| People in the US have been receiving packages of jewelry that actually contain mysterious seeds from China, report says Posted: 26 Jul 2020 01:06 PM PDT  The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has asked recipients not to plant the seeds that might be an "invasive plant species."
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| Cruz slams Pelosi for "shoveling cash at the problem" Posted: 26 Jul 2020 09:48 AM PDT  Cruz said on "Face the Nation" a coronavirus relief package pushed by House Democrats fails to focus on the global pandemic and economic hardship facing the country.
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| Hurricane Hanna: Flood threat remains despite weakening Posted: 26 Jul 2020 04:43 AM PDT  The hurricane was downgraded after making landfall, but authorities say heavy rains will continue.
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| Refugee who volunteered at French cathedral confesses to setting blaze, lawyer says Posted: 25 Jul 2020 10:54 PM PDT  A Rwandan refugee who volunteered as a warden at France's 15th-century Nantes cathedral has confessed to setting the blaze that gutted its interior a week ago, his lawyer said on Sunday. "With these confessions, there's a kind of relief: it's someone who is scared, who is somehow overwhelmed," his lawyer, Quentin Chabert, told a news conference on Sunday. The July 18 blaze engulfed the inside of the Gothic structure of the Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, destroying its grand organ, stained-glass windows and a painting.
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| Putin attends naval parade, promises new ships to navy Posted: 26 Jul 2020 03:22 AM PDT  President Vladimir Putin said the Russian navy will get 40 new ships and vessels this year, as he attended a naval parade in St. Petersburg on Sunday marking the Navy Day in Russia. The parade in St. Petersburg and the nearby town of Kronshtadt featured 46 ships and vessels and over 4,000 troops and aimed to "demonstrate the growing power of our navy," Putin said Friday.
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| North Korea may be 'reaching out to the world for help' after finally announcing a suspected coronavirus case Posted: 26 Jul 2020 05:25 AM PDT  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared an emergency and imposed a lockdown in the border city of Kaesong after the country reported its first suspected coronavirus case, state media said Sunday, adding that a person who defected three years ago to South Korea returned last week and exhibited COVID-19 symptoms after "illegally crossing the demarcation line."Pyongyang shut its borders and put thousands of people in isolation six months ago when the coronavirus pandemic began, but Kim's regime has not acknowledged any coronavirus cases during that span, a feat analysts say was always unlikely. Still, the announcement appears to be a significant step for the secretive state — experts believe it may represent a cry for help. "It's an ice-breaking moment for North Korea to admit a case," said Choo Jae-woo, a professor at South Korea's Kyung Hee University. "It could be reaching out to the world for help. Perhaps for humanitarian assistance."The description of the infected person, and the fact that the alleged case was imported, also may be meaningful. "North Korea is in such a dire situation, where they can't even finish building the Pyongyang General Hospital on time," said Cho Han-bum, a senior fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul. "Pointing the blame at an 'imported case' from South Korea, the North can use this as a way to openly accept aid from the South." Read more at Reuters and BBC.More stories from theweek.com 5 scathing cartoons about Trump's use of federal force Trump's old tricks aren't working Actress Olivia de Havilland dies at 104
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| Mnuchin says virus aid package will come soon, $1,200 checks by August Posted: 26 Jul 2020 08:37 AM PDT  Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Saturday that Republicans were set to roll out the next COVID-19 aid package Monday and assured there was support from the White House.
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| Nigerian refugee creates N.Y.C.'s first full-time shelter for asylum-seekers Posted: 26 Jul 2020 02:00 AM PDT  Edafe Okporo fled his homeland in 2016 after he was subjected to homophobic violence. He's now helping others who are looking to build lives in the U.S.
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| Police in Australia won their Supreme Court bid to stop a Black Lives Matter protest Posted: 26 Jul 2020 10:16 AM PDT  The protest was blocked after police raised concerns that it would "breach public health orders" and lead to a spike in coronavirus infections.
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| US officers force open rear door of Chinese consulate in Houston following closure order Posted: 25 Jul 2020 04:50 AM PDT  Law enforcement officials were seen forcing open a door at the Chinese consulate in Houston shortly after the US-imposed deadline for its closure took effect.The group, who were accompanied by a State Department official, pried open a rear door and went inside without responding to questions from reporters.
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| Christopher David: "Our city has been turned into a war zone intentionally" Posted: 26 Jul 2020 06:34 AM PDT  The Navy veteran who stood up to a beating by camouflage-wearing officers at a Portland Black Lives Matter demonstration says federal forces are violating their oath to the Constitution
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| Hurricane Douglas bears down on Hawaii, residents taking it in stride Posted: 25 Jul 2020 01:24 PM PDT |
| Mountain rescuers heft ailing St. Bernard off English peak Posted: 26 Jul 2020 01:12 PM PDT  St. Bernards are known for helping to rescue distressed travelers in the mountains, but the tables were turned Sunday in northern England. Sixteen volunteers from the Wasdale mountain rescue team took turns carrying Daisy, a 121-pound (55 kilogram) St Bernard, from England's highest peak, Scafell Pike. The mountain rescue team spent nearly five hours rescuing Daisy, who had collapsed Friday evening while descending the mountain with her owners.
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| Staff leaving U.S. Chengdu consulate under high security as deadline looms Posted: 26 Jul 2020 02:48 AM PDT  Staff of the U.S. consulate in Chengdu made final efforts to clear the premises on Sunday as security remained tight outside, ahead of a Monday closure ordered by Beijing as China-U.S. relations continue to worsen. Consulate closures in Houston and Chengdu have escalated a sharp deterioration in ties between the world's two biggest economies, which were already their worst in decades amid disputes over trade and technology, the COVID-19 pandemic, China's territorial claims in the South China Sea and its clampdown on Hong Kong. Police asked people to move on when crowds formed outside the consulate, as onlookers took photos and videos of what they expected would be the last time to see the compound in U.S. hands.
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| Florida passes New York as US state with the second-highest number of coronavirus cases Posted: 25 Jul 2020 12:14 PM PDT  Florida has reported more than 414,000 cases of the coronavirus, with over 12,000 new cases reported Saturday. California remains the hardest-hit state.
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| As $600-a-week benefit nears end, White House suggests short-term unemployment bill Posted: 26 Jul 2020 11:49 AM PDT  With time running out on $600 weekly benefits, Republicans have had difficulty agreeing on a new proposal. A stopgap bill may be needed, officials say.
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| Kenyan police officers arrested after fatal shooting in Garissa Posted: 26 Jul 2020 06:24 AM PDT  Two people were killed during a protest in Garissa sparked by the arrest of a murder suspect.
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| A Texas man died from coronavirus after his granddaughter spread infection to him from attending a party Posted: 25 Jul 2020 06:09 PM PDT  The "20-something" girl was not showing symptoms when she unknowingly infected her grandfather after going to a party, according to Dr. Joseph Chang.
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| China turns a blind eye as North Korea evades sanctions Posted: 25 Jul 2020 02:00 AM PDT  North Korea relies on front-companies registered in China to export coal and sand and import oil in violation of U.N. sanctions.
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| 'We, too, are America': How we can work together to overcome systemic racism Posted: 26 Jul 2020 03:00 AM PDT  Instead of attacking "the other," we must embrace and celebrate the richness of true democracy and honor the voices that make us a choir.
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| Climate expert suggests Biden will have to 'admit there will be tradeoffs' to reach zero carbon goal Posted: 25 Jul 2020 08:03 AM PDT  Climate activists and scientists have generally received former Vice President Joe Biden's plan to eliminate U.S. carbon emissions by 2035 warmly, but there will likely be some backlash ahead, especially regarding a potential reliance on wind and solar alternatives, The Guardian reports.David Keith, a climate and energy expert at Harvard University who co-authored research in 2018 that found America's transition to solar and particularly wind would require up to 20 times more land area than previously thought, said windmills certainly shouldn't be abandoned moving forward, but suggested they could be limited. "You should tilt the energy system toward low land footprints, which means focusing on solar, nuclear, and carbon capture and storage, with wind at the margins," he told The Guardian.Keith added that if the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee defeats President Trump, the incoming Biden administration will need to "admit there will be tradeoffs for a shared national goal" and that "there will be local decisions people don't like" en route to an emission-free future.But while there are concerns about the effect renewable energy systems can have on land and biodiversity, Melissa Lott, a senior research scholar at Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy, said the side effects of renewables are unequivocally worth getting to zero carbon. Read more at The Guardian.More stories from theweek.com 5 scathing cartoons about Trump's use of federal force Trump's old tricks aren't working North Korea may be 'reaching out to the world for help' after finally announcing a suspected coronavirus case
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| Oakland protesters set fire to courthouse, smash windows Posted: 25 Jul 2020 11:52 PM PDT  A protest in Oakland, California, in support of racial justice and police reform turned violent when a small group of demonstrators wearing helmets and goggles and carrying large signs that doubled as shields set fire to a courthouse, vandalized a police station and shot fireworks at officers, authorities said. About 700 demonstrators participated in what started as a peaceful march Saturday night but then some broke from the larger group and smashed windows, spray-painted graffiti and pointed lasers at officers, said Officer Johnna Watson, an Oakland Police Department spokesperson.
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| Exclusive: Alibaba, Jack Ma summoned by Indian court on former employee's complaint Posted: 25 Jul 2020 09:05 PM PDT  An Indian court has summoned Alibaba and its founder Jack Ma in a case in which a former employee in India says he was wrongfully fired after objecting to what he saw as censorship and fake news on company apps, documents seen by Reuters showed. The case comes weeks after India cited security concerns in banning Alibaba's UC News, UC Browser and 57 other Chinese apps after a clash between the two countries' forces on their border. Following the ban, which China has criticized, India sought written answers from all affected companies, including whether they censored content or acted for any foreign government.
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| New research puts the 'good guy with a gun' idea to rest: Loose concealed-carry laws are linked to more firearm homicides Posted: 26 Jul 2020 07:01 AM PDT  States with looser concealed-carry laws have higher rates of gun homicide. And higher gun-ownership rates are associated with more mass shootings.
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| Local reparations efforts are good but not enough, advocates say Posted: 26 Jul 2020 01:35 PM PDT  Proponents of federal reparations argue that localized efforts at atonement, while appreciated, cannot make amends for the deep-seated, multigenerational harm done by slavery.
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| Malaysia arrests Bangladeshi migrant who criticised government on TV Posted: 25 Jul 2020 09:24 AM PDT  The Bangladeshi man criticised the treatment of undocumented workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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| Invasion! The threat from Asian giant hornets Posted: 26 Jul 2020 06:07 AM PDT  Desperate times call for desperate measures in the ongoing battle against the terrifying insect, recently discovered in the Pacific Northwest, which can swiftly slaughter honeybee colonies and even bite out chunks of a human being's flesh
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| 'It’s my constitutional freaking right': Black Americans arm themselves in response to pandemic, protests Posted: 26 Jul 2020 04:00 AM PDT  Conservatives are using images of Black protesters with guns to justify their calls for law and order.
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| COVID-19 is a disaster for people with disabilities. Without 30-year-old law, it would be worse Posted: 26 Jul 2020 11:14 AM PDT  Without the Americans with Disabilities Act, signed 30 years ago, the pandemic would be worse for people with disabilities. It's still very hard.
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| James Carville still thinks Trump might pull out of race rather than risk losing by a landslide Posted: 25 Jul 2020 07:37 AM PDT  Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville doubled down on his prediction on Friday that President Trump may yet abandon his run for reelection.
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| Map: Track Hurricane Douglas Posted: 26 Jul 2020 12:25 PM PDT  Follow the path of the first hurricane of the season in the eastern Pacific as it heads near Hawaii.
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| The children of Korean War prisoners who never came home Posted: 26 Jul 2020 04:01 PM PDT  South Korea largely forgot its prisoners of war. Now their children are fighting for recognition.
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| Houston surpassed 40,000 coronavirus cases. Over half of them have been reported in July alone. Posted: 26 Jul 2020 08:22 AM PDT  Houston's total number of deaths from coronavirus went from 224 to 386 in the month of July alone, according to the public health department.
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| Daily coronavirus cases in Arizona are declining, but the state's fatality rate is rising fast Posted: 25 Jul 2020 10:52 AM PDT  Florida on Saturday reported more than 12,000 new coronavirus infections within the previous 24-hour period, bringing the state's total number of confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic to 414,511. On the other side of the Sun Belt, Arizona is seeing daily infections decline, seemingly without experiencing an elevated plateau, but the death rate -- a lagging indicator -- is increasing.With its latest tally, Florida has surpassed New York -- which has reported 411,200 cases -- as the state with the second highest number of confirmed infections behind California, which, like Florida, has seen cases surge over the last several weeks. New York has yet to see another major uptick since it mostly contained the virus after a significant epidemic in March, April, and May.Florida also reported 124 new resident deaths from COVID-19, bringing the total number of fatalities to 5,777. As of Saturday morning, nearly 9,000 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 across the state.In Arizona, meanwhile, the fatality rate increased over the past week to the point where if the U.S. had an equivalent rate, around 25,000 people would have been reported dead this week. > ARIZONA has reported *556* COVID deaths in the past 7 days.> > For scale, if the entire USA had Arizona's rate of deaths, about ***25,000*** would be reported dead this week alone.> > Chart of death, normalized by population last 8 weeks. (Note EU, Canada at the bottom) pic.twitter.com/fP2n6dPcsA> > -- Steven Dennis (@StevenTDennis) July 25, 2020More stories from theweek.com 5 scathing cartoons about Trump's use of federal force Trump's old tricks aren't working North Korea may be 'reaching out to the world for help' after finally announcing a suspected coronavirus case
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| Yes, Neowise is fading. But meteor showers Delta Aquariids and the Alpha Capricornids are on the horizon. Posted: 26 Jul 2020 01:25 PM PDT  Comet Neowise may be fading away, but that doesn't mean there's nothing to look at it in the night sky.
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| She Flew Missions Against ISIS-Backed Terrorists—and Died in a Suspicious ‘Accident’ Posted: 26 Jul 2020 02:06 AM PDT  ABUJA, Nigeria—She was so young and daring, and a thorn in the side of ISIS-backed terrorists and bandits in north-central Nigeria. Her profile was rising fast and in her already extraordinary career she'd broken through the military glass ceiling. But the life of Tolulope Arotile, Nigeria's first-ever female combat helicopter pilot, was cut short on July 14 when she died in a strange and sudden accident. According to the Nigeria Air Force (NAF), Arotile was "inadvertently hit by the reversing vehicle of an excited former Air Force secondary school classmate while trying to greet her" inside the NAF base in the northwestern city of Kaduna. But not many in Nigeria are convinced the death of the 24-year-old was indeed accidental, especially because her nationwide fame as a talented combat helicopter pilot, and her regular bombardment of terrorist hideouts, had made her a target of armed militants. The manner in which Arotile was said to have died—from the impact of a reversing car—raised suspicion across Nigeria that she was murdered. The country's leading activists and politicians, including the outspoken former senator Shehu Sani, joined her family in immediately demanding an inquiry into the pilot's death. The NAF quickly responded by announcing a preliminary investigation into the tragedy. Arotile had just come back from an operation in north-central Nigeria, where she was deployed in the fight to rid the region of ISIS-backed militants and other criminal elements by flying combat missions. The NAF said she served as a squadron pilot in what the military named Operation Gama Aiki and flew "anti-banditry combat missions to ensure a safer, more secured Nigeria."Russians Are Using African Troll Factories—and Encrypted Messaging—to Attack the U.S.Since last year, armed bandits and militants, including those with links to the so-called Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have terrorized a number of villages in north-central Nigeria, killing hundreds of villagers and displacing thousands from their homes. The military's response has been through airstrikes, many of which had been carried out by attack helicopters like those flown by Arotile and her fellow fighter pilots.Arotile's last combat mission was devastating for the terrorists she targeted, a senior NAF official told The Daily Beast privately. She was said to have carried out airstrikes targeting bandits at Kasuwan Ango Community in Nigeria's north-central Niger State in late June. The Nigeria military had stated last month that strikes by the air component of Operation Gama Aiki at Kasuwan Ango on June 28 and 29 led to the "neutralization of some of the bandits" and the arrest of two foreigners, while the country's press release distribution agency, PR Nigeria, reported that corpses of bandits littered the area of the operation, an indication that the airstrikes killed numerous terrorists. Arotile herself was targeted by the bandits who shot repeatedly at her helicopter before she managed to overcome them. "Much of our success in the north-central can be attributed to Tolulope [Arotile]," said the NAF official who didn't want his name mentioned as he wasn't authorized to speak. "She was extremely daring and fearless."The manner in which Arotile was said to have died—from the impact of a reversing car—raised suspicion across Nigeria that she might have been murdered. The country's leading politicians and activists have joined her family in demanding an inquiry into the pilot's death. The NAF stated on Sunday that its preliminary investigation found that three of Arotile's secondary school classmates—all civilians who live outside the Kaduna NAF base, and who were on their way to visit another friend living in the same vicinity—were in the Kia Sorento SUV that hit her. The driver, Nehemiah Adejo, recognized Arotile after passing her, and "reversed the vehicle, ostensibly in an attempt to quickly meet up with the deceased, who was walking in the opposite direction.""In the process," said Ibikunle Daramola, NAF director of public relations and information, "the vehicle struck Flying Officer Arotile from the rear, knocking her down with significant force and causing her to hit her head on the pavement.""The vehicle then ran over parts of her body as it veered off the road beyond the kerb and onto the pavement, causing her further injuries," Daramola said while reporting on the NAF's initial findings on the pilot's death on July 19.The three schoolmates were subjected to toxicology tests but no traces of alcohol or psychotropic substances were found in their systems, according to the NAF findings, which also revealed that the driver of the vehicle, Adejo, did not have a valid driver's license. The trio are expected to be handed over to police, who are set to begin an investigation into Arotile's death. The late pilot, who was commissioned into the air force as a Pilot Officer in 2017, made history last October when she was winged as the first-ever female combat helicopter pilot in the NAF after completing her flying training in South Africa. Arotile held a commercial pilot license and had undergone tactical flying training on the Agusta 109 Power attack helicopter in Italy. When Nigeria acquired an Agusta 109 Power early in the year, Arotile was asked to introduce the aircraft to President Muhammadu Buhari, during the induction ceremony in Abuja in February.Arotile once said she joined the NAF simply out of "passion" for the military. In an interview with a local publication after Arotile's death, her father, Akintunde Arotile, recalled when she first developed a passion for flying: "One day—when she was very small—she pointed to one small aircraft parked on a field and said, 'Dad, one day I am going to fly that aircraft,' and I said, 'Amen,'" Arotile told The Punch newspaper. Nigeria's leading politicians and institutions have paid tribute to her outstanding contribution to the country's long fight against terrorism. President Buhari recalled her "bravery" and "deft skills in manoeuvring combat helicopters" in a statement his office released shortly after her death, while the House of Representatives said she was "a heroine whose contribution in the war against terrorism and other criminal elements in the country cannot be wished away easily."Arotile's death comes at a period when Nigeria is facing increased attacks from armed bandits and ISWAP militants in the north-central and northeast regions. A series of ISWAP attacks last month in the northeastern state of Borno killed close to 150 people, including 20 soldiers. The Islamic State-affiliated group suddenly became active in parts of the north-central region, where Arotile embarked on most of her missions, this year.At a time when Nigeria needs its best hands to contain brutal terror groups like ISWAP, Arotile's death will definitely be a blow to its effort to defeat terrorists."I was heartbroken when I received the sad news," Nigeria's chief of the Air Staff, Sadique Abubakar, tweeted. "[Arotile] was one of our shining young stars."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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| US diplomat says America keeps pushing to end Qatar crisis Posted: 26 Jul 2020 07:11 AM PDT  The U.S. continues to push for an end of the four-nation boycott of Qatar, even after the hospitalization of Kuwait's ruling emir who led talks to resolve the yearslong dispute, a U.S. diplomat said Sunday. U.S. Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook acknowledged the challenge ahead on ending the crisis that's torn apart the Gulf Cooperation Council, with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates part of the boycott that's targeted fellow member Qatar since June 2017. Egypt as well joined the boycott, which saw nations close their airspace and borders to Qatar.
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| Riot declared in Seattle as protests continue Posted: 25 Jul 2020 07:10 PM PDT  At least 25 arrests were made Saturday afternoon.
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| Tens of thousands protest against Putin in Russian far east Posted: 25 Jul 2020 12:34 AM PDT  Tens of thousands marched in the Russian far east on Saturday, the third such weekend protest in a row, to express their anger over what they say is President Vladimir Putin's mishandling of a local political crisis. Residents of Khabarovsk, around 3,800 miles (6,110 km) and seven time zones east of Moscow, are unhappy about the detention this month of the wider region's popular governor, Sergei Furgal, who was arrested on murder charges he denies. Protesters chanted "Putin resign!" and "Putin is a thief!".
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| Singapore man admits being Chinese spy in US Posted: 25 Jul 2020 05:43 AM PDT  The guilty plea of the man who found spying targets on LinkedIn comes as US-China tensions rise.
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| McDonald's and African Americans: it's complicated, professor says Posted: 25 Jul 2020 08:41 PM PDT  Businesses have proclaimed support for the protests against racism towards African Americans happening across the United States, including perhaps the most iconic of them all: ubiquitous fast food chain McDonald's. For Marcia Chatelain, a professor of history and African American studies at Georgetown University in Washington, McDonalds's support for the biggest civil rights protests to hit the United States in decades came as no surprise.
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| Nearly 2 dozen lifeguards in New Jersey test positive for coronavirus after hosting social gatherings Posted: 26 Jul 2020 09:51 AM PDT  After hosting two social gatherings two weeks ago, 11 lifeguards from Harvey Cedars and 12 from Surf City have tested positive for COVID-19.
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| Judge's ruling reopens Kennedy cousin's murder case to the public Posted: 25 Jul 2020 12:06 PM PDT |
| A lawyer who helps ultra-wealthy families get secondary citizenships says business is booming in 2020 — and not just because of the coronavirus Posted: 26 Jul 2020 07:31 AM PDT  Wealthy Americans are already looking to the election and are prepared to "vote with their feet" if taxes go up.
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