U.S.Yahoo Celebrity'ER' actress Mary Mara's cause of death revealed
Mary Mara, who was found dead in New York's St. Lawrence River on Sunday, died of asphyxiation, or suffocation, due to drowning, according to autopsy findings. The ER and Ray Donovan actress's cause of death was announced Wednesday by police, bringing an end to online rumors around the fatal accident. "The Jefferson County Medical Examiner's Office performed a post-mortem examination and determined that Mary Mara's manner of death was an accident, due to asphyxiation, and water drowning," says an updated statement provided by a New York State Police Troop D spokesperson.
WorldUkrayinska PravdaAnother "goodwill gesture": Russians lose an Alligator near Zmiinyi (Snake) Island
ALONA MAZURENKO – THURSDAY, 30 JUNE 2022, 19:50 A Russian Ka-52 helicopter that flew close to Zmiinyi (Snake) Island on the evening of 29 June has been damaged and has fallen into the sea near the island. Source: Pivden Operational Command Quote: "Yesterday one of four helicopters, likely Ka-52s, which flew close to Zmiinyi Island was damaged and fell into the sea between the island and the Odesa gas condensate field. The Ruscists were trying to organise a search-and-rescue operation, but the helicopter was invited to land on the Moskva cruiser."
U.S.CBS NewsAnother giant African snail sighting forces Florida county into quarantine
The reappearance of an invasive snail species forced state officials to enact a quarantine order last week for residents of Florida's Pasco County, an area north of Tampa along the gulf coast. Authorities took action after confirming that a notoriously destructive breed of mollusk, known as the giant African land snail, was identified by a community gardener in the city of Port Richey. A division of Florida's department of agriculture that manages pest control began to survey the region for additional snail sightings once the quarantine mandate was in place, according to the agency.
U.S.ReutersU.S. Supreme Court throws out rulings upholding gun restrictions
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -On the heels of last week's landmark ruling expanding individual gun rights, the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday threw out several lower court rulings that had upheld gun restrictions including bans on assault-style rifles in Maryland and large-capacity ammunition magazines in New Jersey and California. The actions by the justices sent these cases back to lower courts to reconsider in light of their June 23 ruling that declared for the first time a constitutional right to carry a handgun in public for self defense. The ruling also clarified how courts must now assess whether regulations are valid under the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment, requiring them to be comparable with restrictions traditionally adopted throughout U.S. history.
BusinessBusiness Insider'Die-hard' Nintendo fan spent over $40,000 buying stock and then asked top executives why the company won't make more of a fan-favorite series
A gamer asked execs during a shareholder meeting this week about reviving the game series "F-Zero." A gamer said he spent over 5.6 million Japanese yen — or over $40,000 US dollars — on Nintendo stock, and used his opportunity to ask a question during the Japanese gaming giant's annual shareholder meeting Wednesday about a fan-favorite series he wants to see revived. The fan asked Shuntaro Furukawa — the president of Nintendo — if the company has considered relaunching some fan-favorite game franchises, specifically "F-Zero," which was a racing-game series that hasn't had a new entry since 2004.
- PoliticsThe Week
Trump, Secret Service agent confirmed main elements of bombshell Jan. 6 fight over driving to Capitol
But the most jaw-dropping — and most contested — part of Hutchinson's testimony was probably about Trump being so "irate" he couldn't go to the Capitol with his armed supporters that he grabbed at the steering wheel of his presidential SUV and assaulted his lead Secret Service agent, Bobby Engel. Hutchinson testified that she heard about the incident right afterward from a visibly shaken Tony Ornato, Trump's former lead Secret Service agent who controversially became his White House deputy chief of staff for operations in 2020.
U.S.Associated PressTexas woman accused in cyclist death arrested in Costa Rica
A Texas woman suspected in the fatal shooting of professional cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson at an Austin home has been arrested in Costa Rica, the U.S. Marshals Service said Thursday. Kaitlin Marie Armstrong, 34, was arrested Wednesday at a hostel on Santa Teresa Beach in Provincia de Puntarenas, the Marshals Service said in a statement. “The Marshals Service elevated the Kaitlin Armstrong investigation to major case status early in this investigation, which likely played a key role in her capture after a 43-day run,” said U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Texas Susan Pamerleau.
U.S.Fox NewsCarnival cruise brawl caught on camera broke out over alleged cheating, passenger says
An all-out brawl that broke out between dozens of passengers aboard the Carnival Magic cruise ship was sparked over allegations of cheating while on the trip, according to an eyewitness passenger who shared video of the fight with Fox News Digital. Theresa James, who said she is a travel agent, told Fox News Digital that the fight started just before 2 a.m. on the ship's fifth floor, where a dance club and casino are located. The brawl lasted about an hour, according to the travel agent, and took the parties involved from the fifth floor to the ship's first floor, which James described as a huge distance.
WorldThe Burlington Free PressThis Vermont ski resort is changing its name in the interest of mental health
A small ski area in Vermont has announced that it's retiring its name, Suicide Six, this summer amid growing concerns about the insensitive nature of the historical name. The resort said on its website on Tuesday that it shares those concerns and “embraces the increasing awareness surrounding mental health. The feelings that the word 'suicide' evokes can have a significant impact on many in our community,” the resort statement said.
PoliticsYahoo NewsFilmmaker who gave footage to Jan. 6 committee: Trump is 'dangerous,' living in 'cloud cuckoo land'
A British documentary filmmaker who recently testified behind closed doors to the House Jan. 6 select committee said that former President Donald Trump is living in “cloud cuckoo land,” and is incapable of ever acknowledging that his claims about voter fraud are “delusional.” Holder was granted exclusive access to Trump and his family in the months before and after the 2020 election, giving him the opportunity to compile over 100 hours of footage of the former president, his two eldest sons and eldest daughter talking in interviews and among themselves. When the Jan. 6 select committee learned of the project — which will be aired by Discovery+ in the coming months — they subpoenaed him hoping to find footage of the Trumps speaking candidly about events that are the subject of the investigation.
PoliticsHuffPostEx-Aide Releases Melania Trump's Revealing 1-Word Text Message From Jan. 6
Former first lady Melania Trump was given a chance to call for peace on Jan. 6, 2021 as her husband's supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol and attempted to block the certification of the 2020 election. Grisham, who was also a former White House press secretary and communications director, resigned later that day, but made no mention of the assault on the Capitol. Like others who served the Trumps, Grisham saved her criticism for a tell-all book.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderThe term 'no look handshake' is trending on Twitter after Biden was seen shaking hands with South Korea's president without making eye contact
In a moment captured on video, Biden appeared to shake Yoon's hands without making eye contact. Now, "no look handshake" is trending on Twitter in South Korea as users scrutinize the gesture. An awkward handshake between US President Joe Biden and his South Korean counterpart, Yoon Suk Yeol, at the NATO summit in Madrid lit up social media on Wednesday.
WorldReutersPutin: Russia will respond if NATO sets up infrastructure in Finland, Sweden
MOSCOW (Reuters) -President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia would respond in kind if NATO deployed troops and infrastructure in Finland and Sweden after they join the U.S.-led military alliance. "But they must understand there was no threat before, while now, if military contingents and infrastructure are deployed there, we will have to respond in kind and create the same threats for the territories from which threats towards us are created."
- ScienceReuters Videos
Toxic foam cloud floods 30 homes in Colombia
STORY: Footage shows residents waking up amid a foam cloud sweeping at least 30 homes as firefighters sprayed water to disperse the cloud. Honestly, this (house) can collapse at any minute and I will have to sleep under the bridge,” Soacha resident William Sanchez said, while cleaning up his kitchen that was flooded with the toxic foam. Local media reported the foam came from a sewage gully that overflowed under the downpour.
U.S.Cincinnati.com | The EnquirerPolice warn of rise in car thefts of two particular car brands. Is yours one of them?
The Forest Park Police Department is warning residents of a local increase in car thefts of Kia and Hyundai brand vehicles, similar to instances reported in other cities across the country. The thefts are mainly of Kia cars newer than 2011 and Hyundai cars newer than 2015. Forest Park police say there were six reported thefts of these vehicle brands since June 21 from large apartment complexes at night.
WorldReutersCrypto crash threatens North Korea's stolen funds as it ramps up weapons tests
SEOUL (Reuters) -The nosedive in cryptocurrency markets has wiped out millions of dollars in funds stolen by North Korean hackers, four digital investigators say, threatening a key source of funding for the sanctions-stricken country and its weapons programmes. North Korea has poured resources into stealing cryptocurrencies in recent years, making it a potent hacking threat and leading to one of the largest cryptocurrency heists on record in March, in which almost $615 million was stolen, according to the U.S. Treasury. The sudden plunge in crypto values, which started in May amid a broader economic slowdown, complicates Pyongyang's ability to cash in on that and other heists, and may affect how it plans to fund its weapons programmes, two South Korean government sources said.
BusinessAFPSalmonella found in world's biggest chocolate plant
Salmonella bacteria have been discovered in the world's biggest chocolate plant, run by Swiss giant Barry Callebaut in the Belgian town of Wieze, the firm said Thursday. A company spokesman told AFP that production had been halted at the factory, which produces liquid chocolate in wholesale batches for 73 clients making confectionaries. "All products manufactured since the test have been blocked," spokesman Korneel Warlop said.
WorldThe New Voice of UkraineRussian assault ship hits mine near Mariupol — Odesa Oblast authorities
"We have reports that a Russian amphibious assault ship of project 1176 Akula of the Black Sea Fleet D-106 blew up near Mariupol,” he said. We are waiting for confirmation of the 'gesture of goodwill'," he added. Earlier it emerged that following powerful strikes by Ukrainian forces, the Russian occupiers of Ukraine's Snake Island in the Black Sea had hastily evacuated the remnants of the garrison on two speedboats.
ScienceReutersChinese spacecraft acquires images of entire planet of Mars
An uncrewed Chinese spacecraft has acquired imagery data covering all of Mars, including visuals of its south pole, after circling the planet more than 1,300 times since early last year, state media reported on Wednesday. Among the images taken from space were China's first photographs of the Martian south pole, where almost all of the planet's water resources are locked. In 2018, an orbiting probe operated by the European Space Agency had discovered water under the ice of the planet's south pole.
BusinessMarketWatchThe cities where housing costs are poised to drop in the next couple of years, according to one expert: ‘We’ve squeezed a decade of home-price appreciation into a year and a half’
Mortgage rates are cooling off after sharply rising. The hesitation is starting to show up in proprietary data, Rick Palacios Jr., head of research at John Burns Real Estate Consulting, told MarketWatch. “The consensus is most forecasters … are anticipating prices to either flatten and/or go down next year, especially in a lot of these way overheated markets like Boise,” Palacios said.
U.S.Miami HeraldMan arrested on flight to Orlando in sex abuse of minor, cops say. He offered an excuse
According to an affidavit first obtained by The Daily Beast, a 51-year-old California resident traveling on Flight 2954 is accused of allegedly groping a minor who was seated next to him in the early hours of Friday. A criminal complaint filed in the Middle District of Florida said that Brian Patrick Durning, of Altadena, was arrested hours later by federal agents upon landing at Orlando International Airport. The court document says a girl, referred to as “MV” (for “minor victim” older than 12, but younger than 16), was sitting in the middle seat and was allegedly touched by Durning, who was on the aisle to her left.
PoliticsReutersDemocrats' lose grip on Senate while Leahy recovers from fall
Vermont U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, 81, will undergo emergency hip surgery after falling Wednesday night, depriving his fellow Democrats of any majority in the chamber until he returns. Leahy, who is third in line to the U.S. presidency given his role as Senate president pro tempore, broke his hip at his house in the northern Virginia suburbs outside Washington, his office said on Thursday, adding that he is expected to make a full recovery. While Leahy has said he will not seek re-election in the Nov. 8 midterm elections, his vote is critical in the 50-50 split Senate where Democratic U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris holds the tie-breaking vote.
PoliticsThe WrapFormer Trump Staffer Alyssa Farah Says She Led Cassidy Hutchinson to Liz Cheney: ‘That’s How This Shocking Testimony Came About’ (Video)
Former Trump staffer Alyssa Farah revealed Thursday that she was instrumental in this week's January 6 committee hearing, claiming she directed Cassidy Hutchinson to Liz Cheney for her explosive testimony earlier this week. During Thursday's episode of “New Day,” Farah – who resigned from the Trump administration in December and has been vocal about her distaste since – told her CNN co-hosts that Hutchinson came to her directly, saying that there was more information she wanted to give the committee after her initial testimony. She did her interview, she complied with the committee, but she shared with me 'There is more I want to share that was not asked in those settings.
U.S.NBC NewsJustice Thomas cites debunked claim that Covid vaccines are made with cells from 'aborted children'
In a sharply worded dissent, Justice Clarence Thomas expressed support Thursday for a debunked claim that all Covid vaccines are made with cells from “aborted children. His dissent came in a decision by the Supreme Court to not take up a legal challenge by New York health care workers who opposed the state's vaccine mandate on religious grounds. Thomas, citing the plaintiffs, wrote that the health care workers “object” to the state's vaccine mandate “on religious grounds to all available COVID–19 vaccines because they were developed using cell lines derived from aborted children.
WorldReutersRussia hauls in ambassador over 'offensive' UK comments on nuclear weapons
LONDON (Reuters) -Russia said on Thursday it had summoned the British ambassador to voice a strong protest against "offensive" British statements, including about alleged Russian threats to use nuclear weapons. The Russian Foreign Ministry said it issued the rebuke to Ambassador Deborah Bronnert over "the frankly boorish statements of the British leadership regarding Russia, its leader and official representatives of the authorities, as well as the Russian people". The ministry said Russia had told her it objected to British statements containing "deliberately false information, in particular about alleged Russian 'threats to use nuclear weapons'".
“Left unchecked, if artificial intelligence reaches cognition … it will be fueled by some of the most inhumane impulses of humanity.”
“Now is the time to stop and think — before our technology outstrips us once again.”
“I don't want to talk about sentient robots, because at all ends of the spectrum there are humans harming other humans.”
“Minds can take different forms … We should avoid reducing questions about AIs to ‘Can AIs think and feel like us?’”
“To identify sentience, or consciousness, or even intelligence, we’re going to have to work out what they are.”