| Trump retweets videos of Black men attacking white victims, asking, 'Where are the protesters?' Posted: 23 Jun 2020 07:55 AM PDT  Amid protests over the killings of Black citizens that have lasted almost a month, President Trump retweeted videos of Black men attacking white victims in separate incidents — one of which occurred last year — while wondering why they did not spark similar protests.
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| North Korea's Kim suspends military plans against South: KCNA Posted: 23 Jun 2020 07:29 PM PDT  In recent weeks, Pyongyang has issued a series of vitriolic condemnations of Seoul over anti-North leaflets, which defectors based in the South send across the border -- usually attached to balloons or floated in bottles. Last week it blew up a liaison office on its side of the border that symbolised inter-Korean rapprochement, while its military said it would take multiple measures against the South. The moves included re-entering areas of the North that it had withdrawn from as part of inter-Korean projects, restoring guard posts in the Demilitarized Zone that forms the border, and stepping up exercises.
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| A 'Godzilla' dust cloud from Sahara Desert is nearing US Gulf Coast Posted: 24 Jun 2020 11:27 AM PDT  The long-awaited cloud of Saharan Dust - the largest in 50 years - will bring hazy skies and fiery red sunsets but also potential health problems.
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| Kosovo president, 9 others indicted on war crimes charges Posted: 24 Jun 2020 07:05 AM PDT  Kosovo President Hashim Thaci and nine other former separatist fighters were indicted Wednesday on a range of crimes against humanity and war crimes charges, including murder, by an international prosecutor probing their actions against ethnic Serbs and others during and after Kosovo's 1998-99 independence war with Serbia. Because of the indictment, Thaci has postponed his trip to Washington, where he was to meet Saturday for talks at the White House with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.
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| Putin throws military parade to mark defeat of Germany in WW2 — and declare victory over coronavirus Posted: 24 Jun 2020 01:02 AM PDT  Russian President Vladimir Putin, who reportedly was frightened of the coronavirus and hid behind the Kremlin walls, emerges to declare victory.
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| The founder of CrossFit — who just exited the CEO role amid controversy two weeks ago — is now selling the iconic gym brand Posted: 24 Jun 2020 08:26 AM PDT  CrossFit founder Greg Glassman to sell company after "FLOYD-19" and sexism controversies. The new owner will be the third CEO in a month.
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| Major quake shakes southern Mexico, at least six killed Posted: 23 Jun 2020 08:39 AM PDT  The fatalities were near the quake's center in Oaxaca, a mountainous state known for its coffee, mescal and Spanish colonial architecture. A Reuters witness in the state's Pacific coast resort town of La Crucecita, which Mexican authorities said was the epicenter of the earthquake, saw anxious residents standing outside their homes hours after the tremor as they feared deadly aftershocks. "We lost everything in one moment to nature," said Vicente Romero, an owner of a stationary store whose house suffered structural damage.
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| Mike Huckabee slams Shaun King for saying statues of Jesus Christ are 'form of white supremacy' Posted: 24 Jun 2020 01:11 PM PDT  Former governor of Arkansas and ordained minister, Mike Huckabee, reacts to a Black Lives Matter activist's call to take down all images of "white" Jesus.
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| Trump threatens prison time after protesters attempt to topple Andrew Jackson statue near White House Posted: 23 Jun 2020 07:35 AM PDT  In the weeks since the initial demonstrations following George Floyd's killing, protesters have increasingly focused on removing monuments of figures in American history associated with racism.
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| A police officer charged with assaulting Black youths has worked for 9 different police departments, collecting use-of-force incidents and complaints along the way. Posted: 24 Jun 2020 12:34 PM PDT  Camden County prosecutors charged Officer Ryan Dubiel with assault, alleging he pepper-sprayed the youths "without provocation" on June 4.
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| JK Rowling has 'fallen in with the wrong crowd', says trans activist Posted: 24 Jun 2020 12:03 PM PDT  An author who quit JK Rowling's literary agency in a row over transgender issues claims that the Harry Potter author has "fallen in with the wrong crowd". Fox Fisher, a trans activist, suggested that Rowling is "fearful" of trans people. Fisher was one of four writers who left the Blair Partnership in protest at the agency's refusal to issue a public statement in support of the trans community, or to put its employees through a transgender training programme. Rowling has been accused of "hate speech" for posts on social media, including one that stated "biological sex is real". Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Fisher said of Rowling: "I think she's fallen in with the wrong crowd. I think she is very scared, very fearful of things when actually she just needs to spend some time with some transgender people who might also have been her fans. "I respect all women's rights and when I talk about women I mean all women, including transgender women. I just think if she opened her eyes and saw that trans women are women, maybe we'd be able to move forward." In a statement this week, the Blair Partnership said it had declined to meet the four authors' demands "to be re-educated to their point of view". Fisher said: "It sounds pretty severe that we wanted them to be 're-educated' - I think our words have been changed a little bit. We invited them to have an open and honest conversation with us, to reaffirm their support for transgender authors and employees in a statement, as well as possibly doing training with the organisation All About Trans." Fisher insisted: "It was never about denouncing anyone's views or going against JK Rowling… Of course I'd never be able to change her views. I'd never demand to change her views. All we wanted really was an open conversation." Baroness Nicholson, the Tory peer, was last night stripped from her position with the Booker Prize Foundation after tweeting her views on trans issues and same-sex marriage. She was honorary vice-president of the foundation and also co-founded the Lumos charity with JK Rowling. Following a meeting by the foundation's trustees yesterday, the Booker Prize Foundation issued a statement which said: "We deplore racism, homophobia and transphobia and do not discriminate on any ground." Baroness Nicholson's honorary title "should with immediate effect, cease to end", they added. Authors including Marlon James, who won the Booker Prize in 2015 with A Brief History of Seven Killings, called for her removal in the wake of her remarks. Baroness Nicholson told The Guardian that she had voted against same-sex marriage in 2013 but rejected accusations of homophobia. Lumos, the children's charity, said she had not played any part in Lumos since 2010.
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| Prosecutor decides not to charge officer who shot Black teen Posted: 24 Jun 2020 07:37 AM PDT  A South Carolina prosecutor said Wednesday that he will not file charges against the white police officer who fatally shot a Black teenager who pointed a gun at the officer as he ran away. Josh Ruffin, 17, was an immediate threat to the safety of the officers and others when he stopped during the chase and pointed a gun at Columbia police Officer Kevin Davis, Fifth Circuit Solicitor Byron Gipson said at a news conference. Davis had reason to chase the teen because he was outside during the COVID-19 shutdown order during and a neighborhood leader had just reported suspicious activity in an area with a higher than average crime rate, Gipson said.
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| Ghana apologises to Nigeria for embassy demolition Posted: 24 Jun 2020 09:16 AM PDT  Armed men reportedly stormed the compound and destroyed a building under construction.
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| Putin throws military parade to declare victory over virus Posted: 24 Jun 2020 12:11 AM PDT Russian President Vladimir Putin, who reportedly was frightened of the coronavirus and hid behind the Kremlin walls, emerges to declare victory.
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| 450 billion locusts have been killed this year, but devastating swarms still ravage Africa, India and the Middle East Posted: 23 Jun 2020 11:04 AM PDT  Kenya is facing its worst locust infestation in 70 years. India, Ethiopia, and Somalia are also beset by near-biblical plagues.
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| Fixture Forecast: Barcelona to suffer major title blow, while City will maintain furious form vs. Chelsea Posted: 24 Jun 2020 12:30 PM PDT  Barcelona can't afford a slip-up in La Liga, but one is coming their way. And it's unwise to bet against Manchester City.
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| Comey Told Obama that Flynn’s Conversations with Russian Ambassador ‘Appear Legit,’ According to Strzok Notes Posted: 24 Jun 2020 08:47 AM PDT  Former FBI director James Comey told President Obama that the 2016 conversations between Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak and incoming national-security adviser Michael Flynn were not criminal in nature, according to notes from former agent Peter Strzok released by Flynn's legal team.The page of notes was taken by Strzok appears to describe a January 5, 2017 meeting of President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and national security officials. This meeting occurred amid accusations that incoming Trump administration officials had colluded with Russian operatives. Strzok was not present at the meeting, and it is unclear what record of the meeting he consulted in taking the notes.Strzok writes that "P," presumably President Obama, asked, "Is there anything I shouldn't be telling transition team?"Strzok records that "D," or Director Comey, responded "Kislyak calls but appear legit."> ALSO JUST IN: Flynn legal team files a page of Strzok's notes, which appear to describe the Jan. 5 meetign with Obama and natsec team> > Notes indicate Biden mentioned the Logan Act, but entirely devoid of context. pic.twitter.com/lGsj0DepHm> > -- Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) June 24, 2020In transcripts of conversations between Flynn and Kislyak released on May 29 of this year, Flynn is recorded asking the Russian ambassador not to escalate tensions in response to U.S. sanctions. Those sanctions were implemented by the Obama administration following reports that Russia attempted to interfere in the U.S. general election.Strzok's notes also indicate that "VP" Biden mentioned the "Logan Act" during the meeting, although the context of Biden's remark is unclear. The Logan Act of 1799 forbids U.S. citizens from intervening in disputes with foreign nations without authorization. The law has been cited only twice in U.S. history in two cases in the 1800's and no one has ever been found guilty of violating the statute.While the FBI had monitored Flynn's conversations with Kislyak, the agency moved to close the case on January 4, 2017, indicating it had found "no derogatory information" on Flynn. However, that same day Strzok intervened to keep the case open. Strzok told an unknown individual that day that the "7th floor [is] involved," apparently referring to senior FBI leadership at the bureau's headquarters.Strzok was fired by the FBI after anti-Trump texts between him and agency lawyer Lisa Page were revealed."Your excessive, repeated, and politically charged text messages while you were assigned as the lead case agent on the FBI's two biggest and most politically sensitive investigations in decades, demonstrated a gross lack of professionalism and exceptionally poor judgement," the Justice Department said in 2019.
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| U.S. agency prepares for massive staff cuts in blow to legal immigration system Posted: 24 Jun 2020 11:42 AM PDT  The U.S. agency in charge of processing immigration applications said on Wednesday it was preparing to furlough nearly 70% of its workforce unless it received fresh funding, a move employees say could bring an already backlogged system to a virtual halt. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is dependent on fees from new immigration applications for its operations and is facing a historic budget shortfall. Republican President Donald Trump has made cutting legal and illegal immigration a centerpiece of his 2020 re-election campaign.
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| Was Seattle’s Notorious Protest Zone Doomed by Recent Shootings? Posted: 24 Jun 2020 01:32 AM PDT  After a few remarkable weeks of free food, far-right agitation, and most recently, multiple shootings, Seattle's Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) looks like it might be on the rocks.The CHOP (formerly known as the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, or CHAZ) is an approximately six-block zone in Seattle where, after a violent crackdown by police against racial justice protesters, the city agreed to withdraw police and clear the streets for demonstrations. Activists quickly set up tents and issued a list of demands including police abolition and de-gentrification measures like rent control. But Seattle never agreed to keep police out forever. And after a trio of shootings in and around the zone, the city is calling to dismantle the CHOP, leaving activists wondering how to keep the protest going.In a Monday press conference, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan said the city would work with activists to dismantle the CHOP."It's time for people to go home. It is time for us to restore Cal Anderson [Park] and Capitol Hill so it can be a vibrant part of the community," Durkan said at the press conference. "We can still accommodate people who want to protest peacefully, come there and gather. But the impacts on the businesses and residents and community are now too much."She added that police would re-enter the neighborhood precinct, which was boarded up when cops left the area on June 8, although she did not elaborate on a timeline for the reintroduction of police. Seattle Police did not return a request for comment.A spokesperson for the CHOP-affiliated group, Seattle Organized Protest Support said the disbandment talk had led to divergent views within the neighborhood."There is a lot of uncertainty going around in the CHOP right now, different people have different opinions," the spokesperson told The Daily Beast. "As far as the groups that I'm in, it seems that the general consensus is to follow Black leaders for the next step, which is tricky in and of itself because we never know who is working with the city and who isn't."Other encampment-based movements have faced similar predicaments in the past. The Occupy Wall Street protests lasted approximately three months camped in a downtown Manhattan park before police raided the scene and sent the movement spiraling. Todd Gitlin, a Columbia University professor and author of the book Occupy Nation, said the uprooted camp sites face an ideological reckoning."The problem for manifestations that come together around an occasion, like a park to occupy, is 'well then what?'" Gitlin told The Daily Beast. "How do you sustain yourself when the occupation is over? In the case of Occupy, there were these hundreds of encampments, but they were all land-dependent. They had no other identity. They had no other connections."Some Occupy organizers turned to more electoral politics, like joining the 2016 Bernie Sanders presidential campaign, or became active in issues like housing rights, Gitlin noted. Others appeared to leave the political scene.The CHOP zone's cop-free cred is one of its main attractions. But several shootings in or near the CHOP in recent days have left some Seattle officials, Durkan included, calling for resumed police details. Early Tuesday morning, a man was injured in a non-life-threatening shooting near—but apparently not in—the CHOP. The incident followed a Saturday morning shooting that left a 19-year-old dead and a 33-year-old critically wounded in the CHOP. A 17-year-old was also shot in the arm Sunday night.Some activists and at least one Seattle City Council member have sparred with officials over the characterization of the incidents."We completely reject the characterizations – by right-wing & corporate media, Trump administration, and Seattle Police Officers Guild president – of the CHOP as a violent place & the claims that the presence of police would have prevented either shooting," Seattle City Council Member Kshama Sawant tweeted on Monday. She noted that neither of the weekend shootings appear to have been committed by protesters. (Police have not made arrests in either case.)Other activists have taken issue with the police chief's claim that a "hostile crowd" of protesters prevented officers from responding to the Saturday shooting. "No one within the CHOP denied entry to PD within any organizational capacity," organizers told KOMO News after the shooting. "Officers deciding on their own not to enter an area is not the same as being denied entry." (Police body camera footage from the incident appears to show some people yelling at police, but officers moving without obstruction.)Nevertheless, the shootings have placed new challenges on a protest movement that was already a favorite villain of conservative voices and far-right groups, some of which have entered the CHOP armed and been involved in a fistfight near the zone.After the Saturday shooting, the group Voices of CHOP issued a letter "acknowledg[ing] that no organizations, protests, or revolutions are perfect. We must be willing to collectively learn and react quickly to mistakes within our movement. We do not want to see what was started with the intention of lifting the BLM message destroyed."The group suggested two changes to curb unruliness in the CHOP, including "safe [drug] use areas near the outskirts of C.H.O.P.," along with signage asking people to "keep safe distance away from C.H.O.P. while intoxicated." The letter also acknowledged that "the late hours of C.H.O.P. tend to give way to some problematic behavior." The group suggested reducing the CHOP's operating hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., clearing the zone out overnight but leaving enough people "for peace keeping and occupy purposes."Sawant tweeted that her City Council office supports the proposal to cut operating hours in half. But momentum behind the protest zone shifting to part time also comes as attendance has apparently begun to fizzle out. A live-streamer who has closely covered the protests told the Washington Post attendance has dwindled since its beginning in early June.Amid the mayor's calls to dissolve the CHOP, and the reportedly organic dissolution by protesters who've stopped showing up, some CHOP backers are emphasizing the protest's more abstract qualities as a way to keep the movement alive."As socialists," Sawant tweeted, "we recognize capitalism is a deeply violent system, and that an occupation in a few city blocks cannot by itself form a society separate from the violence, trauma, and ills that absolutely pervade capitalist society as a whole."For some protesters, that means returning to the protests extensive demands. As of Monday, a handmade sign on the zone's abandoned precinct announced some activists' stance not to leave until the city defunds its police force by 50 percent, introduces new funding for Black communities, and releases people arrested in the protests that erupted after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody.The CHOP has been in place fewer than three weeks. Occupy Wall Street stayed in its encampment nearly three months—and even still, Gitlin characterized the protest as "more of a moment than a movement."That said, Occupy made enduring political waves because "it was a moment that dovetailed with other moments, and we can see retrospectively that they contributed to a kind of revitalization or awakening outsider energy looking for ways to get traction in the American scene."The CHOP might be short-lived, some organizers have indicated, but it stems from sweeping, nationwide protests, into which activists might continue their energy.The Seattle Organized Protest Support released its own statement on Monday reiterating those three demands, noting that, as an occupied area, "CHOP may not be a sustainable fight."The six blocks weren't the point of the original protest, the SOPS spokesperson said."CHOP wasn't the goal, and the people who are fighting the fight recognize that," the representative said. "The people came up with three demands that were the original goal, everything born out of that is temporary and was never meant to distract from the purpose of the fight."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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| US Navy announces intent to ink $10B in contracts for first 2 Columbia subs Posted: 23 Jun 2020 07:37 AM PDT  The Navy announced its intent to sign a contract for two Columbia-class submarines as soon as Congress forks over the money.
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| Bangladesh boy, 15, arrested for Facebook criticism of PM Posted: 24 Jun 2020 06:02 AM PDT  A 15-year-old boy has become the latest person to fall foul of Bangladesh's contentious internet laws after being arrested for criticising Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on social media. Rights groups say the laws are used to silence dissent, with hundreds of people charged since 2018 for crimes including smearing the image of Hasina and other senior political figures. Police in Bhaluka said Wednesday they arrested Mohammad Emon at the weekend after a local official from the ruling party claimed the teen had "badmouthed... our mother-like leader".
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| US Army suspects 'foul play' was involved in the disappearance of Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillen Posted: 24 Jun 2020 11:29 AM PDT  Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillen, 20, was last seen around noon on April 22 on the Texas Army base.
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| Universal Orlando laying off workers just two weeks after reopening Posted: 24 Jun 2020 12:21 PM PDT  The cuts come after Universal Studios Florida, Universal's Islands of Adventure and Universal's Volcano Bay reopened with reduced capacity and new safety measures.
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| 'It was so crazy': Man grabs shark with bare hands on Delaware beach in viral video Posted: 24 Jun 2020 09:45 AM PDT  A swimmer was captured in a viral video holding a shark with his bare hands off the coast of Cape Henlopen State Park Beach in Delaware.
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| Nigeria police rescue workers 'locked in rice factory' Posted: 24 Jun 2020 12:57 AM PDT  The Nigerians were allegedly forced to work throughout a Covid-19 lockdown that began in March.
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| Texas Governor: Coronavirus Spreading at ‘Unacceptable Rate’ in State Posted: 23 Jun 2020 07:10 AM PDT  Governor Greg Abbott warned Monday that the coronavirus is now spreading in Texas at an "unacceptable rate" and pleaded with residents to wear masks in public and continue practicing social distancing."To state the obvious, COVID-19 is now spreading at an unacceptable rate in Texas, and it must be corralled," Abbott said at a news briefing.Texas has seen more than 25,000 new coronavirus cases over the past week and on Friday recorded a one-day record of 4,600 new positive cases. The spike in cases comes after Texas allowed businesses to reopen at 75 percent capacity earlier this month.Abbott urged the public to take precautions against spreading the virus, even as people return to work and frequent public places. He did not, however, announce any new social distancing rules."Wearing a mask will help us to keep Texas open. Not taking action to slow the spread will cause COVID to spread even worse, risking people's lives, and ultimately, leading to the closure of more businesses," Abbott said."The way hospitalizations are spiking, the way that daily new cases are spiking — surely the public can understand that if those spikes continue, additional measures are going to be necessary to make sure we maintain the health and safety of the people of the state of Texas," the governor added.Texas has averaged more than 3,200 daily coronavirus hospitalizations over the last several days, a sharp increase from the latter half of May, when about 1,600 people were hospitalized daily for the virus. Abbott suggested that if those numbers double again, the state may reimpose social distancing restrictions."If we were to experience another doubling of those numbers over the next month, that would mean we're in an urgent situation where tougher actions will be required to make sure that we do contain the spread of COVID-19," Abbott said.
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| Approval of Trump's coronavirus response sinks to lowest on record amid surge in cases: Reuters/Ipsos poll Posted: 24 Jun 2020 03:02 AM PDT  American approval of President Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic has dropped to the lowest level on record, the latest Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll shows, as new COVID-19 cases surged and Trump was widely criticized for suggesting he wanted to slow down testing. The June 22-23 poll also found that a majority of Americans want Trump's former national security adviser, John Bolton, to testify to Congress under oath, after he accused Trump in a new book of misdeeds, including seeking Chinese President Xi Jinping's help to win re-election. The poll shows that 37% of Americans approved of the way Trump has responded to the pandemic, the lowest on record since Reuters/Ipsos started asking the question at the beginning of March.
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| Europe's travel ban on Americans could be a sign of disastrous things to come for US airlines Posted: 24 Jun 2020 02:03 PM PDT  The European Union's ban on American travelers could mean business and international travel take longer to recover — a bad sign for airlines.
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| Missing Amish Teen Went to Church on Sunday—and Never Came Home Posted: 24 Jun 2020 09:36 AM PDT  Pennsylvania authorities on Wednesday continued their massive search for an Amish teenager who disappeared on Sunday after attending a church service—a move friends and family have described as "out of character" for the "sweet girl" who never caused trouble. Linda Stoltzfoos, 18, was last seen around 12:30 p.m. on Sunday at a farm on Stumptown Road in the heart of Pennsylvania's bucolic Amish country, the East Lampeter Township Police Department told The Daily Beast. Authorities said that when Stoltzfoos—who was wearing a tan dress, white apron, and white cape—failed to return to her Beechdale Road home after attending a church service just down the road, her parents became concerned and contacted police. The story was first reported by LancasterOnline. "She was a sweet, quiet girl who would never put herself in a troublesome situation," one family friend told The Daily Beast. "We are shocked—her even leaving without informing anybody where she was going is out of character. This is all out of character."Authorities also believe the teenager's disappearance is unusual, and while she is still being treated as an endangered missing person, several law enforcement agencies have joined the search. According to Pennsylvania State Police, which is also involved in the search effort, Stoltzfoos "may be at special risk of harm or injury."A spokesperson for the East Lampeter Township police said at least 100 volunteers and trained search personnel have put in 1,500 man hours into the search for the missing teenager in rural Pennsylvania. On Wednesday, the FBI joined the search, allowing authorities to use "more tools" in addition to dogs, horses, ATV equipment, and drones. East Lampeter Township detectives are interviewing family members and friends for further information about Stoltzfoos.While foul play has not been ruled out, police are "still attempting to figure out what may have happened" and are investigating "all angles" of the incident," East Lampeter Township police said."There is no reason for us to believe that she wanted to just leave," a spokesperson told The Daily Beast. "That's what makes it an unusual circumstance—it's totally out of character for Linda. This is not a normal missing person's investigation for us, I will say that. It's not typical to be receiving a missing person's case from the Amish community here."The spokesperson added that authorities Wednesday are issuing a "plea to Linda that she is not in any trouble, in the case that she left on her own free will. We just want her to contact us and let us know she is OK."Air Force Member Charged With Kidnapping, Murdering Missing Mennonite WomanTo help with the search, a Facebook page titled "Amish Girl Missing - Linda Stoltzfoos" has been created to provide updates in the teenager's case. "A new day.....the family and community will continue searching for Linda," one Wednesday post said, along with a photo of an open field. The page, adorned with photos and videos of community members volunteering to help with the search and praying for her safe return, also includes information on community prayer meetings. On Tuesday evening, a meeting was held behind the Smucker homestead in Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania—where over 100 came out to pray, cry, and sing in the open field, according to LancasterOnline."Thank you everyone for your prayers and support," the Facebook post states. "We will be holding another evening of prayer and worship on behalf of Linda, her family, and the local community. Please join us in person or on Facebook Live as we intercede for Linda this evening."Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Inside the Homes and Studios of 13 American Artists Posted: 24 Jun 2020 01:30 PM PDT |
| Trump asks what the '19' in COVID-19 stands for Posted: 23 Jun 2020 04:52 PM PDT 
"I said, 'What's the 19?' COVID-19. Some people can't explain what the 19. COVID-19. I said, 'that's an odd name'," Trump told young supporters in Phoenix. "I've never seen anything like it." There are more that 2.3 million cases and over 120,000 fatalities in the United States, according to a Reuters tally on Tuesday.
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| Coronavirus: New York imposes quarantine on nine US states Posted: 24 Jun 2020 02:27 PM PDT  It comes as a US university predicts 180,000 US deaths from the virus by October.
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| Man sues Georgia police for excessive use of force after wrongfully arresting him Posted: 24 Jun 2020 09:27 AM PDT  "I was getting ready to put my hands behind my back," Smith said in the video. "He forcibly picked me up."
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| 'You know what Trump is most afraid of? A black man with power': NYC principal set to oust 16-term congressman delivers fiery speech Posted: 24 Jun 2020 06:27 AM PDT  Jamaal Bowman, a progressive political outsider who appears set to defeat longtime incumbent Rep Eliot Engel in New York's congressional primaries, has delivered a fiery speech targeting Donald Trump and vowing to fight against corporate interests.Mr Bowman, who ran against Mr Engel, 73, in New York's 16th congressional district, did not declare victory over his opponent. But the 44-year-old middle school principal from the Bronx celebrated what he called a "movement" and told supporters: "I can't wait to get to Congress and cause problems."
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| Arab League urges Ethiopia to delay filling Nile dam Posted: 23 Jun 2020 10:13 AM PDT  The Arab League urged Ethiopia on Tuesday to delay its filling of the Nile mega-dam it is constructing until a comprehensive deal is reached with Egypt and Sudan. It called on "all parties to avoid taking further escalatory actions" and for Addis Ababa not to fill its Renaissance Dam "without reaching an agreement with the downstream countries". The resolution submitted by Egypt and approved by Arab foreign ministers, except for Djibouti and Somalia, was passed in a virtual conference requested by Cairo.
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| Missouri man charged with murder in triple shooting at Applebee’s Posted: 23 Jun 2020 06:51 PM PDT  A St. Ann man has been charged in connection with a triple shooting Monday night that claimed the life of a 46-year-old mother.
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| GOP House Candidate Insists George Floyd Killing Was Staged Posted: 24 Jun 2020 01:27 AM PDT  A Republican House candidate in Missouri has published her own half-baked report claiming that the video of George Floyd's death—which has sparked nationwide protests to end the racial inequities in the criminal-justice system—is, in fact, a staged "false flag." Winnie Heartstrong, a candidate running for the St. Louis congressional seat held by Lacy Clay (D-MO), has pushed conspiracy theories about Floyd's death for nearly a month on Twitter. In late May, a video featuring Heartstrong claiming that "George Floyd is alive" circulated among far-right Twitter accounts and received more than 100,000 views. Heartstrong went further last week with a 23-page document laying out a series of incoherent conspiracy theories about Floyd's death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer. Heartstrong insists Floyd actually died years earlier, and the video that shows his death is actually a bogus "deepfake" meant to stir up racial tensions. "We conclude that no one in the video is really one person but rather they are all digital composites of two or more real people to form completely new digital persons using deepfake technology," Heartstrong writes in the document, which she claims was created with help from "citizen investigators." Perhaps the strangest part of Heartstrong's report is the claim that Ben Bailey, a comedian who surprises taxi passengers with the chance to win money on the game show Cash Cab, was somehow involved in playing the role of Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer charged with killing Floyd. Heartstrong's report is replete with graphics comparing Chauvin's face to Bailey's, including one declaring "Boom! Here's the 'killer cop.'""Citizen investigators have suggested that the 'officer Chauvin' who appears in the arrest video bears a striking resemblance to the actor and comedian Benjamin Ray Bailey who features in Cash Cab," Heartstrong writes. Cops' Most Deranged Lies and Bizarre Claims About the ProtestsThe Cash Cab conspiracy theory has caught on with some elements of the pro-Trump QAnon movement, based solely on the idea that Chauvin looks somewhat like Bailey. But it remains on the fringe of the conspiracy-theory internet and is unusual to see touted so openly—particularly from someone running for federal office. Heartstrong declined to comment about her Floyd conspiracy theories, referring The Daily Beast to her document and her May video about the matter. In the video, Heartstrong laid out a gruesome scheme for how she claimed the murder could be staged. "You lure in a homeless man, you give him some drugs laced with poison, and you kill him," Heartstrong, who is Black, said in the video. "Black America, you all need to wake up and stop being so emotional," Despite her bizarre claims, Heartstrong stands a good chance of winning the Republican primary on Aug. 4, although she would almost certainly lose the general election. Heartstrong's claims about Floyd have caught on with right-wing conspiracy theorists and have earned her appearances on internet radio shows, including a YouTube show hosted by conspiracy theorist David Zublick, who has more than 175,000 subscribers on the site.More importantly, Heartstrong's only primary opponent is Anthony Rogers, a podcaster and comedian whose social-media pages feature off-the-wall video endorsements from figures like Joe Exotic campaign manager Joshua Dial, and schlock director Uwe Boll. Former Trump adviser Roger Stone, who is awaiting a 40-month prison term, has also endorsed Rogers, calling him "exactly the kind of hellraiser we need to send to Congress." Rogers' campaign website currently returns a connection error, making it difficult to connect to on most browsers. But his primary chances may be hurt more by his reputation for what St. Louis' Riverfront Times described as "offensive posts," including a 2014 Thought Catalog post about the shooting of Ferguson, Missouri, teen Michael Brown that said Brown was doing "hood rat shit."Rogers didn't respond to a request for comment. While Heartstrong didn't comment on her claims about Floyd's death, she was happy to comment on her primary foe in an email to The Daily Beast, claiming that Rogers is "not actively campaigning."When she's not promoting conspiracy theories, Heartstrong has positioned herself as a staunchly anti-abortion candidate. Before moving to Missouri, she ran as a Republican for a seat in the Maryland House of Delegates. She undertook that 2018 bid under the name Winnie Obike, and received just 5 percent of the vote.Even if she were to prevail in the primary, Heartstrong is almost certain to lose in the general election to Clay, who has been in the House since 2001. Election analysts at the Cook Political Report rate the district as "D+29," meaning Democrats are heavily favored."They're going to take the ass-whupping, so it don't make no difference," said Mike Jones, a St. Louis political analyst and race and politics columnist for The St. Louis American. "And the lucky one might be the one that lost [the primary]."Can a New Algorithm Prevent Police Brutality? Minneapolis Wants to Find OutStill, the prospect of Heartstrong, an outspoken Floyd truther, winning the primary could represent a new headache for the GOP as other conspiracy theorists win nominations elsewhere in the country. A QAnon believer won the party's nomination for an Oregon Senate seat, while another QAnon supporter is poised to win a nomination in a heavily Republican House district in Georgia.And, for her part, Heartstrong doesn't seem poised to run her race quietly. She claims she represents a group of Floyd "investigators" who want a presidential investigation into whether the Floyd video was faked. "We urge President Trump to open an investigation into these claims to help resolve the issue of deepfake technology once and for all," Heartstrong writes.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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| These are the top 9 US destinations private jet flyers are heading this summer Posted: 23 Jun 2020 07:52 AM PDT  Private jet firms are seeing an increase of travel to the mountains as the wealthy seek to social distance in nature this summer.
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| The Air Force Is Getting a Replacement for Its Cold War-Era Pistols Posted: 23 Jun 2020 12:10 PM PDT  The Air Force recently announced it will soon start fielding 125,000 of the Army's new Modular Handgun Systems.
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| Japan’s new missile defense destroyer starts sea trials amid Aegis Ashore saga Posted: 23 Jun 2020 08:47 AM PDT  The last of Japan's eight planned destroyers capable of intercepting ballistic missiles has started sea trials ahead of its commissioning, even as the country ponders its next move following its decision to suspend plans to introduce ground-based systems for that role.
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| The Dalai Lama on COVID-19, Trump, and "old thinking" in America Posted: 24 Jun 2020 06:24 AM PDT  Tibet's exiled Buddhist spiritual leader knows a thing or two about forced isolation, and he shares some wisdom with CBS News ahead of his 85th birthday.
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| AOC and other liberals, minorities gain in U.S. congressional primary races Posted: 24 Jun 2020 09:58 AM PDT  A resounding primary win by Democratic U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and a fellow liberal's lead over a longtime New York congressman signaled fresh momentum for progressive politics amid growing calls for economic and racial justice in the United States. Tuesday's nominating contests in New York, Kentucky and several other states pitted establishment Democrats against challengers pushing for sweeping change after the May 25 death of George Floyd, a Black man, while in Minneapolis police custody. Early election results showed Black and other minority candidates putting up strong performances in several contests.
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| Royal Navy Frigate Shadowed Russian Warship in the English Channel Posted: 24 Jun 2020 06:30 AM PDT  Russian warships have been monitored in the English Channel in recent months.
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| US states reimpose virus measures as cases spike Posted: 24 Jun 2020 02:33 PM PDT  With coronavirus cases surging across the US South and West, officials are once again imposing tough measures, from stay-at-home advice in worst-hit states to quarantines to protect recovering areas like New York. Three northeastern states that made progress beating back the pandemic -- New York, New Jersey and Connecticut -- on Wednesday urged visitors arriving from US hotspots to quarantine themselves. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the advisory applied to visitors from Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Washington, Utah and Texas.
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