Former Australian PM Morrison took on extra powers in secret
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has accused his predecessor Scott Morrison of “trashing democracy” after revealing that while Morrison was in power, he arranged to have himself quietly appointed to five ministerial roles without the knowledge of many other lawmakers or the public.
Oregon justice fires panel due to lack of public defenders
Oregon’s chief justice has fired all the members of the Public Defense Services Commission, frustrated that hundreds of defendants charged with crimes and who cannot afford an attorney have been unable to find public defenders to represent them.
British regulator 1st to OK Moderna's updated COVID booster
British drug regulators have become the first in the world to authorize an updated version of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine that includes protection against the omicron variant, which the government said would now be offered to people aged 50 and over in the fall.
Florida reports 120,018 new COVID cases as CDC drops quarantine, social distancing from guidelines
The agency dropped quarantine and social distancing recommendations from its COVID-19 guidelines, what officials said was spurred by estimates that 95% of Americans 16 and up — whether from vaccinations or infections — now have some level of immunity to the virus.
Florida leader urges court to uphold ruling that blocks mask requirement on planes
State Attorney General Ashley Moody and other Republican politicians from across the country urged an appeals court this week to uphold a Florida federal judge’s ruling that blocked a mask requirement on airplanes and in other transportation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In wake of floods, typical barbs at Kentucky political event
While Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear was consoling families displaced by historic flooding in the mountains of eastern Kentucky, Republicans at the state’s premier political event on the other side of the state were campaigning to oust him from office in 2023.