Tuscon news

• McCarthy faces choices as GOP divides over Cheney, Greene

  02-02-2021 23:56
  
  Mitch McConnell / Courtesy: NBC NewsourceMarjorie Taylor Greene / YouTubeMarjorie Taylor Greene
  WASHINGTON (AP) — House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is facing unrest from opposing ends of the Republican spectrum over Reps. Liz Cheney and Marjorie Taylor Greene. The upheaval underscores GOP fissures as the party seeks its pathway without Donald Trump in the White House. Hard-right lawmakers want to oust Cheney as the No. 3 House Republican leader after she voted to impeach Trump last mon
  
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• State Plans to Open 24-hour Vaccine Site in Pima County

  02-02-2021 23:53
  
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• State Plans 24-hour Vaccine Site in Pima County

  02-02-2021 23:53
  
  After some communication troubles between Pima County and the state, Arizona Department of Health Services Director Cara Christ said plans are the works to set up a 24-hour vaccination site in the county.…
  
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• Arizona’s top education leader calls for more school funding

  02-02-2021 23:52
  
  PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona’s top education official says sustainable, long-term funding is critical for public schools to make sure students thrive during and after the coronavirus pandemic. Democratic Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman praised some of Republican Gov. Doug Ducey’s budget proposals in her annual State of Education speech Tuesday. But she slammed the governor’s plan to enact tax cuts instead of fully funding schools and safety net programs. She
  
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• Murder charges expected in attack on famed private eye

  02-02-2021 23:51
  
  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Prosecutors say two men are expected to face murder charges in an attempted robbery that lead to the death of famed San Francisco private investigator Jack Palladino. San Francisco’s district attorney said Tuesday that he plans to file murder charges once the medical examiner releases the cause of Palladino’s death later this week. Police say Palladino had stepped outside his home Thursday to try a new camera when the two men tried to grab it from him. He h
  
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• Cable news ratings tighten with big months for CNN, MSNBC

  02-02-2021 23:46
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — Cable news has never been more in vogue, and more competitive. The Nielsen company said several CNN and MSNBC shows scored their best months in the ratings ever. CNN as a whole had its best month in history, while MSNBC beat Fox News Channel in prime time for the first time in more than 20 years. It was the first time Fox News had finished third in the prime-time ratings since 1999. Fox has led in the ratings for 19 years. With a more typical week last week, Fox returned to
  
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• Mississippi police: Officers killed armed burglary suspect

  02-02-2021 23:43
  
  MERIDIAN, Miss. (AP) — Authorities say Mississippi police fatally shot a burglary suspect who was armed with a knife. Meridian Mayor Percy Bland said Tuesday that police responded to a neighborhood after a homeowner called 911 to report a burglary in process. He said responding officers chased a suspect and an officer fired his gun in self-defense. Police Chief Chris Read said the suspect attacked one of the officers with the knife. The officer sustained cuts to the back of his neck and wa
  
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• Lawsuit decries rodent infestation at New Mexico prison

  02-02-2021 23:42
  
  SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Two former inmates in New Mexico are suing state prison staff and a food-service contractor for cruelty and negligence after they failed to resolve a yearslong rat and mouse infestation at the kitchen in a women’s lockup. They cited health risks including mouse-borne Hantavirus. The federal-court lawsuit announced Tuesday from Albuquerque-area residents Susie Zapata and Monica Garcia describes a “horrific and widespread” rodent infestation that inclu
  
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• Judge refuses to toss McDonald’s lawsuit against former CEO

  02-02-2021 23:42
  
  DOVER, Del. (AP) — A Delaware judge has refused to dismiss a lawsuit filed by McDonald’s against former CEO Stephen Easterbrook. McDonald’s ousted Easterbrook in 2019 after he admitted having an inappropriate relationship with an employee. The company later filed a lawsuit seeking to reclaim millions of dollars in compensation and alleging that he covered up sexual relationships with three other employees. The judge on Tuesday rejected Easterbrook’s assertion that any dis
  
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• Arizona state senator accused of workplace harassment

  02-02-2021 23:39
  
  PHOENIX (AP) — Accusations of workplace harassment by an Arizona state senator will be reviewed by the chairman of the state Senate Ethics Committee. The Arizona Capitol Times reported that Republican state Sen. Sine Kerr, who chairs the ethics committee, will review the complaint and response before she recommends any possible action involving GOP state Sen. Wendy Rogers. Rogers has been accused of berating a former legislative assistant for his weight and other issues. Rogers urged the e
  
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• More than 21,000 new vaccine appointments made available at Phoenix Municipal Stadium

  02-02-2021 23:37
  
  PHOENIX (KVOA) - With the vaccination site at Arizona State University's Phoenix Municipal Stadium officially opened for business on Monday, the Arizona Department of Health Services announced that 21,000 more appointments will be opened for registration on Wednesday at 9 a.m.To help continue to build on the success seen at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, ADHS officially began administering vaccinations at the Phoenix Municipal Stadium on Monday.According to officials, the new appointments w
  
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• Ex-ECB’s Draghi positioned to lead Italy after politics fail

  02-02-2021 23:35
  
  ROME (AP) — The president of Italy has summoned former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi to a Wednesday meeting after announcing he wants the quick formation of a non-political government to lead Italy during the coronavirus pandemic. Addressing the nation Tuesday night, President Sergio Mattarella said negotiations to try to forge a new government out of the collapsed coalition of Premier Giuseppe Conte had failed. Mattarella said Italy can’t afford to suffer through a months
  
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• Arizona doles out over half its vaccine supply; more coming

  02-02-2021 23:30
  
  PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona has administered more than half of its COVID-19 vaccine supply but is expected to get more than 1 million doses soon. The Arizona Department of Health Services’ daily vaccine report Tuesday shows the state has given out 59% of its vaccine doses, or more than 702,000. But 1.2 million doses were expected to be shipped this week. Meanwhile, COVID-19 hospitalizations and confirmed new infections are dropping. Despite that, Arizona had the third-worst COVID-19 diagn
  
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• The Latest: Study: Cleaner air from lockdowns warmed planet

  02-02-2021 23:28
  KENSINGTON, Md. — A new study finds that cleaner air from the pandemic lockdown warmed the planet a bit in 2020, especially in places such as the eastern United States, Russia and China.Tuesday’s study found the pandemic lockdown reduced soot and sulfate air pollution, but those particles also reflect the sun’s heat and help cool areas briefly.The end result is that some places warmed temporarily as much as two-thirds of a degree last year and the planet as a whole warmed by ab
  
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• US Navy drops rape charges against SEAL pulled from Iraq

  02-02-2021 23:13
  
  SAN DIEGO (AP) — The U.S. Navy has dropped sexual assault charges against an enlisted SEAL accused of raping a female sailor at a Fourth of July party at a base in Iraq. The incident had prompted the rare withdrawal of the special operations unit in 2019. Under the agreement accepted by the court Tuesday, Special Warfare Operator First Class Adel A. Enayat pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of battery and assault for biting her face and grabbing her neck. Navy prosecutors stipulated th
  
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• GameStop shares drop 60% as frenzied rally loses steam

  02-02-2021 23:13
  
  GameStop shares fell 60% Tuesday in a further reversal of the recent blockbuster gains that grabbed peoples attention far beyond Wall Street. The drop was the worst ever for the stock and follows a 31% decline a day earlier. The video game retailer’s stock shot up an eye-popping 1,600% in January following a social-media led campaign to boost the price at the expense of big Wall Street funds who were betting on a decline. The sudden swoon this week could dash some investors’ hopes of
  
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• SpaceX’s 2nd Starship test flight ends with another kaboom

  02-02-2021 23:10
  
  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — SpaceX’s second full test flight of its bullet-shaped Starship has ended in another fiery crash landing. Elon Musk’s company launched its latest Starship prototype from the southeastern tip of Texas on Tuesday. The shiny stainless steel rocket reached its intended altitude of more than six miles over the Gulf of Mexico. Everything seemed to be going well as Starship flipped on its side and began its descent. But it never managed to straighten itself
  
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• U.S. Navy drops sexual assault charges against SEAL accused of raping female sailor in Iraq

  02-02-2021 23:07
  
  SAN DIEGO (AP) — U.S. Navy drops sexual assault charges against SEAL accused of raping female sailor in Iraq.The post U.S. Navy drops sexual assault charges against SEAL accused of raping female sailor in Iraq appeared first on KVOA.
  
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• EXPLAINER: Myanmar, Burma and why the different names matter

  02-02-2021 23:02
  
  When it comes to Myanmar, also known as Burma, a lot is contained in a name. The military upended years of quasi-democratic rule in Myanmar this week, with soldiers taking control of the country in a carefully orchestrated coup. But where exactly did the coup happen? Was it in Myanmar, as the the country is officially called these days? Or was it in Burma, the name used for generations and the one that Washington continues to use?  The answer is complicated. Because when it comes to Myanmar
  
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• Local restaurants earn ‘City of Gastronomy’ certifications

  02-02-2021 22:51
  
  Tucson has proudly sported its “City of Gastronomy” designation from the United Nations’ Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization since 2015. And while this designation celebrates the entire region’s unique and influential food culture, individual restaurants are also earning designations for their role in local cuisine.…
  
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• US says Myanmar takeover was coup, promises sanction review

  02-02-2021 22:37
  
  The United States says last weekend’s military roundup of civilian leaders in Myanmar was a coup. Tuesday’s declaration sets the stage for additional sanctions or other penalties aimed at the country’s military and officers. The military power grab poses a challenge for the two-week-old Biden administration, which says it wants to support wobbly democracy movements globally — but also wants to avoid driving countries like Myanmar toward China. The State Department says an
  
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• County to consider renaming Vegas airport after Harry Reid

  02-02-2021 22:37
  
  LAS VEGAS (AP) — Nevada officials will consider next month whether to rename McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas after former U.S. Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada. The Las Vegas Sun reports the all-Democratic Clark County Commission is set to consider the proposal at a Feb. 16 meeting. Reid is a Democrat and the former Senate Majority Leader who retired from the Senate in 2016. There have been longstanding calls to rename the airport from its current namesake, former Nevada Sen. Pat McCa
  
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• SpaceX flight gives St. Jude hospital a cosmic funding boost

  02-02-2021 22:36
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — SpaceX’s first all-civilian space flight set for late this year will provide an out-of-this-world fundraising opportunity for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which says it expects to generate $200 million for cancer research and other causes. It’s off to a fast start: $1 million in donations in the first day since the flight’s announcement. Jared Isaacman, the billionaire businessman who will finance and pilot the multi-day mission for himself
  
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• Biden, Yellen say GOP virus aid too small, Democrats push on

  02-02-2021 22:34
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden told Senate Democrats on a private call Tuesday that a Republican alternative to his $1.9 trillion COVID rescue plan is insufficient. Biden and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen urged lawmakers to take bold action to address the pandemic and economic crisis. Senate Democrats voted Tuesday on a first step toward approving Biden’s plan with or without Republican votes. The procedural vote launches a lengthy budget process toward passage by March. Bid
  
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• Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founder, will step down as CEO

  02-02-2021 22:28
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon said Tuesday that Jeff Bezos is stepping down as CEO later this year, a role he’s had since he founded the company nearly 30 years ago.
  Bezos built the company from an online bookstore into a behemoth that sells just about everything.
  Amazon said he’ll be replaced in the fall by Andy Jassy, who runs Amazon’s cloud business. Bezos will then become the company’s executive chairman.
  The post Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founder, will step down as C
  
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• Mexican migrants sent home a record $40 billion in 2020

  02-02-2021 22:27
  
  MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s central bank says money sent home by Mexican migrants rose 11.4% in 2020 to a new high despite the coronavirus pandemic. The banks said Monday that migrants sent home a record $40.6 billion in 2020, including $4 billion last March alone, which was a new high for a single month. The record flow of cash for 2020 compared to $36.4  billion sent by Mexican migrants in 2019. The rise was much better than other countries, which have seen drops in the money
  
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• Nebraska family battles COVID-19 again after testing positive for a second time

  02-02-2021 22:24
  
  CNN Newsource
  OMAHA, Neb. (CNN) - A Nebraska family apparently thought once you contract COVID-19. You have guaranteed immunity.They learned that was not the case after getting sick twice in the span of two months.Meet Chuck Conboy Sr. and his family.The 67-year-old says he had a frightening moment walking to a festival in November."And I walked about 200 feet and I couldn't breathe," Conboy said. "And I mean, it was a panic feeling. I've never had anything like that in my life."He says he test
  
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• Nevada jockeys to be first on presidential primary calendar

  02-02-2021 22:23
  
  LAS VEGAS (AP) — Democrats in Nevada are making a play to bump Iowa and New Hampshire from their early spots on the presidential primary calendar. If the move is successful, it would upend decades of political tradition and give a more urban and racially diverse group of voters a greater say in picking the party’s nominee. The behind-the-scenes lobbying seeks to capitalize on the party’s discontent with Iowa’s and New Hampshire’s performances last year. Iowa’s
  
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• France says no AstraZeneca virus vaccine for people over 65

  02-02-2021 22:14
  PARIS (AP) — President Emmanuel Macron says France will only give the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine to people under age 65. The government’s health advisory body on Tuesday cited a lack of sufficient data about the vaccine’s effectiveness in older people. The decision could shake up France’s vaccination strategy because the country has prioritized nursing home residents and people over 75, and also had counted on the AstraZeneca vaccine for a large part of its upcoming
  
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• Amazon says Jeff Bezos will step down as CEO of the company he founded nearly 30 years ago.

  02-02-2021 22:12
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon says Jeff Bezos will step down as CEO of the company he founded nearly 30 years ago.The post Amazon says Jeff Bezos will step down as CEO of the company he founded nearly 30 years ago. appeared first on KVOA.
  
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• Big Tech leads stocks to broad gains; GameStop collapses

  02-02-2021 22:11
  
  Stocks closed broadly higher on Wall Street, adding to the market’s gains from a day earlier with solid contributions from Big Tech companies, banks and other sectors. The S&P 500 rose 1.4%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq each rose 1.6%. GameStop plunged 60% in the latest wild swing for the stock and several others that have become caught up in a speculative frenzy by online traders seeking to inflict damage on Wall Street hedge funds who bet the stocks would fal
  
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• Interview flap shows challenges as Harris settles in as VP

  02-02-2021 22:04
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris has spent her first two weeks in office working with the president on coronavirus relief, consulting with the head of the World Health Organization and talking with the prime minister of Canada. But it’s her interview with a local news station in West Virginia that’s getting more attention — and not in a good way. West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin didn’t take kindly to the vice president’s effort to put pr
  
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• Washington state eyes ‘billionaire tax’ on the ultra rich

  02-02-2021 21:50
  
  OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington state’s richest residents — including Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates — would pay a wealth tax on certain financial assets under legislation being considered by lawmakers in the state House. The Democratic sponsor of the bill says she is seeking a fair and equitable tax code at a time when more lower- and middle-income people are struggling due to the pandemic.  Under the bill, for taxes due in 2023, a 1% tax would be levied on “extra
  
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• Georgia governor wants to get retired teachers to return

  02-02-2021 21:49
  
  ATLANTA (AP) — Some retired Georgia teachers could return to work and collect both a full salary and a full pension under a measure that Gov. Brian Kemp is proposing. The Republican governor said Tuesday that Georgia needs to bolster its teacher workforce. The proposal would let educators return if they can teach in one of the top three subject areas in which a local region most needs more teachers. Kemp also wants to recruit more teachers from the military and from historically Black coll
  
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• Pivotal election figure leaving job under an unrelated cloud

  02-02-2021 21:47
  
  HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s elections chief isn’t saying whether Gov. Tom Wolf asked for her resignation, but she says the buck stops with her. Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar is leaving this week after it surfaced that her agency failed to properly handle an advertising requirement for a proposed constitutional amendment. That mistake means a delay of two years for victims of childhood sexual abuse who want to file otherwise outdated civil lawsuits. Boockvar spent
  
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• Man arrested in killing of 5 children, 1 adult in Oklahoma

  02-02-2021 21:35
  
  MUSKOGEE, Okla. (AP) — Police say six people, including five children, have been shot to death at a home in Oklahoma, and that a 25-year-old suspect is in custody. Police Officer Lynn Hamlin says officers responded about 1:30 a.m. to a call of multiple people shot at a home in Muskogee found one man and four children dead at the scene. Hamlin says a fifth child died at a Tulsa hospital. Officers also encountered Jarrod Deajon Pridgeon with a gun and arrested him. Hamlin says a woman who wa
  
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• Italy’s president seeks a non-political government to lead

  02-02-2021 21:33
  
  ROME (AP) — Italy’s president has called on Parliament to quickly back a new, non-political government to lead the country through the coronavirus pandemic. President Sergio Mattarella made the appeal after negotiations failed on Tuesday to revive the collapsed coalition government of Premier Giuseppe Conte, who is acting in a caretaker capacity. Addressing the nation on Tuesday night, Mattarella said Italy could ill-afford to have a political campaign and early parliamentary electio
  
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• Biden, Yellen pan GOP virus aid as too small, urge action

  02-02-2021 21:31
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden told Senate Democrats on a private call Tuesday that a Republican alternative to his $1.9 trillion COVID rescue plan is insufficient. Biden and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen urged lawmakers to take bold action to address the pandemic and economic crisis. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that senators will vote Tuesday on a first step toward approving Biden’s plan with or without Republican votes. The procedural vote would launch a
  
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• Biden boosting vaccine allotments, financing for virus costs

  02-02-2021 21:30
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s administration is moving to expand access to COVID-19 vaccines, freeing up more doses for states and beginning to distribute them to retail pharmacies next week. The push comes as there is new urgency to speed vaccinations to prevent the spread of potentially more serious strains of the virus that has killed more than 445,000 Americans. Starting next week, 1 million doses will be distributed to some 6,500 pharmacies across the country. The admi
  
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• The Latest: Mexico nears approval of Russian vaccine

  02-02-2021 21:29
  
  MEXICO CITY — Mexico is on the verge of approving the Russian COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V following the publication of early results of an advanced study.Assistant Health Secretary Hugo López-Gatell, the government’s pandemic spokesman, says the health ministry signed a contract Monday for 400,000 doses of Sputnik V that will arrive this month.Once approved, the Russian vaccine would become the third to receive emergency approval in Mexico. The regulating agency approved the Pf
  
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• Senate confirms Mayorkas as Biden’s homeland security chief

  02-02-2021 21:28
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has confirmed Alejandro Mayorkas as President Joe Biden’s homeland security secretary. He’s the first Latino to fill the post, and the first immigrant to do so. The department is central to the Biden administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, a sweeping Russia-linked cyber hack and domestic extremism. Mayorkas is expected to lead a broad policy overhaul of an agency that was accused of being deeply politicized as it carried out Pre
  
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• The Latest: Wet snow turns to sleet in northern New England

  02-02-2021 21:27
  
  In its second day in the Northeast, a snow storm left nearly 15 inches of snow piled up in parts of New Hampshire. The snow changed over to sleet in areas of Maine and New Hampshire, adding to the misery of removal. Snow is expected to continue in Vermont and Maine until Wednesday morning. Skiers rejoiced as heavy snow fell in the region’s mountains. Off the Maine coast, the storm whipped up waves that approached 30 feet, and a 73-mph gust was recorded at an offshore buoy.The post The Late
  
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• Senate confirms Alejandro Mayorkas as Biden’s pick to lead Homeland Security, first Latino and immigrant to hold post

  02-02-2021 21:26
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate confirms Alejandro Mayorkas as Biden’s pick to lead Homeland Security, first Latino and immigrant to hold post.The post Senate confirms Alejandro Mayorkas as Biden’s pick to lead Homeland Security, first Latino and immigrant to hold post appeared first on KVOA.
  
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• Italy’s president calls on Parliament to back a new, non-political government to lead country during virus pandemic

  02-02-2021 21:24
  
  ROME (AP) — Italy’s president calls on Parliament to back a new, non-political government to lead country during virus pandemic.The post Italy’s president calls on Parliament to back a new, non-political government to lead country during virus pandemic appeared first on KVOA.
  
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• Things to Know: Vaccine shipments coming to US pharmacies

  02-02-2021 21:11
  
  The Biden administration will begin shipping COVID-19 vaccines to U.S. pharmacies next week as it seeks to ramp up vaccinations with the appearance of new and potentially more serious virus strains. Coronavirus coordinator Jeff Zients said Tuesday that about 6,500 pharmacies around the country will receive a total of 1 million doses of vaccine and that more locations will be added as drugmakers increase production. In other U.S. coronavirus news, pressure is building on school systems to reopen
  
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• Italy: Ex-premier gives thumbs-down to revived coalition

  02-02-2021 20:56
  
  ROME (AP) — Former Italian Premier Matteo Renzi has given a thumbs-down to prospects for reviving Italy’s collapsed government with a revamped coalition. Renzi tweeted that he and his tiny Italy Alive party concluded there was a “rupture” in the efforts to bridge policy differences with the other partner parties in Premier Giuseppe Conte’s government. Conte resigned last week after Renzi yanked his ministers to protest what he said was the premier’s clumsy han
  
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• Arizona to embrace sports betting in deal with tribes

  02-02-2021 20:50
  
  PHOENIX (AP) — Arizonans would be allowed to bet on professional and college sports at tribal casinos and at sites owned by pro sports teams under a proposal that is part of an update to the state’s deal allowing Native American tribes to run casinos. The wide-ranging proposal introduced in the Arizona House on Monday would also allow bets to be placed online, fantasy sports wagering, and add limited Keno games at off-track betting locations and social clubs like the American Legion.
  
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• Pima County Makes Progress with Limited Vaccine Supply

  02-02-2021 20:48
  
  Pima County has administered 114,165 COVID-19 vaccines as of Feb. 1 but has only completed 18,691 series of the two doses needed to be fully immunized. …
  
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• Vaccinations resume as not-quite-historic snowstorm fades

  02-02-2021 20:44
  
  BOSTON (AP) — Travelers at airports are describing widespread disruptions during this week’s snowstorm in the northeastern U.S. Keno Walter-White said Tuesday that he got stranded at Newark Liberty International Airport after his flight was canceled and bus and tram services were suspended. The Las Vegas man says he has been snowed in at the New Jersey airport for three days. Coronavirus vaccination sites across the Northeastern U.S. are getting back up and running in the region as t
  
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• Pentagon chief purges defense boards; Trump loyalists out

  02-02-2021 20:43
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered hundreds of Pentagon advisory board members to resign this month as part of a broad review of the panels, essentially purging several dozen last-minute appointments under the Trump administration. During the last two months of his tenure, former acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller removed a number of longtime members from several defense policy, health, science and business boards and replaced many with loyalists of forme
  
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