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Marijuana sent him to prison for decades. Now he has COVID-19 and is seeking release.

Michael Thompson, 69, is serving a 40- to 60-year sentence for charges that stem from a marijuana sale in 1994. His advocates say his punishment was excessive.

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 12:33:41 -0400

Pentagon official reportedly has 'no idea' where Trump's Beirut claims came from

The Pentagon is distancing itself from President Trump's claims about the Beirut blast that killed more than 100 people.Trump on Tuesday said his unnamed "great generals" told him they thought the massive explosion was a "terrible attack." In the early aftermath, there was speculation that the catastrophe was intentional, but it the consensus quickly became that it was almost certainly accidental -- albeit brought on by neglect and mismanagement -- and not linked to any foreign power, proxy forces, or terrorist organizations. Defense Secretary Mark Esper and other department officials affirmed they believe it was an accident, as well.The president hasn't repeated his claim from Tuesday, possibly indicating he understands there was no basis for it. But that's what's raised some eyebrows, considering he said he got the information from unnamed high-ranking military officials. A senior Pentagon official, however, told The Associated Press on Wednesday they had "no idea" what Trump was referring to with his comment, leaving some to wonder if it came out of thin air. > So did Trump make it up that US generals told him Beirut was bombed?> > -- Kate Brannen (@K8brannen) August 5, 2020More stories from theweek.com New Lincoln Project ad crowns Jared Kushner 'Secretary of Failure' The Republican problem no one knows how to solve Pelosi doubts Republicans will pass generous coronavirus bill: 'Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn'

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 16:54:00 -0400

Biden says Harris is 'very much in contention' to be his running mate

The California Democrat is among the names on Biden's vice presidential shortlist.

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 10:27:14 -0400

Lebanon PM Blames Beirut Explosions on Shipment of Ammonium Nitrate Sitting in Port Since 2013

Massive explosions that rocked the city of Beirut on Tuesday were fueled by a 2,750-ton shipment of ammonium nitrate that had been stored in port since 2013, Lebanon's prime minister announced."I will not rest until we find the person responsible for what happened, to hold him accountable and impose the most severe penalties," Prime Minister Hassan Diab told reporters on Tuesday evening. It was not immediately clear why the ammonium nitrate was stored at that location, or how it ended up there.The explosion destroyed Beirut's port and the surrounding area. At least 78 people were killed and thousands more injured in the incident, with city hospitals unable to find room for all patients. Residents of the island nation of Cyprus reported hearing the explosion, and the Beirut newsroom of CNN as well as Lebanon's Daily Star were destroyed."It's like Hiroshima," Beirut mayor Jamal Itani said at a press conference. "There is lots of destruction and the wounded are lying in the streets."The disaster hit as Lebanon continues to struggle with the coronavirus pandemic as well as hyperinflation and looming economic collapse.While tensions between Lebanon and Israel have increased following an attempt by militants to infiltrate Israel's Golan Heights on Monday, officials from Israel and terror group Hezbollah have denied involvement in the incident.

Tue, 04 Aug 2020 18:59:28 -0400

Massive Beirut Explosion Shows Mushroom Clouds Aren't Just for Nukes

Physics explains why the intense blast produced the menacing mushroom shape.

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 08:53:00 -0400

This is what it looked like after the US dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima 75 years ago

On August 6, 1945, a U.S. bomber famously known as the Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, marking a historic act of nuclear warfare.

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 05:57:12 -0400

Canadian shopper explodes in racist rant over liquor store mask policy

Footage of a man exploding in a racist rant after reportedly refusing to wear a mask in a liquor store in Canada has gone viral online.In the video, an older white man not wearing a mask can be seen yelling at two men wearing masks.

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 19:41:33 -0400

China threatens countermeasures as Taiwan prepares for U.S. visit

China on Thursday threatened to take countermeasures over a trip to Taiwan by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, as the Chinese-claimed island geared up for its highest-level U.S. official visit in four decades. The visit, which begins on Sunday, adds to tensions between Beijing and Washington over everything from trade and human rights to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a daily briefing in Beijing that any attempt to deny or challenge the "one China" principle, which states that Taiwan is part of China, would end in failure.

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 01:09:48 -0400

Chicago rapper FBG Duck killed in brazen daytime shopping attack

The attack was committed in the Gold Coast luxury shopping district by four gunmen in two vehicles.

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 15:35:26 -0400

An emergency medicine physician projects that if schools open in the fall, they'll close by the end of October with COVID-19 outbreaks

One doctor said reopened schools could shut down again by the end of October, citing the "confluence" of the flu season and increased exposure.

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 00:20:47 -0400

Esper says he underestimated how much racial injustice affects service members

Defense Secretary Mark Esper called George Floyd's death a wake-up call for military leadership.

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 18:31:08 -0400

White House responds to Trump encouraging voting by mail in Florida after criticizing it for months

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany responded Tuesday to President Trump's encouraging of voting by mail in Florida after criticizing it for months.

Tue, 04 Aug 2020 15:08:27 -0400

Portland's Black police chief says violent protesters have 'taken away from' the Black Lives Matter movement

While the protests in downtown Portland have largely been peaceful, there have been violent offshoots in other parts of the city this week.

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 06:24:11 -0400

Direct-to-Consumer Furniture Brand Burrow Expands Its Offerings

No description related. Click here to go to original article.

Tue, 04 Aug 2020 17:00:43 -0400

Op-Ed: U.S. leaders knew we didn't have to drop atomic bombs on Japan to win the war. We did it anyway

We've been taught that the U.S. had to drop atomic bombs on Japan to end World War II. Historical evidence shows Japan would have surrendered anyway.

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 06:05:25 -0400

Beirut port officials arrested following deadly blasts

At least 137 people were killed and over 5,000 were injured in the explosions.

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 18:48:00 -0400

Fauci expects tens of millions of coronavirus vaccine doses at start of 2021

Drugmakers will likely have tens of millions of doses of coronavirus vaccines in the early part of next year, Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious diseases official, said in a Reuters interview on Wednesday, offering a more conservative view of the ramp up than some Trump administration officials. Fauci said there could be a billion vaccine doses available by the end of 2021, and that he is hopeful the world could get past the pandemic that has claimed more than 700,000 lives worldwide by then, with the help of a vaccine. U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar said last month the U.S. would have hundreds of millions of vaccine doses by early in 2021.

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 16:33:29 -0400

MS-13 gang members charged with sex trafficking, other charges in abuse of 13-year-old runaway

Federal prosecutors allege that gang members beat the girl, raped her and prostituted her in Virginia and Maryland.

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 20:19:05 -0400

The man behind one of history's most iconic supercars just debuted its $3 million successor — check out the Gordon Murray T.50

This may become the greatest modern supercar, thanks to a six-speed manual transmission, a naturally aspirated V12, and and a central driver's seat.

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 11:19:50 -0400

Your Face Mask in the Garbage Could Make a Great Biofuel

The world's disposable PPE doesn't have to go to waste.

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 10:37:00 -0400

Trump was ‘stating a fact’ when he said children are less susceptible to coronavirus, White House insists

Donald Trump was “stating a fact” when he said that children are less susceptible to Covid-19, a White House official has said after Facebook removed a post in which the president made false claims about the virus.Courtney Parella, deputy national press secretary, accused Facebook and Twitter of “flagrant bias” after the tech giants penalised Trump and his campaign team for promoting a video in which the president claimed children are “almost immune” from the disease.

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 05:32:43 -0400

Germany floats a new NATO spending yardstick: 10 percent

Officials are pushing for a new yardstick to measure Berlin's contributions to NATO, suggesting the country could shoulder 10 percent of alliance requirements.

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 13:39:49 -0400

5 science-backed benefits of vitamin B12 and how to get enough of it in your diet

There are many health benefits of vitamin B12 from red blood cell production to growing healthy hair and nails.

Tue, 04 Aug 2020 16:35:58 -0400

Letters to the Editor: Heads up, Joe Biden — Kamala Harris has always been campaigning for her next job

Kamala Harris is the junior senator from California, so what has she done for our state?

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 06:00:51 -0400

President Trump flips on his longstanding attitude toward mail-in ballots

President Trump has repeatedly denounced mail-in ballots, but he is changing his tune for Florida. Weijia Jiang reports.

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 08:45:49 -0400

Joshua Wong and other Hong Kong activists charged over banned June 4 vigil

Two dozen people in Hong Kong, including pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong, have been charged with participating in an illegal assembly at a vigil on June 4 commemorating the crackdown on protesters in and around Beijing's Tiananmen square in 1989. It was the first time the vigil had been banned in semiautonomous Hong Kong, with police citing coronavirus restrictions on group gatherings in refusing permission for it to take place. The anniversary struck an especially sensitive nerve in the former British colony this year, falling just as China prepared to introduce national security legislation later that month in response to last year's often violent pro-democracy demonstrations.

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 09:02:40 -0400

Poll: Most Black Americans Want Police to Remain in Their Areas

Most black Americans say they want police to continue their current presence in local areas, even as protests against racism and police brutality sweep the nation, and calls to reform and even defund police departments persist.Close to two-thirds, 61 percent, of black Americans said they want the police presence in their area to remain the same, while 20 percent said they would like to see police spend more time in their neighborhood, according to a new Gallup poll. Another 19 percent said they would like to see the police presence in their area decrease.Among the general population, 67 percent of Americans say they want the police presence near them to remain the same, with 71 percent of white Americans saying so. A majority of other minority communities also said they do not want to see fewer police officers patrolling their neighborhoods, with 59 percent of Hispanics preferring the current police presence.Black Americans said they observe police in their neighborhoods slightly more than other groups, 32 percent saying they see police officers often or very often in their area, above the national average of 24 percent of all Americans who say the same. About 27 percent said they rarely or never see police in their neighborhoods. Only 22 percent of white Americans said they see police often or very often around where they live.Of black Americans who see police frequently in their areas, only about a third say they think police should curtail their time in the neighborhood, similar to the overall percentage who say so.Despite most black Americans approving of the level of police presence in their neighborhoods, less than one in five say they are very confident that they would be treated with courtesy and respect during an encounter with police. Meanwhile, over half, 56 percent, of white Americans say they are confident in the same.The Gallup poll was taken after weeks of unrest in metropolitan areas around the country over police tactics involving interactions with minority communities, particularly black Americans. Protests and riots broke out in May in many cities following the police custody death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck as he pleaded for air.Calls to defund police have been particularly prevalent in Portland, Ore. and Seattle, Wash., both of which are predominantly white cities.The survey was conducted online from June 23 to July 6.

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 13:04:11 -0400

Poll shows Mitch McConnell with large lead over Democratic Senate rival Amy McGrath

Independent polling firm Morning Consult shows Sen. Mitch McConnell with a commanding 53% to 36% lead over his Democratic challenger Amy McGrath.

Tue, 04 Aug 2020 15:42:27 -0400

Large ammonium nitrate stores in Australia cause local residents serious concern

Residents in and around Newcastle, Australia, have expressed fears about the town’s vast stockpile of ammonium nitrate – which could be almost four times bigger than the amount that exploded in Beirut. Between 6,000 and 12,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate is stored at Orica's Kooragang plant in the New South Wales town. Lebanon's Interior Minister said 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate exploded in the Beirut blast. The plant is within 800 metres of residents in North Stockton and just three kilometres from Newcastle’s central business district. Chemical engineer and community campaigner Keith Craig told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that “many people would be killed and injured if we had an accident at Orica”. “It's a totally inappropriate place to have such a dangerous material produced and stored, and it's something we've been complaining about for many, many years,” he said. Orica told the ABC that safe storage of the chemical is strictly regulated and audited. Explosives expert Tony Richards told the Sydney Morning Herald that there was enough ammonium nitrate stored at the plant to obliterate Newcastle. “If that went off, people in Sydney [more than 160km away] would say ‘what the hell was that?’ And the answer would be: it used to be Newcastle,” he said. The below graphic shows the radius of the blast in Beirut.

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 05:35:11 -0400

One American is dying every 80 seconds from coronavirus as Trump shrugs off death toll: ‘It is what it is’

At least one person in the United States has died every 80 seconds on average over the last seven days, according to new research, as President Donald Trump said the nation’s soaring death toll “is what it is” in a recent interview.The grim figures were first reported by NBC News on Wednesday, which noted its own tally revealed 7,486 people died in the last seven days due to Covid-19.

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 15:19:00 -0400

A nuclear sea-launched cruise missile will help deter nuclear aggression

A Pentagon official argues a nuclear sea-launched cruise missile is a measured response to a growing threat from America's adversaries.

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 11:16:58 -0400

I tried making Guy Fieri's signature recipes for a week, and I didn't love my whole trip to Flavortown

The Food Network star's known for eating comfort food on "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives," and I tried some of his favorite recipes and meals for a week.

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 14:18:05 -0400

Bill Gates issued a stark warning for the world: 'As awful as this pandemic is, climate change could be worse'

Gates said to understand the impact climate change will have, we need to "look at COVID-19 and spread the pain out over a much longer period of time."

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 10:44:45 -0400

China sentences 3rd Canadian to death on drug charges

China has sentenced a third Canadian citizen to death on drug charges amid a steep decline in relations between the two countries. The Guangzhou Municipal Intermediate Court announced Xu Weihong’s penalty on Thursday and said an alleged accomplice, Wen Guanxiong, had been given a life sentence. Death sentences are automatically referred to China’s highest court for review.

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 04:27:47 -0400

Former Census Bureau directors warn of 'seriously incomplete' count after Trump administration cuts it short

Four former Census Bureau directors say it's a big mistake to cut counting efforts short. The Census Bureau said last week it would stop its in-person count on Sept. 30, a month earlier than its scheduled end date of Oct. 31. The move left census workers concerned a "massive undercount" is imminent. The former directors, who worked under nine past presidents, reflected that fear in a Tuesday statement, and called for the count's data delivery date to be extended to April 30, 2021, to avoid "seriously incomplete enumerations in many areas across our country."In-person census interviews are used to count people who didn't respond to a paper or online census, and are essential for counting underrepresented and hard-to-reach populations. The four former directors acknowledged the in-person count was supposed to happen from May 15 through July 31, but was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. This rescheduling led the Census Bureau to determine it needed four more months beyond the end of 2020 to tabulate congressional redistricting and apportionment stemming from the count, and the former directors agreed."Our expert opinion is that failing to extend the deadlines to April 30, 2021, will result in seriously incomplete enumerations in many areas across our country," the former leaders said, calling on Congress to make those necessary legal extension. In addition, they asked Congress "to require the Census Bureau to continue data collection operations through Oct. 30, 2020."More stories from theweek.com Republicans offer $400/week unemployment benefits, but stimulus bill talks remain divided New Lincoln Project ad crowns Jared Kushner 'Secretary of Failure' Report: Deutsche Bank complied with subpoena from New York prosecutors over Trump's finances

Tue, 04 Aug 2020 15:19:24 -0400

Pope Francis appoints 6 women to senior roles

Pope Francis has ensured there are more women officials at the Vatican than ever before.

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 11:16:00 -0400

US election 2020: What is the electoral college?

How does the US electoral college elect the president?

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 05:12:52 -0400

Virginia business owner reacts to employee's house arrest for defending shop from robber

Worker arrested after defending himself from armed robbery; Arlington Smoke Shop owner Jowan Zuber speaks out.

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 20:56:35 -0400

Rudy Giuliani wildly claims Black Lives Matter are a 'domestic terror group' who 'hate white men in particular'

President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani has claimed Black Lives Matter is a "domestic terrorist group," despite the group never being tied to a single terrorism event in a global database of almost 200,000."These are killers, and these are people who hate white people. They're people who hate white men in particular. And they want to do away with a mother-father family," Mr Giuliani said on Fox and Friends on Thursday, although ample evidence debunks that claim.

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 10:18:00 -0400

Syrian refugee hailed as hero in Germany after saving woman from rapist

A Syrian refugee has been hailed as a hero in Germany after he stopped a man raping a woman. The 30-year-old Syrian, named only as Faner O under German privacy laws, intervened after he saw a woman being attacked by a man in the early hours of Sunday morning. With the help of another passerby, he overpowered the rapist and held him until police could reach the scene. The rape victim, who has not been named, is understood to be a trainee police officer. Faner O, who fled to Germany from his native Syria four years ago, works as a car mechanic in the west German city of Wuppertal. He was driving home in the early hours of Sunday morning when he saw a woman being pursued by a man. “It was around half past three in the morning. I had just dropped a friend off and was driving home to my wife and daughter, when I saw a woman walking along Friedrich-Engels-Allee and a man in a red T-shirt running after her. Then they disappeared into the bushes,” he told Bild newspaper. Concerned, Faner O stopped his car and followed them into the bushes, where he found the man pinning the woman to the ground. “He had one hand over her mouth and was choking her with the other. She was resisting, but he was very strong.” The would-be rapist fled but Faner O gave chase. A 20-year-old passerby who had heard the sounds of struggle came to his help, and together they were able to overpower the perpetrator. The rapist has not been named but is understood to be a 20-year-old Afghan migrant known to local police in connection with similar incidents. The woman suffered only minor injuries, according to local police. “She fought hard and cried out for help. This alerted witnesses who rushed to her aid and drove off her attacker. They then gave chase and were able to seize him after a short pursuit. They held him until officers arrived,” police said in a statement. Faner O said he was not afraid during the encounter. “At that moment I was only thinking of helping the woman,” he told Bild. “If something like that happened to my daughter, I’d want some one to help her.”

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 10:46:40 -0400

'Hoping it goes well': Students among first to return offer lessons for reopening schools

Thousands of students head back to school this week, whether in person or online.

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 13:21:26 -0400

A white woman spent years posing online as a Native American scientist and professor, and was caught after claiming the woman contracted coronavirus and died

BethAnn McLaughlin admitted Tuesday that she created the @Sciencing_Bi account on Twitter, which had been active from 2016 until July 31.

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 13:40:26 -0400

Children rapidly deported from the United States strain Guatemalan shelters

Hundreds of migrant children rapidly expelled from the United States under a coronavirus immigration policy are returning to shelters in Guatemala where virus testing and bed capacity are regularly stretched to their limits. Shelter operators, government officials in the Central American nation and international organizations said they are seeing rising numbers of children being sent back to Guatemala alone, with some unable to return to their homes because of domestic abuse or gang violence. "Child protection services, which were already overstretched and under-resourced have now been further compromised by COVID-19," said United Nations children's agency UNICEF spokesman Christopher Tidey.

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 09:07:55 -0400

Protest leader Bush ousts 20-year US Rep. Clay in Missouri

Cori Bush, a onetime homeless woman who led protests following a white police officer's fatal shooting of a Black 18-year-old in Ferguson, ousted longtime Rep. William Lacy Clay Tuesday in Missouri's Democratic primary, ending a political dynasty that has spanned more than a half-century. Bush's victory came in a rematch of 2018, when she failed to capitalize on a national Democratic wave that favored political newcomers such as Bush’s friend, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 00:26:32 -0400

Nearly 100 people in Ohio got sick after one man infected with the coronavirus attended a church service

Experts have said that singing and loud speech can fuel virus spread. Gov. Mike DeWine used this case as a warning to Ohio's religious institutions.

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 07:06:23 -0400

This May Be the Most Absurd, Trumpian Drama Ever

The federal agency primarily responsible for the distribution of foreign aid has been roiled in recent days by the most Trumpian of dramas, one involving an anti-LGBT political appointee, blundering conservative operative Jacob Wohl, accusations of stalking, prostitution, and the potential hiring of a young conservative with past racist writings. The chaos seemed set to crest with a slap-dash press conference scheduled for this Thursday. But within a day of the presser’s announcement, the main protagonist was apparently recanting her accusations and insinuating that Wohl had stolen her phone and signed into her Twitter account to send the offending messages that set off the fireworks that got her fired. The setting of the entire mess was the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), an agency known largely as a bit of a backwater when it comes to the government’s foreign policy apparatus, but one with a $16.8 billion foreign aid budget. On Monday a political appointee and deputy White House liaison there, Merritt Corrigan, took to Twitter to accuse her employer of “anti-Christian” bias. Corrigan’s appointment at USAID has been under fire for months over anti-gay tweets she made in 2019 and 2020, including accusing the United States of being a “homo-empire” devoted to a “tyrannical LGBT agenda,” tweeting that “female empowerment is a civilizational calamity,” and advocating for the creation of a “Christian patriarchy.” But on Monday, her targets were both USAID itself and House Foreign Relations Affairs Committee Chair Eliot Engel (D-NY), whom she accused of soliciting prostitutes. As Corrigan’s initial tweets went up, she claimed USAID gave her a 3 p.m. deadline to resign or be fired. When the deadline passed, Corrigan said she was fired.On its own, the episode was bizarre. But then it got much weirder. Jacob Wohl Charged With Felony in CaliforniaCorrigan, who is/was apparently dating Wohl, announced that she’d be appearing Thursday in front of Wohl associate Jack Burkman’s Northern Virginia house—a site that has previously hosted farcical attempts to smear Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Kamala Harris (D-CA) with lurid sexual allegations. There, she would further denounce USAID, accuse a Politico reporter who covered her resignation of stalking her, and demand that Engel debate her and Burkman. In a press release announcing the press conference, Burkman and Wohl claimed that Wohl, who is currently facing two felony charges related to security sales in California, had “been working behind the scenes with Corrigan for months.”Jacob Wohl’s Bogus Warren Accuser Exaggerated His Military Service RecordEngel’s office did not return a request for comment. And, perhaps, for good reason. The accusations have no proof or merit, and as the story unfolded it became increasingly difficult to get a read on where the truth actually began and the innuendo and smears ended. On Tuesday afternoon, Corrigan deleted her tweets attacking USAID and stopped responding to messages from The Daily Beast. Wohl claimed in an interview Tuesday that a coterie of Trumpworld personalities had convinced Corrigan to backtrack on her claims. And Burkman claimed that Corrigan had “buyer’s remorse” after sending her tweets. “Somebody does something and then they regret it,” Burkman said. But later in the day, a conduit sent a statement from Corrigan herself that was darker in implication. Corrigan now claimed she’d become the pawn of individuals who had attempted to “ruin” her. "I would like to apologize,” it read. “Especially to the people who have been affected or hurt by the messages sent from my Twitter account, and the claims made in my name over the past 24 hours. I did NOT send these messages, and while I vehemently protested about them being sent in my name, my devices were not in my control. I see now that I was part of an abusive scheme and I was used to attack people that have nothing to do with me.“I will not be participating in any press conferences as claimed in my name, and will have nothing to do with individuals who forced me to hand over my devices so they could control me and the output in my name. Due to naivete and inexperience, I became involved with people who abused my trust, conned me, and claimed they were working in my interest. I became powerless in a situation, and I deeply regret not reaching out to people who knew better, or could help me.”Corrigan is far from the first Wohl associate to bail on one of his press conferences. But she does appear to be the first to have formally held such a high post at a government agency. And her drama illustrates the degree to which the once-staid USAID has become a stomping grounds for a twisted, absurdist circus involving Trumpian figures who despise one another and are notorious for trying to conduct botched operations against their political foes.Prior to the apparent change of course, Corrigan had also made one other noteworthy assertion—that USAID was set to hire yet another controversial political appointment: conservative personality Kyle Kashuv, whose admission to Harvard was revoked last year over racist remarks he made in high school. Kashuv, a survivor of the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, rose to fame on the right in the aftermath of the shooting as a conservative counterweight to pro-gun control Parkland students. Kashuv’s opposition to the gun control measures pushed by his classmates earned him a visit to the White House, and a position at conservative campus group Turning Point USA. Along the way, Kashuv antagonized Wohl and some of his right-wing associates for actions like criticizing anti-Muslim activist Laura Loomer for wearing a Nazi-era Jewish star to protest her Twitter ban. Harvard Pulls Pro-Gun Parkland Survivor Kyle Kashuv’s Admission Over Racial SlursBut Kashuv’s star on the right imploded in May 2019, when he was exposed by a fellow classmate for writing racist messages and Google Doc notes. In one text message, Kashuv complained that a classmate dated “ni**erjocks.” In the aftermath of the reporting on Kashuv’s remarks, Harvard revoked Kashuv’s admission to its undergraduate class.Corrigan claims Kashuv has been offered a political appointment to be a special assistant to USAID Deputy Administrator Bonnie Glick, after initially being considered for a congressional liaison position. That job offer, she adds, was one point of disagreement with her fellow USAID officials that ultimately led to her speaking out against the agency. “I don’t believe that he’s a real conservative, and his prior media was going to bring a lot of negativity to USAID,” Corrigan told The Daily Beast. The Daily Beast wasn’t able to confirm that Kashuv has been offered a position at USAID, but did obtain a document dated July 31 purporting to be an offer letter from USAID, offering Kashuv a position with roughly $50,000 annual salary as an assistant to Glick, pending a security clearance. The purported offer letter to Kashuv listed the phone number of a USAID employee. When a reporter for The Daily Beast called the number, the woman who answered identified herself as a USAID employee but refused to answer questions about the letter.“I’m sorry, I can’t answer your call,” the woman said, before hanging up.USAID declined repeated requests to comment on whether the agency had offered Kashuv a position, but a spokesperson said USAID would investigate “any complaints of anti-Christian bias” made by Corrigan.Kashuv didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment. Glick, who called Kashuv a “rockstar” in a May tweet, also didn’t respond to requests for comment. Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 04:34:44 -0400

Obesity not defined by weight, says new Canada guideline

A new Canadian clinical guideline aims to reduce stigma against overweight patients.

Tue, 04 Aug 2020 18:49:30 -0400

‘We have to get rid of Trump’: Pro-Bernie group launches effort to boost Biden

A left-wing organization that once described the former veep’s record as “abysmal” is asking swing state progressives to bite the bullet and support the Democratic nominee.

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 06:00:03 -0400

North Korea's escalating virus response raises fear of outbreak

North Korea has quarantined thousands of people despite inconclusive test results for a man suspected of being its first official coronavirus case, raising suspicions about a wider unreported outbreak in the reclusive country. Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, last week declared a state of emergency and imposed a lockdown on the city of Kaesong on the South Korean border after a defector who crossed back over the border to escape a rape investigation reportedly displayed suspected Covid-19 symptoms. North Korea experts said Pyongyang’s claim that the virus may have leaked in via a returning defector fit the North’s traditional narrative of blaming the South for its troubles.

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 03:57:23 -0400

Tourist breaks toes off statue in Italian museum after taking a photo with it, police say

An Austrian tourist broke multiple toes off of a statue in an Italian museum, the Carabinieri police in Treviso, Italy, said.

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 13:37:59 -0400

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