Ingested Articles

Iran starts trial of new homegrown vaccine as campaign lags

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's campaign to inoculate its population against the coronavirus and promote itself as an emerging vaccine manufacturer inched on as health authorities announced Tuesday that the country's third homegrown vaccine has reached the phase of clinical…

Encrypted messaging app Signal blocked in China

HONG KONG (AP) — Encrypted messaging app Signal appears to have been blocked in mainland China, the latest foreign social media service to cease working in a country where the government tightly controls the flow of information. As of Tuesday,…

Michelle Obama aims to give a million meals in new campaign

A campaign tied to the Tuesday debut of Michelle Obama’s children’s food show is aiming to provide more than one million meals to food insecure communities. The nonprofit Partnership for a Healthier America is launching the “Pass the Love w/ Waffles + Mochi” initiative. It's being done in collaboration with Obama, and the production company owned by the former first lady and former President Barack Obama. The campaign was inspired by Michelle Obama's Netflix series “Waffles + Mochi." Walmart and Blue Apron have jumped in to support the initiative. An official says the two companies will contribute funds to the campaign, and raise money for it among their customers. 

Homeland Security chief defends US handling of border surge

The Biden administration's head of Homeland Security is defending a policy of allowing unaccompanied children crossing the southwest border to remain in the U.S. while quickly expelling most single adults and families. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas issued a lengthy statement Tuesday on the response to the rising number of migrants apprehended along the U.S.-Mexico border. The Biden administration is continuing a Trump policy of quickly expelling single adults and families under a public health order due to the coronavirus pandemic. But it's holding minors in temporary shelters until they can be placed with relatives or sponsors in the U.S. Mayorkas says the situation at the border is “difficult."

Tiger Woods returns to video games, this time with 2K series

Tiger Woods has signed a long-term partnership with the company behind the “PGA Tour 2K” video game series, returning the 15-time major champion to an industry he once dominated with EA Sports. The deal was announced Tuesday, nearly a month after Woods suffered career-threatening leg injuries when he crashed an SUV on a steep road in the Los Angeles suburbs. It's possible Woods may never return to the PGA Tour, where his 82 victories are tied with Sam Snead for most all-time. But his name and likeness will be used exclusively in the “PGA Tour 2K” franchise. Woods will be an executive director and consultant.

Former point guard jailed in bribery scheme has book deal

A former point guard sentenced to prison in 2019 for his role in a college basketball bribery scheme has a book coming out next year. Hanover Square Press announced Tuesday that Merl Code’s “Black Market” will be published in March 2022. Code was a Clemson point guard in the 1990s who later worked with Nike and Adidas. He was among 10 individuals arrested in 2017 for their alleged plan to get top prospects to sign with managers who would handle their finances once they turned professional. Hanover is calling the book an “explosive insider account of the dark underworld of college basketball.” 

Family of boy killed at Disney World urges organ donation

The parents of a 2-year-old Nebraska boy who was killed by an alligator at Walt Disney World nearly five years ago want more families to consider donating their children’s organs. Matt and Melissa Graves created the Lane Thomas Foundation after their son’s death in 2016. The Omaha couple has said they decided to focus on pediatric organ donation because they wanted to help other families fighting for their children’s lives. The Graves’ foundation is trying to move beyond the small-scale donations it has been making so far to individual families with children undergoing transplants to raise awareness nationally about the need for pediatric organ donation.

Look out, Labs: French bulldogs now 2nd most popular US dog

Could the French bulldog become America’s favorite purebred pooch? Frenchies came in second only to longtime leaders Labrador retrievers in the American Kennel Club’s latest rankings. They’re set to be released Wednesday. The rest of the top 10 includes German shepherds; golden retrievers; bulldogs; poodles; beagles; Rottweilers; German shorthaired pointers; and dachshunds. They reflect the relative numbers of purebreds, mainly puppies, that were added last year to the oldest U.S. dog registry. French bulldogs ranked a distant 82nd three decades ago but began gaining popularity in the late 1990s.

Foxconn mulls making electric vehicles at Wisconsin plant

Foxconn Technology Group, the world’s largest electronics manufacturer, is looking at making electric vehicles in its highly anticipated Wisconsin plant that has been scaled back since its announcement in 2017. Foxconn Chairman Young Liu said at a news conference in Taipei, Taiwan’s capital, that the decision will be between whether to go to Mexico or the U.S. for manufacturing electric vehicles. He said the decision, which will be finalized before July 1, will hinge on business, not politics.

Connecticut's zoning laws a focus in racial equity debate

A coalition called Desegregate Connecticut that originally started with a Zoom call among architects, planners and attorneys is hoping to pass legislation to address housing inequities in the state, both racially and economically. The coalition of more than 60 organizations has compiled a package of zoning-related changes for lawmakers to consider in a legislative session marked by debate over how to bring more equity to a state with some of the highest levels of income inequality. But while the nation’s racial reckoning has generated momentum to make it easier for people to live wherever they want in Connecticut, there’s been some resistance, especially from residents and leaders of smaller and often wealthy communities.

China state TV raps Kohler, BMW for using facial recognition

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese state TV has criticized bathroom fixtures brand Kohler and automaker BMW for the use of facial recognition technology on visitors to their outlets in possible violation of privacy rules that took effect this year. The accusation…