| Trump promise to deny New York, Seattle and Portland federal funds is an empty threat, expert says Posted: 21 Sep 2020 03:48 PM PDT  The Department of Justice on Monday designated New York City, Seattle and Portland, Ore., as jurisdictions that permit "anarchy, violence and destruction," a distinction that the Trump administration hopes to use to strip those cities of federal funding.
|
| Ren Zhiqiang: Outspoken ex-real estate tycoon gets 18 years jail Posted: 22 Sep 2020 02:22 AM PDT  Ren Zhiqiang went missing earlier this year after writing an essay said to be critical of President Xi.
|
| Pregnant Bindi Irwin reveals baby's sex: 'You are our world' Posted: 22 Sep 2020 07:21 AM PDT  Irwin and her husband, Chandler Powell, are about to become a family of three.
|
| A new startup is recruiting gig workers to help landlords evict people from their homes, calling it the fastest-growing moneymaking gig because of COVID-19 Posted: 21 Sep 2020 09:34 AM PDT  The startup has been described as the Uber for evicting people.
|
| US faces ticking ‘feral swine bomb’ as millions of wild pigs run rampant across country Posted: 21 Sep 2020 09:58 AM PDT  The wild boars cause $2.5bn in damages annually
|
| Russia touts nuclear-powered icebreaker as proof "the Arctic is ours" Posted: 22 Sep 2020 08:51 AM PDT  The 570-foot-long "Arktika" is designed to smash Putin's Russia a path of "sovereignty" through ice 9 feet deep in the sensitive northern region.
|
| U.S. to put convicted killer to death as spate of federal executions continues Posted: 22 Sep 2020 04:04 AM PDT  The Department of Justice says it will put LeCroy, 50, to death using lethal injections of pentobarbital, a barbiturate, at its execution chamber in Terre Haute, Indiana. The execution had been scheduled for 6 p.m. EDT (2200 GMT), but was delayed as the U.S. Supreme Court weighed a petition from LeCroy to stay his execution until his lead lawyer, who has a chronic illness, could travel safely to Terre Haute without fear of getting COVID-19.
|
| Trump suggests, without evidence, that Justice Ginsberg’s “fervent wish” about her replacement was written by Democrats Posted: 21 Sep 2020 12:09 PM PDT  During an interview on "Fox & Friends" Monday morning, President Trump theorized that a quote attributed to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was manufactured by Democrats. Trump did not offer any evidence for his suggestion. According to NPR, Justice Ginsburg told her granddaughter that her most "fervent wish" was that she would not be replaced until a new president was sworn in.
|
| Army gives green light to shape vehicle electrification requirements Posted: 21 Sep 2020 08:56 AM PDT  The Army has been given the go-ahead to develop requirements to provide electric power to tactical and combat vehicles.
|
| Lindsey Graham insists he hasn't changed his mind on SCOTUS nominations — but also that Kavanaugh's treatment changed his mind Posted: 21 Sep 2020 01:52 PM PDT  When Justice Antonin Scalia died in 2016, Republicans steamrolled former President Barack Obama's nominee because they said the next president should choose the nominee. Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) even invited Democrats to "use my words against me" if there was an election-year vacancy come 2020 -- but he seems to have changed his mind.In a Monday letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Graham claimed he still felt the same about election-year vacancies. He looked back a few years to claim Americans "elected a Republican Senate majority in 2014" because they wanted a check on the end of Obama's lame duck presidency. Likewise, since the 1880s, no Senate "has confirmed an opposite-party president's Supreme Court nominee during an election year," he continued. Americans renewing a Republican Senate majority in 2018 points Graham in the same direction this time around, he said, as well as the fact that Trump is up for re-election.But Graham went on to say that he actually had changed his mind about the nomination process after the "treatment" of Justice Brett Kavanaugh. When comparing the overwhelming confirmations of Ginsburg and the testy nominating processes for Robert Bork, Kavanaugh, and Clarence Thomas, "it's clear that there already is one set of rules for a Republican president and one set of rules for a Democrat president," Graham finished. > Chairman @LindseyGrahamSC to Committee Democrats: "After the Treatment of Justice Kavanaugh I Now Have a Different View of the Judicial-Confirmation Process" https://t.co/qzXgSbgW8S pic.twitter.com/IWAclmrQED> > -- Senate Judiciary (@senjudiciary) September 21, 2020More stories from theweek.com Democrats have a better option than court packing Republican advocates are concerned the party could cost them 'ticket splitters' with Supreme Court vote Trump supporters boo Ohio's GOP lieutenant governor for encouraging mask use
|
| Arctic summer sea ice second lowest on record: US researchers Posted: 21 Sep 2020 01:02 PM PDT  Arctic summer sea ice melted in 2020 to the second smallest size since records began 42 years ago, US scientists announced Monday, offering further stark evidence of the impact of global warming.
|
| Snorkeler attacked by 10ft bull shark in Florida Keys Posted: 21 Sep 2020 12:56 PM PDT  Victim was airlifted to Miami hospital with a serious bite wound
|
| ‘An influential mentor.’ Miami-Dade police mourn Capt. Tyrone White, killed in a car crash. Posted: 21 Sep 2020 11:48 AM PDT  In the late 1980s, Tyrone White was a young cop assigned as a resource officer at Norland High. Stern and physically imposing, the former college football player nevertheless became a popular figure, connecting with students over sports.
|
| Keith Olbermann Airs Out Ex-MSNBC Colleague Chris Matthews for Terrible Take on Trump and RBG Posted: 21 Sep 2020 12:56 PM PDT  With a ratio of more than 10,000 replies to fewer than than 2,000 retweets and counting, this tweet from disgraced MSNBC host Chris Matthews is already being touted as the worst take of 2020."Trump is right to show respect for RBG," Matthews tweeted Monday morning, after President Donald Trump went on Fox & Friends and baselessly claimed that the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg's dying wish was some sort of left-wing hoax. "True presidential behavior," he added. "Far too rare."The most eye-popping replies, however, came from Matthews' former MSNBC colleague Keith Olbermann, who tweeted: "Every day. Every day I had to go through this.""I mean, anybody else see him on 'Mission Accomplished' night? I had to, I was co-anchoring," Olbermann added, appending the facepalm emoji to punctuate his point.> I mean, anybody else see him on "Mission Accomplished" night? I had to, I was co-anchoring. ����♂️ https://t.co/dj1eA9x578> > — Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) September 21, 2020Olbermann, a notoriously fierce critic of President George W. Bush during his eight years as host of Countdown on MSNBC, was referring to the infamous moment the 43rd president gave a speech to troops on an aircraft carrier in front of a giant "Mission Accomplished" banner less than two months after the start of the Iraq War.On that night, May 1, 2003, Matthews gushed over Bush on his show Hardball: "He won the war. He was an effective commander. Everybody recognizes that, I believe, except a few critics." Later that evening on Olbermann's Countdown, he added, "Women like a guy who's president. Check it out. The women like this war. I think we like having a hero as our president. It's simple."As the Iraq War continued to rage for years, Olbermann would end his show each night by telling viewers how many days had passed since Bush had declared "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq.Chris Matthews Accuser Laura Bassett Fires Back at Bill MaherRead 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.
|
| Secrecy envelopes will cause electoral chaos, official warns Posted: 21 Sep 2020 01:05 PM PDT  Philadelphia's top elections official is warning of electoral chaos in the presidential battleground state if lawmakers there do not remove a provision in Pennsylvania law that, under a days-old court decision, requires counties to throw out mail-in ballots returned without secrecy envelopes. Lisa Deeley, chairwoman of the three-member board overseeing Philadelphia's elections, wrote Monday to the state Legislature's presiding Republicans amid a partisan stalemate over fixing glitches in Pennsylvania's fledging mail-in voting law. In the letter, Deeley urged them to back legislation to remove a provision she calls unnecessary and a threat to invalidate more ballots than the margin that decided the state's 2016 presidential election.
|
| Wisconsin Black man falsely arrested at his own home sues city Posted: 21 Sep 2020 12:47 PM PDT  As reported by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Keonte Furdge was arrested in his home after a neighbor called the police because he was sitting on the patio. Two police officers entered the house with their guns drawn and handcuffed Furdge, 23.
|
| Fact check: Kamala Harris is a natural-born U.S. citizen and eligible to serve as president Posted: 21 Sep 2020 06:01 AM PDT  A post claims Kamala Harris is not eligible to serve as president because of her parents' citizenship. That's false. Harris was born in the U.S.
|
| Humpback whale swims free after getting stranded in Australian crocodile-infested river Posted: 21 Sep 2020 06:55 AM PDT  A humpback whale has found its way back to sea weeks after getting lost in a murky, crocodile-infested river in northern Australia. In the southern part of the country, an estimated 270 pilot whales were stranded.
|
| Ilhan Omar says no Republicans have even privately condemned death threats against her Posted: 21 Sep 2020 09:10 AM PDT  Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), one of the first Muslim women elected to Congress, has faced constant threats of violence since her election in 2018. They include public threats from Republicans set to join her in the House in January — and absolutely no condemnation from congressmembers on the other side of the aisle, she tells the The New York Times Magazine.In an interview with the Times, Omar discussed "hateful" attacks against her from Fox News' Tucker Carlson, as well as the rise of Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican House candidate in a far-right Georgia district who held a gun next to a photo of Omar's "Squad" in a campaign video. Greene's video is just one of many "dangerous" people spouting "bizarre, ill-informed conspiracies" about Omar and other Democrats and "terrorizing so many of us," Omar said.But despite receiving "a few death threats that have been very publicized where people have been arrested and are incarcerated for it," Omar said she has received no support or condemnation from Republicans. "I can't remember a public statement or private comment of support," she continued.> Interesting juxtaposition here between Biden-esque cries that there are good and decent Republicans who are simply too scared to speak out publicly against Trump and the reality that Ilhan Omar describes. pic.twitter.com/hxAjTS6XSV> > — Eoin Higgins (@EoinHiggins_) September 21, 2020Despite being "discouraged" by this lack of unity "sometimes," Omar said she has "hope" that "the lived reality of what exists in American cities and towns" isn't the same as what's online. Read more at The New York Times Magazine.More stories from theweek.com Trump supporters boo Ohio's GOP lieutenant governor for encouraging mask use Democrats have a better option than court packing Vanessa Bryant sues L.A. Sheriff's Department over photos deputies reportedly shared from crash site
|
| Curious mountain lion seen on video watching children play in California neighborhood Posted: 22 Sep 2020 08:49 AM PDT  "I was really afraid for the kids and it was just pure adrenaline."
|
| ‘It’s time to change! #killtrump': Deported Canadian arrested for sending ricin to Trump may have tweeted about attack days earlier Posted: 22 Sep 2020 10:15 AM PDT  Social media accounts bearing same name share common themes and include recent post threatening president
|
| Hawaii Health Department Chemist Cooked Up LSD for Air Force Members: Prosecutors Posted: 21 Sep 2020 05:16 PM PDT  A government chemist in Hawaii cooked up batches of LSD for active-duty members of the U.S. military who responded to ads for the powerful hallucinogen posted on social media, prosecutors allege.Trevor Keegan, an "extract tech" in the Disease Outbreak Control Division of the state Health Department, was charged earlier this month on one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. His alleged co-conspirator, Austin White, is not known to be affiliated with any government agency. He is facing the same charges as Keegan.The case came to the attention of investigators last September, when a confidential informant tipped off the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) about "an individual [who] was utilizing...Snapchat to advertise and conduct drug sales, particularly with active duty military service members." The existence of the investigation has not been previously reported.Air Force Vet Who Shot Woman for Stealing His Nazi Flag Claims He's Actually the Victim OSI turned the investigation over to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which was soon able to identify the Snapchat dealer as White, prosecutors said."White's public Snapchat account showed the public advertisement of various controlled substances for sale with listed prices," says a criminal complaint filed in Hawaii federal court. "One of the advertised controlled substances was Lysergic Acid Diethylamide ("LSD"), more commonly known as 'acid,' which is a schedule I controlled substance."LSD use within the armed forces has become an issue of late. In 2018, rampant LSD consumption by members of the Air Force's nuclear missile corps was exposed by the Associated Press. Since then, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service has reportedly launched nearly 200 investigations into LSD-related offenses, with cases spiking by 70 percent in the first four months of 2020. As recently as 2006, LSD use in the Air Force was so rare it was removed entirely from the standard drug tests given to airmen.In December 2019, an undercover DEA agent contacted White on Snapchat to arrange a purchase. During that meeting, White allegedly sold the agent 20 grams of "a suspected LSD mixture in the form of ingestible gummies" for $200. The following month, White sold the same undercover agent about $1,400 worth of gummies and tabs of blotter acid, the complaint states. White's source "work[ed] in chemistry," he told the undercover agent, and said he "makes his own stuff." White then agreed to have "the cook" make another 300 blotter tabs in advance of their next meeting, according to prosecutors.That's when White got sloppy. After getting $2,500 from his customer, White pointed to a car parked nearby. White allegedly told the undercover that the vehicle's driver—and lone passenger—was his supplier, before walking over to retrieve the drugs. DEA agents were able to identify the driver as Keegan, according to court filings.Both men were arrested at the beginning of May. The blotter acid tested positive for LSD, although the gummies did not."You would think that employees at the state disease outbreak control center would be too busy these days for such extracurricular activities," Dan Grazier, an ex-Marine Corps officer who now works for the nonprofit Project on Government Oversight, told The Daily Beast. "I don't recall a single instance of anyone testing positive for LSD when I was in the Marine Corps. I have heard it is becoming more common because it is quickly passed through the system and can't be detected in a urinalysis after 2 to 3 days."Former U.S. Air Force squadron commander Cedric Leighton, who retired from the service as a colonel, said he discovered at least three of his airmen using LSD during his 26-year career."Our service members are good people, but, like anyone else, they can be one bad decision away from ruining their careers and their lives," Leighton told The Daily Beast. "I saw it as my job to help them avoid those bad decisions."Keegan and White's attorneys did not respond to a request for comment, nor did the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations.Both men are free on $50,000 bail. Keegan is expected to plead guilty at the end of October.Read 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.
|
| South China Sea Watch: Taiwan alarm and Indonesia standoff Posted: 21 Sep 2020 12:14 AM PDT  A look at recent developments in the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbors in multiple territorial disputes over islands, coral reefs and lagoons. China flooded the Taiwan Strait at the northern end of the South China Sea with warplanes over two days last week in an apparent attempt to intimidate the self-governing island democracy it claims as its own territory. The drills were timed to coincide with the visit to Taiwan by a high-ranking U.S. envoy for talks and to attend a memorial service for former Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui, who led the island's transition to full democracy in the face of Chinese threats.
|
| Facebook says it is ready for violent unrest in the US election, and has plans to restrict the spread of inflammatory posts Posted: 22 Sep 2020 03:06 AM PDT  Nick Clegg, Facebook's head of global affairs, told The Financial Times that the company is preparing in case of chaos after the November election.
|
| Pakistan fire: Two to hang for Karachi garment factory inferno Posted: 22 Sep 2020 06:32 AM PDT  The men were found guilty of starting Pakistan's deadliest industrial fire, killing some 260 people.
|
| Angered by Arab-Israel ties, Palestine quits chairing Arab League sessions Posted: 22 Sep 2020 04:19 AM PDT  RAMALLAH, West Bank/GAZA (Reuters) - Palestine has quit its current chairmanship of Arab League meetings, the Palestinian foreign minister said on Tuesday, condemning as dishonourable any Arab agreement to establish formal relations with Israel. Palestinians see the accords that the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed with Israel in Washington a week ago as a betrayal of their cause and a blow to their quest for an independent state in Israeli-occupied territory. Earlier this month, the Palestinians failed to persuade the Arab League to condemn member nations breaking ranks and normalising ties with Israel.
|
| Two new studies indicate COVID-19 can spread on long airline flights, promote distancing Posted: 22 Sep 2020 11:08 AM PDT  Both studies, taking different approaches, found clusters of COVID-19 cases traced back to long airline flights.
|
| McConnell unexpectedly rejects Democrats' funding bill, leaving U.S. on the verge of government shutdown Posted: 21 Sep 2020 10:48 AM PDT  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) rejected the government funding resolution House Democrats introduced Monday, leaving the U.S. government on the verge of a shutdown.The current government funding package only lasts another nine days, so on Monday, Democrats released a draft resolution that would extend in through Dec. 11. But McConnell alleged the Democrats' proposal "shamefully leaves out key relief and support" for farmers via Commodity Credit Corp. funding — though CNN reports the Trump administration views those funds as "an unaccountable political slush fund."> Senior Dem aide says the Trump admin views the CCC funds as "an unaccountable political slush fund."> > McConnell makes clear Rs want it in any CR. > > 9 days til government funding deadline.... https://t.co/AgUazyMW2G> > — Phil Mattingly (@Phil_Mattingly) September 21, 2020House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Sunday rejected the idea that she'd use the spending bill as leverage to stop Senate Republicans from filling Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Supreme Court seat. "None of us has any interest in shutting down government, that has such a harmful and shameful impact on so many people in our country," she said, adding that "we have arrows in our quiver."More stories from theweek.com Democrats have a better option than court packing Trump supporters boo Ohio's GOP lieutenant governor for encouraging mask use Biden and Trump will talk Supreme Court, COVID-19, and election integrity at 1st presidential debate
|
| A Georgia woman robbed Florida senior citizens of $1 million, feds say — with a phone Posted: 22 Sep 2020 10:22 AM PDT  The director and guiding voice behind a phone scam that stole $1 million from senior citizens in Broward, Palm Beach and other Florida counties has been charged in West Palm Beach federal court, prosecutors say.
|
| Will Democrats grow backbones amid Trump-Republican rush to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg? Posted: 21 Sep 2020 07:08 AM PDT  Most Americans didn't vote for Trump or the GOP Senate. The time has come to consider new states, more justices and 18-year Supreme Court term limits.
|
| Chicago postal workers threaten to stop delivering mail after multiple employees shot on the job Posted: 21 Sep 2020 03:26 PM PDT  It comes as shootings and murders in Chicago are up by 50 per cent compared to last year
|
| Whale swims free of Australian river as 270 are stranded Posted: 20 Sep 2020 06:10 PM PDT  A humpback whale has found its way back to sea weeks after getting lost in a murky, crocodile-infested river in northern Australia, while an estimated 270 pilot whales became stranded in the country's south. There have been no previous recorded sightings of whales in remote East Alligator River in the Northern Territory's World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park, and no one can explain why at least three of the blue water mammals ventured so deep inland in a river with little visibility. In a more common phenomenon, about 270 pilot whales were reported stranded Monday on sandbars off Australia's southern island of Tasmania state.
|
| LAPD officers reportedly used facial recognition 30,000 times in the past decade, contradicting the department's previous denials Posted: 21 Sep 2020 11:23 PM PDT  Despite frequent denials and refusals to respond to public records requests, the LAPD has been using the controversial technology widely since 2009.
|
| Anne Webster: Australian MP and husband awarded A$875,000 in defamation case Posted: 22 Sep 2020 09:47 AM PDT  National Party MP Anne Webster sued a conspiracy theorist over a series of defamatory Facebook posts.
|
| Fact check: Anti-maskers in Indonesia were required to dig graves for COVID-19 victims Posted: 21 Sep 2020 04:13 PM PDT  A Facebook post is truthful in saying Indonesian leaders ordered eight non-mask-wearers to dig graves.
|
| The Mississippi Senate race is tightening, a new poll shows Posted: 21 Sep 2020 01:29 PM PDT  Mississippi may have a real Senate race on its hands.At least that's what the latest Tyson Group poll suggests. The survey has incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) up just one point on her Democratic challenger, Mike Espy, who represented Mississippi in the House from 1987 to 1993 before serving as agriculture secretary in the Clinton administration for a time.> MISSISSIPPI (!!) SENATE RACE:> > Mike Espy (D): 40% > Cindy Hyde-Smith (R): 41%https://t.co/Sx0Y15R87z> > — Tim Hogan (@timjhogan) September 21, 2020As with all polling, there are caveats, and it's worth noting that although the Tyson Group survey was released Monday, it was conducted between Aug. 28-30. So it's tough to tell how well it reflects the current sentiment among Mississippi voters, especially since Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death will likely affect elections around the country. But it's the latest poll out of the state, and if recent fundraising is any indication, Espy does have some momentum. On Saturday, buoyed by a nationwide in Democratic donations, he raised more money in a singe day than any Mississippi candidate for federal office in history, The Mississippi Free Press reports.> Latest polls of Mississippi Senate race, from newest to oldest:> > Hyde-Smith +1 > Hyde-Smith +5 > Hyde-Smith +8> > The most recent poll, from late August, is +1 HS with margin of error +/- 1.> > You can see why Espy thinks national Dems should pay more attention. https://t.co/56ViPVCHCr> > — Ashton Pittman (@ashtonpittman) September 21, 2020Espy and Hyde-Smith faced off in a special Senate election in 2018. The latter emerged victorious, but it was the closest Senate race in Mississippi since 1988.The Tyson Group poll was conducted between Aug. 28-30 and consisted of responses from 600 likely Mississippi voters. The margin of error is 4 percent. Read the full results here.More stories from theweek.com Democrats have a better option than court packing Republican advocates are concerned the party could cost them 'ticket splitters' with Supreme Court vote Trump supporters boo Ohio's GOP lieutenant governor for encouraging mask use
|
| Disunited states: Could a second Civil War — and an end to the union — really happen? Posted: 22 Sep 2020 03:00 AM PDT  Richard Kreitner on his new book "Break It Up" and why secession remains a possible solution to America's dilemma
|
| Asia Today: India adds 87K cases, New Zealand easing rules Posted: 20 Sep 2020 08:06 PM PDT  India recorded nearly 87,000 new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours as it edged closer to the United States in having the most reported cases in the world. The Health Ministry also Monday reported 1,130 deaths in the past 24 hours, taking the total reported fatalities to 87,882. India now has over 5.4 million reported cases, and the nation of 1.3 billion people is expected to become the pandemic's worst-hit country within weeks, surpassing the United States, which has 6.8 million.
|
| Archaeologists unearthed 27 sarcophagi in an ancient Egyptian city of the dead. They've been sealed for more than 2,500 years. Posted: 21 Sep 2020 02:25 PM PDT  Egyptians buried their dead in Saqqara for thousands of years. The ancient city has yielded countless discoveries, including human and animal mummies.
|
