Focus Washington February 2022

Congress Passes Landmark #MeToo Bill

February 11, 2022 Bojan Stojkovski

Congress has passed landmark legislation that guarantees victims of sexual harassment in the workplace can seek resource in courts. It’s a huge milestone for the #MeToo movement and for women’s rights advocates. The bill, the […]

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Biden Tells U.S. Citizens to Leave Ukraine Immediately

February 11, 2022 Bojan Stojkovski

President Joe Biden warned Americans in Ukraine to leave immediately, saying that “things could go crazy quickly” if Russia invades the country. Biden said that American citizens should leave now, because Russia has one of […]

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The Trump Toilet Papers May Flush Hopes of 2024 Presidential Run

February 10, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Former President Donald Trump may have flushed documents that should have been preserved and archived, potentially flushing along with them his hopes of running again in 2024. The saga of the Trump administration documents continues […]

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CDC Stands Firm on Masks as States Drop Mandates

February 10, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is standing firm and resisting pressure to change its guidance on masks. Two of the Biden administration’s top doctors expressed qualified optimism about the direction of the pandemic, […]

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The UK and Russian Foreign Secretaries Hold Icy Meeting on Ukraine

February 10, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss had a meeting with her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov for tense talks on the Ukraine crisis. Lavrov described the meeting with Truss as “speaking to a deaf person.” Truss has […]

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House Reviewing Proposals to Ban Lawmaker Stock Trading

February 10, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Should lawmakers be able to engage in stock trading? That’s a new question emerging within the House of Representatives. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi indicated that Democrats are looking into potential policy proposals that will ban […]

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Susan Collins Becomes First Black Woman to Lead a Fed Bank

February 10, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston named Susan Collins as the next chief, making her the first Black woman to ever lead a regional Fed bank. It brings long-overdue diversity to Fed leadership. Fed policymakers […]

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Biden Discusses Houthi Attacks, Iran, with Saudi King Salman

February 10, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

The United States is committed to supporting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the defense of its people and territory from the brazen, Iranian-enabled attacks by the Houthis, US President Joe Biden has stressed on […]

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Solving EU’s Gas Problem Not Russian Obligation, Russian Diplomat Says

February 10, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Despite accusations from some politicians in Brussels that Russia of using its gas exports as a weapon, Russia’s permanent representative to the EU, Vladimir Chizhov, stressed on Wednesday that Russian energy company Gazprom is under […]

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Cyberattacks on Ukraine Top Reason for Sanctions Against Russia

February 10, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Amid a protracted debate on the Defending Ukraine Sovereignty Act of 2022 in the US Congress, the US Senate Foreign Affairs Committee leaders stressed that Russian cyberattacks against Ukraine would be high on the list […]

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The US Defence Deal Approved by Slovak Parliament Despite Protests

February 10, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

The disputed Defence Cooperation Agreement with the US, which has proved to be a highly controversial topic in Slovakia, was approved on Wednesday by the Slovak 150-seat Parliament with a majority of 79 votes. Accompanied […]

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Tesla Sued Over Systemic Racial Discrimination Lawsuit in California

February 10, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) announced on Wednesday that it has grounds for a civil complaint about race discrimination and harassment allegations against Tesla. The state regulatory agency said that Tesla is […]

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Biden Slams Controversial Florida ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill

February 9, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

President Joe Biden made a rare step on Tuesday to denounce controversial Florida legislation that would ban the discussion of sexual orientation in schools. Both the official White House Biden account and Biden himself weighed […]

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A Year After Jan 6, Public Opinion on Trump’s Responsibility is Shifting

February 9, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Was former president Donald Trump responsible for his supporters’ violent Jan. 6 insurrection on the U.S. Capitol? A year after the deadly riot, a new study says Americans are increasingly blaming Trump less for the […]

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McConnell Pushes Back Against GOP Censure of Trump Critics

February 9, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell criticized his party’s consumer of two prominent Republican critics of former President Donald Trump. Last week, the Republican National Committee censured two GOP Representatives, Liz Cheney, and Adam Kinzinger. Cheney […]

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Peloton Co-Founder John Foley Steps Down as CEO

February 9, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Peloton is overhauling its leadership and axing thousands of jobs. The co-founder of the exercise brand is stepping down from his CEO position, as Peloton announced it will cut 2,800 jobs. John Foley has been the […]

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Vermont Approves Proposal to Protect Reproductive Rights

February 9, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Vermont may become the first state to guarantee abortion access. Lawmakers in the Vermont House of Representatives approved a proposal to amend the state constitution in order to protect reproductive rights, including abortions. The “Reproductive Liberty” […]

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GoFundMe Threatened with Probe Over Trucker Fundraiser Shutdown

February 9, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Some US lawmakers that were hoping the Canadian Freedom Convoy will expand south of the border are now threatening to investigate GoFundMe after it shut down fundraising behind the movement. GOP Senator Ted Cruz called […]

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Researchers Suggest Alzheimer’s May Be Prevented with Toothpaste

February 9, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

A research team from the University of Montreal, Canada, has discovered that a protein called SCPPPQ1, present in human gums, may help combat a bacterium causing neurodegenerative diseases, particularly if added to toothpaste. The study, […]

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40 Starlink Satellites Ruined by Geomagnetic Storm

February 9, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Up to 40 Starlink internet satellites, launched in early February, were prevented from entering orbit by a magnetic storm that has effectively ruined the spacecrafts, SpaceX said in a statement. SpaceX has launched into orbit […]

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Johnson &Johnson Suspended Covid-19 Vaccine Production

February 9, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

US multinational Johnson & Johnson has suspended its Covid-19 vaccine’s production in its plant in the Netherlands late last year to focus on producing a potentially more profitable vaccine for an unrelated virus, The New […]

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Controversial Border Patrol Teams Get Their Power Limited by DHS

February 9, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

The controversial quick response teams within the Border Patrol that were accused by immigration advocates of helping cover up incidents of abuse by agents got their responsibilities limited by the US Customs and Border Protection […]

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Americans Exposed to Toxic BPA at Levels Far Above What EU Considers Safe

February 8, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Recent studies into a common chemical found in plastics and resins have revealed that the average American is exposed to dangerous levels of the compound. Americans are exposed to 5,000 times higher than what the […]

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Four States Announce They’re Dropping Mask Mandates for Schools

February 8, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

The states of New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, and Oregon are planning to lift statewide mask mandates for schools. The shift in guidelines is a sign that the blue states are changing how they manage the […]

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Supreme Court Sides with GOP in Alabama Voting Map Against Black Voters

February 8, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

The Supreme Court reinstated a controversial Alabama redistricting congressional map that a federal court had deemed discriminatory because it diluted the power of Black voters. The vote of the conservative-stacked Supreme Court suggests that the […]

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Meta Threatens to Shut Down in Europe Over Data-Sharing Dispute

February 8, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Meta has threatened to shut down Facebook and Instagram in Europe if the social media empire cannot continue transferring user data back to the United States. Regulators in Europe are currently drafting new legislation that […]

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No-Knock Warrants Called Into Question After Another Killing

February 8, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

The national debate over controversial no-knock police warrants has been reignited after police killed a 22-year-old last week. Amir Locke, a young Black man in Minneapolis, was shot and killed by police who were carrying […]

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NATO Does Not Expect Russian Attack in Its Soil, Official Says

February 8, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

NATO sees no signs that Moscow is poised to order an invasion of the Baltic states nor does it expect an attack on NATO soil by Russia, one of the alliance’s top officials has revealed […]

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Saudi Arabia’s PIF Assigned A1 Rating by Moody’s

February 8, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

In its first rating of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, Moody’s Investors Service has assigned on Monday an A1 long-term issuer rating – its fifth-highest investment grade rating- to the Public Investment Fund (PIF). The […]

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Dozen Boxes of Trump’s Records Recovered by the Archives Agency

February 8, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

More than a dozen boxes of records were retrieved last month from the former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property in Florida, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) confirmed Monday. When Trump’s term expired, over […]

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