| Apple slams 'false claims' after FBI says it provided 'effectively no help' accessing the Pensacola shooter's iPhones Posted: 18 May 2020 01:45 PM PDT  Apple is hitting back against the Department of Justice.Attorney General William Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray in a press conference on Monday announced they obtained new evidence regarding the 2019 shooting at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida by accessing the shooter's iPhones. But Wray said Apple provided "effectively no help."Barr also slammed Apple in the presser, saying the fact that the company designs its phones "in a way that only the user can unlock the contents, no matter what the circumstances" has "dangerous consequences for the public safety and national security, and is, in my judgment, unacceptable." He also accused the company of being "willing to accommodate authoritarian regimes when it serves their business interests."Apple issued a response to this scathing press conference, saying in a statement it did support law enforcement during its investigation into the Pensacola shooting by providing "every piece of information" available to them."As a proud American company, we consider supporting law enforcement's important work our responsibility," Apple said. "The false claims made about our company are an excuse to weaken encryption and other security measures that protect millions of users and our national security."Wray had said during the press conference on Monday that although the FBI in this instance found a way to obtain the information it needed, "the technique that we developed" has "pretty limited application," and so it's "not a fix for our broader Apple problem."More stories from theweek.com The snake oil salesman cometh Trump spent hours retweeting, slamming Fox News, including profane attacks on host Neil Cavuto CBO estimates leisure and hospitality sector lost nearly 50 percent of its jobs in March and April
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| Democrat Biden says he would kill Keystone XL pipeline Posted: 18 May 2020 02:04 PM PDT  Joe Biden's campaign said on Monday that if elected president, the presumptive Democratic nominee would rescind the permit for Keystone XL pipeline, which effectively would doom the long-troubled project. In doing so, Biden would reverse actions taken by President Donald Trump, who in 2017 cleared the way for the $8 billion oil sands pipeline to built across the U.S.-Canada border. Trump, a Republican, had made building the pipeline a central promise of his presidential campaign.
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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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| A report circulating in Congress, which claims that China covered up a virus leak from a Wuhan lab, has been debunked Posted: 18 May 2020 04:03 AM PDT  The Sierra Nevada Corporation claimed a "hazardous event" occurred at the Wuhan Institute of Virology last year. The theory is popular but unverified.
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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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| Evangelist who built global ministry dies in Atlanta at 74 Posted: 19 May 2020 07:26 AM PDT |
| Trump signs order directing agencies to cut federal regulations Posted: 19 May 2020 12:39 PM PDT  U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday directing federal agencies to cut regulations, a move he said would help the economy recover from the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. Trump, who signed the order at a Cabinet meeting, said it instructed agencies to eliminate "unnecessary regulations that impede economic recovery." "I'm directing agencies to review the hundreds of regulations we've already suspended in response to the virus and make these suspensions permanent where possible," he said.
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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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| 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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| 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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| 70 cases of COVID-19 at French schools days after reopening Posted: 18 May 2020 12:14 PM PDT  The affected schools are being closed immediately.
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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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| Who might be Joe Biden's running mate? Posted: 19 May 2020 03:53 PM PDT  He is said to be seriously considering five to eight women for the job of vice president.
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| 4 Modern Places of Worship That Elevate Architecture Posted: 19 May 2020 12:17 PM PDT |
| 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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| After 32 Years, a Missing Son Is Reunited With His Parents in China Posted: 19 May 2020 08:13 AM PDT  A missing son who was abducted from his parents at a hotel in northwest China has been reunited with his family 32 years later.
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| Texas' coronavirus confinement enforcement was reportedly more strict in border cities than elsewhere Posted: 18 May 2020 07:22 AM PDT  While Texas GOP leaders, including Gov. Greg Abbott, openly railed against local officials for fining or even jailing (which is now forbidden) residents for breaching the state's stay-at-home order amid the coronavirus pandemic, The Dallas Morning News reports that their criticism seems to have been disproportionately directed at the state's largest counties, while the order was more strictly enforced in border cities.The Morning News analyzed data from eight counties and nine cities across the state, finding that the most populous areas mostly relied on voluntary compliance with the order, while local authorities in just three border counties issued at least 2,600 citations and made 200 arrests for violations such as not wearing a face mask, having too many people in the same car, or breaking curfew.The city of Laredo, situated on the border, issued almost six times as many citations as Texas' five most populous cities — Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, and Fort Worth — combined.But, the Morning News notes, it appears those incidents mostly flew under the radar. "The elephant in the room is it wasn't until a blonde-haired Caucasian woman got involved that the interests of our political leaders were piqued," Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said, referring to the criticism of the jailing of Shelley Luther, who opened her Dallas salon in defiance of the order.Two Laredo women, Ana Isabel Castro-Garcia and Brenda Stephanie Mata, were arrested before Luther for offering cosmetic services, but it was Luther's arrest that sparked a change.Republicans pushed back against the idea that their criticism, or lack thereof, was racially motivated; Lt. Government Dan Patrick said government overreach was "egregious" wherever it occurred, while Matt Mackowiak, a Republican consultant, said the geography-based backlash was natural, since Dallas gets "a lot more attention than Laredo." Read more at The Dallas Morning News.More stories from theweek.com Florida COVID-19 data chief says she was removed from post after refusing to censor data New York's Democratic primary is back on, with both Bernie Sanders and Andrew Yang on the ballot Trump's coronavirus National Guard order expires the day before many members would be eligible for key benefits
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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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| Trump threatens to permanently cut off WHO funding and membership unless WHO's chief makes 'major substantive improvements' Posted: 18 May 2020 09:01 PM PDT  President Donald Trump previously announced a halt in funding to the World Health Organization as the US investigated the agency's COVID-19 response.
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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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| Sheriff: Man gouges out neighbor's eyes over loud rooster Posted: 19 May 2020 09:27 AM PDT |
| Syria rebel, regime forces face off in Libya Posted: 19 May 2020 12:42 PM PDT  While a ceasefire in Syria has reduced combat between rebels and government forces, mercenaries from the two sides are still fighting in Libya on behalf of their Russian and Turkish backers. Turkey supports some Syrian rebels and Libya's UN-recognised Government of National Accord, while Russia supports Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and Libya's eastern-based strongman Khalifa Haftar.
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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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| 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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| ‘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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| Texas reports largest single-day increase in coronavirus cases Posted: 18 May 2020 06:56 AM PDT  More than 700 cases were reported Friday in the Amarillo region, where meatpacking plants have been targeted for increased testing.
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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 US Navy aircraft carrier sidelined by the coronavirus is expected to return to sea in the next few days Posted: 19 May 2020 06:11 AM PDT  The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt has been sidelined in Guam for nearly two months by a serious coronavirus outbreak.
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| Family of missing Wisconsin brothers settles lawsuit Posted: 18 May 2020 03:00 PM PDT  The family of two Wisconsin brothers who were killed in Missouri last year has reached a $2 million settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit filed against the man charged with killing them and his mother. The family of Nicholas and Justin Diemel of Shawano County, Wisconsin, filed the lawsuit in December against Garland Nelson of Braymer, his mother, Tomme Feil, and the family's cattle business, J4S Enterprises. A Callaway County judge approved the settlement Friday, The Kansas City Star reported.
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| Assad seizes assets of wealthy cousin after he issued rare public appeal for debt relief Posted: 19 May 2020 05:52 AM PDT  The Syrian regime has announced it will seize the assets of a wealthy businessman and cousin of President Bashar al-Assad, after he published a series of provocative video appeals where he begged for debt relief. A document signed by the Syrian finance ministry said it would take the assets of Rami Makhlouf, as well as those of his wife and children, as a "precautionary measure" to ensure his debts are paid. Mr Makhlouf was once one of Syria's wealthiest men, with a business empire spanning the telecoms, construction and property sectors, as well as a member of the regime's inner circle. But over the past few weeks, Mr Makhlouf appears to have angered Assad by publishing a series of videos where he asks directly for help in paying substantial debts and fines imposed by the regime as part of an ongoing regulatory dispute. The unprecedented, public display of discontent with Assad is believed to have angered the dictator and brought to the surface a bitter feud at the heart of Syria's ruling family. It has been speculated that the decision to impose the huge financial penalties on Mr Makhlouf may be linked with Syria's ongoing struggle to repay debts to Russia for military and economic support. In Mr Makhlouf's most recent video, he claimed that Syrian officials had told him to quit as the head of his telecoms operator, Syriatel. And in his first video, Mr Makhlouf had claimed that he was struggling to keep his businesses afloat as a result of the fines. "We are ready to pay, but don't have the cash ready to go, so we ask you, the state, to find a proper mechanism for us to pay without damaging the company," he said in the Facebook video, where he asked for help more than dozen times. At the time, Syria analysts said that the move was likely to lead to adverse consequences for the businessman. Mr Makhlouf's son, 22-year-old Mohammed Makhlouf, has boasted of his wealth in posts on social media, where he has posed with sports cars and speedboats. According to the regime, Syriatel owes 134 billion Syrian pounds, which due to severe inflation in the war-torn country is worth around $77m.
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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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| 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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| Scientists discover 'immune scars' on patients with lung infections Posted: 18 May 2020 10:29 AM PDT  Patients recovering from severe lung infections develop "immunological scars" that stifle their body's immune response and heighten their risk of contracting pneumonia, a common killer of COVID-19 sufferers, researchers said Monday. Studies in both humans and mice showed that the body's immune response is temporarily switched off after some severe infections, rendering patients more vulnerable to new bacterial or viral diseases. A team of researchers from the University of Melbourne's Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity and the University Hospital of Nantes found that the cells that form the immune system's first line of defence -- macrophages -- were "paralysed" after severe infection.
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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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| J.C. Penney to close 242 stores Posted: 18 May 2020 03:39 PM PDT  J.C. Penney is planning on closing 242 stores — more than a fourth of its locations.The beleaguered department store chain filed for bankruptcy last week. J.C. Penney has 846 stores, and will close 192 locations during this fiscal year and 50 over the next. In a document filed with the Securities and Exchanges Commission on Monday, the retailer said the 604 stores that will remain open "represent the highest sales-generating, most profitable, and most productive stores in the network."J.C. Penney has not shared which stores will close. In March, the company shuttered all of its locations because of the coronavirus pandemic, but has slowly started to reopen; a spokesperson told USA Today 115 stores will open their doors again on Wednesday.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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| Barr dispels 'Obamagate' claims to Trump's surprise Posted: 18 May 2020 04:37 PM PDT 
"'Obamagate.' It's been going on for a long time." President Donald Trump's repeated claims that his predecessor engaged in something illegal - without giving details on what that might be - were dismissed on Monday by his own attorney general, who said an ongoing review of the FBI's handling of the investigation into Russia's election interference was unlikely to lead to a criminal investigation of former President Barack Obama or former Vice President Joe Biden. "As to President Obama and Vice President Biden, whatever their level of involvement, based on the information I have today, I don't expect Mr. Durham's work will lead to a criminal investigation of either man. Our concern over potential criminality is focused on others," said U.S. Attorney General William Barr. At Barr's request, federal prosecutor John Durham is reviewing the origins of the 2016 election interference probe. Trump in recent weeks has attempted to rebrand that investigation as an alleged criminal plot to damage his presidency, and the allegations reached a fever pitch during a blitz of 120 tweets and retweets on May 10, Mother's Day. The next day, Trump was asked to clarify his allegations. REPORTER: "What is the crime, exactly, that you're accusing him of? TRUMP: "You know what the crime is. The crime is very obvious to everybody. All you have to do is read the newspapers, except yours." Trump has stepped up claims of what he calls "Obamagate" as he faces criticism for his administration's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, and prepares to face Biden in the November election. After Barr's announcement on Monday, Trump said he was surprised that Barr did not expect the Justice Department review to lead to a criminal probe into his political rivals. REPORTER: "What do you think of Mr. Barr's decision?" TRUMP: "Well, I think if it was me, they would do it. I think for them, maybe they're not going to. I don't know. I'm surprised because Obama knew everything that was happening... As far as Biden is concerned, that I can't tell you. Only he knows what he knows. I don't think he knows too much. But I think Obama and Biden knew about it. They were participants. But... So I'm a little surprised by that statement." Some of Barr's critics may have been surprised, too, as many of them have accused the U.S. attorney general of politicizing the justice system in favor of Trump allies. Earlier this month, he moved to dismiss the criminal charges against Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who had already pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. And in February, he intervened to recommend a lighter sentence for Trump's longtime friend Roger Stone.
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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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| Anonymous donors pay off $8 million of college loans Posted: 19 May 2020 05:59 PM PDT  The money will pay off college loans of up to 400 students who overcame personal hardship – from homelessness and extreme poverty – to become first-generation college students.
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| Exclusive: Delta will add flights to keep planes no more than 60% full as demand rises - sources Posted: 18 May 2020 07:43 PM PDT  The move is part of a longer-term bet that CEO Ed Bastian highlighted to investors last month: that consumers' perceptions of safety will be instrumental in reviving more routine travel, and that they will be willing to pay a premium for comfort. Specific details could still change, the people said on condition of anonymity, citing the uncertain timing of a recovery from the coronavirus crisis that has decimated air travel demand. Delta has publicly said that it will limit first class seating capacity at 50% and main cabin at 60% through June 30, and earlier announced that it was resuming some flights next month.
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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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| Syria seizes assets of Assad cousin and business magnate Rami Makhlouf Posted: 19 May 2020 01:34 PM PDT  Syria's government seizes assets of Assad cousin Rami Makhlouf
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