Raqqa Activist Group Win International Press Freedom Award

AFP
Long-delayed Ukraine aid clears US Congress, awaits Biden signature
The US Congress gave final approval to a $61 billion aid package for Ukraine late Tuesday, with President Joe Biden quickly vowing to sign the long-delayed bill and begin delivering fresh supplies this week to the war zone as Russia makes battlefield gains.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who visited Washington in December to plead for fresh aid, quickly thanked US lawmakers for passing the bill, saying on social media that he looks "forward to the bill being signed soon and the next mili
13m ago
NBC News
Rep. Summer Lee fends off a primary challenge in a race that tested Democratic sentiment over Israel
NBC News projects that Rep. Summer Lee, a progressive member of the “Squad,” defeated fellow Democrat Bhavini Patel in Pennsylvania’s 12th District primary.
24m ago
AFP
Victims of China floods race to salvage property
Victims of severe floods in southern China raced on Wednesday to salvage property from the muddy waters, as authorities warned of more heavy rains to come.Authorities have warned of more downpours across Guangdong from Wednesday evening until Friday.
36m ago
Politico
Tennessee lawmakers pass bill to allow teachers to be armed
The legislation comes a year after a deadly Nashville shooting.
38m ago
Associated Press
Pro-Palestinian student protests target colleges' financial ties with Israel
Students at a growing number of U.S. colleges are gathering in protest encampments with a unified demand of their schools: Stop doing business with Israel — or any companies that empower its ongoing war in Gaza. The demand has its roots in a decades-old campaign against Israel's policies toward the Palestinians. The movement has taken on new strength as the Israel-Hamas war surpasses the six-month mark and stories of suffering in Gaza have sparked international calls for a cease-fire.
43m ago
NBC News
Bob Casey and Dave McCormick advance to the general election in Pennsylvania, setting up a key race for Senate control
Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and Republican Dave McCormick are officially set to face off in Pennsylvania’s Senate race this fall after winning their primaries.
47m ago
NBC News
131 million in U.S. live in areas with unhealthy pollution levels, lung association finds
Nearly 40% of people in the U.S. are living in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollution and the country is backsliding on clean air progress as the effects of climate change intensify, according to a new report from the American Lung Association.
53m ago
Associated Press
Disgraced coal CEO lost races as GOP and third party candidate. He's trying again as a Democrat
Don Blankenship hasn't had much success running for office. Blankenship has plenty of baggage heading into the May 14 Democratic primary. Beyond his history of political losses, he's perhaps best known in this coal-producing state as the former chief executive of Massey Energy who spent a year in federal prison for conspiring to violate mine safety laws before an explosion at his West Virginia coal mine killed 29 men in 2010.
55m ago
Associated Press
Villagers in Mexico organize to take back their water as drought, avocados dry up lakes and rivers
As a drought in Mexico drags on, angry subsistence farmers have begun taking direct action on thirsty avocado orchards and berry fields of commercial farms that are drying up streams in the mountains west of Mexico City. Rivers and even whole lakes are disappearing in the once green and lush state of Michoacan, as the drought combines with a surge in the use of water for the country’s lucrative export crops, lead by avocados. In recent days, subsistence farmers and activists from the Michoacan town of Villa Madero organized teams to go into the mountains and rip out illegal water pumps and breach unlicensed irrigation holding ponds.
58m ago
Associated Press
What to listen for during Supreme Court arguments on Donald Trump and presidential immunity
The Supreme Court hears arguments Thursday over whether Donald Trump is immune from prosecution in a case charging him with plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. It's a historic day for the court, with the justices having an opportunity to decide once and for all whether former presidents can be prosecuted for official acts they take while in the White House. The court marshal will bang the gavel at 10 a.m. EDT and Chief Justice John Roberts will announce soon after the start of arguments in Donald J. Trump vs. United States of America, as the case is called.
58m ago
Associated Press
A conservative quest to limit diversity programs gains momentum in states
A conservative quest to limit diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives is gaining momentum in state capitals and college governing boards, with officials in about one-third of the states now taking some sort of action against it. Tennessee became the latest when the Republican governor this week signed legislation that would prohibit banks and other financial institutions from considering a customer's participation — or lack thereof — in “diversity, equity and inclusion training” or “social justice programming.” Last week, Iowa's Republican-led Legislature also gave final approval to a budget bill that would ban all DEI offices and initiatives in higher education that aren't necessary to comply with accreditation or federal law.
1h ago
Associated Press
Arizona Democrats attempt to repeal the state’s 19th century abortion ban
For a third straight week, Democrats at the Arizona Legislature are attempting Wednesday to repeal the state's near-total ban on abortions, again spotlighting an issue that has put Republicans on the defensive in a battleground state for the presidential election. Republicans have used procedural votes to block earlier repeal efforts, each time drawing condemnation from Democratic President Joe Biden, who has made his support for abortion access central to his campaign for reelection. Arizona Republicans have been under intense pressure from some conservatives in their base, who firmly support the abortion ban, even as it's become a liability with swing voters who will decide crucial races including the presidency, the U.S. Senate and the GOP's control of the Legislature.
1h ago
Associated Press
Biden tries to navigate the Israel-Hamas war protests roiling college campuses
Student protests over the war in Gaza have created a new and unpredictable challenge for President Joe Biden as he resists calls to cut off U.S. support for Israel while trying to hold together the coalition of voters he'll need for reelection. The protests at Columbia University in New York and other campuses have captured global media attention and resurfaced questions about Biden’s lagging support from young voters. At best for Biden, the protests are a passing distraction while the White House presses forward with negotiations over a ceasefire and the release of hostages held by Hamas while pushing Israel to limit casualties with more than 34,000 Palestinians dead.
1h ago
Associated Press
Supreme Court to consider when doctors can provide emergency abortions in states with bans
The Supreme Court will consider Wednesday when doctors can provide abortions during medical emergencies in states with bans enacted after the high court’s sweeping decision overturning Roe v. Wade. The case comes from Idaho, which is one of 14 states that now ban abortion at all stages of pregnancy with limited exceptions. It marks the first time the Supreme Court has considered a state ban since Roe was reversed.
1h ago
CNN
Nearly two-thirds of parents feel lonely and burned out, survey finds
Overwhelming responsibilities during and after the pandemic is causing two-thirds of parents to feel isolated and lonely which can lead to burnout, experts say.
1h ago
Reuters
Myanmar rebel group says it withdraws from key town on Thai border
A spokesman for the Karen National Union (KNU) said the "temporary retreat" from the town of Myawaddy came after the return of junta soldiers to the vital strategic area that is a conduit for annual foreign trade of more than $1 billion. "KNLA troops will ... destroy the junta troops and their back-up troops who marched to Myawaddy," Saw Taw Nee told Reuters, referring to the group's armed wing, the Karen National Liberation Army, one of Myanmar's oldest ethnic fighting forces.
1h ago
NBC News
Senate passes Ukraine aid, Israel funding and TikTok crackdown, sending bill to Biden's desk
The Senate voted to advance the $95 billion aid package that provides critical aid to Ukraine, Israel and Gaza and a provision to ban TikTok in the U.S.
1h ago
Associated Press
New Jersey is motivating telecommuters to appeal their New York tax bills. Connecticut may be next
Telecommuting, a pandemic-era novelty that has become a permanent alternative for many people, has some Connecticut and New Jersey employees of New York-based companies questioning why they still have to pay personal income tax to the Empire State. Fed up with losing out on hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue each year, New Jersey is now offering a state tax credit to residents who work from home and successfully appeal their New York tax assessment. Connecticut is considering a similar measure.
1h ago
CNN
How a gag order showdown explains everything about Trump
Prosecutor Christopher Conroy captured the quintessential Donald Trump in a single sentence at the ex-President’s hush money trial on Tuesday.
1h ago
Associated Press
Olympian Kristi Yamaguchi is 'tickled pink' to inspire a Barbie doll
Like many little girls, a young Kristi Yamaguchi loved playing with Barbie. With a schedule packed with ice skating practices, her Barbie dolls became her “best friends.” Yamaguchi, who became the first Asian American to win an individual figure skating gold medal, at the 1992 Winter Olympics, has been immortalized as a doll for Barbie's “Inspiring Women Series,” Mattel announced Wednesday.
1h ago

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