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NASHVILLE, Tennessee, April 6 (Reuters) - Republicans in control of the Tennessee House of Representatives expelled two Democratic representatives on Thursday for breaking decorum during a gun control demonstration at the statehouse last week in the wake of the latest school shooting. The resolution to oust a third Democratic member who stood with them during the protest on the House floor, Gloria Johnson, a white woman, came up one vote short. That protest came four days after a Nashville school shooting killed three 9-year-old children and three school staff members. [1/10] Protesters gather in the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., April 6, 2023. Johnson, Jones and Pearson have said that taking part in the protest was within their First Amendment rights - the constitutional right to freedom of speech.

☆ Harris chides Tennessee Republicans for ousting state lawmakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Cheney Orr | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The Republicans ousted Justin Pearson, 28, of Memphis, and Justin Jones, 27, from the Nashville area. They staged the protest for gun reforms following the March 27 shooting at a Nashville school that killed three 9-year-old students and three adults. [1/7] U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during an address after the Tennessee House of Representatives voted to expel two Democratic members, representatives Justin Pearson and Justin Jones, for their roles in a gun control demonstration at the Tennessee State Capitol, in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., April 7, 2023. With a 75-23 advantage over Democrats in the House, Tennessee Republicans took the extraordinary measure to expel their Democratic colleagues, citing their disruption of orderly House business. Just two state lawmakers had previously been expelled since the U.S. Civil War.

☆ Why two of North America's richest families are coming together to fortify Greg Fleming's Rockefeller Capital Management
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Hayley Cuccinello | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A firm owned by one of Canada's richest clans has invested $622 million in wealth firm Rockefeller. Two of North America's richest families have partnered up to invest in wealth management powerhouse Rockefeller Capital Management. The Desmarais family invested $622 million through the Power Corporation of Canada, the financial services conglomerate the family controls, for a 20.5% stake in Rockefeller Capital Management. Paul's son and deputy chairman of Power Corp, Andre Desmarais considered the late David Rockefeller Sr. as a mentor. Courtesy of Rockefeller Capital ManagementThe Desmarais family has worked with Rockefeller on big dealsRockefeller chief executive Fleming also has a two-decade-long relationship with the Desmarais clan.

☆ Tennessee Republicans 'shrugging' after school shooting, White House says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Protesters gather outside the Tennessee State Capitol to call for an end to gun violence and support stronger gun laws after a deadly shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. March 30, 2023. REUTERS/Cheney Orr//File PhotoWASHINGTON, April 4 (Reuters) - Republicans in Tennessee who are moving to oust Democratic legislators for joining an anti-gun violence protest are "shrugging in the face" of another school shooting, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday. Republican-majority Tennessee's state legislature took the first steps on Monday to expel Democratic legislators who joined hundreds of young protesters last week following a shooting at a school in Nashville that killed six people, including three children, on March 27. "What they're doing with these three Democratic legislators are shrugging in the face of yet another tragic school shooting while our kids continue to pay the price," Jean-Pierre said. Reporting by Jeff Mason and Trevor Hunnicutt; Writing by Heather Timmons; editing by Grant McCoolOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Republicans in Tennessee 'shrugging' after school shooting, White House says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

☆ China says unmanned airship over US was isolated, unexpected event
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, April 4 (Reuters) - China has made it clear that the unmanned civilian airship that flew over U.S. terriory was an unexpected and isolated event, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday. "China rejects distortion and hyping up of this incident," spokesperson Mao Ning said at a press briefing when answering a question on the Pentagon saying that it could not confirm China collected real-time data from the balloon earlier this year. Reporting by Laurie Chen; Writing by Bernard Orr; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Powerful storm spawns dozens of deadly weekend tornadoes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Jeremy Schultz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Two friends, who wish to remain anonymous, embrace after seeing each other for the fist time following a tornado in Wynne, Arkansas. The man on the right described seeing his cousin put into the back of a pickup truck to be taken to the hospital...moreTwo friends, who wish to remain anonymous, embrace after seeing each other for the fist time following a tornado in Wynne, Arkansas. "There was no home" he said "it was gone" His cousin later died as a result of her injuries and he is unsure about the whereabouts and status of her children. Picture taken April 1. REUTERS/Cheney OrrClose

☆ Death toll from US storms rises to 29
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 2 (Reuters) - The death toll from a violent storm that whipped up tornadoes in the Southern and Midwestern regions of the United States rose to at least 29 over the weekend, according to officials and media reports. In Memphis, Tennessee, two children and an adult were found dead on Saturday after the storm's heavy winds knocked trees onto several houses, according to the Memphis Police Department. In Tennessee's McNairy County, officials reported that an additional two people had died, having reported seven deaths earlier on Saturday, according to local media. U.S. President Joe Biden declared a "major disaster" in Arkansas on Sunday, ordering federal aid to help with the recovery. loadingSimilarly severe weather, including thunderstorms, was forecast for Tuesday in much of the Midwest between Chicago and Little Rock, Arkansas, the center said.

☆ A town destroyed: Scenes from Rolling Fork, Mississippi
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Jeremy Schultz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Rolling Fork City Councilman Undray Williams, 56, stands in the wreckage of the home he has lived in for the past 40 years and wipes away a tear as he recalls being trapped under the rubble after thunderstorms spawning high straight-line winds and...moreRolling Fork City Councilman Undray Williams, 56, stands in the wreckage of the home he has lived in for the past 40 years and wipes away a tear as he recalls being trapped under the rubble after thunderstorms spawning high straight-line winds and tornadoes ripped across the state. Mr. Williams said he thought he was going to die there, but was pulled from the beneath the toppled walls of his home by storm chasers, in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, March 26, 2023. REUTERS/Cheney OrrClose

☆ After school shooting, some trans Tennesseans face backlash
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Jonathan Allen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] Mykul Coscia, who performs drag as Eazy Love at Play, a night club, poses for a portrait after a deadly shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. March 29, 2023. Even before the shooting, many transgender Tennesseans felt villainized by their state's efforts to regulate the lives of gay and trans people, and were increasingly fearful for their safety. Police identified the Nashville shooter as Audrey Elizabeth Hale, and initially referred to Hale as female. Every time there is a school shooting, Story VanNess said she has sleepless nights: she was a special education teacher in a Knoxville school for several years before becoming the director of trans and non-binary programs at Knox Pride. "We've had another school shooting but, because this shooter was trans, that's taken a back seat so politicians can demonize trans people.

☆ China plans random, spot checks at hospitals to track COVID
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 30 (Reuters) - Chinese officials plan random and spot checks at medical facilities in the country to track incomplete and under-reported COVID-19 data, the country's health authority said, amid a wider call by global authorities for more transparency. For months, the country has faced pressure from countries and health experts to reveal and be more forthcoming with COVID data, most notably official numbers around severe hospitalisations and deaths. Recently, advisers to the World Health Organization urged China to release all information related to the origin of the COVID pandemic. Local governments should actively seek financial support to ensure funding for the costs surrounding the random checks, the health authority said. Reporting by Ethan Wang and Bernard Orr; Editing by Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, March 30 (Reuters) - Protesters flooded Tennessee's statehouse on Thursday to demand lawmakers stiffen gun laws following a school shooting in Nashville that left six people dead, three of them 9-year-old children. Demonstrators held aloft placards reading "No More Silence" and "We have to do better" while chanting "Do you even care?" In the latest incident, the shooter killed three pupils and three staff members at Nashville's Covenant School. Republican lawmakers in Tennessee this week delayed hearings on gun legislation that would expand access to firearms. [1/5] Counter protesters hold anti-trans signs outside the Tennessee State Capitol to call for an end to gun violence and support stronger gun laws after a deadly shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. March 30, 2023.

BEIJING/TAIPEI, March 29 (Reuters) - China threatened to retaliate on Wednesday if U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy meets Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen during her planned transit of the United States next month, saying any such move would be a "provocation". China, which claims democratically-ruled Taiwan as its own territory, has repeatedly warned U.S. officials not to meet Tsai, viewing it as support for the island's desire to be seen as a separate country. China staged war games around Taiwan last August when then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei, and Taiwan's armed forces have said they are keeping watch for any Chinese moves when Tsai is abroad. While not officially confirmed, she is expected to meet McCarthy while in California, at the end of her trip. The United States says such transits by Taiwanese presidents are routine and that China should not use Tsai's trip to take any aggressive moves against Taiwan.

The bill, introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, follows a similar Democrat-led effort proposed this month in the Senate. The Department of Labor has also taken steps to increase enforcement of child labor violations and called on Congress to boost penalties. The Labor Department has seen a nearly 70% increase in child labor violations since 2018, including in hazardous occupations, with 835 companies found to have violated child labor laws in the last fiscal year. Under current federal law, the maximum civil monetary penalty for a child labor violation is $15,138 per child. In February, 33 Democratic lawmakers led by Michigan Congressman Dan Kildee signed a letter to the Labor Secretary urging immediate action to rid Hyundai's supply chain of child labor.

[1/2] A vehicle is towed from the property as community members pray while visiting a memorial at the school entrance after a deadly shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. March 29, 2023. Security experts said the Covenant School apparently had good safety protocols. It was a grim reminder that any campus could be the target of gun violence, spurring educators around the country to review security protocols and try to reassure parents. Protective measures notwithstanding, Corcoran said the Covenant School shooting exposed how deadly such attacks can be even when school leaders "did everything right." It is not clear that hardening school security always works.

☆ A town destroyed: Images from Rolling Fork in tornado aftermath
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Jeremy Schultz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

☆ China's Xi speaks with Saudi crown prince, supports Saudi-Iran talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, March 28 (Reuters) - China's President Xi Jinping spoke by phone with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, discussing a wide range of subjects including supporting follow-up talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran, state media CCTV reported on Tuesday. Xi recently helped broker a surprise deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Middle East rivals, earlier this month to restore diplomatic ties, in a display of China's growing influence in the region which is being warily watched by the United States. Prince Mohammed, who is also the kingdom's prime minister, voiced appreciation for China's initiative to support "efforts to develop good neighbourliness" between Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite Iran, Saudi state news agency SPA said. The two leaders stressed the importance of strategic ties between Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, and economic powerhouse China, a main trade partner of Gulf states, it added. Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states have voiced concern about perceived disengagement by main security guarantor the United States from the region and have moved to diversify partners with an eye on national economic and security interests.

☆ Heartbreaking images of devastation after tornado cuts deadly path in Mississippi
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Jeremy Schultz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Path of destruction: The devastating Mississippi tornado trail seen from above
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Jeremy Schultz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

A pickup truck sits on top of the wreckage of Chuck's Dairy Cafe in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, March 26. Tim and Tracy Harden, owners of Chuck's Dairy Barn in Rolling Fork, said in a Facebook post that they hid inside a small walk-in cooler one...moreA pickup truck sits on top of the wreckage of Chuck's Dairy Cafe in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, March 26. Tim and Tracy Harden, owners of Chuck's Dairy Barn in Rolling Fork, said in a Facebook post that they hid inside a small walk-in cooler one minute before the tornado demolished their building. "Forever grateful to the customer with the broken arm that kept going and freed us all from the cooler," they wrote. REUTERS/Cheney OrrClose

☆ Chinese commerce minister in talks with Apple boss Tim Cook
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, March 27 (Reuters) - Chinese commerce minister Wang Wentao met Apple (AAPL.O) CEO Tim Cook on Monday and exchanged views on the company's development in China, the commerce ministry said. The two talked about stabilising industrial and supply chains, the ministry said, adding that Wang told Cook China is willing to provide a good environment and services for foreign companies including Apple. Cook was in Beijing over the weekend to attend the government-organised China Development Forum. Wang told Cook that China unswervingly promotes a high-level opening-up of rules, regulations, management, standards and other systems, the ministry added. Reporting by Beijing newsroom Writing by Bernard Orr Editing by David GoodmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Biden declares emergency for Mississippi due to storm damage
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/2] An aerial view of destroyed homes after thunderstorms spawning high straight-line winds and tornadoes ripped across the state in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, U.S., March 25, 2023. REUTERS/Cheney OrrMarch 26 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Mississippi on Sunday after a powerful storm tore across the state, killing at least 25 people there and one in Alabama. Biden ordered federal aid to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts in the affected areas, a White House Statement said. The funding will be available to affected people in the counties of Carroll, Humphreys, Monroe, and Sharkey, the statement said. Reporting by Jahnavi Nidumolu in Bengaluru Editing by Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ How Girl Scouts found itself in a cookie debacle
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN —For decades, Girl Scouts has used cookie sales to raise funds and teach scouts about entrepreneurship. “Right now we are focused on ensuring all Girl Scouts have a successful Cookie Season,” Girl Scouts USA told CNN in a statement, adding that it is also focused on optimizing its operations “in real-time, and [capturing] learnings that will inform our strategy going into future seasons.”But for the scouts, those learnings have been hard-won. That meant shoppers could order it themselves, though Girl Scouts encouraged them to ask scouts to place the orders. Plus, Girl Scouts built a lot of hype with the limited-time offer, creating a sense of urgency, Esper noted. Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times/Getty ImagesYet as customers clamored for the cookie, scouts and their parents learned there was no chance of increasing supply by the end of the cookie season in April.

☆ China, U.S. Navy in row over guided-missile destroyer in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, March 24 (Reuters) - China's defence ministry said on Friday that it yet again had to monitor and drive away the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Milius that entered its territorial waters in the South China Sea near the Paracel Islands. The U.S. Navy said the guided-missile destroyer was asserting its navigational rights and freedoms. "Unlawful and sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea pose a serious threat to the freedom of the seas, including the freedoms of navigation and overflight, free trade and unimpeded commerce, and freedom of economic opportunity for South China Sea littoral nations," the U.S. Navy 7th fleet said in an emailed statement. U.S. forces operate in the South China Sea on a daily basis, the U.S. Navy said. It was the second straight day of a stand-off between the two super powers amid growing tensions in the South China Sea.

☆ China's military says US warship illegally entered waters in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, March 23 (Reuters) - China's military said on Thursday it monitored and drove away a U.S. destroyer that had illegally entered waters around the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. In a statement, the military said without the approval of the government, the guided-missile destroyer Milius illegally intruded into China's territorial waters, undermining peace and stability in the busy waterway. "The theater forces will maintain a high state of alert at all times and take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and security and peace and stability in the South China Sea," said Tian Junli, a spokesman for China's Southern Theatre Command. Tension between the United States and China has been growing in the area. The United States has been shoring up alliances in the Asia-Pacific seeking to counter China's assertiveness in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, as Beijing seeks to advance its territorial claims.

☆ Thick sandstorms shroud Beijing and several provinces in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, March 22 (Reuters) - Capital Beijing and several provinces in China will be affected by thick, dense sandstorms that will severely affect visibility, Chinese weather authorities said on Wednesday. The Central Meteorological Observatory issued yellow warning signals from Wednesday to early morning Thursday for Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Shandong, Henan, Jiangsu, Anhui and Hubei provinces. Many areas will have low visibility, weather forecasters said, cautioning drivers on speed. China has a four-tier, colour-coded weather-warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue. Beijing, which was also issued a yellow sandstorm warning, has experienced sand and dust storms over the past several days, causing pollution levels to drastically increase.

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