May 16, 2021 8:21 am
SAN DIEGO (AP) — President Joe Biden, under political pressure, agreed to admit four times as many refugees this budget year as his predecessor did, but resettlement agencies concede the number actually allowed into the U.S. will be closer to the record-low cap of 15,000 set by former President Donald Trump. Refugee advocates say they are grateful for the increase because it’s symbolically important to show the world the United States is back as a humanitarian leader at a time when the number of refugees worldwide is the highest since World War II. But they’re frustrated, too, because more refugees could have been admitted if Biden hadn’t dragged his feet. “About 10,000 to 15,000 is what we’re expecting,” said Jenny Yang of World Relief, adding that Biden’s inaction for months after taking office in January was “definitely problematic.” Biden first proposed raising the cap to 62,500 in February in a plan submitted to Congress, but then refused to sign off on it for two months before coming back April 16 and suggesting he was sticking with Trump’s target. Democratic allies and refugee advocates lambasted him, saying he was reneging on his campaign promise in the face of bipartisan criticism over his handling of an increase in unaccompanied migrant children at the U.S.-Mexico border. Weeks later, on May 3, Biden raised the cap. So far this year only about 2,500 refugees have arrived, with less than five months left before the fiscal year ends on Sept. 30.
May 16, 2021 8:17 am
LONDON (AP) — Travelers in England were packing their bags, bartenders were polishing their glasses and performers were warming up as Britain prepared Sunday for a major step out of lockdown — but with clouds of worry on the horizon. Excitement at the reopening of travel and hospitality vied with anxiety that a more contagious virus variant first found in India is spreading fast and could delay further plans to reopen. Cases of the variant have more than doubled in a week in the U.K., defying a sharp nationwide downward trend in infections and deaths won by hard-earned months of restrictions and a rapid vaccination campaign. A surge testing and stepped-up vaccination effort was being conducted in the northern England areas hardest hit by that variant. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the variant, formally known as B.1.617.2, is more transmissible than the U.K.’s main strain and “it is likely it will become the dominant variant. This isn’t over yet,” Hancock told the BBC on Sunday. “The virus has just gained a bit of pace and we’ve therefore all got to be that bit much more careful and cautious.”
May 16, 2021 8:15 am
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City flattened three buildings and killed at least 33 people Sunday, medics said, making it the deadliest single attack since heavy fighting broke out between Israel and the territory’s militant Hamas rulers nearly a week ago. The Gaza Health Ministry said 12 women and eight children were among those killed, with another 50 people wounded in the attack. Earlier, the Israeli military said it destroyed the home of Gaza’s top Hamas leader, Yahiyeh Sinwar, in a separate strike in the southern town of Khan Younis. It was the third such attack in the last two days on the homes of senior Hamas leaders, who have gone underground. Israel appears to have stepped up strikes in recent days to inflict as much damage as possible on Hamas as international mediators try to broker a cease-fire. But targeting the group’s leaders could hinder those efforts. A U.S. diplomat is in the region to try to de-escalate tensions, and the U.N. Security Council is set to meet Sunday.
May 16, 2021 8:08 am
PITTSBURGH (WPXI) — A man was killed in a fall on West Carson Street early Sunday morning. Pittsburgh police said the incident occurred in the 1200 block around 4:20 a.m. When first responders arrived, they located a man who had fallen from W Carson Street onto a gravel lot below. EMS pronounced the man deceased on scene. The investigation is ongoing.
May 16, 2021 8:04 am
MT. MORRIS, Pa. (WPXI) — A van containing three human cadavers was stolen from the garage of a funeral home in Greene County last week. According to a Pennsylvania State Police report, the incident occurred at Wilbert Funeral Services Inc., 123 Mechanic St., Mount Morris, sometime between May 9 and 10. Police said a suspect entered a secured garage and stole the van, which contained three human cadavers. The van and cadavers were eventually recovered at the Mount Morris truck stop at 106 Gas Company Road, Perry Twp., police said. A suspect has been developed and the investigation is ongoing.
May 16, 2021 4:14 am
GREENSBURG, Pa. (WPXI) — The sexual assault trial for suspended Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez is set to begin Monday morning in Westmoreland County after the jury was picked. The 12 jurors and two alternates were seated Friday. Vazquez, 29, has been in jail since he was arrested in September 2019. He was charged with statutory sexual assault, 10 counts of child pornography and a number of other criminal charges after he was accused of meeting a then-13-year-old girl for sex in 2017. Vazquez has maintained his innocence, and his defense attorney said in March he believed evidence will show his client believed the girl was almost an adult when they had sex. He also faces charges in Florida and Missouri after police said he had a sexual relationship with the girl related to those states.
May 15, 2021 4:24 am
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Target has suspended in-store sales of sports and Pokemon trading cards, citing safety concerns. While the Minneapolis-based retailer didn’t give a direct reason for the change in its Friday announcement, the Minneapolis Star Tribune says it came after police in Brookfield, Wisconsin, reported that four men had attacked another man over cards on May 7. The newspaper reports that the value of some trading cards has soared, driven in part by people rushing to buy up new cards for resale online. Target says it continues to sell the cards online.
May 15, 2021 4:23 am
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Three former Minneapolis police officers who are charged with violating George Floyd’s civil rights are scheduled to be arraigned in federal court in July, with a trial date to be determined. Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao are scheduled to be arraigned on civil rights violations on July 14 in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis. They are charged along with Derek Chauvin, who has already been convicted on state counts of murder and manslaughter. It wasn’t immediately clear why Chauvin is not part of this scheduling order, but he has not yet made an initial appearance on the federal charges.
May 15, 2021 4:22 am
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) – Two years after a white supremacist in New Zealand live streamed the slaughter of 51 Muslim worshippers on Facebook, French President Emmanuel Macron says the internet continues to be be used by terrorists as a weapon to propagate hate. Macron and other leaders from tech giants and governments around the world – including the U.S. for the first time – gathered virtually on Saturday to find better ways to stop extremist violence from spreading online, while also respecting freedom of expression. It’s part of a global effort started by Macron and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern after deadly attacks in their countries were streamed or shared on social networks. It also involves tech companies including Google, Facebook, Twitter and Amazon.
May 15, 2021 4:21 am
JERUSALEM (AP) – An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza City has killed at least seven Palestinians. The airstrike early Saturday in the western part of Gaza City recorded the highest number of fatalities in a single hit. The militant group Hamas reported the number is likely to rise as efforts to recover casualties from under the rubble of the house on the edge of Shati refugee camp are still ongoing. There is no immediate update from the Health Ministry. A resident nearby says Israeli warplanes dropped at least three bombs on the three-story house without warning its residents in advance. Shortly afterward, Hamas said it fired a salvo of rockets at southern Israel in response to the airstrike.
