Good morning.
Joe Biden has instructed states to make all adults eligible for a coronavirus vaccine by 1 May, and touted the 4 July holiday as a time when families and friends could reunite to celebrate. Speaking at his first primetime TV address as president, Biden said the expansion of the vaccine rollout would not ensure every adult receives a vaccine by 1 May, but mean they could at least join a waiting list. He said the 4 July holiday would “not only mark our independence as a nation, but … begin to mark our independence from this virus.”
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Joe Biden pledges vaccine eligibility for all US adults by 1 May in nationwide address – video
Biden’s target of 100m doses in his first 100 days in office appears to have been blown out of the water, with the president announcing the US was on track to hit it on the 60th day. However, it was not all smooth sailing. The president warned restrictions could be reimposed if the US let its guard down or “conditions change”, urging Americans that “this is not the time to let up”.
It came hours after Biden signed the long-awaited $1.9tn Covid relief package into law, which includes direct payments to adults in as many as 85% of US households, an extension of unemployment benefits, and health insurance subsidies. In case you missed it, here’s our explainer on what the bill contains.
New York approves ‘impeachment investigation’ into Cuomo’s alleged sexual misconduct
The New York state assembly has authorised its judiciary committee to begin an “impeachment investigation” into sexual misconduct claims made against the governor, Andrew Cuomo, after a sixth woman came forward. The committee’s investigation would allow it to interview witnesses, examine evidence and subpoena documents. The state attorney general is also separately investigating the claims.
The three-term governor has denied all the allegations, which have been predominantly made by former aides. The sixth woman, whose name has not been made public, claimed Cuomo groped her after calling her to the governor’s mansion, ostensibly to help him fix his cellphone. But while the list of New York politicians calling for his resignation is growing, Cuomo has said he will not stand down.
Mass evacuations in Hawaii after flooding
Hawaiians have been evacuated from their homes in some parts of the state after heavy rains caused flooding on multiple islands, destroying houses and bridges. The rainstorms first affected Maui, then moved northward to Oahu and Kauai, before circling around to hit the Big Island.
As meteorologists put a flash flood warning in place for the entire state on Friday, experts warned that events such as these would become more frequent as the planet heats, with the climate crisis impacting rainfall patterns.
This is really an example of climate change in the present day,” Suzanne Case, the head of the department of land and natural resources, said. “We have a flood emergency because of the heavy rain bomb. And we’re seeing these more and more across the island chain – more frequent and more extreme events.”
LA police under fire for their handling of George Floyd protests
Los Angeles police were poorly prepared for the Black Lives Matter protests that erupted last summer, with inadequate planning leading to mass arrests and unnecessary chaos, an independent review has found. The protests swept across the US and around the world after the killing of George Floyd by police, and the report was released as the trial begins of the officer accused of his murder.
The review, led by the criminal defence attorney Gerald Chaleff, found the LAPD commanders had not established a clear line of command, leaving officers in “chaos” and unsure of who was in control. It also found officers were poorly trained in the use of non-lethal weapons and had failed to anticipate that protests could turn violent or spread beyond the city’s downtown.
In other news …
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An Uber driver was assaulted by passengers who coughed on him, took his phone, pulled off his mask and allegedly made racist remarks, in a conflict over the passenger’s refusal to wear a mask. As San Francisco police confirmed they were investigating the incident, the driver, Subhakar Khadka, spoke to the Guardian about his experience.
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Israel has bombed at least a dozen ships headed for Syria over the past two years, mainly those carrying Iranian oil, the Wall Street Journal has reported. If confirmed, the attacks suggest a new front in the conflict between Israel and Iran.
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Matthew McConaughey said running for governor was a “true consideration” in his home state of Texas. While the actor has appeared to delve deeper into politics in recent years, there is much speculation about whether he would run as a Democrat or Republican.
Stat of the day: Christie’s sold its first digital-only artwork for $70m
The renowned auction house Christie’s said on Thursday it had sold a digital collage from the US artist Beeple for nearly $70m, the first time a major auction house has sold digital-only artwork and the first time cryptocurrency has been used to pay. The artwork garnered more money than physical works by better known artists and put Beeple among “the top three most valuable living artists”.
Don’t miss this: what happens when police reforms are co-opted by police themselves?
Last year, in the town of Chico, California, the mayor convened a committee to begin reforming the police after the death of 25-year-old Desmond Phillips at the hands of law enforcement. But a year on, the town is further from the reforms than ever, with the measures granting more power to the police. Aaron Miguel Cantú meets the Phillips’ father, who led the campaign for change, and other community activists about what went wrong.
Last thing: the most important item in a detective’s toolkit? A half-eaten sausage
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German police have solved a burglary cold case after DNA found on a half-eaten piece of sausage matched that of a man detained over an unrelated crime. Police in the town of Schwelm said that the sausage had belonged to the victim, and that the suspect appeared to have stopped for a bite during a break-in in Geverlsberg in March 2012.
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