WorldAssociated PressIsrael begins firing shells into Gaza as fighting escalates
Hamas sent a heavy barrage of rockets deep into Israel on Thursday as Israel pounded Gaza with more airstrikes and shells and called up 9,000 more reservists who could be used to stage a ground invasion. In another potential escalation, at least three rockets were fired from southern Lebanon toward Israel, an attack that threatened to open a new front in the fighting. The artillery and tank shells that began falling into Gaza in the evening forced scores of families to flee their homes, Palestinian witnesses said.
U.S.NBC NewsSuspect arrested in hammer attack on Asian woman near Times Square
The person suspected of attacking an Asian woman with a hammer last week near Times Square has been arrested, police said Wednesday. Ebony Jackson, 37, has been charged with two counts each of felony assault, felony criminal possession of a weapon with a previous conviction and menacing, according to the New York City Police Department. The attack occurred about 8:40 p.m. ET May 2 on West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th avenues, in Hell's Kitchen in Manhattan, police said.
U.S.Kansas City StarElementary school principal killed by husband in murder-suicide, Texas officials say
The principal of a Texas elementary school was killed Wednesday by her husband, who then killed himself, Texas officials say. The death of 35-year-old Erica Rene Allen occurred in the front yard of her home and was witnessed by neighbors, according to the League City Police Department. Allen is the principal at Heights Elementary School in Texas City.
HealthNational ReviewFauci: ‘If You’re Outside and You’re Vaccinated, Put Aside Your Mask’
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the face of the United States' response to the coronavirus pandemic has issued a new edict. “If you're outside and you're vaccinated, put aside your mask” Dr. Fauci told Gayle King on CBS This Morning. This new advice comes only a few days after a New York Times published a report exposing misleading Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidance pertaining to outdoor spread of the COVID-19.
WorldAxiosOver 70 dead in worst bombardments between Israel and Hamas for years
Photo: Ashraf Amra/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Israeli firefighters and security forces inspect damage at a house in Yehud, near Tel Aviv, after rockets were launched toward Israel from Gaza Strip on May 12. Photo: Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP via Getty Images A fire rages at sunrise in Khan Yunish following an Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza on May 12. Photo: Youssef Massoud/AFP via Getty Images Smoke billows on May 12 at Ashkelon's refinery, hit by Hamas rockets the previous day in southern Israel, near the Gaza Strip.
U.S.NextSharkGood Samaritans Catch Parolee Who Assaulted Elderly Asian Woman in SF
Bystanders helped San Francisco Police arrest a parolee who assaulted and robbed an elderly Asian woman on Tuesday morning near Japantown in San Francisco. The incident: Luis Jorrin, a 28-year-old Black male, allegedly beat a 77-year-old Asian female and took her purse at the intersection of Laguna and Ellis streets at around 11 a.m., reported KPIX5. According to police records, Jorrin approached the victim from behind and slammed her to the ground before beating her.
U.S.Architectural Digest7 Upscale Homes For Sale in Austin, Texas
As the city's luxury real estate market reaches new heights, these high-end homes won't be around for long Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
PoliticsAssociated PressCompany: Ex-Trump lawyer raiding nonprofit for personal use
Former Trump attorney and self-proclaimed “Kraken releaser” Sidney Powell has told prospective donors that her group, Defending the Republic, is a legal defense fund to protect the integrity of U.S. elections. But the company suing Powell over her baseless claims of a rigged presidential election says the true beneficiary of her social welfare organization is Powell herself. Dominion Voting Systems claims Powell has raided Defending the Republic's coffers to pay for personal legal expenses, citing her own remarks from a radio interview.
U.S.NBC NewsBody found in submerged vehicle ID'd as missing Texas woman
The body recovered from a vehicle submerged in a Houston-area lake Tuesday has been identified as Erica Hernandez, a mother of three who had been missing for more than three weeks, police said. Police in Pearland, where the vehicle was found, said Wednesday it was notified by the Galveston County Medical Examiner's Office that the remains have been identified as those of Hernandez, 40. Officials are awaiting conclusions in a medical examiner's report, NBC affiliate KPRC reported.
U.S.Associated Press‘Amazing’: Pilots, passenger uninjured after midair crash
The pilot of an airplane that collided with another midair near Denver requested emergency landing for engine failure, not knowing that his plane was nearly ripped in half, according to air traffic control audio. The planes were getting ready to land at a small regional airport in a Denver suburb on Wednesday when they collided, according to the National Transportation Safety Board and South Metro Fire Rescue. The pilot that requested emergency landing was the only person aboard a twin-engine Fairchild Metroliner that landed at Centennial Airport despite major damage to its tail section.
WorldBusiness InsiderIsrael is moving ground troops near Gaza, raising the possibility of invasion as the death toll from rockets and airstrikes hits 90
Israel moved ground troops to its border with Gaza on Thursday. "They are there in battle procedure, basically preparing for battle," an IDF spokesman told the BBC. Israel and Hamas have exchanged air attacks this week, killing 90 people.
BusinessBBCTesla will no longer accept Bitcoin over climate concerns, says Musk
Tesla has suspended vehicle purchases using Bitcoin due to climate change concerns, its CEO Elon Musk said in a tweet. Bitcoin fell by more than 10% after the tweet, while Tesla shares also dipped. Tesla's announcement in March that it would accept the cryptocurrency was met with an outcry from some environmentalists and investors.
WorldAssociated PressDrop in Xinjiang birthrate largest in recent history: report
Xinjiang in far western China had the sharpest known decline in birthrates between 2017 and 2019 of any territory in recent history, according to a new analysis by an Australian think tank. The report from the Australian Strategy Policy Institute, obtained exclusively ahead of publication by The Associated Press, showed the 48.74% decline was concentrated in areas with many Uyghurs, Kazakhs and other largely Muslim ethnic minorities, based on Chinese government statistics over nearly a decade. Birthrates in largely minority counties fell 43.7% between 2017 and 2018 alone, with over 160,000 fewer babies born.
PoliticsPoliticoJohn Podesta’s got a message for Joe Biden: Drop the Republicans
The White House is negotiating with Republicans on a package that would include funding for only hard infrastructure projects, and a second, partisan bill that would invest in things like clean energy infrastructure, education and housing. On Wednesday, Biden met with congressional leaders, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, both of whom rejected the inclusion of tax increases in the package. Biden has proposed raising the corporate tax rate to help pay for infrastructure projects; however, sources with knowledge of his strategy say the White House has no expectation that the hike would be part of any deal with Republicans, should there...
U.S.LA TimesColonial Pipeline paid hackers nearly $5 million in ransom, sources say
Colonial Pipeline Co. paid nearly $5 million to Eastern European hackers on Friday, contradicting reports earlier this week that the company had no intention of paying an extortion fee to help restore the country's largest fuel pipeline, according to two people familiar with the transaction. The company paid the hefty ransom in untraceable cryptocurrency within hours after the attack, underscoring the immense pressure faced by the Georgia-based operator to get gasoline and jet fuel flowing again to major cities along the East Coast, those people said. A third person familiar with the situation said U.S. government officials are aware that Colonial made the payment.
- NewsYahoo News Video
CDC: Fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask
During the White House COVID-19 response team briefing on Thursday, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, announced that fully vaccinated individuals do not need to wear a mask, inside or outside, or maintain social distance. Walensky said, “If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic.
U.S.Lexington Herald-LeaderShipping delays feared across US as crack shutters vital Memphis bridge. What to know
The closure of vital bridge that runs over the Mississippi River and connects Tennessee and Arkansas is sparking concerns about potential shipping delays across the country. A large crack on the Interstate 40 Hernando DeSoto Bridge was discovered during a routine inspection on Tuesday, according to the Arkansas Department of Transportation. The bridge will remain closed to interstate and river traffic while crews investigate the extent of the crack and repair the beam, according to the Tennessee Department Transportation, which shares responsibility of the bridge with Arkansas.
PoliticsKansas City StarElection bills stalled, Missouri Republicans ask Gov. Parson to call special session
Missouri Republican lawmakers want Gov. Mike Parson to call a special session on election legislation, effectively acknowledging voter ID and other GOP-backed measures won't pass before Friday when the General Assembly adjourns. The House Elections Chairman, Rep. Dan Shaul, and six other Republican committee members on Wednesday sent a letter to Parson requesting the session and faulting the Senate for inaction on the bills. Their request received a boost from Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, whose office said he supports a special session if the General Assembly can't pass the legislation during the current session.
U.S.The Daily BeastHow Cops Took Down an Alleged Tree-Trimming Serial Killer Mid-Murder
Five days after Ryan Scott Blinston had finished trimming trees at Loreen and Homer Severs' California home last May, the 37-year-old decided to go back and take care of some unfinished business. After forcing his way into the elderly couple's house in Los Molinos, about two hours outside of Sacramento, Blinston cut both of their throats—instantly killing 88-year-old Loreen, authorities say. While her 91-year-old husband miraculously survived, the attack marked the start of a grisly two-month crime spree, during which Blinston allegedly killed two other people he targeted while working for a tree-trimming service.
HealthCharlotte ObserverFirst Charlotte area teens get their COVID vaccine shots. Here’s what you need to know
Several Mecklenburg County teens became the first of their age group in the Charlotte area to get the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine Wednesday. Novant Health began vaccinating kids ages 12 to 15 Wednesday evening at its east Mecklenburg location at 6070 East Independence Blvd. The hospital system plans to begin accepting walk-ins in that age group at all vaccine locations Thursday starting at 3 p.m. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration expanded the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer vaccine Monday for use in 12- to 15-year-olds.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderMarjorie Taylor Greene chased AOC down a corridor in Congress, yelling at her about terrorists and radical socialists
Marjorie Taylor Greene caused a scene in Congress on Wednesday, per The Washington Post. The paper's reporters saw Greene pursue Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and shout at her. Per the report, AOC mostly ignored Greene.
- WorldNexstar / Tribune WJW
Ohio man arrested after claiming he was an undercover CIA agent during traffic stop
After claiming his CIA affiliation, the man displayed an FBI badge to an officer. He then told a second officer he worked for the U.S. Treasury. Every one of those things was a lie.
CelebrityTheGrioMike Esterman responds to Wendy Williams calling him ‘childish’ after breakup reports
Mike Esterman is responding to Wendy Williams, who called him “childish” on her show this week after the couple broke up. In an interview with Page Six, Esterman, 55, said he wasn't surprised by the remark. Of course she has to have the last word,” he said, “and because she is the kind of person that she is, she's the only thing that will make herself look best.
CelebrityAssociated PressChrissy Teigen apologizes to Courtney Stodden for harassment
Chrissy Teigen has apologized for harassing a then-teenage Courtney Stodden online years ago. The 35-year-old Teigen, with more than 13 million followers on Twitter, was in her mid-20s when she harassed Stodden. Stodden told the Daily Beast that Teigen's harassment and that of many others came as they faced intense media criticism at age 16 for marrying 51-year-old Doug Hutchison in 2011.
PoliticsThe Independent‘It’s wrong’: AOC hits out at Biden’s Israel statement as Democrats demand end to Palestinian displacement
A group of 25 House Democrats has urged Secretary of State Antony Blinken to “exert diplomatic pressure” to stop Israel's efforts to forcibly displace Palestinians in East Jerusalem. “Even our allies must be held accountable for human rights violations,” said US Rep Marc Pocan. The lawmakers point to the demolition of more than 5,000 Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem within the last 50 years, which are “in clear violation” of international laws governing human rights and war crimes, they say.
“If Facebook lets Trump back on Facebook and Instagram, he'll assuredly restart his assault on democracy.”
“Facebook should have known better than to believe that it could limit speech on its platform without setting a terrible precedent.”
“Providing a microphone and an amplifier for deceit isn't fighting the good fight for free speech.”
“It’s no defense of Mr. Trump’s conduct to say that the digital public square shouldn’t suppress speech by political leaders.”
“The former president no longer gets the ‘head of state’ exception to terms of service.”