WorldAssociated PressIran names suspect in Natanz attack, says he fled country
Iran named a suspect Saturday in the attack on its Natanz nuclear facility that damaged centrifuges there, saying he had fled the country “hours before” the sabotage happened. While the extent of the damage from the April 11 sabotage remains unclear, it comes as Iran tries to negotiate with world powers over allowing the U.S. to re-enter its tattered nuclear deal and lift the economic sanctions it faces. Already, Iran has begun enriching uranium up to 60% purity in response — three times higher than ever before, though in small quantities.
U.S.Associated PressUS West prepares for possible 1st water shortage declaration
The man-made lakes that store water supplying millions of people in the U.S. West and Mexico are projected to shrink to historic lows in the coming months, dropping to levels that could trigger the federal government's first-ever official shortage declaration and prompt cuts in Arizona and Nevada. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation released 24-month projections this week forecasting that less Colorado River water will cascade down from the Rocky Mountains through Lake Powell and Lake Mead and into the arid deserts of the U.S. Southwest and the Gulf of California. Water levels in the two lakes are expected to plummet low enough for the agency to declare an official shortage for the first time, threatening the supply of Colorado River water that growing cities and farms rely on.
WorldReutersEU, UK step up Northern Ireland talks as EU continues legal action
The European Union insisted on Friday that Britain not change trading rules in Northern Ireland on its own and said it would continue legal action against unilateral British action in the province for as long as necessary. European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic hosted UK negotiator David Frost for talks on Thursday evening and said that only agreements by joint bodies established by the Brexit divorce deal could provide stability in Northern Ireland. The British-ruled province is in the EU single market for goods to ensure an open border with EU member Ireland and so requires checks on goods coming from other parts of the United Kingdom.
U.S.Associated PressAs mask mandates end, Oregon bucks trend with permanent rule
As states around the country lift COVID-19 restrictions, Oregon is poised to go the opposite direction — and many residents are fuming about it. A top health official is considering indefinitely extending rules requiring masks and social distancing in all businesses in the state. The proposal would keep the rules in place until they are “no longer necessary to address the effects of the pandemic in the workplace.”
- NewsKFSN – Fresno
Clovis police searching for shooting suspect
Clovis police are searching for 36-year-old Troy Clowers, who they say shot his sister's girlfriend at her Harlan Ranch home during an argument on Thursday night.
U.S.Miami HeraldTwo men are dead, two women are injured after an early morning crash in Miami Beach
Two men are dead and two women are hospitalized after their SUV crashed into one of the towering trees along Miami Beach's Pine Tree Drive. According to Miami Beach police, the car was involved in a crash around 5:45 a.m. Saturday along the 3100 block of Pine Tree Drive.
WorldReutersOpponents of Myanmar military rule hold 'silent strike'
Opponents of military rule in Myanmar observed a "silent strike" on Friday, with many people staying home to mourn the more than 700 people killed in protests against a Feb. 1 coup and others wearing black held small marches in several cities and towns. Many Myanmar citizens, infuriated by the return of military rule after five years of civilian government led by democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi, have been taking to the streets day after day with activists thinking up new ways to show opposition as the security forces step up their suppression. "Let's make the roads silent," protest leader Ei Thinzar Maung posted on her Facebook page.
CelebrityThe TelegraphHow Meghan ensured she had a part in Prince Philip's funeral – with a handwritten note on wreath
The Duchess of Sussex wrote the card attached to the wreath sent by her and Prince Harry to ensure that, in a small way, she played a part in the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral service. Meghan, who is heavily pregnant with the couple's second child, had hoped to attend the ceremony but was advised against travelling by her doctor. The 39-year-old was watching the funeral on television at home in Montecito, California.
LifestyleArchitectural DigestThe 9 Best Wireless Headphones for Every Kind of Use
From the most comfortable pair to the best value buy, these headphones will carry you through the spring, summer, and beyond Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
PoliticsBusiness InsiderRepublican lawmakers condemned pro-Trump caucus emphasizing 'Anglo-Saxon political traditions,' said GOP is not about 'nativism'
GOP lawmakers are reportedly starting a caucus that emphasizes "Anglo-Saxon political traditions." Other Republicans came out against it, with Rep. Adam Kinzinger saying members should be punished. Reps. Kevin McCarthy and Liz Cheney also post came forward to condemn "nativism" in the GOP.
ScienceBBCPhilippines: Giant clam shells worth $25m seized in raid
Around 200 tonnes of illegally harvested giant clam shells worth nearly $25 million (£18 million) have been seized in the Philippines. The seizure is one of the largest ever hauls of the endangered species. Four suspects have been arrested on an island in the ecologically protected province of Palawan.
CelebrityAxiosIn photos: The funeral of Prince Philip puts military and royal tradition on display
Photo: KIRSTY O'CONNOR/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (R) and members of the Royal family stand outside St. George's Chapel for the funeral service of Prince Philip. Photo: HANNAH MCKAY/AFP via Getty Images Britain's Queen Elizabeth II arrives in the Royal Bentley at the funeral for her husband, Prince Philip. Photo: LEON NEAL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Britain's Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Britain's Princess Anne, Princess Royal, lead the ceremonial funeral procession of Prince Philip to St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, followed by more royal family members.
U.S.The New York TimesWhy Police Can Stop Motorists With Air Fresheners Hanging in Their Cars
In places where air fresheners have been treated as a primary offense, the traffic stops have faced legal challenges with various outcomes. On an April evening in 2008, Benjamin Garcia-Garcia was driving a minivan along Interstate 55 near Springfield, Illinois, when a state trooper who had been parked in the median moved onto the freeway and pulled him over. According to court records, the trooper claimed he had seen the pink air freshener hanging from Garcia-Garcia's mirror and believed it violated the state statute prohibiting objects that could obstruct the driver's view.
PoliticsThe IndependentFrom Asian hate crime to a minimum wage: 25 things Ted Cruz has voted against this year
The 'No' vote was criticised for being another controversial rejection of the Biden administration agenda, and follows voting against almost every Cabinet secretary of Mr Biden's in recent weeks – although the efforts, in the end, failed. All the bills Mr Cruz has voted 'No' to in the US Senate so for this year, are listed below: The US 2020 election results Not a bill, but infamous for coming in the hours after supporters of former president Donald Trump – wrongly citing election fraud – stormed the US Capitol in events that killed five people, including a Capitol Police officer.
BusinessAssociated PressS&P 500 hits another record, marks 4th weekly gain in a row
Stocks continued to march higher on Wall Street Friday, giving the S&P 500 its latest record high and its fourth straight weekly gain. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also closed at an all-time high. Higher bond yields helped lift bank stocks, and health care companies and those that rely on consumer spending also did well.
U.S.Raleigh News and ObserverCatawba Indians declared victor in NC casino court fight, clearing way for construction
The Catawba Indian Nation said a federal court has ruled in its favor in a lawsuit that tried to stop its planned North Carolina casino. In a Facebook post Friday evening, tribal leaders said they “were excited to announce” that they'd “just received word” of the court victory. The lawsuit brought by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians was the final major hurdle to the Catawbas' opening their $273 million Two Kings Casino Resort off Interstate 85 in Kings Mountain, tribal leaders have said.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderTrump rape accuser adds to former president's legal woes by asking court to keep defamation lawsuit alive
In 2020, E. Jean Carroll published an account accusing Trump of raping her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the mid-1990s. The former Elle columnist sued Trump for defamation after he made comments denying sexually assaulting her. A judge ruled that Trump was not acting in a presidential capacity when he made the comments.
ScienceBBCCarbon Mapper satellite network to find super-emitters
A constellation of satellites will be flown this decade to try to pinpoint significant releases of climate-changing gases, in particular carbon dioxide and methane. The initiative is being led by an American non-profit organisation called Carbon Mapper. It will use technology developed by the US space agency over the past decade.
HealthMiami HeraldCoronavirus weekly need-to-know: Rare J&J blood clots, vaccine side effects, kids & more
More than 31.4 million people in the United States have tested positive for the coronavirus as of Friday morning, April 16, according to Johns Hopkins University. Federal officials on Tuesday called for a pause on using the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine after six women developed rare blood clots days after receiving the single-dose shots. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it's joining the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in urging a halt on administering the single-shot vaccines.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderThe 10 GOP lawmakers who voted to impeach Trump have already received $6.4 million in donations this year - far more than their 2022 midterm opponents
Donors are giving millions to the GOP lawmakers who voted to impeach Trump. Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, for example, received $1.54 million in the first three months of 2021. They have received far more money than their prospective 2022 midterm opponents, who Trump has backed.
CelebrityArchitectural DigestOur 9 Favorite Items From Jessica Alba’s Affordable Office Makeover
In a new YouTube video, the star shows how she decorated a space using all Amazon products Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
U.S.The IndependentLatina grandmother assaulted on LA bus in anti-Asian attack
A 70-year-old Latina woman who was mistaken for Asian was savagely beaten on a Los Angeles bus, her son says. The assailant then dragged Becky to the other end of the bus and brutally battered her, her son Pete told The Eastsider. Pete says he and his family are often mistaken for Asian Americans, but they're actually of Mexican heritage.
CelebrityThe TelegraphWhy the Queen chose loyal lady-in-waiting Lady Susan Hussey for her loneliest journey
The Queen had personally asked Lady Susan to join her for the journey as she prepared to say farewell to her husband of 73 years. One of a close inner circle of ladies-in-waiting, Lady Susan has been by the Queen's side since the birth of Prince Andrew, when she joined the royal household to help answer a flood of letters. Known affectionately as "Number One Head Girl" in an office once likened to the cheery atmosphere of a girls' school common room, she has been described as one of the key trusted figures helping the Queen in her later life.
WorldThe IndependentUS exit from Afghanistan before peace is in place is causing alarm on the ground
The United States' decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan comes before any peace has been established for the country. President Joe Biden announced solemnly on Wednesday that the US would withdraw all of its troops from the mountainous, war-torn country after nearly 20 years by 11 September, ending America's longest war. “We cannot continue the cycle of extending or expanding our military presence in Afghanistan, hoping to create ideal conditions for the draw and expecting a different result.”
SportsAssociated PressShcherbakova seals Russia's first World Team Trophy victory
World champion Anna Shcherbakova won the women's free skate on Saturday to seal Russia's first-ever victory at the figure skating World Team Trophy. First after the short program, the 17-year-old Shcherbakova opened with a quadruple flip and followed with a triple flip-triple toe loop combination en route to a score of 160.58 points. Japan's Kaori Sakamoto moved up to second place with 150.29 points after an impressive Matrix routine that included five triple jumps.
“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.”