Senate confirms Gina Raimondo as commerce secretary

Associated Press
Businesses hindered by bridge collapse should receive damages, court filing argues
A Baltimore publishing company has filed a class action claim arguing the owner and manager of the massive container ship that took down the Francis Scott Key Bridge last month should have to pay damages to businesses adversely impacted by the collapse. The claim, filed on behalf of American Publishing LLC, largely echoes an earlier filing by attorneys for Baltimore’s mayor and city council that called for the ship’s owner and manager to be held fully liable for the deadly disaster. Singapore-based Grace Ocean Private Ltd. owns the Dali, the vessel that veered off course and slammed into the bridge.
11m ago
Associated Press
A ban in Kansas on gender-affirming care also would bar advocacy for kids' social transitions
A proposed ban in Kansas on gender-affirming care for minors also would bar state employees from promoting it — or even children's social transitioning. Teachers and social workers who support LGBTQ+ rights worry about they will be disciplined or fired for helping kids who are exploring their gender identities. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the proposed ban, and top Republicans anticipated Friday that the GOP-controlled Legislature will attempt to override her action before lawmakers adjourn for the year Tuesday.
16m ago
Associated Press
Journalists sign manifesto in defense of Spanish PM and wife, criticize right-wing media, parties
Thousands of Spanish journalists came out Friday in support of Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and his wife following Sánchez’s announcement that he was considering his future as premier after a court opened preliminary proceedings against his wife on corruption allegations. Sánchez, who is to announce his future Monday, blamed the judicial probe on “spurious” attacks by right and far-right opponents in the media and political parties. In support, several thousand journalists and writers signed an online manifesto saying, “the attack by the media and judicial extreme right against the wife of the President of the Government is a new attempt to subvert the popular will expressed at the polls through illicit means.”
17m ago
Reuters
WHO says bird flu risk currently low, asks countries to remain vigilant
The UN-agency said countries should implement infection control measures and procedures to reduce human exposure to birds and mammals potentially infected with bird flu or other animal influenza viruses. The WHO said it strongly advises that people consume only pasteurized milk, in which bacteria and viruses have been killed, and avoid consuming raw milk. One in five commercial milk samples tested in a nationwide survey contained particles of the H5N1 virus, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said late on Thursday, suggesting the outbreak is more widespread in the country than previously thought.
33m ago
AFP
US announces $6 bn in security aid for Ukraine
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced $6 billion in new military aid for Ukraine on Friday as Washington rushes to fill gaps left by months of limited American assistance."I'm... pleased to announce today an additional commitment of $6 billion through our Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative," Austin told journalists following the conclusion of a virtual meeting of dozens of Kyiv's international supporters.
36m ago
Yahoo Finance
Tesla Autopilot recall probed by safety regulator following new crashes
Tesla is facing another setback with its Autopilot software, a system that CEO Elon Musk is betting on to power his robotaxi future.
36m ago
Associated Press
Outgoing Dutch prime minister visits Turkey's Erdogan in his bid for the NATO chief position
The Netherlands’ outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte was in Turkey on Friday, seeking support from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the Dutch official's bid for the position of NATO secretary general. Incumbent NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian prime minister who has been NATO’s top civilian official since 2014, is nearing the end of his term.
38m ago
Associated Press
Pope to bring his call for ethical artificial intelligence to G7 summit in June in southern Italy
Pope Francis is taking his call for artificial intelligence to be developed and used according to ethical lines to the Group of 7 industrialized nations. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced Friday that Francis had accepted her invitation to attend the G7 Summit in Puglia in June. Meloni, who currently heads the G7, is hosting the June 13-15 summit of leaders from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the United States.
41m ago
Associated Press
At least 70 people killed by flooding in Kenya as more rain is expected through the weekend
Flooding and heavy rains in Kenya have killed at least 70 people since mid-March, a government spokesperson said Friday, twice as many as were reported earlier this week. The East African country has seen weeks of heavy rains and severe flooding in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, as well as in the country's western and central regions. Kenya's government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura on Friday refuted claims that hundreds of people have died in the ongoing flooding and said the official tally now stands at 70.
42m ago
AFP
Jewish students conflicted over US campus protests
Israel's war against Hamas has sparked anger and division around the world, including on US campuses, where some Jewish students feel targeted and abused while others have taken leading roles in pro-Palestinian demonstrations.Soph Askanase, a Jewish pro-Palestinian protestor, has been suspended from Columbia and arrested for trespassing.
43m ago
USA TODAY
Top Education Department official steps down amid crisis over college financial aid
Richard Cordray, the official in charge of the Federal Student Aid office, which oversees the FAFSA, will conclude his tenure at the end of June.
44m ago
Associated Press
Help is coming for a Jersey Shore town that's losing the man-vs-nature battle on its eroded beaches
It could still be another two years before the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection begin pumping sand onto North Wildwood's critically eroded shores. In January, parts of the dunes reached only to the ankles of Mayor Patrick Rosenello.
46m ago
Associated Press
Surging auto insurance rates squeeze drivers, fuel inflation
Relentlessly rising auto insurance rates are squeezing car owners and stoking inflation. Auto insurance rates rose 2.6% in March and are up 22% from a year ago. Premium costs have been marching steadily higher since 2022, even as inflation at the consumer level steadily cooled from its 9.1% peak in the middle of that year.
47m ago
CBS News
Gold watch found on body of Titanic's richest passenger is for sale
A gold pocket watch recovered along with the body of John Jacob Astor, the richest passenger on the Titanic, is up for auction.
47m ago
CNN
Andrew Tate will stand trial on trafficking and rape charges, Romanian court rules
The trial of Andrew Tate, a self-proclaimed “misogynist” online influencer accused of human trafficking and rape, can go ahead, a Romanian court said Friday.
49m ago
Associated Press
A man accused in a Harvard bomb threat and extortion plot is sentenced to 3 years probation
A New Hampshire man accused of participating in a plot in which a caller issued bomb threats last year to Harvard University and demanded a large amount of bitcoin was sentenced Thursday to three years of probation. The threats caused the evacuation of Harvard’s Science Center Plaza and surrounding academic buildings, and the controlled detonation of what was later determined to be a hoax device on April 13, 2023, according to prosecutors. William Giordani, 55, was arrested last year on charges including making an extortionate bomb threat.
49m ago
CNN
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem defends book excerpt where she describes killing dog and goat
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who’s been touted as a potential vice presidential pick, defended actions described in her upcoming book where she killed a dog and goat on her family farm.
55m ago
CBS News
Book excerpt: "The Demon of Unrest" by Erik Larson
The latest by the New York Times bestselling author is a riveting account of the months leading up to the Confederate forces' attack on Fort Sumter, the first shots fired in the Civil War.
1h ago
Associated Press
140,000 people did their taxes with the free IRS direct file pilot. But program's future is unclear
The IRS said Friday that more than 140,000 taxpayers filed their taxes through its new direct file pilot program and participants saved roughly $5.6 million in fees they would have otherwise spent with commercial tax preparation companies. The government pilot program, rolled out this tax season in 12 states, allows people with very simple W-2s to calculate and submit their returns directly to the IRS for free. “We will take time to analyze the data and collect feedback from a wide variety of stakeholders before making a decision about direct file's future,” IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel said on a call with reporters.
1h ago
AFP
US approves gene therapy treatment for hemophilia
Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has received US approval for a gene therapy against a form of hemophilia, a rare and inherited blood clotting disorder, the company said Friday.Pfizer's genetic therapy targets hemophilia B, the second most common form of the condition, which primarily affects males.
1h ago

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