PoliticsYahoo News 360Making sense of conservatives’ sudden vaccine endorsements
Over the course of the past week, a number of prominent Republican lawmakers and conservative media figures have made strong statements in support of getting vaccinated against COVID-19. “These shots need to get in everybody's arms as rapidly as possible,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said during a press conference Tuesday. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, the No. 2 House Republican, emphasized the importance of the vaccines after receiving his first dose.
U.S.Fort Worth Star-TelegramGunman kills 1, injuries 3 before he’s stoned to death in Fort Worth, news report says
A gunman opened fire on a group of people in west Fort Worth early Monday, killing one and injuring three others before he was stoned to death, according to a news report. Two people were in critical condition and the third suffered serious injuries from gunshots, authorities said. Fort Worth Police say the crowd defended themselves with gardening stones, killing the gunman.
U.S.Associated Press8 US attorney picks by Biden would include historic firsts
President Joe Biden is nominating eight new leaders for U.S. attorney positions across the country, including in the office overseeing the prosecutions of hundreds of defendants charged in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol. The nominees announced by the White House on Monday come as the Justice Department is continuing to round out its leadership team under Attorney General Merrick Garland, who traveled to Chicago last week to announce an initiative to crack down on gun trafficking corridors. The Justice Department's 93 U.S. attorneys, who are responsible for federal criminal prosecutions in their respective districts, are likely to be central to efforts to combat violent crime.
WorldReutersAustralia sees COVID-19 cases climb, police warn against protest repeat
SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australia's most populous state reported a rise in new COVID-19 cases on Monday despite a weeks-long stay-at-home order, while police vowed to crack down on any repeat of a anti-lockdown protest which turned violent at the weekend. New South Wales, which has had more than 5 million people in Sydney city under lockdown for a month, reported 145 new cases of the virus, from 141 a day earlier, as it struggles to contain an outbreak of the highly contagious Delta variant. "We might need to go harder in some areas and release some settings in others," state premier Gladys Berejiklian said at a televised news conference, apparently referencing five government areas of Sydney's suburbs at the epicentre of the outbreak.
WorldAssociated PressPhilippine leader unabashedly threatens to kill drug dealers
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte unabashedly renewed his threat to kill drug dealers in his final state of the nation speech on Monday, while defending his nonconfrontational approach in the country's territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea. Duterte, 76, who won a six-year presidential term in 2016, is winding down his often-tumultuous presidency amid a raging pandemic, a battered economy and a legacy overshadowed by his deadly campaign against illegal drugs that has set off complaints of mass murder before the International Criminal Court. While many expected him to focus on ways to combat the coronavirus, which has devastated the economy and worsened hunger and poverty, Duterte instead devoted most of a rambling, nearly three-hour televised speech to non-pandemic topics he has addressed repeatedly in the past.
HealthBBCCovid: Fauci says US heading in wrong direction as cases rise
The US is heading "in the wrong direction" on the coronavirus pandemic as infections surge among the unvaccinated, the country's top infectious disease expert has warned. Dr Anthony Fauci said the Delta variant of Covid-19 was driving the spike in areas with low vaccination rates. The coronavirus situation in the US is becoming "a pandemic among the unvaccinated", Dr Fauci, the chief medical adviser to US President Joe Biden, told broadcaster CNN on Sunday.
WorldReutersChinese parents fret after government bans for-profit tutoring firms
Anxious Chinese parents were rushing to hire private tutors to help their children navigate a fiercely competitive education system after the government moved last week to rein in companies in the massive tutoring services industry. China's for-profit education sector has been under scrutiny as part of Beijing's push to ease pressure on school children and reduce a cost burden on parents that has contributed to a drop in birth rates. But though many parents welcomed an effort to reduce the long hours their children spend studying, others said the ban would only add to parents' financial burdens and increase inequality.
U.S.Associated PressCalifornia's largest fire burns homes as blazes scorch West
California's largest wildfire merged with a smaller blaze and destroyed homes in rugged and remote areas, as numerous other fires burned across the U.S. West. The Dixie Fire had already leveled over a dozen houses and other structures in Northern California when it combined with the Fly Fire and tore through the tiny community of Indian Falls after dark Saturday. An updated damage estimate was not available Sunday, though fire officials said the blaze had charred more than 301 square miles (779 square kilometers) of timber and brush in Plumas and Butte counties.
U.S.Kansas City StarMissouri gun dealer charged in Capitol riot competed in shooting contest this month
A central Missouri firearms dealer charged in connection with the U.S. Capitol riot competed in a shooting contest earlier this month, a federal prosecutor told a judge last week. During a hearing in federal court in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tejpal Chawla said prosecutors had just learned that Matthew Loganbill participated in the competition on July 10. “Based on the information that I have and reviewed from online, Mr. Loganbill posted results of the shooting match on his website and indicated he was one of the participants in that shooting competition,” Chawla told U.S. Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey.
PoliticsRaleigh News and ObserverShould the Senate dump the filibuster? What NC candidates want to do with the rule.
But that hasn't deterred some Democratic Senate candidates, including in North Carolina, from calling for changes to the rule used to stymie debate and block legislation. Or its complete removal. We don't need filibuster reform, we need filibuster abolition,” said former state Sen. Erica Smith in response to questions The News & Observer and Charlotte Observer sent to Senate candidates.
WorldReutersWith eye on China, Pentagon chief heads to Southeast Asia
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will become the first member of President Joe Biden's cabinet to visit Southeast Asia this week, seeking to emphasize the importance Washington places on fortifying ties in the region while pushing back against China. The United States has put countering China at the heart of its national security policy for years and the Biden administration has called rivalry with Beijing "the biggest geopolitical test" of this century. Six months into his presidency, however, Southeast Asian countries are still looking for details of Biden's strategy as well as his specific plans for economic, trade and military engagement with the Indo-Pacific.
ScienceIdaho StatesmanThere are about 250 green and yellow objects hanging throughout Boise. What are they?
This summer, 250 green and yellow objects that look a little like boxy, elongated badminton birdies appeared hanging on street signs and other structures around Boise. The objects are actually Japanese beetle traps and, for the time being, they're empty. Amid an infestation six years ago, Paul Castrovillo, entomologist at the Idaho Department of Agriculture, told the Idaho Statesman that Idaho's goal was to eradicate the beetles over seven years.
- SportsYahoo News Video
'Sport appeal, not sex appeal': Olympic broadcasters curb sexual images of female athletes
At an Olympics aiming to set the highest level of television standards, the head of broadcasting at the Tokyo Games is trying to banish overly sexualized images of female athletes.
WorldAssociated PressBillionaire businessman named premier-designate in Lebanon
Lebanon's newly appointed Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati on Monday urged unity to begin recovery from a devastating economic and financial meltdown roiling the country. He said he will strive to form a new government but the situation is too dire to overcome alone. Mikati spoke to reporters shortly after he was appointed to the post by President Michel Aoun, after Saad Hariri earlier this month gave up his monthslong attempts to form a Cabinet.
WorldReutersIsraeli government wants more ultra-Orthodox men to work, but faces pushback
JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israel's new government is looking to take advantage of a rare political opportunity to push more ultra-Orthodox Jewish men into the workforce to boost the economy, a measure that could pit powerful religious leaders against politicians. By 2065, Israel's "haredi" community is expected to make up 32% of Israel's population, up from 12% now, according to official estimates. The other half study religious texts in seminaries, and the Bank of Israel and economic leaders have warned of long-term strains on the budget if they are not integrated into the workforce.
WorldThe Daily BeastInside the Shocking Airport ‘Abduction’ of a Top Rebel Leader
ABUJA, Nigeria—Witnesses to the shocking public kidnapping of Nigerian and British national Nnamdi Kanu—head of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) group—told The Daily Beast that the separatist leader was stepping out of his car at an airport when a group of heavily armed men forcefully seized him to arrange his transfer to Nigeria. In June, Kanu—who faces multiple charges in Nigeria, including treason—had driven into the underground parking lot at Jomo Kenyatta Airport in Kenya's capital city of Nairobi.
WorldBBCUS accused of demonising China in high-level talks
The US has been told to stop "demonising" China, in their most high-level talks under President Biden. China's Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng said relations had reached a "stalemate" because the US saw China as an "imagined enemy". He is in talks with Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, the most senior US official to visit China in months.
WorldBusiness InsiderAfter a man dressed as Spiderman kicked a store worker in the throat, unions call on the UK government to beef up laws protecting retail staff
A UK union called for tighter laws to protect retail workers after a brawl in a London store. A man dressed as Spiderman kicked a store worker in the throat before punching her to the ground. Acts of aggression against store workers have risen since the start of the pandemic.
U.S.Charlotte ObserverWill Madison Cawthorn join the belatedly enlightened on COVID?
That's how many people had to die globally from COVID-19 before conservatives such as Sean Hannity, Kayleigh McEnany and Steve Scalise finally stopped sowing doubt about the vaccinations and urged their followers to get them. I didn't see Fox News talking head Hannity say this – I'd rather kiss a snaggle-toothed llama that just ate a package of Oreos without flossing afterward than watch his commentary – but he has been widely quoted as saying recently “Please take COVID seriously, I can't say it enough. Enough people have died.
BusinessBBCAmazon Bitcoin job ad boosts cryptocurrency surge
The price of some cryptocurrencies has surged, after retailer Amazon revealed it was hiring an expert in the field. It advertised for a "digital currency and blockchain product lead" to look at "how Amazon's customers pay". Bitcoin rose from $29,000 (£21,000) to more than $39,000 per coin on Monday, its largest growth in several weeks.
U.S.The IndependentMugger seen rifling through pockets of man beaten unconscious in violent New York attack
Police in New York City are appealing for help following a violent robbery in which a victim was knocked unconscious by a hooded figure, who ran from the scene. The incident took place on Saturday morning in the Cypress Hills area of Brooklyn, and south of Highland Park, according to the the New York Police Department. CCTV footage released by the Crime Stoppers unit on Saturday shows a man in a grey hoodie violently punching a victim who appeared to have been thrown from his Citi bike, which could be seen by his side.
U.S.Miami HeraldFlorida’s state of COVID, Artiles case snags GOP operative, unemployment site gets hacked, FPL draws new adversary
According to federal officials,After ranking in the top 10 among states in the early days of COVID vaccinations, Florida's vaccination rates have lagged and the state ranks just 22nd now as COVID surges. As of Friday, 67.1 percent of Floridians 18 and over have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 57.9 percent of those 18 and over in the state have been fully vaccinated, according to The New York Times vaccination tracker. WHAT WE'RE WATCHING Miami-Dade steps up prevention: What's been the reaction from government officials?
PoliticsBusiness InsiderSen. Rand Paul confronted by foul-mouthed constituent during a virtual town hall meeting
A Kentucky resident told Sen. Rand Paul to "get f---ed" during a virtual town hall meeting. Paul has been criticized for refusing to get a COVID-19 vaccine and encouraging people to ditch masks. Sen. Rand Paul was told to "get f---ed" during a virtual town hall meeting.
LifestyleUSA TODAYPlanning a Las Vegas trip? Here are the hottest new things to do since the city reopened
While some things have changed in Las Vegas since the pandemic hit, one thing hasn't. Resorts World Las Vegas, Circa Las Vegas and Virgin Hotels Las Vegas have all opened within the past year. From deals on resorts to supper clubs drawing in Hollywood's elite, here are a few new things in Las Vegas that you may want to reserve in advance, whether to guarantee yourself a spot or land a good deal.
U.S.The IndependentPolice respond to viral video showing officer appearing to toss a baggie into man’s car
A Wisconsin police department has defended itself after a video went viral showing one of its officers throwing a plastic bag into a car after stopping it for speeding. The video was originally posted to Facebook by a user who went by the name “La Savoo”, who is believed to from the town of Racine and works as a recording artist, according to his page. It depicts the moments after he was was pulled over for speeding by officers from the Caledonia Police Department.
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“Thankfully, children are at lower risk for complications from COVID-19, but low risk is not no risk.”
“Guidelines that mandate the masking of children are based on an assessment of risk that is not justified.”
“Masks are easy to use, inexpensive and effective.”
“We’re now 16 months into the pandemic and children remain victims of the Covid political theater.”
“If a community or school isn’t sufficiently vaccinated, it remains at risk of the coronavirus coming back.”