WorldReutersFormer Brazil Health Ministry official arrested in Senate
Drama erupted in Brazil's Congress on Wednesday as a former Health Ministry official was arrested under the orders of the lawmaker leading a Senate inquiry into the government's handling of the COVID-19 crisis. Roberto Dias had been a logistics director at the Health Ministry but was fired last week after he was accused of asking for a bribe in the procurement of the Indian COVID-19 shot Covaxin. He was arrested at the behest of Senator Omar Aziz on allegations that he lied in his testimony to the Senate inquiry (CPI) earlier in the day.
U.S.Associated PressAftershocks expected for days after California, Nevada quake
A magnitude 6 earthquake jolted both sides of the California-Nevada border, tossed boulders onto a major roadway and was felt as far off as Las Vegas and even San Francisco, with days of aftershocks predicted, authorities said. The quake shortly before 4 p.m. Thursday was centered south of Lake Tahoe near Walker, a rural community of a few hundred households in the eastern Sierra Nevada. It was followed by dozens of aftershocks, including at least a half-dozen of magnitude 4 or above, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
U.S.Kansas City StarAfter White House backlash, Missouri says it never rejected door-to-door vaccine outreach
After the White House rebuked Gov. Mike Parson Thursday for saying Missouri would not welcome a federal door-to-door vaccination outreach strategy, the state's Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) appeared to walk back his statements. On Wednesday evening Parson tweeted: “I have directed our health department to tell the federal government that sending government employees or agents door-to-door to compel vaccination would NOT be an effective OR welcome strategy in Missouri! But Thursday, the department struck a more conciliatory tone.
U.S.Fort Worth Star-TelegramOff-duty cop knocked out at Tennessee wedding after racist comments, reports say
An off-duty police officer was knocked unconscious with one punch at a wedding reception in Tennessee last month after witnesses said he made racist comments, according to police records. Knoxville Police responded to a report of a simple assault involving 22-year-old Tanner Holt, an off-duty officer in the department, around 8:55 p.m. on June 26, police said in an incident report.
WorldAssociated PressTaliban visit Moscow to say their wins don't threaten Russia
A delegation of the Taliban visited Moscow on Thursday to offer assurances that their quick gains on the ground in Afghanistan do not threaten Russia or its allies in Central Asia. The Russian Foreign Ministry said the Kremlin envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, met with the Taliban delegation to express concern about the escalation and tensions in northern Afghanistan. The ministry said Kabulov urged the Taliban “to prevent them from spreading beyond the country's borders.
WorldReutersPhilippines' Duterte ponders play for power as political exit looms
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte might be barred from a second term in office, but don't be surprised if he's still running the country after a presidential election next year. The popular Duterte gave the strongest hint yet that he might seek the vice presidency, saying on Wednesday that he was "sold to the idea" and thinking seriously about running for the largely ceremonial number two post. For Christian Monsod, a lawyer and one of the framers of the 1987 constitution, Duterte's real intent is clear.
WorldThe TelegraphCoronavirus latest news: Just 25 children died in one year from Covid in England, study reveals
Rishi Sunak tells workers to get back to the office Delta variant reinfects people who have had Covid Backlash over mandatory tests for five year olds Euro 2020: Italy fans don't have to self-isolate Fifth of Britons want pandemic curfew to continue The risk of severe illness or death from Covid-19 is "extremely low" in children and young people, as new research reveals that just 25 under-18s in England have died from the virus in a one year period. This means that vaccines would need to be proven to be "very low risk" before children were given jabs, according to child health experts.
WorldAssociated PressReports: Taliban seize key Afghan border crossing with Iran
The Taliban on Thursday seized another key Afghan border crossing, this time with Iran, according to an Afghan official and Iranian media. The seizure is part of a Taliban surge as American troops complete their pullout from Afghanistan. It was the third border crossing the insurgents have taken in the past week, after previously seizing crossings with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
- PoliticsYahoo News Video
Republican lawmaker and Trump ally pushes for audit of 2020 election in Pennsylvania
A Pennsylvania Republican lawmaker and ally of former President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he would try to launch a probe of the 2020 election in the battleground state, although a state agency urged counties not to comply with what it called a "sham review" of past elections.
WorldReutersPhilippines relaxes COVID-19 curbs to allow children outdoors
The Philippines on Friday loosened coronavirus restrictions to allow children out of their homes so they can return to parks, playgrounds, and hiking trails in the capital region and some other provinces after a slowdown in infections. Children aged five and above, who were previously confined indoors, will also be permitted to go to outdoor tourist sites and dining establishments, and play non-contact sports outside, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said. The pandemic has battered the Philippine economy, triggering millions of jobs losses, prompting policy makers to call for the easing of lockdown measures to help boost domestic spending.
U.S.BBCUS woman killed by bear that dragged her from tent in Montana
US authorities are searching for a grizzly bear that killed a woman in Montana after dragging her from her tent in the middle of the night. Leah Lokan, a 65-year-old nurse from California, had stopped over in the town of Ovando during a cycling trip. During the attack on Tuesday, her fellow campers used bear spray to force the animal out of their camping site.
StyleArchitectural Digest18 Best Platform Beds to Elevate Your Bedroom Style
You'll love these contemporary styles and budget-friendly price points Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
U.S.Associated PressNew Zealand hot air balloon crashes, injuring all 11 aboard
A hot air balloon crashed as it was about to land in New Zealand on Friday, injuring all 11 people on board, including two who suffered serious injuries and were airlifted to a hospital, according to authorities and the ballooning company. Sunrise Balloons said the hourlong trip near Queenstown had been uneventful and was operating within normal wind speeds when the pilot attempted to land on a private airstrip just before 10 a.m. “On approach, the balloon was caught by a sudden wind gust and the basket containing passengers impacted with a low bank,” the company said in a statement.
PoliticsAssociated PressAmid growing frustration, White House pushes voting rights
Facing a call to “save American democracy,” the Biden administration has unveiled new efforts to help protect voting rights amid growing complaints from civil rights activists and other Democrats that the White House has not done enough to fight attempts by Republican-led state legislatures to restrict access to the ballot. President Joe Biden met with civil rights leaders Thursday in the West Wing, while Vice President Kamala Harris announced $25 million in new spending by the Democratic National Committee to support efforts to protect voting access ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.
U.S.Business InsiderDOJ unveils massive indictment accusing 5 Floridians of attacking 7 police officers during Capitol riot
Five Floridians were arrested and charged last week in connection to the Capitol attack in one of the largest indictments stemming from the insurrection to date. Prosecutors say the defendants, all from the Tampa Bay area, attacked and assaulted a line of police officers several times while outside the Capitol on January 6. Court documents say the defendants used riot shields and flagpoles to hit officers in the head and neck and later punched, kicked, and elbowed officers.
U.S.Lexington Herald-LeaderStore clerk guns down shoplifter over four packs of Red Bull, Indiana cops say
An Indiana gas station clerk chased a shoplifter into the parking lot and shot him in the face, Indianapolis police told local news outlets. Vincent Bibbs, a 49-year-old Speedway convenience store clerk, has been charged with murder, WISH reported. Before midnight on June 29, Bibbs confronted Damon McClain, 49, after he spotted him putting four packs of Red Bull in a garbage bag and heading out the door without paying, the TV station reported.
WorldBBCNigeria's TB Joshua: Nigerian televangelist to be buried in Lagos
Popular Nigerian televangelist TB Joshua is being buried in Lagos after a week of funeral rites. Thousands of mourners have gathered at his church, the Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN) in the Ikotun area of Lagos. Temitope Balogun Joshua was revered by people from around the world and tens of thousands of people attended his weekly services.
HealthReutersPfizer to seek U.S. authorization for COVID booster shot as Delta variant spreads
Pfizer Inc plans to ask U.S. regulators to authorize a booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine within the next month, the drugmaker's top scientist said on Thursday, based on evidence of greater risk of reinfection six months after inoculation and the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said, however, in a joint statement that Americans who have been fully vaccinated do not need a booster COVID-19 shot at this time. Some scientists have also questioned the need for booster shots.Pfizer's chief scientific officer, Mikael Dolsten, said the recently reported dip in the vaccine's effectiveness in Israel was mostly due to infections in people who had been vaccinated in January or February.
U.S.Fort Worth Star-TelegramToll lane operator, drivers among negligent in I-35 pileup, widow alleges in lawsuit
The negligence of private companies that operate and maintain Fort Worth interstate toll lanes, the state transportation department and 10 drivers caused an expansive 133-vehicle collision in February, according to a lawsuit filed by the relatives of a man who died as he drove to work. The lawsuit appears to be the first filed by a representative of the estate of a person who died in the Interstate 35 West collisions in which five other people were killed on lanes slick with freezing rain. It was filed on Tuesday in Tarrant County District Court by Jane Watson, whose husband, Aaron Watson, was driving a Kia Sportage when he died early on Feb. 11 in express lanes.
WorldThe Daily BeastTwo Haitian-Americans With Florida Ties Accused of Taking Part in Haitian President’s Assassination
Two U.S. citizens with ties to Florida have been arrested in connection with the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse. James Solages, 35, an American of Haitian descent, and Joseph Vincent, 55, another Haitian-American, were brought before journalists at a press conference late Thursday where authorities presented 17 suspects to the public, all of them seated on a floor in handcuffs. “We are going to bring them to justice,” said Léon Charles, chief of Haiti's National Police.
WorldArchitectural DigestEverything We Want from the Sight Unseen and 1stDibs Collaboration
Featuring splurge-worthy items to feed your design obsession Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
HealthMiami HeraldCancer death rates are declining — but not for all types. Report hints at one factor
Rates of people dying from cancer overall continue to decline in both men and women — and for all racial and ethnic groups — according to an annual report on cancer in the U.S. conducted by several federal health agencies. Death rates dropped for 11 of the 19 most common cancers in men and for 14 of the 20 most common cancers for women from 2014-2018, with significant progress seen in lung and skin cancer. Dr. Karen Knudsen, chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society, said the improvements in survival for these types of cancers “are the result of progress across the entire cancer continuum — from reduced smoking rates to prevent cancer to discoveries such as targeted drug therapi...
U.S.Raleigh News and ObserverCobra owner’s lawyer says enclosures passed recent inspection. Snakes have been seized
The lawyer for the man facing charges related to an escaped zebra cobra says Raleigh animal control inspected her client's snake enclosures just months ago and found everything there to be “in full compliance.” Anna Smith Felts, the attorney for Christopher Gifford, 21, told The News & Observer on Thursday that in March 2021, the same month Gifford was bitten by a deadly green mamba, animal control officers inspected the basement of Gifford's parents' home in northwest Raleigh and that “all of the enclosures were found to be appropriate.” After the escaped cobra incident, Gifford is facing 36 charges of keeping venomous snakes in improper enclosures and three charges related to snakes in containers that were mislabeled.
- WorldReuters Videos
Haiti's president killed by foreigners: police
In Haiti, a group of handcuffed men were paraded before the media on Thursday. Suspects, police said, in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise. Authorities called them a commando unit, trained and heavily armed.
U.S.Associated PressTropical storm sparks tornado warnings in trek up East Coast
Severe weather from Tropical Storm Elsa spurred tornado warnings in Delaware and New Jersey early Friday as the system moved over the mid-Atlantic states and into the northeastern United States. Overnight in coastal New Jersey, a 78 mph (126 kph) wind gust was recorded in Ludlam Bay, and a 71 mph (114 kph) gust was recorded in Beach Haven — both appeared to be “associated with nearby tornadoes,” the National Hurricane Center said in a 5 a.m. update.
“Conglomerates benefit from the infrastructure paid for by taxpayers. … Shouldn't they help pay for all this?”
“Placing the burden for infrastructure improvements on those who use the facilities is the traditional way.”
“The world’s investors are offering America a cheap line of credit … and there’s no real reason to turn them down.”
“The carbon tax has unique advantages … It’s the obvious way forward.”
“A focused bill that repurposes unspent Covid funds is the best option.”