U.S.NBC NewsFamily float trip ends in tragedy after group went over North Carolina dam
Searchers on Friday spent a second day scouring a North Carolina river for a 30-year-old woman and a 7-year-old boy missing since they went over a dam during a family float trip. Three people, including a 14-year-old, were found dead Thursday after nine relatives on inflatable tubes in the Dan River went over the dam around nightfall Wednesday, the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office said. Four people were rescued, and two others, Teresa Villino, 30, and Isiah Crawford, 7, remained missing, the office said.
U.S.AxiosEntire Portland Police rapid response team quits after officer's indictment
The Portland Police Bureau announced Thursday that its entire Rapid Response Team left their voluntary positions on squad Wednesday after a fellow officer was indicted on an assault charge for allegedly using "excessive" and "unlawful" force during a protest last August. Driving the news: Tuesday's indictment of officer Corey Budworth is the first time a Portland police officer has faced prosecution for striking or firing at someone during a protest, according to The Oregonian. The big picture: Budworth was working on the Portland Police Bureau's Rapid Response Team in August 2020, when during a protest, he allegedly struck a woman on the head with a baton, per ABC News.
U.S.Miami HeraldHis bagel didn’t have cream cheese, so he pulled gun on a police chief’s daughter, cops say
While working her job at Starbucks, the daughter of Miami Gardens' police chief was allegedly threatened with a gun over an order mix-up — the gunman was given his bagel without cream cheese, police say. Chief Delma Noel-Pratt told Miami Herald news partner CBS4 in an interview that the experience traumatized her 23-year-old daughter. “As a mother I am very concerned,” Noel-Pratt told the station.
PoliticsNational ReviewFormer Obama Ethics Chief Says Biden Admin Family Hires Are ‘F*** You’ to Watchdogs
Former Obama-era Office of Government Ethics chief Walter Shaub called the Biden administration's hiring of multiple relatives of senior staffers a disgraceful repudiation to the mission of restoring ethics in government. A lot of us worked hard to tee him up to restore ethics to government and believed the promises. While new administration employees may not stem directly from the Biden family tree, some had the privilege of being part of a familial network that may have provided their applications a leg up on other candidates, despite their credentials and qualifications.
U.S.NBC NewsCalifornia rolls out digital vaccine verification — but don't call it a passport
Don't call it a vaccine passport, but California now offers something that's awfully close. The state's Departments of Public Health and Technology unveiled a website Friday that lets users who verify their identities get digital copies of their Covid-19 vaccination record. Called the Digital Covid-19 Vaccine Record portal, the site is meant as a digital backup to the paper cards from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that Americans receive when they get a Covid-19 vaccination, said Amy Tong, the state's chief information officer.
U.S.TheGrioSouth Dakota the only state that does not recognize Juneteenth
As the nation prepares for Juneteenth celebrations this weekend, many are reflecting on the long journey toward making a holiday founded in Texas and with deep regional ties to the Southwest into a nationwide observance. And with that reflection comes the more noticeable outlier—South Dakota, which is the only state that has yet to recognize Juneteenth as either a state holiday or observance, the Hill reports. Juneteenth is the anniversary of June 19, 1865, when General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas with an estimated 2,000 Union troops, including regiments of United States Colored Troops (USCT).
WorldWashington ExaminerBiden freezes military aid to Ukraine after Putin summit as leaders plea for help
As Russia mounted 100,000 troops on the Ukrainian border in March, the White House and the Department of Defense readied a $100 million military assistance package that was frozen once President Joe Biden announced a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to reports. A previous buildup in eastern Ukraine led to the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and a protracted war that simmers seven years later. As Putin massed attack helicopters and aircraft on the eastern Ukrainian border, Biden and NATO leaders condemned Russia and called for a drawdown but made no public offers of military assistance.
- PoliticsYahoo News Video
Gov. Greg Abbott signs bill that allows public gun-carrying without permit
Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law on Wednesday a bill that allows Texans to carry firearms in public without a permit, the latest in a series of measures expanding gun rights in conservative U.S. states.
U.S.Kansas City StarTeen sleeping in hammock at 12:30 a.m attacked by large bear in Great Smoky Mountains
A 16-year-old girl was attacked by a bear in the Great Smoky Mountains early Friday, prompting the National Park Service to close a back country section to visitors. The attack happened at 12:30 a.m., as the teen was sleeping in a hammock in the the Crosby section of the park, officials said. “The family was able to drive the bear off from the area immediately after the attack and quickly notified the park's emergency communications center,” the National Park Service said.
PoliticsNational ReviewLindsey Graham: 2022 Elections Will Determine How Long GOP Remains Party of Trump
There is no doubt that the Republican Party remains the party of Donald Trump, but the future of the GOP must be a movement based on more than the personality of a single person, South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham told National Review in an interview Friday. Exactly how much influence the former president will continue to wield within the party will be determined in the 2022 elections, which Republicans are in a good position to win, said Graham, one of the speakers Friday at the Faith & Freedom Coalition's Road to Majority Conference. “The key to 2022 is putting your best team on the field,” Graham said of winning back the U.S. House and Senate.
U.S.The StateOfficers who fatally shot NC man at home won’t face charges, special prosecutor says
Two Mooresville police officers who fatally shot Chris Craven last summer after they say he pulled a gun — an account disputed by the dead man's wife — will not face criminal charges, a special prosecutor announced Friday. In a statement, Randolph County District Attorney Andy Gregson said officers Alexander Arndt and Christopher Novelli reasonably feared for their lives when they fired dozens of shots with high-powered rifles at Craven during an Aug. 2 confrontation outside his Mooresville home. “It is clear from all of the evidence that at the time Officers Arndt and Novelli fired their duty rifles they were presented with an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury from the actions of Mr. Craven,” Gregson said in summarizing the findings of a State Bureau of Investigation report.
PoliticsMiami HeraldIf Putin isn’t rethinking his legacy after meeting with Biden, perhaps he should be | Opinion
Much to the surprise of a puzzled pundit corps, history may well conclude that, while President Joe Biden and Russia's President Vladimir Putin produced no big-deal breaking news headline, their summit may prove to be one of the 21st century's pivotal events. Also, U.S. intelligence agencies announced long ago that Putin personally approved massive cyber-sabotage of the 2016 and 2020 U.S. presidential campaigns.
BusinessBBCMajor Australian banks hit by website outage
Several Australian banks and US airlines suffered website crashes on Thursday, following an issue with the web services company Akamai. Customers reported problems with banks including ANZ, Westpac, St George, ME bank, Macquarie Bank, Allianz, and the Commonwealth Bank. Banking apps were likewise unavailable.
PoliticsTheGrioTrump went on rant about ‘the Blacks’ after protests over George Floyd murder
An upcoming book from Wall Street Journal reporter Mike Bender alleges former President Donald Trump blamed his son-in-law for the civil unrest that erupted in the country following the death of George Floyd. The book titled “Frankly, We Did Win This Election: The Inside Story of How Trump Lost,” includes firsthand accounts from some of Trump's closest advisers, “who spoke to me on the condition of deep background, an agreement that meant I could share their stories without direct attribution,” Bender wrote for Politico. In the book, Bender describes how Trump privately told advisers that he didn't push back hard enough against protesters in the wake of Floyd's killing by Minneapolis police in May 2020.
U.S.The StateSC’s most shocking crimes throughout history now include mysterious Murdaugh killings
The mysterious shotgun and assault rifle murders of 22-year-old Paul Murdaugh and his 52-year-old mother, Maggie, members of one of the state's most prominent legal families, is the kind of South Carolina happening likely to be discussed for years to come. In the last 125 years across the Palmetto State, such attention-grabbing killings have erupted sporadically from the dark side of the state's cultural DNA. “People are drawn to these crimes for a broad variety of reasons,” says Margaret Oakes, a former lawyer and Furman University professor of English who taught a class this year on true crime writing — an entire branch of nonfiction devoted to stories of lawless behavior, the victims and those who solve the crimes.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderRep. Ted Lieu calls Catholic bishops 'hypocrites' for trying to deny Biden Communion over abortion stance while ignoring Bill Barr's death penalty push
Catholic Bishops advanced a document that could bar Biden from Communion over his support for abortion rights. Rep. Ted Lieu, a Catholic, called the Bishops "hypocrites" and "nakedly partisan" for the move. Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu of California lashed out at US Catholic Bishops on Friday after they voted in favor of advancing a document that could block President Joe Biden from receiving Communion due to his stance on abortion.
ScienceBBCChina space station: Shenzhou-12 delivers first crew to Tianhe module
China has launched three astronauts into orbit to begin occupation of the country's new space station. The three men - Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo - are to spend three months aboard the Tianhe module some 380km (236 miles) above the Earth. It will be China's longest crewed space mission to date and the first in nearly five years.
U.S.The Guardian‘It’s brutal’: Las Vegas cooks amid blazing heatwave – and it’s going to get worse
Throughout the day and for the days that followed, temperatures in the desert city hovered close to historic highs, peaking at 116 degrees Fahrenheit (46.6 Celsius), and setting a new record for such dangerously hot weather so early in the year. Throngs of tourists still ambled along scorching-hot sidewalks on the Vegas Strip, and many others lined the labyrinths of slot machines, restaurants and shops inside air conditioned casinos.
U.S.Kansas City StarWatch ‘terrified’ cottonmouth snake’s quirky move to dodge predator in North Carolina
A panic-stricken cottonmouth was caught on video acting peculiarly in a North Carolina wildlife preserve — and the look was not exactly flattering. The recording, shared June 11 on Facebook, shows the viper going so fast it actually tumbled over itself. Closer inspection of the video reveals the venomous snake dispensed with slithering and started sliding like a garden hose.
HealthThe StateYour pee could tell you if you have a brain tumor — with great accuracy, study says
A urine test developed by researchers at the Nagoya University in Japan can pinpoint a person who has a brain tumor — regardless of its size or malignancy — with 100% accuracy, according to a new study. Decorated with 100 million zinc oxide nanowires, the test works by plucking tiny molecules called microRNAs from just a millimeter of urine in much greater quantities and varieties than traditional tests. The test's non-invasive nature and easy handling could help to earlier detect and treat aggressive brain tumors, which go largely unnoticed until symptoms appear and have grown too large to be surgically removed, eventually improving brain cancer patient survival.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderTexas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a new state budget that defunds the entire state legislature
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott defunded the state legislature while signing the state budget on Friday. Abbott made the decision after Democrats staged a walkout in May to prevent restrictive voting legislation from passing. Texas legislator pay is written into the state constitution, so legislative staffers will be most affected.
U.S.Idaho StatesmanLetters to the editor: Murgoitio Park, border help, critical race theory, dam proposal
Imagine if in 1959, short-sighted city leaders decided to swap land and build high-density housing at the Ann Morrison Park site and what a loss that would have been for the city. Please contact the city council and tell them that residents south of the Boise River need the quality of life that the North End currently enjoys. My grandpa was in the military and he moved around a lot during his life, but there was always one place he called home: Idaho.
BusinessNBC NewsHundreds of Amazon packages arrive at woman's doorstep that she never ordered
Jillian Cannan orders packages for her small business all the time, but on June 5, she started receiving Amazon packages at her doorstep that she didn't order. Over 100 packages later, Cannan, of Buffalo, New York, was inundated with thousands of items she did not order or want.
U.S.USA TODAYDetroit freeway shooting kills toddler, leaves 9-year-old boy 'fighting for his life,' police say
A shooting on Interstate 75 in Detroit late Thursday night killed a 2-year-old boy and injured a 9-year-old boy who is in serious condition. Detroit interim police chief James White called the fatal shooting "horrible" and "tragic," and asked anyone with information to come forward. Because the shooting happened on the freeway, Michigan State Police has jurisdiction over the case, but the Detroit Police Department would assist.
HealthBusiness InsiderBiden says the Delta variant - set to become the US's dominant strain - is 'particularly dangerous for young people'
Research from Public Health England suggests that Delta is associated with a 60% increased risk of household coronavirus transmission compared to Alpha - the variant discovered in the UK. Alpha is already around 50% more transmissible than the original coronavirus strain, according to the CDC. Young people may be particularly susceptible to a Delta infection for two reasons: They're more likely to be socially active and less likely to be vaccinated than older adults.
“It may seem desperate at this point, but I can’t be mad at any and all efforts to get people vaccinated.”
“I won’t get rich, but I will get to live my life. That seems like reward enough.”
“Offering incentives may encourage people who are not actively opposed to vaccination but may have put it off.”
“At some point, the government is simply rewarding irresponsible behavior.”
“Sure, people should do it without needing an incentive. But what’s the alternative? Not enough people get vaccinated.”