| In wake of Gardner's suicide, special prosecutor offers new details about events leading up to James Scurlock shooting Posted: 23 Sep 2020 03:39 PM PDT  One day before Jake Gardner fatally shot James Scurlock outside his bar in downtown Omaha, President Trump threatened to send the military to Minneapolis in response to violent clashes between police and protesters following the death of George Floyd in police custody, tweeting "when the looting starts, the shooting starts."
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| Ted Cruz blocks resolution honoring Ginsburg after Tucker Carlson pushes conspiracy theory about her Posted: 24 Sep 2020 09:54 AM PDT  "I think Justice Ginsburg would easily see through the legal sophistry," Chuck Schumer says of Cruz's objection
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| Venezuela's Maduro blasts US in speech to world leaders Posted: 23 Sep 2020 04:34 PM PDT  Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro blasted United States sanctions in his address to the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday, while avoiding any mention of a report accusing his government of crimes against humanity. In a lengthy, prerecorded speech that ran more than twice the allotted time, the socialist leader denounced what he called a "criminal, inhuman aggression" by the U.S. aimed at ousting him from power, and said Venezuela would resist. The U.S., which doesn't recognize him as Venezuela's legitimate president, has indicted him on drug charges.
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| China says WHO gave blessing for coronavirus vaccine emergency use programme Posted: 25 Sep 2020 02:03 AM PDT  The World Health Organization gave China its support and understanding to start administering experimental coronavirus vaccines to people while clinical trials were still underway, a Chinese health official said on Friday. China launched its emergency programme in July, having communicated with the WHO in late June, according to Zheng Zhongwei, a National Health Commission official. Hundreds of thousands essential workers and other limited groups of people considered at high risk of infection have been given the vaccine, even though its efficacy and safety had not been fully established as Phase 3 clinical trials were incomplete.
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| Trump unveils his America First Healthcare Plan Posted: 24 Sep 2020 03:08 PM PDT  In a speech delivered in North Carolina on Thursday, President Trump outlined his "vision" for affordable, high-quality health care called the America First Healthcare Plan.
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| GOP Sen. Cory Gardner stayed mum on meatpacking coronavirus outbreaks as he received industry donations Posted: 24 Sep 2020 02:14 PM PDT  Some of the biggest and most deadly COVID-19 outbreaks in the U.S. stemmed from the meatpacking industry. But Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) was reluctant to call for accountability, including when it came to a Colorado-based plant Gardner received donations from, Business Insider reports.Early in the pandemic, meatpacking factories' close quarters became home to massive COVID-19 outbreaks throughout the country. An outbreak at the JBS meatpacking plant in Greeley, Colorado led to at least 291 confirmed cases and six deaths — the biggest localized outbreak in the state. Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) explicitly called for an investigation at the facility, as did a JBS employee union, which called out Gardner for failing to provide promised coronavirus tests for workers. But Gardner wouldn't discuss the situation with Business Insider, and similarly avoided questions about JBS in a local radio interview.Throughout his Senate career, Gardner has been one of the top recipients of donations from JBS; He has received $24,000 from the company over the years. This election cycle, he received the second most money from JBS of any senator, as well as the second largest contribution total from the meatpacking industry as a whole. Gardner is considered one of the most vulnerable senators this fall as he faces former Gov. John Hickenlooper (D).More stories from theweek.com America needs to hear the bad news first A mild defense of Republican hypocrisy on the Supreme Court Trump is the only one being honest about the Supreme Court fight
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| US military increasingly using drone missile with flying blades in Syria Posted: 25 Sep 2020 07:52 AM PDT  'Ninja bomb', which uses 100lb of dense material and six attached blades, has been deployed in targeted assassinations The US military is making increasing use in Syria of a gruesome and secretive non-explosive drone missile that deploys flying blades to kill its targets.Described as less likely to kill non-combatants, the so-called ninja bomb – whose development was first disclosed last year – has been used a number of times in the last year to kill militants in Syria, including those linked to aal-Qaida, most recently earlier this month.Officially designated as the Hellfire AGM-114R9X – usually shortened to R9X and sometimes know as the "Flying Ginsu" – the weapon has been increasingly deployed in targeted assassinations by the US Joint Special Operations Command.The missile, believed to have been first used in 2017 to kill al-Qaida's then No 2 leader, Abu Khayr al Masri, in Idlib province, first came to wider attention when its existence was disclosed by an article in the Wall Street Journal last year.The weapon uses a combination of the force of 100lb of dense material flying at high speed and six attached blades which deploy before impact to crush and slice its victims.Video that emerged in June this year, posted by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, appeared to show the remains of one of the missiles used in a strike on a vehicle, also in Syria's Idlib that killed a Jordanian and Yemen, both reportedly members of Hurras al-Din, a group affiliated with aal-Qaida.The weapon is believed to have been developed during the administration of Barack Obama at a time when the US policy of targeted drone assassinations attracted considerable criticism for the number of civilian casualties caused by the strikes.Since its deployment it has been used sparingly, apparently most often in Syria.According to the New York Times the most recent use of the missile was on 14 September, when it was reportedly used to kill Sayyaf al-Tunsi, a Tunisian.Observers have speculated that the increasing use of the weapon in Syria – which increasingly has targeted leadership members of al-Qaida's affiliates – has been driven by the complexities of operations in Syria where the US is required to work around a large Russian engagement.The bladed, non-explosive version of the Hellfire missile is the latest iteration of a weapon that has undergone several variations since it was used to weaponize previously unarmed Predator drones in around 2000.The first Hellfires were designed as tank busters with a powerful shaped charge, used in Afghanistan for which they were regarded as not entirely suitable.A later version was developed that carried a heavier explosive warhead , but which led in turn to issues with civilian casualties, leading to the development of the R9X.Up until May last year, it is believed that the weapon had been used no more than half a dozen times. But since then it appears to have been used increasingly more often.The new missile appears designed for use in circumstances where a more conventional explosive missile might not be considered for fears of killing non-combatants.While conceding that the weapon appeared to be less dangerous to civilians, Iain Overton of Action on Armed Violence warned against the impression that it was a "more humanitarian weapon"."This weapon, whilst only used only a handful of times, does appear to have less wide-area effects than other air-dropped explosive weapons."However, the vast majority of the US explosive arsenal does, all too often, cause terrible collateral damage. Given Trump's administration also authorised the use of the largest non-nuclear explosion in the history of the world in Afghanistan, it's important to be wary of the PR optics that the US military is now using 'humanitarian' weapons."Overton also underlined issues with a targeted assassination campaign – using any weapons – that had little oversight."This new weapon, framed as an alternative to larger bombs, might be sold as almost ethical, but if it side-steps due judicial process, and is as susceptible to wrong targeting as other strikes, it is no more than an assassin's blade wielded by a state rarely held to account for its actions."
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| Feds air FBI agent’s gripes about Flynn probe Posted: 25 Sep 2020 04:30 AM PDT  The official public release of such candid assessments from inside a federal investigative team is extraordinarily rare.
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| What Amy Coney Barrett said in 2016 about confirming justices in election years Posted: 23 Sep 2020 02:46 PM PDT  "It shouldn't be a surprise that the Senate is willing to push a president's nominee through in an election year when they share the same political affiliation," Barrett said.
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| ‘They cover my shrapnel wounds’: Veteran Senate candidate responds to critics using photo of her tattoos Posted: 24 Sep 2020 01:36 PM PDT  After a Republican super PAC in Texas posted a photo of Senate candidate MJ Hegar featuring her tattoos and calling her a "radical," Hegar had a quick response on Twitter: the tattoos covered shrapnel wounds she received as an Air Force helicopter pilot in Afghanistan. A pro-Cornyn Super PAC is using a photo of my tattoos to make me seem "radical."
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| CDC: A salmonella outbreak tracks to ramen and a restaurant food recalled in 32 states Posted: 24 Sep 2020 04:41 PM PDT  An imported brand of wood ear mushrooms — also called dried fungus, black fungus or kikurage — got recalled after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention traced a 10-state salmonella outbreak to them.
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| Pope to UN: Use COVID crisis to come out better, not worse Posted: 25 Sep 2020 09:18 AM PDT  Pope Francis urged world leaders Friday to use the coronavirus emergency as an opportunity to reform the injustices of the global economy and the "perverse logic" of the nuclear deterrence doctrine, warning that increased isolationist responses to problems "must not prevail." Francis laid out his appeal for greater involvement and influence of the United Nations in protecting the poor, migrants and the environment in a videotaped speech Friday to the U.N. General Assembly, held mostly virtually this year because of the pandemic. Francis said the world has a choice to make as it emerges from the COVID-19 crisis and addresses the grave economic impact it has had on the planet's most vulnerable: greater solidarity, dialogue and multilateralism, or self-retreat into greater nationalism, individualism and elitism.
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| Hotel Rwanda 'hero' admits forming armed group behind deadly attacks Posted: 25 Sep 2020 02:28 AM PDT  Paul Rusesabagina, the polarising hero of the "Hotel Rwanda" film, admitted to a Kigali court on Friday that he had formed an armed group but denied any role in their crimes. Mr. Rusesabagina is famed for his depiction in the movie in which he is shown to have saved hundreds of lives during the 1994 genocide, which left some 800,000 dead. After years in exile, where he has become a fierce government critic, he appeared under arrest in Rwanda last month, after apparently being lured into a private jet under false pretences. In recent years Mr Rusesabagina co-founded the Rwandan Movement for Democratic Change (MRCD), an opposition party based abroad. While he has previously expressed support for the National Liberation Front (FLN), which has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks in Nyungwe, near the border with Burundi, his exact role has been unclear. "We formed the FLN (National Liberation Front) as an armed wing, not as a terrorist group as the prosecution keeps saying. I do not deny that the FLN committed crimes but my role was diplomacy," he said. "The agreement we signed to form MRCD as a political platform included the formation of an armed wing called FLN. But my work was under the political platform and I was in charge of diplomacy." This is a breaking news story. More to follow.
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| Democrats alert inspector general that GOP's Biden probe “directly implicated” Perry in corruption Posted: 24 Sep 2020 09:54 AM PDT  Republicans tried to smear Biden, but instead "succeeded in implicating former Secretary Perry in a corrupt scheme"
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| Kentucky governor says attorney general should make evidence from Breonna Taylor case public Posted: 23 Sep 2020 04:18 PM PDT  Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) and Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer (D) are both calling on the state attorney general's office to make evidence from the Breonna Taylor case public.Taylor, 26, was shot and killed in March when police entered her Louisville apartment on a no-knock warrant. Her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, said he believed the officers were intruders and fired at them; as gunfire was exchanged between Walker and all three officers, Taylor was shot by officers multiple times. The officers were there as part of a narcotics investigation involving Taylor's ex-boyfriend; no drugs were found in the apartment.On Wednesday afternoon, a Kentucky grand jury announced the indictment of one of the officers, former detective Brett Hankison, on felony charges of wanton endangerment, after shooting into the apartment next door to Taylor's. Attorney General Daniel Cameron said the other two officers involved in the shooting, Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and Detective Myles Cosgrove, were justified in their use of force.Cameron said he will not release the full grand jury report or provide details about the gender and racial makeup of the grand jury, saying it was to protect them. During a press conference, Beshear said Cameron "talked about information, facts, evidence that neither I nor the general public have seen. I believe that the public deserves this information." Beshear suggested posting evidence, like ballistics reports, online, and said it would not impact the charges in the indictment."Everyone can and should be informed," Beshear said. "And those that are currently feeling frustration, feeling hurt — they deserve to know more." He also thinks Cameron should should answer the "legitimate question" about the racial and demographic makeup of the grand jury. "I don't think it will give out anybody's identity or compromise who they are," Beshear said. "And provided that it is sufficiently diverse, it may give people just another piece of information that they can process."Fischer told reporters he knows "there are people in our community who feel that these charges fall short of achieving justice," and said if evidence is made public, it will help people see the reasoning behind the grand jury's decision. The Department of Justice is still investigating the shooting, and Fischer said the case is "far from over."More stories from theweek.com America needs to hear the bad news first A mild defense of Republican hypocrisy on the Supreme Court Trump is the only one being honest about the Supreme Court fight
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| Anwar Ibrahim: A long-held dream to lead Malaysia Posted: 24 Sep 2020 11:58 PM PDT  After a decades-long quest to become premier, Mr Anwar may finally rise to the top job.
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| 'Send me a text': Obama calls on Americans to get in touch with thoughts on US election Posted: 24 Sep 2020 05:49 AM PDT  Former president has been campaigning for Joe Biden
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| Low tide reveals WWII-era bomb on beach near resort town in UK Posted: 24 Sep 2020 11:11 AM PDT  The World War II era explosive was found on a beach north of Weston-Super-Mare, a popular seaside vacation town in the Bristol Channel.
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| The partner of a protester who was shot and killed in Kenosha is suing Facebook alleging it enabled paramilitary violence against protesters Posted: 23 Sep 2020 11:43 PM PDT  The federal lawsuit says the social media company was negligent when it failed to take down an event page urging armed vigilantes to attend protests.
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| Man who allegedly told Korean-American entrepreneur to 'go back to Wuhan' fired from job Posted: 24 Sep 2020 02:03 PM PDT |
| Protesters threaten to ‘knock out’ diners in Florida amid unrest Posted: 25 Sep 2020 05:58 AM PDT  Peter Kirsanow, member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, reacts on 'Fox & Friends.'
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| Powerful Vatican Cardinal Becciu resigns amid scandal Posted: 24 Sep 2020 11:27 AM PDT  The powerful head of the Vatican's saint-making office, Cardinal Angelo Becciu, resigned suddenly Thursday from the post and renounced his rights as a cardinal amid a financial scandal that has reportedly implicated him indirectly. The Vatican provided no details on why Pope Francis accepted Becciu's resignation in a statement late Thursday. In the one-sentence announcement, the Holy See said only that Francis had accepted Becciu's resignation as prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints "and his rights connected to the cardinalate."
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| Doug Collins to Introduce Constitutional Amendment Prohibiting Adding Justices to Supreme Court Posted: 25 Sep 2020 08:17 AM PDT  Representative Doug Collins is preparing to introduce a constitutional amendment to block potential attempts to add justices to the Supreme Court as some Democrats eye adding seats should President Trump's upcoming nominee be confirmed.The amendment would block "court packing," or adding justices to the Supreme Court, for 10 years after any bill is passed to enlarge the court, a measure Collins said aims to "take the political emotion of the moment out of the way.""The proposed amendment—really, it should be a bipartisan issue," the Georgia Republican said. "We should not have decisions like packing the court to be based on emotional or political decisions.""The reason we did it is because it seems like the Democrats, every time they don't get what they want, they want to change the rules," Collins added.Several Democrats have suggested or said directly that they are open to adding justices to the Court should President Trump's proposed nominee to fill the seat of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg be confirmed.Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said that "nothing is off the table" if Democrats gain control of the Senate, and Senator Ed Markey called directly for abolishing the filibuster and expanding the Supreme Court. House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerry Nadler said that if Senate Republicans confirm a justice before a new Senate and president take office "then the incoming Senate should immediately move to expand the Supreme Court."Meanwhile, House Democrats are planning to introduce a bill next week that would limit the terms of Supreme Court justices to 18 years instead of their current lifetime tenure."It would save the country a lot of agony and help lower the temperature over fights for the court that go to the fault lines of cultural issues and is one of the primary things tearing at our social fabric," said Representative Ro Khanna, the Democratic bill's lead sponsor.
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| McCann suspect may face more jail time after EU court ruling Posted: 24 Sep 2020 02:01 AM PDT  A German man whom investigators suspect of murdering British toddler Madeleine McCann and currently jailed for drug dealing may face more prison time after Europe's top court retroactively cleared his extradition to Germany for a rape charge. There had been concerns that Christian B., who is seeking parole, may disappear once he has served his sentence for drug dealing in a prison in Kiel in the north of Germany. The 43-year-old German, who lived in the Algarve region of Portugal when 3-year-old Madeleine vanished from her bedroom in 2007, had disputed the validity of the European arrest warrant issued by Germany when he was in Italy because it cited a drugs conviction but not the 2005 rape charge.
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| ‘I’m very ashamed’: Argentine lawmaker suspended after kissing woman’s breast during virtual session of congress Posted: 25 Sep 2020 04:29 AM PDT  Juan Emilio Ameri faces potential expulsion following the 'serious offence' on Zoom
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| Shocking Video Shows Seattle Cop Rolling Bike Over Fallen Breonna Taylor Protester’s Head and Neck Posted: 24 Sep 2020 05:03 AM PDT  The Seattle Police Department is investigating after a video showed one of its cops rolling a bike over the head and neck of a fallen protester at Wednesday night's Breonna Taylor demonstrations.Protests erupted in the city in response to officers in Louisville, Kentucky not being charged for fatally shooting the 26-year-old Black woman. The SPD confirmed in a statement that 13 people were arrested at the Seattle demonstrations and complained that multiple officers had been injured, including one who was struck in the head with a baseball bat.However, the shocking video, which appears to show an SPD officer rolling his bicycle over the head of an already-injured man, has been widely condemned on social media. The anger led the department to comment, "The Seattle Police Department is aware of a video circulating on the internet that apparently shows an SPD bike officer's bike rolling over the head of an individual laying in the street. This matter will be referred to the Office of Police Accountability for further investigation."> Police bicycle pushed over man's neck as he lies on the ground at Breonna Taylor protest in Seattle. https://t.co/zzsFffiTBp pic.twitter.com/SGTGjXaTiG> > — ABC News (@ABC) September 24, 2020The clip originated from a Facebook Live broadcast from C.J. Halliburton, who describes himself as an independent journalist; he recorded the unrest in Seattle throughout the night.The key part of the video shows a line of cops advancing on protesters. One, who is not cycling but pushing his bike by its handlebars, appears to slowly walk toward the man who is flat on the ground. The cop rolls the bicycle over the man's head, with the back wheel appearing to go over his neck.The same officer then appears to bash a second protester with his bike. Two other officers then kneel down next to the fallen man before the scene becomes obscured by the line of advancing cops.A second clip posted on Facebook by Joey Weiser shows the same scene from a different angle, with Weiser shouting, "This person is on the ground—he just ran over his head! He just ran over his head! Oh my God!"The SPD statement didn't identify the officer or the fallen man or make any statement about his condition after the incident.Read 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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| LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman and his billions are disrupting the Democratic Party Posted: 24 Sep 2020 10:57 AM PDT  LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman is one of the Democratic Party's most prominent donors — but what does it mean to disrupt an election?
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| Coronavirus continuing to mutate, study finds, as US cases rise Posted: 24 Sep 2020 08:47 AM PDT  Experts believe virus is probably becoming more contagious but US study did not find mutations made it more lethal The Covid-19 virus is continuing to mutate throughout the course of the pandemic, with experts believing it is probably becoming more contagious, as coronavirus cases in the US have started to rise once again, according to new research.The new US study analyzed 5,000 genetic sequences of the virus, which has continued to mutate as it has spread through the population. The study did not find that mutations of the virus have made it more lethal or changed its effects, even as it may be becoming easier to catch, according to a report in the Washington Post, which noted that public health experts acknowledge all viruses have mutations, most of which are insignificant.David Morens, a virologist at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that the new study should not be over-interpreted, but added that the virus could be responding to public health interventions such as social distancing."All those things are barriers to transmissibility, or contagion, but as the virus becomes more contagious it statistically is better at getting around those barriers," he said.Morens noted that this could mean that the virus might continue to mutate even after a vaccine is available, meaning the vaccine will have to be tinkered with – just as the flu vaccine is altered each year.Twenty states have experienced over 5% increase in their Covid-19 cases over the last two weeks, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.The US saw 38,204 new cases on Wednesday, bringing the country's total number of cases seen to nearly 6.9m. The country surpassed 200,000 coronavirus deaths on Tuesday, seeing between 300 to 1,000 deaths a day.The US continues to lead as the country with the highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths.The latest rise in cases has mostly been concentrated in the west and midwest, where states like Colorado, Wyoming, Wisconsin and Montana are seeing a surge. Texas, which saw a large surge in cases over the summer, has seen a noted rise in cases over the last few days, reporting more than 11,000 new cases on Monday.Public health experts say it is too early to tell whether the rise in cases is a brief uptick as a consequence of Labor Day holiday gatherings in early September or whether it is the start of an uptrend as the weather starts to cool in many regions and people head indoors. Experts have warned that both events, in addition to K-12 schools and college campuses reopening, could lead to a rise in cases.At a hearing before Congress on Wedensday, Dr Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), emphasized data that shows that young Americans have been driving the rise in cases. According to Redfield, people aged 18 to 25 have made up 26% of new coronavirus cases – the largest of any age group.Redfield also said more than 90% of the American population remains susceptible to Covid-19, crushing any belief about widespread immunity developing.
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| The Pentagon is eyeing a 500-ship Navy, documents reveal Posted: 24 Sep 2020 06:49 PM PDT  The Pentagon is weighing a dramatically different fleet that relies heavily on unmanned ships and submarines.
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| White House press secretary says Trump will 'accept the results of a free and fair election' Posted: 24 Sep 2020 12:16 PM PDT  White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany is trying to spin President Trump's election fraud allegations back on Democrats.In a Wednesday press conference, Trump refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he's not re-elected this fall, and alleged without evidence Democrats are running a "scam" to steal the election. The comments earned widespread condemnation from Democrats and Republicans alike, and got a bit more clarity from McEnany on Thursday.During Thursday's press conference, ABC News' Jon Karl asked McEnany if Trump would "assure us that there will be a peaceful transfer of power" should he lose this fall. McEnany tried to debate just how the Wednesday question was asked of Trump, but went on to affirm "the president will accept the results of a free and fair election." She then alleged Karl's question was "better to be asked of Democrats," and shared some quotes from Democrats in which they appeared to be challenging Trump's many attacks on the electoral process.> .@jonkarl: "If the president loses this election, will this White House, will this president, assure us that there will be a peaceful transfer of power?"> > .@PressSec: "The president will accept the results of a free and fair election."> > Full video here: https://t.co/kYc9MFmdYz pic.twitter.com/lvvFZnS0zZ> > — CSPAN (@cspan) September 24, 2020McEnany's response also remains complicated due to Trump's baseless suggestions that this will not be a free and fair election. While Trump has alleged attempted fraud, FBI Director Christopher Wray confirmed Thursday there was no evidence of a national effort to commit fraud "by mail or otherwise" this election or "historically."More stories from theweek.com America needs to hear the bad news first A mild defense of Republican hypocrisy on the Supreme Court Trump is the only one being honest about the Supreme Court fight
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| Portland protesters set fire at police building, 14 arrested Posted: 24 Sep 2020 11:52 PM PDT  Protesters in Portland late Thursday set fire to plywood attached to the front door of a police union building in Oregon's largest city and clashed with officers, who made 14 arrests, police said in a statement. Images posted online showed flames erupting outside the doors of the Portland Police Association office. The protesters who were detained were arrested on charges ranging from disorderly conduct to interfering with officers and trespassing.
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| 'Smoke with freedom': Mexicans get high in marijuana garden outside Senate Posted: 24 Sep 2020 09:27 PM PDT  A cannabis 'garden' sprouting next to Mexico's Senate building has become a smoker's paradise, with Mexican stoners lighting up joints without fear of arrest. The cannabis seeds sowed in a plaza by Mexico's Senate by pro-marijuana activists in February have mushroomed into strikingly large plants, and become symbolic of a drive to legalize marijuana in a nation riven by drugs-related violence. "Being able to smoke here (in the garden) in freedom is very important to me," said Marco Flores, a barista sitting on a bench overlooking the Congress building.
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| Pregnant woman rescues husband from shark attack in Florida Posted: 24 Sep 2020 11:24 AM PDT  Margot Dukes-Eddy dived into the water to save her husband "without hesitation", police say.
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| Who Invited the Far-Right Oath Keepers to Downtown Louisville? Posted: 24 Sep 2020 02:00 PM PDT  LOUISVILLE—On Wednesday night, at least 20 members of the Oath Keepers, a far-right militia group, were observed guarding storefronts in downtown Louisville amid sometimes violent unrest over the lack of charges in the police killing of Breonna Taylor. The businesses included Bader's Food Mart—which is also a Shell gas station—Stewart's Pawn Shop, and Hampton Inn Downtown Louisville, all at or near the intersection of Jefferson and South 1st Street. All of the businesses, besides the hotel, appeared to be closed at the time.The heavily armed men—many bearing rifles, night-vision goggles, and wearing camouflage—were seen on the roof of Stewart's Pawn Shop, the perimeter of the Shell station, and in the Hampton Inn parking lot. When asked why they were present, one militia member, who gave his name only as Angry Spongebob, said the owner of the Shell had received threats against the business."She was told that people wanted to burn it down to the ground," he told The Daily Beast. "We know her and so we came out to help protect it, because if it goes up, then it takes a significant portion of this block with it."He didn't clarify who "she" referred to, but records filed with the Kentucky Secretary of State's office list Paula T. Bader as the president, secretary, and treasurer of Bader's Food Mart, and she has been identified as the owner in local media reports. In a telephone conversation Thursday, a purported leader of the Oath Keepers on the ground in Louisville, who gave his name as Mike Whipp, said they had been invited by Bader to keep tabs on her business, as well as the pawn shop.According to Whipp, "[Bader] told us she was targeted by activists."The Far Right Gives Jake Gardner the Kyle Rittenhouse Hero TreatmentBader could not immediately be reached for comment, but the food mart does have a history of violence—and of drawing activist ire.In July, an employee was reportedly shot during an armed robbery attempt. And early this month, an employee reportedly shot a customer after a verbal altercation, according to local police. The individual was fired and later charged with assault.On Sept. 4, a day after the employee allegedly shot a customer, activists with megaphones entered the store, leading Bader to close the place for several days."He was wrong," she told local outlet WDRB of her fired employee. But she also seemed to take umbrage at the prospect of being targeted by local activists."They were waiting on customers," she said. "The next thing they know, the store is full of people with the megaphones."That day, an account listed under Bader's name posted on Facebook, "This is the damage, looting and peaceful protesting that occurred at my store. Bader's Food Mart last night. Do you notice the small children. SMH."When asked Thursday about the presence of a far-right militia group, a man who identified himself as the manager of Stewart's Pawn Shop and gave only the first name Jeremy told The Daily Beast, "I just work during the day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and have no idea if our owners made a deal with those guys."When asked about the Shell station, he added, "I do know if it burns, it will harm a lot of people in the city." Shell corporate did n0t immediately respond to a request for comment.Reached for comment Thursday, Stuart Stein, who is listed in state records as an incorporator of the pawn shop, confirmed he was an owner, but told The Daily Beast, "No comment, talk to someone at the store." Attempts to reach other individuals listed on incorporation paperwork were unsuccessful.For her part, Mindy Wilson, general manager of Hampton Inn Downtown, told The Daily Beast of the militia, "We don't know anything about them, so you can stop calling." Hilton Corporate did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Oath Keepers are a virulently anti-government group founded in 2009 by Stewart Rhodes, a former Ron Paul aide. They have been a fixture at protests and political hot spots in recent years, from Ferguson to Trump rallies, and have been banned from Twitter after peddling conspiracy theories expressing thirst for Civil War.Followers have also been implicated in a slew of violent crimes in recent years, from bomb scares to threats against the government to rape, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.Members of the Oath Keepers group in Louisville claimed they were made up of patriots, Kentuckians, Louisville residents, former and retired members of the military, firefighters, and law enforcement who were merely trying to protect their community. The member who identified himself as Angry Spongebob expressed condolences to the family of Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency medical technician who was fatally shot during a botched attempt to serve a warrant on her home.Spongebob said burning the city down was misguided and unfair to the public. There was no evidence of this taking place, despite sporadic small fires in garbage cans on Wednesday."Go to Frankfort, go to City Hall, don't take out frustrations on private business owners," Spongebob told The Daily Beast, blaming the lawlessness on elected officials like Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who declined to charge any cop for killing Taylor.As they often have at protests in recent weeks, the militiamen seemed to operate without harassment from local law enforcement, at least in the hours The Daily Beast observed them after the 9 p.m. curfew on Wednesday. Louisville Metro Police and the Kentucky National Guard did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Meanwhile, police said they made 123 arrests, mostly for unlawful assembly and curfew violations, on Wednesday. At least three journalists were reported to be among them. At least two officers were also shot during the chaos.Whipp, the Oath Keeper spokesperson, suggested there was no reason for his group to catch flak for being out past curfew. This despite increased scrutiny of the seemingly cozy ties between armed vigilantes and police after 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse—who allegedly shot and killed two protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in August—walked by cops unbothered shortly afterward. On the streets that night, Rittenhouse had attached himself to what amounted to an armed gang of militiamen."We generally don't have trouble from the police," Whipp told The Daily Beast. "Police did perceive one of our members as a threat, but we calmed them down, and stated our purpose."Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet 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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| FBI Docs: Primary Sub-Source for Steele Was Suspected Russian Agent and ‘Threat to National Security’ Posted: 24 Sep 2020 05:27 PM PDT  The "primary sub-source" for the Steele dossier was suspected of being a possible Russian agent and a "threat to national security," according to newly declassified FBI documents.Senator Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) announced the revelations on Thursday after the Justice Department declassified a footnote of the DOJ Inspector General Report on FISA abuse by the FBI. That report focused on efforts by FBI agents to obtain FISA warrants to surveil Trump-campaign adviser Carter Page, and concluded that two applications to renew such warrants were not valid because of "material misstatements and omission" of evidence.FBI agents on the Crossfire Hurricane probe, who investigated alleged contacts between the Trump-campaign and Russian intelligence, were aware that the Primary Sub-Source was a suspected Russian spy by December 2016. However, the FBI did not share this information with the FISA court in their applications for warrants against Page.According to footnote 334 of the Inspector General Report, the "Primary Sub-Source was the subject of an FBI counterintelligence investigation from 2009 to 2011 that assessed his/her documented contacts with suspected Russian intelligence officers."At the request of Attorney General William Barr, the FBI made available a declassified summary of that counterintelligence investigation."[T]he FBI commenced this investigation based on information by the FBI indicating that the Primary Sub-Source may be a threat to national security," the summary states. The Primary Sub-Source was an employee at a "prominent U.S. think tank," and "in December 2016, the FBI's Crossfire Hurricane investigation identified the employee as Christopher Steele's Primary Sub-Source."The documents are the latest disclosures in an ongoing investigation by the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is chaired by Senator Graham, into the FBI's probe of the Trump-campaign. In a statement, Graham characterized the newest documents as "the most stunning and damning revelation the committee has uncovered.""It's stunning to be told that the single individual who provided information to Christopher Steele for the Russian dossier used by the FBI on four occasions to obtain a warrant on Carter Page, an American citizen, was a suspected Russian agent years before the preparation of the dossier," Graham said. "The committee will press on and get to the bottom of what happened, and we will try to work together to make sure this never happens again."
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| Exclusive: GOP Sen. Thom Tillis embraced QAnon conspiracy about COVID-19 death count in town hall Posted: 24 Sep 2020 10:54 AM PDT  "When the final accounting is done," the actual death COVID-19 count will be lower, Tillis claims
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| American consumers are paying the price for Wall Street’s profiteering in China | Opinion Posted: 24 Sep 2020 06:09 PM PDT  China was America's whipping boy again this week. President Trump used his United Nations General Assembly speech to accuse and to threaten Beijing for its role in covering up the early stages of the pandemic. He said that the U.N. "must hold China accountable for their actions."
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| Thousands of mosques in Xinjiang demolished in recent years: report Posted: 25 Sep 2020 01:03 AM PDT  Chinese authorities have demolished thousands of mosques in Xinjiang, an Australian think tank said Friday, in the latest report of widespread human rights abuses in the restive region.
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| 2020 Election: Trump claims first presidential debate will be ‘unfair' Posted: 24 Sep 2020 12:26 PM PDT  Mr Trump insists that Chris Wallace will not ask Joe Biden tough questions
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| Investigators say they found thousands of child porn images in the home of a popular kids' YouTuber Posted: 24 Sep 2020 11:50 AM PDT  The science educator behind the popular children's YouTube channel "The Happy Scientist" has been indicted on child pornography charges.
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| How polls are reacting to Trump, Biden campaign styles Posted: 24 Sep 2020 05:21 PM PDT  'The Story' panel debates which candidate is better for America on the economy, coronavirus
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| Coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx reportedly says she is 'distressed' at direction of White House COVID-19 task force Posted: 24 Sep 2020 11:39 PM PDT  Birx told people close to her that she felt her role was diminished after Dr. Scott Atlas joined the task force, CNN reported.
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