PoliticsYahoo NewsAs Trump courts Black voters, critics see a 'depression strategy'
President Trump wants to Make America #Woke Again. Viewers who watch the Trump campaign's online programming aimed at Black audiences are encouraged to tweet the hashtag #Woke when announcing their support for the president. This subversion of the term, which originated in the Black community as slang for becoming attuned to the injustice and systemic racism prevalent in American society, is part of a larger effort by the Trump campaign to erode Democrats' longtime advantage with African-American voters.
PoliticsYahoo NewsSources: Russian aggression against U.S. intelligence satellites sparks congressional briefing
Over recent days, officials from the newly minted U.S. Space Force and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence briefed multiple congressional committees on an “uptick” in Russian military activity in space targeting U.S. defense and intelligence satellites, according to two sources familiar with the matter. While the sources declined to comment on the specifics of recent incidents, which follow general increases in Chinese and Russian aggression in space, these recent actions were deemed “serious enough” to merit briefings on Capitol Hill, said one of the sources. Officials also briefed committees on plans to counter the Russian aggression, the source said.
WorldBusiness InsiderMass suspension of German police officers who shared pictures of Hitler and doctored images of refugees in gas chambers
The widespread sharing neo-Nazi imagery and pictures of Adolf Hitler on far-right chatrooms by German police has led to the suspension of 29 officers. The officers shared extremist content, including Swastikas and doctored images of refugees in gas chambers, according to officials in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). Some face charges of spreading Nazi propaganda and hate speech while others are accused of not reporting the actions of their colleagues.
U.S.USA TODAYSouthern California jolted by magnitude 4.5 earthquake, another worry after raging wildfires
In a region already reeling from wildfires and smoke-filled skies, a moderate earthquake jolted Southern California Friday. The quake had a preliminary magnitude of 4.5, the U.S. Geological Service reported. It jangled nerves, but no injuries or damage were immediately reported.
U.S.Associated PressCourt weighs allowing courtroom cameras in George Floyd case
The trial of four former Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd's death will generate massive public interest when it begins in March, but as it stands, most people who want to watch the proceedings will be out of luck. Supporters of audio and visual coverage say the high-profile nature of Floyd's death, the outrage that led to worldwide protests, and courtroom restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic make this the right time and case to allow cameras in court. “I just can't think of a situation where it's more important than a case like this for the public to see what's actually transpiring in the courtroom,” said Jane Kirtley, director of the Silha Center for the Study of Media Ethics and Law.
U.S.The IndependentRochester: Two killed and 14 wounded after mass shooting at party in New York state
Two people have been killed in a mass shooting in New York state in which 14 other people were also injured. Police confirmed the shooting, which took place at a party, resulted in the deaths of a man and a woman between the ages of 18 and 22. The incident happened during the early hours of Saturday in Rochester, a city on the southern edge of Lake Ontario in New York State.
EntertainmentBusiness InsiderJoe Rogan apologized for spreading misinformation about Oregon fires amid Spotify employee backlash
Podcast host Joe Rogan apologized for echoing a false claim that that "left-wing activists" had been arrested on suspicion of setting forest fires in Oregon. In a recent episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience," Rogan referenced false reports of left-wing extremists setting fires — reports that the FBI had confirmed to be "untrue." On Friday, Rogan posted a video on Instagram in which he said he was "duped" and wanted to make an apology and a retraction.
WorldBBCPakistan outcry over police victim-blaming of gang-raped mother
She called her relatives in Gujranwala who advised her to call the motorway emergency numbers and also set off to help her. According to the complaint registered with the police by one of the woman's relatives, the car was broken into by two men in their early- to mid-30s who stole money and jewellery she had on her. They raped her in front of her two children in a nearby field, and then escaped.
U.S.Associated PressPrinceton faces federal inquiry after acknowledging racism
The Trump administration has opened an investigation into racial bias at Princeton University, saying that the school's recent acknowledgment of racism on campus amounts to a “shocking” and “serious” admission of discrimination. In a letter to the university on Wednesday, the U.S. Education Department said the school's acknowledgment of racism conflicts with previous assurances that Princeton complies with federal anti-discrimination laws. It said that, in an open letter issued Sept. 2, the university's president “admitted Princeton's educational program is and for decades has been racist."
PoliticsThe Independent‘She is a good person’: Fauci backs Pence aide who says she’s voting for Biden
Dr Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said Olivia Troye, the former lead aide on Vice President Mike Pence's coronavirus task force who said she'd be voting for Democratic candidate Joe Biden in the 2020 US election, was "important to the team" and a "good person." During an appearance on Chris Hayes' MSNBC program, Dr Fauci praised the former aide for her work on the coronavirus response team, but declined to further comment on her political stances. "I interacted with Olivia, I liked her, she was a good person.
NewsBusiness InsiderTesla driver charged for appearing to be asleep with the seat fully reclined while traveling at over 86 mph
Canadian authorities said they charged a driver for dangerous driving after they appeared to be sleeping while his Tesla Model S drove on Autopilot. Tesla maintains the software is not misleading. "The people who misuse Autopilot, it's not because they're new to it and don't understand it," Elon Musk told Automotive News in July in response to criticism of the feature's name.
WorldThe Daily BeastInside the Hell of Israel’s Second Lockdown
The atmosphere was so grim as the nation entered a coronavirus lockdown on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, that there appeared to be no escape. The greeting felt hollow as Israel entered into the year 5781 as the first country on earth to impose a second national lockdown. In late May, after the third inconclusive Israeli election in under a year, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu established an uncomfortable team-of-rivals coalition keeping him in power for a further 18 months, which he called a “corona emergency coalition.”
U.S.Miami HeraldTwins abduct, beat man for ransom while on house arrest for murder, authorities say
Twin brothers under house arrest on murder charges duct-taped a man and cut his face and toes demanding a ransom payment, authorities said. On Friday, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida announced 23-year-old twin brothers Devon Cooke and Donavan Cooke, of Miami Gardens, were charged with carjacking and kidnapping after they allegedly abducted and assaulted a man in an attempt to collect ransom money. The brothers were under house house arrest on murder and attempted murder charges when the incident happened.
WorldAssociated PressUS carrier transits Strait of Hormuz amid tensions with Iran
The USS Nimitz aircraft carrier safely transited on Friday through the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important chokepoint for oil shipments, the U.S. Navy said, as tensions with Iran continue to simmer. In a “scheduled” maneuver, the U.S. sent the carrier and several other warships through the strait, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, according to the U.S. Navy's Bahrain-based 5th fleet. The Nimitz, America's oldest carrier in active service, carries some 5,000 sailors and Marines.
PoliticsThe IndependentTrump seeks to shore up military support in North Carolina campaign swing
Republican President Donald Trump takes his re-election campaign to the political swing state of North Carolina on Saturday in an effort to boost his poll numbers against Democratic rival Joe Biden and shore up support among military members there. Trump has boasted about revitalising the US armed forces with increased defense budgets but has seen his political support slip among troops. A poll in the Military Times last month found a "slight but significant" preference among active duty military members for Biden, the former vice president, and a decline in favourability for Trump.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderJared Kushner reportedly said 'free markets will solve' the PPE shortage in March. Nurses are still paying for that approach.
New reporting on a March 21 meeting in the White House Situation Room quotes Jared Kushner as saying it was "not the role of government" to solve the PPE shortage and prevent states from outbidding each other, according to Vanity Fair. "The federal government is not going to lead this response," Kushner said, according to Vanity Fair. A PPE shortage persists today, with one survey finding 58% of nurses in Florida, Kansas, Missouri and Nevada saying they had to reuse N95 masks for five days or more by the beginning of September.
- PoliticsReuters Videos
'In many cases I do' - Trump claims to know better than experts
Trump said on Wednesday that a vaccine for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, could be ready for distribution ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Hours earlier, Robert Redfield, director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said a COVID-19 vaccine could be broadly rolled out by the middle of next year or a little later. Trump later disputed that.
PoliticsUSA TODAYWho might succeed Justice Ginsburg? Trump's short list begins with these four women (and one man)
A finalist for Trump's second high court nomination, which ultimately went to Brett Kavanaugh in 2018, Barrett, 48, is a favorite of religious conservatives. Barrett rocketed to the top of Trump's list of potential nominees after her 2017 confirmation hearing for a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, when Democrats cited her deep Catholic faith not as an advantage but an obstacle.
WorldAssociated PressKremlin chafes at Navalny team taking suspected evidence
The Kremlin accused colleagues of opposition leader Alexei Navalny on Friday of hampering a Russian investigation by taking items from his hotel room out of the country, including a water bottle the colleagues claimed had traces of the Soviet nerve agent that German authorities said was used to poison Navalny. Navalny's colleagues revealed Thursday that they removed the bottle and other items from the hotel room in Siberia and brought them to Germany as potential evidence. because they didn't trust Russian authorities to conduct a proper probe after the Krmlin's arch foe became critically ill on a flight to Moscow.
PoliticsThe Daily BeastU.S. Admits That Congressman Offered Pardon to Assange If He Covered Up Russia Links
LONDON—Lawyers representing the United States at Julian Assange's extradition trial in Britain have accepted the claim that the WikiLeaks founder was offered a presidential pardon by a congressman on the condition that he would help cover up Russia's involvement in hacking emails from the Democratic National Committee. Jennifer Robinson, a lawyer, told the court that she had attended a meeting between Assange, then Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, and pro-Trump troll Charles Johnson at Assange's hide-out, the Ecuadorian embassy in London, on August 15, 2017.
HealthThe TelegraphAlmost one third of Covid deaths in July and August 'primarily caused by other conditions'
Coronavirus was not the main cause of death for nearly one third of recorded Covid-19 victims in July and August, research by Oxford University has found. Analysis shows that around 30 percent of people included in the coronavirus death toll by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) over the summer months had died primarily from other conditions. It means someone who suffered a heart attack, or even died in a road traffic accident, may have been included in the figures if they had also tested positive for coronavirus at some point, or if doctors believed the virus may have exacerbated their condition.
BusinessBusiness InsiderBill Gates says Elon Musk couldn't be confused with Steve Jobs and that electric cars are 'far easier' than other climate change technology
Bill Gates doesn't think it's fair to call Elon Musk "the next Steve Jobs," the billionaire philanthropist said during an interview on Bloomberg TV Thursday. When asked by Bloomberg's Erik Schatzker if Musk was indeed the next Jobs, Gates replied: "If you know people personally, that kind of gross oversimplification seems strange. Elon's more of a hands-on engineer; Steve was a genius at design and picking people and marketing.
U.S.ReutersJudge blocks 'politically motivated' changes to U.S. Postal Service ahead of election
A federal judge on Thursday blocked controversial changes to the United States postal service, saying they were "a politically motivated attack" that had slowed the nation's mail and likely would slow the delivery of ballots in the upcoming presidential election. U.S. District Judge Stanley Bastian in Yakima, Washington, said he was issuing a nationwide injunction sought by 14 states in a case against U.S. President Donald Trump, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, and the U.S. Postal Service over July changes to the service.
- U.S.Associated Press
Ex-California attorney sentenced for killing wife on cruise
A former Southern California lawyer was sentenced Friday to life without the possibility of parole for strangling his ex-wife and throwing her body off a cruise ship in the Mediterranean in 2006. Lonnie Loren Kocontes, 62, of Safety Harbor, Florida, was convicted in June of first-degree murder with a special circumstances enhancement of murder for financial gain. Prosecutors said Kocontes killed Micki Kanesaki in order to inherit more than $1 million from their bank accounts and the sale of a Southern California home they jointly owned.
PoliticsThe Daily BeastThe NRA and the Trump Campaign Appear to Be Flouting Election Laws. Again.
The NRA and the Trump campaign placed those ads through two companies that appear separate on paper, but reporting by The Trace indicates they are affiliates of National Media Research, Planning and Placement, an influential conservative firm in Alexandria, Virginia. We identified four National Media employees whose names or signatures also appear on recent documents related to the shell companies. In fact, the three firms are so closely linked that they share a phone number.
“The SAT is emblematic of higher education’s failure to keep up with the times...Just the stuff that systemic racism thrives on.”
“These tests create unnecessary stress for young people already dealing with mental health challenges.”
“Dropping the SAT requirement makes it harder for colleges to compare applicants against a common standard.”
“The best predictor of college success overall is a simple one: high school grades.”
“What matters more is a broader push to help minority students get better educations.”