Friday, July 3, 2020

Yahoo! News: Weight Loss News

Yahoo! News: Weight Loss News


Arizona tells Pence it needs additional 500 health care workers as COVID-19 cases soar

Posted: 01 Jul 2020 02:24 PM PDT

Arizona tells Pence it needs additional 500 health care workers as COVID-19 cases soarArizona Gov. Doug Ducey told Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday that the state needed an additional 500 health care workers as the number of cases of COVID-19 continues to set records there.


Watch Florida police laugh after shooting protesters with rubber bullets

Posted: 02 Jul 2020 09:53 AM PDT

Watch Florida police laugh after shooting protesters with rubber bulletsThe department said it is conducting a review of 8,000 minutes of body camera footage, but it is defending the officers involved in the video, first published by the Miami Herald.


Gunmen attack Mexican drug rehab center killing 24

Posted: 01 Jul 2020 04:58 PM PDT

Gunmen attack Mexican drug rehab center killing 24Gunmen killed 24 people at a drug rehabilitation facility in the central Mexican city of Irapuato, police said on Wednesday, underlining the government's challenge in fulfilling its pledge to stop gang violence. Police in the city in Guanajuato state said the unidentified attackers also shot and wounded seven people in what was the second attack at an Irapuato rehab center in the past month. Guanajuato's Attorney General Carlos Zamarripa said he had designated a specialized team to investigate the killing, which he called a "cowardly criminal act," while Governor Diego Sinhue called for a joint effort from federal and state authorities to tackle violence.


US tries to seize Iranian gas heading toward Venezuela

Posted: 02 Jul 2020 09:46 AM PDT

US tries to seize Iranian gas heading toward VenezuelaU.S. federal prosecutors are seeking to seize four tankers sailing toward Venezuela with gasoline supplied by Iran, the latest attempt to disrupt ever-closer trade ties between the two heavily sanctioned anti-American allies. The civil-forfeiture complaint filed late Wednesday in the District of Columbia federal court alleges that the sale was arranged by a businessman, Mahmoud Madanipour, with ties to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization. "The profits from these activities support the IRGC's full range of nefarious activities, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, support for terrorism, and a variety of human rights abuses, at home and abroad," prosecutor Zia Faruqui alleges in the complaint.


The Best Bike Lights to Illuminate Your Ride

Posted: 02 Jul 2020 10:26 AM PDT

Trump ally Herman Cain who attended Tulsa rally hospitalised with coronavirus

Posted: 02 Jul 2020 05:56 AM PDT

Trump ally Herman Cain who attended Tulsa rally hospitalised with coronavirusHerman Cain, a Republican politician and 2011 primary candidate for the party's presidential nominee, has been hospitalised after testing positive for Covid-19.Mr Cain, a conservative columnist and former CEO of Godfather's Pizza, is currently being treated in an Atlanta-area hospital.


Op-Ed: Could the racist past of Mt. Rushmore's creator bring down the monument?

Posted: 03 Jul 2020 03:00 AM PDT

Op-Ed: Could the racist past of Mt. Rushmore's creator bring down the monument?What should be done with an accomplishment that features problematic men carved in a problematic location by a problematic sculptor?


‘We’ll be waiting on you.’ Florida sheriff wants to deputize gun owners against protesters

Posted: 02 Jul 2020 07:49 PM PDT

'We'll be waiting on you.' Florida sheriff wants to deputize gun owners against protestersA Florida sheriff warned people protesting police brutality that he would call on individual gun owners to defend themselves if peaceful demonstrations got out of hand.


Seattle police clear out protester-occupied zone

Posted: 01 Jul 2020 04:54 PM PDT

Seattle police clear out protester-occupied zoneMore than 30 people are arrested as officers disperse demonstrators from the "lawless" area.


McConnell warns Democrats about changing Senate rules to kill the filibuster

Posted: 01 Jul 2020 02:36 PM PDT

McConnell warns Democrats about changing Senate rules to kill the filibusterThe Senate GOP leader spoke as some experts believe there's a fair chance his party could lose control of the chamber in November.


The killing of 26 people at a drug rehab center in Mexico thought to be part of a gang war

Posted: 02 Jul 2020 05:57 PM PDT

The killing of 26 people at a drug rehab center in Mexico thought to be part of a gang warAuthorities suspect the assault was part of a fierce turf battle that has transformed industrial Guanajuato into one of Mexico's deadliest states.


Chicago issues emergency quarantine order for travelers from 15 states

Posted: 03 Jul 2020 03:58 AM PDT

Chicago issues emergency quarantine order for travelers from 15 states        Chicago has issued an emergency travel order requiring anyone coming to the city from states experiencing a surge in COVID-19 infections to quarantine for 14 days.


Texas Republicans to host in-person convention despite coronavirus surge

Posted: 02 Jul 2020 01:57 PM PDT

Texas Republicans to host in-person convention despite coronavirus surgeThe committee voted 40 to 20 to host the meeting that about 6,000 people are expected to attend in Houston's George R. Brown convention center in just over two weeks. During a lengthy virtual meeting, those opposed to hosting the convention in person said it would endanger older delegates and would disenfranchise many people who would not go out of fear of the virus. "Texas maintained our in-person convention process through World War Two, we met together after our 9/11 terrorist attacks despite the danger in the air," said executive committee member David Covey.


Huge bird of prey catches shark-like fish and flies off in viral video

Posted: 03 Jul 2020 05:14 AM PDT

Huge bird of prey catches shark-like fish and flies off in viral videoVisitors to a beach last week would have seen a shark-like fish soaring above their heads thanks to one bird's actions.A video shared online showed one huge predatory bird seen with what appeared to be a shark suspended in its claws above crowds at South Carolina's Myrtle Beach.


Court record shows St. Louis couple pulled gun before

Posted: 02 Jul 2020 11:44 AM PDT

Court record shows St. Louis couple pulled gun beforeO'FALLON, Mo. (AP) — The white St. Louis couple who became internationally famous for standing guard with guns outside their mansion during a protest have pulled a gun before in defense of their property, according to an affidavit in an ongoing case. As demonstrators marched near the Renaissance palazzo-style home of Mark and Patricia McCloskey on Sunday, video posted online showed him wielding a long-barreled gun and her with a small handgun. The protesters, estimated at around 500 racially mixed people, were passing the house on the way to the nearby home of Mayor Lyda Krewson.


Terrifying: Why France Once Pointed Its Nuclear Weapons at Germany

Posted: 02 Jul 2020 09:53 AM PDT

Terrifying: Why France Once Pointed Its Nuclear Weapons at GermanyAny Soviet invasion route would have gone through Germany.


A Black woman questioned her hotel bill — and an employee called police, NC suit says

Posted: 02 Jul 2020 05:22 PM PDT

A Black woman questioned her hotel bill — and an employee called police, NC suit saysThe suit comes days after a video showed a worker at another hotel in North Carolina call police on Black guests at the hotel pool.


Locals remain anxious amid India-China border stand-off

Posted: 03 Jul 2020 12:46 AM PDT

Locals remain anxious amid India-China border stand-offEven as tensions are rising, locals along the border are worried their land is at stake.


Lindsey Graham Uses Benghazi to Defend Trump on Russian Bounties

Posted: 02 Jul 2020 08:49 AM PDT

Lindsey Graham Uses Benghazi to Defend Trump on Russian BountiesSenator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) was among the loudest Republican voices in Congress screaming about the attack on U.S. diplomats in Benghazi, Libya back in 2012. But he apparently has no problem with President Donald Trump's decision to ignore intelligence about Russian bounties on American soldiers in Afghanistan. In fact, during a Thursday morning appearance on Fox & Friends, Graham actually used the Benghazi attack to defend Trump and accuse his Democratic colleagues of hypocrisy.After co-host Brian Kilmeade quoted Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA), who accused Trump of committing "treason," Graham fired back by asking: "Where were all these Democrats when Benghazi was on fire, when they were calling for help from the consulate? The president of the United States Obama was briefed and went to bed and never called anybody for a day and a half while our people were being slaughtered in Benghazi. Where was the outrage then?!" Graham went on to say that in his view the "conflicting intelligence" in this case "does not justify a nation stage conflict with Russia." He also defended Trump's apparent lack of knowledge about the bounties by saying, "You don't tell the president of the United States everything you would tell a second lieutenant!" Co-host Steve Doocy then gave Graham an assist by adding, "It should surprise anybody that it's a big story in The New York Times. I mean, that's what they do! They come up with these big stories to make Donald Trump look bad." "And it's all B.S.," Graham replied. "He wasn't briefed. And there was no consensus." While Trump may not have been verbally briefing about the bounties, the intelligence was reportedly in his Presidential Daily Briefing, which he apparently declined to read. Despite this, Graham said Trump has an "unwavering desire and commitment to protecting our troops on the ground." Fox & Friends ended its interview with Graham by asking about his recent golf outing with Trump. "Who won?" Doocy inquired."I've never seen him play this well," Graham said with a straight face as the co-hosts giggled. "I mean, he's got more on his shoulders—I'm hoping, OK, he's a little distracted. He beat me like a drum." Jake Tapper Exposes Pompeo, Graham and Giuliani's 'Stunning' HypocrisyRead 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.


There is no epidemic of fatal police shootings against unarmed Black Americans

Posted: 03 Jul 2020 12:15 AM PDT

There is no epidemic of fatal police shootings against unarmed Black AmericansIdeally officers would never need to take anyone's life. But the data on police killings doesn't support reducing or abolishing law enforcement.


Iran says identifies cause of nuclear 'accident'

Posted: 03 Jul 2020 09:38 AM PDT

Iran says identifies cause of nuclear 'accident'Iran's top security body said Friday it had determined the cause of an "accident" at a nuclear site but declined to release details, citing security reasons. "Investigations by relevant bodies have accurately determined the cause of the accident at... Natanz nuclear complex," said a spokesman for Iran's Supreme National Security Council, referring to one of the country's main uranium enrichment plants. "Due to certain security concerns the cause and details of this accident will be announced at the proper time," state news agency IRNA quoted Keyvan Khosravi as saying.


Florida shatters records with over 10,000 new COVID-19 cases in single day

Posted: 02 Jul 2020 07:38 AM PDT

Florida shatters records with over 10,000 new COVID-19 cases in single dayOutbreaks in Texas, California, Florida and Arizona have helped the United States break records and send cases rising at rates not seen since April. In June, Florida infections rose by 168% or over 95,000 new cases. Florida, with 21 million residents, has reported more new daily coronavirus cases than any European country had at the height of their outbreaks.


Black Lives Matter: Florida police officers laugh and brag on video about shooting rubber bullets at protesters

Posted: 02 Jul 2020 02:45 PM PDT

Black Lives Matter: Florida police officers laugh and brag on video about shooting rubber bullets at protestersFlorida police officers responding to a George Floyd protest have been caught on camera laughing and bragging about shooting protesters with rubber bullets.The video shows police forming a line against a group of protesters in Fort Lauderdale on 31 May and eventually tossing tear gas to drive them away. When protesters began throwing the cannisters back at the police, they responded by shooting at demonstrators with rubber bullets.


US victims of FARC rebels win claim to Venezuelan's fortune

Posted: 02 Jul 2020 09:12 PM PDT

US victims of FARC rebels win claim to Venezuelan's fortuneThree American defense contractors held for five years by leftist rebels in Colombia moved closer to collecting on a $318 million judgment against their former captors when a U.S. Supreme Court justice rebuffed an appeal by a sanctioned Venezuelan businessman whose assets they seek to claim. Justice Clarence Thomas refused to hear an emergency appeal by Samark López, letting stand an order by a federal appeals court immediately turning over $53 million from the businessman's previously seized U.S. bank accounts, though the appeals court judgment is being contested.


He consulted experts when COVID-19 hit. Now, his state is reopening as others shut down.

Posted: 02 Jul 2020 07:58 AM PDT

He consulted experts when COVID-19 hit. Now, his state is reopening as others shut down.Gov. Phil Murphy was faced with thousands of COVID-19 cases in April — but these days he is cautiously optimistic.


India Kanpur: Eight policemen killed in clash with gang members

Posted: 03 Jul 2020 01:11 AM PDT

India Kanpur: Eight policemen killed in clash with gang membersGang members fired at the officers during a raid in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.


A 100-mph car chase in California ended in the Pacific Ocean, police say. The driver survived and was arrested.

Posted: 01 Jul 2020 06:11 PM PDT

A 100-mph car chase in California ended in the Pacific Ocean, police say. The driver survived and was arrested.The suspect was taken into custody "as he stumbled up the rocky shoreline" after driving off a cliff and into the Pacific Ocean, police say.


Jeff Sessions appears to refer to Black Harvard scholar as "some criminal"

Posted: 02 Jul 2020 01:49 PM PDT

Jeff Sessions appears to refer to Black Harvard scholar as "some criminal"In an interview, Sessions criticized former President Barack Obama for having "a beer at the White House with some criminal."


Kim Jong Un says North Korea prevented coronavirus from making inroads

Posted: 02 Jul 2020 02:40 PM PDT

Kim Jong Un says North Korea prevented coronavirus from making inroadsNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un told a meeting of the politburo of the ruling Workers Party the North had stopped the novel coronavirus from making inroads in the country, state news agency KCNA said on Friday. "We have thoroughly prevented the inroad of the malignant virus and maintained a stable anti-epidemic situation despite the worldwide health crisis, which is a shining success achieved," Kim Jong Un said in a statement carried by KCNA.


Catholic priest suspended from church for calling Black Lives Matter protesters ‘maggots and parasites’

Posted: 02 Jul 2020 02:35 PM PDT

Catholic priest suspended from church for calling Black Lives Matter protesters 'maggots and parasites'A Catholic priest in Indiana has been suspended from his public ministry, after he called Black Lives Matter (BLM) protesters "maggots and parasites".Reverend Theodore Rothrock, assigned to St Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church in Carmel, Indiana, was suspended on Wednesday, after he disparaged BLM protesters in a bulletin published on Sunday, according to Huffpost.


A massive economic crisis and the coronavirus pandemic are pushing Lebanon towards a famine

Posted: 03 Jul 2020 12:39 AM PDT

A massive economic crisis and the coronavirus pandemic are pushing Lebanon towards a famineThere are estimates from the World Bank that 75% of the country's population could end up living in poverty, France24 reported.


Made in America: Meet Iran's 'Zombie' Cannon

Posted: 02 Jul 2020 11:38 AM PDT

Made in America: Meet Iran's 'Zombie' CannonNeither tank nor artillery piece.


Before COVID hit, China hoarded protective gear. But two can play that game | Opinion

Posted: 02 Jul 2020 03:18 PM PDT

Before COVID hit, China hoarded protective gear. But two can play that game | OpinionCOVID-19 has a proven antiviral remedy called Remdesivir, but buying up three months' worth of the drug's global supplies has put the United States in the crosshairs of international criticism, making America look both heartless and hypocritical.


School districts pushed to reopen say there isn't enough money to do it safely

Posted: 03 Jul 2020 02:00 AM PDT

School districts pushed to reopen say there isn't enough money to do it safely"They're caught between a rock and a hard place, and the biggest fear is they're going to be forced to open schools without the safety guidelines."


Hong Kong activists discus parliament-in-exile

Posted: 03 Jul 2020 04:34 AM PDT

Hong Kong activists discus parliament-in-exile

Pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong are discussing a plan to create an unofficial parliament-in-exile to send a message to China that freedom cannot be crushed, according to campaigner Simon Cheng.

Cheng spoke to Reuters in an exclusive interview in London -- while tensions flared back in Hong Kong.

More than 300 people were arrested in the former British colony on Wednesday, with police firing tear gas and water cannons. Protesters were in the streets in defiance of sweeping new security legislation introduced by China.

--- A law that punishes crimes of secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces - with up to life in prison.

China denies interfering in Hong Kong and has warned foreign powers not to meddle in its affairs.

For Cheng back in London the issue rings close to home -- he's a Hong Kong citizen who worked for the British consulate there for almost two years until he fled after he said he was beaten and tortured by China's secret police.

He has since been granted asylum by Britain and says another parliament could help keep democracy alive.

"The shadow parliament can send a very clear signal to Beijing and the Hong Kong authorities that, actually, the democracy need not to be based on the mercy of Beijing, and need not be complied with the constitution or the system, because the people are losing hope that Beijing or the authorities can live up to their promise to let the people get 'one person, one vote' to elect their representatives, and even their leader. So now we want to set up the non-official civic groups that truly reflect the voice of the Hong Kong people."

He said that the idea was still at an early stage and declined to say where the parliament might sit.

After UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson offered some Hong Kong residents the path to British citizenship following China's imposition of the law, Cheng says he expects thousands of people to come.

He called this a very good signal from the UK, but said one day they will be back in Hong Kong.


Rideau Hall: Canadian Armed Forces member arrested after breaching official residence

Posted: 03 Jul 2020 05:34 AM PDT

Rideau Hall: Canadian Armed Forces member arrested after breaching official residenceJustin Trudeau lives on the estate but was not home when a Canada armed forces member entered the gates.


Only verified intelligence? A look at presidents' briefings

Posted: 02 Jul 2020 09:26 AM PDT

Only verified intelligence? A look at presidents' briefingsThe White House says President Donald Trump was never briefed on intelligence that Russia had put a bounty on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan because there wasn't corroborating evidence. Intelligence that may be on shaky ground today may foreshadow tomorrow's calamity. HOW DO PRESIDENTS RECEIVE NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION?


Senator warns of political pressure on U.S. probe into hackers of green groups

Posted: 03 Jul 2020 07:11 AM PDT

Senator warns of political pressure on U.S. probe into hackers of green groupsA Democratic U.S. senator says he has written to Attorney General William Barr outlining his concerns about potential "political interference" by the Trump administration in an investigation of a private espionage firm that targeted environmental groups in the United States. Last month Reuters reported https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-cyber-mercenaries-exclusive/exclusive-obscure-indian-cyber-firm-spied-on-politicians-investors-worldwide-idUSKBN23G1GQ that U.S. law enforcement was investigating aspects of a seven-year-long hack-for-hire operation carried out by a New Delhi-based firm called BellTroX InfoTech Services on behalf of unknown clients. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a letter https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6980750-20200702-Letter-from-Whitehouse-to-Barr.html to Barr and in an interview with Reuters on Thursday that the investigation was being carried out by prosecutors in New York and that unnamed sources had alerted his office that the Department of Justice has taken what he said was "an interest in this matter which seems inconsistent with ordinary procedure."


Daveed Diggs on what Fourth of July means to Black Americans

Posted: 03 Jul 2020 09:09 AM PDT

Daveed Diggs on what Fourth of July means to Black Americans"What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim."


The E.U. never even considered letting in U.S. travelers. That's how bad America's outbreak is.

Posted: 02 Jul 2020 04:19 AM PDT

The E.U. never even considered letting in U.S. travelers. That's how bad America's outbreak is."The U.S. was never going to make it," one E.U. diplomat said. "Just look at their coronavirus situation."


Syria harvest boom brings hope as hunger spikes

Posted: 02 Jul 2020 09:36 PM PDT

Syria harvest boom brings hope as hunger spikesWatching a combine harvester grind through his golden wheat, farmer Yahya Mahmoud is relieved the yield looks good this year, even as a tanking economy leaves millions hungry across war-torn Syria. Before the war erupted in 2011, Syria produced enough wheat to feed its entire population but harvests then plunged to record lows, boosting reliance on imports, mainly from regime ally Russia. Heavy rains and reduced violence in parts of the country this year have led to a much improved harvest, one that farmers and officials hope will soften the blow of an economic crunch that has plunged millions into food insecurity.


Cartels Target Top Cop as Killings Soar in Mexico

Posted: 02 Jul 2020 01:33 AM PDT

Cartels Target Top Cop as Killings Soar in MexicoCALI, Colombia—There was a time, not so long ago, when Mexico City remained a safe haven from the deadly cartel violence plaguing the rest of the country. A place where El Narco dared not tread.That time is no more.Shortly after sunrise on Friday, June 26, Mexico City Police Chief Omar García Harfuch was ambushed near his home in an upscale residential community. The unprecedented attack was carried out by a paramilitary force of more than two dozen men armed with automatic weapons, grenade launchers, and .50 caliber sniper rifles.Twenty-eight sicarios (hitmen) divided into four separate estacas (kill squads) had set up roadblocks on the Paseo de la Reforma, the most famous boulevard in the capital, which leads to neighborhoods full of sprawling mansions and embassy compounds. The police chief survived the barrage fired at his armored SUV, but he took three bullets and two of his bodyguards and a bystander were killed.García Harfuch, who is expected to recover, tweeted from his hospital bed that: "Our nation must continue to confront those cowards of organized crime."The assassination attempt has been blamed on the Jalisco New Generation Cartel—CJNG in Spanish—one of Mexico's fastest-growing and most powerful crime groups.Mike Vigil, formerly the DEA's chief of international operations, called the attack "brazen" in an interview with The Daily Beast."We've had other attacks in Mexico City but nothing like this," Vigil said. He described CJNG as a "hyper-violent" and "supersized cartel" capable of shooting down army helicopters and attacking military convoys.The cartel's operation against García Harfuch "was committed with absolute impunity and no regard for the rule of law," Vigil said.Mexican Narcos, More Brazen by the Day, Land Coke Plane on a Highway and Shoot a GeneralThe attack comes at a time when violence stemming from organized crime is spiking across Mexico. Scores of bodies have been found in mass graves or dumped on roadsides, and federal officials and law enforcement officers are increasingly under attack. Last year was Mexico's most violent year on record, with some 35,000 documented homicides—the true number is likely much higher as many murders go unreported—and 2020 is already on pace to eclipse those numbers. Nationwide at least 226 police officers were murdered between January and May of this year, or one-and-a-half dead cops each day."People in Mexico City thought they lived in this nice, safe bubble," Manny Gallardo, a Mexican journalist who specializes in covering the cartels, told The Daily Beast. "But now the war has come home to them." INSIDE THE ATTACKWiretaps obtained a few weeks ago by Mexico's National Intelligence Center [CIN] had hinted that CJNG was planning to target a government official, according to Mexican press reports. The leak didn't reveal who the mark would be, but CIN analysts had speculated García Harfuch could be one of the intended victims,  according to Vigil. CJNG's leader, a former police officer named Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, aka El Mencho, had been looking to strike back after authorities froze cartel assets and arrested certain high-ranking gang members—including Mencho's son, Rubén Oseguera, aka Menchito, who was extradited to the U.S. in February.Journalist Gallardo said Mencho may have chosen Police Chief García Harfuch because he'd played a role in the government's recent crackdown. García Harfuch arrested some of Mencho's top lieutenants, including the commander of CJNG's Mexico City cell and the leader of the powerful Union de Tepito gang, which was the cartel's principal ally in the capital. The chief rolled up gangsters at least as far away as the city of Guadalajara, where he arrested a ruthless CJNG assassin who murdered two Israeli citizens last July, according to Gallardo.Robert Bunker, a security specialist at the University of Southern California, called the attack against the police chief a declaration of war against the Mexican state that "has further undermined federal authority.""Another firebreak has been crossed in the criminal insurgency raging across Mexico," Bunker told The Daily Beast.Authorities have made more than two dozen arrests, including the alleged mastermind behind the plot, CJNG's José Armando Briseño, or Vaca (Cow), El Universal reported. But Gallardo said those captured were in essence fall-guys or patsies—deliberately chosen for what he calls a "suicide mission" because they were expendable. "CJNG has highly trained commandos but they didn't want to risk them," he said, and added that the failure to use elite shock troops is likely what led to a botched mission and the chief's escape."The pandemic has erased many jobs, and a lot of people are desperate. That makes for easier recruitment by the cartels. So they hired some untrained newbies for the [hit on Harfuch] . This is how organized crime takes advantage of poverty and ignorance in Mexico." BEHIND THE VIOLENCEIn the run-up to the ambush in the capital, the last couple of months have been particularly bloody. Some of the more high-profile incidents include: * On Sunday of this week at least 20 people, including Mexican Marines, were killed during a clash between rival gangs in the Michoacán region. * In mid-June a federal judge and his wife were gunned down by CJNG sicarios in the state of Colima—the first time in more than 15 years that a national-level judge has been murdered in Mexico. * A few days later a caravan of police vehicles was ambushed in western Guerrero state, leading to the deaths of eight officers with three wounded. * Also in June, some 30 bodies were found dumped on roadsides across two northern states, apparently casualties of a power struggle within the powerful Sinaloa Cartel, formerly run by Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán. * In early June, seven cops were abducted and later found dead in the CJNG-controlled territory of Colima.Experts say part of the rise in criminal activity is due to the coronavirus pandemic. Mexico has been one of the hardest-hit countries in Latin America, with 220,657 confirmed cases and more than 27,000 deaths at the time of this writing. The health crisis has diverted the attention and focus of security forces, while the cartels capitalize on the chaos to take over new turf, settle old scores, and even provide food and medical supplies to strapped communities in order to build their brand. But the outbreak has also impacted both supply and distribution chains for narcotics, forcing drug lords and their minions to expand operations to diversify their revenue streams. Slowed commerce between China and Mexico means the narcos have reduced access to vital precursor chemicals needed to produce drugs like crystal meth and fentanyl. Meanwhile the closed U.S. border has limited their ability to move what product they do have stockpiled. That scarcity is leading to ever more violent struggles between rival crime syndicates."With the pandemic negatively impacting illicit narcotics trafficking routes, cartel profits are down, which is resulting in criminal organizations fighting over dwindling profits," said USC's Bunker. "Also with Mexican state and federal forces increasingly strained [by the pandemic] more opportunities exist for the stronger cartels and criminal gangs to move against plazas [drug shipping and production corridors] and regions held by weaker opposing groups," he said.      Crime groups are also flexing their muscle in new directions since the pandemic, turning to other black-market options to fill their coffers, such as extortion, kidnapping, fuel theft, even taking over the regional avocado trade."The cartels have to have huge revenue streams to pay sicarios and money launderers, and to bribe public officials. Otherwise those people might go to work for a rival group," said Vigil. "Nobody works for free." NEW TECH AND TERROR TACTICSAnother factor behind the rising tide of violence is that the cartels have adopted new tech and weapons systems for use against each other and government forces.Crime groups are increasingly using anti-personnel car bombs, attack drones, and improvised armored fighting vehicles [AFVs], according to Bunker. The AFVs can range from bullet-proofed tactical trucks with machine guns mounted in the cargo bay, all the way up to the so-called "narco-tanks"—semis or dump trucks with welded sheet metal armor and multiple gun ports. "The use of assault rifles, grenade launchers, body armor, .50 caliber sniper rifles, and rocket propelled grenades [RPGs] is pretty standard now in many of the cartel tactical units, along with caltrops and burning vehicle blockades for area denial, channeling, and kill-zone creation purposes," Bunker said. (Caltrops are those spikes laid down across roads to blow car tires.)Journalist Gallardo agreed that cartel capabilities are on the rise:     "I've interviewed sicarios trained by Colombian paramilitaries to fly drones and drop C4 on targets. They're well trained in small-arms and infantry tactics, as well as how to dismember and torture people. That's how [the cartels] work today."Growing power and increasingly sophisticated methods of warfare often intimidate poorly funded local police, making cartel rule absolute in regions with little state presence."In isolated areas they can act without fear of government reprisal," Vigil said, and in fact often serve as the de facto authorities, settling quarrels, and dispensing food and medicine.As part of a comprehensive solution, Vigil said, "security forces need to provide a government presence throughout the country, especially where they have these voids that are filled by organized crime groups."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.


Sikh pilgrims in deadly Pakistan train crash

Posted: 03 Jul 2020 07:10 AM PDT

Sikh pilgrims in deadly Pakistan train crashAt least 21 die as an express train hits a van carrying the pilgrims near the city of Lahore.


U.S. Supreme Court takes up Trump bid to withhold parts of Russia report

Posted: 02 Jul 2020 06:57 AM PDT

U.S. Supreme Court takes up Trump bid to withhold parts of Russia reportDemocratic U.S. lawmakers are highly unlikely to gain access before the Nov. 3 election to material withheld from former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian political meddling after the Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear President Donald Trump's administration's bid to keep it secret. The House of Representatives Judiciary Committee last year subpoenaed grand jury materials related to the Mueller report, which documented Moscow's interference in the 2016 presidential election to boost Trump's candidacy. The Justice Department withheld the materials when the report was released.


Thursday, July 2, 2020

Yahoo! News: Weight Loss News

Yahoo! News: Weight Loss News


Oklahoma becomes latest red state to approve Obamacare's Medicaid expansion at the ballot box

Posted: 01 Jul 2020 11:31 AM PDT

Oklahoma becomes latest red state to approve Obamacare's Medicaid expansion at the ballot boxOklahoma follows Utah, Nebraska, Idaho and Maine in approving the Obamacare health insurance expansion for low-income residents.


Amid surge in coronavirus cases and mounting criticism, GOP leaders do about-face on masks

Posted: 30 Jun 2020 12:14 PM PDT

Amid surge in coronavirus cases and mounting criticism, GOP leaders do about-face on masksAs the coronavirus pandemic continues to ravage large swaths of the U.S., leading Republicans and even some right-wing TV personalities have come out in favor of wearing masks to prevent the spread of the virus.


Harvard Grad Says She Was Fired from Deloitte Job for Threatening ‘All Lives Matter’ Supporters

Posted: 02 Jul 2020 05:54 AM PDT

Harvard Grad Says She Was Fired from Deloitte Job for Threatening 'All Lives Matter' SupportersA recent Harvard graduate who threatened to "stab" anyone who told her "all lives matter" has been fired from her job, she announced in a tearful video.Claira Janover, who said in a viral but since-deleted TikTok post that she would "stab" those with "the nerve" to say "all lives matter," posted several tearful videos explaining that her new employer, Deloitte, had fired her."I know this is what Trump supporters wanted because standing up for Black Lives Matter put me in a place online to be seen by millions of people," Janover explained. "The job that I worked really hard to get and meant a lot to me just called me and fired me because of everything."In a second video, Janover claimed that "Trump supporters took my job away from me.""I have gotten death threats, rape threats, violent threats and it's okay — but now it's just like my future is entirely compromised because Trump supporters have decided to come for my life," she stated. "I'm too strong for you. I am too strong for any of you, 'all lives matter' racist Trump supporters. It sucks but it doesn't suck as much as systemic racism."Janover also criticized Deloitte, calling out the company for "cowardice." The firm has not publicly commented on the situation.In the video that led to her firing, Janover warned "all lives matter" supporter that she would stab them. "While you're struggling and bleeding out, I'ma show you my paper cut and say, 'My cut matters too,'" she stated. After the video was picked up and circulated on Twitter, Janover posted a message on the video stating that "For legal reasons this is a joke." She also explained in subsequent videos that her threat was "clearly" an "analogous joke.""Apparently I'm threatening the lives of people — unlike cops, obviously," she added."Anyway, so If I get an email from the Department of Homeland Security or I get kicked out of Harvard or I get arrested or whatever — or I get murdered, according to the many death threats that I'm receiving right now — know that I appreciate you guys standing up for me," she said.


1 of 2 Oklahoma officers shot during traffic stop dies

Posted: 30 Jun 2020 02:52 PM PDT

1 of 2 Oklahoma officers shot during traffic stop diesOne of the two Tulsa, Oklahoma, police officers who were shot during a traffic stop has died, authorities said Tuesday. Police Chief Wendell Franklin said Sgt. Craig Johnson died Tuesday. Franklin described Johnson's death as a "tremendous loss" to the police department.


Beijing asks some U.S. media to submit information about their China operations

Posted: 01 Jul 2020 12:32 AM PDT

Beijing asks some U.S. media to submit information about their China operationsChina's foreign ministry said on Wednesday that the Chinese government has asked some U.S. media outlets present in the country to submit information about their China operations. Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian named the Associated Press, National Public Radio, CBS and United Press International news agency as companies asked to submit the requested information in writing within seven days. The AP has requested more information about the Chinese government's requirements and "will review them carefully," a spokeswoman for the outlet said.


Sen. Scott on COVID-19 surge in Florida: We can beat this without the government taking away our rights

Posted: 02 Jul 2020 05:00 AM PDT

Sen. Scott on COVID-19 surge in Florida: We can beat this without the government taking away our rightsFlorida Republican Sen. Rick Scott says citizens can responsibly combat the virus by being given more information from the government instead of just being told what to do.


Fox News anchor Ed Henry fired after sexual misconduct investigation

Posted: 01 Jul 2020 07:09 AM PDT

Fox News anchor Ed Henry fired after sexual misconduct investigationFox News has fired Ed Henry, a daytime anchor and former head of the White House Correspondents Assn., after an investigation into sexual misconduct.


Feud ends in gunfire as pastor kills two in front of his daughter, Las Vegas cops say

Posted: 30 Jun 2020 02:04 PM PDT

Feud ends in gunfire as pastor kills two in front of his daughter, Las Vegas cops sayThe man, a pastor at a Las Vegas church, killed his 71-year-old neighbor and her friend with a shotgun, police say.


GOP candidates who embrace far-right QAnon conspiracy theory score primary wins

Posted: 01 Jul 2020 09:04 AM PDT

GOP candidates who embrace far-right QAnon conspiracy theory score primary winsLauren Boebert, who knocked off five-time incumbent Rep. Scott Tipton in Colorado Tuesday night, is the latest QAnon-friendly candidate to find success in a Republican primary.


Coronavirus: Uganda opens border for DR Congo refugees

Posted: 01 Jul 2020 07:22 AM PDT

Coronavirus: Uganda opens border for DR Congo refugeesSome 3,000 people were stuck in no-man's land for more than a month after fleeing violence in DR Congo.


Police officer filmed punching black woman at Miami International Airport

Posted: 02 Jul 2020 04:20 AM PDT

Police officer filmed punching black woman at Miami International AirportThe police department in Miami-Dade has dismissed two officers after one punched a black woman at Miami International Airport.The department ordered an investigation into the incident on Wednesday night when a video – dated 1 July – was shared online.


Britain recognises Juan Guaido as president of Venezuela after dispute over gold

Posted: 02 Jul 2020 05:08 AM PDT

Britain recognises Juan Guaido as president of Venezuela after dispute over goldBritain has recognised Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country's president, the English High Court has ruled, in a case over whether Mr Guaido or Nicolas Maduro should control $1 billion of its gold stored in London. The case was brought by the Banco Central de Venezuela to release $1 billion of gold reserves to help fund the cash-strapped country's response to the coronavirus outbreak. The Bank of England said it was unable to act on instructions because it was "caught in the middle" of competing claims for the presidency after disputed elections in 2018. A BCV board appointed by the government of Nicolas Maduro wants the gold released while a rival ad hoc board appointed by Mr Guaido asked for the release to be denied. Commercial Court judge Nigel Teare, sitting at the High Court of England and Wales, was asked to rule on who was authorised to make the demand - Mr Guaido or Mr Maduro. In his judgement, he said: "Her Majesty's Government does recognise Mr Guaido in the capacity of constitutional interim president of Venezuela and, it must follow, does not recognise Mr Maduro as the constitutional interim president of Venezuela."


The 10 Best Dino-Killing, Ice Spewing, Earth-Destroying Asteroids

Posted: 30 Jun 2020 11:20 AM PDT

Europe Portrays Both America and Iran As Rogue States At the UN

Posted: 30 Jun 2020 01:33 PM PDT

Europe Portrays Both America and Iran As Rogue States At the UNPompeo finally had his chance to face off with Iran, Russia, and China. He may have gotten more than he bargained for.


Trump reportedly briefed on Russia paying militants to kill US troops the same day he had a 45-minute meeting on the dramatized CPAC play 'FBI Lovebirds: Undercovers'

Posted: 30 Jun 2020 09:01 PM PDT

Trump reportedly briefed on Russia paying militants to kill US troops the same day he had a 45-minute meeting on the dramatized CPAC play 'FBI Lovebirds: Undercovers'President Donald Trump denies he was briefed on a Russian military intelligence unit paying Taliban-linked militants to kill US forces in Afghanistan.


Rayshard Brooks: Accused officer bailed despite widow's plea

Posted: 30 Jun 2020 05:16 PM PDT

Rayshard Brooks: Accused officer bailed despite widow's pleaRayshard Brooks' widow said the ex-officer was dangerous and asked the judge to deny bail.


Swiss attorney general's office defends conduct after Russia-related scrutiny

Posted: 01 Jul 2020 10:33 AM PDT

Alabama college students are throwing 'COVID parties' where they invite infected people and gamble on who gets sick first, officials say

Posted: 02 Jul 2020 02:48 AM PDT

Alabama college students are throwing 'COVID parties' where they invite infected people and gamble on who gets sick first, officials sayAs of Thursday, Alabama reported more than 38,000 coronavirus cases. State health authorities have warned intensive-care-unit beds might run out.


Memphis police clear downtown plaza, detain protesters who camped out for two weeks

Posted: 01 Jul 2020 10:10 AM PDT

Memphis police clear downtown plaza, detain protesters who camped out for two weeksProtesters have camped outside the Memphis City Hall since June 16. The city said the move was necessary to allow for construction.


Indian groom's wedding, funeral leave over 100 infected with coronavirus

Posted: 01 Jul 2020 06:11 AM PDT

Indian groom's wedding, funeral leave over 100 infected with coronavirusMore than 100 people have tested positive for coronavirus in India after attending the wedding -- and then funeral -- of the groom, who reportedly tied the knot while ill with the disease. Officials in Bihar state said Wednesday the 26-year-old groom had symptoms of the deadly virus when he got married on June 15. "So far 111 people who either attended the wedding or the funeral have tested positive," said Raj Kishor Chaudhary, chief medical officer in Patna, the state capital.


Afghan Contractor Handed Out Russian Cash to Kill Americans, Officials Say

Posted: 02 Jul 2020 05:11 AM PDT

Afghan Contractor Handed Out Russian Cash to Kill Americans, Officials SayKABUL, Afghanistan -- He was a lowly drug smuggler, neighbors and relatives say, then ventured into contracting, seeking a slice of the billions of dollars the U.S.-led coalition was funneling into construction projects in Afghanistan.But he really began to show off his wealth in recent years, after establishing a base in Russia, though how he earned those riches remained mysterious. On his regular trips home to northern Afghanistan, he drove the latest model cars, protected by bodyguards, and his house was recently upgraded to a four-story villa.Now Rahmatullah Azizi stands as a central piece of a puzzle rocking Washington, named in U.S. intelligence reports and confirmed by Afghan officials as a key middleman who for years handed out money from a Russian military intelligence unit to reward Taliban-linked fighters for targeting U.S. troops in Afghanistan, according to American and Afghan officials.As security agencies connected the dots of the bounty scheme and narrowed in on him, they carried out sweeping raids to arrest dozens of his relatives and associates about six months ago but discovered that Azizi had sneaked out of Afghanistan and was likely back in Russia. What they did find in one of his homes, in Kabul, was about half a million dollars in cash.American and Afghan officials for years have maintained that Russia was running clandestine operations to undermine the U.S. mission in Afghanistan and aid the Taliban.But U.S. officials only recently concluded that a Russian spy agency was paying bounties for killing coalition troops, including Americans, which the Kremlin and the Taliban have denied.According to officials briefed on the matter, U.S. intelligence officials believe the program is run by Unit 29155, an arm of the Russian military intelligence agency known as the GRU that has carried out assassinations and other operations overseas.That a conduit for the payments would be someone like Azizi -- tied to the U.S. reconstruction effort, enmeshed in the regional netherworld but not prominent enough to attract outside attention -- speaks to the depth of Russia's reach into the increasingly complicated Afghan battlefield, exploiting a nexus of crime and terror to strike blows with years of deniability.The public revelation last week of that conclusion has touched off a political firestorm in Washington. White House officials said at first that President Donald Trump was never briefed on the matter, but it emerged that the intelligence assessment was included in a written briefing to the president in late February, if not earlier.As Democratic and Republican officials have expressed alarm at the news, and the administration's lack of action in response, the White House has insisted that the information was uncertain.Details of Azizi's role in the bounty scheme were confirmed through a dozen interviews that included U.S. and Afghan officials aware of the intelligence and the raids that led to it; his neighbors and friends; and business associates of the middle men arrested on suspicion of involvement. All spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid retaliation.U.S. intelligence reports named Azizi as a key middleman between the GRU and militants linked to the Taliban who carried out the attacks. He was among those who collected the cash in Russia, which intelligence files described as multiple payments of "hundreds of thousands of dollars." Those files were among the materials provided to Congress this week.Through a layered and complex Hawala system -- an informal way to transfer money -- he delivered it to Afghanistan for the missions, the files say. The transfers were often sliced into smaller amounts that routed through several regional countries before arriving in Afghanistan, associates of the arrested businessmen said.Afghan officials said prizes of as much as $100,000 per killed soldier were offered for American and coalition targets.Just how the money was dispersed to militants carrying out attacks for the Taliban, and at what level the coordination occurred, remains unclear. But officials say the network had grown increasingly ambitious and was in communication with more senior levels in Taliban military ranks to discuss potential targets.About six months ago, Afghanistan's intelligence agency, the National Directorate of Security, raided the offices of several Hawala businessmen both in Kabul, the capital, and in Kunduz, in the north, who were believed to be associated with the bounty scheme, making more than a dozen arrests."The target of the operation was Rahmat, who was going back-and-forth to Russia for a long time and said he worked there, but no one knew what he did," said Safiullah Amiry, deputy head of Kunduz provincial council, referring to Azizi. But by the time the raid took place, "Rahmat had fled.""From what I heard from security officials, the money had come from Russia through Rahmat," he added.Russia was initially seen as cooperating with U.S. efforts after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, as its interests in defeating al-Qaida, an international Islamic terror group, aligned with those of the United States.But in recent years, as the two powers clashed elsewhere, the Kremlin grew wary of the prolonged U.S. presence and moved closer to the Taliban, hedging its bets on who would take power in a post-American Afghanistan.The Russians also saw an opportunity for long-awaited payback for the Soviet humiliation in Afghanistan in the 1980s, when the Red Army withdrew after being unable to defeat a U.S.-backed insurgency.Russia has walked a fine balance in recent years, eager to bloody the American nose but wary of Afghanistan collapsing into a chaos that could spill over its borders. Publicly, Russia has admitted only to information-sharing with the Taliban in fighting the Islamic State in Afghanistan, a common foe.The U.S. conclusion in 2019 that the Russians were sending bounty money to the Taliban came at a delicate time in the conflict, just as the United States was deep into negotiations with the insurgents over a deal to withdraw the remaining American troops from the country.Some of the attacks believed to be part of the bounty scheme were carried out around the time the Trump administration was actively reaching out to Russia for cooperation on those peace talks. Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. special envoy leading the talks, repeatedly met with Russian officials to build consensus around the U.S. endgame.The Afghan battlefield is saturated with smaller terrorist groups in addition to the Taliban, who are still responsible for the majority of the violence. Criminal networks, profiteers and terror training experts also freelance their services -- often to several groups at the same time.Azizi, who neighbors and relatives said is in his 40s, thrived in that convoluted, murky environment.A friend who has known him since his early days in Kunduz, as well as later in Russia, said he had started off with smuggling small shipments of drugs into Iran in his 20s, but that venture was not very successful. He had returned to northern Afghanistan, and somehow won contracts from the U.S.-led coalition forces to build stretches of a couple roads in Kunduz, before making his way to Russia.None of those interviewed who know Azizi were surprised when his associates were raided about six months ago and one of his brothers taken into custody with the half-million dollars in cash. As one of his friends put it, he had gone from "not even having a blanket" to having multiple houses, fancy cars, and security escorts.This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2020 The New York Times Company


How America Bombed Nazi Germany Back into the Stone Age (And Won World War II)

Posted: 01 Jul 2020 04:00 PM PDT

How America Bombed Nazi Germany Back into the Stone Age (And Won World War II)By the time the invasion of France began, American bomber losses had dropped to negligible proportions, and the Luftwaffe had been virtually driven from the skies over its own homeland.


More than 400 US Army paratroopers flew almost 5,000 miles to practice a long-range Pacific island invasion

Posted: 01 Jul 2020 02:23 PM PDT

More than 400 US Army paratroopers flew almost 5,000 miles to practice a long-range Pacific island invasionThe drill "demonstrated that we are capable of deploying anywhere in the US Indo-Pacific Command area at a moment's notice," a commander said.


Sen. Hawley on investigation into St. Louis gun couple, Supreme Court justice vetting process

Posted: 02 Jul 2020 03:44 AM PDT

Sen. Hawley on investigation into St. Louis gun couple, Supreme Court justice vetting processMissouri GOP Sen. Josh Hawley says the couple defending their home from protesters in St. Louis should not be charged and calls for a change to the Republican vetting process for high court nominees.


With 'Partial Human Remains' Found in Texas, Family of Missing Soldier Vanessa Guillen Say They Believe She Is Dead

Posted: 01 Jul 2020 01:53 PM PDT

With 'Partial Human Remains' Found in Texas, Family of Missing Soldier Vanessa Guillen Say They Believe She Is DeadAn attorney for the family missing solider Vanessa Guillen said during a press conference that they "believe that her remains were found"


Biden pulls together hundreds of lawyers as a bulwark against election trickery

Posted: 01 Jul 2020 06:17 PM PDT

Biden pulls together hundreds of lawyers as a bulwark against election trickery"We put together 600 lawyers and a group of people throughout the country who are going into every single state to try to figure out whether chicanery is likely to take place," Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, said on a video conference with donors to his campaign. Biden's remarks come as the candidate offers dire warnings about efforts by Republicans to cheat in the Nov. 3 election while also criticizing his election opponent, Republican President Donald Trump, for undermining confidence in the vote. A senior political adviser and top lawyer for Trump's campaign, Justin Clark, said Biden is lying and stoking fear while Democrats are trying to "fundamentally change" how elections are conducted, an apparent reference to their support for widespread mail-in voting.


Turkey: Up to 60 migrants feared dead in lake after sinking

Posted: 01 Jul 2020 12:21 AM PDT

Turkey: Up to 60 migrants feared dead in lake after sinkingUp to 60 migrants may have been trapped in a boat that sank in an eastern lake last week, Turkey's interior minister said Wednesday. Turkey launched a search-and-rescue mission involving helicopters and boats after the boat carrying migrants across Lake Van was reported missing on June 27. Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, who traveled to Van to oversee the rescue operation, told reporters Wednesday that authorities estimated the boat was carrying between 55 and 60 migrants when it went down in stormy weather.


'You’ve been warned': Florida sheriff says he may deputize gun owners against protesters

Posted: 01 Jul 2020 11:48 AM PDT

'You've been warned': Florida sheriff says he may deputize gun owners against protestersCritics have likened Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels' actions to "a call for vigilantism" after his comments about protesters.


Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar Shut Down Meghan McCain’s COVID Outburst

Posted: 01 Jul 2020 09:20 AM PDT

Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar Shut Down Meghan McCain's COVID OutburstThe View devolved into yet another shouting match on Wednesday morning after co-host Meghan McCain appeared to say that she trusts Tucker Carlson more than Dr. Anthony Fauci when it comes to COVID-19. It started when Joy Behar went after congressional Republicans for "protecting Trump" and "prioritizing the economy over science." They have only started to wear masks, she suggested, now that the president's poll numbers are in precipitous decline. "They have aided and abetted this president down the road to destruction, and we are all in this sinking boat with them until this country gets it together and says, we need leadership," Behar said. "I say vote them all out. All of them. Every Republican running." McCain could be seen on screen widening her eyes in disbelief, but first it was Sunny Hostin's turn. She pointed to new studies that show how Fox News may have intensified the severity of the pandemic by spreading misinformation to viewers. "I am 100 percent willing to say on television that I do not have faith and trust in Dr. Fauci in the way that I did," McCain declared when it was her turn to speak. As she has done in the past, McCain pointed to supposed hypocrisy when it comes to Black Lives Matter protests and now Pride marches. 'The View' Explodes Over Trump Rally vs. Black Lives Matter Protesters"It's great that people are out marching in any other time other than a pandemic right here, and we're not supposed to be this close together," she said. "I'm not supposed to be within six feet of people. The narrative continues to confuse me. Republicans are the devil. Fox News is the devil, but protesters for Pride and protesters for Black Lives Matter, it's fine, and the pandemic doesn't exist." Simultaneously, Behar and Whoopi Goldberg came in with, "Actually, I don't think—" and "Nobody said that." "I'm the only conservative on this show and I leave this place and all I do is pretty much consume conservative media," McCain continued on. "So I was just trying to explain what conservatives are seeing, and as much as you want to trash Fox News, Tucker Carlson has the highest approval ratings and numbers in Fox News history right now, partly because he's saying, in a much more eloquent way, what I am saying right now." Again, Goldberg and Behar could not wait to refute her claims, talking over each other with their rebuttals. "Who said it was OK for anybody?" Behar asked."At this point, there is no person in our country who can look at what's happening and say that your politics is wrong or my politics is wrong," Goldberg said. "This is not about politics. People who are conservative, people who are Republican, people who are Democrat, they're all getting hit the same way. People are dying!" She then added, "We have talked about the fact that everybody has to get on board to stop the spread of this thing. We said it to the marchers, we said it to everybody. Nobody is making a distinction." "Dr. Fauci is not, in the way that I would have liked," McCain replied, arguing that the top health officials "should have been screaming bloody murder" when the protests started. "I do think there was an impression made from some people that it was OK because the protesting and the existential crisis of police brutality, which we can have another conversation at another time, was more important than the virus and the outbreak." As McCain went on, Goldberg again shut her down with, "No one has said that! Listen, you want to fight about it, we can fight about it, but that's not what's been said." When McCain then complained about Behar arguing to vote all Republicans out of office, Goldberg shot back, "That's her opinion!" McCain came back with, "My opinion is that's ridiculous!"Jon Stewart Rips Into 'Meth-Head Nixon' Trump on 'The View'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.


Military Mystery: What Happened to Russia's New T-14 Tank in Syria?

Posted: 01 Jul 2020 07:00 PM PDT

Military Mystery: What Happened to Russia's New T-14 Tank in Syria?Last month multiple media reports suggested that the Russian military's new T-14 Armata tank had been "battle-tested" in Syria.


Sweden's prime minister orders an inquiry into the failure of the country's no-lockdown coronavirus strategy

Posted: 02 Jul 2020 04:44 AM PDT

Sweden's prime minister orders an inquiry into the failure of the country's no-lockdown coronavirus strategyThe number of new COVID-19 cases in Sweden, where the government opted against a strict lockdown, has increased significantly in recent weeks.


8 Louisiana police officers have been charged after violently beating 2 men who prosecutors said tried to 'surrender without resistance'

Posted: 01 Jul 2020 09:35 AM PDT

8 Louisiana police officers have been charged after violently beating 2 men who prosecutors said tried to 'surrender without resistance'Prosecutors said the officers broke one man's orbital bone and another man's nose in the beating, and punched, kicked, and tased the men.


Why Amy McGrath could cost Republicans the U.S. Senate, even if she loses to Mitch McConnell

Posted: 01 Jul 2020 09:36 AM PDT

Why Amy McGrath could cost Republicans the U.S. Senate, even if she loses to Mitch McConnellPolitical analysts see the chances of Democrats winning enough seats to seize control of the Senate in the Nov. 3 U.S. election rising, with President Donald Trump's sliding poll numbers endangering a growing number of Republican incumbents. McConnell, a tenacious political survivor, has endured election challenges in the past and is still expected to defeat McGrath, who on Tuesday emerged as her party's nominee to challenge him.


Stonewall Jackson removed from Richmond's Monument Avenue

Posted: 01 Jul 2020 11:45 AM PDT

Stonewall Jackson removed from Richmond's Monument AvenueWork crews wielding a giant crane, harnesses and power tools wrested an imposing statue of Gen. Stonewall Jackson from its concrete pedestal along Richmond, Virginia's famed Monument Avenue on Wednesday, just hours after the mayor ordered the removal of all Confederate statues from city land. Mayor Levar Stoney's decree came weeks after Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam ordered the removal of the most prominent and imposing statue along the avenue: that of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, which sits on state land.


Coronavirus: The human cost of fake news in India

Posted: 01 Jul 2020 05:19 AM PDT

Coronavirus: The human cost of fake news in IndiaFalse and misleading reports have surged in the country during the coronavirus pandemic.


California Gov. Enacts Further Reclosure of Some Businesses

Posted: 01 Jul 2020 02:03 PM PDT

California Gov. Enacts Further Reclosure of Some BusinessesMost counties are being ordered to immediately reclose indoor spaces, like restaurants and movie theaters, as the coronavirus spread grows.


Judge Blocks Trump Admin. Rule on Third-Country Asylum Seekers

Posted: 01 Jul 2020 05:03 AM PDT

Judge Blocks Trump Admin. Rule on Third-Country Asylum SeekersA federal judge has overturned a Trump administration policy mandating that asylum seekers first apply for asylum in countries they pass through on their way to the U.S.-Mexico border.The policy was aimed at deterring illegal immigration from Central American countries including Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador.U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly of Washington, D.C., a Trump appointee, said that the administration violated the Administrative Procedure Act when adopting the policy. The APA requires that the federal government allow time for Americans to weigh in on certain proposed federal policy changes."There are many circumstances in which courts appropriately defer to the national security judgments of the Executive," Kelly wrote in his opinion. "But determining the scope of an APA exception is not one of them."Among the plaintiffs were advocacy groups for migrants as well as individual petitioners, who argued that the Trump administration policy violated the Immigration and Nationality Act. Kelly wrote that the law generally allows asylum seekers to petition no matter what country they passed through.The Trump administration will likely appeal the ruling. However, it is unclear if the ruling will have any immediate effect because of the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on illegal immigration.U.S. Immigration, Customs and Enforcement has since mid-March returned almost all migrants caught crossing the border back to Mexico, fearing possible outbreaks of coronavirus in holding facilities. As a result, the pace of illegal immigration has drastically slowed during the pandemic. ICE has also refrained from arresting migrants who do not pose a public danger, and has not attempted arrests at health care facilities to allow migrants to receive medical care.


F-35 Are Dangerous Stealth Fighters. Too Bad They Are Missing One Thing.

Posted: 01 Jul 2020 03:00 AM PDT

F-35 Are Dangerous Stealth Fighters. Too Bad They Are Missing One Thing.The Pentagon's F-35 and F-22 stealth fighters, which it has made the lynchpin of its twenty-first-century air warfare strategy, simply can't fly far enough. Why not stealth tankers?


U.S. says leaking nuclear waste dome is safe; Marshall Islands leaders don't believe it

Posted: 01 Jul 2020 01:14 PM PDT

U.S. says leaking nuclear waste dome is safe; Marshall Islands leaders don't believe itThe DOE says that radioactive leakage from Runit Dome, a respository for U.S. atomic waste, is insignificant. Marshall Islands leaders are skeptical.


Woman In Fort Worth 7-Eleven Spits On Counter After Being Told She Had To Wear A Face Mask

Posted: 01 Jul 2020 01:17 PM PDT

Woman In Fort Worth 7-Eleven Spits On Counter After Being Told She Had To Wear A Face MaskA woman in North Texas became verbally abusive and even spit on a convenience store counter after being told she would have to wear a face mask in order to make a purchase. Katie Johnston reports.


Detroit man sentenced to life in prison for killing two gay men and a transgender woman

Posted: 01 Jul 2020 11:46 AM PDT

Detroit man sentenced to life in prison for killing two gay men and a transgender woman19-year-old Devon Kareem Robinson's "actions were disturbing on so many levels," Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said.