PoliticsYahoo NewsMueller report: How we got here and where we're going
The Mueller report is almost here. The 448-page document will cover the two parts of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation: Russian interference with the 2016 election and possible collusion by President Trump's campaign; and possible obstruction of justice by the president. But before the redacted report is released, following Attorney General William Barr's Thursday-morning press conference, here are the moments that brought us to the Mueller report: 'Russia, if you're listening' and the 2016 election Months before election night, Russian hackers worked to steal emails and documents from Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee.
WorldAFP'Britain's Notre-Dame' tells fiery tale of restored glory
These buildings move' - The stories of York Minster and Notre-Dame have faithfully traced each other's footsteps over the centuries. Britain's cathedral was completed in 1360 -- just 15 years after Notre-Dame -- and shares the same building materials and shape as its Parisian cousin. David was one of a dozen or so stoneworkers in York when its "minster" -- an Old English word that means a large or important church -- nearly went down in flames in 1984.
WorldReutersThousands of Peruvians say goodbye to ex-president following suicide
Thousand of Peruvians said goodbye on Thursday in Lima to ex-president Alan Garcia -- who killed himself this week - in the second of three days of national mourning declared by President Martin Vizcarra. Garcia shot himself in the head on Wednesday to avoid arrest in connection with alleged bribes from Brazilian builder Odebrecht, in the most dramatic turn yet in Latin America's largest graft scandal. Friends, allies and leaders across the political spectrum paid homage to Garcia at the headquarters of his APRA party, one of Latin America's oldest political parties, and one which twice helped usher Garcia to the presidency.
- WorldUSA TODAY
How robots helped the French save Notre Dame Cathedral
Putting out Monday's fire at the famed Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris was a joint effort between hundreds of firefighters, emergency personnel and modern technology. Parisian firefighters used a combination of robots and drones to see, track and contain the blaze that ravaged the 800-year-old cathedral's roof, spire and stained glass windows. One instrumental player was Colossus, a water-firing robot that was deployed to quell the flames from inside the smoldering Gothic cathedral after firefighters were forced to evacuate certain areas.
- NewsTime
A Flight Attendant Is Reportedly In a 'Deep Coma' After Contracting Measles
A flight attendant has reportedly fallen into a “deep coma” after contracting measles, according to health authorities. The 43-year-old female El Al Airlines flight attendant was admitted to a hospital after coming down with a fever on March 31, CBS News reports. Her condition has worsened since then, and she now has encephalitis, or brain inflammation, and is breathing with the assistance of a respirator at Israel's Meir Medical Center, according to CNN.
WorldAssociated PressThe Latest: Portugal confirms 29 Germans killed on Madeira
Portugal's foreign ministry has confirmed that all 29 people killed in a tour bus crash on Madeira Island were German. Authorities previously said they were still working to identify the victims of Wednesday evening's crash, which saw the bus veer off a road and roll down a steep hill. The statement says Portuguese Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva will join his German counterpart Heiko Maas later Thursday on the Portuguese island off northwest Africa.
WorldAFPUkraine comedian vows to break old system in pre-vote debate
A comedian tipped to take over Ukraine's presidency vowed on Friday to dismantle the old political system as he went head-to-head with his incumbent rival in an extraordinary stadium debate before this weekend's vote. Polls show Volodymyr Zelensky, a 41-year-old standup comic with no political experience, handily defeating President Petro Poroshenko in a second-round of voting on Sunday. The hour-long debate at Kiev's Olympic Stadium capped a weeks-long sensational campaign in a war-torn country seen as a buffer between the European Union and Russia.
BusinessAFP Relax NewsBoeing conducts final test flight of 737 MAX with software fix
Boeing has conducted a final test flight of a 737 MAX model with an updated anti-stall system prior to its certification by aviation authorities, the aerospace manufacturer said Wednesday. CEO Dennis Muilenberg tweeted a video where he said the test flight was carried out on Tuesday, adding that test pilots have completed 120 flights totaling more than 203 hours of airtime with the software fix for the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS). Investigators have zeroed in on the system as a factor behind the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes in October and in March respectively, killing nearly 350 people in total.
- BusinessConsumer Reports
Don't Wait to Book Summer Air Travel | 737 Max
That's because the grounding of the Boeing 737 Max fleet, affecting more than 350 jets worldwide, is now scheduled to last for almost the entire summer season, and is almost certain to have an effect on flight availabilities and ticket prices. Southwest, the world's largest Max operator, says it will cancel 160 flights a day from June 8 through Aug. 5, up from 90 per day, and American will scrub 115 flights daily until Aug. 19. Combined, that means roughly 40,000 seats will be taken out of service every day during the peak travel period.
PoliticsYahoo NewsBarr cites '10 episodes' in Mueller report detailing possible Trump obstruction
Attorney General William Barr on Thursday held a news conference ahead of his release of a redacted version of special counsel Robert Mueller's report on the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election — and whether President Trump had attempted to interfere in that probe. Barr began his press conference repeating his public statements about the Mueller report, emphasizing that no evidence was found proving that Trump campaign associates — or any American — conspired with the Russian influence campaign. Barr said that he and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein found that the evidence was "not sufficient" for an obstruction offense and that he never spoke to Mueller about his decision not to file criminal charges against the president.
- BusinessCar and Driver
View Photos of the Volkswagen I.D. Buggy
VW's I.D. Buggy, one of its ambitious lineup of EV concepts, will owe much to the classic Sixties beach-lifestyle icon if it ever makes it to production. From Car and Driver
NewsReutersMan who carried gas cans into NY cathedral charged with attempted arson
Wednesday's incident occurred two days after a massive fire severely damaged the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, causing global shock and sorrow. A New York City Police Department official said Marc Lamparello, a New Jersey resident, was charged with second-degree attempted arson, second-degree reckless endangerment and trespassing after he entered the Roman Catholic cathedral in midtown Manhattan just before 8 p.m. on Wednesday and was confronted by a security guard. As Lamparello turned to leave the cathedral, police said, gasoline spilled from the cans he was carrying, causing cathedral staff to alert police officers stationed outside the church.
- WorldBloomberg
How Did Notre Dame Come to Be So Neglected?
With Notre Dame still smoldering, French President Emmanuel Macron promised to rebuild the great cathedral and called for donors. France's luxury industry led the way, with Bernard Arnault, the billionaire founder of the LVMH fashion conglomerate, promising 200 million euros ($226 million) and Francois Pinault of rival fashion group Kering 100 million euros. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo offered money from city coffers and promised to organize an international donor conference.
- BusinessUSA TODAY
Some Microsoft employees allege policies 'discriminate' against Asians, white men
SAN FRANCISCO — The backlash against the tech industry-wide push to hire more women and minorities has flared again — this time at Microsoft. Some employees on an internal message board questioned the tech giant's efforts to shift the demographics of its largely white and Asian male workforce, asking for evidence that a diverse workforce benefits Microsoft. Eighty-seven percent of Microsoft employees are white or Asian and more than 73 percent are men, according to the company's most recent diversity report.
WorldAssociated PressWidows, ace guide to climb Everest to honor Sherpas
Five years after one of the deadliest disasters on Mount Everest, three people from Nepal's ethnic Sherpa community are preparing an ascent to raise awareness about the Nepalese mountain guides who make it possible for hundreds of foreign climbers to scale the mountain and survive. Kami Rita, a renowned climber who lived through the 2014 ice avalanche on Everest's western shoulder that killed 16 fellow Sherpa guides, aims to break his own record by reaching the mountaintop a 23rd time this spring. Furdiki Sherpa, who lost her husband in a mountaineering accident, and Nima Doma, whose husband was killed in the 2014 avalanche, are also attempting to summit Everest, to bring attention to the plight of Sherpa families living in the shadow of the world's highest peak.
WorldAFPIsraeli tank, aircraft hit Gaza after cross-border fire: army
Israel on Friday struck Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip with tank and aircraft fire after troops were shot at on the Israeli side of the border, the army said. The Israeli military said in a statement that "no injuries to soldiers were reported" after its troops came under fire. Palestinian security sources in Hamas-ruled Gaza told AFP that the Israeli strikes hit Hamas military observation posts at three locations along the frontier.
- NewsThe Independent
Fossil hunter tries to sell baby T-Rex skeleton on eBay for £2.25m, enraging scientists
A fossil hunter's attempt to sell a young Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton on eBay for $2.95 million (£2.25 million) set off a furore among scientists who warned that it needed to be studied, not sold to the highest bidder. The skeleton's owner, Alan Detrich, defended his decision to try to sell the 15-foot fossil to a wealthy private collector, arguing that it could still be subject to research. “Mr Detrich has tried to capitalise on the museum's good faith by using the exhibition and scientific attention as selling points” on eBay, the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology said in a letter last week.
- U.S.WTVD – Raleigh/Durham
Driver with STAYUMBL license plate, notorious for cutting people off around Durham, charged in incident with bus
The STAYUMBL license plate is notorious on the road and social media. Folks say the driver behind the wheel will speed up, cut people off and then slam on her brakes, sometimes causing a crash.
- PoliticsThe Daily Beast
QAnon Believers Crushed After Mueller Report Fails to Lead to Hillary Clinton's Arrest
While most of Donald Trump's allies braced for the release on Thursday of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report, believers in the pro-Trump QAnon conspiracy theory approached the long-awaited publication with a sense of thrill. For years, QAnon fans have been mocked for believing that Mueller was secretly in league with the president, working hand-in-hand to uncover Satanic rituals committed by top Democrats before shipping them off to Guantanamo Bay. They had been told it was ridiculous to base their entire political worldview on a series of anonymous clues posted on internet message boards—including one that claimed Hillary Clinton was secretly arrested in October 2017.
- BusinessReuters
UPDATE 2-Sears sues Lampert, claiming he looted assets and drove it into bankruptcy
Sears Holdings Corp sued longtime former Chairman Eddie Lampert, his hedge fund ESL Investments and others like Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, claiming they illegally siphoned billions of dollars of assets from the retailer before it went bankrupt. The lawsuit, made public on Thursday, was filed by the restructuring team winding down Sears' bankruptcy estate and suing on behalf of creditors, many of whom blame Lampert for the retailer's downfall. The complaint seeks the repayment of "billions of dollars of value looted from Sears," including while it was in what Lampert would later call a "death spiral" where it sold core assets to meet daily expenses with no real plan for becoming profitable.
- LifestyleWoman's Day
Which of These Classics is Your Favorite Easter Candy?
Are you more of a Peeps person or a Cadbury Creme Eggs fan? From Woman's Day
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.
NewsAssociated PressColumbine focuses on healing as questions loom after manhunt
A Colorado community changed forever by the attack that killed 13 people at Columbine High School moved ahead Thursday with ceremonies marking the anniversary of the tragedy while awaiting more details on what led a Florida teen "infatuated" with the shooting to buy a shotgun and kill herself in the snowy foothills nearby. Many questions remained unanswered about 18-year-old Sol Pais, but a friend disputed the contention by authorities that she posed a threat. Adrianna Pete painted a complex picture of Pais, saying she was deeply troubled, lonely and often talked about suicide but was also brilliant, kind and a talented artist who loved to draw.
- TechnologyBGR News
Microsoft's new Surface Hub 2 is $9,000, or you can turn any TV into a giant touchscreen for $272
The new Surface Hub 2 from Microsoft was announced well over a year ago, and now it finally has pricing and a release date. The Surface Hub 2 is awesome, don't get us wrong, but is it really worth $9 grand even if you're spending your company's money? Whether you're working with your company's budget or your own, we've got another option for you that costs a minuscule fraction of the price of the new Surface Hub.
WorldAFPAssad urges progress on Idlib deal ahead of Syria talks
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Friday called for progress on a stalled buffer zone deal around jihadist-dominated Idlib region ahead of fresh talks aimed at ending his country's eight-year war. Assad met envoy Alexander Lavrentiev from key ally Russia in Damascus to discuss the negotiations due April 25-26 in Kazakhstan. Iran and Russia are the major supporters of the Syrian regime, and along with rebel backer Turkey have sponsored repeated rounds of talks in the Central Asian nation.
