- WorldReuters
Iran frees South Korean ship, captain after promise to help with frozen funds
Iran released on Friday a South Korean ship and its captain detained since January after South Korea promised to try to secure the release of Iranian funds frozen in South Korean banks under U.S. sanctions, a South Korean official said. The Iranian foreign ministry said the chemical tanker, HANKUK CHEMI, was released after an investigation into environmental pollution, and at the request of the South Korean government and its owner, state news agency IRNA reported. The seizure of the tanker in the Strait of Hormuz off Oman in January had triggered a diplomatic dispute after Iran demanded that South Korea release $7 billion in funds frozen in South Korean banks under U.S. sanctions.
U.S.Associated PressADL: Fox should fire Carlson for white-supremacist rhetoric
The Anti-Defamation League has called for Fox News to fire prime-time opinion host Tucker Carlson because he defended a white-supremacist theory that says whites are being “replaced” by people of color. In a letter to Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott on Friday, the head of the ADL, Jonathan Greenblatt, said Carlson's “rhetoric was not just a dog whistle to racists — it was a bullhorn.” The civil rights group listed numerous instances Carlson has used anti-immigrant language.
U.S.Associated PressFlorida man sentenced in crash that killed Ohio mom, child
A Florida judge sentenced a 21-year-old man to 24 years in prison for killing an Ohio mother and her young daughter in a 2018 traffic crash. Hillsborough Circuit Judge Christopher Nash heard hours of testimony on Thursday before announcing his decision to send Cameron Herrin to prison. Herrin's family members began to weep as sheriff's deputies placed him in handcuffs after the hearing, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
PoliticsBBCUS gun violence: Biden takes action on 'international embarrassment'
US President Joe Biden has issued an order targeting homemade guns, known as "ghost guns" because they are unregistered and untraceable. "Gun violence in this country is an epidemic, and it's an international embarrassment," he said on Thursday. The president is enacting new measures through an executive order, meaning he does not need approval from Congress.
WorldReutersItaly's Draghi accuses 'dictator' Erdogan, draws Turkey's condemnation
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi on Thursday accused Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan of humiliating European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen this week and said it is important to be frank with "dictators", drawing condemnation from Ankara. Von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel met Erdogan in Ankara on Tuesday. The Commission chief was clearly taken aback when the two men sat on the only two chairs prepared, relegating her to an adjacent sofa.
WorldThe TelegraphConversion therapy ban 'would criminalise Christian parents stopping children seeking transgender treatment'
The Government's proposed ban on conversion therapy would criminalise Christian parents who want to stop their children seeking transgender treatment, a leading QC and Church of England minister have warned. In a formal legal opinion sent to ministers last week, Philip Havers QC, a prominent human rights lawyer, wrote banning conversion therapy would unintentionally make it illegal for Christians to tell a child questioning their gender that they should remain in their birth sex. Ed Shaw, the evangelical pastor of a Church of England congregation in Bristol who procured the opinion, said changing the law could “close down freedom of speech, conscience and religion” for him and like-minded believers.
HealthBBCDerek Chauvin trial: Police restraint killed George Floyd, expert says
George Floyd died because of how police restrained him, a medical expert at the trial of ex-police officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis has said. Forensic pathologist Dr Lindsey Thomas said "the activities of the law enforcement officers resulted in Mr Floyd's death" from lack of oxygen. Mr Chauvin, 45, was filmed kneeling on Mr Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes during his arrest last May.
WorldNBC NewsChina tries to wear down its neighbors with pressure tactics
China is trying to wear down its neighbors with relentless pressure tactics designed to push its territorial claims, employing military aircraft, militia boats and sand dredgers to dominate access to disputed areas, U.S. government officials and regional experts say. The confrontations fall short of outright military action without shots being fired, but Beijing's aggressive moves are gradually altering the status quo, laying the foundation for China to potentially exert control over contested territory across vast stretches of the Pacific Ocean, the officials and experts say. Since June, Chinese military planes, sometimes including fighter jets and bombers, have regularly flown into Taiwan's air defense identification zone, forcing Taipei to scramble fighter jets.
U.S.Business InsiderVideo shows Virginia cops holding a Black Army officer in uniform at gunpoint and pepper-spraying him during a traffic stop
A Black Army lieutenant is suing Virginia police officers for assaulting him during a traffic stop last year. A US Army lieutenant is suing two Virginia police officers for holding him at gunpoint, pepper-spraying him, and throwing him to the ground during an illegal traffic stop that took place last year. Caron Nazario, a Black and Latino man who is a second lieutenant in the US Army Medical Corps, was driving home from his duty station on December 5, 2020, when police pulled him over, attorney Jonathan Arthur told The Associated Press on Friday.
U.S.Kansas City StarJackson County reassessment woes of 2019 drive proposed Missouri property tax change
Driven by the sticker shock of Jackson County homeowners who got big property assessment hikes two years ago, a Missouri lawmaker is pushing legislation to change how assessors statewide value properties for taxation. The bill would freeze property assessments at their last sale price and only allow them to rise with inflation or property improvements, a departure from the state constitution's current requirement that assessments are tied to a home's true market value. Rep. Jeff Coleman, a Grain Valley Republican who sponsored the bill, said his goal is to protect low-income and older homeowners from rising property taxes.
WorldArchitectural DigestWhy We Love a Small Loveseat
Supremely versatile, loveseats work as standalone pieces in studio apartments and as part of a seating arrangement in sprawling living rooms Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
CelebrityThe TelegraphPrince Harry expected to return to UK for Duke of Edinburgh's funeral – but not Meghan
The Duke of Sussex is expected to return to the UK from the USA for the funeral of his grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh, despite widespread travel restrictions. Prince Harry, 36, was extremely close to Prince Philip, although he is not thought to have seen him in person since the autumn of 2019. There is an exemption for people attending the funeral of a close family member, although Prince Harry would have to self-isolate at all other times.
BusinessBusiness InsiderMyPillow CEO Mike Lindell says he hired private investigators to find out why Fox News isn't letting him speak on air
Mike Lindell said he's hired investigators to find out why Fox News isn't letting him speak on air. Lindell told Steve Bannon on Friday that several entities are conspiring against him. Fox News and the MyPillow CEO have both been sued by Dominion Voting Systems for defamation.
U.S.Los Angeles Times OpinionOpinion: This is what happens when you celebrate godlessness on Good Friday
Good Friday, that is, inarguably the most solemn annual occasion for Christians — The Times published an op-ed article by sociologist and secular studies professor Phil Zuckerman celebrating the growing godlessness of Americans. Then, on Sunday — Easter Sunday, the day Christians exult at the messianic resurrection that underpins their faith — The Times published an op-ed article by religious studies professor Bart D. Ehrman asserting that Jesus himself did not believe in the existence of an immortal soul. Neither of the pieces were confrontational in the tradition of well-known atheist polemicists such as the late Christopher Hitchens; rather, Zuckerman mostly recited facts that put nonbelievers in a positive light, and Ehrman straightforwardly summarized one side of the long-running debate among theologians on whether Christian beliefs about death and the soul more reflect divine Scripture or "The Divine Comedy."
PoliticsBusiness InsiderFormer GOP House Speaker John Boehner says he wishes he'd fought against Bill Clinton's impeachment by Republicans
John Boehner, the former Republican House Speaker, wrote in his forthcoming memoir that he regrets supporting former President Bill Clinton's impeachment. "I regret it now," Boehner wrote of Clinton's impeachment. John Boehner, the former Republican House Speaker, wrote in his forthcoming memoir that he regrets supporting former President Bill Clinton's impeachment, which he said was a purely political effort.
U.S.Business InsiderDOJ veterans say the latest twist in the Matt Gaetz sex-trafficking investigation could be the most 'scary' one yet for the lawmaker
Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz has been in hot water since The New York Times reported the existence of a Justice Department investigation into whether he had sex with a minor and broke federal sex-trafficking laws. On Thursday, the pressure on Gaetz jumped another notch after lawyers representing Joel Greenberg, a former Florida tax collector who was indicted as part of the investigation, told a judge that Greenberg was close to accepting a plea deal. It's a seismic development that spells trouble for Gaetz, whose friendship with Greenberg dates back to at least 2017.
WorldINSIDERThis hazard map shows how much of St. Vincent is in danger from the volcano eruption
La Soufriere erupted on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent on Friday morning. All of the island is expected to see ash fall from the eruption. A hazard map of the Caribbean island of St. Vincent shows what areas could experience damage from Friday's volcano eruption.
- NewsWBAL - Baltimore Videos
2 charged in fatal shooting in The Mall in Columbia parking lot
After months on the run police arrest two suspects in connection to a deadly shooting at The Mall in Columbia. Detectives said it unfolded in front of several witnesses leaving an entertainment venue. Explains what led up to the encounter and how investigators tracked down the alleged killers.
BusinessBusiness InsiderBoeing's infamous 737 Max plane has a new issue, and 16 airlines are being told to ground planes
Boeing's 737 Max, which was involved in two fatal crashes, has a new issue. Boeing said that some jets have "a potential electrical issue" and recommended they not be flown. Dozens of Boeing's 737 Max plane, which was involved in two fatal crashes, have another issue.
- PoliticsAssociated Press Videos
Stacey Abrams on voting rights, her next move
The Associated Press sat down this week with Stacey Abrams, the Democratic candidate for governor in 2018 and a leading voice on ballot access, to talk about the inequity of sweeping, new state law on Georgia voting. (April 9)
- LifestyleUSA TODAY
Planning a post-vaccine vacation? Don't wait to book a rental car and be prepared for sticker shock
Ticket prices to Washington, D.C., for the late April trip were reasonable, but the 29-year-old California woman did a double take when she shopped for a rental car. Costco Travel, her go-to source for rental car deals, wanted $750 for a three-day full-size car rental in Washington, D.C., more than four times the price she usually pays for a weekend rental in the district. Ball, who works in software sales, checked the tourism calendar to see if the National Cherry Blossom Festival or another big event was going on.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderFormer Rep. Katie Hill says it's 'gross' to think that Matt Gaetz defended her to possibly cover up for 'his own indiscretions'
Former Rep. Katie Hill had nude photos of her leaked without consent and Rep. Matt Gaetz defended her. Gaetz is now implicated in a sex trafficking probe and other allegations of sexual misconduct. Hill says now his defense of her feels "gross" and that she questions his motives.
WorldINSIDERA royal flag at Windsor Castle won't be lowered after Prince Philip's death
Prince Philip, 99, died at Windsor Castle on Friday. A royal flag at Windsor Castle hasn't been lowered, due to royal family tradition. The flag represents the British monarchy and flies at full mast whenever the Queen is at Windsor Castle.
WorldBusiness InsiderLuxury ships from the Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise lines sail to the rescue and evacuate islanders in the path of a volcano eruption
Royal Caribbean International and Carnival Cruise sent ships to the Caribbean island Saint Vincent. The ships helped to evacuate northern areas of the island after La Soufrière threatened to erupt. Saint Vincent's National Emergency Management Organisation later tweeted that the volcano did erupt.
BusinessBusiness InsiderJetblue founder David Neeleman's new airline is recruiting pilots and 4,400 have already applied - here's what Breeze Airways looks for when hiring
Breeze's minimum qualifications The basic requirements to become a Breeze pilot come down to flight hours. All applicants are required to have at least 1,500 total hours with 1,000 hours of experience flying fixed-wing turbine aircraft, regardless of whether applying for the Embraer or Airbus fleet. Military pilots, however, only need 1,000 hours if that time was spent flying high-performance military aircraft.
“Without modern infrastructure, the US cannot create decent jobs, social justice or climate safety.”
“The plan itself is really a big bait-and-switch...A fraction of the spending is actually devoted to traditional infrastructure projects.”
“Focusing on the size of the investment is misleading when you consider the high cost of not making it.”
“Rather than spending $2 trillion, we should privatize infrastructure where feasible and cut taxes and regulations on the rest.”
“Public investment can also be a major source of jobs and growth, helping to pull us out of the stagnation trap.”