- PoliticsYahoo News
Obama endorses challenger to Maine's Susan Collins, under fire for Kavanaugh confirmation vote
Former President Barack Obama released a list of endorsements for the 2020 elections on Monday that included Democratic Senate candidate Sara Gideon, who is trying to unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine. The race could help decide which party controls the Senate for at least the next two years. Gideon is the speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, and the two most recent polls (by Colby College and Public Policy Polling) of her race against Collins show her with a 5-point lead.
- U.S.Yahoo News
Gun sales spike among African-Americans: 'Our ancestors died for us to vote, they also died for us to be able to carry guns'
During the first six months of 2020, amid a global coronavirus pandemic, gun retailers have reported a record 10.3 million firearm transactions, according to a new survey by the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Overall, gun sales in the U.S. have increased by 95 percent while ammunition sales have increased 139 percent compared to the same period last year. “The highest overall firearm sales increase comes from Black men and women, who show a 58.2% increase in purchases during the first six months of 2020 versus the same period last year,” Jim Curcuruto, NSSF director of research and market development, wrote in his report.
- PoliticsUSA TODAY
'Blatant disrespect of Black women': Women leaders criticize treatment of Black women being considered as Biden VP pick
WASHINGTON – Over 100 Black women leaders and activists slammed comments made of Black women being considered to be Joe Biden's running mate as racist and sexist in an open letter published Wednesday. Sen. Kamala Harris, Rep. Karen Bass, former US Ambassador Susan Rice, Rep. Val Demings and former Georgia Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams have all been floated as possible vice presidential contenders for Biden. The letter comes as Biden is nearing an announcement on his vice presidential pick.
- WorldThe Daily Beast
Beirut Ignored Public Warning There Was a Russian ‘Bomb’ at the Port
Years before a devastating blast killed at least 100 people and injured more than 4,000 in Beirut Tuesday, a maritime analyst issued a public warning that a Russian “floating bomb” was languishing in the city's docks. Maritime monitoring systems tracked the Rhosus into port in Beirut in September 2013. The 2,750 metric ton cargo of ammonium nitrate would primarily be used for fertilizers or high power explosives.
- U.S.Business Insider
Houston man charged with using COVID-19 relief funds to buy Lamborghini — one week after Florida man was charged for the same crime
The US Department of Justice said on Tuesday that Houston resident Lee Price III is in custody on allegations of using fraudulently obtained COVID-19 relief funding for personal purchases. The DOJ said one application listed a CEO who, in reality, had died a month before the application was submitted. Price used the money to buy a Lamborghini Urus SUV, a 2020 Ford F-350 pickup truck, a Rolex watch, real estate, and for visits to Houston night clubs and strip clubs, authorities alleged.
- U.S.Reuters
Georgia prosecutor asks court to revoke bond for former Atlanta policeman charged with murder
A Georgia prosecutor has asked a judge to revoke the bond for the former Atlanta policeman charged with murder in the shooting of Rayshard Brooks, saying in court papers that he had violated its terms by taking an out-of-state vacation. Brooks, a Black man, was fatally shot in June in the parking lot of a Wendy's restaurant in Atlanta, an incident that was caught on video and set off days of protests over racial inequality and social injustice. District Attorney Paul Howard asked the court late on Tuesday to send former officer Garrett Rolfe, 27, back to jail for violating the terms of his bond, which include a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew and an order that he stays within the court's jurisdiction.
WorldAFPUS announces 'highest level' visit in decades to Taiwan
The United States on Wednesday announced its "highest level" visit in decades to Taiwan, a move sure to infuriate China at a time when relations between Washington and Beijing are at historic lows. Washington's trade office in Taipei confirmed that health chief Alex Azar would lead an upcoming delegation to the self-ruled island, which China's communist leaders claim and have vowed to one day seize. "This marks... the first Cabinet member to visit in six years, and the highest level visit by a US Cabinet official since 1979," the American Institute in Taiwan said.
- U.S.INSIDER
Illinois officials call to abolish history classes in the state until an 'alternative' is set up to highlight underrepresented groups
Tim Boyle/Getty Images Community leaders in Illinois called for history classes in state schools to stop until a " suitable alternative" is established to represent minority groups in the curriculum. Democratic State Representative LaShawn K. Ford said "current history teachings lead to a racist society and overlook the contributions of women and minorities," according to NBC Chicago. The state representative is calling for schools to discard history books "that unfairly communicate our history."
- U.S.Associated Press
Florida tops 500K virus cases as testing resumes after storm
Florida surpassed 500,000 coronavirus cases Wednesday as testing ramped up following a temporary shutdown of some sites because of Tropical Storm Isaias, state officials said. A long line of cars waited outside Hark Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Wednesday morning for a coronavirus testing site to reopen after being closed because of the storm. Florida reported 225 new deaths Wednesday, bringing its seven-day average of daily reported deaths to a high of 185, behind Texas with 197.
- PoliticsYahoo News
New poll shows plummeting GOP satisfaction with direction of country
Thanks to a marked shift among Republican voters since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, just 13 percent of Americans surveyed now say they are satisfied with “the way things are going in the United States.” A poll by Gallup released Wednesday shows that Republicans who say they are “satisfied” with the direction the country is heading has fallen by 60 percentage points since February, when the coronavirus pandemic began spreading rapidly across the U.S. Republicans' satisfaction today (20%) is about half what it was a month ago (39%) and down 60 points since February, after the Senate acquitted President Donald Trump in his impeachment trial.
- PoliticsThe Week
Progressive activist Cori Bush defeats 20-year incumbent Rep. William Lacy Clay
Clay has represented the district for the last 20 years, and before that, his father, William Lacy Clay Sr., held the seat for three decades. Bush ran against the incumbent in 2018, but lost by a 20-point margin. On Tuesday, with 100 percent of precincts reporting, Bush has 48.6 percent of the vote, compared to Clay with 45.5 percent.
- WorldUSA TODAY
This is what it looked like after the US dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima 75 years ago
The most powerful weapon to ever be used against other humans was detonated by the United States in Japan 75 years ago. On August 6, 1945, a B-29 bomber famously known as the Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, marking the first of two times the bomb has ever been used in warfare. The city was leveled – less than 10 percent of the buildings in Hiroshima were left undamaged by the bomb, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
- SportsArchitectural Digest
Direct-to-Consumer Furniture Brand Burrow Expands Its Offerings
The company is welcoming benches and credenzas to its product line starting today Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
- WorldBusiness Insider
2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate was impounded in Beirut's port after it was seized from an abandoned ship in 2014, years before the explosion
Lebanon's Supreme Defense Council said on Tuesday that 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate from an abandoned ship had been left in storage at Beirut's port, state media reported. Lebanese officials believe it was behind the explosion at Beirut's port on Tuesday, according to state media. A Beirut law firm said in a legal summary in 2015 that the ship, the MV Rhosus, had technical difficulties while sailing in September 2013, was forced into Beirut's port, and was banned from continuing.
- WorldThe Telegraph
Pakistani court sparks outrage by ruling 14-year-old Christian girl must stay married to alleged abductor
A Pakistani court has sparked outrage by ruling a 14-year-old Christian girl was legally married to a Muslim man who allegedly abducted her at gunpoint. In a case that has renewed focus on the persecution of Pakistan's Christian minority, the Lahore High Court ruled on Tuesday that Maira Shahbaz had willingly converted to Islam and married Mohamad Nakash. The girl and her family claim that she was kidnapped in April by Mr Nakash and two accomplices from near her home in the city of Faisalabad.
- PoliticsThe Week
Biden may have narrowed his VP list down to Kamala Harris and Susan Rice
Former Vice President Joe Biden could be down to two contenders in his search for a running mate. A new report from Axios details how Biden confidants believe he has narrowed his list down to Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and former National Security Adviser Susan Rice. As far as Harris goes, Axios writes that Biden's brain trust has "deep and trusting relationships" with those who are pushing for the California senator while touting her skills as a prosecutor.
- U.S.Yahoo News Video
Should you send your child back to school? Here’s how to weigh the coronavirus risks.
As parents and caregivers grapple with whether to send their children to school for in-person learning this fall, Dr. Dara Kass, Yahoo News' medical contributor, explains how you can weigh the coronavirus risks based on CDC guidance.
- U.S.INSIDER
Photos of mask-less students crammed into a Georgia school hallway show how difficult reopenings could be
ihateiceman/Twitter Photos circulating on social media show the first days back at North Paulding High in Dallas, Georgia with students filling the halls and many not wearing masks. School documents state that the administration will "strongly encourage" wearing a mask but it is a "personal choice" and will be not be mandated. Football players from the school recently tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, according to a letter from the school principal to parents, raising concerns that the virus could spread widely among students.
- PoliticsReuters
Not in the room where it happens: U.S. Senate's McConnell opts out of coronavirus talks
As coronavirus aid negotiations between top White House officials and Democratic leaders in the U.S. Congress bogged down over the past week, the question reverberating through near-empty Capitol hallways has been "Where's Mitch?" That's Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader with the reputation of being a legislative mastermind and a tough, wily deal-maker. McConnell, a Republican like President Donald Trump, said on Tuesday he is deliberately hanging back as Congress's top Democrats and White House negotiators work out a deal to help American families stay afloat during severe economic times caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
- PoliticsThe Independent
‘You can’t do that’: Trump refuses to discuss coronavirus death rate and says US beating rest of world on cases
Donald Trump has maintained that the US is beating the rest of the world on the coronavirus death rate, even as thousands of Americans are still dying every week. Mr Trump's analysis, which he advanced during a discussion with Axios interviewer Jonathan Swan, is based on deaths as a proportion of cases but ignores deaths per capita — a measure that puts the US among the worst countries in the world. Asked about why the US is in such a bad situation relative to other countries, Mr Trump shuffled through pieces of paper bearing various charts, and handed Mr Swan a line graph which he said showed the US “lower than the world” in “case death”.
- U.S.WABC – NY
Suspect arrested for assaulting woman at NJ Staples
Hackensack Police arrested 25-year-old Terri Thomas in connection to an attack on a 54-year-old woman inside a Staples store in New Jersey.
- WorldAssociated Press
Family tells AP: Iran abducted California man while in Dubai
A California-based member of an Iranian militant opposition group in exile was abducted by Iran while staying in Dubai, his family said Tuesday. The suspected cross-border abduction of Jamshid Sharmahd appears corroborated by mobile phone location data, shared by his family with The Associated Press, that suggests he was taken to neighboring Oman before heading to Iran. Iran hasn't said how it detained Sharmahd, though the announcement came against the backdrop of covert actions conducted by Iran amid heightened tensions with the U.S. over Tehran's collapsing nuclear deal with world powers.
- U.S.Business Insider
A woman allegedly smashed a police officer's head into concrete after being told to wear a mask
A woman in Melbourne, Australia, allegedly "smashed" a police officer's head into concrete "several times" after being told to wear a mask, the Evening Standard reported. A woman in Australia allegedly slammed a police officer's face into the concrete multiple times Monday after the officer asked her to wear a face mask, the Evening Standard reported. The 26-year-old officer and her colleague approached the mask-less 38-year-old woman while on patrol near a Melbourne shopping center.
- WorldNational Review
Lebanon PM Blames Beirut Explosions on Shipment of Ammonium Nitrate Sitting in Port Since 2013
Massive explosions that rocked the city of Beirut on Tuesday were fueled by a 2,750-ton shipment of ammonium nitrate that had been stored in port since 2013, Lebanon's prime minister announced. “I will not rest until we find the person responsible for what happened, to hold him accountable and impose the most severe penalties,” Prime Minister Hassan Diab told reporters on Tuesday evening. It was not immediately clear why the ammonium nitrate was stored at that location, or how it ended up there.
- U.S.USA TODAY
Florida man arrested, charged with murder after fatally shooting Burger King worker over drive-thru delay, police say
A Florida man was arrested and charged with first-degree murder on Sunday for fatally shooting a Burger King employee over a delay with a drive-thru food order, officials said. Kelvis Rodriguez, 37, was charged with first-degree murder with a firearm, destruction of evidence and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Rodriguez shot 22-year-old Desmond Joshua, Jr. in his chest at a Burger King parking lot in Orlando on Saturday, according to a police report.
“He’s not a radical. But he is running on the most liberal policy platform of any Democratic candidate in modern history.”
“Public opinion has been shifting leftward, and Biden’s thinking has shifted with it.”
“Biden shows that he’s more moderate than some in his party.”
“Biden has always been a creature of his time, and the COVID-19 crisis could force him to veer further left.”
“Liberal activists have lauded the campaign’s outreach to progressives.”