| Embattled at home, Pompeo and Barr lash out at foreign foe Posted: 11 Jun 2020 10:26 AM PDT  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo denounced the International Criminal Court as a "highly politicized" institution on Thursday as he announced new sanctions against it for its investigation into potential war crimes by U.S. forces during the conflict in Afghanistan.
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| White House says Trump was merely 'raising questions' with baseless claim about Buffalo protester Posted: 10 Jun 2020 10:01 AM PDT  Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany defended the president's baseless claim suggesting that a 75-year-old man knocked to the ground by police in Buffalo, N.Y., last week was a member of antifa.
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| Chicago Cops Hung Out Inside U.S. Rep’s Office as Protest Raged. They Made Popcorn, Drank Coffee, Napped. Posted: 11 Jun 2020 12:16 PM PDT  As protests across Chicago devolved into chaos last week and residents started to loot nearby stores, police officers were making popcorn and drinking coffee while "lounging" inside Congressman Bobby Rush's office, officials said in a stunning news conference on Thursday. Speaking alongside Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Rush said at least 13 Chicago Police officers were loitering inside his South Side campaign office in the early hours of June 1 and were "relaxing" while nearby stores were being looted and burned, and their fellow officers were clashing with demonstrators. "They even had the unmitigated gall to make coffee for themselves and to pop popcorn, my popcorn, in my microwave, while looters were tearing apart businesses within their sight and within their reach," Rush (D-IL) said. The incident, which Rush and Lightfoot said was captured on CCTV, showed the officers—and at least three supervisors—with feet up on desks. One officer "was asleep on my couch" while another "was on his cellphone," Rush said. "They were in a mode of relaxation and did not care about what was happening. They did not care. They absolutely did not care," Rush added.Rush's office is located in a strip mall that had been looted for several hours that night. While Lightfoot clarified that the officers were responding to a call that the campaign office had been broken into and burglarized, Rush said that when he finally got around to viewing the CCTV—he was horrified to see it filled with cops.The shocking news comes amid scrutiny of Chicago cops, who have been accused of using excessive force during protests and riots in the wake of George Floyd's death. The Cook County state's attorney's office and the FBI are reviewing allegations that one Chicago officer pulled a woman from a car by her hair before placing a knee on her neck—a move similar to how Floyd died at the hands of police in Minneapolis. Lightfoot, at times visibly angry and tearful during the Thursday press conference, said the officers "demonstrated a total disregard for their colleagues [and] for the badge" and should be held accountable. She said she and her team were "enraged" when they learned of the incident. None of the 13 officers has been identified, and she urged them to come forward before investigators find them. Calling it a "personal embarrassment," Lightfoot offered an apology on behalf of the city, saying the officers had "abandoned" their obligations to keep the city safe. She said she would push for the state to pass a law requiring police officers to be licensed. "We should all be disgusted, and we should all feel hurt and betrayed in this moment, of all moments," Lightfoot said, adding that the officers were inside Rush's office, located in a shopping plaza that had been looted for about "four to five hours."Chicago Police Supt. David Brown also condemned the officers' actions, stating that he planned to hold them accountable and "uphold the nobility of this profession." "If you sleep during a riot, what do you do during a regular shift when there is no riot?" Brown asked, before apologizing on behalf of the police department.Rush, the co-founder of the Illinois Black Panther Party, has been a member of Congress since 1993. The Democratic lawmaker has had a tense relationship with Lightfoot in the past, after Rush falsely accused her of being the Fraternal Order of Police's preferred candidate in 2019. While he was campaigning for a Cook County Board president last year, Rush said those who vote for Lightfoot would have "the blood of the next young black man or black woman who is killed by the police" on their hands. Seemingly alluding to their history on Thursday, Lightfoot said that, despite their differences, she would work together with Rush against misconduct during a historical period of reckoning for the police. "We haven't always agreed on every issue but today, we are in total alignment in our righteous anger and our steadfast determination, and I want to make sure that's very clear," Lightfoot said. "What I know of Congressman Rush is this—he has committed his life to calling out and fighting against injustice and this presents exactly one of those moments."Editor's note: This headline has been updated to reflect that the police officers are accused of loitering inside Congressman Bobby Rush's office after responding to a call there. They were not accused of burglarizing the office. Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Norway mosque shooter jailed for 21 years for murder, anti-terrorism offence Posted: 11 Jun 2020 02:04 AM PDT  A far-right Norwegian man was jailed for 21 years on Thursday for the racially motivated murder of his Chinese-born stepsister and attempting to kill worshippers in a mosque shooting spree. Philip Manshaus expressed strong anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim views before last year's attack and was unrepentant at trial. Manshaus, now 22 years old, shot and killed Johanne Zhangjia Ihle-Hansen in their family home, later explaining he believed the adopted daughter of his father's spouse posed a risk to the family because of her Asian origin.
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| Ethiopia seeks to limit outsiders' role in Nile dam talks Posted: 11 Jun 2020 02:45 AM PDT  Ethiopia said Thursday it wants to limit the role of outside parties in revived talks over its Nile River mega-dam, a sign of lingering frustration over a failed attempt by the US to broker a deal earlier this year. The Grand Ethiopia Renaissance Dam has been a source of tension in the Nile River basin ever since Ethiopia broke ground on it nearly a decade ago. Ethiopia sees the dam as essential for its electrification and development, while Sudan and Egypt see it as a threat to essential water supplies.
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| Coronavirus: Satellite traffic images may suggest virus hit Wuhan earlier Posted: 10 Jun 2020 02:07 AM PDT  A surge in hospital traffic may indicate the virus hit China earlier than reported, a study suggests.
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| New data suggest Russia may have a lot more COVID deaths than it says Posted: 11 Jun 2020 08:19 AM PDT  Government data show Moscow had thousands more coronavirus-linked deaths than officially counted, as WHO calls Russia's numbers "difficult to understand."
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| China says it's working with India to reduce tensions Posted: 10 Jun 2020 04:37 AM PDT  China said Wednesday it is taking measures with India to reduce tensions along their disputed frontier high in the Himalayas following a recent flareup that prompted rock-throwing and fistfights. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told reporters that the sides had engaged in "effective communication through diplomatic and military channels" on how to deal with issues on the western section of their disputed border. "At present, the two sides are taking corresponding actions to ease the situation on the border in accordance with the relevant consensus," Hua said at a daily briefing.
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| North Korea warns US: Stay out of our affairs if you want a 'smooth election' Posted: 10 Jun 2020 06:54 PM PDT  North Korea rebuked Washington on Thursday for criticising its decision to cut communication links with Seoul, warning it to stay out of inter-Korean affairs if it wanted to ensure a smooth presidential election. In a statement carried by the KCNA news agency, a senior North Korean foreign ministry official slammed the "double-dealing attitudes" of the United States as "disgusting". Washington should "hold its tongue and mind its internal affairs first", said Kwon Jong-gun, director-general of the Department of US Affairs, if it wanted to avoid experiencing a "hair-raiser" and ensure the "easy holding" of November's presidential vote. The implicit threat comes just a day before the two-year anniversary of the landmark summit in Singapore where Kim Jong-un shook hands with Donald Trump, becoming the first North Korean leader to meet a sitting US president. Negotiations over the North's nuclear programme have been deadlocked since the collapse of a second Trump-Kim meeting in Hanoi last year over what Pyongyang would be willing to give up in exchange for sanctions relief.
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| "A War Zone": Leaked Audio Reveals Chicago Mayor Clashing With Aldermen Over Riots Posted: 11 Jun 2020 02:00 AM PDT  Here are the 17 most jaw-dropping quotes.
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| Dan Bongino on House policing hearing: Some Democrats were just there to stoke the flames of division Posted: 11 Jun 2020 04:55 AM PDT  Fox News contributor Dan Bongino, who testified at the House Judiciary Committee's hearing on police reform, says some Democrats don't want to solve problems but create new ones for political gain.
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| South Korean doctors find risk factors for severe COVID-19 cases Posted: 10 Jun 2020 07:05 PM PDT  South Korean doctors have found certain underlying conditions that may make some COVID-19 patients more severely affected by the disease, a professor at Yeungnam University Medical Center said on Wednesday. The findings could help doctors identify and prioritise high-risk patients at an early stage of the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus, Ahn June-hong, professor of internal medicine, told Reuters. Medical experts and epidemiologists are investigating risk factors for patients who develop severe cases of the disease, which has killed more than 400,000 globally since it first emerged late last year in China.
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| Minneapolis police chief ends negotiations with police union in a bid for reform Posted: 10 Jun 2020 10:15 AM PDT  The move comes amid heightened awareness of the role police unions sometimes play in stifling reform efforts that aim to combat police brutality.
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| German government agrees on national hydrogen strategy Posted: 10 Jun 2020 02:02 AM PDT  The German government agreed Wednesday on a long-term strategy for increasing production and use of hydrogen as part of a plan to cut the country's greenhouse gas emissions. While hydrogen is currently produced almost exclusively from fossil fuels, the government wants to encourage its production from excess electricity generated by renewable energy sources. Experts say this so-called green hydrogen could help smooth out the problem of solar and wind power's fluctuating supply, and replace fossil fuels in industrial processes that require high temperatures such as steel making.
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| Just 27% of registered voters think President Donald Trump is a religious man, poll finds Posted: 10 Jun 2020 10:30 AM PDT  Two out of five Evangelicals agreed President Donald Trump is religious, making them the subgroup with the highest percentage believing so in a new poll.
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| Two Missouri hairstylists with coronavirus saw 140 clients in their salon, but no one got infected Posted: 11 Jun 2020 10:59 AM PDT  Last month, Missouri hairstylists saw 140 clients while symptomatic with the coronavirus. None seem to have contracted it, though, officials said.
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| South Korea acts to stop defectors sending aid, messages to North Korea Posted: 10 Jun 2020 02:42 AM PDT  A day after North Korea suspended communication hotlines with South Korea over defectors who send propaganda and contraband into the North, South Korea said it would take legal action against two organisations that conduct such operations. Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, recently called defectors "human scum little short of wild animals" and said North Korea would cut communication with South Korea because of its failure to stop them.
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| Dan Bongino Goes Full ‘All Lives Matter’ During Congressional Hearing on Police Brutality Posted: 10 Jun 2020 12:43 PM PDT  George Floyd's brother was among the witnesses invited by Democrats to speak at a House Judiciary Committee hearing on police brutality Wednesday morning. Republicans invited Fox News contributor Dan Bongino. Bongino, a former U.S. Secret Service agent who has made several unsuccessful bids for Congress, used his opening statement to endorse the "few bad apples" theory of police misconduct. But by the time he was getting questioned by Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), he was going full "All Lives Matter." Jeffries listed off the many familiar names of black men and women who have been unjustly killed by police officers. "But Mr. Bongino, the police are at times able to show restraint under very difficult circumstances, is that correct?" the congressman asked. After Bongino answered in the affirmative, Jeffries listed off some well-known mass shooters, like James Holmes and Dylann Roof, who were not killed by police despite being heavily armed."The police somehow arrested Dylann Roof without incident and even treated him to Burger King," Jeffries said. "Mr. Bongino, Dylann Roof is white, is that correct?" "I don't see where you are going with this," Bongino replied, adding: "It was an awful thing he did, whether he was white or black." After another similar example, Bongino said, "I don't know why you're making a racial thing out of it." "Because black lives matter, sir!" Jeffries told him."All lives matter, sir," Bongino shot back. "Every single life matters. White, black, Asian or otherwise." When Jeffries spelled out the point he was making, Bongino said, "I arrested those people, sir, you didn't," apparently referring to his stint as an NYPD officer in the late '90s.Turning to another witness, Jeffries said: "Innocent, unarmed African-Americans are repeatedly killed in police encounter after police encounter. Is it fair to say that the difference, which seems explicable, in police behavior, somehow relates at least in part to race?" As Georgetown Law professor Paul Butler answered: "In law and in police practices, black lives do not have the same value that white lives have." 'Fox & Friends' Forces Kayleigh McEnany to Defend Trump's Buffalo Protester ConspiracyRead more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Jacksonville is front-runner for Trump convention speech Posted: 10 Jun 2020 10:29 AM PDT  Jacksonville, Florida, is the front-runner to host the GOP celebration marking President Donald Trump's acceptance of his party's nomination to run for reelection, the Republican National Committee chairwoman said Wednesday. Ronna McDaniel said reports of a final decision were "definitely premature."
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| Can China's Army Match the U.S. Army? For Now, the Answer Is 'No' Posted: 10 Jun 2020 07:02 AM PDT  Here's how each country is preparing for a major land war.
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| GOP Senate's subpoena power 'unprecedented': Feinstein Posted: 11 Jun 2020 09:33 AM PDT 
"This is really unprecedented at least in my 26 years. The resolution would give the chair sole authority to issue literally hundreds of subpoenas without any agreement from the ranking member or any committee vote on any specific subpoena as required by committee rules," Feinstein said before the vote. A divided Senate Judiciary Committee approved sweeping subpoena power on Thursday for a politically charged congressional probe of an FBI investigation into President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign and its contacts with Russia. The Republican-led panel voted 12-10 along party lines to grant its chairman, Senator Lindsey Graham, authority to subpoena dozens of former Obama administration officials including former FBI Director James Comey and former national security adviser Susan Rice.
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| A customer is suing Apple for $1 trillion over claims that the company stole his iPhone after he brought it in for a repair Posted: 11 Jun 2020 06:45 AM PDT  A Missouri customer is claiming Apple stole his iPhone when he brought it in for repair and provided him with a replacement.
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| Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie called out by opponent for displaying Confederate battle flag at home Posted: 10 Jun 2020 12:06 PM PDT  U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie's staff did not respond to multiple phone calls and emails seeking comment on whether the flag is still hanging.
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| Marine V-22 Osprey Damaged After Being Hit by Civilian Plane on Runway Posted: 11 Jun 2020 08:07 AM PDT  The Class A mishap happened May 30 at Brown Field, a Marine Corps official told Military.com.
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| Singapore approves remdesivir drug for emergency COVID-19 treatment Posted: 10 Jun 2020 02:01 AM PDT  Singapore on Wednesday approved the use of Gilead Sciences Inc's antiviral drug remdesivir for the treatment of severely ill patients with COVID-19 infection. Remdesivir is the first drug shown to be effective against the novel coronavirus in human trials, with South Korea, Japan, India and the United States having already approved the drug for emergency use. Singapore's Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said the conditional approval would allow treatment of adult patients if they have low blood oxygen levels, require supplemental oxygen or intensive breathing support.
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| 2 more Atlanta police officers fired over use of force during protest Posted: 10 Jun 2020 07:52 PM PDT  The firings bring the total number of officers terminated in the wake of the incident to four. Six officers in all have been charged.
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| Trump news – live: White House defends president's conspiracy theory about protester thrown to ground by police Posted: 10 Jun 2020 05:37 AM PDT  Republican senators on Capitol Hill have expressed their dismay at a Donald Trump tweet accusing 75-year-old Black Lives Matter protester Martin Gugino of being an "ANTIFA provocateur" and dismissing the viral video in which he is seen being shoved over by police at a George Floyd demonstration in Buffalo, New York, as "a set up"."It's a serious accusation which should only be made with facts and evidence", commented John Thune of South Dakota, as Utah's Mitt Romney branded the speculation from the president "shocking" and Alaska moderate Lisa Murkowski observed: "It just makes no sense that we're fanning the flames right at this time."
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| 2nd COVID-19 case tied to Missouri Memorial weekend parties Posted: 11 Jun 2020 01:24 PM PDT |
| The U.S. War In Afghanistan Is Over Posted: 10 Jun 2020 08:29 AM PDT  How did the US war in Afghanistan end? To judge by recent commentary and reporting, the Trump administration has ginned up the idea of a rapid drawdown before November as an election-year ploy, a sudden decision driven more by domestic politics than by the situation in Afghanistan. Nothing could be further from the truth. In reality, the U.S. war in Afghanistan has been ending for years, has more or less ended now, and has done so for good reason. The removal of the last tranche of U.S. soldiers is neither the sudden nor the decisive reckoning it is suggested to be.
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| Step Inside the Colorful Milan Home Posted: 11 Jun 2020 05:00 AM PDT |
| Fossil tracks left by an ancient crocodile that 'ran like an ostrich' Posted: 11 Jun 2020 09:23 AM PDT  Scientists are stunned to find that some ancient crocodiles may have moved around on two feet.
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| Coronavirus chaos in Georgia, Wisconsin a 'warning sign' for Democrats Posted: 11 Jun 2020 01:30 AM PDT  A POLITICO/Morning Consult poll shows a deep partisan divide over in-person vs. mail-in balloting.
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| Australia won't be intimidated in row with China: PM Morrison Posted: 11 Jun 2020 02:27 AM PDT  Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday he would not be intimidated by "coercion" after China restricted some Australian exports and urged Chinese tourists and students to avoid Australia. Diplomatic tensions between Beijing and Canberra have worsened since Australia called for an international inquiry into the source and spread of the new coronavirus, which first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Lobbying by Australia and the European Union prompted the World Health Assembly last month to back an independent review into the coronavirus pandemic.
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| Amazon exec slams 'shocking' arrest of Black delivery driver who was pinned to the ground during a traffic stop Posted: 10 Jun 2020 07:31 AM PDT  A top Amazon executive shared a video that appeared to show a white police officer restraining a Black driver who was facedown on the ground.
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| A New Jersey mayor told a crowd of anti-discrimination demonstrators that he was 'pro-Black for all the good Black people' Posted: 11 Jun 2020 11:04 AM PDT  Clark Township Mayor Sal Bonaccorso, a Republican, made the comment at a rally after protesters asked if the would call himself "pro-Black."
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| Orland Park mayor calls on Pritzker to move state into Phase 4 of reopening Posted: 11 Jun 2020 09:35 AM PDT  More than a dozen state Republican lawmakers are pushing Governor JB Pritzker to speed up Illinois' reopening.
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| Study warns of poverty surge to over 1 billion due to virus Posted: 11 Jun 2020 09:36 AM PDT  Global poverty is set to rise above 1 billion people once again as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, which is reducing the income of the world's poorest by $500 million a day, according to new research published Friday. The research by King's College London and the Australian National University points to poverty increasing dramatically in middle-income developing countries, where millions of people live just above the poverty line. "The pandemic is fast becoming an economic crisis for developing countries," said Andy Sumner, a professor of international development at King's College London and one of the report's co-authors.
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| Project 955A: This New Russian Submarine Is Ready to Rumble Posted: 10 Jun 2020 06:25 AM PDT  The Knyaz Vladimir—named for Prince Vladimir the Great of Novgorod and ruler of the Kievan Rus from the late tenth and early eleventh centuries—is the first of the advanced iteration of the Borei-class Project 955A.
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| New Trump admin proposal would make it harder for immigrants to claim asylum in U.S. Posted: 10 Jun 2020 08:44 PM PDT  "The proposed rule is literally the kitchen sink of asylum bans and will end any notion of asylum that still remains," said an immigration lawyer.
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