Biden hails ‘stunning progress’ on Covid but warns Americans: ‘Do not let up now’ – live

For Democrats it has been a hundred days of sweeping legislation, barrier-breaking appointments and daring to dream big. For Republicans, a hundred days in the political wilderness.

The party that just four years ago controlled the White House and both chambers of Congress now finds itself shut out of power and struggling to find its feet. As Joe Biden forges ahead with ambitions to shift the political paradigm, Republicans still have a Donald Trump problem.

Related: Republicans still orbiting Trump dark star fail to derail Biden’s first 100 days

Senate Democrats are pushing Biden to admit more refugees into the US.

Biden’s announcement earlier this month that he would not increase refugee admissions from the record low cap of 15,000 that Donald Trump set before leaving office. After intense pushback from advocates and Democratic lawmakers, Biden said he’d increase the cap by 15 May.

Related: Biden walks back refugee admissions policy after outcry and will lift cap in May

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Britney Spears to address LA court about father’s control of her career

Singer rarely takes part in hearings but has asked to speak directly to court, lawyer says

Britney Spears will personally address the Los Angeles court dealing with her long-running conservatorship in June, a judge agreed on Tuesday.

Spears, 39, has been under a conservatorship since 2008 but rarely takes part in hearings. Her lawyer said on Tuesday that she had asked to speak to the court directly, but he did not say what matters she wished to raise.

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Alphabet: revenue soared for Google owner as Covid brought more people online

Company exceeded Wall Street’s expectations with $55bn in revenue, even as it continued to face landmark antitrust lawsuits

Revenue for Google’s parent company, Alphabet, jumped by 34% on the previous year in the first quarter of 2021, the company announced on Tuesday, fueled in part by a sustained surge in ad sales during a pandemic that has seen people spending more time online.

The robust announcement provides the latest sign that advertisers are expecting the economy to roar back to life as more people get vaccinated, emerge from global lockdowns, and resume travel and spending. Google’s vast digital ad empire is now benefiting from that recovery.

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Police video shows officers joking about violent arrest of Colorado woman, 73

Karen Garner, who has dementia, reportedly fractured arm during arrest outside Walmart in Loveland last year

New footage has been released that shows the disturbing aftermath of the violent arrest of a 73-year-old woman, believed to suffer from dementia, after she left a Walmart store in Colorado last June.

Related: Police killings of Black Americans amount to crimes against humanity, international inquiry finds

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Apple iOS 14.5 update includes ‘app tracking transparency’ feature

Setting means iPhone users can stop advertisers following their digital lives – to the ire of Facebook

Users of iPhones can now prevent advertisers tracking them across their apps, after the release of the latest software update from Apple introduced the controversial feature despite the protests of Facebook and the advertising industry.

The update, iOS 14.5, includes a setting called “app tracking transparency”, which for the first time requires applications to ask for users’ consent before they are able to track their activity across other apps and websites.

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The tiny American towns passing anti-abortion rules

In last year, 23 Texas towns have declared themselves ‘sanctuary cities for the unborn’, making the procedural punishable, and in April, a Nebraska village became the 24th

Over the last year of the pandemic, 23 tiny towns in Texas have approved local laws declaring themselves “sanctuary cities for the unborn”, passing ordinances to make the procedure punishable by a $2,000 fine.

In April, the tiny village of Hayes Center, Nebraska, became the 24th, and the first outside Texas.

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US police killings of Black Americans amount to crimes against humanity, international inquiry finds

In devastating report, human rights experts call on International Criminal Court prosecutor to open an immediate investigation

The systematic killing and maiming of unarmed African Americans by police amount to crimes against humanity that should be investigated and prosecuted under international law, an inquiry into US police brutality by leading human rights lawyers from around the globe has found.

A week after the former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder in George Floyd’s death, the unabated epidemic of police killings of Black men and women in the US has now attracted scorching international attention.

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Biden set to announce new mask guidance for vaccinated people – US politics live

  • Sources say new CDC guidance relates to outdoor mask-wearing
  • Democratic president promises ‘new normal’ by Fourth of July

The Supreme Court accepted what will be a closely watched gun rights case today –it could have a major impact on gun rights across the country.

Here’s more from the AP:

The case marks the court’s first foray into gun rights since Justice Amy Coney Barrett came on board in October, making a 6-3 conservative majority.

The justices said Monday they will review a lower-court ruling that upheld New York’s restrictive gun permit law. The court’s decision to take on the case follows mass shootings in recent weeks in Indiana, Georgia, Colorado and California and comes amid congressional efforts to tighten gun laws.

"The outlook does not look good for gun safety laws at the Supreme Court...the Court could issue a radical Second Amendment ruling that jeopardizes future progress as well as lifesaving gun laws already on the books." @GiffordsCourage says in a statement.

Republican Alaska lawmaker Lora Reinbold is banned from Alaska Airlines flights, after she has repeatedly refused to wear a mask. Masks can help protect other people from exposure to Covid-19 and other illnesses, if worn properly.

The ban is a major problem for the lawmaker, because Alaska Airlines operates the only flight to and from the capital, Juneau. Instead, she had to make a 14-hour trek to get to work

We have notified Senator Lora Reinbold that she is not permitted to fly with us for her continued refusal to comply with employee instruction regarding the current mask policy,” airlines spokesman Tim Thompson told the Anchorage Daily News.

“This suspension is effective immediately, pending further review. Federal law requires all guests to wear a mask over their nose and mouth at all times during travel, including throughout the flight, during boarding and deplaning, and while traveling through an airport,” he said.

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EU in vaccine passport talks with US but not UK

Vaccinated Americans could be let into Europe this summer, while UK talking to member states such as Greece

The EU is at an advanced stage of talks with the US over mutually recognising vaccine passports to boost transatlantic tourism this summer, but Brussels is yet to open discussions with the British government.

A spokesperson for the European commission said that while discussions had been held with US officials and the secretary of homeland security, Alejandro Mayorkas, there were “no contacts at present with the UK”.

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US lawmakers ‘making progress’ on police reform – but it’s still early stages

There are few who see the passing of meaningful new laws as a guaranteed outcome – but people are still talking

In the aftermath of Derek Chauvin being convicted of murdering George Floyd, it seems like there is momentum for the US Congress to pass some kind of police reform bill.

Hearings on policing have been held and point people on both the Democratic and Republican sides are in talks. By most metrics, Congress is in a comfortable position to pass some kind of bill meant to deter police brutality and prevent another George Floyd or Eric Garner.

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Biden’s 100 days: bold action and broad vision amid grief and turmoil

Biden’s solution to the myriad crises is an ambitious economic agenda that promises to ‘own the future’ by expanding the role of government in American life

On the 50th day of his presidency, Joe Biden marched into the Oval Office and took a seat behind the Resolute desk, where the massive, 628-page American Rescue Plan awaited his signature. Across the room hung a portrait of Franklin D Roosevelt, a nod to the transformative presidency Biden envisions for a nation tormented by disease, strife and division.

Related: Biden presidency: return to ‘normal’ belies an audacious agenda

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Glenn Close’s magnificent Da Butt and superb flirting: key Oscars moments

An impromptu dance masterclass became an instant highlight, but Steven Soderbergh’s directorial shakeup delivered a ceremony with few highs and frequent depressions

In a skewiff ceremony of overlong speeches, quiet applause and a downsized red carpet, one moment effortlessly stole the show: Glenn Close doing the dance to the 1988 funk hit Da Butt.

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Historic wins for Nomadland – and surprise victory for Anthony Hopkins – at odd Oscars

Chloé Zhao made history as the first woman of colour to win best director with her drama about van-dwellers as Hopkins and Frances McDormand won top acting honours

During an unusual Oscars ceremony, on-the-road drama Nomadland triumphed with a win for best picture, best actress and a historic victory for Chloé Zhao, becoming the first woman of colour to be named best director and only the second woman ever.

The film, starring Frances McDormand as a woman living out of her van and interacting with real-life nomads, took home the top trophy near the end of a delayed night and a delayed season amid the pandemic. The ceremony played out in person but with safety precautions and a modest guest list.

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Youn Yuh-jung wins best supporting actress Oscar for Minari

South Korean follows her Bafta win with an Academy Award for Minari, in which she played a ‘grandma’ living on a farm in Arkansas

South Korean performer Youn Yuh-jung has won the best supporting actress Oscar for her role in Minari at the 93rd Academy Awards, which are taking place in Los Angeles.

In Minari, Youn plays Soon-ja, “grandma” to young David, who comes from Korea to stay with the family on their farm in Arkansas. She brings with her the “minari” seeds that gives the film its title.

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Val Demings: officer who shot Ma’Khia Bryant ‘responded as he was trained’

Val Demings, a Democratic congresswoman and a former police chief, said on Sunday the officer who fatally shot teenager Ma’Khia Bryant in Ohio this week “responded as he was trained to do”.

Related: Derek Chauvin was found guilty – how typical is that of US police who kill?

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‘We take safety seriously’: Fauci says J&J vaccine pause should raise confidence

Advisory panel voted to resume Johnson & Johnson vaccine as the administration tries to curb deadly outbreaks across the US

Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser said on Sunday the recent pause on the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine should raise confidence in health agencies’ focus on vaccine safety, as the administration tries to curb deadly outbreaks across the US.

Related: No parades, no hugs: Disneyland is reopening - but will the magic be back?

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‘An indescribable moment’: Indigenous nation in US has right to lands in Canada, court rules

Canada’s supreme court decision on the Sinixt people could affirm hunting rights for tens of thousands

For decades the Rick Desautel had been told by courts and governments that his people no longer exist in Canada.

But Desautel and others in his community in Washington state have long argued that they are descendants of the Sinixt, an Indigenous people whose territory once spanned Canada and the United States.

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‘Deep systemic racism’: will Minneapolis’s police department ever change?

The department has seen decades of reform efforts, but activists say racism and violence are too ingrained to eliminate

As Derek Chauvin crushed George Floyd’s neck under his knee, slowly killing him, a police officer who had just joined the force repeatedly asked Chauvin if they should adjust Floyd’s position. Chauvin, a 19-year-veteran of the department, refused.

That precise interaction – an experienced officer training younger officers to act violently – was not a one-time failure, but a “systemic” problem within the Minneapolis police department, according to RT Rybak, who served as Minneapolis mayor for 12 years.

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Real-life plot twists leave Oscars struggling to adapt to new reality

Lockdowns, the rise of streaming and demands for diversity are forcing change on the 93rd Academy Awards

No full-blown red carpet, no outfit questions, no after-parties – many involved in Sunday’s Oscars are happy to take a break from a four-hour seated ceremony that, some argue, has long put the movie industry’s in-house favourites, the promotion of luxury lifestyles and virtue-signalling ahead of peer-reviewed creative recognition.

The event has been under reconstruction since the #OscarsSoWhite campaign forced an expansion of the voting body’s membership and drafting of inclusivity requirements that will come into effect next year.

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