Former Vice President Walter Mondale and former President Jimmy Carter appeared together in 2018, marking Mondale’s 90th birthday. Star Tribune via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Star Tribune via Getty Images Former Vice President Walter Mondale and former President Jimmy Carter appeared together in 2018, marking Mondale’s 90th birthday. Star Tribune via Getty Images Former Vice President and U.S. Sen. Walter Mondale died on Monday in Minneapolis, a family spokesperson confirms to NPR. The Minnesota Democrat was 93 years old. Mondale, who was known to his friends as “Fritz,” endured a landslide loss when he challenged incumbent President Ronald Reagan […]
David Welna
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A man checks to cast his ballot in Kenosha, Wis., on April 7. A new study suggests that in-person voting in that Wisconsin primary did not produce a surge of new coronavirus cases. Kamil Krzaczynski /AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Kamil Krzaczynski /AFP via Getty Images A man checks to cast his ballot in Kenosha, Wis., on April 7. A new study suggests that in-person voting in that Wisconsin primary did not produce a surge of new coronavirus cases. Kamil Krzaczynski /AFP via Getty Images Amid widespread alarm about the ability of the embattled U.S. Postal Service to […]
Northern California’s LNU Lightning Complex fire burns on Thursday. Noah Berger/AP hide caption toggle caption Noah Berger/AP Northern California’s LNU Lightning Complex fire burns on Thursday. Noah Berger/AP Wildfires ignited by nearly 12,000 lightning strikes over the past three days continue to spread havoc across a heat wave-baked California, with little relief in sight. “Just a day ago, I announced that we are struggling to address the needs of suppressing some 376 fires in this state,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said at a Friday news conference. “That number has grown to about 560 fires in the state of California. “Seven-hundred and seventy-one […]
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks to reporters after he met with members of the U.N. Security Council and called for the restoration of sanctions against Iran on Thursday in New York. Mike Segar/POOL/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Mike Segar/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks to reporters after he met with members of the U.N. Security Council and called for the restoration of sanctions against Iran on Thursday in New York. Mike Segar/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Six days after the Trump administration saw its effort to extend expiring United Nations weapons sanctions on Iran […]
Ninety-five percent of child care providers are women, and many are losing their jobs as the pandemic devastates the industry, the National Women’s Law Center says. Ted S. Warren/AP hide caption toggle caption Ted S. Warren/AP Ninety-five percent of child care providers are women, and many are losing their jobs as the pandemic devastates the industry, the National Women’s Law Center says. Ted S. Warren/AP Of the many sectors of the American economy slammed by the coronavirus pandemic, the businesses and individuals who provide child care to an estimated 12 million children under age 5 are among the hardest hit. According […]
A sweeping purge of executives at U.S. government media outlets widened this week. At least six of the top ten executives at the U.S. Agency for Global Media were removed from their posts on Wednesday. Critics say the housecleaning threatens to destroy the firewall meant to separate government news entities from the White House. They warn it could turn broadcasters such as the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe into distributors of propaganda on behalf of the Trump administration. The shakeup started in June after President Trump appointed a new CEO and Director at the agency, conservative documentary filmmaker Michael […]
Flowers were placed at the memorial to the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings on April 20. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Maddie Meyer/Getty Images Flowers were placed at the memorial to the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings on April 20. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images A death penalty sentence against confessed Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was thrown out Friday by a federal appeals court in Boston. Citing errors by a lower court, a three-judge panel from the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sent the widely publicized case back to the federal district court that had convicted Tsarnaev […]
President Donald Trump, shown here on Friday, floated the idea of delaying the election on Thursday. That prompted criticism from the co-founder of the Federalist Society. Alex Brandon/AP hide caption toggle caption Alex Brandon/AP President Donald Trump, shown here on Friday, floated the idea of delaying the election on Thursday. That prompted criticism from the co-founder of the Federalist Society. Alex Brandon/AP After voting for President Trump in 2016 and staunchly defending him in conservative publications, a Federalist Society leader appears to be having some very public buyer’s remorse. Steven Calabresi, co-founder of the powerful conservative legal organization, is now calling […]
A federal judge blocked further the implementation of a rule issued last year by the Department of Homeland Security. Alastair Pike/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Alastair Pike/AFP via Getty Images A federal judge blocked further the implementation of a rule issued last year by the Department of Homeland Security. Alastair Pike/AFP via Getty Images A federal judge in New York issued two strongly worded rulings on Wednesday that put a temporary freeze on restrictive Trump administration immigration policies. The measures, which are now on hold, had broadened the grounds under which immigrants could be considered “public charges,” a […]
The buildings of the banking district are seen in Frankfurt, Germany. Government statistics show the economy contracted by 10.1% in the second quarter of this year. Michael Probst/AP hide caption toggle caption Michael Probst/AP The buildings of the banking district are seen in Frankfurt, Germany. Government statistics show the economy contracted by 10.1% in the second quarter of this year. Michael Probst/AP Economic output in Germany — the powerhouse of Europe — shrank during this year’s second quarter by 10.1% compared with the same period last year. That double-digit downturn is the steepest since that country’s Federal Statistical Office began tracking […]
Defense Secretary Mark Esper, pictured earlier this month, announced a drawdown of U.S. troops in Germany on Wednesday. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images Defense Secretary Mark Esper, pictured earlier this month, announced a drawdown of U.S. troops in Germany on Wednesday. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images In a slap at a longtime ally frequently reviled by President Trump, Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced Wednesday that the U.S. plans to withdraw roughly a third of the 36,000 American forces stationed in Germany. Nearly 5,600 of the 11,800 troops to be removed from Germany […]
Confederate statues have been removed from the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, shown here in January. Zach D Roberts/NurPhoto via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Zach D Roberts/NurPhoto via Getty Images Confederate statues have been removed from the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, shown here in January. Zach D Roberts/NurPhoto via Getty Images A 900 pound bronze statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee has stood on the same spot at the Virginia state capitol where the Confederate leader took command of the Army of Northern Virginia in 1861. On Friday morning, that statue of Lee clad in a Confederate uniform […]
Gen. John “Jay” Raymond, with President Trump and Defense Secretary Mark Esper during a ceremony to establish the U.S. Space Command last summer. Carolyn Kaster/AP hide caption toggle caption Carolyn Kaster/AP Gen. John “Jay” Raymond, with President Trump and Defense Secretary Mark Esper during a ceremony to establish the U.S. Space Command last summer. Carolyn Kaster/AP The recently created U.S. Space Force accused Russia on Thursday of testing an anti-satellite weapon from one of its satellites in orbit. “On July 15, Russia injected a new object into orbit from Cosmos 2543,” the eight-month-old agency says in a statement. “Russia released this […]
The Vatican, shown here last month, has issued new guidance on how bishops should respond to allegations of sexual abuse. Andrew Medichini/AP hide caption toggle caption Andrew Medichini/AP The Vatican, shown here last month, has issued new guidance on how bishops should respond to allegations of sexual abuse. Andrew Medichini/AP The Vatican on Wednesday published a handbook for clergy and church lawyers that lays out the steps to follow when investigating and reporting alleged cases of sexual abuse of minors and others by priests, deacons and prelates. A Vatican official described the “vademecum,” as the document is titled in Latin, as […]
A year after Congress approved emergency humanitarian funds meant to benefit asylum seekers apprehended along the border with Mexico, a government watchdog report released Wednesday finds that some of that money got spent instead on things from dirt bikes to dog food to security camera systems. The title of the new U.S. Government Accountability Office report neatly sums up its stern message to the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection agency: “CBP Needs to Increase Oversight of Funds, Medical Care, and Reporting of Deaths.” The report follows a legal finding by the GAO in June that by using that […]
Pictured in 2019, Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki on Tuesday questioned U.S. measures to stop the coronavirus from spreading on the island. Behrouz Mehri/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Behrouz Mehri/AFP via Getty Images Pictured in 2019, Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki on Tuesday questioned U.S. measures to stop the coronavirus from spreading on the island. Behrouz Mehri/AFP via Getty Images Relations between the more than 25,000 U.S. military forces on Okinawa and that Japanese island’s 1.5 million residents have long been strained over pollution, crime and overcrowding associated with the 31 U.S. military bases there. Now a new outbreak of […]
The U.S. Supreme Court in an emergency ruling Thursday evening temporarily blocked a lower court’s decision that, citing the COVID-19 pandemic, would have made it easier for residents of three Alabama counties to vote by absentee ballot in July 14 primary runoff elections. The high court split 5-4 in the decision, with Elena Kagan, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor — the four justices appointed by Democratic presidents — all in opposition. There was no reasoning provided by the court for the ruling, which is typical for such an emergency decision. The decision means voters who are 65 and […]
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in May. She wants an Army officer who testified at Trump impeachment hearings to get his promotion. Greg Nash/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Greg Nash/Getty Images Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in May. She wants an Army officer who testified at Trump impeachment hearings to get his promotion. Greg Nash/Getty Images An abnormal stall in an otherwise routine promotion of an Army officer who testified last year in the House hearings on the impeachment of President Trump could result in a highly unusual […]
Tourists visit Mount Rushmore National Monument on Wednesday. President Trump is expected to visit the federal monument in South Dakota and give a speech before a fireworks display on Friday. Scott Olson/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Scott Olson/Getty Images Tourists visit Mount Rushmore National Monument on Wednesday. President Trump is expected to visit the federal monument in South Dakota and give a speech before a fireworks display on Friday. Scott Olson/Getty Images A decade after being banned amid concerns about wildfires and groundwater pollution, and despite protests by Native Americans and recommendations from public health officials to avoid public gatherings, […]
The USS San Jacinto passes by the Statue of Liberty in May of 2017. On Thursday, guided-missile cruiser was one of two Navy vessels that broke a record for consecutive days at sea. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Spencer Platt/Getty Images The USS San Jacinto passes by the Statue of Liberty in May of 2017. On Thursday, guided-missile cruiser was one of two Navy vessels that broke a record for consecutive days at sea. Spencer Platt/Getty Images Thanks to their efforts to steer clear of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. Navy says two American warships that set sail […]
The words “and Providence Plantations” will be removed from many Rhode Island state documents under an executive order by Gov. Gina Raimondo. The state legislature will consider an official name change. David Goldman/AP hide caption toggle caption David Goldman/AP The words “and Providence Plantations” will be removed from many Rhode Island state documents under an executive order by Gov. Gina Raimondo. The state legislature will consider an official name change. David Goldman/AP The official name of the smallest U.S. state is Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Some of its residents have been trying for the past three decades to drop the […]
Capt. Brett Crozier, then-commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, talks to reporters in January. The Navy has decided not to restore him to command. U.S. Navy via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption U.S. Navy via Getty Images Capt. Brett Crozier, then-commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, talks to reporters in January. The Navy has decided not to restore him to command. U.S. Navy via Getty Images U.S. Navy Capt. Brett Crozier, who raised alarms in late March about a serious coronavirus outbreak aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier he commanded, will not be reinstated after […]
Despite tracking data indicating new coronavirus infections are on the rise in 23 states, the Pentagon on Friday announced it is lifting pandemic-inspired travel restrictions for U.S. military personnel in 46 states, as well as in the U.S. territories of Guam and Puerto Rico. Among the states deemed fit for a resumption of travel by military personnel is Arizona, which has had a sharp spike in confirmed COVID-19 cases over the past two weeks, as well as others with notable recent upticks in infections, including Alabama, Texas and Oklahoma. The Pentagon’s own guidance for lifting restrictions stipulates that a state must […]
Army Gen. Gustave Perna testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday on his nomination to oversee the COVID-19 vaccine project. Chip Somodevilla/POOL/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Chip Somodevilla/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Army Gen. Gustave Perna testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday on his nomination to oversee the COVID-19 vaccine project. Chip Somodevilla/POOL/AFP via Getty Images A headlong race to come up with a viable vaccine for COVID-19 that is being championed by a science-averse American president seeking reelection prompted some skeptical questions Thursday on Capitol Hill. The occasion was a confirmation hearing for […]
A mine resistant ambush protected vehicle, or MRAP, originally created for the military, displayed in 2013 by a sheriff’s department official in Warren County, N.Y. Mike Groll/AP hide caption toggle caption Mike Groll/AP A mine resistant ambush protected vehicle, or MRAP, originally created for the military, displayed in 2013 by a sheriff’s department official in Warren County, N.Y. Mike Groll/AP When protests erupted in Minnesota following the death of George Floyd — the black man who died after a white Minneapolis policeman kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes — many of the law enforcement agencies from the Twin Cities […]
Former national security advisor John Bolton, seen in February, is scheduled to publish a memoir of his time with the Trump administration on June 23, and the Justice Department is trying to block publication. Mark Humphrey/AP hide caption toggle caption Mark Humphrey/AP Former national security advisor John Bolton, seen in February, is scheduled to publish a memoir of his time with the Trump administration on June 23, and the Justice Department is trying to block publication. Mark Humphrey/AP Seven days before the scheduled June 23 release of a tell-all account of John Bolton’s tenure as President Trump’s national security advisor, the […]
All of the approximately 1,600 active duty soldiers who were airlifted to military bases near Washington, D.C., earlier this week are being ordered back to their home postings, according the Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy. The troops were mobilized to be deployed in the nation’s capital if President Trump invoked the 1807 Insurrection Act, as he had threatened to do in a White House Rose Garden statement he made Monday evening. Although the mobilized soldiers never entered the capital, they were part of a show of force by federal authorities in response to demonstrations triggered by the May 24 death of a […]
When Russian-speaking troops showed up in Ukraine six years ago, they were dubbed “little green men”: armed forces whose green fatigues bore neither insignia nor identification. A similar genre of unidentified, armed personnel clad in insignia-free uniforms has appeared policing street protests in Washington, D.C., in recent days, and Democratic lawmakers are demanding answers about just who these anonymous enforcers are. Demonstrators march near the White House on Thursday, protesting the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images Demonstrators march near the White House on Thursday, […]
Former President Barack Obama speaks Wednesday, during virtual town hall event with young people to discuss policing and the civil unrest that has followed the death of George Floyd. AP hide caption toggle caption AP Former President Barack Obama speaks Wednesday, during virtual town hall event with young people to discuss policing and the civil unrest that has followed the death of George Floyd. AP Venturing further into the public discourse he had largely held back from since relinquishing the Oval Office to President Trump, former president Barack Obama joined a virtual town hall Wednesday to advocate the kind of hope […]
Military members joined police officers in clearing Lafayette Park while, across the street at the White House, President Trump said he would send soldiers to U.S. cities if local officials don’t end unrest. Alex Brandon/AP hide caption toggle caption Alex Brandon/AP Military members joined police officers in clearing Lafayette Park while, across the street at the White House, President Trump said he would send soldiers to U.S. cities if local officials don’t end unrest. Alex Brandon/AP Democratic leaders in Congress inveighed Tuesday against what they described as a push by President Trump to use the U.S. military for cracking down on […]
A volunteer artist sets up a memorial May 20 in Brooklyn. Artists and volunteer organizers across New York City put up memorials throughout the five boroughs to honor those who died of COVID-19. Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images A volunteer artist sets up a memorial May 20 in Brooklyn. Artists and volunteer organizers across New York City put up memorials throughout the five boroughs to honor those who died of COVID-19. Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 has reached a somber milestone: As of Wednesday afternoon, the […]