good coffee, kick back and start from episode one of the O.G. series. Trust me, you’ll enjoy it better that way.\n\nStream Twin Peaks on Netflix\n\n6. Fresh Prince of Bel-Air\n\nWill Smith is better known these days for blowing up aliens and passing on one the most influential films of all time, but back in the early ‘90s, he was just an up-and-coming rapper from Philly and the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was his breakthrough role.\n\nAs one of the most beloved ‘90s family TV shows, this NBC hit aired from 1990 to 1996 and gave us so much, from quippy one-liners to incredible dance moves. You can catch the reunion on HBO Max right now, but consider treating yourself to a weekend of binge-watching this series, too.\n\nStream Fresh Prince of Bel-Air on HBO Max\n\n7. Boy Meets World\n\nRaise your hand if you always secretly wished you were in Mr. Feeny’s (William Daniels) class alongside Cory (Ben Savage), Topanga (Danielle Fishel) and the rest of the gang of Boy Meets World. As one of the most charming ‘90s family TV shows of its time, this series started in 1993 and served as a cute coming-of-age tale that definitely resonated with millennials of the time. Plus, you get to admire Topanga’s hair in all its thick, wavy, Gen X glory.\n\nStream Boy Meets World on Disney+\n\n8. Frasier\n\nSitcoms have a rich history of spawning spin-offs: All in the Family famously led to seven other shows, including The Jeffersons and Maude (which, in turn, eventually led to Good Times). But it’s rare for a sitcom spin-off to truly match—or in some cases, even outdo—the show that inspired it. Frasier is a notable exception, though.\n\nThe character Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) first appeared on the hit sitcom Cheers, but in 1993, got his own eponymous show. Set in Seattle, the show follows his life as a radio advice show host, as well as his relationship with his father and brother. Contrary to what you might think, you don’t need an IQ of 130 or higher to chuckle along with the jokes on this show, either.\n\nStream Fraiser on Hulu with the Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ bundle\n\n9. Daria\n\nSpeaking of spin-offs, it’s impossible to talk about the best ‘90s TV shows and not mention Daria. As MTV’s “loose” spin-off of Beavis and Butthead, this cartoon series is as hilarious and insightful today as it was when it originally aired.\n\nRemembered for her monotone voice and scathing one-liners, the character of Daria Morgandorffer was like a stand-in for anyone who felt out-of-sorts in high school, but the supporting cast of characters (from popular kids to alt-rock crushes and more) help make this one of the most nuanced teen shows of its time. Along the way, the show does an admirable job of critiquing suburbia, teen culture and the status quo, but with lots of heart, too.\n\nStream Daria on Paramount+\n\n10. The Sopranos\n\nDepending on who you ask, The Sopranos didn’t just kickstart the Golden Age of Television, it created it. Even 22 years later, the HBO crime drama is often considered the best show of all time, period. (Although fans of The Wire, HBO’s critically acclaimed drama from the 2000s, can wage a strong counter-argument.)\n\nThe premise—a mafia capo in therapy—could just as easily read as a comedy (and was fodder for several, starting with Analyze This), but show creator David Chase’s celebrated series goes deeper, with all the violence, intensity, family drama and pathos you’d expect. It still holds up, more than two decades later.\n\nStream The Sopranos on HBO Max\n\n11. Law & Order\n\nThis procedural drama about cops and attorneys in New York City might be one of the best binge-worthy shows of all time. It spawned several spin-offs, most famously Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (which is still airing but available on Sling TV, too) and Law & Order: Criminal Intent, which ran from 2001 to 2011. The O.G. Law & Order—which featured Jerry Orbach, a bonafide national treasure—proves that being formulaic isn’t necessarily a bad thing, because the show is still wildly addictive, all these years later.\n\nStream Law & Order on Sling TV\n\n12. Dawson's Creek\n\nYou wouldn’t get teen drama shows like Riverdale or One Tree Hill if it wasn’t for Dawson’s Creek, the WB/CW hit about brooding teens living in a fictional New England town. Filmed on location in Wilmington, North Carolina (another thing it shares in common with One Tree Hill), Dawson’s Creek is one of the best-known ‘90s teen shows and helped to cement a tried-and-true formula that still works to this day: beautiful teens + beautiful location + beautiful tragic problems = ratings gold.\n\nBeyond its catchy theme song, the show helped to launch the careers of Katie Holmes, Josh Jackson and Michelle Williams, respectively. Of the three, Williams has enjoyed the greatest success, thanks to her impressive work in critically acclaimed films like Blue Valentine, Brokeback Mountain and My Week With Marilyn, as well as TV shows like FX's wonderful Fosse/Verdon, but it all started here.\n\nStream Dawson’s Creek on Hulu with the Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ bundle\n\n13. Sex and the City\n\nWhether you love it or you kind of cringe over it now, there’s no denying that Sex and the City broke new ground when it premiered on HBO in 1998.\n\nOstensibly, this show about four single, successful ladies in their 30s living and loving in the big city was part of HBO’s gritty, hyper-realistic programming for the era, along with The Sopranos. These days though, Sex and the City mostly reads like an urban fairy tale. (“What do you mean a writer with only one article due a week and no side hustles could afford to live in her own apartment and buy $400 designer shoes on the regular in ‘90s-era Manhattan, that’s not fair,” sobbed the single, city-dwelling, 30-something year-old millennial author of this article after dodging another month of student loan bills.)\n\nStill, some fairy tales are worth passing onto the next generation, especially when they involve general sex positivity (the show didn't age well around certain LGBTQ+ issues, it must be said) and characters as woke and wonderful as Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall). For all those reasons, Sex and the City is worth hanging onto.\n\nStream Sex and the City on HBO Max\n\n14. Freaks and Geeks\n\nAlthough Freaks and Geeks famously only lasted for a single season on NBC back in 1999, its sweet yet merciless take on the high school experience garnered many fans. It’s since become a cult classic and for many, was the first real taste of what Judd Apatow could do, plus a great introduction to future mega-stars like Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, James Franco and others.\n\nStream Freaks and Geeks on Hulu with the Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ bundle\n\n15. Living Single\n\nTell me if this sounds familiar: A show about a group of single, successful ladies living and loving in the big city in their 20s and the heartbreaks and friendships that bind them and help them grow better as people.\n\nSounds a lot like Friends and Sex and the City, right? Except unlike those two shows, Living Single features a cast of talented Black actors, including Queen Latifah. Also, it came out in 1993, before anyone had ever been introduced to the saga of Ross and Rachel or Carrie Bradshaw’s never-ending love-affair with Manolo Blahnik. Criminally underrated but a total delight, Living Single is a delightful show to consider giving a watch, especially if it flew under your radar.\n\nStream Living Single on Hulu with the Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ bundle\n\n16. Beverly Hills 90210\n\nRemember that formula from before? You know, the one about how shows based on beautiful teens and their beautiful, tragic problems will almost always equal network ratings gold? While Dawson's Creek directly inspired a string of imitators in the 2000s like One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl and others, all of these shows owe a debt to the grand-daddy of them all: Beverly Hills 90210.\n\nProduced by the legendary Aaron Spelling (whose small-screen hits prior to the 1990s included Charlie's Angels, Dynasty and others) this iconic '90s teen melodrama focused on a group of teens from one of the poshest zip codes in the U.S. and touched on after-school special topics like teen pregnancy, addiction and parental pressure. It also helped make its cast of dreamy mostly 20-somethings like Luke Perry and Shannen Doherty mega-stars in the early part of the decade.\n\nStream Beverly Hills 90210 on Hulu with the Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ bundle\n\n17. Sabrina the Teenage Witch\n\nThe ‘90s were the perfect time for witches to get cool again. You had bell bottoms, girl power, Lilith Fair—so much divine feminine energy just bursting through everywhere. And of course, who could forget Sabrina, the titular character of the popular ABC show Sabrina the Teenage Witch?\n\nInspired by the Archie Comics series of the same name (just like Riverdale), this tween-friendly hit was completely adorable and anchored by a charming performance by Melissa Joan Hart, who was already known to kids of the era as Clarissa, from Nickelodeon’s show Clarissa Explains It All. Plus, there was a talking cat. Nothing can ever be bad about a show that features a talking cat that also makes puns, I mean really.\n\nStream Sabrina the Teenage Witch on Hulu with the Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ bundle\n\n18. Sister, Sister\n\nAlthough Disney remade The Parent Trap in the ‘90s, ABC’s popular show Sister, Sister always felt like a more modern version of the same premise. Starring real-life twins Tia and Tamera Mowry, the plot focuses on two twin sisters separated at birth and adopted out to separate people—one, a straight-laced dad (Tim Reid) and the other, a fast-talking fashionista (Jackée Harry). This is one of those ‘90s family TV shows that feels safe and cozy upon rewatch and could be especially good if you’re looking for options to mix it up.\n\nStream Sister, Sister on Netflix\n\n19. Are You Afraid of the Dark?\n\nThere’s a good chance that Are You Afraid of the Dark? eventually led an entire generation of millennials to love shows like Black Mirror. In the vein of The Twilight Zone, this Nickelodeon show conjured up all things creepy and spooky and the unleashed them in anthology form over 45-minute blocks of time. The initial show ran over the course of five seasons (with subsequent reboots in 1999, 2019 and 2021). Gather round the campfire—or in this case, your TV—and give this kid-friendly horror series another go.\n\nStream Are You Afraid of the Dark? on Paramount+\n\n20. Oz\n\nOz isn’t a show for everyone. Set in a prison, it’s about as brutal and violent as you might expect and it features a truly chilling performance by J.K. Simmons. If you want a drama that has sweet, tender moments, look elsewhere, because Oz really is unrelentingly bleak. But as ‘90s drama TV shows go, it’s important to include in the conversation because it did push the envelope and pave the way for other gritty shows like The Shield in the 2000s and 2010s.\n\nStream Oz on HBO Max\n\n21. My So Called Life\n\nTeen angst earned its poster girl in the form of Angela Chase (Claire Danes), the protagonist of the short-lived but celebrated ABC series, My So-Called Life. Over the course of its lone season, the show netted lots of critical acclaim and earned a then-15-year-old Danes a Golden Globe award and Primetime Emmy nomination for Best Actress due to her portrayal, as well as helped launch the career of Jared Leto (who would later earn an Academy Award for his performance in Dallas Buyers Club). It also tackled serious issues, from homophobia to drug use, but in less of a soap-opera way than contemporary shows like 90210.\n\nStream My So Called Life on Hulu with the Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ bundle\n\n22. Full House\n\nWas it possible to experience the ‘90s and not know about Full House? As the king of ‘90s family TV shows, this classic is totally corny, but that’s also part of it’s charm.\n\nDive back into one of these old episodes and Uncle Jesse (John Stamos) is still as hot as ever, little Michelle (played by the immortal Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen) is still adorable and Dave Coulier is now the guy you can’t believe probably inspired Alanis Morisette’s signature anthem. Aside from Aunt Becky (now better known for Operation Varsity Blues), everything about the show feels wholesome and nostalgic in the sweetest way possible.\n\nStream Full House on Hulu with the Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ bundle\n\n23. The Nanny\n\nFran Drescher's distinctive voice isn't the only draw to The Nanny, the popular '90s sitcom that just became available on HBO Max, but it's among the most memorable. As a show about a street-smart Jewish woman from Flushing who, by sheer twist of luck, ends up as the nanny for a well-to-do Broadway producer, this is comfort viewing at its finest.\n\nStream The Nanny on HBO Max\n\n24. Moesha\n\nR&B singer Brandy Norwood was already a teen sensation when she signed on in 1996 to star as the title character in Moesha, but her fame grew exponentially larger by the end of it's six seasons thanks to hits like The Boy is Mine, off her chart-topping 1998 album Never Say Never. All that's to say, Brandy was a big deal in the '90s and this UPN sitcom just served to further showcase her talents. Similar to other tween-friendly dramas of the era, the show has an after school special vibe to it, but features fun appearances by stars like Bernie Mac, Usher, Mo'Nique and others.\n\nStream Moesha on Netflix\n\n25. Will & Grace\n\nSay what you will about Will & Grace now (it's always been divisive), but when it first appeared on the small screen in 1998, it became an instant game-changer. Co-created by Max Mutchnick, who is gay, the series debuted in 1998 during a period of time where the LGBTQ+ community was still reeling from the AIDS epidemic and rarely represented on screen.\n\nWill & Grace however, is all about queer celebration: of love, of friendship, of culture. It's fair to say that the show played to certain stereotypes along the way, but it helped change the country's views (in a favorable way) toward queer humans. For that reason, it deserves a solid rewatch.\n\nStream Will & Grace on Hulu with the Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ bundle\n\n26. Baywatch\n\nDid you know that if you own a Samsung television, you have access to an entire Baywatch channel that just streams the iconic '90s drama? This cult-favorite series followed the ins and outs of daily life for the lifeguards at Malibu Beach. Starring David Hasselhoff and a number of blonde, tan 20-somethings, the series ran for an impressive 11 seasons, covering a number of soap-opera-worthy topics, including estranged parents, haunted homes, redemption for bank robbers and even a story arc with Hulk Hogan.\n\nIf you're a big Friends fan, this series is a must-watch. See what Chandler and Joey—and millions of die-hard Baywatch fans—saw in the series. Just don't be shocked when you realized how many montages you'll have to sit through.\n\nStream Baywatch on Amazon Prime\n\nThe product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest deals, reviews, and more.\n\nPrices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2021/05/17"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2019/10/29/apple-tv-netflix-disney-all-streaming-services-ranked/2484448001/", "title": "Disney+ to Apple TV+ to Netflix: The major streaming services, ranked", "text": "Welcome to the era of the Streaming Wars.\n\nHollywood is getting more crowded than ever as two new online streaming services, HBO Max and Peacock, prepare to join the digital fight for your eyeballs and money in 2020.\n\nThe new TV landscape can be a daunting avalanche of choices, and subscribing to every new service can easily end up costing more than that cable bill you already cut. Netflix, Hulu and Amazon still dominate the streaming world, but Disney+ and Apple TV+ jumped into the fray last fall. And don't forget smaller services like CBS All Access, Shudder and Acorn TV trying to find their place in the mix.\n\nBut not all streaming services are created equal. Before you subscribe to the latest, consider our list of the major services, ranked from best to worst. We've included only services not available as a cable channel (sorry, HBO Now), and those streaming in 2020.\n\n1. Hulu\n\nCost: $5.99/month with ads; $11.99/month commercial-free\n\nOriginals: A mix of award-winning high profile dramas (“The Handmaid’s Tale,” “The Act”), tiny, quirky and acclaimed comedies (“PEN15,” “Shrill”), several prestige-chasing \"FX on Hulu\" originals (\"Devs,\" \"Mrs. America\" with Cate Blanchett) and occasional theatrical or streaming-only films (“Little Monsters,” “Fyre Fraud”).\n\nLibrary: Includes currently airing TV shows on ABC, NBC and Fox (“The Masked Singer,” “Stumptown”) paired with archival series (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Designing Women,” “Seinfeld,” everything that ever aired on FX) and films (“Boyz n the Hood”).\n\nKid-friendly? A robust kids' section has mostly older shows (“Sailor Moon,” “Doug”) but a few originals like “The Bravest Knight.”\n\nHulu tops our list because it's a broadly appealing service that offers plenty of genres and styles without scraping the bottom of the barrel for new content. The ability to watch current broadcast shows in-season is a huge advantage. And Hulu has the best selection of archival TV series with a solid showing of films, too (it recently acquired streaming rights to this year's best picture winner \"Parasite,\" debuting on Hulu April 8). Its originals could be better (although it has a great 2020 with \"High Fidelity\" and \"Little Fires Everywhere\"), but the service has wisely chosen not to overload us with shoddy new programming, a mistake its biggest competitor, Netflix, has unfortunately made.\n\nIn the past few months, Hulu’s value has grown now that Disney effectively owns the service. A new \"FX on Hulu\" hub now offers in-season streaming of FX series (don't sleep on \"Breeders\") and the premiere of \"FX on Hulu\" originals like \"Devs,\" which won't air on cable. More adult Marvel content will likely gravitate here as Disney+ hones its \"family friendly\" brand.\n\n2. Netflix\n\nCost: $8.99/month to watch on one screen at once, $12.99/month to watch on two screens or $15.99/month to watch on four screens in Ultra HD.\n\nOriginals: Has the largest crop of originals, which means the biggest mix in quality as well. Notables include “Stranger Things,” “The Witcher” and “The Crown,” in addition to Oscar-bait movies like Martin Scorsese's “The Irishman.” Recently trash-reality TV shows like \"Love is Blind\" and \"The Circle\" have become prominent on the service.\n\nLibrary: Shrinking every year. Although some stalwarts remain (“Breaking Bad,” “Dexter,” “Supernatural”), Netflix is investing in originals, not in holding onto the rights for legacy series and films. (\"Friends\" is already gone, and \"The Office\" and \"Parks and Recreation\" will shift to Comcast's Peacock by 2021 for U.S. subscribers).\n\nKid-friendly? Netflix’s kids’ section is massive, populated mostly with dozens of originals (A “Boss Baby” series, a “Green Eggs and Ham” adaptation) and some library content (“Pokemon\").\n\nNetflix is synonymous with the idea of streaming content, but while it pioneered the format, it hasn’t perfected it. The service has a huge number of films and TV shows to choose from, but that library isn’t as good as it once was. Netflix’s biggest flaw is that it is abandoning archival content in favor of an ever-more-mediocre slate of originals across all genres of TV and film.\n\nA handful of these series are brilliant (“The Crown,” “BoJack Horseman”); others are decent (“Queer Eye”); but most are poor facsimiles of better TV (“Ozark,” “Fuller House”). In the past few months it has better commanded the zeitgeist with buzzy series like \"Witcher\" and \"Love is Blind\" (despite questionable quality). Original movies have a distinct “TV movie” vibe. Still, Netflix is a really valuable service and the biggest name in the game, only slightly edged out by Hulu.\n\n3. Amazon Prime Video\n\nCost: $12.99/month, but comes with free two-day shipping\n\nOriginals: \"Jack Ryan,\" \"Bosch,\" \"The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel\" and lots of small, awards-friendly fare, a lineup that's changing rapidly as the company embraces genre shows like an upcoming “Lord of the Rings” series.\n\nLibrary: A wide assortment that most notably includes Masterpiece dramas(“Downton Abbey”), mid-2000s procedurals (“The Closer,” “Bones”), USA Network shows (“Mr. Robot,” “Suits\") and some older HBO programming.\n\nKid-friendly? Yes, Amazon includes originals like “Kung Fu Panda” and Nickelodeon series like “SpongeBob SquarePants” and “Dora the Explorer.”\n\nAmazon’s TV output is perfectly acceptable, especially if you like quaint British television and series your grandparents will enjoy. The streamer excels at comedies (Emmy-winning “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and “Fleabag”) and dad shows (\"Jack Ryan,\" \"Bosch,\" \"Patriot\") and has an impressive selection of British TV (“Downton Abbey,” \"Grantchester\"). Its library of old series and originals is not as big as Hulu and Netflix, but it does have Oscar-nominated and acclaimed films (\"The Big Sick\" and \"Midsommar\").\n\nYour money goes further here than with any other service, because it pays for two-day shipping with all the TV as a bonus, but it still offers a higher proportion of niche programming than its rivals. Unlike Netflix or Hulu, it can’t replace your cable subscription all on its own, but its lineup is greatly expanding. Adaptations of big books like \"The Power,\" \"Wheel of Time\" and a very expensive version of “Rings\" are all in the works.\n\n3. Disney+\n\nCost: $6.99/month or $69.99/year (available Nov. 12)\n\nOriginals: The first Star Wars live-action series (“The Mandalorian”), teen comedy “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” “Toy Story” spinoff “Forky Asks a Question” and a slew of nonfiction series. More Star Wars and Marvel series are promised this year and beyond.\n\nLibrary: The Disney Vault has opened, and classics (“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs\") and duds (“The Shaggy D.A.”) alike will flood the service, along with recent blockbusters (“Avengers: Endgame”) from the studio. Some titles inherited from the merger with 20th Century Fox (“The Simpsons”) also are available.\n\nKid-friendly? Extremely. All content on the service is family friendly to some degree, to fit with the Disney brand.\n\nThe biggest threat to existing services comes from the biggest conglomerate in Hollywood. Disney is flexing its considerable muscle by offering its classic films paired with original series from its biggest brands: Star Wars, Pixar and Marvel. Its huge library is its biggest advantage, as is the ability to reboot and revive. But the biggest disadvantage is the lack of diversity in programming.\n\nAfter \"Mandalorian,\" most of the original series that have premiered so far have been for kids or wholesome reality (or both). The service has no plans for mature programming or mindless reality TV, both of which have their time and place. If you have kids, the value of the service goes up exponentially, but for those of us not trying to entertain tykes, other streamers have more to choose from.\n\n5. CBS All Access\n\nCost: $5.99/month with commercials, $9.99/month without\n\nOriginals: “Star Trek: Discovery,” “The Good Fight,” “The Twilight Zone,” “Why Women Kill,” \"Star Trek: Picard\"\n\nLibrary: Current (and recent) CBS series, classics (“I Love Lucy”) and movies (“Rocky”).\n\nKid-friendly? Some library content like “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” and “Everybody Hates Chris,” but nothing for preschoolers and no originals.\n\nDon’t knock the Eye’s streaming service until you’ve tried it. It's a little on the expensive side for the number of originals, but its streaming shows have a better batting average when it comes to quality (“The Good Fight” is one of the best shows on TV, and \"Picard\" is the rare nostalgia play that is more than just fan service). In addition to CBS shows, its library includes a treasure trove of classic films and TV, such as “Happy Days” and “The Brady Bunch.” Parent ViacomCBS has announced plans to eventually combine All Access with programming from its cable channels (MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central) and Paramount film library. But for the moment, it's still limited in scope, so seeing some episodes of a “Trek” series a few times a year may not be worth the expense.\n\n6. Apple TV+\n\nCost: $4.99/month; free for one year with purchase of an Apple product (available Nov. 1)\n\nOriginals: “The Morning Show,” “See,” “For All Mankind,” “Dickinson,” “Little America,” \"Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet,\" an \"Amazing Stories\" remake and festival-style films like \"Hala.\"\n\nLibrary: None\n\nKid friendly? Some kids's shows including \"Snoopy in Space\" and \"Sesame Street\"-like \"Helpsters.\"\n\nDespite its low price tag, Apple has a distinct disadvantage in value because it has no back library of classic shows or films. You could burn through their entire new catalog in a few weeks, even thought it is slowly building. Its highest profile series, like Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon soap “The Morning Show,” have been its most mediocre. It has a few standouts, like \"Little America\" from Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon and \"Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet\" from the \"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia\" guys. But is it worth subscribing for just two or three guaranteed-good shows? Probably not.\n\nRanking soon: HBO Max and Peacock\n\nAlthough we haven't been able to get hands (or, rather, remotes) on 2020's two big streaming service upstarts yet, both companies have made several announcements about what kind of programming to expect.\n\nHere are the basics on each:\n\nHBO Max: Set for a debut in May, the streaming service from WarnerMedia is more than just the home of \"Friends\" and a \"Friends\" reunion (although they certainly aren't shy about promoting that). The service will include HBO content, sitcom reruns like \"The Big Bang Theory\" and \"South Park,\" dramas like modern \"Doctor Who\" and originals that include new DC Comics superhero series and an \"Apprentice\"-like reality series starring Bethenny Frankel. So far it has the highest monthly price: $14.99, roughly the same as HBO's cable subscribers now pay..\n\nPeacock: Launching in Comcast homes April 15 (and nationally July 15), NBCUniversal's service will include three price tiers, \"Law & Order: SVU\" and \"Saturday Night Live,\" and \"The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon\" and \"Late Night with Seth Meyers\" a few hours before the late-night talk shows air on NBC. Originals include remakes of \"Battlestar Galactica,\" from producer Sam Esmail (\"Mr. Robot\"), teen series \"Saved By the Bell\" and \"Punky Brewster;\" and an adaptation of Aldous Huxley's \"Brave New World,\" starring Demi Moore. Universal Studios' film classics also will become part of the service.\n\nHonorable mentions: AcornTV, Britbox, Shudder, YouTube and Facebook Watch\n\nA few other, much smaller streaming services are vying for your wallet. AcornTV and BritBox are for serious Anglophiles (Acorn has more mysteries, Britbox has all of classic \"Doctor Who\"). Shudder is devoted to horror. Facebook Watch and YouTube are a mix of user-created and professional content. Facebook Watch has one good original series (\"Sorry for Your Loss\" starring Elisabeth Olsen, which they canceled); so does YouTube (\"Karate Kid\" sequel \"Cobra Kai\"). Facebook Watch is free if you have time for it, and YouTube also has a free tier, with ads.\n\nContributing: Gary Levin and Bill Keveney", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2019/10/29"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2021/01/21/walker-supernatural-star-jared-padalecki-ropes-new-starring-role/4222357001/", "title": "'Walker': 'Supernatural' star Jared Padalecki ropes new starring role", "text": "As monster-hunting Sam Winchester on 15 seasons of “Supernatural,” Jared Padalecki had all manner of terrifying things happen to him on screen. In a pandemic world, however, having a ne’er-do-well spit in the face of the heroic new star of CW’s “Walker” – without a mask! – somehow seems more shocking than being possessed by a demon.\n\nDon’t worry, members of the Padalecki faithful: It’s a special-effects loogie that flies in the actor’s face during the Thursday's premiere of the “Walker, Texas Ranger” reboot (8 EST/PST). “Believe me, there was a lengthy meeting about how to do the spitting,” says creator and executive producer Anna Fricke.\n\nAfter more than a decade of being TV bros with Jensen Ackles, Padalecki gets the solo spotlight with “Walker.” In the revamp of the 1993-2001 CBS show starring Chuck Norris and tons of martial arts, Padalecki stars as Cordell Walker, a Texas Ranger who has been away from his family for a while following the tragic, mysterious murder of his wife, Emily (Padalecki’s real-life spouse, Genevieve Padalecki). He returns to Austin to be father to his children – thoughtful son August (Kale Culley) and rebellious daughter Stella (Violet Brinson) – and partner to a new female Ranger, Micki (Lindsey Morgan).\n\n“On ‘Supernatural,' we treated our world as reality. We were telling a science fiction thriller horror story,” Padalecki says. “So to go to a new show that's shot in a very real way, and we're not hunting God or Lucifer or angels or demons of any sort, has been a fun new world to immerse myself in.\"\n\n“Walker” thus far has been a joy for Padalecki. He grew up in San Antonio and dreamed of living and working in Austin (where the show is also filmed), where he has lived for the past 10 years, and now he gets to do that “at the tender young age of 38.” He’s an executive producer on the show, though he’s used to living and breathing whatever series he’s on: “I don't feel right unless I do it with everything I’ve got.” And Padalecki can authentically channel a character who has spent important time away from his children after spending much of 15 years in Vancouver to film “Supernatural.”\n\n“A lot of what Cordell goes through in the first couple of episodes is a lot of what Jared Padalecki went through,” he says. “I was off working a job that took a lot of my time and a lot of my bandwidth and a lot of my energy and focus.” He recalls being sent back to Austin last March because of the COVID-19 pandemic before “Supernatural” had finished its final season, “and when I got home, Gen was sort of like, 'All right, well, pick up the garbage and make sure the kids don't kill each other.’ I was like: ‘Then what? What do I do with these things? They want to play with me, but it's hot outside.'\n\n“Our reimagination of ‘Walker’ is a very human story about a person who maybe hid themselves in their work for a long time, because that was easier for them than dealing with the very human issues that affect us all.”\n\nWhile Padalecki showed a lot of heart on “Supernatural,” “it was really important to Jared in this role to play a man,” Fricke says. “He had kind of grown up on that show.\" With the new series, \"we wanted to show someone who was a little more war-torn. When we meet Walker, he is not in a great place, and it takes him a while to pull himself together.\"\n\nIn addition to drama, Padalecki gets to show off some of his horseback-riding skills: He has taken lessons, and he owned a horse with his wife when they lived in L.A. for a couple of years. “I had more experience on horseback going into ‘Walker’ than I had experience hunting demons going into ‘Supernatural,’ ” he quips.\n\nBut being able to rope bad guys on a TV show mid-ride is a new weapon in his holster. In fact, Padalecki keeps a few lassos around the house in case he needs to rope his kids for fun. “They're going, ‘Do me, do me!’ and so they would scooter by me and I'm just sitting there in the driveway roping them.”\n\nLike the '90s show, the new \"Walker\" features plenty of action and a two-fisted nature. Old-school fans will recognize at least one face: Mitch Pileggi, who guest-starred in the original series, reappears as Padalecki’s onscreen dad. “We're very committed to letting the audience get a clear picture of what the show is going to be about,” Padalecki says, “but as we carry on, I'd love to have everybody (from the original cast) on the show.”\n\nSo who’s the likelier guest star: Karate icon Norris, or his former partner Ackles?\n\n“Man, I've been blowing Jensen's phone up!” Padalecki says. His “Supernatural” co-star is soon traveling to Toronto to film scenes for the new season of Amazon’s “The Boys,” “but you'd better believe that as soon as he's back in Texas, I'll be knocking on his door and telling him we need somebody bowlegged to get up on a horse and ride next to me.”", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2021/01/21"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/2022/02/05/famous-people-from-iowa-celebrities-actors-nobel-prize-barry-allen-jefferson-white/9242405002/", "title": "12 famous people from Iowa including Yellowstone, Twilight Zone ...", "text": "In acknowledgment of Iowa's 175th anniversary as a state, the Des Moines Register published a list of notable, Iowa-born figures and celebrities from the state's history.\n\nDue to interest in that piece, Register journalists have hopped back into the history books to showcase 12 more examples of the celebrities and high profile people born in the Hawkeye state.\n\nMore:Do you know these famous Iowans? From Elijah Wood to characters like Hawkeye, there's a quite a few\n\nJefferson White\n\nBorn: Mt. Vernon\n\nLifetime: Nov. 3, 1987-present\n\nWhat he's famous for: Actor on \"Yellowstone\"\n\nJefferson White is another actor on this list who has ventured into \"The Twilight Zone,\" albeit in the 2019 reboot of the classic television program, several decades after Virginia Christine appeared in the original show. White is likely more familiar to audiences as Jimmy Hurdstrom in the show \"Yellowstone\" where he appears alongside Kevin Costner. White has been in other programs such as \"The Americans\" and \"House of Cards.\"\n\nHarry Hopkins\n\nBorn: Sioux City\n\nLifetime: 1890-1946\n\nWhat he's famous for: Advisor to Franklin D. Roosevelt\n\nBorn in Sioux City and a 1912 graduate of Grinnell College, Hopkins grew up to work on remedying the ripple effects of the Great Depression and become an advisor to Franklin D. Roosevelt. After Roosevelt became president in 1933, he named Hopkins the administrator of the Federal Emergency Relief Administration and, when the United States entered World War II, Hopkins became a key figure in the efforts of the Allied powers. After surviving stomach cancer, Hopkins died due to liver failure months after receiving the Distinguished Service Medal from President Truman.\n\nW. Edwards Deming\n\nBorn: Sioux City\n\nLifetime: 1900-1993\n\nWhat he's famous for: Statistician and educator\n\nSioux City's William Edwards Deming made his way into the field of statistical analysis which he applied to achieve better industrial quality control. In the 1950s, Deming's skills helped Japan as the nation economically recovered from the fallout of World War II and became the namesake for The Deming Prize, an annual award given to Japanese corporations with exceptional quality control.\n\nMeredith Willson\n\nBorn: Mason City\n\nLifetime: 1902-1984\n\nWhat he's famous for: Composer of \"The Music Man\"\n\nRobert Meredith Willson was himself a music man from a young age when he began playing flute in the Mason City Municipal Band, setting him on track to begin his musical career. In 1958, Willson's musical \"The Music Man,\" the most widely known of his works, was given a Tony Award for Best Musical.\n\nLeon 'Bix' Beiderbecke\n\nBorn: Davenport\n\nLifetime: 1903-1931\n\nWhat he's famous for: Jazz musician\n\nLeon Beiderbecke is a Davenport-born musician more widely known under the name \"Bix.\" As a jazz musician, Beiderbecke became known for the quality of his improvisation in his performances. He joined the Jean Goldkette group in Detroit player in the latter half of the 1920s, but, only a handful of years later, died after suffering from lobar pneumonia at the age of 28.\n\nMore:From recruiting musicians to selling tickets, Abe Goldstien builds Iowa jazz community one act at a time\n\nNorman Borlaug\n\nBorn: Cresco\n\nLifetime: 1914-2009\n\nWhat he's famous for: Nobel Peace Prize-winning agronomist\n\nBorlaug was educated at the University of Minnesota, studying to be a forester and eventually returning to study plant pathology and received his doctorate. He spent a large portion of his professional life working to solve wheat production problems in Mexico. It was 1970 when Borlaug received the Nobel Peace Prize, recognized for years spent improving food production.\n\nMore:Want in on secret spots to have fun in Des Moines? We've got a newsletter for that.\n\nVirginia Christine\n\nBorn: Stanton\n\nLifetime: 1920-1996\n\nWhat she's famous for: Radio and film actress\n\nOriginally named Virginia Kraft, Virginia Christine is perhaps best remembered as Mrs. Olson, a character who appeared in television advertisements for Folgers Coffee. Over the course of her career, she also appeared on television in \"The Twilight Zone\" and \"The Lone Ranger\" and in cinema in the 1956 \"Invasion of the Body Snatchers\" and \"Guess Who's Coming to Dinner,\" among other projects.\n\nMore:Stanton's century-old water tower painted to look like a coffee pot\n\nR. Walter Cunningham\n\nBorn: Creston\n\nLifetime: March 16, 1932-present\n\nWhat he's famous for: The first Iowan in space\n\nThe idea to propel a human outside of Earth's atmosphere was still the stuff of science fiction when Cunningham, born Ronnie Walter Cunningham, came into the world in 1932. However, in 1968, he became the first Iowan in space aboard Apollo 7 — the first crewed Apollo space mission — on which he was the lunar module pilot.\n\nBarry Allen\n\nBorn: Fallville\n\nFirst Appearance: January 1940\n\nWhat he's known for: Member of the Justice League\n\nThe character of Barry Allen is perhaps better known as The Flash, \"The Fastest Man Alive.\" The character has more than 80 years of history since appearing in \"Flash Comics No. 1,\" and part of that history includes claiming the fictional Fallville, Iowa, as his place of birth before making the move to the more metropolitan Central City.\n\nThe character has appeared in a variety of incarnations across comic books, television and film. Perhaps his most prominent depictions include Grant Gustin's take on the character in the CW's \"The Flash\" and Ezra Miller's cinematic appearance in \"Justice League.\"\n\nMary Beth Hurt\n\nBorn: Marshalltown\n\nLifetime: Sept. 26, 1946-present\n\nWhat she's famous for: Film and television actress\n\nAccording to the book \"Cinema of Outsiders: The Rise of American Independent Film\" by Emanuel Levy, when Mary Beth Hurt was growing up in Marshalltown, her babysitter was Jean Seberg, another Iowa-born actress from Marshalltown who became an icon of French New Wave cinema with the film \"Breathless.\"\n\nHurt would go on to play Seberg in the docudrama film \"From the Journals of Jean Seberg.\" However, Hurt is more easily recognizable for appearing in the movie \"The World According to Garp\" with Robin Williams as well as multiple episodes of \"Law & Order.\"\n\nMichael Emerson\n\nBorn: Cedar Rapids\n\nLifetime: Sept. 7, 1954-present\n\nWhat he's famous for: Film and television actor\n\nMichael Emerson, born in Cedar Rapids, played a recurring character in the television show \"Lost,\" where he first appeared as Benjamin Linus, one of the \"the Others\" on the island in the show. Since then, Emerson also appeared in the CBS show \"Arrow\" and the Amazon original series \"Mozart in the Jungle.\" Over the course of his career, he's been nominated for five Emmys and a Golden Globe.\n\nTionne 'T-Boz' Watkins\n\nBorn: Des Moines\n\nLifetime: April 26, 1970-present\n\nWhat she's famous for: Member of the hip-hop group TLC\n\nTionne \"T-Boz\" Watkins is a founding member of TLC, an R&B group that also included Lisa \"Left Eye\" Lopes and Rozonda \"Chilli\" Thomas. The group — most popular through the 1990s and early 2000s for songs such as \"Creep\" and \"No Scrubs\" — formed in Atlanta, where Watkins' family moved when she was 9.\n\nMore:Who would've guessed this R&B star is from Des Moines?\n\nCorrection: A previous version of this article misstated the instrument Leon \"Bix\" Beiderbecke played. He played the cornet.\n\nIsaac Hamlet covers arts, entertainment and culture at the Des Moines Register. Reach him at ihamlet@gannett.com or 319-600-2124, or follow him on Twitter @IsaacHamlet.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/02/05"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2016/07/19/comic-con-san-diego-preview-suicide-squad-luke-cage/87114828/", "title": "Comic-Con preview: Your best ways to geek out", "text": "Brian Truitt, and Bill Keveney\n\nUSA TODAY\n\nConvention season is upon us, yet while politicos set their sights on Cleveland and Philadelphia, pop-culture enthusiasts are headed to San Diego.\n\nComic-Con International, the annual nerd mecca that brings the pop-culture world to the San Diego Convention Center, begins Wednesday with the world premiere of Star Trek Beyond. More than 125,000 attendees will be entertained through July 24 with the biggest and best movies, TV shows, comic books and video games.\n\n\"For film studios and TV networks, this is a chance to directly reach out to their core consumers on a personal level,\" says Fandango.com correspondent Alicia Malone. \"And if they impress the audience with their product, fans will spread the word for them and make their properties hugely successful.\"\n\nExclusive: Captain America celebrates 75 years with new bronze statue\n\nNot all of the faithful can make the journey, so USA TODAY will be on site to give readers the latest. Here are four things we’ll be watching for:\n\nBlockbuster brands\n\nMarvel Studios again showcases its superhero movie fare, and directors Scott Derrickson and James Gunn have already teased that they’ll be on hand for their films Doctor Strange (in theaters Nov. 4) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (May 5), respectively. Not to be outdone, Warner Bros.' panel will tout six upcoming films, from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Nov. 18) to King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (March 24) to Wonder Woman (June 2).\n\nExclusive: The Comic-Con Wonder Woman Barbie will slay your toy box\n\nAMC’s Fear the Walking Dead and The Walking Dead and HBO’s Game of Thrones form a powerhouse TV block. Dead newcomer Jeffrey Dean Morgan, the villainous Negan, will join fellow series regulars. Thrones cast members are scheduled to appear with executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. Fans also can attend a Thrones Hall of Faces interactive exhibit.\n\nMajor stars\n\nAfter Star Trek Beyond actors Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Zoe Saldana hit the red carpet at the movie's premiere, Justin Timberlake brings sexy back to Comic-Con, appearing alongside Anna Kendrick for their animated movie Trolls (Nov. 4). Other celebs going geek: Will Smith, Margot Robbie and Viola Davis for Suicide Squad (Aug. 5), and Fantastic Beasts star Eddie Redmayne and Tom Hiddleston of Kong: Skull Island (March 10). (Might Hiddleston's squeeze Taylor Swift also make the trip?)\n\nDiversity focus\n\nEyes will be on Luke Cage, the latest Marvel Netflix series starring Mike Colter (Jessica Jones) as the black superhero with unbreakable skin. The impressively diverse cast of Suicide Squad will be on hand, and so will female-led films and TV shows such as Supergirl, Orphan Black and Wonder Woman. Orange Is the New Black’s Laverne Cox, who will play Dr. Frank-N-Furter in Fox’s TV movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show, will attend a panel with cast members Victoria Justice, Christina Milian and Staz Nair.\n\nThe Mothership: Talking 'Pets' and a super Comic-Con reveal\n\nNostalgia\n\nWhat’s old is new again, and that’s especially true of Power Rangers (March 24), the youth-tinged big-screen update of the popular 1990s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers kids show and movie. For fans of a certain age, Star Trek has a 50th-anniversary panel — with former TV space captains William Shatner and Scott Bakula — followed by an Aliens 30th-anniversary event starring Sigourney Weaver, Bill Paxton and director James Cameron. Comedy Central’s South Park, which starts its 20th season Sept. 14, will feature an interactive exhibit celebrating 20 classic Park moments. Plus, fans also can get a look at reboots of TV favorites, with panels for Fox’s Prison Break and 24: Legacy and CBS’MacGyver.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2016/07/19"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2015/08/25/streaming-netflix-premieres-spanish-crime-saga/32337849/", "title": "Streaming: Netflix premieres crime saga", "text": "Sean Axmaker\n\nSpecial to the Statesman Journal\n\nWhat’s new for home viewing on video-on-demand and Netflix, Amazon Prime, and other streaming services.\n\nNetflix\n\nThe new Netflix original series “ Narcos ” is a sprawling crime saga produced in Colombia by filmmaker José Padilha, who draws inspiration from “Goodfellas” and other American gangster movies for his take on drug kingpin Pablo Escobar and the rise of the cartels. In Spanish with subtitles, features explicit sex and violence. All ten episodes of the first season available.\n\n” is a sprawling crime saga produced in Colombia by filmmaker José Padilha, who draws inspiration from “Goodfellas” and other American gangster movies for his take on drug kingpin Pablo Escobar and the rise of the cartels. In Spanish with subtitles, features explicit sex and violence. All ten episodes of the first season available. The modern Gothic horror “ Byzantium ” (2012) is an inspired twist on the vampire myth from filmmaker Neil Jordan (R).\n\n” (2012) is an inspired twist on the vampire myth from filmmaker Neil Jordan (R). More streaming TV: “ Once Upon a Time: Season 4 ” brings “Frozen” into Storybrooke’s fairy tale world and the CBS warhorse “ NCIS: Season 12 ” keeps investigating military-related crimes. Both arrive a month before the new seasons debut on TV.\n\n” brings “Frozen” into Storybrooke’s fairy tale world and the CBS warhorse “ ” keeps investigating military-related crimes. Both arrive a month before the new seasons debut on TV. For the kids: “Girl Meets World: Season 1,” originally made for the Disney Channel, is a sequel to the ’90s sitcom for today’s teens and tweens, and for the elementary school set, there’s the Netflix original “Inspector Gadget: Season 2.”\n\nAmazon Instant Prime\n\n“ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ” (2014), the live-action reboot of the comic book heroes in the half shell from Michael Bay, stars Megan Fox and Will Arnett with the CGI heroes. PG-13 for sci-fi action violence.\n\n” (2014), the live-action reboot of the comic book heroes in the half shell from Michael Bay, stars Megan Fox and Will Arnett with the CGI heroes. PG-13 for sci-fi action violence. “ Timbuktu ” (2014) from the African nation of Mauritania was an Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film. It has English subtitles and is PG-13.\n\n” (2014) from the African nation of Mauritania was an Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film. It has English subtitles and is PG-13. In “Grantchester,” set in a picturesque British village in the early 1950s, a priest (James Norton) and a detective (Robson Green) solve murders the British TV mystery way.\n\nPay-Per-View / Video-On-Demand\n\nCameron Crowe’s sentimental and intermittently charming romcom “ Aloha ,” starring Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone and Rachel McAdams, was a major flop, but the PG-13 film has beautiful people, a Hawaiian setting and Bill Murray. The Cable On Demand rental features a bonus gag reel.\n\n,” starring Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone and Rachel McAdams, was a major flop, but the PG-13 film has beautiful people, a Hawaiian setting and Bill Murray. The Cable On Demand rental features a bonus gag reel. \"Digging for Fire,” a low-key comic drama with Jake Johnson and Rosemarie DeWitt as a married couple on separate staycations, comes to VOD just days after its theatrical premier. Rated R.\n\nAvailable same day as select theaters nationwide is the indie drama “Queen of Earth” with Elisabeth Moss (no rating, adult themes), the post-apocalyptic “Z for Zachariah” with Margot Robbie and Chiwetel Ejiofor (PG-13) and the offbeat comedy “7 Chinese Brothers” with Jason Schwartzman (no rating, mature themes).\n\nMORE: Find more movie reviews of films now in local theaters or coming to theaters this weekend.\n\nHulu\n\nThe cable TV series “Fargo: Season 1” isn’t exactly a spin-off of the movie, but it captures the sensibility and morbid sense of humor of the Coen Brothers and features a terrific cast that includes Billy Bob Thornton and Martin Freeman.\n\nSean Axmaker is a Seattle film critic and writer. His work appears in Parallax View, Turner Classic Movies online, Keyframe and at http://streamondemandathome.com.\n\nComing Tuesday\n\nOn DVD and streaming: Action adventure remake “Mad Max: Fury Road”; the drama comedy “I’ll See You In My Dreams” about a widow in her 70s who decides to start dating again and falls into relationships with two very different men; and the Jack Black and James Marsden comedy “The D Train”\n\nOn Redbox: “The D Train,” the romance “Far From The Madding Crowd” about a whoman who attracts three very different suitors, and the suspense drama “True Story” about a reporter whose identity is taken by an accused killer", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2015/08/25"}]}
{"question_id": "20230303_17", "search_time": "2023/03/15/03:28", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2019/04/01/chicago-election-black-female-mayor-lori-lightfoot-toni-preckwinkle/3329723002/", "title": "As Chicago readies to elect first-ever black female mayor, campaign ...", "text": "CHICAGO – The historic election here Tuesday that will lead to the nation’s third-largest city electing a black woman as mayor for the first time in its 181-year history has been shaped by name-calling, campaign surrogates raising questions about racial authenticity and a barrage of negative campaign advertisements.\n\nFormer federal prosecutor Lori Lightfoot and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle have spent the final days of the campaign crisscrossing Chicago in hopes of turning out support before Tuesday’s election. The two advanced to the runoff race after becoming the top finishers in February's first round of voting, in which 14 candidates competed.\n\nBut the significant milestone — Chicago will become the largest U.S. city to be led by a black female mayor — has been overshadowed by the two candidates trading vicious barbs throughout the campaign.\n\nConcerned about the divisiveness of the race, prominent civil rights leaders Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton on Saturday nudged Lightfoot and Preckwinkle to sign a pledge to hold a “unity” press conference on Wednesday, the day after the election.\n\n“The race was competitive and often divisive,” Jackson said. “The race ends Tuesday. The healing must begin Wednesday morning.\"\n\nThe election comes as African-American women are blazing trails in U.S. politics.\n\nRep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Rep. Jahana Hayes of Connecticut, both Democrats, became the first black women elected to Congress in those two states in November's midterm elections.\n\nMeanwhile, Sen. Kamala Harris of California is vying to win the Democratic presidential nomination and become the first black woman elected to the White House. Another rising star in the Democratic Party, former Georgia secretary of state Stacey Abrams, is also considering a run for the White House. Abrams was narrowly defeated in November in her bid to become Georgia’s governor.\n\nIn Chicago, the battle between Lightfoot and Preckwinkle has been downright nasty, even as the latest polling shows that Lightfoot is on her way to winning by a wide margin. Lightfoot leads Preckwinkle by a whopping margin of 53% to 17%, according to the results of a WTTW/Crain’s Temkin/Harris poll released last week.\n\nWindy City makes history:Chicago will elect first black female mayor; Lightfoot and Preckwinkle advance to runoff\n\nChicago votes: Who are the two women looking to make history as first black female mayor?\n\nIn the lead-up to the first round of voting, Lightfoot compared Preckwinkle — and three other candidates with personal and political ties to a powerful city council member who had been charged in January with attempted extortion — to vermin for trying to distance themselves from the tarnished politician.\n\n\"It’s like cockroaches — there’s a light that’s shined on them,\" Lightfoot said at an event where she signed an ethics pledge and took her shot at Preckwinkle and the other candidates. \"They scramble.\"\n\nAt their first one-on-one debate, Lightfoot called Preckwinkle “sad and pathetic” and accused her of lying that she had received the endorsements of two city council members who are backers of President Donald Trump. (Lightfoot had actually received an endorsement of the firefighters union, which the aldermen are members of.)\n\nLightfoot, who is a lesbian and would be the city's first openly LGBTQ mayor, questioned whether Preckwinkle \"was blowing some kind of dog whistle\" to conservative voters after the county board president brought up her sexual orientation at a debate. (Should Lightfoot win, Chicago will become the largest city to be led by an LGBTQ person.)\n\nShe also expressed outrage with Preckwinkle's campaign after one of her campaign advisers posted a photo of Nazis at the Nuremberg, Germany, trials on social media to argue against supporting Lightfoot. Preckwinkle fired the aide and apologized to Lightfoot.\n\nOne of Preckwinkle’s surrogates, Rep. Bobby Rush, suggested that Chicagoans should be suspicious of Lightfoot, who previously served on two police oversight boards. He added voters would have blood on their hands if they voted for her.\n\nThe issue of police brutality has been central to the campaign. The outgoing mayor, Rahm Emanuel, saw his standing plummet in the city’s African-American community following the 2014 shooting death of Laquan McDonald, a black teen who was shot 16 times by a white police officer. Emanuel declined to seek a third term.\n\nThe city, which finalized a plan known as a consent decree that dictates dozens of court-monitored changes in the police department, has spent more than $700 million on settlement and legal fees since 2010 to resolve allegations of police misconduct.\n\nThe Chicago Way:In corruption-plagued Chicago, high-level shakedown charges loom over mayoral race, candidates\n\nCandidates of color:First Native American, Muslim women elected to Congress amid minority wins\n\nRush, a former leader of the Black Panther Party who initially backed former U.S. Commerce Secretary Bill Daley for mayor, said in a fiery speech at a campaign rally for Preckwinkle that Lightfoot has had a part in the city's difficult history of police relations in black and brown communities.\n\nRush did not mention that Lightfoot was an early advocate of the consent decree and headed a police task force that concluded the department was plagued by racism and needed sweeping changes in order to win trust in minority communities.\n\n“This election is really about what type of police force we’re going to have in the city of Chicago, and everyone who votes for Lori, the blood of the next young black man or black woman who is killed by the police is on your hands,” Rush said. “If you’re against police brutality and murder, you ought to be for Toni Preckwinkle. She’s the only one who is going to have the police under her control.”\n\nLightfoot blasted Preckwinkle for Rush’s “rhetoric of division”; Preckwinkle declined to disavow the comments.\n\nAnother Preckwinkle surrogate, Chance the Rapper, noted at the same rally where Rush made his divisive remarks that Lightfoot hails from the North Side, a predominantly white area of the city. Preckwinkle lives on the city’s South Side, which along with the city’s West Side is predominantly African-American.\n\n“Her opponent was not elected by the South Side. Her opponent was not elected by the West Side,” Chance said of Lightfoot. “Her opponent was elected by the North Side, and there’s two of us and one of them, and we need to come out in droves and elect our next mayor of Chicago, President Toni Preckwinkle.”\n\nIn the final days of the campaign, Preckwinkle has honed in on Lightfoot’s time as a corporate lawyer, noting that her work in the private sector has included defending companies facing accusations of age and race discrimination.\n\nBoth candidates cast themselves as progressives who will center their agendas on improving life and safety for residents in the city's 77 neighborhoods.\n\nPreckwinkle also sought to shine the spotlight on the city’s response to a 2004 fire in which four children were killed. The incident happened during Lightfoot’s time as chief of staff at the Office of Emergency Management and Communication, which handles emergency dispatch calls.\n\nA Preckwinkle campaign advertisement notes that Lightfoot’s agency failed to preserve some 911 recordings related to the call. The advertisement began airing last week on the eve of the final televised of the campaign.\n\nAs the two sat down for a forum, which was hosted by Chicago CBS affiliate, they shook hands but didn’t appear to make eye contact.\n\nAt one point during the debate, Preckwinkle asked Lightfoot what she most regretted about her professional career. Lightfoot responded pointedly about having to explain to her elementary-school-age daughter about why adults lie and act like bullies.\n\nPreckwinkle punched back.\n\n\n\n\"This is a person who is complaining now about the tenor of the campaign when in the first debate (she) called me a liar,\" she said.\n\nLightfoot said Sunday that she was committed – win or lose– to burying the hatchet with Preckwinkle following Election Day.\n\nWhat does she want to hear on Wednesday morning?\n\n\"Congratulations, mayor,\" Lightfoot said. \"If I lose, I'm going to congratulate her and continue to fight for the things that are important.\"", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2019/04/01"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/04/01/chicago-election-black-female-mayor-lori-lightfoot-toni-preckwinkle/3308516002/", "title": "As Chicago readies to elect first black female mayor, campaign ...", "text": "CHICAGO – The historic election Tuesday that will lead to the nation’s third-largest city electing a black woman as mayor for the first time in its 182-year history has been shaped by name-calling, campaign surrogates raising questions about racial authenticity and a barrage of negative campaign advertisements.\n\nFormer federal prosecutor Lori Lightfoot and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle have spent the final days of the campaign crisscrossing Chicago in hopes of turning out support before Tuesday’s election. The two advanced to the runoff race after becoming the top finishers in February's first round of voting in which 14 candidates competed.\n\nThe milestone – Chicago will become the largest U.S. city to be led by a black female mayor – has been overshadowed by the two candidates trading vicious barbs throughout the campaign.\n\nConcerned about the divisiveness of the race, civil rights leaders Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton nudged Lightfoot and Preckwinkle on Saturday to sign a pledge to hold a “unity” news conference Wednesday, the day after the election.\n\n“The race was competitive and often divisive,” Jackson said. “The race ends Tuesday. The healing must begin Wednesday morning.\"\n\nAfrican American women are blazing trails in U.S. politics.\n\nReps. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Jahana Hayes of Connecticut, both Democrats, became the first black women elected to Congress in those two states in November's midterm elections.\n\nSen. Kamala Harris of California is vying to win the Democratic presidential nomination and become the first black woman elected to the White House. Another rising star in the Democratic Party, former Georgia state Rep. Stacey Abrams, is considering a run for the White House. Abrams was narrowly defeated in November in her bid to become Georgia’s governor.\n\nIn Chicago, the battle between Lightfoot and Preckwinkle has been downright nasty. The latest polling indicates Lightfoot is on her way to winning by a wide margin. Lightfoot leads Preckwinkle 53% to 17%, according to the results of a WTTW/Crain’s Temkin/Harris poll released last week.\n\nWindy City makes history:Chicago will elect first black female mayor; Lightfoot and Preckwinkle advance to runoff\n\nChicago votes: Who are the two women looking to make history as first black female mayor?\n\nIn the lead-up to the first round of voting, Lightfoot compared Preckwinkle and three other candidates with personal and political ties to a powerful City Council member who was charged in January with attempted extortion to vermin for trying to distance themselves from the tarnished politician.\n\n\"It’s like cockroaches – there’s a light that’s shined on them,\" Lightfoot said at an event where she signed an ethics pledge. \"They scramble.\"\n\nAt their first one-on-one debate, Lightfoot called Preckwinkle “sad and pathetic” and accused her of lying about Lightfoot receiving the endorsements of two City Council members who back President Donald Trump. Lightfoot actually received an endorsement from the firefighters union, of which the aldermen are members.\n\nLightfoot, who would be the city's first openly LGBTQ mayor, questioned whether Preckwinkle \"was blowing some kind of dog whistle\" to conservative voters after the county board president brought up her sexual orientation at a debate. Should Lightfoot win, Chicago would become the largest city to be led by an LGBTQ person.\n\nLightfoot expressed outrage after one of Preckwinkle's campaign advisers posted a photo of Nazis at the Nuremberg trials on social media to argue against supporting Lightfoot. Preckwinkle fired the aide and apologized to Lightfoot.\n\nOne of Preckwinkle’s surrogates, Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., suggested that Chicagoans should be suspicious of Lightfoot, who served on two police oversight boards. He said voters would have blood on their hands if they voted for her.\n\nThe issue of police brutality has been central to the campaign. The outgoing mayor, Rahm Emanuel, saw his standing plummet in the city’s African American community after the shooting death in 2014 of Laquan McDonald, a black teen who was shot 16 times by a white police officer. Emanuel declined to seek a third term.\n\nThe city, which finalized a plan known as a consent decree that dictates dozens of court-monitored changes in the police department, has spent more than $700 million on settlement and legal fees since 2010 to resolve allegations of police misconduct.\n\nThe Chicago Way:In corruption-plagued Chicago, high-level shakedown charges loom over mayoral race, candidates\n\nCandidates of color:First Native American, Muslim women elected to Congress amid minority wins\n\nRush, a former leader of the Black Panther Party who initially backed former U.S. Commerce Secretary Bill Daley for mayor, said in a speech at a campaign rally for Preckwinkle that Lightfoot has had a part in the city's difficult history of police relations in black and brown communities.\n\nRush did not mention that Lightfoot was an early advocate of the consent decree and headed a police task force that concluded the department was plagued by racism and needed sweeping changes to win trust in minority communities.\n\n“This election is really about what type of police force we’re going to have in the city of Chicago, and everyone who votes for Lori, the blood of the next young black man or black woman who is killed by the police is on your hands,” Rush said. “If you’re against police brutality and murder, you ought to be for Toni Preckwinkle. She’s the only one who is going to have the police under her control.”\n\nLightfoot blasted Preckwinkle for Rush’s “rhetoric of division”; Preckwinkle declined to disavow the comments.\n\nAnother Preckwinkle surrogate, Chance the Rapper, noted at the same rally where Rush made his remarks that Lightfoot hails from the North Side, a predominantly white area of the city. Preckwinkle lives on the city’s South Side, which, along with the city’s West Side, is predominantly African American.\n\n“Her opponent was not elected by the South Side. Her opponent was not elected by the West Side,” Chance said of Lightfoot. “Her opponent was elected by the North Side, and there’s two of us and one of them, and we need to come out in droves and elect our next mayor of Chicago, President Toni Preckwinkle.”\n\nIn the final days of the campaign, Preckwinkle has honed in on Lightfoot’s time as a corporate lawyer, noting that her work in the private sector included defending companies facing accusations of age and race discrimination.\n\nBoth candidates cast themselves as progressives who will center their agendas on improving life and safety for residents in the city's 77 neighborhoods.\n\nPreckwinkle sought to shine the spotlight on the city’s response to a fire in 2004 in which four children were killed. The incident happened during Lightfoot’s time as chief of staff at the Office of Emergency Management and Communication, which handles emergency dispatch calls.\n\nA Preckwinkle campaign advertisement notes that Lightfoot’s agency failed to preserve some 911 recordings related to the call. The advertisement began airing last week.\n\nAs the two sat down for a forum Wednesday, which was hosted by Chicago's CBS affiliate, they shook hands but didn’t appear to make eye contact.\n\nDuring the debate, Preckwinkle asked Lightfoot what she most regretted about her professional career. Lightfoot talked about having to explain to her elementary-school-age daughter about why adults lie and act like bullies.\n\nPreckwinkle punched back.\n\n\n\n\"This is a person who is complaining now about the tenor of the campaign when in the first debate, (she) called me a liar,\" she said.\n\nLightfoot said Sunday that she was committed – win or lose – to burying the hatchet with Preckwinkle after Election Day.\n\nWhat does she want to hear on Wednesday morning?\n\n\"Congratulations, mayor,\" Lightfoot said. \"If I lose, I'm going to congratulate her and continue to fight for the things that are important.\"", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2019/04/01"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/02/15/wisconsin-primary-live-updates-forecasts-good-voters-head-polls/6787885001/", "title": "Wisconsin primary updates: Milwaukee mayoral election results", "text": "Milwaukee Journal Sentinel\n\nWisconsinites are heading to the polls Feb. 15 for the spring primary. On the ballot are a slew of local races ranging from Milwaukee mayor to school boards to city council and county board supervisor seats across the state. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. as we wait for the candidate fields to whittle down before the April general election.\n\nFollow along here for live coverage all day.\n\nMore:Milwaukee area February primary election results\n\nMore:2022 spring primary election in Wisconsin is Feb. 15. What you should know about how to register to vote, Milwaukee's mayor race and more.\n\nMilwaukee County Board candidate who claimed Glendale might become 'African shanytown' loses bid\n\nFirst-time candidate Peter Tase, who garnered national attention for claiming Glendale might become an \"African shantytown,\" lost in his bid for a seat on the Milwaukee County Board.\n\nLiz Sumner, the incumbent, finished first in the race for the District 1 seat with 82% of the vote, and Karen Gentile was second with 12%.\n\nTase got 354 votes for 7% of the total. Absentee votes are still outstanding.\n\nTase ended his campaign after the Journal Sentinel reported that Tase, a Walgreen's assistant manager, told a group of supporters in a videotaped speech that he feared the homeless problem in Glendale could turn it into an \"African shantytown.\"\n\nBut Tase dropped out of the race too late to have his name removed from the ballot. He would have advanced to the general election in April had he finished among the top two vote-getters.\n\n- Dan Bice\n\nFormer state representative accused of sexual harassment is first for Milwaukee County Board seat\n\nFormer state Rep. Josh Zepnick, who lost his seat in 2018 after being accused of sexual harassment, is running first in a four-way primary for a seat on the Milwaukee County Board.\n\nWith 100% of the precincts counted, Zepnick had 37% of the vote in the contest for District 12.\n\nRunning second was Juan Miguel Martinez, who had 32% of the vote. Absentee ballots were still outstanding.\n\nZepnick served eight terms in the state Legislature before losing in 2018. The loss came less than a year after he was accused of kissing female colleagues against their will in separate incidents in 2011 and 2015.\n\n- Dan Bice\n\nMilwaukee County Sheriff Earnell Lucas will not run for re-election\n\nMilwaukee County Sheriff Earnell Lucas is not going to run for re-election this fall, according to his campaign manager, Brandon Savage.\n\nLucas, a former Milwaukee police officer and official with Major League Baseball, was elected in 2018, defeating Acting Sheriff Richard Schmidt in the Democratic primary that year.\n\nHe announced last year that he was going to run to complete the term for former Mayor Tom Barrett, who stepped down in December. But on Tuesday, Lucas was running a disappointing fifth out of seven candidates.\n\n- Dan Bice\n\nCavalier Johnson and Bob Donovan advance in Milwaukee mayoral election, though Marina Dimitrijevic allies holding out hope\n\nIt's official: Acting Mayor Cavalier Johnson has finished first in the Milwaukee mayoral primary, while former Ald. Bob Donovan is claiming that he has finished second, setting up a general election of sharp ideological and political differences.\n\nMeanwhile, allies of Ald. Marina Dimitrijevic are still holding out slim hopes of catching Donovan for second. But it would take a huge number of absentee ballots to pull that off.\n\nDimitrijevic would have to beat Donovan by at least 20 percentage points in absentee ballots.\n\n- Dan Bice\n\nMilwaukee mayoral election elections: Cavalier Johnson, Bob Donovan are top two\n\nMilwaukee Acting Mayor Cavalier Johnson cruised to victory in Tuesday's mayoral primary election, and former south side Ald. Bob Donovan was claiming a second place finish that would set up a face-off between the two in the April 5 general election.\n\nThe city, though, still has not reported the results from 23,867 absentee ballots that had been returned.\n\nIf the pair maintain their spots in the race once all the votes are counted, they will present a choice between a millennial Democrat who has risen quickly through the ranks at City Hall since first being elected in 2016 and a conservative who spent 20 years as an alderman, unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2016 and decided not to seek another term in 2020.\n\n— Alison Dirr\n\nNeenah mayoral election results: Lang, Borchardt advance\n\nNeenah mayoral candidates Jane Lang and Brian Borchardt easily advanced through Tuesday's primary election and will compete in the April 5 general election.\n\nLang received 1,749 votes (49.3% of the total) in the nonpartisan race, and Borchardt received 1,405 votes (39.6%), according to unofficial results.\n\nNewcomer Kelly Behrmann finished third with 396 votes (11.2%) and was eliminated from contention.\n\n- Duke Behnke\n\nMarshfield's mayoral election race set after spring primary\n\nBob McManus and Lois TeStrake will square off to be Marshfield’s next mayor.\n\nThey were the top two votegetters in the three-person mayoral primary on Tuesday.\n\nMcManus received 41.1% of the vote, while TeStrake had 40.6%.\n\nKen Bargender finished third with 18.4%.\n\nVotes should be tallied at Milwaukee's Central Count at 10 p.m.\n\nThere was a light din of conversation and the whir of a voting machine at Milwaukee’s central count Tuesday evening, where absentee ballots were being tallied.\n\nAbout 45 people, not including media, were present at the city Election Commission’s warehouse on south Kinnickinnic Avenue. One woman knitted. Many scrolled on their phones.\n\nElection Commission Executive Director Claire Woodall-Vogg said earlier in the day that she hoped the tallying at central count would be finished by 10 p.m.\n\n— Alison Dirr\n\nLight voter turnout in primary election at Waukesha City Hall\n\nAt Waukesha City Hall, it was the first primary election since the opening of the building one year ago, and the first since local redistricting went into effect. Amid all the newness, voter turnout among the roughly 2,900 registered voters there was light through 5 p.m., when exactly 300 residents had cast their ballot.\n\n“There is no way to make a comparison” to past elections, said Josh Pham, an election official who was planning to work the full day, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., at City Hall. He acknowledged he was curious to see whether the Waukesha School Board race would draw people in based on public debate he has heard.\n\nGina Kozlik, the city’s clerk and chief election official, said one other traditionally busy polling site in the city had drawn about 425 voters by 5 p.m. “That’s better, but still not great” in terms of voter turnout, she said.\n\n— Jim Riccioli\n\nOnly 20% of registered voters cast a ballot in Neenah mayoral primary\n\nThe voter turnout in the city of Neenah, which has a mayoral primary, was relatively low, as is common with February elections.\n\nCity Clerk Char Nagel estimated that 20% of registered voters would cast a ballot. Nearly 1,000 absentee ballots had been received by the start of the day.\n\n\"It's not like a presidential election,\" Nagel said. \"Even the April election is much bigger than today.\"\n\n— Duke Behnke\n\nTurnout low at Riverwest Elementary School after aldermanic boundaries change\n\nTypically Riverwest Elementary School in ward 134 is one of the busier polling places in Milwaukee with some of the highest turnouts. But after new aldermanic lines were drawn and the results of the latest census caused things to change, the turnout has been lower than expected.\n\nPhilip Taterczynski, chief inspector, said the ward used to cover 26 blocks, now it’s just 12. Living just a block away, he used to vote at Riverwest Elementary School, now his polling place has changed.\n\n“It hit me too,” said Taterczynski, adding the ward was reduced by roughly 400 registered voters.\n\nTaterczynski thought he would be spending the day dealing with angry voters who didn’t realize they were in the wrong polling place, but as of early afternoon, the voters have been “very philosophical” and didn’t have a problem going to another location.\n\nThe Wisconsin Elections Commission sent out postcards to registered voters to inform them of their polling place, but Taterczynski said many voters stated they did not get the postcard.\n\nDespite in-person voting going slow, Taterczynski said the area residents have always been engaged in the local elections and anticipates more voters in the spring.\n\n“This is a very politically aware neighborhood,” Taterczynski said. “A lot (of voters here) have spent their youth as political activists.”\n\n— Ricardo Torres\n\nVoters take interest in Greendale School Board primary election\n\nA slow but steady flow of voters made their way to Greendale High School Tuesday for the Greendale School Board primary election, where six candidates are vying for two available seats.\n\nCora Hansen said she came to the polls because she thinks it's important that teachers don't get lost in the shuffle.\n\n\"I think a lot of times it's more of what is going on with the kids, but I think it's important to realize what's important for the teachers, too,\" she said.\n\nBill and Paula Irish, who've lived in Greendale for 45 years, said they voted to make sure their two candidates of choice got elected, although they declined to name the two.\n\nPaula Irish said they'd like to see a return to more of an emphasis on academic achievement rather than social issues.\n\nIn addition, although their three kids all went to college, Irish said she'd like to see technical education be more of a priority in Greendale schools.\n\n\"Greendale has a heavy emphasis on four-year school continuing, which I understand, because ours all did, too, but I also see the need for the basics,\" Irish said.\n\n— Bob Dohr\n\nPoll worker says primary election turnout 'better than expected'\n\nAt Convent Hill apartments, 455 East Ogden Ave., poll workers saw a steady stream of voters from the morning into the early afternoon.\n\nAnnette Holder, working at the voter registration table, said the turnout has been “better than expected.”\n\n“Because there are mostly seniors that live in this building, they mostly vote absentee,” Holder said.\n\nShannon Romero, chief inspector at the Convent Hill polling place,\n\n“A lot of people are voting early as the new custom,” Romero said adding during the 2020 election, voters may have gotten comfortable with a ballot being mailed to their residence for them to fill out and drop off early.\n\nJim Harris voted at Convent Hill with his wife Carrie, and said it was time for a change after former Mayor Tom Barrett left his post to become the U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg.\n\n“Tom Barret wasn’t bad... he was a nice guy but he’s made to be a diplomat for Luxembourg,” Jim Harris said. “We need someone with balls to run this city. (Barrett) was such a nice guy, but too nice... we need someone who’s going to kick some ass to become the head of a big city.”\n\nHarris said he voted for Milwaukee County Sheriff Earnell Lucas to “get a police guy in there” but does not have a lot of faith that Lucas will be one of the in the top two vote getters to advance to the general election in the spring.\n\n“We need someone who’s tougher,” Jim Harris said. “We can’t have nice guy mayors in big cities.”\n\nMarried couple Darlene and John Kadlac, who voted at Convent Hill, said it was important make their voices heard during the primary election after former Mayor Tom Barrett was in office for so long.\n\n“We are starting over after a long reign, and I thought it was important for us to see the candidates out there and to help narrow it down for April,” Darlene Kadlac said adding crime and public safety were her top issues that need to be addressed. “It’s important for us to feel like we don’t have such disparity... I think we need to have more safety.”\n\nBoth of them voted for former Milwaukee Ald. Bob Donovan.\n\n“I think he’s more moderate to conservative,” John Kadlac said. “I think he’d get a little more buy in from the community.”\n\nBoth John and Darlene said they want their tax dollars to be used more wisely and not on project like The Hop.\n\n“I’d rather see the city work on the roads than The Hop,” Darlene Kadlac said. “We live right across the street from The Hop so we understand how little it’s used and how many dollars and priority is put into it.”\n\n— Ricardo Torres\n\nWeather forecasts good as voters head to the polls\n\nThe weather for primary election day across Wisconsin on Tuesday calls for mostly cloudy skies and breezy conditions with high temperatures ranging from the mid-20s north to high-30s south.\n\nIn other words, there won’t be any widespread bad weather that would keep voters away from the polls.\n\n“Election day should be pretty quiet, weather-wise,” said Rebecca Hansen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sullivan.\n\nThere could be a few snow showers along Lake Superior in northern Wisconsin, but nothing out of the ordinary for Wisconsin this time of year.\n\nIn some of the northern reaches of the state the wind chill could be a factor, but it won’t be too cold to venture out to a polling place.\n\n“You’ll need a coat,” if you are going out to vote, but “It’s not going to be too cold compared with what we’ve seen so far this winter,” Hansen said.\n\nHere’s a look at some of the high temperatures forecast for Tuesday for cities across Wisconsin:\n\nMilwaukee: Cloudy, breezy, high 36 degrees.\n\nRhinelander: Cloudy, snow showers possible, high 23.\n\nWausau: Cloudy, high 25.\n\nStevens Point: Cloudy, breezy, high 29\n\nAppleton: Cloudy, breezy, high 30.\n\nGreen Bay: Chance of flurries, breezy, high 30.\n\nEau Claire: Cloudy, breezy, high 31.\n\nLa Crosse: Cloudy, breezy, high 33.\n\nSheboygan: Cloudy, breezy, high 35.\n\nMadison: Cloudy, breezy, high 37.\n\nJanesville: Partly sunny, breezy, high 38.\n\n— Joe Taschler\n\nContact Lainey Seyler at (414) 224-2863 or lainey.seyler@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @lainey_seyler.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/02/15"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/04/03/lori-lightfoot-chicago-mayor-election-made-history/3352815002/", "title": "Lori Lightfoot: Chicago mayor election made history; does it matter?", "text": "CHICAGO – The nation’s third-largest city made history with the election of Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot, making the city of 2.7 million the nation’s largest ever to tap a black woman and openly gay mayor.\n\nBut in the end, Lightfoot’s race, gender and sexual orientation mattered little to most voters in this city that’s exhausted by political corruption, rampant gun violence and a widening chasm between the rich and poor.\n\nIn the Garfield Park neighborhood – an area devastated by violence and deep poverty – 65-year-old truck driver Charles Hill said he voted for Lightfoot, a former federal prosecutor and corporate lawyer, out of frustration with the establishment politicians who have dominated Chicago.\n\n“I hope things get better, but I’m not going to hold my breath,” said Hill, after casting his ballot at a polling site at a neighborhood school where only 14% of students met or exceeded state benchmarks for math.\n\nHill appeared hardly alone in expressing his disgust with old-style Chicago politics. Lightfoot managed to trounce her opponent, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.\n\nPreckwinkle, who has been on the Chicago political scene for nearly three decades and was widely viewed as the front-runner when she entered the race in September, didn’t manage to win even one of the city’s 50 wards. Lightfoot won nearly 75% of the vote –what she declared a mandate to change politics as usual in the city.\n\n“I think what it signals is that people across the city want a break from the broken political past,” Lightfoot told reporters Wednesday morning. “I’m excited about the prospects. We ran hard, unequivocally on ending corruption in city government, on making sure that we had a government that was far more responsive and transparent and accountable to the people.”\n\nMore:Chicago elects Lori Lightfoot as first gay and first black female mayor in city’s history\n\nLightfoot was consistent with that message when she entered the race nearly 11 months ago – a moment when she appeared to be a long-shot candidate. When the current mayor, Rahm Emanuel, made the bombshell announcement in September that he would not seek a third term, he said that he didn’t think that Chicago’s next mayor had yet entered the race.\n\nWith Emanuel’s departure, better-known – and better-funded – politicians entered the race, such as Preckwinkle, former U.S. Commerce Secretary Bill Daley, Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza and former Chicago school board President Gery Chico.\n\nBut all four of those top contenders saw their fortunes take a tumble when federal prosecutors in January charged Alderman Ed Burke, a 50-year veteran of the Chicago city council, with attempted extortion of officials from a company that operates Burger King franchises in Illinois.\n\nThe four, all longtime creatures of the Chicago political scene, had, to varying degrees, deep ties to Burke and became dirtied by the scandal.\n\nPreckwinkle received $116,000 in campaign contributions raised at a fundraiser at Burke’s home. She received $10,000 from one of the franchise operators, money she said she returned.\n\nMendoza was married at Burke’s home in a ceremony officiated by the alderman’s wife, Illinois supreme court justice Anne Burke. Chico had received Burke's endorsement.\n\nBill Daley’s family – he’s the son of late mayor Richard J. Daley and younger brother of former Mayor Richard M. Daley and Cook County Commissioner John Daley – received about $30,000 in political donations from Burke over the years.\n\nMore:As Chicago readies to elect first black female mayor, campaign rhetoric gets ugly\n\nIronically, Burke, who ran for re-election as he awaits trial, managed in February to win another four-year term to represent his Southwest Side ward. He won a majority of the vote in the first round of voting and avoided a runoff.\n\nBut with the shadow of the scandal, Lightfoot’s message of rooting out corruption resonated with voters in the mayor’s race. Despite ranking sixth in fundraising among 14 candidates in February’s first round of voting, she finished first in voting among the crowded field and advanced to Tuesday’s runoff against Preckwinkle.\n\n“I wanted somebody that was going to do more than collect their money,” said voter Anita Williams, a resident on the city’s West Side, who cast her vote for Lightfoot.\n\nLightfoot will be sworn in next month and will immediately face some thorny issues.\n\nThe current contract for the Chicago Public Teachers Union, which represents about 25,000 teachers, expires at the end June. She’ll also need to quickly come up with a budget for 2020 that requires the city dole out an extra $276 million for the city’s pensions funds. Currently, the city has $28 billion in unmet pension obligations.\n\nIn her victory speech, Lightfoot said that she and other leaders must quickly stanch an exodus of residents.\n\n“A shrinking city, which is where we are right now, just will not do,” Lightfoot said. “To thrive, Chicago must grow. It simply must.”\n\nAlex Chavez, 25, a software engineer who lives on the Northwest Side, said he worries about whether Chicago will remain an affordable place where he and his extended family can stay.\n\nChavez is not alone in his anxiety about Chicago’s future. About 36% of Chicagoans ages 18 to 29 said they planned to leave Chicago, according to a study published last month by the group GenForward. The respondents expressed concerns about the city’s politics, access to good schools and discrimination by police in neighborhoods that are black and Latino.\n\nMore:Chicago votes: Who are the two women looking to make history as first black female mayor?\n\nWhile some impoverished neighborhoods on the South and West Sides have lost tens of thousands of black residents over the last decade, other areas of the city – including once working-class neighborhoods like the one where Chavez lives – are becoming less affordable.\n\n“I have a pretty good job and it’s still tough,” Chavez said. “How are people who don’t have good jobs managing?”", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2019/04/03"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2023/03/02/black-representation-phoenix-city-council/69782810007/", "title": "Inside effort to bring Black representation to Phoenix City Council", "text": "Corrections & Clarifications: A previous version of this article misstated who was appointed to a council seat in 2018.\n\nOn Zoom meetings from the confines of two homes about 20 minutes south of downtown Phoenix, an effort is underway to bring Black representation back to the City Council that governs the nation's fifth most populous municipality.\n\nFor decades, Black community leaders in south Phoenix successfully pipelined Black candidates to run for City Council. Sometimes called \"the old guard,\" this group included men like former City Councilmembers Michael Johnson, Cody Williams and Calvin Goode as well as community leaders, like civil rights activist and pastor Warren Stewart Sr. But frustrations were percolating among Black political organizers of a younger generation who felt shut out of the pipeline and process of advancing candidates.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/02"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/50-states/2021/05/13/beckoning-tourists-evangelical-outreach-vaccine-sweeteners-news-around-states/116175936/", "title": "Beckoning tourists, evangelical outreach: News from around our 50 ...", "text": "From USA TODAY Network and wire reports\n\nAlabama\n\nMontgomery: With the state’s jobless numbers already nearing pre-pandemic levels and competition on the rise in a changed job market, the search for hospitality workers may not end with Alabama’s participation in federal supplemental unemployment benefits. Some who lost jobs in the industry “went off and found a job that has more … dependable wages,” said Jacqueline Allen, spokeswoman for state workforce development agency AIDT. “Everybody who basically wants a job right now has a job.” That’s My Child youth nonprofit founder Charles Lee said every member of his teens-to-work training program now graduates with a job, and the phone keeps ringing with employers asking for more. Meanwhile, he said federal relief payments and jobless benefits have changed people’s outlook on what’s possible. “It’s the most money some people have ever seen,” Lee said. “I think it’s just whoever is willing to go up to that $15 is going to get that workforce.” Transportation and child care issues were complicated by the pandemic, too. Child care alone is pricey in the best of times, if it’s available at all. Sam Addy of the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Alabama estimated better access to child care could bring 120,000 more people into the state’s labor force.\n\nAlaska\n\nAnchorage: The runoff race for mayor remained too close to call after Tuesday’s election, with the two candidates separated by only about 100 votes and thousands of ballots still uncounted. Preliminary election results showed Forrest Dunbar leading opponent Dave Bronson by a slim margin, garnering 50.08% of the votes tallied thus far, Anchorage Daily News reports. The election was on track for a record number of votes cast. An unknown amount of ballots cast in person Tuesday, left in secure ballot boxes throughout the city or postmarked by Election Day continue to arrive. As more ballots arrive, it’s likely that turnout will eclipse the city’s last record in the 2018 race for mayor. While technically nonpartisan, the mayoral race has been heated, fomenting partisan divisions among residents who disagree over how the city should move forward. The two candidates take starkly contrasting approaches to issues like the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, the homelessness crisis and the city’s economy. Bronson has criticized Anchorage’s public health measures and restrictions on businesses and targeted Dunbar over the city’s handling of homelessness. Meanwhile, Dunbar has largely supported the city’s pandemic policies, saying that without them, more people would have died from COVID-19.\n\nArizona\n\nPhoenix: Gov. Doug Ducey’s order last month rescinding the mask mandate for schools inflamed and confused the debate over face coverings, as many parents incorrectly interpreted it as a “masks off” directive. Ducey’s action tossed the decision to school administrators, putting them in the driver’s seat on mask policy. For many, it has been a hot seat. “It’s been pretty wild,” said Deb Dillon, president of the Prescott Unified School District board. Prescott opted to make mask usage voluntary last month but reversed itself May 4 after a coronavirus outbreak. The Prescott meeting was orderly, in contrast to earlier events in southern Arizona, where anti-mask protesters crowded into lobbies outside the board meetings of the Vail and Tanque Verde districts, demanding to speak. Both meetings were canceled. The protesters at Vail held a mock election to appoint themselves school officials. That led to incorrect accounts that circulated nationwide that their complaints had scared the official board members into quitting. The Arizona School Boards Association issued a statement condemning actions that threaten school board members. “Too often this year they have been treated as faceless bureaucrats who are optimal targets to release rage and frustration over the circumstances of the pandemic,” the statement said.\n\nArkansas\n\nLittle Rock: Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday formed a panel to come up with ways to spend the $1.5 billion the state is receiving from the latest federal coronavirus relief package. The Republican governor formed a 15-member steering committee for the state’s share of the $1.9 trillion relief measure that became law in March. Hutchinson formed a similar committee for the coronavirus relief money that was approved last year. The panel will be made up of eight Cabinet members and three members each from the state House and Senate. “We have to be methodical about this and not rushed,” Hutchinson told reporters. The U.S. Treasury Department on Monday issued broad guidance on how the relief funds can be spent. Hutchinson said he believed the priority for the state’s share of the relief spending should be capital investments, citing broadband and cybersecurity as two areas he’d like funded with the additional money. “It needs to be investments we can make that do not incur long-term spending and indebtedness of the state,” Hutchinson said. Because Arkansas’ unemployment rate is not significantly higher than its pre-pandemic level, the state is eligible to receive just half of its $1.5 billion allotment immediately, with the rest being provided one year later.\n\nCalifornia\n\nLong Beach: The city is offering tickets to the Aquarium of the Pacific as an incentive to overcome resistance to COVID-19 vaccinations. Long Beach will give two aquarium tickets to anyone receiving their first dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at city-run vaccination sites, the city said Tuesday. The offer runs through Saturday. “While we have made tremendous strides in vaccinating 60% of eligible Long Beach residents and 96% of our seniors, we know that vaccine hesitancy for some is real,” Mayor Robert Garcia said in a statement. “We are going to do everything we can to encourage folks to get vaccinated, and that includes incentives.” The Aquarium of the Pacific is one of the Los Angeles region’s major attractions, drawing about 1.7 million visitors annually. A regular adult general admission ticket costs $36.95. City Health and Human Services Director Kelly Colopy said the recent slowdown in vaccinations in California includes Long Beach, and officials are looking for innovative solutions.\n\nColorado\n\nColorado Springs: Some health officials have warned that continued high numbers of COVID-19 hospitalizations point to the pandemic not being over yet despite the state’s average infection rate decreasing by nearly a third since April. Colorado was averaging 1,731 newly confirmed coronavirus cases each day in late April – the most since Jan. 19 – but the numbers have fallen nearly every day since then, The Gazette reports. The state has averaged 1,182 newly confirmed cases over the past week, health officials said. “Colorado is heading in a positive direction again, and vaccination coverage is almost certainly playing a key role in this decline,” said Glen Mays, chair of the Colorado School of Public Health’s department of health systems. But Elizabeth Carlton, who also works for the department, said there are more worrying metrics, including hospitalizations. Carlton said the state was averaging about 100 new hospital admissions from COVID-19 daily since April 28, but that figure has risen to more than 650 as of Monday. Carlton said the metric means the “the number of people developing severe COVID-19 in Colorado doesn’t appear to be declining right now.” Some researchers said infection control efforts have fallen, and the time people spend away from home is rising, meaning current trends could continue.\n\nConnecticut\n\nHartford: Nursing home workers continue to struggle with severe staffing shortages, a lack of protective equipment and low pay during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report released Monday, days before planned employee strikes across the state. The report also accuses nursing home owners of failing to follow federal guidance on the use of protective equipment and having inadequate infection control, testing and quarantine procedures during the pandemic. It alleges state officials haven’t done enough to oversee nursing homes and hold them accountable. The report, titled “We Were Abandoned: How Connecticut Failed Nursing Home Workers and Residents During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” was written by Yale Law School students for the Service Employees International Union’s District 1199 New England, which represents about 5,000 nursing home workers in Connecticut. “These workers risk their lives and the lives of their loved ones back home to care for these residents in unsafe conditions and for low pay,” Yale student Aaron Bryce Lee said at a news conference Monday. “The state must make the financial investments necessary to improve compensation, benefits and staffing levels.” Workers at 33 nursing homes are ready to strike beginning Friday if demands for better wages, benefits and staffing aren’t met.\n\nDelaware\n\nDover: Delaware State University will cancel more than $700,000 in student debt for recent graduates who “faced financial hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the school announced Wednesday. The average eligible student will qualify for about $3,276 in debt relief, the school said. The funds, which will total $730,655, became available through the federal government’s latest coronavirus relief package. More than 200 students qualify, according to the university. A spokesperson for the school, Carlos Holmes, said most students should already know if they’ve qualified, but they can check with financial aid. School President Tony Allen said the debt reduction is consistent with the school’s initiatives to keep student debt manageable. “We haven’t raised our tuition in over six years; we issue every incoming student an iPad or a MacBook; we are replacing traditional textbooks with less expensive digital editions, and our Early College High School saves the average family of nearly $50,000 in college expenses,” he said in a statement. “Our students don’t just come here for a quality college experience. Most are trying to change the economic trajectory of their lives for themselves, their families, and their communities. Our responsibility is to do everything we can to put them on the path.”\n\nDistrict of Columbia\n\nWashington: Residents face a Friday deadline to apply for a local program to help those who have fallen behind on their mortgage because of the pandemic, WUSA-TV reports. The Home Saver Program, offered by the D.C. Housing Finance Agency, has $4 million on the table to aid families in need, said Christopher Donald, executive director and CEO of the agency. “You’ve got to be a resident of the District of Columbia,” Donald said. “If they own a home here, and it’s their primary residence, and they’re behind on their mortgage, they’re either unemployed or underemployed, they can get up to 16 months of assistance, up to $60,000.” Money is also available through the Restore Program for people who have returned to work but need a boost to get out of the red. “The assistance does cover delinquent condo fees and HOA fees,” Donald said. The money comes in the form of a grant, so it doesn’t have to be paid back, and there is no income requirement to apply. Relief is also available for small landlords who have taken a financial hit during the pandemic.\n\nFlorida\n\nPensacola: Hot dogs, hamburgers, minor league baseball and COVID-19 shots are coming together. This week at Blue Wahoos Stadium, adult ticket buyers are eligible to receive the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine at several games. The shots were distributed Tuesday and will also be available at games Saturday and Sunday. J&J’s vaccine requires only one dose. Shots will be available to eligible fans for free, with no appointment necessary. “The Blue Wahoos’ mission statement is to improve the quality of life in our community, so when we had the opportunity to partner with the Florida Department of Health, it was a no-brainer for us,” said Donna Kirby, the team’s vice president of operations. “We thought, ‘Absolutely.’ What great fun to have fans back for baseball, to be able to provide them with vaccinations if they so choose.” A total of 500 doses will be administered at the ballpark on a first-come, first-served basis. They will not be divvied up over the course of the three games, Kirby said, so there is a possibility that all 500 shots could be administered before the end of the three-game stretch. To get in the spirit, team President Jonathan Griffith will receive his shot during the seventh-inning stretch of Saturday’s game.\n\nGeorgia\n\nAtlanta: Twelve-year-old Jane Ellen Norman is looking forward to a little more freedom in her life and a possible return to summer camp after getting her first dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday, one day after U.S. regulators expanded its use to children her age through 15. Georgia is one of the first states to open up the shots, Reuters reports. Being able to see her friends without staying far apart and worrying they might get sick was top of mind for Jane Ellen after her shot at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta. “I hope they all get vaccinated,” the sixth grader said. Jane Ellen’s mom, English Norman, said she scheduled an appointment for her daughter and 14-year-old son immediately after hearing about the FDA authorization. She said her kids have been good about wearing masks, washing their hands and staying socially distant, but they’ve still been very anxious about leaving the house. “I think it’s exciting that now their anxiety can start to lessen and they can feel safe,” she said. Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock said Monday that the authorization brings the country “closer to returning to a sense of normalcy and to ending the pandemic.” For Jane Ellen, that means a chance to go back to her summer camp, which was canceled last year as the pandemic raged. “I’m excited to go there and see all my camp friends,” she said.\n\nHawaii\n\nHonolulu: The chief executive of a company accused of defrauding banks of money meant to assist businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic pleaded not guilty Wednesday. Martin Kao, CEO of Martin Defense Group LLC, formerly known as Navatek LLC, is charged with bank fraud and money laundering. Authorities say he defrauded banks of more than $12.8 million through the Paycheck Protection Program, which Congress authorized to provide emergency financial assistance through forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and other expenses. Kao transferred more than $2 million into his own personal accounts, according to an indictment. Investigators talked to an executive and a former employee who said the company wasn’t affected by the pandemic, court documents said. Authorities describe his company as a “research, engineering, design, and innovations company that specializes in novel systems for the Department of Defense and other partners in academia and other scientific fields.” During a brief arraignment via telephone Wednesday, defense attorney Michael Green entered the not guilty plea on behalf of Kao.\n\nIdaho\n\nBoise: The state is moving into a new stage of Gov. Brad Little’s coronavirus reopening plans and lifting restrictions on the size of gatherings. Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Director Dave Jeppesen made the announcement Tuesday, noting that the state’s health care system isn’t strained and that plenty of vaccine is available for interested residents. “Eighty-three percent of hospitals are operating as normal, and there’s no hospital in the state that has a resource limitation going on,” Jeppesen said during a news conference. In November and December, some hospitals were intermittently turning away people or sending them elsewhere because they didn’t have enough healthy staffers or available beds to admit them. In Stage 3 of the reopening plan, gatherings were supposed to be limited to 50 or fewer people, though political, religious, educational and health care events were exempt from the restriction. The current move to Stage 4 means there is no limit on gatherings, though public health officials are encouraging people to follow guidance from federal and local health agencies on how to gather safely. Face coverings are still recommended at times when physical distancing is difficult, and people and businesses should continue to follow physical distancing and sanitation recommendations, Jeppesen said.\n\nIllinois\n\nSpringfield: Capitalizing on the availability of vaccines, cabin fever and an imminent easing of pandemic restrictions, Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday launched a $6million advertising campaign to promote road-trip tourism and revive Illinois’ devastated hospitality industry. The “Time for Me to Drive” campaign makes use of a play on words from the 1978 song “Time for Me to Fly” by REO Speedwagon, a rock band that got its start in Champaign. The campaign will focus on attracting visitors from within Illinois and from surrounding states to hundreds of sites where they can enjoy Chicago architecture, southern Illinois wineries, hiking in state parks, restaurants throughout the state, and Springfield’s Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. “More and more travelers are ready to get back out there,” Pritzker said at a news conference at the presidential library. “Recent surveys show that half of Americans plan to travel this summer, and half of them intend to drive. ... After an incredibly difficult year in which the pandemic kept us all close to home and staying apart, lifesaving vaccines are bringing us back to life and heading toward a summer of fun and venturing out.” More than 60 potential driving itineraries are available online at enjoyillinois.com.\n\nIndiana\n\nFishers: The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra is bringing back its popular Symphony on the Prairie performances, a year after the pandemic forced the cancellation of the long-running outdoor concert series. Officials announced Monday that this year’s Kroger Symphony on the Prairie season will begin June 25 with the symphony’s rendition of songs by the Beatles performed for an audience on the grassy lawn at suburban Indianapolis’ Conner Prairie. A series of other performances will be held throughout the summer at the venue in Fishers, just north of Indianapolis, with the last performances set for early September. Tickets go on sale May 24. This year’s concerts will be different after last year’s shows were canceled for the first time in the events’ 40-year history due to the threat that the coronavirus posed to musicians, staff and patrons. The symphony plans to sell only up to 4,000 tickets – or 50% of the venue’s capacity – for the first concerts to help patrons maintain social distance. The dance floor in front of the performance stage will also be closed, and there will be limits on table rentals and reserved seating. People will also have to wear masks when entering the venue, on pathways, in restrooms, and when they wait in line for food and drinks.\n\nIowa\n\nIndianola: Simpson College won’t require students, staff or faculty to get vaccinated before the fall semester, but it also plans to hold off on returning to normal campus operations until most have gotten their COVID-19 shots. The college’s crisis management team, led by Heidi Levine, vice president for student development and planning, and Simpson President Marsha Kelliher’s leadership cabinet, announced the decision on the college’s online COVID-19 dashboard last week. According to the announcement, the team hopes to see 80% of the campus community vaccinated before transitioning to a “Green” operating phase, but it also plans to strongly encourage everyone on campus to get vaccinated. Some colleges across the country have recently announced vaccine requirements, “but that is still the minority of colleges,” Levine said, adding that Grinnell College is the only Iowa college of which she’s aware that plans to require students to be inoculated by August. Grinnell College officials announced the requirement last month but said students will be able to request an exemption for medical or religious reasons.\n\nKansas\n\nKansas City: The families of 16 students have sued two suburban Kansas City school districts, arguing their children should be allowed to attend school during the pandemic without wearing masks. “The parents are terribly, terribly upset. There’s a groundswell of dissatisfaction,” said their attorney, Linus Baker. The Kansas City Star reports the lawsuit against the Blue Valley and Olathe school districts in Johnson County argues students should be granted individual exemptions to mask mandates. The parents contend masks are interfering with their children’s ability to learn. Districts offer medical exemptions, generally for students with special needs or disabilities. They also relax mask rules for students during some sports and other activities. Two parents already have medical exemptions but are suing to seek reimbursement for the costs to obtain them. Both districts have fielded challenges since the Legislature passed a bill that empowers parents to fight COVID-19 restrictions. But their school boards have so far upheld their mask mandates. District officials have argued that the mandates cannot be repealed under the new law because they were enacted last summer. The law requires individuals to contest them within 30 days.\n\nKentucky\n\nFrankfort: The state government will receive more than $2.1 billion from the latest round of federal coronavirus aid – a smaller-than-projected amount due to the commonwealth’s improving economic performance, Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday. The U.S. Treasury announced state allocations based on a formula that included each state’s share of the nation’s unemployed from October through December 2020, Beshear said. Kentucky performed better than expected during that period, he said. As a result, its allotment will be $2.18 billion, down from an initial estimate that state government would receive $2.44 billion, he said. “In other words, Kentucky has recovered stronger than the federal government anticipated, faster than most, and it impacted a little bit on the dollars that will be available to us,” the Democratic governor said at a news conference. Beshear has pointed to a recent series of upbeat economic developments – from record sales tax collections to a credit rating agency’s upgraded assessment of the state’s financial outlook – in touting Kentucky’s prospects as more people get COVID-19 vaccines. He has used the economic news to try to deflect criticism from some prominent Republicans calling for a much faster pace in lifting remaining virus restrictions.\n\nLouisiana\n\nShreveport: New research being done at LSU Health Shreveport offers an up-close view of how SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, can spread to the brain. The study helps explain the alarming array of neurological symptoms reported in some patients with COVID-19 and reveals clues as to why some patients suffer severe neurological effects, while others experience none at all. The researchers, working with colleagues at Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha in Spain, report evidence that SARS-CoV-2 can infect both neurons, the nerve cells that power the brain, and astrocytes, the cells in the brain and spinal cord that support and protect neurons. “Our findings suggest that astrocytes are a pathway through which COVID-19 causes neurological damage,” said Dr. Ricardo Costa, a postdoctoral fellow at LSU Health Shreveport and the study’s first author. “This could explain many of the neurologic symptoms we see in COVID-19 patients, which include loss of sense of smell and taste, disorientation, psychosis and stroke.”\n\nMaine\n\nPortland: The state is rolling out free fishing licenses, baseball tickets and L.L. Bean gift cards to encourage more residents to get vaccinated before the end of the month, Gov. Janet Mills announced Tuesday. The Democratic governor unveiled the public-private program, “Your Shot to Get Outdoors,” during a virtual discussion President Joe Biden hosted with several governors. The items include up to 5,000 hunting licenses, fishing licenses, Maine Wildlife Park day passes and state park day passes, along with up to 10,000 $20 L.L. Bean gift cards and up to 5,000 Portland Sea Dog tickets and passes for Oxford Plains Speedway. “Whether you’re an angler or a hunter, a baseball fan or a racing fan, or someone who just all-around enjoys being outside, now is a great time to protect yourself from COVID-19 and take to the outdoors,” Mills said. The program led by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services comes as the number of COVID-19 vaccinations administered dipped to less than 63,000 last week, down from a peak of more than 125,000 doses in the first week that eligibility opened to all adults. The state hopes the new program along with federal approval of a COVID-19 vaccine for younger teenagers will encourage more vaccinations.\n\nMaryland\n\nOcean City: Seeking a big comeback after a pandemic-decimated 2020, city officials are hoping a new ad campaign will remind Americans of just why they love visiting the resort for summer vacation. About this time last year, Ocean City was reopening its hotels, beach and Boardwalk after COVID-19 forced closures. Despite reopening for the 2020 summer season, the pandemic wreaked havoc on Ocean City, causing businesses and the town to lose millions. This May, hotels, as well as the beach and Boardwalk, are all open, and “the pathway to the summer much brighter than it was last year,” Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan said. This year’s ads offer a relatively traditional message, reminding viewers of the memories they’ve made at the beach and encouraging them to come make new ones. In one commercial, heartfelt music plays as a narrator reminds viewers that the 10 miles of beach in Ocean City aren’t “just made of sand and water; it’s made of memories.” That message has been carefully crafted since the end of last year, said Jessica Waters, the city’s acting tourism director. The two ads, “10 Miles of Memories” and “Ocean Calling,” were developed to focus on the “simple moments” and memories people create at the beach.\n\nMassachusetts\n\nBoston: While there was a slight increase in the overall number of confirmed and suspected opioid-related drug overdose deaths in the state in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic, overdose deaths among Black men soared by almost 70%, health officials said Wednesday. There were 2,104 confirmed and suspected opioid-related overdose deaths in the state last year, a 5% increase over the prior year, according to a report from the Department of Public Health. Among Black, non-Hispanic males, the confirmed opioid-related overdose death rate increased 69%, from 32.6 to 55.1 per 100,000 people – the highest increase of any ethnic or racial group in 2020. “The disparities in overdose trends among Black men underscore the need to continue our public health-centered, data-driven approach to the opioid epidemic that is disproportionately impacting high-risk, high-need priority populations,” Public Health Commissioner Dr. Monica Bharel said. Battling opioid use was complicated by the coronavirus pandemic, but Massachusetts is among the states with the smallest increases in all drug overdose deaths last year, officials said. “Both the COVID-19 pandemic and the opioid epidemic have underscored the importance of supporting disproportionately impacted communities,” Republican Gov. Charlie Baker said in a statement.\n\nMichigan\n\nLansing: Health officials on Wednesday urged primary care physicians to enroll to administer COVID-19 vaccines, as the state prepared to quickly begin vaccinating 12- to 15-year-olds following U.S. authorization. “The most important thing we can do right now is to make vaccines available for whenever someone is ready,” Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the state’s chief medical executive and chief health deputy, said during a news conference. “We know that patients trust their doctors, and when they are ready to get vaccinated, we want you to have vaccine on hand.” She encouraged doctors to check whether their patients have been vaccinated and ask if they have any questions. About 55% of Michigan residents ages 16 and older have been inoculated. The push to make doses available in physicians’ offices will complement the state’s focus on taking mobile clinics to places such as churches and vaccinating people who are homebound. Dr. Srikar Reddy, president-elect of the Michigan Academy of Family Physicians, said it is time to shift attention to residents who are hesitant about the vaccine and to the newly eligible children. “It only makes sense to visit your family physician to get vaccinated and to get your teenager vaccinated, too,” he said.\n\nMinnesota\n\nMinneapolis: The state government will get about $200 million more than it was expecting under President Joe Biden’s coronavirus relief package, and Democratic Gov. Tim Walz expressed hope Monday that new guidelines for how states can spend the aid might help speed up the slow pace of negotiations over Minnesota’s next budget. The legislative session is due to adjourn next Monday, but the governor and leaders of the divided Legislature have yet to agree on target numbers for a dozen broad spending bills at the core of the state’s next two-year budget, which is expected to come in at about $50 billion. Walz told reporters that at least they now know how Minnesota can and can’t spend its $2.8 billion in federal relief. “The clarification from Treasury is huge,” he said. “That’s what we’ve been waiting on.” Republican leaders said the new federal guidance clears the way for Minnesota to exempt Paycheck Protection Program loans and extended unemployment insurance benefits from state taxes, which have been GOP priorities this session. Democrats have sought to cap the PPP exemption so that larger, profitable companies would pay taxes on forgiven loans.\n\nMississippi\n\nJackson: The state will stop accepting supplemental unemployment benefits from the federal government next month, Republican Gov. Tate Reeves said Monday. Reeves said the weekly supplement of $300 per person was intended to help people “who are unemployed through no fault of their own” because of the coronavirus pandemic. “After many conversations over the last several weeks with Mississippi small business owners and their employees, it has become clear that the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and other like programs passed by the Congress may have been necessary in May of last year but are no longer so in May of this year,” Reeves wrote on Facebook. He said he’s directed the Mississippi Department of Employment Security to tell the federal government that the state will opt out of the additional federal unemployment benefits June 12, the earliest date allowed by federal law. Without the federal supplement, the maximum weekly unemployment benefit in Mississippi is $235, according to the department. “It has become clear to me that we cannot have a full economic recovery until we get the thousands of available jobs in our state filled,” Reeves wrote. A 40-hour-per-week job at the minimum wage of $7.25 an hour would pay $290 a week before taxes are taken out.\n\nMissouri\n\nJefferson City: State lawmakers pushed back Wednesday against local coronavirus restrictions, passing legislation limiting the duration of public health orders that have shut down businesses and schools and limited how many people can gather. The legislation would limit emergency orders restricting businesses, churches, schools or gatherings to 30 days, unless extended by the local governing body. It would take effect immediately upon Gov. Mike Parson’s signature, meaning it could affect pandemic restrictions still in place in St. Louis County or other jurisdictions. It also would affect any future local health orders. “We want to be able to get this enforced as soon as possible,” said House Speaker Pro Tem John Wiemann, R-O’Fallon, who handled the bill. The House and Senate passed the legislation by overwhelming votes and with little discussion. Lawmakers have complained repeatedly during this year’s session about local pandemic restrictions that they say infringe on individual liberties and the ability to earn a living. The bill would allow local governing bodies to halt public health orders at any time by a majority vote. It also would prohibit cities and counties that receive public funds from requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination to use public accommodations or transportation systems.\n\nMontana\n\nHelena: The state is sharing COVID-19 vaccines with Canadian truck drivers from neighboring Alberta. About 2,000 truck drivers from the province who transport goods from Canada to the U.S. are eligible to be vaccinated at a highway rest stop near Conrad through May 23, according to a memorandum of understanding signed between the state and the Canadian province. “By working together and taking this critical action, we keep our trade channels open between Montana and Alberta,” Gov. Greg Gianforte said in a statement. The border between Canada and the U.S. has been closed to all but essential traffic since last spring. “Alberta depends on trade with our American neighbors and this program will ensure our goods get to market while stopping the spike of COVID-19,” Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said in a statement. The province has reported record numbers of new COVID-19 cases this month. A similar program to vaccinate truck drivers from Canada began in North Dakota last month. The announcement came after the Blackfeet tribe in northern Montana gave about 1,000 doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to their relatives and neighbors across the border last month.\n\nNebraska\n\nOmaha: A sweeping bill that would shield businesses and local governments from coronavirus-related lawsuits won initial approval from state lawmakers Tuesday, despite complaints that senators haven’t done enough for workers who were at risk. Lawmakers advanced the proposal, 39-3, through the first of three required votes. The measure would bar pandemic-related lawsuits against businesses or governments as long as they were following federal public health guidelines. At least 29 other states have enacted laws addressing the issue, including 12 that are similar to the Nebraska proposal, said state Sen. Tom Briese, of Albion, the measure’s sponsor. He said Nebraska businesses face the threat of “needless, unwarranted” lawsuits from the pandemic if lawmakers don’t pass legal protections. The proposal has strong backing from Nebraska businesses, hospitals, schools, counties and cities. Organizations representing Nebraska trial attorneys and public school teachers opposed it. Some senators also criticized the bill because they said lawmakers haven’t done enough to help on-the-ground workers who faced the pandemic directly, risking their own health. Lawmakers this year have rejected paid sick-leave requirements for businesses and additional coronavirus protections for meatpacking workers.\n\nNevada\n\nLas Vegas: Gambling giant MGM Resorts International on Wednesday joined a growing number of Las Vegas Strip casinos with state regulatory approval to open casino floors at 100% capacity and no person-to-person distancing requirement. The company said the Nevada Gaming Control Board granted its waiver for nine properties based on its workforce vaccination rate. “We will continue working to vaccinate as many people as possible and remain vigilant with health and safety protocols,” company CEO & President Bill Hornbuckle said in a statement. Approval applies to casino floors at the Bellagio, ARIA, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, Mirage, New York-New York, Luxor, Excalibur and Park MGM. Three-foot distancing and 80% occupancy restrictions remain at restaurants, swimming pools and other non-gambling areas. Masks are still required. Clark County lawmakers with jurisdiction over Las Vegas-area businesses have approved plans to allow 100% occupancy once 60% of eligible county residents get a vaccine shot. As of Tuesday, the figure was 47%. Southern Nevada Health District Chief Health Officer Dr. Fermin Leguen said the county might not reach the threshold by June 1, given lagging demand.\n\nNew Hampshire\n\nConcord: The Prouty, an annual event to raise money for cancer research, is allowing some in-person participation this year, its 40th, after going virtual last summer because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Prouty combines cycling, walking and other events to raise funds for the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Norris Cotton Cancer Center. This year, in-person options include golf July 9 in Grantham, a 20-mile cycle July 10 in Hanover and a 5K walk July 11 in Hanover. Designated start times will be assigned to small groups to meet capacity restrictions. Local health guidelines and enhanced safety protocols will be followed. People can participate in activities virtually between June 1 and July 10. “The Prouty has always been about hope, and this year’s hybrid model is a stepping stone to a return to normalcy from the pandemic,” said Jacklynn Rodriguez, executive director for the Friends of the Norris Cotton Cancer Center. Since its inception in 1982, The Prouty has raised more than $50 million to support cancer research and patient and family support services.\n\nNew Jersey\n\nNew Brunswick: For the second year in a row, Rutgers University will host virtual commencement ceremonies for graduates of its New Brunswick, Newark and Camden campuses. However, the school announced Tuesday that it will commend the graduates of 2020 and 2021 with in-person celebrations this fall. A notice on the university’s website asks students to save dates for their campus’s events: Rutgers New Brunswick and Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences on Oct. 22-23, Rutgers Newark on Nov. 8-10 and Rutgers Camden on Dec. 1-4. “While we had hoped to bring you together sooner, the continuing public health emergency associated with the pandemic prevented us until now,” said a statement signed by University President Jonathan Holloway and each school’s chancellor. Details on the events will be posted to the university’s website at a later date. “We are excited that Rutgers will have the opportunity this fall to bring you together in person and salute you for your accomplishments,” the announcement said.\n\nNew Mexico\n\nLas Cruces: A year after holding only drive-thru graduations, the school district for the state’s second most populous city has scheduled in-person graduation ceremonies at the district’s soccer stadium for its six high schools over two days later this month. Las Cruces Public Schools scheduled ceremonies May 21 for Onate and Mayfield high schools and Arrowhead Park Early College High School and on May 22 for Las Cruces and Centennial high schools and Rio Grande Preparatory Institute. Each graduating senior can invite up to 16 ticketed people, with the limit set due to the COVID-19 pandemic plus construction-related traffic in the area of the Field of Dreams stadium. Social distancing and mask-wearing will be required for all attendees while inside the venue. “I do want to thank all the graduates for their continuous resilience throughout this whole pandemic and really doing the best that they can,” interim Superintendent Ralph Ramos said. “We want to have this ceremony.” Ramos said the district is looking into ways to celebrate the class of 2020, which didn’t have a normal graduation.\n\nNew York\n\nAlbany: State regulators will soon draft rules that will require employers to protect workers from airborne infectious disease. A new state law tasks state labor and health officials with coming up with minimum workplace standards around things like the availability of personal protective equipment, social distancing and quarantine requirements. Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the bill into law last week. Employers will have to come up with safety plans that comply with the yet-to-be written state standards and provide them to workers. Employers who don’t comply could face fines. Workers could also sue for up to $20,000 from employers who don’t follow safety standards or retaliate against workers for reporting noncompliance. The law was intended to help people like Maritza Ovalles, who has worked in the nail salon industry for over two decades but left her job when the COVID-19 pandemic struck and left her exposed in a workplace that she said lacked adequate health and safety protections. “When the pandemic began, the level of risk of not having proper protections was life or death,” said Ovalles, who advocates for better working conditions as a member of the NY Nail Salon Workers Association.\n\nNorth Carolina\n\nAsheville: Public health officials across Western North Carolina are asking the public to get involved as they work to identify the most pressing health needs for the next three years, such as impacts from COVID-19, cancer or infant mortality. National research firm PRC will conduct phone surveys with 300 Buncombe County residents through June, a confidential survey asking about residents’ health status, behaviors and experiences, according to a statement announcing the start of data collection. The 20-minute surveys will go to randomly selected households, but even folks who don’t get the call can take the survey online at www.buncombecounty.org/publichealth. Buncombe County Public Health Director Stacie Saunders urged residents to take part. “If you receive the call to participate, please do lend your voice to the survey,” she said in the release. “This is your opportunity to help us identify health priorities in our community.” Buncombe is joining 17 other counties this year in the regional community health assessment, WNC Healthy Impact, a collaboration with hospital organizations, public health departments and other community partners.\n\nNorth Dakota\n\nBismarck: The United Tribes Technical College International Powwow and associated events will return late this summer after a year’s hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, the Tribal Leaders Summit that’s traditionally held at the Bismarck Event Center before the outdoor powwow has been called off for a second year. The Bismarck Tribune reports this year’s powwow will be the weekend of Sept. 10-12, starting with the grand entry Friday night and continuing through Sunday. Associated events will include Powwow Youth Day that Friday, a golf tournament Friday, a three-day softball tournament and a three-day youth basketball tournament beginning Friday, and the Powwow Thunderbird Run on Saturday. The powwow put on by the five American Indian tribes in North Dakota typically brings about 10,000 people to Bismarck and boosts the area economy by more than $4 million, according to the college. It attracts dancers from dozens of tribes across the U.S. and Canada and awards more than $100,000 in prize money. It’s considered one of the top powwows in the nation. United Tribes uses proceeds to fund student scholarships.\n\nOhio\n\nCincinnati: State lawmakers have passed changes to ensure that if Kroger is allowed to sell flowers during a pandemic, the local florist can, too. Senate Bill 134, also known as the Business Fairness Act, passed the Ohio Senate 31-0 on Wednesday. The measure would prevent Gov. Mike DeWine’s administration from closing small businesses while their larger competitors remain open, assuming everyone can follow the same safety guidelines. “I would argue you are safer in a small business where you may be the only customer in that business at that time,” Sen. George Lang, R-West Chester, said on the floor Wednesday. The disparity came to light in March 2020 when DeWine’s state health department closed a slew of businesses to prevent the spread of COVID-19 but allowed groceries, pharmacies and other businesses to remain open. The result: Wal-Mart and Kroger stayed open, while the local jeweler had to close. “The playing field must be level,” said Chris Ferruso, a lobbyist for Ohio’s National Federation of Independent Business. “The government should not be picking winners and losers.” And small businesses were among the losers last year. A survey of National Federation of Independent Business members found 1 in 3 closed because of COVID-19 orders.\n\nOklahoma\n\nOklahoma City: A new state law that creates a sales tax exemption for the University Hospitals Authority and Trust will grant OU Health funding to train more medical professionals. The law recently approved by the Legislature and Gov. Kevin Stitt restores a sales tax exemption that will allow the health system to train 160 additional nursing graduates and nurse practitioners annually and 70 additional medical residents within three years. State lawmakers and University of Oklahoma officials said the law will help address Oklahoma’s nurse and physician shortage and improve medical care across the state. Oklahoma has 40% fewer nurses per capita than the national average, said OU College of Nursing Dean Julie Hoff. “These nurses will soon be on the front lines of health care, allowing our facilities to increase their staffing levels and making it easier for everyone in the state to get the care they need,” she said. The state is 46th in the nation for physicians per capita, OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. said at a news conference Tuesday.\n\nOregon\n\nPortland: Gov. Kate Brown on Tuesday announced statewide and county COVID-19 vaccination targets, with the hope of reopening the state’s economy. Most statewide restrictions will be lifted when 70% of residents 16 and older receive their first vaccine dose, Brown said. In addition, counties will be eligible to move into the “lower risk” category when 65% of the area’s eligible population is vaccinated. “We still have some work to do to reach our 70% goal, but I am confident we can get there in June and return Oregon to a sense of normalcy,” Brown said. “We each play a part.” Currently, more than half the state’s eligible population has received a first dose. “For the first time since the start of the pandemic, we’ll be able to say the virus no longer controls the timelines in our lives – we will if enough Oregonians make the choice to get vaccinated,” said Pat Allen, the Oregon Health Authority’s director. Counties with 65% of their 16-and-up population inoculated will be eligible for the “lower risk” category, which permits indoor gatherings of 10 people or outdoor gatherings of 12 people. Restaurants, gyms and indoor and outdoor entertainment can open up to 50% capacity. Benton and Hood River counties have already vaccinated more than 65% of adult residents and are ready to move to the lower risk category May 21, unless they opt out.\n\nPennsylvania\n\nHarrisburg: The state is allowing more people at indoor and outdoor events. Beginning Monday, occupancy limits will be increased to 50% of capacity for indoor events, up from 25%, and to 75% for outdoor events, up from 50%. “As more Pennsylvania adults get vaccinated and guidance from the CDC evolves, we can continue to move forward with the commonwealth’s reopening efforts,” Gov. Tom Wolf said in a statement Tuesday. The state has previously announced that nearly all pandemic restrictions will go away on Memorial Day, including capacity limits on bars, restaurants and other businesses, as well as indoor and outdoor event gathering limits. The state’s mask mandate will remain until 75% of adults are fully vaccinated. Statewide, about 45.6% of people 18 and older had been fully vaccinated as of Tuesday, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Philadelphia, meanwhile, city officials announced pandemic restrictions will be eased beginning later this month and will go away almost entirely June 11. Starting May 21, retail stores and offices will no longer have to operate at reduced capacity, and the city is lifting its rule that bars and restaurants can only serve alcohol with food. Capacity limits on gyms, exercise classes and theaters will be eased, as well as for catered events.\n\nRhode Island\n\nPawtucket: With no baseball team in town, McCoy Stadium is being put to good use with the opening of a vaccination clinic at the site on Wednesdays. The drive-up, walk-up site will be open every Wednesday from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m., according to a statement from the city. Residents can make an appointment for a COVID-19 shot at the state’s vaccine signup portal, but people without an appointment are also welcome and encouraged, city officials said. The goal is to make getting vaccinations as convenient as possible. “We want to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to get a vaccine,” Pawtucket Public Health and Equity Leader Elizabeth Moreira said. “We believe that opening this site gives everyone another great option for vaccination appointments later on in the day.” The clinic will be run in partnership with the Rhode Island National Guard and Rhode Island Medical Reserve Corps Disaster Medical Assistance Team. The coronavirus testing site at the stadium will continue operating.\n\nSouth Carolina\n\nColumbia: The state’s public schools chief on Wednesday said the governor had no legal basis for allowing parents to opt their children out of wearing masks in schools, writing that Gov. Henry McMaster is “inciting hysteria and sowing division” as the school year ends. In guidance sent to state education superintendents Wednesday, education officials said the agency could find “no legal grounds” for the governor to set aside a policy instituted by another constitutional officer, under his or her own powers and not due to an emergency declaration. On Tuesday, the Republican governor issued an executive order letting parents opt their children out of wearing masks in public schools, citing widespread COVID-19 vaccine access for adults across the state. In response, education officials said state Superintendent Molly Spearman had opted to rescind a face-covering policy, with the exception of a federally instituted school bus mask mandate, “rather than wage a debate over constitutionality that would pit elected officials, students, and families against one another.” Guidance had required that students, teachers and staff wear face coverings while entering school buildings, moving through hallways and other instances where social distancing is not possible or optimal.\n\nSouth Dakota\n\nPierre: The South Dakota Department of Health said Wednesday that the state has crossed the 50% threshold for the percentage of adults fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Health officials say more than 304,000 residents have received their shots. “I want to take this opportunity to thank all South Dakotans who have chosen to get their COVID-19 vaccine– protecting themselves, their family and their community,” Secretary of Health Kim Malsam-Rysdon said. “Vaccines are safe and are the quickest way out of this pandemic.” State health officials began Phase 2 of South Dakota’s vaccination plan April 5. It made vaccines available to all residents age 16 and older, in addition to any eligible person who had not been inoculated in the first phase. Parents, schools and vaccine clinics are rushing to begin inoculating younger children after U.S. regulators this week endorsed Pfizer’s vaccine for those as young as 12, a decision seen as a breakthrough in allowing classroom instruction to resume safely around the country. A handful of cities started offering shots to children ages 12 to 15 less than a day after the Food and Drug Administration gave the vaccine emergency use authorization for that age group.\n\nTennessee\n\nNashville: As she oversees the state’s response to the pandemic, Dr. Lisa Piercey knows getting back to normal may hinge on her ability to convince Christians and conservatives to get vaccinated. Piercey, 43, Tennessee’s top health official, is navigating a crisis of vaccine hesitancy that runs rampant in the rural swathes of the Volunteer State. “Being the hands and feet of Jesus is the way to go,” said Piercey, a 2019 appointee of Gov. Bill Lee. “They might not do it for themselves, but they should do it to help other people.” She said her office is unleashing a media campaign aimed partly at the people who are most hesitant, and she is reaching out to faith leaders to convince those residents on the virtues of vaccination. “It’s their pastor they trust,” Piercey said. And she’s confident the approach will work because she is one of them. An evangelical Christian farm girl from West Tennessee, Piercey said she doesn’t believe in evolution and struggles with the timelines of dinosaurs and man, but she still wears a mask around other people and has strict vaccination rules in her family. On May 20, the mother of four’s triplets will turn 16. “On that morning, they will get the vaccine first and their driver’s licenses second,” Piercey said.\n\nTexas\n\nAustin: With the coronavirus pandemic not yet licked, some activities will look a little different again this summer, including dips in the city’s beloved, “68-degrees-year-round” watering hole, Barton Springs Pool. Starting later this month, anyone planning a swim at Barton Springs will need to make an advance reservation online. Two-hour time slots will help the pool “to manage capacity for the safety of staff and guests,” according to the city’s website. Those who have purchased a season pass, are older than 80, are city employees, or are veterans or active military members will be allowed to enter the pool without a reservation, but that won’t apply to anyone accompanying them. At this time, Barton Springs Pool is not accepting group reservations. Reservations can be made on a city website. A reservation fee will cost Austin residents $2 if they’re between 1 and 11 years old, $3 for those 12-17, $5 for all adults and $2 for anyone over 61. For nonresidents, it’s $4 for those 1-11, $5 for those 12-17, $9 for all adults and $5 for anyone over 61. All payments must be completed online ahead of time. Those with a seasonal swim pass will also not need to reserve a spot ahead of time before visiting Barton Springs. Passes went on sale earlier this week.\n\nUtah\n\nRoy: A resident has said a hacker stole her personal information and swapped out her banking information to steal about $400 of weekly unemployment benefits. “I feel like being robbed at gunpoint would’ve been better than what’s going to happen now,” said Heidi Howell, who lost her job in March and had her identity and unemployment check stolen. Howell told KUTV-TV that she is now waiting to find out if she can still claim the unemployment check. She also froze her credit reports, filed a police report and changed her bank account numbers. Kevin Burt, director of the Utah Unemployment Insurance Division, said this is the first case he’s seen among 450,000 people seeking benefits in the state during the coronavirus pandemic. He believes the hacker got her login information from another website. “Make sure that you have a secure password,” Burt said. “I think that helps quite a bit – that’s different than your other passwords that you use for more casual online interactions.” Howell said she used a unique password and is not sure how someone gained access. Burt said the state has not seen much of a rise in hacks to the unemployment system, although fraud is up nationwide because of the historic volume of claims being filed.\n\nVermont\n\nBurlington: A community group of members of the state’s minority populations is working to make sure as many of those residents as possible are vaccinated against COVID-19. The Vermont Health Equity Initiative said it will be providing vaccinations for those who are Black, indigenous and people of color through July 10. Clinics are being offered with support from the Vermont Department of Health and the City of Burlington. So far, the initiative has collaborated to deliver more than 2,800 total doses of the vaccine. The group said that as of Monday, about 70% of white, non-Hispanic Vermonters in Chittenden County had received at least one dose of the vaccine, while 58% of minority members had received at least one dose. The clinics were established in an effort to close the racial gap in vaccinations to protect the larger community and in response to the city of Burlington’s declaration of racism as a public health emergency in July 2020. “We’re offering an in-person experience that has been missing for vaccinations for these members of our community,” said Belan Antensaye of the Racial, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Department of the city of Burlington and the Vermont Professionals of Color Network.\n\nVirginia\n\nRichmond: Restaurants and drinking establishments will be able to seat up to 100 patrons indoors and a maximum of 250 guests outdoors starting May 15, Gov. Ralph Northam recently announced, but establishments say they may not be able to accommodate more guests due to a shortage in workers. Eric Terry, president of the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association, estimated about 100 Richmond restaurants closed in 2020 but said there have been minimal closures this year. Many restaurants are likely nearing 80% of their pre-pandemic revenue levels, according to Terry. While full recovery for the industry is underway, Terry said the biggest revenue factor is a restricted labor force. “I was on the phone yesterday with two restaurant operators who said they are having to close two days a week because they can’t get enough staff,” he said. The new limit will double the number of indoor guests allowed as of April 1. Restaurants may return to selling alcohol past midnight, and dining room closures between midnight and 5 a.m. will no longer be required. Northam has said all restrictions will be lifted June 15 if the number of new COVID-19 cases remains low and vaccinations rise. But restaurants with limited staff will not be able to accommodate diners at full capacity, Terry said.\n\nWashington\n\nSeattle: Authorities say schools in the state won’t consider a requirement to mandate COVID-19 vaccines in schoolchildren until a vaccine is fully approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA on Monday signed off on emergency use of the Pfizer vaccine in 12- to 15-year-olds. The state’s secretary of health, Umair Shah, said Tuesday that more than 370,000 Washington teens and adolescents are in that age group. Vaccines undergo rigorous review before they’re fully approved, but the FDA can allow use under so-called emergency use authorization in instances when vaccines meet certain criteria and there are no approved alternatives. The Seattle Times reports that until a COVID-19 vaccine is formally approved, officials from the Washington State Board of Health – the board that oversees state vaccine policies – say they won’t consider adding it to the list of required immunizations. “The board would not require a COVID-19 vaccine for school entry until it’s approved by the FDA and recommended by Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices,” Kelie Kahler, spokesperson for the board, wrote in an email, referring to a committee housed within the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that sets national vaccine guidance.\n\nWest Virginia\n\nCharleston: Democratic U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin is joining first lady Jill Biden and actor Jennifer Garner during a visit to the state Thursday. Biden’s office announced Wednesday that she and Manchin will arrive at Yeager Airport in Charleston before joining Garner at a COVID-19 vaccination center and delivering remarks at Capital High School. A previously announced visit to Arnoldsburg Elementary School in Calhoun County has been scrubbed due to a coronavirus quarantine in the school district. Biden and Manchin will then visit with members of the West Virginia National Guard and their families at the airport before departing, the first lady’s office said in a statement. Garner grew up in Charleston. She has previously testified before Congress in support of education programs for preschoolers in poverty.\n\nWisconsin\n\nMadison: Native Americans are struggling to overcome increased drug abuse related to the COVID-19 pandemic, a tribal leader said in the annual State of the Tribes address. Speaking to Assembly lawmakers at the state Capitol on Tuesday afternoon, Lac du Flambeau President John Johnson Sr. said increased drug abuse has claimed those most vulnerable during the public health crisis. “The flow of drugs into the Northwoods has escalated during the pandemic, as mental health, economic and social challenges exert growing pressure on our people and families,” Johnson said. He said Gov. Tony Evers’ budget proposal for a regional mental health center in northern Wisconsin is “a crucial building block and a foundation of dismantling the scourge of drugs,” Wisconsin Public Radio reports. Evers has proposed investing more than $150 million in mental health services, including more than $25 million over the next two years for regional crisis centers, training and other services. Republican state lawmakers have stripped hundreds of proposals from the governor’s budget. Johnson also said tribes continue to face harassment and racism as they defend their federal treaty rights to hunt, fish and gather. He specifically highlighted harassment of those spearfishing in northern Wisconsin.\n\nWyoming\n\nCasper: The governor has announced that the state will end its participation in federal supplemental benefits intended to address high unemployment across the U.S. caused by the pandemic. Republican Gov. Mark Gordon said Tuesday that the decision will end the weekly $300 payments starting June 19 and no longer expand eligibility to people who previously could not collect benefits, such as self-employed residents, the Casper Star-Tribune reports. The Wyoming Department of Workforce Services reported last month that the unemployment rate in the state was 5.3% in March – below the national 6% rate. “Wyoming needs workers; our businesses are raring to go,” Gordon said. “I recognize the challenges facing Wyoming employers, and I believe it’s critical for us to do what we can to encourage more hiring.”\n\nFrom USA TODAY Network and wire reports", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2021/05/13"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2018/06/12/mps-school-board-primary-analysis-who-got-most-and-least-bang-their-campaign-bucks/690262002/", "title": "Analysis: Who got the most (and least) bang for their school board ...", "text": "Runoffs will determine which MPS school board candidates will face off in November's general election, but candidates may want to be wary of how — and how much — they spend.\n\nSome primary races saw little separation between first place and last place vote totals despite large gaps in spending. Others clearly showed that it doesn't always pay to, well, pay.\n\nHere's a breakdown of how candidates fared compared to their campaign finance spending:\n\nBig money, not so big results\n\nEducation advocate and blogger Larry Lee led all Montgomery County Board of Education candidates, spending more than $28,000 in a District 2 Republican primary. He paid about $32 per vote compared to Brenda DeRamus-Coleman, who won District 3, spending only 53 cents per vote.\n\nOf the top four spenders — Jannah Bailey (R-District 5, $21,000), Phillip Ensler (D-District 3, $21,000), Deena Weston (D-District 6, $21,000) and Lee — only Bailey won her race, defeating incumbent Melissa Snowden.\n\nPromotional materials were the primary expense for all four candidates. Bailey was the only one of the four backed by the Expect More for MPS campaign and the MGM NXT PAC, which made about 100,000 in-district impressions after spending $56,000 on promotional materials and ads for Bailey and three other Expect More-backed candidates.\n\nThe lack of success for the school board races' biggest spender may be attributed to Expect More's influence. Ads paid for through the MGM NXT PAC specifically targeting Lee called him a \"lackey for the AEA.\" Lee was also the subject of a letter written by LEAD Academy Chairperson Charlotte Meadows. It was paid for by Lee's opponent Ted Lowry, and said Lee \"is not pro-life\" and called out Lee's history of running and voting as a Democrat.\n\nThat attack came on the heels of a push by state Republicans such as Perry Hooper Jr. to convince the party not to confirm Lee's nomination if he won. Hooper's bid failed, but in the end the attacks appeared successful in the Republican-leaning District 2. Lee lost by the largest margin of any $20,000-plus candidate.\n\nSpending also didn't help Weston, who finished third in the District 6 primary despite spending more than all her opponents combined.\n\nMore:MPS results: School board president in runoff; Snowden loses\n\nThrifty shoppers\n\nBrenda DeRamus-Coleman (D) won District 3 over Ensler while spending the fewest dollars per vote (53 cents per vote) of any candidate who filed campaign finance reports.\n\nThis was despite a primary day push by Ensler — the third-highest per-vote spender with $16.58 per vote — to snag votes in the Sheridan Heights precinct.\n\n\"That's where my opponent's from and every voter we were trying to get them,\" Ensler said.\n\nDeRamus-Coleman was one of four candidates who got the most bang for their campaign bucks in terms of votes earned, and reputation seems to be the factor that prevailed over frugality.\n\nA 40-year education veteran, DeRamus-Coleman also benefited from ties to the community through the Delta Sigma Theta sorority and her sister Tyna Davis, Montgomery County chair of the Alabama Democratic Conference.\n\nDeVona Sims (D-District 5) and Brenda Irby (D-District 2) each advanced to the runoffs despite filing no campaign finance forms, meaning their campaign funds were less than $1,000.\n\nSims is a 20-year educator with ties to the Girl Scouts and Alabama PTA and won just enough votes to keep State Department of Education employee Rhonda Oats (45 percent) from winning the primary outright.\n\nMore:Analysis: School board vote drew a crowd compared to 2014 primary\n\nIrby won 42 percent of the District 2 Democratic primary votes, finishing ahead of Expect More-backed Clare Weil (37 percent), despite Irby not participating in some candidate forums ahead of the primaries.\n\nIrby said she only bought 50 double-sided signs en route to earning a spot in the runoff.\n\n\"I was surprised myself. I’m still pinching myself. ... I can’t explain my victory other than God. Really,\" Irby said.\n\nBesides divine influence, the retired ALSDE employee chalked the victory up to being a known advocate for local education who, even in retirement, has continued to speak with parents.\n\n\"I guess my knowledge of the situation of what’s going on with the school system. People have heard me on the radio maybe,\" Irby said.\n\nToo little spending?\n\nMPS school board President Robert Porterfield forced a runoff by getting 34 percent of the District 6 votes despite spending only $1,700. Porterfield's spending was also efficient, as he got the second-highest amount of votes per $100 spent (90) behind DeRamus-Coleman. Porterfield is still in the running to keep his seat, but the outcome could be seen as a disappointment considering the incumbent did not face an Expect More-backed candidate and was the preferred candidate on both the ADC and the Montgomery County Democratic Conference sample ballots.\n\nPorterfield earned only 28 more votes than Claudia Mitchell, his runoff opponent who spent $7,500.\n\nDepartment of Early Childhood Education employee Liletta Mahone-Jenkins finished last in the District 1 Democratic primary, but only finished 134 votes behind Marcus Vandiver (700) and 183 behind Fredrick Turner (749) despite spending far fewer than the two men headed for a runoff.\n\nMahone-Jenkins spent $778, getting about 73 votes for every $100 spent. In contrast, Vandiver spent $4,000 (17 votes per $100) and Turner spent $10,000 (seven votes per $100).\n\nIn the District 5 Republican primary, the incumbent Snowden faced her own onslaught of campaign ads that told voters to tell Snowden, \"You're fired.\" Snowden lost to $21,000 candidate Bailey by just more than 1,000 votes after only cracking the $1,000 spending mark in the final week ahead of the primary.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2018/06/12"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/50-states/2021/07/08/state-cheese-awol-animals-editor-jailed-news-around-states/117415210/", "title": "State cheese, AWOL animals: News from around our 50 states", "text": "From USA TODAY Network and wire reports\n\nAlabama\n\nMontgomery: Legislative leaders are continuing to discuss prison construction and renovation alternatives, including whether pandemic relief funds can be used to offset costs or renovating and building prisons. Key lawmakers say they expect to continue discussions this month in advance of a possible special session later in the year. “I think the House and Senate are pretty close to an agreement,” said Rep. Steve Clouse, who chairs the House General Fund budget committee. “The vast majority of legislators want to move forward with a bond proposal and for us to own the prisons.” Clouse and Sen. Greg Albritton, chairman of the Senate General Fund budget committee, said a topic under discussion is whether federal funds from the American Rescue Plan may be used to offset some of the costs or do renovations. States can use that money for a wide range of uses to contend with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Albritton said the state is trying to get clarity on “what can we do with the recovery money.” Lawmakers are looking for more options after Gov. Kay Ivey’s plan to rent prisons, which would be run by the state but built and owned by private companies, fell apart because of financing concerns. However, federal officials have been clear that new facilities will not solve the state’s prison woes.\n\nAlaska\n\nAnchorage: A wildfire burned close to a vacation destination Tuesday, but fire officials believed Chena Hot Springs Resort would be spared. “They’re pretty confident that they’re going to be able to defend the resort, based on the measures that we’ve set up and the personnel we have on scene,” said Tim Mowry, a spokesperson for the Alaska Division of Forestry. Firefighters were working to protect the resort, homes and recreational cabins in the area of interior Alaska about 60 miles northeast of Fairbanks. Flames were about 100 yards from the resort, where crews were spraying water on buildings, the agency said in a statement. Firefighters also conducted a back burn near a trail that leads to two yurts for viewing the northern lights in hopes it would help stop the fire from advancing toward the main buildings. Hoses and sprinklers also were set up at nearby homes and cabins. No structures in the Chena Hot Springs area had burned, fire officials said. Light showers that fell overnight weren’t enough to put out the fire, but the increased humidity was helping to slow its growth. The Fairbanks North Star Borough on Monday issued a voluntary evacuation order. Alaska State Troopers conducted a survey of homeowners and cabin users and found that about 30 people decided not to leave, along with resort owner Bernie Karl.\n\nArizona\n\nTucson: Officials in the city plan to ignore Arizona’s new “Second Amendment sanctuary” law that bars state and local governments from enforcing certain federal gun regulations, possibly setting up a court fight as a growing number of cities and counties in the United States declare themselves similar firearm havens. The move by Democratic Mayor Regina Romero and the City Council again puts Tucson and the Republican-led state at odds over how to regulate gun sales and use. The southern Arizona city has long tried to enforce gun laws stricter than the state’s, including mandating background checks for guns purchased on city property and destroying seized firearms. Over the years, those measures have been challenged after the Republican-controlled Legislature enacted laws barring the actions. The new action came after GOP Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill in April declaring that Arizona is a so-called Second Amendment sanctuary. It was partly a response to the election of President Joe Biden, who has vowed to enact tighter firearms regulations. In a growing movement, at least 1,200 local governments have declared themselves sanctuaries insulated from state and federal gun laws since 2018, when high-profile mass shootings prompted calls for stronger regulations. Many are symbolic, but some carry legal force.\n\nArkansas\n\nBeebe: The Rev. Al Sharpton and attorneys for George Floyd’s family on Tuesday mourned a white Arkansas teenager fatally shot by a sheriff’s deputy, as they urged support across racial lines for efforts to reform police practices. Sharpton eulogized 17-year-old Hunter Brittain, who was shot and killed by a white Lonoke County sheriff’s deputy, Sgt. Michael Davis, during a traffic stop June 23 near Cabot, about 30 miles northeast of Little Rock. The killing in the predominantly white community has drawn the attention of national civil rights activists such as Sharpton, who said concerns about police tactics aren’t just limited to the Black community. “The issue of policing is not about Black and white,” Sharpton told a packed auditorium at Beebe High School, where Brittain was a rising senior. “It’s about right and wrong.” Many attending the memorial wore jeans and shirts that read “Justice for Hunter.” Lonoke County Sheriff John Staley last week fired Davis for not turning on his body camera until after he had shot Brittain. Staley said the only footage police have is from the aftermath. Arkansas State Police are investigating Brittain’s death. Authorities have released few details about the shooting. Brittain’s family has said the teenager was unarmed and was holding a jug of antifreeze when he was shot.\n\nCalifornia\n\nSacramento: State lawmakers will wait until next year to continue considering a bill that would give opioid users a place to inject drugs in supervised settings, the bill’s author said Tuesday. State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, said he was told the Assembly Health Committee will delay a hearing on his bill until January. The measure would allow Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles County to start programs giving people a place to inject drugs while trained staff are available to help if they suffer accidental overdoses. “Safe consumption sites are a proven strategy to save lives and help people into recovery,” Wiener said. Currently the sites are illegal in the United States but legal in Canada. Wiener’s bill barely cleared the Senate in April. The Senate Republican Caucus said in a statement at the time that the bill would “establish taxpayer-staffed and funded drug dens.” The proposal is opposed by some law enforcement groups, but Wiener said in a statement that it “is very much alive, albeit delayed.” Wiener noted he was disappointed in another delay at a time when he said San Francisco and other cities are experiencing record overdose deaths. His bill would require workers at the centers to try to get users into drug treatment programs or refer them to medical or mental health care or social services programs.\n\nColorado\n\nDenver: The Denver Zoo will begin vaccinating some of its animals against COVID-19 as early as next week. Zoologists say they have been working with the veterinary vaccine company Zoetis to receive doses for the animals, and primates and carnivores will be first on the list. The veterinary vaccine, which is formulated primarily for mammals, is being developed separate from the ones for human use. Transmission is rare between humans and other species, but there have been several documented cases of COVID-19 in large cats, monkeys and certain rodent populations. “We know some of those animals – like gorillas and tigers, mink, otters – can all be infected. But for a lot of these others, we don’t know what the susceptibility is,” Dr. Scott Larsen, the zoo’s vice president of animal health, told KMGH-TV. “For animals, we want to be able to protect them similar to (how) we’re trying to protect people.” Veterinary scientists do not think common house pets like cats or dogs are in significant danger of catching COVID-19. “There are 85 million dogs in the United States and 90 million cats,” said Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald, a veterinarian at VCA Alameda East Veterinary in Denver. “If we were going to see problems … I think we would be seeing it.”\n\nConnecticut\n\nGuilford: The state’s newest climate change legislation should put it in a good position to receive millions of dollars in anticipated federal funds to help foot the bill for expensive resiliency projects needed across Connecticut, Gov. Ned Lamont and other state officials said Tuesday. Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes said the $30 million in bonding included in the new state budget to help municipalities identify and plan for such projects, including green infrastructure, will also give Connecticut a leg up on other states. “We’ll be shovel-ready. We’ll be at the front of the line,” Dykes said during a bill-signing event at a beach in Guilford. “It’s going to take a lot of dollars to help protect our communities from the impacts of climate change. And the best way to do that, dollars we really want to put to work, are federal dollars.” Curt Johnson, president of the environmental group Save the Sound, predicted Connecticut will receive $3 or $4 in federal funds for every $1 the state spends on these resiliency efforts. The new law gives all cities and towns, not just certain ones, the ability to establish stormwater authorities. Additionally, the law expands the duties of the 10-year-old Connecticut Green Bank, a first-in-the-nation entity.\n\nDelaware\n\nDover: Two deadly species of hemlock have been found in Delaware, and the state’s Department of Agriculture is warning people to avoid plants that look like wild carrots to prevent the possibility of being poisoned. Environmental scientists confirmed that poison hemlock and spotted water hemlock were located in Sussex County wetlands, according to a news release from the agency. Both plants have small white flowers and bloom between June and August. Poison hemlock also grows in meadows, pastures and ditches. The invasive plant can reach between 6 and 8 feet tall and has a hairless stem with purple blotches. The department said this type of hemlock releases an odor but shouldn’t be crushed to smell because toxic oils can be emitted. Spotted water hemlock is a native plant and can grow up to 6 feet tall. Its stems vary in color from solid green or purple to green with purple spots or stripes, and it has fern-like leaves. People who think they found either plant can email pictures to DDA.Marketing@delaware.gov for identification. The Agriculture Department said residents shouldn’t try to eradicate the hemlocks themselves and should instead find a licensed aquatic pest control company to treat them. It also advised against mowing the plants, which can release toxic particles into the air.\n\nDistrict of Columbia\n\nWashington: Parking in the nation’s capital is often a nightmare for residents and especially for their guests, but D.C. has launched an easier visitor parking pass program, WUSA-TV reports. When the visitor parking pass was launched in 2013, it was met with widespread opposition. With the new program, people can register for the annual pass allowing their guests to park for two hours in a residential permit parking zone in all eight wards. “The intent of the system is to make getting a visitor parking permit easier and also to reduce parking congestion in residential areas,” said Everett Lott, acting director for the District Department of Transportation. The new online parking portal now allows people to print out their own parking permits for visitors and can be accessed through the portal provided by D.C. online or through an app on Apple or Android phones. “This particular system, the automated system, is connected to the resident and to the license plate,” Lott said. “So it makes it a lot more user-friendly but also helps to eliminate any of the abuse that was possible in the past.” Parking permits, which must be displayed prominently on the windshield of vehicles, can be printed at home, at D.C. Public Library branches, or at kiosks at DDOT Headquarters, the DDOT Permit Office and Metropolitan Police Department precincts.\n\nFlorida\n\nTampa: A couple is suing a Catholic school and demanding the return of a large donation, saying it isn’t adhering to Catholic values because of the way it’s handling issues like race and accepting the LGBTQ community. Anthony and Barbara Scarpo filed their lawsuit against the Academy of the Holy Names last month after one of their daughters graduated and a second transferred to another school, the Tampa Bay Times reports. The lawsuit comes four years after the couple pledged $1.35 million to the school, which named its theater for the family. The couple claims the school has “lost its way” by distancing itself from mainstream Catholicism and embracing a “woke culture” in which priority is given to “gender identity, human sexuality and pregnancy termination among other hot button issues.” The suit also takes issue with a blackboard in a common area that explains how to be an ally to the LGBTQ community, as well as how the school takes on the issue of race, saying white students are made to feel guilty. The Scarpos had paid $240,000 toward the pledge as of 2018, the lawsuit said. The school didn’t discuss details of the suit, but spokeswoman Emily Wise told the Times in an email that the school’s curriculum is based on Catholic values.\n\nGeorgia\n\nAtlanta: A federal judge on Wednesday declined to block some challenged sections of Georgia’s new election law ahead of two runoff elections next week, but he didn’t rule out the possibility for future elections. Election integrity activists had asked U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee to prohibit the state from enforcing sections of the new law that have to do with observation of elections, as well as a new deadline for requesting absentee ballots. Their request arose from one of eight federal lawsuits challenging the new law. The Republican-backed overhaul of election rules enacted this year has been blasted by Democrats and others who say it creates unnecessary obstacles to voting, particularly for people of color. Most of the lawsuits, including one filed last month by the U.S. Department of Justice, challenge the parts of law that critics say threaten voting rights. The targeted request that led to Wednesday’s ruling, though, focused on provisions mostly related to monitoring or photographing parts of the election process. The activists, led by the Coalition for Good Governance, said those sections criminalize normal election observation activities and could intimidate voters, election observers and members of the news media. A tighter absentee ballot request deadline makes it virtually impossible to get one for a runoff, they argue.\n\nHawaii\n\nHonolulu: Lawmakers on Tuesday overrode Gov. David Ige’s veto of a bill that overhauls how the state funds the Hawaii Tourism Authority and allocates tourism tax revenue to the counties. The bill would stop funding the tourism agency with money raised by the transient accommodations tax on hotel stays and other short-term rentals. Instead, lawmakers intend to pay for the agency with money from the general fund, though for the current fiscal year they appropriated federal coronavirus relief funds. Further, instead of providing the state’s four major counties with a share of transient accommodations tax revenue, the legislation gives the counties the authority to levy their own surcharge to the tax. Currently, the state charges one uniform hotel tax rate across the islands. Sen. Bennette Misalucha, vice chair of the Senate’s Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism Committee, said special funds shouldn’t be protected for the benefit of one industry. She said the Legislature brought special funds like hotel tax revenue into the general fund to stop this practice. The Hawaii Tourism Authority will now be required to get support from lawmakers for its budget just like other state agencies, she said, which will require the agency to be more forthcoming with its strategic plans and force more communication between the agency and lawmakers.\n\nIdaho\n\nCoeur d’Alene: High housing prices in northern Idaho are making it difficult to attract police officers, law enforcement officials say. Coeur d’Alene Police Capt. Dave Hagar told the Coeur d’Alene Press that low crime rates and an outdoor lifestyle are big draws but that skyrocketing housing prices are turning people away. “Five years ago, the cost of living in Coeur d’Alene was much more reasonable,” Hagar said. “Now it’s gone above that.” The Coeur d’Alene Association of Realtors said the median residential home sale price was $476,000 in March. That’s a 47% increase from a year ago. Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said his agency has recruited new hires only to have them decline the job after discovering they couldn’t afford housing. “It’s a significant barrier,” he said. “The housing situation is severe.” The agency is looking to hire deputies, dispatchers, control room operators, clerks and jail staff. “We’re going to have to attract local candidates,” Norris said. “We can’t do that when some of our pay is $14 or $15 an hour.” Kootenai County Commissioner Bill Brooks said other county agencies are also having a hard time finding and retaining workers. Wages once considered normal are now not enough.\n\nIllinois\n\nChicago: The city’s schools will encourage student COVID-19 vaccinations ahead of the start of the school year with school-based vaccination sites and events, officials announced Wednesday. Officials with the nation’s third-largest school district plan to offer full in-person instruction in the fall and want to vaccinate as many students as possible before classes begin next month. District officials said they are “not in a position” to mandate COVID-19 shots but will ask families to submit COVID-19 vaccine documents, as is the practice with other immunizations. Starting next week, the district will offer vaccines at three school sites for students and their families. The sites will be able to administer 600 doses weekly. The district is also working with hospitals for events in areas with low inoculation rates and offering the shots at back-to-school events. “Schools are trusted pillars of our communities, and as a district we are uniquely suited to help expand vaccination opportunities, which helps create the safest possible learning environments at our schools,” said Jose M. Torres, interim schools CEO. More than 50,000 children under the age of 18 have already been vaccinated in Chicago, according to the city’s Department of Public Health. Roughly 350,000 students attend Chicago Public Schools.\n\nIndiana\n\nIndianapolis: As federal officials debate pouring billions of dollars into broadband access, data suggests many of Indiana’s schoolchildren and adults who preferred to work from home spent the pandemic with subpar access to high-speed internet, particularly in the state’s least-wealthy counties. In about half of Indiana’s counties – 47 of 92 – measured by a Federal Communications Commission study, broadband access is available to at least 79% of residents. Yet in about half of the state measured by Microsoft – 47 of 92 counties – no more than 22% of households actually have high-speed access, a USA TODAY analysis shows. President Joe Biden and a bipartisan group of Senate moderates have reached a deal on a far-reaching infrastructure plan that would direct $65 billion to increase broadband connectivity from coast to coast. Despite the agreement, it’s unclear whether it would address the solutions some lawmakers want to see such as continued broadband subsidies for low-income families, greater competition among wireless providers, and continued buildout of high-speed networks in poorer, rural areas. In Indiana, 12.4% of residents don’t have adequate broadband infrastructure, and 48.4% live in areas with only one internet provider, according to the White House.\n\nIowa\n\nIowa City: A teenager injured in an accident on an amusement ride that killed his younger brother remained on life support Wednesday as he turned 16, his family pastor said. David Jaramillo has been in a medically induced coma at Blank Children’s Hospital since Saturday’s accident on the Raging River at Adventureland Park in Altoona, pastor Christian Shields said. David has some brain function and has woken up a couple times at the Des Moines hospital, opening his eyes and asking what happened, he said. He remains hooked up to breathing machines, but doctors are hoping to wean him off life support, Shields said. The pastor at Christian Life Church in Cedar Rapids said it’s a miracle that David is alive after being pinned underneath a boat in water for several minutes. The church, which planned a prayer vigil for the family Wednesday night, is sponsoring a GoFundMe page that has raised $30,000. Friends have brought balloons to the hospital for David’s birthday, but “there won’t be a lot of celebrating,” Shields said. The Jaramillo family, of Marion, Iowa, went to Adventureland on Saturday to celebrate David’s upcoming birthday. The junior at Linn-Mar High School had been excited about getting his driver’s license as a step toward freedom and adulthood, Shields said.\n\nKansas\n\nTopeka: Gov. Laura Kelly has expanded the paid leave that state employees can take from their jobs when they become parents or act as caregivers. Kelly issued an executive order Tuesday that provides an extra two weeks of paid leave for state workers who are a child’s primary caregiver and an extra week for secondary caregivers. The order also makes foster parents eligible for the same paid leave. Primary caregivers will now receive up to eight weeks of paid leave, rather than six. Secondary caregivers will receive four weeks instead of three. The order directed the state Department of Administration to put the new policies into effect immediately. Kelly said the state is demonstrating a commitment to recruiting and keeping talented workers and creating a “supportive environment for our families.” “Supporting working parents in our workforce is not only the right thing to do,” Kelly said in a statement. “It’s good for our economy.” The order also says new state employees become eligible for paid leave after 180 days.\n\nKentucky\n\nLouisville: After years of planning and public input, the construction phase of the Sherman Minton Bridge rehabilitation project will soon be underway. The Sherman Minton Renewal project team said Tuesday that it will begin working on ramp improvements next week. The improvements “are being made to prepare for the first phase of the rehabilitation, which will include the first half of eastbound construction on the lower deck and painting of the bridge trusses,” according to a news release. According to the team, ramp shoulders at the Interstates 65 and 265 interchange, as well as the Interstates 64 and 265 interchange, will be modified to accommodate additional traffic. The modification process will take one to two weeks, the team said, and “will require nighttime lane closures and/or ramp closures to construct.” After the ramp improvements are completed, traffic will be reduced to two lanes in each direction as the team works on painting and deck replacement preparations. When lanes are restricted, I-65 and I-265 will serve as a detour route, the team said. The Sherman Minton, which spans the Ohio River to connect the Bluegrass and Hoosier states, is 59 years old. The proposal to rehabilitate the double-decker bridge was announced in 2018. The price tag for the project is roughly $137 million.\n\nLouisiana\n\nBaton Rouge: Authorities say they’ve been searching for a 12-foot python that escaped from its enclosure inside the state’s largest shopping mall. Cara, a yellow and white Burmese python, slithered out of its enclosure at the Blue Zoo in the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge on Tuesday, news outlets report. She was still on the loose early Wednesday morning, WBRZ-TV reports, after a search overnight, when such snakes are most active. “While we’ve created a very secure home for Cara, our Burmese Python, she has slithered out of her exhibit,” the Blue Zoo said in a statement. “Cara is a non-poisonous, friendly snake that enjoys her time interacting with guests during our Snake Education Shows.” Pythons slowly squeeze their prey to death before swallowing them. Cara was described as “very sweet” by her handlers, who released a photo of the animal. The Blue Zoo – which bills itself as “more than an aquarium, more than a zoo” – was closed Tuesday while search efforts continued, but the Mall of Louisiana remained open.\n\nMaine\n\nBangor: Enrollment in public schools across the state dropped by 4.4%, nearly 8,000 students, between the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years, according to Maine Department of Education data. Most of those students transitioned to home schooling, which saw an increase of 5,000 students, according to department data. School systems expect many students to return for the 2021-22 school year, Bangor Daily News reports. According to an Education Week report, Maine had the fourth-highest decrease in the nation behind Vermont’s 5.3% decrease, Mississippi’s 5% drop and New Hampshire’s 4.7% decline. Steve Bailey, executive director at Maine School Management Association, said the change reflects concerns from parents about safety during the pandemic and child care challenges. The most significant decrease was in prekindergarten and kindergarten students, for whom the population decreased by 16%, compared to a 3% decrease in all other students.\n\nMaryland\n\nCollege Park: Teenagers will be entered to win $50,000 college scholarships if they get vaccinated against COVID-19 in the state’s latest incentive program offered to encourage as many people as possible to get the shots. Gov. Larry Hogan announced the new lottery program Wednesday at the University of Maryland, College Park. Twenty Marylanders between the ages of 12 and 17 will win scholarships worth $50,000 each between now and Labor Day. The program will give away a total of $1 million in scholarships or the equivalent of full tuition and fees at one of Maryland’s public universities. Winners who choose to attend college out of state can transfer the scholarship to the school of their choice, Hogan said. The program will begin Monday and continue through Labor Day. Teens who have been vaccinated in Maryland are eligible and will be automatically entered, the governor said. Winners will be chosen using the same process as “VaxCash,” a lottery for adults that recently ended. That program awarded a total of $2 million in prizes to Marylanders 18 and older who had received a COVID-19 vaccine at any time. The scholarship prizes will be deposited into college savings accounts with Maryland 529.\n\nMassachusetts\n\nTopsfield: A more than 200-year-old agricultural fair canceled last year because of the pandemic is scheduled to return this fall, organizers announced Wednesday. The 11-day Topsfield Fair, first held in 1818, will start Oct. 1, the Essex Agricultural Society said in a statement. “Having to cancel last year’s Topsfield Fair due to the COVID-19 pandemic was devastating,” General Manager James O’Brien said. “We are thrilled to announce that the fair will return this year with no restrictions, and we look forward to seeing everyone on the fairgrounds in October.” The fair was previously canceled for three years during World War II and in 1918 because of an influenza pandemic. Based on attendance in 1946 after the three-year shutdown, O’Brien said he expects high attendance this fall. In anticipation, fair personnel have installed extra sinks and hand-sanitizing stations around the fairgrounds north of Boston, he said. One of the fair’s most popular events is the giant pumpkin contest, but it also includes livestock exhibits, a midway, vendors, food stalls and live music. It typically draws up to 500,000 visitors per year. A schedule for concerts, which are free with fair admission, will be announced soon.\n\nMichigan\n\nRoseville: CARE of Southeastern Michigan is hosting a free, two-week day camp for kids whose family members struggle with addiction. Open for children in preschool through eighth grade, Camp CARE will address communicating effectively, managing emotions, dealing with change, choosing friends wisely, resisting peer pressure and more. The skills are taught through hands-on activities like arts, crafts and games, said CARE director of substance use prevention Kaitlin Maloziec. The Roseville fire and police departments will also visit the camp for a teaching segment in the city about 15 miles northeast of Detroit. “It’s just a spot where kids can be kids, make friendships and see that they’re not alone,” Maloziec said. The camp will be held at Fountain Elementary in Roseville from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 19-23 and July 26-30. Zoom sessions for parents and caregivers will teach adults some of the same skills as the youth, along with parenting tips and advice on how to talk about addiction and address kids’ questions. The camp, which Maloziec said has been around for more than two decades, is hosting up to 60 students this year. Most activities will be held outdoors, with mask-wearing required and lunch provided. Registration is available online and closes at 11:45 p.m. Friday.\n\nMinnesota\n\nMinneapolis: With COVID-19 limits fading away, tourists are returning to Minnesota resorts, many of them from neighboring states. But a lot of employees are not coming back. The worker shortage has been building for more than a year, said Ben Wogsland, a spokesman for Hospitality Minnesota, the trade association for the state’s hotels, restaurants, resorts and campgrounds. The industry is down about 50,000 workers from its normal summer level of 280,000 to 290,000 workers. Many of them found other jobs during the first COVID-19 shutdown, and others left when a second hospitality shutdown was ordered, the Star Tribune reports. “After last year, we were hopeful that things would get back to normal,” said Sue Dutcher, manager of the St. Croix River Resort in Hinckley. Instead, “we’re being run ragged.” In Detroit Lakes, Joanne Anderson faces a similar challenge at the Forest Hills Resort. Anderson manages Izzo’s, the resort’s bar and restaurant, and is running it with eight workers instead of the usual 20. Some operators have been fortunate enough to escape the labor shortage. The Trail Center Lodge on the Gunflint Trail is “100% staffed,” according to owner Sarah Hamilton. That’s partly due to a new program that brings young adults from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota to work at businesses on the North Shore.\n\nMississippi\n\nJackson: Farmers in the state are losing the catfish wars against their foreign competitors with the very weapon they saw as their salvation. The domestic catfish industry, along with lawmakers including the late U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi, lobbied to move oversight of catfish processing from the Food and Drug Administration to the U.S. Department of Agriculture five years ago with the expectation the USDA’s stricter eye would limit the foreign imports that had decimated domestic production throughout the Mississippi Delta. Instead, imports of siluriformes – the larger category of catfish and catfish-like fish sometimes referred to by their family name, “pangasius” – have only increased since the switch to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service in 2016. Meanwhile, domestic prices and production, mainly in Mississippi and other Southern states, have continued to decline. Almost 65,000 additional tons of catfish were imported in 2019 compared to 2015 before the Food Safety and Inspection Service took over, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service. The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce lists recent processing volumes at 5 million pounds per month less than in 2015 during FDA oversight.\n\nMissouri\n\nJefferson City: Seventeen more people in southwest Missouri died from COVID-19 in a two-week period ending Sunday as the coronavirus continues to surge in the region, officials said. The deaths were recorded in the two-week reporting period from June 21 to July 4 and were disclosed Tuesday by the Springfield-Greene County Health Department, the Kansas City Star reports. The dead ranged in age from their 40s to 90s, and none of those who died was fully vaccinated, health officials said. Republican Gov. Mike Parson on Wednesday told reporters that his administration has done “everything possible” to fend off outbreaks. Missouri has reported nearly 530,000 cases of the virus and 9,375 deaths since the pandemic began. The state has administered more than 5 million doses, with 44.9% of the population getting at least one. Parson said he’s focused on encouraging people to get inoculated and making the shots available to them. He said he’s still wary of incentivizing vaccinations with prizes. “Right now, the vaccine’s out there,” Parson said. “I mean, people walk past it every day, whether they’re in a pharmacy, whether they’re in a Walmart, whether they’re in a health center.” Parson also on Wednesday signed a bill into law to limit lawsuits against companies for wrongdoing related to the pandemic.\n\nMontana\n\nHelena: Wildlife officials were searching by ground and from the air Wednesday for a grizzly bear that killed a woman who was camping. A helicopter was flying over the area around the small town of Ovando, in western Montana, in pursuit of the bear, which will be killed if found, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks spokesperson Greg Lemon said. Large traps made out of culverts were set around the area in hopes of capturing the bruin. Ovando, about 60 miles northwest of Helena, is a community of fewer than 100 people at the edge of the sprawling Bob Marshall wilderness. Long-distance bicyclists such as the victim often spend the night in the town. Powell County Sheriff Gavin Roselles said the bear wandered into the victim’s camping area a couple of times before Tuesday’s fatal mauling. Someone at the scene used bear spray, and other campers called 911, Roselles said. Roselles closed down any camping in Ovando as the search for the bear continued, following creeks leading away from the town. Further circumstances surrounding the attack were under investigation. Officials said their priority was to find and kill the bear to prevent another dangerous encounter.\n\nNebraska\n\nNiobrara: A tomahawk once owned by Chief Standing Bear, a pioneering Native American civil rights leader, is returning to his Nebraska tribe after decades in a museum at Harvard. The university’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology said it’s been working with members of the Ponca Tribe in Nebraska and Oklahoma to repatriate the artifact. Larry Wright Jr., chairman of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, said Tuesday that the return of the historic weapon is a powerful symbol of homecoming for the tribe, which was among many forcibly relocated from their homelands to other territories by the federal government in the 1800s. Standing Bear was arrested 1878 for leaving the tribe’s reservation in order to fulfill a promise he made to bury his eldest son back in their tribe’s homeland in the Niobrara River Valley. In his landmark federal trial, he successfully argued for the recognition of Native Americans as persons entitled to rights and protection under law. “That hand is not the color of yours. But if you pierce it, I shall feel pain,” Standing Bear famously said in court. “The blood that will flow from mine will be the same color as yours. I am a man. The same God made us both.” Wright said the tribe is preparing its own museum, located near Standing Bear’s grave, to properly display the tomahawk and other artifacts.\n\nNevada\n\nLas Vegas: A 110-acre property at the south end of the Las Vegas Strip has been purchased to be the site for a terminal station for a planned new high-speed passenger rail line between Las Vegas and Southern California. Brightline Holdings announced the purchase Tuesday without announcing the price, but local news outlets report that Clark County records indicate the purchase by the holding company for Brightline West closed Thursday for $140 million. The site is on the west side of Las Vegas Boulevard across from Premium Outlets South mall and near McCarran International Airport. Company officials have said Brightline West trains would carry up to 500 passengers at speeds up to 200 mph on the planned route between Las Vegas and Victorville, California. The project has been delayed over the years, most recently because of the pandemic.\n\nNew Hampshire\n\nConcord: Plans to close the state’s youth detention center are quickly taking shape, with a consultant due to submit a preliminary report in the next two weeks. The two-year state budget Gov. Chris Sununu signed June 25 includes a mandate to close the Sununu Youth Services Center in Manchester by March 2023. But the state Department of Health and Human Services didn’t wait for lawmakers and the governor to act; it signed a $55,000 contract with Alvarez & Marsal Public Sector Services of Washington, D.C., on June 8. The contract, paid for with federal pandemic aid, requires the consultants to deliver a draft closure plan by mid-July and a final report by August. According to details submitted to the governor’s Executive Council last week, the department didn’t have time to solicit bids given the time-sensitive work but consulted with stakeholders before hiring the firm. Health and Human Services Commissioner Lori Shibinette told the council she met with advocates for juvenile justice, including the Disability Rights Center and the Office of the Child Advocate. “We have this opportunity to build the right-sized program on a clinical model instead of a detention model. So I brought the advocates together to say, ‘What is your ideal model?’ ” she said. “They said they weren’t qualified and that I should hire a consultant. So that is what I did.”\n\nNew Jersey\n\nBridgewater: The pandemic that closed restaurant dining rooms last year also put a stop to food tours. But with eateries up and running again, food tours are starting back up, too, inviting food lovers to explore a town by enjoying its restaurants’ signature dishes and learning about local history. “For the first time in 15 months, we are opening public tours again, and it is really exciting,” said Alessia Aron, owner of Beyond the Plate Tours, which presents excursions in Jersey City, Red Bank and Somerville. Local restaurants “have been through hell and back, and we are just trying to support them as much as possible.” Her company, previously Jersey Girls Food Tours, is one of seven that comprise the NJ Food Tour Trail. “We thought that coming together and creating the New Jersey Food Tour Trail would help us come out of the pandemic better,” said Audrey Wiggins, owner of On the Town Food Tours, another participant. “July 1 is our official opening date for all tour companies; some have started a little earlier than that, but everyone is now officially open.” Other NJ Food Tour Trail companies include Asbury Park Food Tours, Cape May Food Tours, Sister Cities Food and Shop Tours, Savor and Stroll Culinary Tours and Have You Met Newark Tours.\n\nNew Mexico\n\nSanta Fe: A new podcast called Parks urges visitors to America’s national parks to educate themselves about and acknowledge the Indigenous tribes whose ties to these sacred spaces span millennia. The aim of the documentary podcast is to explore the history of tribes on these lands, the ways in which the lands were dispossessed, issues the Indigenous communities face today, and how they’ve kept their culture and traditions alive, the Santa Fe New Mexican reports. “There’s so much that was written, but when it was written, it was from the point of view of Eastern colonizers,” said Mary Mathis, 25, a former photo editor at National Public Radio and Outside magazine who serves as the host of Parks, co-created with fellow Santa Fe-based multimedia journalist Cody Nelson. “It wasn’t every story, it was just one story – the quote-unquote ‘winner’s’ story. We see that a lot in our education system, and I think that was where the idea (for Parks) kind of came from.” The first episode follows a format the Parks team plans to replicate throughout the project, one in which Indigenous guests are closely involved in each step of the editing process so as to maintain complete ownership of their stories.\n\nNew York\n\nNew York: A consortium of businesses and nonprofits will run Central Park’s Wollman ice rink, one of four recreational concessions that were operated by Donald Trump’s company until the city canceled its contracts with the former president, the city Department of Parks and Recreation announced Tuesday. A joint venture called Wollman Park Partners LLC is expected to be awarded a five-year contract to run the rink after submitting the winning bid for the project, city officials said. The joint venture, which includes Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, Related Companies, Equinox, caterer Great Performances and local groups such as Ice Hockey in Harlem, will reinvest all profits into upgrading the rink, city officials said. “It’s the Summer of New York City, but we’re already preparing for an iconic winter, too,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a news release. “I’m thrilled that NYC Parks has found a quality operator for Wollman Rink that is committed to reinvesting in the community and creating a welcoming space for all New Yorkers.” The Democrat announced in January that the city would terminate business contracts with the Trump Organization over Trump’s role in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. The cancellations affected a golf course in the Bronx and a carousel and two ice skating rinks in Central Park.\n\nNorth Carolina\n\nRaleigh: A Superior Court judge put a small-town newspaper editor behind bars last month after one of his reporters used an audio recorder for note-taking purposes at a murder trial – a punishment the paper and media rights groups consider excessive. Judge Stephan Futrell sentenced Gavin Stone, the news editor of the Richmond County Daily Journal, to five days in jail before having the editor hauled off to jail. Stone was released the next day but still faces the possibility of more time in lockup. Brian Bloom, the paper’s publisher, acknowledged that his reporter shouldn’t have had the recorder in court because it was not allowed but criticized the judge’s move to imprison an editor for a minor infraction committed by a colleague. “The penalty does not fit the crime,” he said. “Let’s put this in perspective: You stop a murder trial not once, but twice, because a guy had a tape recorder sitting next to him on a bench at a courtroom. Let’s put our priorities in place here.” Futrell did not respond to a request for comment. Superior Court rules allow electronic media and still photography coverage of public judicial proceedings but grant judges the authority to prohibit the technology.\n\nNorth Dakota\n\nMandan: The Mandan City Commission has agreed to equip the community’s police force with body cameras. The commission approved the cameras unanimously Tuesday with no discussion. The police department received a quote from Digital-Ally, which already has cameras inside the police vehicles. A memo from police to commissioners said that using the same company for the cameras will allow for better integration of the equipment, the Bismarck Tribune reports. The package of 28 body cameras, upgraded in-car cameras, accessories, set-up, training and cloud storage would cost about $165,000 for a five-year subscription. The police department also received approval to request funding from the U.S. Department of Justice to offset the cost of the cameras. It is asking for nearly $37,000 over five years, according to the memo. The Lincoln Police Department began using body cameras in early 2020. The Bismarck Police Department and the Burleigh County Sheriff’s Department do not use the technology.\n\nOhio\n\nCincinnati: The top prosecutor in one of the state’s most populous counties has decided his office will no longer offer plea bargains in any cases involving gun violence or possession of illegal firearms. Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters announced his decision Tuesday, saying it would take effect immediately. “It’s time for this nonsense to end,” Deters said. The directive comes in the wake of a violent holiday weekend in Cincinnati. Among the incidents was a Fourth of July shooting at a downtown park where authorities say a 19-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy opened fire on each other, leaving both of them dead and three innocent bystanders wounded. Hundreds of teens were gathered at Smale Park when the shooting occurred shortly before 11 p.m. Sunday, authorities say. At the time, police officers were working to clear out the riverfront park before its closing time. “People must be held accountable for their choices. As a community, we must stand together and say, ‘Enough is enough,’ ” Deters said. “No amount of money can fix the problems we are facing. Parents must parent their children. Communities must speak up.”\n\nOklahoma\n\nEdmond: U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe’s office announced Wednesday that he requested $4 million in federal funds to help combat illegal marijuana growing operations in the state. Inhofe’s chief of staff, Luke Holland, announced the request during an Oklahoma Sheriffs Association meeting, saying Inhofe requested a direct appropriation through the U.S. Justice Department to allow the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs to establish a unit to combat “transnational and national drug organizations.” The unit would work with sheriffs to combat illegal drug operations. Medical marijuana is a booming business in Oklahoma, where voters in 2018 approved one of the nation’s most liberal medical programs. As a result, out-of-state weed entrepreneurs have flocked to the state to get involved. But sheriffs and other law enforcement groups, which opposed the state question in 2018, have said illegal marijuana grow operations are setting up in rural parts of Oklahoma and funneling cannabis into the illegal drug trade in Oklahoma and other states.\n\nOregon\n\nEugene: The University of Oregon said Tuesday that it will start the second phase of building the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact after receiving another $500million donation for the project. Construction on the first phase of the new campus started in 2016 – after the first half-billion-dollar gift from the Nike co-founder and his wife – with a large science building including a pedestrian bridge over the street. A second building for “bioengineering and applied science research building to support expanded research programs and facilities” will be built next, according to a university news release. The building is planned to cover 175,000 square feet, with multiple stories, and be located north of the first building. The focus of the new campus is to translate scientific discoveries into advances in health care and other fields. The latest money will also pay for 14 to 16 additional faculty members and their teams. The new campus currently employs 13 tenure-related faculty members and their research teams, for a total of about 90 employees. “The aim of the new campus is to compress the timeline between discovery and “societal impact,” said Robert Guldberg, vice president and executive director of the new science operation.\n\nPennsylvania\n\nHarrisburg: Tolls on the Pennsylvania Turnpike will rise another 5% in January, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission decided Tuesday. The agency board voted to impose the higher rates as of Jan. 2. The most common E-ZPass fare for a passenger vehicle will rise by a dime, from $1.60 to $1.70. Those being charged through a scan of their license plate will see the most common fare go from $3.90 to $4.10. The most common truck fare will go from $13 to $13.70 for E-ZPass and from $26.60 to $28 for toll-by-plate. Officials say 2022 will be the first time in six years that fares will have jumped by less than 6%. The turnpike has pumped more than $7 billion in funding from tolls to the state Transportation Department since 2007.\n\nRhode Island\n\nProvidence: Almost $54 million worth of fraudulent unemployment claims have been filed during the coronavirus pandemic, state officials say. The latest total is about $9 million more than in May, with even more victims coming forward in the past month, according to WJAR-TV. State Department of Labor and Training Director Matt Weldon said that doesn’t necessarily mean the claims were filed during that time span, just that they are coming to light now. The agency has managed to get back about $3.75 million so far with the help of federal agencies, but Weldon said he believes that will grow significantly in the coming months. The agency is also enforcing rules that require people to look for work while collecting benefits, he said. With 64,000 Rhode Islanders receiving unemployment benefits, that will be a slow process, with the agency only able to get through a few hundred claims per week to start, he said. “As you can imagine, trying to audit claims and go through information is difficult when there are more than a workable number, so we are going to begin with hundreds and see how that goes, and then that can grow in the future,” he said.\n\nSouth Carolina\n\nColumbia: The governor wants a new abortion law to take effect, arguing Wednesday that a judge’s decision to put the whole measure – and not just the parts being challenged in court – on hold during a lawsuit “oversteps the bounds of federal judicial power.” Gov. Henry McMaster’s brief with the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals asks appellate judges to lift a lower court’s injunction on the South Carolina Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act. The Republican signed the measure into law earlier this year that requires doctors to perform ultrasounds to check for a heartbeat in the fetus, which can typically be detected about six weeks after conception. If cardiac activity is detected, the abortion can only be performed if the pregnancy was caused by rape or incest or if the mother’s life is in danger. Planned Parenthood attorneys sued immediately, and the entire law has been blocked from going into effect during the litigation. In his brief, attorneys for McMaster argued that decision represents “overreaching federal power to interfere with state law.” McMaster, along with other defendants including state Attorney General Alan Wilson, also argue that the groups that sued don’t have proper standing to challenge the law.\n\nSouth Dakota\n\nMadison: An increasing number of primarily social media complaints from residents in Madison and Lake County have brought to light a little-known county ordinance banning people from occupying their campers or recreational vehicles outside the confines of a campground. Lake County Planning and Zoning Officer Mandi Anderson said the ordinance has gone undetected for many years until a recent barrage of postings that have led to heated debate among residents. Some who are opposed to the rule say that it infringes on property rights and that there should be nothing wrong with letting visitors use a camper for a short time. “I didn’t realize it was this out of hand,” Anderson said. One theory for the ordinance, Anderson said, is that people who construct large lakeside homes on small lots do not want to be inundated with noise from adjoining property when three campers pull in for the weekend and 50 people take up temporary residence, The Madison Daily Leader reports. Anderson said citations are only issued if the matter is not addressed after the property owner has been notified about the ordinance and has been given an opportunity to comply. She emphasized she does not drive around looking for violators but only responds to complaints.\n\nTennessee\n\nNashville: City officials are inviting the public to celebrate and remember civil rights icon John Lewis in a dedication ceremony next week. Earlier this year, Nashville’s Metro Council renamed a large portion of Fifth Avenue North to Rep. John Lewis Way. Councilwoman Zulfat Suara submitted the request last year, focusing on Lewis’ work to desegregate Nashville’s lunch counters before becoming a long-serving congressman in Georgia. The city will host a dedication July 16-17. The event was originally scheduled for February but was delayed due to the coronavirus outbreak. As a college student at American Baptist College and then Fisk University, Lewis helped desegregate public spaces in Nashville and pushed for racial justice across the South. Lewis was a Freedom Rider, spoke at the March on Washington, and was beaten on the Edmund Pettus Bridge on Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama. Lewis died July 17, 2020. He was 80.\n\nTexas\n\nSan Antonio: A federal judge has ruled that the U.S. Air Force is mostly responsible for a former serviceman killing more than two dozen people at a church in 2017 because it failed to submit his criminal history into a database, which should have prevented him from purchasing firearms. U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez in San Antonio wrote in a ruling signed Wednesday that the Air Force was “60% responsible” for the massacre at First Baptist Church in the small town of Sutherland Springs, where Devin Kelley opened fire during a Sunday service. Authorities put the official death toll at 26 because one of the 25 people killed was pregnant. The attack remains the worst mass shooting in Texas history. “The trial conclusively established that no other individual – not even Kelley’s own parents or partners – knew as much as the United States about the violence that Devin Kelley had threatened to commit and was capable of committing,” Rodriguez wrote. Kelley had served nearly five years in the Air Force before being discharged in 2014 for bad conduct, after he was convicted of assaulting a former wife and stepson, cracking the child’s skull. The Air Force has publicly acknowledged that the felony conviction for domestic violence, had it been put into the FBI database, could have prevented Kelley from buying guns from licensed firearms dealers and from possessing body armor.\n\nUtah\n\nSalt Lake City: Hospital leaders renewed their pleas for people to get vaccinated Wednesday as the state experiences another surge in new coronavirus cases from the faster-spreading delta variant. That strain has begun to surge in Utah over the past month and now represents about 80% of cases in the state, said Dr. Michelle Hofmann, deputy director of the state health department. Utah has averaged about 386 confirmed cases per day over the past week, nearly double the case rate the state was experiencing at its lowest point in early June. The surge is largely occurring in unvaccinated people who are being infected and hospitalized at six times the rate of vaccinated people, Hoffman said. “The frustrating part about all of this is that, unlike last year, we have all the tools to stop this pandemic in its tracks,” Hoffman told reporters during a virtual briefing. “The COVID-19 vaccines work.” Utah now ranks fourth in the nation for new cases per capita, and the rolling average number of daily new cases has increased by 31% over the past two weeks, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Utah met health officials’ goal of vaccinating 70% of adults and 25% of children ages 12 to 15 with at least one dose by the Fourth of July, but hospital leaders say more people need to be vaccinated to avoid hospitals from being overrun again.\n\nVermont\n\nKillington: The FIS Ski World Cup will be returning to the Killington Ski Resort this November. Over the years the event has drawn tens of thousands of people to the town on Thanksgiving weekend. It was canceled last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mike Solimano, president and general manager of Killington Resort & Pico Mountain, said in a news release that in addition to skiing, there will be a full weekend of activities, including live music. Joshua Eckler, owner of Trailside Inn, told the Rutland Herald he thinks this will be a big year for the World Cup, given the past 14 months of travel restrictions. “We try to encourage a lot of guests to come for it even if they’re not ski racing fans because it’s more of an experience,” Eckler said. “You don’t have to be a die-hard racing fan to enjoy the event, just because of the music and the atmosphere and the excitement – everybody is screaming for everybody.”\n\nVirginia\n\nRichmond: Workers removed a statue of Harry F. Byrd Sr., a former governor, U.S. senator and staunch segregationist, from the state’s Capitol Square on Wednesday morning. A crane hoisted the larger-than-life statue off its pedestal, and workers then strapped it to a truck to be hauled into storage until lawmakers determine its final disposition. Byrd, a Democrat, ran the state’s most powerful political machine for decades until his death in 1966 and was considered the architect of the state’s racist “massive resistance” policy to public school integration. Lawmakers voted to remove the statue earlier this year, a decision that came amid a years­long movement in history-rich Virginia to rethink who is honored in the state’s public spaces. The statue erected in 1976 was located a stone’s throw from the Capitol. A nearby plaque said the statue was dedicated in appreciation of Byrd’s “devotion throughout a long public career to governmental restraint and programs in the best interest of all the people of Virginia.” Byrd’s son, the late Harry Byrd Jr., a Democrat-turned-independent who began his career as a segregationist, succeeded his father in the Senate, serving until 1983.\n\nWashington\n\nRichland: A new state report finds that more than 57% of Hanford Nuclear Reservation workers reported exposure to hazardous material on the former nuclear weapons production site in south-central Washington state. The Hanford Healthy Energy Workers Board recently released its final report and recommendations on the unmet health care needs of Hanford workers. The report’s central recommendation calls for creation of a new, independent Hanford Healthy Energy Workers Center. It would provide a centralized clearinghouse for dissemination of accepted scientific literature. Important functions would also include evaluation and communication of newly available studies about Hanford-specific hazards. For incurable diseases such as chronic beryllium disease, information sharing could be key to finding cures. Additionally, the center would promote research to increase the body of knowledge for the Hanford workforce. Hanford for decades made plutonium for nuclear weapons, and thousands of workers are now tasked with cleaning up the nation’s largest volume of radioactive wastes. “The working families that make up the Hanford community represent a very unique population, with occupational risks not easily quantified or identified,” said Nickolas A. Bumpaous, Hanford Healthy Energy Workers Board co-chair.\n\nWest Virginia\n\nCharleston: Traffic on the West Virginia Turnpike around the Fourth of July weekend was the heaviest since 2010. The turnpike saw 668,000 vehicles pass through its toll booths between Thursday and Monday, the state Department of Transportation said in a news release Tuesday. That’s 28% higher than for the five-day period a year ago, when travel was affected by the coronavirus pandemic. “It was a huge Fourth of July period,” said West Virginia Parkways Authority executive director Jeff Miller. “People are just ready to get out and travel.” Miller said many travelers started trips the weekend before the Fourth of July and returned home the weekend after. Between June 27 and Monday, more than 1.12 million vehicles went through the turnpike’s toll booths, the statement said.\n\nWisconsin\n\nMadison: In a cheese-obsessed state that proudly touts itself as America’s Dairyland, the dairy cow is the official domestic animal, milk is the official state beverage, and cheese is the official dairy product. But even though Wisconsin produces more cheese than any other state at 3.4 billion pounds each year, there is no official state cheese. A bipartisan bill heard by a state Assembly committee on Wednesday would change that. The measure makes colby, which was created in Wisconsin more than 100 years ago, the official cheese. Colby may be as “gouda” choice as any, but the choice threatens to turn fans of cheddar, swiss, provolone and other varieties red, or perhaps blue, in the face with rage. Colby also holds a special place in Wisconsin cheese history. It was created in the central Wisconsin city of Colby in 1885 by Joseph Steinwand, who named it after the township where his father built northern Clark County’s first cheese factory, according to a state historical marker in the city, located about 40 miles west of Wausau. Colby isn’t the most-produced cheese in Wisconsin. Mozzarella is tops, followed by cheddar and some Italian varieties, according to the USDA. Still, more than 45 million pounds of colby are produced at Wisconsin’s 150 cheese plants each year.\n\nWyoming\n\nCheyenne: The state’s first female federal district judge plans to semi-retire in 2022, opening the way for Democratic President Joe Biden to nominate a judge in the deeply Republican state. Going on senior status will give U.S. District Judge Nancy Freudenthal in Cheyenne more control over the number and type of cases she oversees. She plans to spend more of her free time with her husband, former Gov. Dave Freudenthal, and grandchildren, Freudenthal told the Casper Star-Tribune. She hasn’t decided yet how she will use her time as judge but might stop taking new criminal cases to provide freedom from speedy trial requirements, she said. Freudenthal had no experience with criminal cases before becoming a federal district judge in 2010. She has found those cases the most rewarding because they can be life-changing for convicts, Freudenthal said. “Yes, their lives going forward will still be very challenging, but they have the opportunity to rebuild that life, take advantage of resources, hopefully live a life of sobriety,” she said. Freudenthal, 67, holds undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Wyoming. She was an attorney in the offices of Govs. Ed Herschler and Mike Sullivan from 1980 to 1989.\n\nFrom USA TODAY Network and wire reports", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2021/07/08"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/50-states/2022/05/27/elk-wildfire-rescue-escaped-bison-captured-diseased-raccoons-news-around-states/50289405/", "title": "50 States", "text": "From USA TODAY Network and wire reports\n\nAlabama\n\nTuscaloosa:The city’s annual Memorial Day program, which is free and open to the public, will be held at 9 a.m. Monday at Veterans Memorial Park in front of University Mall. Forrest Fitts, chairman of the Alabama Marines Foundation, will be the guest speaker. John Merkle, director of the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center, and David Blair, director of the University of Alabama Office of Veteran and Military Affairs, are also scheduled to speak. Audrey Watts and Clara Parker of the Alabama Choir School will sing the national anthem and student cadets from Paul W. Bryant High School Junior ROTC will present the colors. At the end of the ceremony, participants will place a wreath at the Military Order of the Purple Heart Monument.\n\nAlaska\n\nAnchorage: An aircraft crashed while attempting to land on a rural Alaska airstrip lined by trees, injuring all four people on board. Three people seriously injured in Tuesday’s crash at Dry Bay airstrip were sent to hospitals in Anchorage. A fourth person with minor injuries was treated in the nearby southeast Alaska community of Yakutat, the Coast Guard said in a statement. The names of those injured weren’t immediately released.\n\nArizona\n\nCasa Grande: Two women were arrested after about 500,000 fentanyl pills were found in an SUV pulled over for speeding on Interstate 10 in Arizona, police said. The pills were found concealed in collagen supplement bottles on Monday during a search that also turned up a handgun and a large amount of cash, police said. Martha Lopez, 31, and Tania Luna Solis, 30, were arrested on suspicion of crimes including possession of a narcotic drug for sale, according to police. Court records didn’t list attorneys who could comment on behalf of the women, who are from Phoenix. Two children in the vehicle were turned over to state child protection officials, police said.\n\nArkansas\n\nFort Smith: University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Chancellor Terisa Riley named Shadow JQ Robinson as the next provost and vice chancellor of academic affairs, effective July 1. Robinson, raised in rural Kentucky in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains, said the Ozarks feel like home. And because of the work of those who came before him, he said, the campus and its position in the higher-education landscape feel inviting and inspiring. Robinson currently serves as the Dean of the College of Engineering and Natural at the University of Tennessee-Martin, where he provides academic, administrative and financial leadership to more than 100 faculty and staff, with an annual budget of more than $6 million.\n\nCalifornia\n\nSacramento: A gun and a loaded magazine were found in a second-grade student’s desk after other students alerted the staff that a classmate had brought the weapon, officials said. The incident happened Tuesday at Edward Kemble Elementary, the Sacramento City Unified School District said in a statement to families. School staff called police “who secured the weapon and opened an investigation,” the statement said.\n\nColorado\n\nFort Collins:City Council members are coalescing around a potential ballot measure to increase their pay and benefits. Many details remain to be determined, including the magnitude of the proposed pay increase, when it would take effect and how compensation would be adjusted over time. But at a council work session on Tuesday, most council members expressed initial support for a November ballot measure, saying higher pay for council members could make council candidacy more feasible for a more diverse slate of community members. Council members currently make about $893 a month, or $10,712 annually. The mayor earns $1,340 a month, or $16,074 annually. Their pay is adjusted each year based on the consumer price index and has increased by about 80% since 1998. Council members don’t qualify for the health insurance provided to city employees.\n\nConnecticut\n\nNorwich: The city is interested in maintaining the docks at Howard T. Brown Memorial Park, but it will cost a little more to do so. The city is expected to make another 20% contribution to repairing the docks at the park as a part of the city’s American Rescue Plan Act funds, scheduled to be approved June 6. Although the original repairs focused on compliance with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act and replacing an unsafe platform, additional money will focus on repairing the pilings that have been deteriorating, after being underwater for almost 30 years.\n\nDelaware\n\nWilmington:Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long said she supports the legalization of marijuana, showing a major chasm with Gov. John Carney, who on Tuesday vetoed a bill to legalize possession of up to one ounce of marijuana by adults for recreational use. Hall-Long did not comment on the governor’s veto or if a recreational marijuana industry should be created in Delaware. Many in Delaware have speculated that Hall-Long could run for governor in 2024. Carney is in his second term as governor and cannot run for re-election.\n\nDistrict of Columbia\n\nWashington:After a mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, organizers of the March for Our Lives are planning to march in D.C. on June 11 to demand gun control legislation and universal background checks from lawmakers, WUSA-TV reported. The original march took place on March 26, 2018, in response to the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.\n\nFlorida\n\nTallahassee: The Florida House of Representatives gave final passage to sweeping property insurance legislation that creates a $2 billion reinsurance fund and rewrites rules on coverage denials and attorney fees, as lawmakers attempt to stabilize rising rates and insurer losses. The legislative package now awaits the signature of Gov. Ron DeSantis.\n\nGeorgia\n\nAtlanta: Gov. Brian Kemp is suspending Georgia’s motor fuel tax for six more weeks. Kemp signed an executive order Thursday extending the tax break through July 14. Kemp used the announcement to again blame Democratic President Joe Biden for high gas prices. Kemp signed a law in March that passed with broad bipartisan support suspending the state’s gas tax through May 31. But with pump prices climbing again, Kemp signaled in recent days that he would extend the relief. Under state law, Kemp can suspend taxes by executive order as long as state lawmakers ratify the action the next time they meet. Kemp abated gas taxes in 2021 during a pipeline shutdown, and former Gov. Nathan Deal suspended gas taxes multiple times. Georgia’s gasoline price normally includes a federal tax of 18.4 cents per gallon and a state tax of 29.1 cents per gallon. A number of cities and counties also charge taxes. Federal taxes on diesel fuel are 24.4 cents per gallon, and Georgia’s tax on diesel is 32.6 cents per gallon.\n\nHawaii\n\nHonolulu: Catherine Payne, the head of the Hawaii Board of Education, said it’s time to consider developing a public school policy on preparing for active shooter scenarios. Payne spoke after a gunman killed 19 fourth-graders and their two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas on Tuesday. Payne’s time as board chairperson ends next month. She said she expects the new chairperson, to be named by Gov. David Ige, to direct the state Department of Education to assess and report on school preparations and safeguards regarding shootings.\n\nIdaho\n\nBoise: A Washington man is dead after a boating accident on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Custer County. Robert Gray, 63, of Mill Creek, Washington, was floating on the river Tuesday afternoon “when his raft struck a log jam, throwing him into the water,” according to a news release from the sheriff’s office. The accident took place about 2:30 p.m. MDT near the Boundary Creek boat launch, northwest of Stanley. About noon Wednesday, Custer County Search and Rescue located a body matching Gray’s description by helicopter, submerged in a log jam downstream from Boundary Creek, the release said. Gray’s body was still in the river, as rescuers have determined the river is too dangerous for retrieval, the release said.\n\nIllinois\n\nWauconda: A bison that escaped a suburban Chicago farm in September and had been living in the wild since was recaptured Wednesday, officials said. The 1,300-pound bison some had come to know as Tyson ran off while being delivered to the Milk and Honey Farmstead in Wauconda, and officials said they believe she settled in Lakewood Forest Preserve in early April. Forest preserve officials brought in Loose Cattle Caught to help with her capture, and she was found early Wednesday and tranquilized enough to slow her, officials said. The bison is healthy and under observation. Loose Cattle Caught is working to contact her owner.\n\nIndiana\n\nPorter: A federal appeals court has declined to disturb an Indiana Supreme Court ruling, later codified into Indiana law, which declared that Lake Michigan’s shoreline is – and always has been – owned by the state for the public’s use. In Wednesday’s 3-0 decision, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago said the three lakefront property owners in the town of Porter who claim their holdings include a private beach lack standing to challenge Indiana’s high court ruling and statute in federal court.\n\nIowa\n\nJohnston: A central Iowa business is being sued in federal court for allegedly claiming that its Chinese-made products, which collect data on crucial infrastructure that’s buried underground, are produced in the United States. Digital Control Inc., or DCI, which is based in the state of Washington, is suing Underground Magnetics of Johnston in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. The Johnston company is accused of trademark and patent infringement, unfair competition and false advertising. DCI claims the central Iowa company holds itself out as a manufacturer when it is “a sales arm of a Chinese company manufacturing its products in China.”\n\nKansas\n\nLarned:A lawsuit filed Thursday alleges long wait times at Larned State Hospital are unconstitutional and are inflicting mental and physical harm on those who are incarcerated. The complaint, brought in federal district court by the ACLU of Kansas, National Police Accountability Project and a Kansas City, Mo., law firm, said individuals are frequently waiting nearly a year in jail for an evaluation to determine if they are competent to stand trial. And patients determined unfit to stand trial also will have prolonged waits if they must be sent back to Larned for care so they might become competent to be tried. While individuals are sitting in jail, their criminal proceedings are paused. They are unable to access psychiatric treatment and are often placed in solitary confinement, something ACLU legal director Sharon Brett said is “cruel and unusual punishment.”\n\nKentucky\n\nLouisville: An apartment complex in eastern Jefferson County has discriminated against potential tenants based on their race and source of income, according to a report from the Louisville Metro Human Relations Commission. Terraces at Forest Springs, managed by St. Louis-based Michelson Realty Company, twice discouraged Black renters with federal housing vouchers from applying to the complex, located near Anchorage, while encouraging white tenants with vouchers to apply, according to a complaint that was validated by human relations employees. Michelson Realty has denied it discriminated against tenants. It will soon face a hearing before a representative from the Kentucky Office of the Attorney General.\n\nLouisiana\n\nBaton Rouge: Spanking a student in Louisiana schools would be forbidden unless school officials have written permission from the child’s parent, under legislation approved Wednesday by the state House. The bill by Rep. Stephanie Hilferty, a Metairie Republican, had started out as a ban on corporal punishment in schools. As amended on the House floor, the bill would prohibit the spanking of a child in an elementary or secondary school unless the child’s parent or guardian has signed a consent form permitting corporal punishment. The bill passed 70-28 and goes next to the Senate, where it will need to get through a committee hearing and a floor vote before the current session’s adjournment deadline on June 6.\n\nMaine\n\nHollis: Some nature advocates are worried that Maine residents are killing the wrong caterpillar as they seek to wipe out an invasive species that causes a rash with its toxic hairs. The browntail moth caterpillar is an invasive pest that can cause a rash and respiratory distress in humans. They’re expected to be especially bad this year because of weather conditions. Destroying the caterpillars’ nests is one way to mitigate their spread. However, some residents are destroying the nests of Eastern tent caterpillars, which are a different species, the Bangor Daily News reported. Tent caterpillars serve as important forage food for Maine birds, Maine Audubon said. Unlike browntail moths, they’re native to North America. As for browntail moths, it’s too late to destroy their nests because they’re no longer occupied at this time of the year, said Jim Dill, pest management specialist with University of Maine Cooperative Extension.\n\nMaryland\n\nSalisbury:A raccoon has tested positive for canine distemper, and several others are showing symptoms near the bayside campgrounds at Assateague Island National Seashore. The highly contagious virus doesn’t affect humans, but dogs and other small mammals, such as foxes, skunks and river otters, can become infected. It’s transmitted through saliva, urine, feces and respiratory secretions, according to Cornell University Wildlife Health Labs. Symptoms begin 10 to 14 days after infection and include discharge from the eyes and nose, difficulty breathing, fever, coughing and pneumonia. Park officials recommend campers ensure their dogs have a current distemper vaccine and be kept on a 6-foot leash at all times.\n\nMassachusetts\n\nCambridge: The flood of disinformation that is spread and amplified on social media represents a threat to fragile democracies, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said during the keynote speech at Harvard University’s commencement, exhorting graduates to do their part of fight it.\n\nMichigan\n\nLansing: A federal appeals court dismissed a Catholic school’s challenge to Michigan’s 2020-21 mask order. The Whitmer administration policy during the COVID-19 pandemic was dropped about a year ago, making the lawsuit moot, the court said. The appeal was heard by 17 judges at the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. It was a rare step; most appeals are heard by three-judge panels. Resurrection School in Lansing and some parents sued in 2020, saying a state mask order violated the free exercise of religion, among other objections. A federal judge, however, ruled in favor of the state and declined to suspend the policy with an injunction. The statewide mask order ended in June 2021. Any subsequent school mask mandates came from local health departments.\n\nMinnesota\n\nAitkin: A space heater might have been involved in a fire that killed a couple and their young grandson in Aitkin County, sheriff’s officials said. The fire broke out in a trailer home early Sunday in Wealthwood Township north of Lake Mille Lacs. Authorities said sheriff’s deputies and firefighters arrived, and once the flames were extinguished, they located the three bodies in the charred debris. Officials identified the victims as 69-year-old Jeff Cleys, 55-year-old Michelle Cleys and 6-year-old Grant Diehl, of Deerwood.\n\nMississippi\n\nJackson: A preliminary snapshot of third graders’ literacy proficiency in Mississippi showed a passing rate nearly the same as before the COVID-19 pandemic, the state education superintendent said Thursday. The statement said 73.9% of 31,068 students passed the test for the 2021-22 school year. That’s compared to 74.5% in 2019, the last normal school year, when 34,998 students took the initial test. State law requires Mississippi third graders to pass a reading assessment to qualify for promotion to the fourth grade.\n\nMissouri\n\nKansas City: Police are searching for a driver of a stolen pickup truck they said fatally hit a pedestrian as it fled from officers. The chase began Wednesday afternoon on Kansas City’s east side when officers spotted the stolen pickup and tried to pull it over, police said in a news release. The truck fled, ramming a patrol car in the process. Police said the officers called off the chase as the truck entered the northbound lanes of Interstate 435 traveling southbound. Less than a minute later, police found the body of a man in the road who appeared to have been hit by the fleeing truck. The truck was found a short distance away, and a woman who was a passenger in the truck was arrested. The driver of the truck fled on foot and, despite a search involving helicopters and police dogs, was not found, police said. The name of the pedestrian killed was not immediately released.\n\nMontana\n\nBillings:Conservative minister Jordan “JD” Hall admitted he fabricated a story about a transgender Native American lobbyist allegedly berating a state senator so badly that he sought the protection of the Montana Senate’s sergeant-at-arms. In a libel case that has been ongoing for more than a year the minister admitted that he fabricated the story and apologized to Adrian Jawort, a lobbyist who testified on many issues related to Native Americans. The settlement and a potential $250,000 claim was reached as Hall is going through the bankruptcy process, seeking protection from a libel case, as well as discharging attorney’s fees he racked up during the libel fight. Two weeks ago, Hall was arrested on charges of driving under the influence and illegally carrying a concealed weapon, to which he has pleaded not guilty.\n\nNebraska\n\nLincoln: A man was sentenced to 70 years to life in prison Wednesday for the shooting death of a police officer in 2020. Felipe Vazquez, now 19, shot Officer Mario Herrera when he tried to escape from police who were serving an arrest warrant for him at his Lincoln home. Vazquez was wanted in the stabbing death of 36-year-old Edward Varejcka months earlier. Vazquez was sentenced to another 59 to 86 years for attempted assault on a second officer, escape and four gun charges, the Lincoln Star reported. He will not be eligible for parole for about 70 years. Vazquez was convicted in March.\n\nNevada\n\nLas Vegas: Gambling in Nevada continued a 14-month hot streak in April and a return of international flights boosted travel nearly to levels seen before the coronavirus pandemic began more than two years ago, according to Las Vegas airport and state casino revenue reports. The state Gaming Control Board said the $1.13 billion that casinos statewide reported winning last month represented the best April ever for the state, Clark County and the Las Vegas Strip. Nevada casinos have now reported winning at least $1 billion every month since March 2021.\n\nNew Hampshire\n\nConcord: A man pleaded guilty in federal court to defrauding government programs that were intended to provide assistance related to the COVID-19 pandemic. George Adyns, 51, of Sandown, who was chief financial officer of several companies in Plaistow, directed employees in March 2020 to file for state unemployment benefits while continuing to work, prosecutors said. The state paid more than $49,000 in fraudulently obtained benefits. Adyns also fraudulently obtained loans totaling more than $135,000, prosecutors said. He’s scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 31 on a wire fraud charge.\n\nNew Jersey\n\nTrenton: One month into existence, New Jersey’s recreational marijuana market has done $24 million in sales and regulators on Tuesday voted to grant permits to nearly a dozen new recreational cannabis retailers in their first public meeting since the market opened to the public last month. How long before the new dispensaries open, though, isn’t known, and there will be additional regulatory hurdles before the new shops start selling to adults 21 and over.\n\nNew Mexico\n\nSanta Fe: Firefighters rescued an abandoned newborn elk calf found amid the ashes of the nation’s largest wildfire as calving season approaches its peak in New Mexico and fires rage across the American West. Missoula, Montana-based firefighter Nate Sink said he happened upon the motionless elk calf on the ground of a fire-blackened New Mexico forest as he patrolled and extinguished lingering hot spots. “The whole area is just surrounded in a thick layer of ash and burned trees. I didn’t think it was alive,” said Sink, who was deployed to the state to help contain a wildfire that by Wednesday had spread across 486 square miles and destroyed hundreds of structures. The 32-pound singed bull calf, dubbed “Cinder,” was taken for care to a nearby ranch and is now regaining strength at a wildlife rehabilitation center in Espanola, north of Santa Fe. Veterinarian Kathleen Ramsay at Cottonwood Rehab said she paired Cinder with a full-grown surrogate elk to be raised with as little human contact as possible. Ramsay said the calf hopefully can be released into the wild in December after elk-hunting season. The strategy has worked repeatedly with elk tracked by tags as they rejoined wild herds.\n\nNew York\n\nEast Greenbush: Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed raising the age to 21 for purchasing the type of firearms used in recent mass shootings in Buffalo and Texas, and possibly for other weapons, as well. The Democrat said she wants to work with the state Legislature to raise the legal purchasing age for AR-15-style rifles. Only six states - California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Vermont and Washington - require buyers to be at least 21 instead of 18 to purchase rifles or shotguns, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Those states have the same higher age limit for handguns, while a few other states have no age limits at all for any firearm, the gun-control advocacy group says. New York City already, by local law, prohibits anyone under age 21 from possessing any firearm, with some exceptions for people engaged in military drills or competitions, or while under the supervision of a permitted gun owner.\n\nNorth Carolina\n\nWilmington: A former dean at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington is returning to the school as its chancellor, officials said. Aswani Volety, serving as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Elon University, was elected unanimously by the UNC Board of Governors during its meeting in Chapel Hill. Volety replaces Jose Sartarelli, who is retiring in June after seven years as UNCW’s chancellor. Volety is the former dean of UNCW’s College of Arts and Sciences and former executive director of UNCW’s Center for Marine Science. He spent five years at UNCW from 2014 to 2019 before serving as the chief academic officer and chief operating officer at Elon University, according to a news release. UNCW, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, has an enrollment of more than 18,000 students.\n\nNorth Dakota\n\nBismarck: Developers want to build a $390 million wind farm in south-central North Dakota. The state Public Service Commission has scheduled a hearing in late June for Badger Wind, a project under development by Orsted Onshore North America. The company is proposing a 74-turbine farm west of Wishek. It would have a generating capacity of 250 megawatts, which is comparable to powering 70,000 homes, the Bismarck Tribune reported. Orsted Onshore plans to start construction in September if it receives the necessary permits. The project would be completed late in 2023. Badger was still looking for an entity to purchase the wind farm’s output when it filed its application with the PSC in February.\n\nOhio\n\nColumbus: Republican state lawmakers have fast-tracked a fall ballot measure that would expressly prohibit noncitizens from voting in local elections. The proposed noncitizen voting ban – which emerged just last week and cleared the Ohio House 68-28 on Wednesday – stands to ignite GOP voters ahead of this year’s midterm elections, when Republicans hope dissatisfaction with Democrats in Washington will help them regain control of Congress and win overwhelming Statehouse majorities. The push comes as some places in the country have begun to allow legally documented, voting-age noncitizens to cast ballots. It’s legal in New York City in races for mayor, City Council and other municipal offices; and in San Francisco for school board races – but not for positions such as president, governor or U.S. House members. The Ohio constitutional amendment moves next to the state Senate, where it needs a similar three-fifths majority to advance to the November statewide ballot.\n\nOklahoma\n\nOklahoma City: Gov. Kevin Stitt has signed a bill requiring public school students to use only the bathroom of the sex listed on their birth certificate. About a dozen conservative states have passed laws regarding transgender use of bathrooms, transgender participation in school sports, and gender-affirming treatments or surgery for young people. The bill passed overwhelmingly in the Republican-controlled House and Senate last week, and Stitt signed it on Wednesday.\n\nOregon\n\nSalem:Some customers of Pacific Power would see their power bills increase 14% if a plan proposed by the company is approved. In the plan filed with the state, the utility is asking for an $84 million yearly increase in rates for customers in Oregon, a 6.8% increase. But that increase would impact different types of customers in different ways. The average residential bill is $91.89 for customers in single-family homes using 900 kilowatt hours per month. The company’s request would increase that to $104.90 per month. That would be a 14.2% increase. Also, multifamily homes that use an average of 600 kilowatts per month would see their bills increase $6.97 per month, an 11% increase, under the proposal.\n\nPennsylvania\n\nWolf Creek: State police said they have solved the slaying of a Chicago man whose burning body was found 42 years ago near Interstate 80 in a northwestern town. Edwin Rodriguez was identified through the use of DNA testing and genealogy tools, authorities announced Wednesday. Rodriguez was 18 when he and a family friend, Nestor Quintanal, left Chicago for Florida in the fall of 1980, and Rodriguez’s family never heard from him again. His burning body was found Nov. 6, 1980, near Interstate 80 in Wolf Creek. Authorities said Quintanal – who died in Florida in 2002 at the age of 71 – is believed to have killed Rodriguez, who had third-degree burns on 70% of his body. A possible motive for the killing was not disclosed. The Mercer County District Attorney’s office paid for state police to have an advanced DNA analysis performed, and in 2007 the office secured a DNA profile of the victim through evidence collected at the autopsy. In January 2019, the profile was sent to a lab for DNA phenotype testing and a genetic genealogy screening. The testing linked the body to a first cousin of Rodriguez, authorities said. Police reached out to the individual, who was able to confirm the victim was Rodriguez. His remains have since been returned to his family in Chicago.\n\nRhode Island\n\nProvidence:Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas Tobin of the Providence diocese sparked internet fury by suggesting Catholics boycott a classic North Kingstown donut shop over its collection of donations to Planned Parenthood. In response, Allie’s said each month, it allows an employee to select an organization for which to collect donations at checkout. Planned Parenthood was chosen for May. Allie’s said it has raised money for many other organizations, including Ronald McDonald House of New England, the North Kingstown Food Pantry, T.A.P.S., Friends of Exeter Animals, Project Sweet Peas and the J. Arthur Trudeau Center. Reached by The Providence Journal, the diocese said Tobin wouldn’t be saying anything other than his tweet.\n\nSouth Carolina\n\nColumbia: South Carolina jurist Michelle Childs – recently under consideration for a slot on the U.S. Supreme Court – was confirmed on a 17-5 vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee for a spot on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. It now goes to the full Senate for a vote. Childs, 56, has been a federal judge on South Carolina’s District Court for more than a decade. Earlier this year, she was on a shortlist of candidates being considered by President Joe Biden for an upcoming vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court, given the pending retirement of Justice Stephen Breyer.\n\nSouth Dakota\n\nRapid City: Ellsworth Air Force Base has broken ground for the first of three dozen major projects that will support the incoming long-range B-21 bomber. The 95,000-square-foot Low Observable Restoration Facility, or LO, will have “specialized equipment to ensure that the free world’s next generation stealth bomber is sustained and maintained,” said Gen. Anthony Cotton, Air Force Global Strike Commander. 28th Bomb Wing Commander Col. Joseph Sheffield called the event not only a great day for South Dakota, but also for the United States. U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson called the B-21 an important part of this nation’s military history.\n\nTennessee\n\nNashville: A state report said nearly half of Tennessee public high school seniors in the class of 2021 did not attend college or technical school right after graduating. The Tennessee Higher Education Commission report said the college-going rate has dropped from 63.8% for the 2017 class to 52.8% for the 2021 class. Officials pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic while noting a drop of 9 percentage points from the 2019 class to the 2021 class. Nationally, freshman enrollment dropped 9.2% between 2019 and 2021, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Current Term Enrollment Estimates.\n\nTexas\n\nManor: Four people were detained in connection with a threat made against Manor High School, police said Thursday. Officers at about 9:25 a.m. conducted what they called a high-risk stop of a vehicle entering the Manor High School campus, police said. Four people were detained, and police said two of them are suspects in two recent threats against Manor students. Just before midnight Thursday, Manor police had said they were investigating a social media post that showed a hunting rifle with a male voice saying “(expletive) Manor.” The post had Thursday’s date in the caption. Authorities were told the video was sent to several Manor middle school students earlier that day, but officers have not yet confirmed if that is true.\n\nUtah\n\nSt. George:Another poor spring runoff has exacerbated Utah’s ongoing drought problem, with nearly every part of the state now rating as under “severe” or “extreme” drought, water officials said Thursday. The statewide “snow water equivalent,” or how much water melted off Utah’s mountains and poured into its streams and reservoirs, ended up at about 75% of normal this year, according to a new report from the state Division of Water Resources, leaving 99.86% of the state under those two categories of drought. The dry conditions were likely to lead to another year of limited restrictions and other efforts to curb water use while also drying out vegetation and making the state more susceptible to wildfires. Eighteen of Utah’s largest 45 reservoirs were below 55% of available capacity as of Thursday, with overall statewide storage at 63% of capacity. This time last year, reservoirs were about 67% of capacity. Great Salt Lake was expected to drop to a new historic low.\n\nVermont\n\nEast Burke: Canadian mountain bikers are back again in the Northeast Kingdom after a two-year absence when the border was closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Abby Long, executive director of the Kingdom Trails Association. “In the past about 38% of our trail users were our neighbors to the north,” Long said in an email. “We missed welcoming our Canadian trail users for the past two years.” Kingdom Trails, comprising more than 100 miles of mountain bike trails across the properties of 104 private landowners, has become a national draw for mountain bikers traveling to the Northeast Kingdom and the towns of Burke, Lyndonville, Kirby and East Haven. Long said the trail system creates an estimated $10 million economic impact every year – when there’s not a pandemic.\n\nVirginia\n\nVerona: The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank is participating in the USDA's Summer Food Service Program, sponsoring six locations starting Tuesday, helping to ensure that children across the region have access to nutritious food. One-in-12 children in the Food Bank service area are food insecure, according to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. The Summer Food Service Program is designed to reach children who might not get nutritious meals at home over the school’s summer break. Students receiving free or reduced-price meals at school are at particular risk.\n\nWashington\n\nMoxee: Yakima County Hearing Examiner Gary Cuillier approved a conditional-use permit for the Black Rock Solar Energy Project, a photovoltaic solar power facility to be located 20 miles east of Moxee on both sides of State Route 24, the Yakima Herald-Republic reported. The project will feature 264,000 solar panels spread over a 1,060-acre site north of the Rattlesnake Hills and roughly 8 miles south of the Columbia River as it flows into Benton County and past the former Hanford nuclear reactor site.\n\nWest Virginia\n\nSouth Charleston: A Pennsylvania resident caught a record carp while fishing from the bank of Summersville Lake in West Virginia, regulators said. Ayden Minick of Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, caught and released the carp on May 7, the Division of Natural Resources said in a news release. It measured by a DNR fisheries biologist at 41.2 inches long, breaking the record of 41 inches caught in 1988 by Charles Cook at Stonecoal Lake. The carp weighed 45 pounds, which was just short of the record of 47 pounds set in 1998 in a Preston County farm pond.\n\nWisconsin\n\nMadison: Rising material prices and legal expenses are expected to add nearly $50 million more to the cost of a power transmission line being built across southern Wisconsin. American Transmission Co., ITC Midwest and Dairyland Power Cooperative are building the 345-kilovolt Cardinal-Hickory Creek transmission line that would run more than 100 miles from Dane County to Dubuque County in Iowa. The utilities have notified the Wisconsin Public Service Commission that the overall cost of the project is now expected to top more than $500 million, Wisconsin Public Radio reported. In the filing, the utilities cited considerable increases in the cost of steel, conductors, insulators and other materials.\n\nWyoming\n\nCheyenne: U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney said Wednesday she tested positive for the coronavirus and planned to work through minor symptoms she said she was experiencing. The Republican’s diagnosis came amid a nationwide surge in new coronavirus cases and reports of positive tests from Cheney’s congressional colleagues, including North Carolina Democrat David Price, who tested positive last weekend.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/05/27"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/50-states/2020/06/18/airport-number-war-navajo-lockdowns-petition-rules-news-around-states/111980932/", "title": "Airport number war, Navajo lockdowns: News from around our 50 ...", "text": "From USA TODAY Network and wire reports\n\nAlabama\n\nMontgomery: A federal judge said the state cannot prohibit local officials from offering curbside voting during the COVID-19 pandemic and loosened restrictions on absentee ballots in three Alabama counties because of the health risk to voters. U.S. District Judge Abdul K. Kallon entered the preliminary injunction Monday evening. Kallon ruled that the potential health risks to older and medically vulnerable voters in going to the polls, or getting absentee ballots witnessed or notarized, merited the changes. The judge lifted a statewide prohibition on curbside voting at in-person polling locations. He also waived requirements in Mobile, Jefferson and Lee counties for voters to get their absentee ballot notarized or witnessed by two adults and the requirement that absentee voters who are 65 and older or disabled mail in copies of their photo IDs. The ruling applies to the July 14 runoff election.\n\nAlaska\n\nBethel: The city plans to increase the number of visitors participating in coronavirus screening tests at its airport by adding a financial incentive. The Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation said between 25% and 60% of passengers arriving at the Bethel airport volunteer for coronavirus testing, Alaska Public Media reports. Bethel officials hope to use some of the city’s $8.4 million in federal coronavirus relief funds to increase the percentage of passengers agreeing to airport testing to 100%. “Whether it’s a gift card, or a raffle ticket for some prize, but some kind of a financial incentive to catch people’s attention to go get tested,” City Manager Vincenzo Corazza said. The testing is voluntary, and an inducement with a monetary value could increase participation, Corazza said.\n\nArizona\n\nWindow Rock: The Navajo Nation is resuming lockdowns for at least the next two weekends as the number of coronavirus cases off the reservation increases, most notably in Arizona. Tribal President Jonathan Nez made the announcement Tuesday in a virtual town hall. He cited Arizona – which hit an alarmingly high new daily number of cases with nearly 2,400, almost double the previous record – in urging people to stay home. Businesses will be closed during the weekend lockdown. During its peak, the Navajo Nation sent the sickest patients from the reservation to larger hospitals in Arizona and New Mexico. That might not be an option if hospitals in Arizona become overwhelmed with patients, Nez said. “A second surge, a worse surge, may put a lot of pressure back on our health care system and our health care workers,” Nez said.\n\nArkansas\n\nFayetteville: The city is requiring face masks to be worn in most public places indoors to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The Fayetteville City Council on Tuesday approved an ordinance requiring the masks be worn, with some exceptions. The measure also requires businesses to provide masks to those who enter at minimal or no cost. The requirement comes as northwest Arkansas has been driving a dramatic resurgence in virus cases in the state. The number of active cases, meaning those excluding people who have died or recovered, has risen 160% in Arkansas since Memorial Day, and hospitalizations have more than doubled the same period. Gov. Asa Hutchinson has encouraged residents to wear masks to prevent the virus’s spread but has said he doesn’t see a need for it to be mandated.\n\nCalifornia\n\nHuntington Beach: The Vans U.S. Open of Surfing, a summer competition that draws thousands each year to Southern California, has been canceled because of the coronavirus. In announcing the cancellation, organizers cited “continued health concerns and current guidelines surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.” The event will return in 2021, organizers said. The surfing tournament is also a nine-day festival that packs the sand on the south side of the famed Huntington Beach Pier. It features skateboarders and BMX bike riders who show off their skills in front of big crowds. Since Vans took over sponsorship in 2013, the event has been more family-focused, offering movie nights and games for youngsters, the Orange County Register reports. The event coincides with inductions into the city’s Surfers’ Hall of Fame and the Surfing Walk of Fame.\n\nColorado\n\nDenver: A bill to extend to-go alcohol sales made it through the state’s legislative hurdles and is headed to Gov. Jared Polis’ desk. If signed into law, SB20-213 would allow to-go alcohol to be purchased or delivered in Colorado until July 1, 2021. Born out of necessity this spring, to-go alcohol sales were made possible through an executive order from Polis on March 20, as restaurants and breweries struggled to make ends meet under the state’s weeks­long ban on in-person dining that began March 17, amid the coronavirus pandemic. Originally set to expire April 30, Polis’ order to allow to-go liquor sales with food orders was extended twice. The latest extension allows for to-go alcohol sales and delivery through June 30.\n\nConnecticut\n\nHartford: A bipartisan coalition of state lawmakers gave Gov. Ned Lamont a list of issues Tuesday to be reviewed in an upcoming, independent third-party investigation into the preparation and response to the coronavirus inside nursing homes and assisted living centers. The detailed request by the Women’s Bipartisan Legislative Caucus includes questions about the prevalence of state inspections before and during the pandemic; cleaning policies at the homes; the handling of asymptomatic residents and new residents to a facility; staffing ratios before and during the pandemic; the availability of personal protective equipment; and numerous other issues. “We need to know what happened, what worked, what didn’t work and what could we learn from it,” said Rep. Rosa Rebimbas, R-Naugatuck, the group’s co-chairwoman. Lamont, who attended a news conference on the state Capitol steps with members of the women’s caucus, announced last week that he ordered the review.\n\nDelaware\n\nWilmington: Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the state’s health secretary has resigned from her position to work for Nemours Children’s Health System in Washington, D.C., the governor’s office announced Tuesday evening. Dr. Kara Odom Walker has served as secretary of Delaware Health and Social Services, the largest state agency, since February 2017. This summer, she will become Nemours’ senior vice president and chief population health officer. Officials said she “is leaving her position to fulfill a desire to pursue health care policy work at the national level.” The announcement comes at a time when Delaware has started to reopen its economy in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. In three months, more than 10,000 Delawareans have been infected with the virus, and more than 420 people have died. Gov. John Carney said he will nominate Molly Magarik, DHSS’ deputy secretary, to become the state’s new health secretary.\n\nDistrict of Columbia\n\nWashington: Phase 2 of D.C.’s reopening is likely to kick in Monday, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Wednesday. Originally, Phase 2 was expected to kick off Friday, WUSA-TV reports. While coronavirus transmission numbers have lowered – and there have been 13 straight days of community decline of the virus – one metric that still hasn’t been met is contact tracing capacity. According to Bowser, D.C. is at a 15.5% contact tracing capacity as of Monday. That percentage needs to increase to more than 90% for Phase 2 guidelines. According to the latest data, D.C. has been on a long-term downward trend in coronavirus cases since May 21. “We are going at the pace that we think the data says we should,” Bowser said. “If the data trends the way it currently is, I will make these guidelines in Phase 2 effective Monday.”\n\nFlorida\n\nOrlando: Officials at the state’s busiest airport said Wednesday that only two workers out of 500 employees tested positive for COVID-19 over three days last week, and 132 employees overall have had the virus since the pandemic began, contradicting remarks Gov. Ron DeSantis made the day before. DeSantis said at a news conference Tuesday, while talking about outbreaks around the state in the past week, that an airport in central Florida – which he didn’t identify – had tested 500 workers and that 260 cases had come back positive. “52% positivity rate on that one,” DeSantis said. But Phil Brown, CEO of Orlando International Airport, said in a statement Wednesday that last week’s rate of positive cases from the 500 workers tested last week was only 0.4%. His statement was issued to clear up “what can be a confusing mix of data for the traveling public,” he said.\n\nGeorgia\n\nAtlanta: A revised version of the state budget for the upcoming year would cut $2.6 billion after Gov. Brian Kemp told lawmakers to reduce spending by 11%. The Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday voted to advance House Bill 793, the budget for the year beginning July 1. It now moves to the full Senate for more debate. Under the plan, the state would spend less than $26 billion in state money, down from $28 billion originally projected. With federal funding, spending would be nearly double, including a boost in Medicaid funding that will help preserve the state-federal insurance program for the poor and disabled without cuts. Although the measure is less severe than the 14% reductions Kemp and top lawmakers originally were preparing, it will still mean service cuts, unpaid furloughs and layoffs across state government, K-12 schools, and state colleges and universities.\n\nHawaii\n\nWailuku: Hotel workers on Maui held a demonstration over the weekend calling on legislators and tourism industry officials to reopen the state to visitors while protecting employees. About 200 union members and supporters in 70 vehicles rode through Lahaina and Kaanapali during the event Saturday, The Maui News reports. Participants expressed concerns about health care coverage, adequate testing for COVID-19 and the availability of personal protective equipment. The caravan was organized by the Unite Here Local 5 hotel workers union. Workers demonstrated to express their belief the state’s vital tourism industry can reopen safely, Local 5 Key Leader Erin Kelley said. “Global travelers are looking to Hawaii as one of the safest places to travel, and we feel Hawaii should not waste this opportunity by not opening safely,” Kelley said. Tourism statewide plummeted following the March 26 start of a mandatory, 14-day self-quarantine for incoming travelers.\n\nIdaho\n\nBoise: Health officials in southwestern Idaho say a coronavirus outbreak linked to patrons at six Boise bars has spread to 34 confirmed cases. Officials said Tuesday that the infected bar patrons are mostly in their 20s and 30s, but they have also spread the illness to household members. Besides those six bars, health officials identified three additional Boise bars where infected individuals visited, plus another bar in Meridian. Russ Duke, director for Central District Health, which covers the area where the bars are located, said the virus is being unintentionally spread by people with no or mild symptoms. In eastern Idaho, officials reported an infected patron spent more than eight hours at a bar in Victor. In west-central Idaho, officials are tracking an outbreak from a grocery store in Washington County. On Saturday, Idaho moved into the fourth and final stage of Gov. Brad Little’s plan to return the state to regular activity during the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nIllinois\n\nChicago: Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced Tuesday that he has tested positive for COVID-19, has mild symptoms and is self-isolating on the advice of his doctor. Raoul, a first-term Democrat, said he was tested a day earlier after experiencing symptoms. “I am fortunate to be otherwise healthy and am following recommendations to protect those around me,” he said in a statement. Raoul’s disclosure comes as the number of cases in Illinois has been falling and as the state has been taking gradual steps to reopen amid stay-at-home orders. Also Tuesday, Chicago officials said all six city-run testing sites will provide free diagnostic tests to anyone who has participated in a large gathering that put them at high risk of exposure, including recent protests over policing. They encouraged anyone who has participated to get tested.\n\nIndiana\n\nIndianapolis: Twenty-four more residents have died from COVID-19, while the state’s total number of confirmed coronavirus cases surpassed 41,000, state health officials said Wednesday. All but three of Indiana’s newly confirmed COVID-19 deaths occurred June 11 or later, the Indiana State Department of Health said. The 24 new deaths boosted Indiana’s confirmed pandemic death toll to 2,289 since the first fatality was reported in mid-March. The state agency has also recorded 186 fatalities considered coronavirus-related by doctors but without confirmation of the illness from test results. Those deaths give Indiana 2,475 confirmed or presumed deaths from the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus. The state health department also reported 264 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus, raising Indiana’s total to 41,013.\n\nIowa\n\nDes Moines: Due to the novel coronavirus, the Iowa Juneteenth 2020 celebration will take place virtually Thursday through Saturday this weekend. The three-day, free, online event will include music, art, history, health tips and healing from home through DSM TV. “The first day, on the 18th, is going to be a banquet and award ceremony. Thursday and Friday, it goes from one to four,” said Iowa Juneteenth Observance’s event coordinator, MarKaus Ashworth. “Friday is a health day, so we have presenters from Wellmark; we will have a live yoga demonstration; we have a vegan cook coming through to do some demonstrations on how to prepare healthy meals, guest speakers and all that.” Ashworth, a rapper and entrepreneur, said Saturday will be dedicated to music from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.\n\nKansas\n\nTopeka: The State Finance Council on Tuesday unanimously approved $400million that will be distributed to 103 counties to assist with the economic and health costs of the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding proposal came from Gov. Laura Kelly’s SPARK task force, which has been charged with determining how federal COVID-19 relief funds will be allocated. Of the $400 million, SPARK proposed $350 million be distributed based on population, and the remaining $50 million be given to counties that have been hit the hardest. Money distributed during the first round of funding will begin this month. SPARK executive director Cheryl Harrison-Lee proposed that counties receive enough money to equate out to $194 per person. That standard was put in place by the federal government when it allocated money to the counties of Sedgwick and Johnson.\n\nKentucky\n\nLouisville: Public swimming pools may open June29 if they can meet stringent guidelines meant to control spread of the coronavirus, Gov. Andy Beshear said Tuesday. And groups of 50 could gather starting June 29 if they follow similar guidelines. Also Tuesday, the state reported 203 new cases of COVID-19, bringing Kentucky’s total confirmed cases to 12,829. Seven deaths from COVID-19 were reported Tuesday, for a total of 512 people who have died from the virus since it first surfaced in Kentucky in March. Beshear, in a statement, urged people to continue to work to prevent the spread of the virus by limiting contact with other people, washing hands frequently and wearing a mask. “We have come so far; we have sacrificed so much; we have shown so much compassion for one another,” Beshear said. “Let us continue to be good people because that’s what’s going to defeat the coronavirus.”\n\nLouisiana\n\nBaton Rouge: Grocery store employees, nurses, bus drivers and other front-line workers who stayed on their jobs in the early days of Louisiana’s coronavirus outbreak could receive a one-time $250 state payment, under a bill that started advancing Wednesday in the state House. Democratic lawmakers are pushing the hazard pay proposal – paid out of $50 million in federal virus aid from Congress – in an ongoing special session focused largely on business recovery from the pandemic. They’re trying to broker a deal with Republicans who need some Democratic support to pass certain business tax breaks and other pro-business measures. The Ways and Means Committee sent the $250 hazard pay bill by House Democratic leader Sam Jenkins of Shreveport to the full House for debate without objection Wednesday, in a bipartisan show of support.\n\nMaine\n\nPortland: The state’s 16 counties are now in sync when it comes to reopening. Restaurants and fitness centers were allowed to begin welcoming guests inside in all of them Wednesday. Only 50 people are allowed in one room at a time; they also must be kept 6 feet apart, whether dining inside or outside. Also Wednesday, bars, breweries and tasting rooms were allowed to reopen for outdoor seated service, while gyms, nail salons and tattoo parlors were allowed to welcome guests inside if they choose to do so. Meanwhile, the number of people who’ve tested positive for the coronavirus dipped to the lowest in more than a month, more positive news as the state reopens, the Maine Center for Disease Control reported Tuesday. Nine people tested positive in the prior 24 hours, the lowest number since late April, officials said. No deaths were reported.\n\nMaryland\n\nOcean City: The city has postponed its annual Fourth of July firework displays due to COVID-19. Ocean City’s postponement joins a growing list of events put on by Eastern Shore towns that have had to change their plans because of the pandemic. The event has been postponed, according to Ocean City’s website. In previous years, the town has had two fireworks displays that begin simultaneously near the Boardwalk on the southern end of town and farther north at Northside Park. The town hopes to still have the fireworks shows later in the summer, City Manager Doug Miller said during Monday night’s Ocean City Town Council meeting. The decision by the council comes a week after Berlin and Salisbury both postponed their Fourth of July fireworks shows.\n\nMassachusetts\n\nBoston: The state is offering free coronavirus testing this week for anyone who has attended large gatherings in recent weeks, including protests following the killing of George Floyd, Gov. Charlie Baker said. The testing, also offered Wednesday, will be available at no cost Thursday at 52 pop-up locations across the state. Some testing facilities are by appointment only. Some will take anyone who walks up, even without an appointment. “We certainly support peoples’ rights to express their views peacefully, but we need to keep up our fight to slow the spread of COVID-19 here in Massachusetts,” the Republican governor said, adding that test results will be provided confidentially. Any time large groups of people come together, there’s a risk for transmission of the virus, Baker said. He said some people with the virus do not show symptoms and could unwittingly spread the virus, so even those protesters who feel healthy should consider getting tested.\n\nMichigan\n\nLansing: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Wednesday that K-12 schools can reopen for in-person instruction as long as the state’s successful containment of the coronavirus doesn’t lapse, subject to safety rules she will announce June 30. Schools closed in March and ended the academic year with online or other remote learning. The governor said schools may resume physical instruction during the fourth phase of her restart plan. All of the state is in that stage or, in northern Michigan, where COVID-19 cases and deaths are low, a step further along. School typically starts in late August or early September. A previously issued order by Whitmer gives districts more flexibility to adopt a year-round calendar for the 2020-21 school year or start before Labor Day as a way to help students catch up.\n\nMinnesota\n\nSt. Cloud: Another 12 Minnesotans died from COVID-19, and 419 more people have tested positive for the disease, according to Wednesday’s report from the Minnesota Department of Health. Stearns, Benton and Sherburne counties each reported two more cases of the virus and no new deaths Wednesday, according to the report. Stearns County has reported 2,109 cases and 19 deaths, Benton County has confirmed 193 cases and three deaths, and Sherburne County has reported 270 cases and three deaths. Statewide, the number of people who tested positive for the novel coronavirus reached 31,296 cases Wednesday, and 1,325 people have died, according to the health department. Of those total cases, 3,689 have required hospitalization, according to the report. As of Wednesday, 351 Minnesotans remain hospitalized with the virus, and 181 are in intensive care.\n\nMississippi\n\nJackson: Free coronavirus testing was conducted Tuesday at the Mississippi Capitol, a day after lawmakers were told that an employee in the building had tested positive for COVID-19. The Legislature remained in session. Some lawmakers, lobbyists and others in the Capitol have been wearing masks, but some have not. The Health Department said Tuesday that Mississippi had confirmed at least 20,152 cases and 915 deaths from the coronavirus as of Monday evening. The number of coronavirus infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected without feeling sick. The Health Department said Tuesday that at least 2,237 cases of the virus have been confirmed in long-term care facilities such as nursing homes, with at least 466 virus-related deaths in those facilities.\n\nMissouri\n\nColumbia: State officials on Tuesday said they’re reinstating requirements for unemployment and food stamps that were waived because of the coronavirus pandemic. Anna Hui, director of the state’s labor department, said workers will need to comply with job search requirements to keep getting unemployment after July 4. She cited a study by the University of Chicago’s Becker Friedman Institute for Economics that shows unemployment benefits, coupled with an extra $600 a week from the federal government, mean many workers nationally are getting more than they did while working. The study lists Missouri workers as getting on average 152% to 161% of their past wages in unemployment benefits. “We all know that a system that rewards individuals to be unemployed is unsustainable,” Hui said.\n\nMontana\n\nHelena: State health officials on Wednesday reported 18 more cases of COVID-19 and the death of a Big Horn County woman in her 30s, bringing the death toll in the state to 20. The latest death was the third in Big Horn County, which reported its first June 5. The 18 new cases mark the highest daily total since April 8. Officials said there were 73 positive tests from June 10 to 16, compared to 39 in the previous week. Five people remain hospitalized. Montana has reported a total of 23 new cases in the past two days. Eight were diagnosed in Custer County. Officials attributed the increase to reopening the state economy and increased testing. Gov. Steve Bullock and health officials have been stressing that the number of positive cases will likely increase further as the reopening continues. The state is now testing everyone who comes in close contact with people who have the virus, even if they’re asymptomatic.\n\nNebraska\n\nOmaha: Another employee in the state’s prison system has tested positive for COVID-19, as health officials in eastern Nebraska announced a second child in the Omaha area has been diagnosed with a rare and serious inflammatory condition that’s linked to the new coronavirus. The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services said the latest prison staffer to be infected works at the Omaha Correctional Center and is self-isolating at home. The case brings the number of prison employees infected statewide to 20. Meanwhile, the Douglas County Health Department announced Tuesday that a teenage boy was briefly hospitalized in late May with the inflammatory condition and tested positive for COVID-19. Health officials said the boy had a brief history of a fever, sore throat and fatigue before he was hospitalized. It’s the third case of the condition in children recorded in the state.\n\nNevada\n\nReno: A rural Nevada church is asking a U.S. appeals court to overturn a federal judge’s refusal to strike down the state’s 50-person cap on religious gatherings as unconstitutional. Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley has filed formal notice of its appeal to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco after a judge in Las Vegas rejected its second request last week for a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of the hard cap. It also filed a new request to resume worship services, while the appeal is pending, under strict social distancing guidelines at 50% of the church’s capacity – the same limit placed on casinos and others to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The church in Lyon County east of Reno maintains the current cap violates members’ First Amendment right to express and exercise their beliefs because it “treats religious gatherings worse than similar secular gatherings,” including casinos, restaurants, taverns, gyms, bowling alleys, theme parks and arcades.\n\nNew Hampshire\n\nConcord: The Hampton Beach Seafood Festival, which has drawn more than 100,000 visitors during the three-day event in September, won’t happen this year because of the coronavirus, organizers said Wednesday. The Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce said it reached its decision after speaking with volunteers, vendors, state and local officials. “As much as we would love to continue our tradition, we just don’t feel the environment would be right and we just do not know if the state of affairs will return to normal by festival time,” the chamber said in a news release. Elsewhere, only 400 people will be allowed on Weirs Beach at any one time, less than 20% of its capacity of 2,200 people, the Laconia Parks and Recreation Commission voted. The Laconia Daily Sun reports the decision came Monday for the 450-foot-long beach, in compliance with social distancing guidelines. The beach opens June 27.\n\nNew Jersey\n\nTrenton: Towns could close off streets and allow bars, restaurants and other businesses to allow eating, drinking and retail sales on roadways and sidewalks during the coronavirus outbreak under a bill before state lawmakers. The measure would allow towns to close off a street one or more days a week between Thursday and Sunday and restrict it to pedestrian access. The measure has already passed the state Senate and was advanced in an Assembly committee Wednesday. Bars and restaurants could move tables onto sidewalks or into roadways to serve food and alcoholic beverages to patrons, who would still be required to observe social distancing and use personal protective equipment, to be enforced by the municipality. Businesses would have to sign an agreement holding the municipality harmless for any claims arising from the activity.\n\nNew Mexico\n\nSanta Fe: Multiple tribal casinos in the state have reopened despite recommendations from Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to remain closed to limit the spread of COVID-19. Isleta Casino & Resort in Albuquerque, Ohkay Hotel Casino in Ohkay Owingeh and Taos Mountain Casino in Taos all have reopened with coronavirus-related precautions, The Santa Fe New Mexican reports. “All casinos are strongly, unequivocally encouraged to remain closed at this time, just like other entertainment facilities, due to the risk of COVID-19 spread,” governor’s office spokeswoman Nora Meyers Sackett said Tuesday. “Any entity opening a casino right now is exposing patrons and the community in which it is situated to enormous risk of infection and spread.” Tribal casinos are controlled by sovereign nations, so the state cannot prohibit them from reopening.\n\nNew York\n\nNew York: The city is on track to open more businesses and could enter the second phase of reopening Monday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday. Cuomo, a Democrat, said the state Department of Health reported 17 coronavirus-related deaths in hospitals and nursing homes Tuesday. He also pointed to the gradual decline in rates of individuals testing positive: Fewer than 1% of results for roughly 60,000 individuals tested Tuesday for COVID-19 were positive. “This is one of the best days for New York since we have started this long journey into a dark night,” Cuomo said. The official coronavirus death toll includes at least 24,600 statewide and at least an additional 2,600 deaths in New York City, though officials have said the actual death toll is likely much higher. The number of deaths reported each day by state hospitals and nursing homes reached a peak of at least 800 in April.\n\nNorth Carolina\n\nRaleigh: Republican legislators on Tuesday advanced measures to allow more types of businesses shuttered under Gov. Roy Cooper’s COVID-19 executive order to reopen and to limit lawsuits by some who’ve contracted the virus. The full House voted to overturn Cooper’s orders that have kept bowling alleys and skating rinks closed, allowing them to bring customers indoors up to 50% of their fire capacity. They would have to adhere to social distancing rules and sanitizing standards. Another measure clearing the Senate Judiciary Committee would provide limited immunity to any business, government agency or nonprofit that takes reasonable steps to reduce transmission risks and lets patrons know about those actions. The House legislation is the latest effort by GOP lawmakers to speed up the incremental process by which the Democratic governor has eased restrictions on commerce and mass gatherings since early May.\n\nNorth Dakota\n\nBismarck: A federal judge said he will not waive the state’s ban on electronic signature gathering for a group attempting to get a wide-ranging measure on the November ballot. North Dakota Voters First asked to allow online signature gathering because of the coronavirus pandemic. The group argued that the COVID-19 outbreak made it “impossible to comply” with the laws. In denying a motion for a preliminary injunction Monday, U.S. District Judge Peter Welte said the group was not likely to succeed on a First Amendment rights violation because petitioners have up to a year to collect signatures. The judge added that the state did not issue any stay-at-home orders and that North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum on May 1 “revoked nearly all the previously imposed pandemic-related restrictions.”\n\nOhio\n\nSpringfield: At least 200 employees in a vegetable plant in western Ohio have tested positive for the coronavirus, the governor said Wednesday. Gov. Mike DeWine announced that total during a briefing in Columbus. The Springfield News-Sun reports the Clark County Combined Health District recently tested 829 employees from the Dole Fresh Vegetables plant in Springfield. The testing was done in an effort to slow workplace spread after confirmation of the first employee with the virus in late April. Emma Smales, a health district spokesperson, said authorities are still investigating where and how the virus was being spread. Affected workers are quarantining, she said. Dole corporate spokesman William Goldfield said the Ohio plant will continue operating with additional safety measures, such as employee temperature checks before entering the plant.\n\nOklahoma\n\nOklahoma City: State health officials on Tuesday reported 228 new cases of the coronavirus and four additional deaths. The Oklahoma State Department of Health said the total number of cases in Oklahoma of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, is now at 8,645. The actual number of people who have contracted the virus is likely higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick. The four new COVID-19-related deaths brought the state’s death toll to 363, while 6,765 COVID-19 patients have recovered, according to the department’s website. That was an increase of 137 on Tuesday.\n\nOregon\n\nSalem: Oregon Health & Science University is working on a new approach to studying the spread of COVID-19 after health care experts from the state’s communities of color raised concerns that the original project’s design was flawed by racial biases. Oregon Public Broadcasting reports the Key to Oregon study, a project by Oregon Health & Sciences University and the Oregon Health Authority, aims to survey 100,000 Oregonians and monitor them for COVID-19. One of the original goals was to recruit large numbers of participants from communities of color, to help identify outbreaks in those areas. But critics said the study would recruit few, if any, communities of color because of flaws in the study design. They said those flaws could have been avoided if experts from communities of color had been included from the beginning.\n\nPennsylvania\n\nHarrisburg: The state’s highest court on Wednesday granted the Democratic governor’s request and took over a lawsuit by legislative Republicans that could end his pandemic shutdown order. The Supreme Court announced it will decide the case filed by Senate Republicans, seeking to enforce a resolution that both chambers passed last week to end the state-of-disaster emergency imposed by Gov. Tom Wolf in March. The case had been filed in Commonwealth Court, where Republicans hold a majority of the seats, but Democrats have a 5-2 edge on the Supreme Court. The order said that justices will decide the case based on filings that have been made in both courts and that they will “address the merits of the petitioner’s application in due course.”\n\nRhode Island\n\nProvidence: Several candidates for legislative office in the state filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging the rule requiring the in-person collection of signatures to get on the ballot, saying it’s putting them at risk amid the coronavirus pandemic. The lawsuit filed in federal court by the ACLU of Rhode Island cooperating attorney Armando Batastini seeks to suspend the ballot qualification process for the 2020 election cycle and put in place other methods, like electronic signatures. The lawsuit says the current process “needlessly exposes candidates, their supporters, and the general public to risks associated with the Covid-19 pandemic with no justifiable countervailing government interest.” “Candidates should not face the impossible choice of risking infection to themselves, their families, or others to in order to appear on the ballot, nor should their supporters,” Steve Brown, executive director of the ACLU of Rhode Island, said in a statement.\n\nSouth Carolina\n\nColumbia: As coronavirus cases in the state have reached record numbers in recent days, leaders in the capital city are mulling a requirement that people wear masks in public. While not passing a formal ordinance, the Columbia City Council took up the notion during a meeting Tuesday, saying that members would take public comment on the idea and perhaps vote during a later meeting. The discussion came after several days of record-setting numbers of new coronavirus cases in South Carolina. On Tuesday, state health officials announced 595 new COVID-19 cases in the state, bringing the total number to nearly 20,000 since the outbreak began. In all, 607 deaths in the state have been attributed to the virus. Earlier this month, state health officials issued a joint statement with several health associations calling on South Carolinians to adhere to mask and social distancing recommendations.\n\nSouth Dakota\n\nSioux Falls: A key staff member at the state’s largest outdoor water park has tested positive for COVID-19. Wild Water West employees were notified Tuesday by park management that the aquatic and recreation facility’s head lifeguard has been diagnosed with the coronavirus that has kept many publicly owned water facilties throughout the state closed for the season. Wild Water West’s director of operations, Brian Rehnke, wrote in a message to employees that anyone who had been working in proximity to the individual should self-monitor for symptoms. “So if you have been in physical contact with him over the last couple days, or had been inside with him within a 6 foot distance for more than 10 minutes, you should self-monitor for the next 48 hours to make sure you don’t develop any symptoms,” Rehnke wrote.\n\nTennessee\n\nNashville: The state would become the latest to give health care providers, schools and businesses broad protections against coronavirus lawsuits under a proposal gaining traction inside the GOP-dominated Statehouse. House Republicans approved such a measure Tuesday despite objections from Democrats, who argued the bill was unnecessary. A separate bill had already passed the Senate last week. However, the House’s version tweaked the proposal, which means now the two chambers must negotiate on a final version. However, the concept is widely embraced by Republican Gov. Bill Lee and GOP lawmakers. Supporters argue employers need assurance they can open their doors without facing a wave of litigation. Critics counter that employees already face a high barrier to receiving restitution from businesses that may place them at risk.\n\nTexas\n\nSan Antonio: Area officials on Wednesday ordered people to wear face masks in public when social distancing isn’t possible and warned that businesses could face fines of up to $1,000 for failing to comply with county health policies in the next five days. The executive order from Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff came amid heightened hospitalization rates as Texas continues to reopen during the coronavirus pandemic. San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg joined Wolff in a press conference to say they are concerned younger people will get infected with COVID-19 and take the virus home to older family members. People younger than 40 are showing the most infections in the area, the mayor said. The local order comes a day after Gov. Greg Abbott acknowledged that many Texans have become lax about wearing masks and social distancing as his statewide virus restrictions have been lifted.\n\nUtah\n\nSalt Lake City: The four Republicans in the race for governor clashed Tuesday over the response to a police-brutality protest that included the burning of a police car. Former Utah House Speaker Greg Hughes said the National Guard should been called in sooner during the May 30 protest in Salt Lake City, the Deseret News reports. Businessman Thomas Wright also said Republican Gov. Gary Herbert’s order was “a little late.” Former ambassador and governor Jon Huntsman Jr. related the protests to his experiences in China and Russia, saying military on the streets was “an admission of failure” to meaningful talk to opponents. The three have also been critical of the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic as they seek to undermine Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox, considered a front-runner along with Huntsman.\n\nVermont\n\nMontpelier: The state is starting to ease restrictions on visiting hospital patients and senior citizens in long-term care facilities, Gov. Phil Scott said Wednesday. The initial rules for Vermont’s approximately 200 long-term care facilities require that visits be held outdoors and include no more than two visitors per day for each resident, Scott said during his regular briefing about the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. “I realize this step is small, but it’s meaningful,” Scott said. Assuming the number of cases of the virus in Vermont remain low, the restrictions will be further eased in the coming weeks, he said. One of the first restrictions imposed by the state in March as COVID-19 bore down was to prohibit visitors to senior care facilities. As it is, about half of the state’s 55 fatalities were in the care facilities.\n\nVirginia\n\nRichmond: Gov. Ralph Northam on Tuesday announced that the state will not be entering Phase 3 of the Forward Virginia reopening plan this week. He said the state’s numbers continue to look favorable, but it is necessary to gather more data before deciding when to move to Phase 3. He said that more time is important, especially since many states are experiencing new surges. Northam said he will share more details about what Phase 3 will look like at Thursday’s press briefing. The Virginia Department of Health is also changing how it will provide demographic data and will now be able to provide a more specific breakdown of cases, Northam said. There have been persistent challenges with recording demographic data, as Virginia Health Commissioner Norm Oliver has shared over the weeks of the pandemic.\n\nWashington\n\nOlympia: The state is facing a reduction in projected state revenues of about $8.8 billion over the next three years due to the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, new numbers released Wednesday show. The latest update by the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council is higher than the $7 billion predicted during an unofficial forecast that was prepared at the end of April. Lawmakers, who are expected to be called into a special session by Gov. Jay Inslee sometime this summer, must first contend with the impact on the approximately $53 billion two-year budget that ends mid-2021. That initial projected drop of state revenues – nearly $4.5 billion – means that after reserves and the state’s so-called rainy day fund are used, lawmakers will be left with a $1.4 billion shortfall that they’ll have to address through either cuts or new revenue.\n\nWest Virginia\n\nCharleston: The state’s unemployment rate fell to 12.9% last month, buoyed by business reopenings during the coronavirus pandemic, according to figures released Tuesday. The state’s jobless rate dropped 2.1 percentage points in May as nonfarm employment rose 13,300 and a wave of businesses got the go-ahead from Gov. Jim Justice to resume operations. WorkForce West Virginia said the number of unemployed state residents fell by 23,400 in May, but the overall number remained high at 100,400. More than 250,000 unemployment claims have been processed in West Virginia since the pandemic forced widespread shutdowns in March. Nationwide, about 1.5 million laid-off workers applied for benefits in the first week of June alone. West Virginia added 8,800 jobs last month in leisure and hospitality, which includes restaurants, hotels, casinos, amusement parks, museums and other industries.\n\nWisconsin\n\nMadison: Two population health studies are being launched to better understand where COVID-19 is in the state, identify communities at risk for a future outbreak and help prevent the spread of the virus, the state Department of Health Services announced Wednesday. The first study will be led by the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Survey of the Health of Wisconsin. It will determine the prevalence of people who have COVID-19 antibodies. The presence of antibodies indicates that a person had COVID-19 in the past, perhaps without realizing it. People who have participated in past SHOW research will be chosen from 10 randomly selected counties and the city of Milwaukee to form a representative state sample, said the group’s director, Kristen Malecki. The second study will test samples from wastewater treatment facilities, in both urban and rural areas, to determine the current concentration levels of virus genetic material found in sewage.\n\nWyoming\n\nCasper: An increase in coronavirus cases in southwest Wyoming is connected to a public gathering where social distancing rules were not followed, a state health official said. The addition of three cases Tuesday brings Uinta County to 80 confirmed coronavirus infections, the state’s third-highest total, The Casper Star-Tribune reports. Dr. Alexia Harrist, the state health officer, said the new cases appear to be connected to a gathering at a public location, which she declined to identify except to say it involved young people. People at the gathering spread the virus to others who did not attend, Harrist said. The new cases include health care workers, which Harrist said can produce multiple unintended effects. “This situation illustrates how it doesn’t take much to really change the disease picture within a community,” she said.\n\nFrom USA TODAY Network and wire reports", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2020/06/18"}]}
{"question_id": "20230303_18", "search_time": "2023/03/15/03:28", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/03/01/liz-cheney-university-of-virginia/11375094002/", "title": "Former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney, who lost her seat in Congress to ...", "text": "Former Wyoming GOP Rep. Liz Cheney is joining the University of Virginia's Center for Politics following her ouster from Congress by a Trump-backed candidate last year.\n\nCheney lost her congressional seat last year after she incurred the wrath of former President Donald Trump, who backed a primary challenger who ousted the one-time number 3 Republican in Congress.\n\nHer loss was a stark sign of the grip the former president still holds over his party, as Republicans who disagree with Trump have found the party increasingly inhospitable.\n\nTrump, Russia, Biden:The US has 3 special counsel investigations at once. What are they?\n\nWhat will Cheney do?\n\nCheney will serve as a professor of practice for UVA in an inaugural appointment. She will teach through the fall 2023 semester, according to a press release.\n\nHer duties include holding university-wide lectures and serving as a guest lecture and contributing to the center's politics research.\n\n'Domestic threat':Liz Cheney says Republicans must abandon Donald Trump\n\nWhat is Cheney saying?\n\n“I am delighted to be joining the UVA Center for Politics as a Professor of Practice. Preserving our constitutional republic is the most important work of our time, and our nation’s young people will play a crucial role in this effort,\" said Cheney.\n\n\"I look forward to working with students and colleagues at the Center to advance the important work they and others at the University of Virginia are doing to improve the health of democracy here and around the world.\"\n\nWhy did Cheney lose her seat?\n\nCheney lost the Wyoming primary in August to Trump-backed Republican Harriet Hageman last year, after Trump retaliated against Cheney for voting to impeach Trump in the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection.\n\nJan. 6 hearings:Rep. Liz Cheney calls Jan. 6 Capitol attack a 'conspiracy' and says threat is 'ongoing'\n\nCheney served as chair of the House Republican Conference–the third highest GOP post in the House—until May 2021. But she was removed from the position after Republicans booted her from leadership for excoriating Trump's involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection.\n\nAs vice chair of the Jan. 6 committee investigating Trump's role in the insurrection, Cheney continued her public persona as the most prominent Republican critic of the former president.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/01"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/17/politics/why-liz-cheney-lost/index.html", "title": "How Liz Cheney lost Wyoming's lone seat in the House | CNN Politics", "text": "Jackson, Wyoming CNN —\n\nRep. Liz Cheney’s supporters say her reelection hopes were doomed on January 13, 2021, when a week after the insurrection at the Capitol, she and nine other House Republicans voted to impeach former President Donald Trump.\n\nEverything since that day – Cheney’s role on the House select committee investigating the insurrection; her ads featuring her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, eviscerating Trump; her speeches attempting to steer the GOP away from Trump’s influence – only served Harriet Hageman’s victory in Wyoming’s primary for its lone House seat on Tuesday.\n\nCheney’s ouster caps a summer in which Trump has purged the GOP of many of his critics, while elevating candidates – including Hageman – who have parroted his lies about widespread election fraud. Trump-aligned candidates have won primaries for governor in swing states such as Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, and Senate in Georgia, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Candidates backed by the former President have positioned themselves to take over the election machinery in a series of key states if they win in November.\n\nPrimaries in recent months have also brought into focus the role a handful of prominent Republicans, including Cheney and former Vice President Mike Pence, are seeking to play in moving the GOP beyond Trump and his election denialism.\n\nBut Wyoming’s results on Tuesday demonstrated the long odds those Trump critics face in a party in which the former President remains the most dominant figure and is teasing a third run for the White House in 2024.\n\nPresident Joe Biden called Cheney following her primary loss, according to a person familiar with the matter who declined to divulge the contents of the conversation. Bloomberg was first to report the call.\n\nCheney attempted to assemble a coalition of Democrats, independents and moderate and anti-Trump Republicans – many of them ideological opponents of the neoconservative congresswoman before the last 19 months – to save her seat. Her campaign sent information to registered Democrats in Wyoming about how to change their party registration, and in interviews across the state in the lead-up to the election, a number of Democrats did say they were voting for Cheney.\n\nBut the Cowboy State’s electorate is almost entirely Republican. Wyoming has more than 215,000 registered Republicans compared to just 36,000 registered Democrats, according to data from the secretary of state’s office. That’s a drop of about 15,000 registered Democrats from early 2021, but the pool of party-switchers, along with a fall-off of more than 3,000 independent voters who likely became Republicans, was nowhere near large enough to save Cheney from defeat in a Republican Party that had turned against her.\n\n“I think she stood up for what she believes in,” said John Grant, a Republican who cast his ballot for Cheney, even though he suspected she would fall short. “It took a lot of courage to stand against the Republican Party and Donald Trump.”\n\n‘Uneasy from the beginning’\n\nThe roots of Cheney’s loss were planted long before Tuesday’s primary. And in some cases, the seeds were planted during the factional battles within the Wyoming GOP that date back to the tea party era, when Cheney was still a resident of Virginia.\n\nThe state’s GOP, with no real competition from Democrats, has divided into two factions, with a more moderate establishment wing butting heads with a more conservative faction that has increasingly wrested away control.\n\nThe establishment wing retains some power in Wyoming. Gov. Mark Gordon, a part of that wing, won Tuesday. But the conservative faction has seized control of the state Republican Party and many of its local organizations.\n\n“In Wyoming, we don’t necessarily embrace the idea of a big tent,” Wyoming GOP Chairman Frank Eathorne said on Fox earlier this year.\n\nWyoming Republicans’ reservations about Cheney were first evident in 2016, when she won her House seat after winning just 39% of the vote in the GOP primary against a fractured field. She was cast as too close to the establishment by some rivals, and as a carpetbagger by others – including Tim Stubson, a former state lawmaker who now supports Cheney.\n\nBut, she was by far the best-known candidate in the race thanks to the decade her father spent representing Wyoming in Congress prior to becoming secretary of defense and later, vice president.\n\nCheney had coasted to reelection since then, largely because she had not broken with conservatives on major issues. Stubson said she was on course to do so again, until the aftermath of the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol, when Cheney became a leading critic of Trump’s actions and defender of the integrity of the 2020 election.\n\nThe makings for a divorce from Cheney were immediately evident. Though Wyoming’s GOP has been fractured by warring factions, one thing that has broadly united those factions is support for Trump. He won Wyoming in 2020 by 43.3 percentage points over Biden – Trump’s largest margin of victory anywhere in the nation.\n\n“Yes, there may have been an undercurrent there of anti-Liz sentiment, but there is no way she would have had any trouble getting elected,” Stubson said.\n\n“Her relationship with that portion of the party has been uneasy from the beginning, and they probably never totally embraced her because she has been the definition of an establishment Republican. But she was right on the policies,” he said. “In my mind, it’s a sort of binary issue: If she votes for impeachment, it doesn’t matter what she does afterward.”\n\nVoters say Cheney was too focused on Trump\n\nWhile Trump’s shadow loomed large over the race, conversations with voters across Wyoming over the last week often came across with a sense of disappointment in Cheney, more than a burning sentiment of anger. Several people said they felt Cheney devoted far more time on national issues – to the detriment of her focusing on energy and natural resource priorities of critical importance to the state.\n\n“I want Wyoming to be protected and I don’t feel Liz is doing that job,” said Jenille Thomas, who lives in the coal-mining town of Rock Springs in southwestern Wyoming.\n\nFor many Republican voters in Wyoming, though, it was Cheney’s vote to impeach Trump that spurred them to action.\n\nEsther Egan, a 68-year-old who cleans houses and lives in Jackson, said she voted for Hageman because Cheney “bailed on us when we need her the most.”\n\n“They can say whatever they want about Trump, but he did a damn good job. And then she turns tail,” Egan said. “She’s with Nancy Pelosi.”\n\nCatherine Norsworthy, a 68-year-old homemaker in Jackson, said she switched from being an unaffiliated voter to a Republican to vote for Hageman, citing Trump’s endorsement of her.\n\n“I’m not in favor of the January 6 hearings at all,” she said. “I didn’t like her voting against Trump. I’m very pro-Trump. I listen to him.”\n\nU.S. Representatives Liz Cheney (R-WY), Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) and Elaine Luria (D-VA) listen during a public hearing of the U.S. House Select Committee to investigate the January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol, on Capitol Hill, in Washington, U.S., July 21, 2022. Jonathan Ernst/Reuters\n\nGoing down swinging\n\nCheney was by far the most prominent of the 10 House Republicans to vote in January 2021 for Trump’s impeachment. She revealed her decision to do so the day before the House vote, saying in a statement that Trump “summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack. Everything that followed was his doing.”\n\nThe retribution she faced within the GOP built over the following months. In May 2021, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy publicly endorsed removing Cheney from her position as the No. 3 spot in the party’s leadership team.\n\nThat same month, the House GOP removed Cheney from her leadership post on a voice vote.\n\nShe followed the ouster by telling reporters, in a preview of how she would approach the following year and her reelection campaign: “I will do everything I can to ensure that the former President never again gets anywhere near the Oval Office.”\n\nIn July 2021, Cheney accepted a position as one of two Republicans, along with retiring Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger, on the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, insurrection.\n\nAs the committee conducted its probe, Trump set his sights on revenge, endorsing challengers to most of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach him.\n\nTrump’s biggest target was Cheney. He endorsed Hageman, a former Republican National Committee member and lawyer who had once been a Cheney ally, on the day she entered the race in September 2021.\n\nFor the most part, Trump’s efforts have succeeded. Four of the 10 have retired. Three more, in addition to Cheney, lost their primaries. Only two survived their primaries, and California Rep. David Valadao and Washington Rep. Dan Newhouse did so in part because their states hold all-party open primaries.\n\nAs those retirements piled up and those primaries unfolded, Cheney was busy playing a leading role on that committee, in its interviews of former Trump administration officials and in its public hearings in which the panel has revealed some of its findings.\n\nShe has also sought out opportunities to confront the GOP’s direction. She delivered a searing rebuke of Trump and her party’s leadership in a late June speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.\n\n“We are confronting a domestic threat that we have never faced before – and that is a former President who is attempting to unravel the foundations of our constitutional Republic,” Cheney said then. “And he is aided by Republican leaders and elected officials who have made themselves willing hostages to this dangerous and irrational man.”\n\nWeeks after that speech, Cheney was elusive when asked about the possibility of running for president in 2024. She told CNN’s Jake Tapper in an interview that she will “make a decision on 2024 down the road.”\n\nIn an interview with CNN’s Kasie Hunt earlier this month, Cheney made clear she would not temper her criticism of Trump at all – even if it costs her the House seat that her father once held and that she has held since 2017.\n\n“We’re in a situation where former President Trump has betrayed the patriotism of millions and millions of people across our country, and many people here in Wyoming, and he’s lied to them,” she said. “And what I know to do is to tell the truth, and to make sure that people understand the truth about what happened and why it matters so much.”\n\nEven as polls showed Cheney was on her way to a resounding defeat, she stuck to a message focused squarely on Trump.\n\nHer campaign bought ad time on Fox for a spot featuring Dick Cheney, in which he called Trump a “coward” who lies to his supporters and “tried to steal the last election” using violence.\n\nRepublican candidate U.S. Representative Liz Cheney speaks during her primary election night party in Jackson, Wyoming, U.S. August 16, 2022. David Stubbs/Reuters\n\nWhat’s next\n\nIt didn’t take long for the outcome of Tuesday’s primary to become clear. Cheney had been badly defeated, and conceded the race to Hageman quickly.\n\nShe told supporters that she’d won the primary with 73% support two years ago, and “could easily have done the same again.” But doing so, she said, would have required embracing Trump’s lies about election fraud.\n\n“That was a path I could not and would not take,” Cheney said.\n\n“No House seat, no office in this land, is more important than the principles that we are all sworn to protect. And I well understood the potential political consequences of abiding by my duty,” she said.\n\nAfter a primary that Cheney and her allies knew she was set to lose, the question is, what’s next for the Wyoming congresswoman who had in a short time rocketed up the House Republican ranks?\n\nShe did not answer that question Tuesday night, at her election night event on a ranch in Jackson Hole. But overnight, her campaign filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission creating a leadership PAC to be called “The Great Task” – a nod to Abraham Lincoln, who spoke at Gettysburg of the “great task” facing the country. And on Wednesday morning, she told NBC’s “Today” show that she is “thinking about” running for president and will make a decision in “the coming months.”\n\nIn her election night speech, Cheney previewed a continued fight against Trump: “I have said since January 6 that I will do whatever it takes to ensure that Donald Trump is never again near the Oval Office, and I mean it. This is a fight for all of us, together.”\n\n“I ask you tonight to join me: As we leave here, let us resolve that we will stand together, Republicans, Democrats and independents, against those who would destroy our republic,” she added.\n\nAs she left the stage, Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” blared over the event’s speakers as the sun set over the Grand Teton mountain peak.\n\nThis story and headline have been updated.", "authors": ["Eric Bradner Jeff Zeleny", "Eric Bradner", "Jeff Zeleny"], "publish_date": "2022/08/17"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/16/politics/liz-cheney-wyoming-alaska-primaries/index.html", "title": "Liz Cheney vows to carry on fight against Trump after conceding ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nWyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, the most ardent Republican critic of Donald Trump in Congress, vowed to carry on her fight against the former President and the election-denying movement he leads in a speech Tuesday night after conceding defeat in her primary.\n\nShe’ll lose to Trump-backed attorney Harriet Hageman, CNN projects.\n\n“This primary election is over,” Cheney said in her speech. “But now the real work begins.”\n\nOn Wednesday morning, she told NBC’s “Today” show that she is “thinking about” running for president and will make a decision in “the coming months.”\n\nThe last of the 10 House Republicans who voted for Trump’s second impeachment to face voters, Cheney now becomes the eighth who will not be returning to Congress next year. Her loss, though widely anticipated, represents a significant marker in the wider fight over the direction of the Republican Party. Once considered an up-and-comer, Cheney was booted from House GOP leadership last year over her unyielding opposition to the former President and trailed in polling back home this year as she helped lead the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.\n\nThough she made no announcement about her plans Tuesday night, Cheney did hint at a future in elective politics.\n\n“The great and original champion of our party, Abraham Lincoln, was defeated in elections for the Senate and the House before he won the most important election of all,” she said. “Lincoln ultimately prevailed, he saved our union and he defined our obligation as Americans for all of history.”\n\nOvernight, the Cheney campaign filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission creating a leadership PAC to be called “The Great Task.” This is the first of several next steps from Cheney, an adviser told CNN, as she starts to make good on ideas expressed in her election night speech and opens a new chapter in the wake of her landslide defeat. The name of the PAC is a historic nod to Lincoln who spoke at Gettysburg of the “great task” facing the country.\n\nCheney’s attempt at projecting dignity in defeat in her election night speech was itself a clear rejoinder to Trump’s behavior since losing the 2020 election.\n\n“No House seat, no office in this land is more important than the principles that we are all sworn to protect. And I well understood the potential political consequences of abiding by my duty,” she said. “Our republic relies upon the goodwill of all candidates for office to accept, honorably, the outcome of elections. And tonight, Harriet Hageman has received the most votes in this primary. She won. I called her to concede the race.”\n\nTrump-backed Harriet Hageman speaks to supporters on election night in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Michael Smith/Getty Images\n\nDespite her conservative credentials and party pedigree, her role as Trump’s chief GOP critic on Capitol Hill made her a heavy underdog in a state the former President won with nearly 70% of the vote in 2020. His enduring popularity there, coupled with Cheney’s role as vice chair of the January 6 committee, made the three-term congresswoman and daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney a top target of Trump allies.\n\nCheney said American democracy faced an existential threat – that “our survival is not guaranteed” – calling out Republican efforts at the state level to decertify 2020 election results and GOP midterm candidates who have already begun to cast doubt on future votes.\n\n“If we do not condemn the conspiracies and the lies, if we do not hold those responsible to account, we will be excusing this conduct and it will become a feature of all elections,” she said. “America will never be the same.”\n\nTrump’s grip on the GOP has been proven again and again since he left Washington. With Wyoming’s vote in, Cheney becomes the fourth House Republican who voted to impeach Trump to lose her primary. Four others were not running for another term. The two survivors to date, in California and Washington, benefited from their states’ nonpartisan primary system. Cheney had no such cushion, though a late push for Democrats and independents to register for the GOP primary might have somewhat softened the ultimate count.\n\nLeading Republicans on Capitol Hill had coalesced around Hageman, who has embraced Trump’s false election fraud claims and called the 2020 contest “rigged.” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, another Hageman supporter, on Monday said during an appearance on Fox News that the election in Wyoming was “going to be a referendum on the January 6 committee.”\n\nCheney on Tuesday also addressed the recent search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, denouncing the former President’s efforts to sow anger among his supporters and potentially endanger FBI agents involved in the raid by releasing some of their names.\n\n“That was purposeful and malicious. No patriotic American should excuse these threats or be intimidated by them,” she said. “Our great nation must not be ruled by a mob provoked over social media.”\n\nAs Cheney issued a dire warning in Jackson, Hageman, at her victory rally hours east in Cheyenne, thanked Trump and congressional Republicans for their support.\n\n“Wyoming has shown today is that while it may not be easy, we can dislodge entrenched politicians who believe they’ve risen above the people they are supposed to represent and serve,” Hageman said.\n\nIn a post to his own social media platform, Trump crowed over Cheney’s loss, calling it “a wonderful result for America,” before denouncing her as “spiteful” and “sanctimonious.”\n\n“Now she can finally disappear into the depths of political oblivion where, I am sure, she will be much happier than she is right now,” Trump wrote.\n\nSarah Palin looks to make a comeback in Alaska\n\nSarah Palin, former governor of Alaska, during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, Texas, US, on Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022. Dylan Hollingsworth/Bloomberg/Getty Images\n\nWhile Cheney may have been cast into her party’s wilderness, a prominent figure from the GOP’s recent past is hoping to return from more than a decade off the electoral map. Former Alaska governor and 2008 vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, whose ascent marked a precursor to the party’s Trump era, returned to the ballot on Tuesday.\n\nIn this new iteration, she was the Trump-endorsed candidate in a three-deep field vying to fill the remainder of the late GOP Rep. Don Young’s at-alarge House seat. But no candidate will secure a majority of the vote in that race, CNN projects, which means it’ll head to a ranked-choice voting tabulation that is scheduled to start on August 31.\n\nPalin, who resigned as governor in 2009, squared off with Nick Begich III, the Republican scion of the state’s most storied Democratic family, and former Democratic state Rep. Mary Peltola, who was endorsed by independent Al Gross after he dropped out of the race despite also making the final four.\n\nThose three special election contenders were also running in a concurrent primary to determine who will advance to the November general election to fill the at-large House seat for the next full term. All three will advance, CNN projects, along with Republican Tara Sweeney, a former assistant secretary for Indian affairs at the US Interior Department.\n\nGOP senator who voted to convict Trump faces voters\n\nSen. Lisa Murkowski outside the Senate chambers on July 21, 2022. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images\n\nWhile Cheney’s fate in Wyoming has grabbed the most headlines, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican who voted to convict Trump during his second impeachment trial, was also facing new competition this year fueled by her lack of fealty to the former President. Unlike Cheney, however, Murkowski – herself the latest in a proud statewide political dynasty – was a better bet to overcome the forces arrayed against her.\n\nThat’s in large part due to Alaska’s new nonpartisan top-four primary, which, like in the House race, sends the top four candidates to the general election, which will be decided by a ranked-choice vote if no one receives a majority.\n\nMurkowski, Republican Kelly Tshibaka and Democrat Patricia Chesbro will advance to the November election, CNN projects, against a fourth candidate yet to be determined. The top-four system is expected to aid Murkowski against the Trump-backed Tshibaka, who’s the former commissioner of the Alaska Department of Administration.\n\nMurkowski has in the past enjoyed broad support, across partisan lines, in a state that elected her father, Frank Murkowski, first to the Senate and then as its governor. He then appointed his daughter to her current position in 2002. When she was defeated in a 2010 Republican primary during the tea party wave, Murkowski launched a write-in campaign and defeated GOP nominee Joe Miller in the fall.\n\nIn the governor’s race, Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy, Democrat Les Gara and independent former Gov. Bill Walker will advance to the November election, CNN projects, against a fourth candidate yet to be determined.\n\nWalker likely would have lost to Dunleavy in his 2018 reelection bid had he not dropped out shortly before the election and endorsed Democrat Mark Begich.\n\nDunleavy, now seeking a second term, won the one-on-one contest by less than 10 points.\n\nThis story has been updated with additional developments.", "authors": ["Gregory Krieg"], "publish_date": "2022/08/16"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/16/politics/wyoming-alaska-primary-election-takeaways/index.html", "title": "Six takeaways from primaries in Wyoming and Alaska | CNN Politics", "text": "Jackson, Wyoming CNN —\n\nWyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, who since the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol has become the Republican Party’s most forceful critic of former President Donald Trump, was ousted from her House seat by Trump-backed Harriet Hageman, CNN projected Tuesday.\n\nIn Alaska, voters cast ballots in another race the former President is focused on, with Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski squaring off in the first of two rounds against the Trump-endorsed Kelly Tshibaka.\n\nFormer Gov. Sarah Palin, meanwhile, is attempting a political comeback in a special election for the state’s lone House seat.\n\nHere are six takeaways from Tuesday’s contests in Wyoming and Alaska:\n\nTrump caps his purge of intraparty rivals\n\nTrump and his allies have spent the spring and summer turning Republican primaries across the political map into bitter fights in which loyalty to the former President was the central factor.\n\nHe lost some high-profile battles, including in Georgia, where Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger held off Trump-back challengers.\n\nBut in most open-seat races, Trump’s candidates triumphed. And on Tuesday in Wyoming, Trump, who had endorsed Hageman on the day she entered the race against Cheney, claimed his biggest victory yet.\n\nCheney is now the eighth of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump following the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol to exit the House. Four have opted not to seek reelection, and four more have lost GOP primaries.\n\nRepublican congressional candidate Harriet Hageman waves, along with her husband, John Sundahl, during her election night party in Cheyenne, Wyoming, on August 16, 2022. Eli Imadali/Reuters\n\nCheney chose to go down fighting Trump\n\nIn the lead-up to Tuesday’s primary, Cheney insisted she was trying to win.\n\nBut her strategy – attempting to convince the Republican electorate in a state the former President won by a margin of 43 percentage points in 2020 to turn on him – suggests she’d made a different choice: to go down swinging.\n\nShe infuriated Republicans by urging Wyoming Democrats and unaffiliated voters to switch their party registration and vote in Tuesday’s GOP primary.\n\nSurrounded by US Capitol Police officers on the campaign trail, Cheney opted for small, private events over rallies. She lambasted Trump in television interviews.\n\nHer campaign’s closing message was a TV ad featuring her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, calling Trump a “coward” who lies to his supporters and “tried to steal the last election” using violence.\n\nHer election night event, on a ranch in Jackson Hole with the sun setting over the Grand Tetons in the background, didn’t feature any television screens for supporters to watch results tabulated in a race Cheney was all but certain to lose.\n\nShe told supporters that she could have cozied up to Trump and did what she’d done in the primary two years earlier: win with 73% of the vote.\n\n“That was a path I could not and would not take,” Cheney said. “No House seat, no office in this land, is more important than the principles that we are all sworn to protect. And I well understood the potential political consequences of abiding by my duty.”\n\nVideo Ad Feedback Watch what Liz Cheney told supporters after conceding primary 03:12 - Source: CNN\n\nCheney’s decision to use the spotlight of her high-profile House primary to tee off on Trump was never a winning one in Wyoming. But it did endear her to a segment of anti-Trump donors and position her as the GOP’s most strident critic of Trump.\n\nWhat’s next for Cheney?\n\nThe three-term congresswoman has not been definitive about her next political moves. On Wednesday, she told NBC’s “Today” show that she is “thinking about” running for president and will make a decision in “the coming months.” And following her loss, her campaign filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission creating a leadership PAC to be called “The Great Task” – a nod to Abraham Lincoln, who spoke at Gettysburg of the “great task” facing the country.\n\nCheney used her election night speech to preview a continued fight against Trump, without laying out exactly what that means.\n\n“I have said since January 6 that I will do whatever it takes to ensure that Donald Trump is never again near the Oval Office, and I mean it. This is a fight for all of us, together,” she said.\n\n“I’m a conservative Republican. … But I love my country more. So I ask you tonight to join me: As we leave here, let us resolve that we will stand together, Republicans, Democrats and independents, against those who would destroy our republic.”\n\nAs she left the stage, Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” blared over the event’s speakers.\n\nWaiting on Alaska special election result\n\nPalin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee who has not run for office since then, is attempting a political comeback in the special House election to fill the remaining months of the late GOP Rep. Don Young’s term.\n\nBut it will take weeks to sort out whether she wins the runoff election against businessman and fellow Republican Nick Begich III and Democratic former state lawmaker Mary Peltola.\n\nThe special election is Alaska’s first using the state’s new ranked-choice voting system. CNN projected that none of the three candidates will receive more than 50% of the vote in the first round, meaning that the state will tabulate second-choice votes on August 31.\n\nThe ranked-choice system could prove problematic for Palin, whose decision to quit midway through her one term as governor, in 2009, still angers many of the state’s voters. Begich III, the Republican scion of Alaska’s most famous Democratic political family – his grandfather Nick Begich was the state’s congressman until his plane disappeared in 1972, and his uncle Mark Begich was a senator – is seeking to capitalize on that hardened opposition to Palin.\n\nThe top four candidates from a wide-open June special primary advanced to the runoff. But one of those candidates, independent Al Gross, later dropped out of the race, a decision that likely boosted Peltola, who is seeking to make history as the state’s first Alaska Native in Congress.\n\nVideo Ad Feedback Palin: McCain's presidential campaign had 'shackles on me' 04:50 - Source: CNN\n\nA second race for the same seat\n\nAt the same time that Alaska was filling its at-large House seat in Tuesday’s special election, the state held a primary for November’s general election for a full term for the same seat. Palin, Begich III and Peltola will all advance to another top-four runoff, CNN projected, along with Republican Tara Sweeney, an Alaska Native backed by the state’s powerful Native-owned corporations who served as assistant secretary for Indian affairs at the US Interior Department during the Trump administration.\n\nOther key races to watch in Alaska\n\nTrump has also set his sights on Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who was among the seven Republican senators who voted to convict him during his second impeachment trial. Trump is backing former Alaska Department of Administration commissioner Kelly Tshibaka; he traveled to the state to hold a rally for Tshibaka in July.\n\nHowever, Alaska’s nonpartisan primary system – like the House race, the top four finishers, regardless of party, advance to the general election – means that both Murkowski and Tshibaka will advance to the general election, CNN projected. Democrat Patricia Chesbro will also advance, and a fourth candidate has not yet been projected.\n\nIn another competitive top-four primary in Alaska, the current governor, Republican Mike Dunleavy, and his independent predecessor, Bill Walker, will both advance to the general election, alongside Democrat Les Gara, CNN projected. The fourth candidate has not yet been projected. Walker, who was elected in 2014 but dropped his 2018 reelection bid to back a Democrat who lost to Dunleavy, is supported by some Democrats and moderate Republicans who tout his decision to expand Medicaid and his opposition to restrictions on abortion rights.\n\nThis story has been updated with additional developments.", "authors": ["Eric Bradner"], "publish_date": "2022/08/16"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/16/politics/cheney-wyoming-primary-trump-test-gop-analysis/index.html", "title": "If Cheney loses her primary, Trump's GOP critics will face tough ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nRep. Liz Cheney’s uphill battle to keep her seat in Wyoming’s GOP primary on Tuesday underscores how Donald Trump’s hold on the Republican Party is tightening even as the former President’s legal challenges are mounting. That dynamic poses stark choices for the thin band of Republican elected officials and voters resistant to his dominance within the party.\n\nIf Cheney loses Tuesday, as expected, the result will place an exclamation point on a summer that has seen Trump-backed candidates, almost all of whom echo his falsehoods about the 2020 election, win most hotly contested party primaries. Virtually no GOP elected officials have dared to criticize him over damaging revelations either from the House select committee investigating January 6, 2021, or the Justice Department investigation of his handling of classified information.\n\nTrump’s muscle-flexing has dashed the expectations, or maybe the hopes, of many conservative commentators who took his losses in several late May Georgia primaries as evidence that his influence was waning. Instead, by rejecting multiple opportunities to move away from the former President, both Republican officials and voters in the three months since have sent an unmistakable message to Trump skeptics that they remain the subordinate minority in the party.\n\n“There is no lane in the Republican Party that is viable for [a] Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger, or Mike Madrid,” Madrid, a long-time strategist who has become one of Trump’s sharpest Republican critics, told me. “The party is never going to go back to what it was.”\n\nAnd that means, in the near term at least, there’s a hard choice facing the leaders and voters in the GOP coalition who view Trump as a threat to American democracy. Do they continue to support a party that remains in thrall to him or launch a more direct attack against his influence, even if that helps Democrats in the 2022 and 2024 elections?\n\nMany Trump critics are expecting Cheney’s remarks on Tuesday night, if she loses, to signal her intention to rally such an anti-Trump effort as a contender in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, and perhaps even into the general election as an independent candidate if the party nominates Trump again.\n\nGeorgia was an aberration\n\nBreathless reports of Trump’s allegedly eroding position in the GOP have appeared all year, particularly after his nemeses in Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, easily defeated the primary challengers he recruited to run against them. Axios, in a reaction typical of the response at the time, declared those results “cast doubt on the 2020 election’s continued salience for GOP voters — and may presage his weakened lock on the party.”\n\nThose claiming the GOP was moving beyond Trump pointed to both objective and subjective shifts: growing interest among some party activists and donors in a possible 2024 candidacy from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, less obsessive coverage of Trump’s every word at Fox News, polls showing some decline in the share of Republican voters who wanted him to seek the presidency in 2024, and occasional defeats through the primary season for some of his preferred candidates, such as his scandal-tarred choice in the Nebraska governor’s race.\n\nYet over the summer, both Republican leaders and voters have sent a very different message. On both fronts, recent events have underlined Trump’s continuing preeminence –to the point where experts who study democracy see growing parallels between the contemporary GOP and the compliant parties that have been subjugated by authoritarian-minded strongmen in other countries, such as media mogul and former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in Italy and incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey.\n\n“The GOP is a party now dominated by authoritarian dynamics,” Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a professor of history at New York University and author of the 2020 book “Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present,” told me. “It is so domesticated and subjected by Trump to this authoritarian style discipline that there is no space within the party for dissenters.”\n\nThat shift has been evident both in election results and the behavior of elected GOP officials.\n\nLike any political leader, Trump has not delivered victory for every candidate he has endorsed. Candidates who have kept their distance from his false fraud claims about the 2020 election have won some GOP nominations this summer, including contests for attorney general in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and secretary of state in Kansas.\n\nBut candidates endorsing Trump’s discredited claims about 2020 have experienced a remarkable run of success, often defeating candidates backed by more mainstream Republican leaders. Election deniers rode his endorsements to a clean sweep of all the top GOP nominations in Arizona (including governor, attorney general, secretary of state and US senator), surging past contenders supported by outgoing Republican Gov. Doug Ducey and former Vice President Mike Pence.\n\nTrump-backed election deniers likewise swept the top nominations in Michigan (for governor, attorney general and secretary of state). Earlier this month, Trump’s choice for Wisconsin governor, construction executive Tim Michels, muscled past former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch (who herself had called the 2020 election “rigged” and had the support of Pence and former Gov. Scott Walker) for the GOP nomination. Trump-backed election deniers this summer also won gubernatorial nods in Kansas and Maryland as well as the secretary of state nod in Nevada.\n\nA recent CNN tally found that at least 20 GOP nominees out of this year’s 36 gubernatorial races have questioned or outright dismissed the 2020 election results, with the final tally expected to rise as the last nominations are completed. Election deniers have won 10 GOP nominations for secretary of state, another CNN compilation found.\n\nIn a parallel push, Trump has eviscerated the ranks of the House Republicans who voted for his impeachment after the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. Of the 10 Republicans who voted for Trump’s impeachment, four have retired, three have already lost GOP primaries (including two in contests on August 2) and Cheney, who has trailed in poling behind Trump-backed election denier Harriet Hageman, is likely to join the ranks of the ousted on Tuesday. Only two of the 10 have won primaries to advance to the November midterms (Dan Newhouse in Washington and David Valadao in California both finished in the top two in their states’ primary systems in which candidates of all parties run together.)\n\nAt the same time, GOP elected officials, almost without exception, have locked arms to defend Trump amid ethical and legal questions. Hardly any GOP elected leaders have expressed concern about the many damaging revelations about his behavior unearthed by the House January 6 committee and his broader efforts to overturn the 2020 result. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio – who, like fellow Sens. Lindsey Graham and Ted Cruz, has morphed from a Trump antagonist in the 2016 presidential primary election into an unstinting defender – set the tone early on when he dismissed the committee as a “circus” and “garbage” before it had held a single hearing.\n\nIn a recent interview with Chicago television, Kinzinger, the other Republican beside Cheney on the January 6 committee, acknowledged that the silence of GOP leaders showed that Trump, at least for now, had “won” the battle for control of the Republican Party. “Maybe there wasn’t going to be a tidal wave of people to come over, but I certainly didn’t think I’d be alone,” said the Illinois Republican, who is not running for reelection this fall.\n\nThe rush of GOP leaders to defend Trump after the FBI executed the search warrant on his Florida mansion – even before any information was available about what the FBI was seeking – has offered another measure of his dominance. Once again, Rubio set the pace for abject devotion: “Using government power to persecute political opponents is something we have seen many times from 3rd world Marxist dictatorships. But never before in America,” Rubio tweeted the day of the search.\n\nOnly after an apparent Trump supporter attacked an FBI office in Ohio last week – and violent threats against federal law enforcement proliferated on the right — did some Republicans (including Rubio) qualify their criticism with denunciations of violence or praise for federal law enforcement.\n\nInternational parallels suggest GOP loyalty to Trump isn’t fading anytime soon\n\nCheney’s likely defeat on Tuesday will cap these demonstrations of strength from Trump. To experts who study authoritarian movements, it follows a pattern evident in other countries.\n\nBen-Ghiat notes that in Italy, Berlusconi’s party, Forza Italia, remained firmly in his grip for years despite an unending succession of financial, political and sexual scandals reminiscent of Trump’s travails. As she wrote in her book “Strongmen,” Berlusconi’s “personality cult left Forza Italia no space to develop a political identity independent of him and no respite from his endless judicial woes, scandals and loyalty tests.”\n\nShe sees the same dynamic hardening into place among Republicans. “Since January 6 [2021], the party has become way more radicalized,” she told me. “When parties make these bargains with these charismatic demagogues they stick with them to the bitter end.”\n\nSusan Stokes, director of the Chicago Center on Democracy at the University of Chicago, sees another international parallel to the GOP’s continuing deference to Trump. “The case that jumps to mind,” she told me, “is Erdogan and his party, the AKP in Turkey, where you have a very charismatic, persuasive leader who always has a narrative to explain things that, to our eyes, is super crazy but he gets people to believe it.”\n\nLike Ben-Ghiat, Stokes says the international precedents leave her skeptical that the GOP will reject Trump’s direction – or even move away from Trump personally – any time soon. Madrid likewise agrees that Republicans critical of Trump must recognize that his forces unequivocally remain the party’s ruling faction. “What we are witnessing right now is just the calcification of the establishment as he has taken over the party,” Madrid says. “You cannot buck this party” and win primaries inside the GOP except in rare cases, he adds.\n\nBut that doesn’t mean that Republicans resistant to Trump’s direction have no leverage over the GOP’s direction, Madrid argues. Depending on how it’s asked in polling, somewhere around one-fifth to one-fourth of self-identified Republican voters (and sometimes more) reject Trump’s lies about the election, believe he acted improperly on January 6 or in how he contested the 2020 result or that his statements encouraged violence before the insurrection.\n\nMadrid says that if even about half of those voters withheld their support from Republican office-holders enabling Trump, or from Trump himself if the GOP nominates him again in 2024, the party could not survive those defections in a general election. “There is really no leverage within the party for these 20% of Republicans,” he says. “There is leverage in the general election because they essentially will have veto power” over whether a Republican can win the White House in 2024.\n\nLike many Republicans opposed to Trump, Madrid wants and expects Cheney to run in the 2024 GOP presidential primary to try to coalesce the minority of party voters resistant to the former President into a more unified faction. If the GOP nominates him again, Madrid and like-minded Trump-skeptics argue, Cheney should try to siphon away right-leaning voters who would find it difficult to vote for a Democrat by running as a conservative independent in the general election. If Cheney provides “a banner to rally around,” Madrid predicts, the critical sliver of traditionally Republican-leaning voters – many of them college-educated suburbanites who defected from Trump in 2020 in key states such as Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arizona – would grow larger in 2024.\n\nOther Trump critics aren’t as certain that a Cheney independent general election bid, if it came to that, wouldn’t do more to help than hurt the former President by dividing the voters hostile to him.\n\nThe larger issue may be that the GOP’s choice to double down on its commitment to Trump, even as multiple probes into his actions uncover new evidence, underscores how much of the party’s leadership and base alike have fully enlisted into his efforts to destabilize American democracy.\n\n“Where do you go with that?” asks Stokes. “I don’t see where you go except in the direction of complete constitutional crisis, stalemate and violence. That’s a really scary thought.”", "authors": ["Ronald Brownstein"], "publish_date": "2022/08/16"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/01/politics/rnc-resolution-cheney-kinzinger/index.html", "title": "RNC members look to rebuke Cheney and Kinzinger for roles on ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nA proposal to endorse removing GOP Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger from the House Republican Conference has gained steam ahead of its introduction at the Republican National Committee’s winter meeting this week.\n\nThe proposed resolution, which has garnered more than 50 co-sponsors, seeks to punish the two Republican lawmakers over their involvement in the ongoing House Select Committee investigation of the January 6 riots at the US Capitol, according to two people familiar with the latest draft. Should it pass out of a resolutions committee meeting on Thursday, all 168 RNC members would vote on it Friday morning.\n\n“We want to make a statement. This is an inquisition, and we just feel like they are trying to dig up anything they can but that it’s one-sided,” Jonathan Barnett, a national committeeman from Arkansas who is among the resolution’s co-sponsors, told CNN in an interview Tuesday.\n\n“We don’t understand Liz and Adam. There’s just a lot of frustration with the January 6 committee and we don’t think there’s any representation on the Republican side. We’d like to see [House Minority Leader Kevin] McCarthy take care of these issues, but it’s something we feel we need to talk about,” Barnett added.\n\nLed by Wyoming Republican Party Chairman Frank Eathorne, the resolution has been passed around to several party officials over the past few days who have been eager to take a public stand against the House panel and the two Republicans who have taken on active roles in the January 6 investigation. The Washington Post was first to report details of the resolution, which is likely to be taken up at the committee’s winter meeting in Salt Lake City this week.\n\nCheney, the Wyoming Republican who was ousted from her leadership post as the No. 3 Republican in the House last May, is currently facing a primary challenger backed by former President Donald Trump and several of her House GOP colleagues. In November, the Wyoming GOP voted to no longer recognize her as a Republican amid her constant criticism of Trump’s dominance over the party and his role in the January 6 riots.\n\n“The leaders of the Republican Party have made themselves willing hostages to a man who admits he tried to overturn a presidential election and suggests he would pardon Jan. 6 defendants, some of whom have been charged with seditious conspiracy,” Cheney said in a statement that was shared by her office with CNN.\n\nKinzinger, an Illinois Republican who is another vocal Trump critic, announced last October that he plans to retire at the end of his term. Like Cheney, the Illinois lawmaker was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump after the Capitol insurrection and has continued to decry Trump’s firm grip on Republicans.\n\nSpokespeople for Kinzinger and the RNC did not immediately respond to requests for comment.\n\nKinzinger and Cheney are the only two Republicans serving on the January 6 committee after McCarthy withdrew his slate of members during negotiations over the panel’s configuration and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi denied seats on the panel to ultra-conservative Reps. Jim Banks of Indiana and Jim Jordan of Ohio – both of whom objected to congressional certification of the election results from two states on January 6, 2021.\n\nMcCarthy, who rejected calls from within his caucus to oust Cheney from her leadership position until Trump endorsed the move, has recently ignored calls from Trump-aligned conservatives to remove Cheney and Kinzinger from the House GOP conference. In December, more than 40 conservative figures urged the minority leader in a letter to remove the duo from the party’s ranks. One of the letter’s signatories – Citizens United president David Bossie – has been involved in drafting the RNC resolution that calls for the same outcome. Bossie did not return a request for comment.\n\nBarnett, the committeeman from Arkansas, said the resolution against Cheney and Kinzinger “is controversial and not everyone agrees with it” among the RNC’s membership, but argued that it is likely to pass given that it has already amassed more than 50 co-sponsors. RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, who has not publicly acknowledged whether she supports the resolution, said in November that Cheney was “still a Republican” despite the Wyoming GOP’s vote to remove her from their ranks.\n\n“She still has an ‘R’ next to her name. I wish she was talking about electing ‘Rs’ more,” McDaniel told reporters at the time.\n\nIn addition to the resolution targeting Kinzinger and Cheney, the RNC is expected to discuss changes to the party’s participation in future presidential debates and its platform when members gather in Utah beginning on Wednesday. McDaniel is scheduled to address members on Friday morning, shortly before they will vote on the anti-Cheney and anti-Kinzinger resolution if it passes out of the resolutions committee.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/02/01"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/24/politics/liz-cheney-wyoming-democrats/index.html", "title": "Liz Cheney, fighting for political survival, seeks crossover support ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nEmbattled Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney is turning to Democrats in her state as she looks to fend off a serious primary challenge in August, providing Democratic voters with instructions on how to change parties so they can support her – even as Cheney and her allies continue to tout her conservative bona fides.\n\nTwo people familiar with the matter confirmed to CNN that Cheney has made overtures to Democrats in her state, both through targeted mailers outlining the steps someone would need to take to switch party affiliation and on her campaign website, which now features an FAQ on how to “change my party affiliation to register as a Republican so I can vote for Liz.”\n\nCheney – who has become a thorn in former President Donald Trump’s side from her perch on the House select committee investigating the riot at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, and her repeated dismissal of his false claims about a stolen election – has defended the move, saying she is providing Wyoming voters with “all the key rules” they need to be aware of to participate in the state’s primary elections.\n\n“I’ve been a conservative Republican since I first voted for Ronald Reagan in 1984. I encourage everyone with principles who loves our country to exercise their right to vote. And, damn right, I will continue to give every voter in Wyoming a list of all the key rules for casting ballots in our state,” Cheney said in a statement, first reported by The Washington Post on Thursday.\n\n“If any eligible voter living in Wyoming wishes to become a Republican, they are free to do so. That is their right,” she added.\n\nWyoming election laws allows voters to switch their party affiliation up to two weeks before the primary, which will occur August 16, while also permitting same-day changes at local polling places or by voters who request absentee ballots. Cheney’s push for support in Democratic corners comes as she fights for political survival in one of the most closely watched and expensive House Republican primaries this cycle. Her opponent, Wyoming businesswoman Harriet Hageman, was endorsed by Trump last September and has proven to be a formidable challenger.\n\nCheney’s opponents accused her of flip-flopping after she told The New York Times in February she would not launch a “Democrats for Cheney” group to try and recruit supporters from across the political aisle.\n\n“That is not something that I have contemplated, that I have organized or that I will organize,” Cheney said at the time. A person close to Cheney rebuffed such claims, noting that such a group still “does not exist.”\n\nHageman’s team, which first learned of Cheney’s outreach to Democratic voters earlier this week, said they are not concerned about the impact it could have in the primary – pointing to the 70 percent of Wyoming voters who backed Trump’s 70% support among Wyoming voters in 2020 and the state’s deep red status, and contending that there are simply not enough registered Democrats in the state to sway a GOP primary contest.\n\n“We have anticipated that she would do this and we have accounted… for the possibility that a higher number of Democrats than normal would crossover [in the primary], and Harriet will still win even if that is the case,” a top Hageman adviser said.\n\n“We’re all over it and there aren’t enough Democrats [in Wyoming] for this gambit to work,” a second Hageman adviser said.\n\nWhile Cheney’s high-profile involvement in recent public hearings on Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election outcome has certainly given her a boost among Democrats, it is unclear whether it will have a notable impact in Wyoming, specifically. Publicly available data by the Wyoming secretary of state’s office shows that over the last two months, the number of registered Republican voters in the state has increased by 980, while the number of registered Democrat decreased by 452. As of June 2022, registered Republicans make up 70% of all registered voters in Wyoming, according to the same data.\n\n“This is Wyoming, this is not Georgia,” the first Hageman adviser added. “It’s the most pro-Trump state that there is.”\n\nColleagues of Cheney, who have previously complained about her criticism of Trump and Republican party leadership, said they were not surprised by her outreach to Democratic voters given her current status inside the GOP.\n\n“It just confirms what everybody already knows: she no longer really is accepted as a Republican. She filed as a Republican but she clearly doesn’t have a path to win as a Republican,” said Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio.\n\nCheney has maintained support among some notable Republicans in Wyoming – including former GOP Sen. Alan Simpson, who retired from the upper chamber in 1997 – and her voting record among conservative groups like the Heritage Foundation remains in the high 80s. But if Trump’s track record of ousting incumbent Republicans who voted to impeach him over January 6 is any indication, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney could be in trouble later this summer.\n\nLast week, South Carolina Rep. Tom Rice became the first of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump (a group that includes Cheney) to lose his primary bid for reelection. Rice lost to Trump-backed state GOP Rep. Russell Fry by a margin of more than 25 percent, according to CNN election results.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/06/24"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/05/12/liz-cheney-live-vote-updates-gop-house-leadership/5031048001/", "title": "Liz Cheney vote updates: House GOP removes Cheney from ...", "text": "Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., who was ousted from her role as House Republican Conference chair Wednesday told the Today Show's Savannah Guthrie on Wednesday that she will be a leader \"to restore\" the Republican Party.\n\n\"I intend to be the leader — one of the leaders — in a fight to help to restore our party, in a fight to bring our party back to substance and principle and in a fight to make clear that we won't participate in the really dangerous effort that's under way,\" she said in a clip of the interview expected to air Thursday.\n\nWhen asked about a potential primary challenger in 2022, Cheney told Guthrie: \"Bring it on.\"\n\n– Sean Rossman\n\nNancy Pelosi: Cheney 'a leader of great courage'\n\nShortly after House Republicans voted to strip Rep. Liz Cheney of her leadership post, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi weighed in.\n\n\"Congresswoman Liz Cheney is a leader of great courage, patriotism and integrity. Today, House Republicans declared that those values are unwelcome in the Republican party,\" reads a statement issued by Pelosi, D-Calif.\n\n“The Republican denial of the truth presented by Congresswoman Cheney is reflected in their denial of the need to seek the truth in a January 6th commission and to repair the damage of January 6th with a security supplemental immediately.\"\n\nCheney's speech:'I will not sit back': In fiery speech, Rep. Liz Cheney calls Trump a 'threat'\n\nCheney defenders: Vote was too quick and a display of 'fake unity'\n\nDespite the slow buildup, the meeting to determine Rep. Liz Cheney’s fate in House Republican leadership lasted just a few minutes. Cheney spoke briefly as did House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. But it featured no secret ballots or long speeches. And its shortness pleased some members while angering others.\n\nThat’s how several GOP lawmakers described the caucus gathering Wednesday morning that ended with the ouster of Cheney as chair of the House GOP Conference.\n\nRep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., a Cheney supporter, told USA TODAY afterwards there were “people ready to go to battle for her.” So, having a voice vote rather than a roll call or ballots was a show of “fake unity,” he said.\n\n“There were a lot of people who wanted to defend Liz,” said Kinzinger, adding that people who wanted to defend her didn’t realize they had little opportunity to do so.\n\nRep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., who also did not support removing Cheney, told reporters there was a question of “whether we could do a recorded vote” but it was not agreed to.\n\n“To me” a debate is what “the Republican Party is all about,” Buck continued. “This discussion is all about disagreement and coming to the best solution … I just think that we are healthier as a party, by having disagreements on issues.”\n\n– Savannah Behrmann and Ledyard King\n\nDemocrats react to Liz Cheney ouster from GOP House leadership\n\nShortly after House Republicans voted to remove conference chair Rep. Liz Cheney from her post over her opposition to former President Donald Trump, Democrats reacted.\n\nSenate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Republicans had \"reached a new and very dangerous low” in their removal of Cheney, while Rep. Ilhan Omar — a fierce critic of Cheney’s politics — said the reason Republicans are removing her from leadership is \"shameful.”\n\nRep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., similarly condemned Cheney’s ouster. “Political parties that promote lies and propaganda are setting their countries up for authoritarianism and fascism. The cancellation of Liz Cheney by Trump and the GOP is a flashing red danger sign for our democracy,” he wrote on Twitter.\n\nThe chair of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., said Wednesday at a hearing about the Capitol riot Jan. 6 that no member of Congress should be punished for speaking the truth. Maloney quoted Cheney, R-Wyo., that remaining silent and ignoring the lie about whether the election was stolen would only embolden the liar.\n\n“No member of Congress, whether a freshman representative or a House conference chair should face punishment for speaking the truth about what happened that day,” Maloney said. “It is time for the American people and this Congress to look at the events of Jan. 6 and say never again.”\n\n– Matthew Brown and Bart Jansen\n\nElise Stefanik makes formal push to replace Cheney\n\nShortly after Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from her position in House Republican leadership Wednesday, Rep. Elise Stefanik announced a formal effort to replace her as the chamber’s third-ranking Republican.\n\nIn a two-page letter to House Republicans, Stefanik did not mention Cheney, former President Donald Trump or his election fraud claims. Cheney’s ouster came after she repeatedly slammed the former president’s debunked claims the election was stolen from him.\n\nInstead she railed against the media and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.\n\n“I know firsthand the discipline and message it takes to fight back against the biased national media and the entire Democrat and Far-Left infrastructure. I know what it takes to flip a district and grow the Republican Party,” she wrote. “I look forward to working with you as we share our unified conservative vision, regain the Majority, fire Speaker Pelosi once and for all, and fight on behalf of the American people to save our country.”\n\n– Sean Rossman\n\nCheney’s replacement expected to be chosen Friday\n\nRepublicans will reconvene Friday to decide who will replace Rep. Liz Cheney in House GOP leadership, according to several lawmakers leaving the vote.\n\nRep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., told USA TODAY following Wednesday's vote he expects Rep. Elise Stefanik, a New York Republican who formally announced her bid for the House GOP Conference chair post Cheney held, to visit the Freedom Caucus and others tonight to lobby for support.\n\nThe Freedom Caucus is comprised of hard-right members of the party who are most loyal to former President Donald Trump.\n\nHouse GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., already has endorsed Stefanik. But some more conservative members are not sold on her yet.\n\nOn Thursday, the conference will hold a candidate forum, but several lawmakers were skeptical that someone besides Stefanik would emerge successful.\n\n– Savannah Behrmann and Ledyard King\n\nElise Stefanik:Who is Elise Stefanik, the congresswoman Trump and Scalise want to replace Liz Cheney in GOP leadership?\n\nWhat does the chair do?:Liz Cheney has been removed as House GOP Conference chair. What does the chair do?\n\nLiz Cheney spoke before the vote about hewing to “truth”\n\nRep. Liz Cheney made one last pitch to her fellow Republicans before they voted to oust her as chair of the House GOP Conference on Wednesday.\n\nSpeaking to the assembled lawmakers in a closed-door meeting at the Capitol, the Wyoming Republican told reporters assembled outside the meeting room that she reiterated what she has been saying for weeks: “That we must go forward based on truth. We cannot both embrace the ‘big lie’ and embrace the Constitution.”\n\nThe “big lie” is what Cheney calls former President Donald Trump’s baseless claims that the November election was stolen from him due to widespread voter fraud.\n\nColorado GOP Rep. Ken Buck told reporters after the meeting that Cheney received a standing ovation after she spoke from some members of the caucus.\n\n– Ledyard King and Savannah Behrmann\n\nAfter vote, Trump says Cheney is 'bad' for Republicans\n\nAfter House Republicans voted to oust Rep. Liz Cheney from her House GOP leadership role, former President Donald Trump denounced her as \"bad for the Republican Party.\"\n\n“She is a talking point for Democrats, whether that means the Border, the gas lines, inflation, or destroying our economy,\" he said in a statement issued through his Save America PAC\n\nPrior to the meeting, Trump had exhorted Republicans to demote her from her post as chair of the GOP House Conference.\n\n“The Republicans in the House of Representatives have a great opportunity today to rid themselves of a poor leader, a major Democrat talking point, a warmonger, and a person with absolutely no personality or heart,” Trump said in a statement issued through his PAC. “As a representative of the Great State of Wyoming, Liz Cheney is bad for our Country and bad for herself. Almost everyone in the Republican Party, including 90% of Wyoming, looks forward to her ouster—and that includes me!”\n\nTrump’s statements came only hours after Cheney was on the House floor imploring colleagues not to buy into the former president's “big lie” that the election was stolen from him due to baseless claims of wide voter fraud.\n\n– Ledyard King\n\nFrequent Trump critic Rep. Adam Kinzinger calls Cheney’s removal ‘sad'\n\nRep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., a frequent critic of former President Donald Trump said Rep. Liz Cheney's removal from House Republican leadership Wednesday was \"sad.\"\n\n“What happened today was sad,” the congressman told reporters staking out the closed-door meeting.\n\n“Liz has committed the only sin of being consistent and telling the truth. The truth is the election was not stolen,” he said, rebutting the former president’s claims of widespread election fraud in November. “Seventy-four million voters were not disenfranchised, they were outnumbered. And it’s important our party take inventory of that and go out and win the next election instead of continuing the big lie.\"\n\n– Ledyard King\n\nCheney removed by voice vote, not secret ballot\n\nRep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., said Rep. Liz Cheney had “a lot” of supporters in the House Republican Conference on Wednesday, but it was unclear how many there were because she was ousted form her leadership position by a voice vote, not a secret ballot as the caucus rules usually dictate.\n\n“I stand with Liz. I’m proud of her. There’s a lot of people who are proud of her for what she’s done and a lot of people who feel threatened by her,” he said. “It was a sad day.”\n\n– Ledyard King\n\n'I will not sit back':In fiery speech, Rep. Liz Cheney calls Trump a 'threat'\n\nCheney ousted from leadership position in closed-door vote\n\nHouse Republicans stripped Liz Cheney of her leadership post Wednesday after GOP House members said her public sparring with former President Donald Trump became a distraction to the party hoping to regain the House in 2022. The vote, cast by secret ballot and behind closed doors.\n\nAs chair of the GOP House Conference, the three-term Wyoming congresswoman had been the third most powerful Republican member of the House. Her ouster leaves a vacancy GOP officials expect to fill in the coming weeks.\n\nCheney is a staunch conservative from a red state and daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney. But her willingness to push back against Trump's \"big lie\" about widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election led to a break with other House Republicans, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who remain loyal to the former president and his baseless claims of a stolen election.\n\n– Ledyard King\n\nWhat is a House GOP Conference chair?:Liz Cheney is set to be removed from her post as House GOP Conference chair. What does the chair do?\n\nCheney's Tuesday night speech:'I know the topic is cancel culture.' What Rep. Liz Cheney said in her House floor speech about Trump\n\nMeeting begins\n\nA closed-door meeting of House Republicans in which they expect to vote on whether to remove Rep. Liz Cheney from House GOP leadership has begun.\n\nSome House Republicans want to remove Cheney from her post as House Republican Caucus chair after she repeatedly criticized former President Donald Trump's debunked election fraud claims.\n\nThe members are meeting behind closed doors in the Capitol, where they'll vote by secret ballot.\n\n– Savannah Behrmann and Sean Rossman\n\nMembers seem confident in a Cheney ouster\n\nSeveral House GOP lawmakers walking into the Capitol seemed confident Rep. Liz Cheney would be ousted as House Republican Conference chair in a closed-door vote expected Wednesday morning.\n\nRep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, told USA TODAY he expects there to be “strong support” to remove her, but couldn’t give an estimated number of how many lawmakers may vote to oust her.\n\n– Savannah Behrmann\n\nGOP lawmakers arrive for meeting to decide Cheney’s leadership future\n\nRepublican lawmakers have begun to arrive this morning for their closed-door meeting at the Capitol to decide whether Rep. Liz Cheney should remain in House GOP leadership. The meeting is scheduled to start at 9 a.m.\n\nThe Wyoming Republican, who has forcefully pushed back against former President Donald Trump’s widely discredited claims of rampant voter fraud in the 2020 election, faces the loss of her seat as the chair of the GOP House Conference.\n\nOn the House floor Tuesday night, Cheney urged her GOP colleagues not to bend to the former president. House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has recommended GOP lawmakers remove Cheney, saying she’s distracting from the party’s effort to win back Congress in next year’s elections.\n\n– Ledyard King and Savannah Behrmann\n\nEffort to remove Rep. Liz Cheney has been building\n\nThe opposition to Rep. Liz Cheney began building after she voted to impeach former President Donald Trump after the Capitol riot in January – one of 10 House Republicans to do so.\n\nSupporters of the 45th president called for her to be removed, and she survived an attempt to remove her from leadership in a secret ballot vote in February. But she has since remained firm in her belief that Trump's rhetoric led to the violence.\n\nAfter Trump recently insisted the presidential election was stolen, Cheney tweeted \"The 2020 presidential election was not stolen. Anyone who claims it was is spreading THE BIG LIE, turning their back on the rule of law, and poisoning our democratic system.”\n\nHer position on Trump in February was backed up by other prominent Republicans like House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who soon after the riot said, \"The president bears responsibility for Wednesday's attack on Congress by mob rioters.\" He has now walked back those remarks, and has publicly signaled he supported removing Cheney following her recent comments against Trump, highlighting a fracture within the Republican party.\n\n– Savannah Behrmann\n\nWho is Elise Stefanik?\n\nThe person emerging as a potential replacement for Liz Cheney’s position as House GOP Conference chair, should she be ousted Wednesday, is Rep. Elise Stefanik, a New York Republican who in the last years of the Trump administration emerged as a loyal and vocal defender of the 45th president.\n\nStefanik, 36, gained support from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Minority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise, and Trump over the last few weeks as being able to unify and represent the message of the caucus.\n\nStefanik, when she was elected in 2014 at age 30, was then the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. Prior to being a member of Congress, she attended Harvard University before joining the George W. Bush administration as an aide. She also advised then-vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan in 2012.\n\nShe rose to GOP prominence during Trump’s first impeachment, after Trump called Stefanik a “new Republican star” as she defended him against Democrats.\n\n– Savannah Behrmann\n\nWhat’s with the secret ballot?\n\nHouse Republicans have debated about Rep. Liz Cheney's future in public. The actual vote will be conducted in private.\n\nWhen the meeting starts around 9 a.m. Wednesday, the doors will close to the press. Members will have a chance to say something and then they will cast a secret ballot to decide whether she should remain chair of the GOP Conference.\n\nThat means no one will really know how each of the 212 Republicans vote on whether to keep Cheney even if they make public pronouncements about her. The vote will be decided by a simple majority of the caucus.\n\nWhen the votes are cast and the tabulation is complete, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., is expected to come out of the meeting and announce the results to the press.\n\n– Ledyard King\n\n'I will not sit back':In fiery speech, Rep. Liz Cheney calls Trump a 'threat'\n\nCheney's speech:'I know the topic is cancel culture.' What Rep. Liz Cheney said in her House floor speech about Trump\n\nWho is Liz Cheney, the third most-powerful House Republican?\n\nRep. Liz Cheney, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney — who served alongside former President George W. Bush — has been widely respected in conservative politics and was considered one of the next in line to lead House Republicans.\n\nBut she was one of 10 Republicans in the House to vote for Trump's impeachment over his alleged incitement of the deadly Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, and has since remained firm in her belief that Trump's rhetoric led to the violence.\n\nShe has headed the House Republican Conference since 2019 and is the third-ranking Republican in the House. Cheney, Wyoming's only representative, faces a vote to remove her from her leadership position Wednesday morning.\n\n– Savannah Behrmann\n\nLiz Cheney: 'I will not sit back'\n\nRep. Liz Cheney, who on Wednesday faces a vote to remove her from House Republican leadership, tore into former President Donald Trump on Tuesday evening in a fiery speech on the House floor.\n\nCheney, the third most-powerful House Republican, has angered some in the party for her repeated criticism of Trump and his claim the 2020 election was stolen from him. A vote behind closed doors and by secret ballot is scheduled for Wednesday morning.\n\n\"This is not about policy. This is not about partisanship. This is about our duty as Americans,\" she said. \"Remaining silent and ignoring the lie emboldens the liar. I will not participate in that. I will not sit back and watch in silence, while others lead our party down a path that abandons the rule of law and joins the former president's crusade to undermine our democracy.\"\n\n– Phillip M. Bailey and Ledyard King\n\nHouse GOP expected to vote on Liz Cheney Wednesday\n\nHouse Republicans meet behind closed doors on Capitol Hill Wednesday to make a major decision likely to highlight a deepening rift in a party hoping to retake control of Congress in 2022.\n\nWill they keep Rep. Liz Cheney as the chamber's third-ranking Republican, or toss her out to make way for a leader more supportive of former President Donald Trump?\n\nLawmakers will vote by secret ballot whether to oust Cheney as chair of the House Republican Conference, the result of weeks of drama within the House GOP.\n\nThe three-term congresswoman from Wyoming and daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney has drawn anger from her GOP colleagues in recent weeks as her vocal pushback against Trump's false claims of a stolen 2020 election aggravated party leaders loyal to the former president.\n\n'I will not sit back':In fiery speech, Rep. Liz Cheney calls Trump a 'threat'\n\nWhat is a House GOP chair?:Liz Cheney is set to be removed from her post as House GOP Conference chair. What does the chair do?\n\nSecret ballot:Liz Cheney's future in Republican leadership to be decided by secret ballot in closed-door meeting\n\nThey've said Cheney has become a distraction from the mission to take back the House in next year's mid-term races.\n\n\"Having heard from so many of you in recent days, it's clear that we need to make a change,\" House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., wrote in a letter Monday to fellow Republican lawmakers.\n\nHigh-ranking Republicans including Trump, are backing New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, a fierce defender of the former president, to replace Cheney.If Cheney is removed Wednesday, a vote on her replacement is expected to take place at a later time.\n\nShould the House GOP purge Cheney from leadership, it would be the latest evidence of a deep split in the Republican Party, in which some see Trump as its best path to electoral victory while some, like Cheney, say it should move beyond the former president.\n\nDemocrats hold slim majorities in the House and Senate and Republicans are eager to pick up seats in 2022 to regain majorities in both chambers.\n\nIn a fiery Tuesday evening speech on the House floor, Cheney ripped into Trump and his fraud claims, calling him a \"threat.\"\n\n\"This is not about policy. This is not about partisanship. This is about our duty as Americans,\" she said. \"Remaining silent and ignoring the lie emboldens the liar. I will not participate in that. I will not sit back and watch in silence, while others lead our party down a path that abandons the rule of law and joins the former president's crusade to undermine our democracy.\"\n\nKevin McCarthy:Vote to oust Liz Cheney puts spotlight on House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy, a Trump loyalist\n\nMore:GOP takes sides on Cheney's ouster, with one congressman calling party 'basically the Titanic'\n\nUtah Sen. Mitt Romney, the 2012 GOP presidential nominee, believes ousting Cheney will hurt Republican efforts to win back Congress.\n\n\"I think we're better trying to expand the number of people who want to vote for Republicans as opposed to shrink that number,\" he told reporters on Capitol Hill Monday. \"I think she's a person of integrity who follows her conscious and speaks the truth. And I think it will do nothing but drive some people away from our party.\"\n\nHouse Republicans will meet at 9 a.m. ET Wednesday behind closed doors to hold a secret-ballot vote on Cheney. She can be removed by a simple majority of the 212-member Republican caucus.\n\nMore:Sen. Joe Manchin says Trump ‘called me all the time.’ Senator said he was ready ‘to stay and fight’ during Capitol riots\n\nIn the letter to Republican House members Monday, McCarthy wrote the party's \"driving focus would be taking back the House in 2022\" and \"internal conflicts need to be resolved so as to not detract from the efforts of our collective team.\"\n\nTrump issued a statement last week through his Save America PAC in which he slammed Cheney as a \"warmongering fool who has no business in Republican Party Leadership\" and threw his support behind Stefanik.\n\n\"We want leaders who believe in the Make America Great Again movement, and prioritize the values of America First,\" the former president said.\n\nCheney angered many of her GOP colleagues in January when she not only led a group of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump on a charge he incited the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol but also publicly called the former president out for his unfounded election fraud claims.\n\nAdam Kinzinger:Kinzinger claims McCarthy ignored warning that Jan. 6 events could turn violent\n\nIn February, Cheney retained her post in the party during a tumultuous, hours-long, closed-door meeting. Her fellow Republicans voted 145-61 (with one abstention) by secret ballot to keep her as chair.\n\nAfter the meeting, Cheney told reporters the vote made clear \"that we're not divided and that we're not going to be in a situation where people can pick off any member of leadership. It was a very resounding acknowledgment that we need to go forward together, and we need to go forward in a way that helps us push back the really dangerous and negative Democratic policies.\"\n\nRepublicans, including Indiana Rep. Jim Banks, who chairs the Republican Study Committee within the GOP caucus, insist her removal has less to do with her ongoing skirmish with Trump and more about the distraction she had become.\n\n\"Any leader who is not focused on pushing back against the radical and dangerous Biden agenda needs to be replaced,\" he told \"Fox News Sunday.\"\n\nOpinion:Trump Republicans have had it with Liz Cheney and the democracy she chooses to defend", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2021/05/12"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/16/politics/liz-cheney-gop-career-timeline/index.html", "title": "Timeline: Liz Cheney's political career, from Republican scion to ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nA resounding defeat in Tuesday’s primary election marked the end of Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney’s time in Congress.\n\nCheney has been one of former President Donald Trump’s biggest and most outspoken critics in the Republican Party. But on Tuesday night, the three-term conservative congresswoman conceded the race to Trump-endorsed attorney Harriet Hageman.\n\nAlthough Cheney voted in line with Trump’s agenda 92.9% of the time, her vote to impeach the former president in January 2021 led to her ouster as GOP conference chair. A year later, the Republican National Committee took the unprecedented step of formally censuring her for serving on the House January 6, 2021, committee.\n\nAfter the race was called Tuesday night, Cheney remained defiant.\n\n“No House seat, no office in this land, is more important than the principles that we are all sworn to protect. And I well understood the potential political consequences of abiding by my duty,” she said during her concession speech.\n\nAnd on Wednesday, Cheney told NBC’s “The Today Show” that she is “thinking about” running for president and will make a decision in “the coming months.”\n\nFor Cheney, Tuesday’s election loss is likely the beginning of another chapter of a tumultuous political career.", "authors": ["Christopher Hickey"], "publish_date": "2022/08/16"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/14/politics/liz-cheney-trump-republican-fundraiser/index.html", "title": "As Liz Cheney takes on Trump, Republican donors line up behind her", "text": "CNN —\n\nBobbie and Bill Kilberg were expecting a few dozen people for their fundraiser Monday for GOP Rep. Liz Cheney, an intimate cocktail party they were planning at their home in McLean, Virginia.\n\nBut in the weeks since the Republican National Committee voted to censure Cheney for her involvement in the ongoing House select committee investigation of the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, the couple was flooded with requests to come and meet the congresswoman and the event’s special guest, Utah GOP Sen. Mitt Romney.\n\nSo many people RSVP’d yes that Monday’s event was moved to another, larger venue. The Kilbergs finally had to cap the list of co-hosts when it hit 75.\n\nThe donor interest isn’t all for Cheney’s reelection bid for her House seat in Wyoming. More than two full years before the 2024 election, Cheney is emerging as the anti-Trump champion, and plenty of Republicans are glad to see it.\n\n“We are moving beyond Donald Trump,” Bobbie Kilberg told CNN. “Enough, already. Enough’s enough.”\n\nKilberg and other allies insist Cheney remains focused on her reelection to the House this year, which includes a daunting primary challenge from her onetime adviser Harriet Hageman. Trump has endorsed Hageman, who has all but cleared the field of Republican challengers, and defeating Cheney remains one of the former President’s top priorities in the midterm cycle.\n\nBut several Republicans have said it’s not out of the question she could seek the GOP nomination for president if Trump runs again.\n\n“Would it surprise me? Not even in the slightest,” said Landon Brown, a state representative in Wyoming and one of the few elected Republicans there publicly backing Cheney in the primary.\n\nThrough a spokesman, Cheney declined to comment for this story.\n\nCheney’s own activity suggests she is laying the groundwork for something more. Last year, she traveled to the early primary state of New Hampshire. She has been making speeches to national Republican organizations such as the centrist Ripon Society. And Cheney has demonstrated impressive fundraising prowess, including raising a personal record $2 million in the final quarter of 2021.\n\n“People respond to people who are principled and who stand up and are their own person,” said former Republican Rep. Barbara Comstock of Virginia, who is attending the McLean fundraiser.\n\nBoth George W. Bush and Romney, the two living Republican presidential nominees besides Trump, have raised money for Cheney’s reelection effort, connecting her directly to their broad donor networks.\n\nAmong the others on the fundraiser’s invitation are several luminaries of the pre-Trump GOP and veterans of past Republican administrations, including Cheney’s parents, former Vice President Dick Cheney and Lynne Cheney, and her sister, Mary, and Mary’s wife, Heather.\n\nAlso expected to attend are former Oklahoma Sen. Don Nickles, former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, former Dick Cheney aide Scooter Libby, former presidential candidate and ex-Hewlett-Packard executive Carly Fiorina, former Solicitor General Ted Olson, conservative lawyer Miguel Estrada and former Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, who served under Romney when he was governor of the Bay State.\n\nCheney’s alliance with Romney has drawn particular attention given his status as both an elder statesman and one of the most prominent elected Republicans to oppose Trump’s influence on the party.\n\n“That baton has passed to Liz. She is the one,” said one Republican operative who has spoken with Cheney occasionally.\n\nDespite her ouster from House GOP leadership last year, Cheney has enhanced her visibility in recent months. She has become a de facto spokeswoman for the anti-Trump wing of the party from her perch as the top Republican on the January 6 select committee – a role that could elevate her further if the panel holds public hearings on its findings this year.\n\nThe RNC’s censure last month of Cheney and Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger, the other Republican on the select committee, seems to have galvanized opponents and skeptics of Trump within the party to rally around Cheney. Comstock said that in the days following the censure, former RNC members and staff reached out to express their outrage about the move.\n\nBut any pursuit of a White House bid would depend on Cheney’s performance against Hageman in the Wyoming primary on August 16. Given Trump’s animosity toward the congresswoman, the full power of his political operation could be directed toward her. And Hageman and her allies have seized on Cheney’s connections to powerful Republicans in Washington.\n\n“As I have traveled throughout the state of Wyoming over the last six months, it has become very apparent to me that we are ready for new blood in Congress,” Hageman said at a recent event in Cheyenne, Wyoming, with Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul, a longtime critic of Cheney.\n\nDespite her considerable and growing campaign coffers, Cheney faces an uphill battle in Wyoming, the state Trump won by his widest margin in 2020.\n\n“She hasn’t been really challenged hard,” said Brown, the Wyoming state representative. “I don’t think it’s a shoo-in like it has been in the past.”\n\nBut the prospect of defeating the Trump machine through the Wyoming primary is what has party bigwigs opening their wallets. And if Cheney is successful?\n\n“I think she has all kinds of prospects,” said Comstock.", "authors": ["Michael Warren"], "publish_date": "2022/03/14"}]}
{"question_id": "20230303_19", "search_time": "2023/03/15/03:28", "search_result": []}
{"question_id": "20230303_20", "search_time": "2023/03/15/03:29", "search_result": []}
{"question_id": "20230303_21", "search_time": "2023/03/15/03:29", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/26/world/dart-mission-nasa-scn/index.html", "title": "NASA's DART mission successfully slams into an asteroid | CNN", "text": "Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more.\n\nCNN —\n\nA NASA spacecraft has intentionally slammed into an asteroid in humanity’s first test of planetary defense.\n\nThe impact occurred at 7:14 p.m. ET greeted by cheers from the mission team in Laurel, Maryland. The DART mission, or the Double Asteroid Redirection Test, launched 10 months ago.\n\nWhile the asteroid, Dimorphos, was not at risk of impacting Earth, this demonstration could determine how to deflect space rocks that could pose a threat to Earth in the future.\n\n“We’re embarking on a new era of humankind, an era in which we potentially have the capability to protect ourselves from something like a dangerous, hazardous asteroid impact,” said Lori Glaze, director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division. “What an amazing thing. We’ve never had that capability before.”\n\nA detailed view of Dimorphos can be seen seconds before the DART spacecraft hit the asteroid. NASA\n\nAt the time of impact, Didymos and Dimorphos were relatively close to Earth – within 6.8 million miles (11 million kilometers). The team estimates that the spacecraft hit the asteroid at a point about 55 feet (17 meters) away from the space rock’s center.\n\nThe goal of the spacecraft, in addition to impact, is to affect the motion of an asteroid in space, but DART team members say it will take about two months for scientists to determine if the asteroid’s orbit changed.\n\nThe mission is heading for Dimorphos, a small moon orbiting the near-Earth asteroid Didymos. The asteroid system poses no threat to Earth, NASA officials have said, making it a perfect target to test out a kinetic impact – which may be needed if an asteroid is ever on track to hit Earth.\n\nThe event will be the agency’s first full-scale demonstration of deflection technology that can protect the planet.\n\n“For the first time ever, we will measurably change the orbit of a celestial body in the universe,” said Robert Braun, head of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory’s Space Exploration Sector.\n\nINTERACTIVE: One spacecraft’s journey to test Earth’s planetary defenses\n\nNear-Earth objects are asteroids and comets with orbits that place them within 30 million miles (48.3 million kilometers) of Earth. Detecting the threat of near-Earth objects, or NEOs, that could cause grave harm is a primary focus of NASA and other space organizations around the world.\n\nCollision course\n\nAstronomers discovered Didymos more than two decades ago. It means “twin” in Greek, a nod to how the asteroid forms a binary system with the smaller asteroid, or moon. Didymos is nearly half a mile (0.8 kilometer) across.\n\nMeanwhile, Dimorphos is 525 feet (160 meters) in diameter, and its name means “two forms.”\n\nOn the day of impact, images taken by DRACO will not only reveal our first look at Dimorphos, but the spacecraft will use them to autonomously guide itself for an encounter with the tiny moon.\n\nDuring the event, these images will stream back to Earth at a rate of one per second, providing a “pretty stunning” look at the moon, said Nancy Chabot, planetary scientist and DART coordination lead at the Applied Physics Laboratory.\n\nAt the time of impact, Didymos and Dimorphos will be relatively close to Earth – within 6.8 million miles (11 million kilometers).\n\nThe spacecraft will accelerate at about 15,000 miles per hour (24,140 kilometers per hour) when it collides with Dimorphos.\n\nThe DART spacecraft also revealed what Dimorphos looks like for the very first time.\n\n“It looks adorable, it’s so cute,” said Carolyn Ernst, DRACO Instrument Scientist at the Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Lab. “It looks in a lot of ways like some of the other small asteroids we’ve seen.”\n\nThe egg-shaped asteroid’s surface, covered in boulders, looked similar to Bennu and Ryugu, two other asteroids that were visited by spacecraft in recent years. The scientists suspect that Dimorphos is a rubble pile asteroid made of loosely bound rocks.\n\nThe team is eager to learn more about the impact crater left behind, which they estimate to be about 33 to 65 feet (10 to 20 meters) in size. There may even be shattered pieces of the spacecraft in the crater.\n\nIt aims to crash into Dimorphos to change the asteroid’s motion in space, according to NASA. This collision will be recorded by LICIACube, or Light Italian CubeSat for Imaging of Asteroids, a companion cube satellite provided by the Italian Space Agency.\n\nThe briefcase-size CubeSat hitched a ride with DART into space. It recently deployed from the spacecraft and is traveling behind it to record what happens.\n\nThree minutes after impact, the CubeSat will fly by Dimorphos to capture images and video. The video, while not immediately available, will be streamed back to Earth in the weeks and months following the collision.\n\nProtecting the planet\n\nDimorphos was chosen for this mission because its size is relative to asteroids that could pose a threat to Earth. The spacecraft is about 100 times smaller than Dimorphos, so it won’t obliterate the asteroid.\n\nThe fast impact will only change Dimorphos’ speed as it orbits Didymos by 1%, which doesn’t sound like a lot – but it will change the moon’s orbital period.\n\nAn illustration shows NASA's DART spacecraft and the Italian Space Agency's LICIACube before the collision with Dimorphos. Steve Gribben/Johns Hopkins APL/NASA\n\n“Sometimes we describe it as running a golf cart into a great pyramid or something like that,” Chabot said. “But for Dimorphos, this really is about asteroid deflection, not disruption. This isn’t going to blow up the asteroid; it isn’t going to put it into lots of pieces.”\n\nThe nudge will shift Dimorphos slightly and make it more gravitationally bound to Didymos – so the collision won’t change the binary system’s path around the Earth or increase its chances of becoming a threat to our planet, Chabot said.\n\nDimorphos completes an orbit around Didymos every 11 hours and 55 minutes. After the impact, that may change to 11 hours and 45 minutes, but follow-up observations will determine how much of a shift occurred.\n\nAstronomers will use ground-based telescopes to observe the binary asteroid system and see how much the orbital period of Dimorphos changed, which will determine if DART was successful.\n\nSpace-based telescopes such as Hubble, Webb and NASA’s Lucy mission will also observe the event.\n\nIn four years, the European Space Agency’s Hera mission will arrive to study Dimorphos, measuring physical properties of the moon, and look at the DART impact and the moon’s orbit.\n\nNo asteroids are currently on a direct impact course with Earth, but more than 27,000 near-Earth asteroids exist in all shapes and sizes.\n\nThe valuable data collected by DART and Hera will contribute to planetary defense strategies, especially the understanding of what kind of force can shift the orbit of a near-Earth asteroid that could collide with our planet.", "authors": ["Ashley Strickland"], "publish_date": "2022/09/26"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/23/world/nasa-dart-faq-scn/index.html", "title": "The DART mission is about to collide with an asteroid | CNN", "text": "Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more.\n\nCNN —\n\nOn Monday, a NASA spacecraft will deliberately slam into an asteroid called Dimorphos.\n\nThe Double Asteroid Redirection Test mission, or DART, aims to see if this kind of kinetic impact can help deflect an asteroid posing a threat to Earth.\n\nThis illustration shows the DART spacecraft heading toward the asteroid Dimorphos. John Hopkins APL/NASA\n\n“We are moving an asteroid,” said Tom Statler, NASA program scientist for the DART mission. “We are changing the motion of a natural celestial body in space. Humanity has never done that before.”\n\nHere’s what you need to know about this mission.\n\nWhat exactly is DART?\n\nThe DART spacecraft is about the size of a school bus. It has been traveling to reach its asteroid target since launching in November 2021. The spacecraft will arrive at the asteroid system on September 26. Impact is expected at 7:14 p.m. ET.\n\nWhere is it going?\n\nThe spacecraft is heading for a double-asteroid system, where a tiny “moon” asteroid, named Dimorphos, orbits a larger asteroid, Didymos.\n\nDidymos. which means “twin” in Greek, is roughly 2,560 feet (780 meters) in diameter. Meanwhile, Dimorphos measures 525 feet (160 meters) across, and its name means “two forms.”\n\nAt the time of impact, Didymos and Dimorphos will be relatively close to Earth – within 6.8 million miles (11 million kilometers).\n\nNeither Dimorphos nor Didymos is at risk of colliding with Earth – before or after the collision takes place.\n\nWhat will DART do?\n\nDART is going down in a blaze of glory. It will set its sights on Dimorphos, accelerate to 13,421 miles per hour (21,600 kilometers per hour) and crash into the moon nearly head-on.\n\nThe spacecraft is about 100 times smaller than Dimorphos, so it won’t obliterate the asteroid.\n\nInstead, DART will try to change the asteroid’s speed and path in space. The mission team has compared this collision to a golf cart crashing into one of the Great Pyramids – enough energy to leave an impact crater.\n\nThe impact will change Dimorphos’ speed by 1% as it orbits Didymos. It doesn’t sound like much, but doing so will change the moon’s orbital period.\n\nThe nudge will shift Dimorphos slightly and make it more gravitationally bound to Didymos – so the collision won’t change the binary system’s path around the Earth or increase its chances of becoming a threat to our planet.\n\nWhat will we get to see?\n\nThe spacecraft will share its view of the double-asteroid system through an instrument known as the Didymos Reconnaissance and Asteroid Camera for Optical navigation, or DRACO.\n\nThis imager, which serves as DART’s eyes, will allow the spacecraft to identify the double-asteroid system and distinguish which space object it’s supposed to strike.\n\nThis instrument also is a high-resolution camera that aims to capture images of the two asteroids to be streamed back to Earth at a rate of one image per second in what will appear nearly like a video. You can watch the live stream on NASA’s website, beginning at 6 p.m. ET Monday.\n\nDidymos and Dimorphos will appear as pinpricks of light about an hour before impact, gradually growing larger and more detailed in the frame.\n\nDimorphos has never been observed before, so scientists can finally take in its shape and the appearance of its surface.\n\nWe should be able to see Dimorphos in exquisite detail before DART crashes into it. Given the time it takes for images to stream back to Earth, they will be visible for eight seconds before a loss of signal occurs and DART’s mission ends – if it was successful.\n\nThe spacecraft also has its own photojournalist along for the ride.\n\nA briefcase-size satellite from the Italian Space Agency hitched a ride with DART into space. Called the Light Italian CubeSat for Imaging of Asteroids, or LICIACube, it detached from the spacecraft on September 11. The satellite is traveling behind DART to record what happens from a safe perspective.\n\nThree minutes after impact, LICIACube will fly by Dimorphos to capture images and video of the impact plume and maybe even spy on the impact crater. The CubeSat will turn to keep its cameras pointed at Dimorphos as it flies by.\n\nThe images and video, while not immediately available, will be streamed back to Earth in the days and weeks following the collision.\n\nHow will we know if the mission was successful?\n\nThe LICIACube won’t be the only observer watching. The James Webb Space Telescope, the Hubble Space Telescope and NASA’s Lucy mission will observe the impact. The Didymos system may brighten as its dust and debris is ejected into space, said Statler, the NASA program scientist.\n\nBut ground-based telescopes will be key in determining if DART successfully changed the motion of Dimorphos.\n\nThe Didymos system was discovered in 1996, so astronomers have plenty of observations of the system. After the impact, observatories around the world will watch as Dimorphos crosses in front of and moves behind Didymos.\n\nDimorphos takes 11 hours and 55 minutes to complete an orbit of Didymos. If DART is successful, that time could decrease by 73 seconds, “but we actually think we’re going to change it by about 10 minutes,” said Edward Reynolds, DART project manager at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.\n\nStatler said he would be surprised if a measurement of the period change came in less than a few days but even more so if it took more than three weeks.\n\nWhat if DART misses and doesn’t hit the asteroid?\n\n“I’m highly confident that we were going to hit on Monday, and it will be a complete success,” said Lindley Johnson, NASA planetary defense officer.\n\nBut if DART misses its proverbial dart board, the team will be ready to ensure the spacecraft is safe and all its information downloaded to figure out why it didn’t hit Dimorphos.\n\nThe Applied Physics Laboratory’s Mission Operations Center will intervene if necessary, even though DART will have been operating autonomously for the final four hours of its journey.\n\nIt takes 38 seconds for a command to travel from Earth to the spacecraft, so the team can react quickly. The DART team has 21 contingency plans it has rehearsed, said Elena Adams, DART mission systems engineer at the Applied Physics Lab.\n\nWhy do we need to test this, and why on this asteroid?\n\nDimorphos was chosen for this mission because its size is comparable to asteroids that could pose a threat to Earth. An asteroid the size of Dimorphos could cause “regional devastation” if it hit Earth.\n\nThe asteroid system is “the perfect natural laboratory” for the test, Statler said.\n\nThe mission will allow scientists to have a better understanding of the size and mass of each asteroid, which is crucial to understanding near-Earth objects.\n\nNear-Earth objects are asteroids and comets with an orbit that places them within 30 million miles (48.3 million kilometers) from Earth. Detecting the threat of near-Earth objects that could cause grave harm is a primary focus of NASA and other space organizations around the world.\n\nNo asteroids are currently on a direct impact course with Earth, but more than 27,000 near-Earth asteroids exist in all shapes and sizes.\n\nThe valuable data collected by DART will contribute to planetary defense strategies, especially the understanding of what kind of force can shift the orbit of a near-Earth asteroid that could collide with our planet.\n\nWhy don’t we just blow up the asteroid, like in ‘Armageddon’?\n\nMovies make combating asteroid approaches seem like a hurried scramble to protect the planet, but “that’s not the way to do planetary defense,” Johnson said. Blowing up an asteroid could be more dangerous because then its pieces could be on a collision course with Earth.\n\nBut NASA is considering other methods of changing the motion of asteroids.\n\nThe DART spacecraft is considered to be a kinetic impactor that could change the speed and path of Dimorphos. If DART is successful, it could be one tool for deflecting asteroids.\n\nAnother option is a gravity tractor, which relies on mutual gravitational attraction between a spacecraft and an asteroid to tug the space rock out of its impacting trajectory into a more benign one, Johnson said.\n\nAnother technique is ion beam deflection, or shooting an ion engine at an asteroid for long periods of time until the ions change the asteroid’s velocity and orbit.\n\nBut both of these take time.\n\n“Any technique that you can imagine that changes the orbital speed of the asteroid in orbit is a viable technique,” Johnson said.\n\nAn international forum called the Space Planning Commission has brought 18 national space agencies together to assess what might be best to deflect an asteroid, depending on its size and path.\n\nFinding populations of hazardous asteroids and determining their sizes are priorities of NASA and its international partners, Johnson said. The design for a space-based telescope called the Near-Earth Object Surveyor mission is currently in review.\n\nWill any other spacecraft fly by Dimorphos in the future?\n\nThe Didymos system won’t be lonely for too long. To survey the aftermath of the impact, the European Space Agency’s Hera mission will launch in 2024. The spacecraft, along with two CubeSats, will arrive at the asteroid system two years later.\n\nHera will study both asteroids, measure physical properties of Dimorphos, and examine the DART impact crater and the moon’s orbit, with the aim of establishing an effective planetary defense strategy.", "authors": ["Ashley Strickland"], "publish_date": "2022/09/23"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/11/world/nasa-dart-success-update-scn/index.html", "title": "NASA: DART mission successfully changed motion of asteroid ...", "text": "Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more.\n\nCNN —\n\nThe Double Asteroid Redirection Test successfully changed the trajectory of the asteroid Dimorphos when the NASA spacecraft intentionally slammed into the space rock on September 26, according to the agency.\n\nThe DART mission, a full-scale demonstration of deflection technology, was the world’s first conducted on behalf of planetary defense. The mission was also the first time humanity intentionally changed the motion of a celestial object in space.\n\nPrior to impact, it took Dimorphos 11 hours and 55 minutes to orbit its larger parent asteroid Didymos. Astronomers used ground-based telescopes to measure how Dimorphos’ orbit changed after impact.\n\nNow, it takes Dimorphos 11 hours and 23 minutes to circle Didymos. The DART spacecraft changed the moonlet asteroid’s orbit by 32 minutes.\n\nInitially, astronomers expected DART to be a success if it shortened the trajectory by 10 minutes.\n\n“All of us have a responsibility to protect our home planet. After all, it’s the only one we have,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.\n\n“This mission shows that NASA is trying to be ready for whatever the universe throws at us. NASA has proven we are serious as a defender of the planet. This is a watershed moment for planetary defense and all of humanity, demonstrating commitment from NASA’s exceptional team and partners from around the world.”\n\nThe Hubble Space Telescope captured an image of debris blasted away from the surface of Dimorphos 285 hours after impact on October 8. NASA/ESA/STScI/Hubble\n\nNeither Dimorphos nor Didymos pose a threat to Earth, but the double-asteroid system was a perfect target to test deflection technology, according to the DART team.\n\n“For the first time ever, humanity has changed the orbit of a planetary object,” said Lori Glaze, director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA.\n\n“As new data come in each day, astronomers will be able to better assess whether, and how, a mission like DART could be used in the future to help protect Earth from a collision with an asteroid if we ever discover one headed our way.”\n\nThe DART team continues to gather data by observing the double-asteroid system, and the orbital measurement may become more precise in the future. Currently, there is an uncertainty of plus or minus two minutes.\n\nA new image of Dimorphos, captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, shows that the debris trail’s cometlike tail has split into two. Scientists are still working to understand the significance of the split.\n\nThe team is now focusing on measuring how much momentum was transferred from DART to Dimorphos. At the time of impact, the spacecraft was moving at about 14,000 miles per hour (22,530 kilometers per hour). Astronomers will analyze the amount of rocks and dust blasted into space after impact.\n\nThe DART team believes that the recoil from the plume “substantially enhanced” the spacecraft’s push against the asteroid, not unlike the release of air from a balloon propels it in the opposite direction, according to NASA.\n\nThe LICIACube captured an image showing plumes of material streaming from Dimorphos asteroid after impact. The rectangles were added to enhance contrast and showcase the plumes. ASI/NASA/APL\n\n“Although we have done more to the system than simply change the orbit, we may have left Dimorphos wobbling a bit,” said Tom Statler, DART program scientist at NASA. “So over time, there may be some interaction between the wobble and the orbit and things will adjust. But it’s certainly never going to go back to the old 11 hour 55 minute orbit.”\n\nAstronomers are still investigating the surface of Dimorphos and how weak or strong it is. The DART team’s first look at Dimorphos, provided by DART before the crash, suggests that the asteroid is a pile of rubble held together by gravity.\n\nImagery continues to return from the Light Italian CubeSat for Imaging of Asteroids, or LICIACube, the mini satellite provided by the Italian Space Agency that tagged along as a robotic photojournalist on DART’s mission.\n\nIn about four years, the European Space Agency’s Hera mission will also fly by the double-asteroid system to study the crater left by the collision and measure the mass of Dimorphos.\n\n“DART has given us some fascinating data about both asteroid properties and the effectiveness of a kinetic impactor as a planetary defense technology,” said Nancy Chabot, the DART coordination lead from the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland. “The DART team is continuing to work on this rich dataset to fully understand this first planetary defense test of asteroid deflection.”\n\nThe research team chose Dimorphos for this mission because its size is comparable to asteroids that could pose a threat to Earth. An asteroid the size of Dimorphos could cause “regional devastation” if it hit Earth.\n\nNear-Earth objects are asteroids and comets with an orbit that places them within 30 million miles (48.3 million kilometers) from Earth. Detecting the threat of near-Earth objects that could cause grave harm is a primary focus of NASA and other space organizations around the world.\n\nNo asteroids are currently on a direct impact course with Earth, but more than 27,000 near-Earth asteroids exist in all shapes and sizes.\n\nFinding populations of hazardous asteroids and determining their sizes are priorities of NASA and its international partners. The design for a space-based telescope called the Near-Earth Object Surveyor mission is currently in review.\n\n“We should not be too eager to say that one test on one asteroid tells us exactly how every other asteroid would behave in a similar situation,” Statler said. “But what we can do is use this test as an anchor point for our physics calculations in our simulations that tell us how different kinds of impacts in different situations should behave.”", "authors": ["Ashley Strickland"], "publish_date": "2022/10/11"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/16/world/nasa-dart-mission-preview-scn/index.html", "title": "NASA spacecraft will intentionally crash into asteroid | CNN", "text": "Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more.\n\nCNN —\n\nA NASA spacecraft that will deliberately crash into an asteroid is getting closer to its target.\n\nThe DART mission, or the Double Asteroid Redirection Test, will have a rendezvous with the space rock on September 26 after launching 10 months ago.\n\nThe spacecraft will slam into an asteroid’s moon to see how it affects the motion of an asteroid in space. A live stream of images captured by the spacecraft will be available on NASA’s website beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET that day. The impact is expected to occur around 7:14 p.m. ET.\n\nThe mission is heading for Dimorphos, a small moon orbiting the near-Earth asteroid Didymos. The asteroid system poses no threat to Earth, NASA officials have said, making it a perfect target to test out a kinetic impact – which may be needed if an asteroid is ever on track to hit Earth.\n\nThe event will be the agency’s first full-scale demonstration of deflection technology that can protect the planet.\n\n“For the first time ever, we will measurably change the orbit of a celestial body in the universe,” said Robert Braun, head of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory’s Space Exploration Sector.\n\nNear-Earth objects are asteroids and comets with orbits that place them within 30 million miles (48.3 million kilometers) of Earth. Detecting the threat of near-Earth objects, or NEOs, that could cause grave harm is a primary focus of NASA and other space organizations around the world.\n\nCollision course\n\nAstronomers discovered Didymos more than two decades ago. It means “twin” in Greek, a nod to how the asteroid forms a binary system with the smaller asteroid, or moon. Didymos is nearly half a mile (0.8 kilometer) across.\n\nMeanwhile, Dimorphos is 525 feet (160 meters) in diameter, and its name means “two forms.”\n\nThe spacecraft recently caught its first glimpse of Didymos using an instrument called the Didymos Reconnaissance and Asteroid Camera for Optical navigation, or DRACO. It was about 20 million miles (32 million kilometers) away from the binary asteroid system when it took images in July.\n\nOn the day of impact, images taken by DRACO will not only reveal our first look at Dimorphos, but the spacecraft will use them to autonomously guide itself for an encounter with the tiny moon.\n\nDuring the event, these images will stream back to Earth at a rate of one per second, providing a “pretty stunning” look at the moon, said Nancy Chabot, planetary scientist and DART coordination lead at the Applied Physics Laboratory.\n\nAt the time of impact, Didymos and Dimorphos will be relatively close to Earth – within 6.8 million miles (11 million kilometers).\n\nThe spacecraft will accelerate at about 15,000 miles per hour (24,140 kilometers per hour) when it collides with Dimorphos.\n\nThe light from asteroid Didymos and its moonlet Dimorphos is visible in a composite of 243 images taken by DRACO on July 27. NASA JPL DART Navigation Team\n\nIt aims to crash into Dimorphos to change the asteroid’s motion in space, according to NASA. This collision will be recorded by LICIACube, or Light Italian CubeSat for Imaging of Asteroids, a companion cube satellite provided by the Italian Space Agency.\n\nThe briefcase-size CubeSat hitched a ride with DART into space. It recently deployed from the spacecraft and is traveling behind it to record what happens.\n\nThree minutes after impact, the CubeSat will fly by Dimorphos to capture images and video. The video, while not immediately available, will be streamed back to Earth in the weeks and months following the collision.\n\nProtecting the planet\n\nDimorphos was chosen for this mission because its size is relative to asteroids that could pose a threat to Earth. The spacecraft is about 100 times smaller than Dimorphos, so it won’t obliterate the asteroid.\n\nThe fast impact will only change Dimorphos’ speed as it orbits Didymos by 1%, which doesn’t sound like a lot – but it will change the moon’s orbital period.\n\nAn illustration shows NASA's DART spacecraft and the Italian Space Agency's LICIACube before the collision with Dimorphos. Steve Gribben/Johns Hopkins APL/NASA\n\n“Sometimes we describe it as running a golf cart into a great pyramid or something like that,” Chabot said. “But for Dimorphos, this really is about asteroid deflection, not disruption. This isn’t going to blow up the asteroid; it isn’t going to put it into lots of pieces.”\n\nThe nudge will shift Dimorphos slightly and make it more gravitationally bound to Didymos – so the collision won’t change the binary system’s path around the Earth or increase its chances of becoming a threat to our planet, Chabot said.\n\nDimorphos completes an orbit around Didymos every 11 hours and 55 minutes. After the impact, that may change to 11 hours and 45 minutes, but follow-up observations will determine how much of a shift occurred.\n\nAstronomers will use ground-based telescopes to observe the binary asteroid system and see how much the orbital period of Dimorphos changed, which will determine if DART was successful.\n\nSpace-based telescopes such as Hubble, Webb and NASA’s Lucy mission will also observe the event.\n\nIn four years, the European Space Agency’s Hera mission will arrive to study Dimorphos, measuring physical properties of the moon, and look at the DART impact and the moon’s orbit.\n\nNo asteroids are currently on a direct impact course with Earth, but more than 27,000 near-Earth asteroids exist in all shapes and sizes.\n\nThe valuable data collected by DART and Hera will contribute to planetary defense strategies, especially the understanding of what kind of force can shift the orbit of a near-Earth asteroid that could collide with our planet.", "authors": ["Ashley Strickland"], "publish_date": "2022/09/16"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/16/world/webb-telescope-hourglass-star-formation-scn/index.html", "title": "James Webb Space Telescope reveals birth of a star in a cosmic ...", "text": "Astronomers estimate 50 000 sources of near-infrared light are represented in this image from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope. Their light has travelled through various distances to reach the telescope's detectors, representing the vastness of space in a single image. A foreground star in our own galaxy, to the right of the image centre, displays Webb's distinctive diffraction spikes. Bright white sources surrounded by a hazy glow are the galaxies of Pandora's Cluster, a conglomeration of already-massive clusters of galaxies coming together to form a mega cluster. The concentration of mass is so great that the fabric of spacetime is warped by gravity, creating a natural, super-magnifying glass called a 'gravitational lens' that astronomers can use to see very distant sources of light beyond the cluster that would otherwise be undetectable, even to Webb. These lensed sources appear red in the image, and often as elongated arcs distorted by the gravitational lens. Many of these are galaxies from the early universe, with their contents magnified and stretched out for astronomers to study. Other red sources in the image have yet to be confirmed by follow-up observations with Webb's Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) instrument to determine their true nature. One intriguing example is an extremely compact source that appears as a tiny red dot, despite the magnifying effect of the gravitational lens. One possibility is that the dot is a supermassive black hole in the early universe. NIRSpec data will provide both distance measurements and compositional details of selected sources, providing a wealth of previously-inaccessible information about the universe and how it has evolved over time. [Image Description: A crowded galaxy field on a black background, with one large star dominating the image just right of center. Three areas are concentrated with larger white hazy blobs on the left, lower right, and upper right above the single star.\n\nNASA, ESA, CSA, STScI", "authors": ["Katie Hunt"], "publish_date": "2022/11/16"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/2019/05/09/nasa-is-using-the-same-space-suits-astronauts-wore-30-years-ago-experts-say-that-needs-to-change/3330683002/", "title": "NASA is using the same space suits astronauts wore 30 years ago ...", "text": "When astronauts Story Musgrave and Donald Peterson conducted the space shuttle program’s first spacewalk in 1983, they probably wouldn’t have imagined their spacesuits would still be in use on the International Space Station some 36 years later.\n\nNot only are they still in use but the suits, intended to last 15 years, are currently the only ones available for astronauts whizzing around Earth at thousands of miles per hour.\n\nNow, as NASA prepares to head back to the moon, the agency must scramble to develop a next-generation suit or the next American astronauts will be forced to don some hand-me-down, 1980s equipment.\n\nSure, the suits get updated after six years in orbit or 25 spacewalks, but with outdated technology and only a limited quantity available, the fact of the matter is the nearly 40-year-old suits NASA employs will not serve the needs of future moonwalkers.\n\nThe current spacesuits are expected to last until 2028 – four years after NASA hopes to land astronauts on the moon again. But a series of incidents and issues from the spacesuits suggests the need for change is more urgent. A recent example is the all-female spacewalk cancellation in March, which instead had a male and female astronaut perform the walk.\n\nNASA has known for a while that it needs to update its spacesuits. The agency's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel reiterated the urgency to develop the next-generation suit during a meeting last month.\n\nIn 2017, a similar report by NASA's inspector general came to the same conclusion and stated \"the agency remains years away from having a flight-ready spacesuit capable of replacing the EMU or suitable for use on future exploration missions.\"\n\nEMUs, or Extravehicular Mobility Units, are the current suits used on the ISS.\n\nConsidered to be a “mini spacecraft” in itself, the spacesuit astronauts currently wear to survive the harsh environment of space is complex and requires major modifications based on the user.\n\n\"The EMU, of course, is very bulky. It's a big, bulky, awkward suit to work in,\" former NASA astronaut Winston Scott told FLORIDA TODAY. \"But your life depends on it. It is a totally self-contained life support system.\"\n\nSince the retirement of the shuttle program in 2011, \"NASA has had limited ability to return the EMUs from the ISS because only one of the commercial vehicles that ferry supplies to the station has the capability to return items to Earth,\" according to the inspector general's report.\n\n\"As a result, astronauts are using the EMUs for much longer periods of time between maintenance and refurbishment than originally intended,\" the report reads.\n\nAnd only 11 of the 18 \"EMU Primary Life Support System units,\" backpack-like structures required to keep astronauts alive when conducting spacewalks, are still in use. Five were destroyed in the Challenger and Columbia disasters as well as the SpaceX cargo mission that broke apart in 2015. Another was lost during ground testing and the last was built for certification only and is not suitable for flight.\n\nNASA has had years to develop a next-generation spacesuit, but a \"lack of a formal plan and specific destinations for future missions has complicated spacesuit development,\" the report noted.\n\nStarting in 2005 with the establishment of the Constellation program, which called for the development of a suite of vehicles to take astronauts back to the moon and beyond, NASA has spent almost $200 million on three spacesuit development efforts.\n\nOn May 1, NASA said on Twitter there would be a \"transition suit\" for the first mission to return to the moon that would include modern designs for astronauts to explore the lunar surface. As to what those advancements will be or what the transition suit will entail, the agency is still unsure.\n\n\"We’re looking at internal and external options for a transition spacesuit for the Moon 2024 landing with American astronauts as well as options for modern spacesuits for sustainable surface missions,\" NASA spokeswoman Cheryl Warner said.\n\nPossible future spacesuits\n\nOn the local front, Florida Institute of Technology academics have their own ideas on how to upgrade NASA's spacesuits.\n\nIn 2016, Ondrej Doule, director and founder of the university's Human Spaceflight Laboratory, along with students and team members, won the grand prize for their design of the interior of a single-person spacecraft in the Genesis Engineering Solutions competition.\n\nThe \"Wholly Human Integrated Single Person Spacecraft\" could replace the current spacesuits, Doule said. Instead of modeling the single-person spacecraft to look like a suit, the device would essentially become a mini-spacecraft with robotic arms and would have enough room for one astronaut.\n\nNot only could any astronaut perform spacewalks regardless of their body shape, the walks would also be safer to perform because the robotic arms, operated by the astronauts, would do all the repairs needed outside of the space station instead of actual people, Doule said.\n\nThough NASA does not know what the next spacesuit will look like, the agency is casting a wide net in its search.\n\nAs part of the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts program, the agency is funding 18 studies, one of which includes the development of a \"SmartSuit,\" an intelligent suit designed with self-healing skin and data collection for spacewalks in extreme environments, NASA said last month.\n\nThe SmartSuit could be used to travel to other celestial bodies like the moon and Mars, and will incorporate \"soft-robotics technology that allows astronauts to be highly mobile and better interact with their surroundings,\" according to the release.\n\nThe $125,000 project, however, is only in the first phase and can only receive additional funding after successful studies and a transition to the second phase.\n\nScott, who conducted three spacewalks in NASA's current spacesuit, has his own wishes for how future suits should operate.\n\n\"An ideal spacesuit would be one that you don't even think about while you're wearing it,\" Scott said. \"So that means the suit would be light. It would fit you, it wouldn't be big and bulky.\"\n\nInstead of inhibiting movement, vision or restricting the astronaut in any way, Scott hopes for a much lighter, tighter-fit suit that still protects the astronaut. He also wouldn't mind an \"Iron Man\" version of a spacesuit.\n\n\"Perhaps the suit will be smaller and lighter than what we have, but maybe with some human assist functions like some robotics inside the suit to help you move,\" Scott said. \"Like the suits we develop for our military, the super soldier suits. Like the real version of Iron Man.\"\n\nCurrent suits won't work for deep space missions\n\nWith the race back on to send humans to the moon again by 2024, why won't the current spacesuits work if they've already been approved to last until 2028?\n\nAccording to the inspector general's report, spacesuit requirements vary for each mission. A spacesuit designed for the moon has different needs than one for Mars since \"each destination has different temperatures, radiation levels, pressures, mobility requirements, and exposure to dust and debris.\"\n\nThough the current spacesuits are sufficient for use aboard the space station, it won't suffice for deep space exploration missions.\n\n\"For example, the current EMU lacks the hip and flexibility needed to walk on and explore planetary surfaces,\" the report reads.\n\nTypically, spacesuits are designed with the mission in mind.\n\nCustom-fit suits were made specifically for astronauts of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions. But with the shuttle program, NASA took a different approach.\n\nAs the astronaut class grew larger, it became too expensive to custom-tailor each suit to each astronaut. Instead, NASA’s current suits are a combination of several detachable parts that fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.\n\nThis allows multiple astronauts to wear the same suit, something the agency has done since the 1980s. But that's not to say they haven't come with their own sets of issues.\n\nPast incidents and current issues\n\nIn March, NASA was planning the first all-female spacewalk with astronauts Anne McClain and Christina Koch. But a lack of readily available spacesuits aboard the space station prevented a historic event from occurring.\n\nWith limited sizes available, sometimes astronauts — usually females — cannot perform spacewalks due to sizing issues with available spacesuits, NASA design engineer Elizabeth Benson said in a 2009 paper named \"Complexity of Sizing for Space Suit Applications.\"\n\nThis was essentially the problem with the planned all-female spacewalk – both McClain and Koch required mediums, but there was only one on board that would be ready in time, NASA spokeswoman Stephanie Schierholz said. The spacewalk did happen, just not with two female astronauts. Instead, NASA astronaut Nick Hague took over McClain's spot and accompanied Koch on the walk.\n\nA simple solution would have been making more sizes available, but due to high costs, NASA had to downgrade the options to only medium, large and extra large sizes, preventing smaller astronauts from wearing the suits and conducting spacewalks.\n\nAnd if limited sizing and quantity weren't already issues, according to NASA, a spacesuit weighs approximately 280 pounds on the ground. In space, it may not weigh anything, but that still doesn't mean astronauts aren't carrying around all that mass, Scott said.\n\n\"Its bulk makes it difficult to work in and some of the smaller stature people or some of the weaker physical people can't manipulate the suit,\" Scott said. \"And of course, they may or may not be able to conduct a spacewalk.\"\n\nKathryn Sullivan, the first American woman to perform a spacewalk in 1985, had her own issues with the suit. In an interview with Outside Magazine in April, Sullivan explained how the suit never fit her correctly.\n\n\"The suit's knee was a bit above mine,\" she told the magazine. \"Every time I needed to bend, I wasn't bending a natural joint.\"\n\nAstronaut Linda Godwin also told the magazine the shoulders of the spacesuit were the biggest issue.\n\nThe suits were initially designed to fit a wide variety of both women and men, but that changed after the agency cut back in sizes.\n\nAstronaut Peggy Whitson, who holds the American record for time spent in space, said in a documentary interview: \"As a woman, doing spacewalks is more challenging, mostly because the suits are sized bigger than the average female.\"\n\nSo why is this a big deal?\n\nAs men and women of different shapes and sizes join NASA's astronaut corps, a poorly fitted suit not only prevents certain astronauts from conducting spacewalks, but \"can also increase the effort that a wearer must exert to move in the suit, since their joints are not lined up with the suit joints,\" Benson said.\n\n\"Also, a poorly fit suit has the potential to actually impinge on the wearer during motion and lead to a reduction in mobility and risk of injury,\" she said.\n\nIn space, astronauts are essentially floating within their pressurized spacesuit, Scott said. Because the suit is pressurized, which basically means the suit is inflated like a balloon, a common problem astronauts find when wearing the suit is the ability to bend their joints.\n\n\"Imagine you're trying to reach for a tool in space and you're reaching to wrap your fingers around the tool. When you try to close and open your fingers, your suit is working against you because it's pressurized,\" Scott said.\n\nIn fact, since they were designed in the 1970s, there have been more than 3,400 anomalies with the current spacesuits, according to the inspector general's report. They range from a loose boot thread to glove damage, uncomfortable body temperatures and helmet water intrusions.\n\nSuch was the case in 2013 when European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano reported water, a little over a third of a gallon, in his helmet while conducting a spacewalk. A similar instance occurred again in 2016 with NASA astronaut Timothy Kopra. Both spacewalks were terminated early.\n\nNone of the incidents that occurred during spacewalks have resulted in deaths or serious injuries, and only five were terminated early. But that's not to say a new spacesuit isn't necessary for future space exploration.\n\n\"As we go forward in space, we need to figure out ways to build suits that provide the protection that you need,\" Scott said. \"But also that are lighter and more flexible and better able to allow a person to work in them.\"\n\nContact Jaramillo at 321-242-3668 or antoniaj@floridatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter at @AntoniaJ_11.\n\nSupport local journalism: Subscribe to FLORIDA TODAY at floridatoday.com/subscribe\n\nMORE: Read the latest stories from space team reporter Antonia Jaramillo", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2019/05/09"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2019/10/21/if-soviet-union-beat-america-moon-what-would-life-like/4051030002/", "title": "What would have happened in the Space Race if the Soviets landed ...", "text": "It starts out the same.\n\nThe voiceover from President John F. Kennedy comes on saying, \"I believe that this nation should commit itself to landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth.\"\n\nAll over the world, anxious faces await this historic milestone. With eyes glued to their television screens, everyone holds their breaths as they get ready to watch the first men land on the moon. In mission control in Houston, workers stand alert as footage from the lunar surface comes alive on their screens.\n\nYet something's different. The faces of the American men and women watching aren't filled with hope or excitement. Instead, their faces show anger, disappointment, fear and perhaps most notably, regret.\n\nThe year is 1969. But instead of the U.S. becoming the first nation to land on the moon, it's the Soviet Union. That's the alternate reality depicted in Apple TV Plus's new show, \"For All Mankind,\" set to release Nov.1.\n\nThough it didn't actually happen, that first-man-on-the-moon glory went to the United States, propelled in large part by work done here on the Space Coast, it's curious to imagine another reality. A reality where the Soviets were the first to land on the celestial body next door to us.\n\nApple TV+ is only $4.99 per month:Here's why it's so cheap\n\nWhat else can i watch?:Here are all the new Apple TV+ shows and movies\n\nApple's new show offers up one possibility: Instead of giving up on the space race, the show depicts a version where the U.S. decides to achieve an even heftier goal. In Apple's telling, NASA seems to immediately set its sights on Mars and other parts of the solar system.\n\n\"When (Ron Moore, the creator and writer for the TV series) told me about the idea that we were going to have this alternate reality where the Russians get to the moon first and they beat us ... and what would have happened differently in the world and when he told me that, my eyes lit up and I said, 'Oh my goodness, that is a great idea for a TV show. I love it,'\" former NASA astronaut and director of space operations at SpaceX who served as a technical advisor for the show, Garrett Reisman told FLORIDA TODAY.\n\nThis alternate depiction resembles what NASA is doing in real life under the new program, Artemis that aims to send the first woman and next man back to the moon by 2024. The current plan is this: Head back to the moon, specifically the south pole, to use its resources – namely the water ice found there to produce rocket fuel, which will help propel future spacecraft to venture farther into the solar system.\n\nThe show also incorporates a female character aspiring to be an astronaut, so female astronauts walking on the moon isn't completely ruled out either.\n\nUnlike the current agency, however, the NASA in the TV series seems to be fueled with a competitive vengeance to get back at the Soviets and prove to the rest of the world that the U.S. can still be the leaders in space.\n\nHow realistic is it?\n\nBut could that have actually happened after having lost so dramatically and during such a turbulent time in history?\n\nSpace policy expert at American University, Howard McCurdy doesn't believe so.\n\n\"All the magazines in 1947 and again in 1952 reported the following message: The nation that's first in space will win the Cold War,\" McCurdy said. \"In essence, what the quotation was, is the nation that wins the space race will control the Earth.\"\n\nAt the 46th Space Congress in Cape Canaveral held this past June, NASA's deputy administrator James Morhard reiterated that same message. He said whoever gets anywhere in space first, becomes the leader in space and in our world. He was talking about the first people to set foot on Mars.\n\nThus, had the Soviets been first to land humans on the moon, they would have been the leaders in outer space – eliminating the option for the U.S. to venture farther afield, according to McCurdy.\n\n\"If the initial purpose is to demonstrate to uncommitted nations that the United States is first and we're clearly not first, why spend the money to be second when you could reinvest that money in missile defense or in reconnaissance satellites, or in gamma-ray detectors that would confirm whether or not a nation was cheating on the atmospheric tests and atomic weapons and all the other aspects of the Cold War,\" McCurdy said.\n\nFurthermore, he adds there wouldn't have been the support from the public or funding needed from Congress to do so.\n\n\"What it says is beginning in the late 1960s, people would've begun to doubt the technical capabilities of the United States,\" McCurdy said.\n\nFormer NASA historian Roger Launius also doesn't believe the U.S. would have succeeded in trying to send humans on other deep space missions if we'd lost the race to the moon.\n\n\"If you publicly announce that you lost the moon race and that your technology was not up to snuff and your economy was not sufficient to support it and all that other stuff that goes along with an admission of failure, why would you turn around and say, 'Oh no, we're not going to do that. We're now going to do something that's at least an order of magnitude more difficult,\" Launius said.\n\n\"You're setting yourself up for failure a second time.\"\n\nReisman, on the other hand, disagrees.\n\n\"I think it's certainly possible,\" he said. \"I think in some ways, the fact that we were kind of stuck in low Earth orbit for all that time (after the Apollo program ended) and hadn't really advanced any further in space was a bit of a letdown for a lot of people and I think this show kind of addresses that.\"\n\nOther possibilities to losing space race\n\nHad the Soviets been first to land humans on the moon, both McCurdy and Launius instead believe the U.S. would have proposed a joint venture between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.\n\n\"It probably would have been more likely that there would have been a deal cut by the Americans and the Russians to go to the moon,\" Launius said.\n\nBut McCurdy does not believe that would have worked.\n\n\"I think that's what the United States response would have been and the Soviet response would have been what it was in 1961, 'You've got to be kidding me. You're making this proposal because you're behind, not because you're ahead,\"' he said.\n\n\"They wouldn't have done it. They would have gone ahead and landed on the moon and try to reap the international benefits of that accomplishment through the 1970s and through the 1980s.\"\n\nAnother possibility could have been to send robotic spacecraft on deep-space missions, like many of the current NASA science missions, instead of sending humans to explore the universe.\n\n\"There probably would have been political support for a more modest robotic scientifically-emphasized space program, but it wouldn't have worked because it doesn't capture the imagination of world leaders who are neutral in the Cold War,\" McCurdy said.\n\nAfter all, the space race and the Cold War were linked.\n\nPurpose of the space race\n\nAfter World War II, a new tension began between the world's two greatest superpowers – the democratic U.S. and the communist Soviet Union. The Cold War pushed both nations to compete for first place in technological superiority – best showcased through the \"space race.\"\n\n\"This was war by another means,\" Launius said.\n\nThe U.S.'s greatest weapon to combat this war? The Apollo program.\n\n\"The Apollo mission was designed as a Cold War version of a hot war,\" McCurdy said. \"Instead of going to war, we went out on the jousting fields like medieval knights and demonstrated our technological prowess.\"\n\nThe whole purpose of the space race was essentially to win the Cold War without the need to actually go to war. It was a figurative death struggle between these two superpowers trying to bring in undecided countries to rally behind them.\n\n\"If you want your economic and political system to be the master, you want to persuade these other countries to go along with you,\" Launius said. \"That's what it's about. Because science and technology are going to determine the future and this is a demonstration of science and technology of the most profound type.\"\n\nMcCurdy reiterates the same message.\n\n\"The purpose of the space race was not science. It wasn't even to land on the moon,\" he said. \"It was to demonstrate the technologies that were being developed and hopefully never used in the Cold War.\"\n\nMcCurdy speculates that if the Soviets had been first to land on the moon, they probably would have also won the Cold War as a result.\n\n\"One of the reasons we won the Cold War is because we won the space race,\" he said.\n\n\"Science and technology determine the future ... and who controls that science and technology, is going to be the dominant force in shaping that,\" Launius said.\n\nSo what would the world be like if the Soviets had won the space race and consequently, the Cold War?\n\nHow world would be different\n\nWhen Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped foot on the moon, they left behind a plaque that read, \"Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the moon July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all mankind.\"\n\nWould the cosmonauts have done the same? After all, the U.S. was a free and democratic country, while the Soviet Union was not.\n\nEven the Apollo 11 mission patch displayed how this was an accomplishment to be shared by all humankind, not just America. Though it had the bald eagle, the United States' national bird, included in the patch, both the Apollo 11 and 13 mission patch are the only Apollo patches to not show any space hardware, have the names of the crew or display the American flag – proof that this was a feat to be shared globally.\n\nBut how would the world be if the Soviets had landed on the moon instead?\n\n\"If (the U.S.) loses the Cold War, then I can piece together a series of events that allows the Soviet Union to be much more intact and much more powerful than it turned out to be when they lost the race to the moon,\" McCurdy said. \"That's what it leads to. The Soviet Union still being the Soviet Union.\"\n\nThe fall of the Berlin Wall probably wouldn't have occurred, the Soviet Union would still have a pretty firm grasp on most of Eastern Europe and many undecided countries at the time could have gone over and allied with the Soviets instead of the Americans, McCurdy and Launius speculated.\n\n\"Anything's possible,\" Launius said. \"The reality was, there were so many deficiencies in the Soviet system; the command economy didn't work as well as it should have; the totalitarian nature of things created all kinds of difficulties and those could have played out regardless of who was the first nation on the moon.\"\n\n\"The economy of the Soviet Union was much inferior to the United States and ultimately, that's what did them in in the 1980s,\" he said.\n\nA new space race?\n\nThe reason the U.S. was able to send humans to the moon in the first place was because of the fear fueled by the space race and consequently, the Cold War. The fear that the Soviets would get there first.\n\nToday, such fear doesn't exist.\n\n\"This was a life and death warfare type struggle and we've not had that situation since, so nobody's been willing to spend the kind of dollars on it that it requires,\" Launius said.\n\nWith the plan to head back to the moon in five years and then eventually on to Mars, not having the necessary funding won't help NASA get anywhere anytime soon.\n\n\"NASA now is kind of in a bind,\" Reisman said. \"They want to do this very ambitious program and they want to do it the traditional way, by relying on government programs like (the Space Launch System rocket that would send astronauts to the moon), which are very expensive. So NASA is in a bit of a quandary because I don't think they're going to get the money to do Artemis and put Americans on the moon by 2024 the way they want to do it.\"\n\nMcCurdy argues there is a second space race heating up with China, this time to be the first to send crewed missions to Mars.\n\nBut Launius disagrees.\n\n\"The situations are so different,\" Launius said. \"I've heard people asking those questions about China all the time. None of us care whether or not China sends a taikonaut to land on the moon or even Mars. We do not fear them like we feared the Soviet Union.\"\n\nDuring the Apollo program, 39% of Americans believed the U.S. should do everything they can to be the first nation on the moon, according to a 1965 Gallop poll. Now, only 8% of Americans, according to a poll commissioned by C-SPAN for the 50th anniversary of the moon landing believe a crewed moon mission should be a top priority for NASA. The figure jumps to 18% for a crewed mission to Mars.\n\nAfter all, this isn't the first time since the Apollo program that NASA has repeated its wish to head back to our nearby satellite and finally meet our red neighbor.\n\n\"We've been down this road at least three times and we've not done any of those things,\" Launius said. \"So yeah, I'm skeptical.\"\n\nContact Jaramillo at 321-242-3668 or antoniaj@floridatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter at @AntoniaJ_11.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2019/10/21"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/24/world/dart-science-newsletter-wt-scn/index.html", "title": "NASA mission to reveal first look at asteroid, then slam into it | CNN", "text": "A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here.\n\nCNN —\n\nGet ready to see an asteroid’s tiny moon for the first time. Then, watch as a spacecraft deliberately crashes into it.\n\nThis scenario sounds like a sci-fi plot, but the NASA Double Asteroid Redirection Test, happening Monday, is a real-life mission. It aims to be humanity’s first attempt at deflecting an asteroid – without blowing it up, “Armageddon” style.\n\nThe spacecraft won’t obliterate Dimorphos, the moon orbiting the asteroid Didymos, but it’s large enough to leave an impact crater. If all goes well, DART will slightly change the motion of a celestial body in space in a stunning first.\n\nThe mission results could shape the way humans respond to any future space rocks with the potential to collide with the planet. Despite this extraordinary event taking place 6.8 million miles (11 million kilometers) away from Earth, we’ll get to see it play out in real time.\n\nDefying gravity\n\nAn illustration shows the DART spacecraft and LICIACube prior to impact at the Didymos system. Steve Gribben/Johns Hopkins APL/NASA\n\nMonday’s encounter will reveal Dimorphos in striking detail.\n\nIn the last hour before impact, expected to occur at 7:14 p.m. ET, DART’s camera will send back images at a rate of one per second, providing a live stream of its approach. Pinpricks of light will slowly come into focus as Didymos and Dimorphos take shape.\n\nThe surface of Dimorphos will get sharper and sharper. And when DART slams into the moon at 13,421 miles per hour (21,600 kilometers per hour), our view will disappear.\n\nWish you could see the collision from another perspective? The Italian Space Agency’s LICIACube will act as DART’s photojournalist, following behind the spacecraft and capturing images and video that will show the whole story.\n\nDino-mite!\n\nFossil eggs are providing insight into what life was like for dinosaurs before a massive asteroid strike wiped them out.\n\nResearchers studied more than 1,000 fossilized dinosaur eggs recovered from the Shanyang basin in central China. The eggs came from only two groups, the toothless oviraptors and duck-billed hadrosaurs, suggesting low biodiversity.\n\nIt’s possible that dinosaur species were already struggling to survive about 66 million years ago as their diversity waned.\n\nOther researchers still think the asteroid strike was the true driver of dinosaur extinction, not to mention a series of massive volcanic eruptions – and they suggest that if those cataclysmic events hadn’t happened, dinosaurs might still rule the planet.\n\nCuriosities\n\nArctic wolves at Harbin Polarland are shown in Harbin, China, on November 22, 2017. Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images\n\nResearchers in China have cloned a wild Arctic wolf. Sinogene Biotechnology unveiled the female wolf pup, named Maya, on Monday – and the Beijing-based company is hoping this method could save other species.\n\nWildlife conservationists consider the Arctic wolf, like the ones at Harbin Polarland in Harbin, China, pictured above, at low risk of extinction, but the climate crisis and human encroachment could change that.\n\nTo create Maya, scientists applied the same technique used in 1996 that led to Dolly the sheep, the first mammal cloned from an adult cell. The wolf pup was born from a surrogate beagle mother.\n\nBut some experts warn about the health and ethical concerns of controversial conservation efforts like cloning.\n\nAcross the universe\n\nThe James Webb Space Telescope’s new image of Neptune has showcased the most distant planet in our solar system and its hard-to-detect rings in a fresh light.\n\nWebb also focused its instruments on the blinding light of Mars, one of the brightest objects in our night sky.\n\nAnd don’t count out NASA’s InSight mission just yet. Despite gloomy predictions that the stationary lander would already have fallen silent on Mars, InSight is still operating. Listen to the sounds of space rocks crashing into Mars, as recorded by the lander.\n\nWild kingdom\n\nOur senses create order out of the world, help us survive and reveal some of the natural beauty that surrounds us. kev303/iStockphoto/Getty Images\n\nEver wondered what it might be like to experience the world as an animal?\n\nDogs socialize via scent, and eels discern their environment through electricity. Bats use echolocation to navigate.\n\nAll creatures live in their own “sensory bubble” called the umwelt, a species-specific reality that is crucial to their survival, according to award-winning science journalist Ed Yong.\n\nYou won’t want to miss this week’s episode of Chasing Life, a podcast hosted by CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta. He and Yong take you on a journey through the mysterious senses that exist in the animal kingdom.\n\nAnd can you guess how many ants live on Earth? Scientists shared a new estimate this week, and it boggles the mind.\n\nTake note\n\nDon’t miss these highlights:\n\n– The Artemis I mega moon rocket met all of its objectives during a crucial fueling test despite some leaks. But the rocket won’t launch Tuesday as planned due to concerns over Tropical Storm Ian.\n\n– Cue the pumpkin spice and everything nice: Fall is finally here for those who live in the Northern Hemisphere. Drought might have an impact on the foliage colors, depending on where you live.\n\n– Astronomers have uncovered more about the origin of a fast radio burst in space, along with new mysteries.\n\nAnd keep an eye on the night sky because Jupiter will make its closest approach to Earth in 59 years on Monday, appearing bigger and brighter.", "authors": ["Ashley Strickland"], "publish_date": "2022/09/24"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2022/03/17/asteroid-hits-earth/7079963001/", "title": "Fridge-sized asteroid hit Earth two hours after it was discovered", "text": "An asteroid around the size of a refrigerator was spotted hours before it hit Earth's atmosphere, and while it wasn't dangerous, it marked the fifth time in history an asteroid was detected right before hitting our planet.\n\nOn March 11, astronomer Krisztian Sarneczky noticed an asteroid at the Piszkéstető Observatory in Hungary. Sarneczky reported it to the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center, which confirmed it was the first time the asteroid had been observed.\n\nNASA's \"Scout\" system, which constantly searches the Minor Planet Center's database for any potential impacts, then calculated the asteroid's orbit, finding that the asteroid would certainly hit Earth. The system then notified the Center for Near Earth Object Studies at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and other asteroid impact systems.\n\nLuckily for Earth, the asteroid, named 2022 EB5, was around 6½-feet-long, a size \"too small to pose a hazard to Earth,\" NASA said in a statement.\n\n\"Scout\" determined the asteroid would enter Earth's atmosphere around Jan Mayen, a Norwegian island roughly 300 miles northeast of Iceland. At 5:23 p.m. EDT, two hours after the asteroid was first spotted by Sarneczky, the asteroid hit Earth's atmosphere just as \"Scout\" predicted.\n\nIt was the fifth time an asteroid was spotted hours before it hit Earth and the first time it's happened since 2019.\n\n\"Scout had only 14 observations over 40 minutes from one observatory to work with when it first identified the object as an impactor. We were able to determine the possible impact locations, which initially extended from western Greenland to off the coast of Norway,\" said Davide Farnocchia, a navigation engineer who developed Scout. \"As more observatories tracked the asteroid, our calculations of its trajectory and impact location became more precise.\"\n\nThe International Meteor Organization said no meteorites from the asteroid have been recovered, but some people in Iceland reported seeing bright flashes, indicating the space rock became a fireball.\n\nPaul Chodas, director of the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies, said asteroids like 2022 EB5 enter Earth's atmosphere around every 10 months, but it's hard to spot one before it's already entered the atmosphere.\n\n\"Very few of these asteroids have actually been detected in space and observed extensively prior to impact, basically because they are very faint until the last few hours, and a survey telescope has to observe just the right spot of sky at the right time for one to be detected,\" Chodas said.\n\nClose call: 230-foot wide asteroid initially expected to hit Earth in 2023 was false alarm\n\nAsteroid and dinosaurs: New research says asteroid that killed the dinosaurs hit Earth in the spring\n\nWhile this asteroid snuck up on astronomers, there is no need to worry about a bigger, catastrophic asteroid doing the same. NASA said larger asteroids are easier to spot and can be found far in advance. The agency noted this asteroid showed their systems can be highly accurate in projecting an object's likely impact location and would help planetary defense systems to be fully prepared.\n\nNASA is testing its planetary defense systems should a dangerous asteroid ever threatens to hit Earth.\n\nNASA launched the DART system in November, which will hit the asteroid moon of Didymos in September, with the goal of determining whether crashing a spacecraft into an asteroid could change its course.\n\nFollow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.\n\nWhat's everyone talking about?: Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/03/17"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/07/opinions/moriba-jah-space-junk-scn-opinion-hnk-spc-intl/index.html", "title": "Opinion: Why I'm a space environmentalist -- and why you should be ...", "text": "Editor’s Note: Astrodynamicist Moriba Jah is an associate professor of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at the University of Texas at Austin, and co-founder and chief scientist of Privateer, a space data intelligence company. The views expressed in this commentary are his own. View more opinion on CNN.\n\nCNN —\n\nThere are currently over 27,000 pieces of human-made objects being tracked as they orbit Earth, but that only includes objects larger than a softball. If you consider all debris, that number is estimated to be closer to 100 million. This can be anything from dead satellites still in orbit to pieces of metal, screws or flecks of paint.\n\nBut what does that mean for us?\n\nThanks to space exploration, and our history of putting objects into space, we know more about ourselves, our planet and our universe. Our lives today depend on what’s in space: communications systems, weather forecasting, financial transactions and even the location and navigation functions on your cell phone rely on satellites. Many of the innovations we have come to love, like memory foam mattresses and LASIK eye surgery, came about because of our celestial exploration.\n\nUntil now, space has been seen as a free-for-all – the next frontier to explore. But what we forget is that it’s also an ecosystem – and like any ecosystem, exploration of it has come at an environmental cost. Even the tiniest speck of debris, orbiting at around 15,700 miles per hour, can damage satellites and disrupt the services that have become essential to our daily lives. Even worse, large pieces of debris can fall from the sky and crash on Earth. In July, remnants of a Chinese rocket returned from orbit and landed in the Indian Ocean. While we are fortunate that it didn’t cause further damage, we may not be so lucky next time. There’s an appreciable chance that someone will be killed by space debris this decade.\n\nBecoming a space environmentalist\n\nI’ve always felt a sense of stewardship toward this place we know as our home, Earth. That feeling came to fruition most intensely while on a trip to Alaska in 2015, when I saw the way certain indigenous groups live in harmony with our planet despite the terrible environmental and societal damage caused by colonization. I thought: ‘We, as humanity, will not survive if we do not embrace stewardship over ownership.’\n\nOwnership asks us to make claims to rights, whereas stewardship asks us to make claims to responsibilities. The effect on the environment, and our ability to use it harmoniously and sustainably, is determined by whether we adopt an ethos of ownership or of stewardship.\n\nThe number of satellites in space doubled in the last two years. NASA\n\nAs an astrodynamicist, who studies the motion of natural and human-made bodies in space, I knew space was a neglected ecosystem that needed to be protected. If this next frontier is full of junk, we won’t be able to fully explore or tap into the innovations that space can provide. That will jeopardize our ability to reliably know more about ourselves and our planet – knowledge that stems uniquely from space-based data.\n\nThere is much redundancy in space. Over 4,500 active satellites currently orbit Earth. This number has doubled in the past two years and will continue to grow, but many of them are unnecessary. We often see many different satellites in a common orbital highway that provide the same services. This redundancy stems from an ownership as opposed to a stewardship perspective. As we’ve seen on Earth, a lack of shared resources across borders and sectors has allowed this free-for-all to perpetuate, leading to greater pollution in space and the increasing likelihood of debris falling from the sky. To be sure, competition in and of itself is not a bad thing. However, when competition exists without holistic management of resources and ecosystems, the outcome is detrimental for all – a tragedy of the commons.\n\nArmed with this knowledge, and inspired by indigenous traditions of environmental stewardship, I became – what I like to call – a space environmentalist.\n\nCreating empathy for space\n\nSo how do we solve this growing concern of space debris and not repeat the same mistakes we’ve made on Earth? How can you become a space environmentalist too?\n\nThe good news is that there are already large-scale solutions in play. Government agencies are beginning to get involved. In July, the White House released its orbital debris implementation plan, outlining 44 specific actions for government agencies to lead. The European Space Agency is launching its first debris removal project in 2025.\n\nExperts say millions of pieces of debris circle Earth. At orbital speeds, an object the size of a paperclip could damage a satellite. Surrey Space Centre\n\nIn the private sector, the Space Sustainability Rating (SSR), which went live this summer, provides a data-based rating system to quantify the sustainability of space missions, while offering practical guidance to improve sustainability performance.\n\nFor an average citizen, being part of the solution can feel overwhelming – but we all have a role to play. It begins with taking note of what’s happening, spreading awareness and learning more about how interconnected everything actually is. Everyone needs to understand that what we do in one location on Earth influences our oceans, our air and yes, space. And we need to act accordingly.\n\nI co-founded and serve as chief scientist at Privateer, a company which supports these efforts by developing proprietary tools to monitor human-made objects in space. We aim to show people the evidence of this interconnectedness so that they are more reluctant to say, “that’s not my problem,” and we want to guarantee a safe and accessible future for humanity’s space resources.\n\nGet our free weekly newsletter Sign up for CNN Opinion’s newsletter. Join us on Twitter and Facebook\n\nUltimately, space sustainability is more than just tracking satellites and debris accurately. It’s vital that these data are used to support the responsible and harmonious use of space. We must find ways to share space between private companies, government agencies and academia across nations, generations and cultures.\n\nSpace is a global commons. It belongs to no one.\n\nAt the end of the day, we all need to become space environmentalists.", "authors": ["Moriba Jah"], "publish_date": "2022/09/07"}]}
{"question_id": "20230303_22", "search_time": "2023/03/15/03:29", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/15/us/payton-gendron-buffalo-shooting-suspect-what-we-know/index.html", "title": "Payton Gendron: What we know about the Buffalo supermarket ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nThe 18-year-old man who allegedly shot and killed 10 people Saturday afternoon in Buffalo, New York, was motivated by hate, authorities said, targeting a supermarket in the heart of a predominantly Black community.\n\nEleven of the 13 people shot by the White suspect at the Tops Friendly Market were Black, officials said. Among the victims, who range in age from 20 to 86, were people grocery shopping, a heroic former police officer who tried to stop the gunman, a long-term substitute teacher and a taxi driver who “took pride in helping people.”\n\n“This was pure evil,” Erie County Sheriff John Garcia said, calling the shooting a “straight-up racially motivated hate crime from somebody outside of our community.”\n\nThe US Department of Justice is investigating the shooting “as a hate crime and an act of racially motivated violent extremism,” according to Attorney General Merrick Garland.\n\nPayton S. Gendron of Conklin, New York, has been charged with first-degree murder, Erie County District Attorney John Flynn said in a May 14 news release. He has pleaded not guilty.\n\nOn June 1, a grand jury returned a 25-count indictment against Gendron. He is facing 10 counts of first-degree murder, 10 counts of second-degree murder as a hate crime and three counts of attempted murder as a hate crime, according to court documents. Gendron is also facing a charge of domestic terror and a weapons charge, according to court documents.\n\nGendron pleaded not guilty to the 25-count indictment, his attorney said in court Thursday afternoon.\n\nGendron’s defense attorney told CNN on May 17 he would not issue a statement now.\n\nHere’s what we know about the suspect.\n\nHe planned to ‘continue his rampage,’ police say\n\nWhen the suspect arrived at the store around 2:30 p.m., he was heavily armed, wearing tactical gear – including a tactical helmet along with plated armor, Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said – and had a camera that was livestreaming his actions.\n\nHe used an assault weapon, Flynn said during a news conference.\n\nThe suspect shot four people outside of the grocery store, three fatally, Flynn said in his news release. When he entered the store, he exchanged fire with an armed security guard, who authorities said was a retired Buffalo police officer. The security guard died of his injuries. The suspect shot eight more people in the store, six of whom died, the release said.\n\nConfronted by police, the suspected shooter took off some of his tactical gear and surrendered, per Buffalo police.\n\nThe suspect planned to continue his shooting rampage beyond the Tops supermarket, Gramaglia told CNN on Monday, saying there was “some documentation” he allegedly planned to target “another large superstore.”\n\n“There was evidence that was uncovered that he had plans, had he gotten out of here, to continue his rampage and continue shooting people,” he said.\n\nThe suspect made very disturbing statements describing his motive and state of mind following his arrest, an official familiar with the investigation told CNN. Those statements were clear and filled with hate toward the Black community, with the alleged shooter making it known he was targeting Black people, the official said.\n\nThe alleged shooter was “studying” previous hate attacks and shootings, investigators have learned via search warrants and other methods.\n\nThe suspect was in Buffalo on Friday, the day before the shooting, per Gramaglia, who said he was doing reconnaissance at the store.\n\nShonnell Harris Teague, an operations manager at the store, saw him Friday afternoon at the store and told him to leave because it appeared he was bothering customers, she told ABC News.\n\nHarris Teague saw the suspect sitting on a bench outside with a camper bag on his back, wearing the same camouflage clothing he wore Saturday, she told ABC. After being asked to leave, he did so without argument, she said.\n\nHer brother, the Rev. Tim Newkirk, backed up the account, noting the suspect “was in there posing as a beggar and was looking for change,” he told The Buffalo News.\n\n“She had to politely escort him out. They have a no peddling policy in the Tops, no panhandling,” Newkirk said, “so she was just letting him know that this was not the place where you do that.”\n\nVideo Ad Feedback Buffalo pastor on shooting: We have to resist the impulse to forget 02:59 - Source: CNN\n\nHe spent months plotting his attack, social media posts show\n\nGendron is believed to have visited Buffalo in early March, Gramaglia said Monday, citing the suspect’s “digital footprint.” Social media posts analyzed by CNN reveal the suspect visited the Tops store in March and had been extensively planning his attack for several months up until the day of the shooting.\n\nAccording to the posts – which Gendron originally shared on Discord, then on the hate-filled online forum 4Chan – the suspect drove March 8 to the supermarket in Buffalo.\n\nThe posts were made visible to a small group of people about 30 minutes before the shooting began, according to a statement from Discord.\n\nGendron wrote in the posts that he went into Tops Market three times during his visit: at 12 p.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. He wrote about activity inside the store each time he went in – noting how many Black and White people were in the market and also drawing a map of the inside of the store.\n\nDuring his 4 p.m. visit, Gendron was approached by a “Black armed security guard” who asked the suspect what he was doing going in and out of the store, he wrote. The shooter told the security guard he was collecting “consensus data,” according to the posts.\n\n“In hindsight that was a close call,” Gendron wrote.\n\nIn a post on March 10, Gendron wrote, “I’m going to have to kill that security guard at Tops I hope he doesn’t kill me or even hurt me instantly.”\n\nThe shooter wrote about how he planned his attack for March 15 but then delayed it several times.\n\nIn the posts, Gendron cites online research in choosing Buffalo as his site of attack – saying the 14208 ZIP code in Buffalo has a higher Black population than the other locations he was considering.\n\nThe shooter considered attacking a church or an elementary school but ultimately chose the supermarket because of the number of people that go to grocery stores, he wrote.\n\nHe referred to Google’s “popular times” graph for the Tops Friendly Market in determining the time he would plan his attack – so the grocery store would be busiest.\n\nDiscord said that a “private, invite-only server” was created by the suspect and that “approximately 30 minutes prior to the attack,” a small group of people was invited to and joined the server.\n\n“Before that, our records indicate no other people saw the diary chat log in this private server,” it said in a statement to CNN.\n\n“Our deepest sympathies are with the victims and their families,” the company said. “Hate has no place on Discord and we are committed to combating violence and extremism. We are continuing to do everything we can to assist law enforcement and the investigation remains ongoing.”\n\nCNN asked the Discord spokesperson when the company became aware of Gendron’s posts and if any of the individuals who were invited to view his private server alerted moderators to the content but did not receive an immediate response.\n\nCNN also reached out to 4Chan asking about Gendron’s posts being shared on the platform but has not heard back.\n\nVideo Ad Feedback 'It is White supremacy': CNN speaks to son of Buffalo massacre victim 03:06 - Source: CNN\n\nDocument talks about ‘dwindling size’ of White population\n\nInvestigators are sifting for clues in a 180-page document attributed to Gendron and posted online, Flynn said. The purported “manifesto” allegedly was written by the suspect, officials have said.\n\n“We are obviously going through that with a fine-toothed comb and reviewing that for all evidence that may lead us to besides the manifesto itself,” prosecutor Flynn told CNN.\n\n“All the evidence that we ascertain from that manifesto, from wherever that manifesto leads us, other pieces of evidence we already had, we can then use that and develop more charges potentially,” he added.\n\nThe document, independently obtained by CNN shortly after the attack and before authorities released the suspect’s name, is allegedly written by a person claiming to be Payton Gendron confessing to the attack.\n\nThe author attributes the internet for most of his beliefs and describes himself as a fascist, a White supremacist and an anti-Semite.\n\nThe author bought ammo for some time but didn’t get serious about planning the attack until January, per the document. The author also writes about his perceptions of the dwindling size of the White population and claims of ethnic and cultural replacement of Whites.\n\nThe suspect allegedly chose to attack the Tops store in Buffalo because it was in a majority-Black ZIP code within driving distance of where he lived, and he researched what time it would be busiest, according to the document.\n\nVideo Ad Feedback Stelter: Shooting is 'replacement theory' rearing its ugly head again 05:04 - Source: CNN\n\nHe’s from a town hours away from Buffalo\n\nThe ZIP code that includes the store, 14208, is 78% Black – the highest percentage of Black population of any ZIP code in upstate New York – per the Census Bureau’s 2020 American Community Survey. Conklin, where the suspect is from, is a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Buffalo.\n\nGendron’s parents were not known to hold extremist views, according to two New York residents who have worked with his parents at the state Department of Transportation and who shared their views on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.\n\n“I never thought of the family as racist or hateful,” said one coworker, who said she was heartbroken for the victims’ families as well as Payton’s parents, Pam and Paul. “I can’t wrap my head around this tragedy.”\n\nPayton Gendron talks with his attorney during his arraignment Saturday in Buffalo City Court. Mark Mulville/AP\n\nGendron was a worker at the local Conklin Reliable Market for about four months before he left about three months ago, the store’s owner said, adding he was very quiet and left on his own terms, giving two weeks’ notice.\n\nGendron’s mother regularly would walk in the neighborhood, neighbors said. She was a nice woman, one said, adding they “never would have thought that in a million years” Gendron would have racist views. “It’s pretty shocking,” the neighbor added.\n\nWhen you talked to Payton Gendron, “you wouldn’t get more than a word or two” from him, another neighbor said.\n\nGendron’s former classmates said while he could sometimes be a loner and “odd,” he wasn’t known to be violent.\n\n“I just don’t understand what convinced him to do this,” said Bryce Gibbs, who said he attended elementary through high school with Gendron and described him as “nice.”\n\nHe made ‘generalized threat’ at high school\n\nGendron made a “generalized threat” in June while he attended Susquehanna Valley Central High School in Conklin, Gramaglia said Sunday, adding the threat was not racially motivated.\n\nState police took the student for a mental health evaluation, Gramaglia said at a Buffalo news conference. After a day and a half, he was released.\n\nThe suspect was visited last year by New York State Police after he did a high school project about murder-suicides, Garcia told CNN on Monday. Concerns about alleged mental health issues “were brought to light” after he turned in the post-graduation project, the sheriff said.\n\nVideo Ad Feedback 'I'm sad, I'm hurt, I'm mad': Buffalo reacts to racially motivated shooting 01:25 - Source: CNN\n\nState police spokesperson Beau Duffy said that on June 8, 2021, state police officers responded to the high school to investigate a report that a 17-year-old student made a threatening statement. The student was taken into custody under NYS Mental Health Law section 9.41 and transported to a hospital for a mental health evaluation.\n\nDuffy confirmed it was an evaluation and not an involuntary commitment – so it would not have prevented the suspected shooter from purchasing or possessing a gun under federal law.\n\nState police were unable to confirm how long the person was in the hospital or the findings of the evaluation. The agency also refused to name the then-17-year-old.\n\nThe suspect addressed the incident in posts on Discord later shared on 4Chan, writing in a post-dated January 30 that he “had to go to a hospital’s ER because I said the word’s ‘murder/suicide’ to an online paper in economics class.”\n\n“I got out of it,” the suspect claims, “because I stuck with the story that I was getting out of class and I just stupidly wrote that down. That is the reason I believe I am still able to purchase guns.”\n\n“It was not a joke,” the post reads, “I wrote that down because that’s what I was planning to do.”\n\nThe suspect goes on to claim his mental health evaluation lasted only 15 minutes after he spent hours waiting in the emergency room. CNN has reached out to New York State police about this account.\n\nBroome County District Attorney Michael Korchak, the district attorney in the suspect’s hometown, is reviewing “all aspects” of last year’s investigation into the threat and also “going back several years” to understand the suspected shooter’s behavior and relationships with family, teachers and other students.\n\nBut it’s “hard to say” whether more should have been done in June, Korchak told CNN.\n\n“Unfortunately this is nothing new in the criminal justice system,” Korchak said. “Individuals that have mental health issues may have it under control for a period of time, and then one day they just snap and things as tragic as this happen.”\n\nInvestigators are talking to the suspect’s parents and they are being cooperative, Korchak said.\n\nGun was legally purchased, governor says\n\nThe gun used in the mass shooting was purchased legally in New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul told CNN earlier, describing the weapon as an AR-15. It’s believed the high-capacity magazine was purchased out of state, the governor added.\n\nIn addition to the AR-15, Gendron had a rifle and a shotgun in his car, Gramaglia said. The online diatribe attributed to Gendron said he planned to bring those same three types of guns with him that day.\n\nHere’s how the suspect legally obtained guns\n\nThe “main firearm” Gendron planned to use was a Bushmaster XM-15 assault rifle that he bought from Vintage Firearms, a gun store in Endicott, New York, before “illegally modifying it,” according to the diatribe. Gendron passed a background check before he bought the gun and he didn’t stick out among his other customers, Vintage Firearms owner, Robert Donald, told The New York Times; no one at the store has responded to CNN’s requests for comment.\n\nGendron also bought a Mossberg 500 shotgun from Pennsylvania Guns and Ammo, a store in Great Bend, about a 10-minute drive across the state border from his hometown of Conklin, the racist document attributed to him states.\n\nThe suspect passed a background check at the store and legally purchased the shotgun in December 2021, the store owner, who did not want his name used, told CNN. The shotgun was not used in Saturday’s shooting.\n\nThe third gun was a Savage Axis XP rifle that Gendron’s father bought for him for Christmas in 2020 “so that I could go hunting without borrowing my cousin’s guns,” the document states.\n\nThe racist statement also says the shooter planned to use the shotgun and rifle to shoot other Black people on the street as he drove away from the supermarket.\n\nCNN obtained a photo of two long guns allegedly brought to the scene. The photo was confirmed by two law enforcement sources.\n\nA photo of two long guns allegedly found in the suspect's car, according to law enforcement sources. CNN\n\nThe image shows the weapons inside a car, which was found by law enforcement after the suspect’s arrest, according to one of the law enforcement sources. The weapons were not used in the shooting. Writing appears all over the weapons, including the phrase “White Lives Matter” and names including what appears to be the name of a victim of a crime allegedly committed by a Black suspect.\n\nOther notations seized by investigators reflect the racist beliefs of the shooter, as well as his obsession with mass killing, according to a law enforcement source.\n\nHe allegedly livestreamed on Twitch\n\nThe shooting suspect used the popular livestreaming platform Twitch to stream a live broadcast during the attack, the company confirmed Saturday.\n\nThe company was “devastated” to hear about the shooting, it said, adding the user “has been indefinitely suspended from our service, and we are taking all appropriate action, including monitoring for any accounts rebroadcasting this content.”\n\nCNN obtained a portion of the livestream showing the alleged shooter pulling up to a Tops store.\n\nThe video is recorded from the point of view of the alleged shooter as he drives into the supermarket’s parking lot. The person is seen in the rearview mirror wearing a helmet and is heard saying, “Just got to go for it,” before he pulls into the front of the store.\n\nIn the video, store patrons can be seen walking through the parking lot as the suspect drives up.\n\nThe company removed the livestream less than two minutes after the violence started, a spokesperson for Twitch said. The company did not immediately respond to follow-up questions about whether the suspect was firing when the livestream was halted.\n\nHe will likely face more charges\n\nThe suspect pleaded not guilty to one count of first-degree murder Saturday evening before Buffalo City Court Chief Judge Craig Hannah, according to the judge and the district attorney’s news release. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole, the release said.\n\nGendron’s attorney’s request for a mental health forensic examination was withdrawn, Flynn said. Gendron remains on suicide watch, Garcia said, and in custody without bail.\n\nThere may be more charges coming, officials said.\n\n“My office is working closely with the US Attorney’s Office and our partners in law enforcement into potential terrorism and hate crimes. This is an active investigation and additional charges may be filed,” Flynn said.\n\nGendron is set to return to court Thursday morning for a felony hearing, the release said.\n\nHe is likely the “most highly visible incarcerated individual” in the country, Garcia told CNN on Monday. There are video cameras in his cell, and he remains under a sheriff’s deputy’s watch at all times.", "authors": ["Shimon Prokupecz Christina Maxouris Dakin Andone Samantha Beech Amir Vera", "Shimon Prokupecz", "Christina Maxouris", "Dakin Andone", "Samantha Beech", "Amir Vera"], "publish_date": "2022/05/15"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/16/us/buffalo-supermarket-shooting-monday/index.html", "title": "Buffalo shooting suspect visited the area in early March, police and ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nThe 18-year-old White man accused of killing 10 people in a racist mass shooting Saturday at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, had visited the area in early March, police commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said Monday.\n\n“We found some things that show that he was here in early March, and then again, we know he was here on Friday, basically doing reconnaissance on the area,” Gramaglia told CNN’s Erin Burnett. “He was in the store, both on Friday and Saturday.”\n\nThe suspect, who is from the city of Conklin, about 200 miles away, opened fire Saturday at the Tops Friendly Markets store in a predominantly Black neighborhood, shooting 13 people before surrendering to police.\n\nThe massacre follows other mass shootings in recent years in which authorities say a White supremacist suspect was motivated by racial hatred, including in El Paso, Texas, Charleston, South Carolina, and as far as Norway and New Zealand.\n\nThe commissioner said he couldn’t comment on whether the suspect was at the store in March but in social media posts the accused shooter revealed he had been to the store March 8 and spent months planning his attack.\n\nThe suspect, Payton S. Gendron, wrote in posts on Discord that were shared on the hate-filled online forum 4Chan that he went into the store at noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. during his March visit. He wrote that on his way from his home in Broome County he got a speeding ticket.\n\nGendron noted in his post the activity taking place inside the market, like how many Black and White people were there. He also drew a map depicting the store aisles, pharmacy, bakery and exit points of the building.\n\nA woman chalks a message Sunday at a makeshift memorial outside of a Tops grocery store in Buffalo. Scott Olson/Getty Images\n\nGendron wrote that as he did his last reconnaissance visit he was approached by a “Black armed security guard” who said, “I’ve seen you go in and out… What are you doing?” The suspect wrote that he told the security guard that he is collecting “consensus data,” for which the security guard said he needed to talk to the manager.\n\n“I asked for his name and he told me and I instantly forgot, then I said bye and thanks and walked back to my car,” Gendron wrote. “In hindsight that was a close call.”\n\nIn a post Gendron wrote March 10, “I’m going to have to kill that security guard at Tops I hope he doesn’t kill me or even hurt me instantly.”\n\nHe added that the attack would take place March 15 but he ended up postponing the date several times.\n\nGendron also considered attacking a church or an elementary school before settling on a supermarket, he wrote.\n\nThe information comes as investigators have dug into a 180-page diatribe posted online and attributed to the suspected gunman that lays out in detail his motives and plans for the attack.\n\nVideo Ad Feedback 'I'm sad, I'm hurt, I'm mad': Buffalo reacts to racially motivated shooting 01:25 - Source: CNN\n\nSuspect planned to shoot people at other sites, sheriff says\n\nGendron pleaded not guilty Saturday night to a charge of first-degree murder. More charges are expected. He is in custody without bail and under suicide watch, officials said.\n\nThe suspect wore tactical gear for protection and livestreamed the attack on Twitch, authorities said. The company said it took down the video within minutes, but social media sites have struggled to stop its spread.\n\nInside and outside the store, he allegedly used a semi-automatic rifle to kill 10 people and wound three more, one of whom remained hospitalized Monday morning. Eleven victims were Black, officials said, and the attack is being investigated as a hate crime.\n\nAfter the shooting, he exited the building and surrendered to police. Police said Monday he had plans to kill more Black people if police hadn’t arrived.\n\n“There was evidence that was uncovered that he had plans, had he gotten out of here, to continue his rampage and continue shooting people,” Gramaglia told CNN. “He’d even spoken about possibly going to another store.”\n\nThe suspect had other “target locations” down the street from the supermarket, according to Erie County Sheriff John Garcia. Authorities found another rifle and a shotgun in his vehicle, the sheriff told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer.\n\n“He was not going to be finished with killing as many Blacks as possible,” Garcia said. He credited the quick arrival of two police officers for preventing other attacks.\n\nThose slain range in age from 32 to 86, police said, among them the former police officer who tried to stop the gunman and a number of people doing their regular weekend grocery shopping.\n\nBuffalo Mayor Byron Brown on Monday praised the guard’s heroism, as well as the quick police response.\n\n“Many more people would probably have been killed and injured if the Buffalo Police did not get to the scene as quickly,” Brown said. “They were able to subdue the gunman, they were able to take him into custody without incident and protect the surrounding neighborhood.”\n\nThe suspect has a court hearing Thursday, Erie County District Attorney John Flynn said. He also said a request for a mental health forensic examination has been withdrawn by the suspect’s attorney.\n\nSuspect allegedly wrote 180 pages outlining beliefs\n\nVideo Ad Feedback 'I still don't even believe it happened': Shooting witness describes attack 01:30 - Source: CNN\n\nSince the shooting, officials have looked at what they say was the suspect’s racist intent and his history.\n\n“We continue to investigate this case as a hate crime, a federal hate crime, and as a crime perpetrated by a racially motivated, violent extremist,” Stephen Belongia, special agent in charge of the FBI Buffalo field office, said Sunday at a news conference.\n\nFederal prosecutors are expected to bring charges against the suspect in the coming days, law enforcement officials told CNN on Monday.\n\nThe 180-page document attributed to Gendron and posted online before the shooting lays out the alleged shooter’s motives and shows the meticulous planning that went into the massacre. CNN independently obtained the document shortly after the mass shooting – before authorities released the name of the suspect – and law enforcement sources have told CNN its description of guns matches the weapons the suspect used.\n\nIn it, the suspect allegedly detailed how he had been radicalized by reading the online message board 4chan and described himself as a White supremacist, fascist and anti-Semite. He subscribed to a “great replacement” theory, or the false belief that White Americans are being “replaced” by people of other races. Once a fringe idea, replacement theory has recently become a talking point for Fox News’ host Tucker Carlson as well as other prominent conservatives.\n\nThe suspect also wrote he was inspired by the 2019 mass killing at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in which the gunman similarly wrote a lengthy document and livestreamed the attack.\n\nThe Buffalo suspect wrote he began seriously planning the attack in January. The document’s author also writes that he targeted this Buffalo neighborhood because it’s in a ZIP code that “has the highest Black percentage that is close enough to where I live.”\n\nIndeed, the ZIP code that includes the store, 14208, is 78% Black, the highest percentage of a Black population in any ZIP code in upstate New York, according to the US Census Bureau’s 2020 American Community Survey. The shooting suspect is from the town of Conklin, New York, a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Buffalo near the Pennsylvania border.\n\nThe document also states the suspect bought the main gun he used, a Bushmaster XM-15, from a gun store before “illegally modifying it.”\n\n“We are obviously going through (the document) with a fine-toothed comb and reviewing that for all evidence,” prosecutor Flynn told CNN.\n\nVideo shows shooter pointing gun at man but not firing\n\nCNN has obtained video recorded inside the store showing the alleged gunman pointing his rifle at a person on the ground but not shooting him.\n\nThe video is taken from the point of view of the shooter, after he’s fired at several people. In it, the shooter turns the weapon on a man who is curled up on the ground near what looks like a checkout lane.\n\n“No!” the man on the ground shouts.\n\nThe shooter says, “Sorry,” and then turns away and continues walking down the aisle of cash registers.\n\nThe video ends at this point and it is unknown what happened next.\n\nIt’s not clear why the man was apparently spared or why the gunman says “sorry.”\n\nSuspect made ‘ominous’ threat last year\n\nA year ago, the suspect landed on the radar of police as a student at Susquehanna Valley High School, officials said.\n\nHe made an “ominous” reference to murder-suicide through a virtual learning platform in June, the Susquehanna Valley Central School District said Monday. Though the threat was not specific and did not involve other students, the instructor immediately informed an administrator who escalated the matter to New York State Police, a spokesperson told CNN, adding the law limits what more school officials can say.\n\nConcern arose after the suspect turned in a high school project about murder-suicides, leading to a state police investigation, said Garcia, the sheriff.\n\n“The state police arrived at his house at that point last year,” he said. “He stayed at a facility – I’m not sure if it was a hospital or a mental health facility – for a day and a half.”\n\nState police investigated an unnamed 17-year-old student who had made “a threatening statement” in June at the high school, they confirmed. The student was taken into custody and to a hospital for a mental health evaluation.\n\nIt was not the sort of involuntary commitment that would have precluded the suspect from purchasing a weapon, state police spokesperson Beau Duffy said.\n\nCorrection: An earlier version of this story misstated the range in ages of those killed in the Buffalo supermarket shooting. They were between 32 and 86 years old.", "authors": ["Victor Blackwell Amanda Watts Eric Levenson Travis Caldwell", "Victor Blackwell", "Amanda Watts", "Eric Levenson", "Travis Caldwell"], "publish_date": "2022/05/16"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/13/politics/elon-musk-spacex-starlink-ukraine/index.html", "title": "Exclusive: Musk's SpaceX says it can no longer pay for critical ...", "text": "Washington CNN —\n\nSince they first started arriving in Ukraine last spring, the Starlink satellite internet terminals made by Elon Musk’s SpaceX have been a vital source of communication for Ukraine’s military, allowing it to fight and stay connected even as cellular phone and internet networks have been destroyed in its war with Russia.\n\nSo far roughly 20,000 Starlink satellite units have been donated to Ukraine, with Musk tweeting on Friday the “operation has cost SpaceX $80 million and will exceed $100 million by the end of the year.”\n\nBut those charitable contributions could be coming to an end, as SpaceX has warned the Pentagon that it may stop funding the service in Ukraine unless the US military kicks in tens of millions of dollars per month.\n\nDocuments obtained by CNN show that last month Musk’s SpaceX sent a letter to the Pentagon saying it can no longer continue to fund the Starlink service as it has. The letter also requested that the Pentagon take over funding for Ukraine’s government and military use of Starlink, which SpaceX claims would cost more than $120 million for the rest of the year and could cost close to $400 million for the next 12 months.\n\n“We are not in a position to further donate terminals to Ukraine, or fund the existing terminals for an indefinite period of time,” SpaceX’s director of government sales wrote to the Pentagon in the September letter.\n\nAmong the SpaceX documents sent to the Pentagon and seen by CNN is a previously unreported direct request made to Musk in July by the Ukrainian military’s commanding general, General Valerii Zaluzhniy, for almost 8,000 more Starlink terminals.\n\nIn a separate cover letter to the Pentagon, an outside consultant working for SpaceX wrote, “SpaceX faces terribly difficult decisions here. I do not think they have the financial ability to provide any additional terminals or service as requested by General Zaluzhniy.”\n\nThe documents, which have not been previously reported, provide a rare breakdown of SpaceX’s own internal numbers on Starlink, detailing the costs and payments associated with the thousands of terminals in Ukraine. They also shed new light on behind-the-scenes negotiations that have provided millions of dollars in communications hardware and services to Ukraine at little cost to Kyiv.\n\nThe Pentagon confirmed they received correspondence from SpaceX about the funding of the Starlink satellite communications product in Ukraine, a statement from Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said Friday.\n\nEarlier in the day, Singh confirmed the Pentagon had been in communication with SpaceX but did not say whether it was over the funding of the Starlink satellite communication product.\n\nMusk on Friday said that in asking the Pentagon to pick up the bill for Starlink in Ukraine, he was following the advice of a Ukrainian diplomat who responded to Musk’s Ukraine peace plan earlier this month, before the letter was sent to the Pentagon, with: “F*** off.”\n\nUkraine’s ambassador to Germany, Andrij Melnyk, responded earlier this month to Musk’s claimed peace plan for Russia’s Ukraine war by saying: “F*** off is my very diplomatic reply to you @elonmusk.”\n\n“We’re just following his recommendation,” Musk said on Friday, responding to a tweet that referenced CNN’s reporting and Melnyk’s comments, even though the letter SpaceX sent to the Pentagon was sent before the Twitter exchange.\n\nReports of outages\n\nThe letters come amid recent reports of wide-ranging Starlink outages as Ukrainian troops attempt to retake ground occupied by Russia in the eastern and southern parts of the country.\n\nSources familiar with the outages said they suddenly affected the entire frontline as it stood on September 30. “That has affected every effort of the Ukrainians to push past that front,” said one person familiar with the outages who spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive conversations. “Starlink is the main way units on the battlefield have to communicate.”\n\nThis photograph taken on September 25 shows an antenna of the Starlink satellite-based broadband system donated by US tech billionaire Elon Musk in Izyum, Kharkiv region, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images\n\nThere was no warning to Ukrainian forces, a second person said, adding that now when Ukraine liberates an area a request has to be made for Starlink services to be turned on.\n\nThe Financial Times first reported the outages which resulted in a “catastrophic” loss of communication, a senior Ukrainian official said. In a tweet responding to the article, Musk didn’t dispute the outage, saying that what is happening on the battlefield is classified.\n\nSpaceX’s suggestion it will stop funding Starlink also comes amid rising concern in Ukraine over Musk’s allegiance. Musk recently tweeted a controversial peace plan that would have Ukraine give up Crimea and control over the eastern Luhansk and Donetsk regions.\n\nAfter Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky raised the question of who Musk sides with, he responded that he “still very much support[s] Ukraine” but fears “massive escalation.”\n\nMusk also argued privately last month that Ukraine doesn’t want peace negotiations right now and that if they went along with his plan, “Russia would accept those terms,” according to a person who heard them.\n\n“Ukraine knows that its current government and wartime efforts are totally dependent on Starlink,” the person familiar with the discussions said. “The decision to keep Starlink running or not rests entirely in the hands of one man. That’s Elon Musk. He hasn’t been elected, no one decided to give him that power. He has it because of the technology and the company he built.”\n\nOn Tuesday Musk denied a report he has spoken to Putin directly about Ukraine. On Thursday, when a Ukrainian minister tweeted that Starlink is essential to Ukraine’s infrastructure, Musk replied: “You’re most welcome. Glad to support Ukraine.”\n\n“The gall to look like heroes”\n\nMore than seven months into the war, it’s hard to overstate the impact Starlink has had in Ukraine. The government in Kyiv, Ukrainian troops as well and NGOs and civilians have relied on the nimble, compact and easy-to-use units created by SpaceX. It’s not only used for voice and electronic communication but to help fly drones and send back video to correct artillery fire.\n\nCNN has seen it used at numerous Ukrainian bases.\n\nElon Musk pauses and looks down as he speaks during a press conference at SpaceX's Starbase facility near Boca Chica Village in South Texas on February 10, 2022. Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images\n\n“Starlink has been absolutely essential because the Russians have targeted the Ukrainian communications infrastructure,” said Dimitri Alperovitch, co-founder of the Silverado Policy Accelerator, a think tank. “Without that they’d be really operating in the blind in many cases.”\n\nThough Musk has received widespread acclaim and thanks for responding to requests for Starlink service to Ukraine right as the war was starting, in reality, the vast majority of the 20,000 terminals have received full or partial funding from outside sources, including the US government, the UK and Poland, according to the SpaceX letter to the Pentagon.\n\nSpaceX’s request that the US military foot the bill has rankled top brass at the Pentagon, with one senior defense official telling CNN that SpaceX has “the gall to look like heroes” while having others pay so much and now presenting them with a bill for tens of millions per month.\n\nAccording to the SpaceX figures shared with the Pentagon, about 85% of the 20,000 terminals in Ukraine were paid – or partially paid – for by countries like the US and Poland or other entities. Those entities also paid for about 30% of the internet connectivity, which SpaceX says costs $4,500 each month per unit for the most advanced service. (Over the weekend, Musk tweeted there are around 25,000 terminals in Ukraine.)\n\nIn his July letter to Musk, Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, Gen. Zaluzhniy, praised the Starlink units’ “exceptional utility” and said some 4,000 terminals had been deployed by the military. However, around 500 terminals per month are destroyed in the fighting, Zaluzhniy said, before asking for 6,200 more terminals for the Ukrainian military and intelligence services and 500 per month going forward to offset the losses.\n\nSpaceX said they responded by asking Zaluzhniy to instead take up his request to the Department of Defense.\n\nOn September 8, the senior director of government sales for SpaceX wrote the Pentagon saying the costs have gotten too high, approaching $100 million. The official asked the Department of Defense to pick up Ukraine’s new request as well as ongoing service costs, totaling $124 million for the remainder of 2022.\n\nThose costs, according to the senior defense official, would reach almost $380 million for a full year.\n\nSpaceX declined repeated requests for comment on both the outages and their recent request to the Pentagon. A lawyer for Musk did not reply to a request for comment. Defense Department spokesman Bob Ditchey told CNN, “The Department continues to work with industry to explore solutions for Ukraine’s armed forces as they repel Russia’s brutal and unprovoked aggression. We do not have anything else to add at this time.”\n\nBreaking down the costs\n\nEarly US support for Starlink came via the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) which according to the Washington Post spent roughly $3 million on hardware and services in Ukraine. The largest single contributor of terminals, according to the newly obtained documents, is Poland with payment for almost 9,000 individual terminals.\n\nUS Pentagon in Washington DC building looking down aerial view from above Ivan Cholakov/iStockphoto/Getty Images\n\nThe US has provided almost 1,700 terminals. Other contributors include the UK, NGOs and crowdfunding.\n\nThe far more expensive part, however, is the ongoing connectivity. SpaceX says it has paid for about 70% of the service provided to Ukraine and claims to have offered that highest level – $4,500 a month – to all terminals in Ukraine despite the majority only having signed on for the cheaper $500 per month service.\n\nThe terminals themselves cost $1500 and $2500 for the two models sent to Ukraine, the documents say, while consumer models on Starlink’s website are far cheaper and service in Ukraine is just $60 per month.\n\nThat’s just 1.3% of the service rate SpaceX says it needs the Pentagon to start paying.\n\n“You could say he’s trying to get money from the government or just trying to say ‘I don’t want to be part of this anymore,’” said the person familiar with Ukraine’s requests for Starlink. Given the recent outages and Musk’s reputation for being unpredictable, “Feelings are running really high on the Ukrainian side,” this person said.\n\nMusk is the biggest shareholder of the privately-held SpaceX. In May, SpaceX disclosed that its valuation had risen to $127 billion and it has raised $2 billion this year, CNBC reported.\n\nLast week, Musk faced a barrage of criticism on Twitter – including from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky – after presenting in a series of tweets his peace plan to end the war. It would include giving Crimea to Russia and re-do referenda, supervised by the United Nations this time, in the four regions Russia recently illegally annexed.\n\nIt echoed comments he’d made last month at an exclusive closed-door conference in Aspen, Colorado called “The Weekend,” at which Musk told a room full of attendees that Ukraine should seek peace now because they’ve had recent victories.\n\n“This is the time to do it. They don’t want to do it, that’s for sure. But this is the time to do it,” he said, according to a person in the room. “Everyone wants to seek peace when they’re losing but they don’t want to seek peace when they’re winning. For now.”", "authors": ["Alex Marquardt"], "publish_date": "2022/10/13"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/15/us/mock-slave-auction-north-carolina-school-district/index.html", "title": "North Carolina school district adopts new action plan after parent ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nA North Carolina school board voted unanimously Monday to approve an action plan after reported racial bullying in the district, including a student-organized mock auction of Black students.\n\nA group of parents and community members had called on the Chatham County School District to make changes after several reported racial bullying instances at schools in the district.\n\nIn a Facebook post March 4, Ashley Palmer said her Black son told her that some of his classmates were sold in a mock slave auction at J.S. Waters School, which serves grades K-8.\n\n“Our son experienced a slave auction by his classmates and when he opened up we were made aware that this type of stuff seems to be the norm so much that he didn’t think it was worth sharing. His friend ‘went for $350’ and another student was the Slavemaster because he ‘knew how to handle them.’” Palmer wrote in her post. She wrote that students also sang the n-word.\n\nIn a later post, Palmer said that the students involved in the auction received a one-day suspension, and alleges her son was assaulted by a classmate and has faced “continuous harassment” at the school since he reported the incident.\n\nCNN was unable to reach Palmer for additional information.\n\nDuring public comment at the Chatham County School Board meeting Monday, several students, parents and community members spoke to the board about their experiences with racism and concerns over the incident.\n\nOne mother, who said her son was one of the children allegedly sold in a mock slave auction, told the board about the conversation she had with him after hearing from another parent what happened.\n\n“I asked my son why didn’t he tell me? He responded with, ‘Mom it wasn’t a big deal,’” she said. “I am a mother who just had to explain to my son why being auctioned as a slave is unacceptable. This moment in my son’s early life has already made him question playing the sport he loves with his friends, and I pray this does not impact him mentally and socially going forward.”\n\nBefore presenting the school board with an action plan, Superintendent Anthony Jackson offered an apology.\n\n“As a father, as an educator, as a grandfather, tonight was very difficult. It’s difficult to sit here and listen and hear and hurt for our children. Schools are for children, and as partners with parents, we are responsible for helping students realize their full potential. As many people identified tonight, creating safe environments for students is the first promise schools make to families,” he said.\n\n“As a newcomer to our school system and to this community, before I offer any plans, I want to do something that needs to be done here publicly. I want to offer an apology. An apology to every single student who has ever felt unsafe while in our care. To every student who has ever felt demeaned, disrespected or marginalized because of their race, ethnicity, sex, gender, religion or disability. In Chatham County Schools we proudly boast that diversity is our strength and moving forward it will be our intentional focus to ensure that this celebration includes everyone. Moving forward my personal commitment to you is that we will do better,” he continued.\n\nJackson’s action plan included changes in the district policy to how discriminatory situations would be handled from start to finish – including notification of parents and guardians, investigation, discipline, social support and resources for victims, staff training and an after-action plan.\n\nThe board voted unanimously to adopt his action plan.\n\nWhen reached for more information on the incidents, the Chatham County School District referred CNN to a letter that Jackson sent to the community and his comments during the board meeting.", "authors": ["Jamiel Lynch"], "publish_date": "2022/03/15"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/15/us/buffalo-supermarket-shooting-sunday/index.html", "title": "Mass shooting at Buffalo supermarket was a racist hate crime, police ...", "text": "Buffalo, NY CNN —\n\nThe 18-year-old suspected of opening fire at a Buffalo supermarket Saturday told authorities he was targeting the Black community, according to an official familiar with the investigation.\n\nThe alleged gunman made disturbing statements describing his motive and state of mind following his arrest, the official said. The statements were clear and filled with hate toward the Black community. Investigators also uncovered other information from search warrants and other methods indicating the alleged shooter was “studying” previous hate attacks and shootings, the official said.\n\nThe revelation comes a day after a gunman killed 10 people and wounded three others at the Tops Friendly Markets store in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Buffalo. Eleven of the people who were shot were Black, officials said. The victims range in age from 20 to 86, police said. Buffalo police identified all 13 victims Sunday. Among them were a former police officer who tried to stop the shooter, the octogenarian mother of the city’s former fire commissioner and a long-term substitute teacher.\n\nTwo people remain hospitalized in stable condition, a spokesman for Erie County Medical Center said Saturday night.\n\nLive updates: Buffalo supermarket shooting\n\nThe suspect was identified as Payton S. Gendron, a rifle-toting 18-year-old from Conklin, New York, who allegedly wrote a White supremacist manifesto online, traveled about 200 miles to the store and livestreamed the attack, authorities said.\n\nBuffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said Sunday the attack was a racist hate crime and will be prosecuted as such.\n\n“The evidence that we have uncovered so far makes no mistake that this is an absolute racist hate crime. It will be prosecuted as a hate crime,” he said. “This is someone who has hate in their heart, soul and mind.”\n\nPeople gather outside a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, where 10 people were killed on Saturday. Derek Gee/The Buffalo News/AP\n\nInvestigators believe the suspect acted on his own in the shooting, Gramaglia said. The suspect was in Buffalo a day before the shooting and did some reconnaissance at the Tops Friendly Markets store, the commissioner said.\n\nGendron, the suspect, surrendered to police and was taken into custody. He was charged with first-degree murder, prosecutors said, and pleaded not guilty in court Saturday night, Buffalo City Court Chief Judge Craig Hannah told CNN.\n\nErie County Sheriff John Garcia said Gendron is currently under suicide watch.\n\nOn Sunday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced $2.8 million in federal and state funding for the victims and their families, according to a statement from her office.\n\n“The past 24 hours have been traumatizing for New Yorkers, and my administration will spare no effort to ensure the victims of this act of terrorism by a white supremacist are receiving all the resources and support they need,” Hochul said in the statement. “The entire world is watching how we will come together as New Yorkers to overcome this unthinkable tragedy. Buffalo, my hometown, is the City of Good Neighbors and New York State will be good neighbors for them.”\n\nNew York State’s Office of Victim Services will be in Buffalo throughout the week to help administer funding and assist victims and families in obtaining financial assistance from the state, according to the statement.\n\nIn addition, Hochul announced a partnership with rideshare services Uber and Lyft to provide transport to and from local grocery stores for affected community members.\n\nThe grocery store company, Tops Markets, is also providing free transportation to members of the Buffalo community affected by the shooting “to ensure our neighbors are able to meet their grocery and pharmacy needs,” according to an update on Twitter from the grocery chain.\n\n“While the Tops location at Jefferson Avenue will remain closed until further notice, we are steadfast in our commitment to serving every corner of our community as we have for the past 60 years,” the statement reads. “Knowing the importance of this location and serving families on the east side of the city, we have taken immediate steps to ensure our neighbors are able to meet their grocery and pharmacy needs by providing free bus shuttle service starting today.”\n\nSaturday’s attack bears similarities to a number of mass shootings in recent years that were motivated by hate and intended to be seen online, including the shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019.\n\nThe Buffalo attack was the deadliest US mass shooting of the year. There have been at least 198 mass shootings so far in 2022, per the Gun Violence Archive, which – like CNN – defines a mass shooting as four or more people shot, not including the shooter.\n\nThe owner of a firearms shop in New York told The New York Times that the suspect recently bought a Bushmaster assault weapon. A background check on the suspect at the time showed nothing, Donald told the Times.\n\n“I knew nothing about it until I got the call from them. I couldn’t believe it,” said Robert Donald, whose shop is in Endicott, about 200 miles from Buffalo.\n\n“I just can’t believe it. I don’t understand why an 18-year-old would even do this,” he added. “I know I didn’t do anything wrong, but I feel terrible about it.”\n\nSuspect targeted predominantly Black area\n\nVideo Ad Feedback Shooting suspect charged with murder in court appearance 02:17 - Source: WKBW\n\nInvestigators are reviewing a 180-page purported manifesto posted online in connection with the shooting. The author of the document, who claims to be Payton Gendron, confesses to the attack and describes himself as a fascist, a White supremacist and an anti-Semite.\n\n“We are obviously going through that with a fine-toothed comb and reviewing that for all evidence that may lead us to besides the manifesto itself,” Erie County District Attorney John Flynn told CNN’s Victor Blackwell.\n\nThe manifesto’s author says he bought ammo for some time but didn’t get serious about planning the attack until January.\n\nThe author writes about his perceptions of the dwindling size of the White population and claims White people are being replaced by non-Whites in a “White genocide.” This “replacement theory,” once a fringe idea, has recently become a talking point for Fox News’ host Tucker Carlson as well as other prominent conservatives.\n\n“We continue to investigate this case as a hate crime, a federal hate crime and as a crime perpetrated by a racially motivated, violent extremist,” said Stephen Belongia, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Buffalo field office.\n\nIn the manifesto, the author says the supermarket in Buffalo is in a ZIP code that “has the highest black percentage that is close enough to where I live.”\n\nNew York Gov. Kathy Hochul told CNN investigators believe the suspect targeted the busiest place in that area at the busiest time.\n\n“This was targeted by ZIP code,” Hochul said. “This was the highest concentration of African Americans within hours.”\n\nThe ZIP code that includes the store, 14208, is 78% Black, according to the US Census Bureau’s 2020 American Community Survey. That is the highest percentage of Black population of any ZIP code in upstate New York.\n\nHochul said an AR-15 used in the shooting was purchased legally in a gun store in New York state but was modified with a high-capacity magazine, which is not legal in the state.\n\nThe suspected gunman had previously been on the radar of police, officials said.\n\nAs a student at Susquehanna Valley Central High School, he made a “generalized threat” in June 2021, Gramaglia said. The student was brought in for a mental health evaluation and was released after a day and a half, according to Gramaglia. The threat was not racially motivated, he added.\n\nA spokesman for the New York State Police confirmed to CNN it investigated and responded to a report that a 17-year-old student had made “a threatening statement” in June 2021 at the same high school. The student was taken into custody and transported to a hospital in June 2021 for a mental health evaluation.\n\nState police were unable to confirm how long the individual was in the hospital or the findings of the evaluation. They also refused to name the 17-year-old.\n\nEarlier Sunday, Hochul said on ABC’s “This Week” the suspect had previously been under surveillance with medical authorities related to “something he wrote in high school.”\n\nIn his hometown, the suspect worked at the local Conklin Reliable Market for about four months and left about three months ago, according to the store’s owner. The owner described him as very quiet, while a neighbor similarly said “you wouldn’t get more than a word or two” from him.\n\nHow the shooting unfolded\n\nVideo Ad Feedback Mayor identifies hero who engaged shooter 01:34 - Source: CNN\n\nAt around 2:30 p.m., the suspect drove to Tops Friendly Markets near the areas of Masten Park and Kingsley. Wearing tactical gear and armed with an assault weapon, the suspect allegedly shot and killed three people in the parking lot and wounded a fourth, according to a statement from Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn.\n\nThe suspect then entered the store and exchanged gunfire with an armed security guard who was a retired member of the Buffalo Police Department, the district attorney said. The guard was identified as Aaron Salter, Brown said.\n\nBecause the suspect wore heavy tactical gear, however, the guard’s bullets did not have any effect, Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said Saturday.\n\n“He was very heavily armed,” the police commissioner said. “He had tactical gear, he had a tactical helmet on, he had a camera that he was livestreaming what he was doing.”\n\nInside the store, nine people were shot before the suspect was apprehended by police, according to the district attorney’s statement.\n\nIn a statement sent to CNN, livestreaming service Twitch confirmed the shooting was streamed and said the user “has been indefinitely suspended from our service, and we are taking all appropriate action, including monitoring for any accounts rebroadcasting this content.”\n\nCNN obtained a portion of the livestream which showed the suspect arriving at the supermarket in his vehicle. CNN is not airing the video.\n\nPeople hug near the scene of the mass shooting at the Tops Friendly Markets store Saturday. Joshua Bessex/AP\n\nGrady Lewis said he was outside the supermarket when he heard seven or eight gunshots and saw a White man dressed in tactical gear spraying gunfire at the entry of the store. Law enforcement arrived within two minutes after the shooting began, Lewis told CNN affiliate WKBW. He “heard at least 20 or so shots” before the suspect exited the store.\n\n“He came out, he put the gun to his head, to his chin. Then he dropped it and took off his bulletproof vest, then got on his hands and knees and put his hands behind his back,” Lewis said, describing the moments the suspect was arrested by police. “I thought they were going to shoot him but they didn’t shoot him.”\n\n“I still don’t even believe it happened … that a person would go into a supermarket full of people,” he said. “It was horrible, it was really horrible.”\n\nThe Tops Friendly Markets store released a statement Sunday saying it was heartbroken over the violence. “Tops has been committed to this community and to the city of Buffalo for decades and this tragedy will not change that commitment,” the company said.", "authors": ["Eric Levenson Sarah Jorgensen Polo Sandoval Samantha Beech", "Eric Levenson", "Sarah Jorgensen", "Polo Sandoval", "Samantha Beech"], "publish_date": "2022/05/15"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/28/politics/pelosi-attack-suspect-conspiracy-theories-invs/index.html", "title": "Alleged Pelosi attacker posted multiple conspiracy theories | CNN ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nThe man who allegedly attacked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband early Friday posted memes and conspiracy theories on Facebook about Covid vaccines, the 2020 election and the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, and an acquaintance told CNN that he seemed “out of touch with reality.”\n\nDavid DePape, 42, was identified by police Friday as the suspect in the assault on Paul Pelosi at the speaker’s San Francisco home.\n\nThree of DePape’s relatives told CNN that DePape has been estranged from his family for years, and confirmed that the Facebook account – which was taken down by the social media company on Friday – belonged to him.\n\nVideo Ad Feedback Hear details from Paul Pelosi's coded 911 call that led to his rescue 01:58 - Source: CNN\n\nHis stepfather, Gene DePape, said David DePape grew up in Powell River, British Columbia, and left Canada about 20 years ago to pursue a relationship that brought him to California.\n\n“I really don’t know what to think,” the suspect’s uncle, Mark DePape, said of his nephew’s alleged attack on Pelosi. “Hopefully it’s a scam. I don’t want to hear something like that.”\n\nPeople who knew DePape in California described him as an odd character.\n\nA 2013 article in the San Francisco Chronicle identified him as a “hemp jewelry maker,” and said that he lived with a nudist activist. Other photos published by the Chronicle show DePape – fully clothed – at a nude wedding on the steps of San Francisco City Hall.\n\nLinda Schneider, a California resident, told CNN she got to know DePape roughly eight years ago and that he occasionally housesat for her. When they met, she said, DePape was living in a storage unit in the Berkeley area and told her he had been struggling with hard drugs but was “trying to create a new life for himself.”\n\nShe said that he was extremely shy. “He said he couldn’t even go and have a bank account because he was terrified of speaking to a teller,” Schneider said.\n\nBut Schneider later received “really disturbing” emails from DePape in which he sounded like a “megalomaniac and so out of touch with reality,” she said. She said she stopped communicating with him “because it seemed so dangerous,” adding that she recalled him “using Biblical justification to do harm.”\n\nDePape’s social media presence similarly paints a picture of someone on a worrying trajectory, falling into conspiracy theories in recent years.\n\nLast year, David DePape posted links on his Facebook page to multiple videos produced by My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell falsely alleging that the 2020 election was stolen. Other posts included transphobic images and linked to websites claiming Covid vaccines were deadly. “The death rates being promoted are what ever ‘THEY’ want to be promoted as the death rate,” one post read.\n\nDePape also posted links to YouTube videos with titles like “Democrat FARCE Commission to Investigate January 6th Capitol Riot COLLAPSES in Congress!!!” and “Global Elites Plan To Take Control Of YOUR Money! (Revealed)”\n\nTwo days after former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of killing George Floyd, DePape wrote that the trial was “a modern lynching,” falsely indicating that Floyd died of a drug overdose.\n\nHe also posted content about the “Great Reset”– the sprawling conspiracy theory that global elites are using coronavirus to usher in a new world order in which they gain more power and oppress the masses. And he complained that politicians making promises to try to win votes “are offering you bribes in exchange for your further enslavement.”\n\nMost of the public posts on DePape’s Facebook page were from 2021. In earlier years, DePape also posted long screeds about religion, including claims that “Jesus is the anti christ.” None of the public posts appeared to mention Pelosi.\n\nBlogs show images of Pelosi, Qanon and antisemitism\n\nMore recently, two other blogs written by someone with the username “daviddepape” have posted content similar to that on DePape’s Facebook page.\n\nIn a string of posts on a Wordpress.com blog over the course of several days in August 2022, the author complained about big tech censorship and posted statements like “Hitlery did nothing wrong.” The site has since been taken offline.\n\nAnd another blog, also attributed to “daviddepape,” featured antisemitic screeds and content linked to the QAnon conspiracy theory. One video posted on the site includes a shot of Pelosi swinging a gavel during one of former President Donald Trump’s impeachments, and another video includes an image of Pelosi and other politicians. A third video includes a clip of Pelosi speaking on the House floor.\n\nOther posts from the last few weeks featured videos accusing LGBTQ people of “grooming” children, and declared that “any journalist saying” there is no evidence of election fraud “should be dragged straight out into the street and shot.” The most recent post – linking to a YouTube video comparing colleges to cults – went up the day before the Pelosi attack.\n\nCNN was not able to confirm that the two blogs were written by DePape.\n\nAnother former acquaintance of DePape’s also told CNN he exhibited concerning behavior over the years.\n\nLaura Hayes, who also lives in California, said she worked with DePape for a few months roughly a decade ago making hemp bracelets when he was living in a storage shed in the Berkeley area. She said DePape sold the bracelets as a business.\n\n“He was very odd. He didn’t make eye contact very well,” Hayes said. She recalled him saying that “he talks to angels and there will be a hard time coming.” But she didn’t remember any seriously threatening comments, and said she didn’t think much of it because “it’s Berkeley,” a place where eccentric characters aren’t uncommon.\n\nHayes, who was Facebook friends with DePape, called his more recent posts “so phobic in so many ways” and filled with “so much anger.”", "authors": ["Casey Tolan Curt Devine Daniel A. Medina Majlie De Puy Kamp", "Casey Tolan", "Curt Devine", "Daniel A. Medina", "Majlie De Puy Kamp"], "publish_date": "2022/10/28"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/17/us/enloe-magnet-high-school-antisemitic-intercom-hacked-north-carolina/index.html", "title": "A North Carolina high school intercom system was allegedly hacked ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nAn individual hacked into a North Carolina high school’s intercom system Thursday and allegedly made antisemitic remarks over the loudspeaker, according to CNN affiliate WTVD.\n\nJackie Jordan, principal at Enloe Magnet High School in Raleigh, issued an apology letter to parents following the incident, according to the letter obtained by WTVD.\n\nIt’s difficult to know how many students and staff heard the remarks, which some say were antisemitic, while others in the building reported hearing comments which “included a threat to the President of the United States,” Jordan wrote.\n\nThe student responsible for hacking the intercom was identified and will be facing discipline, WTVD reported.\n\n“Appropriate action” against the student will be taken, the principal said in the letter, adding it “may include legal action, school disciplinary action, or both, depending on our findings.”\n\n“I would like to offer my sincere apology to anyone offended by this atrocious act,” Jordan said. “Racism and threats of violence of any kind have no place in our school or anywhere else.”\n\nIt is unclear how the individual accessed the intercom system.\n\nCNN has reached out to Enloe Magnet High School and the Wake County School District for comment.\n\nThe Raleigh Police Department is investigating the incident, along with the Wake County School administration, Lt. Jason Borneo told CNN in an email. “Due to the age of the individual involved, limited information is available,” Borneo added.\n\nWTVD spoke with several Enloe students attending Shabbat services at a local synagogue Friday night.\n\n“When an antisemitic act happens, it enables more people to say things. It kind of opens a barrier,” Enloe sophomore and Temple Beth Or member Zoe Goldstein told WTVD.\n\nAbout a dozen families with students attending Enloe are also members of Temple Beth Or’s congregation, WTVD reported.\n\nEnloe senior Andrew Kochman told WTVD it was important for Jordan to send the letter to the entire community.\n\nBeth Or’s Rabbi Lucy Dinner acknowledged the significance of the incident’s timing days before Hanukkah begins on Sunday.\n\n“All the more so we need the Hanukkah. We need to put our light in the window, and we need solidarity. I believe that the message of Hanukkah is very much about freedom of religion, freedom of expression,” Dinner told WTVD.\n\n“That’s what the Maccabees fought for then, that’s what we hope to stand up for, not only for Jews, but really all people.”", "authors": ["Hannah Sarisohn Colin Jeffrey", "Hannah Sarisohn", "Colin Jeffrey"], "publish_date": "2022/12/17"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/08/americas/viktor-bout-profile-prisoner-swap-intl/index.html", "title": "Viktor Bout: The Russian arms dealer swapped for Brittney Griner ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nBrittney Griner’s freedom ultimately hinged on the release of a convicted Russian arms dealer whose life story inspired a Hollywood film.\n\nThe US basketball star was released on Thursday from Russian detention in a prisoner swap for Viktor Bout, nicknamed the “Merchant of Death” by his accusers.\n\nViktor Bout, a former Soviet military officer, is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence in the United States on charges of conspiring to kill Americans, acquire and export anti-aircraft missiles, and provide material support to a terrorist organization. Bout has maintained he is innocent.\n\nThe Kremlin has repeatedly called for Bout’s release, slamming his sentencing in 2012 as “baseless and biased.”\n\nRussia’s foreign ministry said Thursday that Bout was returned to Russia after the exchange at Abu Dhabi Airport. Footage shared by Russian state television later showed Bout walking on a tarmac in Abu Dhabi, then boarding and sitting down inside a plane, which later landed in Moscow.\n\n“For a long time, the Russian Federation has been negotiating with the United States on the release of V. A. Bout,” the ministry said in a statement. “Washington categorically refused dialogue on the inclusion of the Russian [citizen] in the exchange scheme. Nevertheless, the Russian Federation continued to actively work to rescue our compatriot.”\n\nIt added that as a result of Russia’s negotiations with the US, Bout had been “returned to his homeland.”\n\nBout’s US lawyer, Steve Zissou, said that Bout was with his wife and daughter. “We are grateful that after 15 long years, Viktor has finally been reunited with his family,” he added.\n\nGriner – who had for years played in the off-season for a Russian women’s basketball team – was arrested on drug smuggling charges at an airport in the Moscow region in February. Despite her testimony that she had inadvertently packed the cannabis oil found in her luggage, she was sentenced to nine years in prison in early August and was moved to a penal colony in Mordovia in mid-November after losing her appeal.\n\nThe swap, which US President Joe Biden confirmed on Thursday, did not include another American that the State Department has declared wrongfully detained, Paul Whelan. Whelan was arrested on alleged espionage charges in 2018 and sentenced to 16-years in prison in a trial that US officials have called unfair.\n\nGriner and Whelan’s families had urged the White House to secure their release, including via prisoner exchange if necessary.\n\nAt the center of their bid was Bout, a man who eluded international arrest warrants and asset freezes for years.\n\nOn the same day, Griner testified in Russian court as part of her ongoing trial on drug charges following her February arrest at a Moscow airport. Whelan was arrested on alleged espionage charges in 2018 and sentenced to 16-years in prison in a trial that US officials have called unfair.\n\nThe Russian businessman, who speaks six languages, was arrested in a sting operation in 2008 led by US drug enforcement agents in Thailand posing as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known by the acronym FARC. He was eventually extradited to the US in 2010 after a protracted court proceeding.\n\n“Viktor Bout has been international arms trafficking enemy number one for many years, arming some of the most violent conflicts around the globe,” said Preet Bharara, the US attorney in Manhattan when Bout was sentenced in New York in 2012.\n\n“He was finally brought to justice in an American court for agreeing to provide a staggering number of military-grade weapons to an avowed terrorist organization committed to killing Americans.”\n\nThe trial honed in on Bout’s role in supplying weapons to FARC, a guerrilla group that waged an insurgency in Colombia until 2016. The US said the weapons were intended to kill US citizens.\n\nBut Bout’s history in the arms trade extended much further afield. He has been accused of assembling a fleet of cargo planes to traffic military-grade weapons to conflict zones around the world since the 1990s, fueling bloody conflicts from Liberia to Sierra Leone and Afghanistan. Allegations of trafficking activities in Liberia prompted US authorities to freeze his American assets in 2004 and blocked any US transactions.\n\nBout has repeatedly maintained that he operated legitimate businesses and acted as a mere logistics provider. He is believed to be in his 50s, with his age in dispute because of different passports and documents.\n\nViktor Bout is pictured in a temporary cell ahead of a hearing at a court in Bangkok in August 2010. Christophe Archambault/AFP/Getty Images\n\n“His early days are a mystery,” Douglas Farah, a senior fellow at the International Assessment and Strategy Center who co-authored a book on Bout, told CNN in 2010.\n\nFarah told Mother Jones magazine in 2007 that according to his multiple passports, Bout was born in 1967 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, the son of a bookkeeper and an auto mechanic. He said that Bout graduated from the Military Institute on Foreign Languages, a well-known feeder school for Russian military intelligence.\n\n“He was a Soviet officer, most likely a lieutenant, who simply saw the opportunities presented by three factors that came with the collapse of the USSR and the state sponsorship that entailed: abandoned aircraft on the runways from Moscow to Kiev, no longer able to fly because of the lack of money for fuel or maintenance; huge stores of surplus weapons that were guarded by guards suddenly receiving little or no salary; and the booming demand for those weapons from traditional Soviet clients and newly emerging armed groups from Africa to the Philippines,” Farah told the magazine.\n\nBout has said that he worked as a military officer in Mozambique. Others have said it was actually Angola, where Russia had a large military presence at the time, Farah told CNN. He first became known when the United Nations began investigating him in the early-to-mid 1990s and the United States began to get involved.\n\nBout – who reportedly has used names including “Victor Anatoliyevich Bout,” “Victor But,” “Viktor Butt,” “Viktor Bulakin” and “Vadim Markovich Aminov” – is thought to have been the inspiration for the arms-dealer character played by Nicolas Cage in the 2005 movie “Lord of War.”\n\nIn 2002, CNN’s Jill Dougherty met with Bout in Moscow. She asked him about allegations against him – did he sell arms to the Taliban? To al Qaeda? Did he supply rebels in Africa and get paid in blood diamonds? – and he denied each claim.\n\n“It’s a false allegation and it’s a lie,” he said. “I’ve never touched diamonds in my life and I’m not a diamond guy and I don’t want that business.”\n\n“I’m not afraid,” he told Dougherty. “I didn’t do anything in my life I should be afraid of.”", "authors": ["Eliza Mackintosh"], "publish_date": "2022/12/08"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/30/us/automatic-machine-gun-fire-invs/index.html", "title": "A device that can turn a semi-automatic weapon into a machine gun ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nThe number of shootings involving automatic weapons in the US has skyrocketed in recent years, suggesting a troubling resurgence in the use of machine guns by criminals, according to an analysis provided exclusively to CNN.\n\nIncidents of machine gun fire have exploded by about 1,400% from 2019 through last year, according to statistics compiled by a gunfire detection company that has acoustic sensors placed in about 130 US cities. Last year alone, ShotSpotter, Inc. detected roughly 5,600 incidents of automatic weapons fire, the analysis showed.\n\nThe previously unreported figures add to growing evidence that the widespread availability of inexpensive so-called conversion devices – known as “auto switches” or “auto sears” – capable of transforming semi-automatic weapons into machine guns in a matter of moments are wreaking havoc on American streets.\n\nThere has been a corresponding spike in seizures of conversion devices by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in recent years, from fewer than 100 in 2017 to more than 1,500 last year.\n\nCNN earlier reported on an ATF effort in 2019 to recover what agents suspected were thousands of such devices illegally imported from China. In the years since, 3D printers have only added to the problem, law enforcement officials said.\n\n“Not since Prohibition have we seen this many machine guns being used to commit crimes,” said Tom Chittum, who spent more than two decades with the ATF and retired as its No. 2 official before signing on as an executive with ShotSpotter earlier this year.\n\nGun laws virtually eliminated automatic weapons from city streets for decades, Chittum said. “But now machine guns are back, and they’re everywhere.”\n\nAutomatic weapons have been used in several high-profile assaults in recent years, including a mass shooting in Sacramento, California, in which six people were killed and a dozen injured, a school shooting in Washington, DC, in which a sniper with automatic rifles unleashed a barrage of more than 200 shots, wounding four, and the slaying of Houston police officer William “Bill” Jeffrey during the service of an arrest warrant last year. The 30-year-veteran officer died in a torrent of gunfire from a convicted felon armed with an illegally converted weapon.\n\nThe scene of a mass shooting is blocked off with police tape on April 3, 2022 in Sacramento, California. Liu Guanguan/China News Service/Getty Images\n\nA CNN review of court filings in cities across the US found dozens of cases in recent years involving so-called conversion devices or semi-automatic handguns already converted to fully automatic.\n\nIn Chicago, a man prosecutors called “a prolific machine gun dealer” allegedly continued to sell the devices while out on bond and awaiting trial. An alleged associate of the man was recorded telling an undercover ATF agent posing as a buyer that he’d get a better price if he bought in bulk, and that he should act quickly because demand was high.\n\n“People are gonna get them switches,” he told the agent, according to a court filing. “It’s gonna go to the people who want to go shoot some people, gangbangers and sh*t.”\n\nThe devices appear to be an emerging commodity on the black market. CNN reviewed cases in which they were allegedly hawked on social media, sold under the table by a licensed gun dealer in Miami, and turned up in the possession of alleged drug dealers distributing methamphetamine, fentanyl and oxycodone. In Los Angeles, a man under investigation for supplying local gang members with guns allegedly sold an ATF informant a Glock conversion device along with a Glock 9mm pistol and a high-capacity magazine. In Washington, DC, investigators looking into a young man who allegedly tossed a converted handgun into a trash can as police approached later found several videos on YouTube in which he rapped about “switches.”\n\nThe increasing availability of auto switches has been driven in part by the ease with which they can be made using cheap, 3D-printed parts and instructions available online, according to Earl Griffith, the chief of ATF’s Firearms and Ammunition Technology Division.\n\n“It’s very easy,” said Griffith, who explained how he learned to use a 3D printer to make the devices on YouTube. “In a matter of 15 minutes I was able to do it myself the first time.” Below, Griffith explains.\n\nA CNN review of YouTube based on key-word search terms revealed multiple such videos that had collectively racked up more than 1 million views. One group of auto-switch instructional videos that remained online until August were linked to a man charged in December by federal prosecutors in Texas for allegedly making, possessing and transferring 3D-printed switches. He has pleaded not guilty.\n\nYouTube removed the videos after CNN asked about them. A company spokesperson said YouTube does not allow “content instructing viewers how to manufacture accessories that convert a firearm to automatic fire, or to sell those accessories on our platform.”\n\nGriffith said that despite the growing ubiquity of the devices, many members of law enforcement do not know how to recognize them on firearms they seize from criminals.\n\n“When we tell them about it, they go back into their evidence vault and they look and check and they find this stuff,” he said.\n\n“Not since Prohibition have we seen this many machine guns being used to commit crimes.”\n\nQuantifying incidents involving automatic weapons fire is a challenge. The shell casings fired by automatic weapons appear no different than those discharged from a semi-automatic gun.\n\nThat is where ShotSpotter comes in. The company has contracts with about 130 cities in which it installs acoustic sensors in designated areas to listen for gunfire. A patented computer algorithm attempts to distinguish between innocuous sounds such a jackhammer or car backfiring and gunfire. Human analysts at the company’s headquarters in the San Francisco Bay Area or a satellite office in Washington, DC, listen to what the algorithm flags as gunfire and, if they concur, alert police. The company says its goal is to make such notifications within a minute.\n\nIn recent years, suspected incidents of automatic weapons fire have risen sharply from about 400 in 2019 to 1,800 in 2020 to 5,600 last year. Even after adjusting for an increase in the company’s coverage area in the US, ShotSpotter said an internal analysis showed that suspected automatic gunfire incidents jumped 14 times in about three years. The upward trend has continued in the first half of this year with roughly 3,800 incidents detected. The company says its designation of an incident as “full auto” is for a police department’s “situational awareness” only and is not guaranteed in the same manner as its primary mission of accurately identifying and locating outdoor gunfire.\n\nDuring a demonstration of the system in June, analyst Kaylan Parker replayed some of the incidents she and others had tagged as “full auto,” filling her Washington, DC, listening post with audio from what sounded like some far-off war zone. On a recent day, she said, the company had detected what it determined to be more than 25 incidents of automatic weapons fire, involving some 300 rounds, including a shooting in nearby Baltimore. Baltimore police later issued a press release about the incident, citing the ShotSpotter alert and stating that two people were wounded, including a 14-year-old boy.\n\nFounded in 1996, ShotSpotter bills itself as an important tool for police, providing real-time information about the location and nature of shootings, which the company says often go unreported. The early intel, company officials say, provides a tactical advantage to police and has resulted in both the arrest of shooters and faster medical care for gunshot victims.\n\nBut ShotSpotter, a publicly traded company with reported revenue last year of nearly $60 million, has been mired in controversy in recent years. The criticism is centered on the placement of its sensors in predominately minority communities and the use of its information as evidence in court cases as opposed to its primary mission of merely alerting police to the occurrence and location of gunfire. Critics see the placement of the sensors as racially biased, resulting in the increased use of stop-and-frisk tactics by police. Defense attorneys have assailed ShotSpotter’s results as both unreliable and impossible to scrutinize because the company has declined to disclose the precise science behind how its system works. Other critics have questioned ShotSpotter’s true value as a crime-fighting tool, regardless of how well it detects and locates gunfire, because they say there’s no compelling evidence that it reduces gun violence.\n\nShotSpotter, which touts a 97% accuracy rate – a figure backed by an audit paid for by the company – has pushed back against the criticism with a prominent link on its website. It cites studies it says are “proof of its positive impact” and says the location of its sensors is decided in consultation with police and city officials in the communities it serves and is “based on historical gunfire and homicide data.”\n\n“Machine guns are back, and they’re everywhere.”\n\nA case winding its way through federal court in Washington, DC, highlights both the utility of ShotSpotter, and the challenges prosecutors sometimes face when trying to use its information as evidence in court.\n\nEarly on the morning of January 20, 2020, ShotSpotter notified police in Washington, DC, of gunfire at a house in the city’s southeast quadrant. Police later discovered that footage from a surveillance camera mounted nearby showed a man firing a weapon into the air at 4:45 a.m., the precise time of the ShotSpotter alert, according to court records.\n\nAfter obtaining a search warrant, police found a twice-convicted PCP dealer alone in the house. They also seized a Glock .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun equipped with a conversion device, and an extended magazine, from a closet, according to prosecutors. The occupant of the house was arrested and charged with possession of a machine gun.\n\nIt might appear an open-and-shut case for the efficacy of ShotSpotter. But the use of the company’s information as evidence in court has been another matter.\n\nProsecutors and defense attorneys in the case have been battling for months over who is qualified to provide expert testimony regarding ShotSpotter’s findings and address questions big and small about the company, from the science behind how its system works to an explanation of how the estimate of the number of shots fired changed over time in the case at hand.\n\nAs of publication, a judge had yet to rule on how the ShotSpotter information would be handled.\n\nIn Texas, Lacie Jeffrey, the daughter of the Houston police officer killed last year, said she could not comprehend the proliferation of fully automatic weapons like the one that riddled her father’s body with multiple gunshot wounds in an instant. An autopsy report obtained by CNN shows that the veteran officer was struck more than a dozen times during the brief encounter.\n\nJeffrey said she has reached out to lawmakers in Texas in hopes of enacting a tougher state law regarding so-called conversion devices like the one on the weapon used to kill her dad.\n\n“We do not live in a war zone,” Jeffrey told CNN. “There is no need for us to have these automatic weapons on the streets of Houston — anywhere in the United States.”", "authors": ["Scott Glover Curt Devine", "Scott Glover", "Curt Devine"], "publish_date": "2022/08/30"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/09/us/alabama-elementary-school-man-killed/index.html", "title": "A man allegedly trying to enter a patrol vehicle near Alabama ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nA man was shot and killed by police near an Alabama elementary school Thursday afternoon after attempting to take a school resource officer’s gun, authorities said.\n\nAt least 34 students were inside Walnut Park Elementary School when the man earlier tried to open two doors leading to the school, Gadsden City School Superintendent Tony Reddick told CNN.\n\nThe Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) is investigating the incident.\n\nIn a news release, ALEA said that the individual was seen trying to make forcible entry into a marked Rainbow City, Alabama, patrol vehicle near the school. A resource officer made contact with the man and attempted to stop him, the release said.\n\nAn altercation ensued in which the individual resisted and attempted to take the officer’s firearm, authorities said. The officer was able to call for backup and a responding officer shot the individual who was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the release. It is not known if the suspect was armed.\n\nThe man was identified Friday as Robert Tyler White, 32, of Bunnlevel, about 20 miles north of Fayetteville.\n\nNo children at the school were hurt in the incident, Etowah County Sheriff Jonathan Horton said during a news conference.\n\nThough the school year is over, during the summer, the school has a literacy camp for elementary students, Reddick said.\n\nThe district has always had a practice of locking all exterior and interior doors, Reddick said. Something he touted for helping keep the potential intruder out.\n\n“He tried to open at least two doors leading into the school,” Reddick said.\n\n“This is Gadsden. A small-knit community. You don’t think that something like this is going to happen at your school,” he added.\n\nPraising the work of the school resource officer, Horton also highlighted the work the district has done in light of the shooting in Uvalde, Texas.\n\n“Our schools, especially after … what’s happened in Texas, we have one of the largest school resource officers programs in Etowah County, preaching that these doors stay locked. That the individual was not able to make it inside the school,” he said.\n\n“From the school resource officer’s standpoint – he did exactly what should be done. He went straight to the threat, he confronted it and he dealt with it. It ended in, unfortunately, the death of the suspect, but that’s the safest alternative. To keep that threat out of that school,” he added.\n\nThe school resource officer was transported to the hospital to be treated for minor injuries he sustained during the altercation, Horton said.", "authors": ["Jamiel Lynch Tina Burnside Jarrod Wardwell", "Jamiel Lynch", "Tina Burnside", "Jarrod Wardwell"], "publish_date": "2022/06/09"}]}
{"question_id": "20230303_23", "search_time": "2023/03/15/03:29", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.theweek.co.uk/news/politics/959836/rishi-sunaks-brexit-deal-explained-in-five-points", "title": "The new Windsor framework: Rishi Sunak's Brexit deal explained in ...", "text": "We will use the details you have shared to manage your registration. You agree to the processing, storage, sharing and use of this information for the purpose of managing your registration as described in our Privacy Policy.\n\nWould you like to receive The WeekDay newsletter ?\n\nThe WeekDay newsletter provides you with a daily digest of news and analysis.\n\nWe will use the details you have shared to manage your newsletter subscription. You agree to the processing, storage, sharing and use of this information for the purpose of managing your subscription as described in our Privacy Policy.\n\nWe will use the information you have shared for carefully considered and specific purposes, where we believe we have a legitimate case to do so, for example to send you communications about similar products and services we offer. You can find out more about our legitimate interest activity in our Privacy Policy.\n\nIf you wish to object to the use of your data in this way, please tick here.\n\n'We' includes The Week and other Future Publishing Limited brands as detailed here.", "authors": ["Sorcha Bradley"], "publish_date": "2023/02/27"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/24/uk/rishi-sunak-job-ahead-intl-gbr-cmd/index.html", "title": "Analysis: Can Rishi Sunak end the chaos and restore Britain's ...", "text": "London CNN —\n\nThe rise of Rishi Sunak to the top job in British politics is remarkable. Just seven weeks ago he was comprehensively beaten by Liz Truss in the Conservative party’s leadership contest. Now. after emerging victorious in a leadership contest that was fast-tracked out of the wreckage of her short premiership, he is Prime Minister.\n\nThe man who served as Boris Johnson’s finance minister for two and a half years, only to resign and bring down Johnson’s government, now faces the unenviable task of picking up a reeling nation after Truss’s disastrous tenure.\n\nHe will do so, it’s fair to assume, by implementing the economic plan that he outlined during his failed leadership bid earlier this year. Sunak criticized Truss’ plans to slash taxes and fund day-to-day spending through borrowing, saying it would cause economic havoc.\n\nVideo Ad Feedback See the moment Tory Party announced Sunak to be next British PM 01:38 - Source: CNN\n\nHe was proved right when Truss’ government implemented her plans in a “mini-budget,” which caused the pound to fall to its lowest level in decades and collapsed bond prices, sending borrowing costs soaring and pushing pension funds to the brink of insolvency.\n\nAs Sunak also predicted, rising interest rates drove up mortgage repayments, and lenders scrambled to pull their products from the market, dashing the hopes of many prospective homeowners almost overnight.\n\nBritain’s international reputation had already taken a hit before Truss came to office. The endless scandals that ultimately forced Johnson from office, on top of his repeated threats to break international law over the Brexit deal he personally agreed with the European Union, had not made world leaders well-disposed towards the UK.\n\nThat’s not to say the UK is irrelevant on the world stage. The government’s support of Ukraine, for example, has won Britain – and particularly Johnson – praise from other Western leaders.\n\nFormer US National Security Advisor John Bolton wrote in Politico on Monday that “Britain has been the leading foreign power supporting Ukraine. Under the triumvirate of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, London was at the forefront of political resolve and leadership.”\n\nSunak’s accession can be directly attributed to the chaos of the past few months. He is seen as a safe pair of hands, having won wide praise for his handling of the economy during the Covid-19 pandemic, helping businesses and citizens with big government spending programs that saved many livelihoods. His job now is clear: To bring calm.\n\nUnfortunately for Sunak, he has inherited a political party that has spent the past few years tearing chunks out of itself. The Conservative party of 2022 is defined by factionalism and split loyalties that made it ungovernable for both Johnson and Truss.\n\nThe party is divided on many more lines than left and right, but Sunak will likely have the most difficulty with the Brexiteer populist wing of the party that adored Johnson.\n\n“The reality is, the hardest elements of the Brexiteer right probably didn’t back anyone because they know there is a row coming with the new PM over Brexit,” Salma Shah, a former Conservative adviser, told CNN. “One of the top priorities for Sunak will be negotiating the Northern Ireland Protocol (A disputed part of the post-Brexit deal). If it doesn’t start going their way, they can turn.”\n\nSunak can either ignore or appease these people, but it could mean having to swallow a large slice of humble pie.\n\n“He can try and neutralize the people from that wing of the party who won’t forgive him over ‘betraying’ Boris or his fiscal restraint by appointing a cabinet that appeases them. Potentially, that means swallowing his pride and finding something for Boris and Liz Truss to do,” Shah added.\n\nIf he doesn’t then Johnson could cause Sunak problems from the backbenches, if he was in the mood for revenge.\n\n“Presumably he won’t put him in the government which could mean he causes trouble on the backbenches. I guess they have to hope he gives up his seat and goes off to make money,” said Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University.\n\nParty management is something that might be out of Sunak’s hands in the immediate future. What is firmly in his gift, however, is economic policy and dealing with international partners.\n\n“He’s someone with a lot of global experience outside of politics and also dealing with global figures as chancellor. He is a fluent communicator and he knows what he is talking about when it comes to the economy. So I think there is every chance he will be welcomed by the international community not only if he can settle the economy but also UK politics,” Bale added.\n\nIn an ideal world for Sunak, he would bring economic stability, and with it, bring political stability. But long-time observers of British politics will know that the two don’t always go hand in hand.\n\n“He will have to implement policies because of Truss’s mini-budget that will be politically unpopular with different groups for different reasons,” said Vicky Pryce, former joint head of the UK’s Government Economic Service.\n\nThat, Pryce said, could mean austerity to balance the books, windfall taxes on energy firms, and reversing Truss’s idea to remove caps on bankers’ bonuses. “He has to balance policies that could enrage Conservative MPs against policies that could turn the public against him.”\n\nFor their part, Conservative MPs and advisers are a mix of relieved, furious, worried and in some cases defeated. Some think that the public will appreciate a bit of peace and quiet from the political mayhem. Some are beside themselves that the man who brought down Johnson got his way. Some believe that Sunak is going to be too soft on Brexit. Some believe that the next election is already lost.\n\nThere are in theory at least two years until the next general election will be held. That is more than enough time for Sunak to steady the ship and restore the Conservative’s dire poll ratings to something more competitive. But he needs to take his party with him.\n\nAnd if the past few weeks are anything to go by, the new prime minister might become another Conservative leader who is forced to spend more time managing the internal politics of his own party than dealing with the massive problems facing his country.", "authors": ["Luke Mcgee"], "publish_date": "2022/10/24"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/07/uk/boris-johnson-replacement-intl-gbr/index.html", "title": "Conservative leadership race: Who might replace Boris Johnson as ...", "text": "London CNN —\n\nThe race to replace British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is ramping up, with 11 candidates declaring their intention to run, many on platforms of lowering taxes and promises to clean up government following Johnson’s crisis-plagued leadership.\n\nSir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee of Conservative party backbenchers announced on Monday that a new leader would be announced on September 5, the same day that the British parliament returns from its summer recess. He also said that the candidate list would close on Monday, before a first round of voting on Wednesday. The list will then be whittled down to two, and the party’s grassroot members will be given the final say.\n\nJohnson announced on Thursday he would step down, after nearly 60 lawmakers and government officials resigned over his handling of a series of scandals, including illegal gatherings held at his Downing Street office in defiance of coronavirus lockdown rules and his failure to act on sexual misconduct allegations against his deputy chief whip.\n\nNow, with the government in tatters, bookmakers and much of Britain are speculating about his likely successor. A slew of contenders have thrown their hat into the ring – from household names to lesser-known Conservative members of parliament.\n\nAmong those to announce their candidacy are an Iraqi Kurdish refugee, the children of Indian and Pakistani immigrants and several women – reflecting efforts by the Conservative Party to field more ethnically diverse candidates for Parliament in recent years.\n\nAny candidates who run for the leadership will go through rounds of voting by Conservative lawmakers until only two remain – at which point Conservative Party members nationwide will vote. The winner will be the new party leader – and prime minister.\n\nHere’s a look at the possible contenders.\n\nShow More - (Show Less)\n\nRishi Sunak\n\nBritain's former Chancellor Rishi Sunak. Jessica Taylor/UK Parliament/Reuters\n\nThe former chancellor formally announced he was standing to succeed Johnson in a campaign video on Friday, which began with the story of his Indian parents, who both emigrated to the UK from East Africa. “It was Britain, our country, that gave them and millions like them the chance of a better future,” he said. “I want to lead this country in the right direction.”\n\nSunak was Johnson’s presumed successor for several months after he won praise for overseeing Britain’s initial financial response to the Covid-19 pandemic. But he has suffered several of his own scandals while in government.\n\nHis stock sank earlier this year after revelations that he broke Covid regulations to attend the prime minister’s birthday party on June 19, 2020, for which he later apologized “unreservedly.”\n\nHis financial and legal affairs came under scrutiny this spring following reports his wife had non-domicile status in the UK – meaning she was not liable to pay tax on overseas income – and that he held a US green card while serving as minister.\n\nHis popularity has also taken a beating in recent weeks as Britain has suffered the worst cost-of-living crisis in decades. Sunak has struggled to keep down spiraling inflation and has been criticized by opposition parties for what they call a slow and inadequate series of financial measures. Among the economic woes facing Britons after Sunak’s time as the UK’s chief financial minister: real wages dropping to their lowest levels in more than 21 years and inflation hitting a 40-year high of 9.1% in May.\n\nBut he is still among the bookmakers’ odds-on favorites to take Johnson’s job.\n\nSajid Javid\n\nFormer Health Secretary Sajid Javid. Leon Neal/Getty Images\n\nThe former health secretary, whose resignation set off a wave of departures from Johnson’s government, officially announced his candidacy on Sunday.\n\n“Whether it’s the cost of living or it’s low levels of growth, for me, that’s our most immediate challenge… You need someone with an economic plan from day one,” he said, adding that his economic plan would have two prongs: short-term measures to help people meet cost-of-living challenges and a longer-term plan for tax reform.\n\nPosting on Twitter on Sunday, Javid said: “The next Prime Minister needs integrity, experience, and a tax-cutting plan for economic growth. That’s why I’m standing.”\n\nThe statement echoed Javid’s resignation speech in the House of Commons in which he said that something was “fundamentally wrong” with government.\n\nThose who support Javid’s candidacy hope that he will be credited for triggering Johnson’s ultimate ouster, having been the first cabinet minister to resign – though Sunak followed him minutes later.\n\nThe MP has twice run for party leadership in the past – in 2016, after the Brexit referendum, and in 2019, when Johnson was ultimately elected. He served as chancellor from 2019 to 2020.\n\nHis family immigrated from Pakistan to the UK in the 1960s, and his father worked as a bus driver.\n\nLiz Truss\n\nUK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss. Tolga Akmen/AFP/Getty Images\n\nThe foreign secretary made her leadership ambitions known in The Telegraph on Sunday. At the heart of her leadership bid is a pledge to cut taxes “from day one,” to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.\n\nLiz Truss became the chief negotiator with the European Union on the UK’s Brexit deal in December 2021 and has held multiple cabinet positions. Since voting Remain in 2016, she has since become one of the loudest Euroskeptic voices in the government, which many have chalked up to her desire for the top job.\n\nShe has a formidable and dedicated team around her – some of whom previously worked in Number 10 – which has been producing slick videos and photos of her looking thoroughly statesmanlike. She has apparently attempted to channel former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, wearing a headscarf while driving a tank, and her role in fronting the response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has also heightened her public profile.\n\nIn her comment piece in The Telegraph, she highlighted her foreign policy expertise, writing: “As Foreign Secretary, I have helped to lead the international response to Putin’s war in Ukraine and delivered a tough sanctions package that has led the world, by imposing real pain on Putin and the Kremlin.”\n\nTruss is popular among Conservative members, who would pick the eventual winner of a contest. But Johnson’s downfall could simultaneously tarnish anyone in his cabinet, meaning Conservative voters could turn to a backbencher to take the mantle.\n\nPenny Mordaunt\n\nBritain's Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt. Aaron Chown/PA Images/Getty Images\n\nThe trade minister, one of the bookmakers’ favorites to replace Johnson, announced her bid for the leadership on Sunday. A poll of party members published July 4 by website Conservative Home put her as the second favorite choice, behind the current defense secretary Ben Wallace, who has ruled himself out of the race.\n\nPenny Mordaunt first entered parliament in 2010 and later joined the cabinet under Theresa May, serving as international development and defense secretary.\n\nAfter last month’s confidence vote, Mordaunt declined to comment on whether she backed Johnson, raising eyebrows among Westminster observers when she said: “I didn’t choose this prime minister.”\n\nAnnouncing her interest in the top job, she said the party “leadership needs to become a little less about the leader and a lot more about the ship.”\n\nMordaunt, who in 2019 became the first woman to serve as defense minister, invoked Thatcher in her statement, saying the former Conservative leader “was remarkable for not just what she did but the speed she did it.”\n\n“She had a vision and a plan. So do I,” she added.\n\nTom Tugendhat\n\nCommittee chairman Tom Tugendhat. Niall Carson/PA Images/Getty Images\n\nA former British military officer who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee, Tom Tugendhat has been one of Johnson’s most robust critics and has called for the Conservative Party to drop its focus on “divisive politics.”\n\nLaunching his leadership bid on Thursday in The Telegraph newspaper, Tugendhat wrote: “I have served before – in the military, and now in Parliament. Now I hope to answer the call once again as prime minister. It’s time for a clean start. It’s time for renewal.”\n\nHe outlined his vision for tackling the cost of living crisis, reducing taxes and investing in neglected regions of the UK.\n\nDespite not having any cabinet or shadow cabinet experience, Tugendhat has impressed colleagues with his oratory skills and seriousness, most notably when he spoke about the fall of Afghanistan. He entered parliament in 2015 after serving in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.\n\nSome key centrist Conservatives have already been throwing their support behind the relative wildcard, but some worry that his experience is too focused on foreign affairs.\n\nNadhim Zahawi\n\nBritain's newly appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer Nadhim Zahawi. Daniel Leal/AFP/Getty Images\n\nLess than two days after he was appointed by Johnson to the role of chancellor, replacing Sunak, Nadhim Zahawi publicly called on the prime minister to resign and later launched his bid to replace him.\n\nUntil his promotion, Zahawi, who joined the cabinet less than a year ago, was considered an unlikely choice as the next leader of the Conservative Party. But his rise under Johnson has been rapid, making his mark with early success as vaccines minister amid the coronavirus pandemic and then as education secretary.\n\nIn his pitch for leadership, previewed in The Spectator magazine, he promised to lower taxes for individuals, families and business, boost defense spending, and continue with education reforms he started in his previous role.\n\nDespite voting to leave the European Union in 2016, Zahawi is widely admired among the moderates in the party. Crucially, as one Conservative source put it, “he’s not been in government long enough to have any obvious defects and, despite supporting Boris even after the confidence vote, is not too tainted by association.”\n\nZahawi was born in Iraq to Kurdish parents and came to the UK as a child, when his family fled Saddam Hussein’s regime. He is believed to be one of the richest politicians in the House of Commons, and helped found the polling company YouGov.\n\n“If a young boy who came here aged 11 without a word of English, can serve at the highest levels of Her Majesty’s Government and run to be the next Prime Minister, anything is possible,” Zahawi is set to say in a speech Monday, an excerpt of which was published by The Spectator.\n\nJeremy Hunt\n\nConservative MP Jeremy Hunt. Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images\n\nA former health and foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt lost the 2019 leadership vote to Johnson. He has since styled himself as an antidote to Johnson and is without question the highest profile contender on the moderate, ex-Remain side of the party.\n\nHunt announced his bid to become the next Conservative leader in an interview with British newspaper The Sunday Telegraph, pitching himself as “the only major candidate who has not served in Boris Johnson’s government.”\n\nIn a statement on Twitter ahead of the confidence vote in June, Hunt said: “Anyone who believes our country is stronger, fairer & more prosperous when led by Conservatives should reflect that the consequence of not changing will be to hand the country to others who do not share those values. Today’s decision is change or lose. I will be voting for change.”\n\nTellingly, Hunt’s statement focused mainly on the Conservatives’ chances of electoral success under Johnson, rather than his policies or the partygate scandal – a decision that could be read as a pitch to the Conservative MPs and members who would decide a leadership election. However, he comes with baggage, and sources from the opposition Labour Party have told CNN they are already writing attack lines.\n\n“It can’t be Jeremy. Labour can say he was running healthcare for six years and failed to prepare for a pandemic. They can say when he was culture secretary he chummed up to the Murdochs during the phone hacking scandal. He will get crushed,” a senior Conservative source told CNN.\n\nGrant Shapps\n\nTransport Secretary Grant Shapps. Phil Noble/Reuters\n\nThe transport secretary launched his bid for prime minister this weekend, describing himself as a “problem solver, with a proven record of delivery” in a post on Twitter.\n\nOutlining his vision for the UK in an interview with The Sunday Times newspaper, Grant Shapps said that within his first 100 days in office he would produce an emergency budget to lower tax for “the most vulnerable” and give state support to firms with high levels of energy consumption.\n\n“We have had two-and-a-half years of tactical government by an often distracted centre. This must end. We must be a strategic government, sober in its analysis, and not chasing the next headline,” the paper quoted Shapps as saying.\n\nThe MP for Welwyn Hatfield was elected in 2005 and has held several ministerial posts. He is also a former co-chair of the Conservative party.\n\nKemi Badenoch\n\nConservative MP Kemi Badenoch. Ben Cawthra/Shutterstock\n\nThe former equalities minister launched her leadership bid in an op-ed published by the Times of London newspaper, saying she wants a “strong but limited government focused on the essentials.”\n\nKemi Badenoch resigned from the government on Wednesday citing “issues” that had “come to light” and the way they had been handled.\n\n“I’m putting myself forward in this leadership election because I want to tell the truth. It’s the truth that will set us free,” she wrote Saturday. Badenoch, who voted in favor of Brexit in 2016, added she would run on a “smart and nimble centre-right vision.”\n\nSuella Braverman\n\nAttorney General Suella Braverman. Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing/Getty Images\n\nLast week, the attorney general called for Johnson to quit and said that she would join a leadership race to replace him, telling ITV “it would be the greatest honor.”\n\nLaunching her bid a few days later, Suella Braverman wrote in The Daily Telegraph: “I saw Brexit as the most important political decision of my life. My views are not triangulated or calibrated. They are as much a part of me as my DNA. I now realise that I cannot rely on others to take Conservatism forward.”\n\nBraverman was elected as MP for Fareham in 2015.\n\nRehman Chishti\n\nConservative MP Rehman Chishti. rehmanchishti.com\n\nAmong the biggest outsiders in the race, the newly appointed Foreign Office minister threw his hat into the ring on Sunday.\n\nBorn in Pakistan, Rehman Chishti moved to the UK at the age of six, learning English at school in Gillingham, Kent, the area of southeastern England that he has represented as an MP since 2010. He went on to become the first in his family to go to university and received his law degree.\n\n“It’s important to ensure that everyone who works hard, who’s determined, who perseveres, that they have a government that is on their side,” he said in a Facebook video announcing his candidacy, adding that he would ensure lower taxes and fresh ideas to improve people’s lives.", "authors": ["Eliza Mackintosh Luke Mcgee", "Eliza Mackintosh", "Luke Mcgee"], "publish_date": "2022/07/07"}, {"url": "https://www.theweek.co.uk/news/politics/959678/is-a-better-brexit-actually-possible", "title": "Is a better Brexit actually possible? | The Week UK", "text": "We will use the details you have shared to manage your registration. You agree to the processing, storage, sharing and use of this information for the purpose of managing your registration as described in our Privacy Policy.\n\nWould you like to receive The WeekDay newsletter ?\n\nThe WeekDay newsletter provides you with a daily digest of news and analysis.\n\nWe will use the details you have shared to manage your newsletter subscription. You agree to the processing, storage, sharing and use of this information for the purpose of managing your subscription as described in our Privacy Policy.\n\nWe will use the information you have shared for carefully considered and specific purposes, where we believe we have a legitimate case to do so, for example to send you communications about similar products and services we offer. You can find out more about our legitimate interest activity in our Privacy Policy.\n\nIf you wish to object to the use of your data in this way, please tick here.\n\n'We' includes The Week and other Future Publishing Limited brands as detailed here.", "authors": ["Richard Windsor"], "publish_date": "2023/02/15"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/27/europe/brexit-2023-intl-analysis-cmd-gbr/index.html", "title": "Britain weathered political turmoil in 2022. But Brexit remains the ...", "text": "London CNN —\n\nThe past year has been one of the most tumultuous in modern British politics. The country has gone through three prime ministers, mourned the death of its longest-serving monarch, and is currently in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis that threatens to engulf the Conservative-voting middle classes.\n\nThe Prime Minister who seized the tiller, Rishi Sunak, spent the first weeks of his premiership trying to steady a rocky ship. His most recent predecessor, Liz Truss, had precipitated an almost unprecedented financial crisis with a reckless budget and was forced to resign after just six weeks; the previous occupant of 10 Downing Street, Boris Johnson, spent the final months of his premiership tarnishing the institution as he battled a series of damaging scandals.\n\nSunak’s pitch has been one of calm governance and sound economic policy that he hopes will narrow the huge polling gap between his Conservatives and the opposition Labour Party before the next general election, which must be held no later than January 2025.\n\nBut for all the carnage of 2022, one of the most consequential aspects of Britain’s new political reality has been barely discussed.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson walks back into 10 Downing Street in central London on July 7, 2022, after announcing his resignation as party leader. Daniel Leal/AFP/Getty Images\n\nBrexit-in-full began on 1 January 2021, when the UK made the transition from a nation that was essentially a member of the EU in all but name, to a separate entity bound to the bloc by a thin trade deal.\n\nThe consequences of that hard split have already hit the British economy.\n\n“The reality is that we increased supply-side barriers for British businesses looking to operate in the European market. So, for those businesses continuing to trade with the EU, those costs have increased, while some smaller businesses have just stopped working with the EU at all because it’s too complicated and expensive,” says Sam Lowe, a partner at Flint Global consulting agency.\n\nThe Office for Budget Responsibility confirmed earlier this year that both exports to and imports from the EU of goods and services have fallen since the full implementation of the Brexit deal, formally known as the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). The OBR concluded “there is little in the data” since the Brexit deal was implemented to suggest that the assumption of a 15% reduction in trade was misplaced.\n\nHowever abstract this might sound, the real-life impact has been vegetables left to rot and fish thrown back into the sea as British exporters miss the narrow windows to get their goods into the EU. From an import perspective, Brexit has made certain foods more expensive, exacerbating the cost-of-living crisis.\n\nBrexit’s consequences are not just economic. The UK and EU are still butting heads over the Northern Ireland Protocol - a central component of the Brexit deal agreed in 2019.\n\nFor various reasons, the UK has not fully implemented the protocol, which has led to a breakdown in the Unionist and Republican power-sharing agreement, leaving Northern Ireland without a functioning devolved government since February. Given Northern Ireland’s recent history, these tensions leave the principality in a precarious and potentially dangerous situation.\n\nBoris Johnson drives a Union flag-themed JCB, with the words \"Get Brexit Done\" inside the digger bucket, during a general election campaign event in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, on December 10, 2019. Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images\n\nUnder normal circumstances, government and opposition would be rushing to fix something causing such economic and social damage. However, six years since Brits voted to leave the EU, Brexit remains still anything but normal.\n\n“Both main parties still feel it suits them to not talk about Brexit in any real detail. The Conservative Party doesn’t see any benefit from getting into debates that highlight what isn’t working in a deal they negotiated and voted for,” says Raoul Ruparel, a former special adviser to the British government and leading expert on Brexit.\n\n“As for Labour, they probably cannot win a general election if people think they secretly want to rejoin the EU. Any policy that looks soft on Brexit will leave them open to attacks,” he adds.\n\nLabour leader Keir Starmer has put forward a five-point plan to make Brexit work. However, the plan makes perfectly clear that Labour has no intention to re-join the EU nor any of its satellite institutions.\n\nWhile this upsets many Labour members, accusations of Europhilia and secret plots to reverse Brexit could wreck all the work Starmer has done to bring the party closer to power than at any point in the recent past. A key aspect of Johnson’s 2019 landslide victory was Brexit-supporting traditionally Labour voters backing the Conservatives in former Labour heartlands. Starmer, bluntly, needs those votes to win.\n\nLabour Party leader Keir Starmer gives media interviews on the final day of the Labour Party conference on September 28, 2022 in Liverpool, England. Ian Forsyth/Getty Images\n\nThis is the predicament facing the leading lights of British politics as they prepare for the next election. Aspects of Brexit could be improved, compromises are there to be reached with Brussels. But no one wants to light the fuse on the most explosive political issue in recent memory for fear it blows up in their face.\n\nThe consequence of such inaction is, critics say, a country without a long-term sense of direction or purpose.\n\n“We are still lacking a strategy of where we want to go post-Brexit as a country,” says Ruparel.\n\n“Where do we see growth coming from? Will we remain closely tied to European markets or make a deliberate pivot to the wider world? What are our advantages? We can’t compete with the US and China on large-scale manufacturing, so do we position ourselves as a center for high-end research and innovation? This all feels undecided right now.”\n\nEven if Britain’s political class has a sudden change of heart, some experts suspect that we are beyond the point that anything significant can be done to mitigate the long-term impact of Brexit.\n\n“It’s the UK that’s dragged its feet on implementing the full Brexit deal because we know that the logistical difficulties caused by the new paperwork and checks make life harder for British consumers and businesses,” says Vicky Pryce, former joint head of the UK’s Government Economic Service.\n\n“That suits the EU well because it means it can complain about the UK not doing its bit while also revealing exactly where the power lies in any future negotiation. This is simply hurting the UK more than the EU,” she adds.\n\nWhat exactly those negotiations could be about is also unclear.\n\nBritain's new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak delivers a speech outside Number 10 Downing Street on October 25, 2022. Hannah McKay/Reuters\n\n“There’s remarkably little scope in the UK-EU trade deal for alterations,” says Anand Menon, director of the UK in a Changing Europe think tank. “They’d have to agree new deals in specific areas, which means more talks and compromise with Brussels. Which no UK politician will touch with a barge pole.”\n\nOne of the central claims that Brexit supporters made ahead of the vote in 2016 was that an independent UK would strike new trade deals and, free of EU rules and regulations, could make its economy more global and competitive.\n\nThe UK has signed new trade deals, most notably with Australia. But even the government’s own assessments predict it will have a negligible impact on GDP.\n\nBy contrast, the UK Office for Budget Responsibility, which produces economic forecasts for the government, expects Brexit to reduce Britain’s output by 4% over 15 years compared to if it had remained in the bloc. Exports and imports are projected to be around 15% lower in the long run.\n\nTruss tried to make supply-side reforms through lower taxes for businesses. Sunak is trying to do so by scrapping regulations on banks and the UK’s services sector. Johnson’s big plan was to make huge investments in the regions of the UK that have been left behind, creating new economic activity.\n\nQueen Elizabeth II waits in the Drawing Room before receiving newly elected leader of the Conservative party Liz Truss at Balmoral Castle for an audience where she will be invited to become Prime Minister and form a new government on September 6, 2022 in Aberdeen, Scotland. Jane Barlow/WPA Pool/Getty Images\n\nThe problem, as Lowe points out, with reforming your way to competitiveness, is that “every other country is trying to do exactly the same thing.”\n\nContrary to Boris Johnson’s 2019 election promise to “Get Brexit Done,” the UK’s departure from the EU continues to play a significant role in the politics of the country.\n\nIt might not have played a starring role in the political drama of this year, but it’s always there, an unresolved subplot rumbling away in the background.\n\nBrexit is a slow-burn issue, and it is unlikely that the UK will fall off a cliff overnight because of its effects. But the downsides of Brexit are impacting more people with greater regularity as time goes on.\n\nThe question Sunak and Starmer must ask themselves is whether ignoring Brexit and its consequences until after the next election is worth the risk. Because there is a chance that in the two years between now and an election, things suddenly get a lot worse.\n\nAnd if that happens, the public could be left wondering what the country’s top politicians were doing sticking their heads in the sand on arguably the most important issue facing their country today.", "authors": ["Luke Mcgee"], "publish_date": "2022/12/27"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/24/uk/profile-rishi-sunak-uk-politics-intl-gbr/index.html", "title": "Britain's new prime minister: Rishi Sunak, rich ex-banker who will be ...", "text": "London CNN —\n\nJust seven short weeks ago, it looked as if it might be all over for Rishi Sunak.\n\nThe former chancellor of the exchequer – the UK’s title for its chief finance minister – made a high-stakes gamble. He launched an attack that helped to end Boris Johnson’s premiership, put himself forward as his replacement, but ultimately lost to Liz Truss. Admitting defeat, he retreated to the parliamentary back benches.\n\nBut in a sign of just how unpredictable British politics has become, Sunak has returned triumphant from the political wilderness to replace Truss, whose premiership imploded last week.\n\nSunak was the only leadership hopeful to secure the support of 100 Conservative members of parliament, the necessary threshold set by party officials for potential candidates. He will become the first person of color to be British prime minister – and at the age of 42, he is also the youngest person to take the office in more than 200 years.\n\nHe was the last person standing after his rivals – Johnson and the Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt – fell by the wayside.\n\nSpeaking after being declared the new Conservative leader, Sunak said he was “honored and humbled” to become the next prime minister.\n\n“It is the greatest privilege of my life to be able to serve the party I love, and to be able to give back to the country i owe so much to,” Sunak said.\n\n“The United Kingdom is a great country, but there is no doubt we face a profound economic challenge,” he added. “We need stability and unity, and I will make it my utmost priority to bring our party and our country together.”\n\nSunak first publicly declared on Sunday morning that he would be standing in the contest. Other than that brief statement, he made no big pitch for the leadership this time round.\n\nIn the last contest, over the summer, he was widely seen as the more moderate of the two candidates. Compared to Truss, he took a less ideological line on matters like Brexit and the economy. (Unlike Truss, a remainer-turned hardline Brexiteer, Sunak voted for the UK to leave the European Union in the 2016 referendum.)\n\nLike Truss, Sunak promised a tough approach to illegal immigration and vowed to expand the government’s controversial Rwanda immigration policy.\n\nSunak, whose parents came to the UK from East Africa in the 1960s, is of Indian descent. His father was a local doctor while his mother ran a pharmacy in southern England, something Sunak says gave him his desire to serve the public.\n\n“British Indian is what I tick on the census, we have a category for it. I am thoroughly British, this is my home and my country, but my religious and cultural heritage is Indian, my wife is Indian. I am open about being a Hindu,” Sunak said in an interview with Business Standard in 2015.\n\nHe will be the first Hindu to become British prime minister, securing the position on Diwali, the festival of lights that marks one of the most important days of the Hindu calendar. Sunak himself made history in 2020 when he lit Diwali candles outside 11 Downing Street, the official residence of the UK chancellor.\n\nHe has faced challenges over his elite background, having studied at the exclusive Winchester College, Oxford and Stanford universities. He is known for his expensive taste in fashion and has worked for banks and hedge funds, including Goldman Sachs.\n\nBritish Prime Minister Rishi Sunak makes a statement outside No. 10 Downing Street after taking office on Tuesday, October 25. Leon Neal/Getty Images Sunak and Boris Johnson watch as a sheep is sheared during a visit to a farm in North Yorkshire, England, in July 2019. At the time Johnson was running to lead Britain's Conservative Party and Sunak was a member of Parliament. Oli Scarff/Pool/Reuters Johnson, as Prime Minister, holds his first Cabinet meeting in London in July 2019. Johnson appointed Sunak, seen on the right, as chief secretary to the Treasury. Aaron Chown/Pool/AFP/Getty Images Sunak speaks in front of the words \"Get Brexit Done\" at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, England, in September 2019. He voted for the UK to leave the European Union in the 2016 referendum. Danny Lawson/PA Images/Getty Images Sunak speaks during a general election debate in Cardiff, Wales, in November 2019. Hannah McKay/Pool/Getty Images Sunak poses for a picture at the Treasury Office in London in March 2020. Johnson promoted Sunak to chancellor in 2020. Paul Grover/Shutterstock Sunak is seen outside 11 Downing Street in London before heading to the House of Commons to deliver his budget in March 2020. Victoria Jones/PA ImagesGetty Images From left, Sunak, Johnson and Dr. Jenny Harries speak about the coronavirus pandemic at a media briefing in London in March 2020. Sunak won popularity during the early weeks of the pandemic when he unveiled an extensive support plan for those unable to work during lockdown. Julian Simmonds/Daily Telegraph/PA/AP Johnson and Sunak visit a London pizza restaurant as it prepared to reopen in July 2020 when lockdown rules were eased. Heathcliff O'Malley/Pool/AFP/Getty Images Douglas Ross, leader of the Scottish Conservative Party, meets with Sunak at Wemyss Bay on the west coast of Scotland in August 2020. Andy Buchanan/AFP/Getty Images Sunak meets with local businesses during a visit to the Isle of Bute in Scotland in August 2020. Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images Sunak learns the art of handling clay to make plates during a visit to a pottery business in Stoke-on-Trent, England, in September 2020. Employees were returning to work after being furloughed. Andrew Fox/Pool/Getty Images Sunak is seen on Downing Street ahead of a Cabinet meeting in September 2020. Stefan Rousseau/PA Images/Getty Images In October 2020, customers at the Tib Street Tavern in Manchester watch Sunak announce that the government will pay two-thirds of staff wages in pubs, restaurants and other businesses if they are forced to close under new coronavirus restrictions. Danny Lawson/PA/Getty Images Sunak delivers a speech during the annual Conservative Party Conference in Manchester in October 2021. Toby Melville/Reuters Sunak and his wife, Akshata Murty, speak to Prince Charles during a reception at the British Museum in London in February 2022. Murty is the daughter of an Indian billionaire. Earlier this year, Sunak and Murty appeared on the Sunday Times Rich List of the UK's 250 wealthiest people . The newspaper estimated their joint net worth at £730 million ($826 million). Tristan Fewings/Getty Images Sunak launches his bid to become leader of the Conservative Party in July 2022. Hollie Adams/Bloomberg/Getty Images Sunak and Murty are seen with their daughters, Krishna and Anoushka, while campaigning in Grantham, England, in July 2022. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images In August 2022, Sunak visits his family's old business, Bassett Pharmacy, in Southampton, England. His parents came to the UK from East Africa in the 1960s. His father was a local doctor while his mother ran a pharmacy in southern England, something Sunak says gave him his desire to serve the public. Stefan Rousseau/Pool/Reuters Sunak and Liz Truss stand together on stage during the final Conservative Party Hustings event in London in August 2022. At the time, they were the final two contenders to become the country's next Prime Minister. Truss defeated Sunak with 81,326 votes to 60,399 among party members. When she announced her resignation weeks later, he became the frontrunner to replace her. Susannah Ireland/AFP/Getty Images Graham Brady — chairman of the 1922 Committee — announces October 24 that Sunak will become the new leader of the Conservative Party. Stefan Rousseau/PA/Getty Images Sunak waves in London after winning the Conservative Party leadership contest on October 24. David Cliff/AP King Charles III welcomes Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become prime minister on October 25. Aaron Chown/AP In pictures: UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Prev Next\n\nSunak has also been scrutinized over the tax arrangements of his wife Akshata Murty, the daughter of an Indian billionaire.\n\nEarlier this year, Sunak and Murty appeared on the Sunday Times Rich List of the UK’s 250 wealthiest people – the newspaper estimated their joint net worth at £730 million ($826 million).\n\nSunak’s election on Monday marks the pinnacle of what has been a speedy rise to power. He was first elected as an MP in 2015 and spent two years on the back benches before becoming a junior minister in Theresa May’s government. Johnson gave Sunak his first major government role, appointing him as chief secretary to the Treasury in 2019 and promoting him to chancellor in 2020.\n\nSunak has experience of economic crisis-fighting, having guided the UK through the Covid-19 pandemic, and positioned himself as the “sound finance” candidate.\n\nDuring the pandemic, Sunak put in place measures worth £400 billion ($452 billion) aimed at boosting the economy, including a generous furlough scheme, business loans and discounts on eating in restaurants. But that stimulus came at a huge cost and left the government scrambling to find savings.\n\nSunak was an early critic of Truss’ economic plan, which was panned by investors, the International Monetary Fund and credit ratings agencies. While he also advocated for lower taxes, he said tax could only be cut once inflation is brought under control, which could take several years.\n\nHis warning over the summer that Truss’ unfunded tax cuts could spark panic in the financial markets turned out to be true. The British pound crashed to a record low against the US dollar when Truss and her Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng unveiled their plan. Prices of UK government bonds rose at the fastest pace ever, sending borrowing costs skyrocketing.\n\nHe also secured the most votes from MPs in the last leadership election – comfortably clearing the new threshold with 137 endorsements. Although Truss eventually won the decisive vote among grassroots members, Sunak was not far behind, gaining 43% of the vote.\n\nSecond chance\n\nJohnson has made no secret of the fact that he believes Sunak betrayed him by resigning from his government, triggering his resignation on July 7 after a string of scandals made his position untenable.\n\nJohnson’s downfall followed months of revelations of parties held in 10 Downing Street while the rest of the country was under Covid lockdown restrictions. Johnson himself was fined by the police, making him the first prime minister in history found to have broken the law in office.\n\nFor a long time, Sunak stood by Johnson – especially since he too was fined in the so-called Partygate scandal.\n\nBut he turned against him after Johnson was slow to act when his deputy chief whip responsible for party discipline, Chris Pincher, was accused of sexually assaulting two men at a party in early July. (Pincher later said he had “drunk far too much,” although has not directly addressed the allegations.)\n\nSunak’s shock resignation from Johnson’s cabinet over the Pincher scandal set into motion a series of high-profile resignations that led to Johnson’s demise – and ultimately, to his own rise to the Downing Street.\n\nSunak faces an enormous task. The UK is in the midst of a deep cost-of-living crisis and soaring inequality. Financial markets are still spooked after Truss’ disastrous economic policy missteps.\n\nThe Conservative party, already unpopular after 12 years in power, has plunged itself into a state of utter chaos over the past four months and is now well behind the opposition Labour party in opinion polls. The only comfort for Sunak is that he doesn’t have to call an election until January 2025.", "authors": ["Ivana Kottasová Luke Mcgee", "Ivana Kottasová", "Luke Mcgee"], "publish_date": "2022/10/24"}, {"url": "https://www.theweek.co.uk/news/politics/959877/windsor-framework-has-rishi-sunak-got-brexit-done", "title": "Windsor framework: has Rishi Sunak got Brexit done? | The Week UK", "text": "Rishi Sunak has hailed his Brexit deal with the EU as a “new way forward”, claiming the so-called “Windsor framework” unveiled yesterday represents a “decisive breakthrough” on the rules governing trade in Northern Ireland.\n\nThe widely expected backlash from Tory Eurosceptics has so far “failed to materialise”, said The Telegraph, with even Steve Baker, a diehard Brexiteer and member of the hardline European Research Group of Tory MPs, congratulating Sunak and claiming: “He’s done it.”\n\nBut does this deal really represent the end of seven long years of negotiations between the UK and EU and the promise made by multiple prime ministers during that time to “get Brexit done”?\n\nWhat did the papers say?\n\n“Yes, there may still be a devil in the details,” said The Sun, “but his new deal on Northern Ireland looks a big win.”\n\nThe paper congratulated Sunak, adding that “he may just have got Brexit done at last”.\n\nAsking whether the deal represented a “light at the end of the (now-infamous) tunnel”, Politico said: “There are hopes stretching from the press pack of political journalists to Conservatives scarred from the Brexit battles of the past half decade that within a few weeks Westminster will never have to talk about ongoing Brexit negotiations again. Maybe.”\n\n“We’ve been here before,” warned John Crace in The Guardian. First there was Theresa May’s Chequers agreement, then Boris Johnson’s “oven-ready” deal. Now Rishi Sunak’s Windsor framework, “the likeliest contender yet”, he said. “Not least because everyone is so fed up with Brexit – no one wants reminding of what a disaster it has been – that even the hardest of hardliners can’t be bothered to oppose it.”\n\nThe Windsor framework is “an acknowledgement of a central reality of Brexit”, said BBC political editor Chris Mason. “Northern Ireland continues to have a different relationship with the EU than the rest of the UK and for as long as governments at Westminster say ‘no’ to closer economic ties with Brussels, that different relationship is guaranteed.\n\n“It is a relationship destined to be bespoke, challenging and awkward – juggling a project about borders, Brexit, with an open border between Northern Ireland and the Republic,” he said. “While many in Northern Ireland are comfortable with that, some unionists will probably never be.”\n\nWhat next?\n\nNo. 10 will now wait for the all-important backing for the deal from the Democratic Unionist Party. Sunak has said he is “confident” his new arrangement addresses the DUP’s concerns as he travelled to Belfast this morning to sell it to the people of Northern Ireland.", "authors": ["The Week Staff"], "publish_date": "2023/02/28"}, {"url": "https://www.theweek.co.uk/news/uk-news/959727/brexit-deal-can-rishi-sunak-win-over-the-dup", "title": "Brexit deal: can Rishi Sunak win over the DUP? | The Week UK", "text": "Rishi Sunak has travelled to Northern Ireland today to start a weekend of talks aimed at pushing through a new agreement on the Northern Ireland Protocol.\n\nThe outline of a deal has reportedly been agreed with the EU, but the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is yet to give its blessing. Its leadership insists that Northern Ireland must not be legally separate from the rest of the UK.\n\nSunak met leaders of both the DUP and Sinn Féin at a hotel near Belfast today in an attempt to secure their backing for his plan. Later, he will travel to Germany to discuss the revised protocol with other EU leaders.\n\nIn a sign that a deal is “imminent”, the EU summoned diplomats from its 27 member states to a briefing on the issue this morning, said The Guardian. James Cleverly, the foreign secretary, has also been holding talks with European Commission vice-president Maroš Šefčovič.\n\nWhat did the papers say?\n\n“Is a deal done? From what I hear, not quite,” the BBC’s Brussels correspondent Jessica Parker tweeted.\n\nTwo main “stumbling blocks” remain: the movement of goods, and how any disputes will be resolved – with or without the European Court of Justice (ECJ).\n\n“All of a sudden 2023 feels like 2018,” said Finn McRedmond in The New Statesman. “Once again, the tricky constitutional status of Northern Ireland sits at the centre of the debate.”\n\nSince Brexit negotiations began, the Irish border has played an outsized role. All sides committed to preserving cross-border trade and travel, but that principle set up a conflict between Unionists, who wanted equally free trade between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, and the EU, which wanted to protect its internal market from goods arriving from the UK.\n\nThe proposed solution was the Northern Ireland Protocol, agreed as part of the post-Brexit deal in December 2020. It introduced some checks for goods moving between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.\n\nThe deal now being discussed “is expected to include a settlement on an elimination of some checks on goods going from Great Britain to Northern Ireland and a new dispute resolution mechanism not involving the European court of justice (ECJ) in the first instance,” said The Guardian.", "authors": ["Asya Likhtman"], "publish_date": "2023/02/17"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/24/uk/gallery/rishi-sunak/index.html", "title": "Photos: UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak | CNN", "text": "British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak makes a statement outside No. 10 Downing Street after taking office on Tuesday, October 25.\n\nRishi Sunak is the United Kingdom's latest prime minister, replacing Liz Truss — the country's shortest-serving leader of all time.\n\nSunak is the first Hindu and the first person of color to lead the UK. At the age of 42, he is also the youngest person to take the office in more than 200 years.\n\nThe contest was staged after Truss quit as prime minister following a disastrous six-week term.\n\nSunak was first elected to Parliament in 2015, and he spent two years on the backbenches when Brexit dominated the political agenda. He subsequently became a junior minister in Theresa May's government.\n\nIt was Boris Johnson who gave Sunak his first major government role when he first appointed him as the chief secretary to the Treasury in 2019. Johnson also promoted Sunak to chancellor in 2020.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/10/24"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/20/uk/conservative-party-leader-final-two-intl-gbr/index.html", "title": "Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss are final candidates in race to succeed ...", "text": "London CNN —\n\nBoris Johnson will be succeeded as prime minister of the United Kingdom by either Rishi Sunak or Liz Truss after the Conservative Party leadership race was on Wednesday narrowed down to the final two candidates.\n\nJohnson resigned as party leader earlier this month after a series of scandals led to dozens of ministerial resignations. Ten Conservatives stood in the contest to replace him, and over five rounds of voting, members of parliament whittled those down to two.\n\nSunak won 137 votes and Truss got 113 votes in the final round, while Penny Mordaunt with 105 votes lost out.\n\nBoth of the final two candidates took to Twitter to comment on the result.\n\n“Grateful that my colleagues have put their trust in me today. I will work night and day to deliver our message around the country,” tweeted Sunak.\n\nFor her part, Truss tweeted: “Thank you for putting your trust in me. I’m ready to hit the ground running from day one.”\n\nNow about 160,000 rank-and-file members of the party will have their say, and in September the winner – and next prime minister – will be announced.\n\nBoth candidates who made it to the final two in the Conservative party leadership contest served in Johnson’s government, and could therefore be marred by the scandals that brought Johnson down.\n\nThe first was Johnson whipping his members of parliament to protect a political ally found to have breached lobbying rules, and ended with revelations that Johnson appointed as his deputy chief whip Chris Pincher, a man who’d been accused of sexual assault multiple times.\n\nThe best known scandal was “Partygate” in which Johnson and several political allies – including Sunak – were fined by police for breaching the government’s own Covid-19 restrictions. This made Johnson the first premier in history to be found guilty of having broken the law in office.\n\nThe task facing the final two candidates is enormous enough, with the UK suffering a cost-of-living crisis and the Conservative Party increasingly unpopular after 12 years in power. And as soon as the new leader takes over, the opposition Labour Party will be only too willing to remind whoever succeeds Johnson that they were part of that government.\n\nOn Wednesday, Johnson attended his final Prime Minister’s Questions session in the House of Commons. He boasted about his government’s response to the pandemic and his support of Ukraine in its defense against Russia.\n\n“We’ve helped, I’ve helped, get this country through a pandemic and help save another country from barbarism. And frankly, that’s enough to be going on with. Mission largely accomplished,” Johnson said. “I want to thank everybody here and hasta la vista, baby.”\n\nVideo Ad Feedback 'Hasta la vista, baby': Boris Johnson bows out to lawmakers' applause 01:38 - Source: CNN\n\nThe final round of the leadership race took place amid a record-breaking heatwave, which sparked wildfires and highlighted the UK’s under-preparedness for the climate emergency as well as the need for urgent measures to curb carbon emissions.\n\nHere is what you need to know about the two final candidates:\n\nSunak served as the UK's finance minister from 2020-2022. Leon Neal/Getty Images\n\nRishi Sunak\n\nSunak has been considered the frontrunner for a long time. He served as Johnson’s Chancellor of the Exchequer (finance minister) from 2020 to 2022, and gained a largely positive public profile after introducing popular measures during the coronavirus pandemic, such as the furlough scheme and discounts on eating in restaurants.\n\nHe has recently come under pressure over questions regarding the tax status of his wife, Akshata Murthy, a multi-millionaire who is domiciled in India.\n\nSome Conservatives were worried that Sunak found this level of scrutiny hard, and are concerned he would buckle under the pressure of being prime minister.\n\nDespite this, he has consistently led the pack among Conservative MPs in the first rounds of voting.\n\nPolling of Conservative members can be difficult, especially at such tumultuous times, but in those that have taken place Sunak has consistently come second to Truss among party members.\n\nEven if he did make it to power, he would have to overcome criticism from political enemies of all stripes. Opposition leaders would be quick to remind Sunak that he was fined at the same Partygate event as Johnson.\n\nThey will also ask why Sunak remained loyal to Johnson for so long, only resigning after the scandal involving Johnson’s chief whip, Chris Pincher.\n\nThings get worse when you factor in Johnson loyalists, who believe that Sunak’s resignation was the moment Johnson’s premiership began to crumble.\n\nSo, while Sunak might be the frontrunner, he will be surrounded by enemies on all sides.\n\nTruss is currently UK foreign secretary. Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images\n\nLiz Truss\n\nTruss also has a Johnson association problem. She is still serving as Johnson’s foreign secretary and will do so until he finally leaves office in September. She has stood by her leader throughout all of his scandals, justifying that fact she didn’t resign over the Pincher scandal because she was coordinating the UK’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.\n\nThat explanation might wash with some, however Truss is also largely thought of by Conservatives as the Johnson continuation candidate. Among her chief endorsers are some of Johnson’s most loyal allies, which could make dissociating herself from the current PM tricky.\n\nIt will also be tricky to distance herself from Johnson’s policies. Truss, who voted for the UK to remain in the European Union, has become an arch-Brexiteer since the 2016 referendum.\n\nSince Johnson has taken office, she’s been his trade secretary and his foreign secretary. As the former, she has tub-thumped as loudly as Johnson over each and every trade deal signed, even ones that were simply rollover deals from the UK’s time in the EU.\n\nShe has also been an ardent supporter of Johnson’s plan to rewrite a controversial part of the Brexit deal, the Northern Ireland Protocol.\n\nTruss has spent much of her time in high office building a power base and is very popular among both MPs and the Conservative grassroots.\n\nSunak and Truss will now spend the summer campaigning to Conservative grassroot members before the victor is announced by the party on September 5.\n\nAfter that, Johnson will resign to the Queen, whom his successor will then visit and be invited to form a government.", "authors": ["Luke Mcgee"], "publish_date": "2022/07/20"}]}
{"question_id": "20230303_24", "search_time": "2023/03/15/03:29", "search_result": []}
{"question_id": "20230303_25", "search_time": "2023/03/15/03:29", "search_result": []}
{"question_id": "20230303_26", "search_time": "2023/03/15/03:29", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.theweek.co.uk/news/sport/football/956492/quadruple-can-liverpool-achieve-footballing-immortality", "title": "The 'quadruple': can Liverpool achieve footballing immortality? | The ...", "text": "Eleven games, said Barney Ronay in The Observer: perform well in them and Liverpool could achieve footballing immortality. Winning the “quadruple” – all four major trophies in a single season – is a feat no English club has achieved, and which some say is all but impossible given the relentlessness of the modern game. But Liverpool undoubtedly are in with a shot, all the more so after making the FA Cup final with their 3-2 defeat of Manchester City last Saturday. Jürgen Klopp’s team have already won the Carabao Cup, are in the semi-finals of the Champions League, and are very much in contention in the Premier League, where they are in a tight battle with Manchester City. Winning the quadruple “will take luck, brilliance and plenty more luck” – apart from anything else, it depends on City dropping points in at least one of their remaining Premier League matches – but it’s looking more and more doable with each passing game.\n\nLiverpool’s victory over City on Saturday – and their 4-0 thrashing of Manchester United in midweek – certainly suggests they are peaking at the right time, said Sam Wallace in The Sunday Telegraph. In a first half at Wembley, which Klopp described as the best 45 minutes of his Anfield tenure, the Reds were simply unstoppable: they put three goals past Pep Guardiola’s side, including two from Sadio Mané. Even though City scored right after the interval, a comeback never looked on the cards – until Bernardo Silva “finally made it a Cup tie” by scoring in the 91st minute.\n\nHighly impressive as Liverpool were, it would be a mistake to read too much into this victory, said Oliver Holt in the Daily Mail. In truth, the match “was over before it began” – thanks to several key City players being injured (including the irreplaceable Kevin De Bruyne) and the whole team being “emotionally and physically exhausted” by their exertions against Atlético Madrid in the Champions League last week. With a squad that lacks the depth of Liverpool’s, Guardiola seems to have “narrowed” his focus this season to trying to win both the Premier and Champions leagues.\n\nNot long ago, it was a consensus among football experts that no other contemporary coach “could hold a candle to Guardiola”, said Oliver Brown in The Daily Telegraph. As Klopp continues to work wonders at Anfield, that is being revised. The German has now beaten the Catalan ten times, and while he has won far less silverware in his career overall, he arguably has a superior ability to forge close emotional bonds with the clubs he manages. “At 54, Klopp has presided over three clubs” – Mainz, Dortmund and Liverpool – and has “attained the status of a demigod at every one”. No wonder, then, that in the ongoing debate about “two managers of generational brilliance”, Klopp is arguably “now edging in front”.", "authors": ["The Week Staff"], "publish_date": "2022/04/21"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/08/football/liverpool-manchester-city-mo-salah-kevin-de-bruyne-premier-league-spt-intl/index.html", "title": "Manchester City vs. Liverpool FC: Premier League showdown could ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nNo trophy will be lifted at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, but when the dust settles on this Premier League season, April 10 may well be remembered as its defining date.\n\nOn paper, Manchester City’s impending showdown with Liverpool is no more significant than any other ‘title-deciding’ fixture between the two leading teams that often surfaces towards the end of a Premier League season.\n\nBoth teams will still have another seven games to navigate and come full-time on Sunday, the largest the gap could be extended would be – if City were to win – a mere four points.\n\nAnd yet – at the risk of tempting fate and beckoning the most underwhelming, dull 90 minutes imaginable – Sunday’s clash could determine the destiny of three different competitions and mark a pivotal chapter in a team’s ascent to legendary status within English football.\n\nA league of their own\n\nAs has been the case for all but one of the last four seasons, City and Liverpool have once again effectively played in a league of their own.\n\nThe Reds sit a point off City, 13 clear of Chelsea in third. Liverpool and City are the only two sides in the league to have scored 70 or more goals and also boast the best defensive records with just 38 goals conceded between them.\n\nIt is a testament to the closeness of the two sides that City have just one more point than the Reds during that period, with 338 points racked up across just 144 games.\n\nMohamed Salah of Liverpool scores during a 2-2 draw with Manchester City in October 2021. Michael Regan/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images\n\nThe nearest? Chelsea – the team initially tipped to break the pair’s monopoly this season – chasing shadows on 264 points, with Manchester United marginally behind on 257.\n\nThey are not just dominant in England. City and Liverpool are the best two teams in Europe, according to data provider Nielsen Gracenote’s Euro Club Index, which ranks sides across the continent.\n\nWith Liverpool recently overtaking German giant Bayern Munich in the rankings, “the gap between England’s best two teams has never been as small as it is now,” Gracenote said.\n\nHistory beckons\n\nYet clinching the league title – in what will be City’s fourth in five years or Liverpool’s second in three – could end up forming just one branch of an even greater, historic achievement.\n\nOn April 16, the two sides will meet in an FA Cup semifinal, with the victor returning to Wembley to face either Chelsea or Crystal Palace on May 14.\n\nThere is then the possibility that the pair could face each other again in the Stade de France in Paris two weeks later for the biggest game in club football, the Champions League final.\n\nShould Liverpool and City see out quarterfinal first leg advantages over Benfica and Atletico Madrid respectively, they would not face each other in the semifinal due to being on opposite sides of the draw.\n\nIf City go on to clinch the league and FA Cup, May 28 could represent the chance to complete a historic treble. For all the accolades and tumbled records during coach Pep Guardiola’s time in Manchester, the Champions League remains an elusive prize for City.\n\nManchester City celebrated yet another Premier League triumph in 2021. PETER POWELL/AFP/POOL/AFP via Getty Images\n\nAfter the pain of falling at the last hurdle to Chelsea in Porto last year, victory in Paris would be the crowning achievement of the Spaniard’s tenure. To do it as part of a treble – with arch rivals Manchester United the only other English team to achieve the feat – would cement a historic legacy.\n\nFor Liverpool and coach Jürgen Klopp, having already won the League Cup in February, an unprecedented quadruple remains entirely possible.\n\nStripped of the opportunity to savor a first league title in 30 years in front of their fans in 2020 as games were played to empty stadiums in the pandemic, besting City this year would offer the chance to make up for lost celebrations.\n\nUnlike City, Liverpool are no strangers to European Cup glory with six victories, but winning a seventh alongside the three domestic trophies would lift them into unparalleled territory as the only English side to win all four.\n\nLiverpool lifted a sixth Champions League title after defeating Tottenham Hotspur in 2019. GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/AFP via Getty Images\n\n‘Don’t be afraid to make mistakes’\n\nThe game’s outcome may rest on the performances of each club’s talismanic players, notably Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and City’s Kevin De Bruyne.\n\nSalah and De Bruyne have once again enjoyed stellar seasons, with both in the running to be crowned the Premier League’s player of the season for a second time.\n\nAlready boasting 20 goals, Salah looks set to finish the campaign as the league’s highest scorer for the third time in just five seasons on Merseyside – a haul made all the more impressive by the fact he trails only teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold for assists with 10.\n\nDespite missing a number of early games through injury, De Bruyne has again been an integral cog in Guardiola’s City machine, scoring 10 and assisting three from midfield.\n\nWhile Salah has scored just once in his last seven games, De Bruyne has weighed in with three goals in each of City’s last three matches and crucially scored the winner against Atletico Madrid in Tuesday’s Champions League quarterfinal first-leg tie.\n\n“He is in the best moment of the season right now – he is sharp, quick and positive,” Guardiola told reporters after the Atletico win. “His influence in our game is massive.”\n\nIn an interview with City’s website last month, De Bruyne said it was important for him as a player not to be afraid to make mistakes.\n\n“Sometimes, people will be scared to make a pass knowing the reaction outside. If people react to a bad pass, whatever,” said De Bruyne.\n\n“Try to get the ball back again, try to do the same action or try something else. It doesn’t matter.\n\n“I don’t care about pass completion. That’s not what I am here for. I am here to do what I am good at.”\n\nDe Bruyne has starred again for City this season. OLI SCARFF/AFP/AFP via Getty Images\n\nHowever, for leading sports scientist Simon Brundish there can only be one choice for player of the season – the ever-present ‘Egyptian King.’\n\n“If it’s not Salah, there’s something going on,” said Brundish, who makes no secret of his allegiances to Liverpool on social media. “I don’t think it should even be discussed.\n\n“Despite his reputation as a greedy goalscorer, apart from creating the most chances of anybody, he sprints more than everybody else has, and he plays the most games of anybody in England.\n\n“The metabolic cost of this guy is off the charts – he’s always available. He is the guy in the dressing room, he’s the one they look to.”\n\nParadoxically, Brundish believes it is the very trait that sets him apart that explains his recent dip in form – a fatigued Salah is “running on fumes.”\n\nAfter an electric first-half of the season, Salah has scored just once since a brace in a 6-0 rout of Leeds at the end of February, and again cut a frustrated figure despite victory over Benfica in midweek.\n\n“He does tend to have a dip in spring because his availability is so high, he never gets a break,” Brundish said.\n\n“His dip is still the best forward in the league, but it’s a dip by his standards – it’s not his peak period.”\n\nSalah again failed to find the net in Liverpool's Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Benfica on Tuesday. Valter Gouveia/NurPhoto/Getty Images\n\nContract uncertainty\n\nStill to sign a new deal at Anfield to extend his stay past next season, questions continue to swirl over Salah’s contract situation, yet Brundish has only one for Liverpool: “What are you doing?”\n\nThe sports scientist believes if the negotiations have stalled over a question of money, then paying up for the “best value” attacker in Europe is a no-brainer.\n\nCollating the top 200 forwards in Europe – dividing transfer fee and wages by goals, assists, and expected goals [xG] created – Brundish calculated that Salah had cost Liverpool around £50,000 per goal or assist.\n\nBayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski was the next most economical on £68,000, with the other 198 totalling £100,000 or more.\n\n“If you’ve had this much value from a lad, then perhaps even if he wanted more than market rate, he probably has earned it,” Brundish said.\n\n‘Whoever wins probably wins the Champions League too’\n\nBrundish believes the fate of the Champions League may well rest on the balance of Sunday’s game, an outcome that sits “on a knife edge.”\n\n“Whoever wins is going to win the Premier League,” Brundish told CNN. “I would go as far as to say whoever wins probably wins the Champions League too.\n\n“I’m not on board with ‘one will win one, one will win the other,’ I think it’s only psychology at play here.”\n\nNeither manager shares Brundish’s conviction, at least not publicly.\n\nSpeaking after Tuesday’s victory over Benfica, Klopp said nothing would be decided by a win against “the best team in the world” on Sunday.\n\nGuardiola went a step further following a recent league win at Burnley, saying that his side would need to win every remaining game of the season to secure the title.\n\nKlopp (L) and Guardiola (R) have been coy in press conferences regarding their side's title chances. Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Getty Images\n\n“We have to feel the pressure that every game we are going to play where we lose, we are not going to win – we are out [of the title],” Guardiola said.\n\n“We have to win eight games, otherwise we are not champions.”\n\nGracenote’s analysis predicts the result of Sunday’s game – if there is a winner – is likely to be decisive in the Premier League title race.\n\nVictory for City would see their chances of winning the league soar from 61% to 86%, while a Liverpool win would make them new favorites, lifting their odds from 39% to 68%, says the data provider.", "authors": ["Jack Bantock"], "publish_date": "2022/04/08"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/27/football/carabao-cup-final-liverpool-chelsea-spt-intl/index.html", "title": "Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga misses decisive penalty as ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nLiverpool won the Carabao Cup after narrowly edging a dramatic penalty shootout.\n\nFollowing 120 minutes of pulsating action at Wembley Stadium, Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga missed the decisive penalty after his Liverpool counterpart Caoimhin Kelleher had scored.\n\nThere had been multiple goals ruled out during the game, with very little to separate two excellent teams.\n\nBut after some excellently taken penalties, with no players missing and neither keepers making a save, Arrizabalaga – subbed on shortly before the final whistle because of his penalty shootout expertise – blasted the decisive penalty over the bar.\n\nThe Carabao Cup victory is Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp’s first domestic cup victory since he joined in 2015.\n\nArrizabalaga misses a penalty in the Carabao Cup final. GLYN KIRK/AFP/AFP via Getty Images\n\nNip and tuck\n\nIt was the European champions who started on top, with American forward Christian Pulisic shooting straight at Kelleher in the Liverpool goal from close range inside the opening 10 minutes.\n\nBut after a fast start from Chelsea, Liverpool fought its way back into the game, dominating the ball and possession whilst struggling to break down a stubborn and resolute defense.\n\nOn the half hour mark, Chelsea keeper Edouard Mendy pulled off a remarkable double save, first saving Naby Keita’s driving shot and then denying Sadio Mane from close range when it looked easier to score.\n\nAnd just before the halftime break, Mason Mount had an excellent opportunity to open the scoring, but his volley from close range flew just past Kelleher’s post.\n\nMount misses a chance against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final. Shaun Botterill/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images\n\nThe England international had another excellent chance to get his goal minutes into the second half, but instead hit the post after being excellently played through by Pulisic.\n\nDespite Chelsea’s pressure, Mohamed Salah had a fantastic opportunity to break the deadlock but his chip was cleared of the line by a diving Thiago Silva.\n\nLiverpool thought it had finally got the lead after Joel Matip headed home from close range after what appeared to be a cleverly worked freekick. However, after a VAR review, it was deemed that Virgil van Dijk had been interfering with play from an offside position in the buildup as the goal was ruled out.\n\nLiverpool’s January addition from Porto, Luis Díaz, could only shoot straight at Mendy minutes later.\n\nKlopp holds his head as he reacts to his side's goal being ruled out for offside in the Carabao Cup final. GLYN KIRK/AFP/AFP via Getty Images\n\nChelsea had its own goal ruled out for offside in the 77th minute, second half substitute Timo Werner offside before he crossed for his fellow German international Kai Havertz to head home.\n\nAfter some tight and nervy minutes, van Dijk’s header from a corner kick in stoppage time looked like it might win the game, only for Mendy to claw it out.\n\nWith almost the final kick of the game, Romelu Lukaku nearly grabbed a winner, but his close-range effort was kept out by Kelleher.\n\nThe Belgian striker thought he’d given his side a valuable lead in the opening few minutes of extra-time, but he had just strayed offside.\n\nHavertz had the ball in the net again, but once again, the offside flag ruled it out.\n\nJust seconds before the game went to a penalty shootout, the drama was heightened even more when Chelsea’s superstar keeper Mendy was substituted for Kepa Arrizabalaga in an effort to provide a winning edge.\n\nVisit CNN.com/sport for more news, features, and videos\n\nHowever, both Arrizabalaga and Kelleher had few chances to save penalties, such was the high standard of them.\n\nAnd after all 10 players on both teams scored, it came down to the keepers.\n\n23-year-old Kelleher blasted home before Arrizabalaga blasted his effort over the bar, sealing the victory for Liverpool.", "authors": ["Ben Morse"], "publish_date": "2022/02/27"}, {"url": "https://www.theweek.co.uk/news/sport/football/958940/2022-fifa-world-cup-final-argentina-vs-france-prediction-preview", "title": "Argentina vs. France prediction, preview, team news, odds – Fifa ...", "text": "It all comes down to one last game in Qatar – the holders France against Argentina in the 2022 Fifa World Cup final at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar. With two of the world’s best players in opposition on Sunday, it promises to be an exciting clash for the neutrals, but a nerve-wracking one for fans of the respective finalists. Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina team started their Qatar 2022 campaign with a shock 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia, but 2-0 victories over Mexico and Poland ensured that they qualified as group C winners. In the knockouts La Albiceleste beat Australia 2-1 in the round of 16, the Netherlands on penalties in the quarter-finals, and Croatia 3-0 in the semi-final. Didier Deschamps’s France won their two opening group D games – 4-1 against Australia and 2-1 against Denmark – and although they lost 1-0 to Tunisia, Les Bleus qualified as group winners. France beat Poland 3-1 in the round of 16, England 2-1 in the quarter-finals, and Morocco 2-0 in the semi-finals. Both nations are aiming for their third World Cup win. France were triumphant at Russia 2018 and on home soil in 1998, while Argentina won at Mexico 1986 and on home soil in 1978. Messi vs. Mbappé: a ‘dream final’ for Qatar Argentina’s Lionel Messi and France’s Kylian Mbappé have lit up Qatar 2022 and they will go head-to-head for a possible World Cup triple: winning the trophy, the golden boot for top goalscorer and the golden ball for the tournament’s best player. With five goals apiece, Messi leads the golden boot race having provided three assists compared to Mbappé’s two. Rivals on the international stage, the duo are club team-mates at Paris Saint-Germain and form two-thirds of the “M-N-M” attack, along with Brazil’s Neymar. As well as the team trophy and individual awards at stake on Sunday, there’s also the bragging rights for when they return to the French capital. Messi vs. Mbappé is the “dream World Cup final” for Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, said Jesús Mata in Spanish newspaper Marca. PSG have been owned by Qatar Sports Investments since 2011. The final represents different scenarios for the two No.10s. Mbappé, 23, is aiming for a second World Cup winners’ medal having starred for Les Bleus in Russia four years ago. Meanwhile, Argentina captain Messi, 35, has played in five World Cups for his country, but has never won the trophy. Having already broken Argentina’s all-time World Cup goals tally with his 11th, a penalty against Croatia, he is set to add another record this weekend. Barring a late injury, Messi will make history on Sunday by appearing for a men’s record 26th time in the World Cup – in what will be his last World Cup match. Skip advert\n\nThis World Cup final “could be one for the ages”, said Phil McNulty on BBC Sport. And on the evidence of what we have seen in Qatar so far, “it is too close to call”. The result could even come down to “one moment of genius” from the two players “most likely to provide it”. Messi? Deschamps only bothered by one objective French boss Deschamps is aiming to become just the “second manager to win successive World Cups”, said the BBC. He was asked about the “will for Messi to win” his final World Cup game and whether if it had left him feeling “alone in the world”. The 54-year-old replied that he was “fine being alone” and that “doesn’t bother me”. “I don’t have any particular worries or stress about the game,” he added. “When you prepare for a game like this you need to keep your focus, remain composed, but, of course, in a World Cup final especially you have the match and the whole context behind that. Of course, the objective is to come out with the title. “I know Argentina and many people around the world, and maybe some French people as well, would hope that Lionel Messi could win the World Cup, but we’re going to do everything to achieve our objective.” 2022 Fifa World Cup match facts Who: Argentina vs. France\n\nWhen: Sunday 18 December 2022\n\nWhere: Lusail Stadium, Al Daayen, Qatar\n\nKick-off time: 3pm (all times GMT) How to watch on TV in the UK The BBC and ITV have split the coverage of the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar, but for the final they will both show Argentina vs. France on Sunday. ITV’s coverage is from 1.30pm to 6pm, while the BBC’s is from 1.50pm to 5.45pm. The final kicks off at 3pm. Predictions and odds “Do I have to? Really?”, said Joe Brennan on AS. “I will go for a draw after 120 minutes” and “endless penalties” until every player and substitute scores and the managers have to take one each. Then Scaloni “buries his” and Argentina win. “OK, maybe it doesn’t play out exactly like that, but it’s the only way my brain can compute how to separate these two football giants. I predict an Argentina... win? Wait, do I?” Skip advert Athos Salome, nicknamed the “Living Nostradamus”, correctly predicted that France will face Argentina in the World Cup final, “before a ball was kicked in Qatar”, said the Daily Star. And now the Brazilian has revealed who he reckons will win the tournament. Making his predictions based on a system called “Kabbalah” that “analyses mathematical probabilities”, unfortunately for France, Salome’s senses have told him that Argentina will emerge victorious in the finale.\n\nThis game has “just about everything” with “immense quality” all over the pitch and it could come down to “a moment of pure genius” from any of the world-class talents available to Deschamps and Scaloni, said Jack Rathborn in the Independent. For that reason “we’ll side with Messi”, a man “possessed” and surely determined to “not let this rare second chance pass him by”. He may have to wait until extra-time for his moment, but we’re “picking Messi to drag his side to victory once again”. Prediction: Argentina 2-1 France AET. There’s “enough talent” in both sides for this game – which is “devoid of a clear favourite” – to be decided by “a moment of magic”, said Grey Whitebloom on 90min.com. But there has been “plenty of evidence” this winter to suggest “a mistake may prove even more likely and pivotal”. Argentina, Messi and their “deafening travelling support” may just edge out Mbappé and Co. Prediction: Argentina 2-1 France. While Messi would appear to be “destined for the ultimate glory”, this French team “will take some beating”, said Jonathan Gorrie in the London Evening Standard. “Seemingly incapable of panicking” and boasting “obvious firepower”, they could “feasibly weather the Argentine storm” on their way to a third World Cup win. Prediction: France to win 2-1. There’s not much between these teams and “I can see it going all the way to penalties”, where Argentina will be “the slight favourite”, said Robert Kidd on Forbes. “I think it will finish 1-1 after extra time”, and Argentina, and Lionel Messi, will win the 2022 World Cup on penalties. As much as a Messi-led victory for Argentina will be “memorable”, a French victory will be “historic”, said Dan Roberts on Football Italia. It will be the “first time since 1962 that a nation has won the tournament twice in a row”. Obviously, it will “break Argentinian hearts”, but this is a France team that could be about to “go down in history”. Skip advert Right now, the latest odds are “about as close as they can be”, said Brian Good on Oddschecker. But, it looks as though France have the “early upper hand when it comes to the betting markets”. France are priced at 10/11 to lift the trophy, while Argentina are 19/20. Prices as of 15 December, according to Oddschecker. Team news Messi looked to have been holding his left hamstring during the win over Croatia, but the Argentine skipper insisted there was no problem and that he felt “really good”, “strong” and “ready to play each game”. Considering the way Messi “tore” Croatia to shreds, “potentially on one leg”, there’s almost “no chance he would be kept out of the World Cup final”, said Kyle Bonn on The Sporting News.", "authors": ["Mike Starling"], "publish_date": "2022/12/15"}, {"url": "https://www.theweek.co.uk/news/sport/football/956719/2022-fa-cup-final-chelsea-vs-liverpool-preview-predictions", "title": "2022 FA Cup final: Chelsea vs. Liverpool predictions, kick-off time ...", "text": "In a repeat of this season’s League Cup final, Chelsea and Liverpool will go head-to-head once again at Wembley Stadium – this time in the 141st FA Cup final. Liverpool won February’s League Cup on penalties and the Reds will be looking to add the second trophy of a possible quadruple.\n\nJürgen Klopp’s Liverpool side are second in the Premier League table and also through to the final of the Uefa Champions League. Since his appointment in 2015 he has led the Anfield club to five trophies. Should captain Jordan Henderson lift the cup on Saturday, it would see the German boss “complete the set” – the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, Champions League, Super Cup and Fifa Club World Cup, said the Liverpool Echo. “I absolutely love this competition,” Klopp wrote in his programme notes. “I recognise its importance in our club’s own history and how much it means to our supporters.”\n\nFor Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel he is also looking for a first FA Cup title. In his first year at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea won the Champions League, Uefa Super Club and Fifa Club World Cup, but lost the FA Cup final 1-0 to Leicester City. “This is a huge match in every sense,” Tuchel wrote. “These days, if you play in the final against either Liverpool or Manchester City, it cannot be bigger.”\n\nFA Cup final kick-off time and TV coverage\n\nThe FA Cup final between Chelsea and Liverpool takes place on Saturday 14 May, kick-off is at 4.45pm (BST). Football fans in the UK can watch the Wembley clash live on BBC One and ITV. Ahead of the match, the BBC’s cup final day coverage starts at midday with Football Focus, followed by MOTDx, Match of the Day Top 10: Most Memorable FA Cup Finals, FA Cup Rewind, and The FA Cup 2021/22: Road to Wembley. ITV’s match coverage begins at 3.45pm.\n\nPundit predictions: who will win the FA Cup?\n\nAccording to Oddschecker.com, the bookies have Liverpool as 4/7 favourites to lift the FA Cup on Saturday, while Chelsea are priced at 13/8. The Reds are also highly fancied by the pundits.", "authors": ["Mike Starling"], "publish_date": "2022/05/12"}, {"url": "https://www.theweek.co.uk/news/sport/football/958856/world-cup-semi-final-france-vs-morocco-prediction-preview", "title": "France vs. Morocco prediction, preview, team news – Fifa World Cup ...", "text": "England and Portugal supporters won’t agree, but what a Fifa World Cup semi-final we have to look forward to at the Al Bayt Stadium on Wednesday evening. In the blue, white and red corner you have France, the reigning champions, while in the red and green corner you have Morocco, the underdogs and first African nation to ever reach the final four of a World Cup. Didier Deschamps’s Les Bleus will go into the match as favourites, but Morocco’s superb victories over Belgium in group F, Spain in the round of 16 and Portugal in the last eight will give them huge confidence of causing another major upset against Kylian Mbappé and Co. “Marvellous” Morocco have “lit up” this World Cup, said Shamoon Hafez on BBC Sport. Roared on by many fans in Qatar, they’re not just the first African side to reach the semi-finals, but also the “first Arab one from a country with a Muslim majority”. The “history makers” are now just one win from football’s showpiece fixture. Head coach Walid Regragui has mastermind the Atlas Lions’s incredible run and he believes they are becoming a team everyone “loves” because they are showing what can be achieved. “It is not a miracle – those in Europe might say it is, but we have beaten Portugal, Spain, Belgium and drawn against Croatia without conceding,” Regragui said. “That is the result of hard work. African and Arab teams work hard but we have made our people happy and proud. The whole continent is proud. When you watch Rocky Balboa, you want to support him and we are the Rocky of this World Cup.” Lloris expects ‘hostile’ atmosphere Morocco’s run to the World Cup final four has the potential to “galvanise” football in Africa, said Veron Mosengo-Omba, general secretary of the Confederation of African Football (Caf). However, he told BBC Sport Africa that “dreaming” is not enough for the continent, and there needs to be more “long-term efforts”. Morocco have shown that “it is possible for Africa to shortly have more teams in the World Cup semi-final, and even in the final”, Mosengo-Omba added. But “galvanising and dreaming” is “not enough” to grow the game and make African football “more competitive” to win the World Cup. “It needs concrete actions and long-term efforts.” Skip advert\n\nNow one step from the final, Morocco and their fans will provide tough opposition for the holders at the Al Bayt Stadium. France captain Hugo Lloris is expecting a “hostile atmosphere” inside the stadium, but Les Bleus are “ready” for anything. “Obviously, it is already a success for Morocco – but, believe me, they won’t want to stop here,” said the French goalkeeper. “They want to become even more of a hero for their country. We prepare to respond to the demands of a semi-final of a World Cup – it doesn’t matter the opponent.” The winners of Wednesday’s semi-final will go on to face Argentina in the 2022 Fifa World Cup final on Sunday at the Lusail Stadium. Match facts Who: France vs. Morocco\n\nWhat: Fifa World Cup semi-final\n\nWhen: Wednesday 14 December 2022\n\nWhere: Al Bayt Stadium\n\nKick-off time: 7pm (all times GMT) How to watch on TV in the UK Wednesday’s semi-final clash between France and Morocco will be shown live in the UK on BBC One and iPlayer. TV coverage begins at 6.30pm and the match kicks off at 7pm. Team news French boss Deschamps does not have any suspension worries for the semi-final. It also did not appear that any of his players picked up injuries in the quarter-final win over England. He could name the same starting XI for the third match in a row. Morocco striker Walid Cheddira was sent off for a second yellow card in the win over Portugal and will miss the semi-final because of suspension. The Atlas Lions could have some injury concerns in defence after captain Romain Saiss was stretchered off with a thigh injury against Portugal. Nayef Aguerd and Noussair Mazraoui are also doubtful after missing the quarter-final win. Possible starting XIs France: Hugo Lloris; Jules Kounde, Raphael Varane, Dayot Upamecano, Theo Hernandez; Aurelien Tchouameni, Adrien Rabiot; Ousmane Dembele, Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe; Olivier Giroud\n\nHugo Lloris; Jules Kounde, Raphael Varane, Dayot Upamecano, Theo Hernandez; Aurelien Tchouameni, Adrien Rabiot; Ousmane Dembele, Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe; Olivier Giroud Morocco: YYassine Bounou; Achraf Hakimi, Jawad El-Yamiq, Romain Saiss, Yahya Attiat-Allah; Azzedine Ounahi, Sofyan Amrabat, Selim Amallah; Hakim Ziyech, Youssef En-Nesyri, Sofiane Boufal Predictions France don’t play “dazzling football”, but they are “good to watch” because they have got “so many eye-catching players”, said Chris Sutton on BBC Sport. It is that “quality in attack” that should “make the difference” in this game as well. I am backing France to “score first and see it through”. Morocco will score, and they will “rely on adrenaline as much as their quality”, but I fear this will be “a game too far” for them. “I would love to be wrong, just because the African side have arguably been the best story of this World Cup, but this is probably where they say goodbye.” Prediction: France 2 Morocco 1. Skip advert", "authors": ["Mike Starling"], "publish_date": "2022/12/11"}, {"url": "https://www.theweek.co.uk/news/sport/football/958230/2022-fifa-world-cup-winner-predictions-betting-odds", "title": "2022 Fifa World Cup: pre-tournament pundit predictions | The Week ...", "text": "Argentina will take on holders France in the 2022 Fifa World Cup final. Both teams have won the World Cup twice before and will be aiming to make it a hat-trick.\n\nThey were among the pre-tournament favourites – but which football pundits picked them to lift the trophy at the Lusail Stadium on Sunday? Here we take a look at the pundit predictions before the World Cup started in Qatar.\n\nSouth Americans to end Europe’s reign?\n\nIt’s not just Eurosport’s Pete Sharland who believes that this World Cup is “more open than ever”. Sports Illustrated also thinks there’s “no consensus champion”. However, there is “an agreement about one thing”: Europe’s reign over the World Cup will end in Qatar. Since Brazil’s fifth World Cup win in 2002, it has become the “Uefa invitational” with Italy (2006), Spain (2010), Germany (2014) and France (2018) winning the tournament. “If our picks are to come to fruition”, it will be “one of two South American sides lifting the trophy”. According to Sports Illustrated’s predictions, three experts have picked Brazil for glory, while two have chosen Argentina.\n\nJürgen Klinsmann, a World Cup winner with West Germany in 1990, said Brazil are his “personal favourite” to lift the trophy. The former striker, who scored 11 goals in 17 World Cup games, has backed Neymar and Co, having watched them over the last couple of years and during the qualifying campaign. “I was so impressed how they just rolled through the qualifiers, especially as South America is probably the toughest of all continents to qualify from,” he told Fifa+. “The way they did it was very impressive.”\n\nIn his second attempt at “predicting how things will shake up in Qatar”, CBS Sport’s James Benge tipped Argentina and Lionel Messi to get their “revenge” for 2014 by beating Germany in the final. Eight years ago the Germans won the cup with a 1-0 victory after extra-time, but this year Benge believes the Argentines will triumph 2-1 on 18 December with Messi writing himself into the “history books”. Benge’s first predictions attempt earlier this year had Brazil “conquering all” by beating England 2-0 in the final.\n\nGaming and data modeling\n\nAccording to Opta data and Stats Perform’s artificial intelligence World Cup prediction model, Brazil have emerged as the team with the highest probability of winning the World Cup. The five-time winners have a “16% chance of lifting the trophy”, said Opta’s Jamie Kemp on the BBC. And as the overall favourites for the tournament, they are “also the team with the highest probability of reaching the final (25%)”. Argentina have the second-highest probability of winning this year's World Cup (13%), followed by France (12%), Spain (9%) and England (9%).\n\nIn its final year of publishing the popular football video game with Fifa’s branding, EA Sports has revealed its prediction for the winner of the 2022 World Cup. After correctly predicting the last three winners in 2010, 2014 and 2018, EA Sports has used HyperMotion2 Technology and the dedicated ratings in Fifa World Cup Kick-Off and Tournament modes to simulate all 64 matches and see who will come out on top in Qatar. According to a simulation of the 2022 final, Argentina will beat Brazil in “a tense game that was decided by a single goal”. And the goalscorer for the Albiceleste as they win their first World Cup since 1986? Who else… Lionel Messi. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner is also predicted to score eight goals in seven games, picking up the Golden Boot and Golden Ball in the process. It will be “a captain’s display” as the tournament’s best player rounds off a memorable Fifa World Cup.\n\nJoachim Klement, a London-based stockbroker at Liberum Capital Ltd, developed a “proprietary econometric model” to predict the winners of the World Cups in 2014 and 2018. With a 100% success rate so far, who does he think will win in 2022? According to Klemen’s calculations the winners will be Argentina, who will beat England in the final. “Messi will win something that [Cristiano] Ronaldo never has and Argentina will celebrate its first World Cup win in 36 years,” he said.\n\nWhat the TV pundits say…\n\nPundits from ITV, one of the UK broadcasters for live World Cup TV coverage, have revealed their predictions for Qatar 2022. After reaching the semi-finals in 2018 and finishing as runners-up in the Euros, Gary Neville believes England “are going to go one more”. Ian Wright is less confident about England, The Mirror reported. With their “fantastic squad” and coming off the back of winning the Copa America last year, Wright is backing Argentina. Roy Keane thinks it’s “going to be hard” to stop Brazil from winning a sixth World Cup. “Brazil have such great strength in depth at the moment and some real quality players across the squad.”\n\nBBC Sport presenters and pundits have predicted what will happen over the next four weeks. Brazil are the majority favourites with nine pundits – Micah Richards, Alex Scott, Ashley Williams, Gabby Logan, Jürgen Klinsmann, Rio Ferdinand, Karen Bardsley, Matthew Upson, and Rob Green – tipping the Seleção for glory. Argentina get three votes, from Alan Shearer, Jermaine Jenas and Danny Murphy, while Chris Sutton and Danny Gabbidon have picked France. Fara Williams is backing England.\n\nAnother win for France or Spain?\n\nAfter lifting the trophy in Russia in 2018, Didier Deschamps’s France will be among the frontrunners again in 2022, said Graham Ruthven on The Sporting News. However, “the curse of the defending champions” could hit the French in the last 16, should they meet Argentina. Ruthven has tipped Spain to beat England in the final. There was a sense at the Euros that Spain were “close to hoisting a trophy”, and they “look poised to triumph in Qatar”. Spain won their only World Cup in 2010.\n\n“According to our predictive tournament model”, France have consistently been the most likely team to win the World Cup, said Kevin Chroust on The Analyst. Les Bleus “remain our favourites” to land the biggest prize in football.\n\nWhat about the dark horses?\n\nLots has been said about the favourites to win the World Cup, but what about the potential surprise teams of the tournament? “Yes, it is dark horses o’clock,” said Pete Sharland on Eurosport. “Everyone loves a dark horse, often a feel-good team that strikes gold with a player(s), system or even just pure vibes.” So, who does Sharland pick out at his dark horses for Qatar 2022? Serbia, who didn’t lose a game in qualifying, could produce a “Croatia-type jump”, while Senegal “might become a real handful”, even with Sadio Mane missing the opening games through injury. With such an “interesting” and “frankly unusual” collection of players, Uruguay’s talent is “undeniable”. If head coach Diego Alonso can “figure out how to use all of them”, everyone else “could be in a whole lot of trouble”.", "authors": ["Mike Starling"], "publish_date": "2022/10/19"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/31/football/england-wins-euro-2022-germany-spt-intl/index.html", "title": "England wins its first ever major women's championship in 2-1 Euro ...", "text": "London, UK CNN —\n\nEngland won its first ever major women’s championship in dramatic fashion, beating Germany 2-1 after extra-time in the Euro 2022 Final at Wembley Stadium.\n\nA record crowd of 87,192 for a European Championship final – men’s or women’s – watched as Chloe Kelly’s first international goal fired the Lionesses to victory over the eight-time winner.\n\nAfter three defeats at the final hurdle, goals from Kelly and Ella Toone canceled out Lina Magull’s equalizer and sealed the dream ending to a stunning tournament run. A swashbuckling road to the final included a Euro-record 22 goals scored and just two conceded, an 8-0 demolition of world No. 11 Norway and a 4-0 dismantling of the world’s second-highest ranked team Sweden.\n\nWith head coach Sarina Wiegman having never lost a European Championship game – nor a game in charge of England – and Germany having never lost a Euro final, one record had to tumble at Wembley, the site of an agonizing defeat for the men’s team at the same stage just over a year ago.\n\nAnd despite only beating Germany twice in their previous 27 meetings, Wiegman’s players battled to a hard-fought victory to extend the Dutch coach’s impressive streak and spark scenes of pure, unbridled joy at the home of English football.\n\nThat euphoria was encapsulated by the celebrations of the matchwinner, who offered up one of the great post-match interviews when she spoke to the BBC. Bouncing around, shouting and dancing, Kelly serenaded viewers with England’s adopted anthem, Neil Diamond’s classic “Sweet Caroline,” before running off with the microphone.\n\nEngland celebrates their victory during the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 final match between England and Germany at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, July 31. Shaun Botterill/Getty Images England's Chloe Kelly fights for the ball with Germany's Felicitas Rauch on Saturday. John Sibley/Reuters A screen shows the attendance of the Women's Euro 2022 final match: a record crowd of 87,192 for a European Championship final -- men's or women's. Rui Vieira/AP UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, stand during the national anthems prior to kick off of the final match. Harriet Lander/Getty Images England's Alessia Russo, right, vies for the ball with Germany's Kathrin-Julia Hendrich. Alessandra Tarantino/AP Germany's players celebrate their equalizing goal, scored by Lina Magull. Leila Coker/AP England fans react at Trafalgar Square in London after England scores a goal. Matthew Horwood/UEFA/Getty Images England's Chloe Kelly scores England's Euro-winning goal in the final against Germany. Peter Cziborra/Reuters Germany's Lina Magull celebrates scoring the team's first goal with teammates. Lisi Niesner/Reuters Chloe Kelly of England celebrates with teammates after scoring their side's second goal in extra time. Shaun Botterill/Getty Images Lena Oberdorf of Germany is challenged for the ball by Alessia Russo of England. Michael Regan/Getty Images England's Leah Williamson and Millie Bright lift the UEFA Women's EURO 2022 Trophy after their team's victory. Catherine Ivill/UEFA/Getty Images Photos: England wins Euro 2022 over Germany Prev Next\n\nUpon her eventual return, the Manchester City forward – having suffered an ACL injury in May last year – reflected on the peak of the ultimate comeback story.\n\n“Honestly, it’s amazing,” she said. “This is what dreams are made of. As a young girl watching women’s football, this is amazing. Thank you to everyone who played a part in my rehab. I always believed I would be here.”\n\nCaptain Leah Williamson added: “I just can’t stop crying. We talk, we talk and we talk and we finally done it … this is the proudest moment of my life.\n\n“The legacy of this tournament is the change in society. The legacy of this team is winners and that is the journey. I love every single one of you, I’m so proud to be English.”\n\nVictory marked the culmination of a 13-year-long redemption arc for midfielder Jill Scott, the only member of the Lionesses squad to have featured in the 6-2 mauling suffered at the hands of Germany in the 2009 final.\n\nSubbed on towards the end of regular time, the 35-year-old became the first England player to have played in two major international finals.\n\n“I actually can’t believe it,” Scott said. “We have an incredible group of staff. What a day. The young players have been fantastic, so grateful for every moment of this team.\n\n“I don’t think I’m going to sleep this week!”\n\nEngland fans watching the game and celebrating in Trafalgar Square in London. Matthew Horwood/UEFA/Getty Images\n\nAs congratulations poured in across social media, men’s captain Harry Kane tweeted his appreciation, with particular praise for Toone, whose deftly chipped finish had put England ahead in the second-half.\n\n“Absolutely unreal scenes at Wembley!! Massive congrats to the amazing Lionesses,” Kane said. “Ella Toone take a bow for that finish too.”\n\nThere was also a message of congratulations from Queen Elizabeth II, who lauded the team for inspiring the next generation.\n\n“The Championships and your performance in them have rightly won praise,” she said. “However, your success goes far beyond the trophy you have so deservedly earned.\n\n“You have all set an example that will be an inspiration for girls and women today, and for future generations. It is my hope that you will be as proud of the impact you have had on your sport as you are of the result today.”\n\nInjury agony for Popp\n\nGermany was struck a heartbreaking blow moments before kick-off when star striker Alexandra Popp, joint-top scorer at the tournament with six goals, suffered a muscle injury in the warm-up.\n\nReplaced in the starting 11 by Lea Schüller, it marked a devastating end to what had been a heartwarming redemption story for the 31-year-old. After missing the previous two Euros through injury, Popp had made up for lost time emphatically, matching the record for best goal tally at the tournament – set by compatriot Inka Grings in 2009 – with a game to spare.\n\nPopp’s visible anguish as she left the pitch served as a stark contrast to the euphoric atmosphere of a sold-out Wembley Stadium as kick-off edged closer, with singers Becky Hill, Steflon Don and Ultra Naté taking to the center circle to host the pre-match show.\n\nWith the surrounding area of the ground teeming with fans and flags several hours before kick-off, it was a fitting build-up to the close of a tournament that had smashed records well before the trophy had been lifted.\n\nThe total of 487,683 fans that had attended the games preceding the final more than doubled the previous tournament attendance record set at Euro 2017 in the Netherlands.\n\nAnd that was before the historic numbers boost at Wembley, which smashed the existing high for a men’s or women’s Euro final set at Madrid’s Estadio Santiago Bernabéu in 1964.\n\nIt was a record-breaking attendance for a European Championship final -- men's or women's -- at Wembley on Sunday. Rui Vieira/AP\n\nBuoyed by home support, England started on the front foot. Fran Kirby carved out an early chance with a teasing cross for Ellen White at the back post, but the Manchester City forward could only direct her header into the arms of Merle Frohms.\n\nIt would mark the first of a string of opportunities for White in a cagey first half of few gilt-edge chances, with both defenses continuing the iron-fisted form that had seen them arrive at Wembley having conceded just once all tournament.\n\nAggravated by a quick succession of yellow cards for Georgia Stanway and White, frustration quickly turned to fear for England as a flicked on corner caused carnage on the goal line. Pinballing around inches from the line, the ball looked destined to settle in the net before it was gratefully smothered by England keeper Mary Earps.\n\nDealing with players’ complaints would set the tone for a busy day for referee Kateryna Monzul, who dished out six yellow cards and stopped play for 36 fouls throughout a combative, hard-fought contest.\n\nEngland’s best chance of the half came five minutes before the break as a cut back from Beth Mead found White surging into the box, but the off-balance 33-year-old couldn’t keep her shot down.\n\nEcstasy\n\nIt was Germany’s turn to fly out of the blocks following the restart, with Tabea Wassmuth almost punishing Millie Bright for a miscommunication just two minutes into the second half. But having raced away down the left, Wassmuth could only fire her shot straight at Earps.\n\nWiegman rang the changes as Germany continued its fast start, Kirby and White making way for Toone and Alessia Russo. With four goals – all from the bench – Russo had been the tournament’s unofficial ‘golden’ sub before the final, but it was Toone who would steal the crown at Wembley.\n\nAfter a perfectly weighted long ball from Keira Walsh split the German defense, the Manchester United attacker found herself in the clear, faced by the onrushing form of Frohms. Her response? The most exquisite of chips that lifted over the goalkeeper and in.\n\nKelly scoring England's Euro-winning goal in the final against Germany at Wembley Stadium on July 31. Julian FinneyThe FA/Getty Images\n\nIf the finish was deft, the response was anything but, as Wembley erupted in ecstatic scenes not witnessed under the arch since Luke Shaw’s strike had fired the men’s team into an early lead at the opposite end of the pitch just over a year ago.\n\nLike so many England tournaments before, that story ended in tears, and another painful chapter looked on course to be penned when Magull fired home a deserved equalizer 10 minutes from time.\n\nWith Wiegman’s side dropping ever deeper to protect their advantage, the pressure finally broke when a well-worked move saw Wassmuth slide a low cross into the Bayern Munich midfielder at the near post, who smartly poked into the roof of the net to level.\n\nMagull went close again in a nail-biting finish to regular time, with the euphoric atmosphere mere minutes ago replaced by one of nervous tension, broken momentarily by a rousing reception for the introduction of Scott.\n\nGermany players celebrate Magull's equalizer. Leila Coker/AP\n\nHomecoming\n\nTempers flared during a nervy extra-time of few chances and many crunching tackles, with Scott involved in an angry exchange with Sydney Lohmann after she had tripped the German.\n\nAs legs tired and penalties crept closer, England forced a corner with 10 minutes to play. Lucy Bronze knocked the ball down into the path of Kelly who, after one missed swipe, poked the ball over the line for her first international goal at the most timely of times.\n\nCue pure bedlam, momentarily frozen by Kelly pausing to check with referee Monzul that her goal had counted. Ripping off her shirt in celebration, the 24-year-old was issued with what will surely be the most warmly received yellow card of her career.\n\nDogged efforts to keep the ball in the corner ran down the clock as the Wembley crowd willed their players over the line, Monzul’s final whistle sparking the biggest roar yet.\n\nRight on time, “Three Lions” blasted through the stadium speakers. After 56 years of hurt, football had – at last – come home.", "authors": ["Jack Bantock"], "publish_date": "2022/07/31"}, {"url": "https://www.theweek.co.uk/news/sport/football/956878/2022-uefa-champions-league-final-liverpool-vs-real-madrid", "title": "2022 Uefa Champions League final: Liverpool vs. Real Madrid ...", "text": "Michael Owen, who played for both clubs in his career, does not think that the final will be such a close affair. Speaking to the Daily Mail, the former England striker is backing Liverpool to “blow away” the Spaniards and predicts a “3-1 or 3-0” victory for the Merseysiders. “I think they could beat them reasonably convincingly because they are an exceptional team at the minute and are too good for Madrid.”\n\nEx-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher is also “confident” that his former team will beat Real. Speaking on Sky Bet’s The Overlap podcast, the pundit acknowledged that “of course, Real can win – it’s a one-off game”, but believes that the Reds will come through. On the same podcast Gary Neville said he doesn’t think Liverpool will lift the trophy. When discussing Real’s ability for comebacks, he picked out their midfield as the key area. “I look at Real Madrid’s midfield in Casemiro, [Toni] Kroos, [Luka] Modric – plus the two that come in late with [Federico] Valverde and [Eduardo] Camavinga – those five players drive them right from the first minute and right to the end,” Neville said. “I think Liverpool’s midfield is their weak point and in the last 15 minutes that midfield for Real Madrid – the five of them combined – will see them win the game on Saturday.”\n\nReal Madrid have pulled off some “dizzying comebacks” in this season’s Champions League, said Tom Kershaw in The Independent. But Liverpool are a “stronger squad” and have “consistently shown the ability to rise to the occasion themselves”. He predicts a 3-1 win for Klopp’s side.\n\n“On paper”, Liverpool are the “better” team, said Paul Kasabian on Bleacher Report. But after their “sensational and mystifying” Champions League run, Real Madrid appear to be “a team of destiny after living on the edge for the entire knockout round and somehow surviving”. In the end, “all signs point to a tremendous finish” to one of the most exciting knockout rounds in history. “The guess here is Liverpool wins a classic, 3-2.”\n\nLiverpool go into the final as favourites and “rightfully so after a stellar season”, said Matt Verri in the London Evening Standard. Real captain Karim Benzema, the tournament’s top scorer this season with 15 goals, and his strike partner Vinicius Jr will “fancy their chances of getting success against Liverpool’s high-line”. However, the Reds are the “more complete team” and are well placed to secure a third trophy of the season. “Liverpool to win, 3-1.”\n\n“Talk about a tough game to call,” said Ben Knapton on SportsMole. After their penalty shoot-out wins in the League Cup and FA Cup finals, Klopp’s side “may be taken all the way to spot kicks again”. “We believe that Liverpool’s recent experience from 12 yards will help them get their hands on Europe’s biggest prize for the seventh time and end the Real fairytale. Liverpool 2-2 Real Madrid (A.E.T - Liverpool to win on penalties).”\n\nSome fans and pundits will argue that Real Madrid have been “lucky” in this season’s Champions League, said tipster Fredo on Oddschecker.com. But it takes “another type of mentality” to be down two goals in the 89th minute and still prevail against the champions of England. That is why the “champions mentality” will give Real their 14th title.\n\nWhile “conventional wisdom” would have Liverpool as the “better” team – “whatever that’s worth in a massive game such as this” – betting against Real Madrid’s Champions League magic “feels foolish”, said Kyle Bonn on SportingNews.com. “In a game in which it’s impossible to separate the teams, it’s perhaps best not to try separating them at all.”", "authors": ["Mike Starling"], "publish_date": "2022/05/26"}, {"url": "https://www.theweek.co.uk/news/sport/football/958924/2022-world-cup-final-lionel-messi-last-chance-emulate-diego-maradona", "title": "2022 World Cup final: Lionel Messi's last chance to emulate Diego ...", "text": "As with every Fifa World Cup, much of the tournament chatter centres around which nation will lift the trophy and which players will shine on the biggest stage of all. And at Qatar 2022 there’s been one player in particular that the pundits and fans have talked about more than any other: Argentina captain Lionel Messi.\n\nWhen Messi announced in October that this would be his fifth and final World Cup, the football writers around the globe focussed on how the 35-year-old had never won the sport’s biggest prize and it was “now or never”. Even Messi admitted that Qatar represented the last chance he would have of fulfilling his ambition of winning the World Cup with Argentina. “My last opportunity to make my dream, our dream, a reality,” he said.\n\nAfter inspiring his nation in Qatar, he now has his date with destiny when Argentina take on holders France in Sunday’s final at the Lusail Stadium – in what will be his last World Cup match for his country.\n\nMessi has come close before, when Argentina lost the 2014 final to Germany. And now he’s just one victory away from achieving that “dream” and emulating another legendary Argentine No.10, Diego Maradona, who captained La Albiceleste to World Cup glory at Mexico 86.\n\nCan he complete the clean sweep?\n\nDuring his long and glittering career Messi has won almost everything – he can look in his trophy cabinet and find seven Ballon d’Ors and winners’ medals from four Champions Leagues, ten Spanish La Liga titles, three Fifa Club World Cups and the Copa América with Argentina last year. There is, however, one big space left to fill in the cabinet – and that’s for the elusive World Cup winners’ medal.\n\nWith five goals so far in Qatar, he could “complete the clean sweep”, said BBC Sport. That would be lifting the trophy and winning the golden boot for top goalscorer and the golden ball for the tournament’s best player. The fact he has never won a World Cup – unlike compatriot Maradona or Brazil’s Pele – has “sometimes counted against him in debates about the best of all time”, but he has “a chance to remedy that” in Sunday’s final.", "authors": ["Mike Starling"], "publish_date": "2022/12/14"}]}
{"question_id": "20230303_27", "search_time": "2023/03/15/03:29", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/21/us/reedy-creek-walt-disney-florida/index.html", "title": "Reedy Creek: Why Disney has its own government in Florida and ...", "text": "Editor’s Note: This story was originally published on April 21, 2022. It has been updated to reflect Florida’s 2023 special legislative session.\n\nCNN —\n\nDisney’s Orlando-area theme parks and who will govern them are under renewed scrutiny in Florida – the latest in a yearlong spat between Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state’s largest private employer.\n\nLawmakers have returned to Tallahassee for a special session called in part to address what happens to Disney’s special taxing district, called the Reedy Creek Improvement District, after they previously passed legislation dissolving it, which was supposed to take effect in June.\n\nState Republicans on Monday unveiled a bill to turn over control of Disney’s special taxing district to a five-member board hand-picked by DeSantis and rebrand Reedy Creek the “Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.”\n\nThe move to take over Reedy Creek comes after DeSantis sparred last year with Disney over a bill to restrict certain classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity.\n\nHere’s a look at the history of Reedy Creek, why it has become the focus of another special legislative session in Florida, and how proposed changes would give DeSantis more control.\n\nWhat is Reedy Creek?\n\nReedy Creek is the name for the Reedy Creek Improvement District, a special purpose district created by state law in May 1967 that gives The Walt Disney Company governmental control over the land in and around its central Florida theme parks. The district sits southwest of Orlando.\n\nAt the time, the land was little more than uninhabited pasture and swamp, according to Reedy Creek’s website. With the special purpose district, Disney took over responsibility for providing municipal services like power, water, roads and fire protection – but was also freed from dealing with legal red tape or paying taxes for services that benefited the broader public.\n\nAccording to Richard Foglesong, the author of the book “Married to the Mouse: Walt Disney World and Orlando,” Disney had previously had issues with the government of Anaheim, California, at its Disneyland park, completed a decade earlier. With those issues in mind, Disney pushed for a special purpose district in Florida that would give the company the ability to self-govern.\n\nIn exchange, Florida became the home base for Disney World and its millions of tourists.\n\n“Florida needed Disney more than Disney needed Florida,” Foglesong told CNN.\n\nToday, the Reedy Creek special district encompasses about 25,000 acres in Orange and Osceola counties, including four theme parks, two water parks, one sports complex, 175 lane miles of roadway, 67 miles of waterway, and the cities of Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, its website says.\n\n“The cooperation and commitment between the Reedy Creek Improvement District and Walt Disney World Company is as strong today as it was when the District was created in 1967,” the Reedy Creek website states. “The result is an example of how a working partnership between business and government can be prosperous for both sides.”\n\nWhy is this an issue now?\n\nLast year, DeSantis challenged lawmakers to unravel the 55-year-old Reedy Creek Improvement Act as part of a special legislative session and ultimately signed a bill that would sunset the district on June 1.\n\nLawmakers left town without a plan to unwind a half-century of Disney control or for how to ensure Orange and Osceola county residents wouldn’t be on the hook for funding Reedy Creek services or its $1 billion in debt. Amid the fallout, Reedy Creek told its bondholders that Florida could not dissolve the district without assuming its debts.\n\nDeSantis repeatedly offered assurances that taxpayers wouldn’t have to pick up the tab.\n\nNow, GOP lawmakers have returned to the state Capitol and are trying to breath new life into the taxing district and keep many of its special powers. The final page of the 189-page bill proposed Monday states: “The Reedy Creek Improvement District is not dissolved as of June 1, 2023, but continues in full force and effect under its new name.”\n\nThe Republican-controlled legislature is likely to pass the proposed changes within the next couple of weeks and the governor is supportive of them.\n\nWhat are lawmakers proposing?\n\nThe bill, introduced Monday by state Rep. Fred Hawkins, seeks to limit the damage that could be done to Disney, one of the state’s most vital tourism engines, and to taxpayers.\n\nThe measure guarantees that the changes to Reedy Creek will not affect the district’s existing debt or any other contracts.\n\nInstead of ending the district, the proposed legislation would rebrand it as the “Central Florida Tourism Oversight District” and curb some of its powers, including the ability to build an airport or a nuclear power plant.\n\nThe board, previously made up of Reedy Creek landowners with close ties to Disney, will instead become a five-member board of supervisors appointed by the governor. The bill makes clear that none of the appointees chosen by the governor can be recent Disney employees or their relatives, nor that of a competitor. The state Senate, where Republicans hold a super majority, would have final approval of the appointees.\n\n“These actions ensure a state-controlled district accountable to the people instead of a corporate-controlled kingdom,” DeSantis spokesman Jeremy Redfern said.\n\nWhat has Disney said?\n\nDisney said Monday it is watching the bill.\n\nIn a statement to CNN, Jeff Vahle, the president of Walt Disney World Resort, said the company is “monitoring the progression of the draft legislation, which is complex given the long history of the Reedy Creek Improvement District.”\n\n“Disney works under a number of different models and jurisdictions around the world, and regardless of the outcome, we remain committed to providing the highest quality experience for the millions of guests who visit each year,” Vahle said.\n\nWhat does this have to do with Florida schools?\n\nReedy Creek has been tied to the feud between DeSantis, who has widely been seen as a potential 2024 GOP presidential contender, and Disney over a measure that bans certain instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in the classroom.\n\nThe “Parental Rights in Education” bill – which critics have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill – was signed into law last March and prohibits schools from teaching children about sexual orientation or gender identity “in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate.” The legislation also allows parents to bring lawsuits against a school district for potential violations.\n\nThe law’s vague language and the threat of parental lawsuits have raised fears that it will lead to discrimination against LGBTQ students and will have a chilling effect on classroom discussion. DeSantis spokesperson Christina Pushaw said on Twitter last year that the legislation would protect kids from “groomers,” a slang term for pedophiles, and described those who oppose the law as “probably groomers.”\n\nBob Chapek, the then-CEO of Disney, which employs 75,000 people in Florida, initially declined to condemn the law last year but reversed course after facing employee criticism. A company spokesperson then released a statement stating its goal was for the law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts.\n\n“Florida’s HB 1557, also known as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, should never have passed and should never have been signed into law,” the March 2022 statement said. The company said it was “dedicated to standing up for the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ members of the Disney family, as well as the LGBTQ+ community in Florida and across the country.”", "authors": ["Eric Levenson Dianne Gallagher Steve Contorno Jack Forrest", "Eric Levenson", "Dianne Gallagher", "Steve Contorno", "Jack Forrest"], "publish_date": "2022/04/21"}, {"url": "https://www.theweek.co.uk/news/politics/959904/new-bill-puts-florida-govenor-ron-desantis-in-control-of-disney-world", "title": "Florida governor Ron DeSantis takes control of Disney World district ...", "text": "We will use the details you have shared to manage your registration. You agree to the processing, storage, sharing and use of this information for the purpose of managing your registration as described in our Privacy Policy.\n\nWould you like to receive The WeekDay newsletter ?\n\nThe WeekDay newsletter provides you with a daily digest of news and analysis.\n\nWe will use the details you have shared to manage your newsletter subscription. You agree to the processing, storage, sharing and use of this information for the purpose of managing your subscription as described in our Privacy Policy.\n\nWe will use the information you have shared for carefully considered and specific purposes, where we believe we have a legitimate case to do so, for example to send you communications about similar products and services we offer. You can find out more about our legitimate interest activity in our Privacy Policy.\n\nIf you wish to object to the use of your data in this way, please tick here.\n\n'We' includes The Week and other Future Publishing Limited brands as detailed here.", "authors": ["Ellie Pink"], "publish_date": "2023/02/28"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/02/27/florida-gov-ron-desantis-takes-over-disney-book-launch/11360214002/", "title": "Florida Gov. DeSantis takes over Disney district on eve of book launch", "text": "TALLAHASSEE – Flexing his power over one of Florida’s largest employers, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law Monday a measure stripping away Walt Disney Company’s self-governing status, payback after the tourism giant defied him last year.\n\nThe Legislature approved the bill almost three weeks ago. But DeSantis apparently timed the signing to the eve of his new book release, which he also touted Monday.\n\nThe governor, widely expected to announce his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, also twice used what is emerging as a favorite taunt aimed at the company – warning, “there’s a new sheriff in town.”\n\n“The corporate kingdom has come to an end,” DeSantis said.\n\nThe governor’s book, “The Courage to Be Free,” which will be formally launched Tuesday, covers the Disney dispute at length, laying out his version of the backstory and clash with the entertainment icon.\n\nThe legislation signed Monday recasts the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the special taxing district controlled by Disney that takes care of roads, construction permits, fire protection and other infrastructure needs across 25,000 acres of company property in Orange and Osceola counties.\n\nOutnumbered Democrats in the Florida Legislature fought the measure as unnecessary government interference and just plain bullying by the governor to score political points.\n\nDemocrats see 'socialism' in DeSantis takeover\n\n“It’s like nationalizing a company. It’s truly socialism,” state Sen. Jason Pizzo, D-North Miami Beach, said during debate on the bill earlier this month.\n\nReedy Creek’s five-member, Disney-allied board, will be named by DeSantis and become the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.\n\nDeSantis announced his first appointments Monday, including supporters such as Sarasota County School Board member Bridget Ziegler, wife of Florida Republican Party Chair Christian Ziegler; and Seminole County lawyer Michael Sasso, president of the area chapter of The Federalist Society, the conservative legal organization.\n\nOthers include Tampa lawyer Martin Garcia, Clearwater lawyer Brian Aungst, and Ron Peri, CEO of The Gathering USA, an evangelical forum focused on faith and culture.\n\nClash goes back to parental rights/'Don't Say Gay' bill\n\nDeSantis’ conflict with Disney dates to last year, when the entertainment giant opposed his parental rights legislation, tarred by critics as “Don’t Say Gay.”\n\nThe governor Monday again demonized Disney executives for trying to “inject sexuality into a lot of their programming,” a theme DeSantis and his followers deployed repeatedly during last year’s debate over the parental rights legislation.\n\nDeSantis’ proposal banned classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in grades K-3 or in a manner not age or developmentally appropriate for students. LGBTQ rights organizations said the ban would open the door to discrimination against students, limiting even discussion about their own families.\n\nStudents across the state conducted walk-outs across campuses during last year’s legislative session to protest the parental rights measure, which was easily approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature.\n\nWhile lawmakers last year also approved abolishing the Reedy Creek district by this June, fear this action would shift $700 million in district bond debt to Central Florida taxpayers sparked DeSantis and lawmakers to rework their slap at Disney during an early February special session.\n\nThe legislature during that session also attempted to fix other legal problems faced by the governor.\n\nIndeed, measures approved then led to the dismissal of a lawsuit accusing DeSantis of misusing taxpayer money by flying 50 migrants from Texas to Massachusetts and another may help bolster his legal case for arresting 20, mostly Black ex-felons lured into illegally casting ballots during the 2020 election.\n\nCourts had already dismissed the first three voter cases because of jurisdictional questions.\n\nDeSantis vs. Disney:Five ways the only-in-Florida political drama could play out\n\nDeSantis fix included in Disney bill\n\nThe Disney bill (HB 9B) also contained a needed DeSantis fix, by specifically keeping the Reedy Creek debt obligation with the district. Still, it also gives DeSantis power on the Reedy Creek board.\n\nReedy Creek has been around since 1967, when it was created in anticipation of the arrival of Walt Disney World in Central Florida. The company and park flourished and turned Florida into an international tourist destination, but DeSantis portrayed the policy relationship differently today.\n\n“How do you give one theme park their own government and treat other theme parks differently?” DeSantis said Monday as justification for the change.\n\nFlorida v. Disney:Gov. Ron DeSantis wants legislature to end Disney's special status in called session\n\nDeSantis joined with other speakers at the event, including a fire union official, Disney cast member, and longtime fan-turned-enemy of Walt Disney World, in ridiculing the company for its past COVID-19 policies, labor practices, and its inclusionary messaging, which the governor and a few speakers poisoned as “woke.”\n\nDisney World has been restrained in its response.\n\n“We are focused on the future and are ready to work within this new framework and we will continue to innovate, inspire and bring joy to the millions of guests who come to Florida to visit Walt Disney World each year,” Jeff Vahle, president of Walt Disney World, said after lawmakers approved the Reedy Creek re-do.\n\nJohn Kennedy is a reporter in the USA TODAY Network’s Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jkennedy2@gannett.com, or on Twitter at @JKennedyReport", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/02/27"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/27/us/reedy-creek-disney-florida/index.html", "title": "Disney's self-governing district, Reedy Creek, says Florida cannot ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nDisney’s self-governing special district, the Reedy Creek Improvement District, says that Florida’s move to dissolve the district next year is not legal unless the state pays off Reedy Creek’s extensive debts.\n\nReedy Creek is a special purpose district created by state law in May 1967 that gives The Walt Disney Company extensive governmental control over the land in and around its central Florida theme parks. With that power, Reedy Creek currently has about $1 billion in outstanding bond debt, according to the credit rating agency Fitch Ratings.\n\nIn a statement issued to its bondholders last Thursday, Reedy Creek pointed out that the 1967 law also includes a pledge from Florida to its bondholders. The law states that Florida “will not in any way impair the rights or remedies of the holders … until all such bonds together with interest thereon, and all costs and expenses in connection with any act or proceeding by or on behalf of such holders, are fully met and discharged.”\n\nDue to that pledge, Reedy Creek said it expects to continue business as usual.\n\n“In light of the State of Florida’s pledge to the District’s bondholders, Reedy Creek expects to explore its options while continuing its present operations, including levying and collecting its ad valorem taxes and collecting its utility revenues, paying debt service on its ad valorem tax bonds and utility revenue bonds, complying with its bond covenants and operating and maintaining its properties,” Reedy Creek said in a statement posted to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board.\n\n.\n\nThe statement represents the first response from the Disney-run district since Florida Republicans moved to pass legislation that will dissolve the special purpose district on June 1, 2023. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the legislation into law on Friday.\n\nState officials took on the company’s self-governing status as a form of retaliation for Disney’s criticism of a law restricting discussion of LGBTQ issues in schools.\n\nDisney has not made any direct public statements about the new law dissolving Reedy Creek. The law is just two pages long and avoids any discussion of details about how to unwind a half-century of infrastructure deals, nor does it lay out the next steps in the complicated process. Lawmakers in neighboring Orange and Osceola counties have expressed concerns that they will be stuck with paying off Reedy Creek’s debts and will have to significantly raise property taxes on residents.\n\n“If we had to take over the first response – the public safety components for Reedy Creek – with no new revenue, that would be catastrophic for our budget here within Orange County,” Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings told reporters on April 21, before the official legislature vote that day. “It would put an undue burden on the rest of the taxpayers in Orange County to fill that gap.”\n\nDeSantis has said Floridians will not see any tax increases due to the law and insisted that Disney will pay its “fair share” of taxes. He positioned the law dissolving Reedy Creek as “the first step in what’s going to be a process to make sure that Disney should not run its own government.”\n\nHow we got here\n\nDisney, with 75,000 employees, is the largest single-site employer in Florida and is a key driver of the state’s vital tourism business. Yet its position on the law limiting LGBTQ discussion in schools earned it the ire of Republican officials.\n\nThe law, titled the “Parental Rights in Education” bill and labeled by critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, prohibits schools from teaching children about sexual orientation or gender identity “in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate.” The legislation also allows parents to bring lawsuits against a school district for potential violations.\n\nThe law’s vague language and the threat of parental lawsuits have raised fears that it will lead to discrimination against LGBTQ students and will have a chilling effect on classroom discussion. DeSantis’ spokesperson Christina Pushaw, however, said the legislation would protect kids from “groomers,” a slang term for pedophiles, and described those who oppose the law as “probably groomers.”\n\nDisney CEO Bob Chapek initially declined to condemn the law but reversed course after facing employee criticism. A company spokesperson released a statement last month stating its goal is for the law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts.\n\n“Florida’s HB 1557, also known as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, should never have passed and should never have been signed into law,” the statement said. The company said it was “dedicated to standing up for the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ members of the Disney family, as well as the LGBTQ+ community in Florida and across the country.”\n\nEarlier last week, DeSantis challenged lawmakers to unravel the 55-year-old Reedy Creek Improvement Act as part of a special legislative session. The impact of that legislation – as well as its legality – remains unclear.", "authors": ["Jamiel Lynch Chris Boyette Eric Levenson", "Jamiel Lynch", "Chris Boyette", "Eric Levenson"], "publish_date": "2022/04/27"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/04/21/florida-disney-ron-desantis-reedy-creek-tallahassee-house-senate-governor-republicans-vote/7386485001/", "title": "DeSantis vs. Disney: Bill to strip self-governing status to governor", "text": "James Call\n\nCapital Bureau | USA TODAY NETWORK - FLORIDA\n\nAfter an unprecedented hour-and-eight-minute disruption by House Democrats, Florida House Republicans steamrolled Democrats protesting a redistricting bill to approve the dissolution of a special taxing district that allows the Walt Disney Co. to self-govern its theme-park area.\n\nThe measure now goes to Gov. Ron DeSantis for approval.\n\nLawmakers voted 70-38 to back the measure while Rep. Travaris L. McCurdy, D-Orlando, led Democrats in chants of \"Stop the Black attack,\" in protest of a just passed redistricting bill that election experts say will eliminate two Black-access congressional districts.\n\nThe Senate previously approved the proposal 23-16, to repeal the Reedy Creek Improvement District with Republican St. Petersburg Sen. Jeff Brandes voting with Democrats.\n\nThe redistricting protest prevented floor debate on the measure. In a chaotic seven minutes, the House approved new congressional maps and repealed legislation that had enabled Disney to build the world's number one tourism attraction in Florida.\n\n\"What you saw is that the Speaker was in a situation that frankly, he couldn't control,\" said Rep. Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa.\n\n\"What you saw was an acceleration of the process that we've seen all session long, which is just to move things through. We've never had enough time to debate,\" said Driskell.\n\n'I let you down':Disney CEO apologizes for 'Don't Say Gay' bill response\n\nDeSantis retaliates:DeSantis says he will soon sign so-called 'Don't Say Gay' bill, again criticizes Disney\n\nGOP follows suit:Fetterhoff, Barnaby returning contributions to Disney over 'Don't Say Gay' bill\n\nSB 4 dissolves Disney's Reedy Creek Improvement District on June 1 of next year. The district, created by state law in 1967, exempts 38 miles of land Disney owns from most state and local regulations and allows Disney to collect taxes, follow its own building codes and provide emergency services for its six theme parks and resorts.\n\nHouse sponsor Rep. Randy Fine, R-Brevard, said the special district designation provides an unfair competitive advantage over other tourist attractions.\n\n\"We provide Disney things that we do not provide to their competitors. And that's fundamentally unfair,\" said Fine.\n\n\"Universal is building a third theme park. We're not going to create the Woody Woodpecker Improvement District. They have to compete with one hand tied behind their backs,\" said Fine.\n\nDisney is Central Florida’s chief economic engine, a 2019 study by Oxford Economics calculates the company’s 38-mile-long empire of six theme parks, resorts and other enterprises produces $5.8 billion in state tax revenue from $75 billion in economic activity that supports 463,000 jobs.\n\n\"What is he thinking? He's going to hurt our economy. He's going to hurt tourism. The notion that he's going after all those jobs, shame on him,\" said Congressman Charlie Crist, a Democratic candidate for governor, Tuesday at the Capitol minutes after Fine filed the proposal.\n\nDisney has declined to comment.\n\nDisney vs. DeSantis:\n\nDemocrats dismissed the GOP's free-market argument as so much smoke to conceal a Republicans rush to punish an iconic Florida corporation for its political speech.\n\nIt took lawmakers two days to produce, debate and adopt the proposal after Gov. Ron DeSantis said he wanted the Legislature to repeal the governing structure Disney employed to create a Central Florida entertainment empire.\n\n“We’ve never spent an hour on this,” said Rep. Joseph Geller, D-Aventura, adding the Republican repeal effort was “disrespectful of the legislative process.”\n\n“They don’t even have a real fiscal or economic analysis. We should not tolerate this,” said Geller.\n\nDisney became ensnared in a culture war flareup when CEO Bob Chapek vowed to work to repeal the Parental Rights in Education Act – which opponents dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.\n\nThe measure prohibits classroom instruction on sexual and gender identity through third grade and limits to “age-appropriate” materials in later grades with a provision to enable parents to sue for damages if a school is found in violation.\n\nDeSantis immediately slammed Disney as a “woke” corporation repeating “left-wing propaganda.”\n\nChapek responded with an announcement that Disney would stop contributing to political campaigns because of the controversy.\n\nThe company directly contributed $5 million to Florida candidates in 2020, according to state records – but it is hard to see its total influence in campaigns given the number of corporate entities that are part of the Disney family, the plethora of political action committees and their reporting requirements, and the number of candidates.\n\nSix weeks after Chapek’s announcement, lawmakers went into special session and approved SB 4, repealing Reedy Creek and five other special districts for not having complied with a 1997 law to seek recodification.\n\nWhile lawmakers debated the bill, DeSantis sent out a fundraising letter stating Disney had picked a fight with “the wrong guy” and called for contributions to “fight against the Democratic machine and woke Disney executives.”\n\n“Look, you can’t go on national TV, have press conferences, be on Twitter talking about woke Disney and then come into a committee room and act like this bill and all that are not completely connected. I mean, let’s just be real,” said the AFL-CIO's Rich Templin, testifying against the measure during the proposal’s only committee stop.\n\nTemplin represents 40,000 union members working at Disney and Reedy Creek. He describes them as collateral damage in a culture war, a group whose economic future is suddenly at risk.\n\nDemocrats charge that DeSantis, and the GOP-led Legislature placed those jobs in jeopardy and threaten to saddle Orange and Osceola counties with billions of dollars in Reedy Creek debt and other obligations to bolster DeSantis’ reelection campaign and possible presidential run.\n\n“It shows the deep selfishness and the deep blind political ambition that this governor has. That he’s willing to do this on the backs of working people is unconscionable,” said Rep. Michelle Rayner, D-Tampa.\n\nFine and Republicans counter that the Legislature and Disney will have a year to work on the dissolution of Reedy Creek and prevent what the Senate sponsor called the Democrats’ “parade of horribles.”\n\nThe measure would go into effect in June 2023.\n\nFine said that gives Disney more than enough time to “consider how they behave,” and seek recodification of Reedy Creek if they want to retain the “special privileges” Florida has given it.\n\n“This is unhinged authoritarianism. This is about retribution. They are using the power of government to punish anyone who speaks out against them,” said Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando.\n\nJames Call is a member of the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jcall@tallahassee.com. Follow on him Twitter: @CallTallahassee\n\nNever miss a story: Subscribe to the Tallahassee Democrat using the link at the top of the page.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/04/21"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/19/politics/florida-disney-special-status/index.html", "title": "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis moves against Disney with push to ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nFlorida Gov. Ron DeSantis escalated his weeks-long feud with Disney on Tuesday, challenging lawmakers to eliminate the unique status that allows the entertainment company to operate as an independent government around its Orlando-area theme parks.\n\nWithin hours, Republican lawmakers delivered, quickly advancing a pair of bills targeting Disney over its objections to a new law limiting classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity.\n\n“Once upon a time Disney was a great partner with the state of Florida,” said Rep. Jackie Toledo, a Tampa Republican. “We’ve granted them privileges because of our shared history, shared goals and shared successes. Shamefully, Disney betrayed us.”\n\nIt now appears almost certain that by the end of the week, the long-standing symbiotic arrangement that helped grow Disney into an iconic entertainment brand and Florida into an international travel destination could be dissolved.\n\nDemocrats accused Republicans of retaliating against Florida’s largest private employer in ways that will reverberate throughout the state’s important tourism economy.\n\n“Punishing a company for daring to speak against a governor’s radical right political agenda is precisely the kinds of things that we see in countries like Russia and China,” said state Rep. Dotie Joseph, a Democrat from the Miami area.\n\nDisney did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.\n\nBill would unravel decades-old law\n\nThe blow to Disney is coming in the form of a bill to unravel the 55-year-old Reedy Creek Improvement Act, a unique Florida law that helped establish Walt Disney World in the state by giving the brains behind Mickey Mouse operational autonomy.\n\nGOP-controlled committees in the state House and Senate voted in favor of a bill that would end the special district on June 1, 2023.\n\nAnother bill, to subject Disney to a state law that allows people to sue Big Tech companies for censorship, also passed out of initial committees Tuesday afternoon. Disney had won an exemption from the bill last year. A federal judge has blocked the law but Florida is appealing the ruling.\n\nThe votes came hours after DeSantis, in a surprise bombshell announcement, called on lawmakers to sunset the Reedy Creek Improvement Act. Lawmakers had already been scheduled to meet in Tallahassee this week to pass new congressional maps.\n\nRepublicans in Florida and Disney have been at odds for months over legislation that prohibits schools from teaching young children about sexual orientation or gender identity. After initially declining to weigh in, Disney CEO Bob Chapek publicly criticized Florida lawmakers for passing what opponents called the “Don’t Say Gay” bill and apologized to the company’s LGBTQ employees for not being a stronger advocate.\n\nChapek announced that the company would stop making political donations in Florida after decades of contributing generously, mostly to Republicans, including a $50,000 donation to DeSantis’ reelection effort.\n\nDeSantis ripped Disney as a “woke corporation” and criticized its business in China. After DeSantis signed the bill, Disney wrote in a statement that its “goal” was to get the law repealed or see it defeated in the courts.\n\nDespite the rising tensions, few expected Florida Republicans would take the unimaginable step of undercutting the business of its most iconic company. The Reedy Creek Improvement District covers Disney’s properties near Orlando, allowing the company to manage land within its boundaries and provide its own public services, such as firefighting and police. There are also significant tax advantages for Disney in the arrangement.\n\nBut DeSantis, widely seen as a 2024 presidential contender, has vowed to challenge any business that steps into the political arena to support progressive causes. He has been joined in the fight by Fox’s prime-time hosts, who have taken turns criticizing Disney and enlisting people to turn their backs on Mickey Mouse.\n\nLast month, DeSantis signaled support for stripping Disney of its sacred status.\n\n“Disney has alienated a lot of people now,” DeSantis said. “And so, the political influence they’re used to wielding, I think has dissipated. And so the question is, why would you want to have special privileges in the law at all? And I don’t think that we should.”\n\nGiven the choice between DeSantis, their party’s most popular elected leader, and Disney, the state’s most iconic company, it was clear Tuesday that Republican lawmakers have sided with DeSantis.\n\n“You kick the hornet’s nest, things come up,” state Rep. Randy Fine, the Republican sponsor of the bill, said before the measure passed the House State Affairs Committee by 14-7. “This bill does target one company. It targets Walt Disney Company. You want to know why? Because they’re the only company in the state that has ever been granted the right to govern themselves.”\n\nNext steps unclear\n\nIt’s not clear what dominoes will fall next if lawmakers proceed. Fine said he has not spoken with Disney or the surrounding cities and counties that would likely have to take up the government functions that the company has operated for decades. He said Disney and other stakeholders have a year to come up with a plan. He didn’t rule out altering and extending the Reedy Creek Improvement District when lawmakers meet in 2023.\n\nDisney’s unique arrangement in Florida has not been without its detractors over the years. Some have complained that the company does not pay its fair share of taxes. Others have said it’s received an unfair advantage over the competition.\n\nBut Democrats said Republicans were rushing into a plan out of retaliation, not sound policy. They said the bill as written contradicts an existing state law that says a majority of residents must vote to eliminate a special district – which is mostly Disney employees in Reedy Creek.\n\n“Reedy Creek has a budget of over $350 million; they have debt of almost a billion dollars,” said state Sen. Randolph Bracy. “Orange County, central Florida residents would have to absorb all that debt, and it is something that we cannot handle. So I think it’s appropriate to say that this legislation is unnecessary but also it is clearly retribution.”", "authors": ["Steve Contorno"], "publish_date": "2022/04/19"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/31/media/ron-desantis-disney/index.html", "title": "Ron DeSantis signals support for stripping Disney of special self ...", "text": "CNN Business —\n\nFlorida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday signaled support for stripping Disney of its 55-year-old special status that allows the entertainment company to operate as an independent government around its Orlando-area theme park.\n\nIt’s the latest fallout in the feud between DeSantis, a Republican widely seen as a potential 2024 presidential contender, and Disney (DIS), Florida’s largest private employer, over a measure that bans schools from teaching young children about sexual orientation or gender identity.\n\nAfter DeSantis signed the bill into law earlier Monday, the Walt Disney Company wrote in a statement that its “goal” was to get the law repealed or defeated in the courts.\n\nDeSantis previously said Disney “crossed the line” with that statement. On Thursday, DeSantis went further, suggesting Disney’s “special privileges” could be lifted.\n\n“Disney has alienated a lot of people now,” DeSantis said at a West Palm Beach press conference. “And so the political influence they’re used to wielding, I think has dissipated. And so the question is, why would you want to have special privileges in the law at all? And I don’t think that that we should.”\n\nDeSantis’ remarks follow a revelation that some Republican state lawmakers are considering repealing a 1967 state law that established the Reedy Creek Improvement District, giving Disney the power to establish its own government in central Florida.\n\n“Yesterday was the 2nd meeting in a week [with] fellow legislators to discuss a repeal of the 1967 Reedy Creek Improvement Act, which allows Disney to act as its own government,” state Rep. Spencer Roach, a Republican, wrote Wednesday on Twitter. “If Disney wants to embrace woke ideology, it seems fitting that they should be regulated by Orange County.”\n\nLawmakers recently concluded their legislative business for the year and would not be able to repeal the act until they meet again next year, unless DeSantis or legislative leaders convene a special session to address it.", "authors": ["Steve Contorno"], "publish_date": "2022/03/31"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/27/us/reedy-creek-disney-whats-next/index.html", "title": "Reedy Creek: What might happen next in Florida's attempt to end ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nNearly 55 years ago, Florida passed a law that created the Reedy Creek Improvement District, effectively giving The Walt Disney Company governmental control over the land in and around its central Florida theme parks.\n\nYet over the course of just a few days last week, Republican legislators – in response to Disney’s criticism of a law restricting discussion of LGBTQ issues in schools – drafted and passed a bill dissolving that special purpose district on June 1, 2023. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the legislation into law on Friday.\n\nThe new law is just two pages long and avoids any discussion of details about how to unwind a half-century of infrastructure deals, nor does it lay out the next steps in the complicated process.\n\nThe lack of a concrete plan surprised and frustrated state lawmakers in Orange and Osceola counties, who suddenly realized their taxpayers could be on the hook for funding basic services and paying off Disney’s nearly $1 billion of debt.\n\n“They’re trying to unwind a whole municipal government in five days,” said Eleanor Wilking, an assistant professor at Cornell Law School studying tax policy. “The details are not trivial.”\n\nCNN spoke to a handful of experts and lawmakers to try to understand what’s next for Florida, Disney and Reedy Creek. Their answers were wary and speculative because, they said, the law itself offered few clues. Disney, too, has been conspicuously silent over the past week.\n\nBroadly, though, they suggested there were three potential paths ahead: One, inertia rules the day and local counties are stuck with a big tax bill; two, Disney files suit to stop the dissolution; or three, Disney and Florida renegotiate a new special district.\n\n“It really just depends on what Disney does and what the legislature does,” said Aubrey Jewett, associate professor at University of Central Florida and co-author of the book “Politics in Florida.” “If neither of them does much, then it falls to the local governments to sort out this mess.”\n\nOption 1: Orange and Osceola counties will pick up the bill\n\nIf nothing else changes, and Reedy Creek is dissolved in June 2023, then Orange and Osceola counties could be on the hook for significant cost increases.\n\nReedy Creek is important to Disney because it gives them greater control over their parks, said Richard Foglesong, the author of the book “Married to the Mouse: Walt Disney World and Orlando.” Reedy Creek, whose budget comes almost entirely from Disney, pays for its own fire department, water systems, roadways and building inspectors, and it can issue bonds and take on debt to pay for long-term infrastructure programs.\n\nBut if Reedy Creek is dissolved, those expenses and debt payments would be absorbed by neighboring Orange and Osceola counties. The Senate bill analysis noted that the new law will have an “indeterminate fiscal impact” on the counties.\n\nOfficials in Orange County said they’ll likely have to raise property taxes on their residents. Orange County tax collector Scott Randolph told CNN on Saturday that residents could be hit with a $163 million a year tax bill when the district is dissolved.\n\n“All of that debt and obligation goes over to Orange County the minute that Reedy Creek is dissolved,” he said. He said paying that off could mean a property tax increase of 20% to 25% on homeowners. (Florida does not have a personal income tax.)\n\nState Sen. Linda Stewart, a Democrat who represents part of Orange County, told CNN on Monday there was conflicting information about what this would mean for county taxpayers. Orange County is working on releasing a more realistic breakdown of the potential impact in the next few days, she said.\n\nStill, she’s already hearing from frustrated constituents concerned that their property taxes will be going up.\n\n“We’ve got inflation, we’ve got (high) gas prices, and now we’re gonna add in a huge tax bill too? No, that is not acceptable,” she said.\n\nOption 2: Disney takes Florida to court\n\nVideo Ad Feedback What happens if Disney loses its special tax status in Florida? 06:29 - Source: CNN\n\nA second potential path ahead is that Disney sues to block the law from taking effect.\n\nOne line of argument may be that the dissolution does not follow state law. According to Florida Statute 189.072, dissolving a special district requires approval by a majority of landowners. The land of Reedy Creek is mostly owned by Disney.\n\nThe bill passed last week takes that into account, saying that, “Notwithstanding 189.072,” any special district established before 1968 will be dissolved next year. Does including the word “notwithstanding” mean that the prior law doesn’t apply?\n\nIn debating the bill last week, Rep. Randy Fine, a Republican, said the “notwithstanding” line passes legal muster.\n\n“These are not constitutional requirements. These are statutory requirements. And this bill actually changes the law, which we’re allowed to do at any time, and says that we don’t have to do those things,” he said.\n\nTo which state Rep. Dotie Joseph, a Democrat, responded: “I think to change the law that exists you would repeal it, not just put another one that contravenes it, but what do I know? I’m just a lawyer.”\n\nAnother potential lawsuit could be on free speech grounds. Though the new law does not specifically mention Disney or Reedy Creek, Florida Republicans publicly said the law was in response to the company’s criticism of the “Parental Rights in Education” bill, which critics have termed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.\n\nThat state legislation, signed into law last month, prohibits schools from teaching children about sexual orientation or gender identity “in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate.” After an employee uproar, Disney stated that the company’s goal was for the law to be repealed or struck down in the courts, earning the enmity of right-wing lawmakers.\n\n“They are a California company that is a guest in the state of Florida,” Fine said on CNN last week. “And they are a guest that has had special privileges that no other company has had. If you want special privileges, you’d better be on your best behavior.”\n\nDisney could sue and argue that the law was an unconstitutional punishment for corporate political speech.\n\n“All of this boils down to a spiteful Disney approach that (Republicans) didn’t like what Disney had the freedom of speech to say,” Stewart said. “People have freedom of speech, so do corporations. They’re not excluded from having freedom of speech.”\n\nFinally, Disney might not even be the only one to sue the state. Tax attorney Jacob Schumer argued that Florida had promised Reedy Creek bondholders that the state wouldn’t interfere with the district’s bonds. Dissolving Reedy Creek would violate this contractual agreement, he argued.\n\n“Florida simply cannot promise to prospective bondholders that it won’t interfere with Reedy Creek, and then dissolve Reedy Creek,” he wrote on BloombergTax.com.\n\nReedy Creek itself highlighted this issue in a statement to bondholders last week, prior to the law’s signing. Citing that aspect of the law, the district said it expects to continue business as usual.\n\n“In light of the State of Florida’s pledge to the District’s bondholders, Reedy Creek expects to explore its options while continuing its present operations, including levying and collecting its ad valorem taxes and collecting its utility revenues, paying debt service on its ad valorem tax bonds and utility revenue bonds, complying with its bond covenants and operating and maintaining its properties,” Reedy Creek said.\n\nFitch Ratings, the credit rating agency, put Reedy Creek on “Negative Watch,” meaning that there is a potential for the rating on their debt to be downgraded. Analyst Michael Rinaldi told CNN the uncertainty of the law was to blame, as the two-page bill did not lay out the process of what happens to nearly $1 billion in debt when the district is dissolved.\n\n“We’re in no man’s land with respect to where things go,” he said.\n\nOption 3: Disney and Florida renegotiate a new special district\n\nThe final path ahead – and the one that most lawmakers and experts mentioned – is that Disney and Florida renegotiate terms on a new special district with more limited powers the day that Reedy Creek dissolves.\n\nThe law passed last week explicitly allows for just such an agreement. “An independent special district affected by this subsection may be reestablished on or after June 1, 2023,” the law states.\n\nDeSantis said as much on Monday, saying that the dissolution bill passed last week is “the first step in what’s going to be a process to make sure that Disney should not run its own government.”\n\nHe insisted that Disney would still pay taxes and its debts.\n\n“Trust me, under no circumstances will Disney not pay its fair share of taxes,” he said.\n\n“Under no circumstances will Disney be able to not pay its debts. We will make sure of that,” he added.\n\nStewart said they could renegotiate on small things, such as ensuring Disney does not start fracking or build a nuclear power plant in the special district. That would allow Disney to keep most of its powers while also allowing DeSantis to maintain his right-wing credibility.\n\n“I don’t think that anybody is going to go the full route of dissolving Reedy Creek,” she said. “There may be a couple of things we can do (to negotiate). Whether that will be enough for the governor to save face with, I don’t know. I can’t read his mind. Nobody can.”\n\nWilking, the tax policy expert, said that any negotiation on the special district misses the broader issues at play: The culture wars have come for big business.\n\n“The bigger issue really is this idea that DeSantis and the Florida legislature are willing to really go head-to-head with these really large and locally significant businesses in order to prosecute their preferred cultural agenda,” she said. “That’s the real story in my opinion. The taxes are less important than the loss of control for Disney.”", "authors": ["Eric Levenson Steve Contorno", "Eric Levenson", "Steve Contorno"], "publish_date": "2022/04/27"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2022/04/22/disney-loses-self-governing-florida-how-company-responds/7396756001/", "title": "Is Disney leaving Florida? How company might respond to Reedy ...", "text": "The Walt Disney Co. has been silent this past week over the Florida Legislature's action to repeal the Reedy Creek Improvement District. That's the governing structure for Disney's Orlando-area properties.\n\nThat silence leaves much unknown about how Disney will respond, and what its next steps will be. Under the legislation, the move would take effect in June 2023.\n\nThe Legislature's action came in response to Disney criticism over the “Parental Rights in Education Act\" that Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law in March. The measure — which critics term the \"Don't Say Gay\" bill — includes provisions that limit instruction about gender identity and sexual orientation in grades K-3.\n\nIs the magic still there? Disney fans react to feud with DeSantis, Florida lawmakers\n\nA smaller world for Disney? Florida lawmakers revoke special self-governing status\n\nWho is Randy Fine? Brevard Republican lawmaker's fight with Disney is only his latest battle in culture wars\n\nThe company responded to the fallout from Disney employees and stockholders — both in an open letter to employees and during the company's annual stockholders' meeting. DeSantis and lawmakers took notice.\n\nHere's what we know about what transpired:\n\nWhat was Disney's initial approach?\n\nDisney Chief Executive Officer Bob Chapek has taken criticism in recent months from some employees and shareholders over what his critics felt was Disney's muted response in opposing the Parental Rights in Education Act.\n\nChapek last month sent a message addressed to Disney employees — \"but especially our LGBTQ+ community\" — about the legislation.\n\n\"Speaking to you, reading your messages and meeting with you have helped me better understand how painful our silence was,\" Chapek said. \"It is clear that this is not just an issue about a bill in Florida, but instead yet another challenge to basic human rights. You needed me to be a stronger ally in the fight for equal rights, and I let you down. I am sorry. We need to use our influence to promote that good by telling inclusive stories, but also by standing up for the rights of all.\"\n\nWhy was Disney initially silent in its opposition to the legislation?\n\nChapek read a statement at the company's annual stockholders' meeting that explaining that tactic.\n\n\"We were opposed to the bill from the outset, but we chose not to take a public position on it, because we thought we could be more effective working behind the scenes, engaging directly with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle,\" Chapek told stockholders. \"And we were hopeful that our long-standing relationships with those lawmakers would enable us to achieve a better outcome. But despite weeks of effort, we were ultimately unsuccessful. Certainly, the outcome in Florida was not what many of us were hoping for, especially our LGBTQ+ employees.\"\n\nHow did Disney stockholders react?\n\nSome stockholders on both sides of the issue were not pleased with the company's efforts — and expressed those views during the shareholder question-and-answer portion of the meeting.\n\nOne stockholder questioned why Chapek and a group of LGBTQ+ employees were planning to meet with DeSantis, when the governor's views were clear on the legislation.\n\nAnother read into the meeting record comments from his daughter — a Disney employee — who felt the company did not do enough to fight the legislation; should not have donated to politicians who supported the bill; and does not have enough of an LGBTQ+ representation in its mainstream Disney shows and movies. She termed Disney's initial efforts on the legislation \"beyond disappointing.\"\n\nIn contrast, another stockholder complained to Chapek that \"your recent Magical Pride Days and your upcoming LGBTQ Pride March this year is a blatant attempt at indoctrinating children and attendees towards a certain political ideology.\" He also expressed concern that transgender themes are getting into Disney creative content.\n\n\"My question to you today is: Would it not be beneficial both to you and the millions of Disney lovers around the world to ditch the politicization and gender ideology from your content aimed at children, and instead try to win back the trust of families by sliding away from politics altogether? And reverting back to the magic and innocence that has been the founding motive for its success?\"\n\nWhat did Disney CEO Bob Chapek say about those criticisms?\n\n\"I think all the participants in today's call can see how difficult it is to try to thread the needle between the extreme polarization of political viewpoints we have as shareholders,\" he told shareholders. \"Certainly, our shareholders follow the general distribution of our audience in general and America and the globe, in terms of having different points of view.\"\n\nSo what does Disney plan to do now?\n\nChapek has announced a multifaceted approach to addressing the issues. Among its efforts, Disney is taking action to combat the spread of legislation like the Parental Rights in Education Act approved by the Florida Legislature and signed into law by DeSantis.\n\nChapek said Disney is:\n\nIncreasing its support for advocacy groups to combat similar legislation in other states, including signing the Human Rights Campaign's statement opposing such legislative efforts.\n\nPledging $5 million to organizations working to protect LGBTQ+ rights.\n\nWorking to create \"a new framework for our political giving that will ensure our advocacy better reflects our values.\"\n\nHalting political donations in Florida, pending this review.\n\nHow is Disney trying to unify its customers?\n\nChapek said Disney likes \"to celebrate those different points of view, but, really, what we want Disney to be is a place where people can come together and place their differences aside, and it's my goal to make sure that that continues to be the case, where Disney is a unifying force, not a divisive force. My opinion is that when someone walks down Main Street and comes in the gates of our parks, they put their differences aside, and they look at what they have as a shared belief — a shared belief of Disney magic, hopes, dreams and imagination and bringing people together.\"\n\nWhat does Chapek think about Disney's relations with the LGBTQ+ community?\n\n\"We stand with our LGBTQ+ community going forward, and will continue to make an impact,\" Chapek said at the shareholder meeting.\n\n\"I truly believe we are an infinitely better and stronger company because of our LGBTQ+ community.\" Chapek told employees in his email. \"I missed the mark in this case, but am an ally you can count on — and I will be an outspoken champion for the protections, visibility and opportunity you deserve.\"\n\nDave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Berman at dberman@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @bydaveberman.\n\nSupport local journalism and journalists like me. Subscribe today.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/04/22"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/22/politics/desantis-disney-congressional-map-anti-crt-bill/index.html", "title": "DeSantis signs bill restricting how Florida schools and businesses ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nFlorida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed several bills into law, including two measures targeting Disney, legislation that will put new restrictions on how schools and businesses can talk about race and gender, and the state’s new congressional map.\n\nThe bills targeting Disney were passed by the state’s Republican-controlled legislature this week in a special session, taking aim at the company’s self-governing status around its Orlando-area theme parks and ending an exemption to state law regarding Big Tech censorship.\n\nFlorida lawmakers also this week passed the state’s new congressional map, which was proposed by DeSantis himself and that critics say dilutes the electoral power of Black Floridians and could give Republicans the advantage in as many as 20 of the state’s 28 districts.\n\nThe bill restricting how schools and businesses can talk about race and gender was passed by lawmakers last month. It says a student and employee cannot be told they “must feel guilt, anguish, or other forms of psychological distress because of actions, in which the individual played no part, committed in the past by other members of the same race, color, sex, or national origin.”\n\nDisney’s special status upended\n\nOne of the bills signed by DeSantis unravels the nearly 55-year-old Reedy Creek Improvement Act, a unique Florida law that helped establish Walt Disney World in the state by giving the brains behind Mickey Mouse operational autonomy.\n\nThe new law will end the special district on June 1, 2023.\n\nAnother bill signed by DeSantis subjects Disney to a state law that allows people to sue Big Tech companies for censorship after Disney won an exemption from it last year. A federal judge has blocked the law, but Florida is appealing the ruling.\n\nThe pair of bills represent an unprecedented political retaliation against Disney for its criticism of the Parental Rights in Education bill, which critics have termed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.\n\nDisney has not responded to CNN requests for comment.\n\nFlorida Democrats have been outspoken against the bills, accusing Republicans of retaliating against the state’s largest private employer in ways that will reverberate throughout the Sunshine State’s important tourism economy.\n\nNew congressional map\n\nThe map signed by DeSantis could help Republicans gain up to four seats in the US House of Representatives this November.\n\nIt dismantles Florida’s 5th Congressional District, currently represented by Democrat Al Lawson, which connects Black communities from Tallahassee to Jacksonville. Instead, Jacksonville, the city with the largest African American population in the state, is divided into two Republican-leaning districts.\n\nThe final product would also shift Florida’s 10th Congressional District – an Orlando-area seat represented by Val Demings, a Black Democrat now running for US Senate – east toward Whiter communities.\n\nDeSantis has contended those districts were racially gerrymandered and has suggested they are unconstitutional.\n\nA coalition of civil rights groups on Friday filed the first lawsuit against the new map, contending it was a Republican gerrymander that violated the state Constitution by diminishing the power of Black voters. A state constitutional amendment known as Fair Districts, approved by voters in 2010, requires lawmakers to give minority communities an opportunity to “elect representatives of their choice.”\n\nSeveral Black members of the Florida House staged a protest during debate Thursday, forcing an informal recess before Republican members continued the process by ending debate and holding the vote during their protest.\n\nThe Republican-controlled state House and Senate had initially sought to maintain the state’s four Black congressional districts. DeSantis threatened to veto those proposals.\n\nThe House and Senate passed their own map in March over the governor’s objections. DeSantis vetoed it and called lawmakers back to Tallahassee for a special session to address the issue. Republican leaders in the House and Senate then made the decision this month to let the governor take the lead.\n\nDeSantis’ foray into the once-a-decade redistricting process is unusual. None of his immediate predecessors were especially involved in reapportioning state boundaries. It was a surprise to Tallahassee, including Republicans, when the governor’s office in January submitted a map for the lawmakers to consider.\n\nRepublicans currently hold a 16-11 advantage in Florida’s US House delegation. The state added a 28th district following the 2020 US census.\n\nNew law limits how race can be discussed in classrooms\n\nIn signing the bill that will put new restrictions on how schools and businesses can talk about race and gender, DeSantis realized one of his top objectives heading into his reelection campaign. In December, he had proposed the Stop the Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees (W.O.K.E.) Act to remove certain teachings about race from school curricula and employee trainings. Specifically, DeSantis called for a banning of critical race theory and similar concepts.\n\nThat proposal became the legislative framework for HB 7, which passed the Republican-controlled legislature earlier this year.\n\nThe legislation DeSantis signed does not specifically mention critical race theory, which acknowledges that racism is both systemic and institutional in American society and has benefited White people and oppressed Black and brown Americans. A bill analysis by state Senate staff, however, highlights the teaching of critical race theory as something that would be prohibited under the legislation.\n\nThe newly signed legislation was swiftly challenged in a federal lawsuit filed on Friday that argues the law violates First Amendment and 14th Amendment rights and seeks an injunction to stop it from going into effect.\n\nAttorneys for the plaintiffs in the suit – an upcoming kindergarten student, two Florida teachers, a University of Central Florida associate professor, and a race and ethnicity consultant – said, “This legislation prohibits Florida’s K-12 schoolteachers, college and university professors, and employers from espousing, endorsing, or advancing a wide range of viewpoints on important issues about race in America, such as institutional racism and implicit bias,” in a news release shared with CNN on Friday.\n\nA spokesperson for the governor told CNN they have not had a chance to review the lawsuit yet but are confident the bill is legal.\n\n“The law protects students and workers from discriminatory indoctrination. Nobody should be compelled to undergo trainings or lectures that stereotype individuals based on race or other innate characteristics,” said Christina Pushaw, DeSantis’ spokesperson.\n\n“No one is teaching critical race theory,” state Sen. Audrey Gibson, a Black Democrat from Jacksonville, said the day the bill passed in that chamber. “This is a bill in search of a problem that we don’t have.”\n\n“This is politically driven,” she added. “This is designed to create division.”\n\nDemocratic lawmakers have expressed concern that such a law could lead to schools desensitizing history, including the Jim Crow era, the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II and the Stonewall riots.\n\nThe bill DeSantis signed says schools can teach about slavery and the history of racial segregation and discrimination in an “age-appropriate manner,” but the instruction cannot “indoctrinate or persuade students to a particular point of view.”\n\nThe new law also says that students “shall develop an understanding of the ramifications of prejudice, racism, and stereotyping on individual freedoms, and examine what it means to be a responsible and respectful person” and “celebrate the inspirational stories of African Americans who prospered, even in the most difficult circumstances.”\n\nThe law is set to go into effect on July 1.\n\nThis story has been updated with further developments Friday.", "authors": ["Dianne Gallagher Steve Contorno Jon Passantino", "Dianne Gallagher", "Steve Contorno", "Jon Passantino"], "publish_date": "2022/04/22"}]}
{"question_id": "20230303_28", "search_time": "2023/03/15/03:29", "search_result": []}
{"question_id": "20230303_29", "search_time": "2023/03/15/03:29", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.theweek.co.uk/news/956778/ten-things-you-need-to-know-today-18-may-2022", "title": "Ten Things You Need to Know Today: 18 May 2022 | The Week UK", "text": "Cooking oil price rises by 40%\n\nCooking oil is one of the goods to jump most in price this year, going up by 18% in the last year on average across all variations, reported The Telegraph. Rapeseed oil and coconut oil prices have risen by more than 40%, while sunflower oil and vegetable oil have gone up by 39%. Dairy products have also risen sharply along with pasta, which has soared in price by 16.2% compared with 2021. One item, add the paper, has more than quadrupled in price since May 2021: the price of Morrisons’s apple crumble has gone up by 341%.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/05/18"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/local/2019/11/18/upstate-sc-virtual-restaurants-find-customer-connections-via-social-media-technology/4166280002/", "title": "Food pop-ups of the future: A look at Greenville SC virtual restaurants", "text": "Tye Cantrell’s Hawaiian street food concept really began because he wanted to buy his wife, Julie a Christmas tree. The trees, at least the really nice ones, cost a lot of money, money that the family with Cantrell’s executive sous chef and Julie’s hairdresser salaries, just didn’t have. But last year, the thrice handed down tree had to be tossed, and so this year, Cantrell vowed he’d find a way to get his wife, Julie the tree she’d always wanted.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2019/11/18"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/11/economy/uk-gdp-economy-g7/index.html", "title": "Boris Johnson's go-to boast on UK GDP obscures the painful truth ...", "text": "London CNN Business —\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson is fond of saying the United Kingdom has the fastest growing economy in the G7.\n\nThe prime minister can back up his claim with data published by Britain’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Friday, which showed the United Kingdom had the fastest growing economy of the Group of Seven nations over last year as a whole.\n\nUK gross domestic product — the broadest measure of economic activity — grew by 7.5% as activity bounced back with the lifting of coronavirus restrictions.\n\nBut those figures don’t tell the whole story. The growth numbers are pumped up because the United Kingdom endured the deepest recession of any major developed economy in 2020 and its worst performance since 1921, providing a lower base for subsequent comparison.\n\nJohnson’s boast also doesn’t reflect what happened in the final three months of last year. UK GDP expanded 1% in the fourth quarter, according to ONS data published Friday. That trailed the United States (1.7%) and Canada (1.6%), which are both in the G7.\n\nEven those statistics obscure a larger truth: the United Kingdom is hurtling toward its worst cost of living crisis in 30 years, the Bank of England expects unemployment to rise next year and growth to be “subdued,” taxes are going up and new post-Brexit import controls could slam foreign trade.\n\nShort-term economic indicators have also been exceptionally volatile, reflecting the stop-start nature of business as coronavirus restrictions have come and gone. A better way to measure performance is to compare current economic output with levels before the pandemic arrived. Here, the United Kingdom is languishing near the middle of the G7 ranking.\n\nIn the fourth quarter of 2021, the UK economy was still 0.4% smaller than it was before the pandemic struck, according to the ONS. By the same measure, the US economy has expanded 3.1%, while France and Canada have grown by 0.9% and 0.2%, respectively.\n\nThe German and Italian economies have not yet achieved their pre-pandemic size, and comparable data for Japan is not yet available.\n\nJohnson may be able to repeat his G7 claim without being slapped down by fact checkers. But it’s less likely to land well with the British people, whose average disposable incomes after tax are forecast to decline by 2% this year.\n\nUK inflation hit 5.4% in December, its highest rate since 1992, according to official statistics released last month. Wages advanced at an annual rate of just 3.8% in December, leaving households with less purchasing power.\n\nA volunteer collects donated items from shelving racks at a food bank in Colchester, England, on January 20. Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images\n\nBrits are already feeling rising costs. Some 85% of people have noticed an increase in the costs of groceries, according to a January survey conducted by YouGov. Roughly 35% say their housing costs, including rent and mortgages, have risen. Nearly 75% have noticed higher fuel prices.\n\nThe cost of living crisis is about to get much worse.\n\nThe Bank of the England expects inflation to surge higher over the coming months and peak at 7.25% in April. In early February, the central bank hiked interest rates for a second time in three months in an effort to rein in rising prices, increasing pressure on homeowners with variable rate mortgages. More interest rate hikes are expected later this year.\n\n“We are facing a squeeze on real incomes this year,” central bank boss Andrew Bailey told reporters last week. “It is necessary for us to … raise interest rates because if we don’t do that, we think that the effects will be worse.”\n\nEnergy bills will go even higher in April, when regulators increase a cap on how much consumers can be charged to heat and light their homes by 54%.\n\nThe change means that the typical consumer will see their energy bills increase by £693 ($939) to £1,971 ($2,670) per year. Some of that will be offset by a cut in local taxes, and a discount that will have to be repaid over 5 years.\n\nThe Joseph Rowntree Foundation said some families on low incomes would face annual bills as high as £2,326 ($3,152) from April, while the Resolution Foundation warned that the number of households in “fuel stress” — those spending more than 10% of the family budget on energy — would double to 5 million.\n\nBritish Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street on February 9. Matt Dunham/AP\n\nOther government policies are adding to the burden on households.\n\nJohnson is pushing ahead with plans to hike the National Insurance payroll tax in April in order to fund health and social care. The hike should help the elderly, but the tax is regressive, meaning higher earners pay a lower marginal rate than the poor.\n\nAnd in early October, the government cut Universal Credit — a benefit claimed by those out-of-work or earning low incomes — back to its pre-pandemic level. More than 5.8 million people lost £20 ($28) a week, although the government later boosted the income of some people who work and receive the benefit.\n\nOne more big economic risk looms. The government has yet to implement fully the border checks that are needed as a result of Brexit, and there is considerable doubt over whether preparations are on track despite three previous delays.\n\nThe UK Parliament’s influential Public Accounts Committee said this week that “there remains much to be done to introduce import controls.” The trade group Logistics UK echoed that assessment, warning that delays at the border could cause a backup of trucks that would stretch for 29 miles.\n\nTaken together, the combination of spiraling costs, taxes and risks to trade leave the prime minister with little reason to boast about the state of the UK economy.", "authors": ["Charles Riley"], "publish_date": "2022/02/11"}]}