PoliticsAssociated PressOn foreign policy decisions, Biden faces drag of pragmatism
President Joe Biden this past week found himself in search of a foreign policy sweet spot: somewhere between pulling a screeching U-turn on four years of Trumpism and cautiously approaching the world as it is. In recent days, Biden has piled new sanctions on Russia, announced he would withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan in less than five months and backed away from a campaign promise to sharply raise refugee admission caps. “You know, we'll be much more formidable to our adversaries and competitors over the long term if we fight the battles for the next 20 years, not the last 20,” Biden said in an explanation of his decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan that also summed up his topline foreign policy hopes.
WorldThe TelegraphJailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny could die 'any minute', doctors warn
Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny risks cardiac arrest at "any minute" as his health has rapidly deteriorated, doctors warned on Saturday, urging immediate access to Russia's most famous prisoner. On March 31, President Vladimir Putin's most prominent opponent went on hunger strike to demand proper medical treatment for back pain and numbness in his legs and hands. Mr Navalny, 44, was imprisoned in February and is serving two-and-a-half years on old embezzlement charges in a penal colony in the town of Pokrov around 100 kilometres (60 miles) east of Moscow.
WorldReutersMadrid to host charity bullfight for matadors left jobless by COVID-19
Crowds will return to Madrid's Las Ventas bullring for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic next month for a charity bullfight to raise money for matadors left jobless by COVID-19, officials said on Saturday. Almost all of Spain's bullrings, or plazas, have remained closed for the last year due to lockdown restrictions - plunging the controversial spectacle and its matadors into financial crisis. A maximum of 6,000 people will be allowed in to watch the May 2 bullfight, Madrid's regional government said.
PoliticsAssociated PressAs Biden improves with vets, Afghanistan plan a plus to some
Patrick Proctor Brown says the war in Afghanistan was lost within a year of its start. The suburban Milwaukee lawyer, who was an infantry captain in Iraq, said the trillions of dollars spent and the thousands of lives lost, including a lieutenant he trained with, make it “a tragedy.” Brown supports President Joe Biden's decision to withdraw all troops from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, and by voting for the Democrat, he represents a subtle but potent shift in the voting behavior of some in the military.
U.S.Associated PressDefense expert in Derek Chauvin trial faces Maryland lawsuit
The former chief medical examiner for Maryland who testified on behalf of the officer accused of killing George Floyd is a defendant in a federal lawsuit over the death of a man who died under circumstances similar to Floyd. Dr. David Fowler was chief medical examiner in Maryland for 17 years before retiring in 2019. Fowler testified that he would have ruled Floyd's cause of death as “undetermined” rather than homicide.
- PoliticsChristian Science Monitor
How Biden is boosting cyber defenses against Russia and China
The world watched in shock on Jan. 6 when the U.S. Capitol was physically breached. This week, the U.S. responded, announcing economic sanctions against Russia for a hacking campaign that invaded nine federal agencies and about 100 private companies, and jeopardized the security of more than 16,000 computer systems worldwide. In the wake of the sanctions announcement, the long-term question remains: What needs to be done to curb such cyber malfeasance?
U.S.NBC NewsFlorida nurse accused of threatening to kill VP Kamala Harris
A Miami-area woman was charged in federal court with making threats to kill Vice President Kamala Harris in a series of videos she sent to her husband in prison, authorities said. Niviane Petit Phelps, 39, sent five 30-second videos and two photographs to her husband back in February through a service known as "JPay," which is used to share media between incarcerated and non-incarcerated individuals, according to a Secret Service complaint. "The videos generally depict Phelps complaining and speaking angrily to the camera about her hatred for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, among others," authorities said.
U.S.Fort Worth Star-TelegramSpringtown math teacher ‘in love’ with student had sex with teen boy, authorities say
A teacher who authorities alleged had years-long sexual contact with a student in Parker County was arrested on Friday. Misty Cato, 43, of Springtown, is a fifth-grade math teacher at Springtown Intermediate School. Cato was contracted as a math teacher with the Springtown Independent School District at the time the crime in which she is accused, second-degree improper relationship between educator and student, occurred.
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
ScienceAFPTwo Russian cosmonauts, NASA astronaut return from ISS
Two Russian cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut touched down Saturday on the steppe of Kazakhstan following a half-year mission on the International Space Station, footage broadcast by the Russian space agency showed. Russia's Sergei Ryzhikov and Sergei Kud-Sverchkov as well as NASA's Kate Rubins landed on barren land at 0455 GMT around 150 kilometres (90 miles) southeast of the town of Zhezkazgan. The Soyuz descent module carring the trio landed upright after descending through a cloudless sky on a fine spring day in central Kazakhstan, a Roscosmos TV commentator confirmed.
PoliticsThe IndependentFrom Asian hate crime to a minimum wage: 25 things Ted Cruz has voted against this year
The 'No' vote was criticised for being another controversial rejection of the Biden administration agenda, and follows voting against almost every Cabinet secretary of Mr Biden's in recent weeks – although the efforts, in the end, failed. All the bills Mr Cruz has voted 'No' to in the US Senate so for this year, are listed below: The US 2020 election results Not a bill, but infamous for coming in the hours after supporters of former president Donald Trump – wrongly citing election fraud – stormed the US Capitol in events that killed five people, including a Capitol Police officer.
U.S.The Daily BeastTimes Square AK-47 Suspect Had Just Lost His Dad in a Police Shootout
The father of the Ohio teen arrested Friday with an AK-47-style assault rifle in the Times Square subway station was killed in a shootout with cops last month after fleeing in his car the wrong way down a busy interstate, police sources told the New York Post and NBC News. Details about the father of Saadiq Teague have come out as questions swirl about what the 18-year-old was doing in New York City and why he was carrying a weapon. Police have so far released scant details about the young man's plans or his possible motivation, pending further investigation.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderElon Musk's brother Kimbal Musk, typically a Democrat donor, gave $2,800 to each GOP lawmaker who voted to impeach Trump
Kimbal Musk gave $2,800 to each of the 10 GOP lawmakers who backed Trump's impeachment. Musk had previously to Democratic lawmakers including President Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton. His brother, Elon Musk, has donated to both Republicans and Democrats in the past.
- NewsKTRK – Houston
16-year-old shot to death in NW Harris Co.
A man has been charged in the 16-year-old's shooting death. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said the victim was in a relationship with the shooter.
SportsMiami HeraldFirst-dose Pfizer shots coming back to federal hub sites in Florida during J&J pause
First-dose Pfizer shots will soon be available again at Miami Dade College North campus and the other FEMA hub sites in Tampa, Jacksonville and Orlando, to increase vaccine access during the state's ongoing J&J pause. MDC North and the other FEMA hub sites will also continue to offer second-dose Pfizer shots. The Florida Division of Emergency Management, which oversees the state's vaccine distribution, confirmed the change to the Miami Herald on Friday.
CelebrityThe TelegraphNo uniforms, but Royal family show military ties with medals at Prince Philip's funeral
The Queen decreed that the men should wear morning suits with black ties and the women day dresses amid concerns that the Duke of Sussex could have ended up being the only senior royal not in uniform after relinquishing his royal and military ties last year. The Duke of York had also sparked ructions by demanding to go dressed as an Admiral, despite his promotion to that rank in the Royal Navy being deferred after he stepped down from public duties in November 2019 over his relationship with the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The Duke of Kent, 85 – the oldest member of the Royal family taking part in the walking procession – wore, among his other medals, the King George Coronation Medal, while those present for the Queen's Coronation in 1953, including the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal and the Duke of Gloucester, wore the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal.
WorldLA TimesInternational court could press El Salvador to change abortion ban
Within months, Manuela was sentenced to 30 years in prison for aggravated homicide. El Salvador is among two dozen countries worldwide that enforce total bans on abortion, meaning no exceptions for rape victims or when a mother's life is in danger. The country is front and center in a case involving what happened to Manuela that is before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, part of the Organization of American States, and that reproductive rights activists hope will result in a dramatic easing of abortion restrictions.
PoliticsThe Daily BeastBiden Keeps Trump’s Record-Low Cap On Refugee Admissions
Amidst growing calls to lift the historically low yearly cap on refugee admissions into the United States, President Joe Biden on Friday signed an emergency order intended to speed the admissions process for those fleeing wars, natural disaster, or persecution abroad—but did not lift the cap itself, setting up a potential conflict with Democratic allies on Capitol Hill. Less than a month into his administration, Biden pledged to raise the cap to 125,000 people in order to “rebuild what has been so badly damaged” in the immigration system. “I'm directing the State Department to consult with Congress about making a down payment on that commitment as soon as possible,” Biden said in a speech at the State Department on February 4.
CelebrityThe TelegraphPrince Philip's close friend Countess Mountbatten attends funeral on behalf of ill husband
They became so close during the course of their nearly 30-year friendship that she was known as “and also” on account of her name always appearing on the Duke of Edinburgh's guest list. So it was hardly a surprise when the Countess Mountbatten of Burma was included in the 30-strong congregation for Prince Philip's funeral, handpicked by the Queen. Also known as Penny Knatchbull, later Lady Romsey and Lady Brabourne, the 68-year-old mother of three was the Duke's carriage driving partner and one of his closest confidantes.
U.S.INSIDERA Minnesota man attacked a store employee over a mask policy then dragged a police officer with his vehicle and struck him with a hammer, police say
A 61-year-old Minnesota man has been charged with assaulting a store employee and a police officer. Police say Luke Oeltjenbruns attacked an employee with lumber over the store's mask policy. Oeltjenbruns then dragged a police officer from his truck and struck him with a hammer, police said.
U.S.USA TODAYWorld War II-era plane makes emergency landing in surf off of Florida beach
A World War II-era plane taking part in the Cocoa Beach Air Show made an emergency landing in the ocean near Patrick Space Force Base beaches Saturday afternoon. A video posted to Twitter showed the single-engine TBM Avenger making a "soft" landing in the shallow water south of Cocoa Beach.
- WorldKGO – San Francisco
Father, daughter die in early morning fire in Oakland
Oakland Fire Department arson Investigators' preliminary investigation indicated the fire was intentionally set, she said, and they are continuing to investigate.
PoliticsThe IndependentMarjorie Taylor Greene launches ‘America First’ platform to promote ‘Anglo-Saxon traditions’
A policy pamphlet for a group of pro-Trump House Republicans explicitly calls for respecting white traditions, according to a document obtained by Punchbowl News. “America is a nation with a border, and a culture, strengthened by a common respect for uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions,” the document, titled the “America First Caucus Policy Platform,” says. A group of pro-Trump Republicans are working to form the new caucus, led by representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Paul Gosar of Arizona.
CelebrityBusiness InsiderJerry Falwell Jr.'s infamous photo with his pants unzipped was taken during a yacht party honoring a raunchy TV show, lawsuit says
A new lawsuit revives a scandalous photo of former Liberty University president Jerry Falwell Jr. The lawsuit says Falwell hosted a yacht party themed around the raunchy TV show "Trailer Park Boys." A lawsuit Liberty University filed Friday against Jerry Falwell Jr., its former president, details the circumstances behind a controversial photo Falwell shared of himself on a yacht with his arm around a woman and his pants unzipped.
CelebrityThe TelegraphWhy the Queen chose loyal lady-in-waiting Lady Susan Hussey for her loneliest journey
The Queen had personally asked Lady Susan to join her for the journey as she prepared to say farewell to her husband of 73 years. One of a close inner circle of ladies-in-waiting, Lady Susan has been by the Queen's side since the birth of Prince Andrew, when she joined the royal household to help answer a flood of letters. Known affectionately as "Number One Head Girl" in an office once likened to the cheery atmosphere of a girls' school common room, she has been described as one of the key trusted figures helping the Queen in her later life.
“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.”