| Conspiracy-mongering Republican seeking John Lewis seat gets social media boost from Trump Posted: 08 Aug 2020 08:47 AM PDT  Besides parroting many of President Trump's talking points, Angela Stanton-King, a Republican congressional candidate, has frequently repeated ideas related to the conspiracy theory QAnon.
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| Former US soldiers sentenced to 20 years for bungled Venezuelan coup plot Posted: 07 Aug 2020 10:35 PM PDT  A Venezuelan court sentenced two former US special forces soldiers to 20 years in prison for their part in a failed beach attack aimed at overthrowing President Nicolas Maduro, prosecutors announced late on Friday. Former Green Berets Luke Denman and Airan Berry admitted to taking part in the May 4 operation orchestrated by a third ex-US soldier who remains in the United States, Venezuelan's chief prosecutor Tarek William Saab announced on Twitter. "THEY ADMITTED THEIR RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FACTS," Saab wrote, adding that the case will continue for dozens of other defendants. He did not offer details. "Operation Gideon" was launched from makeshift training camps in neighbouring Colombia and left at least eight rebel soldiers dead while a total of 66 were jailed. Former Green Beret Jordan Goudreau, who operated a private, Florida-based security firm called Silvercorp USA, claimed responsibility for the failed attack. Venezuelan prosecutors announced that Denman and Berry, both decorated former US service members, were found guilty of conspiracy, trafficking in illegal arms and terrorism.
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| Hong Kong hits back at 'shameless' U.S. sanctions on leader Carrie Lam Posted: 08 Aug 2020 04:29 AM PDT  The Hong Kong government said it was being used as a "pawn" in the U.S.-China relationship.
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| Data shows Kansas counties with mask mandates have seen a decrease in COVID-19 cases Posted: 06 Aug 2020 07:47 PM PDT  Counties in Kansas that adopted a mask mandate have seen a drop in COVID-19 cases, Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Dr. Lee Norman said.In late June, Gov. Laura Kelly (D) issued a statewide mask guidance, but because the Kansas legislature limited her emergency powers, each county was able to decide whether or not to enforce the order, KSHB reports. During a press conference on Wednesday, Norman said 15 counties went along with the order, while 90 decided to make wearing a mask a recommendation only."What we've seen through this is that in the counties with no mask mandate, there's no decrease in the number of cases per capita," Norman said. "All the improvement in the case development comes from those counties wearing masks."The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has been interviewing people who have recovered from the virus, and Norman finds it worrisome how some can't seem to shake the symptoms, saying, "This serves to me as humbling, in many regards, and a reminder that we still know very little about this disease and its impact on the body."More stories from theweek.com Trump's latest fundraising attempt is reportedly a Facebook scam against his own supporters Biden campaign reportedly making 'ruthless cuts' to convention speaking list The case against American truck bloat
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| Tropical wave on track to approach the mid-Atlantic Posted: 07 Aug 2020 10:39 AM PDT |
| Woman confronting vandals covered in paint during renewed Portland protests Posted: 07 Aug 2020 02:21 PM PDT  Protesters in Portland allegedly threw white paint over a woman, as demonstrators clashed with police for a third consecutive day.On Friday, following two days of protests marred by vandalism, more than 200 people clashed with police, as two other Black Lives Matter protests marched peacefully through the city.
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| 'I don't want to fly again': Surviving India's worst crash in 10 years Posted: 08 Aug 2020 05:26 AM PDT  Seated on the last row of the plane, Muhammed Junaid sensed something was amiss when Air India Express flight IX 1344 from Dubai was jerked around by strong winds as it approached the southern Indian city of Kozhikode late on Friday. After an aborted attempt, the aircraft swung around and touched down on the runway, said Junaid, who like many others onboard worked in the Middle East but was forced to return home when his salary halved because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of slowing down, Junaid said, the Boeing-737 appeared to pick up speed, overshooting the runway slickened by heavy rains, hurtling down a sharp slope and breaking in two.
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| The US pledged over $17 million in initial disaster aid for Lebanon after an explosion devastated Beirut Posted: 08 Aug 2020 06:40 AM PDT  Lebanese authorities are investigating the explosion that left more than 150 dead, thousands injured, and leveled a large portion of the city.
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| Fort Hood commander's transfer on hold amid investigations Posted: 07 Aug 2020 02:37 PM PDT  Army leaders have delayed the planned transfer of the Fort Hood commander, as a team of independent investigators heads to the base to determine whether leadership failures contributed to the murder of a soldier earlier this year, and several other deaths. Maj. Gen. Scott Efflandt, commander of Fort Hood, Texas, was slated to go to Fort Bliss, which is near El Paso, and take over leadership of the 1st Armored Division. Command of a division is a key step in an Army officer's career.
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| China sentences another Canadian to death on drugs charges Posted: 07 Aug 2020 09:55 AM PDT  As relations between the countries remain fraught, the man has been accused of producing ecstasy.
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| Biden campaign reportedly making 'ruthless cuts' to convention speaking list Posted: 07 Aug 2020 09:19 AM PDT  This year's virtual, time-crunched Democratic National Convention isn't making space for many top Democrats to speak.The DNC has set aside just two hours every night from August 17–20 for the convention where former Vice President Joe Biden will accept the nomination. That has led the Biden campaign to make some "ruthless cuts" to some of the highest profile Democrats out there, though the convention's official schedule is far from finalized, Politico reports."It goes without saying that the party's two most popular figures," former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, will get a big role even with time so limited, Politico writes. Former President Bill Clinton and 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton are in as well. But some Democrats have "grumbled" that if Hillary Clinton is appearing, failed nominees like Al Gore and John Kerry probably should too, per Politico. Others are worried about "spotlighting" Bill Clinton "in the MeToo era," Politico continues.Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) reportedly doesn't have a slot yet, nor do any of her fellow progressive political newcomers. But the party has reportedly made room for former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican who ran against President Trump in 2016. He'll speak on the same night as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) "in a demonstration of unity," Politico writes. Democrats are also reportedly on the lookout for veterans and Republicans with national security expertise to speak, though planning is still underway with just 10 days until the convention's first night. Read more about what to expect at the DNC at Politico.More stories from theweek.com Trump's latest fundraising attempt is reportedly a Facebook scam against his own supporters The case against American truck bloat Why France is 'walking on the edge of a precipice' when it comes to Lebanon
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| Robber snatches California man's life savings in front of bank Posted: 07 Aug 2020 11:23 AM PDT  Francisco Cornejo walking to his car after making a hefty withdrawal from his account. He was carrying 200-thousand dollars when a robber attacked him and ripped away Conejo's bag of money. The thief escaped with the money and has yet to be arrested.
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| The National Rifle Association faces its worst nightmare: accountability Posted: 07 Aug 2020 06:20 AM PDT  The NRA is facing lawsuits and investigations for possible financial misconduct while losing the influence it once had on American leadership.
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| Italian valley evacuated as cathedral-sized glacier slips Posted: 07 Aug 2020 04:25 AM PDT  A melting glacier as large as a cathedral is at risk of breaking apart due to a heatwave, forcing the evacuation of part of an Italian alpine valley. A heatwave has created a layer of water under the glacier, which is made up of about 500 cubic metres of ice - roughly the size of the Milan cathedral - making it more prone to a break. "There is an enormous block of ice resting on the rock and the danger is that it could detach in an instant," glacier expert Fabrizio Troilo told the Corriere della Sera newspaper's website.
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| Decades after they last saw each other, homecoming king and queen reunited by chance on a dating app Posted: 07 Aug 2020 03:00 AM PDT  They were married on the 50-yard-line at Montclair State University's football stadium — where they were crowned homecoming royalty in 1992.
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| CIA analysts reportedly told the White House there's 'no evidence' the Chinese government has accessed TikTok data Posted: 07 Aug 2020 03:27 PM PDT  Despite the report, President Trump still issued an executive order prohibiting US firms from doing business with TikTok's parent company ByteDance.
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| US: Border tunnel appears to be 'most sophisticated' Posted: 06 Aug 2020 10:07 PM PDT  An incomplete tunnel found stretching from Mexico to Arizona appears to be "the most sophisticated tunnel in U.S. history," authorities said. The tunnel intended for smuggling ran from a neighborhood in San Luis RÃo Colorado, Mexico, to San Luis, Arizona, where it stopped short of reaching the surface. It was built in an area that's not conducive to tunnels because of the terrain, and it had a ventilation system, water lines, electrical wiring, a rail system and extensive reinforcement, federal officials say.
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| New York is moving homeless people into luxury hotels to protect them against coronavirus and wealthy neighbourhoods aren't happy Posted: 07 Aug 2020 01:29 PM PDT  New York was in the midst of a record homelessness crisis even before the coronavirus hit. Some 60,000 people were filling municipal shelters across the city every night. Nearly a third of that number was living in dorm-style facilities for single adults, sharing bathrooms, dining areas and sleeping facilities."When Covid struck, we recognised very quickly this was a recipe for disaster," said Jacqueline Simone, of Coalition for the Homeless, a New York charity. The problem was only going to get worse, they warned, as the economic crisis caused by the pandemic deepened.
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| The Real Reason New York’s Attorney General Went After the NRA Posted: 06 Aug 2020 03:49 PM PDT  New York Attorney General Letitia James may be able to do what no politician before her has been able to accomplish – take down the National Rifle Association. Her lawsuit alleging self-dealing and misconduct could, if successful, dissolve the entire organization. While the suit is civil in nature, it reads like an old-fashioned corruption indictment. It alleges that the not-for profit organization violated New York state laws governing charities by diverting tens of millions of dollars away from the organization's mission for the personal benefit of its leaders, with Wayne LaPierre, the NRA's Executive Vice President for the past 29 years, and three other officers named as defendants along with the organization itself. According to the complaint, LaPierre used NRA funds for eight private plane flights to the Bahamas, where they enjoyed life on the 107-foot yacht of an NRA vendor, as well as for safaris in Africa and elsewhere. The complaint also claims that LaPierre allotted millions of dollars for private security for himself without sufficient oversight (and cited "security" concerns to explain why he didn't disclose those trips to the NRA's board), that he spent $1.2 million of the group's funds on gifts from Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman for favored friends and vendors, and that he negotiated a post-employment contract for himself valued at $17 million without board approval. 'Fraught With Fraud and Abuse': NY Attorney General Sues to Dissolve the National Rifle AssociationNew York, like most states, requires non-profit organizations to file annual financial reports as a condition of its non-profit status, which confers tax benefits for the organization and its donors. The law requires funds to be used to serve the organization's members and advance its charitable mission. The complaint alleges that the NRA's leaders "blatantly ignored" those rules by failing to ensure proper internal controls, ignoring whistleblowers and concealing problems from auditors. Like other cases of corruption, this easily could have been framed as a criminal case. Filing false registration and disclosure documents as part of a scheme to defraud can serve as the basis for federal mail or wire fraud, and often does in public corruption cases. When I served as a federal prosecutor, my former office brought public corruption cases on such theories in similar cases in which officials misused funds for personal benefit. Why then, is it left to James, whose office's oversight over charities is civil in nature, to bring this action? The silence of the U.S. Department of Justice here is deafening. But the effect of the state attorney general's civil case might be even more devastating than a criminal case because one of the remedies of her action is dissolution of the NRA itself. She used the same tactics to dissolve the Trump Foundation in November. There, she reached a settlement with President Donald Trump and family members to pay $2 million to resolve allegations of misuse of charitable funds to influence the 2016 presidential primary election and to further his own personal interests. Among the improper use of funds was doling out $500,000 to potential voters at a 2016 campaign rally in Iowa. As part of that settlement, James required Trump to personally admit to misusing the Foundation's funds. Sometimes, parties to settlements are permitted to publicly state that a resolution is not an admission of wrongdoing. James would not let them off so easily. Her success in the Trump Foundation case puts teeth into her legal quest to dissolve the NRA as well. Trump to NRA Bigwigs: Get Better LawyersSince 1871, the NRA has been the nation's largest gun advocacy group. Founded to improve marksmanship following the Civil War, the organization has lately become a powerful lobbying organization and campaign funder that can make or break candidates for political office depending on their stance on firearms regulations. As its website boasts, the NRA is "widely recognized today as a major political force." Following mass shootings in America, Democratic candidates for office have blamed the NRA for the inability to pass gun reform legislation, and have demanded campaign finance reform to expose and limit the organization's influence on elections. No doubt, there will be Second Amendment advocates who claim that the New York lawsuit is politically motivated effort to strike a blow against gun ownership. Indeed, if the allegations are true that the NRA engaged in cartoonishly corrupt self-dealing and misconduct, then the dissolution of the NRA would end its 139-year run as the nation's strongest advocate for gun rights. The law may be the only weapon that can take down the NRA. And if James can prove her case, then the demise of the NRA will be a self-inflicted wound. Lawsuit: The NRA's 'School Safety Initiative' Was a Front to Increase FundraisingRead more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| List of COVID checkpoints in NYC Posted: 08 Aug 2020 05:25 AM PDT  Mayor Bill de Blasio says the COVID-19 traveler registration checkpoints are located at key entry points into New York City to ensure compliance with New York State quarantine requirements and further the containment of COVID-19.
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| India landslide: Dozens feared dead after flooding in Kerala Posted: 08 Aug 2020 12:17 AM PDT  Up to 20 houses are buried under debris in the state of Kerala, with rescue efforts under way.
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| Biden will soon pick a running mate. Here are the front-runners Posted: 07 Aug 2020 11:48 AM PDT  Biden has vowed to choose a woman as his potential vice president. Following widespread protests over racial injustice and police brutality, pressure increased on Biden to choose a woman of color. Harris, the daughter of Jamaican and Indian parents, fits the bill.
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| Black man's life sentence in stolen hedge clippers case is 'cruel and unusual,' Louisiana judge says Posted: 06 Aug 2020 12:04 PM PDT  Repeat offender laws sent Fair Wayne Bryant to prison for life after trying to steal hedge clippers. Louisiana's Supreme Court won't review the case.
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| Should Judge Sullivan Be Disqualified from Flynn Case? An Appeals Court Is Asking Posted: 08 Aug 2020 03:30 AM PDT  Maybe Judge Luttig was right all along.I had the misgivings you'd expect back in late May, when I disagreed with J. Michael Luttig, the stellar scholar and former federal appeals court judge, regarding how the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals should handle the Flynn case.At the time, that court's three-judge panel had not yet heard oral argument on Michael Flynn's mandamus petition — i.e., Flynn's request that the panel find that federal district judge Emmet Sullivan was acting lawlessly. Sullivan had not only failed to grant the Justice Department's motion to dismiss the criminal case against Flynn; he had appointed a former federal judge (the overtly anti-Trump John Gleeson) to posit the argument abandoned by DOJ — to wit, that Flynn should proceed to sentencing because he had pled guilty to a false-statements charge, waiving his right to contest the case any further in exchange for the government's agreement not to file any other charges. Basically, Flynn was asking the appellate court to order Judge Sullivan to dismiss the case.In a Washington Post op-ed, Luttig contended that "there are ample grounds in the actions the district court has already taken for the appeals court to order that the government's motion to dismiss be heard by a different judge, and it should so order."It is interesting to revisit this assessment in light of an order issued by the D.C. Circuit on Wednesday. The Circuit directed that the participants in the dispute over Judge Sullivan's actions, including Judge Sullivan himself, must address the question of whether Sullivan should either recuse himself or be disqualified by the Circuit. Arguments in the case will be heard this coming Tuesday, August 11, in a rare en banc review by the full Circuit (i.e., all active judges who have not taken senior status, minus one who has recused himself, so it will be a ten-judge panel).Let's back up for a moment.Back in May, I disagreed with Luttig because I thought the more important issue was prejudice to Flynn, not the harm Sullivan's apparent bias was causing to the court's integrity. At the time, the D.C. Circuit had given Sullivan ten days to respond to Flynn's mandamus petition. I argued that, rather than reassigning the case to another judge, the Circuit should give Sullivan a chance to explain himself. If he was unable to do that to the Circuit's satisfaction, I posited that the Circuit should then order him to dismiss the case.After Luttig and I, among other commentators, weighed in on what the appellate court should do, a three-judge panel heard argument. The panel granted Flynn's mandamus petition and ordered Sullivan to dismiss the case. The 2–1 majority reasoned that, with possible exceptions that do not apply in Flynn's case, the Justice Department's discretion to end a prosecution is unreviewable. A dissenting opinion countered that mandamus, which is an extraordinary remedy disfavored by courts absent truly egregious judicial lawlessness, was premature — i.e., that Sullivan should be permitted to conduct a hearing and, if he decided not to grant dismissal, Flynn could then appeal. That would be the normal route to appellate review in a criminal case.After the panel ruled for Flynn, Judge Sullivan asked the Circuit to rehear the case en banc. Sullivan's petition was remarkable because he is not a party in the case. The only parties in a criminal prosecution are the government and the accused. The judge is the arbiter, not a litigant. The court is not supposed to have a stake in the outcome. It is unseemly for a judge to act as if he has become invested in the outcome of a case the way a party is. It strongly suggests a loss of judicial perspective.Nevertheless, the D.C. Circuit granted Judge Sullivan's petition. It vacated the panel's ruling and agreed to full-court review.At first blush, this seemed like doom for Flynn. After all, the full court skews heavily Democratic: seven of the ten judges who will hear the case were appointed by Democratic presidents. There are only four Republican appointees, and as noted above, one (appointed by President Trump) has recused himself. In modern times, there are enough blatantly politicized judicial decisions that people can be forgiven for assuming that partisanship always trumps law. Indeed, in the three-judge panel decision, the two majority judges who ruled in Flynn's favor were Republican appointees, while the dissenter was a Democratic appointee.Nevertheless, the mandamus litigation in Flynn's case is not a brute political matter. Anyone who listened to the oral argument could tell how reluctant the judges seemed about issuing a mandamus writ against Judge Sullivan, even if they were convinced that he was wrong on the law. Furthermore, the main Circuit precedent, United States v. Fokker Services B.V. (2016), which clearly indicates that the Justice Department's dismissal motion should be granted, was written by Chief Circuit Judge Sri Srinivasan. He is often touted as a potential Supreme Court nominee in a future Democratic administration. For him, then, the case is a Catch-22: Walking away from his own reasoning in Fokker would be a bad look, while ruling in Flynn's favor would be very unpopular among Democrats. In addition, we should note that any of the Circuit's judges could have asked for en banc review by the full court. None did. The case is being heard because Sullivan himself pressed the issue.The complications presented by the mandamus dispute were evident in the Circuit's initial order scheduling the rehearing en banc, which added an intriguing directive: "The parties should be prepared to address whether there are 'no other adequate means to attain the relief' desired" (quoting from the Supreme Court's 2004 decision in Cheney v. U.S. District Court). I interpret this somewhat cryptic assertion to indicate that, while the Circuit judges have agreed to reconsider the panel's ruling because courts are generally hostile to mandamus, that hardly means the judges approve of the circus that Sullivan has made of the Flynn proceedings.The judges seemed to be signaling that they know the case should be dismissed, but they'd prefer not to slam a longtime district judge if there is some way to avoid doing so. Perhaps they could deny the writ, but couch the denial in a way that reminded Judge Sullivan that a court must neither take over the prosecutor's role nor probe the executive's decision-making in a matter that the Constitution commits to executive discretion.That is what makes Wednesday's subsequent order regarding the en banc proceeding so interesting. The Circuit instructs counsel for Flynn, the Justice Department, and Judge Sullivan to consider the effect of Congress's disqualification statute (Section 455 of Title 28, U.S. Code). Specifically, the participants in the mandamus dispute are told to address the law's mandate that a judge be disqualified "in any proceeding in which his impartiality might reasonably be questioned," particularly if the judge "is a party to the proceeding."Manifestly, at least some of the Circuit's judges (I'd wager most of them) are disturbed by the degree to which Judge Sullivan has exhibited bias and become invested in Flynn's case. This is exactly the problem on which Judge Luttig focused back in May.It could thus turn out that Luttig presciently homed in on the dispositive issue. I believe, though, that it's more a matter of new developments breaking, perhaps inevitably, in favor of disqualification. At the time Luttig wrote his op-ed, I still think it would have been premature for an appeals court to jump in and disqualify Judge Sullivan. The parties were not pushing for Sullivan to be removed, just that he be directed to grant the dismissal motion. And even in making his disqualification argument, Luttig conveyed some hesitation. He said the Circuit panel should grant the mandamus but in a more limited way than Flynn was suggesting: Have Judge Sullivan pick a different adviser (someone other than the explicitly biased Gleeson), then promptly rule on the motion to dismiss, explaining his reasoning in full so the appellate court could review it.That is not consistent with Luttig's other suggestion of having the case reassigned to another judge. But it was right: As things stood back in May, Sullivan should have been given an opportunity to do the right thing. Most of us were hoping he'd correct himself, rather than need to be corrected by a higher court.Plus, let's put personalities aside, as well as the understandable distaste judges have for mandamus (which essentially asks them to dress down a colleague). A federal appeals court also has very practical reasons for discouraging mandamus. The regular appellate process calls for a criminal case to be appealed only at the end of the lower court proceeding. At that point, the trial or plea is over, sentence has been imposed, the judgment has been entered, and the appeals court can deal with all the claims of error at once, with finality. Courts do not want to encourage litigants to start viewing mandamus as a way to appeal to the higher court in the middle of the lower court proceedings, any time a party claims a judge has made an error. Chaos would reign and cases would never end.That said, things have significantly changed in the nearly three months since we analysts first opined on the mandamus dispute.For one thing, Judge Sullivan retained his own counsel to argue the case on his behalf before the panel, as if he were a party. Then, when the panel's decision did not go the way he wanted it to go, he took the highly unusual step of seeking en banc review. As the Justice Department pointed out, Sullivan did not have standing to seek reconsideration; he is not a party and did not comply with the rules government officials are supposed to follow before seeking a rehearing.More to the point, by seeking full-court reconsideration of the mandamus matter when both the Justice Department and Flynn are seeking dismissal of the case, Sullivan is both causing prejudice to the defendant and stoking suspicion about the executive branch's motives. How, then, could Sullivan continue to be considered a fair and impartial judge, fit to rule on the Justice Department's dismissal motion?That question may signal something about the wisdom of the D.C. Circuit judges that I previously failed to appreciate. The Justice Department's contention that Sullivan lacks standing seemed compelling to me. I was surprised when the Circuit appeared to ignore it in granting Sullivan's request for full-court review; I thought they'd deny it and let the panel's ruling stand. But is it possible that the Circuit saw this as a graceful off-ramp? When none of the Circuit's judges asked for full-court reconsideration, that signaled to Sullivan that if he wanted it, he would have to ask for it himself. The Circuit judges probably calculated that if the irascible Sullivan made a formal application for rehearing en banc, it would be manifest that he had transformed himself into a party in the Flynn case. Then the Circuit could use the disqualification rule to nudge him aside for the sake of maintaining the judiciary's reputation for objectivity. That would avoid all the downsides of issuing a mandamus writ while gently reminding lower court judges that they are supposed to remain umpires in these contests, not become one of the players.To sum up, whatever one may have thought about the gravity of Sullivan's irregular behavior back in May, he has now clearly crossed the Rubicon. It is incumbent on him to recuse himself. If he can't bring himself to do that — a failure that would further demonstrate a lack of judicial detachment — the D.C. Circuit should disqualify him. Either way, the case should be reassigned to a new judge, who should promptly grant the Justice Department's motion to dismiss.I'll conclude with a verity that seems sadly lost on Judge Sullivan: Granting the Justice Department's dismissal motion would not be a judicial endorsement of the motion, much less a court ruling that Flynn is not guilty. Judge Sullivan is absolutely entitled to believe the Justice Department is wrong to dismiss the case, and that Flynn is as guilty as the day is long. What a judge is not entitled to do, however, is substitute his view for the prosecutor's on the question of whether a prosecution should continue. In our system, separation of powers principles make that the Justice Department's call.
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| Christiane Lemieux and Anthropologie Team Up for the Launch of Her Newest Collection Posted: 07 Aug 2020 11:06 AM PDT |
| No pajamas allowed during remote classes at Illinois school district, officials say Posted: 07 Aug 2020 11:09 AM PDT  The school district says its dress code will be "flexible" during online learning.
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| How Nicola Sturgeon has secretly massaged Scotland’s coronavirus record Posted: 08 Aug 2020 03:48 AM PDT  Nicola Sturgeon spent much of July telling anyone who would listen that the prevalence of coronavirus in England was "five times" higher than in Scotland. The figure was deployed to justify her refusal to rule out effectively closing the border by imposing quarantine on travellers from England, and her highly controversial move to set her a Scotland-only policy on air bridges, which airports warned put livelihoods at risk. The day after she first made the claim, masked nationalists in hazmat suits descended on the border near Berwick-upon-Tweed, shouting abuse at English "plague carriers".
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| France and Germany pulled out of talks to reform the WHO because the US was trying to take control, according to a report Posted: 08 Aug 2020 04:58 AM PDT  The US, who said last month that they will leave the WHO in July 2021, is trying to dictate the terms, according to several European officials.
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| Migrants adrift after camp at France-Italy border shut Posted: 07 Aug 2020 09:45 AM PDT  Sudanese migrant Soulaimen has been sleeping on the beach in the Italian border town of Ventimiglia for 10 days now. With his only shelter a sleeping bag and pasta meals donated by a charity, the 20-year-old is getting by as best he can after a transit camp run by the Italian Red Cross was ordered to stop welcoming new arrivals and cease operations. Now, the migrants who continue to flock to this town hoping to cross into France are on their own, faced with strengthened border police and an uncertain future.
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| Pompeo rejects Congress' subpoenas for IG, Biden probe info Posted: 07 Aug 2020 02:20 PM PDT  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday rejected congressional subpoenas issued for him and for the State Department to provide information and testimony to lawmakers about two politically charged developments. The refusals set the stage for an escalation in the confrontation between the State Department and the Democratic-controlled House ahead of November's elections. In letters sent to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Pompeo and the State Department's acting legislative affairs chief said they had no intention of complying with the subpoenas.
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| Linda Collins: Ex-aide confesses to murder of Arkansas state senator Posted: 07 Aug 2020 08:42 AM PDT  A woman in Arkansas has been sentenced to 50 years in prison after accepting a plea deal connected to the murder of former state lawmaker.Court records show that Rebecca Lynn O'Donnell, 49, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder as well as the abuse of the corpse of Arkansas state Senator Linda Collins.
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| Seattle protesters sue over police crowd control measures Posted: 07 Aug 2020 08:43 PM PDT  Demonstrators say they are being 'priced out' of their First Amendment right; attorneys Andrew Stoltmann and Brian Claypool weigh in.
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| India seizes 740 tonnes of chemical that caused Lebanon blast Posted: 07 Aug 2020 01:03 AM PDT |
| No masks required as 250,000 expected at 10-day Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Here's what to know. Posted: 07 Aug 2020 06:47 PM PDT  Festivalgoers will be largely free of COVID-19 social distancing restrictions common elsewhere in the country during this year's 10-day event.
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| Mauritius facing catastrophe as oil starts leaking from a shipwreck near pristine coral reefs Posted: 07 Aug 2020 08:56 AM PDT  The island nation of Mauritius is facing an environmental crisis after a huge container ship ran aground and started to leak oil into an area home to some of the finest coral reefs in the world. Efforts to pump oil out of the ship have failed, and now there are fears that the carrier could start to break up, leading to an even greater leak and causing catastrophic damage on the island's pristine coastline. "We are in an environmental crisis situation," said the environment minister, Kavy Ramano, The carrier MV Wakashio, which belongs to a Japanese company and flew a Panamanian-flagged, was en route from China to Brazil when it ran aground near Pointe d'Esny on the island's southeastern coast on 25 July. The vessel's crew have been evacuated safely and the container was not carrying a cargo load when wrecked. However, the 1,000ft vessel was carrying 90 tonnes of lubricant oil, 200 tonnes of diesel and 3,800 tonnes of bunker fuel, according to local media outlets. Now the oil is spreading out of the ship rapidly, according to Sunil Dowarkasing, Greengate Consulting, a Mauritian environmental consultancy, who was on the beach in sight of wreck. "It's really very bad because now despite all the measures, the oil has already reached the shores of Mauritius and polluted the shorelines. You can see fish dying. The situation is out of control," Mr Dowarkasing told The Telegraph. Mr Dowarkasing said that the wreck was near four major wildlife and maritime sanctuaries, which contained flora and fauna unique to the island. He added that there was a 100-year-old 'brain' coral nearby in the Blue Bay Marine Park. "Thousands of species around the pristine lagoons of Blue Bay, Pointe d'Esny and Mahebourg are at risk of drowning in a sea of pollution, with dire consequences for Mauritius' economy, food security and health," Happy Khambule from Greenpeace Africa told The Telegraph in a statement. Mauritius, which lies some 600 miles east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, is a major tourist hotspot and tax haven for international corporations and African oligarchs. The country of 1.2m depends on its seas for food and for tourism, boasting some of the finest coral reefs in the world. The Mauritian government has asked the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion for assistance. "This is the first time that we are faced with a catastrophe of this kind and we are insufficiently equipped to handle this problem," said fishing minister, Sudheer Maudhoo.
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| Sales of pricey New York City apartments plunge as the suburbs become cool again Posted: 08 Aug 2020 04:55 AM PDT  Homes in Connecticut and Westchester's suburbs are flying off the market as wealthy New Yorkers flee to greener pastures.
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| #DontCallMeMurzyn: Black Women in Poland Are Powering the Campaign Against a Racial Slur Posted: 07 Aug 2020 09:25 AM PDT  "Each time I hear this word, I feel like someone was clawing at my heart."
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| Pence denounces rulings of Chief Justice Roberts calling him ‘disappointment to conservatives’ Posted: 06 Aug 2020 12:59 PM PDT  Vice President Mike Pence has called out Chief Justice John Roberts as a "disappointment to conservatives" in a rare criticism of a US Supreme Court judge.Mr Pence made the remarks during an interview with told Christian Broadcast Network's David Brody, who asked if Mr Pence was "scratching his head" over Chief Justice Roberts as a "reliable vote".
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| After the FBI raided Jake Paul's mansion, speculation was rampant about his associate 'Armani' Izadi, who is an accused pimp and was also searched by the feds Posted: 06 Aug 2020 11:12 AM PDT  In addition to Jake Paul's Calabasas home, FBI agents also searched the Las Vegas mansion of his associate, 'Armani' Izadi, an accused pimp.
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| Pentagon chief expresses concern to Chinese counterpart about Beijing's activity in South China Sea Posted: 06 Aug 2020 11:17 AM PDT  U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper expressed concerns about Beijing's "destabilizing" activity near Taiwan and the South China Sea in a call with Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe, the Pentagon said on Thursday, the first time the two are believed to have spoken since March. The call came as U.S.-China ties have rapidly deteriorated this year over a range of issues, including Beijing's handling of the coronavirus, telecommunications equipment maker Huawei [HWT.UL], China's territorial claims in the South China Sea and its clamp-down on Hong Kong. "Secretary Esper also communicated the importance that the PRC (People's Republic of China) abide by international laws, rules and norms and meet its international commitments," Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman told reporters, adding that the call lasted for an hour and a half.
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| The US Space Force is getting an official second in command Posted: 07 Aug 2020 02:31 PM PDT  A familiar face is set to become the service's first vice chief of space operations.
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