Новости за 31.12.2021

Tens of thousands of Russian troops massed on Ukraine's border have sparked fear of a potentially imminent war in Eastern Europe, while U.S.-China tension simultaneously soars amid warnings from Beijing that America will pay an "unbearable price" for supporting Taiwan.

Political movements and campaign slogans in this country have a long, storied history ranging from “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too” to “Black Power” to “Make America Great Again.” The Biden presidency has, however, presented us with perhaps the most curious of them all. 

DENVER — Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said Friday it was a “New Year’s miracle” that no fatalities have been reported from the destructive, fast-moving fire that ripped through heavily populated neighborhoods and retail areas in Boulder County.

More than 50,000 Afghan evacuees have been processed and released into American communities over the last four months, the Department of Homeland Security said Friday as it announced the closure of another of the camps that had been erected at military bases to house the Afghans.

As the world wearily embarks on yet another new year, angst, chaos, and uncertainty have become forlorn norms. The profusion of crises before us are no doubt daunting, with people struggling to grapple with and process the ever-changing political and cultural tides.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy unveiled a new promotional video on Friday, pitching House Republicans’ vision for the country. 

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was spotted dining maskless outdoors in Miami this week, enjoying some time off in a state with loose COVID-19 policies before Congress returns in January.

More canceled flights frustrated air travelers on the final day of 2021 and appeared all but certain to inconvenience hundreds of thousands more over the New Year's holiday weekend.

BOSTON — Basketball Hall of Famer Sam Jones, the Boston Celtics' “Mr. Clutch” whose sharp shooting fueled the league's longest dynasty and earned him 10 NBA titles - second only to teammate Bill Russell - has died, the team said. He was 88.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will have sole authority to approve requests for the emergency use of the D.C. National Guard, under a streamlined process following the Jan. 6 riots, when a pro-Trump swept aside police and stormed the U.S. Capitol.

BRASILIA, Brazil — As world leaders rely on public health specialists to inform their decisions about whether and how to vaccinate children against the coronavirus, Brazil's government is asking the online public for guidance.

Former President Barack Obama is set to deliver the eulogy at the late Sen. Harry Reid’s funeral next week.

The Chinese government accused Walmart and Sam’s Club of caving in to Western pressure after pulling products made in the Xinjiang Province from their shelves.

PHILADELPHIA — Two gunmen fired more than 65 rounds on a Philadelphia street, sending nighttime pedestrians on a busy block teeming with markets and restaurants scrambling for cover and injuring six people, at least one of them critically, police said Friday.

PORTLAND, Maine — A group of newspapers has intervened in a lawsuit over vaccine mandates with a goal of challenging the plaintiffs' anonymity.

Republican Rep. Liz Cheney’s re-election hopes in Wyoming hinge on a silent majority throwing her a lifeline, according to her political allies in the state, who say she could be rewarded for risking her political future in the name of principle.

DENVER — Tens of thousands of Coloradans driven from their neighborhoods by wind-whipped wildfires anxiously waited to learn what was left standing of their lives Friday after the flames burned an estimated 580 homes, a hotel and a shopping center.

NEW YORK — New York City welcomed the new year - and bid good riddance to 2021 - as confetti and cheers spread across Times Square as a New Year's Eve tradition returned to a city beleaguered by a global pandemic.

TORONTO — Quebec announced Thursday it will reimpose a nighttime curfew beginning New Year’s Eve, and Ontario delayed the resumption of school by two days as several Canadian provinces reported new highs for coronavirus infections.

DENVER — Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has shortened the prison sentence of a truck driver convicted in a deadly crash to 10 years, drastically reducing his original 110-year term that drew widespread outrage.

Sen. Joe Manchin, West Virginia Democrat, is a “man of steel” deserving plaudits for his courage, a lay Catholic political advocacy group said Thursday.

ASHBURN — The playoff chances of the Washington Football Team are practically all but dead. That’s become clear over the team’s last two losses, with some oddsmakers now not even listing them because of the minuscule chance. Predictive statistical models from FiveThirtyEight and the New York Times are slightly more ...

President Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke Thursday in a 50-minute phone call about the rising tensions between the two countries over Ukraine, where Russian troops have been massing near the border.

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Delaware’s governor announced a new emergency declaration Thursday as the state works to relieve pressure on strained hospitals amid a coronavirus surge.

Most shooting incidents occur in "gun-free" zones — areas targeted by criminals, terrorists and people with mental-health issues ("4 shot in Denver rampage attacked at tattoo shops," Web, Dec. 29).