WorldAssociated PressIsrael says it will 'definitely' stop Iran from getting bomb
Israel's foreign minister said Friday that his country was determined to stop Iran from building a nuclear weapon, after Tehran promised to step up its uranium enrichment process. “We will do whatever it takes to prevent the extremists (in Iran) from succeeding, and definitely will prevent this regime from having a nuclear weapon,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi told reporters on a visit to Cyprus. Iranian officials say the country will begin enriching uranium up to 60% purity following an attack on its nuclear facility at Natanz, in central Iran, on Sunday, that it blamed on Israel.
WorldThe TelegraphSpain acquits man of sexually abusing 14-year-old stepdaughter who gave birth to his child
A Spanish court has provoked outrage by acquitting a man of sexually abusing his 14-year-old stepdaughter despite the fact she gave birth to his child. The Pamplona court accepted the defendant's claim that the teenager had sat astride him while he was asleep on the sofa and engaged in penetrative sex. The girl's mother reported the father for alleged sexual abuse of her daughter, who initially said she had been raped in the street before changing her story to corroborate her stepfather's claim that he had not been conscious when they had sex.
PoliticsNational ReviewPsaki Now Says Biden to Raise Refugee Cap by May 15, Cites ‘Confusion’ over Directive
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Friday afternoon that President Joe Biden will raise the Trump-era refugee cap by May 15, and suggested that earlier reports to the contrary were the product of “confusion” about the determination the president issued hours earlier. Biden issued a determination on Friday morning to speed the processing of prospective refugees, but declined to raise the Trump administration's refugee cap of 15,000-per-year, prompting reports that he had abandoned an earlier pledge to raise the cap. In a statement released Friday afternoon, Psaki attributed the delay in raising the cap to lengthy deliberations about the optimal level of refugee resettlement.
U.S.AccuWeatherDownpours may temporarily ease troubling trend in Florida
Rain and thunderstorms will soak Florida, putting a damper on plans and even leading to some dangers like frequent lightning and flash flooding next week. And even though AccuWeather meteorologists say a large amount of rain may fall over a very short period of time, leading to localized problems, the pattern change will also bring some benefits. It has been an exceptionally soggy spring across many areas of the southeastern United States so far in 2021.
- U.S.Associated Press
Editorial Roundup: US
The shooting of Wright came the same weekend that video of an officer in Virginia pepper spraying a Black and Hispanic Army officer was revealed. In that incident, which occured in December, Army Lt. Caron Nazario was stopped by police who did not see the temporary license plate on his new SUV. Police, with guns drawn, ordered Nazario, who was in uniform, out of the vehicle but he said he was afraid to do so.
U.S.Raleigh News and ObserverSearch for kayaker’s body suspended after dog was found in Colorado lake, cops say
Crews have suspended the search for a missing man, who is now presumed dead, after officials spotted a capsized kayak on Sunday and rescued his dog from Carter Lake in Colorado, according to officials. The Larimer County Sheriff's Office officials said on Friday that the search has been suspended after teams have spent more than 700 hours looking for the man believed to be from Loveland. Rangers found an uninjured dog wearing a flotation device and a kayak in the lake Sunday afternoon but no kayaker.
- U.S.Reuters
Investigators find officer wounded in Tennessee not shot by student's gun
A police officer wounded during a shooting incident inside a high school in Knoxville, Tennessee, was struck by a bullet that was not fired by the gun of the student who police shot and killed, according to a preliminary investigation. A 17-year-old high school student, who opened fire at an Austin-East Magnet High School, was fatally shot on Monday during a confrontation with the police. The officers, who were responding to the scene, tracked the gunman to a bathroom where shots were fired.
PoliticsThe Guardian‘Alarm is growing’: Michigan governor faces shutdown dilemma as Covid cases rise
The coronavirus lockdowns and restrictions that Michigan's governor, Gretchen Whitmer, enacted in March last year were among the nation's toughest, and the governor's leadership is thought to have saved lives. Now, as Michigan faces another surge of cases and hospitalizations, its worst yet, Whitmer has changed tack. Despite past success and growing calls for another lockdown from public health experts, and doctors managing hospitals with Covid patients, the governor is resisting further restrictions, and is instead largely relying on a vaccination rollout and a voluntary suspension of in-person dining services.
U.S.Associated PressOfficials: 2nd dead worker from capsized boat found in Gulf
The Coast Guard said Friday that it has found the body of a second dead worker from the lift boat that capsized off Louisiana's coast earlier this week. Rescuers in the air and the sea have been searching for the 19 workers who were aboard the vessel when it overturned Tuesday in rough weather about 8 miles (13 kilometers) from the Louisiana coast. The second body was found in the water near the partially submerged Seacor Power lift boat Thursday night, according the Coast Guard news release.
U.S.Lexington Herald-Leader‘A bobcat attacked my wife!’ Security camera captures wild encounter in North Carolina
Ten seconds later, the seemingly benign man turned into what some people are calling a Hulk-like hero when a bobcat attacked his wife in North Carolina. Home security cameras captured the bizarre moment the unidentified man hurled a bobcat across his North Carolina yard and threatened to shoot it. The 46-second clip was first posted on TikTok and has since been widely shared on Facebook, Twitter and Reddit.
WorldMiami HeraldSixty years after Bay of Pigs, Biden can find opportunity in Cuba after decades of policy failures | Opinion
On the night of April 17, 1961, the CIA-backed Brigade 2506 reached the Bay of Pigs on Cuba's southern shore. The intention was to overthrow Fidel Castro's socialist government and install as interim leader José Miró Cardona, a former member of Castro's government and the head of the Cuban Revolutionary Council, a pro-democracy exile group. The brigade was quickly met by 20,000 of Castro's forces.
- WorldWABC – NY
Woman shot and killed on street, boyfriend hits suspect with car
A 52-year-old woman walking with her boyfriend in the Bronx was fatally shot Wednesday afternoon, and her boyfriend then ran down the suspect with his car.
BusinessReutersDow hits milestone, S&P breaks record high on tech rally
The Dow industrials closed above 34,000 for the first time on Thursday as the blue-chip benchmark and S&P 500 posted fresh record highs on a tech stock rally fueled by falling bond yields and strong March U.S. retail sales. The S&P 500 scored its second closing high this week, and the Dow surpassed its previous peak on April 9. The Nasdaq Composite finished above 14,000 for the first time since Feb. 16 and is now down less than 1% from its Feb. 12 record high ending.
U.S.The StateA week after she was found in a Florida Keys swimming pool, Georgia toddler dies
A 2-year-old Georgia girl died Thursday, almost a week after she was found unresponsive in the swimming pool of the Florida Keys vacation rental home in which she and her family were staying. Leland Rudeen's family released a statement on Facebook Thursday saying that she had died a day after undergoing an MRI at Nicklaus Children's Hospital near South Miami. “Shortly after the devastating MRI results, as we were trying to wrap our head around some hard decisions ahead of us, Leland took the choice out of our hands and started her painless decline,” the statement reads.
LifestyleArchitectural DigestThe 9 Best Wireless Headphones for Every Kind of Use
From the most comfortable pair to the best value buy, these headphones will carry you through the spring, summer, and beyond Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
WorldThe IndependentBiden expels Russian diplomats and announces new sanctions in retaliation for hacking
US president Joe Biden has announced sanctions against a number of Russian officials and ordered the immediate expulsion of ten diplomats from the country, following allegations of election interference and hacking. The US government said for the first time on Thursday that that the hack, which affected at least 100 private-sector businesses and nine federal agencies, was carried out by Russia. The US has also alleged that Russian president Vladimir Putin authorised attempts to swing the 2020 US presidential election in favour of Donald Trump.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderMitt Romney, Liz Cheney, and other GOP lawmakers who criticized Trump or voted to impeach him have spent tens of thousands of dollars on private security
Lawmakers who criticized Trump or voted to impeach him spent thousands to improve personal security after the Capitol attack. Republicans including Mitt Romney and Liz Cheney beefed up their security, per Punchbowl News. Prominent lawmakers spent tens of thousands of dollars on private security guards and other protection following the Capitol riots, a Punchbowl News analysis of campaign finance records shows.
CelebrityTheGrioAtlanta anchor Jovita Moore tearfully reveals brain tumor diagnosis
Moore, an anchor for WSB-TV 2 for more than 20 years, will be recovering from today's surgery for up to 10 weeks. Veteran Atlanta news anchor Jovita Moore tearfully announced to watchers that she is facing surgery this morning following the discovery of brain tumors. Moore, 52, underwent an MRI on Monday afternoon after noticing some symptoms.
- U.S.Raleigh News and Observer
Durham man pleads guilty to shooting grandfather in the head at 16. Why did he do it?
Nearly six years after William Evans was found shot and cold in a Durham parking lot, his grandson pleaded guilty to shooting the 65-year-old man with his own gun. Under a plea agreement, Dominick Jackson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to up to nearly 10 years in prison, with credit for the more than five years he spent in jail awaiting trial. Under North Carolina sentencing laws, courts must consider mitigating and aggravating factors that could decrease or increase the sentence.
WorldThe IndependentBabies dying from Covid in Brazil as ‘humanitarian catastrophe’ hits country
As some countries look towards an end to the coronavirus pandemic, Brazil is facing an ever-worsening crisis, with overwhelmed health systems and a soaring death toll leading to a significant number of babies dying from Covid-19. The South American country's seven-day rolling average for deaths reached more than 3,000 this month, as the medical NGO Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warned that a “humanitarian catastrophe” was unfolding due to government mismanagement of the pandemic. Dr Christos Christou, MSF's international president, said far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro's government had all but refused to introduce “evidence-based comprehensive public health guidelines”.
U.S.INSIDERYou'll need to be vaccinated if you want to take a cruise, but you don't need the COVID-19 vaccine for all travel - yet
As more people receive the COVID-19 vaccine and the world gears up for post-pandemic summer, many are wondering if they need to be vaccinated to travel. At the moment, you don't need to be vaccinated to travel generally, but full vaccination opens up more doors for travelers, and it may be required for certain types of travel in the future. This easy-to-use, interactive map by travel company Sherpa shows travelers what restrictions apply to them based on their vaccination status and departure location.
CelebrityThe TelegraphPrinces William and Harry to be reunited before Prince Philip's funeral
The Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex will be reunited behind closed doors at Windsor Castle on Saturday before laying their beloved grandfather to rest. Members of the Royal family including Prince William and Prince Harry will gather in the State Entrance Hall before the Duke of Edinburgh's coffin emerges from the State Entrance at 2.41pm. In an apparent sign of ongoing tensions between the brothers, they will not walk shoulder to shoulder in the funeral procession but will be separated by their cousin Peter Phillips, the Queen's eldest grandchild.
U.S.Kansas City StarSentencing of Kylr Yust, convicted in deaths of two women in Cass County, goes to jury
Jurors began deliberations Friday morning in the sentencing of Kylr Yust, who was convicted Thursday in the killings of two young women who went missing roughly 10 years apart in Cass County. Yust, 32, was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter in the death of Kara Kopetsky, 17, and of second-degree murder in the death of Jessica Runions, 21. In court on Friday, family members of Kopetsky and Runions gave testimony about who the young women were in life and how their disappearances and deaths affected those who cared for them.
PoliticsThe IndependentDemocrats to unveil bill adding four new justices to the Supreme Court
House and Senate Democrats are planning to introduce a legislation on Thursday that seeks to expand the number of Supreme Court justices from nine to 13. The bill, bound to draw fierce opposition from Republican lawmakers, is led by senator Ed Markey and representatives Jerrold Nadler, Hank Johnson and Mondaire Jones who will introduce it in both the chambers. The legislation comes days after president Joe Biden announced the formation of a bipartisan commission to study potential Supreme Court reforms including the expansion and limiting terms of the justices.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderGOP Reps. Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene were the only 'no' votes on a bill reauthorizing the National Marrow Donor Program
GOP Reps. Greene and Boebert voted against a bill that would renew the National Marrow Donor Program. "Nothing in this bill prevents the funding of aborted fetal tissue," a spokesman for Greene said. GOP Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Lauren Boebert of Colorado were the only members of Congress to vote against a bill that would provide patients who suffer from leukemia or other blood diseases access to potentially life-saving bone marrow transplants.
“There’s no ‘both sides of the debate’ when it comes to active voter suppression.”
“Companies that do this ooze contempt for their own customers and employees who are not in the leftmost quarter of opinion.”
“The truth is that Fortune 500 companies were never taking moral stances from the goodness of their corporate hearts.”
“The truth is, the companies hold the cards…If companies stick to their guns, Georgia is likely to back down as well.”
“When a company folds to the unfounded outrage of a few misinformed nuts, they are forever at the mob’s beck-and-call.”