| Carjacking suspect guns down three police officers in Chicago police station shoot out Posted: 31 Jul 2020 08:25 AM PDT  A carjacking suspect who had already been arrested shot three Chicago police officers as they attempted to escort him into custody on Thursday morning, authorities said.The gunman was being taken out of a patrol van and walked into Northwest Side police station at around 9.30am when he opened fire, hitting the officers.
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| Tammy Duckworth Wants to Know WTF Are We Supposed to Do With Our Kids During COVID? Posted: 31 Jul 2020 08:27 AM PDT  Sen. Tammy Duckworth may be on Biden's VP shortlist. But when it comes to childcare during the pandemic, she's just as confused as the rest of us. "So my choice is five hours of homeschooling every day for my daughter and failing her, because I'm not a trained educator, or sending her to a school where she could very likely get this virus or bring it home and get her 2-year-old sister sick or my 79-year-old mom, who lives with us," Duckworth tells Molly Jong-Fast and Rick Wilson on the latest episode of The New Abnormal. "That's the problem: impossible choices."Duckworth also opens up about just how hostile the Senate was to working moms until a hot second ago. One particularly ridiculous question stands out. "They want to know if you're gonna breastfeed on the floor. [And I said,] 'I'm not exactly planning on whipping one out in front of them. But if the baby is hungry, I'll feed her.'" Then Princeton's Sam Wang talks about how national polling works, what it means for Biden, and the out-of-the-way campaigns that could make a huge difference for decades to come. Oh, and the elephant in the room: the United States Postal Service."My biggest concern this year is the post office," he says.'Pretty Close to a Hundred' New Epstein AccusersPlus, a Trump ambassador goes to a Nazi cemetery—and gets all wistful. A Republican candidate swears "celebrities and Democrats catch COVID and magically heal." The Stephen Hawking of the U.S. House of Representatives displays his genius—at infecting everyone around him. And finally, Rick asks the big questions: Who's more popular, Zombie Bin Laden or Ron DeSantis? Was Tulsa Trump's Jonestown? And does Chuck Schumer realize that "he's got Mitch McConnell's balls in a bag for once?"Listen to The New Abnormal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher.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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| Two pilots dead after firefighting planes collide while battling Nevada Fire; NTSB investigating Posted: 30 Jul 2020 08:57 PM PDT  Two airplanes have collided while battling a 500-acre wildfire in southeastern Nevada, according to authorities.
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| Joe Biden's running mate - none will satisfy all sections of the party Posted: 30 Jul 2020 01:00 AM PDT  Kamala Harris? Val Demings? Democrats speculate but no single candidate will be able to satisfy all the interest groups and sectors of the partyIt doesn't matter who Joe Biden picks as his running mate – somebody will be disappointed.The former vice-president and de facto Democratic presidential nominee on Tuesday said he would make a selection in the first week of August.The selection process has largely been kept secret with as many as two dozen names floating around as potential running mates.Vice-presidential nominees rarely decide elections and the common rule among political operatives is that a candidate should pick someone who does no harm. But in the 2020 presidential cycle, Biden's selection has added importance. If he wins the 2020 presidential election, Biden has indicated that he may not run for re-election, immediately putting his vice-president into contention for 2024.Biden's public criteria for the role are that it be someone he feels "simpatico" with, and it be a woman. He recently said there were "four Black women" he was considering picking. Democrats close to Biden's inner circle believe Biden has narrowed his pool down to about six names but he is still very much undecided.But among the many candidates mentioned by Biden himself, or anonymous Democratic operatives in articles gaming out his choices, or pundits, there is no single person who would satisfy all the interest groups and sectors of the Democratic party, each of which has its favorites.Democrats hoping to elevate someone with law enforcement credentials would like to see the Florida congresswoman Val Demings, a former chief of the Orlando police department.But progressives and their affiliated groups have pushed for someone like the Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams or Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren."The campaign needs to show progressives across this country that he recognizes that the future of the party is with progressives and the only way to do that is by choosing a really strong progressive to be his vice-presidential candidate," said Charles Chamberlain, the executive director of the progressive Democracy for America outside group.At one point centrists in the party were hoping for the Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar before Klobuchar took herself out of the running. Meanwhile, mayors across the country would like to see one of their own get the nod – someone like Atlanta's Keisha Lance Bottoms.Democrats who think executive experience and a history of winning statewide elections want someone like the Michigan governor, Gretchen Whitmer, or the New Mexico governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. Others who think a military background would help Biden oust Donald Trump have pushed for the Illinois senator Tammy Duckworth.And in recent days the former Obama administration national security adviser Susan Rice has been a hot topic of political articles about Biden's potential running mate.But no single candidate fits the bill for everyone.Dorian Warren, the president of the progressive organizing group Community Change, who wants Biden to pick Abrams and said she would be disappointed if she were overlooked. "But it depends on who the pick ultimately is. But there would be disappointment, for sure. I think, second, is what could the Biden team imagine the next best use of [Stacey Abrams]?"The Abrams team have been aggressive in putting forward her candidacy. They eagerly set up interviews with reporters and Abrams surrogates like Warren. Abrams has also appeared at multiple fundraising events for Biden.Other groups have also been active in support of their choices. The Democratic veterans group VoteVets have released ads pushing for Duckworth."Tammy was kind of the only veteran out there that they were looking at," said Jon Soltz, the chairman of VoteVets. "The point of what we were trying to do was show what that would look like and that she should be considered."Mayors across the country enjoy a tight community. One of the more prominent mayors, Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles, is on the committee charged with helping Biden make his pick. His counterparts in other cities have expressed their support for Bottoms or Demings."The Florida mayors particularly have been pushing for Demings," said the maor of Dayton, Ohio, Nan Whaley. "We have Keisha in the mix too which we're excited about as a mayor."It's possible Biden will infuriate varying sectors of the Democratic party depending on who he picks. If he picks a Caucasian women, Biden risks disappointing the African American community. If Biden picks a centrist he could disappoint the progressive wing of the party and depress turnout among activists in that wing. If Biden picks a progressive, he might turn off moderates and Republicans the campaign and its allies have been working to woo.If he picks a member of Congress, that could give pause to voters eager to see an executive join the former vice-president. A recent poll conducted for the liberal thinktank Data for Progress found that independent voters want Biden to put an emphasis on "governing effectiveness" in picking a running mate.And if he picks someone like Rice or Abrams, that could worry Democrats who think Biden's running mate needs a record of winning elections statewide. Neither Abrams or Rice have ever won elections statewide. And Rice has never run a federal campaign, although she took a serious look about challenging the Republican senator Susan Collins in Maine.In recent days a set of donors have warned Biden against picking Harris, according to a CNBC report. But Biden's peril only extends so far. More so than in past cycles, Democrats across the party say they just want to see Biden beat Trump."I would say that if Biden picks someone besides Tammy Duckworth we're still going to enthusiastically attack Donald Trump," Soltz said.
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| South Florida still fully in forecast path of what is expected to be Tropical Storm Isaias Posted: 29 Jul 2020 07:08 PM PDT  FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The disturbance now called Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine has not yet become Tropical Storm Isaias, the National Hurricane Center said Wednesday in its latest public advisory. The storm still lacks a well-defined center of circulation, but it is expected to become a tropical storm Wednesday night, Senior Hurricane Specialist Daniel Brown wrote in the latest forecast ...
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| Herman Cain, former presidential candidate, dies from coronavirus Posted: 30 Jul 2020 12:16 PM PDT  Cain was hospitalized with the virus last month after attending a Trump rally two weeks earlier.
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| Mexico to eclipse UK with third highest coronavirus death toll Posted: 31 Jul 2020 11:05 AM PDT  Mexico is poised to overtake Britain as the country with the third-highest coronavirus death toll as the pandemic reaches new milestones in Latin America and threatens to disrupt efforts to reopen the economy. The unwanted record will place Mexico behind Brazil, Latin America's largest and most populous nation, and the United States. More than 91,000 people have died in Brazil and the U.S. death toll has surpassed 152,000.
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| Austin, Texas, joins growing number of U.S. cities in declaring racism a 'public health crisis' Posted: 30 Jul 2020 12:18 PM PDT  Dozens of cities and counties have passed similar declarations in the wake of George Floyd's death.
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| Boston marathon bombing: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s death sentence overturned by appeals court Posted: 31 Jul 2020 01:43 PM PDT  A federal appeals court has overturned the Boston Marathon bomber's death sentence.The decision by a three-judge panel says that the judge that oversaw the original case did not adequately screen the jury for potential biases.
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| In attempt to discourage people from funding the Syrian regime, the US State Department sanctions Bashar al-Assad's son Posted: 29 Jul 2020 10:23 PM PDT  "Syria sanctions are not intended to harm the Syrian people....or hinder our stabilization activities in northeast Syria," the State Department said.
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| Are Pap smears 'obsolete'? There's a better option for cervical cancer screening, American Cancer Society says Posted: 30 Jul 2020 08:12 AM PDT  The American Cancer Society released new guidelines on cervical cancer screenings Thursday, recommending that people with a cervix start testing at age 25.
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| Democrats reject $600 benefit extension from White House, push for more Posted: 31 Jul 2020 03:31 AM PDT  Democrats rejected a short-term extension of a $600 weekly unemployment benefit proposed by the White House on Thursday.
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| Teachers fearing in-person schooling make wills, retire or plan strikes Posted: 31 Jul 2020 01:15 AM PDT  Educators, worried about the potentially deadly risks they are being forced to take, say proper protections have not been implemented School districts around the US are set to begin reopening in August, many with in-person classes, five days a week, despite coronavirus cases rising in many parts of the country.But the school reopenings have teachers around the US fearful for the safety of themselves, students, staff and family members, with teachers and unions saying that proper protections and protocols have yet to be implemented.Some teachers have even drawn up wills ahead of classes beginning, others have retired from the profession and teachers unions have said they will sanction strike action for members who deem that they are being forced to take potentially deadly risks."Educators are afraid because proper policies are not being put in place to protect them," said Alicia Priest, president of the Oklahoma Education Association. The Oklahoma state board of education has only issued guidelines for school districts, and voted down a proposal on 23 July to issue a mask mandate in schools across the state."The OEA offers members through our personal legal services program a free will. The requests for those free wills are up over 3,000% in the last few weeks," Priest added.A report published by the Kaiser Family Foundation on 10 July found 1.47 million teachers in the US – some 24% of the profession – are at greater risk of serious illness if infected with coronavirus because they have conditions that make them vulnerable.Yet Florida has issued an order mandating all schools must open in August in-person, five days a week. The Florida teachers union responded to the order with a lawsuit."We are letting the community down by pretending we can open safely. The districts cannot do what is necessary according to CDC guidelines," said Stacy Rene Kennett, a kindergarten teacher in Immokalee, Florida, who is expected to begin attending in-person training for school reopenings on 4 August.Amy Scott, an IB language arts high school teacher in Miami, Florida for 44 years, decided to retire one year early due to the coronavirus pandemic and the instability of the upcoming school year."I dreaded it. I wanted to extend it as long as possible because I love kids and teaching," said Scott. "But then came coronavirus and I realized all the difficulties of holding brick-and-mortar classrooms and the danger involved to teachers, students and the community spread and I didn't want to end my 45 years of teaching in such a frustrating environment."In Arizona, which was designated a global pandemic hotspot in early July, reopening decisions have been left to individual school districts."There is no consistency across the state," said Marisol Garcia, a middle school teacher and parent in Phoenix who currently serves as vice-president of the Arizona Educators Association. "We are left to our own devices to figure out how to keep our families safe and ensure our students are safe"Garcia explained current class loads in Arizona make social distancing impossible in districts where in-person learning is permitted, as she had no less than 31 students in each class last school year, and it remains unclear if any schools will face repercussions for not following guidelines for coronavirus protections. She also warns many of her colleagues may retire early.In Georgia, state agencies have issued guidelines for school reopenings, deferring decisions to school districts on when and how schools reopen in the coming weeks.Several school districts outside of metro areas in Georgia are reopening in August with in-person classes, five days a week, leaving teachers there concerned over safety protections as coronavirus case rates have been rising around the state over the past several weeks."We're very concerned that when we're once again in school buildings, children, educators, and their family members will become sick and perhaps die," said Lisa Morgan, president of the Georgia Educators Association.According to Morgan, several school districts in Georgia that are reopening in person, five days a week, are not following CDC guidelines, with no mask mandates, large classroom sizes making social distancing impossible, and responsibility for extra cleaning measures placed on teachers to carry out.Even as schools are expected to reopen in the coming weeks around the US, school districts and teachers are scrambling to create plans for restarting schools, whether classes are conducted in person, virtually, or a hybrid of in-person and remote learning."The country is asking teachers and children to lead the way, yet no one seems to know what direction we're headed," said Angela McKeen, a high school science teacher in Clarksburg, West Virginia. "My concerns at this point are for my students. Can we prevent huge outbreaks? Can students effectively learn in such fluid situations? Can teachers effectively reach their students at not just their places academically, but also emotionally during this time?"Teacher unions have raised the possibility of walking off the job unless comprehensive safety plans are implemented for schools to reopen.The head of the Colorado Education Association recently said teachers may refuse to report to work as schools are set to reopen in the state in August if teachers' criteria for school reopenings aren't met.The union cited a survey of nearly 10,000 members, where about eight out of 10 teachers asserted they would be willing to refuse to work if teachers aren't provided a voice in how safety protocols are implemented, such as mask mandates and social distancing procedures."We don't want schools to be epicenters of outbreak in our community. It would crush any student or staff member if they brought coronavirus into school," said Ernest Garibay, a high school math teacher in Jefferson county, Colorado, and local union representative.
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| A Louisiana woman who planted seeds from a mysterious package says she's not worried. But the USDA is, and it's asking people not to plant these unknown seeds. Posted: 30 Jul 2020 09:10 PM PDT  "Then we saw the post saying don't plant them. I mean, I'm not scared about it, I'm not worried about it, but I guess people are," Aucoin told WAFB.
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| Top Trump immigration enforcer announces retirement as election nears Posted: 31 Jul 2020 07:36 AM PDT  U.S. President Donald Trump's top immigration enforcement official on Friday announced he will retire from the agency, a staffing shakeup in a key policy area for Trump as he faces re-election in November. Matthew Albence, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), said in a statement that his plan to retire had been prolonged by the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic has created challenges for ICE operations both in the field and in immigration detention centers, where nearly 4,000 immigrants have tested positive for the disease.
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| These 13 states need to lock down now, according to Harvard coronavirus experts Posted: 30 Jul 2020 09:22 AM PDT  A report released by the Trump administration's coronavirus task force warns that 21 states are now in the "red zone" and need to take aggressive steps to slow the spread of COVID-19. But new guidelines from Harvard University show the task force's recommendations may be too weak to suppress the virus.
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| A key federal appeals court will reexamine case on Michael Flynn's guilty plea Posted: 30 Jul 2020 09:42 AM PDT  The full panel of judges' decision to review Flynn's case could result in a reversal of a three-judge panel's decision to dismiss the case last month.
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| Biden's running mate announcement pushed back, likely will not come next week Posted: 31 Jul 2020 03:17 PM PDT  Former Vice President Biden previously said he would announce his running mate the first week of August. It looks like that date may be pushed back.
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| Florida breaks state's single-day death record, again Posted: 30 Jul 2020 10:24 AM PDT  At least 6,333 people in Florida have now died from the disease caused by the coronavirus.
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| China uses Hong Kong security law against US-based American citizen Posted: 31 Jul 2020 02:05 PM PDT  * Arrest warrant issued for democracy activist Samuel Chu * Five other exiles also wanted for 'incitement to secession'Hong Kong police have issued arrest warrants for six pro-democracy activists living in exile, the first time the city's authorities have used a sweeping new law to target campaigners living outside Hong Kong.They include Samuel Chu, an American citizen who lives in the US, Nathan Law, a prominent campaigner who recently relocated to the UK after fleeing Hong Kong, and Simon Cheng, a former British consular staffer who was granted asylum in the UK after alleging he was tortured in China.Chinese state media reported that the six men were wanted for "incitement to secession and collusion with foreign forces".The move comes a month after China introduced a controversial national security law in Hong Kong. China said the legislation targets the crimes of "secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces" and carries penalties as severe as life in prison.Critics warned that it would be used to target legitimate opposition, and highlighted the unusual decision to make the law applicable to both Hong Kong residents and non-residents. That apparently gives China jurisdiction beyond its own borders.Chu, who runs the Hong Kong Democracy Council, a Washington DC-based advocacy organization dedicated to furthering Hong Kong's freedom and democracy, is the first person targeted under this aspect of the law.He said China was sending a clear message to other activists by ordering his arrest."I would really emphasize how outrageous this really is," Chu told the Guardian. "I am the first non-Chinese citizen that essentially is being targeted. I think they do intend to try to make this an example."Several countries have since suspended their extradition treaties with Hong Kong, including the UK, Australia and Germany, as a possible safeguard against attempts to use the national security laws to round up activists abroad. The US ordered an end to Hong Kong's special economic status earlier in July.Chu, who has lived in the US as an American citizen since 1996, said the charges amounted to China "targeting a US citizen for lobbying my own government"."We always knew that when the national security law went into effect there was a very troubling and illogical, irrational idea that they were claiming jurisdiction over anyone who is not even a Hong Kong resident, who is anywhere in the world, doing anything that they deemed threatening," he said.> HK police is targeting a US citizen for lobbying my own gov't. I might be the 1st non-Chinese citizen to be targeted, but I will not be the last. If I am targeted, any American/any citizen of any nation who speaks out for HK can-and will be-too. > > We are all Hong Kongers now. pic.twitter.com/KQYGcStY1e> > — Samuel Chu 朱牧民 (@samuelmchu) July 31, 2020The other activists charged wereRay Wong, Wayne Chan and Honcques Laus.Wong, who is currently in the UK, told Reuters the charges showed that the Chinese government was afraid of the advocacy work of Hong Kong activists internationally."I think they want to cut off our connection with people in Hong Kong … it will make people fear that they may violate the national security law by contacting us," Wong said.
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| Alan Dershowitz calls Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre a 'serial liar' while once again denying he ever had sex with her Posted: 31 Jul 2020 03:12 PM PDT  Virginia Giuffre claims that Dershowitz, a Harvard Law professor, had sex with her when she was underage in Jeffrey Epstein's residences.
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| Does the Covid pandemic spell the end of public schools? Posted: 31 Jul 2020 02:00 AM PDT  COVID-19 has become a threat to public schooling as parents begin to seek alternative schooling for the fall if public schools remain closed.
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| Trump news: President threatens Portland protesters with ‘strong offensive force’ as White House condemns delay of Hong Kong elections Posted: 31 Jul 2020 02:45 PM PDT  Donald Trump has threatened Portland protesters with "very strong offensive force" as the federal government and residents continue to clash in the liberal city. The president warned he might send the National Guard to stop the "terrorists" in the city.In Albuquerque, meanwhile, activists vowed to meet federal agents with peaceful protests and civil disobedience as Trump said the government's response would expand to more cities, including Detroit, Cleveland and Milwaukee.
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| Russian jet fighter buzzes two U.S. spy planes over Black Sea Posted: 30 Jul 2020 10:14 AM PDT |
| Did the CIA Torture an Undercover DEA Agent for a Mexican Drug Cartel? Posted: 31 Jul 2020 12:11 AM PDT  Narcos: Mexico's first two seasons revolve around the 1985 murder of undercover DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, who was abducted, tortured and slain by the Guadalajara Cartel he was investigating. Mining thrilling drama from reality, the Netflix series is a true story about bravery and villainy that's overflowing with larger-than-life figures, be it the bold Camarena, the ruthless cartel kingpins Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo and Rafael Caro Quintero, or the resolute DEA agents intent on bringing to justice those responsible for their comrade's killing—the latter group led by Walt Breslin, a take-no-prisoners American tasked with leading the retaliatory mission against the drug lords.Unlike most of those featured in Netflix's hit, Walt Breslin isn't a real person but a composite character based largely on DEA agent Hector Berrellez, the supervisor of the inquiry into Camarena's assassination. And in Amazon's new The Last Narc, Berrellez tells his own harrowing tale of taking on Guadalajara's kingpins—and in the process delivers revelations about the U.S. government's own culpability in the death of one of their own.Netflix Exposes Trump's Shady Mob Ties in 'Fear City: New York vs. The Mafia'The Nazi Hunter Taking On Mark ZuckerbergDirected by Tiller Russell, The Last Narc is a four-part docuseries (premiering July 31) about the vast conspiracy that fatally ensnared Camarena. In a dim, empty bar illuminated only by light streaming through a background doorway and window, the candid Berrellez recounts his own involvement in the War on Drugs. Brought up by a tarot card-reading mom (here seen plying her supernatural trade), and compelled to pursue a law-enforcement career after his brother became hooked on heroin at age 12, Berrellez is a bearded, weathered cowboy with a glint in his eyes that says he means business. Forthrightly reminiscing about pulling guns on suspects—and shooting down one dealer during an undercover bust gone awry—he instantly comes across as the real deal, and thus a fascinating tour guide into this sordid cartel milieu.Berrellez's career took off once he joined the DEA, and he was soon ordered to figure out who had done in Camarena. According to wife Geneva "Mika" Camarena and colleagues Mike Holm and Phil Jordan, Camarena was a daring and driven agent determined to take down the mighty Guadalajara Cartel, and he certainly put a dent in their empire when he discovered (and, with the help of pilot Alfredo Zavala, photographed from the sky) Rancho Búfalo, a sprawling marijuana plantation that was subsequently torched by Mexican soldiers, thereby costing the cartel billions. On its own, that blow was enough to put Camarena in Gallardo, Quintero and Carrillo's crosshairs. But worse still, it indicated that he was closing in on them, even though they had virtually everyone on their payroll, from local cops and politicians to Miguel de la Madrid, the then-current president of Mexico, as well as his predecessor, Jose Lopez Portillo.On February 7, 1985, the cartel struck, seizing Camarena as he left the office to meet Mika for lunch. At 881 Lope de Vega—a residence owned by Ruben Zuno Arce, a dealer and associate of Quintero—Camarena was horribly tortured, and kept alive (so he could suffer more) by doctor Humberto Álvarez Machaín. After 36 hours, he fell into a coma and was lethally bludgeoned with a piece of rebar by one of Quintero's gunmen. He was then buried in Arce's La Primavera forest (a de facto cartel graveyard), only to later be dug up so he could be "found" by authorities.Berrellez's knowledge of cartel culture and operations is extensive and compelling, as is his explanation of the investigative hurdles he faced while trying to take down his targets. His insights alone make The Last Narc an eye-opening non-fiction account of underworld mayhem. Russell's series, however, also benefits from the input of three cartel henchmen—Jalisco State Police officers Jorge Godoy and Rene Lopez, and their boss Ramon Lira—who relay their experiences as bodyguards for Gallardo, Quintero and Carrillo, as well as their direct participation in Camarena's kidnapping and murder, all before they switched sides and became informants for Berrellez. From describing that broad-daylight snatching of Camarena, to revealing how Carrillo and Quintero argued about how to deal with their prisoner (the former wanted him released; the latter wanted him offed), their commentary affords a window onto a clandestine world fueled by greed, mercilessness, substance abuse and a sense of invulnerability.Stunning first-person details abound in The Last Narc, provided by colorful characters led by Berrellez—a no-nonsense crime fighter who seems tailor-made for a big-screen action franchise, even in older age—and Godoy, who behaves in such a weird manner during his interview that it's not clear if he's drunk, mad, or some combination of the two. In a late scene, Godoy closes his eyes and brushes at his shoulders to dispel the spirits (of Camarena, and others) that haunt him. It's a sight that's all the more transfixing for being so weird, and it's in keeping with the general gonzo nature of the proceedings, which (as in Narcos: Mexico) eventually implicate the CIA and DEA as complicit in Camarena's execution. Led by Berrellez and others' testimony, the series contends that Cuban-born CIA agent Felix Rodriguez partially conducted Camarena's interrogation and torture, because the U.S. government feared that he had stumbled upon a much larger conspiracy—namely, that the CIA was in bed with the cartels, moving guns, drugs and cash through them in order to covertly fund Nicaragua's anti-communist Contras.That theory might not be new, but Berrellez's discussion about his primary role in exposing the scheme—and the personal and professional ramifications he suffered as a result—lends it persuasive credence. The Last Narc thus transforms from a simple murder-mystery into a wide-ranging expose about the entangled relationship between the CIA, the Mexican government, the DFS (Mexico's secret police, created by the CIA) and the cartels. In doing so, it renders Camarena a casualty of a war that was fundamentally unwinnable, since all interested parties had a stake in maintaining the status quo, regardless of the harm it caused the Mexican and American populations. Consequently, the lasting impression left by Russell's series isn't shock or outrage, but despair over a plague supported by a greedy many, and combated by a courageous few who, for their heroic efforts, received nothing but disgrace and death.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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| Family of Black college student killed by white police officer draws support from Jay-Z, Rihanna and Amy Schumer in bid to reopen case Posted: 30 Jul 2020 11:37 AM PDT  College football standout Danroy "DJ" Henry Jr., 20, was shot and killed by a white police officer outside a New York bar on Oct. 17, 2010, as he drove away from a disturbance he was not involved in. Nearly 10 years later, celebrities join the victim's family to demand that the case be reopened.
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| Kamala Harris is reportedly losing favorite status in the tumultuous Biden veepstakes. Here's why. Posted: 31 Jul 2020 02:09 PM PDT  Skepticism around Harris from Biden's inner circle of family and elder statesmen like Chris Dodd all goes back to her big debate moment.
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| Nearly a third of Poland has declared 'LGBT-free zones.' The EU is denying funds to them. Posted: 31 Jul 2020 03:44 AM PDT  "EU values and fundamental rights must be respected by Member States and state authorities," said Commissioner Helena Dalli in a tweet Tuesday.
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| Major Australian city in virus 'limbo' as outbreak rages Posted: 31 Jul 2020 01:54 AM PDT  Hopes that Australia may have escaped the worst ravages of the coronavirus pandemic were fast fading on Friday as a growing outbreak in its second-largest city has officials eyeing draconian measures to curtail the spread. With hundreds of new infections emerging every day despite people in Melbourne entering a fourth week of lockdown, many on the streets told AFP they were saddened and anxious. "People are starting to feel depressed because you can't leave the house," Melbourne resident Stefan Paskoski said.
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| COVID-19 patient who had double transplant didn’t recognize body Posted: 31 Jul 2020 05:33 AM PDT  A Chicago woman who became the nation's first COVID-19 patient to undergo a double lung transplant said, "I looked at myself and couldn't recognize my body."
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| Portland protests: Trump's homeland security chief says federal police will stay – for now Posted: 31 Jul 2020 06:04 AM PDT  Federal police forces will remain in Portland until Trump administration officials determine the Oregon governor, a Democrat, has a plan that is working to quell protests and violence there, says Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf."Law enforcement officers that have been there over the past 60 days will remain there in Portland until we are assured that the plan that has been put in place by the governor and Oregon State Police will be effective night after night," Mr Wolf told Fox News on Friday morning.
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| Venezuela supreme court approves extradition request to Italy for ex-oil czar Posted: 31 Jul 2020 11:33 AM PDT  Venezuela's supreme court said on Friday it had approved a request to Italy for the extradition of Rafael Ramirez, a once powerful oil minister and former head of state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela, on corruption charges. Authorities opened a probe into Ramirez over alleged graft in late 2017 and sought an Interpol red alert for him in early 2018, shortly after he left his later post as Venezuela's United Nations ambassador and began publicly criticizing President Nicolas Maduro's handling of the economy, which remains in freefall.
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| Former U.S. Ambassador Labels Pompeo Speech on China a ‘Psychotic Rant’ in Interview with Chinese Propaganda Outlet Posted: 31 Jul 2020 12:28 PM PDT  Charles "Chas" Freeman, a veteran U.S. diplomat who served in East Asia and as ambassador to Saudi Arabia, slammed a speech by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as a "psychotic rant" in an interview Wednesday with a Chinese propaganda outlet.In his July 23 speech at the Nixon Presidential Library, Pompeo said, "Securing our freedoms from the Chinese Communist Party is the mission of our time, and America is perfectly positioned to lead it because our founding principles give us that opportunity."The U.S. is upping its hostility toward China "as outlined in Pompeo's psychotic rant of last Thursday," Freeman told Chinese state news agency Xinhua on Wednesday. "China policy is now made by notable anti-China elements, who will have agreed with the many falsehoods and distortions of Pompeo's rhetoric."Freeman has a long history of service in the State Department, and he was President Nixon's Chinese interpreter during his visit to China in 1972. The former diplomat drew controversy in 2009 when he was nominated to be chairman of the National Intelligence Council, after Freeman wrote in an email leaked to the Weekly Standard that China was too restrained in its crackdown of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests."The Politburo's response to the mob scene at 'Tian'anmen' stands as a monument to overly cautious behavior on the part of the leadership, not as an example of rash action," Freeman wrote at the time. "I do not believe it is acceptable for any country to allow the heart of its national capital to be occupied by dissidents intent on disrupting the normal functions of government, however appealing to foreigners their propaganda may be."
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| Philippines' police have arrested 76,000 people for breaching lockdown as Duterte wages war on COVID-19 just like his war on drugs Posted: 31 Jul 2020 02:15 PM PDT  Political science professor Aries Arugay told the Washington Post Duterte's government was a "one-trick pony."
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| South Korean general sacked over defector's return Posted: 30 Jul 2020 10:10 PM PDT  The man's departure only came to light when Pyongyang -- which insists it has not had any coronavirus cases -- announced at the weekend that a "runaway" who had returned across the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone was suspected of having the disease. Inter-Korean relations have been in a deep freeze following the collapse of a summit in Hanoi between Kim and US President Donald Trump early last year over what the nuclear-armed North would be willing to give up in exchange for a loosening of sanctions.
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| Coronavirus: 10 die drinking sanitiser after Indian state shuts liquor shops Posted: 31 Jul 2020 08:30 AM PDT  Local liquor shops were shut under a local coronavirus lockdown in a village in Andhra Pradesh.
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| U.S. lets ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen publish book while serving sentence at home Posted: 30 Jul 2020 10:46 AM PDT  The agreement between Cohen's lawyers and federal prosecutors also frees Cohen to engage with news organizations and use social media, as he serves the remainder of his three-year term for campaign finance violations and other crimes in home confinement. "There shall be no specific media provision" governing Cohen's activities, according to the agreement, which requires approval by U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein in Manhattan. Cohen, 53, had served about one year of his prison term before being sent home to his Manhattan apartment in May, because of the risk of contracting COVID-19 behind bars.
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| Ex-Houston officers indicted in wake of deadly drug raid Posted: 31 Jul 2020 09:56 AM PDT  A grand jury has indicted six former Houston police officers whose work with a narcotics unit has been under scrutiny since a 2019 drug raid in which a couple was killed, prosecutors announced Friday. Prosecutors allege that the former officers falsified documentation about drug payments to confidential informants, routinely used false information to get search warrants, and lied in police reports. The grand jury on Thursday brought indictments on a total of 17 felony charges against the officers.
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| Father, son with COVID-19 forced to quarantine in Hawaii Posted: 29 Jul 2020 08:20 PM PDT  Hawaii's public health director said a rarely used special health order was used to force them into isolation.
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| Dr. Fauci and Rep. Jordan have a tense exchange over limiting protests because of the coronavirus Posted: 31 Jul 2020 09:33 AM PDT  During the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis on Friday, Rep. Jim Jordan pressed Dr. Anthony Fauci about limiting protests to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
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| Fact check: Joe Biden didn't take a knee upon seeing a flag; he was talking to a child Posted: 30 Jul 2020 02:09 PM PDT  While visiting his childhood home this month, the presidential candidate kneeled to talk to a child. It's false to say he "took a knee" for the flag.
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| Boeing wins $265 million to build more special ops Chinook helos Posted: 31 Jul 2020 02:24 PM PDT  Army has minted another deal with Boeing for more Chinooks for special ops.
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