Taliban official: Strict punishment, executions will return

One of the founders of the Taliban and the chief enforcer of its harsh interpretation of Islamic law when they last ruled Afghanistan said the hard-line movement will once again carry out executions and amputations of hands, though perhaps not in public. In an interview with The Associated Press, Mullah Nooruddin Turabi dismissed outrage over the Taliban's executions in the past, which sometimes took place in front of crowds at a stadium, and he warned the world against interfering with Afghanistan's new rulers. “Everyone criticized us for the punishments in the stadium, but we have never said anything about their laws and their punishments,” Turabi told The Associated Press, speaking in Kabul.

Chipotle customer pulls gun after being told location was closing early, police say

A customer became angry that a Philadelphia Chipotle was closing early, pulled a gun and demanded that “somebody better give me my food,” police said Wednesday. The terrifying confrontation unfolded just before 5 p.m. Saturday at the chain's location inside the Roosevelt Mall on Cottman Avenue, according to a statement from the Philadelphia Police Department. The store was closing its in-person service early because of staffing issues, but told customers it would still take online orders, police said.

Brian Williams' Punchline On Anti-Vaxxers, Anti-Maskers Is A Showstopper

Brian Williams unleashed savage sign-off snark on his MSNBC news show Wednesday. Watch the video below. As he was closing out “The 11th Hour,” the host ran a clip from The Recount of anti-vaccine and anti-mask protesters sounding off at local board meetings.

Tesla's battery-manufacturing 'Megafactory' breaks ground in California

Tesla broke ground on its "Megafactory," a new production facility in California, so christened because it will produce the company's large-scale battery system Megapack. News of the previously unannounced factory was confirmed by the Lathrop Mayor Sonny Dhaliwal, in a Facebook post that was deleted and re-posted. “We are proud to be the home of the Megafactory, Tesla's most recent expansion here,” he said.

Neighbors say they saw Brian Laundrie and his parents leave their Florida home with an attached camper after he returned from his trip with Gabby Petito

A couple said they saw Brian Laundrie and his parents drive off with an attached camper this month. A neighbor said they saw Laundrie leave on September 11, the day Gabby Petito was reported missing. Laundrie's family told the police last week that they had not seen him since September 14.

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  No signs of Gabby Petito's boyfriend after days of searching

  Associated Press
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  What Happened To Gabby Petito – And Where Is Brian Laundrie?

  Dr. Phil CBS

My bank accidentally deposited $10K in my account. I reported it, then moved it to my savings account. Have I done enough?

A month later, the money was still in my account, so I transferred it to my savings account so that I wouldn't accidentally spend it. I have nothing against the bank reclaiming the extra money; it is theirs, and I only have it because of an accident. Moreover, if the situation were reversed, I'd want the money returned.

California 1st to set quota limits for retailers like Amazon

California on Wednesday became the first state to bar mega-retailers from firing warehouse workers for missing quotas that interfere with bathroom and rest breaks under a new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom that grew from Amazon's drive to speed goods to consumers more quickly. The measure also bars Amazon, the online retail giant, and similar companies from disciplining workers for following health and safety laws and allows employees to sue to suspend unsafe quotas or reverse retaliation. The bill applies to all warehouse distribution centers, though proponents were driven by Amazon's dominance.

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  California becomes 1st state to set quota limits for retailers like Amazon

  Yahoo News Video
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  California governor signs bill aimed at unsafe warehouse quotas

  TechCrunch

Kayleigh McEnany deletes tweet blaming Biden for a 2020 spike in murders that occurred under Trump

Kayleigh McEnany deleted a tweet blaming Biden for a spike in murders that occurred under Trump. Former White House press secretary and Fox News contributor Kayleigh McEnany deleted a tweet blaming President Joe Biden for a spike in U.S. murders that occurred under her former boss, then-President Donald Trump.

Dad of 3 girls killed in New Zealand says he's forgiven wife

The father of three young girls who were killed last week in New Zealand said Thursday his precious angels had been ripped away from him in a loss he would carry for the rest of his life. Dickason wrote his thoughts in a letter that was read aloud by a reverend during a candlelight vigil that was attended by hundreds of people outside the family's home in the South Island town of Timaru. Lauren Dickason, 40, has been charged with murder in the deaths of her twin 2-year-old girls Maya and Karla, and their 6-year-old sister Liane, in a crime that has shocked New Zealand.

Gabby Petito Confirmed Dead at 22 as Autopsy Determines Her Manner of Death

Authorities have confirmed that the remains found in Bridger-Teton National Forest belong to YouTuber Gabrielle Petito. Additionally, on Tuesday, Sept. 21, the Teton County Coroner's Office announced her manner of death was determined to be homicide. "Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue confirmed the remains are those of Gabrielle Venora Petito, date of birth March 19, 1999," the FBI stated in a press release.

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  Gabby Petito autopsy: Coroner identifies body as hers, calls death a homicide

  Yahoo News
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  Autopsy Confirms Gabby Petito’s Death, Lists Initial Cause of Death as Homicide

  Rolling Stone

Father of 12 dies of COVID in Texas after struggles finding ECMO machine, family says

A day after a wife's public plea to help find her husband an ECMO machine to save his life, a Texas father died of COVID-19. Reed Hickson, a 49-year-old father of 12 from College Station, died Monday. “My little brother Reed was called home last night, leaving behind a legacy of true love and greatness, his family of 12 beautiful children and his magnificent soul mate,” Samuel Hickson said on Facebook Tuesday of his brother.

Arizona Republican resigns after secret recording released

A Republican official in Arizona resigned Tuesday from the board overseeing Maricopa County after a recording emerged of him criticizing his GOP colleagues for opposing a review of the 2020 election. During the meeting recorded surreptitiously last March, Supervisor Steve Chucri suggested two fellow Republican county supervisors opposed the review by Senate Republicans because they nearly lost their own 2020 races. Chucri apologized in a statement announcing his resignation and said he shouldn't have made the comments, adding “the political landscape has changed for the worst this year.

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  Arizona official resigning after secret recording released

  Associated Press
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  Maricopa County supervisor resigning after comments on election audit go public

  Washington Examiner

Mary Trump Pulls No Punches When Naming Her ‘Stupidest’ Relative

Mary Trump was asked “what the hell is going on” with her cousin, Donald Trump Jr., and didn't hold back. In this week's episode of the “UnPresidented” podcast, Donald Trump's niece described her cousin as “weak” and a suck-up who was ultimately “left in the dust” by his father, the former president. Trump Jr. is “like many other people in my family,” said Mary Trump, a psychologist who has become one of the fiercest critics of her uncle and his children.

Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes reportedly sent a text to her ex-boyfriend and former COO referring to herself as 'best business person of the year'

More texts between Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes and former COO Ramesh Balwani have surfaced. In one, Holmes said, "total confidence in myself best business person of the year," CNBC reports. In another, Balwani said, "They are not investing in our company they are investing in our destiny."

Woman with Down syndrome loses UK abortion law challenge

A woman with Down syndrome lost a court challenge against the British government Thursday over a law allowing the abortion up until birth of a fetus with the condition. Heidi Crowter, 26, and two others took the Department of Health and Social Care to court, arguing that part of the Abortion Act is discriminatory and violates the European Convention on Human Rights. Abortions in England, Wales and Scotland are allowed up till 24 weeks of pregnancy.

Was This ‘Commotion’ in a Wyoming Restaurant the Last Time Gabby Petito Was Seen Alive?

One of the final sightings of Gabby Petito before she vanished was so alarming to staff at a Wyoming restaurant that they reported the encounter to the FBI this week. Details on the Aug. 27 incident at The Merry Piglets restaurant in Jackson are scarce, but a witness told CNN there was a “commotion” for all to see as tensions apparently built between Petito and Brian Laundrie, her fiancé who vanished around the same time the 22-year-old Long Island native's body was found. Laundrie, who was declared a person of interest in Petito's disappearance, is now the subject of massive search efforts.

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  New details emerge about one of last known sightings of Gabby Petito and fiancé

  TODAY
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  A couple witnessed an 'aggressive' argument between Brian Laundrie and staff at a Wyoming restaurant days before Gabby Petito went missing

  INSIDER

Leopard’s ‘stunning’ leap showcased in slow-motion video

A rescue leopard at South Africa's Harnas Wildlife Foundation is an impressive leaper, especially at mealtime. The accompanying footage, which has garnered millions of views over the past month, shows “Hellboy” leaping nearly 10 feet to catch a hunk of meat tossed over a fence by a caretaker. The footage reveals the power and grace exhibited by Hellboy – and possessed by all leopards – while taking flight and upon landing.

China sends 24 fighter jets toward Taiwan in show of force

China sent 24 fighter jets toward Taiwan in a large display of force Thursday, after the self-governing island announced its intention to join an 11-nation Pacific trade group that China has also applied to join. China's People's Liberation Army flew fighter jets toward Taiwan twice on Thursday, once in the morning with 19 planes, and once in the afternoon with five more. Taiwan deployed air patrol forces in response to the Chinese jets and tracked them on its air defense systems, the island's Defense Ministry said in a statement.

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  Taiwan asks to join trade group, says China might interfere

  Associated Press
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  Taiwan flags China 'risk' to Pacific trade pact bid

  Reuters

This Woman's Story Of How She Gained 50 Pounds In Three Months And Was Told By A Doctor That Her Bloating Was "Psychosomatic" Has Gone Viral On TikTok

Kalista Dwyer is a 22-year-old content creator who recently documented her journey with extreme bloating and weight gain on TikTok. In the video, Kalista explains that she'd inexplicably gained 50 pounds in just three months, experienced intense bloating and pain every time she ate, had swelling in her hands, and was fatigued. BuzzFeed reached out to Kalista, who said that her symptoms began last November, when she spent two weeks visiting Costa Rica.

White House Is Telling Federal Agencies to Prepare for a Shutdown

Officials said the request was in line with traditional procedures ahead of a potential shutdown, but were confident Congress had enough time to prevent a shutdown. We fully expect Congress to work in a bipartisan fashion to keep our government open, get disaster relief to the Americans who need it, and avoid a catastrophic default, especially as we continue to confront the pandemic and power an economic recovery,” said White House budget office spokesperson Abdullah Hasan in an email. In the meantime, prudent management requires that the government plan for the possibility of a lapse in funding.

Ruh-Roh! Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s ‘Scooby-Doo’ Stunt Did Not Go Well

Conspiracy theory-endorsing Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) turned to the cartoon “Scooby-Doo” to try to trash the Green New Deal on the House floor on Wednesday, and critics couldn't believe the stunt wasn't a parody. “This is a simple meme that you would find on the internet but this meme is very real,” said Greene, pointing to a poster held up by an aide showing character Fred Jones unmasking a baddie who turns out to be the communist emblems of the hammer and sickle. “The Green New Deal, surprise, serves China and China only,” added Greene, who's become something of a celebrity on the right for her peddling of racist and anti-science conspiracy theories and her unswerving devotion to ex-President Donald Trump.

‘Mama, I Don’t Want to Die’: 20-Year-Old’s COVID Death the Latest Among Younger Victims

Health officials in Florida, Texas, and California have also reported seeing a trend in younger and younger people dying from the virus as the Delta variant continues to drive the fourth wave of the pandemic. Shepherd is far from the only twentysomething to have her life cut short by the virus this week. A 26-year-old Wisconsin police officer died from COVID-19 on Wednesday, just hours after his second child was welcomed into the world, according to Fond du Lac Police Chief Aaron Goldstein.

Exclusive-Echoes, uncertainty as Afghan pilots await U.S. help in Tajikistan

A U.S.-trained Afghan pilot was talking to Reuters on a smuggled cellphone from Tajikistan, where he is being held, when something strange happened - his voice started looping, repeating everything he had just said, word for word. It also came amid growing feelings of impatience and uncertainty among the Afghan pilots and personnel who have been held by the government in Tajikistan since fleeing there on Aug. 15. There are 143 Afghans detained at a sanatorium in a mountainous, rural area outside of the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, waiting and hoping for over a month for transfer by the United States.