WorldAssociated PressMyanmar junta pardons prisoners, to attend regional summit
Myanmar's junta on Saturday released more than 23,000 prisoners to mark the traditional new year holiday, including at least three political detainees, and the military leader behind the February coup confirmed he would attend a regional summit later this month. State broadcaster MRTV said that junta chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing had pardoned 23,047 prisoners, including 137 foreigners who will be deported from Myanmar. As security forces continued the deadly crackdown, unconfirmed but credible accounts with photos on social media said that three people were killed Saturday in the central city of Mogok, in Myanmar's gem mining region.
U.S.Lexington Herald-LeaderLouisville police officer accused of forcing his way into woman’s home and beating her
A police citation filed in Jefferson District Court says the woman had bruising and swelling on her face, marks on her neck, a mark on her forehead from where a gun was held to it and multiple bruises on her body after the alleged April 11 attack. The woman said Jones was armed with a handgun when he “pushed his way into” her home, then “locked the door and began berating” her “about not returning his calls,” according to the police citation. Police said there was “a physical altercation” in the living room that then moved into the bedroom, where Jones took the woman's handgun off the nightstand and “secured it on his person.
- U.S.Reuters
Shootout at Texas traffic stop leaves two dead; officer, one other wounded
The driver and passenger of a vehicle were killed in a shootout with a San Antonio police officer on Friday, as a casual encounter abruptly turned into a life-or-death struggle that left the officer and another passenger wounded, police said. The incident was at least the second time this week that a police traffic stop turned deadly, following the high-profile fatal shooting on Sunday of 20-year-old Daunte Wright in a Minneapolis suburb. The gunfire in San Antonio erupted shortly after police pulled over the vehicle and an officer engaged the driver in what appeared to be casual conversation for a few minutes, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said.
WorldThe TelegraphSNP's plan to stage Scottish independence referendum by 2023 described as 'utterly preposterous'
The SNP is demanding a new independence referendum despite Nicola Sturgeon admitting that her economic case for separation is “completely out of date”. The First Minister said the SNP's Growth Commission report, which she commissioned and was published in 2018, could no longer be relied upon because it was written before the Covid pandemic and the final Brexit deal. However, she has continued to insist that independence is the correct route for Scotland to take and is asking voters for a mandate for a new vote on separation.
WorldAssociated PressIsrael says it will 'definitely' stop Iran from getting bomb
Israel's foreign minister said Friday that his country was determined to stop Iran from building a nuclear weapon, after Tehran promised to step up its uranium enrichment process. “We will do whatever it takes to prevent the extremists (in Iran) from succeeding, and definitely will prevent this regime from having a nuclear weapon,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi told reporters on a visit to Cyprus. Iranian officials say the country will begin enriching uranium up to 60% purity following an attack on its nuclear facility at Natanz, in central Iran, on Sunday, that it blamed on Israel.
U.S.Fort Worth Star-TelegramSpringtown math teacher ‘in love’ with student had sex with teen boy, authorities say
A teacher who authorities alleged had years-long sexual contact with a student in Parker County was arrested on Friday. Misty Cato, 43, of Springtown, is a fifth-grade math teacher at Springtown Intermediate School. Cato was contracted as a math teacher with the Springtown Independent School District at the time the crime in which she is accused, second-degree improper relationship between educator and student, occurred.
PoliticsThe WeekRomney, Cheney, and other Trump critics spend 'tens of thousands' on security after Capitol riot
Lawmakers who have criticized former President Donald Trump have reportedly had to spend a significant amount of cash on security following the deadly Capitol riot. A report from Punchbowl News on Friday described how members of Congress "are spending tens of thousands of their campaign dollars on security to protect themselves and their families" in the wake of the Jan. 6 riot, during which supporters of Trump stormed the Capitol to disrupt the certification of President Biden's election win. This phenomenon has reportedly been "most acute" among Republicans who voted to impeach and convict Trump earlier this year.
- WorldAssociated Press
Detention of Jerusalem candidates threatens Palestinian poll
Israeli briefly detained three Jerusalem-based candidates for Palestinian legislative elections on Saturday, deepening a dispute over whether banning Palestinian residents of east Jerusalem from voting in next month's polls could derail them. The three candidates represent factions of the Palestine Liberation Organization who planned a press conference in a Jerusalem hotel to call for the need to press Israel into allowing political activities in the eastern part of the city, reported the official Palestinian news agency, Wafa. In briefly detaining the candidates, Israel appears to be signaling it will not tolerate Palestinian political activity in east Jerusalem.
- WorldIdaho Statesman
‘This doesn’t feel like the right moment’ to reopen U.S. border, Canadian official says
The COVID-induced closure of the border between U.S. and Canada is set to expire this week, but all signs are pointing to that ban on non-essential travel between the two countries being extended another month. In fact, with COVID cases, hospitalizations and death totals increasing north of the border, the question isn't whether we will be seeing our friends from British Columbia anytime soon, but rather will they be allowed to travel to see their Canadian neighbors in Alberta, the Northwest Territories or the Yukon Territory. British Columbia Premier John Horgan is considering restricting travel to and from the province in an effort to stem a third wave of the disease in the country, according to a CBC story.
- PoliticsYahoo News Video
Former Democrat Vernon Jones to challenge Georgia governor in primary
Former Democrat Vernon Jones crowd-surfed across adoring Trump supporters in October after speaking at one of the then president's campaign rallies.
- U.S.Associated Press
Police: Driver throws bleach, Molotov cocktail at NY officer
A driver who ran a red light threw a chemical liquid at a New York City police officer, drove away and then tossed a flaming Molotov cocktail as officers pursued him Saturday morning, authorities said. Body camera footage shows the driver tossing a liquid — later identified as bleach — at an officer who had pulled him over in Brooklyn. Authorities said the man sped off and then suddenly stopped, tossed the Molotov cocktail at the officers, before fleeing a second time.
LifestyleArchitectural DigestThe 9 Best Wireless Headphones for Every Kind of Use
From the most comfortable pair to the best value buy, these headphones will carry you through the spring, summer, and beyond Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
CelebrityThe TelegraphArchbishop of Canterbury: Royal Family can't say goodbye in the way they hoped but Britons unite in grief
The Royals have not been able to "say goodbye in the way they'd hope or planned" like millions this year, the Archbishop of Canterbury has lamented. The Most Rev Justin Welby, who will deliver a blessing at the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral, said members of the Royal Family were united in grief with Britons who had lost their loved-ones during the pandemic. He praised the household for sticking to the Covid-19 social restrictions and said this means it "represents all funerals" in the last year - which have been characterised by the "burden" of not being able to have ideal send-offs for relatives.
U.S.The Daily BeastTimes Square AK-47 Suspect Had Just Lost His Dad in a Police Shootout
The father of the Ohio teen arrested Friday with an AK-47-style assault rifle in the Times Square subway station was killed in a shootout with cops last month after fleeing in his car the wrong way down a busy interstate, police sources told the New York Post and NBC News. Details about the father of Saadiq Teague have come out as questions swirl about what the 18-year-old was doing in New York City and why he was carrying a weapon. Police have so far released scant details about the young man's plans or his possible motivation, pending further investigation.
WorldAssociated PressRussia to expel 10 US diplomats in response to Biden actions
Russia on Friday responded to a barrage of new U.S. sanctions by saying it would expel 10 U.S. diplomats and take other retaliatory moves in a tense showdown with Washington. The Russian Foreign Ministry also published a list of eight current or former U.S. officials barred from entering the country, including U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, FBI Director Christopher Wray, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also said Moscow will move to shut down those U.S. nongovernment organizations that remain in Russia to end what he described as their meddling in Russia's politics.
WorldBBCPhilippines: Giant clam shells worth $25m seized in raid
Around 200 tonnes of illegally harvested giant clam shells worth nearly $25 million (£18 million) have been seized in the Philippines. The seizure is one of the largest ever hauls of the endangered species. Four suspects have been arrested on an island in the ecologically protected province of Palawan.
WorldAssociated PressBeijing warns US, Japan against collusion vs China
China said Friday it has expressed “serious concerns” to the United States and Japan over what it calls negative moves and collusion between the two countries against China. The statement from Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian came just before President Joe Biden welcomes Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to the White House on Friday in his first face-to-face meeting with a foreign leader. That meeting is seen as reflecting Biden's emphasis on strengthening alliances to deal with a more assertive China and other global challenges.
U.S.INSIDERA Black deaf woman says her kids are 'traumatized' after she was handcuffed in front of them and they were told by police to interpret commands to their mother
Andrea "Dre" Hollingsworth was detained in front of her twin daughters last week, according to KVVU-TV. Her children were asked to interpret for police while their deaf mother was being detained, according to/TK told TK. Hollingsworth told KVVU-TV her children are "traumatized" after the incident.
U.S.USA TODAYNo apology owed for pepper-spraying Black and Latino Army officer in Virginia, police chief says
While he said he felt bad for how the events of a traffic-stop late last year unfolded, the police chief of the town where a Black and Latino military officer from Petersburg, Virginia, was accosted by two of his officers said Wednesday that he does not think the soldier is in need of an official apology. In response, Army Lt. Caron Nazario's legal team said Windsor Police Department Chief Rodney D. Riddle "continues a false narrative" of the case and blaming their client for initiating it. "I'm gonna own what we did," Riddle said about the stop during a news conference Wednesday in the Isle of Wight County, Virginia, community where Nazario was stopped last December while on his way home.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderRepublican lawmakers condemned pro-Trump caucus emphasizing 'Anglo-Saxon political traditions,' said GOP is not about 'nativism'
GOP lawmakers are reportedly starting a caucus that emphasizes "Anglo-Saxon political traditions." Other Republicans came out against it, with Rep. Adam Kinzinger saying members should be punished. Reps. Kevin McCarthy and Liz Cheney also came forward to condemn "nativism" in the GOP.
U.S.The New York TimesWhy Police Can Stop Motorists With Air Fresheners Hanging in Their Cars
In places where air fresheners have been treated as a primary offense, the traffic stops have faced legal challenges with various outcomes. On an April evening in 2008, Benjamin Garcia-Garcia was driving a minivan along Interstate 55 near Springfield, Illinois, when a state trooper who had been parked in the median moved onto the freeway and pulled him over. According to court records, the trooper claimed he had seen the pink air freshener hanging from Garcia-Garcia's mirror and believed it violated the state statute prohibiting objects that could obstruct the driver's view.
CelebrityThe TelegraphLand Rover driver at Prince Philip's funeral spent week ensuring he could drive at correct speed
The servicemen in charge of the specially modified Land Rover carrying the body of the Duke of Edinburgh spent the past week making sure they could drive “at the correct speed”. Corporal Louis Murray was behind the wheel, with Corporal Craig French, as Land Rover Commander for the Royal Hearse, both 29 years old, alongside him. The two staff instructors from the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers had been picked “on a coin-toss” from a group of four who had been training for the purpose and were described by officials as a “trusted pair of hands”.
PoliticsThe IndependentBiden news: President plays golf for first time in office as woman charged with threatening VP Harris
President Joe Biden hit the golf course in Wilmington, Delaware, for the first time since taking office. The White House confirmed that the president was golfing with Ron Olivere, father-in-law of the late Beau Biden, and advisor Steve Ricchetti. This comes as a woman from Miami, Florida, has been charged for threatening to kill Vice President Kamala Harris, according to the Secret Service.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderSen. Ted Cruz no longer wears a mask at the Capitol, falsely claiming 'everybody' in the Senate has been vaccinated against COVID-19
Sen. Ted Cruz has stopped wearing a mask while at the Capitol, according to a CNN report on Thursday. Defending his decision, the Texas Republican told CNN that since he got the COVID-19 vaccine and "everybody working in the Senate" has also received their shots, he no longer chooses to don a face-covering.
U.S.INSIDER4 of the victims in the Indianapolis FedEx mass shooting were members of the Sikh community
A gunman opened fire in a FedEx facility Thursday, killing eight people in total. At least four victims have been identified as members of the Indianapolis Sikh community. At least four out of the eight victims of the mass shooting at the FedEx facility in Indianapolis were members of the Sikh community.
“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.”