- CelebrityFox News
Porn star Dakota Skye, who received backlash for flashing breasts at George Floyd mural, found dead
Adult film star Dakota Skye was discovered dead in Los Angeles, a family member confirmed. Skye, whose real name was Lauren Scott, came from a family with a history of addiction, her aunt claimed in an interview. "She died almost exactly two years after her mother, my baby sister's, death which was caused by addiction and alcoholism," Linda Arden told The Sun. "Lauren was a product of a highly dysfunctional family involving drugs, alcohol, physical, emotional, verbal and sexual abuse," the aunt added.
- WorldAssociated Press
Suspected Brazil crime gang leader killed in police clash
One of Brazil's most wanted criminal suspects was killed in a police operation Saturday in Rio de Janeiro, police said. Wellington da Silva Braga, better known as Ecko, was believed to command so-called militia groups in more than 20 neighborhoods. The police communications office said a confrontation erupted when officers arrived at a house to try to arrest Braga.
PoliticsWashington ExaminerTrump predicts America will 'get worse' if the ‘voting irregularities and fraud’ are not ‘brought to light’
Former President Donald Trump predicted the future of the United States is grim if Democrats did indeed commit voter fraud, as he continues to allege. In an email to his supporters, Trump said the Department of Justice has “no choice” but to “look at the massive voter fraud” that took place during the 2020 presidential election. “The Department of Justice (DOJ) is adding more people onto its roles in order to fight against efforts to limit voting and, I assume, other illegal voting acts,” he wrote in the Saturday email.
U.S.NBC NewsMass shooting in Austin, Texas, leaves at least 14 wounded
At least 14 people were injured early Saturday in a mass shooting in a busy entertainment district in downtown Austin, according to police in the Texas city. "This is one of the most significant incidents that we've ever had happen in our city," interim Austin Police Chief Joseph Chacon said during an afternoon news conference. "I'm happy to report no one has died," Chacon told reporters overnight near the scene of the incident in the area of 400 E. 6th Street, a popular area filled with bars and restaurants.
WorldReutersExclusive-UN official accuses Eritrean forces of deliberately starving Tigray
The northern highlands of Ethiopia became a global byword for famine in the mid-1980s, when drought and conflict combined to create a disaster that killed as many as one million people. Now hunger is stalking the Tigray region again, and a senior UN official alleges that starvation is being used as a weapon of war. More than 350,000 of Tigray's nearly 6 million people are living in famine conditions, according to an analysis by United Nations agencies and global aid groups first reported by Reuters on Thursday.
WorldThe TelegraphWho paid $28 million to go into space with Jeff Bezos?
A mystery bidder paid $28 million for a seat on a spaceship with billionaire Jeff Bezos during a live auction on Saturday. It concluded a month-long bidding process for the sightseeing trip on Blue Origin's maiden voyage next month. Within four minutes of the opening of Saturday's live phone auction bids reached beyond $20 million.
PoliticsNBC NewsGarland looks like he's protecting Trump. But Biden could benefit bigly.
Attorney General Merrick Garland is coming under increasingly intense criticism from progressives who say he is protecting former President Donald Trump. But it's not Trump who stands to be the primary beneficiary of Garland's shield; it's President Joe Biden. The points of tension are myriad, from backing the last administration's immigration and environmental policies to defending Trump in a defamation suit brought by E. Jean Carroll, who says Trump sexually assaulted her and later caused her harm by saying she lied about it.
- PoliticsAssociated Press Videos
Oregon Rep. who let rioters into Capitol expelled
Republican lawmakers have voted with majority Democrats in the Oregon House of Representatives to take the historic step of expelling a Republican member who had let violent, far-right protesters into the state Capitol on Dec. 21. (June 11)
BusinessReutersWhite House says G7 leaders will endorse proposed 15% global minimum corporate tax
G7 leaders meeting in Britain will endorse U.S. President Joe Biden's proposal for global minimum tax of at least 15% on corporations, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Twitter on Friday. The U.S. Treasury in May proposed a global minimum corporate tax of at least 15% to try to end a downward spiral of corporate tax rates. "America is rallying the world to make big multinational corporations pay their fair share so we can invest in our middle class at home," Sullivan tweeted.
PoliticsLos Angeles Times OpinionEditorial: Now Texas Gov. Abbott wants to build a border wall. No, really, stop laughing
One of the first actions President Biden took when he entered office nearly six months ago was to halt construction of his predecessor's planned wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, a project as inane in its reasoning as in its scope. Now Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has donned former President Trump's mantle of foolishness and announced that if the Biden administration won't build the wall, well, dagnabit, Texas will! Two years ago, 162 miles of fencing the Trump administration planned to build in Texas included 144 miles of privately-owned land.
WorldAssociated PressJohnson voices caution over next lockdown easing in England
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gave a strong hint Saturday that the next planned relaxation of coronavirus restrictions in England this month will be delayed as a result of the spread of the delta variant first identified in India. In a series of interviews on the sidelines of the Group of Seven leaders' summit in southwest England, Johnson conceded that he has grown more pessimistic about sanctioning the next easing scheduled for June 21 as the number of infections across the U.K. has increased to levels not seen since February. The British government has planned to take the next step in bringing England out of lockdown by removing all legal limits on social contact — including allowing nightclubs to reopen for the first time since the pandemic struck in March 2020.
PoliticsThe WeekDeborah Birx reportedly called fighting the pandemic and Scott Atlas 'together' the 'hardest thing I've had to do'
Dr. Deborah Birx, the former White House coronavirus task force coordinator, has been fairly candid about the challenges she faced while working in the Trump administration amid the COVID-19 pandemic. And in a new book about what he considers the federal government's failures to mitigate the spread of the virus, Andy Slavitt, who now serves as a senior adviser on the COVID-19 response to President Biden, reinforces her comments by shedding more light on her experience, CNN reports.
U.S.AxiosIn photos: Harris shows up at Pride parade in downtown D.C.
Vice President Kamala Harris dropped in at the Capitol Pride Walk And Rally in Washington, D.C., on Saturday. The state of play: Harris and second gentleman, Doug Emhoff, joined the crowd, who welcomed them with cheers, according to press reports. The visit had not been on the vice president's public schedule.
PoliticsAssociated PressSeized House records show just how far Trump admin would go
Two House Democrats disclosed this week that their smartphone data was secretly obtained by the Trump Justice Department as part of an effort to uncover the source of leaks related to the investigation of Russian-related election interference. It was a stunning revelation that one branch of government was using its power to gather private information on another, a move that carried echoes of President Richard Nixon during Watergate. On Friday, the Justice Department's internal watchdog announced that it was investigating the records seizure.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderBiden tells Chuck Schumer to 'go ahead' with calls for $50,000 in student-debt cancellation
Biden told Chuck Schumer to keep the pressure on to cancel $50k in student debt, Schumer said. Biden is reluctant to cancel that amount, saying he does not think he has the executive authority. Democratic lawmakers have been keeping the pressure on President Joe Biden to cancel $50,000 in student debt per borrower.
U.S.The Guardian‘Dire situation’: Silicon Valley cracks down on water use as California drought worsens
Santa Clara county, the home of Silicon Valley, issued mandatory water restrictions this week during a severe drought that has already reached historic levels. The move was championed by analysts and researchers who have pushed for more conservation efforts across California amid concerns that the state will fall deeper into a drought disaster through the hot, dry summer and autumn. “We are indeed in a dire situation,” said Rick Callender, the CEO of the water district serving Santa Clara county, during a public hearing Wednesday.
PoliticsKansas City StarParson’s signature on gun bill violates US Constitution, makes Missourians less safe
Missouri's dangerous dance with anti-constitutionalism continued unabated Saturday, when Gov. Mike Parson signed the disturbingly-named Second Amendment Preservation Act. It starts with the usual chatter about states' rights and the Constitution, then assures us the legislature “condemns any unlawful transfer of firearms and the use of any firearm in any criminal or unlawful activity.” It then prohibits local enforcement of most federal gun laws and regulations, including fines for authorities who are working to reduce gun crimes.
U.S.Charlotte ObserverMost Charlotte-area counties are far from reaching Biden’s COVID vaccination target
In fact, those local health departments do not have their own county-specific immunization targets. Across the region, counties report that between about half to two-thirds of their residents are not vaccinated yet. Health officials say a 50% vaccine benchmark, reached as late as this fall, could still be considered a major victory, as trusted messengers and community leaders turn to increasingly personalized, one-on-one conversations to get as many residents immunized as possible.
U.S.USA TODAY'Brave' grandmother died after struggling with Florida Publix gunman, who family says had mental health issues
Timothy J. Wall had mental health struggles before he walked into a Florida Publix on Thursday and shot a grandmother, her nearly 2-year-old grandson and then himself, authorities and family say. Maj. Talal Masri with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said Friday that the gunman first shot the child at the Royal Palm Beach grocery store and that the 69-year-old woman then "instinctively jumps in and is trying to stop him." Authorities and Wall's family on Friday described him as a financially troubled individual who struggled with mental health disorders.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderPutin says Trump is an 'extraordinary' and 'talented individual' who is an outsider to the US political establishment, unlike 'career man' Biden
Russian President Vladimir Putin told NBC News that Trump is "extraordinary" and "talented." Putin added that he hopes that Biden is less "impulse-based" than Trump. Russian President Vladimir Putin heaped praise on former President Trump in an exclusive interview with NBC News on Friday.
PoliticsThe IndependentAndrew Giuliani gets into shouting match with TikTok personality as he campaigns to be NY governor
Mr Giuliani was campaigning in Times Square when he encountered the TikTok user, who describes himself as running "your favorite anti-fascist show." In the video, Crackhead Barney steps up to speak with Mr Giuliani and begins asking him why he was running for mayor.
WorldThe TelegraphTrooping the Colour 2021: A 'memorable and uplifting day' for the Queen at Windsor Castle
The Queen beamed in the sunshine, tapping her feet to the music, as she celebrated her official birthday with a scaled back military procession at Windsor Castle. Her Majesty, 95, sat in the castle's quadrangle to watch the annual pomp and ceremony of Trooping the Colour, this year led by the Scots Guards. It came just hours after she had returned to Windsor from Cornwall, where she met G7 leaders and posed for the traditional “family photo,” prompting chuckles as she quipped: “Are you supposed to look as if you're enjoying yourself?
U.S.INSIDERA Mississippi high school agreed to make 2 white students co-winners of top honors after their parents complained about the awarding of prizes to Black pupils
A high school awarded white students top honors after two Black students were already chosen. Parents at a Mississippi school claimed it had miscalculated the criteria for valedictorian and salutatorian. Breaking with tradition, the school ended up naming two white students as co-valedictorian and co-salutatorian.
U.S.Raleigh News and ObserverTwo years in the remaking, Raleigh’s historic Chavis Park is again open for play
Ricky Wall wasn't sure he'd ever see the day when John Chavis Memorial Park would be open to the public — it has been under renovation for almost two years. Wall — a Raleigh resident who grew up in Chavis Heights — spent his childhood playing football and basketball in the historic park. The renovated Chavis Park now boasts a two-story community center, a plaza, a splash pad and a playground.
PoliticsBusiness Insider'I miss Trump': Lindsey Graham slams Biden foreign policy, alleges that the 'bad guys were afraid' of the former president
Sen. Lindsey Graham dismissed President Joe Biden's leadership on the international stage. Over the past five years, Graham has evolved from a Trump critic to a staunch ally. GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina on Thursday said that he missed former President Donald Trump and derided President Joe Biden's pre-G7 summit meeting with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson as "all fluff and happy talk."
“It may seem desperate at this point, but I can’t be mad at any and all efforts to get people vaccinated.”
“I won’t get rich, but I will get to live my life. That seems like reward enough.”
“Offering incentives may encourage people who are not actively opposed to vaccination but may have put it off.”
“At some point, the government is simply rewarding irresponsible behavior.”
“Sure, people should do it without needing an incentive. But what’s the alternative? Not enough people get vaccinated.”