Republican candidates fight each other, and mostly line up behind Trump, at the first debate
The Republican presidential candidates vying to be the leading alternative to front-runner Donald Trump fought -- sometimes bitterly โ over abortion rights, U.S. support for Ukraine and the future of the party during the first primary debate of the 2024 campaign.
The Latest: Philippine president eases lockdown in capital
The Philippine president has eased a coronavirus lockdown in the bustling capital and adjacent provinces to fight economic recession and hunger but still barred public gatherings this month, when many Roman Catholic summer religious festivals are held.
Big Tech's outsized influence draws state-level pushback
Big techs outsized influence over society has become one of the biggest battlefronts in state legislatures this year. Gianaris, a Democrat, is pushing a landmark antitrust bill in the New York Legislature. Tech companies aren't content to play defense. Supporters say the law seeks to modernize the stateโs tax system and make thriving tech companies pay their fair share. โWith that has come rising backlash against the tech companies in terms of the power they have and ways in which they exercise it," he said.
EXPLAINER: How states are seeking to loosen controls on guns
States led by Democrats are pushing to expand some gun control laws. AdMaryland lawmakers overrode a veto from Republican Gov. AdALLOWING GUNS IN MORE PLACESSeveral states are expanding where people can take their guns. But 15 states already have laws allowing permitless carry for concealed guns. A similar โStand Your Groundโ measure has been approved by the South Dakota Legislature and is awaiting Republican Gov.
The Latest: SKorea to give shots to elders in long-term care
AdHe also sanctioned a bill that makes the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines easier. However, the actual numbers of COVID-19 cases, like elsewhere in the world, are thought to be far higher, in part due to limited testing. Murphy, whoโs running for re-election this, said the stateโs COVID-19 trends are headed in the right direction, though theyโve been up a bit this week. ___SALT LAKE CITY โ Utahโs governor says all adults in the state will be eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines on April 1. Ad___PHOENIX โ Arizona on Wednesday reported 830 confirmed coronavirus cases and 78 deaths, following two days of no new deaths.
The Latest: Alaska opens vaccines to all 16 or older
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker shows Alaska leading states in the percentage of its population to have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. Larry Hogan said Tuesday, citing improving COVID-19 health metrics and increasing vaccinations. It was unclear what authority state officials might be able to exert on federal facilities. โ County health officials in Wyoming have detected the coronavirus variant that originated in South Africa. Another 16 million doses are expected to be shipped by the end of the month.
Biden team readies wider economic package after virus relief
A White House proposal could come out in March. Democrats passed a $1.5 trillion package in the House last year, but it went nowhere with the Trump administration and the Republican-led Senate. AdDuring the presidential campaign, Biden pledged to deploy $2 trillion on infrastructure and clean energy, but the White House has not ruled out an even higher price tag. โHeโs been a long fan of investing in infrastructure โ long outdated โ long overdue, I should say,โ White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday. Rep. Peter DeFazio, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, told the AP that he foresees a comprehensive House package that will go beyond roads, bridges and public transit.
States pass their own virus aid, not waiting on Washington
โ Not waiting for more federal help, states have been approving their own coronavirus aid packages, spending hundreds of millions of dollars to help residents and business owners devastated by the the pandemic's economic fallout. Directing federal money to state governments has been so contentious that the idea was stripped from the previous congressional aid package passed in December. โThe cascading effect, itโs actually a problem that most states are grappling with ... waiting for the relief money out of the feds,โ she said. They also are still figuring out how to spend another $1.8 billion in federal money that Congress approved in December. And for some of those who do receive it, the extra state money represents just a fraction of the financial hit they have taken during the pandemic.
Groups file court challenge of Maryland's internet ad tax
The plaintiffs say the lawsuit should put on notice other states considering a similar tax that such measures will face court challenges. Supporters say the new law seeks to modernize the stateโs tax system and make thriving Big Tech companies pay their fair share. It would assess the tax on revenue affected companies make on digital advertisements seen in Maryland. The law would tax revenue affected companies make on digital advertisements shown in Maryland. Tax rates would depend on global annual gross revenues for companies that make more than $100 million globally.
Marriott CEO Sorenson, 62, dies of pancreatic cancer
FILE - In this Dec. 19, 2012, file photo, Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony for a Marriott hotel in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Sorenson was the third CEO in Marriotts 93-year history, and the first without the Marriott surname. Sorenson reduced his schedule at Marriott this month to pursue a more aggressive cancer treatment. He was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2019; a recent routine scan had confirmed the cancer had returned, the company said. Sorenson was the first Marriott CEO whose name was not Marriott, and only the third to lead the company in its 93-year history.
Trump looks to reassert himself after impeachment acquittal
One joked, "Weโre going to Disney World!โNow acquitted in his second Senate impeachment trial, Trump is preparing for the next phase of his post-presidency life. And he's confronting a Republican Party deeply divided over the legacy of his jarring final days in office, culminating in the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol. Searing video images of the day played on loop during his impeachment trial, which ended Saturday. Sen. Lindsey Graham, who spoke with Trump on Saturday night, acknowledged that Trump is โmad at some folks,โ but also โready to move on and rebuild the Republican Partyโ and โexcited about 2022." That sharp rebuke from his once-loyal defender underscores how dramatically Trump's stock has fallen in Washington since his first impeachment trial just over a year ago.
Biden: Governors, mayors need $350 billion to fight COVID-19
As part of a $1.9 trillion coronavirus package, Biden wants to send $350 billion to state and local governments and tribal governments. But state governments have shed 332,000 jobs since the outbreak began to spread last February, and local governments have cut nearly 1 million jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Congress provided $150 billion in direct assistance to state and local governments in an earlier relief package signed into law last March. Rep. James Comer, the ranking Republican, said states still have money to spend from the relief package Congress passed last March. AdโDespite this surplus, California is still receiving an additional $41.2 billion in taxpayer dollars from this $350 billion slush fund,โ Comer said.