PoliticsYahoo NewsSarah Sanders invented story about FBI agents' reaction to Comey firing, Mueller report says
The day after President Trump fired FBI Director James Comey, then-deputy press secretary Sarah Sanders stood at the podium in the White House briefing room and told reporters that the president had had “countless conversations” with members of the FBI who said morale at the bureau was low and they had lost confidence in Comey. He's questioned Director Comey's reason for needing to stay at the FBI,” Sanders said during the May 10, 2017, briefing. He had countless conversations with members from within the FBI.
- NewsThe Telegraph
Teenage girl 'infatuated' with Columbine school massacre found dead from self-inflicted gunshot
An armed 18-year-old girl "infatuated" with the Columbine school massacre was found dead after fears she was seeking to replicate the shooting 20 years on. Sol Pais, a high school pupil, made threats online and then flew from her home in Miami Beach, Florida to Denver, Colorado, where Columbine is located. Columbine and more than 20 other schools in the Denver area were closed on Wednesday, with 500,000 pupils staying at home as the FBI and police searched for her.
- NewsUSA TODAY
NTSB investigating American Airlines JFK flight that 'struck an object' at takeoff
The Associated Press reports the plane tipped in strong wind, and a wingtip hit a runway marker during takeoff from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. American flight 300, an Airbus A321, took off from JFK at 8:40 p.m. April 10 and landed back at the airport 29 minutes later, American spokesman Ross Feinstein said in a statement to USA TODAY. The National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday it's investigating the incident with help from the Federal Aviation Administration, American and the union for the airline's pilots.
- PoliticsThe Independent
Republican rescinds Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's invite to meet coal miners after it completely backfires
A Republican lawmaker's invitation for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to meet with coal miners in his home state of Kentucky backfired completely after the progressive Washington newcomer accepted without hesitation. Ms Ocasio-Cortez, the youngest woman ever elected to serve in the US House of Representatives, has served as a lightning rod across party lines for her Green New Deal resolution, which seeks to provide a comprehensive response to the global threat of climate change. Andy Barr, the Kentucky Republican who initially invited the 29-year-old congresswoman to his state, said at the time that local coal miners would tell her “what the Green New Deal would mean for their families, their paychecks,” while suggesting the resolution could destroy their industry.
WorldAFPDonations for gutted Brazil museum a fraction of Notre-Dame's
As donations for the restoration of the Notre-Dame cathedral top $900,000, the director of Brazil's devastated National Museum can only hope for such deep pockets in his own country. Nearly eight months after a faulty air conditioning system sparked a fire that gutted Latin America's main natural history museum and destroyed most of its collection, just $280,000 or so has been raised for its reconstruction. "We are very happy for the extremely positive reaction of French society and we hope that following this example Brazilian businesses and millionaires will start to send us their donations," Alexander Kellner, director of the Rio de Janeiro-based museum, told AFP.
- BusinessReuters
McDonald's pulls Signature Crafted burgers, doubles down on Quarter Pounders
McDonald's Corp said it would remove costlier, premium burgers from its menus in favor of its more popular Quarter Pounders, shifting its focus to simpler and quickly-served burgers. The company said its new deluxe and bacon Quarter Pounders received good feedback and it would continue to focus on such items. "It (the removal) probably has more to do about the process of cooking the burger in McDonald's than it does what the consumer is saying about the food," said Howard Penney, a managing director at Hedgeye Risk Management.
- Lifestylemotorious
This Modern-Day Porsche Flat Nose Is A SEMA Winner
This highly modified Porsche 911 997 is an homage to the iconic 935 racing cars. A racing car has one purpose – to go fast. The uncorrupted objective of their designers often results in some intriguing interpretations of the rules, as seen on the Porsche 935.
WorldAssociated PressGovt opponent confirmed as Istanbul mayor, objection pending
Turkish authorities on Wednesday confirmed the opposition's candidate, Ekrem Imamoglu, as the mayor of Istanbul, ending more than two weeks of recounts of the March 31 vote demanded by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party. All eyes however, were turned toward Turkey's top electoral body, which has yet to consider a ruling party request for the vote in Istanbul to be invalidated and for the election to be repeated. Imamoglu received a certificate confirming his win by a slim margin in Istanbul against the ruling party candidate, former Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, hours after a final appeal by the ruling party was rejected.
- WorldThe Telegraph
Bereft Catholics to be greeted by 'ephemeral wooden' Notre-Dame in front of the charred original
Catholics and tourists who can no longer approach Notre-Dame after Monday's devastating fire will be consoled by an “ephemeral cathedral” made of wood until the stricken cathedral reopens, its chief priest has announced. Notre-Dame's 12 million annual visitors will still be able to marvel at Europe's most visited historic building from the outside, but Monseigneur Patrick Chauvet said for the faithful something more was needed. Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, has backed the idea, he said.
- BusinessPopular Mechanics
The 6 Best Cars and Concepts From the New York Auto Show
Little dune buggy... ♫ From Popular Mechanics
- PoliticsThe Guardian
Dismay as Trump vetoes bill to end US support for war in Yemen
Donald Trump has vetoed a bill passed by Congress to end US military assistance in Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen. The Senate had passed a bipartisan resolution on 13 March in a 54-to-46 vote, in a move that was largely seen as a rebuke of Trump's alliance with the Saudi forces leading military action in Yemen. “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 veto.
- U.S.WLS – Chicago
St. Patrick's Cathedral arrest: Man had 2 gas cans, prior arrest and 1-way ticket to Rome
Marc Lamparello, 37, was also arrested on Monday after he allegedly refused to leave Sacred Heart Cathedral in Newark. Police say he had a one-way ticket booked for Thursday night from Newark to Rome.
- 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.
WorldUSA TODAYNotre Dame fire: Disney pledges $5M to help rebuild the 'Hunchback's home
Disney, the studio behind the 1996 animated version of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," is chipping in to help rebuild the famed Paris cathedral after a fire devastated the landmark Monday. Two days after the disaster, the entertainment giant, which also operates the EuroDisney theme park 20 miles from Paris, announced it would contribute $5 million toward the rebuilding effort, which has already collected nearly $1 billion in pledges. “Notre-Dame is a beacon of hope and beauty that has defined the heart of Paris and the soul of France for centuries, inspiring awe and reverence for its art and architecture and for its enduring place in human history," Disney chairman and CEO Robert A. Iger said.
WorldAFPNotre-Dame's precious rooster statue found 'battered' in debris
A wrought copper statue of a rooster that sat atop Notre-Dame has been found "battered" in the debris of the Paris cathedral following its devastating fire, France's culture ministry said. The statue is considered all the more important because it contains three holy relics -- including a fragment of the Crown of Thorns believed by Christians to have been worn by Jesus Christ during his crucifixion, placed there to protect Parisians. The sculpture of the bird -- which is an unofficial symbol of France -- was recovered Tuesday by a restorer picking through the rubble left when the spire on which it had sat toppled at the height of the inferno that ravaged Notre-Dame on Monday, a ministry spokesman told AFP.
NewsReutersYoung woman obsessed with Columbine found dead after frantic manhunt
An 18-year-old Florida woman infatuated with the Columbine massacre was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in Colorado on Wednesday after she touched off an extensive manhunt by making a "pilgrimage" to the state days before the 20th anniversary of the 1999 school shooting. The body of Sol Pais, a student from Surfside, Florida, was found by authorities about 40 miles (64 km) west of Columbine High School, at about 10:30 a.m. local time, said Dean Phillips, special agent in charge of the Denver office of the FBI.
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.
- WorldThe Telegraph
North Korea test-fires new tactical guided weapon as it tells US to replace Mike Pompeo in nuclear talks
North Korea announced on Thursday that it had test-fired a new type of tactical guided weapon, in its first public weapons test since February's failed summit with the US in Hanoi. Shortly after the test, North Korea demanded that Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, be removed from nuclear disarmament talks in another sign of deteriorating diplomatic relations with Washington since the failure of their second summit in Hanoi in February. Pyongyang wanted a replacement for Mr Pompeo who would be “more careful and mature,” the North's state media reported on Thursday, accusing the senior US official of undermining negotiations.
BusinessBloombergThese Are the Health Companies at Risk in the 'Medicare for All' Debate
Health insurers and now hospitals have led the sector-wide plunge even as policy analyst like Veda's Spencer Perlman argue that Medicare for All has a slim shot at becoming law. While the broader healthcare sector remains under pressure -- S&P 500 health care names have lost more than 6 percent over the past three days in their biggest drop since December -- managed care's sell-off appears to have abated for now with S&P 500 insurer names now little changed intraday.
- PoliticsThe Daily Beast
Former Congressman Keith Ellison: Trump's Attacks on Ilhan Omar Are 'Violent Incitement'
Former congressman Keith Ellison has a theory for why President Donald Trump is working to make Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) public enemy number one. “She, simply by her existence, is a person who he doesn't believe belongs,” Ellison said in an exclusive interview with The Daily Beast. Omar has been a constant lightning rod for controversy since arriving in Washington, where her comments about the Israel lobby have drawn intense criticism from her Democratic and Republican colleagues alike.
- NewsAOL.com
GoFundMe campaign raises more than $700,000 for boy thrown off mall balcony
A GoFundMe campaign for a 5-year-old boy who was tossed over a third-floor balcony at the Mall of America in Minnesota has raised over $700,000. Landen Hoffman was with his family at the famed shopping center in Bloomington on the morning of April 12 when Emmanuel Deshawn Aranda, 24, allegedly threw him off the balcony. Hoffman dropped 39 feet and landed on the first floor, according to NBC News.
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.
- NewsThe Independent
Black churches destroyed by arson see huge spike in donations after Notre Dame fire
The fire at Notre Dame cathedral on Monday prompted immediate pledges of millions of euros to help rebuild it. On Tuesday, it spurred donations to do the same for much smaller places of worship thousands of miles away that were recently destroyed by arson. A crowdfunding campaign for three fire-ravaged black churches in Louisiana received more than $940,000 (£720,000) after it was widely shared on social media on Tuesday.
BusinessAFPAmazon to pull plug on China retail operations: report
Amazon plans to close down its online retail operations that cater to consumers in China in an apparent admission of defeat to local e-commerce rivals such as Alibaba and JD.com, a report said on Thursday. The US e-commerce pioneer will maintain other operations in China such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Kindle e-books and cross-border teams that help ship goods from Chinese merchants to customers abroad, Bloomberg News said, citing unidentified people familiar with the plans. An Amazon spokesperson did not explicitly confirm plans to throw in the towel on domestic e-commerce, but said the company was looking to focus more on cross-border sales.
- LifestyleUSA TODAY
Best destinations for a cheap summer vacation
Best time to fly There's no getting around the fact that June, July and August are generally way more expensive than other months because this is when people want to fly. However, there are ways to push back against peak-season prices. Fly in June or August.
