U.S.National ReviewGang Members Established ‘Autonomous Zone’ in Atlanta, Killed Eight-Year-Old Girl during Police Protest
In the aftermath of the fatal police shooting of Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta, violent gang members laid siege to a local Wendy's to protest his death — establishing an “autonomous zone” with a strict no-trespassing policy for police officers or pedestrians — before shooting and killing an eight-year-old girl, according to a warrant obtained by the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Under the guise of protesting police brutality, members of the Bloods street gang established a perimeter around the Wendy's, with armed rogue members declaring control over the territory “brandishing, pointing and discharging of firearms at citizens and civilians to ensure compliance with their authority in a highly visible manner,” according to the arrest warrant for the gang member allegedly responsible for the girl's death.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderSen. Raphael Warnock has spent almost $350,000 of his campaign funds on personal security since taking office: report
Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia has spent $344,531 on personal security this year, according to a Daily Beast analysis of campaign finance data filed with the Federal Election Commission. Rounding out the top 3 were two other freshman senators: Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, who spent $247,487 and Sen. Jon Ossoff, who spent $162,107. Kelly's wife, former Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords, nearly died after a 2011 assassination attempt at an event in Tucson, Arizona.
U.S.NextSharkYeonmi Park says she was robbed by three women, bystanders stopped her from calling police
What happened: Park, 27, recalled the incident in a new interview with podcaster Joe Rogan, which tackled her experiences as a child in North Korea and as a defector in the U.S. She said it occurred during lootings across the city last summer. At this point, the woman allegedly started accusing her of racism and punching her in the chest. The situation became more difficult for Park as bystanders -- whom she identified as white people -- gathered around the scene and allegedly prevented her from phoning law enforcement.
U.S.NBC NewsComedian Tony Baker's son, 2 others killed in California crash
Actor and comedian Tony Baker's son and two others were killed after suspected street racers crashed into their car near Los Angeles, officials said. Investigators said the alleged street racers, in a Kia and a Mercedes Benz, hit a Volkswagen carrying the the victims. "When police officers and paramedics arrived, they located three individuals who had been ejected from a silver Volkswagen," the department said in a statement.
U.S.INSIDERThe lawyer who was pardoned for pointing a gun at Black Lives Matter protesters in St. Louis is suing to get his firearms back
The St. Louis couple who brandished guns at BLM protesters last summer are suing for their firearms. Mark and Patricia McCloskey pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges and surrendered the weapons. Mark McClosky, the St. Louis lawyer who was photographed last summer pointing guns at Black Lives Matter protesters marching down his private street, filed a lawsuit Wednesday to get his weapons back.
U.S.Washington Examiner'You are not a chick': Video shows argument between trans councilwoman and store owner over anti-transgender sign
A Star Wars shop owner in Washington doesn't "give a s***" about feelings anymore after a confrontation with a transgender councilwoman. Councilwoman Tiesa Meskis, a biological male who identifies as a woman, confronted Don Sucher over a sign in his store that she said was offensive and anti-trans on Wednesday. “If you are born with a d***, you are not a chick,” read the sign posted at the Sucher & Sons Star Wars Shop.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderBiden wears tan suit almost exactly 7 years after right-wing media made Obama wearing one into a scandal
Biden wore a tan suit almost seven years after conservatives criticized Obama for wearing one. A Republican congressman at the time said Obama's suit sent the wrong message to ISIS. On August 28, 2014 - a date which will live in infamy - President Barack Obama wore a tan suit.
U.S.Miami HeraldMiami car dealer rolled back 81,000 miles off odometer, cops say
Miami-Dade police this week arrested a used car dealer who they say rolled back more than 81,000 miles from the odometer of a vehicle he sold a customer last year. Alejandro Quintero Romero, 41, was arrested Tuesday on felony charges of odometer tampering and organized scheme to defraud, according to a report police released Friday night. It was not clear Friday if Quintero, from Doral, has an attorney.
U.S.AxiosOklahoma attorney general asks Supreme Court to overturn landmark ruling on tribal sovereignty
Oklahoma's attorney general asked the Supreme Court on Friday to overturn its 2020 ruling affirming tribal sovereignty, arguing the decision led to a "criminal-justice crisis." Why it matters: The petition comes one day after Patrick Murphy, an Oklahoma death row inmate whose challenge led to the ruling, was convicted again in federal court for murder and kidnapping, AP reports. Newly appointed Oklahoma Attorney General John O'Connor argues in the petition that the high court's ruling has resulted in thousands of state prisoners challenging decades old convictions, many of which can't be prosecuted again.
WorldINSIDERA Russian influencer who drove a Bentley with his girlfriend tied to the roof in a viral video is under investigation, agency says
Influencer Sergey Kosenko is reportedly under investigation by the Moscow Traffic Inspectorate. In an Instagram video, he drove a car while handcuffed to a woman who was tied to the roof. A Russian influencer who tied his girlfriend to the roof of a Bentley for a video is reportedly under investigation by the Moscow State Traffic Inspectorate.
BusinessThe WeekThe USPS awarded a $120 million contract to a company with financial ties to the postmaster general
The U.S. Postal Service has secured a $120 million, five-year deal with XPO logistics, a major logistics contractor with financial and personal ties to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, The Washington Post reports. The contract, which was awarded in April, will have XPO oversee operations at two "crucial" sorting and distribution facilities in Atlanta and Washington, D.C. The deal was reportedly competitively bid and did not directly involve participation from DeJoy, whose family businesses continue to lease four North Carolina office buildings to XPO, per the Post. The postmaster general also served as XPO's supply chain chief executive from 2014 to 2015, and has divested between "$65.4 million and $155.3 million worth of XPO shares" since taking office.
- SportsStar Tribune (Minneapolis)
Steveson’s stirring rally recalls another in Gophers lore
On Friday, Jayson Ness sat in his Bloomington home and watched Gable Steveson play the ultimate game of beat the clock in the Tokyo Olympics, and immediately felt a slight sense of déjà vu. Steveson, the Gophers heavyweight from Apple Valley, had just completed the most improbable of comebacks, scoring two takedowns in the final 10 seconds, including the winning two-pointer with 0.2 remaining, to beat Georgia's Geno Petriashvili for the gold medal. The final takedown gave Steveson a 9-8 lead after he trailed 8-5, and he was awarded an extra point for an unsuccessful video challenge by Petriashvili's corner for the 10-8 final score.
U.S.Miami HeraldWhat happens when you allow hundreds of snake hunters in the Everglades? You get a winner
Gov. Ron DeSantis, in between battling with President Joe Biden about mask mandates, announced that the 2021 Florida Python Challenge has a new king. The 10-day event, from July 9-18, resulted in the removal of a record 223 invasive pythons from South Florida, DeSantis said.
U.S.LA Times'That's going to get somebody killed': West Texas becomes latest border battleground
More than 120 migrants have been charged with trespassing in the county surrounding Del Rio since the governor's order, according to County Attorney David Martinez. The migrants were being held at a state prison and, if convicted, face up to a year in jail, Martinez said. Migrant advocates sent a letter to Texas officials Friday complaining that of at least 200 had been detained, more than two-thirds had been denied access to public defenders and some had been separated from their families.
- NewsReal Simple
Signs You're Dealing With a Passive-Aggressive Person—and How to Respond
Or that you yourself are exhibiting some passive-aggressive tendencies.
- U.S.Fox News
Rep. Madison Cawthorn slams libs' 'swampy backdoor tactics' in surprise speech to North Carolina school board
North Carolina Congressman Madison Cawthorn joined a group of parents Thursday as they pushed back against the Buncombe County school board's new mask mandate for children and what he called "swampy backdoor tactics." Cawthorn, who was born in in the county, spoke like any other citizen during the public comment portion – and he began by telling the board members that they would "fit in" in Washington, D.C. "Although that's humorous, it is absolutely correct," he said. "Because you have muzzled their voices just like you have muzzled our children."
SportsINSIDERThe captain of Sweden's soccer team had one penalty kick to win gold for her country and blew it over the crossbar
Canada defeated Sweden to win their first gold medal in women's soccer at the Olympics on Friday. Canada outlasted Sweden in a dramatic penalty shootout in order to win. Caroline Seger had a shot to win gold in the shootout but sent her attempt over the crossbar.
- U.S.The Anniston Star, Ala.
UPDATED: Alabama ICU beds nearly full as virus spreads; RMC re-opens second COVID ward
Aug. 6—Nearly all of the intensive care beds in Alabama hospitals — 93 percent of them — are filled as COVID-19 again surges across the state, according to numbers released Friday by state health officer Dr. Scott Harris. Harris said there is no sign the upward trend in COVID hospitalizations will level off any time soon. "I don't know right now why it would slow down," Harris said.
WorldReutersU.S. State Department announces five additions to global terrorist list
The State Department on Friday announced the addition of five alleged Islamist militants to its Specially Designated Global Terrorist list, requiring the blocking of any ownership or interests in U.S. properties they hold. The designations also expose to possible U.S. sanctions individuals or foreign financial institutions who engage in certain transactions with the five. They include Bonomade Machude Omar, the senior military commander of Islamic State's affiliate in Mozambique, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
SportsAxiosHow this U.S. Olympic beach volleyball duo "finally" realized their gold medal dreams
When Alix Klineman switched from indoor to beach volleyball in 2017, April Ross had already won two Olympic medals on the sand. After being left off Olympic rosters for indoor volleyball year after year, Klineman's tenacity matched with her partner's prowess ultimately led to the realization of her Olympic dreams. Entering the Tokyo Games, Ross, who already had a silver and bronze medal, hoped Klineman would help her realize her own Olympic dream of winning the gold.
U.S.National ReviewTexas Governor Orders Review of Whether Gender-Transition Surgery Constitutes Child Abuse
Texas governor Greg Abbott on Friday directed the state Department of Family Protective Services to issue a determination on whether gender-transition surgery on children constitutes child abuse. “Subjecting a child to genital mutilation through reassignment surgery creates a 'genuine threat of substantial harm from physical injury to the child,'” Abbott wrote in a letter to the department. Abbott's directive comes after federal judges temporarily blocked an Arkansas law banning gender-transition procedures for minors late last month.
U.S.Washington ExaminerNorth Carolina House rejects Senate version of regulatory bill
The North Carolina House has struck down the latest version of a bill that would allow public officials to benefit more from public contracts. House Bill 366 would raise the current limit on the conflict-of-interest exemption for government officials and government employees in certain instances and change regulations related to agriculture, energy, environment, natural resources, construction and insurance. The House originally approved the bill, 98-19, on April 21, but it did not agree Thursday to the Senate's changes to the bill.
- SportsChicago Tribune
After Craig Kimbrel surrenders tying 3-run HR in return to Wrigley, White Sox rally for 8-6 win over Cubs in 10 innings
The home run was as stunning as unlikely: Before that fateful pitch, Kimbrel had allowed only two earned runs in 39 1/3 innings this season with nearly two years passing since he last surrendered three runs in an outing. Meanwhile, for the journeyman Romine, the homer was his first in the majors in more than four years. The Sox offense, though, came alive in the 10th after Liam Hendriks entered and stranded an inherited base runner in the eighth and threw a scoreless ninth to force extra innings.
- NewsYahoo News Video
iPhones to flag child sexual abuse images using scanning technology
Apple unveiled plans to scan U.S. iPhones for images of child sexual abuse, drawing applause from child protection groups but raising concern among some security researchers that the system could be misused, including by governments looking to surveil their citizens.
PoliticsThe Daily BeastFears of Political Violence Spark a New Campaign Expense
Other members at the top of the list include Warnock's home state colleague Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), and Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA). Only two pro-Trump officials racked up major protection expenses: Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who had frequently charged personal security costs to his campaign even before the FEC issued its official ruling in March. That ruling prompted a boom in campaign security spending.
“If nothing else, Tokyo 2020 may end up being remembered as the wake-up call everyone needed.”
“Cancel the Olympics—for good.”
“Olympians haven’t really changed. These athletes still showcase extraordinary human achievement from around the world.”
“Delivering more excellence and less sideshow will probably require giving athletes a bigger voice in how the Olympics are run.”
“The Olympics were conceived in 1896 as a sporting event, and they’ve become a construction event.”