U.S.NBC NewsMan who shot, killed elephant seal in California sentenced to prison
A man who fatally shot an elephant seal as it rested on a California beach was sentenced to three months in prison Monday, prosecutors said. Jordan Gerbich, 30, who now lives in Utah, shot the marine mammal in the head with a handgun on Sept. 28, 2019, near San Simeon on California's central coast. Gerbich's federal public defender did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday night.
WorldAssociated PressTaliban not ready to meet Afghan govt in Turkey as US wants
A Taliban spokesman said Monday the religious militia won't attend a peace conference tentatively planned for later this week in Turkey, putting U.S. efforts to get a peace plan anytime soon in jeopardy. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken previously said he wanted to see a peace agreement between Afghanistan's warring sides finalized at a conference hosted by Turkey and attended by top officials from both the Taliban and the Afghan government. Afghan government, U.S. and Turkish officials had said they intended to begin the conference Friday.
U.S.AxiosGov. DeSantis directs Florida to close Piney Point wastewater reservoir after averting disaster
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said Tuesday he directed the state's Department of Environmental Protection to develop a plan to permanently close the wastewater reservoir at Piney Point phosphate plant that recently threatened to cause a catastrophic environmental disaster, according to AP. Why it matters: The governor said that $15.4 million in agency funds will be used to treat the water, which contains waste from the phosphate production that can cause algae blooms and fish kills and eventually impact the food chain if introduced into the environment in large amounts. What they're saying: โWe want this to be the last chapter of the Piney Point story,โ DeSantis said Tuesday, according to AP.
PoliticsAssociated PressWhite House: First lady Jill Biden to undergo 'procedure'
The White House says President Joe Biden will accompany his wife, Jill Biden, Wednesday morning to an appointment where she will undergo a โcommon medical procedure. The White House says both Bidens will then return to the White House and โresume their normal schedule. Later Wednesday, the president is set to address the nation on his plans to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021.
WorldArchitectural DigestThe Worldโs 9 Most Expensive Home Listings Currently on the Market
These fantastical houses range from a 64,000-acre Texas ranch to an oceanside estate in the south of France Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
WorldThe TelegraphGovernment defeated by Lords over bid for prosecution limit on soldiers for war crimes
The Government has been defeated in the House of Lords over a bid for a prosecution limit on soldiers for war crimes. The Overseas Operations Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill, which has already cleared the Commons, seeks to limit false and historical allegations arising from deployments by introducing a statutory presumption against prosecution, which would make it exceptional for personnel to be prosecuted five years or more after an incident. However the Lords backed by 333 votes to 228, moved to ensure the most serious of offences are not covered by legislation aimed at protecting service personnel from vexatious battlefield claims.
- WorldYahoo News Video
Brooklyn Center, Minn., police release footage of Daunte Wright shooting, chief says he believes officer mistakenly grabbed gun instead of Taser
During a press conference on Monday, Brooklyn Center, Minn. released bodycam video of the police shooting of Daunte Wright. Police Chief Tim Gannon said he believes the officer who shot Wright intended to use her Taser, but mistakenly grabbed her firearm.
U.S.Miami HeraldOne man dead, two injured in Hialeah Gardens afternoon shooting, reports say
A shooting at a bus stop in Hialeah Gardens left one man dead and two injured Tuesday afternoon, police say. Around 2 p.m., an unknown person had walked up to a bus stop and shot three people in the area of Northwest 138th Street and 107th Avenue and shot three people, Miami-Dade police said. A witness told Local 10 News that while at the bus stop, the shooter stood near the victim, as if waiting for the bus, before suddenly firing at him and running off.
PoliticsKansas City StarDisgraced MO Rep. Rick Roeber calls it quits. Never forget what happened to his kids
Disgraced Missouri state Rep. Rick Roeber announced his resignation Tuesday afternoon, just steps ahead of potential ouster proceedings in the House chamber. Roeber, of Lee's Summit, had been under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for alleged sexual assault of his now-adult child Anastasia, and physical abuse of Samson Roeber, a sibling. Gabrielle Galeano, a sister, said she was aware of Roeber's behavior at the time.
- WorldChristian Science Monitor
Afghanistan: Can Biden dodge failure and forge his own peace?
When American forces ousted the Taliban from power nearly 20 years ago in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, then-President George W. Bush vowed to break the curse of the so-called graveyard of empires. The history of military conflicts in Afghanistan, Mr. Bush noted, was โone of initial success, followed by long years of floundering and ultimate failure.โ The president is torn between the desires to quickly end America's longest-ever war, and also โ in light of Taliban battlefield advances, and a recent Taliban-driven assassination campaign โ to leave Afghanistan โresponsibly,โ preserving both U.S. strategic interests and Afghanistan's hard-won civil society and democratic gains.
WorldAssociated PressUkraine's leader requests a talk with Putin, gets no answer
Ukraine's leader has asked for a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the Russian troop buildup across his country's border and the escalating tensions in eastern Ukraine, but the request has not been answered so far, his spokeswoman said Monday. The concentration of Russian troops along the frontier comes amid a surge of cease-fire violations in eastern Ukraine, where Russia-baัked separatists and Ukrainian forces have been locked in a conflict since Moscow's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. More than 14,000 people have died in fighting in eastern Ukraine and efforts to negotiate a political settlement have stalled.
U.S.Miami HeraldThree newcomers lead Miami Shores council race, but a recount is still possible
Three political newcomers appear headed for seats on the Miami Shores Village Council after unofficial results were posted Tuesday night, with just 22 votes separating the third and fourth place finishers โ although a machine recount is still possible. If the results hold, top vote-getter Sandra Harris will be sworn in April 20 as the second Black mayor in Miami Shores' 89-year history, replacing current Mayor Crystal Wagar, who will stay on the council. The current results also put Katia Saint Fleur in third place, which would make her the council's first-ever Haitian-American woman and create a Black majority on the five-person body for the first time.
WorldBBCTaiwan: 'Record number' of China jets enter air zone
Taiwan has said a record number of Chinese military jets flew into its air defence zone on Monday. The defence ministry said 25 aircraft including fighters and nuclear-capable bombers entered its so-called air defence identification zone (ADIZ) on Monday. The incursion is the largest in a year and comes as the US warns against an "increasingly aggressive China".
PoliticsAssociated PressBiden picks first person of color to head Census fulltime
President Joe Biden on Tuesday said he would pick the president of the American Statistical Association to lead the U.S. Census Bureau as it works toward releasing data from the 2020 census that will be used for redrawing congressional and legislative districts. If confirmed, Robert Santos, who is Mexican-American, would become the first person of color to serve as a permanent director of the Census Bureau, the nation's largest statistical agency. Santos currently is vice president and chief methodologist at the Urban Institute.
U.S.INSIDERMinnesota mayor says police officer who fatally shot Daunte Wright should be fired and face 'full accountability'
Daunte Wright, 20, was fatally shot by a police officer in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, on Sunday. Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott says the officer who shot Wright should be fired. Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, Mayor Mike Elliott says the police officer who fatally shot 20-year-old Daunte Wright on Sunday should be fired and face "full accountability" in the shooting.
U.S.Raleigh News and ObserverVenomous viper bites San Diego Zoo employee, officials say. Thereโs no anti-venom for it
A San Diego Zoo employee has been bitten by a venomous viper, according to officials. A wildlife care specialist was bitten Monday by an African bush viper โwhile they were in an area away from the public,โ an official said, NBC News reported. The employee was hospitalized for โevaluation and medical care,โ the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department said, according to KTLA5.
U.S.USA TODAYA grieving daughter dropped her toy. A president gave it back.
WASHINGTON โ President Joe Biden and congressional leaders paid tribute Tuesday to U.S. Capitol Police Officer William "Billy" Evans during a solemn ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda. Evans, an 18-year member of the force who served on the agency's First Responders Unit, died during an attack at the Capitol earlier this month. His body is lying in honor in the Rotunda, an unusual distinction for a private citizen.
U.S.Business InsiderMatt Gaetz's indicted associate Joel Greenberg has been cooperating against him since last year, report says
Joel Greenberg has been cooperating against Rep. Matt Gaetz since last year, NYT reported. Greenberg reportedly told investigators that he and Gaetz had interactions with women who were given cash or gifts in exchange for sex. Gaetz has been embroiled in a political firestorm since The Times reported that he was being investigated over whether he broke sex trafficking laws.
U.S.BBCEstate agent's hi-tech house tour exposes personal data
An estate agent has apologised after a 3D tour of a house for sale in Devon was published with a substantial amount of personal information visible. Fowlers estate agent said the private data in the virtual tour had "slipped past" its staff and the home owner. The house was available on the property platform Rightmove, and appears to have been live since October 2020.
U.S.Charlotte ObserverAs a Black physician, Iโm acutely aware of what Medicaid expansion would mean in NC
Welcome to NC Voices, where leaders, readers and experts from across North Carolina can speak on issues affecting our communities. As a family physician and a Black mother, I am acutely aware of the role that lack of access to a continuum of care plays in our nation's ongoing Black maternal mortality crisis. Compared with white women, Black women are less likely to get some or any of the 13 to 14 prenatal visits that are recommended.
PoliticsUSA TODAYFact check: False claim that President Joe Biden's approval rating lowest in American history
The claim: President Joe Biden's approval rating is at 11%, the lowest of any president in American history President Joe Biden already has tangled with members of both parties over the U.S. response to the COVID-19 pandemic, immigration and infrastructure since his inauguration less than three months ago. But his approval rating is not at an historic low, as a viral social media post suggests. The post, originally from a Twitter account on March 29, attributes Biden's supposed 11% approval rating to a Gallup poll, as reported by the Daily Caller.
U.S.The IndependentDaunte Wright: Obamas say police killing reveals โhow badly we need to reimagine policing and public safetyโ
Barack and Michelle Obama said their โhearts are heavy over yet another shooting of a Black manโ following the police killing of Daunte Wright in Minnesota. The former president and first lady said in a joint statement on Tuesday that his death โ amid the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin for the killing of George Floyd โ reveals not just the importance of a โfull and transparent investigationโ but also โjust how badly we need to reimagine policing and public safety in this countryโ. โMichelle and I grieve alongside the Wright family for their loss,โ Mr Obama said in the statement.
BusinessBusiness InsiderCompanies that have containers on the Ever Given could have to help pay the up to $1 billion Egyptian authorities are demanding before the ship leaves the Suez Canal
The Suez Canal Authority said the Ever Given can't leave until $1 billion in damages is paid. The $1 billion would likely include paying for the tugboats and dredging ships that freed the ship. The owner of the Ever Given declared "General Average," so insurance could pay some of the damages.
PoliticsUSA TODAYOnPolitics: The battle for the GOP's soul
Here in OnPolitics, we usuallyย talk about President Joe Biden and his agenda that's stemmed from hisย Democratic ticket. The short of it: The Republican party has struggled to maintain unity in the wake of former President Donald Trump's election loss to Biden. The latest: Trump previously attacked Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell after the Kentucky Republican criticized Trump's culpabilityย in the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot.
CelebrityThe TelegraphQueen will have to sit alone at Prince Philip's funeral because of strict Covid rules
The Queen faces the prospect of having to sit on her own during the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral because of strict Covid rules, it has emerged. The law states that anyone attending a funeral must stay at least two metres apart from anyone who is not part of their household, meaning all members of the Royal family will have to spread out in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. The Queen is not eligible to be in a support bubble because she does not live on her own, meaning the only person who could sit with her during the service would be a member of her Windsor Castle staff.
โThereโs no โboth sides of the debateโ when it comes to active voter suppression.โ
โCompanies that do this ooze contempt for their own customers and employees who are not in the leftmost quarter of opinion.โ
โThe truth is that Fortune 500 companies were never taking moral stances from the goodness of their corporate hearts.โ
โThe truth is, the companies hold the cardsโฆIf companies stick to their guns, Georgia is likely to back down as well.โ
โWhen a company folds to the unfounded outrage of a few misinformed nuts, they are forever at the mobโs beck-and-call.โ