Page 42 - Us Government

President Biden, Trump register easy victories in Rhode Island, Connecticut

Voters in four states weighed in Tuesday on their parties' presidential nominees, a largely symbolic vote now that both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have locked up the Democratic and Republican nominations. Biden and Trump easily won primaries in Rhode Island and Connecticut, with results in New York and Wisconsin still to come. Their victories add to their delegate hauls for their party conventions this summer. The outcomes, while hardly surprising, will nevertheless offer clues about enthusiasm among base voters for the upcoming 2020 rematch that has left a majority of Americans underwhelmed. In particular, the tallies in Wisconsin, a pivotal November battleground, will give hints about the share of Republicans who still aren't on board with Trump and how many Democrats are disillusioned with Biden. Trump campaigned Tuesday in Wisconsin and Michigan, two Midwest battlegrounds. All four states voting Tuesday have multiple candidates on the ballot, and thre

Troubling weather roars through US states, spawning potential tornadoes

Thousands of homes and businesses were without power Tuesday as severe weather roared through several states, causing at least one death and spawning possible tornadoes. In West Virginia, about 140,000 customers were without electricity Tuesday afternoon, or about 14% of all customers tracked in the state by poweroutage.us. Meanwhile, a spring snowstorm was expected to drop more than a foot of snow in Wisconsin. One of the hardest-hit areas was northeastern Oklahoma, where a strong weather system containing heavy rains produced three suspected tornadoes. The storms were also blamed for the death of a 46-year-old homeless woman in Tulsa who died inside a drainage pipe, police said. Tulsa Fire Department spokesperson Andy Little said the woman's boyfriend told authorities the two had gone to sleep at the entrance of the drainage pipe and were awakened by the flood waters. National Weather Service meteorologist Robert Darby said up to 1.5 inches (3.81 centimeters) of rain fell in Tulsa

Several people hurt in Texas crash as severe storms hit central US

Multiple people were hurt Monday in a pileup involving as many as 30 vehicles at an intersection south of Midland, Texas, as high winds blew dust that was making visibility difficult, the Texas Department of Public Safety said. Texas Highway Patrol Troopers and Upton County Emergency personnel responded to the crash along State Highway 349 around 4:50 p.m. The National Weather Service had issued warnings about blowing dust and damaging winds for Monday afternoon in the area. Motorists were urged to use caution when traveling in West Texas. Northeast of Midland in Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Illinois, severe storms with possible tornadoes, hail and flooding rain were moving through on Monday evening. Tornado warnings were issued in multiple locations in Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri. It wasn't immediately known if any damage had occurred or if anyone was hurt. The National Weather Service was busy issuing severe thunderstorm warnings throughout those states and Indiana. Northwest

US pushes alternatives to Rafah invasion against Hamas in talks with Israel

Top American and Israeli officials held virtual talks Monday as the US pushed alternatives to the ground assault against Hamas under consideration by Israelis in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, a move the US opposes on humanitarian grounds and that has frayed relations between the two allies. President Joe Biden and his administration have publicly and privately urged Israel for months to refrain from a large-scale incursion into Rafah without a credible plan to relocate and safeguard noncombatants. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that Israeli forces, which are trying to eradicate Hamas after the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, must be able to enter the city to root out the group's remaining battalions. The more than two-and-a-half-hour meeting by secure video conference was described by both sides as constructive and productive, as Washington encourages the Israelis to avoid an all-out assault on the city, where an estimated four battalions of Hamas fighters are ...

Shipowner in Baltimore bridge collapse seeks to limit liability to $43.7 mn

The company, Grace Ocean, could face hundreds of millions of dollars in damage claims, legal experts say

Baltimore bridge: US Coast Guard opens temporary channel for vessels

The US Coast Guard has opened a temporary, alternate channel for vessels involved in the clearing of debris at the site of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, part of a phased approach to opening the main channel leading to the vital port, officials said. Crews are undertaking the complicated work of removing steel and concrete at the site of the bridge's deadly collapse into the Patapsco River after a container ship lost power and crashed into a supporting column. On Sunday, dive teams surveyed parts of the bridge and checked the ship, and workers in lifts used torches to cut above-water parts of the twisted steel superstructure. Officials said the temporary channel is open only to vessels that are helping with the cleanup effort. Authorities believe four workers plunged to their deaths in the collapse. Recovery of their bodies is a key part of the ongoing salvage operation. Officials earlier said the channel would have a controlling depth of 11 feet (over 3 meter

US Prez Biden to visit Baltimore bridge collapse site, pledges full support

The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, situated on Interstate 695, occurred when the cargo ship Dali struck it around 1:30 am Tuesday, en route to Sri Lanka, according to The Hill

US mining uranium as prices soar and govt pushes for more nuclear power

The largest uranium producer in the United States is ramping up work just south of Grand Canyon National Park on a long-contested project that largely has sat dormant since the 1980s. The work is unfolding as global instability and growing demand drive uranium prices higher. The Biden administration and dozens of other countries have pledged to triple the capacity of nuclear power worldwide in their battle against climate change, ensuring uranium will remain a key commodity for decades as the government offers incentives for developing the next generation of nuclear reactors and new policies take aim at Russia's influence over the supply chain. But as the U.S. pursues its nuclear power potential, environmentalists and Native American leaders remain fearful of the consequences for communities near mining and milling sites in the West and are demanding better regulatory oversight. Producers say uranium production today is different than decades ago when the country was racing to buil

Baltimore bridge collapse: Focus on removing heavy structure from water

Teams of engineers are now focused on the formidable job of hauling the shattered remains of the Francis Scott Key Bridge out of Maryland's Patapsco River, the first step toward reopening the Port of Baltimore and recovering the bodies of four workers who are still missing and presumed dead. A massive cargo go ship felled the span Tuesday after striking one of its main supports. Experts are trying to figure out how to break that bridge up into the right-sized pieces that we can lift, U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath said Friday at a news conference. The tools that are needed have been coming into place. They include seven floating cranes - one of which is one of the largest on the Eastern Seaboard, capable of lifting 1,000 tons - 10 tugboats, nine barges, eight salvage vessels and five Coast Guard boats. To go out there and see it up close, you realize just how daunting a task this is, Gov. Wes Moore said Friday afternoon as the massive crane loomed behind him. With a ..

US probes complaints of Ford pickups downshifting without warning

US auto safety regulators are investigating complaints that more than 540,000 Ford pickup trucks can abruptly downshift to a lower gear and increase the risk of a crash. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says in documents posted on its website Friday that it opened the investigation this week after receiving 86 consumer complaints about the problem with the trucks' automatic transmissions. Investigation documents say the probe covers F-150s from the 2014 model year. The agency is looking into whether those trucks should have been included in previous recalls for the problem. The complaints allege that the trucks can suddenly shift to a lower gear without warning. Often, the rear wheels locked up, with one consumer telling the agency that his truck downshifted abruptly, causing it to crash into a concrete barrier and another vehicle. Both the pickup driver and the driver of the other vehicle were hurt. The company said it's working with NHTSA to support the ...

US probes complaints of Ford pickups downshifting without warning

US auto safety regulators are investigating complaints that more than 540,000 Ford pickup trucks can abruptly downshift to a lower gear and increase the risk of a crash. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says in documents posted on its website Friday that it opened the investigation this week after receiving 86 consumer complaints about the problem with the trucks' automatic transmissions. Investigation documents say the probe covers F-150s from the 2014 model year. The agency is looking into whether those trucks should have been included in previous recalls for the problem. The complaints allege that the trucks can suddenly shift to a lower gear without warning. Often, the rear wheels locked up, with one consumer telling the agency that his truck downshifted abruptly, causing it to crash into a concrete barrier and another vehicle. Both the pickup driver and the driver of the other vehicle were hurt. The company said it's working with NHTSA to support the ...

Huawei's profit more than doubles, sales rise 9.6% on back of cloud biz

Chinese telecoms gear company Huawei Technologies has reported its profit more than doubled last year as its cloud and digital businesses thrived in spite of US sanctions. The Shenzhen-based company reported a net profit of 87 billion yuan (USD 12 billion), helped by strong sales and an improved product portfolio. Revenue jumped nearly 10 per cent from a year earlier, to 704.2 billion yuan (USD 97.4 billion). Huawei's rotating chairman Ken Hu said the company's figures were in line with forecasts. We've been through a lot over the past few years. But through one challenge after another, we've managed to grow, Hu said. Huawei also said it profited from gains from the sales of some businesses. It did not specify which businesses were sold. Huawei, one of China's first global tech brands, has been caught up in China-US tensions over technology and security. The US has banned US companies from doing business with Huawei, cutting off its access to computer chips and software such as G

Cranes arriving to remove wreckage from deadly Baltimore bridge collapse

The largest crane on the Eastern Seaboard was being transported to Baltimore so crews can begin removing the wreckage of a collapsed highway bridge that has halted a search for four workers still missing days after the disaster and blocked the city's vital port from operating. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said the crane, which was arriving by barge and can lift up to 1,000 tons, will be one of at least two used to clear the channel of the twisted metal and concrete remains of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, and the cargo ship that hit it this week. "The best minds in the world are working on the plans for removal, Moore said. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Baltimore District told the governor that it and the Navy were mobilizing major resources from around the country at record speed to clear the channel. This is not just about Maryland, Moore said. This is about the nation's economy. The port handles more cars and more farm equipment than any other port in America. He warned of

Baltimore bridge collapse: New structure would take years, cost $400 mn

Rebuilding Baltimore's collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge could take anywhere from 18 months to several years, experts say, while the cost could be at least $400 million or more than twice that. It all depends on factors that are still mostly unknown. They range from the design of the new bridge to how swiftly government officials can navigate the bureaucracy of approving permits and awarding contracts. Realistically, the project could take five to seven years, according to Ben Schafer, an engineering professor at Johns Hopkins University. The lead time on air conditioning equipment right now for a home renovation is like 16 months, right?" Schafer said. He continued: So it's like you're telling me they're going to build a whole bridge in two years? I want it to be true, but I think empirically it doesn't feel right to me. Others are more optimistic about the potential timeline: Sameh Badie, an engineering professor at George Washington University, said the project could take as .

Republican states challenge Prez Biden's student loan repayment plan

A group of Republican-led states is suing the Biden administration to block a new student loan repayment plan that provides a faster path to cancellation and lower monthly payments for millions of borrowers. In a federal lawsuit filed Thursday, 11 states led by Kansas argue that Biden overstepped his authority in creating the SAVE Plan, which was made available to borrowers last year and has already cancelled loans for more than 150,000. It argues that the new plan is no different from Biden's first attempt at student loan cancellation, which the Supreme Court rejected last year. "Last time Defendants tried this the Supreme Court said that this action was illegal. Nothing since then has changed," according to the lawsuit. Biden announced the SAVE repayment plan in 2022, alongside a separate plan to cancel up to USD 20,000 in debt for more than 40 million Americans. The Supreme Court blocked the cancellation plan after Republican states sued, but the court didn't examine SAVE, which

Tuberculosis cases in US were at the highest level in a decade in 2023

The number of US tuberculosis cases in 2023 were the highest in a decade, according to a new government report. Forty states reported an increase in TB, and rates were up among all age groups, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday. More than 9,600 cases were reported, a 16 per cent increase from 2022 and the highest since 2013. Cases declined sharply at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, but have been rising since. Most US TB cases are diagnosed in people born in other countries. Experts say the 2023 number is in part a combination of a surge in TB cases internationally the World Health Organisation said TB was behind only COVID-19 in infectious fatal diseases worldwide in 2022. And there are also increases in migration and post-pandemic international travel. But other factors are also at play, including other illnesses that weaken the immune system and allow latent TB infections to emerge. CDC officials expected TB numbers would rise, but the 2023

China's WuXi AppTec sent US client's data with Beijing: US intelligence

Hong Kong listed Wuxi shares pared earlier gains of nearly 5 % to trade 1% higher, while Shanghai-listed shares were up 0.4%

WSJ reporter Gershkovich marks year in Russian prison as jail time extended

For Evan Gershkovich, the dozen appearances in Moscow's courts over the past year have fallen into a pattern. Guards take the American journalist from the notorious Lefortovo Prison in a van for the short drive to the courthouse. He's led in handcuffs to a defendants' cage in front of a judge for yet another hearing about his pre-trial detention on espionage charges. The proceedings are always closed. His appeals are always rejected, and his time behind bars is always extended. Then it's back to Lefortovo. Gershkovich was arrested a year ago Friday while on a reporting trip for The Wall Street Journal to the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg. The Federal Security Service, or FSB, alleges he was acting on US orders to collect state secrets but provided no evidence to support the accusation, which he, the Journal and the US government deny. Washington designated him as wrongfully detained. The periodic court hearings give Gershkovich's family, friends and US officials a glimpse o

Baltimore bridge collapse: US concerned about impact on immediate region

US officials have expressed concern about the implications rippling beyond the immediate region after a key bridge harbouring America's largest vehicle handling port collapsed in Baltimore when a cargo ship crashed into it, even as experts predicted repercussions to be "modest and mainly localised". The 2.6km-long, four-lane Francis Scott Key Bridge over the Patapsco River in Baltimore was destroyed after Dali, a 984-foot cargo ship bound for Sri Lanka, collided against a bridge column in the early hours of Tuesday. The collapse of the bridge has indefinitely halted the flow of ships in and out of Baltimore Port. We are concerned about the local economic impact, with some 8,000 jobs directly associated with port activities," US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told reporters in the White House on Wednesday. "We're concerned about implications that will ripple out beyond the immediate region because of the port's role in our supply chains, he said, describing the Baltimore po

US sanctions online media site Gaza Now, its founder for supporting Hamas

The US on Wednesday imposed sanctions on online media site Gaza Now and its founder Mustafa Ayash for allegedly supporting Hamas. US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control says that after the October 7 attack by Hamas against Israel the online entity began a fundraising effort in support of the militant organisation. Gaza Now's Arabic channel has more than 300,000 followers on social media channel X, formerly known as Twitter, and a large following on the encrypted chat platform Telegram. Included in the sanctions are firms Al-Qureshi Executives and Aakhirah Ltd., and their director Aozma Sultana, who are alleged to have partnered on multiple fundraising efforts alongside Gaza Now. The sanctions were imposed in collaboration with the UK's Office of Foreign Sanctions Implementation. Treasury Under Secretary Brian Nelson said in a statement that the US and its partners "will continue to leverage our tools to disrupt Hamas' ability to facilitate further attacks. A representati