WorldAxiosU.S. tries to de-escalate crisis in Jerusalem
State Department officials spoke to their Israeli and Palestinian counterparts on Friday night and asked them to de-escalate the situation in Jerusalem and the West Bank, U.S. and Israeli officials said. Why it matters: This is the first crisis between Israel and the Palestinians the Biden administration faces as it reengages with the Palestinians after a long freeze in the relations during the Trump presidency. Driving the news: In recent days the tensions grew in Jerusalem over a possible eviction of 300 Palestinians from homes they lived in for more than 50 years in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in East Jerusalem.
CelebrityAssociated PressObama dog Bo, once a White House celebrity, dies from cancer
Former President Barack Obama's dog Bo died Saturday after a battle with cancer, the Obamas said on social media. News of Bo's passing was shared by Obama and his wife Michelle on Instagram, where both expressed sorrow at the passing of a dog the former president described as a “true friend and loyal companion.” “He tolerated all the fuss that came with being in the White House, had a big bark but no bite, loved to jump in the pool in the summer, was unflappable with children, lived for scraps around the dinner table, and had great hair,” Barack Obama wrote.
U.S.NBC NewsAfter death row inmate is executed, attorneys find DNA that belongs to someone else
Four years after Arkansas death row inmate Ledell Lee was executed, attorneys working on behalf of his family say they have uncovered new DNA profiles that belong to someone else. The DNA was found on the handle of a bloody club that was used in the 1993 murder of Debra Reese, according to The Washington Post. Lee was sentenced to death in October 1995 in Pulaski County, Arkansas, after he was convicted of murdering 26-year-old Reese.
PoliticsThe WeekHouse GOP campaign wing reportedly withheld bad Trump polling from lawmakers at retreat
The National Republican Congressional Committee did not share internal polling data that showed former President Donald Trump has weak numbers in key battleground districts at a retreat for House Republicans in April, two people familiar with the presentation told The Washington Post. The NRCC staffers reportedly held back the information even when a member of Congress asked them directly about Trump's support. The Post later obtained the full polling results, reporting that Trump's unfavorable ratings were 15 points higher than his favorable ones, and nearly twice as many voters had a strongly unfavorable view of him than those who had a strongly favorable one.
- WorldWLS – Chicago
3 killed after blast near Starved Rock State Park in LaSalle County
Officials believe the men were fatally injured after igniting a type of black powder substance along an area near the river bank.
WorldBBCAustralia to resume India repatriation flights after backlash
Australia will resume repatriation flights for some citizens in India after a controversial ban on arrivals from the country ends on 15 May. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has faced criticism for failing to help citizens trapped in the Covid-ravaged nation. The ban sparked further anger after the government said Australians seeking to fly home could face jail or fines.
WorldThe TelegraphScottish Labour records worst result since devolution but Sarwar optimistic party has 'credibility again'
Scottish Labour has recorded its worst-ever election result north of the Border since devolution, with the party down two MSPs to 22 compared with 2016. The party continued its downward trend finishing third behind the Tories and SNP, despite new leader Anas Sarwar enjoying strong personal approval ratings among Scots since taking over the top job. Mr Sarwar, who has only been in the leadership role for ten weeks, insisted his party is “on a journey” to build “a credible alternative to the SNP” and “back on the pitch” after an “energetic and enthusiastic” campaign.
WorldBusiness InsiderA pilot recruit was blindfolded and strapped to a target as fighter jets fired on him in a brutal hazing ritual, says legal complaint
A French pilot was tied to a target on a live firing range as part of a brutal hazing ritual. A French fighter pilot has filed a legal complaint after a brutal hazing ritual in which he alleges he was kidnapped, tied up, and left on a live firing range by his colleagues in the French air force. The incident, which happened in March 2019, was first reported by the French newspaper La Provence on Friday.
PoliticsThe GuardianRepublicans want to purge Liz Cheney for refusing to kiss the ring of Trumpism
Odds are that the erstwhile Republican party comrades of Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming will soon vote to purge her from the ranks of their leadership. Cheney, who occupies the third-highest position in the House Republican Conference and is the daughter of former vice-president Dick Cheney, survived a similar removal effort in early February, after she was one of only 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach former president Donald Trump. At the time, House Republicans decided to retain Cheney as conference chair by a 145-61 margin, while the House minority leader, Kevin McCarthy, told reporters that “Liz has a right to vote her conscience.”
U.S.INSIDERDerek Chauvin was indicted in the arrest of a 14-year-old whom prosecutors say he knelt on for 17 minutes and hit with a flashlight
Chauvin is accused of using his authority as an officer to deprive the teen of his rights. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. A federal grand jury has indicted the former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on a civil-rights charge in the 2017 arrest of a 14-year-old boy.
PoliticsMiami HeraldRepublicans get away with cheating in voting bill DeSantis signs on Fox News | Opinion
But giddy, greedy DeSantis is using this bill, now law, for two purposes: To set up roadblocks for Democratic voters, who sent in a record number of votes by mail, to do so again in 2022 — and to keep peddling the big lie that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Trump. Under a cloud The voting bill is awash in irony and chicanery. Republicans were the big cheaters in the 2020 election in Florida.
WorldINSIDERThe driver of a cash truck who dodged armed robbers' bullets was a cool professional. But his partner was a 'rookie,' says security expert.
A video out of South Africa showed the moment armed robbers attempted a cash-in-transit heist. The video has since gone viral, garnering more than 10 million views on YouTube. Insider spoke to a security expert to analyze the video and assess how the men reacted to the ambush.
WorldThe TelegraphExclusive: Animals to have their feelings protected by law in Queen's Speech
Animals with a backbone will have a legal right to feel happiness and suffering in a Government drive to raise welfare standards in Tuesday's Queen's Speech. An Animal Sentience Bill will enshrine in law that animals are aware of their feelings and emotions, and can experience joy and pleasure, as well as pain and suffering. "Sentience” will apply to “vertebrate animals - anything with a spinal cord", Environment secretary George Eustice told The Telegraph in an exclusive interview below.
U.S.Kansas City StarSevere storms expected to hit Kansas City area this weekend. Here’s what to know
Severe storms are expected to move into the Kansas City area Saturday night, said FOX4 meteorologist Alex Countee. Thunderstorms, hail, strong winds and even a brief tornado are possible in the region. “Anytime after 9 p.m. — that's where you could see some hail, some wind, maybe even a brief tornado possible out on the Kansas side,” said Countee, who provides weather updates to The Star.
BusinessBusiness InsiderNorwegian Cruise Line CEO says it will stop sailing out of Florida if the state does not allow it to verify COVID-19 vaccinations
In April, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order banning vaccine passports and local businesses from requiring proof of the COVID-19 vaccine. Now, Norwegian Cruise Line, which will be requiring its guests and crew to be vaccinated, may have to stop sailing out of the Sunshine State. The same month DeSantis' unveiled the executive order, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings announced a sweeping COVID-19 vaccine mandate for guests and crew aboard its three cruise lines - Norwegian, Oceania, and Regent Seven Seas - in a bid to resume sailing by July.
HealthThe WeekCDC provides 'crucial' COVID-19 guidance update acknowledging airborne transmission
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday updated its public COVID-19 guidance to explicitly state that the coronavirus can be transmitted via aerosols — smaller respiratory particles that can float — that are inhaled at a distance greater than six feet from an infected person. The new language marks a change from the federal health agency's previous stance that transmission of the virus typically occurs through "close contact, not airborne transmission." Infectious disease experts have warned that the CDC and the World Health Organization (which has also updated its guidance) were overlooking evidence of airborne transmission during the pandemic, The New York Times notes, and some have stressed the need for the CDC to strengthen its recommendations for preventing exposure to aerosolized virus, especially in indoor workplaces like meatpacking plants.
ScienceUSA TODAY'Really unpredictable': Chinese rocket hurtling back to Earth; possible debris zone spans huge swath of globe
A huge section of a Chinese Long March 5B rocket is falling back to Earth and debris may land sometime Saturday evening or later — if the rocket doesn't burn up on the way down. The rocket could hit Earth around 11:30 p.m. EST Saturday, according to calculations by Aerospace Corporation, a California-based non-profit group that operates a space research and development center. As of Saturday morning, Aerospace Corporation's projections put a large swath of the U.S. near projected paths of the rocket after the predicted reentry time.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderThe White House needed extensive security upgrades but the Trumps didn't want to deal with the noise and made it a problem for Biden's administration
Now, the needed renovations are ongoing during Biden's presidency. Trump reportedly passed because he didn't want to deal with the noise. Former President Donald Trump and former First Lady Melania Trump decided to pass along much-needed upgrades to White House security to President Joe Biden because they didn't want to deal with construction noise or alter the aesthetic, CNN reported.
U.S.The IndependentColorado man who made emotional plea for safe return of missing wife appears in court charged with her murder
Almost a year after a Colorado woman went missing on Mother's Day weekend, her husband has been charged with her first-degree murder and appeared in court. Barry Morphew, 51, was arrested by Chaffee County Sheriff's Office deputies near his home in Poncha Spring on Wednesday and appeared at Chaffee County Court on Thursday. Suzanne Morphew, 49, went missing on May 10 last year and she was last seen going for a bike ride near Maysville, Colorado.
U.S.INSIDERA California man was killed by an alleged drunk driver minutes after leaving an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting
A California man died after being hit by an alleged drunk driver, soon after leaving an AA meeting. Ray Galindo, 58, died on April 23 while stood outside after the meeting in Modesto, California. Braxton Howze, 22, has been charged with vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence.
WorldSouth Florida Sun SentinelFlorida plans to kick sea turtle rescuers off the beach, calling them a threat to environment
For more than a decade, unpaid guardians have watched over sea turtle nests in Broward County, rescuing thousands of hatchlings led astray by artificial lights. Now the state wants to cut the number of volunteers as a step toward ejecting them completely from the beach. The state wildlife commission told three sea turtle rescue groups that their nighttime vigils are unnecessary and harmful, saying in a letter “the increased human presence on the beach at night during nesting and hatching season in effect endangers the health and safety of marine life.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderArizona election auditors 'indefinitely defer' voter canvassing following DOJ letter expressing concerns about voter intimidation
Arizona election auditors say the Senate decided to "indefinitely defer" voter canvassing weeks ago. The Justice Department raised concerns earlier this week about Maricopa County's election audit. Republican-led election auditors in Maricopa County, Arizona, have "indefinitely deferred" the door-to-door voter canvassing aspect of the audit, two days after the US Justice Department sent a letter to the president of Arizona's state senate expressing various legal concerns about the November 2020 election inspection.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderFlorida Gov. Ron DeSantis' former aides say he treated them 'like a disposable piece of garbage'
Many of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' former staffers told Politico they felt abused by the politician. A group of the ex-staffers have formed a "support group" to discuss their experiences DeSantis is closely aligned with former president Donald Trump, who recently said he'd consider the governor as a potential running mate. See more stories on Insider's business page.
BusinessThe IndependentDisney asks employees to fill out ‘privilege checklist’ as part of inclusion programme, leaked documents show
The Walt Disney Corporation has asked employees to complete a “privilege checklist” as part of a new diversity and inclusion programme to combat “systemic racism”, a report has claimed. According to leaked documents reported by City Journal, the checklist comes as part of a new anti-racism discussion guide called “Reimagine Tomorrow”. Christopher F Rufo, who leaked the documents on Twitter, said the programme includes training on “systemic racism,” “white privilege”, “white fragility”, “white saviours”, and “microaggressions”.
U.S.The New York TimesThe Separate Worlds of Bill and Melinda Gates
Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates were stuck at home. From their home offices they continued running the influential foundation that bears their name, video chatting with world leaders to secure financial commitments for vaccine distribution, and talking about the health of American democracy with their youngest daughter, who was finishing her senior year of high school remotely. In a November podcast, Bill Gates also spoke about adjusting to life at home after decades on the road.
“Every college has a public health responsibility to require its students to be vaccinated.”
“While the vast majority of students will likely get the vaccine, schools should honor the decisions of the few who object.”
“A vaccinated campus could be the step toward normality that college leaders are seeking.”
“College students are mobile and spread COVID-19 with them whenever they travel.”
“There almost certainly are going to be legal challenges because the anti-vaccine movement is already preparing for them.”