WorldThe TelegraphIran vows revenge against Israel for strike on Natanz nuclear plant
The incident – which came as US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin was visiting Israel – could complicate ongoing efforts by Iran and the United States to restore the 2015 nuclear deal, an agreement Tehran signed with major powers in the face of fierce Israeli opposition. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – fighting for his political survival at home – last week vowed that he would not be bound to any agreement that would enable Iran to develop "weapons that threaten our extinction". "Iran has never given up its quest for nuclear weapons and the missiles to deliver them," he told reporters on Monday.
U.S.Associated PressJudge refuses to sequester jury in George Floyd murder case
The judge in the George Floyd murder case refused a defense request to immediately sequester the jury Monday, the morning after the killing of a Black man during a traffic stop triggered unrest in a suburb just outside Minneapolis. The request came from the attorney for former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin. Defense attorney Eric Nelson argued that the jurors could be influenced by the prospect of what might happen as a result of their verdict.
WorldReutersMaduro says Venezuela has secured funds to complete COVAX payment
Venezuela has secured the funds to fully pay for coronavirus vaccines via the COVAX system, President Nicolas Maduro said on Sunday, a day after a surprise announcement that the country had paid more than half the amount due. Maduro's government has for months said U.S. sanctions block it from paying the $120 million needed to obtain COVID-19 vaccines, but on Saturday said it had transferred $64 million to the Switzerland-based GAVI Vaccine Alliance. "We have already secured the rest to make 100% of the (payment) to the Covax system," Maduro said in a televised speech.
BusinessThe WeekNorwegian Cruise Line lost $4 billion last year. Their CEO’s pay doubled.
The tourism industry has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, and cruise lines are no exception. In fact, they appeared particularly vulnerable to outbreaks early on in the crisis, and sailings stopped around the world. These groundings led to an 80 percent revenue drop and $4 billion in losses for Norwegian Cruise Line, one of the largest of its ilk in the world, The Wall Street Journal reports.
WorldThe TelegraphOusted Myanmar ambassador ordered to leave London residence by military regime
The ousted Myanmar ambassador to the UK has been ordered by the country's military junta to leave his London residence or face prosecution by the new regime. In a hand-delivered letter, Kyaw Zwar Minn, who was last week forced out of the Myanmar embassy at the orders of the regime, has now been told to quit the Hampstead house where he has lived with his family since his appointment in 2013. In a move designed to strengthen the hand of officials loyal to the military government which ousted Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Kyaw Zwar Minn has been given until Thursday to leave.
U.S.Associated Press'Skilled predator' FBI boss harassed 8 women, watchdog finds
One woman carried a ruler at FBI headquarters so she could smack James Hendricks' hands when he reached for her legs and breasts. Hendricks quietly retired last year as a special agent in charge after the Office of Inspector General — the Justice Department's internal watchdog — concluded he sexually harassed eight female subordinates in one of the FBI's most egregious known cases of sexual misconduct. Hendricks was among several senior FBI officials highlighted in an AP investigation last year that found a pattern of supervisors avoiding discipline — and retiring with full benefits — even after claims of sexual misconduct against them were substantiated.
HealthReutersAstraZeneca's diabetes drug Farxiga fails in COVID-19 study
Data from a late-stage study to test if AstraZeneca's diabetes drug Farxiga could treat patients hospitalised with COVID-19 and at risk of developing serious complications fell short of its main goals, the drugmaker said on Monday. The Farxiga data did not achieve statistical significance in cutting the risk of the disease worsening and death in such patients, the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker said. AstraZeneca has had a rollercoaster ride with its coronavirus vaccine, as nations restricted its use after European and British regulators confirmed possible links to rare blood clots.
PoliticsThe WeekBiden is reportedly vetting Cindy McCain for an ambassadorship in Rome
President Biden is preparing to nominate a slate of ambassadors, and among them will be Cindy McCain, the widow of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and a key Biden backer in Arizona last year, Politico reports. McCain is being vetted as the U.S. envoy to the United Nations Food Programme in Rome, a "coveted ambassador post in Western Europe in what would be his administration's first Republican appointee to a Senate-confirmed position," Politico says.
U.S.INSIDERA former Minneapolis police officer said he quit days before the Derek Chauvin trial because he thinks protesters will 'burn the city down' no matter the case's outcome
Insider spoke with a former Minneapolis police officer who quit days before Derek Chauvin's trial. Chauvin's trial over George Floyd's death began March 29, and witnesses have been testifying. A former Minneapolis police officer who quit the department days before the start of Derek Chauvin's trial said he did so fearing there would be riots in the city no matter the outcome.
U.S.Associated PressWater-worried Vegas wants useless grass a thing of the past
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.
WorldReutersGerman conservatives openly at odds over who should succeed Merkel
BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany's ruling conservative parties disagreed publicly on Monday over who should be their candidate for chancellor in the Sept. 26 federal election, exposing fears that they may lose power after 16 years in government under Angela Merkel. Merkel, of the Christian Democrats (CDU), is stepping down and pressure is mounting on the conservative bloc to agree a candidate to succeed her as its ratings wallow near a one-year low and some lawmakers worry for their jobs. After months of speculation, the candidacy question came to a head on Sunday when Markus Soeder, Bavaria's premier, put himself forward.
U.S.INSIDERA former Minneapolis police officer said Derek Chauvin violated protocol kneeling on George Floyd's neck, but he doesn't think the officer committed a crime
Insider spoke with an officer who recently left the Minneapolis Police Department. A former Minneapolis police officer told Insider that Derek Chauvin violated protocol while kneeling on George Floyd's neck for several minutes last year but that he didn't think the officer's actions led to Floyd's death.
- NewsYahoo News Video
U.S. Army lieutenant files suit against two Virginia police officers for assault during traffic stop
A U.S. Army lieutenant filed a lawsuit against two Virginia police officers over what court papers say was a violent traffic stop, where officers pointed their guns, knocked him to the ground, pepper-sprayed him and "threatened to murder him."
- PoliticsAssociated Press
Biden picks 2 Trump critics for border, immigration roles
President Joe Biden on Monday nominated two critics of Trump-era immigration policies for key roles at the Department of Homeland Security. The nominations come as the Biden administration faces a rising number of people attempting to enter the country along the Southwest border. Biden named Tucson, Arizona Police Chief Chris Magnus to be commissioner of Customs and Border Protection.
EntertainmentThe WeekSNL's 'Weekend Update' jokes it's nice to 'see women pay for an hour with Matt Gaetz,' hears out the Titanic's iceberg
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) may have only briefly figured in the cold open of this week's Saturday Night Live, but he was the lead story on "Weekend Update" again. "Matt Gaetz, who looks like all the dudes from American Pie combined, reportedly sent $900 on Venmo to an alleged sex trafficker, who then forwarded that same exact amount to three young women in payments labeled 'tuition' and 'school' — which, if true, would make him the only congressman actually helping with student loans," joked anchor Colin Jost. "But at least Gaetz is taking the allegations seriously," Jost added.
U.S.The StateSix-figure winning lottery jackpot waiting for lucky person who bought ticket in SC
A $100,000 winning lottery ticket was sold at a Midlands area convenience store, according to the South Carolina Education Lottery. A winning Palmetto Cash 5 ticket was purchased in Manning, lottery officials said Monday in a news release. The winning numbers — 5, 7, 9, 37, 38, and Power-Up: 10 — were drawn Saturday.
PoliticsAssociated PressBiden Republicans? Some in GOP open to president's agenda
When Trump was up for reelection last year, Copan appeared on roadside billboards across North Carolina, urging other Republicans to back Democratic rival Joe Biden. Nearly three months into the new administration, Copan considers himself a “Biden Republican,” relieved by the new president's calmer leadership style and coronavirus vaccine distribution efforts. Copan is the type of voter Biden is counting on as he pushes an agenda that's almost universally opposed by Republicans in Washington.
WorldBBCVietnam country profile
Vietnam, a one-party Communist state, has one of south-east Asia's fastest-growing economies and has set its sights on becoming a developed nation by 2020. It became a unified country once more in 1975 when the armed forces of the Communist north seized the south. This followed three decades of bitter wars, in which the Communists fought first against the colonial power France, then against South Vietnam and its US backers.
U.S.Business InsiderMatt Gaetz associate Joel Greenberg has been accused of everything from acting as a vigilante police officer to trying to hack rival politicians
Embattled former Florida tax collector Joel Greenberg had a troubled tenure in office, the NYT reports. Before being charged with federal crimes, Greenberg was accused of abusing his office and wasting taxpayer funds. Greenberg, an associate of Rep. Matt Gaetz, is now a key player in the investigation against Gaetz.
U.S.The Daily BeastMom: Minnesota Cops Killed Son After Stopping Him on an Air-Freshener Violation
Police in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center fatally shot a Black 20-year-old man during a traffic stop on Sunday afternoon, setting off a string of violent protests amid tensions over the Derek Chauvin murder trial. The victim's mother spent much of Sunday afternoon at the scene of the fatal shooting, pleading with officers to remove the body of her son, Daunte Wright, from the pavement. Hours after the shooting, hundreds of residents surrounded the police headquarters and clashed with police, who responded with tear gas and flashbangs reminiscent of last summer's protests after the police death of George Floyd.
WorldINSIDERMyanmar's military is charging families $85 to retrieve the bodies of relatives killed by its own forces
At least 82 were killed in a military crackdown on anti-coup protests in Bago, Myanmar, on Friday. A local group said on Facebook that the military is charging $85 to retrieve bodies of the victims. Myanmar has been embroiled in unrest since the military carried out a coup on February 1.
PoliticsFort Worth Star-TelegramAs Democrats gain, some Republicans tout Trump ties in North Texas congressional race
And as candidates try to navigate the Congressional District 6, some Republicans are taking pains to link themselves to Trump as Democrats work to flip the seat. Most of them on the Republican side would love to have an endorsement,” said Cal Jillson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University. The district spans southeast Tarrant County, including most of Arlington and Mansfield, and all of Ellis and Navarro counties.
WorldBusiness InsiderThe leader of Sicily in Italy said as many as 80% of people are turning down the AstraZeneca jab
Up to 80% of Sicilians are rejecting the AstraZeneca jab, the leader of the region has said. Italy is using the shot, but has advised that it be avoided in younger age groups. Fears, based on rare blood clots, are "understandable, but unjustified," a top health official said.
U.S.Associated PressEx-youth worker charged with rape was known for 'wrestling'
A former counselor accused of raping one boy and repeatedly groping another at New Hampshire's youth detention center in the 1990s denied the allegations when questioned by police but acknowledged being reprimanded for “wrestling with children,” a prosecutor said Monday. Frank Davis, 79, of Hopkinton, is one of seven former workers at the Youth Development Center in Manchester who were arrested last week and charged with either sexual assault or being accomplices to the abuse of 11 teens from 1994 to 2005. The center, now called the Sununu Youth Services Center, has been the target of a broad criminal investigation since 2019, along with a lawsuit in which more than 200 men and women allege they were physically or sexually abused as children by 150 staffers from 1963 to 2018.
WorldMiami HeraldRaúl Castro is slated to step down from the Communist Party. Is Cuba in for a change?
For the first time in over five decades, a leader without the last name Castro is expected to take the helm of Cuba's ruling party as officials try to usher through a generational leadership change amid a crushing economic crisis. Raul Castro is expected to step down as the Communist Party's first secretary general, considered the most powerful political position on the island, during the organization's Eighth Congress, which is slated to begin Friday. The transition comes at Cuba's most trying moment in years.
“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.”