PoliticsYahoo News 360Making sense of conservatives’ sudden vaccine endorsements
Over the course of the past week, a number of prominent Republican lawmakers and conservative media figures have made strong statements in support of getting vaccinated against COVID-19. “These shots need to get in everybody's arms as rapidly as possible,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said during a press conference Tuesday. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, the No. 2 House Republican, emphasized the importance of the vaccines after receiving his first dose.
U.S.Fort Worth Star-TelegramGunman kills 1, injures 3 before he is stoned to death in Fort Worth, police say
A gunman opened fire on a group of people in a Como neighborhood, killing one and injuring three others before he was stoned to death, authorities said. The gunman and the other person were pronounced dead at the scene. Their names have not been released by authorities.
WorldAssociated PressMore rain to hit China's flood-ravaged Henan province
Forecasters Monday said more heavy rain is expected in central China's flood-ravaged Henan province, where the death toll continues to rise. The Henan provincial meteorological observatory said the hard-hit cities of Xinyang, Zhumadian, Zhoukou, Shangqiu, Kaifeng, Puyang, Xinxiang, Hebi and Anyang are likely to see the heaviest downpours. That will complicate rescue efforts and attempts to deliver water and food as well as plug gaps in dikes, and will put more pressure on basins used to divert and hold floodwaters.
WorldReutersAustralia sees COVID-19 cases climb, police warn against protest repeat
SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australia's most populous state reported a rise in new COVID-19 cases on Monday despite a weeks-long stay-at-home order, while police vowed to crack down on any repeat of a anti-lockdown protest which turned violent at the weekend. New South Wales, which has had more than 5 million people in Sydney city under lockdown for a month, reported 145 new cases of the virus, from 141 a day earlier, as it struggles to contain an outbreak of the highly contagious Delta variant. "We might need to go harder in some areas and release some settings in others," state premier Gladys Berejiklian said at a televised news conference, apparently referencing five government areas of Sydney's suburbs at the epicentre of the outbreak.
U.S.Kansas City StarMissouri gun dealer charged in Capitol riot competed in shooting contest this month
A central Missouri firearms dealer charged in connection with the U.S. Capitol riot competed in a shooting contest earlier this month, a federal prosecutor told a judge last week. During a hearing in federal court in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tejpal Chawla said prosecutors had just learned that Matthew Loganbill participated in the competition on July 10. “Based on the information that I have and reviewed from online, Mr. Loganbill posted results of the shooting match on his website and indicated he was one of the participants in that shooting competition,” Chawla told U.S. Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey.
WorldAssociated PressPhilippine leader unabashedly threatens to kill drug dealers
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte unabashedly renewed his threat to kill drug dealers in his final state of the nation speech on Monday, while defending his nonconfrontational approach in the country's territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea. Duterte, 76, who won a six-year presidential term in 2016, is winding down his often-tumultuous presidency amid a raging pandemic, a battered economy and a legacy overshadowed by his deadly campaign against illegal drugs that has set off complaints of mass murder before the International Criminal Court. While many expected him to focus on ways to combat the coronavirus, which has devastated the economy and worsened hunger and poverty, Duterte instead devoted most of a rambling, nearly three-hour televised speech to non-pandemic topics he has addressed repeatedly in the past.
WorldReutersChinese parents fret after government bans for-profit tutoring firms
Anxious Chinese parents were rushing to hire private tutors to help their children navigate a fiercely competitive education system after the government moved last week to rein in companies in the massive tutoring services industry. China's for-profit education sector has been under scrutiny as part of Beijing's push to ease pressure on school children and reduce a cost burden on parents that has contributed to a drop in birth rates. But though many parents welcomed an effort to reduce the long hours their children spend studying, others said the ban would only add to parents' financial burdens and increase inequality.
HealthBBCCovid: Fauci says US heading in wrong direction as cases rise
The US is heading "in the wrong direction" on the coronavirus pandemic as infections surge among the unvaccinated, the country's top infectious disease expert has warned. Dr Anthony Fauci said the Delta variant of Covid-19 was driving the spike in areas with low vaccination rates. The coronavirus situation in the US is becoming "a pandemic among the unvaccinated", Dr Fauci, the chief medical adviser to US President Joe Biden, told broadcaster CNN on Sunday.
WorldReutersWith eye on China, Pentagon chief heads to Southeast Asia
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will become the first member of President Joe Biden's cabinet to visit Southeast Asia this week, seeking to emphasize the importance Washington places on fortifying ties in the region while pushing back against China. The United States has put countering China at the heart of its national security policy for years and the Biden administration has called rivalry with Beijing "the biggest geopolitical test" of this century. Six months into his presidency, however, Southeast Asian countries are still looking for details of Biden's strategy as well as his specific plans for economic, trade and military engagement with the Indo-Pacific.
WorldAssociated PressThe Latest: Savannah reinstates indoor mask mandate
Malaysian doctors walk off job in government hospitals — Find more AP coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine HERE'S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING: WASHINGTON — Some 60 leading medical and health industry groups are calling for health care employers to require their workers to get COVID-19 vaccines as the more aggressive delta variant spreads across the nation, and some communities report troubling increases in hospitalizations among unvaccinated people. The groups include the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Nursing, the American Public Health Association and, for the first time, a nursing home industry group.
ScienceIdaho StatesmanThere are about 250 green and yellow objects hanging throughout Boise. What are they?
This summer, 250 green and yellow objects that look a little like boxy, elongated badminton birdies appeared hanging on street signs and other structures around Boise. The objects are actually Japanese beetle traps and, for the time being, they're empty. Amid an infestation six years ago, Paul Castrovillo, entomologist at the Idaho Department of Agriculture, told the Idaho Statesman that Idaho's goal was to eradicate the beetles over seven years.
WorldBBCNew Zealand to allow IS-linked mother to be repatriated
A woman suspected of being an Islamic State (IS) member can be repatriated from Turkey, New Zealand says. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the decision to allow the 26-year-old and her two young children to return was not "taken lightly". The woman grew up in New Zealand and Australia and held citizenship in both countries until Australia revoked it last year.
- WorldReuters
Malaysia will not extend state of emergency, says law minister
Malaysia will not extend a months-long national state of emergency when it ends on Aug. 1, law minister Takiyuddin Hassan said on Monday. The Southeast Asian country has been under emergency rule since January, with Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin arguing it was needed to curb the spread of COVID-19. Despite the emergency and strict lockdowns, the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia has only worsened, triggering public anger.
WorldAssociated Press'No magic wand:' Lebanon's new PM-designate urges unity
Lebanon's newly appointed Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati on Monday urged unity to begin recovery from a devastating economic and financial meltdown roiling the country. Mikati spoke to reporters shortly after he was appointed to the post by President Michel Aoun, after Saad Hariri earlier this month gave up his monthslong attempts to form a Cabinet. “Alone, I don't have a magic wand and cannot achieve miracles,” Mikati said.
WorldReutersFactbox: Countries weigh 'mix and match' COVID-19 vaccines
A growing number of countries are looking at switching to different COVID-19 vaccines for second doses or booster shots amid supply delays and safety concerns that have slowed their vaccination campaigns. However, the World Health Organization warned on July 12 against the practice, calling it a "dangerous trend" since there was little data available about the health impact, while Europe's drug regulator made on July 14 no definitive recommendations on switching doses. * Bahrain said on June 4 that eligible candidates could receive a booster shot of the Pfizer/BioNTech or the Sinopharm vaccine, regardless of which shot they had first.
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Doritos offers a 13-year-old girl $20,000 as a reward for discovering a rare 'puffy' chip and listing it on eBay
Doritos is giving $20,000 to an Australian teenager for her response to finding a rare chip.
U.S.The StateTeen from Blythewood and Columbia woman killed in head-on crash, coroner says
A teenager from Blythewood and a woman from Columbia were killed early Sunday morning in a head-on crash, according to the Lexington County Coroner's Office. Sierra S. Rosario, 17, was driving a car that was hit by an SUV going the wrong direction on Interstate 26, Coroner Margaret Fisher said. Both Rosario and Christian D. Lucille, the 34-year old driving the SUV, died at the scene of the accident, according to Fisher.
BusinessBBCAmazon Bitcoin job ad boosts cryptocurrency surge
The price of some cryptocurrencies has surged, after retailer Amazon revealed it was hiring an expert in the field. It advertised for a "digital currency and blockchain product lead" to look at "how Amazon's customers pay". Bitcoin rose from $29,000 (£21,000) to more than $39,000 per coin on Monday, its largest growth in several weeks.
WorldBusiness InsiderAfter a man dressed as Spiderman kicked a store worker in the throat, unions call on the UK government to beef up laws protecting retail staff
A UK union called for tighter laws to protect retail workers after a brawl in a London store. A man dressed as Spiderman kicked a store worker in the throat before punching her to the ground. Acts of aggression against store workers have risen since the start of the pandemic.
U.S.Charlotte ObserverWill Madison Cawthorn join the belatedly enlightened on COVID?
That's how many people had to die globally from COVID-19 before conservatives such as Sean Hannity, Kayleigh McEnany and Steve Scalise finally stopped sowing doubt about the vaccinations and urged their followers to get them. I didn't see Fox News talking head Hannity say this – I'd rather kiss a snaggle-toothed llama that just ate a package of Oreos without flossing afterward than watch his commentary – but he has been widely quoted as saying recently “Please take COVID seriously, I can't say it enough. Enough people have died.
PoliticsUSA TODAY OpinionI am a Black Republican. Here's what my party should know about racism in America.
In his 1796 farewell address, President George Washington warned about “the baneful effects of the spirit of party,” by which he meant we must be mindful not to let party politics supersede the aims of We the People. For these reasons, almost 9 out of 10 Americans – including people from both parties and independents – want elected officials to put aside destructive partisan divisiveness. Far fewer Republicans than Democrats, independents or politically unaffiliated people acknowledge how racism impacts people of color's ability to participate in our system of government.
PoliticsThe IndependentTrump calls critical race theory ‘flagrant racism’ at Phoenix rally
Donald Trump has once again hit out at critical race theory and called the field of study a form of “flagrant racism” that was being forced into “every facet of our society” by Democrats. Speaking at an event in Arizona on Saturday, the former US president said critical race theory was a form of “Marxism” that left “America last”, and hit out at Democrats for allowing the allegedly “toxic” study to be introduced in schools and the American military. “We shouldn't be apologising to the world,” said Mr Trump of the theory, which considers how issues of race and inequality are built into society.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderSen. Rand Paul confronted by foul-mouthed constituent during a virtual town hall meeting
A Kentucky resident told Sen. Rand Paul to "get f---ed" during a virtual town hall meeting. Paul has been criticized for refusing to get a COVID-19 vaccine and encouraging people to ditch masks. Sen. Rand Paul was told to "get f---ed" during a virtual town hall meeting.
U.S.USA TODAY'Like a hammer hitting us in the head': Homes ablaze in California as Western wildfires rage
More than 22,000 firefighters were combating explosive wildfires across the West on Sunday as homes burned and thousands of residents fled fast-spreading flames. The Dixie Fire in Northern California and the Bootleg Fire in southern Oregon were the most ravenous among at least 88 major wildfires across 13 states. Firefighters were struggling with rugged terrain in hot, dry conditions, the National Interagency Fire Center said.
U.S.The IndependentMugger seen rifling through pockets of man beaten unconscious in violent New York attack
Police in New York City are appealing for help following a violent robbery in which a victim was knocked unconscious by a hooded figure, who ran from the scene. The incident took place on Saturday morning in the Cypress Hills area of Brooklyn, and south of Highland Park, according to the the New York Police Department. CCTV footage released by the Crime Stoppers unit on Saturday shows a man in a grey hoodie violently punching a victim who appeared to have been thrown from his Citi bike, which could be seen by his side.
“The program stands likely to leave millions of families — disproportionately the poorest and most fragile ones — behind.”
“Paying families monthly, instead of one lump sum ... will provide parents with more stability knowing when cash is coming.”
“More parents will disappear from the workforce, and more children will be locked into dependency.”
“Poverty is a political choice, not an inevitability.”
“If Congress wants to avoid a completely preventable spike in child poverty, it has to act quickly to extend the credit.”