‘Finally, infrastructure week!’ Biden says, cheering $1 trillion bill

A giddy President Joe Biden on Saturday hailed congressional passage of a long-delayed $1 trillion infrastructure bill as a “once in a generation” investment and predicted a broader social safety net plan will be approved despite tense negotiations.

Reuters

California town declares itself a ‘constitutional republic’ to buck Covid rules

Oroville’s city council adopted a resolution stating it would oppose state and federal orders that it deems to be government overreach

The Guardian

U.S. warns Americans and government employees in Ethiopia to leave “as soon as possible” amid deteriorating security situation

The United States is advising any of its citizens and all non-emergency U.S. government employees and their families who are in Ethiopia to leave “as soon as possible” due to deteriorating security conditions. A security alert posted Friday by the U.S. embassy in Addis Ababa warned Americans to depart the country without delay, and offered assistance in obtaining air travel from Bole International Airport. 

CBS News

T-Day: The Battle for Taiwan

China’s quest to rule Taiwan has already begun with a campaign of “gray-zone” warfare. Here is how military strategists believe the struggle might play out.

Reuters

Free menstrual products coming to on-reserve schools: Indigenous Services minister

Free menstrual products will be available in on-reserve schools “very soon,” the federal Indigenous Services minister said on Friday.

“Period poverty should never be a barrier to going to school. End of story,” Patty Hajdu said in a Twitter post. “Menstrual products are a basic need, and very soon they will be freely available in all on-reserve schools.”

CTV News

Japan eyes ¥100,000 cash handout for children aged 18 or younger

Japan’s government and ruling parties are considering providing ¥100,000 ($880) each for children aged 18 or younger in an attempt to ease the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, sources close to the matter have said.

Japan Times

How This Indigenous Nonprofit Aims to Reach Vaccine-Hesitant Native Communities

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, indigenous peoples have been disproportionately impacted, with a mortality rate far above any other ethnic group in America. Now, as vaccination rates in the United States slowly climb and access widens, one organization led by Native women is working to overcome vaccine hesitancy in the Native American community.

Teen Vogue

Navy to christen ship in honor of assassinated S.F. politician and gay pioneer Harvey Milk

The Navy on Saturday will christen a ship in honor of Harvey Milk, the slain San Francisco city board member who was the first openly gay elected official in California. He was assassinated on Nov. 27, 1978.

Washington Times

44 Trans Americans Have Lost Their Lives to Violence This Year

This year’s total has tied 2020’s record level of anti-trans homicides, with over a month left to go.

them.

The world is still falling short of meeting its climate goals

As countries prepare to reveal new targets to reduce carbon emissions, a climate report card shows who’s already flunking.

National Geographic

Manager of Car Lot Kyle Rittenhouse Took It Upon Himself to Protect Says No One Was Authorized to Guard Business on Night of Shooting

Two members of a family that owns a series of used car lots in Kenosha, Wisconsin, testified that they did not give permission to Kyle Rittenhouse or other members of his cohort to protect their businesses around the time that Rittenhouse shot and killed two people and wounded a third.

Law & Crime

At least 98 killed in Sierra Leone fuel tanker explosion

At least 98 people died on Friday after a fuel tanker exploded in a suburb of Sierra Leone‘s capital, Freetown, according to authorities in the West African country.

CNN

Women’s rights activist shot dead in northern Afghanistan

Frozan Safi, 29, is believed to be the first women’s rights defender to be killed since Taliban return to power

The Guardian

Can the Iran nuclear deal be saved?

Talks are set to resume at the end of the month, but the challenges to reaching an agreement are still immense.

Vox

He survived severe Covid-19; now he’s getting vaccinated, but losing friends

“Social media is full of this information to address your agenda. The algorithm sends just what you want to hear right to you,” he said. “And I was filled with this information.”

CNN