WorldTechCrunchLidar exposes the remnants of an overgrown ancient civilization in the Amazon
It's Friday and the world is falling apart, so let's just take a short mental health break with some interesting news out of the field of archaeology, where tech is enabling some fascinating new discoveries. A new lidar-powered analysis of land in the Amazon basin has provided evidence of a previously unknown urban center of "mind blowing" complexity. To be clear, that doesn't mean ancient aliens or long-lost technology, just that it far exceeds the expected levels of organization and population that scholars considered possible for Amazonians of 1,500 years ago.
ScienceBusiness InsiderScientists fully sequenced DNA of a man who died at Pompeii and found he may have had a disease that hindered his escape
For the first time, scientists fully sequenced the genome of a man who died in the Pompeii eruption. Researchers think volcanic ash entombed the bodies and shielded their DNA from the environment. When Mount Vesuvius erupted one summer morning in 79 AD, the Roman city of Pompeii — and most of its citizens — were frozen in time, buried beneath tons of volcanic ash.
U.S.QuartzWe ordered the same gun used in Uvalde. Here’s how easy it was.
After Tuesday's school shooting in Uvalde, Texas left 19 children and two adults dead, we wondered how difficult it was to order a DDM4V7, one of the two rifles the gunman bought a few days after turning 18 years old, according to reports. The AR-15-style weapon, made by Georgia-based Daniel Defense, sells online for $1,870, plus tax. Shipping to a local gun shop is free.
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Mother of Texas school gunman begs for forgiveness
The mother of a teenage gunman who shot and killed 21 people at a Texas elementary school is apologizing on behalf of her son and begging victims to forgive her. Adriana Martínez Reyes was emotional during her first public comments. (May 27)
U.S.HuffPostDonald Trump's Stiff Chant Of Uvalde Victims' Names At NRA Rally Curdles Critics' Blood
Former President Donald Trump's mangled recitation of the names of the 21 Uvalde, Texas, mass shooting victims at the National Rifle Association's convention on Friday made Twitter critics' blood run cold. The names of the 19 children and two teachers, broken up into hardly recognizable syllables in Trump's stumbling pronunciation, were interspersed with the funereal sound of a gong. Despite the tragedy, Trump hailed the NRA in his speech at its convention in Houston and ended his remarks with his trademark clenched fists and “cha-cha-cha” dance move.
U.S.WSB Cox articlesCoweta man sentenced in ‘worst child molestation case’ judge had ever seen
A Coweta County judge has found a man guilty in what he's calling the “worst child molestation case” he had ever seen. Derrol Allen Grant was sentenced to five consecutive life sentences followed by 60 years for four counts of aggravated child molestation, one count of enticing a child for indecent purposes, one count of aggravated sexual battery and three counts of child molestation. DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Newnan Police began to investigate Grant in 2018 after a child told a friend -- who then told a school counselor -- that Grant had been abusing the victim for six years.
WorldAssociated PressUAE dismantles plane of gunrunner Russia wants for Americans
The emirate of Umm al-Quwain plans a $675 million development on a island just across a lagoon from the deactivated airport where Bout's plane sits. His legacy, however, lives on even as workers disassemble the aircraft's wings — Bout is in the news again as Russia has suggested America trade him for U.S. citizens held by Moscow amid its war on Ukraine. I had not realized that the plane was there to this day," said Stephen Braun, the co-author of a book on the gunrunner called “Merchant of Death."
U.S.INSIDERThe Uvalde school police chief initially told the public there were 'some deaths' after the shooting. Authorities now say he refused to send cops into the building during the massacre.
The police chief of the Uvalde, Texas, school district initially told the public there were "some deaths" in the wake of the school shooting. Authorities alleged that Uvalde School District Police Chief Pete Arredondo made a "wrong" call during the massacre. Arredondo delayed cops from breaching the classroom where the gunman carried out the rampage, an official said.
U.S.The Hollywood ReporterJohnny Depp Gets Unfavorable Decisions on Jury Instructions
Jurors in the defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard will not consider whether Adam Waldman, Depp's former attorney who was kicked off of the case, had free speech protections when he made allegedly defamatory statements against Heard. In a key ruling on jury instructions, the judge overseeing the case sided with Heard's lawyers Thursday that Waldman does not qualify for privilege, a defense from defamation, because his statements were not in response to anything Heard said or wrote. A ruling the other way could have led to jurors outright denying Heard's $100 million counterclaim against Depp.
NewsYahoo News Canada$2M for Texas shooting family: Irma and Joe Garcia’s death in a single week sparks action
"Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers," Debra Austin, Irma's cousin, posted on the GoFundMe page. "I truly believe Joe died of a broken heart and losing the love of his life of more than 25 years was too much to bear." The online fundraiser far exceeded the US$10,000, with several contributors posting message of support for the Garcia family.
U.S.INSIDERPolice chief who delayed tactical response to shooting that killed 21 people will join Uvalde City Council
The police chief whose orders reportedly delayed response to a school shooting will join the Uvalde City Council. Peter Arredondo was elected three weeks prior to the shooting that killed 21 people, NBC reported. Arredondo has served as Chief of Police of the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District since 2020.
U.S.PoliticoTwo Professors Found What Creates a Mass Shooter. Will Politicians Pay Attention?
Each time a high-profile mass shooting happens in America, a grieving and incredulous nation scrambles for answers. Three years ago, Jillian Peterson, an associate professor of criminology at Hamline University, and James Densley, a professor of criminal justice at Metro State University, decided to take a different approach. In their view, the failure to gain a more meaningful and evidence-based understanding of why mass shooters do what they do seemed a lost opportunity to stop the next one from happening.
U.S.Yahoo LifeHere's why people are connecting the Texas school shooting, the baby formula shortage and the fight over abortion rights
With news about the horrific school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, dominating news headlines and social media feeds, there have been endless angles on the situation — from the heartbreaking discussions of the lives and deaths of the 19 children and two teachers murdered in the classroom to the heated arguments about gun rights and mental health and the police. One particularly passionate and unrelenting take, prevalent on social media, has been to link the shooting to two other major news stories — the leaked Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade and the ongoing baby formula shortage. It involves some social media users calling out the hypocrisies of those against abortion rights, claiming they are "pro-life" while simultaneously lobbying for gun freedoms that result in dead children, and of GOP lawmakers who want to take away a woman's choice to continue a pregnancy while not feeding or protecting their infants once they are born.
BusinessMoneyWise‘Cash is still trash’ — Billionaire Ray Dalio says keeping money in a savings account is not safe. Here’s what he holds instead
Let's take a look at what Dalio's hedge fund holds instead. Sign up for our MoneyWise newsletter to receive a steady flow of actionable ideas from Wall Street's top firms. Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (VWO) According to Bridgewater's latest 13F filing to the SEC, the fund held 22.72 million shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF at the end of March.
U.S.Fox NewsUvalde, Texas residents react to Beto O'Rourke disrupting Abbott press conference: 'Bull----'
Several residents in Uvalde, Texas, still reeling from the elementary school mass shooting that killed 19 kids and two teachers have spoken out against Democratic candidate Beto O'Rourke's attempt to derail Gov. Greg Abbott's press conference Wednesday. Abbott had just finished speaking about mental health resources available for survivors and first responders to Tuesday's shooting when O'Rourke, a pro-gun control gubernatorial candidate, walked up to the stage and accused Abbott of "doing nothing" to prevent these tragedies.
WorldReutersArchaeologists discover ancient Mayan city on construction site
Archaeologists have uncovered the ruins of an ancient Mayan city filled with palaces, pyramids and plazas on a construction site of what will become an industrial park near Merida, on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. The site, called Xiol, has features of the Mayan Puuc style of architecture, archaeologists said, which is common in the southern Yucatan Peninsula but rare near Merida. "We think more than 4,000 people lived around here," said Carlos Peraza, one of the archaeologists who led the excavation of the city, estimated to have been occupied from 600-900 A.D. "There were people from different social classes...
U.S.Belleville News-DemocratMan points gun at TV reporter during live segment on gun violence, Illinois station says
Illinois police are looking for a man that was shown on video pointing what appears to be a gun at a news anchor and her crew while she was filming a live segment on gun violence. A FOX32 reporter and her crew on May 25 were filming a segment in Chicago on gun violence, FOX2 reported. While the reporter was speaking on camera, a man walked behind her and quickly pointed a gun in her direction, footage from FOX2 showed.
U.S.HuffPostFormer ESPN Journalist's Excuse For Uvalde Police Inaction Shocks Twitter Users
Tuesday's school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, is inspiring a debate on what can be done to prevent future tragedies ― as are reports from witnesses that local police were slow to respond to the incident. Law enforcement authorities are facing questions and criticism over how much time elapsed before police put a stop to the rampage by a gunman who killed 19 children and two adults. Jason Whitlock, a former ESPN journalist who now works for conservative outlet The Blaze, shared a take in response to a tweet by right-wing disinformation peddler Jack Posobiec, who wondered why “armed Texans” didn't go after the gunman.
HealthAssociated PressDominant coronavirus mutant contains ghost of pandemic past
The coronavirus mutant that is now dominant in the United States is a member of the omicron family but scientists say it spreads faster than its omicron predecessors, is adept at escaping immunity and might possibly cause more serious disease. Because it combines properties of both omicron and delta, the nation's dominant variant in the middle of last year. A genetic trait that harkens back to the pandemic's past, known as a “delta mutation," appears to allow the virus "to escape pre-existing immunity from vaccination and prior infection, especially if you were infected in the omicron wave," said Dr. Wesley Long, a pathologist at Houston Methodist in Texas.
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The West has declared 'total war' on Russia, says Lavrov
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accuses Western countries of waging a "total war" on Russia, its people and its culture as Moscow pushes on with its "special military operation" in Ukraine.
PoliticsThe RootPlans To Forgive $10,000 In Student Debt Per Borrower Announced By Biden Administration
Is student loan forgiveness finally on the way to help the millions of Americans looking for assistance? According to a report by The Washington Post, the Biden administration plans to cancel $10,000 in student debt per borrower. The move would be consistent with the President's campaign promise in 2020.
WorldYahoo NewsChechen leader, staunch Putin ally, threatens Poland over support for Ukraine
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, a staunch ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, threatened to attack Poland over its support for Ukraine. Speaking in a video that was posted to social media on Wednesday, the warlord warned that Poland had “better take back” the weapons it supplied to its neighbor. “The issue of Ukraine is closed,” said Kadyrov, via a translation from a BBC reporter.
U.S.The Daily BeastTed Cruz Storms Out on British Interviewer When Asked Why School Shootings Only Happen in America
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) abruptly walked off from a British journalist's questions about gun violence in America two days after an elementary school massacre in his state left 19 children and two adults dead. Cruz, who is due to appear at a National Rifle Association convention this weekend, became incensed when pressed on gun laws and why mass shootings “only happen in America.”
PoliticsMarketWatchMitt Romney, Elizabeth Warren, other senators send bipartisan letter to Biden urging him to keep Trump’s China tariffs, saying they’re ‘not a driver of today’s inflation’
Rolling back the tariffs on China would undermine the U.S. position in negotiations, expose many U.S. companies and workers to a sudden flood of imports, and signal to China that waiting out the United States is preferable to changing their non-market behavior or complying with the Phase One Agreement,” they also wrote in their missive, referring to a deal that Trump made with Beijing. Among the nine senators who signed the letter to Biden were three Democrats — Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts — and six Republicans: Mike Braun of Indiana, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, Rob Portman of Ohio, Mitt Romney of Utah and R...
WorldReutersExclusive-U.S. and Ukraine discuss danger of escalation as new arms extend Kyiv's reach
As the United States and its allies provide Ukraine with increasingly sophisticated arms, Washington has held discussions with Kyiv about the danger of escalation if it strikes deep inside Russia, U.S. and diplomatic officials tell Reuters. The behind-the-scenes discussions, which are highly sensitive and have not been previously reported, do not put explicit geographic restrictions on the use of weapons supplied to Ukrainian forces. But the conversations have sought to reach a shared understanding of the risk of escalation, three U.S. officials and diplomatic sources said.
“It could give millions a chance to finally buy a house or start their business or help their kids get an education, too.”
“You signed a contract…If you don’t want to deal with the financial pressure of debt, don’t take out the loan.”
“Without action from Biden, Black student debt will hinder his agenda with respect to eliminating racial inequities.”
“Blanket relief could end up routing too much relief to those who do not need it and too little to those who do.”
“Unlike a number of other policy issues, student debt relief doesn’t need to be pushed through a narrowly controlled Congress.”