News Daypop Archives

Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, dies at age 99

tmpf0fed0c9-58b1-4eae-9e6f-6eb1e2c38917-jpg

Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and husband of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II for more than 70 years, has died at age 99. Buckingham Palace confirmed his death in a statement Friday:  “It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle.”. ...Read Full Story

President Biden unveils tighter gun control measures to curb violence

tmpbd98e210-fd86-4aa8-9b71-347672309067-jpg

President Joe Biden unveiled several executive actions on Thursday aimed at curbing gun violence, including measures on unregistered firearms that can be assembled from parts, commonly referred to as “ghost guns.” Biden announced the measures in the White House Rose Garden, accompanied by Vice President Kamala Harris and Attorney General Merrick Garland, saying, “Gun violence in this country is an epidemic and an international embarrassment.” Biden called gun violence in the United States a “public health crisis,” and “epidemic” and an “international embarrassment.”. ...Read Full Story

Former NFL player Phillip Adams dies by suicide after killing 5 in South Carolina

tmp845811e0-1374-467c-8325-1d26b9f31580-jpg

Authorities in York County, South Carolina said on Thursday that former NFL player Phillip Adams shot six people, killing five, Wednesday before later taking his own life. Dr. Robert Lesslie, 70, his wife Barbara, 69, their two grandchildren, Adah and Noah, ages five and nine, and James Lewis, 38, who worked at the Lesslie home, were all killed in the shooting. An unidentified sixth person suffered “serious gunshot wounds” and has been hospitalized.. ...Read Full Story

Texas governor issues ban on government-mandated ‘vaccine passports’

tmpf230e4bb-bde6-4cb8-bb4f-215201566240-jpg

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order banning state government entities from enforcing the so-called ‘vaccine passports.” According to the governor, this ban would apply to “any public or private entity that is receiving or will receive public funds through any means, including grants, contracts, loans, or other disbursement of taxpayer funds.”  The order reads: “Whereas, an individual’s COVID-19 vaccination status is private health information, and no governmental entity should compel disclosure of this information by mandating a so-called ‘vaccine passport’ for COVID-19 or by otherwise conditioning receipt of services on an individual’s COVID-19 status.” . ...Read Full Story

Arkansas Gov. Hutchison vetoes law banning treatment for transgender minors

tmp747c55f0-0a9c-45e4-a459-dd6950212661-jpg

On Monday, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson vetoed a proposed state law banning access to gender-affirming care such as puberty blockers and hormones to transgender minors. Hutchinson said he had rejected the bill, which had been approved last month by the GOP-controlled state Legislature, calling it a “product of the cultural war in America” that would interfere with the doctor-patient relationship.” Hutchinson told reporters in Little Rock if the bill became law, it would set “new standards of legislative interference with physicians and parents as they deal with some of the most complex and sensitive matters involving young people.”. ...Read Full Story

President Biden issues Easter address urging Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19

tmp5ad7d7ac-824e-486e-8a2f-8b2b4afe96a5-jpg

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden delivered a message of hope on Easter Sunday, encouraging more Americans to get vaccinated. In a video posted to Biden’s Twitter account, the president said the White House echoes the sentiments of Pope Francis who described getting vaccinated as a ‘moral obligation’ and stressed the importance of widespread inoculations to resuming traditional Holy Week activities in the future.. ...Read Full Story

United States shuts down former-secret Guantanamo prison, moving prisoners

tmp13f6d710-857b-46a9-9af7-65ba22eea0d1-jpg

The U.S. military said Sunday that a once-secret unit within the Guantanamo Bay detention center has been closed and the prisoners moved to another facility on the American base in Cuba. The prisoners at Camp 7 were transferred to a facility adjacent to where the other detainees on the base are held as part of what U.S. Southern Command said in a statement was an effort to “increase operational efficiency and effectiveness.” Officials have previously said about 14 men were held in Camp 7. There are 40 prisoners at Guantanamo.. ...Read Full Story

S&P 500 closes above 4000 for the first time

tmpa0809633-100e-4323-a4ef-1bcf539d2c07-jpg

The S&P 500 crossed the 4,000-point threshold for the first time on Thursday as the major U.S. indexes reported gains to start the month of April. Markets responded to President Joe Biden unveiling his $2 trillion infrastructure plan on Wednesday, which would include a provision to raise the corporate tax rate to 28% to fund it.. ...Read Full Story

Virginia Supreme Court rules that Charlottesville can remove Confederate statues

tmp527ae3a9-c7dd-4c8e-82c0-3efcb635a9cf-jpg

On Thursday, the Virginia Supreme Court ruled that state law does not ban Charlottesville from removing Confederate statue. At issue was the Confederate statues of Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson, which white nationalists rallied to protect in an August 2017 rally in Charlottesville, Va. One White supremacist plowed his car into the crowd and killed counter-protester Heather Heyer, 32, as well as injuring 19 others.. ...Read Full Story

Biden administration lifts restrictions on transgender policies in the military

tmp58943ec6-c6d0-49a0-b7ac-05dc585421ac-jpg

On Wednesday, the Pentagon lifted restrictions on transgender troops imposed by the Trump administration, and unveiled a new policy to end discrimination and provide medical care for those service members. The Defense Department’s new policy will permit troops to serve openly under their self-identified gender and will offer access to medical treatments for gender transition.. ...Read Full Story

Bravo’s “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Jen Shah charged in wire fraud scheme

tmpf5edc284-6d7e-4ec3-aba4-0f92ff947b73-jpg

The U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday that Bravo’s “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Jen Shah has been arrested and charged with running a wide-ranging telemarketing fraud scheme. Shah faces charges alongside her assistant, Stuart Smith, who was also featured on the reality TV franchise. Shah and Smith have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing and conspiracy to commit money laundering for allegedly selling “lead lists” for business opportunities that were nonexistent. The pair is accused of defrauding hundreds of victims, the Justice Department said. . ...Read Full Story

Media allowed into migrant facility in Texas crowded with over 4,000 adults and children

tmp4473df23-4717-4598-a962-0d1b90c41426-jpg

For the first time on Tuesday, the Biden administration allowed journalists inside its main border detention facility for migrant children. U.S. Customs and Border Protection allowed two journalists from The Associated Press and a crew from CBS to tour the facility in Donna, Texas, in the Rio Grande Valley, the nation’s busiest corridor for illegal crossings.  Thousands of children and families have been arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border in recent weeks and packing facilities, and the White House has been under pressure to bring more transparency to the process. . ...Read Full Story

White House to launch major push to expand offshore wind power

tmp787e1ba4-91b6-4584-8731-f49ee36e6dcb-jpg

The White House on Monday launched an ambitious program to greatly boost the development of offshore wind power in the United States, initially focusing on the Eastern Seaboard. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, national climate adviser Gina McCarthy, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and other administration officials said the plan calls for deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power across the country by 2030. The United States currently has only 28 megawatts of capacity and one functioning offshore wind farm.. ...Read Full Story

Nashville experiencing ‘life-threatening’ flooding with at least 4 people dead and over 100 rescued

tmp37191794-b1e5-4981-8af2-59b176070487-jpg

Torrential rains across Tennessee flooded homes and left roads impassable, prompting over 100 people to be rescued in the Nashville area. Authorities said four were found dead on Sunday in the flood’s aftermath. Mayor John Cooper said at a news conference Sunday that Nashville received more than 7 inches of rain, the second-highest two-day rainfall total ever recorded.. ...Read Full Story

Several confirmed tornadoes touch down in Alabama bringing destruction and injury to area

tmpebfb4db2-ea32-4ed2-b37f-5955e7278668-jpg

A tornado tore through a housing subdivision in Alabama on Thursday, causing severe destruction. Thousands were left without power across the Deep South as strong winds and heavy downpours swept across the region. The National Weather Service issued multiple tornado warnings in Alabama and surrounding states where forecasters said strong twisters that could stay on the ground for miles. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey issued an emergency declaration for 46 counties as the severe weather approached, and officials opened shelters in and around Birmingham. . ...Read Full Story

President Biden holds first formal news conference, taking questions on border crisis and Covid pandemic

tmp11bccfaf-387d-4d58-af60-ffd650899a7f-jpg

President Joe Biden held his first formal news conference Thursday afternoon and was dominated by questions regarding the border crisis. The White House attempted to keep the news conference focused on the administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic with a string of vaccination logistical funding announcements in the hours before it began. The president began the conference by detailing a new vaccination target, after his initial goal of 100 million vaccines was reached last week.  However the President was questioned by reporters to detail actions he is taking to address a surge in undocumented migrant children arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border, and was not asked any direct questions about the pandemic.. ...Read Full Story

President Biden assigns Vice President Harris to lead the effort to ‘stem migration flow’ from border

tmp0e6f3a5d-5a90-4ddd-9eef-ceb2bae492ff-jpg

On Wednesday, President Joe Biden said he was assigning Vice President Kamala Harris to lead his administration’s effort to stem migration from Central America, calling her “the most qualified person to do it.”  Biden said Harris would “lead our efforts with Mexico and the Northern Triangle” — El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala — which he said, “are going to need help in stemming the movement of so many folks — stemming the migration to our southern border” as the United States deals with a surge of unaccompanied minors crossing its southern border.. ...Read Full Story

President Biden announces second extension of enrollment window for Obamacare

tmp2eae4baa-af9e-46fc-a862-3ea458a523c8-jpg

On Tuesday, President Biden announced that he would extend the special enrollment period for people to purchase Affordable Care Act health plans by three months, until Aug. 15, as part of his administration’s effort to address the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Thousands had signed up for Obamacare during the special enrollment period that Biden ordered from Feb. 15 to May 15. The second extension will help new and current enrollees take advantage of the enhanced subsidies in the Covid-19 relief package that was signed into law this month.. ...Read Full Story

Postmaster General DeJoy unveils 10-year plan to alter service and cut costs

tmp7871ed7d-9a55-409a-b49f-e5a368e8c87a-jpg

On Tuesday, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy debuted his 10-year plan to cut costs at the U.S. Postal Service. The 58-page plan includes raising prices, slowing some first-class mail service, and reducing office hours. The plan lowers the service standard for first-class mail from three days or less to five days or less, shifting from air to surface transportation.. ...Read Full Story

Two men charged in woman’s death during Florida spring break

tmp7e91489b-7085-418f-8c83-176d1d1aeba2-jpg

Two North Carolina vacationing in South Florida during this year’s spring break season have been charged with drugging and raping a woman who later died.  Evoire Collier, 21, and Dorian Taylor, 24, both of Greensboro, N.C., were arrested Sunday after using the victim’s credit cards at a Miami Beach liquor store, authorities said. Charges against the men could be upgraded to manslaughter or murder if it is determined the woman died as a result of an overdose.. ...Read Full Story

10 people, including police officer, are killed in Colorado grocery store shooting

tmpbff6c6c5-09f5-41d7-85cf-9c613bd28074-jpg-5

10 people, including a police officer, were killed in a shooting at a grocery store in Colorado on Monday afternoon.  Boulder, Colo., Police Department Commander Kerry Yamaguchi said that a suspect was taken into custody following a shooting at King Soopers supermarket in the city. The suspect was injured during the shooting and was being treated for his injuries. Yamaguchi said police were not aware of any other serious injuries related to the shooting. No motive was immediately identified for the shooting, but Yamaguchi said an investigation was ongoing.. ...Read Full Story

10 people, including police officer, are killed in Colorado grocery store shooting

tmpbff6c6c5-09f5-41d7-85cf-9c613bd28074-jpg-4

10 people, including a police officer, were killed in a shooting at a grocery store in Colorado on Monday afternoon. Boulder, Colo., Police Department Commander Kerry Yamaguchi said that a suspect was taken into custody following a shooting at King Soopers supermarket in the city. The suspect was injured during the shooting and was being treated for his injuries. Yamaguchi said police were not aware of any other serious injuries related to the shooting. No motive was immediately identified for the shooting, but Yamaguchi said an investigation was ongoing.. ...Read Full Story

10 people, including police officer, are killed in Colorado grocery store shooting

tmpbff6c6c5-09f5-41d7-85cf-9c613bd28074-jpg-2

Multiple people, including a police officer, were killed in a shooting at a grocery store in Colorado on Monday afternoon. Boulder, Colo., Police Department Commander Kerry Yamaguchi said that a suspect was taken into custody following a shooting at King Soopers supermarket in the city. The suspect was injured during the shooting and was being treated for his injuries. Yamaguchi said police were not aware of any other serious injuries related to the shooting. No motive was immediately identified for the shooting, but Yamaguchi said an investigation was ongoing.. ...Read Full Story

10 people, including police officer, are killed in Colorado grocery store shooting

tmpbff6c6c5-09f5-41d7-85cf-9c613bd28074-jpg-3

10 people, including a police officer, were killed in a shooting at a grocery store in Colorado on Monday afternoon. Boulder, Colo., Police Department Commander Kerry Yamaguchi said that a suspect was taken into custody following a shooting at King Soopers supermarket in the city. The suspect was injured during the shooting and was being treated for his injuries. Yamaguchi said police were not aware of any other serious injuries related to the shooting. No motive was immediately identified for the shooting, but Yamaguchi said an investigation was ongoing.. ...Read Full Story

Multiple people, including police officer, are killed in Colorado grocery store shooting

tmpbff6c6c5-09f5-41d7-85cf-9c613bd28074-jpg

Multiple people, including a police officer, were killed in a shooting at a grocery store in Colorado on Monday afternoon. Boulder, Colo., Police Department Commander Kerry Yamaguchi said that a suspect was taken into custody following a shooting at King Soopers supermarket in the city. The suspect was injured during the shooting and was being treated for his injuries. Yamaguchi said police were not aware of any other serious injuries related to the shooting. No motive was immediately identified for the shooting, but Yamaguchi said an investigation was ongoing.. ...Read Full Story

Miami Beach curfew extended due to excessive Spring Break crowds

tmpd6b7c56c-0971-4bd4-9a8b-0a145f369966-jpg

Miami Beach is extending its weekend curfew through April 12, in an attempt to control disorderly crowds of Spring Breakers. Florida is seeing a surge in visitors due to its relaxed coronavirus restrictionsl On Saturday, Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber declared a state of emergency and set an 8 p.m. curfew, saying the crowds were out of control. The curfew was set to expire after 72 hours, but during an emergency meeting on Sunday afternoon, the Miami Beach City Commission unanimously voted to enforce the curfew Thursday through Sunday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., every weekend through April 12. . ...Read Full Story

First case of Brazilian COVID-19 virus variant confirmed in New York

tmp8f149842-36ff-4dc7-94c0-fccc5b161bbd-jpg

The first case of a COVID-19 variant known as the Brazilian variant was confirmed in New York, with NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo announcing that scientists at Mount Sinai Hospital identified the case, which was then verified by the state Department of Health’s Wadsworth Center Laboratories. The patient is a Brooklyn resident in their 90s who hasn’t traveled recently, officials said in a news release. Health officials are doing further investigation of the patient and any potential contacts. . ...Read Full Story

Gunman in Atlanta shootings is charged with murder in killing of 8 people

tmpcb202475-918d-40fe-9364-2cd98dd6fb17-jpg

The man accused of killing eight people at three massage parlors in an Atlanta-area shooting was charged with murder on Wednesday. Police captured Georgia resident Robert Aaron Long after a manhunt on Tuesday night after the attacks at the massage parlors, which occurred within a short period of time and within close proximity. Eight people were killed and others were injured in the shootings. . ...Read Full Story

France’s Prime Minster says they have entered ‘third wave’ of COVID-19 pandemic as cases surge

tmp11be3314-1523-40d2-834e-d20c5f126ac1-jpg

French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Tuesday that additional coronavirus restrictions in the greater Paris region will be implemented as the country enters a third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. France has seen a steady rise of new cases, leading to a strain on the hospital system, especially in the capital where infections have surged. . ...Read Full Story

FBI concludes that Nashville Christmas day bomber was dealing with paranoia and conspiracy theories; not linked to terrorism

tmp5bbd7130-ec10-42a7-9157-66331e8f2c70-jpg

The bomber responsible for a powerful explosion set off in downtown Nashville early on Christmas Day meant it as an act of suicide rather than of terrorism, the FBI said in a report issued Monday. The suspect, identified as 63-year-old Anthony Quinn Warner, died in the blast but no one else was injured in the early morning explosion on a deserted street just north of downtown Nashville’s historic Honky Tonk district. Investigators said Warner rigged an improvised explosive device to detonate in an RV parked next to an AT&T cellular transmission building, causing extensive damage and cellphone service to three states to be disrupted for several days due to the bombing. . ...Read Full Story

Americans begin receiving stimulus payments just days after American Rescue Plan was signed into law

tmp483db839-96a1-4216-b5b1-17710c82c769-jpg

Stimulus payments hit some Americans’ bank account over the weekend, just two days after the bill authorizing them was signed into law. Many Americans announced on social media that the $1,400 stimulus payments were listed as pending transactions in their bank accounts. The payments were included in the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, which President Joe Biden signed into law Thursday.. ...Read Full Story

President Biden delivers address to the nation on one-year anniversary of COVID-19 pandemic

tmp9ea41e84-4b1e-4f74-88d7-a7dc5f7dc06f-jpg

In his first primetime speech Thursday night, President Joe Biden addressed the nation on the one-year anniversary of the World Health Organization declaring the novel coronavirus a pandemic. Biden said he will direct every U.S. state and territory to make all adults eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine by May 1, announcing the plan to assure that all Americans will be able to sign up to receive a vaccination against the virus that has infected more than 29 million Americans and killed more than 530,600 in a year.. ...Read Full Story

Judge reinstates 3rd-degree murder charge in George Floyd case

tmpa4f03875-5e92-4b0f-9c06-8a8052550654-jpg

On Thursday, the judge in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin reinstated a third-degree murder charge after defense attorneys failed to get the Minnesota Supreme Court to overturn a lower ruling. Chauvin now faces the third-degree murder charge, along with charges of murder and manslaughter in the second degree, in the death of George Floyd last year. Jury selection in Chauvin’s trial began on Tuesday and continued Thursday.. ...Read Full Story

House passes $1.9T COVID-19 relief package as it heads to President Biden for signature on Friday

tmpc13a0ad9-72b5-4566-a687-bf1e411b7d5b-jpg

The House gave its final approval to President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package on Wednesday. The House sent the president for his signature the bill which contains $1,400 stimulus checks, billions more to help schools and colleges reopen, and funding for vaccine distribution. The final vote was 220-211, with one Democrat voting against the bill and all Republicans opposing it. . ...Read Full Story

Teen Vogue’s new Editor-in-Chief Alexi McCammond apologizes for past racist and homophobic tweets

tmp69880dc5-b104-413f-8780-73ae2f1ffab4-jpg

Teen Vogue’s new editor-in-chief Alexi McCammond has apologized to employees after 20 staffers publicly slammed her over resurfaced tweets she posted back in 2011 mocking Asians and homosexuals. The 27-year-old’s old tweets emerged over the weekend after the former Axios political reporter was named as Teen Vogue’s new editor in chief on Friday. About 20 Teen Vogue staffers then penned a letter to parent company Conde Naste slamming McCammond’s ‘past racist and homophobic tweets’.. ...Read Full Story

President Biden signs executive orders for women’s rights and gender equality

tmp307ba10c-744d-48d0-99ce-52fcc9422bc1-jpg

On Monday in recognition of International Women’s Day, President Biden signed two executive orders to support gender equity and equal rights in the United States.  Biden said in a statement: “Women’s history is American history — and world history. On International Women’s Day, we celebrate the achievements, contributions, and progress of women and girls in the United States and around the globe. My administration is committed to honoring women by investing in their opportunity, security and wellbeing.”. ...Read Full Story

High-ranking New York lawmakers call for Governor Cuomo’s resignation amid sexual harassment accusations

tmpaa714203-6632-4444-a028-c8f0f40fa685-jpg

A group of New York’s top Democratic lawmakers are calling on Governor Andrew Cuomo to step down due to mounting sexual harassment claims, questioning his “ability to continue to lead” amid the ongoing scandals surrounding him. As of press time, five women have come forward – four of them former aides or advisers – claiming that Cuomo made inappropriate comments or came on to them. Attorney General Letitia James’ office is overseeing a review of the allegations against the governor.. ...Read Full Story

President Biden signs executive order expanding voting rights

tmp17db594d-1010-4ccb-8681-bceddc9fcd46-jpg

On Sunday, President Joe Biden signed an executive order expanding voting access and information about voter registration. The order (which can be viewed in full here) aims to increase voting access to people with disabilities, active duty military and other overseas voters as well as citizens in federal custody in addition to modernizing voter information platforms and providing outreach to Native American communities. The order also directs the heads of all federal agencies to submit proposals promoting voter registration within 200 days by using their websites and social media to provide information on registering to vote and distributing voter registration and vote-by-mail applications in the course of regular services. . ...Read Full Story

Alabama’s governor eases COVID-19 restrictions but extends mask order until April 9

tmp6a5a0778-a705-42d0-a1d9-75bea3e7af4d-jpg

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said Thursday she plans to lift the state’s COVID-19 mask order by April 9. Ivey cited reduction in COVID-19 case statewide; as of Tuesday, Alabama’s seven-day average for new COVID-19 cases was 778 per day, an 82% drop from the high reached Jan. 10 and the lowest average for daily new cases since late June. Ivey also said that COVID-19 hospital rates had similarly declined.. ...Read Full Story