Month: September 2023

U.S. presidential centers call for civility, diversity of thought

First Look U.S. presidential centers call for civility, diversity of thought Thirteen presidential centers have issued a joint statement warning of the effects of polarization on democracy. It is the first time the libraries have made a public, bipartisan declaration emphasizing the need for compassion, tolerance, and pluralism. | View caption Hide caption | Concern for United…

Biden insists he’s not trying to ‘contain’ China as he courts Beijing’s rivals

HANOI, Vietnam — President Joe Biden sought to downplay friction with China and insisted he isn’t trying to constrain the country’s rise, even as he spent a weekend in Asia strengthening ties with other countries seen as bulwarks against Chinese economic and military clout. “I don’t want to contain China,” Biden said at a news…

House passes bill to improve wildfire prevention accountability after NBC News report

A bill to improve how the federal government tracks wildfire prevention work passed the House in a near-unanimous 406-4 vote Wednesday, a month after the nation’s deadliest wildfire in over 100 years killed at least 115 people in Hawaii.  The bill, the Accurately Counting Risk Elimination Solutions (ACRES) Act, was proposed this year after an…

Libya floods: 10,000 people feared dead after Derna dams collapse

As many as 10,000 people are missing and feared dead after a storm slammed into Libya, unleashing a devastating surge of floodwaters across the country’s east. A disaster wrought by intense rainfall from Mediterranean storm Daniel intensified when two dams burst — with at least 5,300 people killed in one coastal city and thousands more…

Italy struggles with record migration as 5,000 arrive in one day

First Look Italy struggles with record migration as 5,000 arrive in one day The Sicilian island of Lampedusa saw more than 5,000 people arrive in a single day this week, raising alarms about humanitarian conditions. Italy’s right-wing government has vowed to crack down on migration, but Mediterranean crossings continue to rise. | View caption Hide…