- PoliticsYahoo News
James Clyburn: Trump doesn't plan to 'give up the office'
House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., on Sunday defended his recent comments saying President Trump “thinks that the American people will be duped by him, like the people of Germany was duped by Adolf Hitler.” Clyburn, the No. 3 House Democrat and a key backer of presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden, noted that he has for years been comparing Trump to history's strongmen and warning that the president does not plan to leave office.
- U.S.USA TODAY
Florida man arrested, charged with murder after fatally shooting Burger King worker over drive-thru delay, police say
A Florida man was arrested and charged with first-degree murder on Sunday for fatally shooting a Burger King employee over a delay with a drive-thru food order, officials said. Kelvis Rodriguez, 37, was charged with first-degree murder with a firearm, destruction of evidence and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Rodriguez shot 22-year-old Desmond Joshua, Jr. in his chest at a Burger King parking lot in Orlando on Saturday, according to a police report.
- WorldBusiness Insider
Iran has been covering up its coronavirus death toll, according to BBC investigation which says the true figure is almost 3 times higher
The number of people who have died with COVID-19 in Iran is far higher than the government has publicly admitted, according to figures leaked to BBC Persian. Iran, the worst-hit country in the Middle East, has been accused of covering up its coronavirus cases since early in the pandemic. The number of people who have died with COVID-19 in Iran is nearly three times the official figure, according to an investigation by the BBC.
- U.S.INSIDER
Illinois officials call to abolish history classes in the state until an 'alternative' is set up to highlight underrepresented groups
Tim Boyle/Getty Images Community leaders in Illinois called for history classes in state schools to stop until a " suitable alternative" is established to represent minority groups in the curriculum. Democratic State Representative LaShawn K. Ford said "current history teachings lead to a racist society and overlook the contributions of women and minorities," according to NBC Chicago. The state representative is calling for schools to discard history books "that unfairly communicate our history."
- WorldThe Telegraph
Emeritus Pope Benedict, 93, 'extremely frail' after visiting dying brother
Former Pope Benedict XVI became seriously ill after visiting his sick brother in Germany in June and is "extremely frail", according to a report in the German Passauer Neue Presse newspaper on Monday. Benedict, 93, is suffering from erysipelas of the face, a virus that causes a rash and episodes of severe pain, the newspaper reported, citing the former pontiff's biographer, Peter Seewald. "According to Seewald, the Pope emeritus is now extremely frail," the report said.
- U.S.Associated Press
Annual Sturgis rally expecting 250K, stirring virus concerns
Sturgis is on. The message has been broadcast across social media as South Dakota, which has seen an uptick in coronavirus infections in recent weeks, braces to host hundreds of thousands of bikers for the 80th edition of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. More than 250,000 people are expected to rumble through western South Dakota, seeking the freedom of cruising the boundless landscapes in a state that has skipped lockdowns.
- U.S.Reuters
New York's Cuomo calls federal COVID-19 response 'worst government blunder in modern history'
New York Governor Cuomo on Monday criticized the federal government and other states for failing to take the COVID-19 crisis seriously after seeing the devastation it caused his state in the spring. Cuomo said that states where cases are currently spiking, including Texas and Florida, followed the federal government's lead in playing down the epidemic, which led them to reopen their economies too soon. "This was the worst government blunder in modern history," Cuomo said of the federal government's response to the pandemic.
- PoliticsYahoo News Video
Who is Karen Bass?
Karen Bass, D-Calif. has been mentioned as a potential running mate for former VP Joe Biden, who has vowed to pick a woman as his vice president.
- U.S.The Independent
Homeland Security official reassigned after intelligence reports on journalists covering protests
A US intelligence official with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been reassigned following revelations that his office compiled "intelligence reports" on journalists and analysed communications between protesters amid ongoing demonstrations in Portland, Oregon. Brian Murphy was removed from his post following a report in The Washington Post revealing that the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis sent open source intelligence reports to federal law enforcement agencies containing information from two reporters who had published leaked unclassified government documents while covering Black Lives Matter protests.
- U.S.NBC News
She got the virus. Then she was fired. Some sick workers left in cold by employers.
As of June 12, nearly 700 companies had violated the law's paid-leave provisions and owed back wages to hundreds of employees, according to Labor Department records. Violators include six McDonald's franchises and the franchise owners of a Comfort Suites, Courtyard by Marriott and Red Roof Inn. In all, the businesses owe $690,000 in unpaid wages to 527 employees, who are not identified in the documents.
- CelebrityUSA TODAY
Florida man once bitten by alligator is chomped by 8-foot shark while on vacation
Justin Stuller was looking forward to relaxing in the Florida Keys — fishing, lobstering and swimming with his wife, kids, extended family and friends. Stuller, 38, now sports two dozen stitches and a small limp after he tangled with an eight-foot lemon shark Wednesday. Stuller said he has encountered sharks before on similar trips.
- EntertainmentArchitectural Digest
Bower Studios and West Elm Reprise a Partnership With This New Collection
The release includes seven designs to bring harmony home Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
- WorldBBC
Mexico crime: Mexican police seize alleged oil theft crime boss The Sledgehammer
Mexican security forces have seized the head of a criminal gang specialising in stealing fuel from pipelines in the central state of Guanajuato. José Antonio Yépez, better-known as El Marro - or The Sledgehammer - was one of the most wanted men in the country. Mexican police had been closing in on him in recent months and had taken his mother and sister into custody.
- PoliticsPolitico
GOP dread over possible Kobach nomination in Kansas
On Thursday, the top operative for Senate Republicans' campaign arm appeared on a private Zoom call organized by GOP operatives to discuss the party's efforts to stave off a Democratic takeover. During the presentation, National Republican Senatorial Committee executive director Kevin McLaughlin warned that if hardline conservative Kris Kobach wins next Tuesday's Kansas Senate primary, it could doom the GOP Senate majority — and perhaps even hurt President Donald Trump in a state that hasn't voted Democratic since 1964. “The Senate majority runs through Kansas,” McLaughlin warned, according to people familiar with the call.
- PoliticsTime
Speaker Nancy Pelosi Says She Has No Confidence in COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Sunday that she has no confidence in Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator. ABC's This Week anchor Martha Raddatz asked Pelosi whether she had confidence in Birx, citing reports from POLITICO that during a closed-door meeting earlier this week, Pelosi accused her of “spreading disinformation about the pandemic.” “Is that true and do you have confidence in her?” Raddatz asked.
- BusinessBusiness Insider
These 43-square-foot pods were originally for travelers to take a nap at the airport, but now the company is selling them for $50,000 each
NapCity started out smalling private pods travelers could rent to take a rest in airports. NapCity makes tiny pods mostly used in airports, where travelers can take a quick nap on a layover. The COVID-19 pandemic completely upended the travel industry, and the company has pivoted to selling what president Stephen Rosenfeld calls "private space as a service."
- PoliticsThe Daily Beast
Tucker: ‘Probably Illegal’ for Biden to Only Consider a Black Woman VP
Fox News star Tucker Carlson—currently facing outrage from network colleagues over his racist rhetoric—upped the ante on Monday night, claiming it was “probably illegal” for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden to prioritize Black women in his running mate search while calling those candidates unqualified. Carlson, whose former head writer was recently outed as an outspoken racist, kicked off Monday night's broadcast of his hit primetime show by singling out the women of color whom Biden is reportedly considering as the vice-presidential nominee. The far-right Fox host first described Rep. Bass (D-CA) as a “lunatic Fidel Castro acolyte” and an armed revolutionary, referring to her past praise of the Cuban dictator and work for a young leftist group during the 1970s.
- U.S.The Independent
New York City has already had more shootings in 2020 than in the whole of 2019
New York City has recorded more shootings so far in 2020 than the whole of last year, authorities have confirmed. There were 777 shootings between January and 2 August 2020, compared with 776 in 2019, according to figures compiled by the New York Post, and later confirmed by New York Police department (NYPD). The milestone was reached when a man presented to Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx, north New York, with gunshot wounds on Saturday evening.
- U.S.Reuters
Diesel truck soot likely sparked major California wildfire
A California wildfire raging through dry brush and timber east of Los Angeles, forcing thousands of people from their homes, was likely sparked by burning soot from the exhaust of a diesel truck, investigators said on Monday. The blaze, dubbed the Apple Fire, has scorched more than 26,000 acres (10,500 hectares) since erupting last Friday in the Riverside County community of Cherry Valley, about 70 miles (120 km) east of Los Angeles, and was only 5% contained as of Monday, fire officials said. The fire posed an immediate threat to some 2,400 homes, prompting mandatory weekend evacuations of some 7,800 residents, said Fernando Herrera, a Riverside County Fire Department captain and spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire).
U.S.USA TODAYSplash Mountain log flume ride sinks at Disney World's Magic Kingdom
Walt Disney World's Splash Mountain hit rough waters Sunday as Twitter users posted video of a submerged log flume ride they were in only moments earlier. The riders tweeted that the ride began taking on water, and they decided to evacuate even though a Disney employee told them they should have stayed in the boat. In a video that's been viewed nearly 200,000 times, a Twitter user named Sky shared footage of the boat after it sank.
- U.S.INSIDER
Parents in a school district in Georgia, are demanding in-person classes. But hundreds of employees have tested positive or been exposed to COVID-19, revealing the biggest blind spot in the fight to reopen schools
Octavio Jones/Getty Images At least 260 employees at Gwinnett County School District in Georgia have either tested positive for coronavirus or been exposed to the coronavirus, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. It's the largest school district in the state, and the report comes a day after teachers began in-person pre-planning for the semester, according to WBS. The incident raised questions about the risks adults in schools take when it comes to in-person sessions.
WorldAFPVerdict looms in killing of Lebanon ex-PM Hariri
A UN-backed tribunal will give its verdict Friday on the 2005 murder of former Lebanese premier Rafic Hariri, but questions will remain over a long and costly trial whose suspects remain at large. Four alleged members of the Shiite Muslim fundamentalist group Hezbollah are on trial in absentia at the court in the Netherlands over the huge Beirut suicide bombing that killed Sunni billionaire Hariri and 21 other people. The judgment harks back to an event that changed the face of the Middle East, with Hariri's assassination triggering a wave of demonstrations that pushed Syrian forces out of Lebanon after 30 years.
- U.S.Reuters
Trump says federal government should again seek death penalty for Boston bomber Tsarnaev
President Donald Trump said Sunday that the federal government should again seek the death penalty for Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. In a tweet, Trump said the federal government must challenge a Friday appeals court decision overturning the death penalty for the 2013 attack. "Rarely has anybody deserved the death penalty more than the Boston Bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev," tweeted Trump.
- WorldBBC
Shoprite: Africa's biggest supermarket considers pulling out of Nigeria
Africa's biggest supermarket chain, South African-owned Shoprite, says it is considering pulling out of Nigeria. It said it was looking at selling all "or a majority stake" of its operations in Africa's most-populous country. Shoprite is the latest South African retailer to look at leaving Nigeria - clothing firm Mr Price announced its exit in June, and Woolworths in 2014.
- WorldAssociated Press
John Hume, who worked to end N. Ireland violence, dies at 83
John Hume, the visionary politician who won a Nobel Peace Prize for fashioning the agreement that ended violence in his native Northern Ireland, has died at 83, his family said Monday. The Catholic leader of the moderate Social Democratic and Labour Party, Hume was seen as the principal architect of Northern Ireland's 1998 peace agreement. He shared the prize later that year with the Protestant leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, David Trimble, for their efforts to end the sectarian violence that plagued the region for three decades and left more than 3,500 people dead.
“He’s not a radical. But he is running on the most liberal policy platform of any Democratic candidate in modern history.”
“Public opinion has been shifting leftward, and Biden’s thinking has shifted with it.”
“Biden shows that he’s more moderate than some in his party.”
“Biden has always been a creature of his time, and the COVID-19 crisis could force him to veer further left.”
“Liberal activists have lauded the campaign’s outreach to progressives.”