U.S.The StatePopular NC teacher killed trying to rob Mexican drug cartel member, sheriff says
A popular Union County teacher described by family and friends as a devoted dad, teacher and coach was fatally wounded in a shootout when he and his brother-in-law tried to rob members of a Mexican drug cartel, Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson said Wednesday. Barney Dale Harris taught Spanish and was head coach of the boys' varsity basketball and track teams at Union Academy Charter School, according to his family and the school. He was found dead last Thursday in the bedroom of an Alamance County mobile home that Johnson called a drug “stash house” for a Mexican cartel.
PoliticsAssociated PressNo. 2 House Republican says GOP would act against Gaetz
The No. 2 House Republican leader said Wednesday that party leaders would “take action" against Rep. Matt Gaetz if the Justice Department formally moves against the Florida lawmaker, who is under federal investigation for alleged sex trafficking. The remarks by Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana made him the latest congressional Republicans to opt against springing to the defense of the three-term lawmaker from Florida's panhandle. Federal investigators are probing Gaetz over allegations that include sex with a minor, according to two people who spoke on condition of anonymity because they could not discuss details publicly.
U.S.Raleigh News and ObserverMysterious goat appears in Death Valley National Park. That’s bad news, rangers say
A tourist at Death Valley spotted something within the park that shouldn't be there: a mysterious goat. The visitor reported seeing a domestic goat in a canyon near Stovepipe Wells within the park. The goat could be bad for native bighorn sheep and the park's ecosystem, rangers said Wednesday on Facebook.
WorldReutersEuropean powers warn Iran over 'dangerous' uranium enrichment move
PARIS (Reuters) -The European countries party to the Iran nuclear deal told Tehran on Wednesday its decision to enrich uranium at 60% purity, bringing the fissile material closer to bomb-grade, was contrary to efforts to revive the 2015 accord. But in an apparent signal to Iran's arch-adversary Israel, which Tehran blamed for an explosion at its key nuclear site on Sunday, European powers Germany, France and Britain added that they rejected "all escalatory measures by any actor". Israel, which the Islamic Republic does not recognise, has not formally commented on the incident at Iran's Natanz site, which appeared the latest twist in a long-running covert war.
BusinessReutersIndia's Maharashtra shuts most manufacturing, restricts e-commerce to fight COVID-19
MUMBAI (Reuters) -India's richest state Maharashtra will impose stringent curbs on industry and e-commerce for 15 days to slow rising coronavirus infections, its chief minister said on Tuesday, a move that is set to cripple manufacturing and other businesses in the region. Maharashtra - home to India's financial capital Mumbai - has been the country's worst hit state due to the coronavirus, accounting for about a quarter of India's 13.5 million cases. On Tuesday, Maharashtra reported 60,212 new COVID-19 infections.
BusinessAssociated PressConsumer prices jump 0.6% in March, biggest gain since 2012
U.S. consumer prices increased a sharp 0.6% in March, the biggest uptick since 2012, while inflation over the past year jumped 2.6%. The increase in the Labor Department's consumer price index Tuesday followed a 0.4% increase in February and was the biggest one-month gain since a 0.6% bump in August 2012. The year-over-year increase was far greater than the 1.7% increase for the 12-month change the previous month and while it easily exceeded the Federal Reserve's 2% target for inflation, the 2.6% increase in March was more of a snapshot of a period of time last year when prices tumbled as much of the world went into a pandemic lockdown.
HealthThe TelegraphCancer patient saw disease all but vanish after catching Covid
Covid may have caused a cancer patient's tumours to vanish, according to doctors, who said it could have sparked an "anti-tumour immune response" in the man. The 61-year-old patient at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro had a check-up last summer after being diagnosed with Hogkin's Lymphoma, a rare blood cancer that affects 2,100 people in the UK each year. The disease, which occurs when white blood cells get out of control and spread to the lymph nodes, is typically treated with chemotherapy and around 90 per cent of patients are still alive five years afterwards.
PoliticsUSA TODAYMissouri GOP state lawmaker Rick Roeber resigns amid allegations he abused his children
A Kansas City-area lawmaker accused of sexually and physically abusing his children when they were younger submitted his resignation Tuesday as an investigation into his behavior neared completion. Rep. Rick Roeber, R-Lee's Summit, did not mention the allegations against him or an ongoing probe by the House ethics committee in a letter to the state House clerk. Roeber, who was elected to a two-year term in November, said he only ever wanted to serve a single year to pass a bill naming a highway after his late wife, Rep. Rebecca Roeber, who died in 2019, and help pass school choice bills.
WorldAssociated PressAustralia rules out adding J&J vaccine to inoculation plan
The Australian government said Tuesday it had decided against buying the single-dose Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine and identified a second case of a rare blood clot likely linked to the AstraZeneca shot. The government had been in talks with the New Jersey-based pharmaceutical giant, which had asked the Australian regulator, Therapeutic Goods Administration, for provisional registration. But Health Minister Greg Hunt ruled out a J&J contract because its vaccine was similar to the AstraZeneca product, which Australia had already contracted for 53.8 million doses.
U.S.The WeekFauci shoots down Tucker Carlson's 'crazy' COVID-19 vaccine conspiracy theory as 'not helpful'
Dr. Anthony Fauci is pushing back against the "crazy" COVID-19 vaccine conspiracy theory Fox News host Tucker Carlson floated on his highly-rated show. In a Tuesday night segment, Carlson questioned why those who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are still advised to wear masks and avoid large gatherings, proceeding to baselessly suggest of the vaccines, "Maybe it doesn't work and they're simply not telling you that." Asked to comment on these remarks on CNN on Wednesday, Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, dismissed them as "crazy."
U.S.Idaho StatesmanGem County Sheriff’s Office searching for 3 missing children. Two were last seen in 2020
Authorities in Gem County are searching for three children who were last seen in Emmett, and two of the children have not been seen since 2020 — though they have been heard from. In a Facebook post Tuesday, the Gem County Sheriff's Office said to be on the lookout for 17-year-old Tristan Conner Sexton, 14-year-old Taylor Summers and 8-year-old Taryn Summers. In a separate news release, the Sheriff's Office said search efforts are focused on finding Taryn, who was reported missing on Monday.
U.S.INSIDERCharges against Daunte Wright before his death have sparked anger and disinformation - here are the documents that explain what happened
Daunte Wright was killed on Sunday while he had an outstanding arrest warrant, the police said. Insider reviewed legal documents that shed light on what happened. Daunte Wright's killing by a police officer not far from Minneapolis sparked renewed debate about racism and policing in the US.
WorldBBCIndia coronavirus: Can its vaccine producers meet demand?
With India attempting to ramp up vaccinations as Covid infections rise, the authorities have said they will fast track emergency approval for foreign-made vaccines. The Russian-developed Sputnik V has been given approval, as India's main domestic vaccine maker struggles to meet demand at home and globally. Can India meet its domestic needs?
BusinessReutersWall Street ends mixed despite bumper big-bank earnings
Wall Street indexes closed mixed on Wednesday, with the Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500 falling despite another record intraday high for the latter and big banks' stellar results on the first day of earnings season. Shares of Goldman Sachs Group Inc and Wells Fargo & Co rose 2.3% and 5.5% respectively on bumper first-quarter profits. Goldman capitalized on record levels of global dealmaking activity, and Wells reduced bad loan provisions and got a grip on costs tied to its sales practices scandal.
U.S.Business InsiderProsecutors say Oath Keepers likely stored January 6 weapons at suburban Virginia hotel
Prosecutors say alleged Oath Keepers stored weapons in a "quick reaction force" outside of DC ahead of January 6. In a new filing, they say members of the paramilitary group likely stashed weapons in a suburban hotel. Twelve alleged Oath Keepers are defendants in a high-profile conspiracy case tied to the attack.
U.S.Raleigh News and ObserverMississippi dad suffers stroke after Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Here’s what happened.
A 43-year-old father of seven from Ocean Springs suffered a stroke hours after receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Brad Malagarie was otherwise healthy before he suffered the stroke April 6 while at work. Malagarie had the most common form of stroke, an ischemic stroke, which is caused by a blood clot in an artery leading to the brain.
CelebrityReutersBritain's Princess Anne seen in public for first time since death of Philip
Princess Anne, the daughter of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, was on Wednesday seen in public for the first time since the death of her father last week. Philip died at Windsor Castle on Friday, aged 99. "My father has been my teacher, my supporter and my critic, but mostly it is his example of a life well lived and service freely given that I most wanted to emulate," Anne, the Princess Royal, said in a statement on Sunday.
- PoliticsReuters Videos
Israel made 'very bad gamble' on Natanz: Iran FM
Speaking during a joint news conference with his Russian counterpart, Iran's top diplomat said the incident enabled Iran to use all of its options at Natanz legally and legitimately. "Israel played a very bad gamble if it thought that the attack will weaken Iran's hand in the nuclear talks," Zarif said. Tehran has said an explosion on Sunday (April 11) at its key nuclear site was an act of sabotage by arch-foe Israel and vowed revenge for an attack that appeared to be latest episode in a long-running covert war.
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.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderMitch McConnell dodged a question about Trump calling him a 'dumb son of a b----'
McConnell refused to respond to attacks from Trump, who called him a "dumb son of a b----." McConnell, for his part, said his focus is on Biden's "totally left-wing administration." Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell declined to respond to attacks from former President Donald Trump, who called him a "dumb son of a b----" over the weekend.
U.S.The IndependentBiden picks up toy of slain Capitol officer’s daughter during emotional memorial service
During a memorial service at the US Capitol Rotunda for Officer William Evans, President Joe Biden picked up a toy dropped by the officer's daughter, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told his family that while “no words are adequate” to address their loss, “we hope it's a comfort to you that so many now know about your dad and know he's a hero”. The suspect, Noah Green, was killed at the scene. .@POTUS Biden jumped out of his chair to pick up a toy dropped by fallen officer Billy Evan's daughter, Abigail, during the Capitol Hill service just now.
CelebrityThe TelegraphRoyal family could wear non-military dress for Prince Philip's funeral
Members of the Royal family could resolve to wear non-military dress for the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral following intense discussions over who should appear in uniform. The Telegraph understands that there are growing concerns that a debate over whether the Duke of Sussex and the Duke of York should wear military dress could lead to embarrassment for the rest of the Royal family, when they are the only ones who have seen active service. On Wednesday, the Queen was dragged into the discussion over which rank of uniform Prince Andrew should wear after he demanded to go as an Admiral.
U.S.The IndependentMan who shot elephant seal in head as it rested on beach sentenced to prison
A man who fatally shot an elephant seal on a California beach has been sentenced to three months in prison. Jordan Gerbich, 30, who lived in California at the time of the incident but is now based in Utah, shot the seal in the head on 28 September 2019 near to the Piedras Blancas State Marine Reserve in San Simeon, according to federal prosecutors. Prosecutors claimed that the 30-year-old did not kill the seal “by accident or on a whim,” explaining that Mr Gerbich and his friend brought a handgun to an area where the animals are known to rest.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderSenate Democrats want to replace most of your lost paycheck with permanently boosted unemployment benefits
Senate Democrats have unveiled a plan to boost unemployment benefits permanently. It also sets up a $250 weekly benefit for gig workers who don't qualify for regular unemployment. A pair of Senate Democrats introduced a plan on Wednesday to permanently boost unemployment benefits, making state checks larger to cover most of a worker's lost wages.
U.S.The IndependentPolice officer who shot Jacob Blake, sparking protests in Kenosha, has returned to duty
The police officer who shot Jacob Blake, sparking protests in Wisconsin, has returned to active duty his department has announced. Rusten Sheskey shot Mr Blake, a Black man, seven times in the back leaving him paralysed from the waist down, when he responded to a domestic violence call in Kenosha last year. “Although this incident has been reviewed at multiple levels, I know that some will not be pleased with the outcome,” said police chief Daniel Miskinis.
“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.”