PoliticsReutersTrump approval drops 3 points to 2019 low after release of Mueller report
The number of Americans who approve of President Donald Trump dropped by 3 percentage points to the lowest level of the year following the release of a special counsel report detailing Russian interference in the last U.S. presidential election, according to an exclusive Reuters/Ipsos public opinion poll. The poll, conducted Thursday afternoon to Friday morning, is the first national survey to measure the response from the American public after the U.S. Justice Department released Special Counsel Robert Mueller's 448-page report that recounted numerous occasions in which Trump may have interfered with the investigation. In his report, Mueller said his investigation did not establish that the Trump campaign had coordinated with Russians.
- WorldThe Independent
North Korea: US Marine arrested in connection with 'violent raid' of embassy in Madrid, sources say
A former US Marine who was allegedly involved in a raid of the North Korean embassy in Madrid has been arrested, according to sources familiar with the case. Christopher Ahn was arrested on Thursday in connection with the incident, when a group of at least 10 people stormed into the embassy, restrained and physically beat some personnel and held them hostage for hours in February. Spanish investigators have said the group stole computers and hard drives before fleeing to the United States, where they shared the stolen material with the FBI.
NewsAFP Relax News'Britain's Notre-Dame' tells fiery tale of restored glory
These buildings move' - The stories of York Minster and Notre-Dame have faithfully traced each other's footsteps over the centuries. Britain's cathedral was completed in 1360 -- just 15 years after Notre-Dame -- and shares the same building materials and shape as its Parisian cousin. David was one of a dozen or so stoneworkers in York when its "minster" -- an Old English word that means a large or important church -- nearly went down in flames in 1984.
WorldAssociated PressFire-ravaged Notre Dame now stabilized, firefighters leave
Architects and construction workers have stabilized the damaged structure of Notre Dame cathedral, four days after a fast-spreading fire ravaged the iconic Paris building, and firefighters were leaving the site Friday night, a fire service official said. The promising development came as Notre Dame's parishioners celebrated Good Friday in a nearby church, praying for the damaged monument and celebrating its rescued relics such as the Crown of Thorns believed to have been worn by Jesus at his crucifixion. "There is no more risk the edifice's walls could fall down," Lt. Col. Gabriel Plus, chief spokesman for the Paris fire service, told The Associated Press.
WorldAFPIsrael destroys family apartments of accused Palestinian killer
Israeli forces destroyed two apartments in the occupied West Bank on Friday that housed the family of a Palestinian accused of killing an Israeli woman in February, the army said. Soldiers surrounded the apartment block in the flashpoint southern city of Hebron beginning late on Thursday. They then destroyed the two apartments that were home to the family of Arafat Irfaiya, 29, with the use of heavy construction equipment in the early hours of the morning.
- WorldReuters
Three world-class climbers presumed dead in Canadian avalanche
Three renowned professional alpinists are missing and presumed dead after an avalanche in Canada's Rocky Mountains, Parks Canada said on Thursday. Climbing media named the men as American Jess Roskelley, 36, and Austrians David Lama, 28, and Hansjörg Auer, 35, saying they were killed after attempting to climb a challenging route on Howse Peak in Banff National Park. Canadian authorities did not release the names of the three men, but said they were one American and two Europeans and described them as highly experienced professional mountain athletes.
- BusinessThe National Interest
The Army Passed on This Glock Gun (And It Could Be Your Gain)
The Army may have chosen Sig Sauer's P320 for its Modular Handgun System program over Glock's offerings, but that doesn't mean you have to: Glock plans on releasing a civilian variant of its 9mm Glock 19 pistol to civilian buyers this month, the company announced today. Glock's commercial pistol, dubbed the 19X, is the company's first stab at a crossover model, combining the Glock 17 frame with a Glock 19 barrel.
- NewsUSA TODAY
Church apologizes after video shows cleric inviting kids to spit, slap and cut him for Easter lesson
Videos of the incident were posted to social media during a Monday afternoon after-school event held at the church at which Dempsey was speaking of Easter and the crucifixion. In one of the videos, Dempsey is seen standing still while students take turns spitting on him, some striking him, while other students are heard laughing. The mother of a youth, who reportedly employed a knife handed to him by Dempsey to cut the associate pastor at his invitation, said she was alerted to the video by a friend, according to an on-camera interview with WBNS-TV.
- PoliticsThe Independent
Sarah Sanders said her untruths over FBI were told in 'heat of moment'
Sarah Huckabee Sanders has defended herself against accusations of lying to the American public after Robert Mueller's report refuted several statements she previously made to the media. The White House press secretary joined Good Morning America a day after the report was released, where she was grilled about her previous claims that “countless” members of the FBI told her they were dissatisfied with James Comey's leadership at the agency before he was fired by Donald Trump. The report said those comments were “not founded on anything” and that Ms Sanders told investigators they were a “slip of the tongue.
PoliticsYahoo NewsA call for impeachment exposes Democratic divisions
Now that it is clear special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation won't result in charges against President Trump, some Democrats are pushing for the House to begin impeachment proceedings. The issue is exposing divisions within the Democratic Party with House leadership and some of the 2020 presidential candidates opposed to beginning an effort to oust the president. On Friday, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren became the first major Democratic presidential candidate to call for the House to begin impeachment proceedings based on the results of Mueller's probe.
- WorldThe Daily Beast
Northern Irish Police: Journalist's Murder Sign Of A 'New Brand Of Terrorism'
Northern Irish police said a “new brand of terrorism” was responsible for the death of a well-respected journalist who was killed last week as they announced the arrest of two teenagers in connection with the killing. During a press conference on Saturday, police in Northern Ireland announced that arrested two men, 18 and 19 years old, under the country's terrorism act in connection with McKee's murder. On Friday, police blamed McKee's murder on gunshot wounds fired indiscriminately, and released footage of a masked gunman firing during the riots.
WorldAFPUkraine comedian vows to break old system in pre-vote debate
A comedian tipped to take over Ukraine's presidency vowed on Friday to dismantle the old political system as he went head-to-head with his incumbent rival in an extraordinary stadium debate before this weekend's vote. Polls show Volodymyr Zelensky, a 41-year-old standup comic with no political experience, handily defeating President Petro Poroshenko in a second-round of voting on Sunday. The hour-long debate at Kiev's Olympic Stadium capped a weeks-long sensational campaign in a war-torn country seen as a buffer between the European Union and Russia.
NewsAssociated PressOfficials: South Carolina school girl died of natural causes
South Carolina authorities said Friday that the death of a fifth grade girl at school last month was due to natural causes and not a fight with another student, which they described as lasting only seconds. Solicitor Duffie Stone said at a press conference that 10-year-old Raniya Wright died of a congenital condition called an arteriovenous malformation, a tangle of abnormal blood vessels in the brain. Raniya had been taken to the doctor after complaining of headaches about two weeks before she died.
- LifestylePopular Mechanics
8 Things We Learned Driving the Roush Ford F-150 SC, a Pickup Truck on Steroids
Eight things you should know about this beast, which is what happens when you turn a Ford truck into an off-road monster. From Popular Mechanics
NewsReutersBanks ordered to disclose bondholder information to Puerto Rico board
A judge on Thursday ordered banks to comply with a request from Puerto Rico's federally created financial oversight board to disclose customer information related to certain debt issued by the bankrupt U.S. commonwealth. The ruling boosts a potential effort by the board to recover billions of dollars in payments made to bondholders should a federal court hearing Puerto Rico's bankruptcy cases choose to invalidate disputed debt issued by the government and its agencies. U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith Gail Dein's order said "good cause exists" to grant the board's motion, which seeks to compel banks to submit bondholder names and addresses along with Puerto Rico debt payments the bondholders received between 2013 and 2017.
NewsAssociated PressNOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn't happen this week
None of these is legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. CLAIM: Man who threw boy over Minnesota mall balcony is a Somali immigrant. THE FACTS: The man arrested in the case did not emigrate from Somalia, as posts circulating on social media said.
- U.S.WTVD – Raleigh/Durham
Driver with STAYUMBL license plate, notorious for cutting people off around Durham, charged in incident with bus
The STAYUMBL license plate is notorious on the road and social media. Folks say the driver behind the wheel will speed up, cut people off and then slam on her brakes, sometimes causing a crash.
- TechnologyUSA TODAY
BlackBerry Messenger or BBM to be shut down for consumers on May 31
That would be BlackBerry Messenger or BBM, a mobile messaging app created way back in 2005 when BlackBerry was run by the Canadian enterprise known then as Research In Motion or RIM. Since 2016, BBM has been under the auspices of Creative Media Works, a division of PT Elang Mahkota Teknologi Tbk or Emtek, one of Indonesia's largest media, content and tech businesses. The company has just blogged that on May 31, the consumer version of BBM would be shutting down for good.
- PoliticsThe Independent
Mueller report: 'Beyond implausible' Trump team was unaware of Russian election interference, says legal expert
On that, Mr Kalmbacher said that: “It's beyond implausible the Trump Administration was unaware of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and any sleight-of-hand responses from administration officials that downplay such knowledge are not only off-base but, because they're so ridiculous, also read as suspect. Mr Kalmbacher said that "it is imperative to differentiate between: (1) Russian government actors; and (2) non-governmental actors. Mr Mueller's redacted report – and years' worth of public knowledge – have established that highly placed Trump 2016 campaign officials made contact with Russian nationals not directly affiliated with the Russian Federation.
NewsAFPColoradans mark 20th anniversary of a dark day: Columbine shooting
It has been 20 years since two heavily armed young men in dark trenchcoats entered a Colorado high school and launched a bloody attack that seared the word "Columbine" into the American psyche, forever transforming the debate on gun rights and school violence. As people on Saturday prepared to mark the anniversary of the massacre in Littleton, Colorado -- in which teenaged shooters Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris killed 12 Columbine High School students and a teacher before turning their guns on themselves -- there were words of grief and loss and anger. School shootings, once almost unheard of, have become a tragic feature of American life -- requiring all schools to tighten security, forcing even six-year-olds to take part in traumatic "live-shooter" drills.
WorldAFPAssad urges progress on Idlib deal ahead of Syria talks
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Friday called for progress on a stalled buffer zone deal around jihadist-dominated Idlib region ahead of fresh talks aimed at ending his country's eight-year war. Assad met envoy Alexander Lavrentiev from key ally Russia in Damascus to discuss the negotiations due April 25-26 in Kazakhstan. Iran and Russia are the major supporters of the Syrian regime, and along with rebel backer Turkey have sponsored repeated rounds of talks in the Central Asian nation.
- StyleCar and Driver
Here Are All of the 2020 Hyundai Sonata's Available Colors—Including Yellow
The new Sonata's color palette has some interesting colors beyond the typical white, gray, and black. From Car and Driver
- WorldThe National Interest
Did Ukraine Just Build a Cruise Missile That Can Stike 1000 Kilometers Away?
As the Ukrainian election heats up in April 2019, the incumbent President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko made a bold claim: Ukraine has made an indigenous cruise missile with a range of 1000 kilometers, capable of carrying a 150-kilogram warhead. Using long-range conventional cruise missiles for deterrence against Russia is not without precedent. The American JASSM long-range aerial-launched cruise missiles are popular exports to countries bordering Russia, with Finland buying regular JASSMs with ranges of around 370 kilometers and Poland buying JASSM-ERs with ranges in excess of 900 kilometers.
- LifestyleBGR News
A backpack with a flexible screen? Sure, Sony, why not
We've also covered myriad plans and patents from other tech companies that likewise want to rush into the flexible game, and now along comes Sony with a patent for a flexible display that can be attached to a bag — like a handbag, or backpack. Ladies and gentleman, we've either reached peak flexible display or are very close to it. The Sony patent, published towards the end of March, was spotted by Dutch tech news blog LetsGoDigital, which reports that it depicts a bag with a flexible display module.
NewsAssociated PressTourists, Easter worshippers lament closure of Notre Dame
Tourists, devout Catholics and others looked on mournfully at Notre Dame Cathedral Saturday, regretting that they couldn't get inside the magnificent monument on this Easter weekend because of the damage caused by a violent fire. Parishioners who normally celebrate Easter at Notre Dame attended Saturday evening's Easter Vigil Mass at the nearby Saint-Sulpice Church instead. They were joined by other visitors who had hoped to celebrate Easter in Notre Dame, the 12th century cathedral whose priceless relics include the Crown of Thorns purported to have been worn by Jesus at his crucifixion.
