Mar 11 WATCH: Democrats push forward with Biden’s health secretary pick By Kevin Freking, Associated Press The Senate voted on Thursday to advance President Joe Biden’s nominee for health secretary as Democrats muscled past Republican opposition using a new procedure put in place to avoid gridlock in the evenly divided Senate. Continue reading
Mar 11 U.S. jobless claims fall to 712,000 as pace of layoffs eases By Paul Wiseman, Associated Press The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell last week to 712,000, the lowest total since early November, evidence that fewer employers are cutting jobs amid a decline in confirmed coronavirus cases and signs of an improving economy. Continue reading
Mar 10 Western states chart diverging paths as water shortages loom By Felicia Fonseca and Sophia Eppolito, Associated Press Legislation in Utah is raising concerns as seven Western states prepare to negotiate how to sustain a river that supplies 40 million people and a massive agricultural industry. Continue reading
Mar 10 Watch 5:26 News Wrap: U.S. to buy 100 million more Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine doses In our new wrap Wednesday, the federal government is buying another 100 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot COVID vaccine, doubling its current order. Also, the federal budget deficit has hit an all-time high, Texas marked the end of… Continue watching
Mar 10 Watch 6:18 A Texas Democrat on the Lone Star State ending COVID restrictions As of Wednesday, Texans can work and gather without a statewide mandate for masks or social distancing, after Gov. Greg Abbott signed an executive order earlier this month that declared the state "100 percent open." Judge Lina Hidalgo, a Democrat… Continue watching
Mar 10 Watch 8:59 Derek Chauvin’s murder trial raises questions about police accountability nationwide Jury selection is underway in the murder trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin, who is charged with the killing of George Floyd. One of the central questions: whether a police officer will be convicted on murder charges? Paul Butler,… Continue watching
Mar 10 Watch 8:14 Leveraging the power of art to achieve ‘community immunity’ By Jeffrey Brown, Anne Azzi Davenport The pandemic has highlighted structural inequities within American life, including a disproportionate impact on Black communities and poorer neighborhoods and access to and attitudes toward the vaccine. A new national public health campaign is trying to reach some Black Americans… Continue watching
Mar 10 Watch 3:15 A Brief But Spectacular take on confronting the pandemic of gender-based violence With stay-at-home orders in place, many victims of domestic violence have been trapped at home with their abusers. In this Brief But Spectacular, we meet Kathryn Jacob, the CEO of SafeHaven, which focuses on creating preventative programs that help high-risk… Continue watching
Mar 10 U.S. reports surge of children at southwest border, a challenge for Biden By Ben Fox, Associated Press The number of kids crossing by themselves has risen 60 percent to more than 9,400, forcing the government to look for new places to hold them amid the pandemic. Continue reading
Mar 10 What’s inside the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 bill passed by Congress By Kevin Freking, Associated Press The $1.9 trillion bill provides direct payments of up to $1,400 for most Americans, extends emergency unemployment benefits and boosts spending for COVID-19 vaccines and testing. Continue reading