WorldReutersRussia, Ukraine hold military drills, NATO criticises Russian troop build-up
Russia and Ukraine held simultaneous military drills on Wednesday as NATO foreign and defence ministers began emergency discussions on a massing of Russian troops near the Ukrainian border. Washington and NATO have been alarmed by the large build-up of Russian troops near Ukraine and in Crimea, the peninsula that Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014, and two U.S. warships are due to arrive in the Black Sea this week. Russia -- which said the U.S. naval move was an unfriendly provocation and warned Washington to stay far away from Crimea and its Black Sea coast -- says the build-up is a three-week snap military drill to test combat readiness in response to what it calls threatening behaviour f...
U.S.National ReviewCapitol Police Officer Who Fatally Shot Ashli Babbitt Won’t Face Charges
The U.S. Capitol police officer who fatally shot Ashli Babbitt during the U.S. Capitol riots in January has been cleared of criminal wrongdoing and will not face charges, the Department of Justice announced Wednesday. Authorities found there was insufficient evidence to support a criminal prosecution of the unnamed officer. The office of acting U.S. Attorney Channing Phillips of Washington, D.C. said in a statement that prosecutors notified Congress and Babbitt's family of its findings on Wednesday.
U.S.AxiosGeorge Floyd associate invokes 5th Amendment, will not testify in Chauvin trial
Morries Hall, one of the passengers in George Floyd's car before his arrest, will not testify in the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin after being permitted to invoke his 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination. Why it matters: The presiding judge denied the defense's subpoena of Hall, thwarting their hopes of shedding more light on Floyd's past drug use. Chauvin's lawyers have sought to argue that Floyd's opioid use may have contributed to heart failure and ultimately his death.
U.S.Raleigh News and ObserverA California man vanished 42 years ago on road trip. His remains were just identified
Kenneth Lee Bell was traveling from California's Bay Area to Washington when he vanished, officials said. On Jan. 8, a timber crew working in a remote wilderness area near Molalla, Oregon, unearthed a partial human skull and other human remains, the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. “If you knew Kenneth Lee Bell in the late 1970s, detectives would like to hear from you,” the sheriff's office said.
PoliticsAssociated PressNo. 2 House Republican says GOP would act against Gaetz
The No. 2 House Republican leader said Wednesday that party leaders would “take action" against Rep. Matt Gaetz if the Justice Department formally moves against the Florida lawmaker, who is under federal investigation for alleged sex trafficking. The remarks by Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana made him the latest congressional Republicans to opt against springing to the defense of the three-term lawmaker from Florida's panhandle. Federal investigators are probing Gaetz over allegations that include sex with a minor, according to two people who spoke on condition of anonymity because they could not discuss details publicly.
WorldArchitectural DigestThe World’s 9 Most Expensive Home Listings Currently on the Market
These fantastical houses range from a 64,000-acre Texas ranch to an oceanside estate in the south of France Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
ScienceThe Telegraph'Brideshead' for Roman elite found at Scarborough housing estate
A Roman “Brideshead” has been unearthed at a planned Scarborough housing estate, and archaeologists believe it may be the first and only one of its kind. The building complex dating from the period of Roman rule, between 43 AD and 410 AD, consists of a circular room with adjoining chambers built to a design “never seen before in Britain”. Archaeologists believe the complex which functioned like a “gentlemen's club” for the wealthy elite could also be the first of its kind to be discovered within the entire former Roman Empire.
U.S.Raleigh News and ObserverBear on North Carolina coast compared to Bigfoot: ‘We weren’t even sure it was real!’
A bear got caught looking a little too human in eastern North Carolina, and photos of the encounter are being likened to a Bigfoot sighting. The photos were taken Sunday as two East Carolina students, Zachary Allen and Erin McAllister, visited Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge near the coast. “To be honest, when we both first saw it, we weren't even sure it was real!” Erin McAllister of Waxhaw told McClatchy News.
WorldReutersUK's Johnson says he shares concerns over Greensill lobbying
LONDON (Reuters) -British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday he shared concerns over a growing lobbying scandal involving former leader David Cameron who tried to get ministers to help out the now failed supply-chain finance firm Greensill Capital. Though Cameron's strategy ultimately failed, Johnson has launched an independent review to look at allegations that lobbyists have an "open door" to his government. Cameron's role has raised questions about access to ministers by former colleagues, particularly on behalf of Greensill.
HealthThe TelegraphCancer patient saw disease all but vanish after catching Covid
Covid may have caused a cancer patient's tumours to vanish, according to doctors, who said it could have sparked an "anti-tumour immune response" in the man. The 61-year-old patient at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro had a check-up last summer after being diagnosed with Hogkin's Lymphoma, a rare blood cancer that affects 2,100 people in the UK each year. The disease, which occurs when white blood cells get out of control and spread to the lymph nodes, is typically treated with chemotherapy and around 90 per cent of patients are still alive five years afterwards.
PoliticsUSA TODAYMissouri GOP state lawmaker Rick Roeber resigns amid allegations he abused his children
A Kansas City-area lawmaker accused of sexually and physically abusing his children when they were younger submitted his resignation Tuesday as an investigation into his behavior neared completion. Rep. Rick Roeber, R-Lee's Summit, did not mention the allegations against him or an ongoing probe by the House ethics committee in a letter to the state House clerk. Roeber, who was elected to a two-year term in November, said he only ever wanted to serve a single year to pass a bill naming a highway after his late wife, Rep. Rebecca Roeber, who died in 2019, and help pass school choice bills.
WorldThe Daily BeastTaliban Promises ‘Nightmare’ for U.S. Troops in Final Afghanistan Stretch
The Taliban never kept secret what their reaction would be if the Biden administration delays the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, and now that it's happened, U.S. forces may have to deal with a new, unbridled wave of violence and bloodshed in the months leading up to the new September pull-out deadline. Hours after news broke on Tuesday that following a “rigorous policy review,” President Joe Biden is planning to have all U.S. troops out of Afghanistan by Sept. 11—a break away from the previously agreed May 1 deadline—Taliban military leaders sat down for a policy review of their own. Speaking to The Daily Beast on Wednesday, Mullah Salih Khan, a Taliban group commander from Afghanistan's Helmand Province, said that the insurgent group is “very much prepared to strike,” against U.S. and Afghan government forces, warning that the militants will turn Afghanistan “into a nightmare” for them.
U.S.The IndependentKim Potter: Former police officer who shot and killed Daunte Wright arrested on manslaughter charges
The former Minnesota police officer who shot and killed Daunte Wright will face manslaughter charges, authorities say. Kim Potter was captured on body cam footage killing Mr Wright during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, which has sparked protests and unrest in the community. Ms Potter, a 26-year veteran of the Brooklyn Center Police Department, will be charged with second degree manslaughter in connection to Wright's death, Washington County Attorney Pete Orput has announced.
U.S.LA TimesColumn: The UC system is one of the best and worst parts of living in California
And indeed, biology, managerial economics, social psychology and computer science are listed as UC Irvine's most popular majors on the college ranking and review site Niche.com. Although UC Irvine offers many traditional humanities majors, not one of them made the top 10. English, history and political sciences do make the top 10 at other UC campuses, including UCLA, but according to Niche.com, business/economics, biology and computer science reign supreme.
U.S.The WeekFauci shoots down Tucker Carlson's 'crazy' COVID-19 vaccine conspiracy theory as 'not helpful'
Dr. Anthony Fauci is pushing back against the "crazy" COVID-19 vaccine conspiracy theory Fox News host Tucker Carlson floated on his highly-rated show. In a Tuesday night segment, Carlson questioned why those who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are still advised to wear masks and avoid large gatherings, proceeding to baselessly suggest of the vaccines, "Maybe it doesn't work and they're simply not telling you that." Asked to comment on these remarks on CNN on Wednesday, Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, dismissed them as "crazy."
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Jill Biden to undergo 'procedure,' White House says
The White House says President Biden will accompany his wife, Jill Biden, Wednesday morning to an appointment where she will undergo a “common medical procedure.
PoliticsUSA TODAYKristen Clarke, Biden's pick for top civil rights job, tells senators about her own son
Kristen Clarke, President Joe Biden's pick to be the Justice Department's civil rights chief, is promising to make racial equality a top priority, drawing on her experiences as a longtime civil rights attorney and a single mother of a Black teenager. "As I look to my own son … I remain committed to the promise of working every day to build a world of equal opportunity for all," Clarke said in a prepared opening statement. Clarke, president of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, appeared Wednesday during a 2 1/2-hour nomination hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
WorldBBCIndia coronavirus: Can its vaccine producers meet demand?
With India attempting to ramp up vaccinations as Covid infections rise, the authorities have said they will fast track emergency approval for foreign-made vaccines. The Russian-developed Sputnik V has been given approval, as India's main domestic vaccine maker struggles to meet demand at home and globally. Can India meet its domestic needs?
U.S.LA Times'White Lives Matter' rallies fizzled. Hate groups still see chance to 'fire up the base'
When white nationalists failed to turn out in threatening numbers Sunday at a Huntington Beach rally, many counterprotesters viewed it as a victory. "We've won the day," Los Angeles activist Najee Ali said several hours into the protest. Infighting, disorganization and other factors could have prevented neo-Nazis and other extremists from showing up in the kind of force seen during the deadly "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017.
LifestyleTODAYWant to lose weight? Drop 10 pounds with this healthy meal plan
Luckily you don't have to worry about that — TODAY nutritionist Joy Bauer is here to help! While some folks may drop 10 pounds in a month, others will hit their goal in November (prime time to feel fabulous for the holidays). Each morning meal follows a "10/4" winning combination, meaning these meals consist of at least 10 grams of protein and at least 4 grams of filling fiber to help jump-start your day and keep you energized until lunchtime.
U.S.Business InsiderCity manager 'relieved of his duties' after fatal police shooting of Daunte Wright
The city manager of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, was fired Monday evening. Mayor Mike Elliott announced the move on Twitter. A police officer in Brooklyn Center on Sunday fatally shot Daunte Wright, 20, during a traffic stop.
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Israel made 'very bad gamble' on Natanz: Iran FM
Speaking during a joint news conference with his Russian counterpart, Iran's top diplomat said the incident enabled Iran to use all of its options at Natanz legally and legitimately. "Israel played a very bad gamble if it thought that the attack will weaken Iran's hand in the nuclear talks," Zarif said. Tehran has said an explosion on Sunday (April 11) at its key nuclear site was an act of sabotage by arch-foe Israel and vowed revenge for an attack that appeared to be latest episode in a long-running covert war.
PoliticsTheGrioWill Smith, Antoine Fuqua move ‘Emancipation’ shoot out of Georgia due to voting laws
In response to Georgia's controversial new voting restrictions, this week it's been confirmed that Will Smith and Antoine Fuqua will be moving production on their upcoming film Emancipation out of the state. At this moment in time, the Nation is coming to terms with its history and is attempting to eliminate vestiges of institutional racism to achieve true racial justice,” Fuqua and Smith said in a joint statement. The statement continues, “We cannot in good conscience provide economic support to a government that enacts regressive voting laws that are designed to restrict voter access.
HealthBBCJohnson & Johnson vaccine paused over rare blood clots
The US, South Africa and European Union will temporarily stop the rollout of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Covid jab, after reports of rare blood clotting. Six cases were detected in more than 6.8 million doses of the vaccine, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said. Johnson & Johnson has paused its EU rollout, which started this week.
U.S.The IndependentDaunte Wright news: Kim Potter flees home as unrest expected ahead of charging decision Wednesday
Officer Kim Potterreportedly fled her home after her address was posted to social media, while the mayor of Brooklyn Centre warned of "outside elements" planning to turn peaceful protests into "mayhem". After 40 people were arrested on Monday night, mayor Mike Elliott asked protesters to go home peacefully before the city's curfew on Tuesday. Police fired tear gas at protesters gathered outside the Brooklyn Centre, Minnesota police precinct, in reaction to the death of 20-year-old Daunte Wright who was fatally shot by an officer over the weekend Mr Elliott said there were plans among some “outside elements” plans to turn peaceful protests into “mayhem”.
“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.”