WorldBBCAfghanistan: Biden calls for end to 'America's longest war'
The US will continue to support Afghanistan after withdrawing all US troops, but not "militarily," President Joe Biden has pledged. "It is time to end America's longest war," he said in a speech from the White House room where US airstrikes there were first declared in 2001. The number of US troops on the ground in Afghanistan fluctuates, and US media report the current total is closer to 3,500.
U.S.Kansas City StarToddler found walking alone near highway while mom dined with friend, Texas police say
Dominique Edwards was driving home late Tuesday when he saw something he won't soon forget — a 2-year-old toddling along the feeder road to North Freeway in Harris County. Police arrived to take the girl then started checking nearby hotels, according to KTRK. An 8-year-old boy and his 3-year-old brother were asleep inside, KHOU reported.
PoliticsNational ReviewPelosi Mocked AOC, Squad Members When They Arrived in Congress: ‘See How Perfect I Am?’
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reportedly mocked Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and other members of the progressive “Squad” when they arrived in Congress amid growing tensions between the moderate and left-wing factions of the party, according to a new report. On Thursday Politico published an adapted excerpt from USA Today Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page's new book Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power, which details how tensions flared early on between Pelosi and the Squad, the progressive group of lawmakers elected in 2018 that includes Ocasio-Cortez and Representatives Ayanna Pressley (D., Mass.), Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (D., Mich.). After the Squad members cast the only four Democratic votes against an immigration bill the speaker had backed, Pelosi showed little concern over their opposition, Page writes.
U.S.Associated PressGrowers fret as Mexico moves to legalize marijuana
For the first time that María can remember, half of her marijuana harvest is still in storage on her ranch in Mexico's Sinaloa state months after it should have been sold. Sitting in her wooden house tucked into the same mountains that produced some of the world's most notorious drug traffickers, including Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, the 44-year-old mother of four thinks she knows why: expectations Mexico will soon legalize marijuana. “It has never happened to us where we harvest and have it (stored) in sacks,” said María, who asked that her full name not be used and her exact location not be revealed because in the mountains surrounding Badiraguato, where organized crime controls everything, misspeaking can be dangerous.
EntertainmentArchitectural DigestShop Troye Sivan’s Eclectic Home Style
Take a page out of the stylish young star's book, from must-have splurges to affordable accessories Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
PoliticsReutersU.S. Senate confirms Biden nominee for No. 2 State Dept post
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Senate on Tuesday confirmed President Joe Biden's nominee Wendy Sherman to be deputy secretary of state, the number two position at the department. The Senate backed the nomination by 56-42, as a handful of Republicans joined Biden's fellow Democrats to vote in Sherman's favor. Sherman, 71, a foreign policy veteran, ran into Republican resistance because she helped negotiate the 2015 international nuclear agreement with Iran, which was fiercely opposed by Republicans as well as some Democrats.
- NewsAssociated Press Videos
Video shows shooting in Ohio hospital
Police body camera footage shows a routine police pat-down of a man in a hospital emergency room erupting within minutes into a fatal police shooting after the man apparently fires a gun he had concealed in his possession. (April 15)
WorldThe TelegraphChina tops list of US's biggest threats for first time
The US has for the first time designated China as its number one threat, with the intelligence community revealing on Wednesday that it is opening investigations into Beijing “every 10 hours”. Spy agency leaders told a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing that China is an "unparalleled priority”, citing the country's regional aggression and cyber capabilities. “I don't think there is any country that presents a more severe threat to our innovation, our economic security and our democratic ideas,” Christopher Wray, FBI director, said in his testimony.
ScienceAssociated PressUAE sets new ambitious timeline for launch of moon rover
The United Arab Emirates' space center announced Wednesday a more ambitious timeline for sending its first rover to the moon. The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center said it is partnering with Japan's ispace company to send a rover to the moon on an unmanned spacecraft by 2022, rather than 2024. The “Rashid” rover, named after Dubai's ruling family, will deploy to the moon using ispace's lunar lander.
U.S.Charlotte ObserverCharlotte had two homicides reported overnight in a three-hour period, CMPD says
Charlotte had two homicides reported in a three-hour period overnight, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police. The first was reported around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday in the 4000 block of Wilkinson Boulevard, near west Charlotte's Westerly Hills community. The victim was identified as Demontravis Davonte Reid, 25, CMPD said in an update.
WorldBBCFrance urges citizens to leave Pakistan amid anti-French protests
France has urged all its citizens in Pakistan to leave the country temporarily amid violent anti-French protests across the country. The country's embassy in Pakistan warned of "serious threats to French interests in Pakistan", saying protests were increasing nationwide. The protests were sparked months ago after France defended the right to show cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderUS set to sanction a dozen Russian individuals, 24 entities for influencing the 2020 election, SolarWinds hack
The Biden administration is set to sanction Russian intelligence officials over attempts to influence the 2020 election. Russian officials and entities could also be sanctioned for misconduct, including the SolarWinds hack. The sanctions may be announced this week, just days after Biden and Putin last spoke on Tuesday.
HealthThe Telegraph'My healthy sister just never woke up'. The reality of Sudden Adult Death – and how to protect yourself
Patrick Mead had just finished his breakfast one Sunday morning in October 2019 when he noticed his sister, Lauren, hadn't yet left her bedroom. The siblings worked together at a restaurant near their family home in Frome, Somerset; they had a shift that morning and Lauren was going to be late. Lauren, the seemingly healthy 19-year-old with whom Patrick used to gossip every afternoon after school, had died in her sleep.
CelebrityNBC NewsWhat happened to Bernie Madoff's family? Where Ruth Madoff and others are now
The death of Ponzi scheme mastermind Bernie Madoff has dredged up memories of the destruction and pain left behind in the wake of perhaps the most infamous Wall Street scheme in recent history. Madoff, 82, died while serving a 150-year prison sentence stemming from fraud charges that involved cheating thousands of investors, including the filmmaker Steven Spielberg and the actors Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick, out of billions in promised returns. In 2011, Ruth said during an interview with NBC's "TODAY" show that she did not miss her imprisoned husband, adding that "the villain of all this is behind bars."
WorldAssociated PressUS urges Lebanese leaders to break political impasse
A senior U.S. official on Wednesday berated Lebanese politicians for fighting over the formation of a new government for months while millions endure mounting economic hardship. David Hale, U.S. undersecretary of state for political affairs, said America and the international community are ready to help, “but we can do nothing meaningful without a Lebanese partner.” Hale spoke on a two-day visit to Lebanon amid a monthslong political deadlock and dangerous rift between the president and prime minister-designate.
U.S.The IndependentTwo North Carolina police officers suspended over beating Black man in clash caught by bystander video
Two North Carolina police officers have been suspended after repeatedly punching a Black man lying on the ground in a clash that was caught on camera by a filming bystander. At around 6pm on Monday, Kinston Police officers McKinley Jones and Kevin Page responded to a 911 call from a woman who said David Lee Bruton Jr, 36, had threatened to “slap” her, according to the Jones Free Press. In a press conference on Tuesday, police said that Mr Bruton then attempted to run away from the officers, but tripped and fell to the ground, with the officers quickly moving to detain him while he was on the floor.
BusinessReutersS&P 500, Dow hit record highs on upbeat earnings, strong retail sales
The S&P 500 and the Dow Jones indexes notched record highs on Thursday as upbeat earnings reports from several companies and a strong rebound in March retail sales bolstered hopes of a broader economic rebound. Coupled with rapid vaccinations and hopes of a return to normal, the upbeat data provided another opportunity for investors to pile into high-flying technology stocks that took a beating recently. Apple Inc, Microsoft Corp Facebook Inc and Amazon.com Inc rose between 1.1% and 2.0%, taking the S&P technology sector to the top of pack in early trading.
BusinessThe StateMyrtle Beach, SC is a top place to move to during pandemic, relocation data shows
Myrtle Beach and its northern neighbor Wilmington tied for seventh in a list of the most popular places to move during the pandemic. The data, from moving and storage company PODS, follows trends from the past year showing that people have been rushing to flee expensive, crowded cities for more affordable rural, mountainous or beach destinations. “With increased moving activity happening during a time when people are dealing with uncertainty and safety concerns, I am extremely proud of the hard work and dedication to customer service that our entire PODS team has shown,” PODS chief customer officer Luci Rainey said in a statement.
PoliticsUSA TODAYBiden set to give first formal address to Congress just before he marks 100 days in office
WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden is set to deliver his first address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, April 28, just before he marks his 100th day in office. Biden accepted an invitation Tuesday night from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to address a joint session on that date, the White House confirmed. The speech will allow Biden to claim progress during his first 100 days, a benchmark historically for the presidency.
U.S.The IndependentJournalist hit in face with non-lethal round while covering protests over police killing of Daunte Wright
A journalist at the Minneapolis Star Tribune was reportedly shot with a non-lethal round and was seriously injured while covering the Daunte Wright protests in Minneapolis. According to freelance journalist Jared Goyette, he is working with the ACLU to file an emergency restraining order against the Minneapolis Police Department to force them to stop firing non-lethal rounds at journalists covering the protests. He said the journalist - a reporter at the Minneapolis Star Tribune - is doing "ok," but said he was worried more reporters would be injured while trying to do their jobs.
WorldTimeWhat's at Stake in U.S. Climate Envoy John Kerry's Trip to China
Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged at the U.N. General Assembly in September that China would achieve peak carbon in 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. China's 14th Five-Year Plan, approved in March, switched the country's development from “high-speed” to “high-quality,” with the aim of realizing a “beautiful China” and forging an “ecological civilization. But while China is by far the world's leader in solar and wind power deployment, it still consumes more coal than the rest of the globe combined, and continues to green-light new coal projects.
WorldUSA TODAY OpinionWithdrawing troops from Afghanistan: Biden’s unforced error puts America at risk
President Biden's decision to bring home all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by the 20-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks is a major mistake. An unconditional U.S. troop withdrawal goes beyond what the Trump administration negotiated with the Taliban in the first phase of that peace process, on February 29 of last year in Doha, Qatar. The Taliban, according to the U.N. and U.S. government, has not cut ties to al Qaeda, has not engaged seriously in the intra-Afghan peace process, and has not reduced violence against Afghan forces. (Nor has it moderated its misogynistic and intolerant views.) It has not held up its end of the bargain; we should feel no obligation to do so, either.
U.S.The IndependentDaunte Wright shooting: Kim Potter’s mugshot released as ex-police officer faces manslaughter charges
Kim Potter, the white police officer who shot and killed Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, during a traffic stop on Sunday has been charged with manslaughter. A GoFundMe campaign for a memorial fund for Mr Wright has raised over half a million dollars towards covering funeral and providing support for his family. Minneapolis faced its third night of civil unrest on Tuesday after the killing, which occurred in the suburb of Brooklyn Center.Tensions are already high amid the trial of Derek Chauvin, the white former Minneapolis police officer charged with murdering George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, last May.
U.S.The IndependentHouse committee votes for the first time in favour of slavery reparations bill
A House committee, in a historic vote, passed a legislation for forming a panel to study reparations for slavery for Black Americans on Wednesday. It intends to establish a 13-person commission to study the lasting impacts of slavery and ongoing racial discrimination throughout the country's history, in order to send its recommendations on necessary remedies, including reparations to the descendants of enslaved people. The bill was passed after a long discussion over the issue last year during the Black Lives Matter protest and 2020 election campaign trail, as it garnered support from several other Democrats, including President Biden who made racial inequality his focus in his domestic agenda.
U.S.Business InsiderBiden, Pelosi, and top lawmakers mourn the loss of Capitol Police officer Billy Evans alongside his wife and two young children
President Joe Biden and top lawmakers gathered in the Capitol Rotunda on Tuesday to honor Capitol Police officer William "Billy" Evans. Biden addressed Evans' family, including his 9-year-old son Logan and 7-year-old daughter Abigail, in personal terms. "Never ...
“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.”