U.S.Associated PressCamper dies, wife rescued in Death Valley National Park
An Arizona tourist died and his wife was rescued Friday after their vehicle got two flat tires and they went missing in Death Valley National Park in California. Alexander Lofgren, 32, and Emily Henkel, 27, were found on a steep ledge near Willow Creek in the desert park, but Lofgren was dead, according to a statement from the Inyo Creek Sheriff's Office. Henkel was flown to Lemoore Naval Air Station for treatment, and there was no immediate word on her condition.
WorldThe TelegraphGovernment must engage with loyalist paramilitaries amid fears over unrest, NI security sources say
The Government must begin engaging with loyalist paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland to prevent a repeat of the violence that has erupted in recent days, Belfast security sources have warned. A well-placed insider close to loyalist paramilitaries in the province told The Telegraph that ministers must engage with the groups to “help shape the debate” over Northern Ireland's future. The source claimed that while Northern Ireland's justice department refused to engage, there was a need to start a similar dialogue with loyalists to that initiated by Margaret Thatcher with Sinn Fein and IRA during the Troubles.
BusinessAxiosPentagon orders "immediate actions" to weed out extremism in armed forces
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Friday signed a memo ordering several "immediate actions" to weed out extremism in the ranks. Driving the news: The memo comes after Austin in February ordered commanding officers to hold a "stand down" to discuss extremism among the armed forces. The issue gained heightened attention after multiple service members and veterans were arrested for their alleged actions in the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol siege.
U.S.Associated PressFlorida man sentenced in crash that killed Ohio mom, child
A Florida judge sentenced a 21-year-old man to 24 years in prison for killing an Ohio mother and her young daughter in a 2018 traffic crash. Hillsborough Circuit Judge Christopher Nash heard hours of testimony on Thursday before announcing his decision to send Cameron Herrin to prison. Herrin's family members began to weep as sheriff's deputies placed him in handcuffs after the hearing, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
WorldAxiosThe long-range forecast for the future of the world is looking dark and stormy
The big picture: A major report put out this week by the National Intelligence Council reflects a present rocked by the COVID-19 pandemic. "Shared global challenges — including climate change, disease, financial crises, and technology disruptions — are likely to manifest more frequently and intensely in almost every region and country," the report's authors write. How it works: The Global Trends Report, which is compiled every four years, is an example of strategic foresight, the science — and art — of using past and present trends to produce different scenarios about the medium- and longer-term future.
WorldNBC NewsChina tries to wear down its neighbors with pressure tactics
China is trying to wear down its neighbors with relentless pressure tactics designed to push its territorial claims, employing military aircraft, militia boats and sand dredgers to dominate access to disputed areas, U.S. government officials and regional experts say. The confrontations fall short of outright military action without shots being fired, but Beijing's aggressive moves are gradually altering the status quo, laying the foundation for China to potentially exert control over contested territory across vast stretches of the Pacific Ocean, the officials and experts say. Since June, Chinese military planes, sometimes including fighter jets and bombers, have regularly flown into Taiwan's air defense identification zone, forcing Taipei to scramble fighter jets.
- WorldWPVI – Philadelphia
50-year-old woman shot, killed in North Philadelphia: Police
Philadelphia police are investigating a shooting that left a 50-year-old woman dead in North Philadelphia. The shooting happened Friday just before 1:30 p.m. on the 2500 block of North Bancroft Street.
WorldAxiosWHO official: Brazil is dealing with "raging inferno" of a COVID outbreak
Brazil is facing a "raging inferno of an outbreak," Bruce Aylward, senior adviser to the director general of the World Health Organization, warned Friday as the number of coronavirus cases and deaths across the country soars. Brazil this week confirmed more than 4,000 COVID-19 deaths in a 24-hour period for the first time since the start of the pandemic. The nation has confirmed more than 348,000 coronavirus deaths and more than 13.3 million cases, second only to the U.S., per Johns Hopkins University data.
HealthAssociated PressCountries worldwide hit new records for virus cases, deaths
Ambulances filled with breathless patients lined up in Brazil as nations around the world set new records Thursday for COVID-19 deaths and new coronavirus infections. In the United States, Detroit leaders began making a plan to knock on every door to persuade people to get vaccine shots. Brazil this week became just the second country, after the U.S., to report a 24-hour tally of COVID-19 deaths that exceeded 4,000.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderCEO group says Biden should stick to 'real infrastructure' and 'leave the rest of the stuff for something else'
Business Roundtable's CEO told Bloomberg that Biden's infrastructure plan should stick to roads and bridges. The lobbying group also opposes raising the corporate tax to 28% as a way to fund the plan. Biden expressed willingness to work with Republicans on negotiating the size of the tax hike.
PoliticsUSA TODAYManchin: 'No circumstance in which I will vote to eliminate or weaken the filibuster'
Sen. Joe Manchin reiterated his opposition to eliminating the filibuster on Wednesday, dimming hopes for changing the contentious rule. In an opinion piece published Wednesday in The Washington Post, Manchin, D-W.V. cautioned against ousting the voting procedure to keep the majority party from bypassing minority opinion in enacting legislation. The West Virginia senator also signaled that he may oppose the use of the budget reconciliation process to pass legislation such as President Joe Biden's landmark $2 trillion infrastructure plan.
U.S.Los Angeles Times OpinionOpinion: This is what happens when you celebrate godlessness on Good Friday
Good Friday, that is, inarguably the most solemn annual occasion for Christians — The Times published an op-ed article by sociologist and secular studies professor Phil Zuckerman celebrating the growing godlessness of Americans. Then, on Sunday — Easter Sunday, the day Christians exult at the messianic resurrection that underpins their faith — The Times published an op-ed article by religious studies professor Bart D. Ehrman asserting that Jesus himself did not believe in the existence of an immortal soul. Neither of the pieces were confrontational in the tradition of well-known atheist polemicists such as the late Christopher Hitchens; rather, Zuckerman mostly recited facts that put nonbelievers in a positive light, and Ehrman straightforwardly summarized one side of the long-running debate among theologians on whether Christian beliefs about death and the soul more reflect divine Scripture or "The Divine Comedy."
PoliticsThe IndependentBiden gun control: Don Jr and Cruz lead GOP outrage as President declares ‘no amendment is absolute’
Joe Biden's much-awaited gun control agenda kicked into action today as the president unveiled executive actions on what one adviser has called “the gun violence public health epidemic”. Gun safety is one of Mr Biden's signature issues going back decades, and pressure on him to take aggressive action on it has been intensified by recent mass shootings in Atlanta and Boulder. “Enough prayers, time for some action,” Mr Biden said, while pre-empting expected criticisms that his executive action violated the Second Amendment as “bizarre”.
U.S.Raleigh News and ObserverPublix pharmacies in NC will open COVID-19 vaccine appointments on Monday
The Florida-based grocery chain said Friday the online appointment reservation system will open at 7 a.m. Monday for the two-shot Moderna COVID-19 vaccination appointments on April 17 and April 18 at select North Carolina locations. Locations are in Buncombe, Cabarrus, Catawba, Forsyth, Gaston, Guilford, Haywood, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Wake and Watauga counties, the company said in a news release. The news comes as North Carolina on Wednesday opened vaccine eligibility to everyone age 16 and older.
U.S.Business InsiderVideo shows Virginia cops holding a Black Army officer in uniform at gunpoint and pepper-spraying him during a traffic stop
A Black Army lieutenant is suing Virginia police officers for assaulting him during a traffic stop last year. A US Army lieutenant is suing two Virginia police officers for holding him at gunpoint, pepper-spraying him, and throwing him to the ground during an illegal traffic stop that took place last year. Caron Nazario, a Black and Latino man who is a second lieutenant in the US Army Medical Corps, was driving home from his duty station on December 5, 2020, when police pulled him over, attorney Jonathan Arthur told The Associated Press on Friday.
CelebrityThe TelegraphDuke of Edinburgh: Princess Anne pays tribute to her father's enduring legacy
Princess Anne has summed up what life will be like without her father to guide the Queen, the institution of the Monarch and his family. Speaking in advance of the Duke of Edinburgh's death at the age of 99, the Princess Royal told of his immeasurable influence, both on those immediately around him and on Britain at large. In an interview recorded for broadcast after the Duke of Edinburgh's death, Princess Anne spoke movingly of what her father's legacy might be, citing his steadfast support of the Queen in her role as Monarch as the chief example of his devotion to both his family and the kingdom over which she ruled.
WorldArchitectural DigestWhy We Love a Small Loveseat
Supremely versatile, loveseats work as standalone pieces in studio apartments and as part of a seating arrangement in sprawling living rooms Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
BusinessReutersVaccitech, startup behind AstraZeneca-Oxford's COVID-19 vaccine, files for U.S. IPO
The British company plans to list the American depositary shares on the Nasdaq under the symbol "VACC". Vaccitech's revenue dropped about 30% to $4.8 million in the year ended Dec. 31, even as its net loss narrowed to $17.9 million from $22.7 million due to lower research and development expenses. The company noted in a filing https://bit.ly/3t5lRs5 that based on its understanding, it would not be entitled to receive any royalties or payments from sub-licensees from the commercialization of the AstraZeneca vaccine until after the pandemic is over.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderFormer GOP House Speaker John Boehner says he wishes he'd fought against Bill Clinton's impeachment by Republicans
John Boehner, the former Republican House Speaker, wrote in his forthcoming memoir that he regrets supporting former President Bill Clinton's impeachment. "I regret it now," Boehner wrote of Clinton's impeachment. John Boehner, the former Republican House Speaker, wrote in his forthcoming memoir that he regrets supporting former President Bill Clinton's impeachment, which he said was a purely political effort.
WorldINSIDERThis hazard map shows how much of St. Vincent is in danger from the volcano eruption
La Soufriere erupted on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent on Friday morning. All of the island is expected to see ash fall from the eruption. A hazard map of the Caribbean island of St. Vincent shows what areas could experience damage from Friday's volcano eruption.
CelebrityThe TelegraphPrince Harry expected to return to UK for Duke of Edinburgh's funeral – but not Meghan
The Duke of Sussex is expected to return to the UK from the USA for the funeral of his grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh, despite widespread travel restrictions. Prince Harry, 36, was extremely close to Prince Philip, although he is not thought to have seen him in person since the autumn of 2019. There is an exemption for people attending the funeral of a close family member, although Prince Harry would have to self-isolate at all other times.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderFormer Rep. Katie Hill says it's 'gross' to think that Matt Gaetz defended her to possibly cover up for 'his own indiscretions'
Former Rep. Katie Hill had nude photos of her leaked without consent and Rep. Matt Gaetz defended her. Gaetz is now implicated in a sex trafficking probe and other allegations of sexual misconduct. Hill says now his defense of her feels "gross" and that she questions his motives.
PoliticsUSA TODAYExclusive: How Ted Kennedy and Nancy Pelosi pushed Barack Obama to go big on health care
This story is adapted from “Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power,” which will be published April 20 by Twelve Books. Author Susan Page, the Washington Bureau chief of USA TODAY, conducted 10 interviews with Pelosi for this biography and interviewed more than 150 other friends, family members, political allies and adversaries. The morning after Republican Scott Brown unexpectedly won the 2010 special election election to fill Ted Kennedy's Senate seat in Massachusetts, President Obama called House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a pivotal and private conversation that wasn't disclosed.
CelebrityThe WeekTravis Barker seemingly got 'Kourtney' tattooed over his heart
Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes ... Travis sucking Kourtney's fingers in public. Then comes Travis with a Kourtney tattoo. Travis has seemingly already devoted himself to Kourtney with the permanence of a tattoo, having apparently gotten her name inked over his heart — at least judging by shirtless photos of him on the set of his new music video, reports Cosmopolitan.
WorldArchitectural DigestThese Prefabricated Homes Showcase the Beauty and Innovative of Sustainable Living
A new book from Thames & Hudson explores the latest advancements in prefabricated housing Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
“Without modern infrastructure, the US cannot create decent jobs, social justice or climate safety.”
“The plan itself is really a big bait-and-switch...A fraction of the spending is actually devoted to traditional infrastructure projects.”
“Focusing on the size of the investment is misleading when you consider the high cost of not making it.”
“Rather than spending $2 trillion, we should privatize infrastructure where feasible and cut taxes and regulations on the rest.”
“Public investment can also be a major source of jobs and growth, helping to pull us out of the stagnation trap.”