U.S.Washington ExaminerNYPD hunting for man involved in apparent broad daylight sexual assault of woman: Video
The New York City Police Department is hunting for a suspect captured on video groping a woman in broad daylight on a borough sidewalk, authorities said. An unidentified man was captured on surveillance footage running up to a 35-year-old female and tackling her from behind before he "reached into her shorts and forcibly grabbed her buttocks," a spokesperson for the NYPD told the Washington Examiner. The incident occurred around 8 a.m.
PoliticsMiami HeraldBiden’s small gesture toward DeSantis highlighted the president’s human touch | Editorial
The president called it “remarkable.” President Biden came to Florida on Thursday, Surfside, specifically, to see for himself the incredible aftermath of an unimaginable event — the collapse of the Champlain Towers South. After almost 18 months of a highly politicized response — or maybe non-response — to the deadly coronavirus, in this state and others across the nation, it is breathtaking to see Florida's Republican Gov. DeSantis standing shoulder to shoulder with political rival, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz one day, and Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava on another — both Democrats.
WorldReutersTwitter unblocks accounts of Belarus 'embassies' it suspended
BERLIN (Reuters) -Twitter said on Friday it had reinstated access to the accounts of a group of exile opposition groups that call themselves the "Belarusian People's Embassies", which it suspended after they were accused of identity theft, apparently by Belarusian authorities. "We took enforcement action on the accounts referenced in error," a Twitter spokesperson said. The people's embassy movement sprang up after last year's presidential election, in which long-serving strongman Alexander Lukashenko claimed a resounding victory despite a widespread belief that the vote was fraudulent.
U.S.Idaho StatesmanBundy was found guilty of trespassing at Idaho Capitol. Here’s what some Idahoans said.
After a four-day trial and brief deliberations, an Ada County jury on Thursday evening found Ammon Bundy guilty of misdemeanor trespassing and resisting or obstructing officers. Bundy, an Emmett resident known for standoffs with federal officials in Malheur, Oregon, and at his father's ranch in Nevada, faced charges after an August arrest at the Idaho Capitol during the Legislature's special session. Idahoans' reactions to the verdict were mixed, with some pleased to see Bundy face consequences — community service and a $750 fine — for refusing to leave the Statehouse as tensions roiled over COVID-19 measures.
U.S.NBC NewsSupreme Court won't overturn ruling against business that refused to serve gay weddings
The Supreme Court on Friday declined to wade into the contentious issue of whether businesses have a right to refuse service for same-sex wedding ceremonies despite state laws forbidding them from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation. The court dodged the wedding question three years ago in a case involving a Colorado baker who said baking a cake to celebrate a same-sex marriage would violate his right of free expression and religious beliefs. The issue came back in an appeal brought by Barronelle Stutzman, owner of Arlene's Flowers and Gifts in Richland, Washington.
PoliticsBBCObituary: Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Rumsfeld, who served as secretary of defence for President Gerald Ford and President George W Bush, has died aged 88. Best known for overseeing the US response to the 9/11 terror attacks, his political career eventually came undone by the spiralling conflict in Iraq. Across a career spanning decades, Rumsfeld forged a reputation as the ultimate Washington insider and a true political survivor notorious for outmanoeuvring his foes.
WorldThe TelegraphFrance facing fourth wave as Europe races to vaccinate against delta surge
France delayed the planned lifting of coronavirus restrictions in a key region on Wednesday as its chief scientific advisor warned the delta variant could cause a fourth wave of infections. “We do not want to take the risk of having a re-start of the epidemic,” said Gabriel Attal, a French government spokesman, as he announced the national easing of restrictions would be delayed in the Landes region until at least July 6. The region has experienced a particularly high number of cases of the delta variant, which was first identified in India and is behind the current wave in the UK.
U.S.Kansas City StarBill Cosby’s not free on a technicality. He’s free because his prosecutors cheated
Bill Cosby did not walk free because he wasn't guilty of drugging and then sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in 2004 — or as he preferred to see it, of “dancing outside” of his marriage. That turned out to be a death sentence, since by the time Coones was freed last November, the cancer that had gone undetected behind bars was so advanced that he died in February, at age 64, after just 108 days of freedom.
BusinessReutersU.S. CBO doubles growth forecast to 7.4%; sees slight drop in federal deficit
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Congressional Budget Office on Thursday doubled its forecast for U.S. economic growth in fiscal 2021 to 7.4% and said it expected the federal budget deficit to decline slightly to about $3 trillion despite higher coronavirus aid spending. The upbeat forecast from the non-partisan CBO was mirrored by a sharply higher forecast for U.S. economic output from the International Monetary Fund, which raised its projection for U.S. gross domestic product growth to 7% from 6.4%.
U.S.The StateElsa now a Category 1 hurricane with Florida in its forecast. Hurricane watch for Haiti
Tropical Storm Elsa strengthened into a hurricane early Friday, and it still has Florida in sight for early next week, although the National Hurricane Center stressed that the forecast is uncertain that far out. The latest forecast calls for Elsa to continue to strengthen over the next day but weaken to a tropical storm while crossing Cuba. In South Florida, officials overseeing the search-and-rescue effort at Champlain Towers South are keeping an eye on Elsa as a possible disruption.
WorldReutersWhat you need to know about the coronavirus right now
Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: Delta variant sweeps Asia The highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus is surging through Asia, with record numbers of infections in Australia and South Korea, prompting some countries to tighten curbs and others to step up vaccinations. The variant, first detected in India in December last year, has spread to about 100 countries and the World Health Organisation warned recently that it could soon become the dominant form of the virus. It is also driving a spike in cases in Japan, casting a pall over this month's Olympic Games.
U.S.BBCBoeing 737 cargo jet crashes into sea off Honolulu, Hawaii
A Boeing 737 cargo plane with two people on board has crashed off the coast of Hawaii after reportedly experiencing engine trouble. According to the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), the Coast Guard rescued both pilots. The aircraft was en route from Honolulu to the island of Maui, but went down in the water soon after taking off from Daniel K Inouye International Airport.
CelebrityTODAY‘Fresh Prince' star calls out Phylicia Rashad for Cosby tweet: 'What are you thinking?'
Just hours after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned Bill Cosby's conviction for indecent assault and ordered his release from prison, his longtime friend and former television wife, Phylicia Rashad, posted on Twitter to celebrate the news. And not long after that, another familiar face from prime-time past spoke up on social media, too. Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” star Janet Hubert, best known to fans as the original Aunt Viv from the series' first three seasons, called out Rashad over a tweet in which “The Cosby Show” alum claimed that “a terrible wrong is being righted” and referred to Cosby's earlier conviction as a “miscarriage of justice.
U.S.Kansas City StarOne year after 6-year-old boy killed on July 4th, California police name new suspect
California police said they have identified another suspect in the shooting death of a 6-year-old boy on July 4th last year. The appeal to the public to help find Deshaune Lumpkin, 18, of San Francisco as a second shooting suspect comes nearly a year after Jace Young was shot and killed on July 4, 2020, San Francisco police said in a news release Thursday. Jace was with his family watching fireworks when he was shot, KTVU reported.
WorldReutersScience, industry team up in Italy to zap virus with laser
A United Nations-backed scientific research centre has teamed up with an Italian tech firm to explore whether laser light can be used to kill coronavirus particles suspended in the air and help keep indoor spaces safe. The joint effort between the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) of Trieste, a city in the north of Italy, and the nearby Eltech K-Laser company, was launched last year as COVID-19 was battering the country. They created a device that forces air through a sterilization chamber which contains a laser beam filter that pulverizes viruses and bacteria.
WorldMiami Herald‘Art of listening’: U.S. Chaplain Corps comforts Surfside families, first responders
United States Chaplain Corps Director General Mendy Coën said the job of the 30 chaplains now in Surfside amid the crisis is “the art of listening” — to survivors, families of those missing, and first responders. “This is tough,” Coën said, perched in the backseat of a golf cart as a fellow chaplain veered the vehicle through traffic on Harding Avenue en route to the Surfside community center from the Sea View Hotel. Thursday morning, Coën said, families of those missing in the partial condo collapse were “yelling and screaming and crying” as they learned that the search-and-rescue effort had temporarily halted a week after it began due to hazardous circumstances on site and fears of further building collapse.
- HealthYahoo News Video
Why hasn't the FDA fully approved the COVID-19 vaccines?
With the Delta coronavirus variant posing a serious risk to unvaccinated Americans, some experts are calling for the FDA to fully approve the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, which are currently being used under emergency use authorization. Yahoo News Medical Contributor, Dr. Kavita Patel, explains some of the reasons why the agency may have not given the full approval yet, and why it is important that they do at this crucial moment in the pandemic.
WorldArchitectural Digest11 Dreamy Candles to Capture Your Summer Mood
From sweet summer scents to whimsical shapes Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
BusinessReutersS&P 500 winning streak extends to sixth straight record close
The S&P 500 reached its sixth consecutive all-time closing high on Thursday, as a new quarter and the second half of the year began with upbeat economic data and a broad-based rally. Investors now eye Friday's much-anticipated employment report. "Historical data shows if you have a strong first half, the second half of the year was actually going even stronger," said Ross Mayfield, investment strategy analyst with Baird Private Wealth.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderTrump spent hours watching charges against his company and CFO unfold, complaining about the prosecutors, report says
Former President Donald Trump spent hours watching coverage of the Trump Organization and its CFO being charged with tax crimes, The Washington Post reported. A close Trump advisor told the Post that he spent much of Thursday watching the events, and complained about how it looked. He was angry about the visuals of Allen Weisselberg, the CFO, in handcuffs, and he called the prosecution "chicken s----" , that person said.
BusinessThe StateColumbia company gets American-made, virus-killing products to schools, hospitals
Rhino Medical Supply company gained national attention last year as one of the few U.S. distributors of N-95 masks, helping to fix a supply-chain shortage during the pandemic. The Columbia company was built one year ago to fight the pandemic, but Rhino is continuing to grow after most people put the masks away. The company is securing deals in the American-made medical supply chain for virus- fighting products.
U.S.The IndependentWoman who left phone in cab and accused Black teen of stealing it is charged with hate crimes
A 22-year-old California woman who accused a Black teenager of stealing her phone after she left it in the back of a taxi has been charged with hate crimes. On 26 December last year, at Arlo Hotel in New York City, Miya Ponsetto accused Keyon Harrold Jr - the 14-year-old son of Jazz musician Keyon Harrold - of stealing her phone. A viral video of the incident also appeared to show her attacking him.
CelebrityBBCBritney Spears: Financial firm asks to withdraw from conservatorship
A financial firm has asked to withdraw as co-conservator of pop star Britney Spears' financial affairs, citing her objections in court last week. The Bessemer Trust are named as joint guardians of her estate, along with her father Jamie Spears. Bessemer Trust filed a motion to withdraw from the arrangement on Thursday, just one day after the latest order in the long-running legal saga upheld their role as co-conservators.
U.S.USA TODAY'What can you do?' He was in Paris. His wife was 4,500 miles away in a Surfside, Florida, condo that had started to collapse.
Philippe Naïm was in his Paris apartment when he got a call early June 24 from his wife who was at the couple's beachside condo. It was the middle of the night in Surfside, Florida, but Margarita Champin had heard a noise that had shaken her – like an explosion. Naïm said he's not the scared type; he travels for work and knows how to take care of himself.
PoliticsThe Daily BeastNot a Single Republican Fears the Wrath of Kevin McCarthy
So House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy says he'll strip committee assignments from any Republican who deigns to serve on Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Jan. 6 select commission. The New Abnormal co-host Molly Jong-Fast wants to know: Can he actually do that? Subscribe to The New Abnormal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Overcast.
“Obamacare is getting stronger every time the Republicans try to kill it.”
“It is far from certain the Supreme Court will safeguard the Affordable Care Act the next time the law reaches the court’s chambers.”
“Although ACA cost Obama an enormous amount, it’s become clear that he will have the last laugh.”
“Even the feistiest Republicans have given up talking seriously about repeal.”
“Current and future cases will largely concern the administration and enforcement of the ACA, not its underlying architecture.”