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Crisis deepens for Cuomo; AG wants to lead harassment probe
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- The crisis enveloping Gov. Andrew Cuomo deepened Sunday as the state's attorney general demanded he grant her the authority to investigate claims he sexually harassed at least two women who worked for him. Top Democrats statewide appeared to be abandoning Cuomo in large numbers as he tried to retain some say over who would investigate his workplace conduct. Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat who has been, at times, allied with Cuomo but is independently elected, appeared to emerge as a consensus choice to lead a probe. Over several hours Sunday, she and other leading party officials rejected two proposals by the governor that they said could potentially have limited the independence of the investigation. Under his first plan, announced Saturday evening, a retired federal judge picked by Cuomo, Barbara Jones, would have reviewed his workplace behavior. In the second proposal, announced Sunday morning in an attempt to appease legislative leaders, Cuomo asked James and the state's chief appeals court judge, Janet DiFiore, to jointly appoint a lawyer to investigate the claims and issue a public report.
Some GOP state lawmakers help spread COVID-19 misinformation
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Many Republican lawmakers have criticized governors' emergency restrictions since the start of the coronavirus outbreak. Now that most legislatures are back in session, a new type of pushback is taking root: misinformation. In their own comments or by inviting skeptics to testify at legislative hearings, some GOP state lawmakers are using their platform to promote false information about the virus, the steps needed to limit its spread and the vaccines that will pull the nation out of the pandemic. In some cases, the misstatements have faced swift backlash, even getting censored online. That's raised tough questions about how aggressively to combat potentially dangerous misinformation from elected officials or during legislative hearings while protecting free speech and people's access to government. Last week, YouTube pulled down a video of committee testimony in the Ohio House after a witness inaccurately claimed COVID-19 wasn't killing children. The platform said the video violated its community standards against the spread of misinformation. Ben Wizner, director of the ACLU Speech, Privacy, and Technology project, said YouTube went too far.
US panel endorses one-shot vaccine option from J&J
WASHINGTON -- A U.S. advisory panel has endorsed the new one-dose COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson as a third option to bolster the national effort against the coronavirus pandemic. Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted overwhelmingly to recommend the vaccine for adults 18 years old and up. The ruling followed emergency clearance of the vaccine by U.S. regulators a day earlier. Members of the group emphasized that all three vaccines now available in the U.S. are highly protective against the worst effects of the virus, including hospitalization and death. J&J plans to ship several million vaccine doses to states in the coming week, delivering a total of 20 million shots by the end of March. Health officials are eager to have an easier-to-use vaccine against COVID-19, which has killed more than 511,000 Americans and continues to mutate in troubling ways. CDC recommendations are not binding on state governments or doctors, but are widely heeded by the medical community. The same CDC panel previously recommended use of the two vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna authorized in December.
Biden team readies economic package after virus relief
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Looking beyond the $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill, President Joe Biden and lawmakers are laying the groundwork for another top legislative priority -- a long-sought boost to the nation's roads, bridges and other infrastructure that could run into Republican resistance to a hefty price tag. Biden and his team have begun discussions on the possible outlines of an infrastructure package with members of Congress, particularly mindful that Texas' recent struggles with power outages and water shortages after a brutal winter storm present an opportunity for agreement on sustained spending on infrastructure. Republicans say if the White House approach on the COVID relief bill -- which passed the House Saturday on a near party-line vote and now heads to the Senate -- is a sign of things to come for Biden's plan on infrastructure and other initiatives, it could be a difficult road ahead in Congress. A White House proposal could come out in March. "Now is the time to be aggressive," said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a former South Bend, Indiana, mayor who knows potholes.
'Not a good idea:' Experts concerned about pope trip to Iraq
VATICAN CITY (AP) -- Infectious disease experts are expressing concern about Pope Francis' upcoming trip to Iraq, given a sharp rise in coronavirus infections there, a fragile health care system and the unavoidable likelihood that Iraqis will crowd to see him. No one wants to tell Francis to call it off, and the Iraqi government has every interest in showing off its relative stability by welcoming the first pope to the birthplace of Abraham. The March 5-8 trip is expected to provide a sorely-needed spiritual boost to Iraq's beleaguered Christians while furthering the Vatican's bridge-building efforts with the Muslim world. But from a purely epidemiological standpoint, as well as the public health message it sends, a papal trip to Iraq amid a global pandemic is not advisable, health experts say. Their concerns were reinforced with the news Sunday that the Vatican ambassador to Iraq, the main point person for the trip who would have escorted Francis to all his appointments, tested positive for COVID-19 and was self-isolating.
UN Human Rights Office says 18 killed in Myanmar crackdown
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) -- Security forces in Myanmar opened fire and made mass arrests Sunday as they sought to break up protests against the military's seizure of power, and a U.N. human rights official said it had "credible information" that at least 18 people were killed and 30 were wounded. That would be the highest single-day death toll among protesters who are demanding that the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi be restored to power after being ousted by a Feb. 1 coup. About 1,000 people are believed to have been detained Sunday. "Deaths reportedly occurred as a result of live ammunition fired into crowds in Yangon, Dawei, Mandalay, Myeik, Bago and Pokokku," the U.N. Human Rights Office said in a statement referring to several cities, adding that the forces also used tear gas, flash-bang grenades and stun grenades. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the crackdown, calling the use of lethal force against peaceful protesters and arbitrary arrests "unacceptable," and expressed serious concern at the increase in deaths and serious injuries,
US still open to joint Iran nuclear talks after Iran's rejection
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Biden administration said Sunday it remains open to talks with Iran over the 2015 nuclear deal despite Tehran's rejection of an EU invitation to join a meeting with the U.S. and the other original participants in the agreement. A senior administration official said the U.S. was "disappointed" in the rejection but was flexible as to the timing and format of the talks and saw Iran's decision to snub the European invitation as part of the diplomatic process. The official said the U.S. would be consulting with the other participants -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the European Union -- on the way forward. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter by name and spoke on condition of anonymity. Earlier Sunday, Iran turned down the offer for talks saying the "time isn't ripe" for the meeting, at which the U.S. would have participated as an observer. Iran had been insisting that the U.S. lift or ease sanctions imposed on it by the Trump administration under its "maximum pressure campaign" before sitting down with the United States.
Police arrest 3 for drunken
driving in Milwaukee-area crash
MOUNT PLEASANT, Wis. (AP) -- Authorities say three drunken drivers were involved in a crash early Sunday morning in a south Milwaukee suburb. The incident happened shortly before 3 a.m. when a man driving a Ford F-250 pickup truck the wrong way on a four-lane highway in Mount Pleasant collided head-on with a motorist in a GMC Yukon. Shortly thereafter, a man in a Chevrolet Equinox crashed into the pickup, Mount Pleasant police said in a release. Police said the man in the Yukon, which burst into flames after the collision, was located at a nearby hospital and arrested. The drivers of the pickup and and the Equinox were arrested on scene. The extent of any injuries from the crash were not noted in the release. Police said Kraig Herbrechtsmeir, 56, of Racine, was charged with first offense operating while intoxicated and driving the wrong way on a divided highway. Christopher Sanchez, 33, of Racine, was charged with first offense OWI. Herber Aguirre-Lopez, 45, of Kenosha, was charged with third offense OWI.
Woman honored at company after seven decades of service
VANDALIA, Ohio (AP) -- An Ohio woman who started on a company's assembly line at age 18 has been honored for 70 years of service through five company and job position changes. Doris Harakay, 89, was honored earlier this month at GE Aviation with gifts, awards, certificates and some of her favorite candy by coworkers and the mayor of Vandalia, Richard Herbst, the Dayton Daily News reported. The city had proclaimed Feb. 20 Doris Harakay Day. "I think we are all very impressed. I am honored to come and share this moment with you," Herbst said. Harakay also received a parade and a video of coworkers featuring congratulations from Gov. Mike Dewine. She strolled through the plant with a cart adorned with red decorations, gold balloons and a print out of a Cadillac emblem. "It's been a wonderful journey," she said. Harakay started work at Leland Electric Company in Dayton -- making 89 cents an hour -- seeking more money for her family as her husband prepared to leave for war. The company moved to Vandalia in 1957 would change ownership four more times until 2007, when it became GE Aviation. Harakay, who currently works in the stock room, said the people and the job itself has kept her at the company over the last seven decades. "You all put the smile on my face," she said. "It is fun and I wouldn't be here all this time but this is my family too and I love having a family like this."