PoliticsYahoo NewsAs his voting rights proposal stalls, will Joe Manchin's dreams of bipartisanship ever come true?
Sen. Joe Manchin's latest attempt at bipartisanship — a compromise on voting rights legislation — has again received a cold shoulder from the Republicans he's attempting to win over. This week, the West Virginia Democrat circulated a three-page memo outlining his proposal for a bill that would eliminate partisan gerrymandering and increase early voting but would also require voter ID, a favorite provision of the GOP. Manchin wrote last month that he felt that “partisan voting legislation will destroy the already weakening binds of our democracy.” Manchin has repeatedly touted the importance of bipartisanship, whether it's tied to COVID-19 relief, infrastructure, voting rights or a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
WorldThe TelegraphRumours swirl that China’s top spycatcher has defected to the US
Rumours abounded on Friday night that China's top spycatcher had defected to the US, amid a growing focus in Washington on the theory that Covid-19 escaped from a Wuhan laboratory. Dong Jingwei, vice minister of state security, was reported to have flown from Hong Kong to the US in February with his daughter. There was no confirmation of the rumoured development from either the US or China.
WorldThe WeekWhy Pope Francis probably isn't worried about U.S. bishops' vote on Communion guidance
Despite opposition from the Vatican, which has cautioned Catholic leaders against politicizing the Church, The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on Friday voted 168-55 to advance draft guidance that could call into question whether Catholic politicians who support abortion rights, including President Biden, are eligible to receive Communion. Pope Francis has remained silent about the vote so far, which Vatican officials told The New York Times is a sign he's not concerned the final version of the guidance will actually pass. Per the Times, Church law says that would require either unanimous support, or two-thirds support and Vatican approval.
WorldThe Telegraph'Nobody is scared of us anymore': Why Marine Le Pen is on the cusp of first major victory
Until now, mainstream parties have kept the far-Right out through a “republican front”, namely tactical voting which often sees the Left pull out to help the mainstream Right win. That strategy may fail for the first time thanks to Mr Mariani, who jumped ship to be elected to the European parliament with Ms Le Pen's group in 2019. Nobody sincerely believes the French republic would be in danger if the National Rally and people like me clinched this region,” he claimed.
WorldBBCTokyo Olympics: Ugandan tests positive for Covid in Japan
A member of Uganda's Olympic squad has become the first to test positive for Covid-19 on arrival in Japan for the competition due to start on 23 July. The event was postponed last year, but is now going ahead despite a fresh wave of Covid-19 cases in Japan. Uganda is also experiencing a surge in cases, which forced the government to tighten lockdown measures on Friday.
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Biden's lack of action on executions adds to death penalty disarray
Activists widely expected Joe Biden to take swift action against the death penalty as the first sitting president to oppose capital punishment, especially since an unprecedented spate of executions by his predecessor ended just days before Biden took office. That has not happened.
U.S.USA TODAYIs defunding the police 'Obamacare 2.0'? Democrats face challenge with voters heading into 2022
The early sparring between Rubio and Demings could be a preview of how Democrats and Republicans plan to push their message to voters about America's thorny police debate in the 2022 election cycle. As murder rates rise in major cities and videos of Black Americans having violent encounters with law enforcement draw condemnation, Democrats search for a better way to package to voters the demands of left-leaning activists while fending off GOP attacks. The party's slim majorities in both chambers of Congress are on the line.
U.S.Charlotte ObserverOne dead, one wounded in shootings at east Charlotte apartment community, CMPD says
One person is dead and another hospitalized after shooting broke out early Sunday in an east Charlotte apartment community, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police. “Medic transported both victims to a local hospital, one with life-threatening injuries,” CMPD said in a news release. Investigators did not release details about a suspect in the case or cause for the shootings.
HealthThe TelegraphExclusive: ‘Risk-averse’ NHS 111 algorithm piling pressure on ambulances
NHS 111 is piling the pressure on ambulances because medically untrained call handlers and "risk-averse" algorithms are sending paramedics to patients suffering with minor ailments such as period pain. Patients struggling to get through to GPs are instead ringing 111, which uses an algorithm – a series of questions – to identify what is wrong with a patient and where to direct them. Emergency doctors have warned that callouts for ambulances are up "20 to 30 per cent" up on normal, at a time when the NHS is trying to clear the backlog of care caused by the Covid pandemic.
WorldBBCAustralia takes wine dispute with China to WTO
Australia will file a formal complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) after China imposed up to 218% tariffs on its wine last year. China says the tariffs were increased because of trading malpractice, which Australia denies. Australia says it remains open to engaging directly with China to resolve the issue.
PoliticsThe WeekMcCarthy spox clarifies Trump-speaker comments
A spokesperson for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said while it wasn't "crystal clear," the congressman meant to say during a Fox News interview on Friday that former President Donald Trump wants him to be House speaker if Republicans take the lower chamber back in 2022. In the clip, it appears McCarthy says Trump himself wants to be speaker, but McCarthy's camp is clarifying what would have been a surprising admission for someone who has his own eyes on the gavel. CNN's Chris Cillizza predicted McCarthy would backtrack, and argues it's "virtually impossible" to take him at his word because of what he described as "rampant dishonesty in the GOP over the last five years."
U.S.USA TODAYA gay couple faced harassment for 5 years. Handwriting analysis led to a suspect: A neighbor.
For five years, we were living here and wondering which of our neighbors, who were all being kind and neighborly to us, is actually harassing us,” McLean said. Then the perpetrator made a mistake. The suspect, who has not been publicly identified, signed the couple up for a Boston Globe subscription, but McLean and Furze already had a subscription.
U.S.LA TimesHere are some things to know about the extreme drought in the Western U.S.
The prolonged dryness means low water levels are endangering fish species in Oregon and Colorado, 30% of California's population is in a drought emergency, and the nation's two biggest reservoirs on the Colorado River — Lake Powell and Lake Mead — are two-thirds empty. "What we see in our major reservoirs on the Colorado River really give us a good indication of water and drought in the West, and whether we're in a good or a tough spot," said John Berggren, a water policy analyst at Western Resource Advocates, a nonprofit organization. And right now, we're definitely in the latter category.
PoliticsBBCMike Pence: Hecklers brand ex-VP 'traitor' at conservative conference
Former US Vice-President Mike Pence has been heckled during a speech at a conference for religious conservatives. The taunts were an apparent reaction to Mr Pence's role in validating Joe Biden's presidential election win. During his address, Mr Pence criticised the policies of Democratic US President Joe Biden and defended those of his Republican predecessor, Donald Trump.
BusinessBusiness InsiderDeutsche Bank's UK boss says she wants investment banking graduates in the office 5 days a week, even as the company moves to flexible working
Tiina Lee, Deutsche Bank's UK CEO, told Insider she wants graduates in the office five days a week. Lee said graduates learn more from speaking to their team in the office, rather than over video calls. Tiina Lee, CEO of Deutsche Bank UK and Ireland, wants investment banking graduates to be in the office five days a week, even as the company adopts a hybrid-working model.
- U.S.Miami Herald
Lawmakers defunded affordable housing. Florida voters might force them to take crisis seriously | Editorial
For years, we asked what it would take for lawmakers in Tallahassee to take the affordable-housing shortage South Florida — and most of the state — are facing seriously. After raiding Florida's affordable-housing trust fund — known as the Sadowski Trust Fund — for more than a decade to pay for unrelated things, the Legislature passed a bill to enshrine that practice into law. Under Senate Bill 2512, money previously slated for affordable housing will now be divided three ways: for sea-level rise mitigation and wastewater projects, in addition to affordable-housing programs. Lawmakers said the state had a limited amount of money for those priorities, even though Florida got billions from the federal government, and tax revenue this year surpassed expectations by $2 billion, making that change not only wrong, but unnecessary.
WorldBBCApple Daily: Hong Kong police raid sparks rush on newspapers
People in Hong Kong have queued up to buy copies of the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily a day after its newsroom was raided by police. The raid on the newspaper came as two of its executives were charged under Hong Kong's controversial new national security law. Editor-in-chief Ryan Law and chief executive officer Cheung Kim-hung were the two charged.
PoliticsLA TimesMcManus : Why Republicans are suddenly reluctant to condemn political violence
The Republican Party has a problem with political violence: It's not sure whether it's for it or against it. In the first days after a mob loyal to former President Trump stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 to try to block Congress from certifying President Biden's election, GOP leaders delivered a sensible, unified response: There's no place in our constitutional system for that kind of violence. Since January, though, some leading Republicans have been backsliding — offering excuses for the insurgents who sought to overturn the election through extralegal means.
U.S.Business InsiderA $1 million lottery incentive in North Carolina has increased COVID-19 vaccinations by only 1%
Ohio vaccination rates went up by just 1% after the announcement of a $1 million lottery incentive. "We're hoping over the next few days and few weeks that we will see some significant improvement in our numbers," Gov. Roy Cooper said on Friday. Other states that announced lottery incentives have seen a significant boost in vaccination rates.
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How climate change will affect what we eat
Unless climate change can be greatly minimized, rising temperatures will disrupt food production around the world that will potentially change the way we eat, a new study finds.
U.S.Idaho Statesman‘Pack of lies’ about Marcus Whitman holds lessons about the rejection of truth today
When I served on the Statesman editorial board and joined my colleagues interviewing candidates seeking an endorsement from the paper, I was often amused when candidates kicked off their comments by telling us how long ago their families arrived in Idaho. It was as though great-great-Grandpa and -Grandma's decision to head west to Idaho made the candidate of today more qualified for office than one whose family only arrived in the state a generation ago. For one thing, most of us know little about the details of our ancestors' role in the growth and progress of America, and those histories may not all measure up to the patriotic and generous tales families weave about those who came before t...
PoliticsUSA TODAYTrump DOJ takes extreme measures to another level
In the spring of 2006, top Justice Department officials considered an extraordinary next step in a bribery investigation of a sitting House member. Then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales had huddled at least twice with senior FBI officials, Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty and Steven Bradbury, who led Justice's Office of Legal Counsel, before signing off on a raid of then-Louisiana Rep. William Jefferson's congressional office – an unprecedented action that would shake the political establishment to its core. Inherent in the criminal investigation were the raw political implications of a Republican administration taking on a Democratic lawmaker.
WorldBBCShipping disruption: 'We're doing our best - but this is crippling'
Like many importers, Peppermill is feeling the effects of serious bottlenecks in the global container shipping industry, which have led to delays and pushed up prices. The company, based near Cannock, in Staffordshire, has been operating for 25 years, and currently employs 40 people. Although it does use suppliers in the UK, roughly half of its stock is imported from East Asia, mainly from China.
U.S.Miami HeraldThree arrested in property fraud case after an elderly owner discovers lot sold for $230,000
On Friday, as authorities held a press conference to highlight the growing problem of fraud against the elderly, prosecutors revealed they had charged three people suspected of swiping the property. Otis Lathen Powell, Shantel Vennissa Chang and Jason Webley Sr. were charged with a host of felonies, including money laundering, grand theft, organized scheme to defraud and theft from a person 65 years or older.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderBiden family announces the death of beloved German Shepherd, Champ
Champ, President Joe Biden's 13-year-old German Shepherd, has died. "He was our constant, cherished companion during the last 13 years," the Bidens said on Twitter. The Bidens also have a 3-year-old rescue dog named Major.
“It may seem desperate at this point, but I can’t be mad at any and all efforts to get people vaccinated.”
“I won’t get rich, but I will get to live my life. That seems like reward enough.”
“Offering incentives may encourage people who are not actively opposed to vaccination but may have put it off.”
“At some point, the government is simply rewarding irresponsible behavior.”
“Sure, people should do it without needing an incentive. But what’s the alternative? Not enough people get vaccinated.”