U.S.Associated Press'Whoa, that's not right': Georgia towns lead census appeals
When officials in Chester, Georgia, heard that the 2020 census had pegged their small town at 525 people, their jaws dropped. “I said, 'Whoa, that's not right,'” City Clerk Melanie McCook said. Chester and two other small, rural municipalities in Georgia are the first communities in the U.S. to challenge the accuracy of their numbers from the once-a-decade head count.
PoliticsINSIDERDemocratic Sen. Chris Coons says he's 'gravely concerned' about the 'abundant evidence' of nationwide voter suppression
Coons said legislators are seeing laws in dozens of states that are "clearly designed to accomplish voter suppression." Senate Republicans unanimously voted down landmark voting rights legislation last week, instigating a fight over the filibuster. As tensions over voting rights escalate, Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware said he is "gravely concerned" about nationwide voter suppression efforts.
U.S.INSIDER'Nasty' scammer had sex with men he met on the dating app Grindr then blackmailed and robbed them
Anouar Sabbar had sex with his victims and then demanded payment, saying he was an escort. Sabbar was sentenced to 5 years in jail on Thursday. A 28-year-old British man has been jailed for five years for blackmailing and robbing nine men he met on the LGBTQ hook-up app Grindr, police said.
WorldReutersGerman government distances itself from navy chief's comments on Putin
The German government on Saturday distanced itself from comments made by its navy chief after video footage emerged in which the vice-admiral said Russian President Vladimir Putin deserved respect and that Kyiv would never win back annexed Crimea from Moscow. German Navy Chief Kay-Achim Schoenbach apologized for his "rash" comments, published on YouTube and widely circulated on German media, and called them a mistake. In a Twitter post, Schoenbach said his remarks at a thinktank discussion in India expressed a personal opinion and not the official position of the defence ministry.
U.S.Business InsiderUnited Airlines flight to Israel turns back to US mid-flight after 2 passengers who assigned themselves seats in business class started a 'riot,' reports say
A United Airlines flight to Tel Aviv turned back to New York due to two disruptive passengers. The passengers refused to provide proof of allocated seats in business class, per Israeli media. A United Airlines flight to Tel Aviv, Israel, turned back to New York mid-flight on Friday after two passengers caused a "riot" on the aircraft, per reports.
U.S.Miami HeraldAn arrest warrant has been issued for a luxury cruise ship bound for Miami
An arrest warrant has been issued for a Crystal Cruises ship that was supposed to arrive in Miami Saturday, but reportedly is a fugitive ship heading for the Bahamas Sunday. The warrant issued in the Miami office of Fort Lauderdale federal court Thursday orders the U.S. Marshal to “arrest the Defendant vessel, her boats, tackle, apparel and furniture, engines and appurtenances and to detain the same in your custody pending further order of the Court.” Court documents say Crystal Cruises' couldn't pay for its fuel.
WorldReutersTwo Canadians die in shooting at Mexican Caribbean resort
Two Canadians died of gunshot wounds after an argument turned violent at a resort near Cancun on Mexico's Caribbean coast, authorities said on Friday. Both guests at the upscale resort on the Riviera Maya of Quintana Roo state had criminal records, said Mexican officials, citing information from the Canadian police. Mexican police are searching for another person thought to have fired the shots who had a "long" criminal record in Canada, said the attorney general's office in Quintana Roo, home to a stretch of white-sand beach resorts and lush jungles.
U.S.HuffPostI Work With Dying Veterans. Here's Why I Don't Automatically Thank Them For Their Service.
A smiling intern approaches with a flag pin intent on thanking him for his military service whether he likes it or not. Earlier that morning, I noticed James standing apart from the milling crowd gathered for a workshop on terminally ill veterans who have “combat-related psychological challenges” like post-traumatic stress disorder, moral injury and complicated bereavement. With his straight back and hair cut in the style of a Marine, James was a stark contrast to the business card-exchanging group of social workers and psychologists with whom I'd been chatting.
PoliticsINSIDERMichael Cohen says Donald Trump told him if one of his kids had to go to prison to 'make sure' it was Donald Jr., not Ivanka
Donald Trump's former lawyer claimed that Trump told him Donald Jr. should go to prison rather than Ivanka. Michael Cohen said his former boss gave the instruction when his children were on the verge of being indicted in 2012. Cohen was speaking to MSNBC about the probes into the Trump Organization and the Capitol riot.
U.S.Associated PressStray bullet kills English astrophysicist visiting Atlanta
A stray bullet struck and killed an English astrophysicist while he was inside an Atlanta-area apartment, authorities say. Matthew Willson, 31, of Chertsey, Surrey, England, was visiting his girlfriend in the United States when he was hit by a bullet that pierced the wall of the apartment. “He was supposed to be here for three months because we've been long distance for a while,” Katherine Shepard, his girlfriend of three years, told WSB-TV.
U.S.INSIDERA Texas woman demanded to buy a child from a mother at a Walmart for $500,000, police say
Taylor is being held at the Houston County Jail on a $50,000 bond. A 49-year-old Texas woman was arrested and charged with a third-degree felony last week after she attempted to buy a child for $500,000 at a Walmart, police said. Rebecca Lanette Taylor was charged last week with the sale and purchase of a child, according to NBC affiliate KETK-TV.
- ScienceStoryful
Flames Leap From Hillside as Wildfire Spreads in California's Big Sur
A wildfire that started in California's Big Sur region on Friday, January 21, and prompted evacuation orders had burned through 1,050 acres by Sunday morning, officials said. The Colorado Fire, burning near Palo Colorado Canyon in Monterey County, was 25-percent contained as of Sunday morning, Cal Fire said. This footage, taken by Ryan Harpar on Saturday night, shows flames near Bixby Bridge.
U.S.Associated PressKansas teen's death has spotlight on 'stand your ground' law
Kansas lawmakers were thinking of homeowners facing down burglars and people attacked on the street when they wrote a “stand your ground” law more than a decade ago allowing use of deadly force in self defense. Now even some Republicans in the GOP-controlled Legislature who support the idea behind the law want to revisit it. Police took 17-year-old Cedric Lofton to the center after a foster care agency said he needed a mental health exam for increasingly erratic behavior.
U.S.TODAYA Pennsylvania woman rescued a ‘scared’ animal. No one knows what it is
A woman in Pennsylvania has experts flummoxed by the animal she discovered outside of her home. Christina Eyth rescued the animal earlier this week near her home in Fairfield Township after finding paw prints outside of her door. Eyth followed the tracks, assuming they had belonged to her neighbor's dog after they had gotten loose.
U.S.The Daily BeastCanadian Guests Killed After Gunfire Erupts at Ritzy Playa del Carmen Resort
The shooting is the latest in a spate of horrific violence in the vacation hotspot. A man wielding a gun was caught on CCTV at the five-star Xcaret Hotel, located at popular Playa del Carmen, in a gray sweatsuit by the pool. Lucio Hernández Gutiérrez, the Public Secretary of Defense for the state of Quintana Roo, said gunfire broke out after a group of Canadian guests got into an argument.
U.S.Associated PressTexas attorney general refuses to hand over Jan. 6 records
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has rejected a prosecutor's demand for records of his appearance at a pro-Donald Trump rally that preceded the assault on the U.S. Capitol. Last week, the Travis County district attorney's office had set a four-day deadline for Paxton to turn over the records involving the Jan. 6, 2021, rally or face a lawsuit accusing him of violating the state open records law. But in a letter to the district attorney's office Friday, the attorney general's office denied any violations and rejected the office's demands.
U.S.TheGrioThe problem with Joe Rogan…and white boys
However, I cannot, in good conscience, declare that I am unbiased when it comes to Spotify's $100 million white man because of one fact: I like Joe Rogan. Perhaps “like” is too austere a word. I've paid to see him perform live.
U.S.INSIDERA 73-year-old New York grandmother outsmarted scammers who pretended to be her grandson and said he needed $8,000 to be bailed out of jail
The woman said a man called her and pretended to be her grandson, claiming he needed $8,000 in bail money. The woman from Seaford, who asked to be identified as Jean, told CBS2 that she received a call from someone claiming to be her grandson. "He starts calling me 'grandma,' and then I'm like, I don't have a grandson that drives, so I knew it was a scam."
BusinessEngadgetApple pulls verification requirement for US education shoppers
Earlier this week, Apple began requiring that students and teachers in the US verify their identity through authentication service UNiDAYS before they could take advantage of the company's discounted education pricing. The move closed a long-standing loophole that had allowed almost anyone to save money on an Apple device as long as they weren't caught in a random check. Per MacRumors, you can once again buy discounted Macs, iPads and other Apple products from the company's US education website without the need to verify that you're currently a student or a teacher.
U.S.Austin American-StatesmanFact-check: Is it true that 70% of Texas fourth-graders cannot read at grade level?
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke has made improving education one of his campaign priorities. In place of that emphasis, the campaign's director of policy and research Gina Hinojosa wrote, Texas could develop strategies "that better allow teachers to teach to the student, not to a standardized test." "Right now, in the average Texas fourth grade classroom, 7 out of 10 kids cannot read at grade level," O'Rourke said.
U.S.USA TODAYDon't throw away this document. Why IRS Letter 6419 is critical to filing your 2021 taxes.
Someone who normally does not make enough money to be required to file a tax return will still need to keep this letter to claim extra money that could be owed for the child tax credit when they file a 2021 federal income tax return. "Even if you had $0 in income," the IRS notes, "you could have received advance Child Tax Credit payments if you were eligible." Save smarter, spend smarter: The Daily Money offers financial tips and advice.
U.S.Associated PressPolice: Truck with 100 monkeys crashes, some of them missing
A truck carrying about 100 monkeys was involved in a crash Friday in Pennsylvania, state police said as authorities searched for at least three of the monkeys that appeared to have escaped the vehicle. The truck carrying the animals crashed with a dump truck in the afternoon in Montour County, Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Andrea Pelachick told the Daily Item. Authorities have asked residents who might see the monkeys to call state police at 570-524-2662.
U.S.The Daily BeastFBI Reveals What Was in Brian Laundrie’s Notebook
Brian Laundrie scrawled messages in a notebook admitting that he killed his girlfriend Gabby Petito, the FBI said in a statement Friday as they announced that their investigation into the couple's deaths was now closed. The notebook was found alongside Laundrie's remains in a wooded area in Florida in October, weeks after police say he killed Petito while they were traveling the country in a van. “The FBI's primary focus throughout the investigation was to bring justice to Gabby and her family,” said FBI Denver Special Agent Michael Schneider.
PoliticsINSIDERClarence Thomas' wife spoke at a conservative conference featuring the founder of the Oath Keepers, a far-right militia group involved in the Capitol riot
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' wife has ties to right-wing groups, the New Yorker reported. The founder of the Oath Keepers was featured in an event where Virginia Thomas co-hosted a banquet. Earlier this month, Stewart Rhodes was charged with sedition in connection to the Capitol riot.
BusinessReutersRoyal Dutch no more - Shell officially changes name
LONDON (Reuters) -Shell officially changed its name on Friday, ditching "Royal Dutch", which has been part of its identity since 1907, following plans to scrap its dual share structure and move its head office from the Netherlands to Britain. The London and Amsterdam stock exchanges will reflect the name change on Jan. 25 while the New York Stock Exchange will follow on Jan. 31. The change will not affect share ownership and the A shares and B shares will remain unchanged for the time being, Shell said.
“Cooking is the No. 1 way you’re polluting your home … You’re basically living in this toxic soup.”
“People (myself included) like cooking with gas! It’s one of the few energy uses that inspires brand loyalty to the fuel consumed.”
“It’s time to start making new buildings all-electric and switching out all those existing gas appliances, including gas stoves.”
“If you're looking for personal ways to protect the environment and your health right now, you have much bigger fish to fry.”
“Market-based solutions have not achieved their desired goals, thus new ways of thinking need to emerge.”