Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, said Friday that President-elect Joe Biden’s proposed $1.9 trillion relief package was “plagiarizing the last relief bill.”
On Twitter, Crenshaw did not hold back his feelings about Biden or the proposed relief package, per The Hill.
“This guy has no idea that all of this was just passed into law. Stop plagiarizing the last relief bill and tell Democrat governors to OPEN the economy,” Crenshaw tweeted.
Biden revealed his relief package on Thursday. The proposal was highlighted by $1,400 additional stimulus checks, an increase of the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, and an extension of unemployment programs to September.
PENNSYLVANIA — Women’s retail chain Christopher & Banks has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, becoming the latest retailer to fall victim to steep, coronavirus related reductions in sales. The future of the company’s stores 449 stores, including 31 in Pennsylvania, appears to be bleak.
The women’s retailer blames its bankruptcy on the coronavirus outbreak.
A freshman House Republican has demanded Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., use her power to stop a Chinese communist newspaper from being delivered to congressional offices.
Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, tweeted Monday morning about finding a copy of China Daily in her office late last week.
“Frankly, I was appalled when I walked into work Friday morning and saw my office had received an unsolicited copy of China Daily. I wrote to the Speaker immediately and asked her to address this issue.”
The Jan. 8 letter demanded Pelosi, as speaker, “stop the CCP from distributing its state-run publication within our hallowed halls. This offensive garbage should not be automatically distributed to congressional offices at the cost of the American taxpayers.”
d Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., use her power to stop a Chinese communist newspaper from being delivered to congressional offices.
By Mary Niederberger
Pittsburgh Current Education Writer
mary@pittsburghcurrent.com
A month ago, the future of the community learning hubs that were serving more than 1,700 students who needed a supervised setting during online school days in the fall was uncertain as initial funding was running dry.
But now, the Allegheny County Department of Human Services has partnered with local foundations to ensure that 60 hubs throughout the county will remain open through the school year if they are needed.
Elaine Plunkett, DHS communications specialist, said the department has already secured $500,000 in foundation funding and is applying for grants with additional foundations at the same time it is leveraging department funds to keep the hubs in operation.
Currently, three foundations have agreed to provide some funding. Those foundations and grant amounts are: the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, $100,000; Jefferson Regional Foundation, $200,000; and McElhattan Foundation $200,000.
“The 60 learning hubs (30 are outside of Pittsburgh) are critical resources for children and families,” Plunkett wrote in an email.
Those sentiments were echoed by James Fogarty, executive director of A+Schools advocacy group.
The tax filing season will open on Feb. 12 this year, about two weeks later than normal, according to the Internal Revenue Service.
Delaying the day tax returns will start being accepted is necessary to allow the IRS time to update and test its systems following the late-December stimulus law that approved a second round of stimulus payments and other tax benefits, the agency said in a statement Friday. The filing deadline will still be April 15, as usual.
“This programming work is critical to ensuring IRS systems run smoothly. If filing season were opened without the correct programming in place, then there could be a delay in issuing refunds to taxpayers,” according to the IRS statement. “These changes ensure that eligible people will receive any remaining stimulus money as a Recovery Rebate Credit when they file their 2020 tax return.
PITTSBURGH —Joanne Rogers embodied kindness while out volunteering, on the red carpet, and celebrating the legacy of her husband of more than 50 years, Fred Rogers.
The 92-year-old died on Thursday. A devastating loss for those in the Pittsburgh-area and beyond.
“The world is a little less fun now without Joanne in it,” said Paul Siefken. “Joanne Rogers is a very special, very wonderful person.”
Siefken is the CEO of Fred Rogers Productions. He shared a picture of him and Mrs. Rogers from 2018 at the unveiling of a U.S. Postal stamp honoring Mr. Rogers, who died in 2003.
“After Fred’s passing she showed the world that she was an amazing person,” he said. “She’s had a chance to kind of introduce herself to America and I think America really fell in love with her.”
David Newell played Mr. McFeely on the show that aired first in 1968. Newell said he, Joanne and Fred were friends for more than 50 years.
“She was Joanne in her own way,” he said. “When you talked to her you were getting the real person and the same with Fred.”
He received a phone call on Thursday that Mrs. Rogers had died.
“I just couldn’t believe it,” Newell said.
He said the Rogers were a part of his family. He shared what he will miss most about the woman who lit up every room she entered.
“What I’ll miss is her sense of humor and how much fun she used to have,” Newell said.
In a nationally televised speech, Rutte said he had informed King Willem-Alexander of his decision and pledged that his government would continue work to compensate affected parents as quickly as possible and to battle the coronavirus.
“We are of one mind that if the whole system has failed, we all must take responsibility, and that has led to the conclusion that I have just offered the king, the resignation of the entire Cabinet,” Rutte said.
Not long after delivering his statement, Rutte got on his bicycle and rode to the king’s palace in a forest in The Hague to formally inform him. Dutch television showed Rutte parking his bike at the bottom of steps leading into the palace and walking inside.
The move was seen as largely symbolic; Rutte’s government will remain in office in a caretaker mode until a new coalition is formed after a March 17 election in the Netherlands.
PARIS (AP) — As the wan winter sun sets over France’s Champagne region, the countdown clock kicks in.
Laborers stop pruning the vines as the light fades at about 4:30 p.m., leaving them 90 minutes to come in from the cold, change out of their work clothes, hop in their cars and zoom home before a 6 p.m. coronavirus curfew.
Forget about any after-work socializing with friends, after-school clubs for children or doing any evening shopping beyond quick trips for essentials. Police on patrol demand valid reasons from people seen out and about. For those without them, the threat of mounting fines for curfew-breakers is increasingly making life outside of the weekends all work and no play.
Jakarta, Indonesia (CNN)At least 67 people have died after a 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit Indonesia’s Sulawesi island early Friday, according to the head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies in Indonesia.
Jan Gelfand told CNN on Friday that he expects the death toll and number of missing people to increase.
Hundreds have been injured, according to the country’s disaster mitigation agency.
The epicenter of the quake, which struck at 1:28 am Jakartatime, was six kilometers (3.7 miles) northeast of the city of Majene, at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), according to Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency.
Thirty-four people died in the city of Mamuju, to the north of the epicenter, while another eight died in Majene.
In Majene, at least 637 were injured and 15,000 residents have been displaced, according to the country’s National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB).
Thousands of residents fled their homes to seek safety following the quake, which could be felt strongly for five to seven seconds and damaged at least 300 houses in Majene, BNPB said.
Other buildings have also been badly damaged, including a military command office in Majene, and hotels and government buildings in Mamuju.
Many people are still trapped under collapsed buildings, according to local search and rescue teams.
Despite coronavirus restrictions, events are scheduled throughout the region to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday.
Friday
Jewish nonprofit Repair the World and Shabbat dinner organizer OpenTable host a free virtual panel at 6 p.m. on unpacking and addressing racism in Pittsburgh’s education system in honor of Dr. King. Moderated by Benjamin Gutschow of Casa San Jose, a resource center for Latin immigrants, the panel includes Nina Barbuto, executive director of the arts and technology center Assemble, Allyce Pinchback Johnson of Pinchback Consulting and Amanda Godley of Pitt’s Graduate School of Education. To register, visit werepair.org/pittsburgh.
Poetry Unplugged returns for a fifth year of spoken word and music inspired by Martin Luther King Jr. Hosted by the August Wilson African-American Culture Center in Downtown, the virtual event starts at 8 p.m. and features poetry from writers jessica Care moore, Nikki Giovanni and others. Poet and curator Mahogany Browne serves as master of ceremonies. For tickets, $18.75, go to trustarts.org.
The Clemente Museum will host a celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day through the life of Pittsburgh Pirates legend Roberto Clemente, who used his celebrity status to serve disadvantaged Latin American and African-American communities. Presented by Doors Open Pittsburgh, the event begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Clemente Museum in Lower Lawrenceville. Register and get tickets, starting at $5, at doorsopenpgh.org.
Saturday
The annual Let Freedom Sing Concert in celebration of MLK will go on digitally for its 14th year at 7 p.m. Hosted by KDKA radio host Lynne Hayes-Freeland, the concert will be broadcast live over YouTube and Facebook from the Hill District. Vocalists Anita Levels and Michael Warren, actor and spoken word artist Vanessa German and the Dr. J Piano Trio and Boys Choir from the Afro American Music Institute in Homewood will perform. An interfaith, intergenerational choir directed by Dr. Herbert Jones and made up of singers from Pittsburgh and Lexington, N.C., will conclude the performance. To watch the free broadcast, visit letfreedomsing.net. Donations will go to the Food Bank of Greater Pittsburgh and Pastor’s Pantry in Lexington.
Sunday
Garfield creative hub Boom Concepts and Repair the World will host a workshop on agitational art. Led by artist DS Kinsel, the workshop will go over temporary public art, how to express your voice in your neighborhood and how to create small-scale public art. The event begins at 11 a.m. Register at rpr.world/art.
Later that day, Boom Concepts, Repair the World and Dafna Rehavia, an artist, counselor and art psychotherapist, come together in a virtual activity, “Binds and Bonds: Processing Trauma with Art.” Ms. Rehavia will discuss how to creatively use household objects and give attendees a visual tour of her art installation at Boom Concepts. The event begins at 1 p.m. To register, visit rpr.world/boom.
Monday
The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank celebrates Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy with its ongoing campaign “Food justice is social justice.” The food bank will open its Duquesne warehouse to 30 volunteers to prepare food for distribution across the organization’s 11-county service area from 9 a.m. to noon. To register to volunteer, visit pittsburghfoodbank.org. Also, the Hindu Jain Temple in Monroeville has agreed to match donations to the food bank up to $10,000 that day at pittsburghfoodbank.org/MLK.
Oakland arts and activism organization 1Hood Media partners with Repair the World on a virtual learning and advocacy initiative for families at 9 a.m. Attendees will write letters to city officials advocating for the safety of all community members. To register, visit @RepairtheWorldPittsburgh on Facebook.
The United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania has partnered with the University of Pittsburgh Office of Child Development to increase access for children and families to books championing people of all abilities, gender, race, ethnicity and economic status. The Book Drive for Diversity is fully virtual, but you can register at uwswpa.org and select books to donate on behalf of the drive.
The United Way is also partnering with YWCA Greater Pittsburgh on forums for parents in celebration of MLK Day. The first session at 9 a.m. will focus on how to talk to children about race, led by Barbara Johnson, vice president of the Center for Race and Gender Equity at YWCA Greater Pittsburgh. The second session at 11 a.m. will focus on social media as tools for social change, led by Candi Castleberry, vice president of diversity partnership strategy and engagement at Twitter. The second session is interactive, so participants are encouraged to have their smartphones handy. To register, visit uwswpa.org.
The Kelly-Strayhorn Theater in East Liberty will celebrate the ongoing impact of Martin Luther King Jr. with its broadcast “Living the Legacy” at 3 p.m. The program will highlight the work of Young, Black & Educated, founded by Treasure Palmer and Nicholas Anglin. The local group organized 16 Black Lives Matter protests in Pittsburgh last summer. Artists Lost Culture Dance Crew and Jameelah Platt will also be featured along with performances from last year’s event from The Funky Fly Project, Balafon West African Dance Ensemble and K-Theater Dance Complex. Pay what makes you happy and register at kelly-strayhorn.org.
A Washington D.C. police officer witnessed rioters using military-style hand signals to communicate inside the Capitol building during the breach on January 6, a law enforcement official tells CBS News.
The identification of individuals using military, small unit tactics is among the “highest priorities” for a Sedition Task Force being run by the D.C. U.S. Attorney’s office. The apparent use of “small unit tactics,” trained to military and law enforcement, drew immediate scrutiny from investigators. These tactics were witnessed both outside and inside the Capitol Building, CBS News has learned.
Federal investigators are reviewing images that appeared on social media, as well as thousands of hours of video from closed circuit cameras positioned outside the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress, the Republican National Committee, the Democratic National Committee, the Capitol campus and police body cameras.
The New York Post on Wednesday reported that Don. Jr. and Kimberly will be moving to Jupiter, not Palm Beach, where Jared and Ivanka have purchased a $30million lot.
The NY Post reports that Don Jr and Kimberly are moving to Jupiter, Florida
It is some 80 miles from Miami, where Ivanka and Jared have bought a home
A source told the Post the pair would be ‘tortured in the streets’ if they stayed in New York City
The President made Florida his state of permanent residency in 2019
It has far lower tax rates than New York and many have moved there since the pandemic
Jared and Ivanka bought their $30m plot of land before the attempted coup last week
Since then, the Trump Organization has been ostracized by multiple industries
Biden’s stimulus plan, which includes the increased payments, would cost $1.9 trillion. According to The Washington Post, most people would end up with a total of $2,000 in stimulus, including $600 checks dispensed in recent legislation.
But that wasn’t enough for Ocasio-Cortez, who appeared to want the latest checks to reach $2,000 as she and others have repeatedly requested. “$2,000 means $2,000. $2,000 does not mean $1,400,″ she told the Post.
Biden pledged before the Georgia runoffs this month that a Democratic Senate would pass $2,000 stimulus checks.
The show is written and created by Amanda Peet and executive produced by the creators of “Game of Thrones.”
A few lucky local actors who meet very specific qualifications may soon get the opportunity to work on a new Netflix show set to film in the Pittsburgh area.
The Pittsburgh Film Office announced in December that Netflix series “The Chair,” starring Sandra Oh (“Killing Eve” and “Grey’s Anatomy”) and Jay Duplass (“Transparent”), would be filming in the Pittsburgh region in the near future. The show will be written and co-created by Amanda Peet, mostly known for her acting work, and executive produced by “Game of Thrones” creators David Benioff (Ms. Peet’s husband) and D.B. Weiss.
✨???? Set to film in the Pittsburgh region, Sandra Oh stars in the Netflix original series THE CHAIR, from Amanda Peet and Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss! https://t.co/iIwcxVvEOF#pghfilm#RATEDPGH#filmedinPittsburgh
Pittsburgh Police say River Rescue pulled a man out of the water near the West End Bridge Thursday afternoon.
When River Rescue found the 35-year-old, they began CPR before taking him to the boathouse near PNC Park. Medics then took him to the hospital in critical condition.
Police are investigating. The man has not been identified.
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The family of former Pittsburgh Steeler Sam Davis is suing a personal care home in McKeesport, claiming negligence in connection with his death.
A lawsuit was filed against New Life Personal Care Home, Inc. in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court.
The lawsuit says in 1991 during his football career, Davis sustained a significant head injury that worsened over time. According to the lawsuit, Davis lived on the second floor of the facility and had access to a private staircase, though he was legally blind and “had difficulty ambulating.”
He was reported missing in September when he failed to show up for breakfast, the lawsuit says, and was found 14 hours later, dead at the bottom of the stairs.
“During the entire 14-hour time that Sam was missing, the Defendant facility failed to discover Sam’s body in this stairwell. Sam was alive and capable of being saved after his fall down the staircase, but Defendant’s delay caused or contributed to his death,” the lawsuit reads.
The lawsuit is claiming damages pursuant to the Pennsylvania Wrongful Death Act.
By Charlie Deitch Pittsburgh Current Editor charlie@pittsburghcurrent.com
As this issue goes to press, the United States Congress just voted to impeach President Donald Trump for the second time.
Trump is the first President in history to be impeached twice. At this point, everyone is well aware of how we got to this place.
On Jan. 6, as Congress gathered to certify Joe Biden’s win for President of the United States, Donald Trump was down the street at the Washington Mall. Trump gave a speech that continued to feed his followers several false narratives that led to the Capitol insurrection:
The Election was stolen “All of us here today do not want to see our election victory stolen by bold and radical left Democrats, which is what they are doing, and stolen by the fake news media. That is what they have done and what they are doing. We will never give up. We will never concede. It doesn’t happen. You don’t concede when there’s theft involved,” Trump said.
Vice President Mike Pence had the power to reverse the results of a fair election. “I hope Mike is going to do the right thing. I hope so. I hope so because if Mike Pence does the right thing, we win the election. … All Vice President Pence has to do is send it back to the states to recertify, and we become president, and you are the happiest people. And I actually, I just spoke to Mike. I said, Mike, that doesn’t take courage, what takes courage is to do nothing. That takes courage, and then we are stuck with a president who lost the election by a lot, and we have to live with that for four more years. We’re just not going to let that happen. Mike Pence, I hope you’re going to stand up for the good of our Constitution and for the good of our country. (APPLAUSE) And if you’re not, I’m going to be very disappointed in you. I will tell you right now. I’m not hearing good stories.”
PITTSBURGH — The VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System will host walk-in COVID-19 vaccine clinics at the University Drive campus in Oakland.
The events will be held Saturday, Jan. 16 and Monday, Jan. 18 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
To receive the vaccine, veterans must:
be 75 years of age or older
be eligible for and enrolled in VA health care
receive health care at VA Pittsburgh
If a veteran meets all of the criteria, they are welcome to stop by the campus during the walk-in clinic times.
No appointment is necessary.
If you meet the criteria but are unable to make it to the clinic, please reach out to your primary care team to request an appointment to get the vaccine.
The 56-year-old Democrat, who was first elected in 2013, revealed his bid for a third term in a pre-recorded video posted to his Facebook page, in which he fielded questions from a video grid of 10 community leaders. It’s “not really the brick and mortar of the development,” he told the activists, but “more about the people who call these neighborhoods home that is Pittsburgh.”
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette will drop its Friday print editions after Feb. 26 in a move the company described as another step toward becoming a more digitally focused news provider.
The newspaper — which previously eliminated some of its print editions in 2018 and 2019 — will continue to publish print editions on Sundays and Thursdays. The company plans to bolster the Sunday editions with more than 10 pages and new content.
The paper will also continue to produce a Saturday print edition sold in retail outlets.
“We’ve seen over the past year increased demand for digital content,” said Kurt Franck, vice president of newspaper operations for Block Communications Inc., the Toledo, Ohio-based owner of the Post-Gazette.
In addition to its website that publishes news seven days a week, the Post-Gazette publishes a daily electronic edition and NewsSlide, a digital news site accessible on tablets and mobile phones.
“All of our digital delivery products will truly allow us to be a 24/7 news operation,” Mr. Franck said. “You’re going to see more papers that will go digital in the next couple [of] years. We think e-delivery is better, and we make no apologies for doing this.”
In the fourth quarter of 2020, the Post-Gazette said it had 101,747 paid Sunday subscribers, including 71,520 print and 30,227 digital.
Paid subscribers for daily editions totaled 74,444, including 44,371 print and 30,073 digital.
Mr. Franck said there is no timetable for the elimination of the Post-Gazette’s Sunday and Thursday print products.
He declined to comment on whether the changes would impact jobs. The Post-Gazette employs 337 people, including its newsroom staff, drivers, production workers, and advertising and circulation sales representatives.
The nine unions that represent 270 of those employees Wednesday received letters informing them of the decision to drop the Friday print edition. The company wrote it was “prepared to discuss the effects the company’s decision will have on your bargaining unit.”
Parler expected President Donald Trump would join its service after his Twitter account was suspended last week — a possibility that Amazon was trying to block by forcing it offline, the company told a federal judge.
In a Thursday hearing at a federal court in Washington state, Parler attorney David Groesbeck said that the site, which saw a surge of new users after mainstream social media sites blocked Trump and others who had posted incendiary content around the Jan. 6 riots, would have been a logical destination for the president. Executives thought “he would move over to Parler,” Groesbeck said.
In the company’s court filing, Parler’s chief executive argued that possibility was behind Amazon Web Services decision to stop hosting its content.”
I believe AWS’s decision to terminate service to Parler was based, not on expressed concerns about Parler’s compliance with the AWS Agreement, but in part on a desire to deny President Trump a platform on any large social-media service,” John Matze said. Parler stresses that it does little to limit what its users can post and has become popular among conservatives.
Key context: After his Twitter suspension, Trump was considering other options and other conservatives either angry at Twitter or that have been booted from the site have pushed Parler as the new destination. If the company had succeeded on getting Trump to sign up it would have been a major boon for a site which has long been a niche platform.
At the hearing: Groesbeck also flatly denied that Parler was involved in the attack on Capitol Hill last week and urged Judge Barbara J. Rothstein to order Amazon Web Services to reinstate its web hosting service.
“AWS is alleging without evidence that Parler was used to incite the riots,” Groesbeck said. “There is no evidence other than some anecdotal press references that Parler was involved in the riots of Jan. 6.”“Millions of Americans have had their voices silenced by AWS,” Groesbeck said.How we got here: Late on Friday, Twitter permanently suspended Trump’s account, citing concerns that he might incite further violence. Conservatives angry with what they called censorship of the president abandoned the platform for alternatives like Parler that have less moderation.
Parler, which had 15 million users at the time it was cut off Sunday, was adding about 1 million new users each day, lawyers said at the hearing.
FDA investigates potentially fatal levels of aflatoxins, poisons produced by mold that’s not necessarily visible.
Midwestern Pet Food is expanding its recall of dog and cat food sold online by retailers nationwide as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigates potentially fatal levels of aflatoxins.
Midwestern, based in Evansville, Indiana, is broadening a prior recall to include all pet foods manufactured in the company’s Oklahoma plant containing corn and having an expiration date on or before July 9, 2022.
Thousands flee for safety and higher ground after island’s second quake in 24 hours
At least seven people have been killed and hundreds injured following a strong earthquake that shook Indonesia’s Sulawesi island overnight, prompting landslides and destroying houses.
Thousands of people fled their homes to seek safety when the 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit just after 1am local time on Friday morning.
The epicentre of the quake was six kilometres north-east of Majene city at a depth of 10 kilometres.
Initial reports from the country’s disaster mitigation agency said four people had died and 637 others were injured in Majene. Three more fatalities were reported in the neighbouring area of Mamuju, as well as two dozen injured.
The “American Rescue Plan” also includes $416 billion to help launch a national vaccination program with a goal of vaccinating 50 million people and reopening schools in his first 100 days.
President-elect Joe Biden laid out his $1.9 trillion relief package in a prime-time address Thursday — focusing on a new round of stimulus checks to struggling Americans and an ambitious vaccine distribution plan to control the deadly pandemic.
Biden will ask the new Democratic-controlled Congress to approve the “American Rescue Plan.” A chunk of the funds —$416 billion— would help launch a national vaccination program with a goal of vaccinating 100 million Americans and reopening schools in the first 100 days of his administration.
Cockfighting is a blood sport due in some part to the physical trauma the cocks inflict on each other, which is sometimes increased by attaching metal spurs to the cocks’ natural spurs. While not all fights are to the death, the cocks may endure significant physical trauma. In some areas around the world, cockfighting is still practiced as a mainstream event; in some countries it is regulated by law, or forbidden outright. Advocates of the “age old sport” often list cultural and religious relevance as reasons for perpetuation of cockfighting as a sport.
Game fowl hunting is alive and well in America. Nearly 20 years ago, Oklahoma made the sport of cockfighting a federal crime, but since then, the state is now one of the biggest importers of game fowl for sale in the country, as a result of a strong national animal rights lobby. Many states, including New Mexico, have banned cockfighting, but the majority of states’ laws are not enforced. For that reason, there is a great opportunity for someone who wants to hunt down a pair of gobblers or quail to be able to do so legally and safely. To find game fowl for sale in any state, you will need to consult with the local game and fish offices. If a game bird is held in stock, you can usually have it seized and sold on public auction.
Cockfights often end with the death of one of the competitors, and many involve spurs that are attached to the cock’s feet. Critics also note that cockfighting often is tied to illegal gambling activities, and that the birds typically are given illegal drugs to increase their fighting ability and stamina. Recognized sports aside, fighting is often illegal for one or more of the following reasons: There is no social utility in having people “settle their differences” through fisticuffs. Street fights raise broader issues such as excessive drinking, public intoxication, rowdiness, and public disturbances.
The U.K. has introduced new measures to root out the presence of alleged forced labor in China’s Xinjiang region in British supply chains.
China is accused of extrajudicially detaining over 1 million Uighur Muslims and other minorities in political re-education camps in the northwestern autonomous region, along with invasive surveillance, restrictions on Uighur culture and the use of forced labor.
Companies that fail to demonstrate adequate due diligence in ensuring their supply chains are free from forced labor will now be subject to fines, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announced in the House of Commons.
The country is experiencing its worst coronavirus flare-up since last summer, testing the government’s success in subduing the disease.
When a handful of new coronavirus cases materialized this month in a province surrounding Beijing — apparently spread at a village wedding party — the Chinese authorities bolted into action.
They locked down two cities with more than 17 million people, Shijiazhuang and Xingtai. They ordered a crash testing regime of nearly every resident there, which was completed in a matter of days.
They shut down transportation and canceled weddings, funerals and, most significantly, a provincial Communist Party conference.
By this week the lockdowns expanded to include another city on the edge of Beijing, Langfang, as well as a county in Heilongjiang, a northeastern province. Districts in Beijing itself, the Chinese capital, also shut down.
In many parts of Pennsylvania, it is still legal to evict or deny public accommodations to LGBTQ people. Only in jurisdictions with Human Relations Commissions do LGBTQ individuals and other classes not mentioned in state and federal civil rights laws have such nondiscrimination protections.
On Jan. 12, that changed, as Monessen became the first municipality in Westmoreland County, and the first non-Allegheny County municipality in the Pittsburgh region to pass a law creating a Human Relations Commission to provide nondiscrimination protections to LGBTQ individuals.
