WorldAxiosDeath toll mounts as fighting between Israel and Hamas intensifies
Photo: Mohammed Abed/AFP via Getty Images Smoke and flames rise after Israeli forces launched ground and air attacks towards Gaza Strip on May 14. Photo: Ashraf Amra/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Palestinian civil defense teams take part in rescue work at the rubble of a building belonging to a Palestinian family after Israeli airstrikes in Gaza on May 13. The fighting has killed at least 28 Palestinian children Photo: Mustafa Hassona/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images A man in the central Israeli city of Petah Tikva on May 13 checks the damage from a rocket launched from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
WorldAssociated PressAustralian court upholds laws against foreign interference
A Chinese-born political adviser on Wednesday lost his challenge in Australia's highest court against laws banning covert foreign interference in domestic politics. John Shi Sheng Zhang also lost his High Court challenge in a unanimous decision of seven judges to the validity of search warrants executed by police at his Sydney home and offices last year as part of an investigation into illegal foreign interference on behalf of China. Zhang was an adviser to New South Wales state lawmaker Shaoquett Moselmane, whose membership in the opposition Labor Party was suspended after he was also the target of police raids.
PoliticsAxios"Are they all vaccinated?”: Pelosi says masks will still be required on the House floor
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told CNN Thursday that members will still be required to wear masks on the House floor, despite new CDC guidance allowing fully vaccinated people to remove their masks indoors. What she's saying: “No,” Pelosi told CNN when asked if the rule would change. Pelosi's spokesperson cited the lack of clarity about which House members and their staffs are fully vaccinated, per Bloomberg.
HealthReutersDelayed second Pfizer COVID-19 shot produces more antibodies - study
LONDON (Reuters) - Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine generates antibody responses three-and-a-half times larger in older people when a second dose is delayed to 12 weeks after the first, a British study said. The study released on Friday is the first to directly compare immune responses of the Pfizer shot from the three-week dosing interval tested in clinical trials, and the extended 12-week interval that British officials recommend in order to give more vulnerable people at least some protection quickly. After Britain moved to extend the interval between doses, Pfizer and vaccine partner BioNTech said there was no data to back up the move.
U.S.Kansas City StarElementary school principal killed by husband in murder-suicide, Texas officials say
The principal of a Texas elementary school was killed Wednesday by her husband, who then killed himself, Texas officials say. The death of 35-year-old Erica Rene Allen occurred in the front yard of her home and was witnessed by neighbors, according to the League City Police Department. Allen is the principal at Heights Elementary School in Texas City.
WorldThe Daily BeastGaza Residents ‘Running From Their Homes’ as Israeli Ground Forces Join Offensive
The Israeli military says its ground forces have joined the offensive against Hamas in Gaza, a major escalation of the conflict that is likely to leave many more dead. On a day that was meant to begin with morning prayers for the religious holiday of Eid al-Fitr, Gaza residents instead found themselves forced to listen to the sounds of air and artillery strikes and the screams of people discovering their loved ones were killed in the crossfire. “The sounds of the explosions are tremendous,” said Rushdi Abu Alouf, a 42-year-old reporter in Gaza.
U.S.TheGrioSunny Hostin shuts down Meghan McCain: US ‘should never forget’ insurrection
After McCain suggested America move on from discussing the deadly Capitol siege that took place in January, Hostin said the insurrection is something we should never forget. The party of law and order, [Republicans] should be ashamed of themselves for what they did yesterday, what they continue to do, and that is an important story that we should never, ever, ever stop talking about or forget,” said Hostin. Only have one response to Meghan McCain's opinion, on #TheView this morning, concerning the insurrection on January 6.
- NewsINSIDER Video
Watch footage of Israeli bombs destroying buildings in Gaza and rockets from Hamas targeting Israel
Videos show building after building crumbling in Gaza after Israel launched airstrikes. The move comes after Hamas fired rockets at Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in retaliation to clashes with Palestinians near Al-Aqsa mosque during Ramadan.
PoliticsThe New York TimesWhat Voters in Wyoming Say About Liz Cheney's Lonely Stand
On a prairie hill on the rolling highway into Wyoming's capital city looms a billboard with the beaming face of the state's lone congressional representative, Liz Cheney. In huge letters it declares: “Thank you Rep. Cheney for defending the Constitution.” “She broke our trust, I won't vote for her again,” said James Crestwell as he sat on the front steps of his small Craftsman house in the central part of town on Wednesday.
U.S.Business InsiderNewsmax takes host off the air after he called Israel the 'home country' of Jewish Americans
Newsmax host Greg Stinchfield has been pulled from his show for the remainder of the week. Stinchfield described Israel as the "home country" of Jewish Americans. Former Fox News host Eric Bolling announced he will fill in on Thursday and Friday nights.
U.S.Lexington Herald-LeaderShipping delays feared across US as crack shutters vital Memphis bridge. What to know
The closure of vital bridge that runs over the Mississippi River and connects Tennessee and Arkansas is sparking concerns about potential shipping delays across the country. A large crack on the Interstate 40 Hernando DeSoto Bridge was discovered during a routine inspection on Tuesday, according to the Arkansas Department of Transportation. The bridge will remain closed to interstate and river traffic while crews investigate the extent of the crack and repair the beam, according to the Tennessee Department Transportation, which shares responsibility of the bridge with Arkansas.
PoliticsThe IndependentJill Biden visits West Virginia with the most powerful man in America, and it’s not her husband
The First Lady paid a visit to a high school in Charleston to promote vaccines for young people with Senator Joe Manchin, upon whom the hopes of the Biden administration's ambitious agenda rest. Mr Manchin, arguably the most conservative Democratic lawmaker in a Senate where the party holds a majority of one, today wields enormous influence over the direction of the country as the White House seeks his support to fund infrastructure and jobs programmes. His vote would be necessary to achieve the threshold needed to pass budget reconciliation measures if a deal is not reached with Republicans.
WorldThe Daily BeastIsraeli Strikes Have Razed 21 Media Outlets in Gaza This Week, Says Non-Profit
Twenty-one media outlets were reportedly destroyed this week as Israel pummeled Gaza with airstrikes that obliterated two tower blocks. The Israeli airstrikes in Gaza have been blamed for the vast majority of deaths in the rapidly worsening conflict. According to the Associated Press, 83 Palestinians—including 17 children—have now been killed, and seven people have been reported dead in Israel.
U.S.Business Insider2 NYC mayoral candidates accuse Andrew Yang of cheating on a New York Times pop quiz about housing costs and homelessness
Two of Andrew Yang's opponents in New York City's mayoral race suggested Yang cheated on a pop quiz during a New York Times editorial board interview. Advisers to Shaun Donovan and Scott Stringer both said they doubted Yang answered the questions without getting help. Neither of Yang's opponents have evidence that he broke The Times' interview rules.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderTrump asked for troops to do 'whatever was necessary' to protect demonstrators who went on to storm the Capitol
Donald Trump asked for the National Guard to protect his supporters at the January 6 Capitol rally. Hundreds of attendants at the rally went on to storm the Capitol. President Donald Trump asked for National Guard troops to be deployed to protect his supporters at the rally on January 6 that culminated in hundreds of those supporters violently storming the Capitol, his former acting defense secretary told lawmakers on Wednesday.
U.S.Architectural Digest7 Upscale Homes For Sale in Austin, Texas
As the city's luxury real estate market reaches new heights, these high-end homes won't be around for long Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
PoliticsThe Independent‘Bizarre, shameful, and untrue’: Letter from retired generals questioning Joe Biden’s health under fire
An open letter signed by 124 retired US military officers has called President Biden's health into question, earning a strong rebuke from Hillary Clinton and others. “The mental and physical condition of the Commander in Chief cannot be ignored,” wrote Flag Officers 4 America, an organisation of former generals and admirals. As evidence, the letter only cites “recent Democrat leadership's inquiries about nuclear code procedures”, which it interprets as “raising the question about who is in charge”.
CelebrityThe WeekThere's growing speculation that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will name their daughter 'Philippa'
According to people who bet on royal baby names, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's soon-to-be-born daughter might be a "Philippa." The U.K. gambling site Ladbrokes "slashed the betting odds on the name to 3/1" following the death of Harry's grandfather, Prince Philip, last month, People reports, noting that the younger generation of the royal family has a recent history of honoring the patriarch (Princess Eugenie and Zara Tindall, Harry's cousins, gave their newborn sons the middle name Philip). Diana (after Harry's mother, the late Princess Diana) and Elizabeth (after Harry's grandmother, the Queen) are also still going strong, at 5/1 and 10/1 respectively.
U.S.Business InsiderA man arrested for riding in the back seat of his driverless Tesla got out of jail, bought a new one, and did it again
A San Francisco man said he'll keep riding in the back seat after his arrest, KTVU reports. Param Sharma said he is "very rich" and will keep buying Teslas as his cars are impounded. Tesla sells a feature called Full Self-Driving Capability, but it doesn't make cars autonomous.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderFlorida officials are preparing 'contingency plans' for a Trump indictment from New York, report says
As the Manhattan district attorney's criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump enters its final stages, officials in Florida are preparing for "thorny extradition issues that could arise" from a statute in the Sunshine State, Politico Playbook first reported on Thursday. Two officials involved in the "contingency plans" told Politico that law-enforcement personnel in Palm Beach County were looking at what to do if Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.'s investigation results in an indictment while Trump is at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Trump is residing at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, for the next few months.
U.S.The IndependentLove Has Won cult: Seven charged after leader found mummified in glitter and fairy lights
Seven people are facing charges related to abusing a corpse as well as child abuse after a cult leader's mummified body was found decorated with Christmas lights and glitter in what appeared to be a shrine in a southern Colorado in the US. Amy Carlson, 45, who was known as “Mother God” by her followers, was found dead in a home in a small town in called Moffat in Colarado on April 28, according to of official documents. The body was reportedly found from one of Ms Carlson's cult follower's residence, where the group was staying.
U.S.USA TODAYWhat to know as Las Vegas casinos flip to 100% capacity
This tourism and entertainment capital reached a new milestone this week, as major casinos along The Strip flipped to full capacity without social distancing. Based on workforce vaccination rates at Las Vegas' biggest properties, the Nevada Gaming Control Board granted waivers to flip casino floors to full capacity. Clark County lawmakers with jurisdiction over Las Vegas-area businesses approved plans to allow 100% occupancy at non-casino places once 60% of eligible county residents get a vaccine shot.
- WorldNexstar / Tribune WJW
Ohio man arrested after claiming he was an undercover CIA agent during traffic stop
After claiming his CIA affiliation, the man displayed an FBI badge to an officer. He then told a second officer he worked for the U.S. Treasury. Every one of those things was a lie.
ScienceBusiness InsiderChina is expected to attempt an ambitious Mars landing on Friday, dropping both a lander and a rover to the red planet
China is about to attempt its first Mars landing - a feat accomplished successfully by only half the spacecraft that have ever tried. Tianwen-1, as the mission is called, means "questions to heaven." It aims to be the first Mars mission to send a spacecraft into the planet's orbit, drop a landing platform onto the Martian surface, and deploy a rover all in one expedition.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderFormer White House counsel Don McGahn has agreed to a closed-door interview with lawmakers on Trump's alleged attempts to block the Russia investigation
Don McGahn agreed to speak about Trump's alleged efforts to block the Mueller investigation. A court filing said he plans to talk to the House Judiciary Committee in a closed-door interview. Former White House counsel Don McGahn has agreed to a closed-door interview with lawmakers on former President Donald Trump's alleged attempts to block the investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.
“If Facebook lets Trump back on Facebook and Instagram, he'll assuredly restart his assault on democracy.”
“Facebook should have known better than to believe that it could limit speech on its platform without setting a terrible precedent.”
“Providing a microphone and an amplifier for deceit isn't fighting the good fight for free speech.”
“It’s no defense of Mr. Trump’s conduct to say that the digital public square shouldn’t suppress speech by political leaders.”
“The former president no longer gets the ‘head of state’ exception to terms of service.”