Amazon has banned foreign sales of seeds into the United States effective immediately, The Wall Street Street Journal reported citing an e-mail to international sellers it had seen.

The move comes after thousands of suspicious packages postmarked mainly from China arrived at American households this summer. U.S. government officials raised concerns about the ease with unknown seeds can occur on e-commerce sites and enter the country, creating potential threats to U.S. agriculture.

Amazon also updated its policy in line with the new rules, saying that importing seeds into the U.S., or the sale of seeds within the country by non-US residents, is

United Airlines said Wednesday it is planning to furlough 16,000 employees as of Oct. 1, after federal coronavirus aid protecting aviation jobs expires.

The planned involuntary cuts make up nearly 17% of the airline's staffing level at the end of 2019. The number includes 6,920 flight attendants, 2,850 pilots, 1,400 management positions, 2,010 mechanics, and 2,260 airport workers, the company confirmed in a new memo to its employees.

In July, United warned that 36,000 jobs were at risk. Today's significant reduction is due to the numerous employees who accepted buyouts, early retirement packages, and other options such as temporary leaves or reduced

The in-class learning in the nation's largest public school system will start on Sept. 21, two weeks later than initially planned, the New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday, adding that the local authorities reached an agreement with the teachers' unions.

The city aimed to reopen on Sept. 10, but the additional days will give teachers and administrative staff more time to prepare the buildings and ensure safe conditions for the students' return.

Remote learning stars as anticipated, on Sept. 16. Michael Mulgrew, the head of the United Federation of Teachers in New York, commented that the agreement is ''a

California lawmakers are moving closer to establish a task force to study and eventually make recommendations for reparations to African American descendants of slaves.

On a bipartisan 33-3 vote Saturday, the state Senate supported the set up of a nine-member commission to examine the history of slavery in the United States and its legacy, such as local laws with disproportionately negative effects on people of color.

The bill returns to the Assembly for a final vote before the Senate adjourns on Monday. An earlier version of the bill already received approval from the majority of the Assembly members.

Sen Holly Mitchell

US President Donald Trump has suggested North Carolina residents vote twice on the upcoming election on Nov. 3, once by my mail and once in person, "to test the system."

Trump opined that if the system is as good as suggested, the people would not be able to vote in person. Voting more than once in an election is illegal, and in some states, including North Carolina, it is also unlawful to induce other people to do so.

Trump has been a long-term opponent of mail-in-voting, saying that it would increase fraud and disrupt the November election. According to experts, voter fraud

Only six days after the academic year started, the University of Alabama has reported more than 566 coronavirus cases on campus.

The numbers do not include the previously announced 310 students who tested positive before Aug. 19 when they returned at the Tuscaloosa campus.

University of Alabama President Stuart R. Bell urged all students and faculty members to practice social distancing, wear masks, and limit social gatherings. Bell highlighted that violators could be suspended from school.

In an email to all the college students, Bell wrote that the administration and university management's primary goal is to finish the fall semester together. ''The margin

President Trump has refused to condemn Russia over the poisoning of Putin's opponent Alexey Navalny, saying that Washington had not yet seen any proof.

According to the US President, what has happened to Navalny is ''tragic,'' and we should look at it ''very seriously.''

Trump also opined that everyone is always mentioning Russia, but in his view, China is a nation that we should be talking about much more than Russia.

Earlier this week, German chancellor, Angela Merkel, revealed test results conducted at a military laboratory, proving that the Kremlin critic had been poisoned with a nerve agent called Novichok. In her words,