News | Times

2022-06-23 17:00:08 How abortion bans could be enforced if Roe v. Wade is reversed

If the Supreme Court issues a ruling that would allow states to ban abortion, as is expected in the coming days, such a decision would raise new questions about how authorities would enforce such bans and whether the anti-abortion movement would stick to its public emphasis on protecting abortion-seekers themselves from prosecution.

What has been the pattern abroad in countries that ban abortion, along with United States' own experience before Roe, previews a complicated and unequal enforcement landscape.

For years as they fought to overturn Roe v. Wade, leaders of the anti-abortion movement have stressed that prosecutions should be focused on abortion providers and others who facilitate the procedure, rather than the person seeking it. But the movement's critics point to examples of when the criminal justice system has already - with Roe still on the books - been turned on women whose pregnancies have been purposely. Open / Comment

2022-06-22 21:00:06 Biden to appoint first Native American treasurer of the United States

President Joe Biden will appoint Marilynn Malerba as treasurer of the United States, making the lifetime chief of the Mohegan Tribe the first Native American to hold the position, the White House announced on Tuesday.

The appointment means that for the first time in US history a Tribal leader and Native American woman's signature will appear on the nation's currency, the Treasury Department said in a news release.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is set to visit the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota later Tuesday, the first time in history that a Treasury secretary will visit a Tribal nation, according to the department.

Malerba will directly oversee the US Mint, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and Fort Knox and will serve as a liaison with the Federal Reserve. She will be a senior adviser to Yellen and will lead a newly created Office of Tribal and Native Affairs within the US Treasury. Open / Comment

2022-06-22 14:00:14 Donald Trump trolled Biden by promising Americans never to ride a bike

The 45th president of the United States addressed his supporters and did not fail to "kick" his successor as head of the White House. First, Trump, traditionally, scolded the current administration for inflation and skyrocketing fuel prices. Then, expectedly, he modestly reminded us that he has never been a better American president. And finally he made a significant promise.

"I promise that I will never get on a bicycle," Trump said solemnly and with a serious face, raising an oathful right hand.

The crowd took his last words with obvious glee, remembering the recent epic fall of the sitting U.S. president from his bicycle. At the same time, we can't say for sure whether it was Biden's embarrassment or maybe the recent rise in gasoline prices. But it should "make America great again." Open / Comment

2022-06-21 17:00:08 America is on edge, and that's bad news for the White House

Many key aspects of economic, social and national life that were once viewed as smoothly running certainties are out of joint. The Covid-19 pandemic, though it has eased its deadly grip, has left a complicated legacy of challenges that are still disrupting daily life. Some are aggravations - like the more than 800 airline flights cancelled on Sunday. Others threaten Americans' economic prospects and sense of safety and wellbeing, like the growing fears of a recession.

Such an atmosphere is sure to breed new turmoil in a nation seeing widening ideological divides ahead of midterm elections that are likely to cause more dysfunction if power is split in Washington between Republicans and Democrats. And it almost guarantees years of political bickering ahead of the 2024 presidential race, which may hamper the nation's capacity to solve any crisis. Open / Comment

2022-06-20 21:00:07 First probable monkeypox cases reported in Missouri, Indiana

Two more states announced their first probable cases of monkeypox Saturday.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said the suspected case developed in a Kansas City resident who had recently traveled out-of-state.

The Indiana Department of Health also said it was investigating a probable monkeypox case, but would not release the location of the patient, who they said was in isolation.

Contact tracing is underway in both states. Initial testing occurred at state health department labs and confirmatory testing is pending at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention labs.

"The risk of monkeypox among the general public continues to be extremely low," Indiana Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box said. "Monkeypox is rare and does not easily spread through brief casual contact." Open / Comment

2022-06-20 14:00:15 Biden's defense of democracy, strong abroad, is struggling on his home turf

Joe Biden has made vindicating democracy the central objective of his presidency. Improbably, he has found more success abroad than at home so far.

The President's signal achievement has been uniting Western democracies in defense of Ukraine against Russian leader Vladimir Putin's authoritarian aggression. With coordinated flows of military equipment, economic aid and sanctions, Biden and NATO partners have helped prevent Russia from overrunning its smaller, weaker neighbor.

Yet Biden himself stands to get politically overrun within months by Republican opponents at best indifferent and at worst hostile to preserving America's own democracy. Facing an electorate upset by inflation, crime and the lingering pandemic, the White House has watched the President's approval rating fall to levels that almost guarantee the Democratic Party will lose control of one or both houses of Congress in the midterm elections. Open / Comment

2022-06-19 09:14:00 What to know about Juneteenth now that it's a federal holiday

Despite Juneteenth's storied history, the holiday was largely overlooked by non-Black Americans until recent years.

The momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement propelled Juneteenth into the national spotlight, building on a decades-long push by activists and leaders to get recognition for the landmark occasion. Last year, Juneteenth became the latest federal holiday in the US.

With Juneteenth now a national holiday, many public and private sector employees enjoy an extra day off from work while brands and corporations capitalize on the event with celebratory marketing campaigns. But there's much more to Juneteenth than a long weekend and branded products.

As Black Americans continue to face the same challenges and inequities that inspired so many to take to the streets in 2020, it's worth reflecting on the history behind the holiday. Open / Comment

2022-06-18 23:21:46 Revolution in the world of NFT:

Finally, some real art, not just pics!

Pro artists embraced the development of the mysterious CONCEPT project, which embodies genuine art, and creates the next level of NFT.

A piece of art to be worth millions: @ton_nft_concept_eng Open / Comment

2022-06-18 21:00:05 A suspect is in custody after 2 people were fatally shot at a church near Birmingham, Alabama

Two people were killed and one injured Thursday when shooting erupted at a small church meeting in a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, police said - the latest gun attack to unfold as Americans tried to go about their daily lives.

A suspect, who was not identified publicly, is in custody, said Capt. Shane Ware with the Vestavia Hills Police Department. The surviving victim is being treated at a hospital for injuries, he said without detailing them.

The attack on three parishioners at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Vestavia Hills happened during an event dubbed Boomers Potluck, the Rev. John Burruss said in a written statement. It was reported around 6:22 p.m., Ware said. Open / Comment

2022-06-18 14:00:09 Peter Navarro, former Trump adviser, pleads not guilty to contempt of Congress charges

Former Trump White House trade adviser Peter Navarro pleaded not guilty to contempt of Congress charges on Friday after not cooperating with the House's ongoing January 6 investigation.

Navarro is charged with contempt of Congress after failing to appear for testimony or turn over documents in the House select committee's investigation. While he did not testify, he has done many media appearances and written a book, frequently talking about his conversations with former President Donald Trump and his interest in blocking Trump's election loss in 2020.

Navarro has another book coming out in September. If convicted, he would face a mandatory minimum jail sentence of one month. Open / Comment