| Senate Intelligence panel approves Ratcliffe as spy chief Posted: 19 May 2020 07:10 AM PDT  While the nomination must still be confirmed by the GOP-controlled Senate, Tuesday's vote marks a remarkable turnaround for the Texas Republican.
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| Trump administration signs up new company to make COVID-19 drugs in U.S. Posted: 18 May 2020 11:04 PM PDT  The administration has been looking to build up the ability to produce drugs and their raw materials in the United States after the global pandemic exposed the industry's dependence on China and India for its supply chain. Navarro for months has been advocating that Trump issue an executive order to require federal agencies to buy U.S.-made medical supplies and pharmaceuticals.
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| India is about to get hit by a super cyclone at the same time as its coronavirus outbreak is peaking Posted: 19 May 2020 04:10 AM PDT  Super Cyclone Amphan is due to make landfall on the coast of West Bengal, on Wednesday. Thousands are being evacuated.
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| Huge fentanyl haul seized in Asia's biggest-ever drugs bust Posted: 18 May 2020 03:47 AM PDT  Myanmar police say they have seized a huge haul of liquid fentanyl - the first time the dangerous synthetic opioid that is ravaging North America has been found in Asia's Golden Triangle drug-producing region. In a sign that Asia's drug syndicates have moved into the lucrative opioid market, more than 3,700 litres of methylfentanyl was discovered by anti-narcotics police near Loikan village in Shan State in northeast Myanmar. The seizure of the fentanyl derivative was part of Asia's biggest-ever interception of illicit drugs, precursors and drug-making equipment, including 193 million methamphetamine tablets known as yaba. At 17.5 tonnes, that is almost as much yaba as has been seized during the previous two years in Myanmar. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said the scale of the bust was unprecedented and Myanmar's anti-drug authorities had "dismantled a significant network" during a two-month operation involving police and military. Also seized were almost 163,000 litres and 35.5 tonnes of drug precursors - substances that can be used to produce drugs - as well as weapons. There were more than 130 arrests.
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| He thought the coronavirus was 'a fake crisis.' Then he contracted it. Posted: 18 May 2020 09:32 AM PDT  Brian Hitchens said he thought that the coronavirus "is a fake crisis" that was "blown out of proportion" and "wasn't that serious."
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| China abductions: Parents find son snatched in hotel 32 years ago Posted: 19 May 2020 05:42 AM PDT  Li Jingzhi quit her job to search China for her son, Mao Yin, who went missing in 1988.
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| Barr says FBI discovered 'significant ties' between Pensacola shooter and Al Qaeda Posted: 18 May 2020 09:04 AM PDT  Department of Justice officials announced Monday the FBI has obtained evidence linking the gunman who shot and killed three people and wounded eight at Pensacola, Florida's Naval Air Station last year to Al Qaeda.CNN and The New York Times on Monday reported that investigators discovered ties between the Pensacola shooting suspect, Mohammed Alshamrani, and Al Qaeda after breaking through his iPhones' encryption, and Attorney General William Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray subsequently confirmed the development in a news conference."The phones contained information previously unknown to us that definitively establishes Alshamrani's significant ties to Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, not only before the attack, but before he even arrived in the United States," Barr said.The Department of Justice in January called the Pensacola shooting an "act of terrorism," saying that Alshamrani, a Royal Saudi Air Force member, was motivated by "jihadist ideology." On Monday, Wray said Alshamrani had been "connecting and associating with a number of dangerous" Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula operatives and talked with AQAP in the months prior to the attack. Wray also called the shooting the "brutal culmination of years of planning and preparation by a longtime AQAP associate."The Justice Department previously asked Apple for help in decrypting the shooter's two iPhones, but Wray on Monday said that the FBI received "effectively no help from Apple" and that "unfortunately, the technique that we developed" to access the phones "is not a fix for our broader Apple problem" because of its "pretty limited application."More stories from theweek.com Florida COVID-19 data chief says she was removed from post after refusing to censor data Recovered coronavirus patients who tested positive again weren't infectious, Korean CDC finds The snake oil salesman cometh
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| Grounded in Arizona: Flights arrive but don't leave as ailing airlines park fleets Posted: 18 May 2020 09:29 AM PDT  As the airline industry contracts during the COVID-19 crisis, carriers are grounding thousands of jetliners in the Southwest.
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| US borders with Canada, Mexico closed another month Posted: 19 May 2020 04:39 PM PDT  The US government on Tuesday extended for another month restrictions on non-essential travel across the borders with Canada and Mexico to help stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. "Non-essential travel will not be permitted until this administration is convinced that doing so is safe and secure," said interim DHS chief Chad Wolf.
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| Trump news: President says he has been taking hydroxychloroquine for weeks after insisting coronavirus vaccine announcement coming soon Posted: 18 May 2020 12:40 PM PDT  Donald Trump claims he takes a daily pill of the controversial drug hydroxychloroquine "as a preventative" against coronavirus, despite no evidence that links the anti-malaria drug as a preventative medicine to combat Covid-19 infection. "What do you have to lose?" he told reporters on Monday.The president also attacked his predecessor Barack Obama for his criticism of the Trump administration's response to the coronavirus, saying the 44th president was "grossly incompetent" in office, despite Mr Trump overseeing the deaths of nearly 90,0000 Americans during the outbreak.
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| China says U.S. trying to shift blame and smear Beijing over WHO Posted: 19 May 2020 07:09 AM PDT  China said the United States was trying to shift the blame for Washington's own mishandling of the COVID-19 crisis, responding to President Trump's letter threatening to halt funding to the World Health Organization.
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| China protests at support of U.S. and others for Taiwan at WHO Posted: 19 May 2020 06:41 AM PDT  The Chinese envoy to the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday denounced the support shown by the United States and others to Taiwan during its annual ministerial assembly and said that was undermining the global response to the pandemic. Taiwan lobbied hard to be included as an observer at the two-day virtual meeting and received strong support from the United States, Japan and others, but says it was not invited due to opposition from China. "There are still a few countries determined to plead for Taiwan authorities, seriously violating relevant U.N. and WHO resolutions and undermining global anti-epidemic efforts," Chen Xu, the Chinese ambassador, told the virtual assembly.
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| ‘They Came to Kill the Mothers.’ After a Devastating Attack on a Kabul Maternity Ward, Afghan Women Face Increased Dangers Posted: 19 May 2020 09:03 AM PDT  A deadly maternity ward attack and the outbreak of the coronavirus have hindered internationally-backed efforts to support women's health in Afghanistan.
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| Authorities announce forfeiture of ancient Gilgamesh tablet from Hobby Lobby's Museum of the Bible Posted: 18 May 2020 08:24 PM PDT  The Gilgamesh Dream Tablet was featured at the Washington, D.C., museum. The crafts chain bought it in 2014 for $1.6 million.
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| With the only store in town, Alaskan grocer goes above and beyond to keep shelves stocked Posted: 18 May 2020 11:09 PM PDT  When your store is the only place in town to buy groceries, you do what you have to do in order to ensure the shelves are never empty.Toshua Parker and his wife, Cassia, own Icy Strait Wholesale in Gustavus, Alaska — population 450. This tiny town is only accessible by boat or airplane, and Parker used to have his Costco orders delivered to the store on Alaska's ferry system. Because of the pandemic, the ferry is not stopping in Gustavus. His supplies began dwindling in March, so Parker decided he would have to start picking up his orders in person.Every week since, Parker and his employees have made the 14-hour round-trip to Juneau, 50 miles away, taking a converted military landing craft and loading it up with food and other essentials to stock the store. This long trek "doesn't seem like a big deal," Parker told CNN. "Alaskans are fiercely independent and resourceful; you really have to be to survive here. So when a problem arises, we don't typically look to someone else for help, we just find a way to do it."A lot of planning goes into the trips, with Parker having to take into consideration the tides and weather forecasts. He said he's grateful for his employees who are "going to work every day during this pandemic to make sure our town stays supplied," adding that having to go to such great lengths to keep the people of Gustavus fed is "just another day in our world."More stories from theweek.com Trump spent hours retweeting, slamming Fox News, including profane attacks on host Neil Cavuto The snake oil salesman cometh Belmont Stakes to be held June 20
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| 'Criminalization of blackness': Arbery lawyer weighs in on 2017 Taser incident Posted: 19 May 2020 10:28 AM PDT  Police attempted to tase Ahmaud Arbery as he was alone in a park – this in itself was suspicious to them, says attorney S Lee MerrittA 2017 incident in which police attempted to use a Taser on Ahmaud Arbery offers a glimpse into the mentality that this year led two white men to chase him down and kill him, an attorney representing Arbery's family said on Tuesday.Arbery was killed on 23 February by Gregory and Travis McMichael, who chased him down while he was out for a run in Satilla Shores, Georgia.In November 2017, Glynn county police officers stopped to question Arbery one morning as he sat alone in his car, according to documents and body camera footage obtained by the Guardian.An officer attempted to use a Taser when Arbery became agitated and began to ask the officers why they were hassling him if he wasn't committing a crime.The officers suspected Arbery of using marijuana, but he refused to let them search his car and they eventually allowed him to leave on foot because his license was suspended.S Lee Merritt, the family attorney, said the incident showed how Arbery could attract suspicion just because of the color of his skin."The same reason that Ahmaud Arbery was killed was the same reason he was stopped in that park: it was the criminalization of blackness itself," Merritt said at a press conference on Tuesday.Merritt said he did not know if Arbery had told his family about the incident."They saw a black man alone in the park and they said, 'You know what, this appears suspicious.'"Brandon Condo, a spokesman for the Glynn county police department, declined to comment on the 2017 incident.Gregory McMichael is a retired law enforcement officer. When he and his son killed Arbery, they believed he had been breaking into a house under construction.Merritt said on Tuesday many people had gone into the house, but "only the men who were black who went to that property were criminalized".
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| Man abducted as child in China reunited with parents after 32 years Posted: 19 May 2020 06:33 AM PDT  A Chinese man kidnapped as a toddler 32 years ago has been reunited with his biological parents, after police used facial recognition technology to help track him down. Mao Yin was just two when he was snatched outside a hotel in Xi'an in central Shaanxi province in 1988 and sold to a childless couple in neighbouring Sichuan province who raised him as their own son, Xi'an's public security bureau said in a statement. Police "aged" one of Mao's childhood photos, according to state broadcaster CCTV, and used the model to scan the national database and find close matches.
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| Joe Biden debuts his first nickname for Donald Trump Posted: 19 May 2020 05:31 AM PDT  Former Vice President Joe Biden is trying to play Donald Trump's nickname game, but his first try – "President Tweety" – is a far cry from the sinister and suggestive "Lyin' Ted" or "Crooked Hillary" monikers.The president has used nicknames for his political foes since he first was a presidential candidate back in 2015. He used monikers like those to raise questions among GOP voters about the truth-telling of 2016 primary foe Ted Cruz of Texas then among swing voters about the ethics of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
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| Evangelist who built global ministry dies in Atlanta at 74 Posted: 19 May 2020 07:26 AM PDT |
| Fossil of one of the last megaraptors on the planet found in Argentina Posted: 18 May 2020 03:10 PM PDT |
| Moderna's vaccine results helped add more than $5 billion to the 'big 4' airlines' market values Posted: 19 May 2020 05:45 AM PDT  United stock surged 21%, Delta and Southwest jumped more than 13%, and American rose 9% as investors bet on an industry recovery.
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| Australian man fined for rescuing whale from sea nets Posted: 19 May 2020 12:40 AM PDT  After rescuers failed to arrive, the man launched his own rescue, driving his boat out to the whale.
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| 4 Modern Places of Worship That Elevate Architecture Posted: 19 May 2020 12:17 PM PDT |
| In Michael Flynn case, Judge Sullivan's gross overreach turns justice into mob rule Posted: 18 May 2020 02:28 PM PDT  The case against Micheal Flynn is abusive and should be dismissed, as the Justice Department requests. But Judge Emmet Sullivan has other ideas.
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| Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas ends security agreement with Israel and US Posted: 19 May 2020 04:52 PM PDT  Declaration follows the creation of a new Israeli government which is officially contemplating annexation of some areas of the West BankThe Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, has declared an end to security cooperation with the Israel and the United States, citing the imminent threat of Israeli annexation of parts of the West Bank."The Palestine Liberation Organization [PLO] and the state of Palestine are absolved, as of today, of all the agreements and understandings with the American and Israeli governments and of all the commitments based on these understandings and agreements, including the security ones," Abbas said in his speech.The PLO voted to end cooperation with Israel and the US in 2018 and left it up to Abbas when to implement such a move. The Palestinian Authority (PA) president has threatened to stop such cooperation several times before, and it was unclear on Tuesday what his declaration would mean in practice, especially in terms of the future of the Palestinian security apparatus."To pass the bar of credibility as a threat, to show this is not the same as the umpteen threats that they've previously issued of a similar nature and that they never acted on, the bar is very high," said Daniel Levy, the president of the US/Middle East Project "We will actually have to see Palestinian action."Some reports from Israel suggested that Palestinian security officials had been ordered to stop talking to their Israeli counterparts. But Palestinian officials have to coordinate with Israeli officers even to move between areas within the West Bank.Abbas's declaration follows the creation of a new Israeli government which is officially contemplating annexation of some areas of the West Bank, apparently with the support of the Trump administration."I do think this moment is qualitatively different than any other moment in the past, and that's because Israel does look like it is prepared to annex some part of the West Bank," Zaha Hassan, a human rights lawyer and visiting fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said."Not only is there nobody to stop Israel from moving forward, but also the US is a partner to this plan."According to Israeli Channel 13 television, the Israeli ambassador to the US, Ron Dermer, had been urging annexation before the US elections in November."We must advance annexation now because we don't know what will happen in the US presidential elections. [Democratic candidate Joe] Biden could win," Dermer is reported to have said in confidential briefings in Washington."There is a window of opportunity now, so it must be done now."Jordan's King Abdullah warned on Saturday that Israeli annexation could lead to "a massive conflict" between his country and Israel and did not exclude a suspension of the 1994 peace treaty between them.Abbas's declaration could lead to the end of intelligence sharing between Palestinian, Israeli and US security services. But it gave no hint of what Palestinian forces would do, when Israeli soldiers carry out incursions into Palestinian areas, or what it would mean for Palestinian movement around the West Bank between parts entirely administered by the PA (Area A), jointly run areas (B) and Israeli settlement zones (Area C)."What does it mean on the ground for PA security who – even to travel from area B to area B, through Area C – have to get permission from the Israeli army. Does that mean that if everything is frozen, that PA security can't access certain parts of Area B," asked Khaled Elgindy, a fellow in the centre for Middle East policy at the Brookings Institutions."These are the kinds of questions that I think Palestinians will be asking, and then the Israelis, but I'm not sure there are clear answers."
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| Pandemic will change Communion for many Posted: 19 May 2020 09:21 AM PDT  Holy Communion will have a different look when in-person worship services resume at the end of May in the Catholic Diocese of Knoxville, Tenn.: The wafers signifying the body of Christ will be placed in the hands of parishioners by priests and deacons wearing face masks and safety glasses.
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| Exclusive: In veiled warning to Iran, U.S. tells Gulf mariners to stay clear of its warships Posted: 19 May 2020 01:06 PM PDT  In an alert that appeared aimed squarely at Iran, the U.S. Navy issued a warning on Tuesday to mariners in the Gulf to stay 100 meters (yards) away from U.S. warships or risk being "interpreted as a threat and subject to lawful defensive measures." The notice to mariners, which was first reported by Reuters, follows U.S. President Donald Trump's threat last month to fire on any Iranian ships that harass Navy vessels. "Armed vessels approaching within 100 meters of a U.S. naval vessel may be interpreted as a threat," according to the text of the notice, which can be seen here https://msi.nga.mil/api/publications/download?type=view&key=16694640/SFH00000/DailyMemPAC.txt.
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| A couple vanished the same night of a car wreck. Police took 2 weeks to find their bodies, car. Posted: 19 May 2020 12:02 PM PDT  Police said the crash site was not visible, but loved ones are questioning why they didn't search longer or come back in daylight.
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| Coronavirus: Anger grows for stranded crew on forgotten cruises Posted: 19 May 2020 03:28 PM PDT  Months into the pandemic, thousands of cruise crew remain stuck at sea, desperate to get home.
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| Navy Cruiser Commanding Officer Fired After 4,000-Gallon Fuel Spill Posted: 18 May 2020 05:10 PM PDT  Capt. Erica Hoffmann, commanding officer of the guided-missile cruiser Philippine Sea was relieved of her duties.
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| The sister of Ahmaud Arbery's accused killer posted pictures of his dead body to Snapchat, and said it's because she's a 'true crime fan' Posted: 19 May 2020 02:58 AM PDT  In an interview with The Sun, Lindsay McMichael admitted to sharing a photo of Arbery's body at the scene, but said she didn't do so maliciously.
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| Afghan forces repel Taliban attack on key city: officials Posted: 19 May 2020 01:49 AM PDT  Afghan security forces on Tuesday repelled a fierce Taliban attack on Kunduz, officials said, a strategic city in northern Afghanistan that had briefly fallen to the militants twice in the past. Taliban fighters attacked several outposts of Afghan forces on the outskirts of the city at around 1:00 am, triggering fierce fighting, a defence ministry statement said. Both sides have repeatedly clashed in rural areas in recent months, but an attempt to enter a city like Kunduz is seen as a serious escalation.
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| Abu Dhabi's Etihad makes first known flight to Israel, carrying Palestinian aid Posted: 19 May 2020 11:12 AM PDT  An Etihad Airways plane flew from the United Arab Emirates to Israel on Tuesday to deliver coronavirus supplies to the Palestinians, a spokeswoman for the Abu Dhabi airline said, marking the first known flight by a UAE carrier to Israel. Israel does not have diplomatic relations with any of the six Gulf Arab countries, and there are no commercial flights between them.
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| Kansas GOP congressman using malaria drug to ward off virus Posted: 19 May 2020 11:10 AM PDT  A Republican congressman from Kansas who is also a doctor says he has been taking a malaria drug being touted by President Donald Trump as a way to protect against the coronavirus, despite warnings that it could have potentially fatal side effects. U.S. Rep. Roger Marshall, who is running for the U.S. Senate, said he doesn't have COVID-19 but is taking hydroxychloroquine as a preventative drug. "I would encourage any person over the age of 65 or with an underlying medical condition to talk to their own physician about taking hydroxychloroquine and I'm relieved President Trump is taking it," Marshall told The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the congressman's use of the drug.
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| Trump slams 'double standard' after Barr says it's unlikely Obama, Biden will be investigated Posted: 19 May 2020 10:37 AM PDT  Reaction and analysis from former House Oversight Committee chairman Jason Chaffetz and former DNC spokesman Mo Elleithee.
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| Some have tested positive for COVID-19 after recovering. What does that mean? Posted: 19 May 2020 03:32 PM PDT  There is no conclusive evidence that people can become reinfected with COVID-19. But researchers are following thousands of patients to be sure.
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| 'Not a mask in sight': thousands flock to Yellowstone as park reopens Posted: 19 May 2020 11:01 AM PDT  With support of the Trump administration, Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks have partially reopened after Covid-19 closures * Live global updates * See all our coronavirus coverageOn Monday, thousands of visitors from across the country descended on Yellowstone national park, which opened for the first time since its closure in March due to the coronavirus pandemic."We have been cooped up for weeks," Jacob Willis told the Guardian near a crowd of onlookers at the Old Faithful Geyser. "When the parks opened, we jumped at the opportunity to travel," said Willis, who had arrived from Florida.Yellowstone, America's oldest national park, and the nearby Grand Teton national park are the most recent to have partially reopened with the support of the Trump administration."I hope everybody is listening," Donald Trump announced earlier in May. "The parks are opening, and rapidly, actually."While many have celebrated the reopening of the revered landscapes, others have raised health concerns about large, possibly maskless, groups of out-of-state visitors arriving and potentially skirting social distancing guidelines."We checked the webcam at Old Faithful at about 3.30pm yesterday," said Kristin Brengel, the senior vice-president of government affairs at the National Parks Conservation Association. "Not much physical distancing happening and not a single mask in sight.""I think we're the only car from Teton county," said Mark Segal, a Wyoming local, noting the prominence of out-of-state license plates in Yellowstone on Monday.At the Moran entrance station in Wyoming – the entrance to both Grand Teton and Yellowstone park – cars began to line up at 5.30am. By 11am, an hour before opening, vehicles with license plates from as far away as New York, Washington State and Alaska sprawled along the highway leading to the park entrance.Park fees were waived and masked rangers cheerfully welcomed visitors who streamed through the gate.Many of the visitors drove directly to Old Faithful, Yellowstone's most popular attraction, to watch the 2.20 geyser eruption. The Guardian witnessed rangers having to disperse large groups of onlookers twice.Amy, a 19-year-old from San Diego, traveled to Yellowstone with four college friends. They planned to visit many of the parks that have recently reopened."We wanted to get out and see the country," said Amy, as hundreds of visitors sat on the semi-circle of benches that surround Old Faithful.According to the National Park Service, Yellowstone's phased reopening includes a ban on tour buses, overnight camping and lodging. Only the Wyoming gates into the park are currently open, and the park will provide protective barriers "where needed" and encourage "the use of masks or facial coverings in high-density areas". "The park's goal is to open safely and conservatively, ensure we take the right actions to reduce risks to our employees and visitors, and help local economies begin to recover," said the Yellowstone superintendent, Cam Sholly.For Segal, who came on opening day in hopes of a quiet Yellowstone experience, the number of out of state visitors was disturbing."What if everyone that leaves here goes and gets a bite in Jackson?" he asked, referring to a nearby town and speaking to the Guardian from his car as he and his family waited to get into the park. "This is exactly what we're afraid of."
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| Two arrested in US for cross-border kidnap plot that left two dead Posted: 18 May 2020 05:57 PM PDT  A US woman and her boyfriend have been arrested and are facing federal charges for their alleged part in a plot in which three California residents were recently kidnapped while in Mexico and two were killed. Leslie Briana Matla, 20, a US citizen who lives in Mexico, was arrested last Thursday and Juan Carlos Montoya Sanchez, 25, of Tijuana, was arrested on Sunday, the US Department of Justice said. Authorities said Matla crossed the border from Mexico into the United States on three occasions in April and March to collect ransom payments from the families of the kidnap victims, who were residents of San Diego, Norwalk and Pasadena.
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| MGM Resorts unveils free parking as it prepares for return of guests amid coronavirus Posted: 19 May 2020 04:51 AM PDT  MGM Resorts, operator of a dozen properties in Las Vegas, announced Monday the return of free parking amid coronavirus.
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| Italy's daily coronavirus death toll and new cases climb Posted: 19 May 2020 09:05 AM PDT  Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy climbed by 162 on Tuesday, against 99 the day before, the Civil Protection Agency said, while the daily tally of new cases rose sharply to 813 from 451 on Monday. The total death toll since the outbreak came to light on Feb. 21 now stands at 32,169 the agency said, the third highest in the world after those of the United States and Britain.
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| A family-run small business in the Bay Area got its PPP loan after Business Insider dug into their case. Tens of thousands are still waiting. Posted: 19 May 2020 07:22 AM PDT  Nearly two months after the Paycheck Protection Program was launched, tens of thousands — if not more — businesses are still waiting to be approved.
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| El Salvador president battles other branches amid pandemic Posted: 19 May 2020 09:51 AM PDT  El Salvador President Nayib Bukele's fight with the other two branches of government continued Tuesday amid the COVID-19 pandemic after he suffered another defeat in the constitutional court and threatened to veto legislation passed overnight by the congress. When the country's state of emergency expired last week, Bukele extended it via executive decree Saturday night for 30 days. On Monday the constitutional chamber of the Supreme Court ruled he couldn't do that.
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