PoliticsYahoo NewsA battle over tax hikes is causing a GOP identity crisis
The 69-year-old lawmaker reiterated his opposition to increasing the corporate tax rate to pay for President Biden's proposed infrastructure package. For old-school Republicans like Wicker, tax hikes like the ones Biden is advocating are unfair to high earners and lead to economic stagnation. But J.D. Vance, author of the bestselling “Hillbilly Elegy” and a political newcomer who is likely to mount a U.S. Senate campaign in Ohio next year, is singing a starkly different tune.
U.S.AxiosJudge rules for Black Buffalo police officer fired for stopping colleague's chokehold
A New York court on Tuesday reinstated the pension of former Buffalo police officer Cariol Horne, who was fired for intervening when a white colleague had a Black man in a chokehold during a 2006 arrest. Today the State of New York Supreme Court vacated and annulled the City of Buffalo's decision to fire her and take her benefits. Ward partially based his decision to overturn a 2010 ruling that upheld her firing on legislation signed by Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown in October, known as "Cariol's Law" — which makes it a "crime for a law enforcement officer to fail to intervene when another officer is using excessive force and also protects whistleblowers," per the Buffalo News.
U.S.NBC NewsMan who shot, killed elephant seal in California sentenced to prison
A man who fatally shot an elephant seal as it rested on a California beach was sentenced to three months in prison Monday, prosecutors said. Jordan Gerbich, 30, who now lives in Utah, shot the marine mammal in the head with a handgun on Sept. 28, 2019, near San Simeon on California's central coast. Gerbich's federal public defender did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday night.
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Brooklyn Center, Minn., police release footage of Daunte Wright shooting, chief says he believes officer mistakenly grabbed gun instead of Taser
During a press conference on Monday, Brooklyn Center, Minn. released bodycam video of the police shooting of Daunte Wright. Police Chief Tim Gannon said he believes the officer who shot Wright intended to use her Taser, but mistakenly grabbed her firearm.
WorldAssociated PressAttack on Iran's Natanz plant muddies US-Iran nuclear talks
The attack on Iran's Natanz nuclear facility is casting a major shadow over the resumption of indirect talks between the U.S. and Iran over resurrection of the international accord limiting Iran's nuclear program. Neither Iran nor the U.S. say the incident will crater the negotiations. But the attack and the destruction of a significant amount of Iran's uranium enrichment capability add uncertainty to the discussions set for Tuesday in Vienna.
PoliticsAssociated PressWhite House: First lady Jill Biden to undergo 'procedure'
The White House says President Joe Biden will accompany his wife, Jill Biden, Wednesday morning to an appointment where she will undergo a “common medical procedure. The White House says both Bidens will then return to the White House and “resume their normal schedule. Later Wednesday, the president is set to address the nation on his plans to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021.
U.S.AxiosGov. DeSantis directs Florida to close Piney Point wastewater reservoir after averting disaster
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said Tuesday he directed the state's Department of Environmental Protection to develop a plan to permanently close the wastewater reservoir at Piney Point phosphate plant that recently threatened to cause a catastrophic environmental disaster, according to AP. Why it matters: The governor said that $15.4 million in agency funds will be used to treat the water, which contains waste from the phosphate production that can cause algae blooms and fish kills and eventually impact the food chain if introduced into the environment in large amounts. What they're saying: “We want this to be the last chapter of the Piney Point story,” DeSantis said Tuesday, according to AP.
WorldBBCChinese man kidnapped and killed in elaborate body swap scheme
A Chinese man with Down's syndrome was kidnapped and killed as part of an elaborate body swap scheme. There is a ban on burials in many parts of China - to get around this, one family hired someone to provide them with a substitute body, which was cremated in its place. The hired man - identified only by his surname Huang - has been handed a suspended death sentence, according to the Guangdong Higher People's Court.
WorldThe TelegraphGovernment defeated by Lords over bid for prosecution limit on soldiers for war crimes
The Government has been defeated in the House of Lords over a bid for a prosecution limit on soldiers for war crimes. The Overseas Operations Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill, which has already cleared the Commons, seeks to limit false and historical allegations arising from deployments by introducing a statutory presumption against prosecution, which would make it exceptional for personnel to be prosecuted five years or more after an incident. However the Lords backed by 333 votes to 228, moved to ensure the most serious of offences are not covered by legislation aimed at protecting service personnel from vexatious battlefield claims.
PoliticsKansas City StarDisgraced MO Rep. Rick Roeber calls it quits. Never forget what happened to his kids
Disgraced Missouri state Rep. Rick Roeber announced his resignation Tuesday afternoon, just steps ahead of potential ouster proceedings in the House chamber. Roeber, of Lee's Summit, had been under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for alleged sexual assault of his now-adult child Anastasia, and physical abuse of Samson Roeber, a sibling. Gabrielle Galeano, a sister, said she was aware of Roeber's behavior at the time.
WorldAssociated PressChina's March exports rise 30.6% as global demand revives
China's exports rose 30.6% over a year ago in March as global consumer demand strengthened and traders watched for signs of what President Joe Biden might do about reviving tariff war talks with Beijing. China's exporters have benefited from the relatively early reopening of its economy while some other governments are re-imposing anti-virus curbs that limit business and trade. “While global shipping delays pose a near-term challenge, the strong global economic recovery that we expect this year should support China's export outlook.”
U.S.Raleigh News and ObserverVenomous viper bites San Diego Zoo employee, officials say. There’s no anti-venom for it
A San Diego Zoo employee has been bitten by a venomous viper, according to officials. A wildlife care specialist was bitten Monday by an African bush viper “while they were in an area away from the public,” an official said, NBC News reported. The employee was hospitalized for “evaluation and medical care,” the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department said, according to KTLA5.
CelebrityThe WeekMeghan Markle reportedly goes on maternity leave next month
It's unclear exactly how Meghan Markle spends her days in sunny Montecito, California, when she isn't taking care of baby Archie, tending to her rescue chickens, and riling up the British royal family by simply existing. Markle — who co-founded the nonprofit Archewell and recently guest edited British Vogue — will have some free time more immediately, too, since she wasn't medically cleared to fly with Prince Harry the 12 hours to the U.K. for her grandfather-in-law's funeral.
U.S.Associated PressStudy finds people want more than watchdogs for journalists
The study, released Wednesday by the Media Insight Project, a collaboration between the American Press Institute and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, suggests ways that news organizations can reach people they may be turning off now. In some ways, this study suggests that our job is broader and bigger than we've defined it,” said Tom Rosenstiel, executive director of the American Press Institute. The study defines five core principles or beliefs that drive most journalists: keep watch on public officials and the powerful; amplify voices that often go unheard; society works better with information out in the open; the more facts people have the closer they will ge...
U.S.USA TODAYA grieving daughter dropped her toy. A president gave it back.
WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden and congressional leaders paid tribute Tuesday to U.S. Capitol Police Officer William "Billy" Evans during a solemn ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda. Evans, an 18-year member of the force who served on the agency's First Responders Unit, died during an attack at the Capitol earlier this month. His body is lying in honor in the Rotunda, an unusual distinction for a private citizen.
WorldBBCWhy $30m didn't protect Nigerian pupils after Chibok
The kidnapping of hundreds of Nigerian schoolgirls from Chibok seven years ago led to the launching of a multi-million dollar plan, backed by a former UK prime minister, to bolster security at schools - but it failed to stop abductions and protect children. The swirl of dust thrown up as a helicopter came down to land heralded a high-level visit to Chibok in March 2015. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria's finance minister at the time and now head of the World Trade Organization, was received by a waiting crowd of community leaders and parents whose daughters had been kidnapped.
WorldArchitectural DigestThe World’s 9 Most Expensive Home Listings Currently on the Market
These fantastical houses range from a 64,000-acre Texas ranch to an oceanside estate in the south of France Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
PoliticsUSA TODAYFact check: False claim that President Joe Biden's approval rating lowest in American history
The claim: President Joe Biden's approval rating is at 11%, the lowest of any president in American history President Joe Biden already has tangled with members of both parties over the U.S. response to the COVID-19 pandemic, immigration and infrastructure since his inauguration less than three months ago. But his approval rating is not at an historic low, as a viral social media post suggests. The post, originally from a Twitter account on March 29, attributes Biden's supposed 11% approval rating to a Gallup poll, as reported by the Daily Caller.
WorldBusiness InsiderIran says it will enrich uranium to highest level ever after apparent Israeli attack on key nuclear facility
Iran says it's going to enrich uranium to 60% purity, much closer to weapons-grade levels (90%). This could complicate efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal. This announcement came after an apparent Israeli attack on an important Iranian nuclear facility.
U.S.Miami HeraldAs Coral Gables mayor, Lago must overcome the stain of that Carrollton letter | Editorial
Coral Gables Vice Mayor Vince Lago won the mayoral race Tuesday, beating Commissioner Pat Keon and commercial property owner Jackson Rip Holmes for the position. Lago won despite putting his name on a controversial letter to administrators at the independent Catholic girls school in Miami's Coconut Grove that his children attend. The Editorial Board was concerned about the letter, contradictory in parts, that objected to students at Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart being taught terms such as “systemic racism” “systemic inequality” and “implicit bias.” Lago signed it, along with about 150 other parents and alumni, including former Florida House Speaker José Oliva and former Miami-Dade Commissioner Bruno Barreiro.
U.S.The IndependentCaron Nazario ‘feared for his life’ in pepper spray traffic stop
Caron Nazario's lawyer said the army officer feared for his life as he was pulled over by two Virginia police officers who aimed their guns at him and used pepper spray during a violent traffic stop. Attorney Jonathan Arthur told CNN: "He was terrified that if he was going to move his hands below where Officer Gutierrez could have seen them to undo that seatbelt, they would have murdered him." Apart from pointing their guns at him, the officers also pushed Lt Nazario to the ground and pepper sprayed him.
U.S.INSIDERBrooklyn Center Police Chief says 'we train with our handguns on our dominant side and our Taser on our weak side,' casting doubt on 'accidental discharge' theory
But right-handed police officers are trained to carry a Taser on the opposite side of their belt. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. According to Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon, the officer who shot Daunte Wright during a traffic stop was trained to carry her sidearm on the right side of her duty belt and her Taser on the left.
U.S.The IndependentRashida Tlaib calls for ‘no more police’ following Daunte Wright shooting
The White House distanced itself from calls of "Squad" member Rashida Tlaib for "no more" policing and incarceration following the shooting of Daunte Wright. The Democratic congresswoman from Michigan said the shooting by Minneapolis officer Kim Potter "wasn't an accident" and that policing in the United States was "inherently and intentionally racist". Asked if the Biden administration "disavows" Ms Tlaib's calls to end the practice of policing, press secretary Jen Psaki said the president does not share her position.
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Vatican same-sex ruling dismays some Catholics
Two days after he married his partner of many years, Anselm Bilgri, a former monk and prior at one of Germany's most famous monasteries, learned that the Vatican would not bless relationships like his.
U.S.Business InsiderMatt Gaetz's indicted associate Joel Greenberg has been cooperating against him since last year, report says
Gaetz has been embroiled in a political firestorm since The Times reported last month that the Justice Department was investigating him as part of the Greenberg inquiry. In particular, the feds are said to be looking into whether Gaetz had sex with a minor and violated sex-trafficking laws. The Florida Republican lawmaker has fervently denied the allegations against him and dismissed the department's investigation as being part of an elaborate and convoluted extortion scheme against his family.
“There’s no ‘both sides of the debate’ when it comes to active voter suppression.”
“Companies that do this ooze contempt for their own customers and employees who are not in the leftmost quarter of opinion.”
“The truth is that Fortune 500 companies were never taking moral stances from the goodness of their corporate hearts.”
“The truth is, the companies hold the cards…If companies stick to their guns, Georgia is likely to back down as well.”
“When a company folds to the unfounded outrage of a few misinformed nuts, they are forever at the mob’s beck-and-call.”