CNN – National

By Amir Vera, Paul Vercammen and Eric Levenson, CNN Robert Durst, the eccentric millionaire subject of the HBO crime documentary “The Jinx,” testified in his own defense Monday as he stands trial for murder in the 2000 killing of his close friend and confidante Susan Berman. Durst, once again, denied killing Berman and said he

By Amir Vera, CNN Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has now had Covid-19 twice, but when asked by reporters Monday whether the Ravens have spoken to him about getting vaccinated, he was noncommittal on vaccines. “I just got off the Covid list, so I’ve got to talk to my team about this and try to

By Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN The NAACP is partnering with several other civil rights groups to launch a national voter mobilization campaign this week that aims to engage more people in the fight for federal voting legislation and motivate voters to participate in the upcoming 2022 midterm elections. NAACP leaders say the “Fighting for Our

By Christina Zdanowicz, CNN The University of Wisconsin removed a 42-ton boulder from its Madison campus Friday after complaints from students of color who called the rock a symbol of racism. Chamberlin Rock, which had sat on Observatory Point since 1925, was named after Thomas Chamberlin, a geologist and former university president who served from

By Carma Hassan, CNN Austin, Texas, activated its emergency alert system on Saturday to warn the public about a surge of Covid-19 cases and encourage people to get vaccinated, the Austin-Travis County Emergency Operations Center said on Twitter. “The COVID-19 situation in Austin is dire. Healthcare facilities are open but resources are limited due to

By Evan McMorris-Santoro and Rosalina Nieves, CNN Nakeenya Wilson takes a breath and uses the practiced, patient voice of a mom as she talks to her son. She’s getting him ready to go to kindergarten in a few days and she’s trying to explain what’s going on with Texas and masks and schools. “I’ve had

By Sonia Moghe, CNN Jury selection for singer R. Kelly’s trial begins Monday, with hundreds of potential jurors expected to appear in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, as Covid-19 cases surge, fueled by the Delta variant. Twelve jurors and six alternates will be selected, and those chosen will be the only members of the

By Kay Jones and Amanda Watts, CNN An Ohio man says he will not get vaccinated despite a judge ordering him to get a Covid-19 vaccine shot as a condition of his probation. Judge Christopher Wagner ordered defendant Brandon Rutherford to get vaccinated within 60 days of his court appearance August 4 or face jail

By Amanda Watts and Camille Furst, CNN The Dixie Fire in California, the largest wildfire currently burning in the country, has grown to become the second-biggest in the state’s history, according to CalFire. The blaze has scorched 463,477 acres of land in northeastern California and is second only to the August Complex Fire, which ravaged