WorldThe TelegraphAntivirus software pioneer John McAfee found dead in Spanish prison cell
John McAfee, the founder of antivirus software McAfee, reportedly died by suicide in his prison cell in Barcelona on Wednesday, after a Spanish court approved his extradition to the US on tax evasion charges. The 75-year-old British-American eccentric tech entrepreneur was arrested at Barcelona Airport in October last year for allegedly failing to pay taxes on years of income. According to Spanish newspaper El Pais, officers at Brians 2 prison found Mr McAfee dead shortly after the court decision and are investigating the cause.
PoliticsThe WeekMichigan GOP investigation finds no voter fraud evidence, slams 'demonstrably false theories'
Republicans in Michigan have found no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the state, and they're urging the public not to listen to "demonstrably false theories" suggesting otherwise. The Republican-led Senate Oversight Committee in Michigan spent months investigating the 2020 election in the state, and a 35-page report prepared by Sen. Ed McBroom said that while there are some "glaring issues" with the state's election law, "there is no evidence presented at this time to prove either significant acts of fraud or that an organized, wide-scale effort to commit fraudulent activity was perpetrated in order to subvert the will of Michigan voters," Bridge Michigan reports. Michigan was one of the states that President Biden won in 2020 after former President Donald Trump previously won it in 2016, but Trump since November has continued to push baseless allegations of widespread voter fraud and refused to concede the election.
- WorldReuters
UK pilot scheme finds no big COVID outbreaks at test events
A British trial of how risky cultural and sporting events are for transmission of the coronavirus found no substantial outbreaks of COVID-19 although the findings were based on a low number of test completions, government researchers said. Britain has conducted a pilot scheme to test audiences at live events from soccer matches to raves and concerts, some of them indoors, to see if they can be held with full crowds. The researchers said in a report published on Friday that "no substantial outbreaks were identified by public health teams and their surveillance systems around any of the events."
WorldThe TelegraphAlex Salmond accuses Nicola Sturgeon of doing 'nothing at all' to deliver Scottish independence
Alex Salmond has accused Nicola Sturgeon of appearing to do "nothing at all" to deliver independence after Michael Gove ruled out another referendum before the 2024 general election. The Alba Party leader said Ms Sturgeon's Government was wasting time "having discussions about discussions", while Westminster was already plotting to "rig the ballot". The former First Minister said it was "time to force the Scottish issue now" and get on with delivering a referendum rather than "have Michael Gove or Westminster dictating how Scotland is governed".
U.S.Fort Worth Star-Telegram911 operator didn’t send Fort Worth officer on call and 3 people died, news report says
An overworked 911 call-taker didn't send a Fort Worth police officer on a June 1 domestic call that ended in a double-murder and suicide, according to a news report. Ex-911 operator Kate Colley told KXAS-TV that the stressed 911 dispatcher received a call from Holly Beverly, who reported that her estranged husband was on his way to her apartment in west Fort Worth to harm her. The operator didn't send an officer because the suspect wasn't actually on the scene yet, Colley told the TV station.
WorldBBCIllegal gold miners stalk Amazon as authorities look away
At around midday on 11 May, Dario Kopenawa, an indigenous leader, received a desperate phone call from a remote village in the Brazilian Amazon. Palimiú has a population of about 1,000, who live in large communal houses on the banks of a river called Uraricoera. Kopenawa, a member of the Yanomami tribe, is used to hearing pleas for help from communities in the rainforest, but this one was different.
U.S.Fort Worth Star-TelegramArlington police make arrest in shooting that killed teen at Hurricane Harbor water park
Arlington police made an arrest overnight in the Wednesday shooting of a 16-year-old boy at Six Flags Hurricane Harbor with help from the U.S. Marshal's Service, according to a news release. Police said they arrested 18-year old Cameron Lavon Stephens without incident. He is being held in the Arlington jail where he is charged with one count of murder, according to the release.
U.S.Lexington Herald-LeaderLexington council wades into fight between landfill operator and Scott County
The Lexington council voted Thursday to send a resolution to state environmental officials supporting its solid waste contractor in its efforts to expand a controversial Scott County landfill. Over the objections of Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton and Scott County elected officials, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council voted 11 to 4 to send the resolution to Kentucky Environmental Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Goodman backing Waste Services of the Bluegrass' challenge of various efforts by Scott County to close the landfill.
WorldBBCUS to evacuate thousands of Afghans before troop withdrawal
The US plans to evacuate thousands of Afghans who worked for the American military ahead of September's troop withdrawal, senior officials have said. The plan could involve moving as many as 50,000 people - interpreters and their families - to other countries. Afghan interpreters who have worked for the US for years fear reprisals from the Taliban after the withdrawal.
HealthThe TelegraphNew website 'accurately predicts your risk of dementia'
An online calculator that predicts a person's risk of developing dementia in the next five years has been created. It takes into account age, lifestyle factors, weight and previous health conditions to give users a percentage risk of them developing the condition in the next five years. The scientific study by the University of Ottawa ran for nearly 20 years and each participant was followed for an average of ten years each.
WorldFort Worth Star-TelegramHow long can someone survive in rubble? What to know after condo collapse near Miami
At least one person has died following a devastating partial collapse of a condo Thursday morning in Surfside, Florida, and first responders anticipate more fatalities. A heap of rubble remains from the collapse at Champlain Towers South Condo near Miami. But because workers have so far been unable to determine the structure's stability, they have not begun removing the rubble of the 12-story condo to look for any potential survivors of the 1:30 a.m.
U.S.INSIDERVideo captures the moment a high-rise condo building partially collapsed in Surfside, Florida
Video captured the moment a wing of a high-rise condo in Florida collapsed on Thursday. Shocking footage captured the moment a wing of a high-rise condo in Florida collapsed on Thursday. Video posted to Twitter by Andy Slater, a Fox Sports 640 radio host, reportedly shows part of the 12-story oceanfront Champlain Towers South Condo in Surfside suddenly plummet to the ground at around 1:30 a.m.
- BusinessYahoo News Video
Judge appears skeptical as attorneys argue for Dominion suit to be dropped
A federal judge on Thursday appeared skeptical of arguments to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems over baseless 2020 election fraud claims made by Trump allies Sidney Powell, Rudy Giuliani and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell.
PoliticsUSA TODAY OpinionIsrael's new government will make Middle East affairs a lot easier for Joe Biden
The new Israeli government, headed by a prime minister to the right of Benjamin Netanyahu, will bring neither change nor unity, the veteran left-wing Israeli journalist Gideon Levy wrote this month in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. President Biden took almost a month to call Benjamin Netanyahu after becoming president. Why would the Biden administration be so welcoming of an unwieldy government that's living on borrowed time, led by a prime minister who has championed annexation of the West Bank and contains right-wing pro-settlement parties?
WorldBBCCovid: Sydney city centre and Bondi beach to enter lockdown
More than one million people in Sydney's central and eastern suburbs, including Bondi Beach, will be locked down after a jump in Covid cases. The Australian city is battling to contain an outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant. Officials reported 17 new cases on Friday, taking the cluster to 65 cases.
LifestyleLA Times6 new boozy BBQ sauces to make all summer long
As it happens, my colleague Lisa McRee, anchor of Spectrum's "L.A. Times Today," emailed me back at the beginning of May to say she had the same problem and to ask for advice on what she should do with all the excess liquor she had in her bar. As it turns out, Lisa is a sauce queen. From barbecue sauces to herb relishes, spicy salsas and everything in between, Lisa likes to make a few different sauces to keep on hand so that when guests come over, either planned or unannounced, she can grill up some ribs, chops or veggies and serve a flavorful dinner.
U.S.INSIDERThe collapsed Florida condo was part of a 2015 lawsuit where a resident complained the outer walls weren't being properly maintained
Champlain Towers in Surfside, Florida, partially collapsed on Thursday, killing at least one. A resident of the Florida condominium that partially collapsed early Thursday filed a lawsuit in 2015 alleging that one of the building's outer walls was not being maintained properly, court records seen by Insider showed. As of Friday morning, rescue workers were still searching for 99 people who remain unaccounted for in the massive collapse of a section of Champlain Towers, at 8777 Collins Avenue in Surfside.
PoliticsFort Worth Star-TelegramBeto and Joe Biden won Tarrant County. Can Democrats ride that to county judge seat?
Going into 2022, Tarrant Democrats see an opportunity to gain a majority on the Commissioners Court and continue to make inroads in a Republican county. While wins from Joe Biden and Beto O'Rourke give them hope, the question remains whether the county is turning purple. After all, Democrats failed to flip five state House seats they targeted in 2020, and political experts say Biden's and O'Rourke's victories were likely the result of votes against unpopular candidates.
HealthBBCDelta plus India: Scientists say too early to tell risk of Covid-19 variant
India has classified a new variant of the coronavirus first identified in Europe as a "variant of concern", but it's too early to tell whether it poses a significant threat. India's health ministry says studies showed that the so-called Delta plus variant - also known as AY.1 - spreads more easily, binds more easily to lung cells and is potentially resistant to monoclonal antibody therapy, a potent intravenous infusion of antibodies to neutralise the virus. The variant is related to the Delta, an existing variant of concern, which was first identified in India last year and is thought to have driven the deadly second wave of infections this summer in India.
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Death toll rises to 4 in Miami-area condo collapse, 159 are missing
Speaking at a press conference on Friday morning, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said that the death toll for Thursday morning's apartment collapse has risen to four and that 159 people were unaccounted for.
U.S.The Daily BeastLord Ashcroft’s Daughter-in-Law Breaks Silence on Shooting of Belize Cop
The British billionaire's daughter-in-law who killed a top police officer in Belize is breaking her silence to tell the story of how she accidentally shot him—and how she is now locked in a battle to see her own children. “I feel like I'm living in a movie and I don't know what the endgame is,” Jasmine Hartin, the partner of Lord Michael Ashcroft, told the Daily Mail in her first interview since her arrest. Hartin is charged with manslaughter by negligence in the shooting death of Police Superintendent Henry Jemmott last month—a sensational case that has gripped the Central American country and made headlines around the world.
BusinessBBCAfricrypt brothers deny involvement in Bitcoin 'heist'
A lawyer for two brothers who founded a South African Bitcoin investment firm has told the BBC they categorically deny any involvement in a "heist". Africrypt, founded by Raees and Ameer Cajee, "absconded" with Bitcoin then valued at about £2.6bn ($3.6bn), according to a complaint to police. A law firm - Hanekom Attorneys - made the complaint in April on behalf of a group of investors.
U.S.INSIDERAn ex-NRA president spoke at a fake high school graduation where the empty seats represented students killed by gun violence
A former NRA president was invited to speak at a fake high school graduation in Las Vegas. The 3,044 empty chairs in the stadium symbolized high school seniors who were killed by gun violence. The stunt was orchestrated by Manuel and Patricia Oliver, whose son died in the 2018 Parkland shooting.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez slams the lack of diversity in an all-white group of lawmakers who drafted a bipartisan infrastructure deal
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized the bipartisan group of lawmakers who negotiated an infrastructure deal. President Joe Biden announced on Thursday that the group reached a deal. The New York lawmaker called out the group for its lack of diversity.
PoliticsThe StateTrump returns to campaign-style rallies. Can he reach an audience beyond the GOP base?
Former President Donald Trump's megaphone, once the loudest in politics, will be put to the test in the coming weeks as he prepares to hold his first rallies since leaving office. While Trump has maintained his firm grip on the Republican Party even after his election defeat, he has struggled to get his message out and dominate headlines as he once did without the power of the bully pulpit or access to his social media accounts. Trump's upcoming rallies in Ohio and Florida and visit to the border with Mexico on Tuesday will represent his biggest uptick in public appearances over the last five months.
“The pandemic has unequivocally proven the public health value of masks. And they should stick around in certain situations.”
“With the steady thrum of anti-mask sentiment in the U.S., it’s highly unlikely that they will continue to be a ubiquitous sight.”
“Wearing masks on airplanes or other modes of transit ... can help keep everyone safe.”
“Just because masks are common in many other nations ... is hardly a reason to emulate the practice.”
“The fact that the flu all but vanished ... is not evidence alone that masks were responsible.”