| Downtown D.C. burns after another night of protests and provocation near the White House Posted: 01 Jun 2020 05:17 AM PDT  Protesters clashed with law enforcement for the third straight evening outside the White House, and numerous businesses were vandalized by rioters defying a citywide curfew.
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| New Yahoo News/YouGov poll: Most Americans say Trump is a 'racist' and want him to stop tweeting Posted: 01 Jun 2020 09:08 AM PDT  By a bare majority, Americans think President Trump is a racist, and want him to stop tweeting, according to a new Yahoo News/YouGov poll. The public's response to Trump's tweets and racial attitudes is predictably divided along party lines.
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| Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez accuses New York police union of threatening Mayor Bill de Blasio's daughter after her arrest at Saturday's protests Posted: 01 Jun 2020 10:34 AM PDT  Ocasio-Cortez urged the NYPD to de-escalate with protesters and told the union to "apologize and own this egregious behavior."
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| Cops Beaten, Shot, Rammed by SUVs as George Floyd Protests Boil Over Posted: 02 Jun 2020 12:09 AM PDT  Violent factions attacked police officers across the U.S. over the last 24 hours as demonstrations against the death of an unarmed black man in police custody have spiraled out of control.George Floyd, 46, died after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was caught on video kneeling on his neck for nearly nine minutes while he was handcuffed on Memorial Day. Chauvin has been arrested and charged with third-degree murder, but three other officers who also took part in the brutality or watched on have been fired but not arrested for their role, prompting anger among the demonstrators.In Las Vegas, an officer responding to a looting incident was reportedly shot in the head early Tuesday after exchanging gunfire with an angry mob, according to several Nevada news sources. County Sheriff Joe Lombardo told the Las Vegas Review Journal that the officer survived. "He is in extremely critical condition on life support," Lombardo said "This is a sad night for our LVMPD family and a tragic night for our community."Two police officers in Richmond, Virginia, and a third person were reportedly shot during clashes early Tuesday morning. Their condition is unclear. Late Monday night, video of a police officer apparently being run over by an SUV in the Bronx went viral. In the video, which has not been verified by The Daily Beast, an officer is struck by a speeding SUV and left in the middle of an intersection. Moments later, a New York City Police Department vehicle arrives and puts the officer, whose condition is unknown, in the back. In Buffalo, two officers were deliberately targeted by a car in front of the E District police station. New York State Police confirmed to the media that one was a trooper and the other a Buffalo Police officer. Both were taken to the Erie County Medical Center. Both have serious injuries and are in stable condition, according to WTHR News. Posts on social media also captured a fallen officer on Madison Avenue in New York. Details and the circumstances of that officer's condition are unknown. The New York City Sergeant's Benevolent Association tweeted a photo of an officer being attacked by two looters in the Bronx late Monday night. The officer survived that incident and pulled his weapon after the perpetrators ran off, but did not appear to retaliate. Early Monday morning, another officer was rammed by an SUV as he tried to make an arrest after giving chase to looters. Video of that incident posted by New York Daily News shows an SUV with Wisconsin license plates speeding away after the hit and run. That officer was taken to Bellevue Hospital and remains in stable condition.Elsewhere, four police officers were shot in downtown St. Louis after a gunfight erupted as they tried to disperse violent crowds with tear gas and flash bangs. Largely peaceful protests have been held in all 50 states, but violent rioters and looters have moved in as night falls even as curfews are in effect. Thousands of National Guard soldiers who have been called up to bolster local law enforcement have also been involved in skirmishes. In some cases, police have acted aggressively towards peaceful protesters. Over the weekend, a New York City Police Department squad vehicle rammed into a group and on Monday, law enforcement in Washington, D.C. used teargas to scatter peaceful protesters to clear a space for President Donald Trump to take a photo in front of a defaced church.Police have also marched with peaceful protesters and in cities including New York, Portland and Philadelphia, where many have taken a knee against police brutality. On Tuesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that New York City will be subject to an 8 p.m. curfew throughout the week. He said 700 people were arrested Monday night—the highest numbers since the protests started last week."We will not tolerate violence of any kind. We will not tolerate attacks on police officers. We will not tolerate hatred being created," de Blasio said. "We saw vicious attacks on police officers. That is wholly unacceptable. That does not represent the people of this city. Anyone who attacks a police officer attacks all of us."Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| The head of the Minneapolis police union called protests a 'terrorist movement' and blamed politicians for unrest in a leaked email Posted: 01 Jun 2020 03:29 PM PDT  Bob Kroll called Black Lives Matter a "terrorist organization" in 2016. In a new email, he said current protests were part of a "terrorist movement."
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| Senator tells MPs Huawei puts US troops at risk Posted: 02 Jun 2020 09:26 AM PDT  Senator Tom Cotton also claimed that the US, UK and their allies could make superior 5G tech.
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| Armenia may face a new lockdown, prime minister says Posted: 02 Jun 2020 09:57 AM PDT  Armenia may have to impose a new total lockdown if people do not follow hygiene rules, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Tuesday after the number of confirmed coronavirus cases topped 10,000. Pashinyan, who tested positive along with other members of his family on Monday, warned that a new lockdown could cause a severe economic crisis. "Either the rules are not followed and we go to complete restrictions accompanied by a curfew, subjecting the country to new social and economic shocks, or we cooperate and take control of the situation and achieve quick results," Pashinyan said during a Facebook live video.
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| China's state media says US can now 'enjoy' protests after criticizing China's handling of unrest in Hong Kong Posted: 02 Jun 2020 10:40 AM PDT  A foreign ministry rep tweeted "I can't breathe" above a screenshot of a State Department flack condemning how Hong Kong protesters were treated.
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| Pakistani girl dies of her injuries from Karachi plane crash Posted: 02 Jun 2020 02:55 AM PDT  A Pakistani girl who was critically injured on the ground last month when a passenger plane went down in a crowded neighborhood of the port city of Karachi has died at a hospital, her relatives and a doctor said Tuesday. Meanwhile, the plane's black box flight recorders were sent to France, where their data was downloaded Tuesday. The Airbus A320 crash killed 97 passengers and crew members; two passengers survived the crash.
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| Southwest offers buyouts to 'ensure survival' Posted: 02 Jun 2020 08:54 AM PDT 
Southwest Airlines is trying to avoid the first-ever layoffs in its 49-year history by extending buyout packages and temporary paid leaves to employees. CEO Gary Kelly said a reduction in labor costs were necessary for the airline to survive, according to documents detailing the voluntary leave incentives seen by Reuters. The airline expects travel to rebound slowly - with the number of flights this fall to be 30 percent below normal. Southwest is not alone. Airlines around the world are slimming down their flight schedules and cutting back on staff. But U.S. air carriers have their hands tied when it comes to job cuts after agreeing to not layoff any workers until October 1st -in exchange for government aid. In order to avoid actual layoffs, Southwest is offering employees who agreed to at least a six-month leave, half their salary plus benefits and those who take the buyout can get up to a full year's pay...and even more for pilots. The cost-saving measures were well received by investors, sending the stock higher in Tuesday trading.
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| Obama to George Floyd protesters: Channel 'justifiable anger' into action Posted: 01 Jun 2020 09:28 AM PDT  Former President Barack Obama addressed nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd, condemning the violence brought on by a "small minority."
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| Appeals court mulls making Hillary Clinton testify on emails Posted: 02 Jun 2020 03:58 PM PDT  A bid to block her deposition shares legal tactic with Michael Flynn's move to shut down his prosecution.
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| Feds Charge Two for Firebombing Minnesota Building During Protests Posted: 02 Jun 2020 02:52 PM PDT  They're bringing in the big guns now.The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) made its first known intervention on Monday into the spiraling crisis in Minnesota, following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin. The federal agency charged two men with firebombing a county building in the town of Apple Valley on Friday, and with possessing Molotov cocktails "not registered to them in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer." The criminal complaint, brought against Garrett Ziegler and Fornandous Henderson, coincided with warnings from President Donald Trump and U.S. Attorney General William Barr of increased federal involvement in local law enforcement efforts to counter the violence that has wracked multiple American cities.Washington's Hottest Hoax Trend Is DCBlackoutThe ATF's deposition leans heavily on the findings of the Apple Valley Police Department, which arrested Ziegler and Henderson early on May 29, moments after an explosion at the Dakota County Western Service Center. The center contains mostly local judicial facilities and municipal offices. But the ATF complaint notes that it also houses a passport office and provides voter registration assistance and serves as a polling place—which the agency asserted makes it a site of "interstate or foreign commerce," thus justifying federal intervention. Further, the ATF claims at least one tenant of the building receives federal funding. The local cops reported picking up Ziegler's dropped car keys in the parking lot shortly after responding to a fire alarm at the county building, then encountering the pair as they walked along the road just blocks away. After an unsuccessful alleged escape attempt by the two men, police took them into custody. Police described the pair as sooty, and on opening Ziegler's car said they discovered bottles of lighter fluid and rubbing alcohol, an empty box for Mason jars, removed price tags for bandanas, and a receipt for nail polish.The ATF cites an analysis it conducted, and another by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which determined these materials were similar to those used in the Molotov cocktails that hit the Dakota County Western Service Center. It also notes that Henderson related to the AVPD that he and Ziegler had attended protests in Minneapolis near the site of Floyd's killing, although the agent involved described elements of his story as "implausible."Besides accusing Ziegler and Henderson of aiding and abetting one another and damaging the building, the ATF noted that a Molotov cocktail "is a destructive device and a firearm.""As such, Molotov cocktails must be registered on the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR), which is maintained by the ATF," the deposition reads, adding that a query of the database did not turn up any Molotov cocktails licensed to either man.Efforts to reach Ziegler and Henderson were not immediately successful. The complaint identifies the former as an employee of the Minnetonka Target store where several of the items in his car were purchased. The deposition alludes to "several individuals," all unnamed, whom it alleges participated in similar attacks on public and private buildings.The Sun-Thisweek, a local outlet, reported on the damage to the building shortly after the incident occurred, and the subsequent arrests. But the perpetrators' names and the involvement of federal authorities and of the ATF in particular, have not been previously revealed.Apple Valley sits due south of the Twin Cities, and is home to 55,135 people and the Minnesota Zoo.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| A New York police officer drew his gun on protesters. Mayor Bill de Blasio says he 'should have his gun and badge taken away.' Posted: 01 Jun 2020 10:01 AM PDT  The mayor appears to have taken a stricter tone with police violence, some of which has trended on social media.
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| 'Here to offer you grace': Protesters in Minneapolis bringing peace met with police force Posted: 02 Jun 2020 02:31 PM PDT  "We cannot back down now. We have come way too far. We are literally in the midst of history."
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| Iranian professor acquitted of sanctions busting leaves U.S., Zarif says Posted: 01 Jun 2020 10:02 PM PDT  An Iranian professor imprisoned in the United States after being acquitted of stealing trade secrets has left the country and is on his way back to Iran, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in an Instagram post on Tuesday. Dr. Sirous Asgari is in the air on a flight back to Iran.
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| 'You will move, or you will die': A frightened truck driver's widely shared Facebook post says truckers will 'defend themselves' by running over protesters Posted: 02 Jun 2020 11:38 AM PDT  "Air horns will sound, steering wheels will be held tightly, but those brakes will not be touched," the truck driver wrote.
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| China's Navy Is Testing Out Its its First Indigenous Aircraft Carrier Posted: 02 Jun 2020 06:37 AM PDT  It's all a part of the PLAN.
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| Bangladesh confirms 1st death of Rohingya from coronavirus Posted: 02 Jun 2020 01:38 AM PDT  Authorities in Bangladesh have confirmed the first death of a Rohingya refugee from the coronavirus, as infections rise in sprawling camps where more than 1 million Rohingya Muslims have been living since fleeing from neighboring Myanmar. The 71-year-old refugee died Saturday at Ukhiya in Cox's Bazar, and samples collected from him tested positive on Monday, said Abu Toha M.R. Bhuiyan, chief health coordinator of the office of the Refugee, Relief and Repatriation Commissioner. The man died in an isolation center set up by the government and aid agencies where he had been admitted with COVID-19 symptoms a week earlier.
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| Philippine exit from key US military pact 'suspended' Posted: 02 Jun 2020 08:10 AM PDT  The Philippines has told the United States it is suspending its bid to break off a key military pact, the two allies said Tuesday in a sharp turnaround of President Rodrigo Duterte's foreign policy. Duterte in February gave notice to Washington he was axing the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) after accusing the US of interference in his internationally condemned narcotics crackdown. Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin said Tuesday the plan has been put on hold for at least six months.
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| McConnell blocks resolution condemning Trump's response to protests Posted: 02 Jun 2020 02:16 PM PDT  Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer attempted to pass the resolution by unanimous consent.
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| UK warns China: do not destroy the jewel of Hong Kong Posted: 02 Jun 2020 07:34 AM PDT 
China's parliament last week approved a decision to create laws for Hong Kong to curb sedition, secession, terrorism and foreign interference. Mainland security and intelligence agents may be stationed in the city for the first time. "There is time for China to reconsider, there is a moment for China to step back from the brink and respect Hong Kong's autonomy and respect China's own international obligations," British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told parliament. Hong Kong fell to sixth place from third in the latest ranking of global financial centres, according to the Z/Yen global financial centres index, behind New York, London, Tokyo, Shanghai and Singapore. It was Asia's top hub in 2019. Raab said the security law was in breach of the "one country, two systems" principle enshrined in the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, and also conflicted with Article 23 of China's own basic law. If it goes ahead, Raab said the United Kingdom will form an alliance of countries to resist China, whose $14 trillion economy dwarfs every Western economy apart from the United States, which has a $21.4 trillion economy.
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| New York protests: Video shows NYPD officer being attacked in the Bronx Posted: 02 Jun 2020 06:35 AM PDT  A video has emerged online appearing to show a New York Police Department (NYPD) officer being attacked by several people in the Bronx, New York, on Monday amidst the George Floyd protests.The footage, which was tweeted by the city's Sergeant's Benevolent Association appears to show an NYPD officer struggling on the ground with someone.
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| Minneapolis police chief filed a civil suit against the department in 2007 alleging discrimination against people of color, including black officers Posted: 02 Jun 2020 03:01 AM PDT  Minneapolis and its police force have a troubled history that extends beyond the death of George Floyd, according to new reports this week.
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| UK PM plans Brexit talks with EU's von der Leyen, warned to reach deal pre-autumn: FT Posted: 01 Jun 2020 10:43 AM PDT  "We need a broad agreement in place by the summer," an unnamed UK official was quoted as saying by the newspaper on Monday. Downing Street said that the European Union's plan for a common regulatory framework was "novel and unbalanced", the report added.
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| The New Top Prosecutor in Ukraine Has Joe Biden in Her Sights Posted: 01 Jun 2020 01:00 AM PDT  Ukraine's recently appointed prosecutor general, 41-year-old Iryna Venediktova, is a woman to watch. The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, expects her to investigate and prosecute his predecessor. She seems more than enthusiastic about that, and it's a process that's been set up from the start to (once again) try to smear Donald Trump's leading challenger for the presidency of the United States, Joe Biden.On the night of May 19, Venediktova personally approved the beginning of criminal proceedings against former President Petro Poroshenko for high treason and abuse of office. The move was triggered by leaked recordings of confidential conversations that allegedly took place in 2015-2016 between Poroshenko and then Vice President Biden, as well as John Kerry, who was the U.S. secretary of state at the time.Before her appointment as prosecutor general in March, Venediktova—a graduate of Ukraine's police academy who holds the rank of captain—had served Zelensky as acting chief of the State Bureau of Investigations (DBR). She reportedly launched investigations into Poroshenko while in that position, and is said to have clashed with the well-respected prosecutor general at the time, Ruslan Ryaboshapka, because of the way she conducted them. Ryaboshapka was dismissed in March, clearing the way for her to take his position.The nature of the private Biden-Poroshenko recordings and the way they were leaked is reminiscent of the way the Soviet KGB exploited wiretaps and disinformation, but that has not prevented Zelensky and Venediktova from sensationalizing what's now been put on the record.Who Leaked Biden's Calls to Ukraine?It was first presented at a press conference given on May 19 by Andriy Derkach, a member of Ukraine's parliament who has a very pro-Moscow past. Derkach, like Russian President Vladimir Putin, is a graduate of the former Soviet Union's Higher School of KGB, the foreign intelligence training facility now known as the FSB Academy. In recent years Derkach has worked closely with Trump's personal attorney, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, to promote accusations that Biden as vice president strong-armed the Ukrainian government to try to protect the interests of his son, Hunter Biden, who was serving in a lucrative position on the board of a Ukrainian gas company called Burisma. Anyone familiar with the history of Ukrainian corruption knows that Biden's pressure on the government in 2015 and 2016 was part of a major campaign by the International Monetary Fund and the European Union, as well as the Obama administration, to get Poroshenko to clean up his act. Hanging in the balance were $40 billion in IMF loan guarantees, with a $1 billion loan guarantee from the U.S. opening the way.At the time, one key symbol of reform was the replacement of Poroshenko's long-time crony, Chief Prosecutor Viktor Shokin, who was notorious for not convicting any major oligarchs or public officials known for corruption—even those from the infamous regime ousted by the Maidan Revolution in 2014. Starting in the mid-1990s, general prosecutors in Ukraine acquired reputations for exploiting corruption rather than fighting it. Often, prosecutions in Ukraine have been launched to shake down the targets rather than put them in prison.According to an extensive report in the British newspaper The Independent based on multiple interviews with lower level prosecutors, an investigation of the owner of Burisma, the company with Hunter Biden on the board, fit that shakedown scenario precisely. "Neither Shokin nor Poroshenko wanted to investigate [Burisma owner Mykola] Zlochevsky," former deputy prosecutor David Sakvarelidze told The Independent. "They simply began a criminal case, arrested a few assets, and began negotiating with the corruptioneer for a bribe."So, there are no real revelations in the Biden-Poroshenko conversations. What's revealing is the use that Venediktova, Derkach, and Zelensky are making of them."The leaked recordings are a nothingburger," says Poroshenko's defense lawyer, Ilya Novikov, borrowing a term from Biden's spokesman. "But Venediktova rushed to open the case late in the evening after Derkach had published the leaks," Novikov told The Daily Beast. "That to us indicates that President Zelensky personally expected his prosecutor to begin the process before his own press conference [the next day]." In fact, there is no mention of Burisma on the Derkach recordings. But the tough talk does force Ukrainian listeners to realize once again, as they did when they read the transcript of the Trump-Zelensky phone call last year, just how dependent on Washington Kyiv has become.Poroshenko clearly was reluctant to dismiss Shokin, who had been "his" prosecutor on and off for a dozen years, well before Poroshenko (an oligarch who made his fortune selling chocolate candy) moved up the political ladder to the presidency. Poroshenko can be heard on the recording telling Biden he's willing to ditch Shokin even though, according to Poroshenko, Shokin had done nothing wrong. In a subsequent call, Biden congratulates Poroshenko on appointing a new general prosecutor."I know there's a lot more of that that has to be done," says Biden. "But I really, I really think that's good, and I understand you're working with the Rada [Ukraine's parliament] in the coming days on a number of additional laws to secure the IMF [loan guarantees], but congratulations on installing the new prosecutor general. It's going to be critical for him to work quickly to repair the damage Shokin did, and I'm a man of my word, and now that the new prosecutor general is in place we're ready to move forward in signing that new $1 billion loan guarantee."When Derkach presented these recordings to the press in May, he publicly accused Biden of offering Poroshenko $1 billion of U.S. taxpayers' money "in exchange for maintaining Burisma schemes and international corruption." As Derkach described his version of the events, "Biden leaves for Kyiv to put pressure on Petro Oleksiyovych [Poroshenko] regarding Shokin. There's a powerful argument… in Biden's pocket... a $1 billion loan guarantee... such was a price to save [Hunter] Biden from prison." Then Derkach took the recordings to Venediktova. If charged, Poroshenko could face up to 15 years in prison.When President Zelensky marked the end of his first year in power the day after Venediktova drew up the treason charges against Poroshenko, he left no room to doubt he supported them and found the recordings incriminating. "I think it's not the last sign that Ukrainians will see. The prosecutors, law enforcement bodies should react," said Zelensky. "The prosecutor general of Ukraine registered criminal proceedings at the request of deputy [Andriy] Derkach yesterday. They will investigate."During the impeachment proceedings that grew out of the U.S. President Trump's notorious July 25, 2019, phone call pressuring Zelensky for dirt on Biden, Zelensky did his best to avoid taking sides. That will be harder to do if Venediktova continues to pursue the treason case based on Biden conversations. The Ukrainian president still enjoys rare popularity with an approval rating of more than 60 percent, but that is a steep decline from nearly 80 percent last year and Zelensky is the target of increased criticism. Marking the first anniversary of his presidency by threatening his predecessor with accusations of high treason does not look good. "I do not believe Zelensky," Kristina Berdyskykh, a leading Ukrainian political journalist, said on Ukraina 24 television. "All young and progressive members have left Zelensky's team."As these controversies develop, Zelensky's prosecutor will be at the center of them. Less than two years ago, Iryna Venediktova was teaching law at a university in the city of Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine. "She specialized in theory of civil and corporate law at a not very significant faculty, not on criminal justice," a civil society activist in Kharkiv, Volodymir Rysenko, told The Daily Beast. But in a matter of months, Venediktova's career jumped from a university teacher to a seat at the Rada. She is a member of Zelensky's Servant of the People party, and she was made number 3 on its electoral list last year, virtually guaranteeing she would get a seat. Then she was given another head spinning job when Zelensky appointed her to be the acting director of the State Bureau of Investigation.Finally, in March, Venediktova was appointed to be Ukraine's prosecutor general, the first woman to hold that position."When we look at Venediktova from Kharkiv, we see nothing to be proud of," says Rysenko. "We hear Venediktova accusing people in her interviews without any understanding of what presumption of innocence really means." "She has little experience for such a huge job and was appointed on the basis of being a political buddy of Mr. Zelensky," says global affairs analyst Michael Bociurkiw. "She's reversing the reforms of her predecessor which were lauded by civil society, diplomats and the international community. She has already made several controversial appointments, reinstated incompetent or politically tainted prosecutors rightfully sacked by her predecessor, and blocked civil society and foreign partners from vetting some appointments." The executive director of the non-governmental Anticorruption Action Center, Daria Kaleniuk, does not see any legitimate grounds for triggering a criminal case of high treason based on the recordings. "In my opinion Derkach deserves to be investigated for treason for his long-term work with people like Giuliani, for spreading disinformation and conspiracies, which undermine U.S.-Ukraine strategic relationships," Kaleniuk told The Daily Beast. "I think Zelensky still clearly indicates that he doesn't want to interfere in the American elections and to support any side there; but I am concerned he has appointed Venediktova, who among other strange things—like blocking prosecution reform—makes this nonsense case based on Derkach audio. It shows the lack of professionalism of both the prosecutor general and the president."For progressives in Ukraine, a huge question looming over the treason case is how the Biden-Poroshenko recordings were obtained in the first place, and who passed them on to Derkach. He claims he got them from some "investigative journalists," but nobody knows the journalists' names.Kyiv-based experts following the Bidens, Burisma and Trump ordeal in detail want prosecutor Venediktova to pay serious attention to the source of the leaked recordings."I personally know Derkach," says Yevgeny Kiselev of the TV show Real Politics. "He sounds like he is the bridge between the Ukrainian and Russian special services. In our conversations he bragged about his meetings and connections in Moscow; his father, former head of the Security Service of Ukraine, was involved in publishing compromising recordings to discredit President [Leonid] Kuchma and now Derkach junior is leaking very dubious recordings." "The former foreign minister, Pavel Kilimkin, told me that Poroshenko, Biden and Kerry had lots and lots of conversations about financial aid and about the Congress approving money," Kiselev told The Daily Beast. "He also said that Poroshenko used to invite all sorts of people to those virtual conversations, mostly to show how important he was; one of them must have recorded the conversations—that is a matter for an investigation."The Daily Beast asked Prosecutor General Venediktova if her office has also been investigating the source of the recordings but did not receive any answer.—Christopher Dickey also contributed to this article.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Tumultuous Trade Relations Have Created an Exit Door and Opportunity for America Posted: 02 Jun 2020 12:07 PM PDT  While walking out of the World Trade Organization is, in part, the right action for Washington, remaining outside of a global free and fair-trade regime is not.
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| UN forced to cut aid to Yemen, even as virus increases need Posted: 31 May 2020 11:30 PM PDT  Aid organizations are making an urgent plea for funding to shore up their operations in war-torn Yemen, saying they have already been forced to stop some of their work even as the coronavirus rips through the country. "It's almost impossible to look a family in the face, to look them in the eyes and say, 'I'm sorry but the food that you need in order to survive we have to cut in half,'" Lise Grande, resident U.N. coordinator for Yemen, told The Associated Press. The dwindling funds are the result of several factors, but among the top reasons is obstruction by Yemen's Houthi rebels, who control the capital, Sanaa, and other territories.
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| George W. Bush says it remains a 'shocking failure' that African Americans are 'harassed and threatened in their own country' Posted: 02 Jun 2020 02:24 PM PDT  "It remains a shocking failure that many African Americans ... are harassed and threatened in their own country," Bush said.
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| The Trump administration was just hit with the first lawsuit challenging its executive order targeting social-media companies Posted: 02 Jun 2020 02:09 PM PDT  The lawsuit argues that Trump's executive order violates the First Amendment.
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| George Floyd protests: NYC mayor Bill de Blasio ‘proud’ of daughter after she is arrested Posted: 02 Jun 2020 06:29 AM PDT  New York City mayor Bill de Blasio has told reporters that he is proud of his daughter, Chiara de Blasio, for getting arrested at a George Floyd protest over the weekend.Ms de Blasio was arrested on Saturday, at a protest at East 12th Street in Manhattan, for "unlawful assembly," according to NBC News.
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| Michael Flynn judge defends decision to challenge DOJ request to drop case; no 'rubber stamp' Posted: 01 Jun 2020 03:35 PM PDT  Judge in Michael Flynn case fires back; defends decision to challenge DOJ move to drop case
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| Colin Kaepernick Announces Legal Defense Initiative for Minneapolis ‘Freedom Fighters’ Posted: 02 Jun 2020 08:42 AM PDT  Former NFL player Colin Kaepernick has launched a legal defense initiative for "freedom fighters" in Minneapolis as protesters and rioters continue to demonstrate against the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody last week."In fighting for liberation there's always retaliation. We must protect our Freedom Fighters," Kaepernick wrote in a Friday tweet. "We started a legal defense initiative to give legal representation to Freedom Fighters in Minneapolis paid for by @yourrightscamp."The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, now a free agent, urged supporters to donate to his Know Your Rights Camp, and included a link to the initiative's application for legal representation.> In fighting for liberation there's always retaliation. We must protect our Freedom Fighters. We started a legal defense initiative to give legal representation to Freedom Fighters in Minneapolis paid for by @yourrightscamp> > For representation or to donate https://t.co/q0pzAObCiG> > -- Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) May 29, 2020Kaepernick shot to national notoriety in 2016 when he began kneeling during the national anthem before 49ers games in protest against police brutality and alleged systemic racism. His protest grew into a controversial movement, with critics arguing Kaepernick's actions were disrespectful of American veterans and the country. He became a free agent after the 2016 season ended and filed a complaint against the NFL, accusing the organization of colluding to prevent his being signed by another team.Since then, Kaepernick has been active in the Black Lives Matter movement and last week expressed support for protesters demonstrating in Minneapolis and other cities around the country."When civility leads to death, revolting is the only logical reaction. The cries for peace will rain down, and when they do, they will land on deaf ears, because your violence has brought this resistance," Kaepernick tweeted last week.George Floyd died in police custody last week in Minneapolis after a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes, persisting even after Floyd passed out. In video footage of the incident, Floyd could be heard pleading with officers not to kill him and saying that he could not breathe.His death sparked both peaceful protests and riots, violence breaking out in Minneapolis, where demonstrators burned a police precinct. Rioters smashed storefronts and burned police vehicles in New York City, Dallas, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Seattle, Los Angeles, and several other metropolitan areas.
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| Exclusive: U.S. small business program handed out virus aid to many borrowers twice Posted: 02 Jun 2020 06:05 AM PDT  A technical snafu in a U.S. government system caused many small businesses to receive loans twice or more under a federal aid program to help businesses hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly a dozen people with knowledge of the matter said. The money mistakenly handed out could amount to hundreds of millions of dollars that the government and lenders - which made the loans - have been trying to identify and recover in recent weeks, one of the people briefed on the matter said. The technical issue and scale of the resulting duplicate deposits made under the Small Business Administration's $660 billion Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) have not been previously reported.
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| The Soviet Union Pioneered Airborne Assault—But... Posted: 01 Jun 2020 08:45 PM PDT  Missions were small in scale, tactical in nature, and for most soldiers it was a one-way trip.
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| George Floyd was killed in a homicide caused by asphyxia due to neck and back compression, an independent autopsy found Posted: 01 Jun 2020 04:00 PM PDT  These findings contradict a Hennepin County Attorney's Office autopsy that found no evidence of "traumatic asphyxia or strangulation."
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| World Bank: Palestinian economy could shrink by 11% Posted: 31 May 2020 10:18 PM PDT  The Palestinian economy could shrink by as much as 11% in the coming year as the coronavirus pandemic inflicts yet another blow to the Palestinian Authority's already shaky finances, the World Bank said Monday. The economic deterioration comes as tensions with Israel soar ahead of Israel's plans to annex large parts of the occupied West Bank, which would make it virtually impossible to create a viable Palestinian state. The reports were both released ahead of a meeting this week of international donor nations that support the Palestinian Authority, the internationally recognized entity that governs autonomous areas of the West Bank.
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| Kellyanne Conway Lashes Out at Bishop Who Condemned Trump’s Church Photo-Op Posted: 02 Jun 2020 10:46 AM PDT  Kellyanne Conway defended President Donald Trump's decision to tear-gas protesters for a photo-op in front of St. John's Episcopal Church Monday night by going after the bishop who presides over that congregation.The White House counselor was confronted with the criticism from Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde during an appearance on Fox News early Tuesday afternoon. Asked to respond to Budde, who told CNN's Anderson Cooper she was "outraged" that Trump had used her church as a "prop," Conway went on the attack.After listing various actions Trump has taken in the name of "religious liberty"—implying that all clergy should be grateful for his help—Conway addressed Budde directly."That is not 'her church,' that is not 'her Bible,'" Conway said. "We don't look into other people's hearts and souls and discern and judge what their faith is." CNN's Don Lemon Goes Off on Trump for 'Declaring War on Americans'Then, after saying we can't pretend to know why the president "felt compelled to walk there" and hold a Bible in the air awkwardly, Conway did just that. "That is a symbol to everyone that we will not allow arsonists and anarchists who set that fire ablaze, who demean the memory of those that lost their lives in the name of their respective faith and religions, we won't allow them to dissuade us from practicing our religion," she said, failing to note that members of the church were among those tear-gassed on Monday. Before the interview was over, Conway made sure to get in one last dig at Joe Biden, who promised action on police brutality and systemic racism in a speech earlier in the day. "Joe, you've been here 40 years in this city," she said snidely. "What do you mean you're going to do it now?"Kayleigh McEnany Insists Trump's Not 'Hiding' While Speaking for HimRead more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Joe Biden rips Trump 'narcissism,' says he's turned U.S. into a 'battlefield' Posted: 02 Jun 2020 11:37 AM PDT  The apparent Democratic presidential nominee vowed to try to "heal the racial wounds that have long plagued this country."
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| Trump announces plan to designate Antifa as a terrorist organization Posted: 01 Jun 2020 08:38 AM PDT  Reaction and analysis from Fox News senior judicial analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano.
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| U.S., South Korea agree of funding of Korean workers, Pentagon says Posted: 02 Jun 2020 05:08 PM PDT  The Pentagon on Tuesday said that it had come to an agreement with South Korea on a proposal for Seoul to fund thousands of Korean workers who were put on unpaid leave earlier this year. In a statement, the Pentagon said the agreement meant that South Korea would pay more than $200 million to fund 4,000 Korean workers through the end of 2020.
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| Thanks To Coronavirus, Tensions Are Rising In The South China Sea Posted: 31 May 2020 10:45 PM PDT  Japan and Taiwan could be at risk.
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| Israel's Gantz tells army to prep for annexing West Bank Posted: 01 Jun 2020 06:44 AM PDT  Israel's defense minister urged the military on Monday to hasten preparations for the country's planned annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank, in apparent anticipation of what could be fierce Palestinian protests against the move. The statement by Benny Gantz came as Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed annexation on Monday in a call with Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's senior adviser who stands behind a White House Mideast plan that largely favors Israel. In a statement sent by his office, Gantz appeared to command the military to prepare for the fallout from annexation, asking the military chief of staff to "speed up the (military's) preparedness ahead of political steps on the agenda in the Palestinian sphere."
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| Viral Photo of White House ‘Going Dark’ That Was Shared by Dems Is from Before Trump Presidency Posted: 02 Jun 2020 09:10 AM PDT  A viral photo showing the White House with its lights off, shared by numerous Democrats during demonstrations in Washington, D.C., is at least five years old and was edited to make it seem darker, the Associated Press reported on Monday.The image can be found in Getty Image's stock photo collection. The original photo shows the lantern on the White House portico and several lights around the fountain in the lawn as lit, while in the doctored image these lights are blacked out.Failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was among those who shared the image, along with Representative Bill Pascrelli (D., N.J.) and former Obama strategist David Axelrod.> Elections matter. https://t.co/77jquAhp1x pic.twitter.com/AM5Z42pzyk> > -- Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) June 1, 2020The New York Times reported that the White House shut its external lights off during demonstrations early Monday morning, while Daily Beast editor Molly Jung-Fast also wrote that the lights were down. In fact, the lights at the White House are turned off at 11 p.m. every night.> As someone who has done many late night live shots, the lights at the White House go off every night around 11 p.m.> > -- Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) June 1, 2020The AP noted that other Twitter users claimed that the president had been moved to a bunker on Sunday night, and that the lights going off had signaled the move. This was not the case, although Trump was reportedly moved to the bunker on Friday night.Protesters and Rioters gathered outside the White House throughout the weekend, leading Washington, D.C., mayor Muriel Bowser on Monday to declare a two-day curfew beginning at 7 p.m. The president addressed the nation on Monday night with police dispersing demonstrators just outside the White House fence.""I am mobilizing all available federal resources, civilian and military, to stop the rioting and looting, to end the destruction and arson, and to protect the rights of law-abiding Americans, including your Second Amendment rights," Trump said in his address. "These are not acts of peaceful protest. These are acts of domestic terror."
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| Cincinnati police raise ‘Blue Lives Matter’ flag outside justice center Posted: 01 Jun 2020 06:51 AM PDT  Hamilton county sheriff said US flag was stolen and 'thin blue line' flag was raised to honor officer who was shot * George Floyd killing – latest US updates * See all our George Floyd coveragePolice officers in Cincinnati, Ohio, stoked tensions with groups protesting against police brutality by raising a provocative flag that represents police officers outside a law enforcement building in place of the stars and stripes.The so-called "Blue Lives Matter" flag is a black-and-white US flag with a blue stripe replacing one white stripe. Thin Blue Line USA, the group that sells the flags, says the thin blue line represents officers in the line of duty and the black represents fallen officers.Pictures of the flag flying outside a local justice complex went viral, stoking anger nationwide among people protesting the death in Minneapolis of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man, the latest case to fuel the Black Lives Matter movement against police brutality.Cincinnati, has like scores of other major cities, been the setting for protest over the last three nights which has seen protesters and officers injured.> The Cincinnati police pulled down the American flag at the justice center and replaced it with the thin blue line. Infuriating. Picture from a friend. pic.twitter.com/1bM0ovH0T6> > — ✌Pokes✌ (@P0kes) May 31, 2020On Sunday, the Hamilton county sheriff, Jim Neil, said on Twitter the American flag that usually flies outside Cincinnatti's county justice center "was stolen during the vandalism of the Justice Center. The Thin Blue Line was raised by our deputies to honor the CPD Officer who was shot. The flag has been removed and we will replace it with the American Flag in the morning."Local media reported that the officer in question had been struck on his helmet by a bullet, but was not injured.Chris Seelbach, chair of the Cincinnati city council, tweeted that the raising of the flag would make unrest worse in the city. "[It] should have been replaced with American flag immediately. Not replaced with a politically charged blue lives matter flag when thousands are protesting in our streets because BlackLivesMatter. Sheriff Neil has only made things worse. Again."The flag has been a previous center of controversy.In Portland, Oregon, last year, a government employee won $100,000 in a settlement after she alleged she was bullied by fellow employees who displayed the flag in her office. As the Associated Press reported then, in her lawsuit against Multnomah county, Karimah Guion-Pledgure said the flag demeaned the Black Lives Matter movement.
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