- U.S.Yahoo News
Trump's 'looting' and 'shooting' remark draws outrage from all sides
In threatening to use the military to shoot down looters in Minneapolis, President Trump was employing a phrase apparently coined by a Miami police chief in 1967, when his city was in the throes of protests over the department's use of “stop and frisk” tactics that targeted African-Americans. Trump's post-midnight tweet Friday, later repeated by the official White House account, drew widespread condemnation from almost across the political spectrum — from presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden to the far-right quasi-militia Oath Keepers, whose members are drawn from the ranks of law enforcement and the military. “These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won't let that happen,” tweeted Trump early Friday morning.
- U.S.Yahoo News
Lessons from Japan on containing coronavirus could help U.S. reopen safely
In Japan, seven people have died for every 1 million residents — a death rate about 45 times lower than America's. The number of daily new cases peaked at 743 on April 12, but has varied between 90 and 14 for the past week, according to the World Health Organization; the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients has dropped from 10,000 about a month ago to 2,000 today. On Monday, the Japanese government lifted the state of emergency over greater Tokyo, effectively ending the country's version of a lockdown.
- WorldYahoo News 360
How should the U.S. respond to China's Hong Kong power grab?
China's legislature on Thursday approved a controversial national security law that gives the mainland government new powers to police subversion and foreign intervention in Hong Kong. Critics of the new law say it's a violation of the “one country, two systems” agreement that has granted Hong Kong certain levels of autonomy — like its own police force and judicial system — since the island became part of China in 1997 after more than a century of British rule. Similar laws have been pursued by pro-Beijing members of Hong Kong's legislature several times in recent years, but none were passed.
- HealthYahoo News
Can you contract coronavirus from a surface or object?
While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says contaminated surfaces are not the main way the virus is transmitted, the agency hasn't ruled surfaces out as a possible mode of infection. “If you want a reliable way to prevent yourself from getting the coronavirus, worry less about the surfaces you touch, and worry more about how frequently you wash your hands,” says Dr. Dara Kass, a Yahoo News Medical Contributor and associate professor of emergency medicine at Columbia University Medical Center. Confusion over how the virus is transmitted was reignited last week when the CDC edited the “How COVID-19 Spreads” page on their COVID-19 website to mention contaminated surfaces and objects under a new heading entitled, “The virus does not spread easily in other ways.”
- WorldThe Telegraph
Denmark and Norway cut coronavirus-hit Sweden out of free travel deal
The governments of Denmark and Norway have cut Sweden out of a deal allowing each other's tourists to travel freely between the two countries — citing their Nordic neighbour's higher levels of coronavirus infection. The deal, announced at parallel press conferences in Oslo and Copenhagen on Friday afternoon, showed Sweden has failed in its diplomatic efforts to be included in the first stage of a Nordic travel bubble. Under the deal, people from Denmark will from June 15 be allowed to enter Norway without needing to quarantine, while tourists from Norway will be able to enter Denmark, so long as they have booked accommodation for at least six days.
- ScienceBusiness Insider
5 ways to watch SpaceX's historic first rocket launch of NASA astronauts live online
SpaceX is about to launch its highest-stakes mission since Elon Musk founded the company in 2002: Its first launch of people. NASA is working with the company to launch the mission, called Demo-2, which will fly the astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley inside a Crew Dragon spaceship. Liftoff is scheduled for 3:22 p.m.
WorldAFPIsrael police kill Palestinian they mistakenly thought was armed
Israeli police in annexed east Jerusalem on Saturday shot dead a disabled Palestinian they mistakenly thought was armed with a pistol, prompting furious condemnation from the Palestinians. The incident happened in the alleys of the walled Old City near Lions' Gate, an access point mainly used by Palestinians. "Police units on patrol there spotted a suspect with a suspicious object that looked like a pistol," an Israeli police statement said.
- U.S.National Review
Minnesota Riots Hurt Klobuchar’s VP Nomination Prospects, According to Biden Ally
The ongoing riots in Minnesota hurt Senator Amy Klobuchar's prospects for Democratic nomination as vice president, House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D., S.C.) said on Friday. Klobuchar declined to bring charges against multiple Minneapolis police officers involved in shootings over the course of her seven-year tenure as attorney for Hennepin County. Minneapolis has seen four days of riots after resident George Floyd, an African-American man, died following his arrest at the hands of white officers.
- WorldReuters
France, Britain, Germany 'regret' U.S. end to Iran nuclear waivers
France, Germany and Britain on Saturday criticised a U.S. decision to end sanctions waivers allowing work on Iranian nuclear sites designed to prevent weapons development. "We deeply regret the U.S. decision to end the three waivers," the three European countries said in a joint statement. "These projects, endorsed by U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231, serve the non-proliferation interests of all and provide the international community with assurances of the exclusively peaceful and safe nature of Iranian nuclear activities."
- U.S.INSIDER
George Floyd autopsy shows no signs of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation, attributes death to 'being restrained, his underlying health conditions, and any potential intoxicants in his system'
A criminal complaint against former Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, shows that George Floyd was "non-responsive" for nearly three minutes before Chauvin took his knee off his neck. The complaint also cited a preliminary autopsy report that showed there were "no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation." Instead, Floyd died from a "combined effect of being restrained, his underlying health conditions, and any potential intoxicants in his system," the autopsy revealed.
- PoliticsYahoo News
Former top Justice Department official warns Trump may 'not cede power'
A former top Justice Department official told Yahoo News she is deeply worried that President Trump could “delegitimize a lawful election” this November “and not cede power.” Vanita Gupta ran the civil rights division at the Department of Justice from 2014 to 2017 and is now part of an informal, bipartisan group that has spent the past year preparing for Trump to potentially contest the results of the election. “He's already talking about how this will be a rigged election and saying if more and more people are voting using these so called mail-in ballots, that the election will be rigged,” Gupta told Yahoo News' “Skullduggery” podcast.
U.S.Yahoo News VideoLouisville police appear to shoot pepper rounds at reporters
Footage from Wave 3 local news in Louisville, Ky. appears to show police shooting pepper rounds directly at news crew.
- U.S.The Daily Beast
Florida’s Seen a ‘Statistically Significant’ Uptick in Pneumonia Deaths. The CDC Says It’s Likely COVID.
Since the beginning of this year, Florida has experienced an uptick in the number of pneumonia and influenza deaths, according to data from the Centers for Disease and Control. Experts and Trump administration officials responsible for keeping tabs on mortality rates across the country believe that many of those individuals had likely contracted and died from COVID-19. According to the data from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, since the beginning of the year there has been a total of 1,519 deaths in Florida where pneumonia and influenza were listed as the underlying cause.
- U.S.NBC News
Thirteen years later, mother of Fort Drum soldier found dead after disappearing from bar seeks answers
Army Sergeant Patrick Rust survived two tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan and the 24-year-old was back on post at Fort Drum in New York for only about 30 days when he disappeared from a bar in Watertown, N.Y. in March 2007. Thirteen years have passed and his mother, Judy Rust, is still fighting to find out what happened to her son. “I just want to know what happened to him,” Judy told Dateline.
- ScienceBusiness Insider
SpaceX's historic launch hurled a sequined plush dinosaur into space with NASA astronauts
SpaceX launched two NASA astronauts into space on Saturday in a historic feat, and a mysterious, sequined dinosaur plushie accompanied them. The dinosaur began floating around the cabin of the Crew Dragon as it entered orbit. SpaceX launched its most precious cargo yet into space on Saturday: two NASA astronauts and a plush, sequined dinosaur toy.
WorldAFPCaution on China from EU, West's 'soft underbelly'
The European Union's cautious response to China's clampdown on Hong Kong on Friday will not much trouble Beijing and underscores Brussels' dilemma when dealing with the increasingly confident great power. After a video conference with 27 foreign ministers, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell expressed "grave concern" but he could threaten no sanctions and said planning for an EU-China summit would continue. In fact, Borrell said, only one of the European countries even raised the possibly of sanctions -- a diplomatic source told AFP this was Sweden -- and he said European investment in China was not in question.
- WorldAssociated Press
Israeli defense minister apologizes for Palestinian's death
Israel's defense minister apologized on Sunday for the Israeli police's deadly shooting of an unarmed, autistic Palestinian man. The shooting of Iyad Halak, 32, in Jerusalem's Old City on Saturday, drew broad condemnations and revived complaints alleging excessive force by Israeli security forces. Benny Gantz, who is also Israel's “alternate” prime minister under a power-sharing deal, made the remarks at the weekly meeting of the Israeli Cabinet.
- U.S.Reuters
As Minneapolis rioters set buildings ablaze, grocer pleads to save his stores
At a little past midnight on Saturday as smoke billowed and flames rose from the tops of a nearby bank and a post office building, Minneapolis grocery store owner Mohammad Abdi knew he had a critical business decision to make. Either go out into the street and confront the dangerous vandals and looters who were preparing to torch his Tawakal Halal Grocery or standby and watch them destroy his livelihood. "I told them this is my business, this is my building, please don't do it," he said late on Saturday morning, pointing to the alcove in the front of his building where footprints remained from the looters, who were armed with accelerant.
- CelebrityINSIDER
A Tennessee police chief had a message for fellow law enforcement: turn in your badge if 'you don't have an issue' with George Floyd's death
After the video of George Floyd's arrest and his subsequent death went viral on Monday, a Tennessee police chief tweeted his thoughts on Wednesday. David Roddy said that officers who don't have an issue with Floyd's arrest should turn in their badges. A Tennessee police chief by the name of David Roddy sent a message to his fellow officers on Twitter in response to the death of George Floyd.
- PoliticsYahoo News
Trump’s campaign tries to recapture its magic on the virtual campaign trail. Will it succeed?
There are backlit billboards announcing the upcoming campaign event for President Trump. Outside a large arena footage of Trump plays on giant screens as supporters chant “Four more years!” Inside the arena, Trump's surrogates appear on a large Jumbotron as the crowd roars. While rallies had been Trump's trademark prior to the public health crisis, his reelection team has embraced virtual events and believes they provide a major advantage over his Democratic rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, on the “digital campaign trail.”
- U.S.CBS News
Cuomo says N.Y. attorney general will review night of violent protests
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo addressed the protests that roiled the nation overnight in response to the death of George Floyd during his daily briefing about the state's response to the coronavirus pandemic. Cuomo noted the virus was ravaging predominantly minority communities, and connected health inequities to the nationwide protests. Cuomo commented on the death of Floyd, an unarmed black man killed in police company, as well as other black Americans killed by police officers.
- HealthThe Independent
Five drug companies told to recall diabetes medication amid cancer fears
Five US pharmaceutical companies have been told to recall their versions of a type of diabetes medication after tests found worrying levels of a chemical linked to cancer. Several batches of metformin, which is widely used to reduce excess blood sugar in type 2 diabetes patients, tested positive for unsafe levels of N-Nitrosodimethylamine, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Thursday. The FDA advised that patients should continue to take metformin until a replacement can be prescribed, acknowledging the risks of discontinuing the medication for patients.
U.S.Reuters VideosPolice and protesters in standoff outside of White House over Floyd's murder
It's since emerged that the Minneapolis man died after being pinned by the neck by a white police officer's knee in the middle of the street. Video footage taken by an onlooker's cell phone and widely circulated on the internet showed police officer Derek Chauvin with his knee pressed on Floyd's neck while he gasped for air and repeatedly groaned "Please, I can't breathe". The officer in question has since been dissmissed from the police department and arrested on third-degree murder and manslaughter charges.
- BusinessNBC News
Coronavirus quietly started spreading as early as January, CDC says
The coronavirus began quietly spreading in the U.S. as early as late January, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday — before President Donald Trump blocked air travel from China and a full month before community spread was first detected in the country. It was also the first media briefing from the CDC in more than two months. "As America begins to reopen, looking back at how COVID-19 made its way to the United States will contribute to a better understanding to prepare for the future," Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the CDC, said Friday during a call with reporters.
ScienceAFPNASA astronauts head for ISS on historic SpaceX flight
Two veteran NASA astronauts were headed for the International Space Station on Saturday after Elon Musk's SpaceX became the first commercial company to launch a rocket carrying humans into orbit, ushering in a new era in space travel. SpaceX's two-stage Falcon 9 rocket with astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley aboard blasted off flawlessly in a cloud of bright orange flames and smoke from Florida's Kennedy Space Center for a 19-hour voyage to the space station.
