WorldThe TelegraphHindu priest tipped to succeed Narendra Modi claims doctors lied about India oxygen shortages
Yogi Adityanath, the Hindu priest tipped as successor to India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has said hospitals lied about shortages of oxygen during the height of the Covid crisis, in an exclusive interview with the Telegraph. Mr Adityanath, the chief minister of India's most populous state Uttar Pradesh, is seen as the third most powerful man in India behind his colleagues in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Mr Modi and home minister Amit Shah. The controversial politician attracts fervent support among many of India's 966 million Hindus, who admire his Trump-like forthrightness on domestic issues - but, until now, Mr Adityanath had never spoken to the international media.
- U.S.The Week
SCOTUS sides with liberalism in Fulton v. Philadelphia
At a time when American politics from top to bottom is sharply and rancorously divided, a unanimous Supreme Court decision on a case wrapped up with the country's culture wars is a rare thing. Fulton v. City of Philadelphia is certainly such a case. The case involved a Catholic social services organization that sued Philadelphia after the city excluded it from a foster-care program due to the organization's refusal to certify same-sex couples as foster parents.
PoliticsFort Worth Star-TelegramMenendez pressed VP Harris in private to put immigration measure in infrastructure bill
Sen. Bob Menendez pressed Vice President Kamala Harris in a private meeting this week to include a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants in legislation that includes the Biden administration's infrastructure proposal. Menendez, who is a lead sponsor in Congress of President Joe Biden's immigration agenda, made a “big push” to Harris on Tuesday to include the citizenship measure in emerging infrastructure legislation, according to a participant in the meeting. A spokesperson for the New Jersey Democrat confirmed that characterization.
U.S.Lexington Herald-LeaderLatest Kentuckian charged in U.S. Capitol riot caught on video near fatal shooting
A Kentucky man charged in connection with the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol wrote in a Facebook post that he was nearby when a woman trying to get into the Speaker's Lobby was shot and killed. Kurt Peterson of Hodgenville was arrested Wednesday and charged with obstructing an official proceeding, destruction of government property and entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, the FBI announced. On Jan. 10, Peterson put a lengthy post on Facebook detailing his time in the Capitol protesting former President Donald Trump's loss in the 2020 election, according to a federal affidavit.
U.S.The StateHe lied to get $39M in government contracts for N95 masks, feds say. He’ll go to prison
When the U.S. was in short supply of toilet paper and life-saving personal protective equipment at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, federal prosecutors said a 35-year-old contractor in Virginia promised to deliver. Robert S. Stewart Jr., who now lives in Alabama, was sentenced Wednesday to one year and nine months in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to defrauding multiple government agencies last year, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia said in a news release on Wednesday. Stewart is accused of procuring close to $39 million in government contracts for N95 masks he couldn't deliver, fudging applications for COVID-19 emergency relief loans and lying about his military service to obtain extra benefits.
PoliticsBBCUS Supreme Court rejects Trump-backed challenge to Obamacare
The US Supreme Court has rejected a Trump-backed challenge by Republican-led states to former President Barack Obama's healthcare overhaul. Despite the court's conservative tilt, its nine justices ruled by 7-2 that the challengers did not have legal standing to sue. It is the third time since 2010 that the Affordable Care Act (ACA), known as Obamacare, has survived a challenge.
CelebrityArchitectural DigestStill Need a Father’s Day Gift for Dad? Here Are Chip Gaines’s Suggestions
The Fixer Upper star shares five little ones with his wife, Joanna Gaines Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
U.S.Lexington Herald-LeaderRangers find woman’s remains after hikers discover foot nearby, Maryland officials say
Hikers discovered a pair of red Nike shoes and a human foot in a Maryland national park, which led rangers to find the rest of the woman's remains nearby on Saturday, the FBI said. Hikers found the foot in a remote part of the woods, away from established paths of Catoctin Mountain Park, FBI spokeswoman Joy Jiras told The Frederick News-Post. Rangers found the rest of the woman's body, except for a missing hand and foot, fewer than 100 yards away, according to the news outlet.
- NewsYahoo News Video
Prosecutors seek 'very substantial' prison time for Michael Avenatti over attempted extortion of Nike
Prosecutors on Wednesday urged a judge to impose a “very substantial” prison sentence on Michael Avenatti for trying to extort millions of dollars from Nike.
U.S.Charlotte ObserverJudge frees man from death row, points to withheld evidence in Charlotte murder trial
Michael Wayne Sherrill, convicted 12 years ago for the 1984 fatal stabbing and rape of Cynthia Dotson, climbed into a truck with his brother on Wednesday evening and drove off from Central Prison in Raleigh. Sherrill's freedom hinged on the discovery in April that several pieces of evidence, which could have strengthened his defense, had not been shared with his attorneys before his 2009 trial. Sherrill's release after more than 16 years in custody angered and dismayed two members of Dotson's family who were in Superior Court Judge Lou Trosch's courtroom on Wednesday, according to courtroom observers.
U.S.The StateVictims ‘need justice,’ McMaster says in denouncing court’s decision to stay executions
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster decried the state Supreme Court's decision to stay all upcoming executions until the state's Department of Corrections could offer a firing squad as a method of execution. The Republican governor told reporters Thursday morning that he disagreed with the decision, which was issued by the state's highest court Wednesday, two days before South Carolina's first execution in a decade was schedule to be carried out. I think the law has been passed and it is sound,” McMaster said.
U.S.Miami HeraldSending Florida’s police to Texas and Arizona? Try helping us closer to home, Gov. DeSantis | Editorial
Florida's governor is sending police to the border. When the Republican governors of the two states asked for the help, Gov. Ron DeSantis sprang into action. “TX @GovAbbott and AZ Governor @DougDucey requested help so they can do what the federal government is either unwilling or unable to do — secure the border and protect Americans,” DeSantis tweeted Thursday.
U.S.Idaho StatesmanHome where Manson murders took place sells in California – after price reduction
The Los Feliz home where Charles Manson's followers savagely killed the LaBiancas has finally sold after spending months on the California real estate market. The house, which was owned by paranormal investigator Zak Bagans according to the New York Post, sold for a discounted $1.875 million. The two-bedroom home was the famous site where Manson instructed his “family” — a group of individuals radicalized by Manson's teachings – to murder Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, one night after they killed actor Sharon Tate and four others in August 1969.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderPutin says 'there is no happiness in life' after his meeting with Biden
Russian President Vladimir Putin struck a dark tone after his private chat with President Joe Biden. "There's no happiness in life," Putin said. Russian President Vladimir Putin struck a dark tone during his lengthy, rambling press conference following nearly four hours of talks with President Joe Biden in Geneva on Wednesday.
U.S.Lexington Herald-LeaderDad accused of killing daughter’s boyfriend after alleged assault, Michigan cops say
A Michigan father faces charges after shooting and killing a man he believed had assaulted his daughter, authorities say. The incident unfolded Wednesday outside an apartment complex in Harrison Township, about 30 miles northeast of Detroit, according to the Macomb County Sheriff's Office. Authorities said the shooting was sparked by an argument between the victim and his girlfriend's 66-year-old father.
HealthKansas City StarIs it better to get immunity from catching COVID — or vaccines? What science shows
Research shows both coronavirus infection and vaccination offers immunity that can protect people from getting sick again. Regardless of how immunity is acquired, there's no telling whose bodies will or won't create effective antibodies, and why they last longer for some than others; doctors speculate age or certain medical conditions might play a role. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that between February 2020 and March 2021, there were about 114.6 million total coronavirus infections in the U.S.. That's about 81.1 million more cases than are confirmed as of June 17.
WorldLA TimesIn Iran's presidential election, apathy is looking like the big winner
Yet issues of major import loom over the Islamic Republic, including its tanking economy, the Middle East's deadliest COVID-19 outbreak and Tehran's relations with the West, particularly efforts to revive a moribund international nuclear accord with renewed U.S. participation. Concern over widespread voter apathy prompted Khamenei to try to coax voters to the polls by declaring in a live television address Wednesday that participating in elections was “an act of virtue.
BusinessMiami HeraldCDC’s travel warning for cruise ships eases, COVID-19 risk high for unvaccinated
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lowered its travel warning for cruise ships Wednesday, recommending only unvaccinated passengers avoid cruise travel. The COVID-19 risk for unvaccinated passengers on cruise ships is now set at Level 3, the second highest, down from Level 4. Previously, the CDC recommended all passengers avoid cruise travel.
LifestyleArchitectural DigestKevin Hart Buys Calabasas Mansion Next Door for $7 Million
As one of the highest-paid comedians, Kevin Hart can afford to drop big bucks on a second mansion—which is exactly what he's just done. The veteran comedian, whose estimated worth is reportedly $200 million, recently dropped $7 million on his next-door neighbor's house in Calabasas, California, reports Dirt. In addition to the aforementioned outdoor amenities, the landscaped backyard features a koi pond fed by a waterfall, an alfresco dining area for entertaining, and an outdoor kitchen with a barbecue, a pizza oven, and a fireplace.
U.S.Charlotte ObserverMother made daughter, 13, help bury 4-year-old sister in NC backyard, warrant says
The mother of a 4-year-old girl whose remains were found at a north Charlotte home last month, forced her 13-year-old daughter to help bury her sister in the backyard, according to a search warrant. On May 21, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police found Miegellic “Jelli” Young's body buried outside her mother's home in the 3700 block of Braden Drive. Miegellic had lived with her mother, Malikah Bennett, her boyfriend and seven other children in the home since August, the search warrant says.
TechnologyBBCICO watchdog 'deeply concerned' over live facial recognition
New guidance for companies and public organisations using the technology has also been published. In a blog post Ms Denham addressed the use of live face recognition, saying that facial recognition technology could be useful, allowing us to unlock our mobile phones, or set up a bank account online. But when people's faces were scanned and processed by algorithms in real time and in public places, the risks to privacy increased.
U.S.Kansas City StarMissouri AG Eric Schmitt defends new law declaring federal gun laws “invalid”
Missouri officials pushed back Thursday at the U.S. Justice Department's challenge to the constitutionality of a new state statute prohibiting local police from enforcing a variety of federal gun laws. The department wrote Wednesday to Gov. Mike Parson and Attorney General Eric Schmitt warning that the measure “conflicts with federal firearms laws and regulation” and threatens the federal government's working relationship with local police, the Associated Press reported. In response, Schmitt, a Republican running for the U.S. Senate in 2022, and Parson accused the Biden administration of trying to “tell Missourians how to live our lives.”
WorldBusiness InsiderKim Jong Un warns that North Korea is running out of food as reports say a bunch of bananas now costs $45
Kim Jong Un said the situation was "tense," state media reported. A South Korean think tank said the country was expected to be short over a million tons of food. Kim Jong Un has warned that North Korea is struggling to maintain food supplies, as reports say prices of everyday goods are skyrocketing.
U.S.INSIDERA murder suspect accused of stabbing and setting fire to his son cross-examined the 11-year-old in court
A Florida judge allowed a murder suspect to represent himself at trial and cross-examine witnesses. Ronnie Oneal III is charged with killing his girfriend and daughter and nearly killing his son. A murder suspect accused of shooting his girlfriend, axing his 9-year-old daughter in the head, then stabbing and lighting his son on fire cross-examined the 11-year-old survivor Wednesday in a jaw-dropping courtroom scene.
U.S.Fort Worth Star-TelegramPeople can carry handguns in Texas without training or license starting Sept. 1
Texans will soon be able to carry a handgun without a license after Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill allowing for the permitless carry of firearms. The new law, which goes into effect Sept. 1, allows those who are 21 and older and not otherwise prohibited from having a gun to carry a handgun without a license. Abbott signed House Bill 1927 on Wednesday and held a ceremonial signing for the legislation and other new gun laws on Thursday.
“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.”