- Trump on Supreme Court vacancy: 'When you have the votes, you can sort of do what you want'
The president on Monday defended the Republican plan to bring his pick to replace the Supreme Court vacancy left by Ruth Bader Ginsburg to a vote so close to an election, even though Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declined to do the same in 2016.
- Shopper flaunting his gun in checkout line shoots himself in the groin, Oregon cops say
He placed his gun in the front of his pants near the button and accidentally pulled the trigger, police said.
- Ilhan Omar says no Republicans have even privately condemned death threats against her
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 Stephen Colbert's Late Show takes Lindsey Graham up on his offer, uses his words against him Tropical Storm Beta makes landfall in Texas McConnell unexpectedly rejects Democrats' funding bill, leaving U.S. on the verge of government shutdown
- A Vermont grocery store worker was fired after stopping a purse snatcher who stole from an elderly woman
Amir Shedyak, a grocery store employee, told local news that he was fired after trying to stop a purse snatcher during a shift in August.
- Fact check: Anti-maskers in Indonesia were required to dig graves for COVID-19 victims
A Facebook post is truthful in saying Indonesian leaders ordered eight non-mask-wearers to dig graves.
- Norfolk Shipyard CO Is 4th Navy Leader to Be Fired in a Month
Capt. Kai Torkelson was relieved of command Monday by Vice Adm. Bill Galinis.
- Arctic sea-ice shrinks to near record low extent
Only in 2012 have satellites seen the summer floes in the polar north more withdrawn than in 2020.
- Black Lives Matter Removes Language about Disrupting the Nuclear Family from Website
The official Black Lives Matter website no longer includes language encouraging the “disruption” of the “Western-prescribed nuclear family structure.”The language had been featured on the site's "What We Believe" page, in which the group had laid out its support for various extreme policies and ideals that went beyond police reform and brutality. Attempts to access the page now yield a message that reads, "Page Not Found. Sorry, but the page you were trying to view does not exist," the Washington Examiner first discovered on Monday.The page had described the group as a "global Black family" that engages "comrades with the intent to learn about and connect with their contexts," according to an archive."We make our spaces family-friendly and enable parents to fully participate with their children. We dismantle the patriarchal practice that requires mothers to work 'double shifts' so that they can mother in private even as they participate in public justice work," the organization wrote. "We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and 'villages' that collectively care for one another, especially our children, to the degree that mothers, parents, and children are comfortable."The website still features an “About" page that explains the origin of the organization — it was founded in 2013 after the death of Trayvon Martin — and features a shorter list of its goals. The "About" page says the group’s mission “is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes.”“We affirm the lives of Black queer and trans folks, disabled folks, undocumented folks, folks with records, women, and all Black lives along the gender spectrum,” the page reads.“We are working for a world where Black lives are no longer systematically targeted for demise,” it adds.The organization has received criticism for its extremist views, including co-founder Patrisse Cullors 2015 admission that she and her fellow co-founders are “trained Marxists.”"I actually do think we have an ideological frame. We are trained Marxists," Cullors said.
- Snorkeler attacked by 10ft bull shark in Florida Keys
Victim was airlifted to Miami hospital with a serious bite wound
- NYPD Officer Spied on Tibetan New Yorkers for Chinese Government: Feds
A New York City police officer was arrested Monday by federal authorities, who say the cop has been secretly working as an agent of the Chinese government for the past six years.The accused officer, Baimadajie Angwang, 33, is a community affairs liaison at the 111th Precinct in Queens. He is a former member of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, and now serves as a civil affairs specialist in the Army Reserve, according to prosecutors. Angwan served three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and holds a secret-level security clearance.Angwang has “maintained a relationship with at least two PRC officials stationed at the [Chinese] Consulate” in New York City, says a complaint unsealed Monday in Brooklyn federal court. One is reportedly assigned to the “China Association for Preservation and Development of Tibetan Culture,” a division of the country’s United Front Work Department. Angwang referred to this man as “boss” and “big brother,” according to the complaint, and allegedly offered to provide the consulate with inside information about the NYPD.“This Department is responsible for, among other things, neutralizing sources of potential opposition to the policies and authority of the PRC,” the filing explains.China Steals ‘Hurt Locker’ Footage for Unhinged Propaganda Film Simulating Attack on U.S. BaseAngwang, who is ethnically Tibetan, allegedly began communicating with his “handler” in 2014, according to court filings. The FBI says it has documented more than 100 conversations between Angwang and his Chinese government contacts during that time.“The investigation has revealed that ANGWANG, while acting at the direction and control of PRC officials, has, among other things, (1) reported on the activities of ethnic Tibetans, and others, in the New York metropolitan area to the Consulate, (2) spotted and assessed potential ethnic Tibetan intelligence sources in the New York metropolitan area and beyond, and (3) used his official position in the NYPD to provide Consulate officials access to senior NYPD officials through invitations to official NYPD events,” says the complaint, which dryly points out that “none of these activities” fall within Angwang’s official law enforcement responsibilities.Angwang is a naturalized U.S. citizen, having first come to America on a cultural exchange visa. After receiving—and overstaying—a second visa, Angwang was granted asylum for the persecution and torture he claimed to have endured at the hands of the Chinese government “due partly to this Tibetan ethnicity,” says the complaint.As an agent, he was allegedly tasked with locating and recruiting potential intelligence assets among the Tibetan community in New York. And even though the family is Tibetan, a minority group long oppressed by Beijing, the FBI says Angwang’s ties to the Chinese government run deep. His father is a retired member of the People’s Liberation Army, where his brother currently serves as a reservist. Angwang’s mother is a retired government official and a member of the Chinese Communist Party, according to the complaint.Investigators also tracked Angwang’s finances, zeroing in on large transfers he made between the U.S. and China. In 2016, Angwang—who makes about $50,000 a year—wired $100,000 to his brother’s account in China. The following month, Angwang wired $50,000 to another account in China, held in someone else’s name.In a statement, the International Campaign for Tibet, a Washington, D.C., human-rights NGO, said, “If confirmed by the courts, the alleged spying operation established at the direction of the Chinese government against the Tibetan American community in New York shows that the Chinese Communist Party is engaged in malign operations to suppress dissent, not only in Tibet, where Tibetans are oppressed and denied all freedoms, but any place in the world where Tibetans are free to express themselves, starting with the United States of America. By strictly limiting access to Tibet for the Tibetan American community, the Chinese government tries to create an atmosphere of suspicion among the members of the community and tries to exploit it to its advantage.”Angwang’s detention hearing was held Monday afternoon. After about an hour’s delay, during which court staff struggled to dial into the remote hearing, the proceeding got underway. Still, it wasn’t without hitches. U.S. Magistrate Judge Roanne Mann had a problem with her device’s camera: She could see Angwang, but he could not see her from the court’s holding cell.Angwang confirmed that he understood the charges against him and consented to being detained without prejudice, meaning he retains the right to apply for bail in the future.John Carman, Angwang’s lawyer, declined to comment.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.
- Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Second woman on Supreme Court had been nation's leading litigator for women's rights
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a legal pioneer for gender equality who became the second woman to serve on the high court.
- As the U.S. hits 200,000 COVID-19 deaths, Trump tells an Ohio rally the coronavirus 'affects virtually nobody'
The U.S. passed yet another "grim milestone" in its COVID-19 pandemic Monday night, Reuters notes, with at least 200,000 Americans dead from the new coronavirus and an average of nearly 1,000 more dying each day. As "the country blew past estimate after estimate" of COVID-19 deaths, Politico's pandemic newsletter said Monday night, "the term 'grim milestone' in headlines became so routine that we banned it."COVID-19 deaths are rising again in the U.S. after a four-week decline, with Texas and Florida leading the news fatalities, Reuters reports, and the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation now predicts 300,000 deaths by Dec. 9 and 378,000 by the end of 2020 if current trends continue. The IHME's first projection of U.S. coronavirus deaths, issued March 16, topped out at 162,000. The U.S., with about 4 percent of the world's population, has 20 percent of its recorded COVID-19 deaths.At a rally in Dayton, Ohio, on Monday night, President Trump assured his admirers the virus isn't really that bad, noting that it mostly kills "elderly people" and people with "other problems," adding, "It affects virtually nobody."> "It affects virtually nobody," Trump says of the coronavirus, which has now killed 200,000 Americans and counting pic.twitter.com/qHrZvUWNhX> > — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 22, 2020According to CDC data, more than 70 percent of U.S. COVID-19 deaths are among people older than 65, which means about 60,000 of the dead were 65 and younger. And a lot of the estimated millions of U.S. "long-haulers" who did not die from COVID-19 are still grappling with a wide array of health problems, some of the potentially serious.More stories from theweek.com Stephen Colbert's Late Show takes Lindsey Graham up on his offer, uses his words against him Tropical Storm Beta makes landfall in Texas McConnell unexpectedly rejects Democrats' funding bill, leaving U.S. on the verge of government shutdown
- Tens of thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts traveled to the Lake of the Ozarks for a bike rally weeks after a similar event in Sturgis was linked to COVID-19 cases in 8 states
Lake Ozark Mayor Gerry Murawski said last week that he didn't expect motorcyclists to wear masks to Bikefest because "that's just the way they are."
- China admits Uighur birthrate has dropped by nearly one-third
Chinese officials have admitted that birth rates have plummeted among its ethnic Uighurs, fuelling claims that Beijing is subjecting its Muslim minority to a campaign of forced birth control. Official statistics show that in Xinjiang, the north-western province where most of the 10 million strong Uighur community live, birth rates dropped by almost a third in 2018. The figures follow accusations that Beijing is attempting to reduce the Uighur population by threatening women with fines or spells in mass detention camps if they flout harsh family planning measures. At least a million Uighurs are believed to have passed through the detention camps in recent years, which Beijing insists are voluntary schools to teach Uighurs of the dangers of Islamic extremism. Human rights groups say they are used to eradicate Uighur culture, in tandem with forced abortion and sterilisation policies that amount to "demographic genocide".
- U.S. Space Force deploys troops to the Arabian Desert
The newly formed U.S. Space Force is deploying troops to a vast new frontier: the Arabian Peninsula.
- Why We’re Never Buying Rectangular Rugs Again
- Maryland congressional candidate Kim Klacik accuses ‘The View’s’ Joy Behar of wearing blackface
Things got tense on the latest episode of ABC’s “The View” when a Black Republican candidate for the U.S. House accused one a co-host of wearing blackface. Kim Klacik, who is running to represent Maryland’s 7th Congressional District that includes part of Baltimore, got into a heated exchange with the group of women hosts after she lodged the claim against Joy Behar. The late Elijah Cummings represented the district from 1996 to 2019.
- Navalny says nerve agent was found 'in and on' his body
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny demanded Monday that Russia return the clothes he was wearing on the day he fell into a coma in Siberia, calling it “a crucial piece of evidence” in the nerve agent poisoning he is being treated for at a German hospital. In a blog post Monday, Navalny said the Novichok nerve agent was found “in and on” his body, and said the clothes taken off him when he was hospitalized in Siberia a month ago after collapsing on a Russian flight are “very important material evidence.” Navalny, Russian President Vladimir Putin's fiercest critic, fell ill on a domestic flight to Moscow on Aug. 20, was brought to a hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk and was transferred to Germany for treatment two days later.
- More than 160 world leaders and diplomats call for UK to release Julian Assange
Letter claims Mr Assange will not be able to get fair trial in US
- ‘No Right’: Schumer Claims It Would ‘Spell the End’ of the Senate If Republicans Fill Ginsburg Vacancy
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) claimed Monday that Republicans have “no right” to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the recent death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ahead of the November election, and said doing so would “spell the end” of the Senate.Schumer’s comments came in a speech on the Senate floor in response to Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell’s remarks that President Trump’s nominee for a vacancy would receive a vote on the floor of the Senate.“By all rights, by every modicum of decency and honor, Leader McConnell and the Republican Senate majority have no right to fill it, no right,” Schumer said.Schumer then repeated Ginsburg’s alleged statement to her granddaughter in her final days of life that her “most fervent wish” was that she should not be replaced until a new president is installed. He added that Senate Republicans should have “no problem adhering to Justice Ginsburg’s dying wish” as Leader McConnell “held the Supreme Court vacancy open for nearly a year in order to ‘give the people a voice' in selecting a Supreme Court justice.”He criticized McConnell and Senator Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) for going back on the standard they set in 2016 following the death of Justice Antonin Scalia when Senate Republicans refused to vote on President Obama's nominee Merrick Garland."The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court justice,” McConnell had said then. “Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president."However, McConnell said his current stance is not comparable to his position from 2016 as the Senate was held by Republicans while the president was a Democrat.On Monday McConnell quoted his own comments from February 2016 in saying, "The Senate has not filled a vacancy arising in an election year when there was a divided government since 1888, almost 130 years ago."Yet Schumer painted a dire picture of the Senate should Republicans move forward with filling the vacancy, saying the move would take the legislative body down a “dangerous path.”“I worry for the future of this chamber if the Republican majority proceeds down this dangerous path. If a Senate majority over the course of six years steals two Supreme Court seats using completely contradictory rationales, how could we expect to trust the other side again?” he said. “If, when push comes to shove, when the stakes are the highest, the other side will double-cross their own standards when it’s politically advantageous, tell me how this would not spell the end of this supposedly great deliberative body, because I don't see how," he continued.The New York Democrat urged four Senate Republicans to commit to rejecting any nominee until the next president is installed, saying “that was Justice Ginsburg’s dying wish and it may be the Senate’s only last hope.”Senators Susan Collins (R., Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R., Alaska) have both said they would not support confirming a presidential nominee ahead of the election.
- The cruise industry will implement these COVID-19 precautions: testing, masks, ventilation, more
The cruise industry has announced mandatory changes designed to make it safe to sail during the COVID-19 pandemic – ideally by the end this year.
- 'The Democrats are running two big gambles': Gingrich
Newt Gingrich on the Senate battle that looms over the Supreme Court's vacancy
- Real estate tycoon and critic of China's President Xi Jinping jailed for 18 years
The former chairman of a state-owned real estate company who publicly criticised President Xi Jinping's handling of the coronavirus pandemic was sentenced to 18 years in prison on Tuesday on corruption charges, a court announced. Ren Zhiqiang, who became known for speaking up about censorship and other sensitive topics, disappeared from public view in March after publishing an essay online that accused Mr Xi of mishandling the outbreak that began in December in the central city of Wuhan. Mr Xi, party leader since 2012, has suppressed criticism, tightened censorship and cracked down on unofficial organisations. Dozens of journalists, labour and human rights activists and others have been imprisoned. Mr Ren, 69, was convicted of corruption, bribery, embezzlement of public funds and abuse of power, the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court announced on its social media account. It cited Mr Ren as saying he wouldn't appeal. The former chairman and deputy party secretary of Huayuan Group was expelled from the ruling party in July. In a commentary that circulated on social media, Mr Ren criticised a Feb. 23 video conference with 170,000 officials held early in the pandemic at which Mr Xi announced orders for responding to the disease. Mr Ren didn't mention Mr Xi's name but said, "standing there was not an emperor showing off his new clothes but a clown who had stripped off his clothes and insisted on being an emperor". Mr Ren criticised propaganda that portrayed Mr Xi and other leaders as rescuing China from the disease without mentioning where it began and possible mistakes including suppressing information at the start of the outbreak. "People did not see any criticism at the conference. It didn't investigate and disclose the truth," Mr Ren wrote, according to a copy published by China Digital Times, a website in California. "No one reviewed or took responsibility. But they are trying to cover up the truth with all kinds of great achievements." Mr Ren had an early military career and his parents were both former high officials in the Communist party. Some called him a princeling, a term for offspring of the founders of the communist government, a group that includes Mr Xi. He appeared to have crossed a political line by criticising Mr Xi's personal leadership.
- Portland protesters reportedly faced tear gas after the city's mayor banned the local police department from using it
Both the Portland Police Bureau and Mayor Ted Wheeler denied using tear gas against protesters after Wheeler's order to ban it.
- More thyroid medicines recalled for being too weak. People have reported problems
Testing and customer complaints of medical problems resulted in two lots of NP Thyroid tablets getting recalled by manufacturer Acella Pharmaceuticals.
- At least 5 organizations say they won't help brands audit supply chains in China's Xinjiang region
As concerns grow over the alleged human rights abuses and forced labor in China's Xinjiang territory, five organizations told The Wall Street Journal they won't provide labor-audit or inspection services of companies' supply chains in the region. Two other auditing companies told the Workers Rights Consortium they won't operate in Xinjiang in emails reviewed by the Journal, but did not respond to requests for comment. Another firm confirmed it would no longer conduct audits there, but did not elaborate.The withdrawal of auditors has sparked some mixed reactions, says the Journal. Some other firms acknowledged the challenges of detecting forced labor in Xinjiang — auditors have been detained by Chinese authorities and others are required to rely on Beijing-approved translators who may convey misinformation at factories employing Uighurs and other Turkic-speaking minorities, while some workers simply find the risk of telling the truth to auditors to be too great — but also expressed concern that blacklisting the region could push human rights abuses even further underground.At the same time, there's a sense that third-party auditors generally are more inclined to serve corporate interests, lowering the chances of exposing violations, the Journal reports. That's why labor rights groups and Uighur rights activists have urged organizations to halt audits in Xinjiang. Ultimately, they believe forcing companies to shift their supply chains out of the region is the only way to avoid contributing to forced-labor practices. Read more at The Wall Street Journal.More stories from theweek.com Stephen Colbert's Late Show takes Lindsey Graham up on his offer, uses his words against him Tropical Storm Beta makes landfall in Texas McConnell unexpectedly rejects Democrats' funding bill, leaving U.S. on the verge of government shutdown
- Hawaii Health Department Chemist Cooked Up LSD for Air Force Members: Prosecutors
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.
- Israel court says woman can be extradited in child sex case
An Israeli court on Monday approved the extradition of a former teacher wanted in Australia on charges of child sex abuse, potentially paving the way for her to stand trial after a six-year legal battle. Malka Leifer, a former educator who is accused of sexually abusing several former students, has been fighting extradition from Israel since 2014. Leifer maintains her innocence and the battle surrounding her extradition has strained relations between Israel and Australia.
- Biden news: Former VP says he is worried Americans are at risk of becoming numb to the coronavirus death toll
Follow the latest updates
- Florida man fights off attacking alligator by poking its eyes; survives with 65 stitches
Mark Johnson, 61, was attacked by alligator and survived with 65 stitches. Here's the trick he used, which FWC warns doesn't always work.
- Leaked files contain more evidence of Kremlin links to one of the biggest donors to Boris Johnson's Conservative party
The husband of a major donor to Boris Johnson's Conservatives has allegedly been secretly funded by a Russian oligarch with links to Vladimir Putin.
- Solomon Islands: Men working for WW2 bomb clearing agency die in explosion
The men were working to help dispose of the many unexploded World War Two bombs on the islands.
- NASA plans for return to Moon to cost $28 billion
NASA on Monday revealed its latest plan to return astronauts to the Moon in 2024, and estimated the cost of meeting that deadline at $28 billion, $16 billion of which would be spent on the lunar landing module.
- Florida's governor is proposing a law that would protect drivers who kill or injure people if they're fleeing a 'mob,' following a spate of incidents of people driving through protest crowds
People have hit protesters with cars dozens of times since the US erupted with protests following the death of George Floyd in May.
- Australian journalist says he fled China after authorities threatened to detain his teenage daughter
Chinese authorities threatened to detain an Australian journalist and his 14-year-old daughter two years ago, in apparent retaliation for his coverage of China. Matthew Carney, then the Australian Broadcasting Corp’s Beijing bureau chief, was already bracing for trouble after being reprimanded by Chinese foreign ministry representatives upset over his coverage, which they had deemed unfavourable to the country. The last meeting he had with representatives ended with him being told he had personally broken Chinese laws and was now under ‘investigation.’ The problems continued when Carney sought to renew his journalist visa. During the process, he was instructed to report to a facility and to bring his daughter, where a lead interrogator later alleged she had broken visa rules. He was told because his daughter is an adult under Chinese law, that "as the People’s Republic of China is a law-abiding country, she will be charged with the visa crime.”
- Three jailed after being caught with 109 undersized lobsters in the Keys, police say
Three Lower Keys residents were jailed Friday after state fish and wildlife police said they were found with more than 100 undersized lobsters and a haul of out-of-season stone crab claws.
- Nebraska man charged in protester’s death dies by suicide
- Biden warns confirming Supreme Court justice before election would cause ‘irreversible damage’ and promises to nominate a Black woman if he wins
'Last thing we need is to add is a constitutional crisis that plunges us deeper into the abyss, deeper into the darkness’
- New Zealand ends all pandemic restrictions outside main city of Auckland
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday lifted all coronavirus restrictions across the country, except in second-wave hotspot Auckland, as the number of new infections slowed to a trickle. "Our actions collectively have managed to get the virus under control," she told reporters in Auckland. New Zealand, a nation of five million, appeared to have halted community transmission of COVID-19 earlier this year, but a fresh outbreak in Auckland in August prompted the government to place the city back in lockdown.
- LAPD officers reportedly used facial recognition 30,000 times in the past decade, contradicting the department's previous denials
Despite frequent denials and refusals to respond to public records requests, the LAPD has been using the controversial technology widely since 2009.
- Australia whales: 90 dead in mass stranding off Tasmania
Rescuers are racing to save the survivors of a group of 270 whales beached off Tasmania's west coast.
- DeKalb school board member accused of making racist remarks
Joyce Morley, a DeKalb County school board member, said those accusing her of making racially insensitive comments during a recent meeting are mishearing what she actually said. During an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Friday, Morley explained that video from the emotionally-charged board meeting shows her saying the word “rights” and not “whites” when discussing the school district’s plans to reopen schools. During the Monday meeting in question, Cheryl Watson-Harris, DeKalb schools superintendent proposed that students and staff return to in-person learning as early as October, but on a part-time basis.
- Racist Jim Crow era lives on in Florida decision to disenfranchise felons over fines
The racist roots of denying the vote to felons are no secret. Florida just continued the tradition by disenfranchising hundreds of thousands of them.
- Brain wrapped in aluminum foil washes ashore on Wisconsin beach
A medical examiner's office has confirmed the brain is not human. Which begs the obvious question, what kind of brain is it?
- Boss lures maids to home, chains 1 to bed; other dies trying to escape, TX cops say
The man told one of the women he had inappropriate photos of her, police say.
- Trooper wounded in crash faced firing in Black man's death
A Louisiana state trooper was critically injured early Monday in a single-vehicle highway crash that came hours after learning he would be fired for his role last year in the in-custody death of a Black man. Master Trooper Chris Hollingsworth received word Sunday that State Police intended to terminate him following an internal investigation into the May 2019 death of Ronald Greene, a case that has drawn mounting scrutiny and become the subject of a federal civil rights investigation. State Police, despite growing pressure, have repeatedly declined to release body-camera footage and other records related to Greene’s arrest, citing the ongoing investigations.
- Fact check: In 2016, Ginsburg said president is 'elected for four years not three years'
A post attributes a 2016 quote to the late jurist about presidential power to appoint Supreme Court justices. The post is missing context.
- The CIA sent a team of 4 operators on a spy mission targeting China. None came back.
In 2008, the CIA sent a team of four operators on a spy mission targeting China. None came back. Internally, the CIA officers blamed the mission failure and deaths of four of their men on Bob Kandra, the Special Activities
Division chief at the time.
- Armed and Black. How a group of men licensed to carry guns say they are seeking racial justice
Armed Black groups like the Minnesota Freedom Fighters work to protect the streets as calls for racial justice mount.
- Bull rider killed in Texas rodeo
Rider was studying animal sciences at Oklahoma State University
