- PoliticsCBS News
Republicans sue California governor over vote-by-mail order
Republican groups are suing California Governor Gavin Newsom, claiming his recent executive order to mail every registered voter in the state a ballot ahead of the November election is an "illegal power grab" that redesigns the election system. The lawsuit alleges Newsom's order is "less about protecting the health of Californians and more about protecting the electoral prospects of the Governor's political party." The Republican National Party, the National Republican Congressional Committee and the California Republican Party are listed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which was filed Sunday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.
- PoliticsThe Independent
Ilhan Omar says she believes woman who claims Joe Biden sexually assaulted her
Democrat "squad" member Ilhan Omar says she believes sexual assault allegations against Joe Biden but would vote for him anyway to defeat Donald Trump. In a Tweet defending her support of accuser Tara Reade, the Minnesota congresswoman said that "believing survivors is consistent with my values". "This is the most important election cycle of our lifetimes and we aren't going to have a chance if we don't spend our energy in mobilising and building enthusiasm against Trump."
- WorldThe Telegraph
Taiwan offers people of Hong Kong 'necessary assistance' after protests over new security laws
Taiwan will provide the people of Hong Kong with "necessary assistance", President Tsai Ing-wen said, after thousands in the Chinese ruled territory protested against Beijing's plans to impose new national security laws. Taiwan has become a refuge for a small but growing number of pro-democracy protesters fleeing Hong Kong, which has been convulsed since last year by anti-Beijing and anti-Hong Kong government protests. Hong Kong police fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse thousands of people who rallied on Sunday to protest against Beijing's move to introduce new national security laws.
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.
- WorldAssociated Press
Venezuela celebrates docking of tanker with Iran gasoline
Venezuelan authorities celebrated Monday as the first of five Iranian tankers loaded with gasoline docked in the South American country, delivering badly needed fuel to the crisis-stricken nation that sits atop the world's largest oil reserves. The gasoline shipments are arriving in defiance of stiff sanctions by the Trump administration against both nations, and they mark a new era in the burgeoning relationship between Venezuela and Iran, which is expanding its footprint in the Western Hemisphere. “We keep moving forward and winning,” Venezuela's Minister of Energy Tareck El Aissami tweeted.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
- WorldBBC
Coronavirus in South Africa: President Ramaphosa says outbreak will get worse
The president of South Africa has warned that the country's coronavirus outbreak is going to get much worse, while announcing that lockdown measures are to be eased. Cyril Ramaphosa said a third of the country's more than 22,000 cases had been recorded in the last week. Mr Ramaphosa was speaking after a mining company in South Africa said 164 workers at a gold mine near Johannesburg had tested positive for coronavirus.
- PoliticsNBC News
Republican groups sue California over expanded mail-in voting
The Republican National Committee and other GOP groups filed a lawsuit against California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday, arguing a move to expand mail-in voting during the pandemic is illegal. The suit, filed in federal court in the state's eastern district, also names the California Republican Party and the National Republican Congressional Committee as plaintiffs. In a tweet announcing the suit, national committee chair Ronna McDaniel called Newsom's executive order “radical” and a “recipe for disaster that would create more opportunities for fraud.
- PoliticsThe Guardian
Joe Biden forced to make his fundraisers fully virtual – bar the price tag
The coronavirus pandemic may have driven Joe Biden into his basement and forced his campaign online, but one crucial factor is still the same: his run for the White House still needs to raise giant amounts of money. A fundraising invite for a 14 May event for the New Hampshire Republican congressional candidate Matt Mowers featuring the former New Jersey governor Chris Christie starts at $250 for the “individual” level and goes all the way to $1,000 for the chair level.
- WorldThe Telegraph
Police say Dominic Cummings controversy will make lockdown impossible to enforce
The police will no longer be able to enforce lockdown because Dominic Cummings' actions have completely undermined their authority with the public, it was claimed last night. Senior policing figures and frontline officers said they feared people would no longer be willing to adhere to the Government's guidance, making their job virtually impossible. Many senior officers had already admitted they were struggling to explain the rules to an increasingly confused public.
- 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.
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.Business Insider
Gov. Cuomo: travelers from Europe 'brought the virus to New York'
Cuomo cited reporting from The Washington Post suggesting that President Trump's European travel ban, which had been instituted in March, caused "one final viral infusion" as Americans fled some of the initial pandemic epicenters outside of China, like Italy and Spain. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Sunday said that travelers coming to the US from Europe were to blame for spreading the virus widely in the state in the initial days of its outbreak.
- U.S.USA TODAY
Memorial Day weekend pool party in Ozarks draws national attention
In a 16-second video clip, dozens are seen in swim wear, eating and, overall, looking like they're having a good time at a pool party in Lake of the Ozarks on Memorial Day weekend. No one appears to be social distancing or wearing face masks, and, in this time of coronavirus, that's grabbed national attention. The video was posted to Twitter by Scott Pasmore, an Arizona anchor for KTVK-3TV, with the caption: "No covid concerns at the lake of the ozarks."
- WorldReuters
Spain revises coronavirus death toll down by nearly 2,000
Spain's health ministry revised the country's coronavirus death toll down by nearly 2,000 to 26,834 on Monday after checking data provided by regions. The total number of cases recorded since the outbreak began has also been revised down, and is now 235,400 -- 372 fewer than on Sunday, it said. Just 50 people died of the virus over the past week, it added, a marked fall from previous weeks.
- 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. The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia Bobby Christine told CBS News his office is looking 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, according to the family's attorneys.
- WorldAssociated Press
1st Iranian ship reaches Venezuela with no sign of US threat
The first of five tankers loaded with gasoline sent from Iran reached Venezuelan waters late Saturday, expected to temporarily ease the South American nation's fuel crunch while defying Trump administration sanctions targeting the two U.S. foes. The oil tanker Fortune encountered no immediate signs of U.S. interference as it eased through Caribbean waters toward the Venezuelan coast and Venezuelan officials celebrated the arrival. “Iran and Venezuela have always supported each other in times of difficulty,” Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza tweeted.
- WorldNBC News
Coronavirus live updates: U.S. marks Memorial Day as deaths near 100,000
The United States marked Memorial Day with somber ceremonies and, in many places, reopened beaches, as the number of coronavirus deaths inched closer to 100,000, according to NBC news' count. President Donald Trump, who participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, was also looking ahead to the Republican National Convention. Trump threatened on Twitter on Monday to move the event from Charlotte, North Carolina, if there is a chance the venue might not be filled there later this summer due to virus-related restrictions.
- 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.
- U.S.The Independent
Jeffrey Epstein: Up to 130 people claim they could be child of dead financier with £470m fortune
More than 100 people claim they could be the offspring of the deceased financier Jeffrey Epstein, who is thought to have had a personal fortune of around £470 million. A DNA company, which set up a website called epsteinheirs.com, said as many as 130 people had come forward – including a number of Britons – since the site's launch. Hundreds more had been in touch with tips regarding Epstein's possible fathering of children, The Sun reported.
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.
- BusinessBusiness Insider
The private jet version of the Boeing 787 can cost more than $200 million and fly over 18 hours. Take a look at some its most luxurious designs.
The Boeing Business Jet 787 is the private jet version of Boeing's bestselling 787 Dreamliner. The Dreamliner kicked off a next-generation revolution with its fuel-efficient engines and aerodynamically-friendly features. The 787 Dreamliner is one of Boeing's most popular twin-engine wide-bodies thanks to its fuel efficiency, lower operating costs, and passenger-friendly amenities, which have proven to be endearing qualities for airlines and private owners alike.
- HealthThe Guardian
The US doctors taking Trump’s lead on hydroxychloroquine – despite mixed results
There is an alternate universe of Covid-19 misinformation masquerading as science, which with the encouragement of Donald Trump, is proliferating among his supporters. Among the most ardent proponents of these claims is the American Association of Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), a fringe group of less than 5,000 doctors. The group was recently cited by Trump's campaign manager, Brad Parscale, to explain the president's stunning announcement that he is taking the drug hydroxychloroquine in an attempt to protect himself against Covid-19 despite a lack of evidence of its effectiveness.
