- BusinessYahoo News
Trump, for some reason, compares coronavirus death toll (over 98,000) to that of swine flu (under 20,000)
On a day when the U.S. death toll from the coronavirus pandemic neared 100,000, President Trump sought to direct the nation's attention back to the 2009 H1N1 swine flu pandemic as a way to smear the reputation of his Democratic rival Joe Biden, who was vice president at the time. Joe Biden's handling of the H1N1 Swine Flu was a complete and total disaster. In the early weeks of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., Trump repeatedly sought to show that he was doing a good job dealing with the pandemic compared with how Biden and then-President Barack Obama had responded to the H1N1 pandemic.
- BusinessYahoo News 360
Is the $600 unemployment bonus helping or hurting?
In late March, Congress passed the largest stimulus package in American history in an effort to offset the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. One of the most important elements of the massive $2 trillion bill was a provision that boosted unemployment insurance benefits for those who lost work because of stay-at-home orders designed to limit the spread of the virus. Nearly 39 million Americans have filed for unemployment in the past nine weeks.
- U.S.The Daily Beast
‘Burn It Down. Let Them Pay’: Chaos Erupts in Minneapolis as Man Shot Amid Protest
MINNEAPOLIS—Flames and black smoke poured into the sky over Minneapolis late Wednesday as the second day of protests over the death of George Floyd took a violent turn, with a local business near police headquarters set ablaze and at least one person fatally shot in the area. Minneapolis Police spokesman John Elder confirmed the shooting shortly before midnight local time, but he did not say if it was connected to the protests, according to the Star Tribune. The shooting came amid reports of widespread looting and a major fire at an AutoZone near the police headquarters.
- WorldBBC
Hong Kong police arrest hundreds and fire pepper pellets amid fresh unrest
Police in Hong Kong have arrested about 300 people and fired pepper pellets amid new anti-mainland unrest. Protesters were rallying against a bill on China's national anthem and Beijing's planned introduction of a national security law. Protesters oppose the anthem bill, which would criminalise insulting it, and the security law, which they fear will strip Hong Kong of basic freedoms.
- WorldAssociated Press
US priest who founded Knights of Columbus to be beatified
The founder of the Knights of Columbus, the influential U.S.-based lay Catholic organization, is moving a step closer to possible sainthood. Pope Francis has approved a miracle attributed to the intercession of the Rev. Michael McGivney, a Connecticut priest who died at age 38 of pneumonia in 1890 during a pandemic similar to the current coronavirus outbreak. The Vatican said Wednesday that Francis had signed off on the miracle required.
- WorldMilitary.com
Russian Jets Blocked US Plane in Unsafe Maneuvers Over Mediterranean, Navy Says
A pair of Russian planes restricted a Navy pilot from safely maneuvering over international waters for more than an hour, service officials said on Tuesday. Two Russian Su-35 aircraft on Tuesday simultaneously flew close to each wing of a Navy P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft over the Mediterranean Sea, according to Navy news release describing the incident. It was the third time in two months that Russian aircraft have intercepted Navy aircraft in the Sixth Fleet of operations, the release states.
- ScienceThe Independent
Tropical Storm Bertha lashes South Carolina in sunrise surprise that could affect NASA SpaceX launch
"Life-threatening" flash flooding is expected across parts of Virginia, and South and North Carolina, after Tropical Storm Bertha made landfall sooner than expected. NASA satellites are closely watching the storm as it prepares to send two astronauts to space in a historic launch aboard SpaceX on Wednesday afternoon. The National Weather Service, meanwhile, warned that the second named storm of the season would cause ongoing river flooding across the region.
WorldYahoo News VideoSweden continues strategy as virus death toll keeps rising
Sweden's government defended its response to the COVID-19 global pandemic on Tuesday despite the Scandinavian country now reporting one of the highest mortality rates in the world, with 4,125 fatalities, or about 40 deaths per 100,000 people.
- WorldThe Telegraph
Gang of 26 arrested for allegedly smuggling people from Vietnam to Europe in investigation prompted by Essex lorry deaths
A gang of 26 suspected people smugglers have been arrested in France and Belgium in an investigation prompted by the deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants found in the back of a lorry in Essex last year. In Belgium, 11 Vietnamese and two Moroccans were held, while in France, authorities said the suspects were “mostly Vietnamese and French”. The suspects are allegedly part of an organised crime group that smuggles refugees from Asia, particularly from Vietnam, and that likely has transported up to several dozen people every day for several months, Europol said in a statement.
- U.S.Business Insider
Melania Trump told Americans to wear face masks in public but ignored her own advice during Memorial Day events
Erin Scott/Reuters First Lady Melania Trump has urged Americans to wear face masks in public, but chose to forgo wearing one herself during Memorial Day events on Monday. Since April, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that all Americans wear some form of face mask in public places where social distancing is difficult. Last month, the first lady released a photo of herself wearing a mask and urged Americans to follow the CDC's guidance.
- PoliticsNBC News
Pompeo adviser at center of personal errand probe asks former staffers to support secretary
The senior adviser central to the investigation into allegations that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo used an employee to run personal errands is now leading the charge to find support among former staffers against what they describe as a "smear campaign," NBC News has learned. Shortly before he was fired, State Department Inspector General Steve Linick was looking into allegations that Pompeo senior adviser Toni Porter was asked to walk the secretary's dog, pick up his laundry and make dinner reservations for him and his wife, Susan, NBC News reported. The State Department's Foreign Affairs Manual prohibits using the office for personal benefit.
U.S.AFPMichigan governor in hot water over boat launch claim
The Michigan governor who implemented some of the toughest coronavirus lockdown rules in the United States came under heavy criticism Tuesday over allegations that her husband pressured a dock to prepare his boat for an outing. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat who has defended her tough stay-at-home policies against armed protestors and attacks from President Donald Trump, announced last week the lifting of some restrictions ahead of the long Memorial Day weekend. According to a claim posted on Facebook by Northshore Docks owner Tad Dowker, Whitmer's husband Marc Mallory subsequently tried to use her position to get his boat moved ahead of others for launching before the holiday weekend.
- WorldBBC
Pakistani villager urges India to return 'spy' pigeon
A Pakistani villager has urged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to return his pigeon, currently being held in India on charges of spying. The Pakistani villager, who claims the arrested pigeon is his, says the code is actually his mobile phone number. Pakistan's Dawn newspaper has identified the man as Habibullah and reports that he owns a dozen pigeons.
- WorldReuters
U.S. to end sanctions waivers allowing some work at Iran nuclear sites
The United States said on Wednesday it will terminate sanctions waivers that had allowed Russian, Chinese and European companies to carry out work originally designed to make it harder for Iranian nuclear sites to be used for weapons development. The waivers, which officials said expire on July 27, covered the conversion of Iran's Arak heavy water research reactor, the provision of enriched uranium for its Tehran Research Reactor and the transfer of spent and scrap reactor fuel abroad. In a statement, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo gave no precise justification for the move, which will halt some work originally designed to make it more difficult for Iran to potentially develop fissile material for nuclear bombs.
- WorldArchitectural Digest
This Neo-Futuristic Home Found Its Inspiration in the British Countryside
Located in the rolling hills of southeast England, the design was meant to mimic the beer-brewing structures that once dotted the landscape Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
- PoliticsAssociated Press
US Congress approves China sanctions over ethnic crackdown
Congress voted Wednesday to toughen the U.S. response to a brutal Chinese crackdown on ethnic minorities, adding another factor to the increasingly stormy relationship between the two countries. The House passed a bipartisan bill that would impose sanctions on Chinese officials involved in the mass surveillance and detention of Uighurs and other ethnic groups in the western Xinjiang region, a campaign that has drawn muted international response because of China's influence around the world. The measure already passed the Senate and needs a signature from President Donald Trump, who said this week he'll “very strongly” consider it amid U.S. anger over China's handling of the coronavirus outbreak and tension over a Chinese plan to restrict civil liberties in Hong Kong.
- U.S.The Week
Archaeologists discover pristine ancient Roman mosaic floor buried under piles of vines
Archaeologists have revisited an ancient Roman dig site that hasn't been touched in a century — and found something incredible underneath. In a vineyard outside the Italian city of Verona, under several feet of vines and dirt, researchers have uncovered what appears to be a perfectly preserved mosaic floor and pieces of a villa foundation dating back to the third century A.D. Surveyors in the commune of Negrar di Valpolicella north of Verona shared images of the site, providing a glimpse at a discovery that's largely still hidden beneath the dirt, BBC reports. Archaeologists first mapped out what appeared to be the remains of an ancient Roman villa outside Verona back in 1922 before the site was abandoned.
- U.S.INSIDER
The police officer who knelt on George Floyd's neck has been involved in shootings and was the subject of 10 different complaints
Richard Tsong-Taatarii/Star Tribune via Getty Images Derek Chauvin, the ousted police officer who knelt on black man George Floyd's neck, has a history of involvement in violent incidents and police shootings. He's been involved in several police shootings and has been the subject of complaints by the city's Civilian Review Authority and the Office of Police Conduct reviews on 10 separate occasions. As Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck, another ousted officer, Tou Thao, stood guard.
- ScienceBusiness Insider
Elon Musk told NASA astronauts' kids ahead of the SpaceX launch, 'We've done everything we can to make sure your dads come back OK'
Elon Musk appeared to choke up while discussing his responsibility for the lives of the two NASA astronauts that SpaceX is set to launch into space on Wednesday. Musk said he told the astronauts' families, "We've done everything we can to make sure your dads come back OK." Though the Falcon 9 rocket has undergone thousands of tests, NASA estimates there's a 1-in-276 chance that the flight could kill the astronauts on board.
- WorldThe Telegraph
US declares Hong Kong no longer autonomous from mainland China
Donald Trump's administration has declared that Hong Kong is no longer highly autonomous from mainland China, escalating a stand-off with Beijing over its new national security legislation. The move indicated that the US could end some of its special trade provisions with the territory if Beijing pushes through its controversial proposed law, which is seen by critics as undercutting Hong Kong's liberty. Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, released a statement announcing that he had notified Congress on the new view of Hong Kong.
- PoliticsThe Independent
Trump threatens to close down social media platforms which ‘silence conservative voices’ after Twitter posts warning under his tweet
Donald Trump has threatened to close down social media platforms, a day after Twitter posted an advisory fact-checking notice on one of his tweets. Social media firms suppressed conservative points of view, the president claimed - without any evidence - before saying his administration would "strongly regulate [the companies] or close them down, before we can ever allow this to happen". Mr Trump advised the companies to "Clean up your act, NOW!!!!"
- WorldBBC
Walkers found after 19 days in the New Zealand wilderness
Two missing walkers have been found in the New Zealand wilderness, 19 days after they set off. Jessica O'Connor and Dion Reynolds, both 23, began walking in the Kahurangi National Park on 9 May, and expected to be gone for six or seven days. The Kahurangi, in the north-west of the South Island, is New Zealand's second biggest national park.
- WorldReuters
Venezuela's Maduro vows to raise gasoline price as Iranian tanker nears
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday pledged to begin charging citizens for gasoline, as the fourth cargo of a five-tanker flotilla bringing fuel from Iran approached the South American nation's exclusive economic zone. Iran is providing the country with up to 1.53 million barrels of gasoline and components to help it ease an acute scarcity that has forced Venezuelans to wait in hours-long lines at service stations or pay steep prices on the black market. With the arrival of the gasoline, Maduro said he would end the policy of providing fuel effectively for free after more than two decades of frozen pump prices.
WorldYahoo News VideoHuawei CFO Meng to find out if a U.S extradition case against her will proceed
A top executive of Chinese tech giant Huawei is scheduled to learn Wednesday if a U.S extradition case against her can proceed. Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, the daughter of Huawei's founder, at Vancouver's airport in late 2018. The U.S. wants her extradited to face fraud charges.
- BusinessDefense News
Boeing begins involuntary layoffs, but defense biz to remain mostly untouched
Boeing began making its first round of involuntary layoffs on Wednesday morning, announcing that it will slash the jobs of approximately 6,770 employees across the United States. Boeing's massive commercial business will take the brunt of the cuts, with the company's defense, space and security division only expected to shed less than 100 employees through involuntary layoffs this week. Boeing plans to reduce its total headcount by 10 percent through natural turnover, voluntary layoffs and involuntary cuts — a measure made necessary by the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has shook the travel industry and called into question commercial airlines' ability to pay for Boeing aircraft already on order.
