More from Ben Burke
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10 hospitalized, several missing after Maryland explosion, building collapse
A large explosion caused an apartment building in Silver Springs, Maryland to catch fire and partially collapse. No deaths have been reported. However, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Chief Scott Goldstein said ten people were sent to the hospital, three with “serious injuries.” Several others remained unaccounted for as of Thursday afternoon. “At the scene… -
Unemployment claims drop, services industry slows ahead of jobs report
The latest weekly unemployment claims report from the Labor Department shows initial claims dropped by 18,000 to 215,000 last week. That’s the lowest numbers since the turn of the new year. The four-week average for claims, which compensates for weekly volatility, fell by 6,000 to 230,500. While Thursday’s Labor Department report indicates a low number… -
Russia takes over first major Ukrainian city as talks resume
In an apparent effort to shut down Ukraine’s access to the sea, Russia targeted two port cities, including the first major Ukrainian city to fall since the invasion began. In a virtual briefing Tuesday, a spokesperson for Russia’s defense ministry announced “units of Russian Armed Forces took under its entire control the regional centre of… -
Biden’s State of the Union inflation comments draw bipartisan pushback
Recent polling from Gallup has indicated inflation and the economy are major concerns for many Americans. During his State of the Union address, President Biden described plans to combat America’s rising inflation. “Too many families are struggling to keep up with their bills. Inflation is robbing them of gains they thought otherwise they would be able to… -
Biden at State of the Union: “The answer is not to defund the police”
One of the many subjects tackled in President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address was the concept of “defunding the police.” President Biden addressed the subject while talking about his trip to New York in the days after two New York Police Department officers were laid to rest. “Let’s not abandon our streets or… -
2022 Texas primary: Abbott-O’Rourke matchup set, centrists struggle
The heavyweight gubernatorial matchup of Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) and former Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke is now set in stone for November following Texas’ primary elections. Both Gov. Abbott and O’Rourke won their respective primaries. According to the results on Texas’s elections website, Abbott secured the Republican nomination with over 66% of the vote.… -
Union rejects MLB’s final offer to end lockout, 2022 Opening Day delayed
Major League Baseball’s (MLB) self-imposed deadline to reach an agreement with the league’s players union (MLBPA)–to end the current lockout and avoid cancelling games in the 2022 season–has passed. The league pitched its final offer at around 3:30 p.m. EST Tuesday, with the deadline passing 90 minutes later. At a news conference after the deadline… -
Russia escalates attacks on Kyiv, warns residents to flee
Russia continued its quest to take over Kyiv Tuesday, launching at least two attacks on Ukraine’s capital city. One of the attacks, targeting Kyiv’s main TV tower, killed five people. Another attack targeted a nearby Holocaust memorial. The Russian attacks on Kyiv came on the same day Russia fired what appeared to be a missile… -
Mardi Gras returns to New Orleans: ‘It’s a wonderful feeling’
For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, people took to the streets of New Orleans to celebrate Mardi Gras. Last year, parades were canceled, bars were closed and Bourbon Street was nearly shut down. Tuesday’s festivities include back-to-back parades across the city and marches through the French Quarter and beyond. “It’s… -
Trump appeals ruling forcing him to testify in civil investigation
Just days before former President Donald Trump was set to testify in the New York State civil investigation into his business dealings, Trump’s legal team appealed a judge’s ruling forcing Trump to do so. That ruling, filed by Manhattan Judge Arthur Engoron last month, set a March 10 deadline for Trump, Ivanka Trump, and Donald… -
Russia targets Ukraine’s two largest cities as diplomatic isolation intensifies
As day six of Russia’s invasion into Ukraine got underway, Russia continued to focus on Ukraine’s two largest cities: Kharkiv and the capital of Kyiv. Tuesday brought the second straight day of shelling in Kharkiv. Explosions tore through residential areas, and a maternity ward was moved to an underground shelter. “As a result of air… -
US expels Russian diplomats, EU adds more sanctions
On the same day more Russians received sanctions for the country’s invasion of Ukraine, the United States announced the expulsion of 12 diplomats from the Russian Mission to the United Nations. According to a statement from a spokesperson for the U.S. mission to the U.N., the 12 “have abused their privileges of residency in the United… -
Former US defense officials heading to Taiwan amid China tensions
According to a senior Biden administration official who spoke to Reuters on the condition of anonymity, President Joe Biden is sending five former top defense officials on a trip to Taiwan this week to “demonstrate our continued robust support for Taiwan.” The delegation is expected to arrive in Taiwan Tuesday afternoon and leave Wednesday afternoon.…