WorldYahoo NewsIntelligence agencies: China is top threat to U.S. global influence
A 27-page report released ahead of testimony by the president's top intelligence officials identifies China as the biggest threat to U.S. global influence. The annual threat assessment report, which summarizes the best assessments of intelligence analysts from across the 18 different agencies within the intelligence community, “focuses on the most direct, serious threats to the United States during the next year,” looking at everything from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and climate change to cyberattacks and technological competitiveness. Senior intelligence officials, including Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, are expected to answer questions about the report this week in front of the House and Senate intelligence committees.
U.S.Associated PressOfficer wounded in school wasn't shot by student's gun
A Tennessee police officer wounded during a confrontation with a student inside a high school bathroom was not shot by the student's gun, authorities said Wednesday, contradicting earlier law enforcement reports that the teenager fired and hit the officer. The new report appears to indicate that the officer was shot by police during a struggle. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation released updated details of a shooting at Austin-East Magnet High School in Knoxville on Monday that left the student dead and a school resource officer wounded.
U.S.Raleigh News and ObserverMysterious goat appears in Death Valley National Park. That’s bad news, rangers say
A tourist at Death Valley spotted something within the park that shouldn't be there: a mysterious goat. The visitor reported seeing a domestic goat in a canyon near Stovepipe Wells within the park. The goat could be bad for native bighorn sheep and the park's ecosystem, rangers said Wednesday on Facebook.
WorldReutersBattle-hardened and better funded, Ukraine's army knocks on NATO's door
At the outbreak of the war in eastern Ukraine in 2014, the Ukrainian army was so poorly equipped that ordinary citizens were knitting socks, donating scrap metal and even crowdfunding a tank for soldiers at the front line. The government that took over after the Maidan street protests said it had only 5,000 combat-ready ground troops and did not put up a fight when Russian forces seized and annexed the Crimea peninsula in March that year. But the Crimea annexation and seven years of fighting Russian-backed forces in the eastern Donbass region drove Ukraine to overhaul its military, combining a huge increase in defence spending with aid and training from Western allies.
- NewsKFSN – Fresno
4 kids found living in deplorable conditions, father arrested
Officials say the seven-year-old, a four-year-old, a three-year-old and a one-year-old are now being cared for by Child Protective Services.
U.S.ReutersMinnesota cop who shot Black man after traffic stop charged with manslaughter
MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) -The white suburban police officer who fatally shot a young Black motorist during a traffic stop in a confrontation that ignited three nights of civil unrest was charged with manslaughter on Wednesday, a day after the officer turned in her badge. Daunte Wright, 20, was pulled over in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center on Sunday for what police said was an expired vehicle registration, then struggled with police and was shot dead by officer Kim Potter, 48, who drew her handgun instead of a Taser in what officials called an accident. The shooting escalated tensions in a region already on edge over the ongoing trial of the former Minneapolis police officer charged with murder in the use of deadly force against George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man suspected of passing a bogus $20 bill, last May.
PoliticsPoliticoRep. Matt Gaetz announces ad buy to ‘fight back’ against CNN, allegations
Rep. Matt Gaetz on Wednesday announced a six-figure ad buy for a spot that targets CNN, as he fights to save his political career amid sexual trafficking allegations. The new 30-second ad will be featured in the Florida Republican's congressional district and nationally on select cable networks, according to a statement from Gaetz's congressional campaign. The ad marks the beginning of Gaetz's counteroffensive, as he “fight[s] back against a multiweek fake news cycle against him,” it said.
U.S.Charlotte ObserverPopular NC teacher killed trying to rob Mexican drug cartel member, sheriff says
A popular Union County teacher described by family and friends as a devoted dad, teacher and coach was fatally wounded in a shootout when he and his brother-in-law tried to rob members of a Mexican drug cartel, Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson said Wednesday. Barney Dale Harris, 40, taught Spanish and was head coach of the boys' varsity basketball and track teams at Union Academy Charter School in Monroe, according to his family and the school. He was found dead last Thursday in the bedroom of an Alamance County mobile home that Johnson called a drug “stash house.
WorldReutersUK's Johnson says he shares concerns over Greensill lobbying
LONDON (Reuters) -British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday he shared concerns over a growing lobbying scandal involving former leader David Cameron who tried to get ministers to help out the now failed supply-chain finance firm Greensill Capital. Though Cameron's strategy ultimately failed, Johnson has launched an independent review to look at allegations that lobbyists have an "open door" to his government. Cameron's role has raised questions about access to ministers by former colleagues, particularly on behalf of Greensill.
U.S.USA TODAY‘Most humiliating punishment imaginable’: Black National Guardsman allegedly forced to wear heavy chain
NATIONAL GUARD: Women welcomed, promoted until they report sexual assault In a scathing report obtained by USA TODAY, the National Guard Bureau Office of Equity and Inclusion substantiated 11 complaints of discrimination and one of harassment lodged by Weaver and accused Maryland of violating Weaver's right to due process. Related video: Evanston, IL to offer reparations to Black residents The Maryland National Guard has exonerated its personnel after several internal investigations and is appealing the bureau's decision.
BusinessReutersUber expects employees to return to office by Sept. 13
Employees will be required to work at least three days from office, Uber Chief People Officer Nikki Krishnamurthy said in a letter to workers. Many tech companies including Microsoft Corp and Salesforce.com have said they would start reopening their offices, months after the COVID-19 pandemic-induced lockdowns forced them to shift to work-from-home models.
U.S.The WeekFauci shoots down Tucker Carlson's 'crazy' COVID-19 vaccine conspiracy theory as 'not helpful'
Dr. Anthony Fauci is pushing back against the "crazy" COVID-19 vaccine conspiracy theory Fox News host Tucker Carlson floated on his highly-rated show. In a Tuesday night segment, Carlson questioned why those who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are still advised to wear masks and avoid large gatherings, proceeding to baselessly suggest of the vaccines, "Maybe it doesn't work and they're simply not telling you that." Asked to comment on these remarks on CNN on Wednesday, Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, dismissed them as "crazy."
U.S.Business InsiderPelosi says she thinks Chauvin trial is 'disappointing': 'Maybe my disappointment springs from my expectation that these are our protectors'
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reflected on the Chauvin trial Wednesday, calling it "so disappointing." Pelosi said she still respects law enforcement and stamped down calls to "defund the police." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday she finds the trial of ex-Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin "so disappointing."
WorldThe Daily BeastTaliban Promises ‘Nightmare’ for U.S. Troops in Final Afghanistan Stretch
The Taliban never kept secret what their reaction would be if the Biden administration delays the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, and now that it's happened, U.S. forces may have to deal with a new, unbridled wave of violence and bloodshed in the months leading up to the new September pull-out deadline. Hours after news broke on Tuesday that following a “rigorous policy review,” President Joe Biden is planning to have all U.S. troops out of Afghanistan by Sept. 11—a break away from the previously agreed May 1 deadline—Taliban military leaders sat down for a policy review of their own. Speaking to The Daily Beast on Wednesday, Mullah Salih Khan, a Taliban group commander from Afghanistan's Helmand Province, said that the insurgent group is “very much prepared to strike,” against U.S. and Afghan government forces, warning that the militants will turn Afghanistan “into a nightmare” for them.
U.S.ReutersFauci says pause on J&J COVID-19 shot should not prompt vaccine hesitancy
Top U.S. health officials urged Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19 on Wednesday, saying U.S. regulators' pause on Johnson & Johnson shots, following reports it can cause blood clotting, should boost confidence in the vaccines' safety. U.S. federal health agencies on Tuesday recommended pausing use of J&J's COVID-19 vaccine for at least a few days after six women under 50 developed rare blood clots after getting the shot. White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said that U.S. regulators' quick response to the clotting reports should give Americans more confidence, not less, that any shots they receive will be safe.
U.S.The StateMississippi dad suffers stroke after Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Here’s what happened.
A 43-year-old father of seven from Ocean Springs suffered a stroke hours after receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Brad Malagarie was otherwise healthy before he suffered the stroke April 6 while at work. Malagarie had the most common form of stroke, an ischemic stroke, which is caused by a blood clot in an artery leading to the brain.
U.S.INSIDERCharges against Daunte Wright before his death have sparked anger and disinformation - here are the documents that explain what happened
Daunte Wright was killed on Sunday while he had an outstanding arrest warrant, the police said. Insider reviewed legal documents that shed light on what happened. Daunte Wright's killing by a police officer not far from Minneapolis sparked renewed debates about racism and policing in the US.
PoliticsThe IndependentPelosi says she would have ‘battled’ capitol rioters with stilettos: ‘I’m a street fighter’
Nancy Pelosi has insisted that she would have fought back against pro-Trump rioters who stormed the Capitol on 6 January had they found her amid the riots. Trump supporters breached the Capitol on 6 January as lawmakers were gathered to certify Joe Biden's win in the 2020 election, forcing them to evacuate. While most of Congress took shelter in a secure location on the Capitol grounds, Capitol Police evacuated Ms Pelosi from the Capitol complex entirely.
CelebrityNBC NewsWhat happened to Bernie Madoff's family? Where Ruth Madoff and the others are now
The death of Ponzi scheme mastermind Bernie Madoff has dredged up memories of the destruction and pain left behind in the wake of perhaps the most infamous Wall Street scheme in recent history. Madoff, 82, died while serving a 150-year prison sentence stemming from fraud charges that involved cheating thousands of investors, including the filmmaker Steven Spielberg and the actors Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick, out of billions in promised returns. In 2011, Ruth said during an interview with NBC's "TODAY" show that she did not miss her imprisoned husband, adding that "the villain of all this is behind bars."
HealthRaleigh News and ObserverSC stops giving Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine after US hits pause. What we know
On Tuesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration strongly recommended that disbursement of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine stop “out of an abundance of caution” after six women developed blood clots, the food and drug agency said. The blood clots, the agencies said, were all documented among women ages 18 to 48, and the women developed symptoms six to 13 days after they each had received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Dr. Edward Simmer, South Carolina's health director, told reporters on Tuesday outside a federal COVID-19 vaccine site that he did not think a pause of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine would have an impact on the state's vaccine availability.
U.S.Business InsiderA US F-15C fighter jet recently fired the longest air-to-air missile 'kill' shot in Air Force history
A US Air Force F-15C scored the longest "kill" shot ever recorded in a recent test. The fighter took out a BQ-167 aerial target drone in March at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida. The Air Force did not disclose the distance, as that information could be valuable to adversaries.
PoliticsThe IndependentBiden’s civil rights nominee has to explain to GOP senator that article she wrote was satire
Kristen Clarke, Joe Biden's nominee to lead the Justice Department's civil rights division, faced several rounds of Republican interrogation ahead of her Senate confirmation, as GOP lawmakers probed her past statements on police violence and whether she supports “defunding” law enforcement. At one point, Republican Senator John Cornyn asked Ms Clarke whether she actually believed “African Americans are genetically superior to caucasians” in response to a satirical column criticising a controversial book on race theory and genetics. Maybe there's a misprint – maybe you can clear it up for me,” he asked.
U.S.Kansas City StarInspired by ‘Breaking Bad,’ Pennsylvania researcher tried acquiring ricin, feds say
A Pennsylvania man inspired by “Breaking Bad” has admitted to lying about his attempts to buy powerful poisons, officials say. Ishtiaq Ali Saaem, a former research director at a biotech firm in Massachusetts, pleaded guilty this week to obstruction of justice during an FBI investigation into his attempts to acquire ricin and convallatoxin. Ricin is a poison from castor beans and covallatoxin is a poison found in lily of the valley plants.
WorldTimePresident Joe Biden Is Withdrawing U.S. Forces From Afghanistan. What Happens Now?
After nearly 20 years, more than 2,300 U.S. troops dead, more than 20,000 wounded, hundreds of thousands of Afghans maimed or killed and $2 trillion spent, President Joe Biden has decided the United States has seen enough of the war in Afghanistan. U.S. officials say Biden intends to formally announce on Wednesday that all American and allied forces plan to withdraw from Afghanistan by September 11, the fateful date which led to the American invasion almost two decades ago. Biden's decision, a result of nearly three months of White House analysis, pushes back the previously announced May 1 deadline that was negotiated between the Trump Administration and the Taliban.
WorldBusiness InsiderRussia joins China and South Korea in expressing 'serious concern' at Japan's plan to release waste water from the Fukushima nuclear disaster
Russia expressed "serious concern" about Japan's wastewater plan on Tuesday. Japan intends to gradually release irradiated water from the Fukushima power plant in the sea. Russia followed Japan's other neighbors - China and South Korea - in objecting.
“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.”