| White House says Trump has no apology for calling coronavirus 'kung flu' at Tulsa rally Posted: 22 Jun 2020 12:15 PM PDT  Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Monday that the president has no regrets about using a racial slur to refer to the deadly virus that originated in China.
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| An Atlanta police officer charged in Rayshard Brooks' death believes he 'didn't do anything wrong' Posted: 23 Jun 2020 09:32 AM PDT  Atlanta police officer Devin Brosnan was charged with aggravated assault following the fatal shooting of 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks.
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| Nadler Plans to Subpoena Barr After Saying He ‘Deserves Impeachment’ Posted: 23 Jun 2020 05:06 AM PDT  House Judiciary Committee chairman Jerry Nadler (D., N.Y.) confirmed Monday night that his committee was preparing to subpoena Attorney General Bill Barr for his testimony, despite saying earlier this month that such a move was unlikely."We have begun the process to issue that subpoena," Nadler told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow in an interview. On June 2, Nadler shot down the idea of subpoenaing Barr, saying, "I am not going to spend months litigating a subpoena with an Attorney General who has already spent years resisting the courts and legitimate congressional oversight."On Sunday, Nadler claimed that Barr "deserves impeachment" for his alleged politicization of the Justice Department, but said trying to do so would be "a waste of time" because "corrupt" Senate Republicans would not vote to convict."We know that we have a corrupt Republican majority in the Senate which will not consider an impeachment no matter what the evidence and no matter what the facts," Nadler said.Nadler's spokesman Daniel Schwarz first confirmed to Axios that the subpoena was in the works. Democrats have called to investigate Barr over the abrupt decision to oust Manhattan's top federal prosecutor, Geoffrey Berman, who has been in charge of several investigations connected to President Trump.House Judiciary ranking member Jim Jordan (R., Ohio) slammed the decision to subpoena Barr in a letter to Nadler, saying "however much you disagree with the Justice Department's policy decisions—or agree with the Obama-Biden Administration's targeting of the Trump campaign—those are not legitimate reasons to compel Attorney General Barr's testimony at this time."Barr was supposed to appear in front of the House Judiciary Committee on March 31, but the hearing was called off due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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| UN evaluates reports of record Arctic heat in Siberia Posted: 23 Jun 2020 03:22 AM PDT  The U.N. weather agency is investigating media reports suggesting a new record high temperature of over 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit) in the Arctic Circle amid a heatwave and prolonged wildfires in eastern Siberia. The World Meteorological Organization said Tuesday that it's looking to verify the temperature reading on Saturday in the Russian town of Verkhoyansk with Rosgidromet, the Russian federal service for hydro-meteorological and environmental monitoring. The reports suggest yet another possible sign of global warming in the Arctic, which the agency said is among the fastest warming regions in the world and is heating at twice the global average.
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| Germany's coronavirus infection rate has surged after 1,300 workers in a meat factory tested positive for COVID-19 Posted: 22 Jun 2020 05:05 AM PDT  Germany's R rate has surged to 2.88, meaning the number of coronavirus cases has risen quickly in the last four days.
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| Conservative Democrat could win primary in U.S.' bluest district Posted: 22 Jun 2020 09:47 PM PDT  Rubén Díaz Sr. could emerge victorious from a large, divided field.
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| Did Russia Just Send a Submarine Through the Bosphorus? Posted: 23 Jun 2020 10:59 AM PDT  Social media is buzzing that a Russian Kilo-class submarine might have just passed through the strait, violating a nearly 80-year-old-treaty.
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| Trump opposed to removing Theodore Roosevelt's statue from outside Museum of Natural History Posted: 21 Jun 2020 11:07 PM PDT  The move was announced by the museum on Sunday and comes amid anti-racism protests across the United States and the world after the death of an unarmed black man, George Floyd, in police custody on May 25 in the United States. Roosevelt, a Republican like Trump, was U.S. president from 1901-1909.
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| White House press told to leave grounds as tensions rise over attempted removal of Andrew Jackson statue Posted: 22 Jun 2020 10:54 PM PDT  CNN reported that their reporters, as well as other members of the White House press corps, were asked to leave the White House grounds.
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| North Korea ready to send millions of leaflets to South Posted: 22 Jun 2020 01:45 AM 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. The North says it will have nothing more to do with Seoul, and last week blew up a liaison office on its side of the border that symbolised inter-Korean rapprochement, while threatening to bolster its military presence in and near the Demilitarized Zone.
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| Arizona firefighters forced to handle multiple historic wildfires at once Posted: 22 Jun 2020 12:24 PM PDT  A dozen wildfires have torched nearly 400,000 burned acres in Arizona and have left parts of the state, particularly the southeastern portion, in ruins. Nearly half of that acreage has come from the Bush Fire blazing in the Tonto National Forest, just north of Phoenix. As of Monday morning, the still-young 2020 wildfire season has already burned more Arizona land than all but two years since 2002. Three current active wildfires in the state all rank in the top-10 for largest blazes in Arizona history, marking the first time since 2011 that multiple, historic-sized fires have burnt simultaneously. After igniting on June 13, the Bush Fire has grown rapidly in the past week, up to 186,848 acres as of Monday morning. The fire is now the fifth-largest in state history with 61% containment, according to officials. It's also the largest blaze currently burning in the United States.The inferno was ignited by a vehicle fire and led to evacuations in nearby areas such as Brownsville, Jake's Corner, Slate Creek, Pioneer Pass and Punkin Center before evacuation orders were lifted on Sunday morning."It has just been a monster of a season for us and extremely busy," Dave Ramirez, South Zone Fire Management Officer, said according to AZCentral.com. "It's been very busy for us, actually, in the past two years."According to local fire officials, all residents are prohibited from burning any sort of fire, including campfires and cooking stove fires, in the Tonto National Forest. The state's second-fastest growing fire, the Bighorn Fire, increased to 58,553 acres on Tuesday morning, The fire has been the most destructive of any blaze in the state, causing $18.2 million of damage, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.After reaching 40% containment on Friday, conditions worsened and the containment decreased to 16% by Monday, the least contained of any of the state's major current blazes. Firefighters worked to increase containment up to 33% by Tuesday morning. It has required the attention of 969 firefighting personnel, the most of any fire. Burning in Coronado National Forest, the frightening spread of the blaze has escalated the classification from a type-3 to a type-1 fire."With this type-1 team there is a lot of complexity, a lot of levels, a lot of layers but the communication is the most important part and it's been great, the level of communication on this team," said Adam Jarrold, Public Information Officer of the Bighorn Fire, according to KVOA.com.A type-1 fire is the highest and most serious level of firefighting attention, as the classification means the risk level to structures and properties are at their peak. Charring at more than 100 square miles, the Mangum Fire is Arizona's second-largest fire. Since igniting on June 8, the wildfire has burned over 71,000 acres in the northern portion of Arizona in Coconino County and wreaked havoc for visitors trying to get to the northern rim of the Grand Canyon.The blaze, which is also the second-largest current fire in the U.S., has destroyed four structures and forced closures of popular roadways like Highway 89A and State Route 67 to Grand Canyon National Park, which takes visitors to the north rim of the Grand Canyon.CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP Smoke billows out of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest. (Photo via Inciweb) The eastern-most wildfire and the only other blaze to have destroyed structures, the Bringham Fire has continued burning in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest north of Morenci since being ignited by lightning on June 6. It has scorched nearly 20,000 acres and is just 20% contained.On Monday morning, Incident Commander Carl Schwope said the remote location of the fire has provided logistical challenges for firefighters, according to Inciweb. Despite being nearly nine times smaller than the Bush Fire, the Bringham Fire has caused nearly as much damage, according to the NIFC.The Sawtooth Fire was previously burning in the Tonto National Forest, where it grew to 24,729 acres before firefighters reached 100% containment on June 7. The fire was burning in the scar of the Woodbury Fire, which was previously the fifth-largest fire in state history after burning 123,875 acres in 2019.The Blue River Fire has burned 30,400 acres as of Monday morning, but firefighters have managed to reach 85% containment of the blaze. According to the NIFC, despite being the state's fourth-largest fire, it has caused the least damage of any of the major blazes and is only requiring the attention of eight personnel.The Good Fire, the Dry Lake Fire and the Tadpole Fire have burnt about a combined 25,000 acres between the three blazes, but they are largely corralled and estimated to reach 100% containment in the coming weeks.Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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| Ex-Roger Stone Prosecutor: DOJ Under ‘Heavy Pressure’ to Spare Trump’s Friend Posted: 23 Jun 2020 12:45 PM PDT  One of the prosecutors who quit the Roger Stone case in disgust over interference from Attorney General Bill Barr will tell the House Judiciary Committee that the "highest levels of the Department" wanted to spare Stone, a friend of the president's, years of prison time. "What I heard—repeatedly—was that Roger Stone was being treated differently from any other defendant because of his relationship to the President," according to a statement from Aaron Zelinsky, one of ex-Special Counsel Robert Mueller's prosecutors. In February, Zelinsky and three colleagues resigned from the Stone prosecution after Timothy Shea, then the acting U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, recommended a substantially shorter prison term than the seven to nine years Zelinsky recommended. Stone was convicted of lying to Congress about his interactions with WikiLeaks during the 2016 election, witness tampering and obstructing a congressional inquiry. Shea was a former senior aide to Barr who now runs the Drug Enforcement Administration. Zelinsky's statement calls out Shea by name as "receiving heavy pressure from the highest levels of the Department of Justice to cut Stone a break, and that the U.S. Attorney's sentencing instructions to us were based on political considerations." He called the department's pursuit of a sentence shorter than its own sentencing guidelines "unheard of" for an "unrepentant" defendant like Stone, who threatened the judge presiding over his case. The judge, Amy Berman Jackson, sentenced Stone to 40 months in prison. "I was also told that the acting U.S. Attorney was giving Stone such unprecedentedly favorable treatment because he was 'afraid of the President,'" Zelinsky said of Shea.Trump Ally Roger Stone Gets 40 Months for Lying, Witness-TamperingZelinsky's testimony, delivered after the House Judiciary Committee subpoenaed him, will come at professional risk. He remains a federal prosecutor in Maryland. An attorney for Zelinsky, the former Office of Director of National Intelligence general counsel Robert Litt, declined to comment. According to Zelinsky, Shea and his team attempted at least three times in February to get the Stone prosecutors to agree to a reduced sentence. First they requested that Zelinsky's team not apply the full term the sentencing guidelines suggested. When Zelinsky—along with Adam Jed, Jonathan Kravis, and Michael Marando—refused, Shea's team told them "to say that whatever the Guidelines recommended, Stone should get less." They rejected that, as well. Finally, Shea provided "an instruction" to omit from their sentencing memorandum references to Stone's conduct at trial, such as a threat to Berman that Stone posted on Instagram. Zelinsky says in his statement that he threatened to resign on Feb. 10. Trump rapidly attacked his team's sentencing memorandum as a "miscarriage of justice."Zelinsky criticized the more lenient memorandum Shea's office produced as "unethical" in a colloquy with a Department colleague that he references in his prepared statement. "I take no satisfaction in publicly criticizing the actions of the Department of Justice, where I have spent most of my legal career. I have always been and remain proud to be an Assistant United States Attorney," Zelinsky closes his prepared remarks by saying. Zelinsky will be joined by DOJ antitrust colleague John W. Elias, who will testify about antitrust investigations under Barr that concerned him enough to bring them to the department inspector general's attention. Wednesday's hearing is slated to feature no Justice Department witnesses on Barr or Shea's behalf, though former Attorney General Michael Mukasey is also scheduled to testify. The committee's Democratic majority is in open conflict with Barr over everything from the similar leniency shown to ex-National Security Adviser Mike Flynn to Barr's specially deputized federal police during the D.C. Black Lives Matter protests to Barr's deceitful attempt at firing the acting U.S. attorney in New York. Last month, they requested a Justice Department inspector general inquiry into Barr's "politicization" of numerous department actions. But the House Democratic leadership, having lost its fight to impeach Trump, is reluctant to attempt removing Barr from office—meaning that Wednesday's hearing with Zelinsky may be a high-water mark for pressure on the attorney general. 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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| The Best Drones for Any Budget and Pilot Posted: 23 Jun 2020 11:22 AM PDT |
| John Bolton denies reports he would vote for Joe Biden after saying he cannot support Trump Posted: 22 Jun 2020 02:22 AM PDT  Former national security adviser John Bolton has denied reports that he would vote for Joe Biden in the US election in November.This came in response to an article in the Daily Telegraph on Sunday which alleged that Mr Bolton intended to vote for the Democratic presidential nominee.
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| Putin raises tax for wealthy Russians ahead of vote on his rule Posted: 23 Jun 2020 07:35 AM PDT  President Vladimir Putin raised income tax for wealthy Russians and offered new state handouts to families with children on Tuesday, days before the country votes on reforms that could keep him in power until 2036. In a televised speech to the nation, Putin, 67, said Russia's response to the coronavirus crisis had saved tens of thousands of lives and he ordered the extension of several support measures to cushion the economic fallout. Deviating from a flat 13% tax he himself introduced almost two decades ago, Putin said the wealthy would now pay 15% on annual income over 5 million roubles ($72,833) and that the additional cash would go towards helping sick children.
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| Safoora Zargar: Bail for pregnant India student blamed for Delhi riots Posted: 23 Jun 2020 03:10 AM PDT  Safoora Zargar was among a number of Muslim students and activists jailed during the Covid-19 lockdown.
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| The White House has halted mandatory COVID-19 temperature checks and symptom screening for most visitors and staff Posted: 23 Jun 2020 02:54 AM PDT  Checks will remain for those in "close proximity" to President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.
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| Protesters join class-action lawsuit against the Los Angeles Police Department alleging they were shot in the head or torso by projectiles Posted: 22 Jun 2020 11:07 PM PDT  A class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles accuses police of using excessive force against protesters.
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| Japanese island marks 75 years since Battle of Okinawa Posted: 23 Jun 2020 12:19 AM PDT  Residents on Okinawa prayed for peace and remembered lost loved ones Tuesday on the 75th anniversary of the end of one of WWII's deadliest conflicts, the Battle of Okinawa. At the ceremony held on the southern Japanese island to honor the more than 200,000 who died in the fighting near the war's end, Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki said accounts of the tragedy must be remembered accurately and handed down to younger generations. Fear and economic devastation from the coronavirus pandemic have further divided societies, Tamaki said.
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| Powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake rocks Mexico; at least five dead Posted: 23 Jun 2020 02:25 PM PDT  A hospital dedicated to caring for COVID-19 patients suffered enough damage that it will likely have to be evacuated, Oaxaca's governor said.
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| Can people spread the coronavirus if they don't have symptoms? 5 questions answered about asymptomatic COVID-19 Posted: 23 Jun 2020 05:22 AM PDT  Screening for symptoms of COVID-19 and self-quarantine are good at preventing sick people from spreading the coronavirus. But more and more evidence is suggesting that people without symptoms are spreading the virus too. Monica Gandhi, an infectious diseases physician and researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, explains what is known about asymptomatic spread and why she thinks it may be a big part of what is driving the pandemic. What does it mean to be asymptomatic?SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that causes COVID-19 – can produce a range of clinical manifestations. Some people who are infected never develop any symptoms at all. These patients are considered true asymptomatic cases.When people do get sick from the coronavirus, it takes on average five days and as many as two weeks to develop symptoms that can range from very mild to extremely dangerous. The time between initial infection and the first symptoms is called the pre-symptomatic phase.As an infectious disease physician, when I hear about asymptomatic spread of SARS-CoV-2, I think of a person who doesn't have symptoms at the moment they give the virus to someone else. It doesn't matter whether they are a true asymptomatic case or just pre-symptomatic; the public health risk is the same. How many people are asymptomatic?Estimates of the proportion of true asymptomatic cases – those who are infected and never develop symptoms – range from 18% to over 80%. The reasons for the huge range in estimates are still unclear, but some studies are better than others.The most accurate way to determine the rate of asymptomatic cases is to test people regardless of whether or not they have symptoms – an approach called universal mass testing – and track them over time to see if they develop symptoms later. A recent mass testing campaign in San Francisco found that 53% of infected patients were asymptomatic when first tested and 42% stayed asymptomatic over the next two weeks. Another recent paper compared the evidence from 16 studies and estimated the overall rate of asymptomatic infection to be 40%-45%. This is in line with the San Francisco finding, but the studies sampled were of various quality and size and likely include some pre-symptomatic cases.Though none of these studies is perfect, a lot of evidence supports a true asymptomatic rate of around 40%, plus some addition fraction of patients who are pre-symptomatic. How can asymptomatic people spread the coronavirus?Compared to most other viral infections, SARS-CoV-2 produces an unusually high level of viral particles in the upper respiratory tract – specifically the nose and mouth. When those viral particles escape into the environment, that is called viral shedding. Researchers have found that pre-symptomatic people shed the virus at an extremely high rate, similar to the seasonal flu. But people with the flu don't normally shed virus until they have symptoms. The location of the shedding is also important. SARS-CoV – the virus that caused the SARS epidemic in 2003 – does not shed very much from the nose and mouth. It replicates deep in the lungs. Since SARS-CoV-2 is present in high numbers in a person's nose and mouth, it is that much easier for the virus to escape into the environment. When people cough or talk, they spray droplets of saliva and mucus into the air. Since SARS-CoV-2 sheds so heavily in the nose and mouth, these droplets are likely how people without symptoms are spreading the virus. How much asymptomatic spread is happening?Public health experts don't know exactly how much spread is caused by asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic patients. But there are some telling hints that it is a major driver of this pandemic. An early modeling estimate suggested that 80% of infections could be attributed to spread from undocumented cases. Presumably the undocumented patients were asymptomatic or had only extremely mild symptoms. Though interesting, the researchers made a lot of assumptions in that model so it is hard to judge the accuracy of that prediction.A study looking at outbreaks in Ningbo, China, found that people without symptoms spread the virus as easily as those with symptoms. If half of all infected people are without symptoms at any point in time, and those people can transmit SARS-CoV-2 as easily as symptomatic patients, it is safe to assume a huge percentage of spread comes from people without symptoms. Even without knowing the exact numbers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believes that transmission from people without symptoms is a major contributor to the rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 around the world. What can we do to limit asymptomatic spread?Any time a virus can be spread by people without symptoms, you have to turn to preventative measures.Social distancing measures and lockdowns work, but have large economic and social repercussions. These were necessary when epidemiologists didn't know how the virus was spreading, but now we know it sheds at high quantities from the upper respiratory tract. This means that universal mask wearing is best tool to limit transmission, and there is evidence to back that idea up. On April 3, the CDC recommended that all members of the public wear facial coverings when outside of the house and around others. The World Health Organization finally followed suit and recommended universal public masking on June 5. At this point, no one knows exactly how many cases of COVID-19 are from asymptomatic spread. But I and many other infectious diseases researchers are convinced that it is playing a major role in this pandemic. Wearing a mask and practicing social distancing can prevent asymptomatic spread and help reduce the harm from this dangerous virus until we get a vaccine. [You need to understand the coronavirus pandemic, and we can help. Read The Conversation's newsletter.]This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.Read more: * Masks help stop the spread of coronavirus – the science is simple and I'm one of 100 experts urging governors to require public mask-wearing * 5 ways the world is better off dealing with a pandemic now than in 1918Monica Gandhi receives funding from the National Institutes of Health for HIV-related research.
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| US police reform on the brink as key Democrats deal a blow to Senate Republican proposal Posted: 23 Jun 2020 08:07 AM PDT  Democratic Senate bellwethers on policing reform have thrown down the gauntlet, announcing they will oppose the Republican majority's proposed legislation scheduled for a procedural vote on Wednesday."This bill is not salvageable and we need bipartisan talks to get to a constructive starting point," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senators Cory Booker and Kamala Harris wrote to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in a letter on Tuesday.
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| Cleveland business owner receiving threats for cooperating with police after store was looted Posted: 22 Jun 2020 03:40 AM PDT  Colossal Cupcakes owner Kelly Kandah, who hid with her staff as her store was ransacked by looters in May, says she's now receiving threats for cooperating with the police investigation.
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| Suspect in Atlanta Wendy's fire arrested Posted: 23 Jun 2020 02:08 PM PDT  Natalie White is being charged with first-degree arson.
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| Anti-racism protests turn spotlight on icons of US history Posted: 23 Jun 2020 08:47 AM PDT  As the wave of anti-racism protests rocking the United States brings down monuments to figures linked to the country's history of slavery, the spotlight is shifting to other prominent people long considered untouchable. Although protesters initially focused on removing statues of Confederate generals, the movement has begun to turn its focus to icons of US history, including the nation's founders Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, and President Theodore Roosevelt. On Monday night, it was the turn of Andrew Jackson, the populist slaveholding soldier-president admired by US President Donald Trump.
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| Protesters fail to bring down Andrew Jackson statue near White House Posted: 22 Jun 2020 07:09 PM PDT  Protesters tried tearing down a statue of Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States, in a park near the White House on Monday, scrawling "killer scum" on its pedestal and pulling on the monument with ropes before police intervened. The confrontation unfolded in Lafayette Square, where crowds peacefully protesting the death of George Floyd under the knee of a police officer were forcibly displaced three weeks ago to make way for staged photos of President Trump holding up a bible in front of a nearby church. The thwarted effort to topple the famed bronze likeness of Jackson astride a rearing horse was the latest bid, in protests fuelled by Floyd's death, to destroy monuments of historical figures considered racist or divisive.
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| One Expert Fought a New Korean War in a Simulator. You Should Be Scared. Posted: 23 Jun 2020 03:00 PM PDT  A terrible scenario.
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| 'Like gasoline and fire': Former friend speaks out about Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell Posted: 22 Jun 2020 02:03 PM PDT  "I saw him as the hand and her as the puppet on that hand," Melanie Gibb said. "They were both like gasoline and fire. Not a good match."
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| Coronavirus: Newborn Mexican triplets test positive in 'unprecedented' case Posted: 23 Jun 2020 01:26 AM PDT  Experts are investigating whether coronavirus could have been passed through the mother's placenta.
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| Mitch McConnell wins GOP nomination in bid for 7th term Posted: 23 Jun 2020 04:01 PM PDT  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell cruised to the Republican nomination Tuesday night in pursuit of a seventh term, but his general election challenger might not be known for days as Kentucky awaits the outcome of a surprisingly competitive Democratic primary. McConnell, the nation's top-ranking congressional Republican, dispatched a group of little-known GOP challengers in the unprecedented primary. The outcome could be in limbo for up to a week as state election officials await complete results from Kentucky's 120 counties.
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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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| Fact check: Police killed more unarmed Black men in 2019 than conservative activist claimed Posted: 23 Jun 2020 05:17 PM PDT  A prominent conservative activist said in a Facebook video that police only killed eight unarmed Black men in the U.S. in 2019. That claim is false.
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| Trump is about to hold a 3,000-person rally in a city where experts say people are already acting like the coronavirus doesn't exist Posted: 23 Jun 2020 03:08 PM PDT  The infection rate, lack of masks, and arrival of thousands of attendees have Arizona doctors concerned the rally could be a superspreader event.
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| Saudi leadership pressures former intelligence official’s family, seeks access to documents Posted: 23 Jun 2020 02:40 AM PDT  As Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman moved to tighten his grip on power over the past few years, detaining senior royals and opponents, one person has eluded him: a former top-ranking intelligence official who was close to a key rival to the throne. In recent months, the crown prince -- known by the initials MbS -- has increased pressure on relatives of Saad al-Jabri, including detaining his adult children, to try to force his return to the kingdom from exile in Canada, the former intelligence official's family say. In the crown prince's sights are documents Jabri has access to that contain sensitive information, according to four people with knowledge of the situation.
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| India tells Pakistan to cut embassy staff by half, says will do same Posted: 23 Jun 2020 09:34 AM PDT  India told Pakistan on Tuesday to slash its embassy staff in New Delhi by half -- saying it would do the same in Islamabad -- as a diplomatic spat continued between the nuclear-armed rivals. The fractious relationship between the neighbours has worsened since New Delhi expelled two Pakistan embassy officials over spying claims in late May. After that, New Delhi accused Islamabad of torturing two Indian diplomats arrested following an alleged hit-and-run in the Pakistani capital.
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| Secret Service responds to reports that reporters were ordered to leave White House while protests took place nearby, says '4 members of the media were misdirected by the Secret Service' to leave. Posted: 22 Jun 2020 10:44 PM PDT  Journalists were asked to vacate the White House while protests were taking place in nearby Lafayette Park, according to CNN.
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| Air Force's Reforge Plan Could Put Some Older F-22s in 'Red Air' Role Posted: 23 Jun 2020 08:03 AM PDT  For years, the Air Force has wanted to make simulated adversary air battles with its own fifth-generation aircraft routine.
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| Coronavirus: South Korea confirms second wave of infections Posted: 22 Jun 2020 02:19 AM PDT  The country was praised for its handling of the virus, but now cases are back on the rise.
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| Black Lives Matter forces LGBTQ organization to face its history of racial exclusion Posted: 22 Jun 2020 06:06 PM PDT  "A big part of the conversations that I had to have often was that even though things were well-intended, that didn't make it any less wrong or impactful," one Black activist said.
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| In Arizona, Trump has a redo of his Oklahoma rally Posted: 23 Jun 2020 04:52 PM PDT  The president renewed his performance for a packed crowd of students, most of whom didn't wear protective masks.
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| Pelosi Accuses Senate Republicans of Trying to ‘Get Away With Murder’ of George Floyd Posted: 23 Jun 2020 03:59 PM PDT  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) accused Senate Republicans of trying to "get away with the murder" of George Floyd in comments on police reform legislation, in a Tuesday interview on CBS.The House and Senate have advanced competing police reform bills since the death of George Floyd, an African American man killed during arrest by Minneapolis police officers, sparked massive demonstrations across the U.S. Republicans have threatened to drop police from their agenda if Senate Democrats filibuster GOP legislation on Wednesday."For something to happen, [Republicans are] going to have to face the reality of police brutality, the reality of the need for justice in policing, and the recognition that there are many, many good people in law enforcement, but not all, and that we have to address those concerns," Pelosi said. "So far they [Republicans] were trying to get away with murder, actually, the murder of George Floyd."The Republican legislation was drafted by Senator Tim Scott (R., S.C.), one of only three African-Americans in the Senate. Scott's bill aims to collect data on police misconduct through a national system, while creating incentives for state and local police departments to implement reforms. Democrats' legislation would lower the legal standard for conviction of officers accused of misconduct, and would ban police use of chokeholds nationwide.
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| White House hits back at Bolton's book interview, says Tulsa rally attendance did not anger Trump Posted: 22 Jun 2020 05:56 AM PDT  White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany joins 'Fox & Friends.'
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