Category Archives: US News

US cities scale back New Year’s Eve events and urge people to scrap parties

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Americans face stay-at-home celebration again as some mayors scale back or cancel public events amid Covid surge

Americans are again facing a stay-at-home New Year’s Eve as US political leaders and senior health advisers have urged people to scrap party plans and avoid larger public events as daily cases of Covid-19 break all previous records.

In New York, attendance at the Times Square celebration known as the Ball Drop – in essence, tens of thousands of people watching a 12-foot geodesic sphere inlaid with Waterford crystals descend a long pole – has been capped at 15,000, down from pre-pandemic 60,000, with organizers encouraging revelers to watch it on TV or online.

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Amazon’s Alexa device tells 10-year-old to touch a penny to a live plug socket

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The child had asked the Echo smart speaker for a challenge, prompting her mother to post the response on Twitter

Virtual assistants can set timers for people, play music, control smart home devices, respond to voice commands and set up reminders. As of Sunday, they have also proven their ability to challenge children to lethal dares.

Alexa, Amazon’s virtual assistant, recently advised a 10-year-old girl to touch a penny to a live plug socket after she asked the Echo smart speaker for a challenge.

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Prince Andrew emerges with barely a mention in Ghislaine Maxwell trial

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Analysis: there was no cross-examination of the prince’s friend and his accuser was not called to give evidence

For the Duke of York, the fact he was barely mentioned in Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial will have been an undoubted relief. With Maxwell declining the stand, no opening of her “little black book” of society contacts and, crucially, no sign of his accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre, Prince Andrew was a mere footnote in the New York proceedings.

Maxwell opted not to give evidence before being found guilty on five of six charges, saying there was “no need” because prosecutors had failed to prove their case, so the subject of Andrew was not raised with her via cross-examination.

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Victims’ testimony: how Ghislaine Maxwell lured girls into Epstein’s orbit

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In a Manhattan courtroom, four of Maxwell’s accusers painted a powerful story of sexual abuse

  • This article contains descriptions of sexual abuse

Four of Ghislaine Maxwell’s accusers testified against the British socialite at her Manhattan federal court trial, painting a compelling and powerful story of sexual abuse.

These women – Jane, Kate, Carolyn and Annie Farmer – all testified they met Maxwell as teens, and that she lured them into Jeffrey Epstein’s orbit. While the dates and exact circumstances of their encounters with Maxwell differ, they all share striking similarities. Only Farmer used her real full name.

Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 802 9999. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732).

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Biden to speak with Putin amid Russia’s increased presence near Ukraine

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Two leaders will discuss a range of topics, including ‘upcoming diplomatic engagements in Russia’

Joe Biden will speak on Thursday with Vladimir Putin regarding the Russian president increased security demands in eastern Europe.

The two leaders will discuss a range of topics, including “upcoming diplomatic engagements in Russia”, said US national security council spokesperson Emily Horne in a statement announcing the call.

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Indictment of alleged Proud Boys leaders over US Capitol attack upheld

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Federal judge rejects defence arguments, a development that could have potential implications for Donald Trump

A federal judge has refused to dismiss an indictment charging four alleged Proud Boys leaders with conspiracy and obstructing an official proceeding during the 6 January attack on the US Capitol – a development that could have potential implications for Donald Trump.

On Tuesday, the US district judge Timothy Kelly rejected arguments by defence lawyers that Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Charles Donohoe are charged with conduct that is protected by the first amendment right to free speech.

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Denver gunman who killed five in shooting rampage knew victims

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Lyndon James McLeod, 47, who was killed at scene was ‘on radar of law enforcement’, say Denver police

A gunman who killed five people and injured two others in a series of shootings in Denver is believed to have targeted the victims based on previous personal and business dealings and was investigated by police twice in the last two years.

Denver police said that Lyndon James McLeod, 47, who was also killed in the deadly rampage on Monday night, knew most of the victims and was “on the radar of law enforcement”.

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Covid vaccinations lag among pregnant Americans amid surge in cases

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Three in five pregnant Americans have no vaccine protection as experts say it is ‘one of the most important things you can do’

For many people, the thin red line on a pregnancy test ushers in countless changes. You change what you eat and drink, how you exercise and socialize and sleep, and keep careful track of what medications you should and shouldn’t take.

But for many Americans, there’s one choice they largely haven’t made: getting vaccinated.

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America is facing a ballot-box coup – help us sound the alarm in 2022 | John Mulholland

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All over the country, free and fair elections are under threat. This will be one of the most important stories we tell in 2022.

Very soon we will mark the first anniversary of 6 January 2021 – a day when American democracy died a little. Just hours after the “Stop the Steal” attack on the Capitol, more than 100 congressional Republicans refused to certify the results of the election.

Donald Trump had lost, but he had also won – the “big lie” had firmly taken root. Since then the threats to US democracy have metastasized. Over the last few months, a new threat has emerged, one which few Americans – much less people abroad – are even aware of. It’s a story that has been under-reported and yet the future of US democracy may depend on it being told.

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Prince Andrew lawyer seeks to halt US case as accuser ‘lives in Australia’

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Lawyer argues court does not have jurisdiction as Virginia Giuffre’s ties to Colorado are ‘very limited’

Prince Andrew’s lawyer has called for the US civil case against the royal over alleged sexual assault to be stopped because his accuser is “actually domiciled in Australia”.

Virginia Giuffre is suing the Queen’s son for allegedly assaulting her when she was a teenager. Andrew strongly denies the allegation.

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Virginia conservators open time capsule found in Robert E Lee statue’s pedestal

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Box, deposited in 1887, did not appear to hold a rare photo of Abraham Lincoln that had been hoped for

More than 130 years after a time capsule was deposited in the pedestal of a statue of the Confederate general Robert E Lee, and after one false start, conservators in Virginia were finally able to open the long sought-after box on Tuesday.

The 36lb copper container, deposited in 1887, was removed on Monday after it was found sitting in water in the remains of the pedestal.

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Gunman kills four people and injures officer in Denver area

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Suspect also died after being shot, but it was not immediately clear if police officers had shot him

At least four people were killed and three injured, including a police officer, after a series of shootings across the Denver area.

Police did not immediately name the suspected gunman, who was also killed, and said the motive for the shootings on Monday, across several locations in and around Colorado’s capital, was unclear.

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Trump claims 5,000 dead people voted in Georgia – but the real number is four

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Claim was part of push to overturn election but officials confirm four cases, all involving family members submitting votes

Donald Trump has claimed 5,000 dead people voted in 2020 in Georgia, a state he lost to Joe Biden on his way to national defeat.

He was off by 4,996.

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Covid pills are ‘very promising’ – but what are the challenges in using them?

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Paxlovid and molnupiravir were authorized by the US FDA last week, but supplies of Paxlovid are limited while molnupiravir is less effective than hoped

An effective and widely available treatment for Covid would be a significant breakthrough for managing the pandemic, but two antivirals recently authorized in the US come with some significant caveats, including low supply and use only among those at high risk for severe illness and death.

Paxlovid from Pfizer and molnupiravir from Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics were authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week. The pills could be a game-changer for the most vulnerable, because they can be taken at home twice a day for five days to prevent hospitalization and death. For those considered at high risk of serious illness, Paxlovid was found to be 89% effective when taken within the first three days of symptoms and 88% effective in the first five days.

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Reporting on US gun violence in 2021 revealed how the toll is spread unequally

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Shootings, and the grief and trauma that follow, are concentrated in lower-income, mostly Black and Latino communities

When I ask parents, siblings and children what they want Guardian readers to know about their family member lost to gun violence, each one emphatically tells me their relative didn’t deserve what happened to them. They tell me their loved ones adored animals, loved kids – that they were just special. The people I speak with, especially parents, want the world to know their sons and daughters weren’t stereotypes.

This desire for posthumous exoneration isn’t anything new, but the pleas sounded especially urgent in 2021.

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1887 time capsule apparently found under Robert E Lee statue pedestal – video

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A long-sought 1887 time capsule appears to have been found under a pedestal that once held a statue of the Confederate general Robert E Lee in Richmond, Virginia. Media reports described a capsule with dozens of artefacts, perhaps including a rare photo of Abraham Lincoln. Crews dismantling the pedestal found another time capsule earlier this month, but it did not contain the expected trove of objects. The statue was removed in September after protests against the police killing of George Floyd

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Covid live: US, UK, France, Portugal and Greece all break new daily cases records

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US reports 512,553 cases; UK reports 129,000; France reports 179,807; Portugal 17,172; and Greece 21,657

Stock markets have continued to gain ground despite the surge of Omicron around the world.

Asian markets lifted on Tuesday with the Nikkei in Japan up nearly 1%, Shanghai up 0.2%, Seoul up 0.1% and Sydney’s ASX200 is up 0.44%.

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Crews find second apparent 1887 time capsule under Robert E Lee statue

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Long-sought-after item could contain artifacts, Confederate memorabilia and even a rare photo of Abraham Lincoln

Crews wrapping up the removal Monday of a giant pedestal that once held a statue of Confederate Gen Robert E Lee in Richmond found what appeared to be a second and long-sought-after time capsule, Virginia governor Ralph Northam said.

The governor tweeted photos of a box being removed from the site and said conservators were studying the artifact.

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Iran nuclear deal: eighth round of talks begins in Vienna

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Tehran is keen to verify US sanctions have genuinely been lifted

An eighth round of talks on reviving the Iran nuclear deal has begun in Vienna, with Iran saying participants have been largely working from an acceptable common draft text and that its team was willing to stay as long as it takes to reach an agreement.

The Iranian foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, said he wanted the focus of the coming round of talks to be on how Tehran could verify US sanctions had genuinely been lifted. The landmark 2015 deal, from which Donald Trump withdrew the US, had lifted sanctions on Iran in return for controls on its civilian nuclear programme.

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Sarah Weddington: tributes paid to lawyer who argued and won Roe v Wade

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‘Remarkable woman’ Weddington hailed for role in 1973 case that established right to abortion

Tributes were paid to Sarah Weddington after the attorney who argued and won the landmark Roe v Wade case at the supreme court, establishing the right to abortion, died aged 76.

Susan Hays, a former student of Weddington’s and a Democratic candidate for Texas agriculture commissioner, announced on Twitter that Weddington died on Sunday morning “after a series of health issues”.

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