WorldThe TelegraphGerman CDU top brass back Armin Laschet as chancellor candidate
The executive committee of Germany's Christian Democrats (CDU) backed party chairman Armin Laschet on Monday as the conservative bloc's candidate for chancellor at federal elections in September, party sources said. Committee members attested to Mr Laschet's "ability to bring opinions together, to develop a stance and to represent it consistently", the sources said. The candidacy question came to a head on Sunday when Markus Soeder, leader of the CDU's Bavarian sister party, the CSU, put himself forward to run and said he would settle the question soon and amicably with Mr Laschet, his rival.
BusinessAxiosPoll: 98% of CEOs say Biden's tax hike would have significant effect on competitiveness
The Business Roundtable today will release a survey in which 98% of 178 CEOs polled said that increasing the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%, as President Biden proposed, would have a "moderately" to "very" significant adverse effect on their company's competitiveness. 71% of CEOs said it would negatively affect their ability to hire. Nearly two-thirds said it would result in slower wage growth for U.S. workers.
U.S.Associated PressTruck seized over 'munitions of war,' 5 forgotten bullets
Now he wants the Supreme Court to step in and require a prompt court hearing as a matter of constitutional fairness whenever federal officials take someone's property under civil forfeiture law. The justices could consider his case when they meet privately on Friday. It's a corner of the larger forfeiture issue, when federal, state or local officials take someone's property, without ever having to prove that it has been used for illicit purposes.
U.S.INSIDERA former Minneapolis police officer said he quit days before the Derek Chauvin trial because he thinks protesters will 'burn the city down' no matter the case's outcome
Insider spoke with a former Minneapolis police officer who quit days before Derek Chauvin's trial. Chauvin's trial over George Floyd's death began March 29, and witnesses have been testifying. A former Minneapolis police officer who quit the department days before the start of Derek Chauvin's trial said he did so fearing there would be riots in the city no matter the outcome.
CelebrityThe TelegraphWhy Prince Philip’s great-grandchildren shouldn't attend the Royal funeral
Of all the images that stood out during the televised funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, there was one that has endured in the collective consciousness longer than any other: that of two boys who had just lost their mother, walking in sombre procession behind her coffin, while the world looked in upon their most private moment. Almost a quarter of a century later, has there been a change of heart within the monarchy about the role of children at Royal funerals? It is understood that the Duke's 10 great-grandchildren, who include Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, will not be in attendance at his funeral this Saturday.
- NewsWABC – NY
Good Samaritans stop man from pushing Asian woman onto subway tracks twice
Fortunately the suspect failed both times thanks to the help of good Samaritans who stopped the attacks.
WorldDefense NewsA US Air Force war game shows what the service needs to hold off — or win against — China in 2030
The U.S. Air Force repelled a Chinese invasion of Taiwan during a massive war game last fall by relying on drones acting as a sensing grid, an advanced sixth-generation fighter jet able to penetrate the most contested environments, cargo planes dropping pallets of guided munitions and other novel technologies yet unseen on the modern battlefield. After much loss of life and equipment, the U.S. military was able to prevent a total takeover of Taiwan by confining Chinese forces to a single area. Furthermore, the air force that fought in the simulated conflict isn't one that exists today, nor is it one the service is seemingly on a path to realize.
WorldAssociated Press'Huge' explosion rocks St. Vincent as volcano keeps erupting
La Soufriere volcano fired an enormous amount of ash and hot gas early Monday in the biggest explosive eruption yet since volcanic activity began on the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent late last week, with officials worried about the lives of those who have refused to evacuate. Experts called it a “huge explosion” that generated pyroclastic flows down the volcano's south and southwest flanks. “It's destroying everything in its path,” Erouscilla Joseph, director of the University of the West Indies' Seismic Research Center, told The Associated Press.
WorldAssociated PressAsia Today: India records another surge in COVID-19 cases
India reported another record daily surge in coronavirus infections Monday to overtake Brazil as the second-worst hit country. The 168,912 cases added in the last 24 hours pushed India's total to 13.5 million, while Brazil has 13.4 million, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. India also reported 904 deaths in the past 24 hours, taking its total to 170,179, which is the fourth highest toll, behind the United States, Brazil and Mexico.
BusinessAssociated PressOnline grocery Weee's Larry Liu on delivering in a pandemic
He said he started the company because he was dissatisfied with the selection available from local Asian grocery stores and by long it took to reach them from his home. He spoke with The Associated Press about how the pandemic affected grocery delivery, the company's expansion goals after it recently raised over $300 million and how Weee's customers saw then pandemic coming long before other Americans. The conversation has been edited for clarity and length.
U.S.INSIDERA former Minneapolis police officer said Derek Chauvin violated protocol kneeling on George Floyd's neck, but he doesn't think the officer committed a crime
Insider spoke with an officer who recently left the Minneapolis Police Department. A former Minneapolis police officer told Insider that Derek Chauvin violated protocol while kneeling on George Floyd's neck for several minutes last year but that he didn't think the officer's actions led to Floyd's death.
WorldThe TelegraphPalace reveals Prince Philip redesigned Balmoral Castle's notorious heating system
Prince Philip devised a special heating system to protect the paintings at Balmoral Castle, it has emerged as the Royal family paid tribute to his conservation work on its estates. The Palace revealed on Sunday that the Duke of Edinburgh was behind an initiative to install a heating system that responded to humidity rather than the outside temperature to create a less damaging atmosphere for the castle's many antiques. The Duke's fervent passion for horticulture and agriculture also led him to re-landscape many the Queen's estates and even get behind the wheel of a bulldozer to realise his vision.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderTrump spent several minutes insulting 'dumb son of a b---h' Mitch McConnell during a rambling speech to GOP donors at Mar-a-Lago, say reports
Former President Donald Trump insulted Mitch McConnell during a speech to donors at Mar-a-Lago. Trump referred to the Senate Minority Leader as a "dumb son of a b—h," Politico reported. Former President Donald Trump derided Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell during a 50-minute speech at his Mar-a-Lago resort, Politico reported.
U.S.INSIDERA 911 dispatcher in Louisiana was arrested after authorities say she refused to return $1.2 million that was accidentally deposited into her account
Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. A woman who worked for more than four years as a sheriff's dispatcher in Louisiana was fired and arrested after authorities say she refused to return more than $1.2 million that was accidentally deposited into her account. According to a report Thursday from nola.com, 33-year-old Kelyn Spadoni of Harvey, Louisiana, was arrested Wednesday and charged with theft valued over $25,000, bank fraud, and illegal transmission of monetary funds after she repeatedly evaded requests to return funds inadvertently transferred to her in February.
CelebrityTheGrioKerry Washington catches heat over tweet about DMX, Prince Philip ‘chatting’ in heaven
In an effort to extend her sympathies for the passings of DMX and Prince Philip with a hint of humor, Twitter took arms against Kerry Washington in defense of the late pair whose deaths occurred just hours apart on Friday. “Anybody else wondering what DMX and His Royal Highness Prince Philip are chatting about together at the pearly gates?” she wrote in a since deleted tweet.
U.S.The Daily BeastWhite Evangelicals’ Un-Christian Attacks on Raphael Warnock Attacks Say It All
It would be charitable to call the white religious right's continuous attacks on Rev. Raphael Warnock, beginning from the moment he launched his successful bid to become the first Black U.S. senator from Georgia, merely un-Christian. Most recently, Georgia Baptist minister and Donald Trump loyalist Doug Collins, who once claimed Warnock's stance as a “pro-choice pastor” is an oxymoronic “lie from the bed of hell,” blamed the senator's condemnation of Georgia's new voting restrictions—but not the racist law itself—for MLB's decision to relocate its All-Star Game from the state, crying that “woke” Warnock “spread lies” about the legislation. Whether you are Christian or not, through a commitment to helping others we are able to save ourselves”—so enraged very-online white evangelicals that they spent the holiest day in the Christian calendar casting judgment, labeling Warnock a “heretic,” a “narcissistic heretic,” and an “actual heretic.” Leading the charge was Jenna Ellis, an attorney for Trump's failed coup d'état and proponent of the racist Kamala Harris birther lie.
U.S.USA TODAYMatt Gaetz's associate expected to plead guilty in sex trafficking case: What that means for the congressman
On Thursday, an attorney representing an associate of Gaetz in a fraud and sex trafficking case hinted that the congressman could face serious legal troubles. "I'm sure Matt Gaetz is not feeling very comfortable today," Fritz Scheller said outside a federal courthouse in Orlando, Florida, shortly after he and federal prosecutors disclosed that they had agreed to negotiate a plea deal. Gaetz, a Republican firebrand and staunch defender of former President Donald Trump, has been the subject of controversy since The New York Times reported that the Justice Department is investigating whether he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old and paid for her to travel across state lines – a violat...
PoliticsBusiness InsiderTrump said Anthony Fauci is 'full of crap' in an expletive-laden speech to Republican donors
Former President Donald Trump launched a fierce attack on Dr. Anthony Fauci over the weekend. Dr. Fauci was singled out by the former president, along with other public figures including Mitch McConnell. "Have you ever seen anybody that is so full of crap?" Trump said of Fauci, according to the Washington Post.
WorldINSIDERA 24-year-old student in Seoul died after a 'ghost surgeon' illegally performed jawline-altering surgery on him
In South Korea, the dangerous and illegal "ghost surgeon" industry is booming, per a new CNN report. The term refers to the practice of one doctor being hired to perform surgery on a patient, and another doctor actually performing said procedure. In September 2016, a 24-year-old student in South Korea died after undergoing a jawline-altering surgery at the hands of a "ghost surgeon."
CelebrityThe TelegraphNew puppies will keep the Queen company now Prince Philip has gone
She vowed not to breed any more dogs, fearing she might trip over them in her advancing years, or worse still – leave them behind when the time came. Yet the Queen's unexpected decision to take on two new puppies last month at the age of 94 will help her to cope with the loss of Prince Philip, according to royal insiders. The dog-loving monarch surprised palace staff when she requested that they begin searching for a pair of pets to replace her beloved pooches.
U.S.The Daily BeastCongressional Staffer Found Dead, Girlfriend Rescued After Death Valley Camping Trip
Alexander Lofgren, a caseworker in the office of Arizona Congressman Raúl Grijalva and a former U.S. Army combat engineer, was found dead after going missing with his girlfriend on a camping trip in Death Valley. Authorities began searching for Lofgren and his girlfriend, Emily Henkel, on Tuesday after the two, described as experienced campers who often traverse remote areas, did not return from their trek Sunday as expected. The Inyo County Sheriff's Office confirmed Friday that authorities had been able to locate Lofgren and Henkel the day before using aerial reconnaissance.
U.S.USA TODAY'Hard to process': Mother suspected of killing her three young children involved in custody dispute, report says
A Los Angeles woman who is suspected of killing her three children in their Southern California apartment and then leading police on a long-distance chase to Central California on Saturday was embroiled in a custody dispute over them, according to the Los Angeles Times. Police have identified their mother, Liliana Carrillo, 30, as a suspect in the case. Just after 2 p.m., the LAPD reported that Carrillo was captured near Ponderosa, California, about 160 miles north of Los Angeles.
PoliticsINSIDERPro-Trump prophet goes on wild rant, says the modern church is 'almost homosexual'
Jansen is a pro-Trump "prophet," who claimed in March that Trump would be "re-instated." A pro-Trump prophet from Tennessee went on a wild rant during a sermon this weekend, describing modern Christian leaders - particularly those who refuse to tote guns - as "neutered" and "almost homosexual." Jeff Jansen, co-founder of the Global Fire Ministries International in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and self-proclaimed "prophet," disparaged pastors for being "effeminate."
ScienceBusiness InsiderNASA delays Mars helicopter flight after a crucial rotor-blade-spinning test ended abruptly
NASA has delayed the first flight of its Ingenuity Mars helicopter after a crucial test-spin of the drone's rotor blades abruptly stopped. This was the last major test to make sure the helicopter would be ready for its first flight, which was originally scheduled for Monday. Now NASA has delayed the historic liftoff - which would mark the first powered, controlled flight on another planet - to Wednesday.
U.S.INSIDER'I hate this home now:' California couple finally changes the locks on their dream house after previous owner refused to leave for over a year
A California couple could finally get into their new home after the former owner refused to leave. Due to the state's eviction moratorium, the seller continued to occupy the property after the couple bought the home. Myles and Tracie Albert were able to change the locks of their home after 15 months.
“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.”