U.S.Associated PressJury reaches verdict at trial over George Floyd's death
The jury has reached a verdict at the murder trial of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd. The verdict is to be read Tuesday afternoon. Floyd died last May after Chauvin, a white officer, pinned his knee on the 46-year-old Black man's neck for about 9 1/2 minutes in a case that triggered worldwide protests, violence and a furious reexamination of racism and policing in the U.S. The jury deliberated over parts of two days in a city on edge against another outbreak of unrest.
WorldBBCChad's President Idriss Déby dies after clashes with rebels
Chad's President Idriss Déby has died of his injuries following clashes with rebels in the north of the country at the weekend, the army has said. Experts have told the BBC and other broadcasters that the move is unconstitutional, and that the speaker of parliament should take over when a sitting president dies before organising elections.
U.S.NextSharkMan Who Harassed Olympian Sakura Kokumai Arrested After Assaulting Elderly Couple in OC Park
A man who was filmed harassing Olympic athlete Sakura Kokumai weeks ago in Orange County has been arrested after also allegedly attacking an elderly Korean American couple in the same location. Michael Vivona, 25, was apprehended by Orange police for punching a 79-year-old man and 80-year-old woman in their faces at Grijalva Park on Sunday evening, LA Times reported. On 4/18/21 officers arrested 25-year-old Michael Vivona from Corona for assaulting an elderly Korean American couple.
WorldAxiosAfter nuclear talks, Iran's president says deal could be reached soon
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Tuesday, after another round of nuclear talks in Vienna, that an agreement can be reached in a short time if the U.S. acts with "honesty." Why it matters: Rouhani's optimism comes as representatives of Iran and other world powers, including the U.S., are about to start drafting a plan to restore the 2015 nuclear deal. "The talks in Vienna have progressed about 60, 70% and if the Americans act within the framework of honesty, we will achieve results in a short time."
U.S.NBC News'I'm also a police officer': Arizona deputy uses racial slur, pleads for release after being pulled over for DUI
Newly obtained body camera video captured an Arizona sheriff's deputy using a racial slur and pleading to be let off the hook after an officer pulled him over in December on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. Pinal County Sheriff's Deputy Julian Navarrette was stopped after an Arizona State University police officer observed him speeding and swerving about 2 a.m. Dec. 5 in Tempe, according to an ASU police report. Navarrette was out with friends at the time of the arrest, the report said.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderKevin McCarthy jumps on Marjorie Taylor Greene's bandwagon, saying he'll introduce his own resolution to censure Maxine Waters for her 'dangerous comments'
House minority leader Kevin McCarthy plans to introduce his own resolution to censure Maxine Waters. McCarthy announced his decision after Marjorie Taylor Greene said she wanted to "expel" Waters for "inciting Black Lives Matter terrorism." Waters has maintained that she did not encourage violence when she spoke to protesters near Brooklyn Center, Minneapolis.
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?
U.S.The IndependentSeven Minnesota counties enter state of emergency ahead of Chauvin verdict
Seven counties surrounding the city of Minneapolis entered a state of emergency on Monday, as closing arguments came in the trial of Derek Chauvin. Mr Chuavin is on trial for the killing of George Floyd in police custody on 25 May 2020, and the fate of the former officer – and of US policing – is currently being decided by a jury. On Monday, Minnesota governor Tim Walz said the state of emergency followed “looting” and “damage” caused by demonstrators in both Minneapolis and the suburb of Brooklyn Center.
WorldBBCCuba leadership: Díaz-Canel named Communist Party chief
Cuba's Communist Party has announced Miguel Díaz-Canel will succeed Raúl Castro as the party's first secretary. Mr Díaz-Canel, who in 2018 succeeded Mr Castro as Cuba's president, had been widely tipped for the arguably more influential post of party leader. The transition means that the island will be governed by someone other than Fidel or Raúl Castro for the first time since the Cuban revolution in 1959.
U.S.INSIDERThe former Austin detective accused of killing his family had been charged with sexually assaulting his adopted daughter
A former sheriff's detective accused of killing his family had been charged with sexual assault of a minor. The former sheriff's deputy who police allege killed his family in Austin, Texas, on Sunday was out on bond after he was accused of sexually assaulting his adopted daughter, court documents indicate. The police say Stephen Nicholas Broderick, 41, killed three people: his estranged wife, Amanda Broderick, 35; his adopted teenage daughter, Alyssa Broderick; and her teenage boyfriend, Willie Simmons III. The Travis County District Attorney's Office has charged Broderick with capital murder in all three deaths, KXAN reported.
U.S.The StateE. coli in Horry County water? Test results inconclusive, but some still blame landfill
A round of water quality tests that were done to determine if high levels of the bacteria E. coli were leeching from Horry County's landfill into the surrounding waters of Sterritt Swamp came in much lower than a previous test, but experts say those two tests are far from enough to draw any conclusions about how the landfill may or may not be impacting its neighbors. The most recent water quality tests were done after a local blogger told Horry County Council members last week that he and a whistleblower from the Solid Waste Authority had worked together to test one pond and one outflow at the landfill in February, and that their water test revealed high levels of E. coli. The water tests done by the blogger and whistleblower estimated that nearly 40,000 E. coli bacteria were present in a 100 milliliter of water sample taken from the landfill.
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NASA releases HD video of Mars 'helicopter' flight
NASA's miniature robot helicopter Ingenuity performed a successful takeoff and landing on Mars early on Monday, achieving the first powered, controlled flight by an aircraft over the surface of another planet, the U.S. space agency said. "I don't think I can ever stop watching it over and over again," Aung said of the video, noting scheduled upcoming flights will push Ingenuity to its limit, by going faster, farther and against the wind.
BusinessBBCTesla: Elon Musk suggests Autopilot not to blame for fatal crash
Two men were killed after a Tesla car crashed into a tree and caught fire in Texas, and police believe there was nobody present in the driver's seat at the time of the accident. The 2019 Tesla Model S was travelling at a high speed when it failed to negotiate a curve on a winding road. The victims, both in their 50s, were found in the front passenger seat and in the back of the vehicle.
WorldBusiness InsiderThe Pentagon says more and more Russian troops are amassing near Ukraine, and it is not convinced this is just a training exercise
The Pentagon says that the Russian military buildup near Ukraine is larger than the one in 2014. The Defense Department also said that it is not clear "that this is all about training," as Russia says. The US has also raised concerns about Russian plans to block parts of the Black Sea.
U.S.USA TODAYHere are the jurors who will decide whether Derek Chauvin is guilty of murder in George Floyd's death
Over about two weeks last month, lawyers for the prosecution and defense quizzed potential jurors about their knowledge of Floyd's death, their opinions of Chauvin, and their attitudes about police, racial injustice, and the protests and rioting that followed Floyd's death. Several believe the criminal justice system needs to be reformed. Discussing her opinion about Black Lives Matter, one woman responded, “I am Black, and my life matters."
SportsThe StateSC Gov. McMaster, first lady get 1st COVID vaccine doses months after positive tests
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster and his wife, First Lady Peggy McMaster, both received their COVID-19 vaccinations on Monday, weeks after the two were required to quarantine when they tested positive for coronavirus. stLadySC and I visited CVS Pharmacy in Columbia this morning to receive our first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. To those who want a shot, get your shot!
LifestyleArchitectural DigestThe Best (and Most Beautiful) Watering Cans to Keep Your Plants Alive and Thriving
Helpful, well-designed pour decor Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
U.S.Business InsiderFlorida county sheriff tells new residents 'don't register to vote and vote the stupid way you did up north'
A sheriff said he welcomed transplants to the Sunshine State, as long as they vote the right way. "Don't register to vote and vote the stupid way you did up north," the Polk County sheriff said. Weighing in on a debate about the effect of new residents on Florida politics, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd proposed a simple solution on Monday.
U.S.The IndependentThe overlap in the lives of Daunte Wright and George Floyd
George Floyd and Daunte Wright never met but there's a chilling overlap between the two men. Other similarities between the two specific cases have also been noted, with both involving white police officers killing Black men with lethal force during stops for alleged low-level crime, in Mr Floyd's case a fake $20 bill, and in Mr Wright's a traffic stop.
U.S.USA TODAYGrizzly bear attack kills backcountry guide near Yellowstone National Park
A Montana wilderness guide with a love for the outdoors died after he was mauled by a grizzly bear likely defending a moose carcass near Yellowstone National Park, wildlife officials said. Charles "Carl" Mock, 40, was attacked last week while fishing north of West Yellowstone near a campground. The Gallatin County Sherriff's Office said Mock died at an Idaho hospital Saturday.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderGeorge W. Bush condemns the Republican Party as 'isolationist, protectionist,' and 'nativist' and says it's scaring people about immigration
George W. Bush called the GOP "isolationist, protectionist, and to a certain extent nativist." In an interview with the "Today" show he called for "border enforcement with a compassionate touch." "It's an easy issue to frighten some of the electorate," Bush said.
PoliticsThe IndependentExposure to Twitter lowered Republican vote share in last two presidential elections, study claims
Exposure to Twitter lowered the Republican vote share slightly in the presidential elections of 2016 and 2020, a new study from Princeton University claims. The 13 April study states that Twitter had “limited effects” on vote shares in House and Senate races as well as in previous presidential elections. The authors write that the effects are “driven by independent and moderate voters”.
U.S.USA TODAY'Do not travel' list: The US State Department is raising the alert level for most countries due to COVID-19
Travelers researching international trips during the coronavirus pandemic have been confronted with conflicting government advice. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has one system of rating the risks by country, the U.S. State Department another, producing different travel alert levels for the same country in many cases. Mexico, a popular vacation spot with American vacationers this year, is considered a Level 4 by the CDC – meaning avoid all travel – but a Level 3 by the State Department – meaning "reconsider travel.
PoliticsThe IndependentSupreme Court scraps last GOP election lawsuit, ending five-month challenge to results
After five months and an estimated 65 lawsuits, the GOP lost its final legal bid at challenging the results of the United States' presidential election. The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed as moot a Republican challenge to the extension of Pennsylvania's deadline to receive mail-in ballots. It was the last challenge over Pennsylvania's results, and the last of 65 cases brought by GOP plaintiffs, according to Democrat Party attorney Marc Elias, who has been tracking the post-election legal battle.
PoliticsThe Independent‘This is life and death’: AOC re-introduces Green New Deal with Ed Markey
New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has re-introduced the Green New Deal climate and energy proposal alongside Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey. The sweeping deal reflects an environmental plan to combat climate change that AOC originally unveiled in 2019, seeking to fight the climate crisis and tackle inequality simultaneously. AOC, who described the package as “huge in scope” at a press conference on the National Mall said: “It's going to be an all-hands-on-deck approach and we refuse to leave any community behind in the process.”
“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.”