Buffalo shooting suspect charged with federal hate crimes
The suspect in the Buffalo, New York, massacre that left 10 Black residents dead was charged on Wednesday with federal hate crimes and weapons violations, in a complaint that included new details about the depth of his racist hatred. Although there is currently a moratorium on federal executions, some of the federal charges against the gunman could carry the death penalty if the Justice Department decided to seek it. On Wednesday, Attorney General Merrick Garland did not rule out that possibility. The suspect, Payton Gendron, 18, is an avowed white supremacist.
COVID vaccines endorsed for youngest Americans
The only Americans still not eligible for coronavirus vaccines — babies, toddlers and preschoolers — appear on the verge of finally getting cleared to receive them after an advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration voted unanimously Wednesday to recommend the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for the group. The FDA appears poised to authorize Moderna’s vaccine for children younger than 6 and Pfizer’s for those younger than 5 as soon as Friday. States have already ordered millions of doses, and White House officials have said shots could roll out as early as next week.
Abortions increase in US
The number of abortions in the United States has increased, reversing what had been a three-decade decline, according to a new report. As of 2020, 1 in 5 pregnancies, or 20.6%, ended in abortion, according to the report by the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports abortion rights. The institute reported that the number of abortions increased to 930,160 in 2020, from 862,320 in 2017. The new data was released as the Supreme Court prepares to issue a ruling that could effectively overturn Roe v. Wade.
US to send $1B more in aid to Ukraine
President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced a further $1 billion in weapons and aid for Ukraine, as the United States and its allies met to craft a response to Ukraine’s increasingly urgent calls for advanced arms to beat back Russia’s invasion. The package, detailed by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin after a meeting with allies at NATO headquarters in Brussels, includes more long-range artillery, anti-ship missile launchers and more rounds for howitzers and for a sophisticated American rocket system on which Ukrainians are currently being trained. Overall, the United States has now committed about $5.6 billion in security assistance to Ukraine.
Fed attacks inflation with its largest rate hike since 1994
The Federal Reserve intensified its drive to tame high inflation by raising its key interest rate by three-quarters of a point — its largest hike in nearly three decades — and signaling more large rate increases to come that would raise the risk of another recession. The move the Fed announced after its latest policy meeting will increase its benchmark short-term rate, which affects many consumer and business loans. The central bank is ramping up its drive to tighten credit and slow growth with inflation having reached a four-decade high of 8.6%, spreading to more areas of the economy and showing no sign of slowing.
Palin, Begich, Gross advance in Alaska US House race
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Republican Nick Begich and independent Al Gross have advanced to the August special election for the state’s only U.S. House seat. They were among 48 candidates in last Saturday’s special primary for the seat left vacant following the death in March of Republican Rep. Don Young. The top four vote-getters in the special primary advance to a special election, set for Aug. 16, in which ranked choice voting will be used. The winner of that race will serve the remainder of Young’s term, which ends in January. State elections officials were releasing additional vote counts Wednesday.
Monkeypox outbreak poses ‘real risk’ to public health, WHO official says
The World Health Organization’s top official in Europe on Wednesday called for urgent action by the authorities and civic groups to control fast-rising cases of monkeypox that he said posed a real risk to public health. Europe has emerged as the epicenter of an outbreak of monkeypox, with more than 1,500 cases identified in 25 European countries, which account for 85% of global cases, said Dr. Hans Kluge, the WHO’s director of its European region. The WHO will convene its emergency committee next week, Kluge added, to determine if the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern, a formal declaration that calls for a coordinated response between countries.
By wire sources
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