New Zealand teams win men's and women's titles at the Hong Kong Sevens
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New Zealand teams, the All Blacks Sevens and the Black Ferns Sevens, won the men's and women's titles, respectively, at the Hong Kong Sevens. The All Blacks Sevens defeated France 10-7 in the men's final, while the Black Ferns Sevens defeated the United States 36-7 in the women's final. Michaela Blyde was named the player of the final for her three tries. It was the third consecutive tournament title for the Black Ferns Sevens. The New Zealand men's team won their 68th tournament title in the world series. The French team fell just short of their third title overall. The Australian women won the bronze medal, defeating France 24-21 in the third-place playoff. The next stop in the global sevens series is Singapore from May 3-5.
#NewZealand #HongKongSevens #Rugby #AllBlacksSevens #BlackFernsSevens #France #UnitedStates #MichaelaBlyde #Tournament #WorldSeries #Australia #Singapore
House, Senate leaders nearing deal on landmark online privacy bill
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The leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Senate Commerce Committee, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), respectively, are expected to announce a tentative deal on a national framework for protecting Americans' personal data online. The deal is expected to preempt state data protection laws and allow individuals to sue companies that violate their privacy. Lawmakers have been trying to pass a federal privacy law for over two decades, but negotiations have repeatedly broken down. The deal would mark the first time the heads of the two powerful commerce committees have come to terms on a major consumer privacy bill. The details of the framework are not yet known, and its passage in both chambers of Congress is not guaranteed.
#OnlinePrivacy #DataProtection #Congress #Legislation
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/04/05/federal-privacy-internet-congress/
Middle East conflict live updates: U.S. seeks changes with ‘results’ after Israel identifies ‘serious violation’ of rules in Gaza aid convoy attack
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Israeli military investigation finds that the strikes on the World Central Kitchen (WCK) convoy in Gaza were a 'grave mistake' due to mistaken identification of vehicles as carrying Hamas operatives. The United States is calling for changes to ensure this does not happen again. World Central Kitchen is calling for an independent commission to investigate the attack. Israel announces the opening of more aid routes into Gaza, including the Erez border crossing. Calls for an international arms embargo on Israel are growing. The death toll in Gaza since the war began is at least 33,091, with the majority being women and children. Israel estimates that about 1,200 people were killed in Hamas's attack on October 7, including more than 300 soldiers.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/04/05/israel-hamas-war-news-gaza-palestine/
South Korea's president meets leader of doctors' strike as he seeks to end their walkouts
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South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol met the leader of a strike by thousands of doctors on Thursday and said that the government is open to talks about its contentious push to sharply increase medical school admissions. The meeting was the first of its kind since more than 90% of the country’s 13,000 trainee doctors walked off the job in February, disrupting hospital operations. Yoon defended his plan to recruit 2,000 more medical students each year, but said his government remains open to talks if doctors come up with a unified proposal. Yoon met Park Dan, head of an emergency committee for the Korea Intern Resident Association, for more than two hours, during which “the president said he would respect the position of trainee doctors in the event of talks with the medical circle on medical reform issues including an increase of doctors,” according to Yoon’s office. The government did not say whether there are immediate plans for talks with the doctors or if Yoon is willing to lower the size of his proposed medical school admission increase. The strikers have demanded the government withdraw the 2,000-student admission increase plan. Public surveys show that a majority of ordinary South Koreans support Yoon’s plan. The striking doctors face license suspensions because they missed a government-set deadline to return to work by the end of February.
#SouthKorea #Doctors'Strike #MedicalSchoolAdmissions #YoonSukYeol
Southeast Asian countries consider ways to boost 'green financing' as region chokes on smog
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Senior finance and central bank officials from Southeast Asia and major economies met in Luang Prabang, Laos to discuss ways to build resilience against shocks like the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters caused by climate change. The meeting included discussions on green finance, an ASEAN infrastructure fund, disaster risk financing and insurance, and refining a 'taxonomy' to identify projects that support ASEAN's sustainability agenda. ASEAN countries, including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, have committed to cutting carbon emissions but struggle to find ways to make the transition. The region is vulnerable to extreme weather, drought, and rising sea levels, and estimates suggest that investments in clean energy need to increase by five to seven times, to more than $200 billion a year. Laos, a landlocked country with a shrinking economy, is rich in hydroelectric power but faces challenges in reducing crop burning and tackling regional issues like human trafficking and the illicit drug trade. The country is also focused on integrating itself into the wider regional economy and has deepened ties with China through infrastructure projects like the $6 billion high-speed railway. The finance meetings in Luang Prabang were attended by senior officials from international financial institutions, as well as delegates from Japan, China, the U.S., and other major economies. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen did not attend the talks but traveled to China for meetings with American business leaders and Chinese officials. The region is experiencing rivalries for influence, as highlighted by the visits of Indonesia's President-elect Prabowo Subianto and the foreign ministers of Vietnam, Laos, and East-Timor to Beijing.
#GreenFinancing #Asean #ClimateChange #Sustainability #CarbonEmissions #CleanEnergy #Laos #China #Infrastructure #RivalriesForInfluence
What time is it on the moon? White House tells NASA to decide.
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The White House has directed NASA to establish a time standard for the moon, known as "Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC)". The moon has a weaker gravitational pull than Earth, causing time to move slightly faster on the moon. The unified time standard is needed for scientific discovery, economic development, and international collaboration in space. The United States plans to return humans to the moon through NASA's Artemis moon program, while other countries like China and private companies are also aiming for a greater presence in space. Standardizing timekeeping will allow for more precision in spacecraft operations and communication. The European Space Agency has also emphasized the need for a common lunar reference time.
#Moon #Nasa #TimeStandard #SpaceExploration
https://washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/04/03/moon-time-nasa-space-white-house/
What time is it on the moon? White House tells NASA to decide.
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The White House has directed NASA to establish a time standard for the moon by December 2026. The time standard, known as "Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC)," is needed because time moves slightly faster on the moon than on Earth due to its weaker gravitational pull. The project is important for scientific discovery, economic development, and international collaboration in space. The United States plans to return humans to the moon through the Artemis moon program, with the goal of a human moon landing by September 2026. China, Russia, and private companies are also aiming for a greater presence on the moon. Standardizing timekeeping will allow for more precision in spacecraft operations and benefit all spacefaring nations.
#Moon #Nasa #TimeStandard #SpaceExploration
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/04/03/moon-time-nasa-space-white-house/
Opinion | I am proud to have spoken out against Putin’s crimes in Ukraine
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Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Global Opinions contributor, is addressing the Russian Supreme Court in a cassation appeal against his 25-year sentence for speaking out against the war in Ukraine and Vladimir Putin's regime. Kara-Murza highlights the legal irregularities in his case, including the lack of grounds or specific crime, the contradiction of his conviction with Russia's international human rights obligations, and the illegal composition of the court. He argues that the Russian government is more interested in silencing those who speak out against war crimes than in prosecuting the actual perpetrators. Kara-Murza compares his case to historical examples of dictatorships equating criticism of the authorities with treason. He expresses pride in the many people who have not remained silent in Russia despite the risks to their freedom. Kara-Murza concludes that his case is based on the denial of law, justice, and legality, and is a common tactic of dictatorships throughout history.
#Putin #Ukraine #WarCrimes #FreedomOfSpeech #HumanRights #CassationAppeal #RussianSupremeCourt
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/04/03/vladimir-kara-murza-statement-court-russia/
Opinion | What if the economy is as normal as it’s going to get?
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The U.S. economy is as normal as it’s ever going to get. Jobs are plentiful and real incomes have grown faster for those at the bottom. Swing voters might still be disappointed and ready for a political change because they had experienced relief programs during the pandemic that mitigated the damage. However, inflation ate their savings as consumers effectively got into bidding wars for the limited supply of goods and services. People really hate inflation, even if their wages rise to offset it. The Federal Reserve's struggle to get inflation down to 2 percent is more normal than the decade preceding the pandemic. Aging societies and a mountain of pandemic debt will tempt governments to run big deficits, which can create inflationary pressure. Globalization has stalled due to protectionist politicians and geostrategic conflict. Maintaining price stability might take more aggressively hawkish monetary policy than it did a few years ago. The best protection against inflationary pressure is stronger central bank independence. It's hard to know exactly what will happen if such tradeoffs become more normal.
#Economy #Inflation #InterestRates #FederalReserve #CentralBank #Pandemic
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/04/03/inflation-interest-rates-normal-economy/
Idaho man Chad Daybell to be tried for 3 deaths including children who were called 'zombies'
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Chad Daybell, an Idaho man, is set to go on trial for the deaths of his wife, Tammy Daybell, and his girlfriend's two youngest children, Joshua 'JJ' Vallow and Tylee Ryan. The trial is expected to last up to 10 weeks, with jury selection beginning in Boise on Monday. Chad Daybell is charged with three counts of first-degree murder, as well as insurance fraud in connection with Tammy Daybell's death and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and grand theft by deception in the children's deaths. His wife, Lori Vallow Daybell, was convicted last year and sentenced to life in prison without parole. The couple claimed they could identify people possessed by dark spirits that could turn them into 'zombies' and believed the only way to get rid of a zombie was to kill them. The children's bodies were found buried in Chad Daybell's yard in 2020. If convicted, Chad Daybell could face the death penalty. He has pleaded not guilty.
#ChadDaybell #TammyDaybell #JoshuaVallow #TyleeRyan #LoriVallowDaybell #Zombies #MurderTrial #Idaho
This week: Job openings, services sector, employment update
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The government will report the number of job openings in February, which analysts predict will slip from January's 8.9 million. The Institute for Supply Management will release its report on the U.S. service sector, with economists expecting a slight easing to 52.5 in March. The Labor Department will issue its March jobs report, with expectations of a modest addition of 180,000 jobs following February's 275,000. Unemployment slipped to 3.8% in February, near a half-century low.
Pope overcomes health concerns to preside over Easter Mass and appeal for peace in Gaza and Ukraine
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Pope Francis rallied from a winter-long bout of respiratory problems to lead some 60,000 people in Easter celebrations Sunday, making a strong appeal for a cease-fire in Gaza and a prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine. Francis presided over Easter Sunday Mass in a flower-decked St. Peter’s Square and then delivered a heartfelt prayer for peace in his annual roundup of global crises. The Vatican said some 60,000 people attended the Mass, with more packing the Via della Conciliazione boulevard leading to the piazza. Francis appeared in good form, despite having celebrated the 2½-hour nighttime Easter Vigil just hours before. In his speech, he called for respect for the principles of international law and expressed hope for a general exchange of all prisoners between Russia and Ukraine. He also called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and for humanitarian access to reach Palestinians. The article also mentions the subdued Easter celebrations in Jerusalem due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, as well as the situation in Gaza where only a few dozen Palestinian Christians celebrated Easter Mass. In Iraq's Nineveh Plains, hundreds of people celebrated Easter in a region that has had a Christian presence since around the time of Jesus. The article also briefly mentions King Charles III's public outing in Britain since being diagnosed with cancer and the disruption of the Easter Vigil Mass at Manhattan's St. Patrick's Cathedral by protesters calling for the freedom of Palestine.
#PopeFrancis #Easter #Mass #Peace #Gaza #Ukraine #IsraelhamasWar #Jerusalem #Iraq #KingCharlesIii #Palestine
Effort to clear Key Bridge ruins inches forward as officials lobby for aid
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Maryland leaders are urging Congress to approve aid money to reopen the Port of Baltimore's shipping channel and rebuild the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge. The recovery operation to clear the bridge's ruins from the Patapsco River is ongoing, with each phase posing risks. Demolition crews are cutting portions of the collapsed bridge truss, while dive teams survey the bridge and the stuck cargo ship known as the Dali. Maryland officials argue that the ripple effects of the bridge collapse will impact people and businesses across the country. An initial $60 million in aid has been received, but Maryland may request more than $600 million for recovery and over $1 billion to erect a new bridge. House Republicans may face a rift in deciding whether to support legislation for Baltimore. Democrats are pressuring Republicans to approve funding, emphasizing the importance of the port to the American economy. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg highlighted the complexity of the recovery process, including the need to remove wreckage without causing further damage. The recovery effort also aims to recover the remains of the four workers who are presumed dead. The Army Corps of Engineers is committed to finding and honoring the fallen workers. The recovery operation involves the use of cranes and barges to remove debris and open a channel for vessels to pass through.
#KeyBridge #BridgeCollapse #Recovery #Aid #PortOfBaltimore #Congress #Maryland #FrancisScottKeyBridge
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/03/31/baltimore-bridge-collapse-recovery-aid/
Powerball jackpot jumps to $975 million after another drawing without a big winner
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The Powerball jackpot has reached $975 million after no one matched the six numbers drawn in the latest drawing. The winning numbers were 12, 13, 33, 50, 52, and the red Powerball 23. This marks the 38th consecutive drawing without a jackpot winner, nearing the record of 41 consecutive drawings. The $975 million prize is for a sole winner who chooses an annuity paid over 30 years, or a cash option of $471.7 million. The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million. Powerball is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
#Powerball #Lottery #Jackpot
Opinion | The DOJ’s antitrust case against Apple is no blockbuster
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The Justice Department and attorneys general from 16 states have filed a lawsuit against Apple, alleging that the company is illegally monopolizing the smartphone market. The department's first step will be to prove that Apple has a monopoly, which is roughly 70 percent of the domestic smartphone market. The lawsuit highlights areas where Apple has exerted too much control, such as super apps, cloud-streaming apps, smartwatches, digital wallets, and messaging. The Justice Department must prove that Apple made these choices to squelch competition. The suit also raises concerns about how Apple restricts the design choices of others and its requirement to review every single game on a streaming service. However, courts haven't generally concluded that products must be open by design. The outcome of the case could potentially lead to changes in competition laws.
#Doj #Antitrust #Apple #Lawsuit #Monopoly #SmartphoneMarket
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/03/31/doj-apple-antitrust-lawsuit-case/
Opinion | Christine Blasey Ford is no hero, if justice is the measure
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Christine Blasey Ford is being praised as a hero despite lack of evidence or corroboration for her accusation against Brett Kavanaugh. Meanwhile, Mark Judge, the man accused of being a witness to the alleged assault, is being ignored by mainstream newspapers. Ford's claims against Kavanaugh were ultimately unsubstantiated. Ford's supporters pressured her friend, Leland Keyser, to confirm her story, but Keyser testified to the FBI that she had no recollection of the party or knowing Kavanaugh. Ford has received awards and accolades, while Judge has faced public smearing. Judge wants to have his say and breach the #MeToo iron curtain. Ford has enriched herself at other people's expense, netting $1 million in donations. Ford's lawyer admitted that her client wanted to block Kavanaugh because of fears he would vote to reverse Roe v. Wade.
Opinion | Holy Week’s promise: Hope for a world that sorely needs it
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The article discusses the ongoing violence and suffering in the Middle East during Holy Week, contrasting it with the message of hope and resurrection that the week represents for Christians. It mentions the celebration of Palm Sunday in Jerusalem, the razing and demolition of Gaza, and the restrictions on U.S. government employees in the region. The author questions the endurance of injustice and the triumphs of war over peace and death over life. The article also raises questions about the deep-seated animosities and religious bigotry in the region and whether there is any space left for justice, morality, and peace. The author emphasizes the need for grace, reconciliation, and commitment to the common good. The article concludes by highlighting the hope and new beginnings that Holy Week represents for believers.
#HolyWeek #Violence #Suffering #MiddleEast #Gaza #Jerusalem #Resurrection #Injustice #Peace #Death #Religion #Hope
The Louis Gossett Jr. I knew
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Louis Gossett Jr., a legendary Black actor, died at the age of 87. The author, Wil Haygood, shares his personal connection to Gossett as his cousin. Haygood recounts their family history, with Gossett being part of a small group of Black actors who endured in the industry. Gossett's notable roles include Fiddler in the TV miniseries 'Roots' and a drill sergeant in 'An Officer and a Gentleman,' for which he won an Oscar. Haygood was inspired by Gossett to pursue acting and eventually became a journalist and book writer. They had exchanged notes over the years, and when Haygood started working on a book about the history of Blacks in Hollywood, he visited Gossett at his home in Georgia. They reminisced about their childhood and Gossett shared stories about his career, including his experiences with other Black actors and the impact of 'Roots.' Gossett's latest project was the movie musical version of 'The Color Purple,' set to be released in 2023. The article serves as a personal tribute to Gossett and highlights his contributions to the entertainment industry.
#LouisGossettJr #BlackActors #Roots #AnOfficerAndAGentleman #Hollywood
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/movies/2024/03/29/louis-gossett-jr-tribute/
Israel raids Gaza hospitals, as poll shows Americans disapprove of Israeli war conduct
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Israeli forces are carrying out 'an intelligence-based operation' at al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis and continuing their raid on al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin urged Israel to abandon military plans for a ground offensive in Rafah. A Gallup poll shows that 55% of Americans disapprove of Israel's war in Gaza. The IDF located weapons and apprehended more than 500 people during its raid at al-Shifa Hospital. Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas's political operations, met with Iran's foreign minister in Tehran. At least 32,490 people have been killed and 74,889 injured in Gaza since the war began. Israel estimates that about 1,200 people were killed in Hamas's Oct. 7 attack and says soldiers have been killed since the start of its military operation in Gaza.
#Israel #Gaza #HospitalRaids #Poll #Americans #Disapproval #WarConduct
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/03/27/israel-hamas-war-news-gaza-palestine/
Central American and Mexican families mourn the Baltimore bridge collapse missing workers
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The construction workers who went missing in the Baltimore bridge collapse came from Mexico or Central America. Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, a Honduran father and husband, was among the missing workers. He had started a delivery business before the pandemic and joined Brawner Builders, the company performing maintenance on the bridge. Maynor had financially supported social organizations and the youth soccer league in his hometown. The bodies of two men, Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera from Guatemala and Alejandro Hernández Fuentes from Mexico, were recovered from a submerged pickup near the bridge. The governments of Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras confirmed that their citizens were among the missing workers. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico highlighted the contributions that migrants make to the U.S. economy and criticized the treatment of migrants by certain politicians in the United States.
#BaltimoreBridgeCollapse #MissingWorkers #CentralAmericanFamilies #MexicanFamilies #Honduras #Mexico #Guatemala #ElSalvador