| Top Trump aide says president is 'eager to return to the campaign trail' amid reports a planned rally was scrapped Posted: 30 Jun 2020 01:59 PM PDT  Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh held a press conference call with reporters on Tuesday where he said the president is "eager to return to the campaign trail and to keep campaigning and keep connecting with Americans."
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| Officials: Russian bounty reports follow years of Kremlin support to Taliban Posted: 30 Jun 2020 10:10 AM PDT  As early as 2016, U.S. intelligence officials were receiving credible reports that the Russian government was funding the Taliban. Now those reports have taken on new relevance.
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| `You broke my wrist!' Police sued for taking down wrong man Posted: 30 Jun 2020 10:12 PM PDT  Body camera video shows Antonio Arnelo Smith handing his driver's license to a Black police officer and answering questions cooperatively before a white officer walks up behind him, wraps him in a bear hug and slams him face-first to the ground. "Oh my God, you broke my wrist!" the 46-year-old Black man screams as two more white Valdosta officers arrive, holding him down and handcuffing him following the takedown. One eventually tells Smith he's being arrested on an outstanding warrant, and is immediately corrected by the first officer: They've got the wrong man.
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| Target customer confronts employee in Black Lives Matter mask Posted: 01 Jul 2020 10:01 AM PDT  The customer said she asked the Target employee, "Don't you think all lives matter?" which started an argument. She was told to leave the store.
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| Beijing asks some U.S. media to submit information about their China operations Posted: 01 Jul 2020 12:32 AM PDT  China's foreign ministry said on Wednesday that the Chinese government has asked some U.S. media outlets present in the country to submit information about their China operations. Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian named the Associated Press, National Public Radio, CBS and United Press International news agency as companies asked to submit the requested information in writing within seven days. The AP has requested more information about the Chinese government's requirements and "will review them carefully," a spokeswoman for the outlet said.
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| Texas Bar Owners Sue Over Reimposed Coronavirus Restrictions Posted: 30 Jun 2020 07:36 AM PDT  Several Texas bar owners on Monday sued over Governor Greg Abbott's order to shut down their businesses again as coronavirus cases in the state soar.Texas reported a record high on Monday of 5,913 individuals hospitalized for the coronavirus, and new cases of the virus rose on Saturday to a record daily high of 6,263 confirmed new cases. Deaths from the virus have remained level, however.The bar owners filed lawsuits in Austin, Houston, and Galveston, charging that the governor has exceeded his authority under the state constitution to order bars to close again and claiming that the restrictions are being unfairly imposed on bars while other businesses, such as nail and hair salons, are allowed to continue operating. The owners are demanding that Abbott call the state legislature into a special session to handle the issue."Gov. Abbott continues to act like a king," said Jared Woodfill, a lawyer representing the bar owners. "Abbott is unilaterally destroying our economy and trampling on our constitutional rights."Abbott rolled back his state's reopening process on Friday, singling out activity in bars as a driving factor of the spike in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations Texas has experienced."As I said from the start, if the positivity rate rose above 10%, the State of Texas would take further action to mitigate the spread of COVID-19," the Republican governor said. "At this time, it is clear that the rise in cases is largely driven by certain types of activities, including Texans congregating in bars."The governor's slowdown of the reopening process reimposes restrictions on businesses he had allowed to reopen at partial capacity, including bars, restaurants, gyms, malls, and bowling alleys. Bars were required to close at 12 p.m. on Friday but are allowed to remain open for delivery and take-out orders. Restaurants may operate dine-in service at 50 percent capacity, down from the 75 percent capacity Abbott approved earlier this month. The majority of gatherings of 100 or more people must gain approval from local governments.The announcement came two days after Abbott warned that the coronavirus is now spreading in Texas at an "unacceptable rate" and pleaded with residents to wear masks in public and continue practicing social distancing.Several other states have seen their coronavirus cases spike in the last several weeks, including Florida, Arizona, and California. Along with Texas, Alabama, Missouri and Nevada.
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| Study finds asteroid impact, not volcanoes, made the Earth uninhabitable for dinosaurs: 'Only plausible explanation' Posted: 30 Jun 2020 12:09 PM PDT  A new study found what happened to the Earth's dinosaurs. An asteroid strike blocking out the sun for years and causing permanent winters was cause.
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| Georgia man sues police officers for excessive force in mistaken identity arrest Posted: 01 Jul 2020 04:11 AM PDT  A Georgia man is suing police officers who he says used excessive force to restrain him when he was wrongly arrested in a case of mistaken identity.
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| Trump a ‘coward or complicit’ over Russia bounty claims, says ex-Navy SEAL in new ad Posted: 30 Jun 2020 01:16 PM PDT  A former US Navy SEAL has hit out at Donald Trump in a new attack ad released by a Republican political group, calling him a "coward" or "complicit" regarding the allegations that Russia has been paying bounties to Afghans who kill US military members.The minute-long ad by the Lincoln Project features former US Navy SEAL Dr Dan Barkhuff — now an emergency room doctor and the founder of the Veterans for Responsible Leadership PAC — chastising the president for his response to reports that Russia has allegedly paid bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill US troops, and further that he has taken no action in response.
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| ‘Beat it, little f***er.’ Officers laugh after shooting rubber bullets at protesters. Posted: 01 Jul 2020 03:20 PM PDT  Warning: This article contains profane language.
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| McConnell warns Democrats about changing Senate rules to kill the filibuster Posted: 01 Jul 2020 02:36 PM PDT  The Senate GOP leader spoke as some experts believe there's a fair chance his party could lose control of the chamber in November.
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| U.S. tech chief executives expected to testify before House panel in late July Posted: 01 Jul 2020 03:12 PM PDT  The chief executives of the four U.S. tech giants -- Amazon.com, Facebook, Alphabet's Google and Apple -- will testify before the U.S. Congress in late July as part of an ongoing antitrust probe into the companies, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai of Google and Apple's Tim Cook will appear as part of the probe by the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee's antitrust panel, the sources said.
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| F-16 Fighter Pilot Dies After Crash in South Carolina Posted: 01 Jul 2020 02:47 PM PDT  The incident is the fifth fighter jet crash—and the second fatal one—in six weeks.
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| With a pen stroke, Mississippi drops Confederate-themed flag Posted: 30 Jun 2020 09:22 AM PDT  With a stroke of the governor's pen, Mississippi is retiring the last state flag in the U.S. with the Confederate battle emblem — a symbol that's widely condemned as racist. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed the historic bill Tuesday at the Governor's Mansion, immediately removing official status for the 126-year-old banner that has been a source of division for generations. "This is not a political moment to me but a solemn occasion to lead our Mississippi family to come together, to be reconciled and to move on," Reeves said on live TV just before the signing.
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| Martin Gugino, the Buffalo protester pushed to the ground and injured by police, released after nearly a month in hospital Posted: 30 Jun 2020 05:38 PM PDT  The 75-year-old man who fell to the ground after being pushed by Buffalo police officers in a viral video was released from the hospital Tuesday.
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| Hong Kong: First arrests under 'anti-protest' law as handover marked Posted: 01 Jul 2020 01:48 PM PDT  A man with a pro-independence flag is among those held on the first day of the new law, police say.
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| Trump defense on Russian bounty story falls flat, even with Republicans Posted: 30 Jun 2020 04:42 PM PDT  White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany has defended the president over reports that Russia offered Taliban fighters a bounty on U.S. soldiers killed in Afghanistan.
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| We found the best deals to shop during Home Depot's massive 4th of July sale Posted: 30 Jun 2020 01:38 PM PDT  Retailers such as Wayfair and Walmart are also offering major savings.
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| Iran police question four after deadly Tehran blast Posted: 01 Jul 2020 06:53 AM PDT  Iranian police on Wednesday questioned four people as part of investigations into a powerful explosion that killed 19 people at a Tehran clinic the night before, state media reported. The blast at the Sina At'har health centre in the upmarket northern neighbourhood of Tajrish caused damage to nearby buildings and sent a plume of thick black smoke into the sky. It was the second such incident to hit Tehran within days, after a gas tank explosion near a military complex east of the capital late last Thursday that authorities said caused no casualties.
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| McGrath defeats Booker in Kentucky Senate Democratic primary, NBC News projects Posted: 30 Jun 2020 03:06 PM PDT  She will go up against Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in November.
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| Ex-Atlanta policeman charged in Brooks' death freed from jail, official says Posted: 01 Jul 2020 04:04 AM PDT  The former Atlanta police officer charged in last month's death of Rayshard Brooks, which touched off days of anti-racism protests, has been released from jail on bail, an official said on Wednesday. A Georgia County judge on Tuesday set bond for Garrett Rolfe, 27, at $500,000, and added numerous conditions, including that he wears an ankle monitor and obeys a curfew. Rolfe left Gwinnett County Jail at 12:27 a.m. EDT (0337 GMT) on Wednesday, according to county Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Shannon Volkodav.
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| More than 400 US Army paratroopers flew almost 5,000 miles to practice a long-range Pacific island invasion Posted: 01 Jul 2020 02:23 PM PDT  The drill "demonstrated that we are capable of deploying anywhere in the US Indo-Pacific Command area at a moment's notice," a commander said.
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| How the explosive YouTube war between James Charles and Tati Westbrook brought the value of vitamin supplements into question Posted: 30 Jun 2020 02:52 PM PDT  Westbrook and Charles' falling out and Westbrook's apology video raised questions about the value of supplements.
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| Fact check: Picture of a massive dust cloud is over Phoenix, not Puerto Rico Posted: 01 Jul 2020 10:37 AM PDT  A post incorrectly attributes a 2018 photo to the recent Sahara dust storm and misstates that Puerto Rico was damaged by the storm.
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| Australia seeks long-range missiles in Indo-Pacific defence shift Posted: 30 Jun 2020 11:59 PM PDT  The country is to significantly lift military spending amid rising US-China instability, its PM says.
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| See How One Modern Family Restored Its Ancestral Family Estate in England Posted: 30 Jun 2020 11:23 AM PDT |
| Trump: I'll veto defense bill to keep Confederate base names Posted: 01 Jul 2020 07:12 AM PDT  President Donald Trump is vowing to veto a massive defense bill to keep military bases such as Fort Bragg named after Confederate officers, swimming against sentiment in his own party and imperiling a 3% pay raise for the troops. Trump took to Twitter late Tuesday to threaten a veto of a $741 billion annual Pentagon authorization bill because it would require a host of military bases named after Confederate figures to be renamed within three years.
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| Couple recorded pulling weapons on protesters outside their St. Louis home Posted: 30 Jun 2020 03:47 AM PDT  Sunday night's demonstration was sparked by mayor releasing names and addresses of "defund police" advocates.
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| Pakistani PM says 'no doubt' that India was behind stock exchange attack Posted: 30 Jun 2020 04:37 AM PDT  Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan told parliament on Tuesday he had no doubt that India was behind an attack on the stock exchange building in the southern city of Karachi. Four gunmen armed with grenades attacked the Pakistan Stock Exchange on Monday, killing two guards and a policeman before security forces killed the attackers. "There is no doubt that India is behind the attack," Khan said in his address to parliament - a charge that India had denied a day earlier.
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| Ex-Canada PM Mulroney calls for revised relations with China Posted: 01 Jul 2020 08:43 AM PDT  Canada must have an "urgent rethink" of its relationship with China, former prime minister Brian Mulroney said Wednesday as tensions build over the possible extradition to the United States of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou. Conservative Mulroney backed his Liberal successor Justin Trudeau's rejection of any exchange of Meng, who was arrested in Vancouver in December 2018, for two Canadians who were detained in China in apparent retaliation. Mulroney said Canada's hope that China would emerge as a constructive partner in international relations had been proven wrong, referring in particular to Beijing's militarization of the South China Sea.
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| Arizona Is in COVID Hell—and Forced to Go After Rogue Gyms Posted: 01 Jul 2020 03:01 PM PDT  Arizona set a record Wednesday for new coronavirus cases, and 90 percent of the state's ICU beds are filled. But that's not stopping some gym owners from ignoring new lockdown rules and opening for business—prompting Gov. Doug Ducey to launch a crackdown on rogue fitness fanatics.Ducey released an executive order Monday shutting down all bars, gyms, theaters, water parks, and inner tubing locations until at least July 27, calling the latest COVID-19 case numbers "brutal." It was a swift turnaround from his declaration earlier this month that he would not impose new restrictions despite the growing case numbers—and many gym owners weren't happy about it."If this is truly as bad as we are being told, I don't think health clubs closing tomorrow is going to solve the problem," Mountainside Fitness owner Tom Hatten said in a press conference, as the number of COVID-19 deaths in the state topped 1,600. "I don't think [ending] tubing is going to solve the problem. I don't think closing a movie theater that hasn't been open is going to solve the problem."Hatten has filed a lawsuit against the governor, claiming the order is a violation of his due process and equal protection rights. In the suit, he claimed to have purchased "state of the art sanitation equipment" and rearranged the gym facilities in order to keep customers safe, and said the governor's office had not provided a promised reauthorization form that would have let him reopen. At the press conference, Hatten called the order "arbitrary" and said businesses needed "clarity" from the government. On Tuesday, police hit a Scottsdale Mountainside Fitness location with a citation that could result in a fine of up to $2,500. A spokesperson for the governor's office told ABC15 that Ducey had spoken with police chiefs that day and told them to be more aggressive in enforcing the order.On Wednesday, the Arizona Liquor Department reportedly suspended two liquor licenses for the Biltmore location of Life Time Fitness, another gym franchise that refused to follow the governor's order. (In a statement, Life Time Fitness said it is "incredibly committed to our members, who have clearly indicated their desire to have uninterrupted access to the expansive array of health and entertainment services, amenities and programs we provide.")Reopening Gyms Early Is Tearing a South Florida City ApartThe ramped-up enforcement seemed to be having an effect on at least a few franchises. An employee at Desert Fitness, which posted on Facebook Tuesday that it would remain open, said the gym had decided to cease operations as of Wednesday morning. "It's either stay open and take the fines that they issue or go to court over it, and we are not willing to do either of those things," said the employee, Hunter, who declined to give his last name.Megan Burrola, the assistant manager at CycleBar in McCormick, said her studio had also decided to shut down as of Wednesday morning, after speaking with government and police officials. The cycling studio had initially tried to claim that its smaller size exempted it from the shutdown order, and Burrola said management was still pursuing that avenue."We're working with our legal team because we do believe we qualify as a more private boutique, not a fitness center," she said. A spokesperson for the governor said in a statement that the order was clear: "Gyms and other indoor fitness clubs or centers, regardless of size, shall pause operations until at least July 27." But a number of fitness destinations seemed set on staying open because of their smaller size. A PureBarre studio in North Scottsdale kept its doors open Wednesday, writing on Instagram that the studio's "small, 'boutique' setting" made the owners "confident in our ability to safely operate and remain open." (In a response to a comment from someone calling the decision "very disappointing," owner Marirose Weyand wrote that she would "like the negative comments and energy dismissed from this page." She did not respond to The Daily Beast's request for comment.)BodyVision Fitness, a gym in Glendale, also wrote on Facebook that it would stay open due to its classification as a "micro-gym." The company did not respond to calls and emails about who, exactly, had classified them as such.And an employee at the YogaSix studio in Scottsdale told The Daily Beast that her location had also resumed classes as of Wednesday morning. Five people showed up to that morning's class, where participants are not required to wear masks."We actually feel strongly that our boutique fitness studio concept doesn't fall under the category of a gym," said the employee, Heather, who declined to give her last name. "It's just such a safe space compared to restaurants that are still open and grocery stores and so many places that are still open," she continued, adding, "We're here for the wellness of our members."Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. 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| Hong Kong security law: Minutes after new law, pro-democracy voices quit Posted: 30 Jun 2020 12:33 AM PDT  "The law marks the end of Hong Kong that the world knew before," one activist said as he quit.
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| The History Books Missed This: How an F-15 Killed a Satellite in 1985 Posted: 01 Jul 2020 08:00 AM PDT  Way before the Space Force was born.
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| Trump administration sends out teams to guard monuments on July 4th weekend Posted: 01 Jul 2020 09:30 AM PDT  President Donald Trump's administration has put special law enforcement teams in place to protect monuments it believes could be vandalized by protesters over the 4th of July holiday weekend, the Department of Homeland Security announced on Wednesday. It also did not say exactly which memorials would be guarded or whether specific threats were made. Trump this year will view fireworks celebrating U.S. independence at the Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota.
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| 1 of 2 Oklahoma officers shot during traffic stop dies Posted: 30 Jun 2020 02:52 PM PDT  One of the two Tulsa, Oklahoma, police officers who were shot during a traffic stop has died, authorities said Tuesday. Police Chief Wendell Franklin said Sgt. Craig Johnson died Tuesday. Franklin described Johnson's death as a "tremendous loss" to the police department.
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| Warren Introduces Nationwide Eviction Moratorium Bill Posted: 30 Jun 2020 07:03 AM PDT  Senator Elizabeth Warren on Monday introduced a bill that would extend a nationwide eviction moratorium as the current eviction protections in response to the coronavirus pandemic near expiration."Renters who have lost their job or had their income reduced shouldn't have to fear losing their homes in the middle of a pandemic," Warren said in a statement announcing the bill. "Housing is a human right and an absolute necessity to keep families safe during this crisis, and Congress must step in now to help keep people in their homes."The Massachusetts Democrat's bill, the Protecting Renters from Evictions and Fees Act, would extend eviction protections until March 27 of next year and would apply to nearly all renters and landlords. The measure would also prohibit fees, fines, and extra charges due to non-payment of rent and require landlords to give tenants a 30-day eviction notice after the moratorium expires.The bill extends and expands the current 120-day eviction moratorium that was included in the $2.2 trillion CARES Act, a massive spending package intended to buoy the flagging economy amid the pandemic. Those eviction protections are set to expire on July 25 and applied to only renters in federally assisted housing.An even larger $3 trillion coronavirus stimulus package, the HEROES Act, which passed the House but has stalled in the Senate, includes an eviction moratorium similar to the one in Warren's bill.Warren is introducing the legislation in tandem with Representatives Jesús García, an Illinois Democrat, and Barbara Lee, a California Democrat, who are introducing a similar measure in the House."My district consists principally of immigrant and working class communities, and more than half of my constituents are renters," Garcia told Vox. "As our country faces historic levels of unemployment and with another first of the month around the corner, people in my district are hurting — the last thing they should worry about is having a roof over their head."Warren's bill comes as low-income renters in many states struggle to pay rent on time after months of layoffs and reduced income due to business closures during the lockdown and stay-at-home orders.
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| Tokyo court rejects damages for man forcibly sterilised at age 14 Posted: 30 Jun 2020 01:30 AM PDT  A Japanese pensioner forcibly sterilised as a 14-year-old under a now-defunct eugenics law failed Tuesday in a legal bid for $280,000 in state compensation. According to local media, Tokyo District Court found the government was not obliged to pay the man compensation because the 20-year statute of limitations had passed. Last year, the government passed legislation offering the victims 3.2 million yen each ($29,700), an amount campaigners slammed as "failing to meet the seriousness" of the issue.
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| Fire kills 1, ruins 40 homes in Calif. desert town Posted: 29 Jun 2020 10:13 PM PDT  A brush fire killed one person and destroyed about 40 homes in a remote desert town near the shrinking Salton Sea, California's largest lake, authorities said Monday. (June 30)
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| The New York City Council passed a budget to defund the NYPD by $1 billion — but nobody seems to like it Posted: 01 Jul 2020 02:16 AM PDT  The $1 billion cancels the incoming class of officers, and will be reallocated to services like summer youth programs and broadband in public housing.
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| Puerto Rico declares state of emergency as drought leaves 140,000 without running water Posted: 30 Jun 2020 10:08 AM PDT  Puerto Rico's governor has declared a state of emergency after a severe drought has left nearly 140,000 people on the island without normal running water amidst the coronavirus pandemic.More than 26 per cent of the island is experiencing a severe drought and another 60 per cent is under a moderate drought, according to the US Drought Monitor.
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| Texas Lt. Gov. blasts Fauci as state coronavirus cases rise: ‘I don’t need his advice’ Posted: 01 Jul 2020 08:16 AM PDT  "No thank you, Dr. Fauci."
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| America's M2 Carbine: The Rifle That Made the U.S. Military Great on the Battlefield Posted: 30 Jun 2020 09:30 AM PDT  Small numbers of M2s made their way to the troops in the closing engagement of World War II in the Pacific, particularly in the brutal Battle for Okinawa. However, they saw wider-scale action five years later in the Korean War.
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| Iranian court confirms Franco-Iranian academic's 5-year sentence - Mizan Posted: 30 Jun 2020 02:59 AM PDT |
| Nicola Sturgeon and her husband will have to give evidence under oath to Alex Salmond inquiry Posted: 01 Jul 2020 07:00 AM PDT  Nicola Sturgeon and her husband will be forced to give evidence under oath to a Scottish Parliament inquiry into the mishandling of misconduct claims against Alex Salmond, it has been announced. The specially-convened Holyrood committee tasked with examining the Scottish Government's handling of harassment complaints made against the former First Minister confirmed it will take the unusual step when questioning witnesses. Some MSPs on the committee argued taking sworn evidence under oath was necessary given the seriousness of its inquiry and to maximise the accuracy of witness evidence amid "conflicting" claims. Refusing to take an oath is an offence punishable by up to three months in jail or a £5,000 fine. Giving false evidence could attract a five-year prison sentence.
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| Seattle police clear out protester-occupied zone Posted: 01 Jul 2020 04:54 PM PDT  More than 30 people are arrested as officers disperse demonstrators from the "lawless" area.
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