More from Ben Burke
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Supreme Court rules in favor of conservative activist in Christian flag case
The Supreme Court unanimously sided with conservative activist Harold Shurtleff in his lawsuit against the city of Boston over his request to fly a Christian flag outside City Hall. The request was made to commemorate Constitution Day on Sept. 17, 2017. The city rejected his request. “Because the flag-raising program did not express government speech,… -
EU slaps Apple with antitrust charge over Apple Pay technology
The European Union’s (EU) executive branch announced it has charged Apple with antitrust violations related to the company’s mobile wallet Apple Pay. According to the EU, the alleged anti-competitive practice dates back to when Apple Pay was launched in 2015. “On a preliminary basis, we have found that Apple abused its dominant position,” European Commission… -
DHS creating new group to counter Russian disinformation, smugglers
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it is forming a Disinformation Governance Board. The board is tasked with monitoring and countering disinformation coming from Russia and human smugglers at the U.S.-Mexico border. “The spread of disinformation can affect border security, Americans’ safety during disasters, and public trust in our democratic institutions,” the department said… -
FDA to consider COVID-19 vaccines for ‘younger populations’ in June
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has set tentative dates “to meet to discuss updates to the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech [emergency use authorizations] for their COVID-19 vaccines to include younger populations.” According to a Friday news release from the FDA, its Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) will discuss the topic “on June… -
Russia breaks calm with Kyiv attacks, Mariupol rescue effort under way
As an effort to rescue the roughly 100,000 Ukrainians that are believed to be trapped in Mariupol started, Russia broke what had been weeks of relative calm in Kyiv with a barrage of attacks on the capital city. The video above includes clips from the attacks. The series of strikes was the largest in Kyiv… -
NFL to kick off first full-scale draft since COVID-19 pandemic hit
The National Football League’s (NFL) annual draft is set to take place in Las Vegas this weekend. The draft stage has been set up on the iconic fountains at the Bellagio. Thursday’s night’s first round proceedings are three years in the making. The 2020 NFL draft was supposed to be held in Las Vegas until… -
US economy shrinks for first time since early pandemic
The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) reported the U.S. economy shrank for the first time since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in the first quarter of 2022. The economy had seen six straight quarters of growth after shrinking by nearly a third in the second quarter of 2020. “Real gross domestic… -
Trump lawyer files appeal to New York judge’s contempt ruling, daily fine
A lawyer for former President Donald Trump filed an appeal of a ruling to hold Trump in contempt of New York trial court. The ruling, issued by Manhattan Judge Arthur Engoron, includes a $10,000 daily fine. Engoron issued the ruling after Trump allegedly failed to comply with a subpoena for evidence in New York Attorney… -
CDC: More than half of Americans, 3 in 4 US kids have caught COVID-19
According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 58% of all Americans and about 75% of all U.S. kids have caught COVID-19 since the pandemic again. The study focused on seroprevalence, which indicates signs of previous infection. “These findings illustrate a high infection rate for the Omicron variant, especially… -
Biden issues first pardons, announces prison reentry efforts
Over a year into his presidency, President Joe Biden issued his first three pardons. The most notable pardon went to Abraham Bolden, Sr., who made history as the first Black Secret Service agent to serve on a presidential detail. According to a White House clemency recipient list published Tuesday, Bolden was charged with federal bribery… -
Santa Fe authorities release new video evidence from ‘Rust’ shooting
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office released a trove of video from its investigation into last October’s deadly shooting on the set of the movie “Rust.” Sheriff Adan Mendoza described Monday’s release as including “all files associated with our ongoing investigation,” including body cam video of a commanding officer reporting to the scene. “I’ve got… -
Supreme Court hears arguments in praying football coach case
The Supreme Court heard arguments in the case of Joseph Kennedy, a former high school football coach who was fired for refusing to stop praying at the center of the field following games. It was a ritual he conducted for years, with his players eventually joining him. The Bremerton School District, located west of Seattle,… -
Macron defeats Le Pen in France as protests, police shooting ensue
French President Emmanuel Macron was reelected for a second term. He received 58.5% of the vote in the election. “My dear fellow compatriots, it is with ambition and kindness for our country, for all of us, that I want to tackle by your side the next five years to come,” President Macron said in his…