Federal judge deals blow to vaccine mandate for NYC teachers
NEW YORK (AP) — New York City schools have been temporarily blocked from enforcing a vaccine mandate for its teachers and other workers by a federal appeals judge just days before it was to take effect. The worker mandate for the the nation’s largest school system was set to go into effect Monday. But late […]12 hours ago
COVID-19 vaccine boosters could mean billions for drugmakers
Billions more in profits are at stake for some vaccine makers as the U.S. moves toward dispensing COVID-19 booster shots to shore up Americans’ protection against the virus. How much the manufacturers stand to gain depends on how big the rollout proves to be. The Biden administration last month announced plans to give boosters to […]14 hours ago
The Latest: NY governor ready to use reservists in shortage
ALBANY, N.Y. — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul says she is prepared to call in medically trained National Guard members and retirees to address potential staffing shortages caused by an approaching vaccine mandate for health care workers. Hochul, a Democrat, released a plan Saturday to address what she called preventable staffing shortages in hospitals and […]15 hours ago
Poll numbers down, justices say they aren’t politicians
WASHINGTON (AP) — Three Supreme Court justices delivered the same plea in rapid succession in recent days: Don’t view justices as politicians. The justices have reason to be concerned. Recent polls show a sharp drop in approval of a court now dominated by conservatives. The call by justices Clarence Thomas, Stephen Breyer and Amy Coney […]16 hours ago
Catalan leader Puigdemont strolls in Sardinia after release
ALGHERO, Sardinia (AP) — Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont took a leisurely walk Saturday in Sardinia, waving to supporters on the Italian island a day after a judge freed him from jail pending a hearing on his extradition to Spain to face sedition charges. Puigdemont, a member of the European Union’s parliament who previously served […]16 hours ago
UK eyes visa change to ease trucker drought amid run on gas
LONDON (AP) — In a U-turn, the British government is expected to ease visa rules for truck drivers to help fix supply-chain problems that have triggered long lines at gas stations and some shuttered pumps. The government said late Friday it was “looking at temporary measures to avoid any immediate problems.” It said any action […]19 hours ago
South Africa’s vaccine train takes doses to poor areas
SWARTKOPS, South Africa (AP) — When Wongalwethu Mbanjwa tried to get a COVID-19 vaccination and found his local center closed, a friend told him there was another option: Get one on the train. So Mbanjwa did. Not any train, but South Africa’s vaccine train — which has now made its way to the small town […]19 hours ago
‘Marriage for all’? Swiss voters to decide same-sex marriage
GENEVA (AP) — Voters in Switzerland will decide Sunday whether to allow same-sex marriages in the rich Alpine country, one of the few in Western Europe where gay and lesbian couples do not already have the right to wed. Switzerland has authorized same-sex civil partnerships since 2007. The Swiss government, which has endorsed the “Marriage […]20 hours ago
Israel says US booster plan supports its own aggressive push
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel is pressing ahead with its aggressive campaign of offering coronavirus boosters to almost anyone over 12 and says its approach was further vindicated by a U.S. decision to give the shots to older patients or those at higher risk. Israeli officials credit the booster shot, which has already been delivered to […]22 hours ago
Israel says US booster plan supports its own aggressive push
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel is pressing ahead with its aggressive campaign of offering coronavirus boosters to almost anyone over 12 and says its approach was further vindicated by a U.S. decision to give the shots to older patients or those at higher risk. Israeli officials credit the booster shot, which has already been delivered to […]22 hours ago
Neo-Nazis are still on Facebook. And they’re making money
BRUSSELS (AP) — It’s the premier martial arts group in Europe for right-wing extremists. German authorities have twice banned their signature tournament. But Kampf der Nibelungen, or Battle of the Nibelungs, still thrives on Facebook, where organizers maintain multiple pages, as well as on Instagram and YouTube, which they use to spread their ideology, draw […]1 day ago
Today in History
Today in History Today is Saturday, Sept. 25, the 268th day of 2021. There are 97 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Sept. 25, 1981, Sandra Day O’Connor was sworn in as the first female justice on the Supreme Court. On this date: In 1513, Spanish explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa […]1 day ago
Texas law limits medication abortions as near-ban remains
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday lauded another new abortion law that tightens limits on abortion-inducing medications, creating an additional layer of restrictions after a near-total ban on abortion in the state began this month. The new restrictions, which take effect in December, shrinks the window when doctors and clinics in […]1 day ago
He’s a viral GIF. So he’s using it to fundraise for charity
If you’ve been on social media, or texted with GIF-loving friends, you know Drew Scanlon’s face. His GIF, known as ” Blinking Guy ” or “Blinking White Guy,” is estimated to have been used more than 1.7 billion times across the internet to express disbelief or confusion. It even has its own Twitter page. Scanlon […]1 day ago
Government: Dylann Roof’s death sentence should stand
Attorneys for the federal government have opposed Dylann Roof’s request for a new appellate hearing, arguing that the South Carolina man was properly convicted and sentenced for the 2015 racist slayings of nine members of a Black congregation. In court documents filed Thursday, federal prosecutors argued that a three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit […]1 day ago
Filmmaker revisits case that challenged her and her 2 moms
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ry Russo-Young knew she had a story worth hearing, but it was one she was struggling to tell. As a youngster, Russo-Young was at the heart of a legal fight that drew headlines in 1990s America: The two mothers who raised her in New York, including one biological parent, were being […]1 day ago
Canadian Catholic bishops apologize for residential schools
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Catholic bishops in Canada apologized Friday “unequivocally” to Indigenous peoples for the suffering endured in residential schools, just as Pope Francis prepares to meet with Indigenous leaders at the Vatican later this fall. The institutions held children taken from families across the nation. From the 19th century until the 1970s, more […]1 day ago
COVID at the UN: One topic, used to make many points
For the United States, COVID-19 was about leadership and “a dose of hope.” For Iran, it was about the inhumanity of sanctions. Tiny Palau, largely virus-free, used its precious speech minutes to praise Taiwan for its support during the pandemic — and, not incidentally, to urge the United Nations to re-admit the island as a […]1 day ago
EXPLAINER: Medication abortion becomes latest GOP target
Medication abortion accounts for about 40% of all abortions in the U.S. The increasingly common method relies on pills rather than surgery, opening the possibility for abortions to be done in a woman’s home rather than a clinic. It’s an option that has become important during the COVID-19 pandemic. As Republican states move to restrict […]1 day ago
School system pulls 2 books with graphic sex from libraries
FALLS CHURCH. Va. (AP) — A northern Virginia school system said it is removing two books from school libraries, including an illustrated memoir that contains explicit illustrations of sexual encounters involving children, after a parent expressed concern about them at a school board meeting. Stacy Langton, a parent in the Fairfax County school system, questioned […]1 day ago
Ironman World Championship leaves Hawaii for 1st time
KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii (AP) — The Ironman World Championship will be held outside Hawaii for the first time in four decades because of uncertainty over whether the Big Island will be able to host the triathlon as scheduled in February during the coronavirus pandemic. Competitors will head to St. George, Utah, on May 7 instead, West […]1 day ago
Zoo Miami: Orangutan dies following dental surgery
MIAMI (AP) — An orangutan has died at Zoo Miami following a dental surgery, officials said. Kumang, a 44-year-old Bornean orangutan, died Thursday during recovery from anesthesia, according to a statement from the South Florida zoo. “We at Zoo Miami are heartbroken over this terrible loss and our deepest condolences go out to the staff […]1 day ago
Civil rights complaint targets Idaho health care rationing
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — An advocacy group for older adults has filed a civil rights complaint against Idaho over the state’s “crisis standards of care” guidelines for hospitals that are overwhelmed by patients amid the coronavirus pandemic. The group Justice in Aging asked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday to investigate […]1 day ago
