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Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power provokes outrage, rebukes on Capitol Hill

On Capitol Hill, the president’s stunning refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power should he lose the election was met with outrage among Democrats — and implicit condemnation from Republicans.

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 11:22:17 -0400

Ted Cruz blocks resolution honoring Ginsburg after Tucker Carlson pushes conspiracy theory about her

"I think Justice Ginsburg would easily see through the legal sophistry," Chuck Schumer says of Cruz's objection

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 12:54:39 -0400

Trump advisor diagnosed with head cancer following leave of absence

Michael Caputo has been diagnosed with metastatic head and neck cancer, spokesperson says

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 18:06:26 -0400

Portland protesters set fire at police building, 14 arrested

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.

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 02:52:42 -0400

Meet Magawa, the 'hero rat' awarded a bravery medal for detecting dozens of landmines

Magawa, an African Giant Pouched Rat, was awarded a gold medal from the PDSA for his working detecting landmines in Cambodia.

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 10:27:44 -0400

CDC: A salmonella outbreak tracks to ramen and a restaurant food recalled in 32 states

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.

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 19:41:58 -0400

GOP Sen. Cory Gardner stayed mum on meatpacking coronavirus outbreaks as he received industry donations

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

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 17:14:00 -0400

FBI chief says U.S. 'Antifa' demonstrators are targets of multiple probes

At a hearing of the Republican-led Senate Homeland Security committee, Christopher Wray said that the Bureau had seen "organized tactical activity at both the local and regional level." Wray added that the bureau is conducting multiple investigations "into some anarchist violent extremists, some of whom operate through these nodes." Antifa, short for anti-fascist, is an amorphous movement "who believe in active, aggressive opposition to far right-wing movements," according https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounders/who-are-antifa to the Anti-Defamation League, which tracks extremists.

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 15:08:10 -0400

Man who drove into California protesters used vineyard as 'tactical training camp,' officials say

Benjamin Hung, 28, is accused of possessing a machete, a Glock and other weapons in his truck and driving into a crowd of racial justice protesters in Pasadena.

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 00:16:00 -0400

In wake of Gardner's suicide, special prosecutor offers new details about events leading up to James Scurlock shooting

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.”

Wed, 23 Sep 2020 18:39:54 -0400

US military increasingly using drone missile with flying blades in Syria

‘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.”

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 10:52:03 -0400

Trump unveils his America First Healthcare Plan

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.

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 18:08:50 -0400

Coronavirus: 90% of Americans have not been exposed to Covid-19, CDC director warns

CDC Director Robert Redfield tells Capitol Hill ‘more than 90% of the population’ remains susceptible to the novel coronavirus

Wed, 23 Sep 2020 16:35:43 -0400

Venezuela's Maduro blasts US in speech to world leaders

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.

Wed, 23 Sep 2020 19:34:16 -0400

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny mocked Putin for suggesting that he poisoned himself

Putin's critics and opponents have routinely been poisoned and some have been killed. Navalny is seemingly the latest victim.

Wed, 23 Sep 2020 14:08:26 -0400

Anwar Ibrahim: A long-held dream to lead Malaysia

After a decades-long quest to become premier, Mr Anwar may finally rise to the top job.

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 02:58:18 -0400

Democrats prepare bill limiting U.S. Supreme Court justice terms to 18 years

Democrats in of the House of Representatives will introduce a bill next week to limit the tenure of U.S. Supreme Court justices to 18 years from current lifetime appointments, in a bid to reduce partisan warring over vacancies and preserve the court's legitimacy. The new bill, seen by Reuters, would allow every president to nominate two justices per four-year term and comes amid heightened political tensions as Republican President Donald Trump prepares to announce his third pick for the Supreme Court after the death on Sept. 18 of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, with just 40 days to go until the Nov. 3 election. "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 California U.S. Representative Ro Khanna, who plans to introduce the legislation on Tuesday, along with Representatives Joe Kennedy III of Massachusetts and Don Beyer of Virginia.

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 17:35:33 -0400

Amy McGrath, Mitch McConnell's Senate opponent, demands that Kentucky's AG release the full grand jury report that led to no charges for Breonna Taylor's killing

"Let's have a transparent investigation," she said. "In the meantime, let's focus on making sure we elect leaders who will work for change."

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 01:52:24 -0400

Feds air FBI agent’s gripes about Flynn probe

The official public release of such candid assessments from inside a federal investigative team is extraordinarily rare.

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 07:30:10 -0400

Madeleine McCann suspect to stay in jail after losing appeal to overturn rape conviction

The Madeleine McCann suspect is to remain in jail after losing his appeal to overturn a rape conviction. Christian Brückner, a 43-year-old German currently in prison for drug offences, was convicted of raping a 72-year-old American woman in Praia de Luiz in 2005 - two years before Madeleine went missing in the same Portuguese village. Brückner, who was convicted of the rape in December last year, appealed the decision in the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on a legal technicality relating to his extradition back to Germany from Portugal. But the ECJ ruled that the extradition was lawful, meaning the seven year sentence for the rape conviction stands. He will remain in custody until 2027 at the latest. According to court documents, Brückner was extradited from Portugal for sexually abusing a minor in June 2017, then travelled to the Netherlands and Italy whilst still on probation after his release. He was extradited to Germany from Italy in October 2018 on a warrant for drug trafficking before being tried and convicted of rape and extortion in December last year. The ECJ case centred on whether the German authorities needed Portugal's consent to bring rape proceedings because of the 2017 extradition. Italy had agreed Brückner could be tried for rape and extortion in Germany.

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 07:49:13 -0400

Camp Lejeune Marines Warned to Stop Running in the Dark After 4 Coyote Attacks

Three Marines and a sailor have been bitten by a coyote on the loose at Camp Lejeune.

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 10:15:54 -0400

‘Unlike anything we’ve seen in modern history’: Attacks against journalists soar during Black Lives Matter protests

Arrests of US journalists halfway through 2020 outnumber number of jailed reporters in China in 2019

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 09:15:40 -0400

Low tide reveals WWII-era bomb on beach near resort town in UK

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.

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 14:11:28 -0400

LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman and his billions are disrupting the Democratic Party

LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman is one of the Democratic Party's most prominent donors — but what does it mean to disrupt an election?

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 13:57:50 -0400

Pablo Escobar: Money hidden in wall found in drug lord's house

A plastic bag with money worth $18m (£14m) is found in a wall by one of the drug lord's nephews.

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 08:49:36 -0400

Possible virus vulnerability discovered; about 20% of people with COVID-19 remain asymptomatic

The spike protein on the novel coronavirus that helps it break into healthy cells has a tiny "pocket" that could make it vulnerable to antiviral drugs, researchers have discovered. In a paper published on Monday in Science, researchers note that common-cold-causing rhinoviruses have a similar pocket, and drugs that fit into the pocket by mimicking fatty acids like LA have lessened symptoms in human clinical trials. This suggests, they say, that drugs developed to target the pocket on the coronavirus spike protein might help eliminate COVID-19.

Wed, 23 Sep 2020 15:30:25 -0400

Man who allegedly told Korean-American entrepreneur to 'go back to Wuhan' fired from job

No description related. Click here to go to original article.

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 17:03:00 -0400

Trump unloads on Fox News after network polls shows Biden ahead in key swing states

“One of the worst polls in 2016 was the @FoxNews Poll," Trump tweets. "They were so ridiculously wrong"

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 11:51:22 -0400

Tucker Carlson Accuses BLM of Lying About Breonna Taylor’s Death, Gets Major Fact Wrong

Fox News host Tucker Carlson reacted Wednesday night to Louisville police officers dodging charges in the killing of Breonna Taylor by claiming Black Lives Matter had peddled a “lie” about the 26-year-old’s fatal shooting, all while falsely accusing Taylor’s boyfriend of being a drug dealer.With protests erupting in Louisville hours after a grand jury decided not to charge three cops with killing Taylor, Carlson recapped the decision while complaining about the way Taylor’s death had been portrayed by social justice activists and the press.“In March, three Louisville police officers served a search warrant at the apartment of a woman called Breonna Taylor,” Carlson said. “They knocked outside and announced they were from the police department and then they entered the apartment.”While Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said that one civilian witness testified they heard police announce themselves before breaking through Taylor’s door, media interviews with residents at the complex reveal that the vast majority didn’t hear the officers do that. The New York Times found one neighbor, who was directly above the apartment, say they heard the police announce themselves.Carlson went on to note that Kenneth Walker, Taylor’s boyfriend who was at the apartment that night, fired on the police after they entered the apartment. Walker has maintained that he never heard the officers announce themselves as police and believed someone was breaking in. But Carlson portrayed the incident as an attack on police officers by someone who he mistakenly referred to as “supposedly a drug dealer.”“Walker was Breonna Taylor’s boyfriend—he was also supposedly a drug dealer,” Carlson declared. “That was one of the reasons the police were there. Walker admits that he fired first and that he shot a police officer.”Walker, however, was nowhere to be found on any of the series of warrants that were served by police, including the “no-knock” warrant on Taylor’s apartment by three plainclothes policemen. Taylor’s ex-boyfriend, Jemarcus Glover, was the subject of the investigation by Louisville police, while Walker has no drug offenses to his name.Glover, meanwhile, has accused Louisville prosecutors of trying to bribe him with a plea deal in order to incriminate Taylor, claiming they offered a lighter sentence in exchange for testimony that Taylor was part of a criminal organization. Glover currently faces charges of drug trafficking and criminal syndication.Carlson would go on to say “those are the facts of the case” before turning his ire towards Black Lives Matter, saying “BLM lied about how Breonna Taylor died” and that her killing was falsely described as a “murder.”Towards the end of his program, however, Carlson issued an on-air correction about how he described Walker, insisting he “inadvertently” mixed up Walker and Glover.“We made a mistake at the top of the show and we want to correct it, as we always do,” the Fox News host stated. “We flipped the names around of a couple people inadvertently. We said police believed Breonna Taylor’s boyfriend was a drug dealer—he might have been. We meant to say her ex-boyfriend. We wanted to correct that, sorry.”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.

Wed, 23 Sep 2020 22:24:35 -0400

Protesters threaten to ‘knock out’ diners in Florida amid unrest

Peter Kirsanow, member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, reacts on ‘Fox & Friends.’

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 08:58:20 -0400

‘They cover my shrapnel wounds’: Veteran Senate candidate responds to critics using photo of her tattoos

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."

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 16:36:19 -0400

Hotel Rwanda 'hero' admits forming armed group behind deadly attacks

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.

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 05:28:20 -0400

FBI Docs: Primary Sub-Source for Steele Was Suspected Russian Agent and ‘Threat to National Security’

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."

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 20:27:03 -0400

Powerful Vatican Cardinal Becciu resigns amid scandal

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."

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 14:27:39 -0400

Kodak Black wants out of his hellacious Kentucky prison, stat, new lawsuit says

Being behind bars is certainly no fun, but for Kodak Black it’s hell, a new suit claims.

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 11:10:03 -0400

Pregnant woman rescues husband from shark attack in Florida

Margot Dukes-Eddy dived into the water to save her husband "without hesitation", police say.

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 14:24:20 -0400

Letters to the Editor: If Democrats expand the Supreme Court, will Republicans do the same?

Any attempt by Democrats to enlarge the Supreme Court would give Republicans an excuse to further 'balance' it when they're in power.

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 15:38:01 -0400

Louisville cop injured in Breonna Taylor shooting threatens lawsuits over being called 'murderer'

Jonathan Mattingly was the Louisville police officer who was injured during the Breonna Taylor shooting. He has hired a civil attorney.

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 12:25:23 -0400

German Catholic Church to offer abuse victims compensation

The victims of sexual abuse in Germany's Catholic Church can apply for compensation payments of up to 50,000 euros from next year, the chairman of the German Bishops' Conference (DBK) said on Thursday. According to a study from 2018 on abuse in the Catholic Church, at least 3,677 minors were victims of sexual violence by at least 1,670 members of the clergy in Germany between 1946 and 2014. In addition, victims can be reimbursed for therapy costs, said DBK Chairman Georg Baetzing.

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 10:24:20 -0400

‘I’m very ashamed’: Argentine lawmaker suspended after kissing woman’s breast during virtual session of congress

Juan Emilio Ameri faces potential expulsion following the ‘serious offence’ on Zoom

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 07:29:42 -0400

Exclusive: GOP Sen. Thom Tillis embraced QAnon conspiracy about COVID-19 death count in town hall

"When the final accounting is done," the actual death COVID-19 count will be lower, Tillis claims

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 13:54:08 -0400

#RepublicofThailand trends after parliament rejects protesters demands for constitutional reform

The hashtag RepublicofThailand trended on Twitter in Thailand on Friday after parliament voted to push back the question of changing the constitution as protesters have demanded. During more than two months of anti-government protests, some protest leaders have said they seek constitutional reforms to reduce the powers of King Maha Vajiralongkorn's monarchy but that they were not seeking to abolish it. The republican hashtag, in English rather than Thai, had been used in more than 730,000 Tweets and was the top trending hashtag in Thailand on Friday morning, according to Twitter. The Royal Palace did not comment and has made no response to requests for comment on the protests or the demands for royal reform. Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said he had not seen the hashtag and declined to comment on it but said Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha was listening to all sides on the issue of the constitution. "There are those who want to amend the constitution and others who don't," he said. Parliament, dominated by supporters of the government, voted on Thursday to delay making a decision on whether it will amend the constitution.

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 04:10:00 -0400

Largest California wildfire threatens marijuana-growing area

California’s largest wildfire is threatening a marijuana-growing enclave, and authorities said many of the locals have refused to evacuate and abandon their maturing crops even as weather forecasters predict more hot, dry and windy conditions that could fan flames. The wildfire called the August Complex is nearing the small communities of Post Mountain and Trinity Pines, about 200 miles (322 kilometers) northwest of Sacramento, the Los Angeles Times reported. Law enforcement officers went door to door warning of the encroaching fire danger but could not force residents to evacuate, Trinity County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Nate Trujillo said.

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 10:47:40 -0400

Bryan Callen sues husband of woman who claims the comedian raped her

Bryan Callen is suing the husband of a woman who claims the comedian raped her in 1999, arguing that her spouse is out to ruin his career.

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 08:57:51 -0400

Africa's week in pictures: 18 - 24 September 2020

A selection of the week's best photos from across the continent and beyond.

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 19:05:37 -0400

Litman: If Amy Coney Barrett is nominated and confirmed, it will be a shame for the Supreme Court

President Trump and the GOP are fashioning a court that for decades will be viewed by most Americans with anxiety and derision rather than as a bulwark against government oppression.

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 06:00:20 -0400

A BMW hit a Tesla and left, Miami Beach cops say. But that’s not why a man was arrested

A hit-and-run in Miami Beach early Thursday ended with a BMW crashed in front of one of the city’s most well-known buildings and the arrest of a passenger who, police say, carried a loaded rifle.

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 08:00:17 -0400

Sen. Mitch McConnell weighs in on moving forward with Supreme Court nomination

Senate Majority Leader sits down with 'FOX News @ Night' host Shannon Bream.

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 18:05:37 -0400

Who Invited the Far-Right Oath Keepers to Downtown Louisville?

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.

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 17:00:04 -0400

Kremlin says EU move not to recognise Lukashenko amounts to meddling in Belarus

Russia said on Friday that the European Union's decision not to recognise Alexander Lukashenko as the legitimate president of Belarus contradicted international law and amounted to indirect meddling in the country. Lukashenko, in power since 1994, was inaugurated on Wednesday in a secretive ceremony after weeks of huge protests. Russia is a close ally of Belarus and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday that the move not to recognise him would complicate the EU's dialogue with Belarus, but not affect Belarusian ties with Moscow.

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 07:09:12 -0400

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