WorldReutersInjured South Korean fighter back from Ukraine faces investigation
A South Korean volunteer fighter returned home from Ukraine on Friday saying he had to recover from injuries and was ready to face a police investigation on suspicion of breaking the law by defying a government ban on travel to Ukraine. Volunteers from around the world have flocked to Ukraine to help it fight Russian forces that invaded on Feb. 24. Russia calls its action in Ukraine a "special operation".
U.S.INSIDERSwitzerland has a stunningly high rate of gun ownership — here's why it doesn't have mass shootings
In 2016, the NRA said on its blog that the European country had one of the lowest murder rates in the world while still having millions of privately owned guns and a few hunting weapons that don't even require a permit. Video: Inside a factory that makes untraceable 'ghost guns' But the Swiss have some specific rules and regulations for gun use. Insider took a look at the country's past with guns to see why it has lower rates of gun violence than the US, where gun death rates are now at their highest in more than 20 years, and the leading cause of death for children and adolescents.
U.S.QuartzBritain ended the horror of school shootings after one single massacre
His attack came before school shootings had become something schools prepared for with drills and plans—and before they were routinely carried out by other students. In that innocent time, when the Dunblane school principal heard loud bangs from another part of the school, he thought it was building work that he hadn't been told about. After a teacher burst into his office and told him what was happening, he he ran to the gym, where he witnessed “a scene of unimaginable carnage, one's worst nightmare,” he told the inquiry later.
U.S.Associated PressCops: 500,000 fentanyl pills found in Arizona traffic stop
Two women were arrested after about 500,000 fentanyl pills were found in an SUV pulled over for speeding on Interstate 10 in Arizona, police said. The pills were found concealed in collagen supplement bottles on Monday during a search that also turned up a handgun and a large amount of cash, police from the small city of Casa Grande south of Phoenix said in a statement. Over a two-month period in Arizona late last year, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration working with Arizona law enforcement agencies made seizures of more than 3 million fentanyl pills, 45 kilograms (99 pounds) of fentanyl powder and 35 firearms.
U.S.The Hollywood ReporterJohnny Depp Gets Unfavorable Decisions on Jury Instructions
Jurors in the defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard will not consider whether Adam Waldman, Depp's former attorney who was kicked off of the case, had free speech protections when he made allegedly defamatory statements against Heard. In a key ruling on jury instructions, the judge overseeing the case sided with Heard's lawyers on Thursday that Waldman does not qualify for privilege, a defense from defamation, because his statements were not in response to anything Heard said or wrote. A ruling the other way could have led to jurors outright denying Heard's $100 million counterclaim against Depp.
BusinessBusiness InsiderThe wild life of billionaire Twitter founder and 'Block Head' Jack Dorsey, who's officially left the social network's board, eats one meal a day, and takes ice baths
After cofounding Twitter on March 21 2006, he was booted as the company's CEO two years later, but returned in 2015 having set up his second company, Square — which he rebranded as Block in 2021. He led Twitter through the techlash that has engulfed social media companies, testifying before Congress multiple times. Related video: Elon Musk on Twitter fame, loneliness and the future of AI And Dorsey announced on November 29, 2021, he had stepped down as the CEO of Twitter.
- PoliticsThe El Paso Times
Beto O'Rourke confront Gov. Greg Abbott during Texas shooting update
Beto O'Rourke confront Gov. Greg Abbott during Uvalde, Texas shooting update.
U.S.QuartzWe ordered the same gun used in Uvalde. Here’s how easy it was.
After Tuesday's school shooting in Uvalde, Texas left 19 children and two adults dead, we wondered how difficult it was to order a DDM4V7, one of the two rifles the gunman bought a few days after turning 18 years old, according to reports. The AR-15-style weapon, made by Georgia-based Daniel Defense, sells online for $1,870, plus tax. Shipping to a local gun shop is free.
ScienceBBCAncient DNA reveals secrets of Pompeii victims
Researchers studying human remains from Pompeii have extracted genetic secrets from the bones of a man and a woman who were buried when the Roman city was engulfed in volcanic ash. This first "Pompeian human genome" is an almost complete set of "genetic instructions" from the victims, encoded in DNA extracted from their bones. Ancient DNA was preserved in bodies that were encased in time-hardened ash.
PoliticsAssociated Press'Trump is in the past': Mounting losses show limits of power
Donald Trump opened May by lifting a trailing Senate candidate in Ohio to the Republican nomination, seemingly cementing the former president's kingmaker status before another possible White House run. Trump faced a series of setbacks in Tuesday's primary elections as voters rejected his efforts to unseat two top targets for retribution: Georgia's Republican governor and secretary of state, both of whom rebuffed Trump's extraordinary pressure to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Nearly seven years after the onetime reality television star launched what seemed to be an improbable campaign for the White House, the “Make America Great Again” movement Trump helmed isn't going anywhere.
U.S.LA TimesThey smeared blood on themselves, hid and watched their teachers get shot. These are the survivors' stories
Two days after a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School here, survivors are recounting stories of the horrifying moments they endured as they were attacked. "It's just really hard to cope with everything that's going on," said Amber Gonzales, whose 8-year-old daughter, Aubree, hid under her desk in another classroom while the shooting occurred. Gonzales said Aubree was still traumatized by what happened.
BusinessBusiness InsiderElon Musk dares Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to poll her Twitter followers on whether they're more wary of politicians or billionaires
Elon Musk polled his Twitter followers on whether they distrusted billionaires or politicians more. Musk and AOC have previously clashed on topics such as unionization and free speech. On Thursday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk dared Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to poll her Twitter followers on whether they distrusted billionaires or politicians more.
ScienceReutersBacteria with antibiotic resistant genes discovered in Antarctica, scientists say
Bacteria in Antarctica have been discovered with genes that give them natural antibiotic and antimicrobial resistance and have the potential to spread out of the polar regions, according to scientists in Chile. Andres Marcoleta, a researcher from the University of Chile who headed the study in the Science of the Total Environment journal in March, said that these "superpowers" which evolved to resist extreme conditions are contained in mobile DNA fragments that can easily be transferred to other bacteria. "We know that the soils of the Antarctic Peninsula, one of the polar areas most impacted by melting ice, host a great diversity of bacteria," Marcoleta said.
U.S.HuffPostTucker Carlson Cooks Up Absurd New Scapegoat For Texas School Massacre
Australia hasn't had a mass shooting since 1996, when a gunman opened fire at a tourist resort in Port Arthur, killing 35 people. The government responded by enacting strict gun control legislation, including banning all semi-automatic rifles. In New Zealand, all semi-automatic weapons and assault rifles were banned after a gunman killed 51 people in Christchurch in 2019.
U.S.The Daily BeastDaniel Defense, the Maker of the Uvalde Shooter’s ‘Perfect Rifle,’ Abruptly Exits the NRA Convention
On a Memorial Day weekend when we honor those who died in service to our country, the company that manufactured a weapon of war used to kill 19 children and two adults in a Texas elementary school had planned to hawk its wares at the gun industry's annual collective disgrace. But in the aftermath of Tuesday's slaughter in Uvalde, Daniel Defense, is no longer slated to join all the other profiteers of violent death at this weekend's NRA convention in Houston. Up until Wednesday afternoon,the company was to have occupied Booth 4839, conveniently close to the cafe at the George R. Brown Convention Center, amid what the NRA terms “14 acres of guns and gear.
WorldReutersU.S. senators seek DEA answers on Mexico operations following Reuters reports
Two senior U.S. senators have written to the head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) requesting information on the agency's foreign operations, especially in Mexico, following news reports about the Mexican government slashing cooperation. In April, Reuters reported Mexico had shuttered an elite unit that had worked for decades with the DEA, and earlier this month published another report detailing how the DEA had withdrawn its plane used for high-profile operations from Mexico after officials rescinded its parking spot.
BusinessFortuneBig oil consultant resigns with scathing email to 1,400 executives asking them all to ‘look in the mirror’
In her resignation email—which was sent to 1,400 employees and contractors at Shell—she said despite warnings from the U.N. and the International Energy Agency that there was no safe level of new oil and gas extraction, Shell was planning to explore and extract “much more. I can no longer work for a company that ignores all the alarms and dismisses the risks of climate change and ecological collapse,” Dennett said. I want Shell execs and management to look in the mirror and ask themselves if they really believe their vision for more oil and gas extraction secures a safe future for humanity.
U.S.Belleville News-DemocratMan points gun at TV reporter during live segment on gun violence, Illinois station says
Illinois police are looking for a man that was shown on video pointing what appears to be a gun at a news anchor and her crew while she was filming a live segment on gun violence. A FOX32 reporter and her crew on May 25 were filming a segment in Chicago on gun violence, FOX2 reported. While the reporter was speaking on camera, a man walked behind her and quickly pointed a gun in her direction, footage from FOX2 showed.
U.S.ReutersU.S. FAA vows 'immediate action' after Capitol security scare
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told Congress it has taken "immediate action" to ensure U.S. Capitol Police are aware of unusual aerial events after an April 20 small airplane flight that prompted a security scare. FAA Acting Administrator Billy Nolen said in a letter to Congress that the agency will provide advance notification of special event flights in the Washington-area. Nolen said the agency believes "this will provide all of our interagency partners with the extra time necessary to reduce any potential confusion," the letter dated Friday said.
U.S.Miami HeraldDid Florida Rep. Randy Fine just threaten the president’s life? Secret Service better find out | Editorial
Here's what Fine said on Twitter: “I have news for the embarrassment that claims to be our president — try to take our guns and you'll learn why the Second Amendment was written in the first place. He made this wretched comment after President Biden responded to the horrific massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday, in which 19 children and two adults died. The president said, in part: “When we passed the assault weapons ban, mass shootings went down.
U.S.HuffPostFormer ESPN Journalist's Excuse For Uvalde Police Inaction Shocks Twitter Users
Tuesday's school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, is inspiring a debate on what can be done to prevent future tragedies ― as are reports from witnesses that local police were slow to respond to the incident. Law enforcement authorities are facing questions and criticism over how much time elapsed before police put a stop to the rampage by a gunman who killed 19 children and two adults. Jason Whitlock, a former ESPN journalist who now works for conservative outlet The Blaze, shared a take in response to a tweet by right-wing disinformation peddler Jack Posobiec, who wondered why “armed Texans” didn't go after the gunman.
BusinessAssociated PressFed officials signal rates may head to 'restrictive' levels
Federal Reserve officials agreed when they met earlier this month that they may have to raise interest rates to levels that would weaken the economy as part of their drive to curb inflation, which is near a four-decade high. At the same time, many of the policymakers also agreed that after a rapid series of rate increases in the coming months, they could “assess the effects” of their rate hikes and, depending on the economy's health, increase rates at a slower pace. Chair Jerome Powell himself had indicated after this month's meeting that half-point increases would be “on the table” at the next two meetings.
U.S.NextSharkSingaporean man terrorizes neighbors day and night for 11 years by banging on apartment walls
Residents at an apartment complex in Hougang, Singapore, are being terrorized by a neighbor who has been incessantly banging on his apartment walls for 11 years. The 41-year-old man has been reported to the police and the Housing Development Board (HDB) multiple times to no avail. His next-door neighbor created a TikTok account in April to document the daily incidents, which include the man loitering around his neighbors' apartment doors and scolding them through their windows.
U.S.Fort Worth Star-Telegram‘Most difficult customer ever.’ Deaf woman upset by note on Dutch Bros Coffee receipt
Dutch Bros Coffee has referred to an inappropriate note left on the receipt of a deaf customer in Texas as “unacceptable.” Ashley Vallejo detailed her recent experience at the coffee chain in a TikTok video, describing her first visit to a Waco location as “a little bit awkward.” When she received her order, she noticed on the receipt she was referred to as the “most difficult customer ever.”
WorldReutersTurkey observed positive approach to lifting arms embargo from Finland, Sweden -Erdogan spokesman
Ankara observed a positive attitude towards lifting of an arms exports embargo during talks with delegations from NATO applicants Finland and Sweden, President Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman said on Wednesday. "We have seen a positive attitude towards lifting of embargo regarding defence industry products during this meeting, this is a pleasing development," Ibrahim Kalin said. Sweden and Finland had banned arms exports to Turkey after its Syria incursion against the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia.
“It could give millions a chance to finally buy a house or start their business or help their kids get an education, too.”
“You signed a contract…If you don’t want to deal with the financial pressure of debt, don’t take out the loan.”
“Without action from Biden, Black student debt will hinder his agenda with respect to eliminating racial inequities.”
“Blanket relief could end up routing too much relief to those who do not need it and too little to those who do.”
“Unlike a number of other policy issues, student debt relief doesn’t need to be pushed through a narrowly controlled Congress.”