President Joe Biden is expected to sign several executive actions related to climate on Wednesday, including issuing a moratorium on new oil and gas leases on federal lands, according to a person familiar with his plans. The moratorium on new leases would fulfill a campaign promise by Biden. When issued, the halt on new leases
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President Joe Biden’s nominee for US ambassador to the United Nations plans to voice her support for the country’s re-engagement in the multilateral institution in order to counter Chinese influence during a Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday, according to excerpts of her testimony obtained by CNN. “When America shows up — when we are consistent
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A letter from a descendent of Italy’s wartime King, apologizing for his ancestor’s role in enabling Mussolini’s fascist policies during World War II, has been criticized by historians and Jewish groups after several decades of silence from members of the disbanded royal family. Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, the great-grandson of King Victor Emmanuel III, wrote
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AstraZeneca is pushing back strongly against criticism from EU officials over delayed deliveries of its Covid-19 vaccine. In an interview with Italian newspaper la Repubblica on Tuesday, AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot said the company had agreed to make its “best effort” to deliver the doses EU countries had ordered but was not contractually committed to
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The internet is buzzing over a new technology created by Microsoft developers that could make it possible to have a virtual conversation with a deceased loved one (well, kind of). A patent granted to Microsoft last month details a method for creating a conversational chatbot modeled after a specific person — a “past or present
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Walmart plans to build automated mini-warehouses in dozens of its stores to speed up customers’ online delivery and curbside pickup orders in a race against Amazon. Walmart announced Wednesday that it will add dozens of 20,000 square-foot to 30,000 square-foot automated fulfillment centers in the coming years, either in the backrooms of its stores or
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Apple is urging iPhone and iPad users to promptly update their operating systems to fix security bugs that may have already been exploited by hackers. On its support webpage, the company said three security flaws “may have been actively exploited.” It did not reveal too many specifics about the bugs, noting “Apple does not disclose,
Continue Reading The US is awash in rough weather: California may see record-breaking rain and snow this week, and an EF-3 tornado blew through Alabama, killing one, injuring dozens and leaving untold destruction. Here’s what you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day. (You can also get “5 Things You Need
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Former President Donald Trump has expanded his impeachment legal team by tapping a former prosecutor-turned-criminal defense lawyer, an addition that comes as Trump and his allies scramble to prepare a defense with less than two weeks until the Senate trial. The addition of Deborah Barbier, a lawyer with a reputation for tackling high-profile, controversial clients,
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The Senate tabled an effort by Sen. Rand Paul Tuesday to force a vote on the constitutionality of former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, but the vote offered an indicator for how Republican senators — who overwhelmingly voted for Paul’s measure — feel about the trial. Paul’s motion was killed on a 55-45 vote, with
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A total of 12 officers have now been indicted in connection with a 2019 botched raid that left two people dead in Houston. Six officers were indicted last year, including Gerald Goines, who is accused of lying to obtain a warrant, and Steven Bryant, who is accused of tampering with government records. Six other officers
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TikTok has been forced to lay off some of its workers in India as the country doubles down on what was already a monthslong ban on the app in the country. The popular short video app announced Wednesday that it will cut workers in India after it had “not been given a clear direction on
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Talk about a busy evening. Zlatan Ibrahimović generated plenty of headlines on Tuesday in the Milan derby — and then some. From scoring to getting into a spat with a former teammate and then being sent off, the Swedish superstar did it all in AC Milan’s dramatic Coppa Italia defeat to cross-city rivals Inter Milan.
Continue Reading The stay-at-home order in California has ended, but a top Los Angeles health official worries that another spike could be on the horizon as Covid-19 variants spread and the supply of vaccines struggles to meet the demand. State officials in California, a recent epicenter of the pandemic in the US, lifted the regional stay at
Continue Reading The investigation into the house fire that led to former Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh’s death is now concluded, the New London, Connecticut, Police Department announced Tuesday. Police said they found “no criminal violations and/or aspects in association with” the November 18 fire. Hsieh’s death was announced in late November by a spokesperson for DTP Companies,
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WEDNESDAY: Another shot at snow is moving through this morning. With temperatures cold enough for once, it will accumulate a bit more efficiently from the onset. We’re expecting many of us to fall in the 1-2 inch range when this starts moving east this afternoon. This will affect the morning commute. Plan on a slow
Continue Reading Police arrested a man recently honored as a local 2020 Paramedic of the Year after Polk County, Florida, law enforcement officials alleged he “set up the circumstance” that led to the theft of three Covid-19 vaccine doses meant for firefighters. Paramedic Joshua Colon, 31, is accused of forging vaccine screening and consent forms for three
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Thousands of Indian farmers protesting controversial agricultural reforms stormed New Delhi’s historic Red Fort Tuesday, with others breaching barricades and clashing with police. Protesters scaled the walls of the iconic monument and a flag was hoisted alongside India’s national flag. Tear gas and flash bangs could been seen on live streams from the city’s streets
Continue Reading January has already become the worst month for US Covid-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic. As of Tuesday, there have been more than 79,000 coronavirus fatalities, topping the previous record set in December by more than a thousand, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The grim milestone underpins the growing demand from
Continue Reading Seoul’s former mayor died last year in an apparent suicide after his secretary accused him of sexual harassment. Now, an investigation by a human rights watchdog in South Korea has found that her accusations were credible. In a report released Monday, the independent National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRC) found that former mayor Park
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