How the FBI became the target of a conspiracy theory about the Jan. 6 Capitol riot

A theory embraced recently by conservative media personalities and politicians who support former President Donald Trump, which alleges that the violence that took place at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 was somehow orchestrated by the FBI, appears to have originated with an article on a right-wing website run by a fired Trump White House official. On Tuesday night, Fox News host Tucker Carlson told his roughly three million viewers that it appeared “the FBI was organizing the riots of Jan. 6.” Over the course of two days, outraged calls for the truth about the FBI's supposed involvement in the Capitol riots ricocheted across social media, making their way to FBI headquarters and even into the Congressional record.

Rubio pushes for new China sanctions amid questions over coronavirus lab leak theory

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., is preparing to introduce a bill that would place new sanctions on China unless it allows “a transparent international investigation of suspect laboratories in Wuhan,” in particular the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which has become the focus of intense speculation and scrutiny in recent months, including from President Biden. Rubio and other Biden critics want the president to be more aggressive in getting China to accede to a thorough investigation, which the country's leadership has so far resisted.

Founding father of the EU Robert Schuman in line for sainthood from Catholic Church

One of the founding fathers of the European Union was put on the path to sainthood by Pope Francis. Robert Schuman, who called for a supranational community for coal and steel in 1950, was recognised by the Pope for his “heroic virtues”, the Vatican said. Mr Schuman said cooperation on coal and steel, especially involving France and Germany, would make future wars impossible.

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  Pope puts Robert Schuman, a father of Europe, on sainthood path

  Reuters
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  An architect of European unity moves ahead on sainthood path

  Associated Press

Biden to visit Raleigh this week, as NC lags behind his vaccine target

President Joe Biden will travel to Raleigh on Thursday, visiting the state capital as part of his continued efforts to encourage people across the country to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Earlier this month, The News & Observer reported that at its current pace, the state will not reach Biden's vaccine target until November. Gov. Roy Cooper and other North Carolina officials have implemented various incentives in an effort to drive up the vaccine rate, with Cooper announcing this month that the state would offer a $1 million cash prize to four randomly selected North Carolinians who have received the vaccine.

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  President Biden to encourage COVID vaccines in Raleigh this week

  WTVD – Raleigh/Durham
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  A $1 million lottery incentive in North Carolina has increased COVID-19 vaccinations by only 1%

  Business Insider

McDonald's to hire 20,000 staff and open 50 outlets

Burger giant McDonald's says it "is looking to fill 20,000 roles" across the UK and Ireland this year as part of plans to open 50 new outlets. Also on Sunday, restaurant chain Itsu announced a five-year expansion, with 100 new outlets creating 2,000 UK jobs. McDonald's already has 1,400 restaurants across the UK and Ireland employing 130,000 staff - which it calls "crew members".

McManus : Why Republicans are suddenly reluctant to condemn political violence

The Republican Party has a problem with political violence: It's not sure whether it's for it or against it. In the first days after a mob loyal to former President Trump stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 to try to block Congress from certifying President Biden's election, GOP leaders delivered a sensible, unified response: There's no place in our constitutional system for that kind of violence. Since January, though, some leading Republicans have been backsliding — offering excuses for the insurgents who sought to overturn the election through extralegal means.

A Florida man pulled out a gun on a Starbucks employee who turned out to be the local police chief's daughter

A Florida man pulled out a gun on a Starbucks employee for getting his order wrong earlier this week. The employee was the daughter of Miami Gardens Police Chief Noel-Pratt. The man identified as Omar Wright was arrested and charged.

Covid: Brazil hits 500,000 deaths amid 'critical' situation

The number of deaths related to Covid-19 has passed 500,000 in Brazil, the second-highest in the world, as experts say the outbreak could worsen amid slow vaccination and the start of winter. The virus continues to spread as President Jair Bolsonaro refuses to back measures like social distancing. The health institute Fiocruz says the situation is "critical".

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  Brazil passes half a million COVID-19 deaths, experts warn of worse ahead

  Reuters
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  Brazil passes grim milestone of 500,000 Covid deaths amid protests over Bolsonaro response

  The Independent

Video shows car impaled by massive fallen oak tree and downed power lines in Georgia

A video shared Sunday shows the damage on a car crushed under a downed tree and power lines in Georgia. Atlanta Fire Rescue said on Twitter that a “large oak tree” and power lines fell on the sedan on Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway and South Eugenia Place. The video posted by Atlanta Fire Rescue shows where the tree's massive branches impaled the car's windshield.

A gay couple faced harassment for 5 years. Handwriting analysis led to a suspect: A neighbor.

For five years, we were living here and wondering which of our neighbors, who were all being kind and neighborly to us, is actually harassing us,” McLean said. Then the perpetrator made a mistake. The suspect, who has not been publicly identified, signed the couple up for a Boston Globe subscription, but McLean and Furze already had a subscription.

Shipping disruption: 'We're doing our best - but this is crippling'

Like many importers, Peppermill is feeling the effects of serious bottlenecks in the global container shipping industry, which have led to delays and pushed up prices. The company, based near Cannock, in Staffordshire, has been operating for 25 years, and currently employs 40 people. Although it does use suppliers in the UK, roughly half of its stock is imported from East Asia, mainly from China.

‘Pack of lies’ about Marcus Whitman holds lessons about the rejection of truth today

When I served on the Statesman editorial board and joined my colleagues interviewing candidates seeking an endorsement from the paper, I was often amused when candidates kicked off their comments by telling us how long ago their families arrived in Idaho. It was as though great-great-Grandpa and -Grandma's decision to head west to Idaho made the candidate of today more qualified for office than one whose family only arrived in the state a generation ago. For one thing, most of us know little about the details of our ancestors' role in the growth and progress of America, and those histories may not all measure up to the patriotic and generous tales families weave about those who came before t...

A Sedano’s and flies on a bakery chain’s pastelitos among South Florida’s Gross Grocers

Another major South Florida supermarket chain, a notable bakery chain and a repeat offender highlight this edition of Gross Grocers, grocery sellers in Miami-Dade or Broward that failed inspection. The part you should read, but probably skip: Unlike Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation inspections of restaurants, failing doesn't mean a store gets closed until it passes. What follows comes from Florida Department of Agriculture inspection of supermarkets and food distributors in Miami-Dade and Broward.

An American student and former Marine was found dead in Russia days after texting her mom: 'I hope I'm not being abducted'

An American student and former Marine was found dead in Russia on Saturday, days after she went missing. Catherine Serou had texted her mom Tuesday saying, "I hope I'm not being abducted," NPR reported. A suspect with prior convictions is in custody, though he has not been named.

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  Suspect arrested after former U.S. Marine found dead in Russia

  Axios
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  American Student and Former Marine Catherine Serou Found Brutally Murdered in Russia

  The Daily Beast

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a new state budget that defunds the entire state legislature

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott defunded the state legislature while signing the state budget on Friday. Abbott made the decision after Democrats staged a walkout in May to prevent restrictive voting legislation from passing. Texas legislator pay is written into the state constitution, so legislative staffers will be most affected.

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  Gov. Abbott defunds Texas legislature over state Democrats' voting reform block

  Axios
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  Texas Governor Vetoes Funding for State Legislature after Dem Walkout on Voting Bill

  National Review

Fact check: False rumor that QAnon supporters buying tickets for Trump inauguration

The claim: QAnon supporters are buying fabricated tickets for Donald Trump's second inauguration Circulating on social media: a false claim about conspiracy theorists purchasing fabricated tickets to a fake presidential inauguration. Social media users are mocking QAnon supporters for allegedly purchasing fake tickets to "The 2nd Inauguration of Donald Trump." A photo of the tickets included in the posts says the event will be held in front of the United States Capitol building this August with "special musical guest stars" Ted Nugent and Kid Rock, both of whom are vocal Trump supporters.

The Saga of a Top Police Reformer Who Says She Was Accused of Bias

It was the day after Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd, and Ayesha Bell Hardaway was speaking on a panel reacting to the decision on her local NPR station. Bell Hardaway, a Black law professor at Case Western Reserve University, former prosecutor, and monitor on an independent team tasked with reforming the Cleveland Division of Police, said the verdict gave her a sense of relief. In essence, Bell Hardaway's response to the question of whether prosecutors tried to make the case apolitical was yes—it sure seemed like they sought to make sure that the murder inspiring protests against acts of police brutality against Black people around the country wasn't seen as an “anti-policing” case.

Clayton Kershaw marks Juneteenth, reiterates he wants to help fight racial injustice

Friday marked the seventh anniversary of the no-hitter in Clayton Kershaw's Hall of Fame career, a 15-strikeout, no-walk masterpiece against the Colorado Rockies that fell an error short of a perfect game. On June 18, 2020, while Major League Baseball remained shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kershaw, normally averse to the spotlight, did something unusual. Kershaw expressed his thoughts the day before Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.

Disneyland-like crowds flooding national parks could cause some parks to close their gates

Yellowstone National Park experienced a 50% increase in cars compared to the 2019 Memorial Day weekend, and Zion National Park had a four-hour wait time for some popular hikes. With the crowds comes a mixed reaction from locals, the Journal reported. Many locals are frustrated and said they've seen an increase in graffiti, piles of human waste, and trash.

'We are running out of time': Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs urges Senate to pass voting-rights legislation

Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs last week urged the US Senate to pass the sweeping voting-rights legislation known at the For the People Act, arguing that "democracy is under siege" in her home state. In an opinion piece for The Washington Post, Hobbs deemed GOP efforts to undermine the confidence in the 2020 election as part of a strategy to "steal" the 2024 presidential election. "Republicans aren't just protesting the results of our most recent presidential election ...

The US sent 2.5 million COVID-19 vaccines to Taiwan - more than triple it initially pledged - as it deals with an unexpected outbreak

The US on Sunday sent Taiwan 2.5 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, the AP reported. Previously, the US said it would send 750,000 vaccine doses to the island. Taiwan has been dealing with an outbreak of COVID-19 since May.

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  Exclusive-U.S. triples vaccines for Taiwan with 2.5 million-dose shipment

  Reuters
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  U.S. triples vaccines doses for Taiwan

  Reuters Videos

She Went on a PR Tour for Her Sick, Adopted African Child. Was It All a Lie?

Last summer, Sophie Hartman was fixated on her 6-year-old adopted daughter Carmel possibly showing signs of early puberty. The 31-year-old single mom from Renton, Washington, scheduled an appointment at Seattle Children's Hospital with a pediatric endocrinologist, a doctor specializing in glands and the hormones they produce, according to a Renton Police probable-cause affidavit. Hartman, a white, Jesus-loving former missionary, strapped Carmel—a little Black girl born in Zambia—into a wheelchair and rolled her into a medical room, where they met with the endocrinologist.

Trump DOJ takes extreme measures to another level

In the spring of 2006, top Justice Department officials considered an extraordinary next step in a bribery investigation of a sitting House member. Then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales had huddled at least twice with senior FBI officials, Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty and Steven Bradbury, who led Justice's Office of Legal Counsel, before signing off on a raid of then-Louisiana Rep. William Jefferson's congressional office – an unprecedented action that would shake the political establishment to its core. Inherent in the criminal investigation were the raw political implications of a Republican administration taking on a Democratic lawmaker.