WASHINGTON (AP): Shelving his objections, President Donald Trump has signed a $2 trillion-plus COVID-19 and annual federal spending package providing relief for millions of Americans, even as Congress returns to confront the White House on remaining priorities in a rare end-of-session showdown. Trump appears to have accomplished little, if anything, from the days of drama… Continue reading Trump reluctantly signs COVID aid, sparks fresh fight in GOP
Category: World
Zhang Zhan: China jails citizen journalist for Wuhan reports
(BBC): A Chinese citizen journalist who covered Wuhan’s coronavirus outbreak has been jailed for four years. Zhang Zhan was found guilty of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”, a frequent charge against activists. The 37-year-old former lawyer was detained in May, and has been on hunger strike for several months. Her lawyers say she is in… Continue reading Zhang Zhan: China jails citizen journalist for Wuhan reports
Wars, instability pose vaccine challenges in poor nations
DAR MANGI, Pakistan (AP): Arifullah Khan had just administered another polio vaccine when the gunfire blasted from the nearby hills. “It happened so suddenly. There was so much gunfire it felt like an explosion,” he said, recalling details of the attack five years ago in Pakistan’s Bajaur tribal region near the Afghan border. A bullet… Continue reading Wars, instability pose vaccine challenges in poor nations
Japan halts all foreign arrivals over UK variant
TOKYO (AP): Japan is barring entry of all nonresident foreign nationals as a precaution against a new and potentially more contagious coronavirus variant that has spread across Britain. The Foreign Ministry says the entry ban will start Monday and last through Jan. 31. Last week, Japan banned nonresident foreigners coming from Britain and South Africa… Continue reading Japan halts all foreign arrivals over UK variant
Trump made lasting impact on federal courts
WASHINGTON (AP): On this, even President Donald Trump’s most fevered critics agree: He has left a deep imprint on the federal courts that will outlast his one term in office for decades to come.He used the promise of conservative judicial appointments to win over Republican skeptics as a candidate. Then as president, he relied on… Continue reading Trump made lasting impact on federal courts
Queen Elizabeth pays tribute to ‘kindness of strangers’
LONDON (AP): One of the traditional fixtures of any Christmas Day is to see Queen Elizabeth II and her family go to church. Not this year. The coronavirus pandemic has made sure of that. However, the queen, 94, did fulfill what is considered her most cherished Christmas Day duty. Addressing the nation — as well… Continue reading Queen Elizabeth pays tribute to ‘kindness of strangers’
A pandemic Christmas: Churches shut, borders complicated
ROME (AP): Curfews, quarantines and even border closings complicated Christmas celebrations Friday for countless people around the globe, but ingenuity, determination and imagination helped keep the day special for many. In South Africa, which is battling a spike in cases and deaths driven by a variant of COVID-19, scientist Tulio de Oliveira was spending the… Continue reading A pandemic Christmas: Churches shut, borders complicated
US deaths in 2020 top 3 million, by far most ever counted
NEW YORK (AP): This is the deadliest year in U.S. history, with deaths expected to top 3 million for the first time — due mainly to the coronavirus pandemic. Final mortality data for this year will not be available for months. But preliminary numbers suggest that the United States is on track to see more… Continue reading US deaths in 2020 top 3 million, by far most ever counted
French President Macron tests positive for COVID-19
PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron tested positive for COVID-19 Thursday following a week in which he met with numerous European leaders. The French and Spanish prime ministers and EU Council president were among many top officials self-isolating because they had recent contact with him. Macron took a test “as soon as the first… Continue reading French President Macron tests positive for COVID-19
Coronavirus: European nations tighten restrictions ahead of Christmas
(BBC): A number of European countries have tightened coronavirus restrictions ahead of Christmas following a surge of infections in recent weeks. The Netherlands has entered a five-week lockdown, with non-essential shops, theatres and gyms all closing. Germany will enter a hard lockdown from Wednesday after the number of infections there hit record levels. Meanwhile, Europe’s… Continue reading Coronavirus: European nations tighten restrictions ahead of Christmas