U.S.NBC NewsSaniyya Dennis, missing Buffalo State College student, died by apparent suicide, DA says
Saniyya Dennis, the New York college student who disappeared last month, died by apparent suicide, officials said Thursday. Dogs stopped picking up the 19-year-old's scent at Niagara Falls State Park near Goat Island, where police said her phone last pinged, Erie County District Attorney John Flynn told reporters during a morning news conference. Shortly after she was captured on campus surveillance video leaving her dorm, Flynn said Dennis walked toward a garbage can on campus and threw away "personal items that would lead someone to believe that she was not returning to the dorm."
PoliticsAxios"Greatest tool in the Democrats' arsenal": Pollster says Trump may cost GOP the House in 2022
Former Republican pollster Frank Luntz tells Kara Swisher on her New York Times podcast "Sway" that Donald Trump's lies about the 2020 election "could cost the Republicans the majority in the House in 2022." Why it matters: The former president is still the most popular figure in the Republican Party, but his baseless claims about the election have alienated moderates and key GOP leaders — including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.). Luntz: "More than two-thirds of Republicans believe that the election was stolen."
PoliticsThe WeekPfizer, Moderna shares plummet after Biden administration backs a COVID-19 vaccine patent waiver
The United States will advocate for waiving COVID-19 vaccine patent protections in discussions with the World Trade Organization, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced Wednesday. The Biden administration "believes strongly in intellectual property protections," Tai said in a statement, but the White House will back the waiver given the "extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic." The administration has faced pressure to support the measure, which is aimed at increasing vaccinations around the world — especially in countries experiencing a surge in infections, like India — without having to rely solely on exports.
WorldThe TelegraphCalls to shut down Rotterdam's experimental 'floating farm' after two cows fall into the water
Concerns have been raised about an experimental floating farm in Rotterdam harbour after two cows fell into the water. The dairy and stable on a floating platform opened in 2019 and gained international attention as the world's first 'floating farm'. Now, the project has been labelled as "madness" when a second animal had to be rescued from the water after it apparently fell in while crossing to a small patch of grass on the dockside.
PoliticsThe WeekTexas is about to allow residents to carry handguns without a license or training
The Texas Senate on Wednesday voted to allow most Texans to carry handguns without any sort of permit or training, sending the legislation to a conference committee with the House, which already passed a similar measure. Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said last week he will sign the bill. The Senate passed permitless carry on a party-line 18-13 vote, "less than a week after it sailed out of a committee created to specifically to tackle the legislation," The Texas Tribune reports.
- NewsCBS LA - KCBS
One Killed In Big-Rig Wreck On 210 Freeway In Fontana
At least one person was killed in a crash involving an overturned semi-truck in Fontana Wednesday morning.
ScienceAxiosPentagon tracking path of falling Chinese rocket
The Pentagon said Wednesday it's tracking the uncontrolled descent of the Long March-5B Y2 rocket that carried a Chinese Space Station module to orbit last week. Details: Defense Department spokesperson John Kirby told reporters the rocket's debris was expected to return to Earth "somewhere around" May 8 and that the U.S. Space Command has said "almost the entire body of the rocket" remains intact. Space watchers also played a waiting game as China's Tiangong-1 space station came back through the atmosphere in 2018, eventually burning up above the Pacific Ocean.
U.S.Business InsiderRudy Giuliani has reportedly shed his entourage and hired a part-time driver to cut costs as his legal fees mount
Rudy Giuliani has reportedly sacked most of his entourage to cut costs as his legal troubles - and fees - mount. Politico reported that Giuliani fired as many as five people since the FBI raided his properties. Rudy Giuliani has drastically reduced the size of his entourage and reportedly fired as many as five people since the FBI raided his properties last week, Politico reported.
- U.S.Associated Press
Goats return to Reagan Library to eat and create a firebreak
More than 350 goats are using their mouths to help protect The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum from wildfire danger. The herd returned this week to eat brush around the institution's campus in the Southern California community of Simi Valley. The goats create a firebreak between the natural vegetation and the facility, library spokeswoman Melissa Giller told the Ventura County Star.
PoliticsThe WeekKevin McCarthy caught on hot mic saying he's 'had it' with Liz Cheney
Ahead of an interview Tuesday with Fox & Friends, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) gave his unfiltered opinion on Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), seemingly not knowing that his mic was on, Axios reports. McCarthy seemed to be referring to how Cheney could be removed as chair of the House Republican Conference by a vote from GOP members.
WorldThe Telegraph'Depressed' MH370 pilot made ‘series of deliberate turns and speed changes’ to avoid radar detection
The pilot of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 made a series of deliberate turns and speed changes to avoid radar detection before plunging into the Indian Ocean, new research suggests. The plane took an unexplained U-turn from its planned flight path and headed back across the Malay Peninsula and the Malacca Strait before vanishing. Mr Godfrey said the plane's final movements could be mapped out using data from Weak Signal Propagation (WSPR), a global network of radio signals that can trace the movement of planes as they cross signals and set off invisible "electronic trip-wires".
U.S.The WeekCNN's Sanjay Gupta blasts Tucker Carlson's '100 percent false' vaccine segment
CNN's Sanjay Gupta is calling out Fox News' Tucker Carlson for his latest "dangerous" vaccine comments. Carlson during a segment on his highly-rated Fox show on Wednesday cited a federal reporting system to baselessly suggest COVID-19 vaccines could be responsible for 30 deaths in the United States every day. But PolitiFact writes that not only is this an "open system, where anyone can submit a report," but the system warns users that its reports shouldn't be used "on their own to determine whether a vaccine caused or contributed to a particular illness."
U.S.Kansas City Star‘My soul left my body.’ Shark startles 6-year-old playing in surf, Hawaii video shows
An ordinary day at the beach turned into terror Sunday for a 6-year-old Hawaii girl who spotted a shark beside her in the surf. Sheri Gouveia was shooting a video of her daughter playing in the ocean at Kalama Beach on Oahu at the time, Hawaii News Now reported. Gouveia told Hawaii News Now her daughter has “angels to keep her safe.”
BusinessBBCUK economy set to grow at fastest rate in more than 70 years
The UK economy will enjoy its strongest growth in more than 70 years in 2021 as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted, according to the Bank of England. The economy is expected to expand by 7.25% this year, with extra government cash for workers and businesses helping to limit job losses. The Bank expects the recovery to gather pace as the reopening of high streets paves the way for a mini-spending boom.
PoliticsThe WeekHouse GOP leader Kevin McCarthy apparently pays $1,500 to live in a 12-bedroom, 16-bath penthouse
Tucker Carlson was right: House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is living in the Washington, D.C., penthouse of Republican pollster and messaging maven Frank Luntz, and it does sound like a pretty sweet deal. Washington Post fact-checker Glenn Kessler looked into Luntz's apartment, and it's actually a 7,000-square-foot, 12-bedroom, 16-bathroom amalgamation of 4 three-story penthouses Luntz purchased for nearly $4.3 million in August and September 2018 and merged in November 2019.
WorldThe GuardianIndia is hiding its Covid crisis – and the whole world will suffer for it
A few years ago, as Narendra Modi came into power, I worked on an investigative report about India hiding its malaria deaths. In traveling from tribal Odisha to the Indian national health ministry in New Delhi, my colleague and I watched thousands of cases disappear: some malaria deaths, first noted in handwritten local health ledgers, never appeared in central government reports; other malaria deaths were magically transformed into deaths of heart attack or fever. The discrepancy was massive: India reported 561 malaria deaths that year.
PoliticsArchitectural DigestHouse Call: What Do Your Water Glasses Say About You?
A selection of drinkware to make the best first impression Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
U.S.Associated PressEx-49ers player Hayne to spend nearly 4 years in jail
Jarryd Hayne, a rugby league star who also played briefly in the NFL for the San Francisco 49ers, has been sentenced to at least three years and eight months in jail for the sexual assault of a woman in 2018. Hayne was found guilty in March of two counts of sexual assault. A judge ruled on Thursday that Hayne should be jailed for five years, nine months with a non-parole period of three years and eight months.
U.S.The IndependentAtlanta reinstates officer who fatally shot Rayshard Brooks, Black man who was running away from police
Garrett Rolfe, the white former Atlanta police officer charged with murdering Rayshard Brooks, a Black man, may be put back onto the force. On Wednesday, the Atlanta Civil Service Board, which evaluates city government firing decisions, held that the police department hadn't followed proper procedure when it swiftly fired Mr Rolfe after the shooting last June. Mr Rolfe fired upon Mr Brooks as he ran away on foot from a drunk driving arrest.
LifestyleLA TimesWhat to expect from restaurants and bars in the yellow tier
On Thursday, Los Angeles County restaurants, bars, wineries, breweries and distilleries can reopen under the guidelines of California's yellow tier, the least restrictive category in the state's color-coded reopening plan. The move allows bars that don't serve food to reopen indoors for the first time since June 2020, and if all guests show proof of a negative result from a COVID test or full vaccination, that figure can increase from 25 percent capacity, or 100 people, to 37.5%. Much like in the orange tier, the yellow tier still offers restaurants the capability of increasing indoor capacity from the current 50% to 75% with diners' proof of negative test results or vaccination, and it offers wineries, breweries and distilleries the same option for the first time.
PoliticsThe IndependentBernie Sanders congratulates Biden for putting ‘people before profits’ by releasing Covid vaccine patents
Senator Bernie Sanders has applauded President Joe Biden for vocalising his support for the sharing of COVID-19 vaccination patents. The Biden administration's decision follows international pressure, and from some US politicians like Mr Sanders, who previously urged Mr Biden to support the move. Mr Sanders' praise comes after the US government announced that it supported waiving the intellectual property claims for coronavirus vaccines in an effort to increase access around the globe.
U.S.USA TODAY'My heart breaks for our student': 4 people killed after small plane crashed into Mississippi home
A small plane crashed into a Mississippi home, killing one of the home's four occupants and three Texas residents who were flying to a university graduation ceremony, authorities said Wednesday. Gerry Standley, 55, was a resident of the home where the plane crashed in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Also killed were the pilot, 67-year-old Louis Provenza, 23-year-old Anna Calhoun and 2-year-old Harper Provenza, according to Forrest County Coroner Butch Benedict.
PoliticsThe IndependentRetireRon trends as DeSantis signs bill killing voting rights live on Fox News
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, proudly signed a new voting rights bill that will likely make it harder for people of colour to cast a ballot. Mr DeSantis was so proud of the new bill that he decided to sign it during an exclusive interview with Fox & Friends. Journalists from other outlets who arrived to cover the bill signing were turned away and told the event was “Fox only”.
PoliticsThe IndependentAOC uses ‘ogre’ emojis to troll Cruz over Trump meeting: ‘Nothing like reminiscing about attempted coups’
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has clearly still not forgiven Senator Ted Cruz for backing Donald Trump's attempts to fraudulently overturn the 2020 election and the Capitol riot that resulted from those efforts. On Wednesday, Ms Ocasio-Cortez lashed out at Mr Cruz after he posted a photo of himself dining with Mr Trump. "Had a great dinner tonight with President Trump at Mar-a-Lago," Mr Cruz tweeted.
U.S.The Daily Beast‘A Terrible Thing’: Husband of Colorado Mom Who Vanished on Mother’s Day Charged With Murder
Nearly a year after Suzanne Morphew disappeared without a trace while out on a bike ride last Mother's Day, the 49-year-old's husband—who once pleaded for her safe return—has been arrested and charged with murder. The Chaffee County Sheriff's Office confirmed to The Daily Beast that Barry Morphew, 53, is currently in custody after being arrested Wednesday morning, just days shy of the one-year anniversary of his wife's disappearance on May 10, 2020, in Maysville, Colorado. He has been charged with first-degree murder after deliberation, tampering with physical evidence, and attempting to influence a public servant.
“Every college has a public health responsibility to require its students to be vaccinated.”
“While the vast majority of students will likely get the vaccine, schools should honor the decisions of the few who object.”
“A vaccinated campus could be the step toward normality that college leaders are seeking.”
“College students are mobile and spread COVID-19 with them whenever they travel.”
“There almost certainly are going to be legal challenges because the anti-vaccine movement is already preparing for them.”