- U.S.Fox News
Man who sexually assaulted woman aboard flight from Chicago to Myrtle Beach gets max prison sentence
A man convicted of sexually assaulting a 22-year-old woman aboard a flight from Chicago to Myrtle Beach during the summer of 2019 was sentenced late Thursday to two years in federal prison. Chief U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger ordered 29-year-old Siva K. Durbesula, originally from India, to spend two years behind bars and then complete 10 years of supervised release and pay a $5,000 assessment. Durbesula was a passenger aboard a flight from Chicago O'Hare International Airport headed to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on June 23, 2019, when he sexually assaulted the 22-year-old woman seated next to him, according to court documents, witness testimony and evidence presented at trial.
PoliticsNational ReviewFormer Obama Ethics Chief Says Biden Admin Family Hires Are ‘F*** You’ to Watchdogs
Former Obama-era Office of Government Ethics chief Walter Shaub called the Biden administration's hiring of multiple relatives of senior staffers a disgraceful repudiation to the mission of restoring ethics in government. A lot of us worked hard to tee him up to restore ethics to government and believed the promises. While new administration employees may not stem directly from the Biden family tree, some had the privilege of being part of a familial network that may have provided their applications a leg up on other candidates, despite their credentials and qualifications.
U.S.AxiosEntire Portland Police rapid response team quits after officer's indictment
The Portland Police Bureau announced Thursday that its entire Rapid Response Team left their voluntary positions on squad Wednesday after a fellow officer was indicted on an assault charge for allegedly using "excessive" and "unlawful" force during a protest last August. Driving the news: Tuesday's indictment of officer Corey Budworth is the first time a Portland police officer has faced prosecution for striking or firing at someone during a protest, according to The Oregonian. The big picture: Budworth was working on the Portland Police Bureau's Rapid Response Team in August 2020, when during a protest, he allegedly struck a woman on the head with a baton, per ABC News.
U.S.Miami HeraldHis bagel didn’t have cream cheese, so he pulled gun on a police chief’s daughter, cops say
While working her job at Starbucks, the daughter of Miami Gardens' police chief was allegedly threatened with a gun over an order mix-up — the gunman was given his bagel without cream cheese, police say. Chief Delma Noel-Pratt told Miami Herald news partner CBS4 in an interview that the experience traumatized her 23-year-old daughter. “As a mother I am very concerned,” Noel-Pratt told the station.
WorldWashington ExaminerBiden freezes military aid to Ukraine after Putin summit as leaders plea for help
As Russia mounted 100,000 troops on the Ukrainian border in March, the White House and the Department of Defense readied a $100 million military assistance package that was frozen once President Joe Biden announced a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to reports. A previous buildup in eastern Ukraine led to the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and a protracted war that simmers seven years later. As Putin massed attack helicopters and aircraft on the eastern Ukrainian border, Biden and NATO leaders condemned Russia and called for a drawdown but made no public offers of military assistance.
PoliticsNational ReviewLindsey Graham: 2022 Elections Will Determine How Long GOP Remains Party of Trump
There is no doubt that the Republican Party remains the party of Donald Trump, but the future of the GOP must be a movement based on more than the personality of a single person, South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham told National Review in an interview Friday. Exactly how much influence the former president will continue to wield within the party will be determined in the 2022 elections, which Republicans are in a good position to win, said Graham, one of the speakers Friday at the Faith & Freedom Coalition's Road to Majority Conference. “The key to 2022 is putting your best team on the field,” Graham said of winning back the U.S. House and Senate.
U.S.The State94-year-old Asian woman stabbed by man recently released from jail, California cops say
A 94-year-old Asian woman was stabbed in San Francisco by a man who police say had been recently released from jail. San Francisco police said they responded to a stabbing Wednesday morning and discovered a 94-year-old Asian woman with multiple stab wounds, according to a Facebook post. Police said Daniel Cauich, 35, has been identified as the suspect and was arrested on charges of attempted homicide, battery with serious injury, elder abuse, committing felony while on bail or release, great bodily injury enhance and probation violation.
PoliticsMiami HeraldIf Putin isn’t rethinking his legacy after meeting with Biden, perhaps he should be | Opinion
Much to the surprise of a puzzled pundit corps, history may well conclude that, while President Joe Biden and Russia's President Vladimir Putin produced no big-deal breaking news headline, their summit may prove to be one of the 21st century's pivotal events. Also, U.S. intelligence agencies announced long ago that Putin personally approved massive cyber-sabotage of the 2016 and 2020 U.S. presidential campaigns.
PoliticsTheGrioTrump went on rant about ‘the Blacks’ after protests over George Floyd murder
An upcoming book from Wall Street Journal reporter Mike Bender alleges former President Donald Trump blamed his son-in-law for the civil unrest that erupted in the country following the death of George Floyd. The book titled “Frankly, We Did Win This Election: The Inside Story of How Trump Lost,” includes firsthand accounts from some of Trump's closest advisers, “who spoke to me on the condition of deep background, an agreement that meant I could share their stories without direct attribution,” Bender wrote for Politico. In the book, Bender describes how Trump privately told advisers that he didn't push back hard enough against protesters in the wake of Floyd's killing by Minneapolis police in May 2020.
- WorldKCRA - Sacramento Videos
Early morning explosion forces evacuations in Sacramento neighborhood
Neighbors in the South Hagginwood area woke up Wednesday morning to the sight of flashing police lights and yellow tape. "I'm really shocked myself. It's kind of scary," said Janice Enriquez, who lives in the area.
U.S.Kansas City StarTeen sleeping in hammock at 12:30 a.m attacked by large bear in Great Smoky Mountains
A 16-year-old girl was attacked by a bear in the Great Smoky Mountains early Friday, prompting the National Park Service to close a back country section to visitors. The attack happened at 12:30 a.m., as the teen was sleeping in a hammock in the the Crosby section of the park, officials said. “The family was able to drive the bear off from the area immediately after the attack and quickly notified the park's emergency communications center,” the National Park Service said.
U.S.Raleigh News and ObserverOfficers who fatally shot NC man at home won’t face charges, special prosecutor says
Two Mooresville police officers who fatally shot Chris Craven last summer after they say he pulled a gun — an account disputed by the dead man's wife — will not face criminal charges, a special prosecutor announced Friday. In a statement, Randolph County District Attorney Andy Gregson said officers Alexander Arndt and Christopher Novelli reasonably feared for their lives when they fired dozens of shots with high-powered rifles at Craven during an Aug. 2 confrontation outside his Mooresville home. “It is clear from all of the evidence that at the time Officers Arndt and Novelli fired their duty rifles they were presented with an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury from the actions of Mr. Craven,” Gregson said in summarizing the findings of a State Bureau of Investigation report.
BusinessMiami HeraldFederal judge throws out CDC’s cruise safety regulations, handing win to DeSantis
A federal judge threw out U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention safety rules for cruise companies operating in Florida during the COVID-19 pandemic Friday, handing a victory to Gov. Ron DeSantis. In a 124-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday of the Middle District of Florida said the agency's “conditional sail order” — a framework of regulations dictating how cruises can restart in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic — can remain in place for Florida cruises only until July 18, granting DeSantis' request for a preliminary injunction while the full case moves forward. After July 18, the rules will become non-binding recommendations for cruise companies as they are for other industries.
PoliticsIdaho StatesmanDemocrats vow to confront their ‘single biggest problem’: Reaching out to minority voters
Democrats say they have settled on a plan to reverse their across-the-board declines with voters of color in the 2020 election. A collection of leading Democratic strategists, bolstered by in-depth studies of the last election, say the party too often treated Black, Latino, and Asian American voters as homogeneous blocs of faithful supporters, overlooking how many of them were drawn to the Republican Party and resistant to the Democrats' broad messages. The oversight is a critical reason why President Joe Biden lost support among voters of color relative to previous Democratic presidential candidates, these Democratic operatives said.
U.S.TODAYHere's why Jenna Bush Hager shouted 'Hoda' during her 10,000-foot skydive
Hoda Kotb is not only Jenna Bush Hager's TODAY co-host and good friend, she is also now a code word. On TODAY with Hoda & Jenna on Thursday, Jenna shared why she was shouting "Hoooooddddddaaaaaaa!!!!" as she plummeted to the earth during her 10,000-foot skydive a few hours earlier. "I had a code word," Jenna said.
U.S.Fort Worth Star-TelegramPolice arrest boy, 16, in killing of teenager shot in chest in northwest Fort Worth
Police on Friday arrested a 16-year-old boy on suspicion of murder in a killing six days earlier in northwest Fort Worth. Josiah Mendez was booked in connection with the slaying of Joshua Smith, 17, who was shot on June 12 in his chest at Smith's house in the 1500 block of Denver Avenue, according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office. Fort Worth police have declined to release other information about the killing or describe its motive, and said on Friday that the investigation is incomplete.
U.S.Kansas City StarWatch ‘terrified’ cottonmouth snake’s quirky move to dodge predator in North Carolina
A panic-stricken cottonmouth was caught on video acting peculiarly in a North Carolina wildlife preserve — and the look was not exactly flattering. The recording, shared June 11 on Facebook, shows the viper going so fast it actually tumbled over itself. Closer inspection of the video reveals the venomous snake dispensed with slithering and started sliding like a garden hose.
U.S.The GuardianUtah school omits teen with Down’s syndrome from cheer team photo
A Utah junior high school that took two official photos of its cheerleading squad did not include the 14-year-old team member with Down syndrome in one of these pictures – and chose to use that image in its yearbook and on social media, according to reports. Shoreline junior high school cheer squad member Morgyn Arnold had been the team's manager, and “knew all the routines by heart”, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. In the photo that included Arnold, she was seated in the front row, whereas in the second image she was clearly absent.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderTrump's former physician sent a letter to Biden asking him take a cognitive test - and more than a dozen Republicans signed it
Rep. Ronny Jackson, a White House doctor under Trump, has called on Biden to take a cognitive test. Jackson said on Thursday he was circulating a letter among House GOP colleagues. More than a dozen Republicans have signed the letter, which Jackson said he sent to Biden directly.
U.S.CBS NewsDaredevil dies attempting world-record motorcycle jump
Stunt rider Alex Harvill has died from injuries sustained while practicing to set a world-record motorcycle jump in Moses Lake, Washington, officials said. Harvill, 28, died Thursday from his injuries, Grant County Coroner Craig Morrison said. Harvill was attempting to jump more than the length of a football field on his motorcycle during a performance at the Moses Lake Air Show when he crashed.
U.S.The Daily BeastHusband Arrested for Murder of Missing Colorado Woman Who Moved to U.S. for Love
The husband of a Colorado Springs woman who has been missing for more than two years was arrested for her murder on Wednesday. Dane Kallungi, 38, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the death of Jepsy Amaga Kallungi, 26, who has been missing since April 2019. Kallungi was found trying to get onto an Air Force base in Albuquerque, New Mexico, according to KKTV.
![‘Holy [bleep!]’ Florida beachgoers got a visit from a large shark in the shallows](https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/I.wYMslBXCvAxAUUJjBXqg--~B/Zmk9c3RyaW07aD0xMjM7cT04MDt3PTIyMDthcHBpZD15dGFjaHlvbg--/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/WGmGY38JPZlubCGTLxxVdQ--~B/aD01NzE7dz0xMTQwO2FwcGlkPXl0YWNoeW9u/https://media.zenfs.com/en/miami_herald_mcclatchy_975/81345fe307ad997a9461532f23bd2d75.cf.jpg)
U.S.Miami Herald‘Holy [bleep!]’ Florida beachgoers got a visit from a large shark in the shallows
Beachgoers got quite the thrill of seeing a hammerhead shark up close Monday in Boca Grande Pass, at the south end of Gasparilla Island on the Gulf of Mexico. In a video shared by Florida woman Wendy Donnelly, of North Port, you can see the large shark thrashing around in about a foot of water, using its hammer-shaped snout like a vacuum as onlookers scream. Sightings are not all that uncommon during hammerhead shark season, which runs from March until July.
WorldBusiness InsiderKim Jong Un told North Korea's government to 'get fully prepared for confrontation' with the US
Kim Jong Un said North Korea needed to get ready for the possibility of "confrontation" with the US. G7 leaders recently demanded North Korea abandon its nuclear program. Kim Jong Un addressed his government Thursday, and the Korean Central News Agency reported he "stressed the need to get prepared for both dialogue and confrontation, especially to get fully prepared for confrontation," according to the Associated Press.
PoliticsUSA TODAYWho are the 14 House Republicans who voted against a Juneteenth holiday? And why?
Senate Bill 475, the "Juneteenth National Independence Day Act," passed 415-14. The bill recognizes June 19, 1865, the day enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned slavery was ended, as a public holiday. President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation had freed all enslaved African Americans in rebel states two and a half years earlier.
U.S.LA TimesDisneyland reveals which COVID-era changes will stay, which will go
With the government-imposed attendance caps and physical distance requirements gone, the Disneyland and Disney California Adventure parks are expected to relaunch several rides, musical acts and nighttime extravaganzas over the next few weeks and other attractions later this summer. In some ways, the parks will never return to pre-pandemic operations. Disney executives say the 15-month closure helped them rethink how best to manage one of the biggest headaches at the resort: the enormous throngs of Disney-loving visitors.
“It may seem desperate at this point, but I can’t be mad at any and all efforts to get people vaccinated.”
“I won’t get rich, but I will get to live my life. That seems like reward enough.”
“Offering incentives may encourage people who are not actively opposed to vaccination but may have put it off.”
“At some point, the government is simply rewarding irresponsible behavior.”
“Sure, people should do it without needing an incentive. But what’s the alternative? Not enough people get vaccinated.”