- PoliticsYahoo News
Full text: The Mueller report
On Thursday, Attorney General William Barr released special counsel Robert Mueller's redacted report on Russian interference in the 2016 election — and whether President Trump obstructed his probe. Read the full text below. Due to its large size, it may take a minute to load.
WorldReutersSporadic violence as millions vote in second phase of India's mammoth election
Millions of voters across swathes of southern India cast ballots on Thursday in the second phase of a mammoth, staggered general election, as sporadic violence flared in the east and the insurgency-wracked state of Jammu and Kashmir. The Election Commission said 66 percent of more than 155 million eligible Indians had voted, as per provisional data, in 95 constituencies in 12 states. Results of the election to India's 545-member parliament are expected on May 23.
- WorldUSA TODAY
Report: Likely cause of Notre Dame Cathedral fire an electrical short-circuit
The official, who spoke anonymously because of the ongoing probe, said investigators made an initial assessment Wednesday but have not been given the OK to work through the rubble because of safety reasons. Officials said early on that it was possible the blaze was linked to a $6.8 million renovation project at the 850-year-old landmark. The blaze collapsed the cathedral's iconic spire, most of the roof was ravaged, and the damage to the 12th-century building elsewhere was extensive. But its twin bell towers, rose windows, 18-century organ and precious artworks were saved.
- NewsThe Independent
Man arrested with petrol tanks entering New York cathedral was philosophy teacher who booked one-way ticket to Rome
Marc Lamparello's story seemed off from the start. It was nearly 8pm on Wednesday when Mr Lamparello, a 37-year-old graduate student and lecturer on philosophy, entered St Patrick's Cathedral in midtown Manhattan toting two gasoline cans, lighter fluid and lighters, police said. Mr Lamparello was about 20 feet into the church when ushers approached him and said he could not be inside the building with the cans of gasoline, police said.
WorldAFPUkraine comedian vows to break old system in pre-vote debate
A comedian tipped to take over Ukraine's presidency vowed on Friday to dismantle the old political system as he went head-to-head with his incumbent rival in an extraordinary stadium debate before this weekend's vote. Polls show Volodymyr Zelensky, a 41-year-old standup comic with no political experience, handily defeating President Petro Poroshenko in a second-round of voting on Sunday. The hour-long debate at Kiev's Olympic Stadium capped a weeks-long sensational campaign in a war-torn country seen as a buffer between the European Union and Russia.
WorldAssociated PressWidows, ace guide to climb Everest to honor Sherpas
Five years after one of the deadliest disasters on Mount Everest, three people from Nepal's ethnic Sherpa community are preparing an ascent to raise awareness about the Nepalese mountain guides who make it possible for hundreds of foreign climbers to scale the mountain and survive. Kami Rita, a renowned climber who lived through the 2014 ice avalanche on Everest's western shoulder that killed 16 fellow Sherpa guides, aims to break his own record by reaching the mountaintop a 23rd time this spring. Furdiki Sherpa, who lost her husband in a mountaineering accident, and Nima Doma, whose husband was killed in the 2014 avalanche, are also attempting to summit Everest, to bring attention to the plight of Sherpa families living in the shadow of the world's highest peak.
- BusinessConsumer Reports
Don't Wait to Book Summer Air Travel | 737 Max
That's because the grounding of the Boeing 737 Max fleet, affecting more than 350 jets worldwide, is now scheduled to last for almost the entire summer season, and is almost certain to have an effect on flight availabilities and ticket prices. Southwest, the world's largest Max operator, says it will cancel 160 flights a day from June 8 through Aug. 5, up from 90 per day, and American will scrub 115 flights daily until Aug. 19. Combined, that means roughly 40,000 seats will be taken out of service every day during the peak travel period.
WorldReutersNorth Korea urges Trump to drop Pompeo from talks; U.S. plays down weapons test
North Korea's state news agency said Kwon Jong Gun, in charge of U.S. affairs at the foreign ministry, had warned that no one could predict what would happen if Washington did not abandon the "root cause" that compelled Pyongyang to develop nuclear weapons. The statement came shortly after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the test of a new tactical guided weapon, North Korea's first weapon test since a summit between him and Trump broke down in late February. U.S. officials appeared to play down both developments, with acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan telling reporters at the Pentagon that while there had been a test, it was "not a ballistic missile." A spokeswoman for the State Department said it was aware of the report about Pompeo and added: "The United States remains ready to engage North Korea in a constructive negotiation." Despite the summit breakdown, North Korea had maintained a freeze in nuclear and ballistic missile testing in place since 2017,and Trump has repeatedly pointed to that as an important outcome from a year of engagement with Pyongyang.
- TechnologyBGR News
Microsoft's new Surface Hub 2 is $9,000, or you can turn any TV into a giant touchscreen for $272
The new Surface Hub 2 from Microsoft was announced well over a year ago, and now it finally has pricing and a release date. The Surface Hub 2 is awesome, don't get us wrong, but is it really worth $9 grand even if you're spending your company's money? Whether you're working with your company's budget or your own, we've got another option for you that costs a minuscule fraction of the price of the new Surface Hub.
- PoliticsTime
House Democrats Issue Subpoena for Full Mueller Report
House Democrats have formally issued a subpoena for the full contents of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on interference in the 2016 election. It's the first official step in what will likely become a legal showdown between Congress and the Trump Administration. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, who chairs the judiciary committee, announced Friday morning that he was sending a subpoena to the Department of Justice for both the un-redacted report and all underlying evidence.
- LifestylePopular Mechanics
How to Get Rid of Lawn Weeds
The best way to eradicate weeds is to use a two-prong approach of applying fertilizer and herbicide at different times of the year. A regular application of fertilizer produces strong, healthy grass plants that have a better chance of fighting off weeds. And herbicides have been proven to be effective at killing existing weeds and deterring the growth of new weeds.
WorldUSA TODAYAir France-KLM offering free flights to those helping rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral
Air France-KLM is doing its part to assist with the reconstruction of the Notre Dame Cathedral following the devastating fire on Monday. "All Air France and Air France-KLM teams around the world have been deeply affected and saddened since (Monday)," the airline said in a Tuesday statement. "Moreover, in the days ahead, the Air France-KLM group will set up a voluntary donations fund for its customers to help finance the reconstruction work," the airline added.
- NewsThe Independent
Opioid crisis: US doctors accused of trading prescriptions for sex and cash in major scandal
Scores of medical professionals across seven states were charged by federal prosecutors on Wednesday with schemes to illegally distribute millions of pain pills — in some cases exchanging opioid prescriptions for sex, in others for cash with an added “concierge fee”, and in one case routinely prescribing opioids to friends on Facebook. Officials called the case the “single largest prescription opioid law enforcement operation in history”. The indictments, unsealed in federal court in Cincinnati on Wednesday, accuse 60 people, including 31 doctors, seven pharmacists and eight nurses of involvement in the schemes, which included opioid prescriptions issued for gratuitous medical procedures like unnecessary tooth-pulling.
WorldAFPIsraeli tank, aircraft hit Gaza after cross-border fire: army
Israel on Friday struck Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip with tank and aircraft fire after troops were shot at on the Israeli side of the border, the army said. The Israeli military said in a statement that "no injuries to soldiers were reported" after its troops came under fire. Palestinian security sources in Hamas-ruled Gaza told AFP that the Israeli strikes hit Hamas military observation posts at three locations along the frontier.
- BusinessCar and Driver
View Photos of the Volkswagen I.D. Buggy
VW's I.D. Buggy, one of its ambitious lineup of EV concepts, will owe much to the classic Sixties beach-lifestyle icon if it ever makes it to production. From Car and Driver
WorldAssociated PressPortugal says all 29 dead in bus crash were German
All the 29 people killed in a tour bus crash on Portugal's Madeira Island were German, Portugal's foreign ministry confirmed Thursday. The bus carrying 55 people, all German tourists except a Portuguese driver and guide, rolled down a steep hill after veering off the road on a bend east of Madeira's capital, Funchal, on Wednesday evening when it was still light and in fine weather. The crash injured 28 others.
- U.S.WTVD – Raleigh/Durham
Driver with STAYUMBL license plate, notorious for cutting people off around Durham, charged in incident with bus
The STAYUMBL license plate is notorious on the road and social media. Folks say the driver behind the wheel will speed up, cut people off and then slam on her brakes, sometimes causing a crash.
WorldReutersExclusive: Dispute flares among U.S. officials over Trump administration Iran arms control report - sources
U.S. President Donald Trump is intensifying a drive to contain Iran's power in the Middle East, which has raised fears that his administration wants to topple the Tehran government or lay the groundwork to justify military action. The administration says it is trying to halt Iranian "malign behavior" in its support for Islamist militants in the region and denies seeking the overthrow of the Islamic republic's government. The clash among U.S. officials emerged on Tuesday when the State Department posted on its website, and then removed, an unclassified version of an annual report to Congress assessing compliance with arms control agreements that the sources saw as skewed against Iran.
PoliticsReutersHow Mueller's decision on obstruction helped save Trump
The U.S. Attorney General decided that President Donald Trump did not obstruct a probe into whether his campaign colluded with Russia, but some legal experts said prosecutors laid out a wealth of evidence to the contrary and that they intended to leave that determination to Congress. Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report revealed new details about Trump's attempts to impede his investigation on Thursday. They included how the president tried to fire Mueller and limit his investigation, kept details of a June 2016 meeting between senior campaign officials and a Russian under wraps, and possibly dangled a pardon to a former adviser.
- TechnologyBGR News
The $8 fast wireless charging pad people went crazy for is back in stock… but it'll sell out soon
We covered a crazy sale last week that got you the 4.5-star rated Seneo 10W Fast Wireless Charging Pad for just $8.49, but it quickly sold out. Well guess what: it's back! This sale is definitely going to sell out quickly yet again, so hurry up if you want to get in on the action.
WorldAssociated Press10 Things to Know for Today
Your daily look at late breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today: 1. A DAY 2 YEARS IN THE MAKING The Justice Department prepares to release a redacted version of the special counsel's report on Russian election interference and Trump's presidential campaign. NORTH KOREA SAYS IT TESTED NEW WEAPON Pyongyang says that it has test-fired a "tactical guided weapon," its first such test in nearly half a year, and demands that Washington remove Mike Pompeo from nuclear negotiations.
- BusinessUSA TODAY
Some Microsoft employees allege policies 'discriminate' against Asians, white men
SAN FRANCISCO — The backlash against the tech industry-wide push to hire more women and minorities has flared again — this time at Microsoft. Some employees on an internal message board questioned the tech giant's efforts to shift the demographics of its largely white and Asian male workforce, asking for evidence that a diverse workforce benefits Microsoft. Eighty-seven percent of Microsoft employees are white or Asian and more than 73 percent are men, according to the company's most recent diversity report.
WorldAFPAssad urges progress on Idlib deal ahead of Syria talks
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Friday called for progress on a stalled buffer zone deal around jihadist-dominated Idlib region ahead of fresh talks aimed at ending his country's eight-year war. Assad met envoy Alexander Lavrentiev from key ally Russia in Damascus to discuss the negotiations due April 25-26 in Kazakhstan. Iran and Russia are the major supporters of the Syrian regime, and along with rebel backer Turkey have sponsored repeated rounds of talks in the Central Asian nation.
- 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.
NewsAssociated PressColumbine focuses on healing as questions loom after manhunt
A Colorado community changed forever by the attack that killed 13 people at Columbine High School moved ahead Thursday with ceremonies marking the anniversary of the tragedy while awaiting more details on what led a Florida teen "infatuated" with the shooting to buy a shotgun and kill herself in the snowy foothills nearby. Many questions remained unanswered about 18-year-old Sol Pais, but a friend disputed the contention by authorities that she posed a threat. Adrianna Pete painted a complex picture of Pais, saying she was deeply troubled, lonely and often talked about suicide but was also brilliant, kind and a talented artist who loved to draw.
