Former CIA Director John Brennan says the assassination of a top Iranian nuclear scientist was 'criminal' and risked inflaming conflict in the Middle East

Former CIA Director John Brennan has condemned the assassination of a top Iranian nuclear scientist on Friday, calling it "criminal" and "highly reckless." Brennan, who served between 2013 and 2017, also said he did not know who was to blame for the killing but that it "would be a flagrant violation of international law." Details on the attack remain slim but Iran's foreign minister, Javad Zarif, pointed the finger at Israel on Friday, saying there are "serious indications" of Israeli involvement.

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  Top Iranian Nuclear Scientist Killed: What You Should Know

  Benzinga
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  Iran's top diplomat says there are 'serious indications' Israel was involved in the reported assassination of a top nuclear scientist near Tehran

  Business Insider

The fire that led to the death of former Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh occurred over a week before he succumbed to injuries

Tony Hsieh, the retired CEO of online shoe retailer Zappos, died Friday at the age of 46 following injuries sustained in a fire more than a week ago. Hsieh was injured in a fire on November 18 in New London, Connecticut, a spokesperson for his company confirmed to Insider. The fire was still under investigation as of Saturday, New London Fire Chief Thomas Curcio told Insider.

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  Tony Hsieh, iconic Las Vegas tech entrepreneur, dies aged 46

  TechCrunch
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  Former Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh dies at 46

  Reuters

Britain urged to probe wealth of Russian family whose son had 'world’s most expensive wedding'

It was perhaps the world's most expensive wedding; an extravaganza costing tens of millions of pounds with performances by Jennifer Lopez, Sting and Enrique Iglesias, a fleet of Rolls Royces to ferry the guests and a 20-year-old bride wearing a $1m dress and a $5m crown. The groom, Said Gutseriev, had grown up in London and been educated at Harrow School and at Oxford, and his father - one of Russia's wealthiest oligarchs - could not have been prouder. Critics of the Belarusian regime have questioned Mikail Gutseriev's extensive business dealings there, and his use of London as a legal vehicle to channel investments into the country.

A Few of Our Favorite Small Businesses Running Sales This Weekend

It's #smallbusinesssaturday, and you know what that means Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest

Kim Jong-Un is reportedly displaying 'excessive anger' over the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, ordering the execution of two people

The latest information from the Hermit Kingdom comes from South Korean lawmakers, who spoke to reporters on Friday after having a private meeting with the National Intelligence Service NIS , the country's chief intelligence agency. The other person was allegedly a top government official who was caught violating restrictions placed on goods from outside the country amid the pandemic, AP reported. North Korea's economy has borne the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic as the country was forced to seal its border with its biggest trading partner, China, back in January.

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  S. Korea agency says N. Korea executed people, shut capital amid pandemic

  Yahoo News Video
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  North Korea executed people, shut capital in battle against Covid, South's spies say

  NBC News

A man fatally shot a Black teenager in a hotel parking lot after confronting him over his loud music, Oregon police say

An Oregon man was arrested and charged with fatally shooting 19-year-old Aidan Ellison at a hotel on Monday, according to local reports and The Ashland Police Department. KTVL-TV reported that Robert Keegan, 47, confronted Ellison in the parking lot of the Stratford Inn because of the volume of his music. An argument ensued, and police said Keegan shot Ellison in the chest and killed him.

Letters to the Editor: Joe Biden will bring swamp creatures back to Washington. That's a good thing

To the editor: When Donald Trump ran for president, he promised to "drain the swamp." What Trump replaced the swap with turned out to be a toxic waste-dump fire of multimillionaire con men, grifters and incompetents, one of whom couldn't even name the department he was tapped to lead when he promised as a presidential candidate to get rid of it. While we may have substantive past policy disagreements with some of President-elect Joe Biden's picks so far, he has shown the capacity and willingness to bring adults back in the room — people who believe that government shouldn't be something that you loot, but rather ones who take pride in making it function.

The Supreme Court refused to get involved in the case of a Louisiana pastor who ignored the governor's order banning large gatherings

US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito on Friday declined to become involved in a case that took aim at Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, The Monroe Star-News reported. In the spring, Central, Louisiana, Pastor Tony Spell openly violated Edwards's order prohibiting gatherings larger than 10 people. Spell sued local and state officials, claiming the order was in violation of his First Amendment rights, also claiming he had been harassed by officials according to the Associated Press.

The South’s Deadly Revenge for the Emancipation Proclamation

More than half were Black, most of them former slaves—a fighting force most rebel soldiers had never seen before. Though Black soldiers had fought in a handful of engagements in 1862 and 1863, their presence in combat was still relatively new. The fight did not last long.

New rule could allow gas, firing squads for US executions

The Justice Department is quietly amending its execution protocols, no longer requiring federal death sentences to be carried out by lethal injection and clearing the way to use other methods like firing squads and poison gas. The amended rule, published Friday in the Federal Register, allows the U.S. government to conduct executions by lethal injection or use “any other manner prescribed by the law of the state in which the sentence was imposed.” A number of states allow other methods of execution, including electrocution, inhaling nitrogen gas or death by firing squad.

The most important relationship in D.C.? Biden and McConnell have a history

Heading into his administration, the relationship between President-elect Joe Biden and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is taking center stage. With a closely divided Senate, their personal dealings will be key to just how much, if any, of the new president's agenda can be accomplished. Former Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., and later defense secretary under former President Barack Obama, told NBC News he thinks the Biden-McConnell dynamic "can work for the benefit of our country."

France must review COVID-19 crowd limits on church attendance

France's State Council, the country's highest court, on Sunday ordered the government to review a law limiting the number of people in churches during religious services to 30. The Council said in a statement that the measure was not proportionate to coronavirus infection risks. Last week, the government announced that a nationwide lockdown in place since Oct 30 would be unwound in phases.

First major storm of winter to hit eastern US with snow and rain

The eastern United States is bracing itself for the first heavy storm of the season, with torrential downpour and snow expected from Tennessee to Michigan on Monday, and rain then drenching neighbouring regions. The storm is expected to form over the deep south on Sunday, with heavy rain. Strong to severe thunderstorms could also develop in the warm, humid air ahead of the storm from the southeast on Sunday to the eastern Mid-Atlantic on Monday.

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  New storm system to travel across South this weekend

  Good Morning America
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  Storm system to travel across South as California sees wildfire threat

  ABC News Videos

Florida Fire Captain’s ‘Accidental’ Shooting Death Unearthed His Secret Life

On Nov. 2, police received a call from a local jewelry salesman, Jay Brett Rind, reporting an accidental shooting at his apartment in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. According to an affidavit filed in court on Nov. 5, Rind told dispatchers that he'd met an old friend, 21-year fire department veteran James Gilliard, for dinner to offer him the “deal of a lifetime.” Rind planned to move to Mexico, and suggested he give his old pal, whom he'd met years prior when Gilliard owned a local pawn shop, two guns.

GOP congressman calls party's refusal to acknowledge Biden's win a 'massive grift' and says Trump 'forgot he was serving people and not himself'

GOP Rep. Denver Riggleman slammed President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans in a recent interview with Forbes, saying that the party's refusal to acknowledge President-elect Joe Biden's win is a "massive grift." "They're worried about committee assignments, they're worried about the team," Riggleman said of Republicans who are standing with the president. Riggleman, a first-term lawmaker representing Virginia's 5th Congressional district, was defeated in his June renomination bid and will leave Congress in January 2021.

Afghan pilot who saved Americans hiding from Taliban after US denies plea for refuge

A decorated Afghan Air Force pilot who had saved American lives is now in hiding in Afghanistan from the Taliban after the US military suddenly changed course and denied his emergency request to seek refuge in America late last month. “I cannot go backward,” Maj. Mohammed Naiem Asadi, 32, told military news site Stars and Stripes, which broke the news. Stars and Stripes accessed documents which showed the Pentagon initially approved the request from Mr Asadi, who reportedly killed more Taliban fighters than anyone else in the Afghan Air Force and helped protect an American pilot who crashed their plane in northern Afghanistan this summer.

Trump reportedly wants to hold a 2024 campaign event during Biden's inauguration

Donald Trump is considering hosting a campaign event for a 2024 presidential bid in January, the Daily Beast reported. The event might fall on the same day as President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on January 20. The Daily Beast, citing sources close to the president, reported that Trump is attempting to stay relevant even as the world prepares for a Biden administration.

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  Trump ‘is considering an event to announce his 2024 campaign on the day of Biden’s inauguration’

  The Independent
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  Attention-Starved Trump May Start 2024 Campaign During Biden’s Inauguration, Report Says

  Rolling Stone

Hong Kong's leader is being paid in cash due to US sanctions. Carrie Lam earns $56,000 a month and says money is now piling up at her house.

Hong Kong Chief Executive, Carrie Lam, said she has to keep "piles of cash" at home due to US sanctions. She said: "The government is paying me cash for my salary because I don't have a bank account." Lam earns $672,000 per year and is one of the highest-paid leaders in the world, according to the BBC.

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  HK's top leader piles up cash at home after U.S. sanctions

  Reuters
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  Cash and Carrie: US sanctioned Hong Kong leader has no bank account

  AFP

India farmers press on with protest despite offer to talk

Thousands of farmers in and around the Indian capital on Saturday pressed on with their protest against agricultural legislation they said could devastate crop prices, while the government sought talks with their leaders. Some protesters burned an effigy of Prime Minister Modi and shouted “Down with Modi,” as they rallied on New Delhi's border with Haryana state. The protesting farmers were allowed to enter New Delhi Friday after a day of clashes with police, who used tear gas, water cannons and baton charges to push them back.

Trump news – President complains about daytime TV amid claims he will hold spoiler event during inauguration

Donald Trump is reportedly weighing whether to launch a 2024 re-election bid on the day of Joe Biden's inauguration. On Saturday, The Daily Beast cited three sources who confirmed he is considering a 2024 run, and two of them said he had floated the idea of holding an event on 20 January. According to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter, the president has privately bragged that he would still remain in the spotlight, even if Mr Biden is in the Oval Office, because the media finds Mr Biden “boring.”

I flew on Spirit Airlines' first 'shuttle' flight from Newark to Boston for $25 and still overpaid – here's why it's a great budget option

Spirit Airlines inaugurated service between Newark and Boston on November 18, becoming the fifth carrier on the busy route. The two daily flights join a competitive sector dominated by American, Delta, United, and JetBlue, primarily serving business travelers and offering bonus perks for flyers. We flew on the first flight from Newark to Boston to see if Spirit's dirt-cheap fares held up to the competition on the 200-mile route.

Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine is reportedly being flown by United Airlines chartered flights to distribution hubs, in anticipation of FDA approval

Chartered United Airlines flights from Brussels to Chicago are carrying Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, according to The Wall Street Journal. The flights represent one leg of a chain, which will extend from Chicago to distribution hubs around the US. Pfizer's vaccine must be stored in -103 degrees Fahrenheit, so the flights reportedly have special FAA approval to carry 15,000 pounds of dry ice.

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  Distributing The Coronavirus Vaccine Will Require Planning — And A Lot More Money

  HuffPost
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  U.S. vaccine plans take shape but no let-up on restrictions

  Reuters