- PoliticsReuters
U.S. Ambassador to Germany Grenell to step down: dpa
U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell is planning to step down in the coming weeks after little more than two years in the job, German news agency dpa reported on Sunday, without saying where it obtained the information. Robin Quinville, deputy chief of mission at the embassy, is expected to replace Grenell on an interim basis, the report said. The news comes only days after the U.S. Senate confirmed Representative John Ratcliffe, like Grenell a staunch political ally of President Donald Trump, as the permanent director of national intelligence (DNI).
- U.S.CBS News
Feds looking at Ahmaud Arbery's death as a hate crime, attorneys say
The U.S. Department of Justice is launching an investigation into the shooting death of an unarmed black man in Georgia as a hate crime, according to attorneys for the victim's family. Ahmaud Arbery, 25, was shot and killed by two white men while jogging in his neighborhood on February 23. Attorneys for Arbery's family said the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia Bobby Christine and his office will look into why Glynn County and the state of Georgia took more than two months to make an arrest and whether the region has historically violated the rights of its citizens.
- U.S.BBC
India parents make pandemic road trip to get to stranded infant
The first-time parents were driving through India's winding, empty highways to see their newborn child. The couple would explain their daughter had been born, more than a week ago, to a surrogate mother in Anand, a city in the western Indian state of Gujarat better known as the country's "milk capital".
WorldAFPPutin makes Kremlin appearance as virus restrictions ease
President Vladimir Putin made a rare recent appearance in the Kremlin on Monday as Russia prepares to ease lockdown restrictions imposed over the coronavirus pandemic. The 67-year-old has worked remotely over the past few weeks from his Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, chairing meetings with officials by video conference. But on Monday, Putin held talks with the general director of Russian Railways, Oleg Belozerov, at the Kremlin, his office said.
- WorldBusiness Insider
Defiant protesters chanting 'liberate Hong Kong' flood the streets to oppose China's grab for control
REUTERS/Tyrone Siu Hong Kong police fired tear gas and pepper spray to disperse thousands of protesting on Sunday, against Beijing's plan to impose national security laws. China has launched new efforts to increase its control over Hong Kong after mass protests in 2019 hampered its efforts to roll back the city's autonomy. Critics fear the provisions of the law will lead to the end of Hong Kong's independence.
- U.S.The Week
Judge finds Florida 'pay-to-vote' system for felons unconstitutional
A federal judge has ruled that a Florida law requiring felons to pay all court fines and fees before they can register to vote was unconstitutional. Judge Robert Hinkle of the United States District Court in Tallahassee wrote that the restrictions amounted to a poll tax that would prevent voting by people who can't afford to pay, The Washington Post reports. "The Twenty-Fourth Amendment precludes Florida from conditioning voting in federal elections on payment of these fees and costs," Judge Hinkle wrote, calling the state law a "pay-to-vote system."
- WorldThe Telegraph
Italy to recruit army of 60,000 volunteers to enforce social distancing rules
Italy wants to recruit an army of 60,000 volunteers to help enforce social distancing rules, amid fears that a second wave of infections could be looming. The volunteers would not have any policing powers but would patrol piazzas, parks, playgrounds, markets, bar areas and beaches, asking people not to congregate in large groups. They would be drawn from the ranks of the unemployed, those on income support and those who have been furloughed as a result of the economic crisis caused by the pandemic.
- U.S.INSIDER
Several high school students in Georgia tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a drive-through graduation parade
The Lovett School in Atlanta, Georgia, told parents that "several" graduating seniors tested positive for COVID-19 after a May 17 drive-through graduation. The school did not disclose exactly how many students had tested positive for COVID-19. Several high school students in Georgia tested positive for COVID-19 after participating in a drive-through graduation ceremony, school officials said in a letter to students' families that was first reported by CNN.
- U.S.NBC News
Oklahoma woman missing since April following Facebook post that indicated she believed she had coronavirus
Nearly two months have passed since 53-year-old Talina Galloway vanished from her home in Wagoner, Oklahoma, leaving behind her purse and vehicle. “We're really worried about her,” Talina's niece, Chantel Jones, told Dateline. Chantel told Dateline she spent most of her summers living with her Aunt Talina in Indiana.
- U.S.The Independent
Joe Biden attacks Trump for playing golf over Memorial Day weekend as death toll heads toward 100,000 in new ad
Joe Biden has hit out at Donald Trump for playing golf on Memorial Day weekend as the coronavirus death toll continues to rise in the US to almost 100,000. The former vice president unveiled a 30-second clip displaying Mr Trump playing a round of golf at his Virginia club on Saturday. The footage of Mr Trump playing golf is combined with stark videos of coronavirus patients being carried on stretchers and healthcare staff working on the frontline to battle Covid-19 upheaval.
- WorldReuters
China says opposes all U.S. restrictions on Chinese airlines
China said on Monday it opposes all U.S. restrictions imposed against Chinese airlines, responding to a report that the U.S. Transportation Department has demanded Chinese carriers file their schedules and other flight details by May 27. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said flight restrictions imposed by Beijing treated all airlines equally and were due to efforts to curb COVID-19 related risks. The U.S. government late on Friday accused the Chinese government of making it impossible for U.S. airlines to resume service to China.
- BusinessPolitico
‘Something isn’t right’: U.S. probes soaring beef prices
Now, the Agriculture Department and prosecutors are investigating whether the meatpacking industry is fixing or manipulating prices. The Department of Justice is looking at the four largest U.S. meatpackers — Tyson Foods, JBS, National Beef and Cargill — which collectively control about 85 percent of the U.S. market for the slaughter and packaging of beef, according to a person with knowledge of the probe. The USDA is also investigating the beef price fluctuations, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has confirmed.
WorldAFPRussian prosecutors seek 18 years for ex-US marine in spy trial
Russian prosecutors on Monday called for a former US marine charged with spying to be sentenced to 18 years in prison, after a closed-door trial denounced by Washington and his family. Paul Whelan, 50, was detained in Moscow in December 2018 for allegedly receiving state secrets, but he insists he was framed when he took a USB drive from an acquaintance thinking it contained holiday photos. His trial, which caused tensions between Moscow and Washington and sparked speculation of a prisoner swap, concluded with closing arguments on Monday.
- WorldBusiness Insider
Netanyahu becomes the first Israeli prime minister to stand trial over corruption and fraud cases
Amir Levy/Getty Images The trial against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began in Jerusalem on Sunday, marking the first time in Israel's history that a sitting prime minister has ever faced trial. Last year, Netanyahu was indicted on bribery, fraud, and breach of trust charges as part of three separate corruption cases. The trial against Netanyahu was delayed by two months because of Israel's coronavirus outbreak.
- U.S.CBS News
Second immigrant dies of COVID-19 while in ICE custody
An immigrant in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody died of coronavirus complications on Sunday while waiting to voluntarily depart to his native Guatemala, becoming the agency's second detainee to die from the virus. The 34-year-old immigrant, Santiago Baten-Oxlag, died at a hospital in Columbus, Georgia after being transferred there from the Stewart Detention Center, a privately operated prison near the state's border with Alabama, according to an ICE notification to Congress obtained by CBS News. Baten-Oxlag had been receiving care at the Columbus hospital since April 17.
- WorldThe Telegraph
Police fire tear gas as thousands protest in Hong Kong over proposed security laws
Hong Kong police fired tear gas to disperse anti-government protesters on Sunday, as thousands thronged the streets to protest against Beijing's plan to directly impose national security laws on the city. The rally came as the city's government sought to reassure the public and foreign investors over the tough security laws proposed by Beijing that sent a chill through financial markets and drew a swift rebuke from foreign governments, international human rights groups and some business lobbies. The protesters were marching between the busy districts of Wan Chai and Causeway Bay when the tear gas was fired, after earlier police warnings against the assembly.
U.S.Yahoo News VideoBaby gorilla injured at Seattle Zoo
A baby gorilla was badly injured at a Seattle zoo on Saturday when he was caught in a skirmish between his family group members, zookeepers said.
- BusinessBBC
Coronavirus outbreak: Caribbean tourism struggles as visitors stay home
Seagulls are the only ones using the pool at a resort fringing one of Antigua's most popular beaches. The absence of holidaymakers due to the Covid-19 pandemic is keenly felt on this Caribbean island for which, like many of its counterparts, tourism has long been its breadbasket. Often dubbed the "most tourism-dependent region in the world", the Caribbean attracted more than 31 million visitors last year.
- PoliticsLos Angeles Times Opinion
Letters to the Editor: Why is the Trump administration working so hard to deport immigrant children?
To the editor: The appalling actions taken by the Trump administration against immigrant children is incomprehensible and is the clearest reflection of its moral decay. Trump and his allies have claimed again and again that they welcome immigrants who enter the country legally, yet while lawyers and sponsors struggle to follow the rules, our government moves these children from place to place without warning, will not disclose their whereabouts, and fast-tracks deportations to places so dangerous that they were willing to walk thousands of miles to escape them. To the editor: Compassion is yet another presidential quality that is missing in our current president.
- WorldReuters
India among 10 worst-hit COVID-19 nations as cases jump; air travel reopens
India on Monday posted its biggest single-day jump in cases of COVID-19, overtaking Iran to become one of the 10 worst-hit nations, even as the government allowed domestic air travel to restart. India reported another 6,977 cases, taking its total ot 138,845, according to government data, despite the world's longest lockdown imposed in March by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The rise in new cases came as some businesses and travel reopened under a new phase of the national coronavirus lockdown.
- PoliticsThe Week
Warren reportedly turning back to wealthy donors in effort to boost Biden
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is reportedly reaching back into her old toolbox in an attempt to help former Vice President Joe Biden. Warren has agreed to host a gathering of big money donors for the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, The New York Times reports. During Warren's own presidential campaign, which ended shortly after Super Tuesday in March, the progressive Democratic senator vowed not to attend private events or call wealthy potential donors for contributions.
WorldAFPPalestinian government ends coronavirus lockdown
The Palestinian government is ending its two-month coronavirus lockdown in the occupied West Bank, prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh announced Monday after a steady decline in new cases. Shops and businesses will operate as normal from Tuesday, while government employees will return to work after the Eid holiday on Wednesday, Shtayyeh told a press conference. Mosques, churches and public parks will also reopen, though with social distancing measures.
- U.S.NBC News
Murder suspect with 'strong ties' to Newtown, Connecticut, is manhunt subject
Authorities in Connecticut and Pennsylvania are searching for an "armed and dangerous” suspect Sunday after the man was tied to two possible murders. Peter Manfredonia, 23, is the primary suspect in an attack that killed one man and injured another on Friday in Willington, Connecticut, according to Connecticut State Police. Police in Newtown, Connecticut, asked residents to be vigilant even though there was not an immediate danger to the area because Manfredonia had “very strong ties to Newtown.” Authorities describe him as a white male about 6-foot, 3-inches tall with disheveled black hair and brown eyes.
- WorldBusiness Insider
Russia records its highest daily death toll from the coronavirus as its number of new cases appears to decline
Lev Fedoseyev\TASS via Getty Images Russia recorded 8,599 new cases 153 new deaths on Sunday linked to the coronavirus, raising its overall death toll to 3,541. The country has recorded 344,481 coronavirus cases and is the third-worst hit country in its total number of coronavirus cases behind Brazil and the US, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. While its daily death toll continues to increase, its number of new daily cases appears to be on the decline.
- U.S.The Guardian
Kentucky lockdown protesters condemned for hanging effigy of governor from tree
Political leaders in Kentucky have condemned rightwing protesters against the state's measures to fight the coronavirus, after the demonstrators hanged an effigy of Democratic state governor Andy Beshear from a tree. Several men produced a rope and an effigy and strung it from a tree outside the state capitol building in Frankfort. The state representative Charles Booker, who is African American and the Democratic party challenger for the Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell's seat in Kentucky in November, described the representation as “ vile and traumatic”.
