PoliticsUSA TODAYNew York man accused of threatening Rep. Ilhan Omar remains behind bars
A New York man – who allegedly threatened to kill Rep. Ilhan Omar – and another man caught up in online discussions about murdering Muslim-Americans both remained behind bars Wednesday. Patrick W. Carlineo Jr., 55, of Rathbone was charged on April 4 with threatening to shoot the Minnesota Democrat, who is Muslim, in an angry telephone call to her Washington, D.C., office on March 21. Thomas Alonzo Bolin, 22, of Greece was charged on April 3 with lying to FBI agents who were investigating a Facebook conversation in which Bolin and at least one other man allegedly discussed committing mass murder of Muslim-Americans in Baltimore.
- PoliticsAssociated Press
Trump vetoes measure to end US involvement in Yemen war
The veto — the second in Trump's presidency — was expected, and Congress lacks the votes to override it. "This resolution is an unnecessary, dangerous attempt to weaken my constitutional authorities, endangering the lives of American citizens and brave service members, both today and in the future," Trump wrote in explaining his Tuesday veto. Congress has grown uneasy with Trump's close relationship with Saudi Arabia as he tries to further isolate Iran, a regional rival.
- WorldAOL.com
Woman claims to spot Jesus in photo of flaming Notre Dame Cathedral roof
A woman who was reading about the Notre Dame Cathedral fire on Monday couldn't believe her eyes when she spotted a religious figure in a photo of the historic church's flaming roof. Lesley Rowan, a 38-year-old mother from Alexandria in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, took to social media to share the photo, which she believes depicted Jesus Christ. "I may be letting my mind play tricks on me here, folks take a close look at this picture and what do you see," she wrote on Facebook, the Daily Mail reports.
WorldAFPParis honours 'exemplary' firefighters for saving Notre-Dame
French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday hailed as "exemplary" hundreds of firefighters who saved Notre-Dame in the devastating blaze, as efforts intensified to ensure there was no further damage to the still fragile cathedral. Some 600 firefighters worked throughout the night Monday to put out the fire at the Paris landmark and prevent an even worse disaster, in a blaze that felled the spire and destroyed two-thirds of its roof. Sixty firefighters are still keeping a vigil at Notre-Dame to ensure no further fire erupts while France's culture minister warned that two gables and figurines perched high up in the building were still at risk of collapse inside.
- PoliticsThe Independent
How much did the Mueller report cost?
Based on the published statements, plus an estimate of what is to come in the fourth statement, it appears likely that the Mueller investigation itself will have cost around $17m. The special counsel's office also reported Department of Justice spending that supported its activities, stating that it wasn't legally required to do so and that those expenditures would have occurred regardless of whether or not the special counsel's office was conducting an investigation. If those additional expenditures are taken into account, the final estimate for the cost of the Mueller investigation reaches around $31m.
BusinessReutersHuawei CEO offered Berlin no-spy deal to soften 5G concerns: Wirtschaftswoche
China's Huawei offered Berlin a "no-spy agreement" to address security concerns over the Chinese company's involvement in building Germany's next-generation 5G mobile infrastructure, a German magazine said on Wednesday. "Last month, we talked to the German Interior Ministry and said that we were ready to sign a no-spy agreement with the German government and to promise that Huawei will not install any backdoors in the networks," Wirtschaftswoche quoted Huawei Chief Executive Ren Zhengfei as saying. Germany last month set tougher criteria for vendors supplying network equipment, stopping short of singling out Huawei for special treatment and instead saying the same rules should apply to all vendors.
- EntertainmentTime
Emilia Clarke
Bear in mind that I despise the word bubbly, but my first encounter with Emilia left me with the impression of having just drunk a glass of high-quality champagne rather quickly. Steady on, I thought. First impressions can mislead.
- Lifestylemotorious
Porsche Collection Destroyed in Explosion
The building itself also contained one of America's largest Porsche collections according to the Charlotte Observer. The rather unassuming red brick building didn't boast about the treasures within, but video from the Charlotte Observer revealed a huge hole in the roof and the charred remains of what appears to be a 550 Spyder amongst other less identifiable wreckage. Bob Ingram, a retired pharmaceuticals executive, and his wife reportedly started the collection in 1998 after a visit to the Monterey Historic Automobile Races.
- WorldThe Telegraph
North Korea sends hit squads after defectors from its secret police
North Korea has dispatched teams to neighbouring China to track down and kill, if necessary, as many as seven members of the Ministry of State Security who have fled in a snowballing series of defections, according to dissident media. The crisis in the ranks of North Korea's secret police agency can be traced back to immediately after the failure of the Hanoi summit between Kim Jong-un, the North Korean dictator, and US President Donald Trump in February, reported the Daily NK, citing reports from its network of undercover “citizen reporters” in North Korea and China.
NewsYahoo NewsOcasio-Cortez backs boycott of New York Post over cover attacking Ilhan Omar
While President Trump repeatedly attacks the New York Times and other purveyors of “fake news,” New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is targeting her own media foe: the New York Post. In a Sunday interview with the Yahoo News podcast “Skullduggery,” the freshman New York congresswoman explained why she is endorsing a boycott of the paper organized by local Yemeni-American bodega owners, calling the Post's attack on her friend Rep. Ilhan Omar “beyond the pale. Ever since she was elected last November, the Post has relentlessly attacked Ocasio-Cortez over her progressive views and her opposition to Amazon's plan to move its headquarters to Queens.
- NewsThe Daily Beast
Parents Accuse D.C. Synagogue of Enabling 'Systemic, Regular' Sexual Abuse of Preschoolers
A group of parents are suing a prominent Washington D.C. synagogue, alleging one preschool teacher sexually abused eight toddlers for more than two years and the school ignored the warning signs. The 239-page civil lawsuit, filed anonymously by eight parents in Superior Court for the District of Columbia on Monday evening, alleged that the toddlers between the ages of two and four, “were subject to systemic and regular sexual abuse on school property” by an assistant teacher at the Washington Hebrew Congregation. The alleged abuser, Jordan Silverman, joined the preschool in 2016 after a career as a Vermont photographer.
WorldUSA TODAYAir France-KLM offering free flights to those helping rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral
Air France-KLM is doing its part to assist with the reconstruction of the Notre Dame Cathedral following the devastating fire on Monday. "All Air France and Air France-KLM teams around the world have been deeply affected and saddened since (Monday)," the airline said in a Tuesday statement. "Moreover, in the days ahead, the Air France-KLM group will set up a voluntary donations fund for its customers to help finance the reconstruction work," the airline added.
- PoliticsThe Guardian
Trump's new Cuba crackdown puts US at odds with Canada and Europe
Donald Trump has taken another step towards reversing Barack Obama's historic rapprochement with Cuba with a measure that earned swift criticism from allies in Canada and Europe. The US announced on Wednesday that it would enable lawsuits against foreign companies that use properties nationalised by the communist government after Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution. The policy shift, which could draw hundreds of thousands of legal claims worth tens of billion of dollars, aims to put pressure on Cuba at a moment when the US is demanding an end to Havana's support for Venezuela's socialist president, Nicolás Maduro.
- U.S.WABC – NY
NTSB investigates American Airlines flight tipped by wind at JFK Airport
Federal safety officials are investigating an American Airlines flight in which the plane tipped in a strong wind and a wingtip clipped a runway marker during takeoff last week from New York's Kennedy Airport.
- SportsCar and Driver
See 2020 Toyota Highlander Photos
Toyota's three-row crossover is little changed, because why mess with success? From Car and Driver
WorldAFP'Yellow vest' Libya protesters say France backs Tripoli assault
Dozens of "yellow vest" protesters rallied Tuesday in the Libyan capital to denounce what they said was France's support for military strongman Khalifa Haftar who has launched an offensive on Tripoli. The demonstrators donned yellow vests in a nod to the jackets worn by anti-government protesters who have been rallying across France since November. "France must stop backing the rebel Haftar," read one sign held up by the demonstrators gathered in central Tripoli's Algiers Square.
WorldAssociated PressAlan García, ex-Peruvian president, dies at 69
Alan García, a former Peruvian president whose first term in the 1980s was marred by financial chaos and rebel violence, and who was recently targeted in Latin America's biggest corruption scandal, died on Wednesday at the age of 69. President Martin Vizcarra announced on Twitter that García died after undergoing emergency surgery for a bullet wound hours earlier. García shot himself before being detained by police amid allegations he received illegal payments from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht after Peruvians voted him back into the presidency for a second term in 2006.
- BusinessReuters
Apple likens Qualcomm chips to fried chicken as trial begins
A trial opened Tuesday in a complex contract and anti-trust dispute between Apple Inc and Qualcomm Inc with the iPhone maker using a fried chicken analogy to explain its claim that the chip company is abusing its market power. Tens of billions of dollars and the fate of Qualcomm's business model are at stake in the case. Apple alleges that Qualcomm engaged in illegal patent licensing practices to maintain a monopoly on the market for premium modem chips that connect smart phones to wireless data networks.
- NewsAOL.com
20-year-old college student falls 100 feet off cliff to her death
A 20-year-old college student plummeted 100 feet to her death off a cliff during a school trip last weekend. Although it is considered one of Arkansas' most photographed spots, Hawksbill Crag has been the site of multiple deaths by unintentional falls in recent years, including that of a 19-year-old University of Arkansas coed in 2016. Briar Cliff University released a statement on Saturday following Norton's tragic death.
- WorldThe Independent
Ola Bini: Wikileaks collaborator and Assange ally accused of plotting to blackmail Ecuador president faces 'threats in jail', parents say
The parents of a Swedish programmer who was an early ally of Julian Assange and Wikileaks and who has now been accused of trying to blackmail Ecuador's president, is facing threats in jail, his parents have claimed. Ola Bini, 36, was arrested last Thursday in Ecuador, hours after Mr Assange was detained by police in London who entered the Ecuadorian embassy. Mr Assange was charged with skipping bail by a London judge, while the US charged him with conspiring with whistleblower Chelsea Manning to hack a US computer.
- WorldThe Daily Beast
How One Man's Deleted Tweet Launched a Worldwide Notre Dame Conspiracy Theory
Hale quickly tweeted that his friend had “zero evidence” for the claim beyond a purported conversation with cathedral staff, and he deleted the original tweet minutes later. But it only took those few minutes for his tweet to become a core piece of proof for right-wing conspiracy theorists who are convinced, without any actual evidence, that the fire was set by terrorists. With one tweet, Hale became sucked into a right-wing media machine eager to both rile up its audience and earn more traffic on social media.
- PoliticsThe Guardian
Mueller report: five things to look out for in the redacted document
On Thursday, the US justice department is expected to release a redacted version of special counsel Robert Mueller's long-awaited report on Russian election tampering and the Donald Trump campaign to the public. The attorney general, William Barr, has announced a press conference at the justice department at 9.30am to discuss it. Here are five things to look out for with the release of the report, which reportedly runs to nearly 400 pages and is officially titled Report on the Investigation Into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election: Obstruction of justice The Mueller report “catalogu[es] the President's actions” that could amount to an obstruction of justice by Trump, accor...
- BusinessPopular Mechanics
The 6 Best Cars and Concepts From the New York Auto Show
Little dune buggy... ♫ From Popular Mechanics
- PoliticsUSA TODAY
Beto O'Rourke releases 10 years of tax returns, reveals he and wife made $370K in 2017
Former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke became the latest presidential candidate to release his tax returns Monday, following other 2020 hopefuls including Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris. O'Rourke, and his wife, Amy Sanders O'Rourke, who filed joint returns for 2008 through 2017, reported total income of $370,412 in 2017, the latest year reported. The couple plans to release its 2018 tax return "as soon as possible after they are filed," according to a campaign news release.
WorldAFPInstagram accounts of Iran Guards commanders blocked
The Instagram accounts of several Iranian Revolutionary Guards commanders have been blocked, the Tabnak news website reported Tuesday, with the photo-sharing website saying it was complying with US sanctions. The United States announced on April 8 that it has placed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the ideological army of the Islamic republic, on their list of "foreign terrorist organisations". Tabnak, a site close to Iranian conservatives, said Instagram blocked the accounts of Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari, Major General Mohammad Bagheri and Major General Ghassem Soleimani.
