UNDATED (AP) – A coalition of local governments and civil rights groups sued the U.S. Census Bureau last year to stop it from ending the 2020 census early out of fear it would undercount minority communities. Now, that coalition is attempting to block Ohio from trying to force the bureau into releasing data used for…… MORE
It was an historical night at the Grammys for Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish – and women in general. Their happiness seemed overshadowed by the sheer joy of making music again after a year largely sidelined by the pandemic. Dozens of creators took to the stage for a Zoom-less evening made more intimate by…… MORE
(AP) — Prison guards are refusing coronavirus vaccines at alarming rates. That’s causing some public health experts to worry about the prospect of controlling the pandemic both inside and outside of prison. Infection rates in prisons are more than four times as high as in the general public. Prison staff helped accelerate outbreaks by refusing to…… MORE
BRUSSELS (AP) – The International Federation of Journalists said 65 journalists and media workers were killed while doing their jobs last year. According to the organization’s 30th annual report, that is 17 more than in 2019, and the death toll is around the same level as in the 1990s. In addition to the killings, the…… MORE
NEW YORK (AP) – The veteran New York City prosecutor overseeing a criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump says he won’t seek re-election. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. made the announcement Friday in a memo to his staff, ending months of speculation about his future. His term expires at the end of the…… MORE
NEW YORK (AP) – A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that Black and Hispanic Americans are more likely than white Americans to have experienced job and other income losses due to the coronavirus pandemic. Those who have lost income are more likely to have found themselves in a…… MORE
UNDATED (AP) – With vaccination against COVID-19 in full swing, social platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter say they’ve stepped up their fight against misinformation that aims to undermine trust in vaccines. For years, those same platforms have allowed anti-vaccination propaganda to flourish, making it difficult to stamp out such sentiments now. A nd their…… MORE
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden’s nominee for health secretary has cleared a key hurdle. The Senate voted Thursday to move ahead with the nomination of California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York forced a vote to overcome Republican opposition…… MORE
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden will use his first prime-time address since taking office to steer the nation toward hope in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Biden’s aim is to usher the nation into the “next phase” of the fight against a virus that has killed more than 529,000 Americans. Biden will honor…… MORE
WASHINGTON (AP) – 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. The Labor Department said Thursday that applications for unemployment aid dropped by 42,000 from…… MORE
