April, 2021 | últimas notícias

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Nearly 190 cops left the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) in 2020 and 43 have stepped away from the Kentucky city’s agency so far in 2021, either choosing to retire or resign altogether, as law enforcement officials struggle to recruit new members to make up for a deficit in manpower, authorities and a union spokesperson told Fox News on Tuesday.

“I would say that we’re in dire straits,” said River City Fraternal Order of Police press secretary Dave Mutchler, speaking to the current condition of LMPD staffing. Mutchler also serves as a spokesperson for the Louisville Metro Officer Union.

Statistics provided by LMPD on Tuesday show the department has hired 26 new members so far this year, while 43 have left. The 1,069-person department falls 255 people short of its “authorized strength” of 1,324 — the number of personnel it is authorized to employ, statistics show.

Meanwhile, LMPD hired 104 new members in 2020 but lost 188 to retirement or resignations, according to data. By the end of last year, LMPD employed 1,163 police personnel, instead of its 1,324-person “authorized strength.”

From 2013 to 2019, the difference in actual employment numbers and “authorized strength” has ranged from 45 to 101. In 2020, it climbed to 161 before reaching 255 year-to-date in 2021, statistics show.

Police move after a Louisville Police officer was shot, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

“Our manpower is critically low,” Mutchler told Fox News. “One thing we have to consider when we’re talking about recruiting is that in the climate that we currently find ourselves, the pool of people wanting to become officers is shrinking every day.”

He added: “We’re obviously losing a lot more officers than we are gaining. And if that continues, at what point can we not operate appropriately?”

Mutchler noted that LMPD’s most recent recruitment class, which graduated on Friday, consisted of 15 new hires, as opposed to the 48-person capability the department has. He said approximately 70 of the 188 people who left LMPD last year retired while the rest chose to resign.

“We can’t emphasize enough how critically and dangerously low our manpower is, and interestingly enough, those who would break the law are paying attention to that,” Mutchler continued. “Our homicide rates and our violent crime rates are through the roof.”

As of Sunday, there had been 84% more non-fatal shootings so far this year, with 201, compared to the 109 instances reported during the same time in 2020, LMPD statistics show. There were 56 murders reported as of Sunday — a 75% increase from the 32 reported by April 25, 2020.

LMPD has often made headlines since the March 2020 death of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old medical worker who was fatally shot during a police raid at her Louisville home.

Video

DOJ LAUNCHING LOUISVILLE POLICE INVESTIGATION, SECOND ‘PATTERN OR PRACTICE’ PROBE UNDER BIDEN

On Monday, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the Justice Department would be launching a “pattern or practice” investigation into the Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government and the LMPD more than one year later.

“It will determine whether LMPD engages in unconstitutional stops, searches and seizures, as well as whether the department unlawfully executes search warrants on private homes,” Garland said during a news conference Monday.

Police were serving a narcotics warrant on March 13, 2020, when they broke down the door while Taylor and her boyfriend were watching a movie in bed. Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired a single round toward the front door and struck one police officer in the leg. Police fired 32 rounds and Taylor was struck six times, officials previously said.

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In September, a Louisville grand jury declined to charge any of the officers in connection with Taylor’s death. One officer was charged with wanton endangerment.

For months, the raid was characterized as the execution of a “no-knock warrant,” meaning law enforcement officers could enter without knocking or announcing themselves. Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron later contended that the officers did knock.

Fox News’ Ronn Blitzer contributed to this report.

Source Article from https://www.foxnews.com/us/louisville-police-staffing-dire-straits-high-crime-rates-recruitment-woes

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Biden Administration Limits Power Of ICE To Arrest Immigrants In Courthouses – NPR

Protesters in Baltimore call for the abolition of ICE in 2019.

Tommy Gilligan/AP

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Tommy Gilligan/AP

Protesters in Baltimore call for the abolition of ICE in 2019.

Tommy Gilligan/AP

In another reversal of Trump administration immigration enforcement policy, the Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday that federal agents would no longer be permitted to arrest people in or near courthouses for most immigration violations.

In a statement, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said such arrests interfered with the administration of justice and public safety. “The expansion of civil immigration arrests at courthouses during the prior administration had a chilling effect on individuals’ willingness to come to court or work cooperatively with law enforcement,” Mayorkas said.

The previous policy, formalized in 2018, authorized ICE to enter federal, state and local courthouses to arrest people who were there for reasons unrelated to their immigration status. Witnesses in trials, people seeking court protection from abusive partners and others pursuing mundane civil complaints were among persons seized by federal agents.

In one widely reported case in 2017, ICE agents arrested a woman in an El Paso, Texas, courthouse just after she had been granted a protective order against an allegedly abusive partner. A victim advocate who had accompanied her to the court appearance said one ICE agent was inside the protective-order courtroom, two more were guarding each exit door and other agents were staking out the 10th floor of the courthouse building.

The directive applies to agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which both fall within DHS. According to DHS, arrests in or near courthouses will only be permitted if “(1) it involves a national security matter, (2) there is an imminent risk of death, violence, or physical harm to any person, (3) it involves hot pursuit of an individual who poses a threat to public safety, or (4) there is an imminent risk of destruction of evidence material to a criminal case.

The Biden administration is reorienting how the government enforces immigration violations. Like the Trump administration, it is focusing on those who present a threat to public safety, but in a major change has largely stopped indiscriminate arrests of anyone in the country illegally.

The policy change came on the day President Biden nominated a vocal critic of Trump immigration policy to be director of ICE: Harris County, Texas, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. As sheriff of Harris County, which includes Houston, Gonzalez ended a program with ICE which trained sheriff’s deputies to screen detainees for their immigration status.

Source Article from https://www.npr.org/2021/04/27/991460979/biden-administration-limits-power-of-ice-to-arrest-immigrants-in-courthouses

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C.D.C. Eases Outdoor Mask Guidance for Vaccinated Americans – The New York Times

The C.D.C. stopped short of telling even fully vaccinated people that they could shed their masks outdoors altogether — citing the worrying risk that remains for transmitting the coronavirus, unknown vaccination levels among people in crowds and the still-high caseloads in some regions of the country. The guidance also cautioned even vaccinated people against going without masks in medium-size outdoor gatherings.

But even the C.D.C.’s director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, emphasized a more expansive interpretation, telling reporters at a White House briefing, “We no longer feel that the vaccinated people require masks outdoors,” outside “large public venues, such as concerts, stadiums and things like that.”

The order had immediate ripple effects in the states. Governors in California, New York, Louisiana, Maine and Massachusetts all relaxed outdoor mask mandates after the C.D.C.’s announcement. In Tennessee, Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, went much further, ignoring the federal government’s advice as he declared it was “time for celebrations and weddings and conventions and concerts and parades and proms” to take place “without limits on gathering sizes.”

On Capitol Hill, a group of Republican lawmakers who are also medical professionals released an advertisement on Tuesday encouraging vaccination, in which they appeared wearing white coats with stethoscopes draped around their necks. Senator Roger Marshall, a freshman Republican from Kansas and a medical doctor, told viewers that the reason to get vaccinated was simple: “So we can throw away our masks, and live life as free as before.”

Mr. Marshall, who organized the effort, said it was based on research conducted by Frank Luntz, a Republican pollster working to reduce vaccine hesitancy among conservatives. In an interview, Mr. Luntz said Mr. Biden’s announcement was a positive step, and could give people who are reluctant to get vaccinated a reason to get their shots.

Source Article from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/27/us/politics/coronavirus-masks-outdoors.html

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North Carolina deputies seen on video arriving to home of Andrew Brown Jr. before fatal shooting – Fox News

Video

NC Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson slams anti-cop activists after Elizabeth City incident

Tarheel State’s first Black lieutenant governor tells ‘The Ingraham Angle’ police are not ‘systemically racist’; rips Gov. Cooper.

Video footage released Tuesday by Elizabeth City, N.C., shows sheriff’s deputies arriving at the home of Andrew Brown Jr., just before he was fatally shot last week.

The footage obtained by WAVY-TV was taken from what appeared to be a street camera in a residential neighborhood. A Pasquotank County Sheriff’s vehicle is seen carrying several deputies dressed in tactical gear before turning a corner and then pulling into a driveway.

The footage then pauses for several seconds before picking up. The deputies get out and indistinguishable shouting is heard.

ANDREW BROWN JR. SEARCH WARRANT: DRUG DEALS CAPTURED ON CAMERA WEEKS BEFORE FATAL POLICE SHOOTING

Sirens are then heard and more law enforcement personnel are seen arriving at the scene as they direct traffic out of the area.

Ben Crump, the civil rights attorney who secured the $27 million civil lawsuit in Minneapolis for the family of George Floyd, noted the militarized nature of the deputies.

“Just-released footage of the militarized police force rushing to kill Andrew Brown,” he tweeted. “This has become a constant sight across America, the evolution of policing that’s now terrorizing communities of color!”

Brown was killed on April 21 as authorities were attempting to serve drug-related search and arrest warrants. He was shot five times — four in the right arm and once in the back of the head — according to an independent autopsy commissioned by attorneys for the Brown family.

On Monday, the family viewed 20 seconds of bodycam footage of the shooting. Attorney Chantel Cherry-Lassiter said he viewed the footage several times and noted that deputies had “numerous assault rifles at the scene.”

He said Brown attempted to back out a driveway to avoid the deputies when he was shot. Brown eventually crashed into a tree, the attorney said.

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“We watched this over and over and over to make sure we were sure about what was going on and what was transparent,” he said. “He finally tries to try to get away and he backs out – not going toward the officers at all. At no time in the 20 seconds that we saw was he threatening the officers in any kind of way.”

Source Article from https://www.foxnews.com/us/video-north-carolina-deputies-andrew-brown-jr

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Biden capital gains tax plan would raise $113 billion if ‘step up in basis’ is killed, says Wharton – CNBC

President Joe Biden is expected to pitch a higher capital gains tax this week to raise funds for his economic agenda. But the policy would lose the U.S. billions in revenue if it doesn’t also scrap a tax break for heirs, according to a new analysis.

Eliminating that tax break — known as a “step-up in basis” at death — would raise $113 billion over a decade starting in 2022, when coupled with a higher tax on capital gains, according to the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

But the anticipated capital-gains proposal would cost the U.S. $33 billion over that period if it doesn’t get rid of that step-up, according to the analysis.

Biden called for an elimination of a step-up in basis at death as a presidential candidate.

Biden capital gains tax proposal

Biden’s plan is expected to call for a 39.6% top tax rate on long-term capital gains, up from the current 20%. The tax would apply to returns on assets held more than a year and to taxpayers with more than $1 million in income.

When combined with a Medicare surtax on investment earnings, the top federal capital-gains tax rate would be 43.4%.

Current law allows investors to avoid tax on unrealized capital gains (or, appreciation in unsold assets).

They can do so by holding stocks and other assets until death. At that point, assets essentially transfer from an estate tax-free: Heirs get the asset at its current market value (thereby eliminating the gain on paper) and the estate doesn’t pay tax on the unrealized gain.

(Wealthy estates may still owe state or federal estate tax on the asset.)

Raising taxes on capital gains means people who earn more than $1 million a year may opt to hold investments longer — and bequeath them to heirs tax-free — as a tax-avoidance strategy.

It’s one reason Wharton projects a $33 billion loss from a higher capital-gains tax regime if it isn’t coupled with an end to the step up in basis.

“Reforms such as eliminating stepped-up basis … would restrict those avoidance opportunities, therefore increasing revenue raised per percentage point of capital gains tax,” according to the analysis, published Friday.

Roughly 0.3% of taxpayers (about 540,000 people) reported income over $1 million in 2018, meaning they’d be subject to the expected tax increase, according to the most recent IRS data.

Source Article from https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/27/biden-capital-gains-tax-plan-could-raise-113-billion-if-step-up-is-killed.html

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Psaki pressed on why relaxed outdoor mask guidance took so long – Fox News

Video

CDC not making progress, they’re correcting ‘erroneous’ guidance: Dr. Nicole Saphier

Fox News medical contributor Nicole Saphier on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance for vaccinated people to take masks off during outdoor sporting events.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki was pressed about why Americans had to wait so long to be told it is safe for vaccinated people to be unmasked outdoors.

“Why have Americans had to wait this long for today’s guidance when to many it was quite obvous that this was what the next step was?” a reporter asked Psaki during Tuesday’s press briefing.

2 NEW CLOT CASES IN JOHNSON & JOHNSON COVID-19 VACCINE RECIPIENTS REPORTED, CDC INVESTIGATING

Psaki partially blamed “misinformation” about coronavirus from the Trump administration.

“Well, I think we want Americans to be confident in the information they’re receiving from the federal government,” Psaki said.

“It’s been important to us to lead with health and medical experts to provide them the time they need to make these evaluations so that, when the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] comes out with guidance, the American people know they can trust it, and we are working to clean up from a great deal of misinformation, inaccurate information, that was put out by the last administration, some of it politically tinged.”

President Biden removes his face mask to speak about COVID-19, on the North Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, April 27, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

“Therefore, we’ve been really leaning into the timeline of the health and medical team and experts,” she added.

She also insisted Biden’s mask announcement on Tuesday was not connected to his milestone of 100 days in office that will be reached later this week.

BIDEN SAYS NO MASKS OUTDOORS FOR FULLY VACCINATED PEOPLE STEP TOWARD ‘NORMAL LIVING’

“I can assure you, the CDC makes decisions and does evaluations on their own time,” Psaki said.

President Biden on Tuesday reiterated the CDC updated guidance that fully vaccinated individuals no longer need masks while outdoors except in crowded settings.

The CDC had released the new guidance shortly before Biden was set to provide an update on the pandemic.

“Earlier today the CDC made an important announcement. Starting today, if you are fully vaccinated and outdoors, not in a big crowd, you can go without a mask,” the president said, noting that masks are still required in crowded spaces, such as a music concert, regardless if it is outdoors.

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But when it comes to gathering with a group of friends in the park or going for a picnic, “you can do this without a mask,” he said, noting that the federal health agency was able to change its guidance because the “odds of getting or giving the virus are very low out in open air.”

“If you are vaccinated you can do more things more safely indoors and outdoors,” the president continued. “For those who haven’t gotten it, this is another good reason to get vaccinated. It’s about saving your life [and the lives] of those around you; it’s about getting back to normal life.”

Fox News’ Alexandra Hein and Madeline Farber contributed to this report.

Source Article from https://www.foxnews.com/politics/psaki-coronavirus-mask-guidance-outdoors-outside-vaccinated

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Gov. Lee ends public health orders, mask mandates across Tennessee – WATE 6 On Your Side

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Gov. Bill Lee announced the end of statewide public health orders Tuesday morning and signed Executive Order 80 to address economic and regulatory functions.

Executive Order No. 80 also ends the authority to issue mask requirements in the 89 counties directed by the state health department. It will go into effect Wednesday at 12:01 a.m.

“COVID-19 is now a managed public health issue in Tennessee and no longer a statewide public health emergency,” Lee saud. “As Tennesseans continue to get vaccinated, it’s time to lift remaining local restrictions, focus on economic recovery and get back to business in Tennessee.”

Lee expanded on his announcement in a series of tweets, which reads:

“A widely available vaccine changes everything and it’s a new season in Tennessee. I am not renewing any public health orders because COVID-19 is no longer a health emergency in our state. Remaining executive actions will address a few lingering economic and regulatory issues. We have never had a statewide mask mandate and I am removing authority from local officials to issue mask requirements. I have asked mayors in our Big 6 counties to remove any remaining mask mandates AND business restrictions before Memorial Day Weekend. This is about trusting Tennesseans, using the tools we have at our disposal to move on from crisis management and back to life and back to business. Tennessee is moving forward thanks to her people.”

EO 80 contains the following provisions and is effective through May 31, 2021:

Removing Local Mask Authority

While Tennessee has never had a statewide mask mandate, EO 80 removes the local authority for county mayors in 89 of the state’s 95 counties to require face coverings throughout their jurisdictions.

Gov. Lee has requested counties with independent health departments – Shelby, Madison, Davidson, Hamilton, Knox and Sullivan – that have remaining business restrictions or mask requirements to lift all measures no later than the end of May.

Extending Deregulatory Provisions

EO 80 extends helpful deregulatory provisions to enable individuals, businesses and other organizations time to adapt their operations in anticipation of ending said provisions.

Maintaining Federal Funding

EO 80 maintains Tennessee’s access to federal funding, including SNAP benefits and cost reimbursements for the Tennessee National Guard’s testing and vaccination efforts.

In addition to EO 80, the following provisions are effective immediately:

Offering Walk-Up Vaccine Option

While the COVID-19 vaccine continues to be available to Tennesseans aged 16 and older by appointment, local health departments will now offer a walk-up option.

Retiring Optional Business Guidance

The Tennessee Pledge business guidelines issued at the start of COVID-19 have been officially retired.

Source Article from https://www.wate.com/news/top-stories/gov-lee-ends-public-health-orders-mask-mandates-across-tennessee/

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Idaho moves to ban critical race theory instruction in all public schools, including universities – CNN

By Leah Asmelash, CNN

Updated 5:48 PM ET, Tue April 27, 2021

Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/27/us/critical-race-theory-idaho-bill-trnd/index.html

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U.S. Navy fires warning shots at Iranian gunboats in Persian Gulf – POLITICO

Around 8 p.m. on Monday, three armed IRGCN speed boats rapidly approached the coastal patrol boat USS Firebolt and the Coast Guard cutter Baranof to an “unnecessarily close range with unknown intent, coming as close as 68 yards of the ships,” the Navy said.

The U.S. vessels were conducting routine operations in international waters at the time of the incident, the Navy said.

The U.S. crews issued multiple warnings to the IRGCN boats over the radio and other devices, but the vessels continued their maneuvers, the Navy said. The crew of the Firebolt then fired warning shots, and the Iranian vessels moved away.

This is the first time the U.S. Navy has fired on Iranian vessels in nearly four years.

“The IRGCN’s actions increased the risk of miscalculation and/or collision,” and “were not in accordance” with international rules governing sea operations, the Navy said.

“U.S. naval forces continue to remain vigilant and are trained to act in a professional manner, while our commanding officers retain the inherent right to act in self-defense,” the Navy said.

Source Article from https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/27/us-navy-iranian-gunboats-escalation-484813

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FBI opens civil rights probe into killing of Andrew Brown Jr. in North Carolina – CNBC

Brown was killed by sheriff’s deputies in Elizabeth City during an attempt to serve drug-related search and arrest warrants. Seven of the deputies involved in the arrest were placed on paid leave, the Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office said.

“The FBI Charlotte Field Office has opened a federal civil rights investigation into the police-involved shooting death of Andrew Brown Jr.,” an FBI spokesman said. “Agents will work closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina and the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice to determine whether federal laws were violated.”

The spokesman declined to comment further, saying the investigation was ongoing.

Brown was killed Wednesday, one day after a jury found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of the murder of George Floyd.

Floyd’s death in custody reinvigorated the movement opposing police brutality against Black people. The Justice Department is pursuing a civil rights investigation into Floyd’s killing in addition to a pattern-or-practice probe into the Minneapolis Police Department.

Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the pattern-or-practice investigation Wednesday. On Monday, Garland said the DOJ would pursue a similar investigation into the Louisville Metro Police Department in Kentucky, which has been criticized for the death of Breonna Taylor. Taylor was killed in her apartment last year after police entered using a no-knock warrant and fired 32 bullets.

Attorneys for Brown’s family have condemned his killing and called for more footage to be released. Authorities have said they have requested that a judge permit the release of the video.

Based on what they were allowed to see already, Brown’s family has said the police appeared to lack a justification for using deadly force.

“There was no time in the 20 seconds that we saw where he was threatening the officers in any kind of way,” Chantel Cherry-Lassiter, an attorney, said at a press conference after watching the video, the Associated Press reported.

Khalil Ferebee, Brown’s son, told reporters after watching the video that his father had been “executed” while trying to save his own life.

Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy Wooten has asked for patience while investigations continue.

“This tragic incident was quick and over in less than 30 seconds, and body cameras are shaky and sometimes hard to decipher,” Wooten said Monday, according to NBC News.

It’s not clear how long the FBI’s investigation into Brown’s death will continue. William Barr, while attorney general under former President Donald Trump, announced the civil rights investigation into Floyd’s killing in May 2020. Garland said that investigation was ongoing last week, but did not provide further updates.

The civil rights investigations into Brown’s and Floyd’s killings will look into whether federal laws were broken during those particular arrests. In contrast, pattern-or-practice investigations probe whether police departments routinely flout civil rights laws.

Under Trump, pattern-or-practice investigations were largely curtailed, though Garland has shown some eagerness to revamp them.

While the Congressional Research Service has found that the Justice Department historically opens about three such investigations a year, Garland has opened two this month. About a third of pattern-or-practice investigations result in significant reforms, the research service found.

In addition to the FBI investigation, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is also examining Brown’s killing.

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Source Article from https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/27/andrew-brown-jr-fbi-opens-civil-rights-probe-into-police-shooting.html

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Biden capital gains tax plan would raise $113 billion if ‘step up in basis’ is killed, says Wharton – CNBC

But the anticipated capital-gains proposal would cost the U.S. $33 billion over that period if it doesn’t get rid of that step-up, according to the analysis.

Biden called for an elimination of a step-up in basis at death as a presidential candidate.

Biden capital gains tax proposal

When combined with a Medicare surtax on investment earnings, the top federal capital-gains tax rate would be 43.4%.

Current law allows investors to avoid tax on unrealized capital gains (or, appreciation in unsold assets).

(Wealthy estates may still owe state or federal estate tax on the asset.)

Raising taxes on capital gains means people who earn more than $1 million a year may opt to hold investments longer — and bequeath them to heirs tax-free — as a tax-avoidance strategy.

It’s one reason Wharton projects a $33 billion loss from a higher capital-gains tax regime if it isn’t coupled with an end to the step up in basis.

Roughly 0.3% of taxpayers (about 540,000 people) reported income over $1 million in 2018, meaning they’d be subject to the expected tax increase, according to the most recent IRS data.

Source Article from https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/27/biden-capital-gains-tax-plan-could-raise-113-billion-if-step-up-is-killed.html

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Biden picks Texas sheriff who criticized Trump-era policies for ICE director – CNN

(CNN)President Joe Biden will nominate Harris County, Texas, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, a critic of former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, to serve as director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the White House announced Tuesday.

Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/27/politics/ed-gonzalez-ice-director-biden/index.html

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Baker relaxes outdoor mask mandate in Mass., announces timeline for reopening bars, other businesses – BetaBoston

The proposed Massachusetts calendar, which Baker stressed is dependent on health trends, gives state residents a roadmap for a gradual return to pre-COVID life.

Effective Friday, face coverings in Massachusetts “will only be required outside in public when it is not possible to socially distance, and at other times required by sector-specific guidance,” Baker’s office said. “Face coverings will still be required at all times in indoor public places.”

During a media briefing Tuesday, Baker cited the increasing number of vaccinated residents and better public health data as factors in the decision to loosen restrictions.

“Since March 22, when our last set of restrictions were lifted, the public health data has improved across the board,” Baker said. “New daily cases have dropped by about 20 percent. The positivity rate of cases dropped by half a percentage point to 1.72 percent, one of the lowest levels we’ve seen since last summer.”

He said continued enthusiasm for getting vaccinated in Massachusetts, where more than 5 million total doses have been administered so far, will be key to moving forward with reopening.

“I know I speak for everybody up here when I say how grateful we are that so many people in Massachusetts have stepped up and gotten vaccinated and played by the rules for such a long period of time,” Baker said.

While the road ahead remains difficult, the governor continued, “we are certainly more than past the midway point of this.”

On May 29, Baker’s office said, bars, breweries, wineries, and distilleries will be allowed to open with seated service only. They’ll also have a 90-minute seating limit, and no dance floors will be allowed.

Road races, youth sports, and pro franchises are also getting a boost next month.

Starting May 10, officials said, stadiums like Fenway Park and TD Garden will be allowed to increase fan capacity from 12 percent to 25 percent. Also May 10, road races and other large, outdoor athletic events will be permitted with staggered starts, after organizers submit safety plans to local health boards or the state Department of Public Health.

“If you go to Fenway Park, whether you’re vaccinated or not, we’re going to expect you to wear a mask and socially distance. Period,” Baker told reporters.

In addition, youth and adult amateur sports tournaments starting May 10 will be allowed for moderate and high-risk sports, according to the statement issued by Baker’s office late Tuesday morning.

Further loosening of restrictions will happen May 29, when gathering limits will increase to 200 people indoors and 250 people outdoors for event venues, public settings, and private gatherings, provided that health and vaccination data supports the move, officials said.

Restaurant guidance will also be updated May 29 to eliminate the requirement that food be served with alcohol and to increase the maximum table size to 10, Baker’s office said.

Then the state’s set to take a significant leap forward Aug. 1, when venues like dance clubs and night clubs, saunas and steam rooms at fitness centers, indoor water parks, and ball pits open their doors — again, as long as the public health data shows it is safe.

Aug. 1 is also the tentative date that all industry restrictions will be lifted, and capacity can increase to 100 percent, officials said.

Baker said during the briefing that with more vaccines, the state hopes “we can take this step earlier, but it will depend on everyone continuing to get vaccinated and doing the right things.”

His office issued similar guidance in the earlier statement.

“Depending on vaccine distribution and public health data, the Administration may consider re-evaluating the August 1st date,” the statement said. “The Department of Public Health will also continue to issue guidance as needed, including guidance to still require masks indoors.”

The moves bring Massachusetts into Phase 4, Step 2 of its economic reopening.

The announcement Tuesday signals that the Boston Marathon, which wasn’t run during its normal April slot this year or last, can go forward in October.

Tom Grilk, president and CEO of the Boston Athletic Association, the race organizer, announced in January that the event had been rescheduled for Oct. 11, public health metrics permitting.

Customarily held each Patriots Day Monday in April, the marathon “race” last year became a virtual event that took place in a span of one week in early September.

Boston’s Acting Mayor Kim Janey was slated to brief reporters at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Steve Walsh, president and chief executive officer of the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association, credited residents’ adherence to COVID protocols during the pandemic as the reason for the relaxed restrictions announced Tuesday.

“For well over a year now, Massachusetts residents have answered the call put forth by state and healthcare leaders to follow public health guidance and slow the spread of COVID-19,” Walsh said in a statement. “While we all still have work to do in order to reach a new normal, this diligence has paid off. Our healthcare organizations are pleased that patients can safely return to the activities that they have missed – many of which are inextricably connected to their mental wellbeing.”

Walsh added that even as the statewide reopening continues, “patients should know that strict safety protocols will remain in place within our hospitals and healthcare facilities. We thank the Baker Administration for its measured approach to reopening our state and for its ongoing support of our healthcare system.”

Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito also briefed reporters Tuesday and said the planned reopening steps were encouraging.

“We are pleased that as the vaccination rates continue to rise, we can look forward to doing more,” Polito said.

How much more, of course, depends on the virus data; Baker said Tuesday that he wants to take in a concert with his family once the dust settles.

“But I don’t want to do that until we get to the point where that can be done in a way where people won’t be putting one another and each other at risk by virtue of doing that,” he said.

The governor added that he looks forward to getting his second dose of the Prizer vaccine.

“Because that means two weeks from now I can hug my dad, which I haven’t done yet,” Baker said.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report. Material from prior Globe stories was also used.

Travis Andersen can be reached at travis.andersen@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @TAGlobe. Jon Chesto can be reached at jon.chesto@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @jonchesto. Matt Stout can be reached at matt.stout@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @mattpstout.

Source Article from https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/04/27/metro/baker-relaxes-outdoor-mask-mandate-mass-announces-timeline-lifting-most-capacity-restrictions-reopening-bars-other-businesses/

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House bill would make the $3,000 child tax credit permanent – CNBC

A House bill proposed Tuesday aims to make recent enhancements to the child tax credit permanent.

Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and gatekeeper of new tax legislation, issued a bill that would codify changes made by the recent $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan.

The Covid relief measure, which President Joe Biden signed March 11, raised the maximum child tax credit amount, made it fully refundable and allowed families to get the tax break in monthly installments.

The policies largely seek to offer more income support for lower-earning households and cut child poverty. Without congressional action, they would only apply to the 2021 tax year.

Neal’s Building an Economy for Families Act would make the enhancements a permanent fixture of the tax code.

However, Biden is expected this week to propose an extension through 2025 instead of making the changes permanent.

It would be part of a broader investment in so-called “human capital” playing out amid a national debate on infrastructure spending.

“For our economy to fully recover from this pandemic, we must finally acknowledge that workers have families, and caregiving responsibilities are real,” Neal said.

Neal’s bill would also offer universal paid family and medical leave, guarantee access to child care and keep recent changes made to other tax breaks like the earned income and child and dependent care credits.

Changes to the child tax credit

The American Rescue Plan makes parents with older kids eligible for the tax credit. It raised the age of qualifying kids to 17 from 16.

The law also raised the maximum credit to $3,000 per kid ages 6 to 17 and $3,600 for younger children.

Single adults qualify for the full value of that larger credit if their annual income is $75,000 or less. (The income threshold is $112,500 for head-of-household filers and $150,000 for married joint filers.)

Higher earners generally qualify for the same credit (up to $2,000 per kid) as they did under prior law.

The law also made the credit fully refundable.

Previously, Americans could get up to $1,400 of the credit as a tax refund. Taxpayers only got a refund if they had at least $2,500 of earned income. Now, there’s no cap on the refund amount and the earned-income threshold was erased — especially helpful changes for low earners.

The law also directed the Treasury Department to issue the credit in regular installments, likely monthly — a departure from the typical lump-sum refunds once a year at tax time.

Taxpayers will be able to opt out of those periodic payments. Americans would get up to $300 a month per kid if payments start in July as expected.

Source Article from https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/27/house-bill-would-make-the-3000-child-tax-credit-permanent.html

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How did the covid-19 outbreak in India get so bad? – The Washington Post

Source Article from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/04/27/india-covid-surge-faq/

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Private Florida school won’t employ vaccinated teachers – ABC News

MIAMI — A private school founded by an anti-vaccination activist in South Florida has warned teachers and staff against taking the COVID-19 vaccine, saying it will not employ anyone who has received the shot.

The Centner Academy in Miami sent a notice to parents on Monday informing them of a new policy for its two campuses for about 300 students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Teachers or staff who have already taken the vaccine were told to continue reporting to school but to stay separated from students.

Co-founder Leila Centner told employees in a letter last week that she made the policy decision with a “very heavy heart.” Centner asked those who have not received a COVID-19 vaccine to wait until the end of the school year, and even then recommended holding off.

Centner stood by the decision Tuesday in a statement sent to The Associated Press, which featured the biologically impossible claim that unvaccinated women have experienced miscarriages and other reproductive problems just by standing in proximity to vaccinated people.

“You can’t pass it from one person to another if you stand next to someone,” said Dr. Taraneh Shirazian, an NYU Langone gynecologist. “That’s a very horrible misconception because it opens up this crazy thinking that you can stand next to people and get what they have, which we know historically has in public health really created a lot of damage.”

The Florida Department of Education did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the school’s stance on the COVID-19 vaccine.

The Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and leading women’s health authorities have declared the COVID-19 vaccines being used in the U.S. to be safe and effective, and they are undergoing unprecedented scrutiny for safety. Around the country, teachers were prioritized for early access to the vaccines to protect them from exposure to the coronavirus as schools reopened.

Dr. Aileen Marty, an infectious disease specialist with Florida International University’s Wertheim College of Medicine, said there is no evidence that unvaccinated people face any risks from the vaccinations of others.

Centner and her husband David Centner started the school in 2019 after moving to Miami from New York. The school’s website promotes “medical freedom” from vaccines and offers to help parents opt out of vaccines that are otherwise required for students in Florida.

Earlier this month, Centner criticized measures by the CDC to curb the spread of the virus, and said her school went against the guidelines from the moment it reopened in September.

“We did not follow any of the tyrannic measures that were in place. I did not force our kids to wear a mask,” Centner said while attending a “Health and Freedom” rally for a Republican candidate that featured supporters of former President Donald Trump and critics of public health restrictions in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Source Article from https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/private-florida-school-employ-vaccinated-teachers-77347282

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CDC Eases Face Mask Guidelines for Fully Vaccinated People Outdoors – The Wall Street Journal

People who are fully vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus don’t need to wear face masks when walking, hiking, biking, running alone or at small outdoor gatherings, federal health officials said, taking a major step to ease pandemic restrictions while encouraging more people to get shots.

The same applies to dining at a restaurant outside, and to small outdoor gatherings that include some unvaccinated people, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday.

Yet vaccinated people should still wear masks in public settings indoors and outdoors where there is a substantial risk of Covid-19 transmission, such as concerts, sporting events and other crowded gatherings, the CDC said.

The fully vaccinated should also wear masks at indoor gatherings with unvaccinated people, visits to a barber, hair salon, shopping mall, museum, movie theater or crowded house of worship. Vaccinated people should also wear masks if singing in an indoor chorus, the CDC said.

The new guidelines are the latest easing restrictions for vaccinated people. They follow mounting scientific evidence indicating the risk of infection is low outdoors, especially among people who are vaccinated. The risk of Covid-19 transmission by vaccinated people is low, evidence shows.

Source Article from https://www.wsj.com/articles/cdc-eases-mask-guidelines-for-vaccinated-people-outdoors-11619540140

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Andrew Brown Jr. shot five times, once in back of head, according to family-backed autopsy – NBC News

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Why Biden’s address to Congress is not a State of the Union speech – Fox News

Video

Biden to give first address to Congress with ‘limited attendance’ April 28th

Real Clear Politics White House reporter Phil Wegmann joins ‘FOX Report’ to discuss the president’s anticipated speech

President Biden will appear Wednesday evening before a joint session of Congress to deliver an address, but unlike most times when a president participates in such an event, the speech is not considered an official State of the Union address.

The event bears the trappings of a State of the Union, with the president discussing pertinent issues facing the nation and his administration, and he’ll be doing so after accepting the necessary invitation from the speaker of the House.

AOC SAYS BIDEN ‘EXCEEDED’ PROGRESSIVE EXPECTATIONS IN FIRST 100 DAYS

“Nearly 100 days ago, when you took the oath of office, you pledged in a spirit of great hope that ‘Help Is On The Way.’ Now, because of your historic and transformative leadership, Help Is Here!” Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote in a letter to Biden. “In that spirit, I am writing to invite you to address a Joint Session of Congress on Wednesday, April 28, to share your vision for addressing the challenges and opportunities of this historic moment.”

So why is this not a State of the Union address?

While the State of the Union is a tradition dating back to Jan. 8, 1790, when President George Washington delivered his first, a more recent tradition is for new presidents not to give one in their first year.

BIDEN FORMALLY RECOGNIZES ATROCITIES AGAINST ARMENIANS AS A GENOCIDE

As noted by the Congressional Research Service, each of the last six presidents opted not to give official State of the Union address during their first year, as they had recently given inauguration addresses. While they typically ended up delivering addresses not long after taking office, those speeches took on different titles, such as former President Donald Trump’s “Address Before a Joint Session of the Congress” in 2017.

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The speech will give Biden, who is about to mark his first 100 days in office, an opportunity to address his administration’s efforts in combating the coronavirus pandemic, as well as his infrastructure package and push for more climate-focused legislation.

Biden is expected to speak at 9 p.m. ET.

Source Article from https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-address-to-congress-not-a-state-of-the-union-speech

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Biden seeks $80 billion to boost IRS enforcement – CNN

By John Harwood, Phil Mattingly and Kate Sullivan, CNN

Updated 10:03 AM ET, Tue April 27, 2021

Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/27/politics/biden-irs-enforcement/index.html

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Biden To Establish $15-An-Hour Minimum Wage For Federal Contractors – NPR

President Biden plans to sign an executive order on Tuesday that will kick off the rulemaking process for a higher minimum wage for employees of federal contractors.

Anna Moneymaker/Pool/Getty Images

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Anna Moneymaker/Pool/Getty Images

President Biden plans to sign an executive order on Tuesday that will kick off the rulemaking process for a higher minimum wage for employees of federal contractors.

Anna Moneymaker/Pool/Getty Images

President Biden will require federal contractors to pay their employees a minimum wage of $15 an hour starting March 30, 2022, senior administration officials say — a hike that will benefit a few hundred thousand people and underscore the broader Democratic push to raise the federal pay floor to the same level.

Biden plans to sign an executive order on Tuesday that will kick off the rulemaking process for the higher wage, the officials told reporters Monday.

Biden’s order will continue to index the minimum wage for federal contractors to an inflation measure. The current pay floor for workers under federal contracts is $10.95 per hour.

The administration also plans to eliminate the tipped minimum wage for federal contractors, which currently lets employers pay tipped workers $7.65 an hour, by raising it to the same minimum wage as other employees on federal contracts by 2024.

Officials told reporters the change will help address income inequality. They said they do not expect the higher wage to raise costs for taxpayers because it will boost productivity and morale and reduce recruitment and training costs caused by higher turnover.

“These workers are critical to the functioning of the federal government: from cleaning professionals and maintenance workers who ensure federal employees have safe and clean places to work, to nursing assistants who care for the nation’s veterans, to cafeteria and other food service workers who ensure military members have healthy and nutritious food to eat, to laborers who build and repair federal infrastructure,” the Biden administration said in a fact sheet announcing the decision.

The order follows a similar one from then-President Barack Obama in 2014 that had raised the minimum wage for federal contractors to $10.10 an hour.

Biden had proposed hiking the federal minimum wage up to $15 an hour for all workers as part of his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, but the measure was stripped out after a ruling by the Senate parliamentarian as Democrats moved the bill through the budget reconciliation process.

The coronavirus pandemic has worsened pay security for many Americans and galvanized activists to push for higher wages for low- and middle-income workers, giving Democrats a springboard to push the issue.

Source Article from https://www.npr.org/2021/04/27/991076456/biden-to-establish-15-an-hour-minimum-wage-for-federal-contractors

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Fox News Flash top headlines for April 27

NC Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson slams anti-cop activists after Elizabeth City incident

Biden capital gains tax proposal

CDC not making progress, they’re correcting ‘erroneous’ guidance: Dr. Nicole Saphier

Removing Local Mask Authority

Extending Deregulatory Provisions

Maintaining Federal Funding

Offering Walk-Up Vaccine Option

Retiring Optional Business Guidance

Biden capital gains tax proposal

Changes to the child tax credit

Biden to give first address to Congress with ‘limited attendance’ April 28th