WorldAssociated PressIran names suspect in Natanz attack, says he fled country
Iran named a suspect Saturday in the attack on its Natanz nuclear facility that damaged centrifuges there, saying he had fled the country “hours before” the sabotage happened. While the extent of the damage from the April 11 sabotage remains unclear, it comes as Iran tries to negotiate with world powers over allowing the U.S. to re-enter its tattered nuclear deal and lift the economic sanctions it faces. Already, Iran has begun enriching uranium up to 60% purity in response — three times higher than ever before, though in small quantities.
WorldBBCJimmy Lai: Hong Kong's rebel mogul and pro-democracy voice
The billionaire media mogul Jimmy Lai is one of the most prominent supporters of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement. Mr Lai was 12 years old when he fled his village in mainland China, arriving in Hong Kong as a stowaway on a fishing boat. Like a number of the city's famed tycoons, he went from a menial role, toiling in a Hong Kong sweatshop, to founding a multi-million dollar empire.
U.S.Associated PressAs mask mandates end, Oregon bucks trend with permanent rule
As states around the country lift COVID-19 restrictions, Oregon is poised to go the opposite direction — and many residents are fuming about it. A top health official is considering indefinitely extending rules requiring masks and social distancing in all businesses in the state. The proposal would keep the rules in place until they are “no longer necessary to address the effects of the pandemic in the workplace.”
U.S.Associated PressUS West prepares for possible 1st water shortage declaration
The man-made lakes that store water supplying millions of people in the U.S. West and Mexico are projected to shrink to historic lows in the coming months, dropping to levels that could trigger the federal government's first-ever official shortage declaration and prompt cuts in Arizona and Nevada. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation released 24-month projections this week forecasting that less Colorado River water will cascade down from the Rocky Mountains through Lake Powell and Lake Mead and into the arid deserts of the U.S. Southwest and the Gulf of California. Water levels in the two lakes are expected to plummet low enough for the agency to declare an official shortage for the first time, threatening the supply of Colorado River water that growing cities and farms rely on.
U.S.Miami HeraldTwo men are dead, two women are injured after an early morning crash in Miami Beach
Two men are dead and two women are hospitalized after their SUV crashed into one of the towering trees along Miami Beach's Pine Tree Drive. According to Miami Beach police, the car was involved in a crash around 5:45 a.m. Saturday along the 3100 block of Pine Tree Drive.
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
WorldReutersOpponents of Myanmar military rule hold 'silent strike'
Opponents of military rule in Myanmar observed a "silent strike" on Friday, with many people staying home to mourn the more than 700 people killed in protests against a Feb. 1 coup and others wearing black held small marches in several cities and towns. Many Myanmar citizens, infuriated by the return of military rule after five years of civilian government led by democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi, have been taking to the streets day after day with activists thinking up new ways to show opposition as the security forces step up their suppression. "Let's make the roads silent," protest leader Ei Thinzar Maung posted on her Facebook page.
WorldThe WeekCuba's new leaders won't have 'historical legacy' as a shield in post-Castro world, scholar says
For the first time in 60 years, Cuba will soon be without a Castro in a formal, day-to-day leadership position. Raúl Castro, the younger brother of the late Fidel Castro, confirmed Friday that he's stepping down from his role as the leader of the country's Communist Party, with President Miguel Diaz-Canal expected to take on double duties, as the Castro brothers did before him. The next generation of leadership could allow for more free-market activity, a path that's not completely new for Cuba; Raúl, who is considered more pragmatic than his brother, began the process of implementing some reforms following Fidel's death in 2011, but it's been a slow grind.
PoliticsMiami HeraldUniversal background checks for gun buyers a modest step, but Republicans still reject it | Opinion
The latest mass shooting at the FedEx facility in Indianapolis makes me wonder once again who is crazier: the gunmen who carry out these murders or the millions of Americans who vote for politicians who oppose laws that could prevent these tragedies. Shamefully, Republicans in the U.S. Senate are blocking a recently passed House bill that would require stricter background checks. The mass shooting that left eight dead and at least seven wounded in Indianapolis was the 45th mass shooting during the past month, according to a CNN count.
ScienceBBCPhilippines: 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.
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.
HealthMiami HeraldCoronavirus weekly need-to-know: Rare J&J blood clots, vaccine side effects, kids & more
More than 31.4 million people in the United States have tested positive for the coronavirus as of Friday morning, April 16, according to Johns Hopkins University. Federal officials on Tuesday called for a pause on using the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine after six women developed rare blood clots days after receiving the single-dose shots. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it's joining the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in urging a halt on administering the single-shot vaccines.
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 post came forward to condemn "nativism" in the GOP.
- NewsKFSN – Fresno
Clovis police searching for shooting suspect
Clovis police are searching for 36-year-old Troy Clowers, who they say shot his sister's girlfriend at her Harlan Ranch home during an argument on Thursday night.
WorldThe IndependentBabies dying from Covid in Brazil as ‘humanitarian catastrophe’ hits country
As some countries look towards an end to the coronavirus pandemic, Brazil is facing an ever-worsening crisis, with overwhelmed health systems and a soaring death toll leading to a significant number of babies dying from Covid-19. The South American country's seven-day rolling average for deaths reached more than 3,000 this month, as the medical NGO Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warned that a “humanitarian catastrophe” was unfolding due to government mismanagement of the pandemic. Dr Christos Christou, MSF's international president, said far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro's government had all but refused to introduce “evidence-based comprehensive public health guidelines”.
CelebrityThe TelegraphPrince Philip's close friend Countess Mountbatten attends funeral on behalf of ill husband
They became so close during the course of their nearly 30-year friendship that she was known as “and also” on account of her name always appearing on the Duke of Edinburgh's guest list. So it was hardly a surprise when the Countess Mountbatten of Burma was included in the 30-strong congregation for Prince Philip's funeral, handpicked by the Queen. Also known as Penny Knatchbull, later Lady Romsey and Lady Brabourne, the 68-year-old mother of three was the Duke's carriage driving partner and one of his closest confidantes.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderThe 10 GOP lawmakers who voted to impeach Trump have already received $6.4 million in donations this year - far more than their 2022 midterm opponents
Donors are giving millions to the GOP lawmakers who voted to impeach Trump. Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, for example, received $1.54 million in the first three months of 2021. They have received far more money than their prospective 2022 midterm opponents, who Trump has backed.
U.S.USA TODAY'We will not stop until there is justice': Over a thousand in Chicago gather to remember Adam Toledo, boy killed in police shooting
Over 1,000 protesters gathered in a municipal park Friday evening in protest and remembrance of 13-year-old Adam Toledo, whose death from a police bullet has sparked a city-wide look at use of force policies and the way officers respond to neighborhood crime. "Justice for Adam Toledo" signs with an illustration of Adam against a backdrop of clouds were posted in windows of several small businesses in the area. Outcry is growing after a watchdog agency released disturbing video Thursday of a Chicago police officer shooting Adam, who appeared to have his hands up, casting doubt on prior accounts from police and city officials who initially described the incident as an "armed confrontation."
WorldThe IndependentUS exit from Afghanistan before peace is in place is causing alarm on the ground
The United States' decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan comes before any peace has been established for the country. President Joe Biden announced solemnly on Wednesday that the US would withdraw all of its troops from the mountainous, war-torn country after nearly 20 years by 11 September, ending America's longest war. “We cannot continue the cycle of extending or expanding our military presence in Afghanistan, hoping to create ideal conditions for the draw and expecting a different result.”
SportsAssociated PressShcherbakova seals Russia's first World Team Trophy victory
World champion Anna Shcherbakova won the women's free skate on Saturday to seal Russia's first-ever victory at the figure skating World Team Trophy. First after the short program, the 17-year-old Shcherbakova opened with a quadruple flip and followed with a triple flip-triple toe loop combination en route to a score of 160.58 points. Japan's Kaori Sakamoto moved up to second place with 150.29 points after an impressive Matrix routine that included five triple jumps.
CelebrityThe TelegraphQueen sits two metres apart from her loved ones at the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral
The Queen was seated two metres apart from her loved ones on Saturday as just 30 members of the Royal family attended the Duke of Edinburgh's Covid-complaint funeral. Buckingham Palace said the 94-year-old monarch had faced “difficult decisions” over who to invite to the 3pm ceremony at St George's Chapel and the seating plan reflected a strict adherence to the Government's coronavirus rules on indoor worship. The sovereign was joined on the south side of the quire by the Duke of York, 61, the Princess Royal, 70, and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, 66, along with the Duke of Sussex.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderTrump rape accuser adds to former president's legal woes by asking court to keep defamation lawsuit alive
In 2020, E. Jean Carroll published an account accusing Trump of raping her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the mid-1990s. The former Elle columnist sued Trump for defamation after he made comments denying sexually assaulting her. A judge ruled that Trump was not acting in a presidential capacity when he made the comments.
U.S.The IndependentLatina grandmother assaulted on LA bus in anti-Asian attack
A 70-year-old Latina woman who was mistaken for Asian was savagely beaten on a Los Angeles bus, her son says. The assailant then dragged Becky to the other end of the bus and brutally battered her, her son Pete told The Eastsider. Pete says he and his family are often mistaken for Asian Americans, but they're actually of Mexican heritage.
U.S.Business InsiderA prisoner was 'covered in filth and barking like a dog' after 600 days of solitary confinement in a Virginia jail
Tyquine Lee, 28, spent over 600 days in solitary at Red Onion prison in Virginia from 2016 to 2018. Red Onion is a supermax prison treated as an 'end of the line' facility within the penal system. adults and children are held in segregation in US prisons, according to the most recent data.
WorldThe IndependentSolarWinds: Russian intelligence behind major cyber attack, Raab reveals as US expels diplomats
Russian intelligence was behind a major cyber attack that effected more than 100 major US firms as well as branches of the US government, the UK foreign office has revealed. In a statement the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said British Intelligence had assessed that it was “highly likely” Moscow was behind the SolarWinds hack, which saw hackers infiltrate government agencies and corporate secrets of the likes of Microsoft in early 2020. The Russian ambassador was summoned to the FCDO to be told the UK will continue to work with allies to “call out and counter malign operations” undertaken by Russian intelligence.
“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.”