U.S.Yahoo NewsThe Postal Service is running a 'covert operations program' that monitors Americans' social media posts
The law enforcement arm of the U.S. Postal Service has been quietly running a program that tracks and collects Americans' social media posts, including those about planned protests, according to a document obtained by Yahoo News. The details of the surveillance effort, known as iCOP, or Internet Covert Operations Program, have not previously been made public. The work involves having analysts trawl through social media sites to look for what the document describes as “inflammatory” postings and then sharing that information across government agencies.
PoliticsAxiosTim Scott hopes to reintroduce version of GOP police reform bill with Democratic support
Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) told reporters Wednesday he plans to reintroduce his police reform bill or a similar proposal in the coming weeks and that he has discussed a potential compromise with Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.). Why it matters: Eyes have again turned to Washington to take steps to address police reform in the wake of Derek Chauvin's guilty verdict Tuesday, after efforts stalled in Congress last year. After Floyd's death last summer, Democrats led by Bass and Republicans led by Scott introduced two different bills to reform policing.
U.S.The WeekNew Florida law makes tearing down statues punishable by up to 15 years in prison. It also lessens liability for ramming protesters with a car.
New legislation signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) earlier this week increases criminal penalties for crimes committed during protests. DeSantis called it "the strongest anti-looting, anti-rioting, pro-law-enforcement piece of legislation in the country," MSNBC reports, and it may be part of a trend in Republican-led states, The New York Times writes. One of the most notable aspects of the law is that tearing down monuments, including Confederate ones, is now a second-degree felony offense, meaning anyone who is charged with doing so would face a maximum of 15 years in prison, the Times reports.
PoliticsLA TimesThe GOP's Anglo-Saxon problem
Last week, two of the Trumpiest Republicans in the House of Representatives, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Paul Gosar of Arizona, said they were forming a new “America First Caucus” to champion former President Trump's policies during his exile at Mar-a-Lago. Among the principles in its draft manifesto was this passage, under the heading of “Immigration”: “America is a nation with a border, and a culture, strengthened by a common respect for uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions.” It said legal immigration should be curtailed because too many recent immigrants have “refused to abandon their old loyalties.”
U.S.NextSharkPakistani College Student Survives ACID Attack Outside Her NY Home
A Pakistani woman nearly died after falling victim to an acid attack just outside her home in Elmont, New York last month. Hofstra University student Nafiah Fatima, 21, was helping her mother unload a car at their Arlington Avenue residence when the male suspect suddenly appeared around 8:15 p.m. on March 17. In a neighbor's surveillance video, the suspect can be seen running up to Fatima while she was in her driveway, according to NBC New York.
WorldReutersSearch for missing Indonesian submarine reveals oil spill
JAKARTA (Reuters) -Indonesian rescuers searching for a submarine that went missing with 53 people on board found an oil spill on Wednesday near where the vessel dived, authorities said. The 44-year-old submarine, KRI Nanggala-402, was conducting a torpedo drill in waters north of the island of Bali but failed to relay the results as expected, a navy spokesman said. An aerial search found an oil spill near the submarine's dive location and two navy vessels with sonar capability have been deployed to assist in the search, the Defense Ministry said.
U.S.Associated PressGrizzly victim knew risks of living with bears, friends say
Grizzly bears are part of life in the gateway communities bordering Yellowstone National Park, and backcountry snowmobile guide Charles “Carl” Mock knew well the risks that come with working, hiking and fishing among the fear-inspiring carnivores, his friends said. Bear spray residue found on Mock's clothing suggested he tried to ward off last week's attack using a canister of the Mace-like deterrent, considered an essential item in the backcountry. While some outsiders questioned the inherent perils of such a lifestyle in the wake of Mock's death, those who knew him said he accepted the risk as trade-off for time spent in a wilderness teeming with elk, deer, wolves and other wildlife.
U.S.Raleigh News and Observer21-year-old paratrooper died in jump from Blackhawk helicopter at Fort Bragg, Army says
The 21-year-old Army paratrooper who died Monday at Fort Bragg was killed when something went wrong during a helicopter jump, according to the 82nd Airborne Division. “Jenks was conducting a static-line jump from a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter when she suffered the fatal injury,” the 82nd Airborne reported. An investigation is underway, Army officials said.
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Cornyn, Abrams spar over race and Georgia’s voting law
During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on voting rights, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, questioned Georgia activist Stacey Abrams about her state's controversial new election law.
U.S.NextSharkThai Woman’s Cat Allegedly Killed by Family in Brooklyn
A Thai chef is grieving over the loss of her cat as a result of a vicious attack by a family in Brooklyn on April 4. The incident reportedly started when a 12-year-old boy allegedly pulled the leash of "Ponzu," who was being walked by Chanan Aksornnan and her boyfriend at McCarren Park around 5 p.m. The boy allegedly snatched and pulled Ponzu's leash up into the air before dropping him.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderTed Cruz says Biden's comments about the Derek Chauvin verdict are 'grounds for a mistrial'
Cruz said Tuesday that Biden's comments on Derek Chauvin provided potential grounds for a mistrial. Cruz said that Biden was providing "a possible basis on appeal to challenge any guilty conviction." President Joe Biden's comments about the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former police officer who was convicted of murdering George Floyd, provided potential "grounds for a mistrial," Sen. Ted Cruz said on Tuesday.
PoliticsThe WeekMurkowski to join Democrats in confirming DOJ nominee despite fierce GOP opposition
Vanita Gupta was never really in danger of being blocked from serving as associate attorney general (the Justice Department's no. 3 position), so long as she had the backing of all 50 Senate Democrats. In the end, though, Gupta's confirmation is set to move forward, and Vice President Kamala Harris won't be needed to cast a tie-breaking vote. On Wednesday, Murkowski joined Democrats in voting to advance Gupta's confirmation, and she said she'll stay the course when the final vote comes around.
U.S.Associated PressUS takes new aim at ransomware after most costly year
The Justice Department is taking new aim at ransomware after a year that officials say was the most costly on record for the crippling cyberattacks. Formation of a task force of FBI agents and Justice Department prosecutors is an acknowledgment of the growing threat posed by ransomware attacks, in which hackers lock up computer data and demand ransom payments in order to give it back. The force is part of a broader government effort to combat cyberattacks that target vital infrastructure, including a 100-day Biden administration initiative to bolster the digital security of electricity in the nation.
PoliticsArchitectural DigestHouse Call: Embracing My Outdoor Persona
We're getting outdoorsy on Clever this week Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
U.S.Associated PressMan pumping gas at convenience store killed, shooter dead
A man opened fire at a convenience store in Pennsylvania early Wednesday, apparently at random, killing a truck driver who was pumping gas and wounding another man before taking his own life, officials said. The man had first shot at a car on a highway several miles away before heading to the convenience store around 4:45 a.m., according to Lehigh County District Attorney James Martin. The woman in the car told authorities she didn't realize her car had been hit with a bullet until she stopped at a Wawa store in Upper Macungie Township, outside Allentown.
U.S.National ReviewBorder Patrol Apprehends Nearly 150 Undocumented Migrants In Tractor-Trailer
Border Patrol agents in the Laredo sector of Texas discovered 149 undocumented migrants in a tractor-trailer on April 16, U.S. Customs and Border Protection disclosed on Monday. The tractor-trailer approached a checkpoint on Interstate Highway 35 and agents opened the sealed cargo area to find 149 individuals locked inside, according to a CBP press release. The migrants were determined to be in the U.S. illegally from Central American countries, including Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Venezuela, El Salvador, Peru, and Ecuador.
PoliticsPoliticoSenate Democrats reject Republican infrastructure bid
Republicans haven't even introduced their infrastructure proposal yet, but the Democratic reviews are already in. Democrats are roundly rejecting a still unfinished counteroffer to President Joe Biden's $2.5 trillion spending package, potentially moving the slim Senate majority ever-closer to abandoning talks with Republicans on a bipartisan bill. Democrats argue that the GOP plan to spend fewer than $1 trillion and focus on brick and mortar infrastructure is a non-starter and is not the basis for bipartisan negotiations.
U.S.Associated PressMan charged with killing 3 in Wisconsin tavern shooting
A Wisconsin man was charged Wednesday with killing three people and wounding three others in a weekend shooting at a crowded bar. Prosecutors charged Rakayo Vinson, 24, of Kenosha, with three counts of first-degree intentional homicide and three counts of attempted first-degree intentional homicide in the shooting early Sunday at Somers House Tavern in the village of Somers in Kenosha County. Vinson got into a fight at the tavern during which his face was injured, according to the complaint.
WorldBBCIndia to start vaccinating all adults over 18 amid surge in infections
India is currently vaccinating health workers, front line workers and people over 45, but a number of states - including the worst-affected Maharashtra state - have reported insufficient supply. There have been reports of people being turned away from vaccination centres in many areas. How India failed to prevent a deadly second wave India's Covid-19 patients turn to black market Can India's vaccine producers meet demand?
HealthIdaho StatesmanPaid time off for COVID vaccinations encouraged under Biden tax credit. What to know
President Joe Biden on Wednesday will announce tax credits for some businesses that give workers paid time off to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The credits are part of an effort to get more people vaccinated against the coronavirus as Biden is expected to announce the United States will meet his goal of vaccinating 200 million people within his first 100 days in office this week — twice as many as his original goal of 100 million. “As part of that effort, President Biden is calling on every employer in America to offer full pay to their employees for any time off needed to get vaccinated and for any time it takes to recover from the after-effects of vaccination,” the White House says.
U.S.Business InsiderThe lawyer who pointed his gun at Black Lives Matter protesters in St. Louis is considering running for Senate
Mark McCloskey and his wife Patricia displayed their guns as BLM protesters passed their house last year. McCloskey told Politico on Tuesday he's considering running for Senate in 2022. A grand jury indicted the couple on charges of exhibiting guns and evidence tampering last October.
- WorldWABC – NY
Lawsuit seeks monetary damages after Asian American detective taunted
The complaint charges that Terrell Harper used anti-Asian slurs and even threatened Detective Vincent Chung's mother on March 11.
U.S.Associated PressRecords: Superintendent lied to jury investigating massacre
The superintendent of the Florida school district where 17 students and staff died in a 2018 high school massacre was arrested Wednesday after investigators said he lied to a grand jury investigating events surrounding the shooting. Broward County Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie was arrested by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement at district headquarters and charged with perjury in an official proceeding, which is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison. According to an indictment issued by the grand jury last week and released after Runcie's arrest, the superintendent lied when he testified before the panel three weeks ago, but it gave no specifics about the alleged falsehood.
U.S.BBCGeorge Floyd: When will Derek Chauvin be sentenced?
The eyes of the US - and the wider world - have been fixed on a courthouse in Minnesota, following the trial of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd in May 2020. The former police officer kneeled on the neck of the African-American man for more than nine minutes during an arrest in the city of Minneapolis, ignoring pleas that he couldn't breathe. Mr Floyd was declared dead an hour later.
PoliticsUSA TODAYFact check: President Biden and Kamala Harris did not fly aboard Air Force One together
The claim: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris road Air Force One together, violating a rule In a recent Facebook post, an image shows both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris exiting Air Force One. "The rule is the Prez, and the Veep never travel together, for obvious reasons," said the March 20, 2021, post. "Then why the hell is this happening?
“High-speed rail is bold and attention-grabbing, but the scale of the project makes it near impossible.”
“While a long, slow train ride across the country can be a great thing, the US needs real high-speed rail too.”
“Liberals are right that America has a car problem — but it's commutes, not road trips, that suck.”
“Investments into a high-speed rail system wouldn’t just improve the railroads — automobile traffic could also see some relief.”
“Big cities that are reasonably close together is pretty much a prerequisite for high-speed rail.”