- U.S.INSIDER
Seattle's first Black female police chief announced her resignation after the city council voted to cut the department's budget and ax dozens of jobs
Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best announced her resignation on Monday, effective September 2. Best, who is the city's first Black female police chief, decided to quit hours after the City Council passed cuts to her department's budget. The Seattle Police Department's $409 million budget was reduced by $3.5 million for the rest of the year, which will likely result in about 100 officers being laid off.
- PoliticsThe Independent
AOC slams New York Governor Cuomo over reopening schools in autumn
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has taken a swipe at New York Governor Andrew Cuomo over his decision to allow schools to open this fall, a rare case of Democrat-on-Democrat sparring during the pandemic. "If it's not safe enough for indoor dining, what makes it safe enough for indoor schooling?" Ocasio-Cortez asked in a tweet. Mr Cuomo last week surprised many when he announced schools across the Empire State could reopen in a few weeks.
- U.S.BBC
Chicago protests: Restrictions imposed after chaotic night of unrest
Chicago police will limit access to the city centre after a night of violence and looting following reports of a police shooting. Police Superintendent David Brown said the area would be restricted from 20:00 to 06:00 and a "heavy police presence" would continue until further notice. As of Monday, Chicago police had arrested over 100 individuals for looting, disorderly conduct and battery against police, among other charges.
- U.S.USA TODAY
These states require travelers to self-quarantine or present negative COVID-19 test
USA TODAY has an update on the states that are discouraging interstate travel by requiring or recommending that visitors and residents returning from other states quarantine. Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced that beginning August 11, non-Alaska residents need a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours before arrival in the state or proof they are waiting on results from a test taken in that 72-hour period. Testing is free for Alaska residents.
- PoliticsThe Guardian
Joe Biden needs Black voters. So why does he keep insulting us?
If the 2020 election was left up to white Americans, Donald Trump would be given a second term. According to the recent Hill-HarrisX poll, 50% of white voters would vote for Trump if the election were held today. So once again, it is up to Black voters to save America from itself.
- WorldNBC News
Inside the Wuhan lab at the center of the coronavirus storm
Cloistered off a major thoroughfare, the Wuhan Institute of Virology could pass for a college campus, its red brick buildings distinguishable from their busy surroundings only by a long, imposing driveway lined with cameras, with a security guard standing sentry. This, the institute's BSL-4 lab — the first in China to receive the highest level of biosafety clearance — stands at the center of an international firestorm of recrimination over China's role in the coronavirus pandemic. On Friday, NBC News became the first foreign news organization to be granted access to the institute since the outbreak began, meeting with senior scientists working to pinpoint the origins of the virus.
- U.S.Associated Press
Protesters met with jeers by crowd with guns in Nevada city
Several dozen Black Lives Matter demonstrators at a weekend protest in rural Nevada were greeted by a far larger group of counter-demonstrators, including some bearing military-style weapons and tactical gear, but a sheriff who had made controversial remarks earlier about the racial injustice movement reported no arrests or serious incidents. The clash of rallies Saturday came days after Douglas County Sheriff Dan Coverley attracted national attention for telling the local library not to bother calling 911 for help after board members publicly considered a statement opposing “all forms of racism, hatred, inequality and injustice” and the line “We support #Black Lives Matter.” Plans to organize a demonstration against racial injustice that spread on social media spawned competing campaigns supporting Coverley and inviting supporters to back sheriff's deputies.
- U.S.TODAY
Money offered for info on disappearance of ‘Tiger King’ star Carol Baskin's husband
The family of a Florida man who disappeared in 1997 and who appeared on the hit TV series “Tiger King,” has hired a lawyer and is offering $100,000 in exchange for information to help solve the case. Attorney John Phillips held a news conference in Tampa Monday and announced an independent investigation into Don Lewis' disappearance. Lewis vanished a day before a scheduled trip to Costa Rica and was never found.
- U.S.The Independent
84 arrests made at Sturgis Rally as governor welcomes 250,000 bikers to district
Sturgis Motorcycle Rally kicked off in the western part of South Dakota on Friday, leading to 84 arrests in one day, according to a report. The annual rally, which the city council decided would go ahead in June, has drawn thousands of bikers to the state from all over the country, many without masks or social distancing in mind. The newspaper reported that 84 people had been arrested across Sturgis and Rapid City District in a 24-hour period spanning from Saturday into Sunday morning.
- U.S.Yahoo News Video
Georgia school moves online after COVID-19 infections reported
A Georgia high school plans to start the week with all classes moving online after nine students and staff tested positive for the coronavirus when the school year opened last week with most students attending classes in-person.
- CelebrityINSIDER
A nail technician said a client lied about having coronavirus because they 'desperately' needed a manicure
A nail technician said she received a message from a customer after their appointment admitting they had tested positive for COVID-19 two days beforehand. They said they felt bad and they shouldn't have turned up to the appointment, but they "desperately" needed a manicure. The nail technician, called Taylor, said the client knew she was immunocompromised and had asked them not to show up if they had been exposed to the coronavirus.
- U.S.Business Insider
US Border Patrol agent arrested and charged with trafficking over 350,000 pills believed to be fentanyl
A US Border Patrol agent assigned to Tucson, Arizona, was arrested and charged with drug trafficking after he was found with thousands of pills and substances that tested positive for cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. Roughly 350,000 pills that tested positive for fentanyl were found in bags that were transferred from the agent's car. Agents found nearly $330,000 in his home and $40,000 in his vehicle.
- U.S.USA TODAY
Dangerous derecho soars through Chicago after lashing Iowa with 100-mph winds
The derecho lasted several hours, traveling through Nebraska, Iowa and parts of Wisconsin and Illinois. The storm hit Chicago in the early afternoon, prompting the National Weather Service to warn that travel plans be altered and loose objects be secured. The storm brought winds of 92 miles per hour near Dixon, about 100 miles west of Chicago, the National Weather Service reported, as it ripped through buildings, power lines and trees.
- LifestyleArchitectural Digest
Where to Buy Wallpaper Online: 23 Stores With Unique Designs
Bring new life to your old walls Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
- PoliticsNational Review
Lindsey Graham Claims Declassified Docs Show FBI ‘Misled’ Congress on Steele Dossier
Newly declassified documents show that the FBI misled Congress regarding the reliability of the Steele dossier, Senator Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) said on Sunday. The Senate Intelligence Committee, which Graham chairs, is currently conducting an investigation into the origins of the FBI's Crossfire Hurricane probe, whose stated aim was to uncover alleged collusion between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russian operatives. One document released by the committee on Sunday is an FBI draft of talking points for a February 2018 Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on the Russia investigation.
- WorldAssociated Press
Protester dies in clashes after disputed Belarus vote
A protester died amid clashes between police and thousands of people gathered for a second straight night Monday in Belarus after official results from weekend elections — dismissed by the opposition as a sham — gave an overwhelming victory to authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko. Interior Ministry spokesman Alexander Lastovsky said the victim was part of a crowd of people protesting results of Sunday's presidential vote. The death came amid demonstrations in at least four areas of Minsk that met with a harsh response from police who tried to disperse protesters with flash-bang grenades and rubber bullets.
- WorldBBC
Mauritius oil spill: Fears vessel may 'break in two' as cracks appear
Large cracks have reportedly appeared in the hull of a cargo ship leaking oil in Mauritius, prompting the prime minister to warn it may "break in two". The MV Wakashio, believed to have been carrying 4,000 tonnes of fuel oil, ran aground on a coral reef off the Indian Ocean island on 25 July. Despite bad weather, Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth said 500 tonnes had been safely pumped out on Monday.
- U.S.The Week
Mississippi's new flag won't have Elvis on it, but it could feature a mosquito
Despite the best efforts of some creative residents, Mississippi's new flag will not feature Elvis Presley, Kermit the Frog, or beer cans. Mississippi's old flag — the last one in the U.S. to feature a Confederate battle emblem — was retired in June amid public outcry and anti-racism protests sparked by the death of George Floyd. A nine-member commission appointed by the governor, lieutenant governor, and state House speaker was tasked with selecting a design for a new flag.
- PoliticsThe Independent
Catholic bishop rejects idea Trump is ‘pro-life’, saying president is ‘only concerned about himself’
A Kentucky bishop has claimed Donald Trump cannot be pro-life, because he is “only concerned about himself”. Reverend John Stowe, the Lexington Diocese Bishop in Kentucky, questioned the president's stance on abortion during a Facebook Live panel with Catholic organisation Pax Ramona. For this president to call himself pro-life, and for anybody to back him because of claims of being pro-life, is almost willful ignorance,” the reverend said when asked about the church's role in November's presidential election.
- U.S.INSIDER
Louisville police said protesters, who have been marching against Breonna Taylor's death for more than 70 days, can no longer use public roads
The Louisville Metro Police Department said Sunday that protesters would no longer be allowed to march on public streets, and must stick to the sidewalks. A police spokesperson said the restrictions were in response to increasingly "aggressive behavior" by protesters over the past week. Protests have taken place in the Kentucky city every night for more than 70 days, in response to the police killing of Breonna Taylor in her home.
- U.S.Reuters
Washington, D.C., police union moves to block release of body cam footage
The Washington, D.C., police union said on Monday it asked a court to block the mandatory release of body camera footage and names of police officers involved in shootings. The federal district passed a police reform law in July after weeks of protests in the nation's capital and across the globe against systemic racism and police brutality, sparked by the killing of African-American George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis. Floyd's death, as well as other high-profile incidents of police brutality, led three dozen states to introduce initiatives to change or study policing, according https://www.ncsl.org/research/civil-and-criminal-justice/legislative-responses-for-policing.aspx to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
- ScienceUSA TODAY
Fossil of fearsome 'hell ant' that used tusk-like jaws to hunt its victims discovered in amber
A 99-million year old fossil of a "hell ant" is giving researchers a glimpse into the behavior of these fearsome ancient insects, a new study reports. Encased in amber (tree resin), the fossil provides the most vivid picture yet of how hell ants once used their uncanny tusk-like mandibles and diverse horns to successfully hunt down victims for nearly 20 million years, before vanishing from the planet. “Since the first hell ant was unearthed about a hundred years ago, it's been a mystery as to why these extinct animals are so distinct from the ants we have today,” said study lead author Phillip Barden of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, in a statement.
- BusinessBusiness Insider
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says gig economy companies should be required to establish 'benefits funds' for workers instead of treating them as full-time employees
Carlo Allegri/Reuters Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said companies like Uber should be required by law to provide "benefits funds" to gig workers in a New York Times op-ed published Monday. Khosrowshahi said the gig-work employment system is "outdated and unfair," and called for laws that would require companies to provide gig workers more benefits without classifying them as full-time employees. Gig workers have called on companies like Uber to give gig workers more benefits that full-time employees receive, like health insurance.
- WorldYahoo News Video
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas confronts Pompeo over pipeline sanctions
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Monday he has personally told U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo of his “dismay” over a warning by three Republican senators who threatened sanctions against a German port operator for its part in a pipeline project with Russia.
- WorldThe Telegraph
Lebanon government resigns amid explosion fallout
Lebanon's government resigned during a cabinet meeting on Monday to discuss early elections following last week's catastrophic explosion in Beirut, the country's health minister has said. "The whole government resigned," Hamad Hassan told reporters at the end of the meeting. Prime Minister Hassan Diab was expected to travel to the presidential palace to "hand over the resignation in the name of all the ministers," Mr Hassan said.
“It may be a campaign tactic, but older workers, be forewarned. Ageism runs deep in our culture.”
“Genuine concerns about the capacities of people who want the world’s most powerful job mingle bizarrely with insults.”
“Joe Biden and Donald Trump are both old. But the media should not be making mental illness a campaign issue, on either side.”
“The Trump campaign is now betting his reelection’s already slim chances on Biden proving Trump’s diagnosis is right.”
“The nightmare scenario for Democrats is that, at a pivotal moment, Biden will struggle to put together a coherent thought.”