- WorldChristian Science Monitor
The hounds of peace that could end the Gaza war
In a war that hardly seemed planned, Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza have begun their fourth conflict in 12 years. The last Gaza war in 2014 went on for seven weeks and left more than 2,000 dead, mainly civilians. This time, so much has changed in the Middle East and elsewhere that this war could be shorter, perhaps even less deadly.
U.S.Lexington Herald-LeaderElementary school principal killed by husband in murder-suicide, Texas officials say
The principal of a Texas elementary school was killed Wednesday by her husband, who then killed himself, Texas officials say. The death of 35-year-old Erica Rene Allen occurred in the front yard of her home and was witnessed by neighbors, according to the League City Police Department. Allen is the principal at Heights Elementary School in Texas City.
HealthReutersDelayed second Pfizer COVID-19 shot produces more antibodies - study
LONDON (Reuters) - Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine generates antibody responses three-and-a-half times larger in older people when a second dose is delayed to 12 weeks after the first, a British study said. The study released on Friday is the first to directly compare immune responses of the Pfizer shot from the three-week dosing interval tested in clinical trials, and the extended 12-week interval that British officials recommend in order to give more vulnerable people at least some protection quickly. After Britain moved to extend the interval between doses, Pfizer and vaccine partner BioNTech said there was no data to back up the move.
WorldBusiness InsiderAOC slams Biden for defending Israeli airstrikes, saying his statements 'dehumanize Palestinians' and could fuel violence
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized President Joe Biden for stating that Israel "has a right to defend itself." The New York Democrat said such blanket statements could encourage "human rights violations." At least 14 Palestinian children have been killed by Israeli attacks on Gaza, according to UNICEF.
PoliticsAssociated PressTakeaways: Partisan discord instead of Jan. 6 answers
A House hearing about what went wrong in the Jan. 6 Capitol siege frequently spiraled into partisan shouting matches on Wednesday, with lawmakers more often blaming each other than thoroughly questioning witnesses about the events of the day. Democrats and Republicans have so far been unable to agree on a bipartisan commission to investigate the insurrection, and officials involved in responding to the attack have pointed fingers at one another. The latest witnesses, including former acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller and former acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen, were called by Democrats who are conducting their own set of investigations in the House.
WorldReutersExhaustion kills two Everest climbers, an American and a Swiss
A Swiss and an American climber have died on Mount Everest, hiking company officials said on Thursday, the first fatalities on the world's highest peak this season. Abdul Waraich, 41, of Switzerland and American Puwei Liu, 55, died of exhaustion while descending the slopes of the 8,848.86 metre (29,031.69-foot) mountain on Wednesday, said Thaneshwar Guragai, a manager of the Seven Summit Treks company that provided support to the climbers. Waraich, who was on his way down after reaching the summit, died near the south summit, according to Chhang Dawa Sherpa, another official of the company.
WorldLA Times'Huge fire' in the sky: From Gaza, a view of the latest conflict with Israel
As Israeli airstrikes rained down on the northern Gaza Strip, coming closer and closer to the home of the Abed Ati family, the 10-year-old Palestinian girl made a frantic request to her father. Fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants — the worst in seven years — raged into a third thunderous night on Wednesday, and through it all, northern Gaza was one of the most dangerous places to be. Beit Lahiya is just south of the Israel-Gaza boundary line and thus a prime spot for Hamas and other militant groups to fire rockets into Israel — more than 1,000 in this bout of fighting, the Israeli military says.
PoliticsReutersBiden voices optimism on infrastructure deal after meeting with Republicans
President Joe Biden expressed optimism on Thursday that a deal could be reached on infrastructure spending after he held a meeting with a handful of Republican senators in a quest for a bipartisan compromise on his more than $2 trillion plan. Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito, who led a group that floated a smaller $568 billion infrastructure bill, as well as Senators John Barrasso, Roy Blunt, Mike Crapo, Pat Toomey and Roger Wicker met with the Democratic president in the Oval Office. "We had a very, very good meeting," Biden told reporters at the White House after the talks concluded.
WorldBBCAfrica's top shots: 7-13 May 2021
A selection of the week's best photos from across the continent: All photos subject to copyright.
PoliticsLexington Herald-LeaderGOP chairman: Beshear misleads public about his lack of leadership during pandemic
In a recent column, Democrat Gov. Andy Beshear sugarcoats his response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Kentucky and attempts to take credit for everything from the state's finances to vaccine distribution and more, while ignoring his own failures. Gov. Beshear even tried to claim recognition for reopening schools and businesses — even as our students and economy continue to struggle under his executive overreach and unilateral dictates. While puffing himself up for political purposes, it is no surprise the governor ignores his many missteps — especially the massive unemployment insurance scandal that his administration created.
WorldArchitectural DigestTufted Is Trending
It's happy, it's fuzzy, it's colorful—and we're totally here for it Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
U.S.Business InsiderNewsmax takes host off the air after he called Israel the 'home country' of Jewish Americans
Newsmax host Greg Stinchfield has been pulled from his show for the remainder of the week. Stinchfield described Israel as the "home country" of Jewish Americans. Former Fox News host Eric Bolling announced he will fill in on Thursday and Friday nights.
U.S.The IndependentChauvin may get longer jail term for 'particular cruelty' in George Floyd murder, says judge
A Minnesota judge ruled that there were aggravating factors involved in the death of George Floyd. The ruling allows for a harsher sentence for former Minneapolis police office Derek Chauvin, who was found guilty of murdering Mr Floyd. Chauvin is scheduled to be sentence on 25 June.
U.S.Business InsiderA man arrested for riding in the back seat of his driverless Tesla got out of jail, bought a new one, and did it again
A San Francisco man said he'll keep riding in the back seat after his arrest, KTVU reports. Param Sharma said he is "very rich" and will keep buying Teslas as his cars are impounded. Tesla sells a feature called Full Self-Driving Capability, but it doesn't make cars autonomous.
PoliticsThe Independent‘It’s wrong’: AOC hits out at Biden’s Israel statement as Democrats demand end to Palestinian displacement
A group of 25 House Democrats has urged Secretary of State Antony Blinken to “exert diplomatic pressure” to stop Israel's efforts to forcibly displace Palestinians in East Jerusalem. “Even our allies must be held accountable for human rights violations,” said US Rep Marc Pocan. The lawmakers point to the demolition of more than 5,000 Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem within the last 50 years, which are “in clear violation” of international laws governing human rights and war crimes, they say.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderTrump asked for troops to do 'whatever was necessary' to protect demonstrators who went on to storm the Capitol
Donald Trump asked for the National Guard to protect his supporters at the January 6 Capitol rally. Hundreds of attendants at the rally went on to storm the Capitol. President Donald Trump asked for National Guard troops to be deployed to protect his supporters at the rally on January 6 that culminated in hundreds of those supporters violently storming the Capitol, his former acting defense secretary told lawmakers on Wednesday.
- NewsYahoo News Video
CDC: Fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask
During the White House COVID-19 response team briefing on Thursday, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, announced that fully vaccinated individuals do not need to wear a mask, inside or outside, or maintain social distance. Walensky said, “If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic.
WorldThe IndependentIndian workers lured to New Jersey and forced to work 12 hours a day at $1.20 an hour to help build Hindu temple, says lawsuit
As many as 200 Indian workers from marginalised communities were allegedly lured to New Jersey in the US where they were forced to work 12 hours a day at $1.20 (85p) an hour to help build a Hindu temple, a lawsuit has claimed. The case was filed by five of them in the US District Court in Newark on behalf of more than 200 Indian construction workers. The lawsuit accuses their employer, Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), and related entities of recruiting them in India and bringing them to the US where they were forced to work for more than 87 hours a week for $450 (£318) a month.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderJustice Brett Kavanaugh wrote a sexually explicit memo 'in a fog of sleep deprivation' during the Starr investigation
Kavanaugh wrote a sexually graphic memo while sleep deprived during the Starr probe, according to The Atlantic. A former colleague of Kavanaugh's told The Atlantic that the judge later "regretted" its tone. The memo had a list of explicit questions for former President Clinton about Monica Lewinsky.
PoliticsThe IndependentJill Biden visits West Virginia with the most powerful man in America, and it’s not her husband
The First Lady paid a visit to a high school in Charleston to promote vaccines for young people with Senator Joe Manchin, upon whom the hopes of the Biden administration's ambitious agenda rest. Mr Manchin, arguably the most conservative Democratic lawmaker in a Senate where the party holds a majority of one, today wields enormous influence over the direction of the country as the White House seeks his support to fund infrastructure and jobs programmes. His vote would be necessary to achieve the threshold needed to pass budget reconciliation measures if a deal is not reached with Republicans.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderFlorida officials are preparing 'contingency plans' for a Trump indictment from New York, report says
As the Manhattan district attorney's criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump enters its final stages, officials in Florida are preparing for "thorny extradition issues that could arise" from a statute in the Sunshine State, Politico Playbook first reported on Thursday. Two officials involved in the "contingency plans" told Politico that law-enforcement personnel in Palm Beach County were looking at what to do if Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.'s investigation results in an indictment while Trump is at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Trump is residing at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, for the next few months.
U.S.The IndependentFather charged after baby found dead in woods hours after TV appeal by parents over ‘disappearance’
A father was charged with manslaughter by the police in Montgomery hours after he made a public appeal with his partner over the “disappearance” of their five week-old baby, who was discovered dead in the woods. On Wednesday night, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office announced the arrest of 32-year-old Caleb Michael Whisnand, who had informed them about the missing baby on Monday night. Sheriff's Captain Leigh Persky said Mr Whisnand is being held in the death of the baby on $100,000 (£71,100) bond in the Montgomery County Detention Center, reported AL.com.
CelebrityThe WeekThere's growing speculation that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will name their daughter 'Philippa'
According to people who bet on royal baby names, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's soon-to-be-born daughter might be a "Philippa." The U.K. gambling site Ladbrokes "slashed the betting odds on the name to 3/1" following the death of Harry's grandfather, Prince Philip, last month, People reports, noting that the younger generation of the royal family has a recent history of honoring the patriarch (Princess Eugenie and Zara Tindall, Harry's cousins, gave their newborn sons the middle name Philip). Diana (after Harry's mother, the late Princess Diana) and Elizabeth (after Harry's grandmother, the Queen) are also still going strong, at 5/1 and 10/1 respectively.
- PoliticsReuters Videos
Miller: Trump wanted troops to protect his supporters on Jan. 6
EDITOR'S NOTE: VIDEO QUALITY AS INCOMING Former Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller told a House of Representatives panel that he spoke with Trump on Jan. 3, three days before the now-former president's fiery speech that preceded the violence and led to his second impeachment. According to Miller's testimony, Trump asked during that meeting whether the District of Columbia's mayor had requested National Guard troops for Jan. 6, the day Congress was to ratify Joe Biden's presidential election victory. Trump told Miller to "fill" the request, the former defense secretary testified.
U.S.The IndependentDrug company executives joked about ‘pillbillies’ as opioid epidemic ravaged rural America
Drug company executives exchanged emails mocking “pillbillies” as a devastating opioid crisis raged through West Virginia and other rural American communities, Mountain State Spotlight reported. The emails came to light on Thursday during a landmark federal case in Charleston brought by one of the worst-affected communities of the crisis against three drug distributors. Cabell County and the city of Huntingdon are seeking more than $2bn in damages from the “Big Three” distributors — Cardinal Health, McKesson and AmerisourceBergen.
“If Facebook lets Trump back on Facebook and Instagram, he'll assuredly restart his assault on democracy.”
“Facebook should have known better than to believe that it could limit speech on its platform without setting a terrible precedent.”
“Providing a microphone and an amplifier for deceit isn't fighting the good fight for free speech.”
“It’s no defense of Mr. Trump’s conduct to say that the digital public square shouldn’t suppress speech by political leaders.”
“The former president no longer gets the ‘head of state’ exception to terms of service.”