US NATIONAL NEWS
COVID-19 vaccine latest flashpoint in White House campaign
Published
6 years agoon
WASHINGTON (AP) — The prospect of a vaccine to shield Americans from coronavirus infection emerged as a point of contention in the White House race as President Donald Trump accused Democrats of “disparaging” for political gain a vaccine he repeatedly has said could be available before the election.
“It’s so dangerous for our country, what they say, but the vaccine will be very safe and very effective,” the president pledged Monday at a White House news conference.
Trump leveled the accusation a day after Sen. Kamala Harris, the Democrats’ vice presidential candidate, said she “would not trust his word” on getting the vaccine. “I would trust the word of public health experts and scientists, but not Donald Trump,” Harris said.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden amplified Harris’ comments Monday after he was asked if he would get a vaccine for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Biden said he would take a vaccine but wants to see what the scientists have to say, too.
Biden said Trump has said “so many things that aren’t true, I’m worried if we do have a really good vaccine, people are going to be reluctant to take it. So he’s undermining public confidence.”
Still, the former vice president said: “If I could get a vaccine tomorrow I’d do it, if it would cost me the election I’d do it. We need a vaccine and we need it now.”
The back-and-forth over a coronavirus vaccine played out as three of the candidates fanned out across the country on Labor Day, the traditional start of the two-month sprint to the election. Harris and Vice President Mike Pence campaigned in Wisconsin and Biden went to Pennsylvania. Trump added the news conference to a schedule that originally was blank.
Harris, a California Democrat, said in a CNN interview broadcast Sunday that she would not trust a coronavirus vaccine if one were ready at the end of the year because “there’s very little that we can trust that … comes out of Donald Trump’s mouth.” She argued that scientists would be “muzzled” because Trump is focused on getting reelected.
Trump dismissed her comments as “reckless anti-vaccine rhetoric” designed to detract from the effort to quickly ready a vaccine for a disease that has killed about 190,000 Americans and infected more than 6 million others, according to a count by Johns Hopkins University.
“She’s talking about disparaging a vaccine so that people don’t think the achievement was a great achievement,” Trump said, answering reporters’ questions as he stood at a lectern placed at the front door of the White House on the Pennsylvania Avenue side of the mansion.
“They’ll say anything,” he said.
Trump insisted he hasn’t said a vaccine could be ready before November, although he has said so repeatedly and as recently as Friday.
The president then proceeded to say what he had just denied ever saying.
“What I said is by the end of the year, but I think it could even be sooner that that,” he said about a vaccine. “It could be during the month of October, actually could be before November.”
Under a program Trump calls “Operation Warp Speed,” the goal is to have 300 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine in stock by January. He has spent hundreds of billions of dollars on what amounts to a huge gamble since vaccine development usually takes years.
Concerns exist about political influence over development of a vaccine, and whether one produced under this process will be safe and effective.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious-disease expert and a member of the White House coronavirus task force, told CNN last week that it is unlikely but “not impossible” that a vaccine could win approval in October, instead of November or December.
Fauci added that he’s “pretty sure” a vaccine would not be approved for Americans unless it was both safe and effective.
Stephen Hahn, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, has said the agency would not cut corners as it evaluates vaccines, but would aim to expedite its work. He told the Financial Times last week that it might be “appropriate” to approve a vaccine before clinical trials were complete if the benefits outweighed the risks.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, meanwhile, has given assurances that Trump “will not in any way sacrifice safety” when it comes to a vaccine. And executives of five top pharmaceutical companies pledged that no COVID-19 vaccines or treatments will be approved, even for emergency use, without proof they are safe and effective.
Some concerns were sparked by a letter dated Aug. 27 in which Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, asked governors to help government contractor McKesson Corp. make sure vaccine distribution facilities are up and running by Nov. 1.
Redfield did not say a vaccine would be ready by then.
Three COVID-19 vaccines are undergoing final-stage, or Phase 3, clinical trials in the U.S. Each study is enrolling about 30,000 people who will get two shots, three weeks apart, and then will be monitored for coronavirus infections and side effects for anywhere from a week to two years.
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Politics
FORMER PRESIDENTS, CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS GATHER FOR OPENING OF OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER
Published
6 days agoon
June 18, 2026
CHICAGO (FNN NEWS) — The long-awaited Barack Obama Presidential Center officially opened Thursday with a star-studded dedication ceremony on Chicago’s South Side, drawing former presidents, national leaders, celebrities, and thousands of invited guests.
The ceremony began at 11 a.m. CDT with Chicago native and Grammy Award-winning singer Jennifer Hudson performing the national anthem.
Obama Center Opens
Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama delivered remarks celebrating the opening of the center, which is designed to serve as a cultural, educational, and civic engagement hub.
The opening marks the formal debut of one of the most anticipated presidential centers in modern history. The campus opens to the public on Juneteenth and is expected to attract visitors from across the United States and around the world.
Former Presidents in Attendance
Among the dignitaries attending the ceremony were:
- Former President Joe Biden
- Former President George W. Bush
- Former President Bill Clinton
- Former First Lady Jill Biden
- Former First Lady Laura Bush
- Former Secretary of State and former First Lady Hillary Clinton
National Leaders and Celebrities Attend
The event also attracted prominent political leaders, civil rights advocates, entertainers, and business leaders, including:
- California Gov. Gavin Newsom
- Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro
- Civil rights leaders Andrew Young and Al Sharpton
- Media icon Oprah Winfrey
- Comedians David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, and Stephen Colbert
- Actor Tom Hanks
- Tennis legend Billie Jean King
- Chicago Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts
Several attendees, including Newsom and Shapiro, are widely viewed as potential contenders for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination.
A Landmark for Chicago’s South Side
The opening of the Obama Presidential Center represents a significant milestone for Chicago’s South Side, bringing national attention, tourism, and economic development opportunities to the community.
Thousands of invited guests attended the ceremony, while residents and supporters gathered at a free public watch party to celebrate the historic occasion.
The center is expected to serve as a lasting tribute to the legacy of the nation’s 44th president while inspiring future generations of leaders through civic engagement, education, and public service.
About the Obama Presidential Center
The Obama Presidential Center is a world-class campus dedicated to preserving and advancing the legacy of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. The center includes museum exhibits, public gathering spaces, educational programming, and community resources aimed at fostering leadership and civic participation.
Politics
State Department Offers Up to $15 Million in Rewards for MS-13 Leaders Wanted on Terrorism, Drug Trafficking Charges
Published
7 days agoon
June 18, 2026
WASHINGTON (FNN NEWS) — The U.S. Department of State announced Thursday that it is increasing reward offers totaling up to $15 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of two senior leaders of Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), a transnational criminal organization designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).
Reward Offers Increased
The State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs announced a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Yulan Adonay Archaga Carías, also known as “Porky,” and up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Víctor Eduardo Morales Zelaya, also known as “Cuervo.”
The reward offers were announced by Thomas “Tommy” Pigott, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State.
MS-13 Leadership in Honduras
According to federal court documents, Archaga Carías and Morales Zelaya are the highest-ranking members of MS-13 operating in Honduras. Authorities allege they direct the gang’s criminal operations, including:
- Drug trafficking
- Money laundering
- Murder
- Kidnappings
- Other violent criminal activities
Federal authorities also allege the two men are responsible for coordinating the importation of significant quantities of cocaine into the United States. Both remain fugitives.
Among America’s Most Wanted
Archaga Carías is listed on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list and is also among the most wanted fugitives sought by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) established under Executive Order 14159. The task force is a permanent, whole-of-government initiative focused on dismantling criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in the United States and abroad.
How to Provide Information
The reward offers were authorized by the Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP), which supports global law enforcement efforts to combat transnational criminal organizations.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the FBI through WhatsApp, Signal, or Telegram at +1-832-267-1688.
Individuals located outside the United States may also contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. Those within the United States may contact their local FBI field office.
Confidentiality Guaranteed
U.S. officials emphasized that all identities of individuals providing information will be kept strictly confidential. Government officials and employees are not eligible for rewards based on information obtained through their official duties.
US NATIONAL NEWS
Rubio, Jaishankar Discuss Strait of Hormuz Security During Diplomatic Call
Published
2 weeks agoon
June 13, 2026
WASHINGTON (FNN NEWS) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar to discuss recent developments in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a State Department readout released Friday.
According to Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott, the conversation focused on maritime security and commercial shipping in one of the world’s most strategically important waterways.
Focus on Maritime Security
During the call, Rubio stressed that commercial vessels operating in the Strait of Hormuz should immediately comply with instructions issued by U.S. forces as they work to maintain regional peace and security.
The secretary also emphasized U.S. concerns regarding the transportation of Iranian oil and warned that violations of U.S. enforcement measures would not be tolerated.
Critical Global Waterway
The Strait of Hormuz serves as a vital shipping route connecting the Persian Gulf to international markets and is one of the world’s most important energy transit corridors. Any disruption to commercial traffic through the region can have significant implications for global energy supplies and international trade.
The call highlights continued diplomatic coordination between the United States and India on regional security issues and freedom of navigation in key international waterways.
