USA

CHICAGO (AP) — As federal officials grapple with how to confront the national security threat from domestic extremists after the deadly siege of the U.S. Capitol, civil rights groups and communities of color are watching warily for any moves to expand law enforcement power or authority.

They say their communities have felt the brunt of security scrutiny over the last two decades and fear new tools meant to target right-wing extremism or white nationalists risk harming Muslims, Black Americans and other groups, even if unintentionally.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden panned a Republican alternative to his $1.9 trillion COVID rescue plan as insufficient as Senate Democrats pushed ahead, voting to launch a process that could approve his sweeping rescue package on their own, if Republicans refuse to support it.

Biden and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen joined the Democratic senators for a private virtual meeting Tuesday, both declaring the Republicans’ $618 billion offer was too small. They urged big fast action to stem the pandemic crisis and economic fallout.

WASHINGTON, Feb 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The World Bank said it was gravely concerned about the current situation in Myanmar and a military takeover of power, warning the events risked a major setback to the country’s transition and its development prospects.

“We are concerned about the safety and security of people in Myanmar, including our staff and partners, and are troubled by the shutdown of communications channels both within Myanmar and with the outside world,” the Bank said in a statement.

WASHINGTON, Feb 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A study suggested Black Americans had not gotten the coronavirus vaccine at a rate proportionate to their population in the nation.

Between Dec 14 and Jan 14, nearly 13 million people received at least one injection of the two vaccines authorized in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the country’s main federal public health agency.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez described being terrified for her life during the storming of the U.S. Capitol in an emotional broadcast on Monday night, doubling down on calls for Republican politicians to be held accountable.

New York House member Ocasio-Cortez said she was harassed by those she identified as fans of former President Donald Trump for days before the Jan. 6 incident, and warned by other members of Congress to be “careful” on the day of the rally.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday will order a major review of asylum processing at the U.S.-Mexico border and the legal immigration system as he seeks to undo some of former President Donald Trump’s hard-line policies, two senior administration officials said on Monday evening.

Biden on Tuesday will also create a task force to reunite migrant families who were separated at the U.S.-Mexico border by Trump’s 2018 “zero tolerance” border strategy, the officials said on a call with reporters.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Over 470 infection cases of coronavirus variants have been reported in at least 32 U.S. states as of Sunday, according to the latest data of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The vast majority of these cases, 467, are caused by the variant known as B.1.1.7, which was originally detected in Britain.

There are three cases of a new strain initially discovered in South Africa, called B.1.351, and one case of the P.1 strain first discovered in Brazil.

02 Feb 2021; MEMO: Global oil prices have risen following recent coronavirus developments around the world as a result of the vaccine roll out.

Fitch Solutions said in a report that demand for crude oil would rise in "the North America and the Asia-Pacific region," adding that the recovery would be "slower in Europe and Latin America due to the slow economic recovery in the main markets in those regions."

United Nations, Feb 2 (PTI) The UN Security Council on Tuesday will discuss the situation in Myanmar, where the military staged a coup after detaining top political figures, including de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and look at a "range of measures" with an idea of respecting the people's will expressed in the November general election.

WASHINGTON (AP) — That foreboding black fence erected around the U.S. Capitol building has had an unintentional side effect: walling off the local government’s ability to enact new laws.