Category Archives: US News

Women are dying in Indian Country. We must act | Debra Anne Haaland

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The epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous women has long been overlooked. That’s why I’m fighting for them in Congress

What would you do if your sister, your daughter or your mother went missing without explanation? There would be search parties. Law enforcement would issue amber alerts. Investigations would begin. Suspects would be brought in for questioning.

In Indian country, that’s not the case. In Indian country, it is often days before law enforcement shows up for a missing person call or homicide. In the case of Ashlyn Mike, a seven-year-old-girl in New Mexico, an amber alert wasn’t issued for more than 10 hours, when typically for cases of missing children those alerts are posted almost immediately. Ashlyn Mike lost her life at the age of seven.

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Barr reportedly to skip House testimony after Senate grilling – live

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Trump’s attorney general testified before the Senate Wednesday after Mueller criticized his summary of the Trump-Russia investigation report

Here’s the full statement from House judiciary chair Jerry Nadler:

House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler says if Attorney General William Barr doesn't provide the unredacted Mueller report to Congress in the next day or two, "the next step is seeking a contempt citation against the attorney general." https://t.co/muIkjgd0aT pic.twitter.com/s0q6kBctHw

Here’s attorney general William Barr’s full statement for why he won’t be testifying tomorrow before the House judiciary committee:

Barr’s statement makes clear that the sole basis for his refusal to testify before House Judiciary is that they intended to have a staff attorney ask questions.

Apparently Barr doesn’t want to face 30 minutes of well-crafted questions. pic.twitter.com/4pWMoFzKHp

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Republican lawmaker and ally tell rally to arm themselves for civil war – audio

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Recordings obtained by the Guardian show Republican state representative Matt Shea and several associates telling an audience to arm themselves for a looming civil war. The audio was taken in a remote north-eastern religious compound in Washington state last year. In the recordings they can be heard saying 'How many of you have pulled the trigger on your AR-15 in the fight we are in yet?' and 'The war is here – the bad guy is here'

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Mueller criticized attorney general’s memo on Russia findings

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In letter to Barr, special counsel said attorney general ‘did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance’ of investigation

The special counsel Robert Mueller wrote a letter to US attorney general William Barr expressing frustration with how the attorney general characterized the conclusions of Mueller’s investigation into potential ties between Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and Russia, according to multiple reports.

The Washington Post, the New York Times and NBC reported on Tuesday that Mueller penned the letter in late March, after Barr wrote a four-page summary of the special counsel’s work that largely cleared Trump on potential obstruction of justice.

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Mohamed Noor trial: US police officer found guilty of third-degree murder of Justine Damond

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Jury in trial of Minneapolis police officer took less than one day to reach their verdict over the shooting death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond

The former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor has been found guilty of third-degree murder for the shooting death of the Australian life coach Justine Ruszczyk Damond, who approached his squad car minutes after calling 911 to report a possible rape behind her home.

Mohamed Noor was convicted of third-degree murder as well as manslaughter for the July 2017 death Damond, a 40-year-old dual citizen of the US and Australia. He wasn’t convicted of the most serious charge of intentional second-degree murder.

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North Carolina shooting: at least two killed at university

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  • Several people also wounded at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, which has nearly 30,000 students
  • Suspect has been taken into custody

A suspect opened fire at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte on Tuesday, killing two people and wounding several others before being taken into custody.

Police said one suspect, who some local media reported was a student at the school, was taken into custody following the rampage on the last day of classes for the academic year. Final exams were scheduled for next week.

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The Correspondent apologizes for US office ‘screw up’ after fundraising $2.6m

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Netherlands-based crowdfunded news site posts public apology for misleading more than 45,000 donors about New York office

A Netherlands-based crowdfunded news site which raised $2.6m ahead of “launching in the US” has apologized and said it “screwed up”, after announcing its headquarters will actually be in Amsterdam.

In December 2018, the Correspondent, a planned English-language version of the Dutch De Correspondent, raised $2.6m from more than 45,000 donors in a widely publicized fundraising campaign. In March, however, it said it would not after all open a newsroom in New York.

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Google share price plunges, wiping $70bn off its market value

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Biggest fall since October 2012 follows worse-than-expected quarterly results

Google’s share price has had its biggest fall in nearly seven years, wiping $70bn (£54bn) off its market value, after disappointing sales figures sparked investor fears that advertisers have been shifting their business to digital rivals such as Facebook and Amazon.

Shares in Alphabet, the parent company of Google and YouTube, fell at one point by more than 8% on Tuesday, the biggest fall since October 2012, after the company produced first quarter results on Monday that were worse than expected.

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Trump UN human rights snub will buoy repressive regimes, top Democrat warns

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  • Bob Menendez condemns administration in letter to Pompeo
  • State department has not responded to UN’s official complaints

The Trump administration’s refusal to engage with UN human rights monitors risks undermining standards around the world and will embolden repressive regimes such as China and Russia, the top Democrat on the Senate foreign relations committee has charged.

Related: Trump withdraws from UN arms treaty as NRA crowd cheers in delight

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Facebook could have 4.9bn dead users by 2100, study finds

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Deceased may outnumber the living if current growth rates continue, raising questions about what happens to our data

Facebook may eventually have more dead users than living ones.

If Facebook continues to grow at its current rate, the site could have 4.9 billion deceased members by 2100, according to a study by Oxford researchers. Even if growth had stopped entirely last year, the study finds, Facebook would be looking at about 1.4 billion dead members by 2100. By 2070, in that scenario, the dead would already outnumber the living.

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Tech firm apologizes after job ad seeks ‘preferably Caucasian’ candidates

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Virginia recruitment company removes discriminatory listing following a backlash on Twitter

The tech industry has long grappled with problems tied to diversity and inclusion, but a job listing this month seeking “preferably Caucasian” applicants has proved a particularly egregious example.

A job listing from Cynet Systems, a tech recruiting firm based in Virginia, sought an account manager who is “preferably Caucasian who has good technical background”. After a number of Twitter users called attention to the listing, it was removed on Sunday.

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Lies, damned lies and Donald Trump: the pick of the president’s untruths

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The White House incumbent has told a staggering 10,000 lies since taking office, some big, some trifling. Here’s a selection

Donald Trump likes to boast about his achievements, imagined and otherwise, that is no secret. The president regularly trumpets the success of the greatest economy ever, and the strongest military, and the most decisive electoral victory and all manner of other superlatives he’s supposed to have delivered. But one that is undeniable is that he has just become one of the most prolific liars in the history of American governance, passing the 10,000th lie of his administration this week – meaning an average of almost 17 lies a day over 604 days.

Related: Trump has made 10,000 untrue claims as president, factcheckers say

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Huawei tech would put UK-US intelligence ties at risk, official says

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Chinese firm’s technology is security risk, says Strayer after council gives partial go-ahead

A US official has warned that the UK’s leaked proposal to adopt Huawei technology for 5G mobile phone networks risks affecting intelligence cooperation with the United States, prompting further criticism from Conservatives opposed to the plan.

Robert Strayer, a deputy assistant secretary at the US state department, said on Monday that Huawei “was not a trusted vendor” and any use of its technology in 5G networks was a risk, contradicting the British stance.

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Guantánamo prison commander fired for ‘loss of confidence’ in leadership

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Navy rear admiral John Ring was relieved of his duties on Saturday. About 40 prisoners are being held at the facility

The commander of the US prison camp at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba was abruptly fired for unknown reasons over the weekend.

Navy R Adm John Ring was relieved of his duties on Saturday. A statement from US Southern Command said the change in leadership was “due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command”, and would “not interrupt the safe, humane, legal care and custody provided to the detainee population” at Guantánamo.

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Trump has made 10,000 untrue claims as president, factcheckers say

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President’s 10,000th false claim came on Friday when he discussed the Charlottesville protests, the Washington Post reports

Donald Trump has made more than 10,000 false or misleading claims since he became president in January 2017, according to a count by factcheckers at the Washington Post.

Trump’s strike rate of “alternative facts” – a phrase made infamous by senior adviser Kellyanne Conway – has increased rapidly in recent months, the paper said on Monday.

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‘She took the bullet for all of us’: rabbi recounts San Diego synagogue shooting

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Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein says worshipper Lori Kaye died protecting him from a 19-year-old man who opened fire at the Chabad of Poway synagogue in San Diego. Goldstein lost one of his index fingers when he held up his hands in defence as the gunman fired. In an emotional statement, he recalled how Kaye threw herself between the gunman and him. Two others were wounded in the attack

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Rabbi wounded in synagogue shooting says ‘senseless hate’ killings must stop

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A defiant Yisroel Goldstein, who was shot at point blank range in California attack, says ‘we are being mown down like animals’

The rabbi wounded in the shooting at his synagogue in California has said it was a miracle he was not dead and that “senseless hate” killings based on religion must stop.

“We are being mown down like animals,” said Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, lost both his index fingers when he held up his hands in defense as the gunman shot him.

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Trump’s record on white nationalism under new scrutiny after synagogue shooting

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Kellyanne Conway, the president’s counselor, sought to defend Trump’s record during CNN interview: ‘He does think it’s a threat’

The Trump administration faced fresh scrutiny on Sunday over the president’s fraught record on white nationalism in the wake of a suspected hate crime at a synagogue in California on Saturday, which left one woman dead and three injured.

Trump unequivocally condemned the shooting, telling a rally on Saturday evening in Wisconsin: “Our entire nation mourns the loss of life, prays for the wounded, and stands in solidarity with the Jewish community. We forcefully condemn the evil of anti-Semitism and hate, which must be defeated.”

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Barr threatens to skip House hearing on Mueller report over format dispute

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Attorney general has expressed objections to House judiciary committee’s questioning format, according to Democratic aide

The Department of Justice (DoJ) has informed the powerful House of Representatives judiciary committee that attorney general William Barr may not attend a Thursday hearing to review special counsel Robert Mueller’s report of the Trump-Russia investigation.

Barr has expressed objections over the panel’s questioning format, according to a senior Democratic committee aide.

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San Diego synagogue shooting: vigil held for victims – video report

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Dozens of residents gathered on Saturday evening for a vigil of song and prayer at Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian church in San Diego, after a 19-year-old gunman opened fire on worshippers inside a nearby synagogue, killing a woman and wounding a rabbi and two other people. The suspect claimed to have been motivated by the deadly attack on two mosques in New Zealand last month

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