Europe

The Austrian government has scrapped a law that would force residents of the country to be fully vaccinated against the Wuhan coronavirus, with the country’s Health Minister arguing the omicron variant has “changed the rules.” Health Minister of Austria Johannes Rauch of the Green Party and Austrian People’s Party club leader August Wöginger announced that the law would be scrapped as it was not effective in getting more people vaccinated and the omicron variant has led to milder cases of the virus. “Omicron has changed the rules,” Rauch said and added, “the Corona vaccination obligation does not bring anyone to get vaccinated,” and argued that even if people were punished for being unvaccinated it did not have any impact on overall vaccination numbers, which had remained the same, Kronen Zeitung reports . Minister Rauch also stated that the mandatory vaccination law had opened “deep rifts” among the general public and Austrian society. He added that Austria has gone from … [Read more...] about Austria Scraps Coronavirus Vaccine Mandate Law

WASHINGTON, DC. (CW44 News At 10 | CNN) — President Joe Biden will sign a bipartisan bill to address gun violence into law Saturday before departing for Europe, the White House announced Friday. The bill amounts to the first major federal gun safety legislation in decades and marks a significant bipartisan breakthrough on one of the most contentious policy issues in Washington. READ MORE: Ukraine To Withdraw From Severodonetsk As Russia's Advance Grinds On The House on Friday passed the bill by 234-193, including 14 Republicans voting with Democrats. The Senate passed the bill in a late-night vote Thursday. The measure includes millions of dollars for mental health, school safety, crisis intervention programs and incentives for states to include juvenile records in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. It also makes significant changes to the process when someone ages 18 to 21 goes to buy a firearm and closes the so-called boyfriend loophole, a victory for … [Read more...] about Biden Will Sign First Major Federal Gun Safety Legislation In Decades

Republicans on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee are renewing their request for a briefing on the White House’s initial response to the nationwide baby formula crisis. More than 70% of baby formula products were out of stock in late May, according to data from Datasembly, following the February closure of an Abbott Laboratories plant, Bloomberg reported . President Joe Biden invoked the Defense Production Act in response to the crisis in May, and Abbott Laboratories’ Sturgis, Michigan, plant re-opened in early June, but shortages have continued. National Economic Council Brian Deese revealed in early May that the Biden administration first became aware of the potential for shortages in early February. Now, Republicans on the committee are requesting a briefing about the administration’s actions in those first days, as well as any communications between the White House, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Department of Health and Human Services … [Read more...] about EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans Renew Request For Briefing About White House’s Response To Baby Formula Crisis

(CNN) — President Joe Biden on Saturday signed into law the first major federal gun safety legislation passed in decades, marking a significant bipartisan breakthrough on one of the most contentious policy issues in Washington. “God willing, it’s going to save a lot of lives,” Biden said at the White House as he finished signing the bill. READ MORE: Brandywine Valley SPCA, Other Shelters Holding Mega Adoption Event This Weekend The legislation came together in the aftermath of recent mass shootings at a Uvalde, Texas, elementary school and a Buffalo, New York, supermarket that was in a predominantly Black neighborhood. A bipartisan group of negotiators set to work in the Senate and unveiled legislative text on Tuesday. The bill — titled the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act — was released by Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Democratic Sens. Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. The House on Friday passed the bill … [Read more...] about Biden Signs Bipartisan Gun Safety Bill Into Law: ‘God Willing, It’s Going To Save A Lot Of Lives’

Harry Potter’s gone, last seen grizzled and liver-spotted, tending to his own affairs at King’s Cross Railway Station. Bella Swan is about to lose her virginity and maybe even become a vampire. Aren’t we ever in need of hero. Fortunately for us, and just in time for the holiday season, Sherlock Holmes is on the case. The timing couldn’t be better, comfortable as the great detective would be in a world of Bernie Madoffs, Raj Rajaratnams and the men and women who ran MF Global into the ground. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous hero is suddenly everywhere. The eminent critic Michael Dirda has produced a lovely portrait of reading Conan Doyle , while the English novelist Andy Horowitz has given us the first new Holmes novel, House of Silk ever sanctioned by Conan Doyle’s estate. The BBC has produced a new series based on Holmes, Sherlock , that is set on Baker Street in today’s London of misbehaving soccer players and Russian oligarchs. And, as if we could forget, Robert … [Read more...] about How Sherlock Holmes Took on the Capitalists

0 Sports A Connecticut native, Hamm led Eastern Connecticut State to an NCAA Division III National Championship, ECSU's first in 20 years. Ellyn Santiago , Patch Staff Posted Reply NEW HAVEN, CT – Victoria M. "Vicky" Chun, Yale University's Thomas A. Beckett Director of Athletics, has announced Brian Hamm as the new head coach of the Yale baseball team. Hamm just led Eastern Connecticut State to an NCAA Division III National Championship, capping a season in which the Warriors went 49-3. He was named National Coach of the Year by D3baseball.com for his work. "I am thrilled that Brian Hamm will be leading our storied baseball program at Yale. Coming off winning a national title, it is clear that he is a proven winner," said Chun. "What impressed us the most is Brian's energy, work ethic and passion in giving his student-athletes the very best-in-class experience." Hamm spent the past four seasons at Eastern Connecticut, … [Read more...] about Brian Hamm Named 14th Yale Baseball Coach In Program History

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 11 ELMAU, Germany (AP) — President Joe Biden and his Group of Seven allies will huddle Sunday on strategies to secure energy supplies and tackle inflation, aiming to keep the fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine from splintering the global coalition working to punish Moscow. Biden arrived in Germany's picturesque Bavarian alps early Sunday morning for the annual meeting of the leading democratic economies, where the reverberations from the brutal war in Ukraine will be front and center in the discussion. He and the allies aim to present a united front in support of Ukraine as the conflict enters its fourth month. Biden will open his visit with a bilateral meeting with the summit's host, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, before spending the afternoon in both formal and informal settings with the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, … [Read more...] about Biden, G-7 leaders huddle on energy, inflation, Ukraine war

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 6 BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — While Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is certain to dominate an upcoming NATO summit in Madrid, Spain and other member nations are quietly pushing the Western alliance to consider how mercenaries aligned with Russian President Vladimir Putin are spreading Moscow's influence to Africa. As the host of the summit taking place from Tuesday to Thursday, Spain wants to emphasize its proximity to Africa as it lobbies for a greater focus on Europe’s southern flank in a new document outlining NATO's vision of its security challenges and tasks. The Strategic Concept is NATO’s most important working document after the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949, which contained the key provision holding that an attack on one member is viewed as an attack upon all. The security assessment is updated roughly every decade to reset the West's security agenda. The current … [Read more...] about As summit host, Spain urges NATO to watch its southern flank

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 7 ELMAU, Germany (AP) — President Joe Biden said Sunday that the United States and other Group of Seven leading economies will announce a ban on imports of gold from Russia, a step the leaders hope will further isolate Russia economically over its invasion of Ukraine. A formal announcement was expected Tuesday as the leaders meet for their annual summit. Biden and his Group of Seven allies will huddle on the summit's opening day Sunday on strategies to secure energy supplies and tackle inflation, aiming to keep the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine from splintering the global coalition working to punish Moscow. Hours before the summit was officially set to open, Russia launched missile strikes against the Ukrainian capital Sunday, striking at least two residential buildings, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. They were the first such strikes by Russia … [Read more...] about Biden: G-7 to ban Russian gold in response to Ukraine war