PoliticsAssociated PressIn GOP stronghold, Biden pushes for his infrastructure plan
With a badly aging bridge as his backdrop, President Joe Biden stood in reliably Republican Louisiana on Thursday to pressure GOP lawmakers to support his $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan — and yet express a willingness to compromise on the corporate tax hikes he's recommending to pay the cost. Biden leaned into the stagecraft of the presidency by choosing to speak in the city of Lake Charles, which has been battered by historic storms and is home to a 70-year-old bridge that is two decades past its designed lifespan. The Democratic president, who wants to raise corporate taxes, challenged Republican dogma that low taxes for corporations and the wealthy fuel economic growth.
U.S.The StatePolice chief accused of stealing guns from evidence to sell, NC authorities say
The former police chief of Chadbourn, North Carolina, has been indicted on 88 felony counts, authorities said Friday. William Anthony Spivey is accused of destroying evidence, embezzling state property, trafficking in opium, and obstructing justice, among other offenses, according to the Brunswick County District Attorney. Prosecutors say Spivey stole guns from the department's evidence lockup, and sold several to “friends, family members and acquaintances.”
WorldThe TelegraphRussia's Sputnik vaccine 'as reliable as a Kalashnikov assault rifle' says Vladimir Putin
President Vladimir Putin insisted Russia's homegrown coronavirus vaccine was as “reliable as a Kalashnikov assault rifle”, as the country's health officials authorised a single-dose version of the Sputnik V jab, dubbed Sputnik Light. Sputnik V, which in February was revealed to be 92 per cent effective, has been approved for emergency use in 64 countries but has yet to be authorised in the European Union. Apart from Sputnik V, Russia has also developed and registered two other coronavirus vaccines but their clinical data have not been through a stringent peer review as Sputnik's.
ScienceAxiosListen to the sounds of the NASA's Ingenuity helicopter flying on Mars
NASA's Perseverance rover captured the humming sounds of the tiny Ingenuity helicopter flying above the Martian surface. Why it matters: By recording sound on Mars, scientists will be able to learn more about how the Martian atmosphere works and potentially diagnose problems with Perseverance, should they pop up. Driving the news: NASA released a video Friday showing Ingenuity's fourth flight on April 30 when the helicopter flew a 872-foot round-trip test.
PoliticsThe WeekConservatives say McConnell is battling the Democrats' voting rights bill with 'Supreme Court fight' fervor
Florida on Thursday joined Georgia in enacting a sweeping Republican election law that constricts voting rights in the state, and Texas, which already had some of the most stringent voting laws in the country, is on the cusp of joining them. Democrats were not able to stop the new voting laws in the country's biggest red states, but House Democrats passed their own countervailing national voting rights legislation, the "For the People Act" or HR1, in March, and Senate Democrats are working on their own version, S1. When Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Wednesday that "100 percent of my focus is on stopping this new administration," these voting reform bills might have been what he had in mind.
U.S.Miami HeraldAnother brawl breaks out at Miami International Airport. It’s part of a national trend
Just mere days after a huge brawl at Miami International Airport, another massive fight broke out in the terminal Tuesday night. The mayhem was captured in cellphone footage taken by multiple onlookers at Gate G-15 by the Southwest Airlines counter. The fight is part of a troubling trend airports across the nation are seeing, now that many people have resumed traveling.
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Sheriff: Girl shoots 3 at Idaho middle school; teacher disarms her
A sixth-grade girl brought a gun to her Idaho middle school, shot and wounded two students and a custodian and then was disarmed by a teacher Thursday, authorities said.
- U.S.Associated Press
Indiana woman charged after daughter nearly died from lice
An Indiana woman faces child neglect charges after investigators said her 4-year-old daughter nearly died from a lice infestation so severe doctors had to give her multiple blood transfusions. Shyanne Singh, 26, of Scottsburg, was arrested Tuesday on three felony counts of neglect of a dependent. Scottsburg police were contacted April 20 after Singh's daughter was brought to a hospital.
PoliticsAxios"Greatest tool in the Democrats' arsenal": Pollster says Trump may cost GOP the House in 2022
Former Republican pollster Frank Luntz tells Kara Swisher on her New York Times podcast "Sway" that Donald Trump's lies about the 2020 election "could cost the Republicans the majority in the House in 2022." Why it matters: The former president is still the most popular figure in the Republican Party, but his baseless claims about the election have alienated moderates and key GOP leaders — including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.). Luntz: "More than two-thirds of Republicans believe that the election was stolen."
WorldThe TelegraphSir Keir Starmer faces calls to reshuffle Labour front bench after ‘disastrous’ election results
Sir Keir Starmer is expected to reshuffle his front bench next month after frontbenchers and MPs called for an overhaul following the "absolutely disastrous" Hartlepool and local election results. After the Conservatives overturned Labour's 3,600 majority to secure the seat for the first time in its history, party figures from across the political spectrum called for an urgent change in direction. June would also coincide with the timeframe in which Labour expects Boris Johnson to reshuffle his own team, once the final stage of the roadmap out of lockdown is complete.
WorldBBCIndia's Covid pandemic: Girl, 5, separated from family by Australia restrictions
Johannah's parents tried to get her on government organised flights to Sydney, however children younger than 14 are not allowed to travel alone on the repatriation trips. Qantas, which operates flights between India and Australia, also does not allow unaccompanied minors, so the couple's only other option is to charter a private plane or fly with Air India, however until recently Johanna was still too young. Australia to resume some India flights after backlash Why can't Australians get back into their country?
WorldAssociated PressThailand wants to buy more vaccines as surge worsens
Thailand's prime minister said he wants to secure more vaccines for his country and give as many first doses as possible, as it battles a surge of the pandemic with Bangkok reporting a record number of cases. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration announced Friday night it will extend restrictions that were due to end this weekend until May 17. Bangkok has recorded more than 500 new cases every day since the beginning of this month, with no sign of decline, said Taweesilp Visanuyothin, a spokesman for the government's Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration.
WorldReutersIndian states impose stricter lockdowns as COVID deaths hit record high
CHENNAI (Reuters) -India on Saturday reported its highest ever single-day COVID-19 death toll, as cases continued to rise and states imposed stricter lockdowns. India's health ministry reported 4,187 fatalities over the past 24 hours, taking the overall death toll to just under 240,000. Tamil Nadu, known for its automobile manufacturing including BMW, Daimler, Hyundai, Ford, Nissan and Renault, said it would move from a partial to a full lockdown on Monday, stopping public transport and shutting state-run alcohol retailers.
WorldAssociated PressUS sends more warplanes to protect pullout from Afghanistan
The United States has deployed a dozen additional warplanes to bolster protection of American and coalition troops making a final withdrawal from Afghanistan as Taliban insurgents step up pressure on Afghan government forces, top Pentagon officials said Thursday. Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said F-18 attack planes have been added to a previously announced package of air and sea power — including the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier in the North Arabian Sea and six Air Force B-52 bombers based in Qatar — that can be called upon as protection for withdrawing troops. U.S. officials said before the withdrawal began that they expected the Taliban to attempt to interfere, even as the insurgents continue pressuring government forces, especially in Helmand and Kandahar provinces in southern Afghanistan.
U.S.INSIDERDerek Chauvin was indicted in the arrest of a 14-year-old whom prosecutors say he knelt on for 17 minutes and hit with a flashlight
Chauvin is accused of using his authority as an officer to deprive the teen of his rights. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. A federal grand jury has indicted the former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on a civil-rights charge in the 2017 arrest of a 14-year-old boy.
PoliticsBBCStormy Daniels: US election officials drop Trump hush money probe
An inquiry into whether Donald Trump violated campaign financial law during the 2016 election has been dropped. The case stemmed from an allegation that Mr Trump directed his former lawyer to pay Stormy Daniels, an adult film actress, to stop her speaking out about an alleged affair. The lawyer, Michael Cohen, was later jailed on multiple charges.
WorldAssociated PressAhead of Harris meeting, Mexico president accuses US
Just before an online meeting with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris Friday, Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador very publicly accused the U.S. government of violating Mexico's sovereignty. The issue apparently didn't arise in the meeting with Harris: “It's not on the agenda and it's not our intention to create a bad atmosphere, López Obrador said ahead of the talks. The meeting itself — the portion made public — focused on immigration, a key issue in U.S.-Mexico relationship along with trade, border security and the pandemic.
WorldThe TelegraphCoronavirus latest news: Government too cautious in unlocking international holiday destinations, say travel bosses
Portugal only major tourist destination on 'green list' Holidaymakers face airport queues of up to eight hours Britain to be Covid-free by August: vaccine chief Vaccine passport app will be ready for summer holidays Duchess leads treasure hunt for lockdown picture book Industry bosses have urged further clarity on when other holiday destinations could be added to the quarantine-free "green list" amid criticism the Government has been too cautious in its approach to unlocking international travel. Portugal, Gibraltar and Israel are among 12 destinations that will be on the green list from May 17 - with some countries on the list still not accepting holidaymakers.
U.S.INSIDER4 years after a man's rushed execution, new tests find someone else's DNA on the murder weapon
New DNA evidence on a murder weapon points to a different man than the one who was executed for the crime, lawyers say. Ledell Lee, an Arkansas man, was executed in 2017 for bludgeoning a young woman to death. Ledell Lee, an Arkansas man convicted of murder and executed in 2017, maintained his innocence for more than two decades on death row.
ScienceBBCChinese rocket debris expected to crash on to Earth this weekend
Debris from a Chinese rocket is expected to fall back to Earth in an uncontrolled re-entry this weekend. It is not clear where and when exactly the rocket parts will crash on the surface. The Long March 5B rocket was launched in late April to carry the first module of China's future space station into orbit.
WorldAssociated PressIndia's surge hits southern states, prompts more lockdowns
But experts warn the worst is still ahead as India's third largest city buckles under oxygen shortages, overrun hospitals and crowded crematoriums. In Tamil Nadu state, the lockdown announcement followed a daily record of more than 26,000 cases on Friday. Infections have swelled in India since February in a disastrous turn blamed on more contagious variants as well as government decisions to allow massive crowds to gather for religious festivals and political rallies.
PoliticsThe Daily BeastFeds Probing Rudy Giuliani’s Push to Get a Visa for a Shady Ukrainian Prosecutor
Since at least October 2019, federal investigations have been looking into Rudy Giuliani's effort to convince the White House and a reluctant State Department to grant a visa to a former Ukraine official, according to two people briefed on the matter. These sources tell The Daily Beast that the visa issue is one aspect of the federal probe into whether Giuliani's efforts during the Trump-Ukraine saga constituted illegal lobbying on behalf of foreign officials or individuals. According to people with knowledge of the matter, including Giuliani's own legal team, federal investigators are also investigating his attempt to get the former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch fired.
CelebrityINSIDERPatrons are turning against a famous restaurateur over his controversial Instagram posts about Ghislaine Maxwell
New York restaurateur Keith McNally shared two controversial Instagram posts about Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell was arrested in July 2020 on charges that she arranged and participated in the abuse of young girls. Patrons and some chefs are calling out McNally for seemingly supporting Maxwell.
WorldBusiness InsiderMexico's cartels are experimenting with control of another part of the cocaine trade
Mexico's military destroyed a small coca plantation in February, the third one found since 2014. It was another sign that Mexican criminal groups are pursuing more control of the cocaine trade. MEXICO - Mexican drug cartels' longstanding attempts to bring coca plantations out of South America and onto their turf may be bearing fruit.
WorldReutersVietnam reports first death in patient who received AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine
HANOI (Reuters) -Vietnam's health ministry on Friday reported its first death in a patient who received AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine shot, as the country is battling a new outbreak. A 35-year-old female health worker in the southern province of An Giang died on Friday, one day after she received her first coronavirus vaccine shot, the Ministry of Health said in a statement, adding that she died from allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis. The Southeast Asian country has inoculated around 750,000 people against the coronavirus since it started its vaccination campaign early March, according to the ministry.
“Every college has a public health responsibility to require its students to be vaccinated.”
“While the vast majority of students will likely get the vaccine, schools should honor the decisions of the few who object.”
“A vaccinated campus could be the step toward normality that college leaders are seeking.”
“College students are mobile and spread COVID-19 with them whenever they travel.”
“There almost certainly are going to be legal challenges because the anti-vaccine movement is already preparing for them.”