- PoliticsThe Week
Leaked report shows DHS targeted Americans who fought against ISIS in attempt to tie antifa to foreign power
A Department of Homeland Security intelligence report leaked to The Nation has some experts skeptical of the department's motives. The report targeted several left-wing American activists whom the department would normally be prohibited from gathering intelligence on unless they had reason to believe the individuals were operating on behalf of a foreign power. The people named in the report, many of whom have identified with far-left causes, do have connections abroad — they traveled to Syria in the past and fought against ISIS alongside Kurdish factions like the YPG, PKK, and the Peshmerga.
- WorldBusiness Insider
Iran has been covering up its coronavirus death toll, according to BBC investigation which says the true figure is almost 3 times higher
The number of people who have died with COVID-19 in Iran is far higher than the government has publicly admitted, according to figures leaked to BBC Persian. Iran, the worst-hit country in the Middle East, has been accused of covering up its coronavirus cases since early in the pandemic. The number of people who have died with COVID-19 in Iran is nearly three times the official figure, according to an investigation by the BBC.
- PoliticsThe Daily Beast
Nancy Pelosi Tears Into Dr. Birx: ‘I Don’t Have Confidence’ in Her
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) didn't mince words on Sunday morning, declaring that she has no “confidence” in White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx, whom she blamed for President Donald Trump peddling coronavirus disinformation. Last week, during a closed-door meeting with White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, Politico reported that the speaker tore into Birx. Deborah Birx is the worst.
- 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
Annual Sturgis rally expecting 250K, stirring virus concerns
Sturgis is on. The message has been broadcast across social media as South Dakota, which has seen an uptick in coronavirus infections in recent weeks, braces to host hundreds of thousands of bikers for the 80th edition of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. More than 250,000 people are expected to rumble through western South Dakota, seeking the freedom of cruising the boundless landscapes in a state that has skipped lockdowns.
- U.S.The Independent
‘Murder hornets’ trapped in US for first time as officials race to eradicate colonies before breeding season
As the US grapples with the world's worst coronavirus outbreak, a new threat is emerging as Asian giant hornets – known as “murder hornets” due to their lethal sting to humans – are gaining a foothold in the country. After they were first found in Washington State in May this year, the 2-inch (5cm)-long hornets have now been trapped for the first time – giving officials an indication – firstly that their traps work, and secondly of where nests could be situated. Now authorities in Washington State have until mid-September to try and eradicate the invasive species before the breeding season begins.
- WorldReuters
Fauci says states seeing surge in COVID-19 cases should reconsider some lockdown measures
In some states with moderate case counts, experts are seeing "that same insidious increase in percent positive that we had seen and pointed out ... in states like Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Minnesota and others", Fauci said during an interview with the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Fauci said last week that he was seeing signs the surge of COVID-19 cases could be peaking in the South and West while other areas were on the cusp of new outbreaks. Fauci said that it is crucial that the outbreak be contained before autumn, when influenza cases are likely to spike alongside COVID-19 and more people begin to move indoors, increasing the risk of contagion.
U.S.USA TODAYSplash Mountain log flume ride sinks at Disney World's Magic Kingdom
Walt Disney World's Splash Mountain hit rough waters Sunday as Twitter users posted video of a submerged log flume ride they were in only moments earlier. The riders tweeted that the ride began taking on water, and they decided to evacuate even though a Disney employee told them they should have stayed in the boat. In a video that's been viewed nearly 200,000 times, a Twitter user named Sky shared footage of the boat after it sank.
- U.S.Military.com
Marine Corps IDs 9 Troops Lost in Tragic AAV Accident
The Marine Corps has identified eight Marines and one sailor who died after their amphibious assault vehicle sank during a July 30 training exercise in the Pacific. The AAV, which sank after taking on water while training with other assets belonging to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit in the vicinity of San Clemente Island, had 16 troops aboard in total. One Marine, Lance Cpl.
- U.S.The Week
The federal pullback in Portland immediately brought calm to the anti-racism protests
Large crowds have still been showing up at the federal courthouse in Portland, Oregon, since federal agents disappeared from view Thursday, but there's been a palpable change in atmosphere, and for the first time in weeks, calm. Protesters and members of the Trump administration cited the withdrawal of militarized federal agents and their violent tactics — tear gas, rubber bullets, clubs, legally dubious detentions — as the main reason for the relative peace. With federal agents present, some protesters threw bottles or firecrackers, tried to breach fencing around the courthouse, and shined laser pointers at officers.
- PoliticsBusiness Insider
Bill Gates: What Joe Biden should do on his first day in office to stop the coronavirus, if he is elected
Gates said Biden should listen to the experts more, encourage mask wearing, stay in the World Health Organization, and fix the painfully slow US coronavirus testing system. Bill Gates doesn't skip a beat when imagining how the US might approach the coronavirus pandemic differently if the country were to elect a new president this November. "If he wins, what do you think Joe Biden should do about the coronavirus, on January 21st?" I asked Gates, during our recent interview.
- WorldLA Times
Mexico arrests 'El Marro,' gang leader at the center of a bloody cartel war
Mexican authorities on Sunday arrested the leader of the Santa Rosa de Lima cartel, a gang known for stealing millions of dollars in fuel from government pipelines and for turning once-peaceful Guanajuato state into one of the most dangerous regions in the country. Videos show the predawn capture by federal and state authorities of José Antonio Yépez Ortiz, who is known by the alias "El Marro," which means "the Sledgehammer." The capture of Yépez Ortiz, one of the most high-profile arrests by the Mexican government in years, highlights the contradictory nature of the security policies pushed by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
- U.S.NBC News
She got the virus. Then she was fired. Some sick workers left in cold by employers.
As of June 12, nearly 700 companies had violated the law's paid-leave provisions and owed back wages to hundreds of employees, according to Labor Department records. Violators include six McDonald's franchises and the franchise owners of a Comfort Suites, Courtyard by Marriott and Red Roof Inn. In all, the businesses owe $690,000 in unpaid wages to 527 employees, who are not identified in the documents.
- PoliticsAssociated Press
Kansas Senate race tests GOP leaders' power to block Kobach
But party leaders in Washington and many GOP activists in Kansas fear that the normally safe seat held by retiring four-term Republican Sen. Pat Roberts will be in play if the party nominates Kobach, the former Kansas secretary of state who is nationally known for advocating restrictive immigration policies. Trump didn't intervene to help Rep. Roger Marshall in a crowded field, despite prodding from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and others. The two-term congressman for western and central Kansas faced blistering attacks in the final weeks of the campaign, including from a political action committee with Democratic ties.
- U.S.The Independent
New York City has already had more shootings in 2020 than in the whole of 2019
New York City has recorded more shootings so far in 2020 than the whole of last year, authorities have confirmed. There were 777 shootings between January and 2 August 2020, compared with 776 in 2019, according to figures compiled by the New York Post, and later confirmed by New York Police department (NYPD). The milestone was reached when a man presented to Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx, north New York, with gunshot wounds on Saturday evening.
- U.S.Reuters
Diesel truck soot likely sparked major California wildfire
A California wildfire raging through dry brush and timber east of Los Angeles, forcing thousands of people from their homes, was likely sparked by burning soot from the exhaust of a diesel truck, investigators said on Monday. The blaze, dubbed the Apple Fire, has scorched more than 26,000 acres (10,500 hectares) since erupting last Friday in the Riverside County community of Cherry Valley, about 70 miles (120 km) east of Los Angeles, and was only 5% contained as of Monday, fire officials said. The fire posed an immediate threat to some 2,400 homes, prompting mandatory weekend evacuations of some 7,800 residents, said Fernando Herrera, a Riverside County Fire Department captain and spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire).
- BusinessINSIDER
Dr. Deborah Birx says the US is in a new, 'more widespread' phase of the coronavirus pandemic
Dr. Deborah Birx said Sunday that the US was in a new, "more widespread" phase of the coronavirus pandemic. "What we are seeing today is different from March and April," the White House coronavirus response coordinator said on CNN. Birx emphasized the importance of wearing a mask and social distancing.
- U.S.Yahoo News Video
Coronavirus relief bill remains up in air as negotiations continue
Slow negotiations on a COVID-19 relief bill continued Monday afternoon. Republicans are upset that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi won't drop her expansive wish list even as concerns are growing that the White House needs to be more sure-footed in the negotiations.
- LifestyleArchitectural Digest
See Inside Zaha Hadid’s Revolutionary Oeuvre
A new book by Taschen surveys the Pritzker Prize–winning architect's process, including her paintings and drawings—which are works of art in their own right Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
- BusinessBusiness Insider
These 43-square-foot pods were originally for travelers to take a nap at the airport, but now the company is selling them for $50,000 each
NapCity started out smalling private pods travelers could rent to take a rest in airports. NapCity makes tiny pods mostly used in airports, where travelers can take a quick nap on a layover. The COVID-19 pandemic completely upended the travel industry, and the company has pivoted to selling what president Stephen Rosenfeld calls "private space as a service."
- 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.
- WorldBBC
Shoprite: Africa's biggest supermarket considers pulling out of Nigeria
Africa's biggest supermarket chain, South African-owned Shoprite, says it is considering pulling out of Nigeria. It said it was looking at selling all "or a majority stake" of its operations in Africa's most-populous country. Shoprite is the latest South African retailer to look at leaving Nigeria - clothing firm Mr Price announced its exit in June, and Woolworths in 2014.
- WorldThe Telegraph
Len McCluskey threatens to remove funding from Labour over anti-Semitism payouts
Len McCluskey, the leader of the Unite union, has warned Sir Keir Starmer he cannot take its money for granted after a decision to offer payouts to whistleblowers who accused the party of failing to tackle anti-Semitism. Mr McCluskey, the union's general secretary, on Sunday warned Unite would review its funding of the Labour Party and called the payouts "an abuse of members' money". Labour agreed to pay "substantial damages" to whistleblowers who contributed to a TV expose of its handling of anti-Semitism, but Mr McCluskey said “a lot” of the funds came from his union.
- U.S.The Independent
Mysterious seeds sent from China to the US identified by the USDA
The mysterious seed packs from China that hundreds of Americans received in the mail have been identified, according to the US Department of Agriculture. Federal officials warned those who received the seeds not to plant them over fears that some may be invasive species and could destroy native plants and insects. Osama El-Lissy, a member of the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, said officials had identified more than a dozen plant species included in the seed packets.
- PoliticsYahoo News Video
Who is Karen Bass?
Karen Bass, D-Calif. has been mentioned as a potential running mate for former VP Joe Biden, who has vowed to pick a woman as his vice president.
“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.”