Officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) continued to modify the agency’s guidelines on COVID-19. On Monday, the CDC abruptly pulled down a days-old change suggesting that the virus can spread from person to person among those greater than 6 feet apart, particularly indoors. ... [Read Full Story]
On Monday, the Justice Department labeled New York City, Portland, Ore., and Seattle as “anarchist jurisdictions” to be evaluated for possible cuts in federal funding for failing to rein in “violent” anti-racism protests.... [Read Full Story]
The U.S. Supreme Court said that flags on court’s front plaza will be flown at half-staff for 30 days in honor of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died on Friday. The Court added that a black drape has been hung over the doors to the courtroom.... [Read Full Story]
On Sunday, democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden urged Senate Republicans not to vote on any candidate nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court as the November election draws closer. Biden’s speech came one day after second Senate Republican voiced objections to Trump’s plan for a quick vote on a replacement for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who passed away on Friday. Such an appointment by the president, if approved by the Senate, would cement a 6-3 conservative majority that could influence American law.... [Read Full Story]
Hurricane Sally slammed the Gulf Coast of Alabama and the Florida Panhandle on Wednesday as a Cat 2 storm, with 100 mph winds, two and a half feet of rain and a surge of seawater. At least two people in Alabama and Georgia were killed. Heavy rains are expected to wreak havoc from Virginia to North Carolina throughout the night before the storm moves out over the Atlantic.... [Read Full Story]
A federal judge on Thursday placed a temporary block on operational changes to the U.S. Postal Service that have been cited for causing a slowdown in mail delivery. U.S. District Judge Stanley Bastian granted a request from Washington and 13 other states to issue a temporary injunction against the policies implemented under Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, saying backlogs in mail “likely will slow down the delivery of ballots” in November’s election.... [Read Full Story]
According to a Health and Human Services playbook released Wednesday, a COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan aims to begin delivering doses in January with no out-of-pocket costs to patients. CDC Director Robert Redfield said in a Wednesday hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee, “I think there will be vaccine that will be initially available sometime between November and December, but very limited supply and it will need to be prioritized.” Redfield said the vaccine then will become available to the general population in the third quarter of 2021.... [Read Full Story]
The top spokesman at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Michael Caputo, will take a two-month leave of absence, the agency said on Wednesday. The move came two days after the New York Times reported that Caputo, a former adviser to President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, said on Facebook that government scientists were engaging in “sedition” in their handling of the pandemic.... [Read Full Story]
Democratic congress members reacted Tuesday to claims that immigrants held at a detention center in Georgia are undergoing an unusual number of hysterectomies. ... [Read Full Story]
The city of Louisville agreed to pay $12 million to the family of Breonna Taylor and reform police practices as part of a settlement announced Tuesday, months after Taylor’s slaying by police.... [Read Full Story]
The U.S. Justice Department has launched an internal inquiry into circumstances surrounding the decision to ease sentencing recommendations for President Donald Trump’s long-time friend Roger Stone. The review by the department’s inspector general comes after Aaron Zelinsky, a career prosecutor, told lawmakers during a congressional hearing in June that his office received “heavy pressure from the highest levels of the Department of Justice” to ease its sentencing recommendation for Stone, a political ally of the president.... [Read Full Story]
Tropical Storm Sally strengthened Monday afternoon and was upgraded to a category 2 hurricane, making its way across the Gulf of Mexico toward Mississippi and Alabama with 100 mph sustained winds. Sally s forecast to make landfall late Tuesday or Wednesday and bring life-threatening storm surges, strong winds and flash floods to the Northern Gulf Coast.... [Read Full Story]
Billionaire Michael Bloomberg announced on Sunday he is pleding at least $100 million to help Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in the crucial state of Florida against President Donald Trump.... [Read Full Story]
On Sunday, authorities announced a $100,000 reward in connection with the manhunt of a lone gunman responsible for shooting two Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies in an apparent ambush.The deputies were shot multiple times as they sat in their patrol vehicle in Compton. Surveillance video shows the suspect approach the patrol car, and open fire, then fleeing on foot. ... [Read Full Story]
At least 15 people have died across California, Oregon and Washington as a result of wildfires burning throughout the western United States,... [Read Full Story]
On Thursday, Microsoft said it has detected an increase in cyberattacks from China, Iran and Russia, related to the upcoming presidential election this November. Microsoft said the attacks have targeted hundreds of people and organizations involved in both the Biden and Trump campaigns.... [Read Full Story]
Jessica Krug, the George Washington University professor who admitted she lied about being Black, has resigned. Krug, who is White, wrote a Medium post last week apologizing for building her life “around a violent anti-Black lie.” ... [Read Full Story]
On Wednesday, tech stocks rallied and pushed the Nasdaq Composite to its best day since April. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 439.58 points, or 1.6%, while the S&P 500 grew 2.01% and the Nasdaq ended the day up 2.71% for its largest single-day gain since April 29.... [Read Full Story]
On Tuesday, President Trump signed an executive order to extend and expand a ban on oil drilling off the coast of Florida. Trump said he would extend the existing moratorium on offshore oil exploration in the Gulf of Mexico off Florida’s west coast through 2032 and expand it to include the Atlantic coasts of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.... [Read Full Story]
Rochester, N.Y.’s police chief, La’Ron Singletary, announced his resignation Tuesday after days of protesting in response to the police killing of Daniel Prude. Mayor Lovely Warren also informed the Rochester City Council that in addition to Singletary, the entire command staff announced it would be vacating their roles today. She noted that none of the police leaders were asked to resign.... [Read Full Story]
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange appeared at London’s Old Bailey on Monday for a hearing to determine whether he should be extradited to the United States to face espionage charges. Assange told the British court he didn’t consent to being sent to the United States to be tried on 18 charges, which bring up to 175 years in prison.... [Read Full Story]
On Monday firefighters in California continued to battle multiple blazes fueled by extreme heat and other severe weather conditions. A record high 2 million acres have been burned in the state this year.... [Read Full Story]
Seven Police Officers in Rochester, New York were suspended on Thursday over the asphyxiation death of a black man who they arrested in March. The brutal incident was revealed in videotape footage made public this week, which was recorded by an officer’s body camera. The video captures a group of officers putting a mesh hood over Daniel Prude’s head as he kneels naked and restrained on a Rochester street and snow falls around him.... [Read Full Story]
On Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin reached an informal agreement to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the month. Both parties committed to a continuing resolution that would work to avoid a shutdown and be free of certain policy riders that have halted progress on other bills while the two sides also negotiate another round of stimulus in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.... [Read Full Story]
The Trump reelection campaign and the Republican Party sued Montana on Wednesday, after Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock gave counties the choice to conduct the November election entirely by mail-in votes amid the coronavirus pandemic. The lawsuit alleges Bullock’s directive would negatively affect Montana’s election system. The lawsuit in Montana names Bullock and Republican Secretary of State Corey Stapleton as defendants.... [Read Full Story]
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has notified public health officials in all 50 states and five large cities to prepare to distribute a coronavirus vaccine to health care workers and other high-risk groups as soon as late October or early November. President Donald Trump told the nation in his speech to the Republican National Convention that a vaccine might arrive before the end of the year.... [Read Full Story]
New York City public schools, the largest school system in the United States, has postponed the start of school for more than 1 million students amid pressure from a teachers union, which said there was not enough time to ready educators and school buildings to teach students safely during the pandemic.... [Read Full Story]
On Tuesday, a federal appeals court blocked a New York prosecutor from obtaining Donald Trump’s tax returns while his lawyers continue to fight a subpoena seeking the records. The three-judge panel ruled after hearing brief arguments from both sides.... [Read Full Story]
State police and law enforcement from neighboring suburbs in Oregon were sent to Portland on Monday as tensions mounted following a fatal weekend shooting in the midst of clashes between supporters of President Donald Trump and counter-protesters.... [Read Full Story]
On Monday, a federal appeals court rejected an effort by Michael Flynn, President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, and the Justice Department to force a lower district judge to throw out Flynn’s criminal case. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 8-2 that D.C. District Judge Emmet Sullivan did not act improperly by not immediately accepting the Justice Department’s push to dismiss Flynn’s case. The court also said that Sullivan’s appointment of an outside former judge to argue against the department was not improper, reversing the judgment of previous three-judge panel from the court which had argued Sullivan was overstepping his authorities.... [Read Full Story]
