Iran Launches Advanced Centrifuges Marking Its National Nuclear Day

On

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani oversaw on live television Saturday the launch of advanced centrifuges to enrich uranium, a key component for nuclear weapons, while reiterating his country’s commitment to nuclear non-proliferation.Rouhani’s conflicting messages came as the country observed National Nuclear Technology Day, during which he was seen on state television ordering the injection of uranium gas into nearly 200 centrifuges and tests on other devices at the underground Natanz nuclear plant.“Once again, I stress that all our nuclear activities are peaceful and for non-military purposes,” Rouhani said during the ceremony at which more than 130 advances in its nuclear industrymore

Leave a comment

US: Indirect Talks with Iran to Resume in Vienna But Demand to Lift All Sanctions May Cause ‘Impasse’

On

The U.S. and Iran have agreed to a second round of indirect talks in Vienna next week to try to bring each other back into compliance with a 2015 nuclear deal, but Iran has insisted that all U.S. sanctions against it be lifted and the U.S. warned that such a demand may lead to an impasse.A senior U.S. State Department official who spoke to reporters on Friday said the indirect talks would resume in the middle of next week in the Austrian capital. U.S. and Iranian diplomats concluded an initial round of meetings earlier in the day, with mediators frommore

Leave a comment

2 Former College Students Face Identity Theft Charges Over COVID-19 Aid

On

Two former Louisiana college students were charged with conspiring to fraudulently obtain CARES Act funds that had been earmarked for college students.Late last month, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said the two conspired to defraud students from Louisiana College in Pineville, Louisiana, by hacking the college portal to apply for financial aid grants using the names of other students.Hayden Philip Breaux, 21, and D’Quincy Marquis Jones, 23, both of Louisiana, allegedly used student identification numbers and passwords to apply for emergency financial aid grants, according to a March 25 press release. They were charged with one count of conspiracy tomore

Leave a comment

Group to Study More Justices, Term Limits for Supreme Court

On

U.S. President Joe Biden has ordered a study on overhauling the Supreme Court, creating a bipartisan commission Friday that will spend the next six months examining the politically incendiary issues of expanding the court and instituting term limits for justices, among other issues.In launching the review, Biden fulfilled a campaign promise made amid pressure from activists and Democrats to realign the Supreme Court after its composition tilted sharply to the right during President Donald Trump’s term. Trump nominated three justices to the high court, including conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who was confirmed to replace the late liberal Justice Ruthmore

Leave a comment

White House Border Coordinator Jacobson Leaving Role at End of Month

On

White House border coordinator Roberta Jacobson is leaving her job at the end of April, the White House said on Friday, a surprise move that solidified Vice President Kamala Harris’ control over U.S. diplomatic efforts in Central America.While the White House insisted Jacobson’s departure was planned, the announcement still was unexpected as she had been engaged in media interviews in the hours leading up to her announcement and had shown no sign of planning to step down.”Consistent with her commitment at the outset to serve in the administration’s first 100 days, Ambassador Jacobson will retire from her role as coordinatormore

Leave a comment

Gaetz Faces Inquiry by US House Ethics Over Potential Misconduct

On

The House Ethics Committee has opened an investigation of Rep. Matt Gaetz, citing reports of sexual and other misconduct by the Florida Republican, the panel’s leaders said Friday.The deepening of the scrutiny of the congressman comes as Gaetz has retained two prominent New York attorneys while facing a Justice Department investigation into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls.The House panel’s bipartisan probe is one of the first official indications Gaetz’s party leaders are willing to scrutinize his actions. It also appears sweeping in scope, reaching beyond the reports of sexual misconduct into broader allegations of public corruption, according to themore

Leave a comment

University Applications Spike Amid Pandemic

On

For many high school seniors across the United States, an email or envelope in the mailbox leads to screaming, cheering, crying or despair as they learn whether they have been accepted to the college or university of their choice.“This year, I chose to apply to seven different universities: the University of Virginia, Howard University, James Madison University, Penn State University, University of Michigan, Pace University, and New York University,” said senior Bekah Lott, who will graduate from Rock Ridge High School in Virginia in May.Lott has committed to New York University, her top choice, she said.Bekah Lott plans to attendmore

Leave a comment

Senate Democrat Manchin Remains Opposed to Filibuster Change  

On

A centrist U.S. Democratic lawmaker, Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, is renewing his opposition to changes in the parliamentary rules in the politically divided Senate, imperiling President Joe Biden’s ambitious legislative agenda. In the Senate, now with 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans, members of both parties in recent years have more frequently employed a filibuster to block key legislation they did not like. Once a filibuster has begun, it requires a 60-vote super majority to end debate and move a bill to a final vote. Some progressive Democrats want to end use of the filibuster in order to approve Biden’s legislativemore

Leave a comment

Republican Congressman Lee Zeldin Announces Candidacy for New York Governor

On

Republican U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin announced his candidacy for governor of New York on Thursday with an attack on incumbent Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the subject of investigations over sexual harassment allegations and COVID-19 deaths among nursing home residents. “The bottom line is this; to save New York, Andrew Cuomo’s gotta go,” Zeldin, a fourth-term Congress member from Long Island, said in a news release. Zeldin, 41, promised to bring “the kind of relentless, fighting spirit towards helping to save our state that Andrew Cuomo only reserves for multi-million dollar self-congratulatory book deals, cover-ups, abuse and self-dealing.”   Cuomo, whomore

Leave a comment

College Admissions Scandal Parent Released from Prison

On

The college admissions scandal that made headlines over the past two years came to a close this week as the last celebrity parent was released from prison.Fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli is now on house arrest after his role in the 2019 college admissions scandal, according to The Associated Press.He was released from a federal facility in Lompoc, near Santa Barbara, California, and will remain in home confinement until April 17. He reported to prison in November.This comes after the recent release of Netflix’s Operation Varsity Blues, which detailed how famous and moneyed parents paid to have applications, exam scores andmore

Leave a comment

Biden to Announce Actions on Gun Violence

On

U.S. President Joe Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland are scheduled to speak Thursday about a set of new measures meant to address gun violence in the United States.Ahead of their remarks, the White House released details of some of the initiatives, calling gun violence a “public health epidemic.”WATCH LIVE at 11:45am EDTPlan details One action is a proposed rule from the Justice Department to stop the proliferation of so-called “ghost guns” that lack serial numbers and are difficult for law enforcement to trace when they are used in crimes.The Justice Department is also planning to issue a model ofmore

Leave a comment

Interior Secretary Steps Into Utah Public Lands Tug-of-War

On

For decades, a public lands tug-of-war has played out over a vast expanse of southern Utah where red rocks reveal petroglyphs and distinctive twin buttes bulge from a grassy valley. A string of U.S. officials has heard from those who advocate for broadening national monuments to protect the area’s many archaeological and cultural sites, considered sacred to surrounding tribes, and those who fiercely oppose what they see as federal overreach. On Thursday, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland will be the latest cabinet official to visit Bears Ears National Monument — and the first Indigenous one. Haaland, a member of Laguna Pueblomore

Leave a comment

Should US Boycott Beijing Olympics?

On

The political dispute over a new election law in the southern state of Georgia has broadened into a debate over whether the United States should participate in a boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. On Tuesday, State Department spokesperson Ned Price acknowledged the U.S. will discuss with allies whether to jointly boycott the games to protest Beijing’s repression of minorities and major human rights abuses. “A coordinated approach will be not only in our interest but also in the interest of our allies and partners,” he told reporters at a daily briefing. But he stressed that no final decisionmore

Leave a comment

Biden Announcing Actions to Address Gun Violence

On

U.S. President Joe Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland are scheduled to speak Thursday about a set of new measures meant to address gun violence in the United States.Ahead of their remarks, the White House released details of some of the initiatives, calling gun violence a “public health epidemic.”One action is a proposed rule from the Justice Department to stop the proliferation of so-called “ghost guns” that lack serial numbers and are difficult for law enforcement to trace when they are used in crimes.The Justice Department is also planning to issue a model of what are known as “red flag”more

Leave a comment

College Admissions Scandal Parents Released from Prison

On

The college admissions scandal that made headlines over the past two years came to a close this week as the last celebrity parent was released from prison.Fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli is now on house arrest after his role in the 2019 college admissions scandal, according to The Associated Press.He was released from a federal facility in Lompoc, near Santa Barbara, California, and will remain in home confinement until April 17. He reported to prison in November.This comes after the recent release of Netflix’s Operation Varsity Blues, which detailed how famous and moneyed parents paid to have applications, exam scores andmore

Leave a comment

Biden to Unveil Actions on Guns, Including Naming New ATF Boss

On

U.S. President Joe Biden will unveil a series of executive actions aimed at addressing gun violence on Thursday, according to a person familiar with the plans, delivering his first major action on gun control since taking office.He’s also expected to nominate David Chipman, a former federal agent and adviser at the gun control group Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, to be director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).Two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that Chipman’s nomination is expected to be announced Thursday. The people could not discuss the matter publiclymore

Leave a comment

Should US Boycott of Beijing Olympics?

On

The political dispute over a new election law in the southern state of Georgia has broadened into a debate over whether the United States should participate in a boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. On Tuesday, State Department spokesperson Ned Price acknowledged the U.S. will discuss with allies whether to jointly boycott the games to protest Beijing’s repression of minorities and major human rights abuses. “A coordinated approach will be not only in our interest but also in the interest of our allies and partners,” he told reporters at a daily briefing. But he stressed that no final decisionmore

Leave a comment

Democratic US Congressman Alcee Hastings of Florida Dies at 84

On

Democratic U.S. Representative Alcee Hastings has died at the age of 84, his office said on Tuesday, further narrowing the party’s majority in the lower chamber of Congress. His office did not provide details on the cause of death. In January 2019, Hastings said he was diagnosed with and receiving treatment for pancreatic cancer. “I’m heartbroken at the passing of my dear friend, Alcee Hastings,” said fellow Florida Democratic lawmaker Ted Deutch in a statement. “Alcee spoke up for the quiet voices that would otherwise go unheard. He never backed down from a fight for the people he represented andmore

Leave a comment

US Senate Democrats Seek Change in Trump Tax Reforms to Create US Jobs

On

Top Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee on Monday proposed major shifts in former President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax reforms to eliminate what they say are incentives for companies to move operations overseas and shift profits to tax haven countries. The plan proposed by Democratic senators Ron Wyden, Sherrod Brown and Mark Warner parallels some of the corporate tax hike proposals announced last week by President Joe Biden to finance $2 trillion in U.S. infrastructure investment. The senators are targeting provisions in the landmark 2017 Tax and Jobs Act that govern how companies’ foreign income is taxed, the Global Intangible Low-Taxed Incomemore

Leave a comment

Tragedies Highlight Dark Side of Greek Life

On

Greek life communities on campuses across the U.S. are again facing a reckoning after recent student deaths due to alleged hazing.  Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) freshman Adam Oakes died February 27, and Bowling Green State University (BGSU) sophomore Stone Foltz died March 7 after both consumed large amounts of alcohol at fraternity events.  VCU mourns the death of student Adam Oakes. This is a tragic loss for Adam’s family and members of our community and we encourage any students in need of support to contact University Counseling Services at (804) 828-6200. pic.twitter.com/WiroQSQDpy— VCU (@VCU) February 28, 2021Oakes was at an eventmore

Leave a comment

Biden Looks to Raise US Corporate Taxes, with Dozens of Companies Now Paying Nothing 

On

U.S. President Joe Biden is looking to raise corporate income tax rates to help pay for his proposed $2.3 trillion infrastructure spending plan, but dozens of the country’s biggest and best-known companies are currently legally avoiding paying any federal taxes. Biden says he wants to raise the corporate income tax rate from 21% to 28%. The rate was cut from 35% in 2017 under Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump.  FILE – Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen speaks during a virtual roundtable with participants from Black Chambers of Commerce across the country to discuss the American Rescue Plan, Feb. 5, 2021.On Monday, U.S. Treasurymore

Leave a comment

Supreme Court Dismisses Case over Trump and Twitter Critics

On

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a case over former President Donald Trump’s efforts to block critics from his personal Twitter account.The court said there was nothing left to the case after Trump was permanently suspended from Twitter and ended his presidential term in January.Twitter banned Trump two days after the deadly attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters on Jan. 6. The company said its decision was “due to the risk of further incitement of violence.”The court also formally threw out an appeals court ruling that found Trump violated the First Amendment whenever he blocked a critic to silencemore

Leave a comment