U.S.NBC News'White Lives Matter' rallies flop as hardly anyone shows up
In semi-private, encrypted chats, neo-Nazis and other far-right extremists planned rallies in dozens of cities Sunday to promote their racist movements and spread their ideologies to larger audiences. Hyped by organizers as events that would make “the whole world tremble,” the rallies ran into a major problem: Hardly anyone showed up. The “White Lives Matter” rallies, the first major real-world organizing efforts by white supremacists since 2018, were planned on the encrypted app Telegram after many aligned groups were alleged to have taken part in the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S Capitol.
WorldThe TelegraphMassive power outages strike St Vincent as officials record more volcanic activity
Massive power outages struck the Caribbean island of St Vincent before dawn on Sunday, as officials recorded more explosive activity at a long-dormant volcano that launched into a series of eruptions. The eruptions prompted thousands to flee for safety, with around 16,000 people living in areas under evacuation orders. The country's National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) noted "another explosive event" early Sunday morning with the "majority of the country out of power and covered in ash".
WorldReutersAustralia abandons COVID-19 vaccination targets after new advice on AstraZeneca shots
Australia has abandoned a goal to vaccinate nearly all of its 26 million population by the end of 2021 following advice that people under the age of 50 take Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine rather than AstraZeneca's shot. Australia, which had banked on the AstraZeneca vaccine for the majority of its shots, had no plans to set any new targets for completing its vaccination programme, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a Facebook post on Sunday afternoon. "While we would like to see these doses completed before the end of the year, it is not possible to set such targets given the many uncertainties involved," Morrison said.
U.S.Lexington Herald-LeaderMom dies in road-rage shooting with her young daughters in the car, Texas family says
One driver got out and started shooting at the other car, San Antonio police said, according to the outlet. The other driver tried to escape the gunfire, but drove into a fence, KENS reported She and a 14-year-old were shot, police said. A 7-year-old in the car was not injured, according to KABB.
U.S.The TelegraphArmy engineers began preparing Prince Philip’s Land Rover hearse after hospital stay
Army engineers worked around the clock to make sure the Duke of Edinburgh's specially-designed Land Rover hearse was ready in time for his funeral. A team from the Corps of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) was deployed to prepare the hearse after the Duke was admitted to hospital in February. His month-long stay at the age of 99 was the longest period Prince Philip had spent in a hospital.
U.S.Associated PressLas Vegas pushes to become first to ban ornamental grass
A desert city built on a reputation for excess and indulgence wants to become a model for restraint and conservation with a first-in-the-nation policy banning grass that nobody walks on. Las Vegas-area water officials have spent two decades trying to get people to replace thirsty greenery with desert plants, and now they're asking the Nevada Legislature to outlaw roughly 40% of the turf that's left. The Southern Nevada Water Authority estimates there are almost 8 square miles (21 square kilometers) of “nonfunctional turf" in the metro area — grass that no one ever walks on or otherwise uses in street medians, housing developments and office parks.
WorldReutersBrazil sees 1,803 COVID-19 deaths; Chinese vaccine found 50.7% effective against variant
Brazil on Sunday recorded 1,803 new COVID-19 deaths, as a large study found that a Chinese vaccine that has become the linchpin in the country's vaccination campaign is 50.7% effective against the infectious new homegrown variant known as P1. Brazil, which has in recent weeks become the global epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, saw over 37,000 new cases, the Health Ministry said on Sunday. Sao Paulo's Butantan biomedical institute, which tested and is now producing the CoronaVac vaccine developed by China's Sinovac Biotech Ltd, said on Sunday a study it conducted found the shot had an efficacy rate of 50.7% against the P1 variant, and a less widespread strain known as P2.
U.S.INSIDERFlorida cops who responded to a noise complaint at house party 'cowered away' after finding out their boss was a guest
Florida cops backed off a noise complaint at a party after they found out their boss was a guest. The officers "cowered away" when partygoers told them the sheriff was inside the house. Florida police officers were in for a big surprise after responding to a noise complaint at a house party last Saturday, only to find that a guest at the event was their own boss.
BusinessReutersExclusive: Berkshire Hathaway gives activist okay to phone it in on May 1
Berkshire Hathaway Inc reversed course on Friday and told an activist group it could present a shareholder proposal remotely for the company's May 1 annual meeting, in line with renewed guidance from the U.S. securities regulator. Warren Buffett's insurance and investment company traditionally draws thousands to its extravagant annual meeting in Omaha but, like many top U.S. corporations during the coronavirus pandemic, had asked investors to log in to the meeting remotely instead of attending in person. The shift to online has stymied many activist investor groups whose shareholder resolutions often animate the meetings, however.
WorldThe TelegraphTop Treasury official to be grilled over David Cameron Greensill lobbying saga
A top mandarin is to be grilled over text messages sent by David Cameron as committee chairs are in talks about launching an inquiry into Greensill. Sir Tom Scholar, Permanent Secretary at The Treasury, will appear before the Public Accounts Committee on April 22, where he will be asked questions about Greensill, a finance firm advised by the former prime minister which sought access to government coronavirus support funding. The Telegraph understands that discussions are underway along Parliament's select committee corridor about a bigger inquiry, with two senior members of committees currently working closely together so as not to “overlap” witnesses.
U.S.INSIDERA 911 dispatcher in Louisiana was arrested after authorities say she refused to return $1.2 million that was accidentally deposited into her account
Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. A woman who worked for more than four years as a sheriff's dispatcher in Louisiana was fired and arrested after authorities say she refused to return more than $1.2 million that was accidentally deposited into her account. According to a report Thursday from nola.com, 33-year-old Kelyn Spadoni of Harvey, Louisiana, was arrested Wednesday and charged with theft valued over $25,000, bank fraud, and illegal transmission of monetary funds after she repeatedly evaded requests to return funds inadvertently transferred to her in February.
WorldThe TelegraphPalace reveals Prince Philip redesigned Balmoral Castle's notorious heating system
Prince Philip devised a special heating system to protect the paintings at Balmoral Castle, it has emerged as the Royal family paid tribute to his conservation work on its estates. The Palace revealed on Sunday that the Duke of Edinburgh was behind an initiative to install a heating system that responded to humidity rather than the outside temperature to create a less damaging atmosphere for the castle's many antiques. The Duke's fervent passion for horticulture and agriculture also led him to re-landscape many the Queen's estates and even get behind the wheel of a bulldozer to realise his vision.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderTrump spent several minutes insulting 'dumb son of a b---h' Mitch McConnell during a rambling speech to GOP donors at Mar-a-Lago, say reports
Former President Donald Trump insulted Mitch McConnell during a speech to donors at Mar-a-Lago. Trump referred to the Senate Minority Leader as a "dumb son of a b—h," Politico reported. Former President Donald Trump derided Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell during a 50-minute speech at his Mar-a-Lago resort, Politico reported.
WorldThe GuardianCanada ski resort linked to largest outbreak of P1 Covid variant outside Brazil
The Whistler Blackcomb ski resort was shut down by provincial authorities at the end of March after they realised that P1, the highly infectious coronavirus variant traced back to Brazil, was spreading rapidly throughout the community. As provinces across Canada break records for new cases of the virus, experts have grown increasingly troubled by the rapid and covert spread of variants. With 877 confirmed cases of P1, the province of British Columbia is now the centre of the world's largest sequenced outbreak of the variant outside Brazil – and nearly a quarter of those cases have been linked to Whistler.
U.S.INSIDER'I hate this home now:' California couple finally changes the locks on their dream house after previous owner refused to leave for over a year
A California couple could finally get into their new home after the former owner refused to leave. Due to the state's eviction moratorium, the seller continued to occupy the property after the couple bought the home. Myles and Tracie Albert were able to change the locks of their home after 15 months.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderCorporate America is still dangerously delusional about what the GOP has become
The GOP corporate America used to know and love is gone. What we have now is an angrier GOP willing to punish companies that disagree with it. Corporations need to hear this, and probably a few half-hearted Republicans do too - former House Speaker John Boehner's GOP isn't coming back.
- NewsKTRK – Houston
Man shot to death outside west Houston corner store
The victim and another person were in a car when the gunman walked up and fired one shot before taking off, police said.
CelebrityThe TelegraphSir John Major calls on Royal family to ‘end friction as speedily as possible’
Sir John Major said yesterday that the “friction” between the Royal family and the Duke of Sussex was “better ended as speedily as possible”. The former prime minister spoke about the rift after Buckingham Palace confirmed that Prince Harry would fly back from the US to attend the Duke's funeral. Appearing on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Sir John was asked whether he agreed with comments made by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, who said: “Many a family gather and get over tension and broken relationships at the time of a funeral.
CelebrityTODAYHugh Jackman and wife stun in 1996 wedding photos shared for their 25th anniversary
Hugh Jackman and his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, are celebrating a milestone on Sunday. After 25 years of marriage, the couple has hit their silver wedding anniversary. To mark the occasion, Jackman, 52, gushed over Furness, 65, in posts on Twitter and Instagram, complete with a series of throwback photos from their wedding day.
- U.S.Tribune Publishing
Frustrated residents push back as Hawaii tourism resurges
Apr. 11—Kai Nishiki and other frustrated Maui residents got up early Saturday and armed themselves with beach chairs, umbrellas and towels to storm Wailea Beach and push back the increasing ranks of tourists who have been flocking to the island, overtaking popular spots locals got used to having to themselves after COVID-19 virtually shut down the visitor industry. The faster-than-expected pace of the recovery is good for Hawaii's tourism-dependent economy, but it's also created a sense of urgency to improve tourism management, especially in pockets of the state that were already battling for balance before the pandemic hit. Angela Keen, a founder of Hawaii Kapu Quarantine Breakers, said she's getting complaints from hotel workers and activity providers who are concerned that some visitors "aren't sensitive to our ways and our culture and our willingness to wear masks to protect our neighbors."
HealthINSIDERWe could soon have vaccines for cancer and HIV thanks to COVID-19 vaccine discovery: report
Scientists are now applying that technology to other difficult-to-treat diseases like cancer and HIV. Scientists are experimenting with COVID-19 vaccine technology as a way to treat terminal illnesses like cancer and HIV, Inverse reported. It's an approach vaccine researchers have been studying for the past 25 years, Insider previously reported.
PoliticsThe Daily BeastMatt Gaetz Surfaces at Trumpy Summit to Declare ‘I’m Built for the Battle’
After 10 days of relentless developments in the Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) saga of scandals, the Florida Republican reemerged Friday evening to mostly ignore the most recent and damning reports and offer boilerplate MAGA defenses and applause lines. “I'm built for the battle, and I'm not going anywhere,” Gaetz told attendees at the Save America Summit at Trump Doral in Miami, Florida. As Gaetz tries to brush aside reports that he's under investigation for paying women for sex—including, potentially, an underage minor—Gaetz seemed to see no irony in addressing an event hosted by “Women for America First.”
CelebrityThe TelegraphPrince Philip put Land Rover hearse he designed himself at heart of funeral
The Duke of Edinburgh's coffin will be carried through the grounds of Windsor Castle in a modified Land Rover that he designed for the occasion himself. The funeral will take place next Saturday at 3pm, following a short procession in which the Prince of Wales and senior members of the Royal family will follow the coffin on foot as it is driven to St George's Chapel. The Queen will not take part in the procession.
ScienceBusiness InsiderNASA delays Mars helicopter flight after a crucial rotor-blade-spinning test ended abruptly
NASA has delayed the first flight of its Ingenuity Mars helicopter after a crucial test-spin of the drone's rotor blades abruptly stopped. This was the last major test to make sure the helicopter would be ready for its first flight, which was originally scheduled for Monday. Now NASA has delayed the historic liftoff - which would mark the first powered, controlled flight on another planet - to Wednesday.
SportsAxiosWorries mount that A-Rod could move Timberwolves to another city
News that Glen Taylor could sell the Wolves and Lynx to Alex Rodriguez and billionaire Marc Lore (who created Jet.com) has fans worried the teams could end up in Seattle or Las Vegas. The Wolves' lease at Target Center runs until 2035, but the cost to break it is a paltry $50 million. Go deeper: For more in-depth Minnesota Timberwolves coverage and breaking news, subscribe to our partners at The Athletic.
“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.”