News from all over | Updated hourly
99 Ranch will open a new-concept grocery store at San Jose’s Oakridge Mall
- The nation’s largest Asian grocery chain — 99 Ranch Market — will soon join Macy’s, Target and Century Theatres as an anchor tenant at South San Jose’s Westfield Oakridge Mall.
- This 99 Ranch will be the chain’s first location inside a mall and its first new-concept store in California.
Motormouth: Paying tolls, no need to stop anymore
- The tollway will bill you and send you an invoice (which you can pay online) if you set up a Pay-By-Plate account.
- A: The tollway system does accept credit cards, but not at toll booths, which are history.
Strong To Severe Storms Saturday
- We head towards the weekend with another frontal system approaching the state.We expect rain and storms move through the area early Saturday morning.
- We’re on the back side of the storm system Saturday night and that puts us in a good position for some nice weather Sunday.
How to confront systemic racism? Heed the call of Martin Luther King.
- White people in America tend to assume, at a deep level, that America’s economic, governmental and legal systems are roughly fair.
- Eighteen days after the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “ I Have a Dream ” speech, four young girls were killed in the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala. Days later, King delivered their eulogy, and demonstrated why America would have been lost without the civil rights movement.
Covid-19 live updates: Reinfection is possible but rare, data from 63 million medical records shows
- Federal health authorities are leaning toward recommending that use of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine resume, possibly as soon as this weekend — a move that would include a new warning about a rare complication involving blood clots but probably would not call for age restrictions.
- Federal health authorities are leaning toward recommending that use of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine resume, possibly as soon as this weekend — a move that would include a new warning about a rare complication involving blood clots but probably not call for age restrictions.
Controversial Voting Bills in Alabama Senate
- On Thursday the Alabama Senate debated a package of bills supported and authored by Secretary of State John Merrill.
- Supporters of the package say the bills strengthen ballot security.
Trump’s shadow looms over Biden’s presidency and a divided nation
Why stopping the distribution of the Philip Roth biography was a bad idea
- Then, the New York Times followed up with a report that a female publishing executive wrote to W.W. Norton’s president in 2018 to say that in 2015, Bailey assaulted her while they were both guests at a friend’s home.
- What happened at W.W. Norton this week was instead a clever effort at corporate image management disguised as social responsibility, and a missed opportunity to demonstrate how making recompense and continuing dialogue can go hand in hand.
Duluth has COVID-19 vaccines to spare; come and get them, hospitals urge
- Essentia Health has also opened its Miller Hill Mall vaccination site in Duluth for walk-in appointments available to anyone seeking a first dose of the vaccine.
- DULUTH – St. Luke's has an ample supply of COVID-19 vaccines, and the Duluth-based health system is encouraging anyone who wants to make an appointment, no matter where they live, to drive up for the shot.
Daunte Wright’s wake draws family, community and activists
- Sharpton decried mentions of Wright’s record and said the real questions must be reserved for Kim Potter, the 26-year veteran Brooklyn Center police officer who shot Wright with her service weapon .
- MINNEAPOLIS — Friends and family of Daunte Wright will gather here Thursday afternoon to say goodbye to the 20-year-old Black man who was killed earlier this month by police during a traffic stop.
‘Safety is in their DNA’: This social media app is geared toward kids and learning
- Instead, we're playing catch-up and trying to put bandaids on issues that perhaps could have been avoided if initial design and launch placed kids and teens at the center."As Zigazoo grows through word of mouth, it has also fallen into the hands of celebrity parents -- including Rutler and his partner, singer Christina Aguilera -- whose 6-year-old daughter consumes videos on the app.
- With a background as tech entrepreneurs -- the Ringelsteins launched and sold Dropbox-for-education platform UClass to Renaissance Learning, a Google Capital Company, for an undisclosed sum in 2015 -- they folded these exercises into an app and made the traditionally passive experience of viewing videos into something creative and social.The app's challenges fall into various categories -- art, math, health and fitness, and more -- and come from its content partners.
Bill would create aviation response plan for pandemics and study disease transmission on airplanes
- DeFazio (D-Ore.), the committee’s chairman, and Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), the aviation subcommittee chairman — also makes clear that the Federal Aviation Administration has the authority to impose requirements to protect passengers and airline workers during public health emergencies.
- In addition, it would require that people wear masks on airplanes and in airports, and that airline employees and some FAA personnel be given personal protective equipment during public health emergencies linked to respiratory diseases.
Biden has an opportunity to ensure an FDR-like legacy, and he might blow it
- Fortunately, tons of Democrats (and at least one prominent Republican ) have expressed support for making a monthly child allowance permanent.
- My own reporting suggests Biden settled on a four-year extension of the child allowance for fiscal reasons.
Local man attempting to become top naked survivalist
- Because Zerra did not return, Zausch said, he has a chance to be the show’s first participant to complete two 60-day challenges.
- POCATELLO — If he is able to complete his latest challenge, Bannock County native Jeff Zausch will have spent more time ‘Naked and Afraid’ than any other contestant on the popular Discovery Channel show.
A hiker was lost and desperate. A stranger with an unusual hobby saved him.
- “There’s an amazing amount of information you can get from satellites,” said Kuo, who is also a hiker, though he has never visited the area where Compean was lost.
- Ben Kuo was working at his home about 60 miles away in Ventura County, Calif., when he stumbled upon a tweet from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, along with the photo of Compean’s legs.
ACLU challenges Iowa law restricting public funds for transgender medical care
- The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa filed a lawsuit Thursday against a state law that exempts Medicaid and other public insurance plans from funding transition-related surgeries for transgender individuals.
- The Iowa Court of Appeals dismissed the case because Vasquez and fellow plaintiff Mika Covington had not been denied coverage by the Iowa Department of Human Services.
Our policymakers are still obsessing over risks but forgetting about rewards
- In other words, even if all the blood clots proved fatal — and most have not been — the virus would still be thousands of times more dangerous than the vaccine.
- Consider the decision from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration to recommend pausing distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after six cases of severe blood clots were reported in the United States (now nine ).
What formally recognizing the Armenian genocide means for humanity
- He didn’t live to see the emotional moment that’s likely to come Saturday, when President Biden is expected to become the first U.S. president to formally affirm the fact of the Armenian genocide .
- On Saturday, the annual day of remembrance for the 1.5 million victims of the genocide, Gregorian would probably have asked the same question that he posed in the March 2018 interview : “What is our duty as Armenians .
Snap Won’t Lose Its Luster
- Snap chat parent Snap Inc. kicked off social media’s first quarter earnings season on Thursday with a bright filter, reporting users and sales above Wall Street’s estimates.
- Continuing to surprise investors to the upside is an impressive feat for a company whose share price has more than tripled over the last year.
Providence adds COVID-19 vaccine clinics in Santa Ana and at the Great Park
With few new clotting cases, Johnson & Johnson pause could be lifted soon
Explainer: Why is Chauvin unlikely to face maximum sentence?
- For example, if a defendant is convicted of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a woman — two crimes against one victim — a judge would issue a sentence on each count, and could rule that they be served at the same time or consecutively, said former Hennepin County chief public defender Mary Moriarty.
- For second-degree unintentional murder, guidelines say the presumptive sentence for someone with no criminal record like Chauvin would be 12 1/2 years.
Study on mask ineffectiveness is not a ‘Stanford study’ and lacks credibility
Miami-Dade, Broward partner up to combat vaccine inequities in Black and brown communities
Bill to reform Florida program to aid brain-damaged babies, their families passes key test
Investigation suppressed by Trump administration reveals obstacles to hurricane aid for Puerto Rico
Inslee: Washington has entered its fourth wave of COVID-19

"We now are seeing the beginnings of a fourth surge in Washington," Gov. Jay Inslee said Thursday. That comes as new variants of the coronavirus — some of which are more contagious and deadly — expand in the state. […]Read more >Similar articles >
Selma Charity Continues Effort to Feed Families During Pandemic
- The COVID recovery effort continues to move forward across the state — but many people in Selma and Dallas County still need help feeding their families.
- Griffin was one of hundreds of people — who lined up for food Thursday morning — at the Christian Outreach Alliance Food Pantry in Selma.
Biden poised to name NOAA leader to restore scientific integrity post-Trump
- The White House is slated to name Rick Spinrad, an oceanographer at Oregon State University, to head the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), according to two sources familiar with the matter.
- The agency, located within the Commerce Department, houses the National Weather Service and conducts much of the nation's climate science research.
Knoxville couple featured on Netflix show, “Sugar Rush,” opens local bakery
Republicans seem to forget their own court-packing attempts
- Kathleen Parker’s assertion that “nothing has changed since Biden’s 1983 assessment — oh, except that the court today leans conservative — and liberals don’t like it” was laughable and a good example of the right’s attempts to rewrite history to suit its own purposes.
- But I disagree with the unqualified assertion in her April 18 op-ed, “ Biden should remember his own words,” that “the court today leans conservative — and liberals don’t like it.”
LeVar Burton wanted to host ‘Jeopardy!’ for years. Thanks to an online movement, he’s getting his chance.
- As of Wednesday, his dream is officially coming true — at least for a few days — thanks in part to a fierce push from fans to get him a spot as one of the celebrity guests who have lead the show since its revered host, Alex Trebek, died in November.
- “Between hosting 21 seasons of the educational Reading Rainbow, playing the brainiac engineer Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: the Next Generation, and filling the roll of Kunta Kinte in the ever important mini-series Roots, LeVar Burton has inspired and shaped the minds of several generations of trivia-loving nerds,” wrote Joshua Sanders, who created the petition.
Atlantic City Guide
On Earth Day, a flurry of plans to slash carbon emissions in Miami-Dade and Miami
DC Council chairman demands action on long-crumbling buildings
NB I-35 to NB U.S. 183 flyover to close Sunday night for reconstruction, long-term detour planned
Want normal? State and hospitals say adults should vaccinate and kids get tested.
- In separate statements and interviews, state health and education officials, testing sites and local hospital officials sketched out a current COVID landscape that is both optimistic and troubling as they emphasized the dual-pronged strategy amid a tug of war between an increasing — but far from fully — immune public and the more-dangerous variant that is dominating infections and increasingly sending unvaccinated, middle-aged patients to the hospital.
- Minnesota health officials Thursday urged everyone over 16 to get vaccinated and youth and teens to get tested more frequently if the state is to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic faster.
$850 million tax break passes NC House, but Senate expected to sit on it

Countering Biden, GOP pitches $568 billion for infrastructure
Prince Louis Celebrates His Third Birthday With a Bike Ride
- “The weather has been lovely so I imagine they will be out in the garden playing games and having lots of fun,” a family friend told Vanity Fair at the time about Louis’s birthday plans.
- Even when George and Charlotte returned to school last September, Louis remained at home, but Vanity Fair understands that Louis began attending Willcocks Nursery School in London this week, the same day that the new photograph was taken at Kensington Palace.
Climate envoy to Iowans: ‘There’s a growing sense of urgency’
- “There’s a growing sense of urgency,” said Kerry, a former U.S. senator and former secretary of state who holds the newly created position of presidential envoy for climate in the Biden administration.
- Moments before he closed a White House international climate summit on Earth Day, U.S. special envoy John Kerry urged Iowans to push Congress to approve new cuts in carbon emissions.
SEEED Knox hosts groundbreaking for its first fully solar-powered home
Utility work affects two downtown Toledo streets
Marine Debris Tracker app asks citizen scientists, volunteers to track Mississippi River pollution on Earth Day
Russian minister orders partial pullback from Ukraine border region
$850 million tax break passes NC House, state Senate expected to sit on it

Remember when ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ used to be great?
Biden wants to slash emissions; success would mean a very different America

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s new pledge to slash America’s greenhouse gas emissions over the coming decade is long on ambition and short on specifics, but experts say that success would require rapid and sweeping changes to virtually every corner of the nation’s economy, transforming the way Americans drive to work, heat their homes and […]Read more >Similar articles >
COVID-19 hospitalizations tumble among US senior citizens

COVID-19 hospitalizations among older Americans have plunged more than 70% since the start of the year, and deaths among them appear to have tumbled as well, dramatic evidence the vaccination campaign is working. […]Read more >Similar articles >
Maine medical marijuana trailblazer hospitalized following accident
- Providers, known in the industry as caregivers, as well as medical cannabis consumers, are pushing back against a series of program changes proposed both from the Maine Office of Marijuana Policy and the Maine Legislature.
- Dawson Julia, a medical cannabis provider in Unity, head of the Maine Cannabis Coalition and one of the first in the state to open a medical cannabis “caregiver” store, is “fighting for his life” in a Miami hospital, according to a GoFundMe fundraiser started by his sister-in-law, Jennifer Nyman-Julia.
COVID: UC, CSU systems and Stanford plan to require students to be vaccinated
- “Prior to the implementation of any changes to the CSU’s existing immunization requirements, the CSU will engage the California State Student Association, the CSU Academic Senate and labor unions,” the system said in a statement, adding that exemptions would be allowed for medical and religious reasons.
- Stanford on Thursday also said it plans to require all students coming to campus in the fall to be fully vaccinated.
Byron Buxton is the most exciting Twin since Kirby Puckett
- Torii Hunter provided similar thrills and power to Buxton, but wasn't as fast, didn't cover as much ground and peaked at 31 home runs and 23 steals in different seasons.
- There is another way to look at Buxton now that he is producing like the star the Twins always thought he would be.
The 7 Climate Tipping Points That Could Change The World Forever
- As we go about our daily lives, the carbon-rich soils of the boreal forest and lush rainforests of the tropics are hard at work sucking up carbon dioxide, forming what are known as terrestrial carbon sinks.
- But as conditions become warmer and drier, wildfires are happening more frequently and burning over greater areas, threatening the vast reserves of carbon stored in the soils of the boreal region and potentially transforming the forest into grassland or tundra.
Bill sent to Arizona governor would criminalize abortions due to fetal genetic issues
- "What this bill is about is giving a child the right to live,'' said Sen. Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert.
- Rep. Kelli Butler, D-Paradise Valley, said the measure is not backed by any organization that lobbies on behalf of the disabled.
North Texas special needs families, who’ve been isolated the entire pandemic, anxious for vaccine approval for children
Laguna Woods sees virus cases slowing to a crawl
- Third Mutual passed a resolution that would set a special election schedule regarding a ballot initiative to restate and amend the mutual’s insurance policies as outlined in the Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&Rs) and bylaws.
- Citywide, coronavirus cases within Laguna Woods have slowed to a crawl, with only four new cases reported in April, Village Management Services CEO Jeff Parker said during a regular meeting of the Third Mutual board on Tuesday, April 20.
Latino leaders push “Marshall Plan” for Central America to address migration and poverty
- Hispanic U.S. House members are pushing for an aggressive, multiyear "Marshall Plan" for Central America to tackle regional violence, corruption and economic devastation.
- The big picture: The call for a Central American plan, similar to a U.S. program that rebuilt Western Europe following World War II, comes as both political parties and the Biden administration struggle to find short-term solutions to the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
Florida lawmakers reach agreement on $200M school choice expansion
Republic Services driver has a smile, gifts for his biggest fans: the neighborhood kids
- Neighborhood kids greet residential trash truck driver Alfonso Arroyo in Huntington Beach, CA, on Thursday, April 22, 2021.
- Otis Lapides, 2, and his mother, Kimberly Lapides, wave goodbye to residential trash truck driver Alfonso Arroyo in Huntington Beach, CA, on Thursday, April 22, 2021.
Harriet Tubman’s lost Maryland home found, archaeologists say
- Tuesday morning state and federal officials announced that Schablitsky, guided in part by the coin, believes she has found the site where Tubman lived with her parents and several siblings during formative teenage years before she escaped enslavement.
- Officials said bricks, datable pieces of 19th-century pottery, a button, a drawer pull, a pipe stem, old records, and the location all pointed to the spot being the likely site of the Ben Ross cabin.
Idaho colleges and universities looking at ways to make some student fees optional
Senate unanimously OKs increased unemployment benefit. Fight with House, governor next
“This Is Going to Be a Global Moment”: All Eyes Are on Facebook as It Weighs Whether to Ban Donald Trump for Life
- “The Facebook Oversight Board’s decision on the Trump case—expected in late April—will show whether that expulsion can be justified by something other than an impulse to appease angry users and butter up a new administration.”
- As the tech world waits to see whether Facebook kicks Donald Trump out for good or lets him back in, lawmakers are following along, seeing the case as a milestone in the fraught relationship between Big Tech and free speech.
Eric C. Ewert: The endless hucksterism worked. Utah is the fastest-growing state for the last decade
- Utah added nearly a half a million people (474,466) in a decade and grew at an astonishing 17.1% (though we won’t gain a representative in Congress this time).
- They routinely embrace every strip mall, housing development, freeway lane, methane well, coal mine, water diversion, golf course, RV park, truck stop and business park with open arms (and taxpayer money) in their growth-addicted worldview.
The United States can’t ignore China’s vaccine diplomacy in Latin America
- China has abused its power at every stage of the covid-19 pandemic to bully countries and advance its interests — and Beijing is now using vaccine supplies to pressure governments across the Western Hemisphere.
- “The Chinese are trying to show Western Hemisphere states that they can be a good economic, public health and diplomatic partner,” Coons said.
Two local Indigenous leaders to deliver RWU’s commencement address for the first time
Northam: Social gatherings, entertainment venues in Virginia can have more people beginning May 15
Supreme Court rules against juvenile sentenced to life without parole
$10.2 billion federal windfall has Florida lawmakers a bit flummoxed
Broward Health will be the second hospital to halt first-dose vaccinations due to low demand
Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity celebrates 250th roof replacement
Bruins notebook: Time not on Ondrej Kase’s side
- “He’s skating and he’s working out every day and he seems to be progressing in that area — or not regressing, I guess is a better way to put it,” said Cassidy.
- But at the end of the day, he seems in good spirits when you do pass him in the hallway when he’s finished his skate and we’re going out for ours,” said Cassidy.
Explosion at gender reveal party rocks several towns
- Kingston police said they received reports of a loud explosion Tuesday that could be heard in several towns and as far away as Massachusetts.
- They responded to Torromeo quarry where they found people who acknowledged holding a gender reveal party involving explosives and thought this would be the safest spot to hold it.
Dr. Stack’s response to COVID-19 outbreak at KY long term care facility
Kansas governor vetoes GOP-backed education measures
Learning from the tumultuous politics of another century in ‘The Age of Acrimony’
Many Philly employers won’t be able to test new hires for marijuana under a new bill
Bill Buford on reading and learning from cookbooks
Churches host worship for Glass City Marathon runners on Saturday
S Carolina quirky liquor laws give sour grapes to wine giant
- But the public tasting rooms request has caused the measure to grind slowly through the Legislature in a state where quirky alcohol laws protect small retailers, harkening back to the days of saloons and booze only in private clubs and bartenders making drinks with minibottles typically found on airplanes..
- Wholesalers and liquor stores are against the bill because they don't want Gallo to be able to sell the wine directly after the tastings.
Over 4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered while vaccination trends are sliding downward
- The seven-day average of 641 cases was reported on Thursday, still up from a month ago by 236, but trending in the right direction.
- More than 4 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered throughout Wisconsin, but vaccinations are trending downward after peaking in early April.
“We’re Not Trying to Bankrupt Fox”: Inside the ADL’s Push to Get Tucker Carlson Off the Air
- He has the right to share his point of view,” Greenblatt said of Tucker Carlson, the Fox News host whom he recently urged the network to fire.
- Greenblatt said the goal of his speech at this week’s conference was to encourage companies either directly advertising on Tucker Carlson Tonight or spending money across other Fox properties to use their leverage to send a message about the host, whether through pulling back spending or making their views known to executives.
ACLU files new lawsuit over Medicaid payment for transgender surgery
- The ACLU of Iowa has filed a third lawsuit seeking to strike down the state’s denial of Medicaid coverage for transition-related surgery for transgender Iowans.
- She says Aiden Vasquez sought coverage and has been denied, and they are now taking the state to court again.
Letters to the editor of Globe Magazine
How Adam Ottavino helped Alex Cora decide who would be the Red Sox’ closer
- It wasn’t Alex Cora’s decision alone to use Matt Barnes as the closer of the Red Sox this season.
- Cora still hasn’t officially said the words, “Matt Barnes is my closer,” but has pretty much winked, nodded and pointed to Barnes as he’s used him as the ninth-inning guy all year.
Boston coronavirus numbers ‘encouraging,’ Kim Janey says
- Boston’s seven-day average positive test rate is now 4%, as of the most recent complete data on April 15.
- Janey said the city’s mobile vaccination units would head to Mattapan, Dorchester and South Boston in the coming days to bring more shots to people.
For extra days off, couple had 4 weddings and 3 divorces, officials say
‘Nuclear Folly’ recalls when we edged close to the brink
Peduto pushes plan to make Pittsburgh carbon-neutral by 2050
Puppy mill loophole closed: Chicago pet stores banned from passing off purebred, designer dogs as rescues
On Earth Day, Mills announces $500,000 grant program for clean energy start-ups
- MONTVILLE — The state will create a $500,000 competitive grant program that will help to fund at least two clean energy start-up companies in Maine, Gov. Janet Mills announced Thursday.
- Mills unveiled the new program on the same day that President Joe Biden announced he was committing the United States to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 52 percent over 2005 levels by the end of this decade.
Biden’s USPS nominees face confirmation hearing as Democrats consider paths to oust DeJoy
Critics blast bill that would purge names from list of mail-in voters

WASHINGTON — Voting rights advocates and Arizona Democrats on Wednesday denounced a bill that would remove voters from the Permanent Early Voting List, calling it an attempt to disenfranchise up to 150,000 voters, particularly those of color. […]Read more >Similar articles >
A red wave followed Floyd protests in Miami. But activists want to revive the movement
Covid-19 has made an already dangerous profession lethal
- And for Alston, who works at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, one of the biggest gut punches of the job is not what she faces, but what the patients she cares for do.
- Over the past year, nurses who haven’t felt their protective gear was ample at work have lived separately from their families, some in RVs, Burger said.
NC lawmakers look to fine hospitals, nursing homes that block visitors

Bill seeks to end labeling of plant-based products as ‘milk’
Legislature’s voting reform bills are more tweaks than big changes. Are they needed?
Peterson joins other AGs in opposing adding seats to Supreme Court
A bit of the new stirred in with the old
Second time’s a charm for ‘How I Met Your Father’
Montgomery County Commission Invites Montgomery County Students to Apply for Apprenticeship Program
The Story Behind TIME’s George Floyd ‘Justice—Not Yet For All’ Cover
- But in a testament to how tenuous this moment of joy and resolution is, Hillz delivered the final artwork from an airport in Minneapolis while en route to the funeral of Daunte Wright, another unarmed Black man recently killed by a police officer (and whose death occurred while Chauvin’s trial was in session).
- Houston-based artist Ange Hillz, meanwhile, went to work: in 24 hours, he created this week’s TIME cover portrait of Floyd, to accompany a story from TIME’s Janell Ross .
Texting option weighed for upcoming ‘988’ suicide hotline
- The Federal Communications Commission last summer voted to require a new “988” number for people to call to reach a suicide-prevention hotline.
- “So it’s time to make the suicide prevention hotline text accessible with 988.”
Councilors want more data before making move on Keene’s mask mandate
- City councilors put off action on Keene’s mask ordinance Wednesday, saying they need more local COVID-19 data to determine the mandate’s end date.
- The Elm City’s ordinance — which the council adopted in August — requires most people 10 and older to wear face coverings in all indoor public places and outdoor spaces where business is conducted.
Dave Matthews Band back at SPAC! Well, maybe
The Dave Matthews Band on Thursday listed two SPAC shows for September. What's unclear, however, is how Live Nation intends to handle seating. Online charts for some shows offer 15 or more contiguous seats for sale in consecutive rows, which cannot be accommodated under current state pandemic restrictions.
[…]Read more >Similar articles >George Floyd’s Family Reacted to the Verdict With an Uncontrollable Cry. That Sound Echoes Through Black America
- Guilty, Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill said, as he read the jury’s April 20 verdict on the first of three charges leveled against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Perry Floyd Jr. That’s when I heard those involuntary sounds come up and out.
- They had, for the first time in Minnesota history, convicted a white police officer of murdering a Black man while on duty.
U.S. House passes D.C. statehood bill, but votes still lacking in Senate
- WASHINGTON — For the second time, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a measure to make the District of Columbia the 51st state, sending the historic bill to the Senate on a party-line vote.
- “If Democrats were serious about statehood, they would pursue it through a constitutional amendment — requiring two-thirds of the House of Representatives and Senate to approve and three-quarters of states to ratify,” said Rep. Jim Hagedorn, R-Minn., in a statement after the vote.
Sunny And Cool For Now, But Severe Storms Possible Saturday
- Another round of strong to severe storms could develop during the afternoon along a cold front which sweeps through our area Saturday night.
- Expect Saturday night lows in the mid 50s, with Sunday afternoon highs in the mid 70s.
Shadow and Bone: Everything You Need to Know About Netflix’s Fantasy Epic
- Ravka is at war with its neighbor to the north, Fjerda—a nation based on the Nordic countries.
- Bardugo's Grishaverse is, however, a bit closer to our world than, say, Westeros.
Biden’s postal board nominees pledge to rebuild trust
As Biden tweaks language around immigration, Upper Valley experts call for more substantive reform
- A new order from President Joe Biden banning federal immigration agencies from using terms such as “illegal alien” is a step in the right direction, say some immigration activists in the Upper Valley.
- Erin Jacobsen, an immigration lawyer and professor at Vermont Law School, called Biden’s order a good first step.
Pflugerville pre-school sued for alleged child abuse
Ruffin’s tenacity helped push ‘Mystere’ to June reopening
- Lamarre outlined that process, and the company’s reopening strategy, in a wide-ranging interview this week as Cirque announced the return of those shows, along with Blue Man Group at Luxor on June 24.
- Cirque du Soleil CEO Daniel Lamarre says Treasure Island owner Phil Ruffin’s passion for returning “Mystere” to the stage was a determining factor in the show’s June 28 restart.
The Spot: 3 major topics that Colorado’s lawmakers and leaders are focused on
- This week, The Spot is narrowing in on the main issues in front of lawmakers and leaders — gun laws, changes to policing and the top educators in the metro area — as well as calling your attention to things you may have missed.
- Colorado Senate Majority Leader Steve Fenberg says this could be the week his fellow Democrats lawmakers roll out their slate of legislation in response to the King Soopers shooting.
On gun violence panel, Lucas says 5,000 people have been slain in KC in his lifetime
FOP President Rick Snyder replies to earlier Red Flag statement by prosecutor
Episode 5: Summer surge hits Jackson South as COVID takes aim on the staff’s families
Local bestsellers for the week ending April 18
Kaitlin Eskelson: With help, travel industry will drive America’s economic rebound
- Being held May 2-8, this year’s NTTW is the 38th annual celebration of the U.S. travel industry’s contributions and an opportunity to remind visitors and residents alike of the incredible value the travel industry holds not just for our local economy and workforce but also for our community’s identity and culture, while reminding our leaders and policymakers of the travel industry’s ability to help power recovery efforts from the crippling effects of COVID-19.
- However, the travel industry’s ability to bounce back after periods of economic hardship — and inject much-needed revenue directly into Salt Lake County’s visitor economy and that of the state — is why the theme of this year’s National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW) is the “Power of Travel.”
Coronavirus reaches Everest base camp, creating ‘perfect setup for a superspreader event’

When Nepal welcomed foreign climbers back to Mount Everest for the spring climbing season, many feared it was only a matter of time before the coronavirus made its way to the world’s highest peak. Sure enough, just weeks into the season, symptoms of the virus have been found at Everest’s base camp, sparking a renewed […]Read more >Similar articles >
Slow pace of COVID-19 vaccination in KY could mean restrictions last into July
Oregon reports 993 new COVID cases
Supply of COVID-19 vaccine nearing demand in Wisconsin
- State health leaders said Thursday that while the gap between supply and demand is closing, there is an increasing emphasis on reaching those who may have difficulty getting vaccinated or who have been hesitant to receive the shot to date.
- As an example of the closing gap, this week 250,000 doses were requested from vaccinators, down from 400,000 the week before, said Julie Willems Van Dijk, deputy secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
School to host vaccine clinic
- “This is a wonderful opportunity for those of you who are interested in getting your kids vaccinated,” Reardon said in the video message.
- Like state vaccination clinics, there will be a 15-minute observation period where students will be monitored for any adverse side effects after getting the shot.
The White House is creating a smokescreen for why it hasn’t raised refugee admissions
- AS OFFICIALS tell it, President Biden has not yet raised his predecessor’s historically low ceiling on resettlements — despite having promised to do just that — because of concerns that it would overburden the government’s resources.
- The U.S. refugee program, which has thrived with bipartisan support for decades to legally resettle carefully vetted people fleeing the world’s most desperate places, has nothing to do with the current surge of asylum seekers crossing the southern border.
Republicans’ opening bid on infrastructure is about a quarter of the size of Biden’s plan
- Though it’s a fraction of Biden’s proposal, the Republican plan is actually larger than the last $305 billion bipartisan infrastructure bill Congress passed in 2015 that was signed into law by President Barack Obama.
- Not only is the cost much smaller; the Republican plan deals more narrowly with fixing America’s roads and bridges and other forms of transportation infrastructure, while Biden’s does that and more, doubling as a sweeping climate plan and a substantial investment to make long-term care more affordable.
Acting FTC chair blasts Supreme Court decision: Justices ‘ruled in favor of scam artists’
D.C., Maryland say they are clearing vaccine waitlists, as outreach efforts expand
- Maryland had worked through its 800,000-person pre-registration list as of earlier this week, officials said, although not all have scheduled appointments yet and about 5,000 new people register each day.
- “We believe that the best way to reach those who are people of color, and those with English as a second language, and those who may be underserved, is to actually come out into the community,” said Shelly McDonald-Pinkett, the chief medical officer at Howard University and manager of the vaccination site.
Parents rally to save Portland Children’s Museum as former leaders stay mum
- Now, the museum board is refusing to provide any information to the public regarding how the Portland Children's Museum arrived at this point, what financial contribution they would need to remain open, and what, if anything, can be done to prevent these closures."
- "Over the last year, the Board remained publicly silent while the museum floundered," Elisabeth Utas, part of an informal group rallying to try to restore funding for the museum and school, said in a statement released to media.
Chichester man sentenced for selling fentanyl
In ‘Crying In H Mart’ Michelle Zauner Grapples With Food, Grief And Identity
PURA: Scammers asking CT customers for utility payments via gift card
In a tweet, the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority said the agency “is aware of incidents where scammers are posing as utilities asking customers to pay utility bills via an app, gift card or pre-paid credit card.”
[…]Read more >Similar articles >Putin’s Russia isn’t a model for anyone
- Russians in huge numbers took to the streets again on Wednesday to protest their government’s treatment of Alexei Navalny, a man they fear may soon die because he dared to criticize President Vladimir Putin.
- Today, Putin’s Russia stands for rampant corruption, stark income inequality, aggression toward its neighbors and state-sponsored assassinations of those who dare to criticize the system.
Stress-induced drug use during pandemic is reason to de-criminalize harder drugs: Foxx
- Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx on Thursday pointed to stress-induced drug abuse during the pandemic as the impetus to get moving on her plan to wipe clean the record of convicted marijuana dealers and expunge offenses for heroin and cocaine possession.
- Foxx called Illinois’ groundbreaking decision to legalize marijuana a “gateway conversation to deeper conversations around treating addiction as a public health issue and looking at the drug economy that has flourished in these neighborhoods while every other bit of economy has abandoned” those communities.
Health officials lean toward resuming Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine — but with a warning

Federal health authorities are leaning toward recommending that use of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine resume, possibly as soon as this weekend – a move that would include a new warning about a rare complication involving blood clots but probably not call for age restrictions. The position would be similar to one taken by […]Read more >Similar articles >
In Chichester, a selectman’s refusal to wear a mask spurs debate over what is ‘right’
- Via zoom, Houle, in an understated yet pointed manner, told Selectmen Jason Weir that his refusal to wear a mask at the Select Board meeting on April 6, which forced a week’s postponement, was selfish.
- At the April 13 meeting, before Houle had his say and longtime resident Bette Bogdan had her say and Town Administrator Jodi Pinard had her say, Select Board Chair Richard Bouchard addressed a complaint concerning Weir, totally separate from Mask-Gate.
Don’t give Republicans another inch on the Jan. 6th commission, Democrats
- In the quest for a deal on the makeup of a commission to examine the Jan. 6 insurrection, Democrats have offered Republicans some new concessions.
- The latest idea Democrats floated suggests two ways the commission can issue a subpoena.
Listen: The latest mask debate, FDA in limbo, & gene therapy’s uncertain upside
- For more on what we cover, here’s the latest on the FDA ; here’s the news on genome editing for sickle cell disease ; here’s more on gene therapy’s commercial prospects ; here’s where you can subscribe to the First Opinion Podcast ; and here’s our complete coverage of the coronavirus pandemic .
- We cover all that and more this week on “The Readout LOUD,” STAT’s biotech podcast.
FedEx reopened its Maribel Road facility Wednesday with limited operations
RAGA finance director resigns amid January 6 robocall fallout
- The association’s former director, Adam Piper, resigned in January after mounting criticism once the involvement of the group’s dark money fundraising arm, the Rule of Law Defense Fund, in the deadly rally became publicly known.
- The finance director for the Republican Attorneys General Association has resigned, and in an email to attorneys general said she was doing so because of the association’s nomination as director a man who the finance director said approved robocalls urging people to attend the Jan. 6 rally at the U.S. Capitol.
Coronavirus hospitalizations tumble among senior citizens
Aloha! New nonstop flights from Austin to Hawaii take off
- Hawaiian Airlines took off from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport Thursday morning, flying nonstop to Inouye International Airport in Honolulu.
- With traditional music and dance, and cookies and leis for passengers, today AUS was thrilled to welcome @HawaiianAir to our Central Texas community, as we celebrated their inaugural flight from Austin to Honolulu.
Judge throws out challenge to Saratoga WFP’s endorsed candidates
Judge throws out suit to toss Working Families Party's endorsed candidates from the ballot in Saratoga County.
[…]Read more >Similar articles >‘Aren’t our lives worth more?’: Daunte Wright mourned at Minneapolis funeral
- Two days after the streets of Minneapolis filled with people celebrating the conviction of a former police officer for murdering George Floyd, the city held a funeral on Thursday for Daunte Wright, another young Black man shot dead by police during a traffic stop.
- The killing of Wright, 20, two weeks ago by a police officer who said she mistook her gun for a Taser shocked a city still reeling from Floyd’s death and anxiously watching the trial of his killer, Derek Chauvin.
South Carolina Senator Tim Scott to Give Biden Speech Rebuttal
- Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina will give the Republican Party’s nationally televised rebuttal Wednesday to President Joe Biden’s first address to a joint session of Congress.
- I’m glad he’ll be delivering the Republican address following the president’s remarks on Wednesday,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, in a joint statement with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.
‘Once in a generation’: Multnomah County Chair reveals $2.8B budget
- Furthermore, $52 million is coming in from the income tax voters passed last year called the Metro Supportive Housing Services Measure, which will help provide rent assistance and subsidies, in addition to growing the number of shelter and outreach programs.
- (KOIN) -- Efforts to tackle homelessness and COVID-19-related crises are driving much of the $2.8 billion budget for Multnomah County, according to Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury, who calls it a "once in a generation" plan.
COVID-19 hospitalizations surge across Maine, hit record levels at Lewiston’s CMMC
- York County’s largest hospital, Southern Maine Health Care Medical Center in Biddeford, saw a sharp increase in COVID-19 inpatients, going from an average of 6.7 last week to 12.3 per day for the week ending Thursday.
- Hospitalizations for COVID-19 hit a record level at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston this week as statewide inpatient numbers surged to highs not seen since mid-February.
From Bolsonaro to Bitcoin, Everybody Loves Earth Now
- Even Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro — whose government has denied climate change is a thing and treats the Amazon rainforest like a lumber yard — bent the knee to Earth.
- Cathie Wood’s ARK Investment Management released an Earth Day report saying Bitcoin mining will inspire more demand for solar energy, reducing costs .
Dalton man sentenced to one year in jail for torching Biden-Harris hay bales
Social gatherings, entertainment venues in Virginia can have more people starting in May
The five best arguments that Apple’s App Store is a monopoly
- Case in point: Spotify’s lawyer Horacio Gutierrez pointed out that not only is his company required to use Apple’s payment system (and pay the “Apple tax”), but the music app is also prohibited from directing users of its free iOS app to online promotions offering three months of Spotify Premium for 99¢.
- But as Daru points out, Apple had access to its proprietary app store data about Tile downloads and metadata, and it could use that data to make the decision to enter the personal thing-tracker market, and to design its product the way it did.
Vandal smashes Artpace window, affecting exhibition by San Antonio artist José Villalobos

According to artist José Villalobos, the vandal hurled a brick through one of the Main Avenue windows facing his exhibition "De Los Otros."Artpacepositioned the installation by the windows so passersby could view it from the outside.
"Early this week I was informed that the windows, which allowed 24/7 access to view my exhibit, were vandalized," Villalobos said in a Wednesday Instagram post. It was accompanied by multiple photos of the broken window and glass littering the building interior.
In several images, a chunk of brick and glass shards are visible on one of the cots used in the installation.
Villalobos is a Latinx and gay artist whose work protests "the toxicity of machismo.""De Los Otros" centers on the true story of a gay farm worker who was a part of the Bracero Program, which brought millions of Mexican laborers to the United States in the mid-20th century.
In his post, Villalobos said it was hard not to imagine that the attack might have been directed toward him or due to the nature of his work.
"A brick was thrown through the main space, and it's difficult not to feel that this is a personal attack as a queer individual," he stated. […]Read more >Similar articles >
North Central San Antonio bar Rod Dog’s Saloon to reopen following massive renovation

The space has undergone massive construction, and will celebrate with a grand reopening party that will feature a pool tournament, darts, drink specials and eats from local chef Will Nichols of Lil Joe's Smoked Wings.
The neighborhood haunt near McArthur Park was in operation for nearly 25 years, but has remained shuttered after an October 2019 fire.
The grand reopening event will begin at 6 p.m.
So many restaurants, so little time. […]Read more >Similar articles >
‘Legitimizing bigotry’: Mike Pence’s book will go on despite publishing staff’s demands
Tim Scott to Deliver G.O.P. Rebuttal to Biden’s Address to Congress.
At South Loop bus station, volunteers see signs of increased immigration
- A group of volunteers who hand out snacks and toiletries to immigrants coming from detention centers near the southern U.S. border have noticed an increase in activity in recent weeks.
- Volunteers, who go to the station daily, have noticed a recent uptick in the number of immigrants passing through Chicago, said McCormick, the program coordinator.
Some areas are getting a little touch of snow
Major Everglades restoration project to break ground this year
The 44 Percent: Derek Chauvin conviction, anti-riot bill and Philonise Floyd
Florida Legislature approves moment of silence to start public school day
Keep your mask handy: These chains and retailers are maintaining their face covering policies
- "Children under 2 years old and people with medical conditions or disabilities who may be adversely affected by a face covering do not need to wear one," CVS Pharmacy said.Dollar GeneralEmployees, vendors and customers are required to wear face coverings in all Dollar General stores, distribution centers and offices.
- Face coverings will be supplied to anyone in need of one at stories within Kroger's portfolio.Lowe'sThe home improvement chain requires all of its employees to wear masks at all locations while working with customers.
COVID-19: Tulsa County continues to see slight increase in weekly case count
- The Oklahoma State Department of Health reported that 1,675 new cases were confirmed across the state within the one-week period that ended Saturday, bringing the seven-day rolling average of new cases to 240.
- Since the low, the region's seven-day rolling average of new cases has ticked up from 40 to 61.
CNU poll finds McAuliffe with significant lead in race for Democratic nomination for governor
- About 47 percent of registered voters who said they are likely to vote in the June 8 Democratic primary favored McAuliffe, according to the poll from CNU’s Wason Center for Civic Leadership.
- McClellan (Richmond) had 6 percent support, former delegate Jennifer Carroll Foy (Prince William) had 5 percent and Del. Lee J.
Mass. reports 94,047 new COVID-19 vaccinations
Immigration advocates say end of ‘no-match letters’ a victory for workers
- Activists in Chicago said Social Security Administration notices often led to the firing of immigrant workers.
- Alfredo Sanchez, a board member of Arise Chicago, said he was abruptly fired from a job at a Loop restaurant years ago after his employer received a letter.
Amazon planning new fulfillment center near Richmond, promising 1,000 jobs
Palm Beach County Commissioner Mack Bernard has ‘zero interest’ in running for Congress
Mr. President, recognize the Armenian genocide
Austin is facing its biggest budget deficit in more than a decade — how it might affect your tax rate
- The first is property tax revenue, which Van Eenoo said changed substantially after legislators passed a calculation cap about two years ago.
- "Partly because of the revenue reductions we're seeing in other parts of our budget due to the pandemic, that big drop in sales taxes," Van Eenoo said.
Sen. Tim Scott to deliver Republicans’ rebuttal to Biden’s joint address
- Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) will deliver his party's response to President Biden's joint address to Congress next week, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy announced on Thursday.
- As Sen. Scott likes to say, he is living his mother’s American dream, and he has dedicated his career to creating more opportunity for our fellow citizens who need it most," McConnell said.
An ‘Overjoyed’ LeVar Burton Welcomes Chance To Guest-Host ‘Jeopardy!’
7,500 more COVID-19 vaccine appointments available at Ford Field clinic through Monday
‘We Must All Engage:’ In New Book, Scholars Offer Advice For White People When Discussing Race
Tree-planting highlights CSUF’s commitment to sustainability
- From left, Council Member Fred Jung, CSUF Senior Associate Vice President of Administration & Finance Dr. Ali Izadian, CalFire Regional Urban Forester Lynnette Short, Mayor Bruce Whitaker and Mayor Pro Tem Nick Dunlap pose for a photograph during an Arbor Day celebration at Cal State Fullerton on Wednesday, April 21, 2021.
- From left, Fullerton Mayor Bruce Whitaker, CSUF President Framroze Virjee, Mayor Pro Tem Nick Dunlap, CalFire Regional Urban Forester Lynnette Short and Council Member Fred Jung pose for a photograph during an Arbor Day celebration at Cal State Fullerton on Wednesday, April 21, 2021.
Consumer Reports tricks Tesla to drive with no one at wheel
- — Consumer Reports said Thursday it was able to easily trick a Tesla into driving in the car's Autopilot mode with no one at the wheel.
- Consumer Reports said that during several trips on its closed tracks with an empty driver's seat, its Tesla Model Y automatically steered along painted lane lines without acknowledging that nobody was at the controls.
Biden eyeing capital gains tax as high as 43.4% for wealthy
- President Joe Biden will propose almost doubling the capital gains tax rate for wealthy individuals to 39.6% to help pay for a raft of social spending that addresses long-standing inequality, according to people familiar with the proposal.
- Biden is expected to release the proposal next week as part of the tax increases to fund social spending in the forthcoming “American Families Plan.”
GOP foes see ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ author J.D. Vance as a threat
UMass Amherst to require all students to be vaccinated for fall semester
Taxing unemployment and PPP loans would set Rhode Island apart from almost every other state
EVO Entertainment to offer San Antonio teachers and nurses free admission in May

“The nurses and teachers in our communities deserve all the recognition in the world, so we’re happy we can provide them with a little escape,” said Mitch Roberts, chief executive ofEVO, which operates entertainment sites in Schertz, New Braunfels and San Marcos. […]Read more >Similar articles >
New York Comic Con sets ‘very limited’ in-person event for October
- “Right now, we see a path forward for safe, amazing events that are going to look a bit different than usual, so that’s where we’re heading,” said Kristina Rogers, the US comic portfolio director for parent company ReedPop, in a statement to The Wrap .
- After going virtual last year over COVID concerns, New York Comic Con is slated to return as an in-person event at the Javits Center this October.
Texas goes to war with corporate America
- Big companies are taking a stand against new Republican proposals that could lead to long lines at the polls, make it harder for many, especially racial minorities, to vote, and put more control of elections into partisan hands.
- It is hard to think of a situation that better reflects the state of Republican politics today than the fact that GOP leaders in Texas, of all places, have decided to declare war on corporate America.
Column: Mamas Caucus wants to make Illinois the most mom-friendly state in the nation. ‘Who better to advocate for us than us?’
Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker’s finger-sucking, explained
- Because the happy couple posted a video of the act, “that, for me, leans a little bit toward exhibitionism, having a little bit of sexual gratification that people are seeing this happen,” Sparks said.
- Some people have cheirophilia, a hand fetish, meaning that they “have to” interact with them to achieve sexual arousal, Sparks said.
Many state-employed caregivers are still refusing the COVID-19 vaccine
- In two of the six state-run facilities, the number of workers declining the vaccine has actually increased since early March.
- Of those, one has been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past 90 days, and 54 have declined the vaccine — down slightly from the 62 reported in early March.
Florida Senate overturns Key West’s effort to limit cruise ships on the island
Everyone is tired. We need to give ourselves an actual break.
- So instead of snapping back to normal once we’ve had our shots, we should take our newly recognized existential tiredness as an indication that it’s time to change course — to realize that we need to give ourselves an actual break.
- And many Americans are actually declining the shot out of fear that the side effects longed-for by the Zooming classes might force them to miss out on much-needed pay.
Ohio House votes to change tax levy ballot language
Lt. Gov. McGeachin seeks Idahoans’ feedback for task force examining indoctrination in schools
- Janice McGeachin announced on her website Wednesday that she’s seeking feedback from Idahoans for her task force examining indoctrination and teaching social justice topics in Idaho public schools.
- BOISE ( Idaho Capital Sun ) — Lt. Gov.
Billionaire funds meals on weekends for Palm Beach schoolchildren
As Indianapolis sees small surge in COVID-19 cases, officials urge vaccination
‘He was a prince’: Rev. Al Sharpton delivers eulogy for Daunte Wright at Minneapolis funeral
UW chancellors hesitant on student debt forgiveness
- Biden has said he supports up to $10,000 in student loan forgiveness per borrower.
- Blank was more forceful, saying 57% of her students graduated last year with no debt and borrowing money for higher education is not a bad thing.
Millions are struggling to pay rent. Here’s where you can go for help in East Tennessee
Boston Pops announces a virtual spring season with six concert streams
Elected officials call for justice and reform at Daunte Wright’s funeral
- The funeral for Daunte Demetrius Wright Thursday filled the Shiloh Temple International Ministries with friends, family and others who have had loved ones killed by police including relatives of George Floyd, Philando Castile, Jamar Clark and Oscar Grant.
- Mourners including the state's top political leaders filled a north Minneapolis church Thursday to honor the life of a 20-year-man killed by Brooklyn Center police, and demand justice.