PoliticsNational ReviewBiden DOJ Received Gag Order Preventing NYT from Notifying Journalists of Government Phone, Email Surveillance
During the remaining weeks of the Trump administration and the beginning of the Biden administration, the Department of Justice (DOJ) attempted to seize the communication records of four New York Times reporters in a quest for their sources. The Biden administration maintained the pursuit that Trump began and informed some top Times executives about the record-collection initiative. However, the Biden DOJ implemented a gag order prohibiting any public discussion of the matter, the New York Times reported Friday, citing the disclosure of one of its top attorneys David McCraw.
U.S.Los Angeles Times OpinionOp-Ed: A nutty court ruling on California's assault weapons ban makes us less safe
Would anyone really compare an AR-15 assault rifle, which has been used in so many recent mass killings, to a Swiss Army knife? Such a comparison is ludicrous, yet that is exactly what a federal judge in San Diego did on Friday in striking down California's 32-year-old ban on assault weapons. Judge Roger Benitez began his decision by declaring, “Like the Swiss Army Knife, the popular AR-15 rifle is a perfect combination of home defense weapon and homeland defense equipment.”
- WorldAssociated Press
UN: Unprecedented Taliban violence in 2020 carries into 2021
Taliban insurgents show no sign of reducing the level of violence in Afghanistan to facilitate peace negotiations with the government, and appear to be trying to strengthen their military position as leverage, with the “unprecedented violence" of 2020 carrying into 2021, U.N. experts said in a new report circulated Friday. The panel of experts said the Taliban are reported to be responsible for the great majority of assassinations that have become a feature of the violence in Afghanistan, targeting government officials, women, human rights defenders and journalists among others. In the 22-page report to the U.N. Security Council, the panel said the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces by Sept. 11, the anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, “will challenge Afghan forces by limiting aerial operations with fewer drones and radar and surveillance capabilities, less logistical support and artillery, as well as a disruption in training.”
U.S.Miami HeraldA Florida 86-year-old pleaded for his job. Now, he’ll enter a plea on a murder charge
A senior citizen nightmare, losing a long held job when you still need the money, descended a couple of circles when a Belle Glade octogenarian shot the man firing him Friday. PBSO said Cabrera asked his supervisor “to continue to work for another year due to financial reasons.” When the supervisor denied Cabrera's request, PBSO said, “Cabrera became upset, pulled the gun out of his pocket and shot the victim several times, killing him.”
PoliticsAssociated PressTrump to GOP: Support candidates who 'stand for our values'
Donald Trump on Saturday pushed Republicans to support candidates who are loyal to him in next year's midterm elections as the former president launched a new more active phase of his post presidency. Trump, 74, teased the prospect of another presidential bid of his own in 2024, but vowed first to be an active presence on the campaign trail for his allies in next year's fight for control of Congress. “The survival of America depends on our ability to elect Republicans at every level starting with the midterms next year,” Trump charged early in a rambling speech that spanned more than an hour and 20 minutes.
WorldBBCPeru election: Country on edge ahead of unpredictable run-off
Peru's presidential run-off on Sunday will be the Andean country's most polarised election in its recent history. The vote pits a left-wing teacher and populist political newcomer, Pedro Castillo, against a household name, right-winger Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of jailed ex-President Alberto Fujimori. Mr Castillo was the unexpected winner of the first round in April, which saw votes split among a wide field of candidates.
- CelebrityFox News
Camila Cabello's bikini pics praised by fans for showing 'what normal bodies look like'
Camila Cabello is being praised by fans for her "natural" and "real" bikini look. New photos released Thursday by the Daily Mail show the 24-year-old "Senorita" singer hitting a Miami beach with boyfriend Shawn Mendes. She's wearing a blue tie-dye bikini as she walks in the sand and takes a dip in the ocean with Mendes.
U.S.Business InsiderCapitol riot attendee argued she was allowed inside the building on January 6 because she looked up the hours online and it said it was open
A California woman was arrested and charged in connection to the Capitol riot on Friday in Alabama. Stephanie Baez boasted about her attendance on her Instagram during and after the insurrection, prosecutors allege. An alleged Capitol riot attendee, who prosecutors say boasted about her presence at the pro-Trump insurrection on social media, told authorities that she had permission to be in the Capitol on January 6 because she had previously looked up the building's operating hours to confirm it was open so she could tour the site.
U.S.Fort Worth Star-TelegramLive updates: Early results show Parker ahead of Peoples in race for Fort Worth mayor
Mattie Parker took an early lead over Deborah Peoples in the race for Fort Worth mayor. Early voting results in Tarrant County showed Parker with 53% of the vote compared to Peoples who had 47%. In Parker County, where 160 people voted earlier, Parker led with 79% of the vote, and in Denton where 510 voters cast early ballots, Parker had 81% of the vote.
U.S.USA TODAY5.3-magnitude earthquake rattles Southern California; felt in cities over 90 miles away
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake was felt across parts of Southern California on Saturday morning. The temblor was a part of a cluster of earthquakes that have been reported in Southern California, according to United States Geological Survey. People in Chula Vista, San Diego, El Centro and Indio felt the 5.3 quake, according to the USGS, Did You Feel It reports.
U.S.Business InsiderVideos shows a man who allegedly tried to hijack a Delta flight being restrained and zip-tied by passengers and flight attendants
A man attempted to breach the cockpit of a Delta Air Lines flight from LA to Nashville. The plane had to make an emergency landing in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Videos show passengers and flight attendants working together to restrain the man.
U.S.The IndependentMan beats 23-year-old Asian woman with walking cane as she gets off subway train
A 23-year-old Asian woman was attacked with a walking cane by a man at a subway station in Manhattan last month, and the police are now asking for the public's help in tracking down the suspect. The incident happened on 12 May as the woman exited the northbound 1 train at Broadway and West 116 Street in Morningside Heights, the police said. The NYPD's Hate Crime task force, which is investigating the attack, said in a tweet that an unknown man swung his cane at her multiple times, striking her on the head and hip.
CelebrityINSIDERA timeline of the allegations against Sienna Mae Gomez, including the video that shows her kissing Jack Wright
Sienna Mae Gomez and Jack Wright are members of the TikTok collective the Hype House. The two of them appeared to date until Gomez was accused of sexual assault, which she denies. Wright has yet to acccuse Gomez himself, but two others have posted claims and a video.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderTrump on idea to run for House seat in 2022 in a bid to become Speaker and launch an impeachment inquiry against Biden: 'It's very interesting'
A radio host suggested to Trump that he should run for a House seat in 2022 and become Speaker. Trump responded that it was a "very interesting" idea and might be better than running for Senate. Trump could, theoretically, become House Speaker - but experts say it is very unlikely.
- NewsWABC – NY
Video shows Newark officers getting attacked while making arrest
Officers were trying to arrest a man who was accused of gun possession. A group then descended on the officers and then began attacking them.
U.S.INSIDERCalifornia police arrested two parents who went to a casino hours after their disabled kid starved to death
Two parents were arrested Friday in California after allegedly neglecting their three adopted kids. One of the kids - 15-year-old Karreon Franks - was disabled and died from starvation, the Oregonian reported. Two parents from Vancouver, Washington, were arrested Friday in California on suspicion of second-degree murder and homicide by abuse in the death of their adopted disabled son Karreon Franks.
PoliticsThe IndependentJPMorgan stops donations to Republicans who voted to overturn election
JPMorgan will resume political donations but won't give to Republicans who voted to overturn the result of the 2020 election. According to an internal memo seen by Reuters on Friday, a “handful” of the 147 Republicans who voted against certifying President Joe Biden's win were previously receiving support from JPMorgan's political action committee. Many corporations halted their political donations following the deadly Capitol riot on 6 January when Trump supporters attempted to stop Congress from formally certifying Mr Biden's victory.
U.S.Architectural DigestIt’s Time to Reconsider the Ashtray
Democratizing the smoking accessory for all Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
U.S.INSIDERA homeless woman in Oregon died while more than $800,000 of inheritance funds remained in a state bank, report says
A homeless woman, Cathy Boone, died while hundreds of thousands of unclaimed money was held in the state bank. Boone's mother died in 2016, and her mother's estate tried to contact her multiple times but failed, KGW reported. A homeless woman in Oregan died while nearly $900,000 of inherited funds was being held by the state, according to KGW.
U.S.Business InsiderA 5th-grade student gave a first-person speech dressed as Hitler. The teacher and school's principal are now on administrative leave.
A fifth-grade student dressed as Adolf Hitler and gave a speech titled, "Accomplishments." The speech was part of a "Character Development project" organized by his teacher, Fox News said. The school's principal and the student's teacher have been placed on administrative leave.
BusinessBusiness InsiderMike Lindell's lawyers said Dominion and Smartmatic's 'conspiracy' against him is set to cost the MyPillow CEO more than $2 billion
Mike Lindell's new lawsuit accused Dominion and Smartmatic of damaging his finances and reputation. Lawyers for the MyPillow CEO said he is set to lose $2 billion as a result. A lawsuit filed Thursday said MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell stands to lose more than $2 billion after voting-machine companies Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic engaged in a "conspiracy and enterprise to harm him."
WorldINSIDERThe poison used to eradicate a biblical mouse plague ravaging southeast Australia is having a deadly effect on native wildlife
The poison that is being used to cull Australia's mouse infestation is damaging the native wildlife. Experts say birds in New South Wales have died after ingesting poison intended for mice. The infestation has ravaged large parts of southeast Australia.
PoliticsThe IndependentWhite House says Trump ‘unlikely to change his stripes’ after Facebook ban
“It feels pretty unlikely that the zebra is going to change his stripes over the next two years,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Friday at a press briefing, adding, “Our view continues to be, every platform, whether it's Facebook, Twitter, any other platform that is disseminating info to millions of Americans, has a responsibility to crack down in disinformation, has a responsibility to crack down on false information, whether it's about the election or even about the vaccine.” “We learned a lot from the former president over the last couple years, about his behaviour and how he uses these platforms,” she said, noting, “We saw the impact on January 6 of words on social media platforms, and we've seen the impact of words as it relates to disinformation traveling around the vaccine, around election integrity.”
SportsLexington Herald-Leader2021 Belmont Stakes complete order of finish and payoffs
Essential Quality entered the Kentucky Derby as the undefeated favorite and looking like the class of the 2021 Triple Crown series. The Brad Cox trainee finished fourth that day but delivered on all that promise Saturday, overtaking Hot Rod Charlie down the stretch to win the 153rd Belmont Stakes at Elmont, N.Y. The 1 1/4-length victory was Essential Quality's sixth in seven career races, a stretch that includes the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland in April. Essential Quality, who went off as the 6-5 favorite, paid $4.60 to win, $3.00 to place and $2.60 to show.
ScienceBusiness InsiderNASA is launching a further investigation into UFO sightings. The agency's chief says it can't rule out the possibility that sightings are of alien origin.
NASA's new chief is launching an investigation to further study UFOs. There is no evidence that UFO sightings are of alien origin, but NASA is not ruling it out. NASA's new chief, Bill Nelson, is setting up an investigation to further study the existence of unidentified flying objects within his first month in office, CNN Business reports.
“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.”