| Supreme Court allows quick removal of asylum-seekers Posted: 25 Jun 2020 02:26 PM PDT  The case represented a crucial test of the Trump administration's effort to speed removal of thousands of migrants without federal court hearings.
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| 3 North Carolina police officers were fired after they were heard on camera making racist comments, including one threatening to 'slaughter' Black people in a new civil war Posted: 25 Jun 2020 04:27 AM PDT  James Gilmore, Jesse Moore II, and Kevin Piner had been on the force for more than 20 years. Their conversations were caught on an in-car camera.
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| Lightning kills more than 100 in northern India Posted: 25 Jun 2020 12:55 PM PDT  PM Narendra Modi said relief efforts were under way and expressed condolences to victims' families.
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| What is Kim Jong-un Planning? Posted: 25 Jun 2020 07:27 AM PDT  Just when you think an off-ramp between the two Koreas is increasingly difficult to spot, North Korea's Central Military Commission unexpectedly provides one.
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| White House abruptly cut off funding to coronavirus grant research, Dr Fauci says Posted: 25 Jun 2020 10:07 AM PDT  The White House has abruptly cut off funding to the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) coronavirus research, said Dr Anthony Fauci, the director of the NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.Mr Facui made the revelation when speaking to Congress on Tuesday about the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
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| Liberal Fox Pundit Explodes When Colleague Falsely Accuses Her of Comparing Washington to Saddam Posted: 25 Jun 2020 11:27 AM PDT  A Fox News panel flew off the rails on Thursday when Federalist senior editor and Fox News contributor Mollie Hemingway falsely accused liberal pundit Marie Harf of comparing George Washington to late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein during a discussion on the Black Lives Matter movement.During the noon broadcast of female-centric opinion show Outnumbered, Fox contributor Harf weighed in on the recent targeting of the monuments depicting Confederate leaders and historic figures who owned slaves."I do think a process to re-evaluate the monuments is the best way to tackle this issue," she said. "I lived in Charlottesville and they for years have gone through a process to talk about their Confederate statues and we, unfortunately, saw some of the fights that became physical over there."Harf then suggested the taking down of Confederate monuments was akin to Iraqis pulling down Hussein statues after he was deposed."One of the first things the United States military did when we invaded Iraq was, along with Iraqis, tear down statues of Saddam Hussein," she said. "Because while they were only symbols, they were symbols of oppression. They were symbols of a leader who had killed so many of his own people and tortured them. So symbols do matter."The longtime Democratic operative went on to say there needs to be a "process to look at Confederate generals and leaders" before adding that protesters who tear down statues of Ulysses S. Grant "are stupid and are not a part of the broader conversation." Later in the program, during a segment on the ongoing protests, Black conservative pundit Lawrence B. Jones explained that the Black Lives Matter movement has no real hierarchy despite some people claiming to be the head of it. The show's host Melissa Francis admitted to being confused by that and dismissed the fact that BLM is a movement with no real organizational structure."If people get killed and things get burned down and it's not an organization, then nobody gets held responsible," she said, teeing up Hemingway. "That's pretty convenient."Hemingway, meanwhile, said she wanted to "applaud" a BLM activist for "being honest" when he told Fox News on Wednesday that they will "burn down the system" if they don't see the change they want. She then proceeded to refer back to Harf's statue comparison, openly twisting it to launch a bad-faith attack on her colleague."He made a comparison, as Marie Harf did earlier in the show, that sometimes you need to do violent revolution to overthrow things you don't like," she declared. "You know, comparing George Washington to Saddam Hussein and therefore it's OK to tear down both of their statues."Harf immediately objected, noting that she did not "compare George Washington to Saddam Hussein" and that it was "ridiculous" for Hemingway to accuse her of that. Francis, meanwhile, jumped in to tell Harf to let Hemingway finish her thought.The pro-Trump Federalist columnist went on to say the "claim is that it's OK to tear down statues, that include George Washington and Lincoln and abolitionists, because it's just like what we did when we did a regime change in Iraq and helped people tear down statues of Saddam Hussein." After Hemingway finished her diatribe, Harf attempted to address her right-wing colleague's smear. "I compared Confederate generals to Saddam Hussein," Harf exclaimed. "And for you to say I compared George Washington to Saddam Hussein is disgraceful, Mollie. I'm sorry, it is completely unacceptable and inappropriate!""Thank you for the clarification," Hemingway snarked in response with a smirk.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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| Calif. College Professor Placed on Leave After Asking Asian-American Student to 'Anglicize' Her Name Posted: 24 Jun 2020 05:41 AM PDT  'This incident is obviously disturbing,' Laney College's President said in a statement
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| Indian army chief visits troops near troubled China border Posted: 25 Jun 2020 12:56 AM PDT  India's army chief visited the border with China in the Himalayan region to review his troops' preparedness after hand-to-hand combat between Indian and Chinese soldiers left 20 Indians dead earlier this month, the army said Thursday. The trip by Gen. M.M. Naravane to the Ladakh region on Wednesday and Thursday came as two Indian security officials reported that Chinese soldiers have entered Indian-controlled territory in another strategically important area despite ongoing talks between military commanders and diplomats to ease tensions. The Indian army has not commented on the reported incursion.
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| Who are the Democrats who voted to start debate on the Senate GOP's justice reform bill? Posted: 25 Jun 2020 08:36 AM PDT  Senate Democrats blocked a motion to start debate on Republicans' proposal for police and criminal justice reform but three senators in the Democrats' caucus broke ranks to vote in favor of the motion.
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| Biden will accept nomination at the Democratic convention in Milwaukee; delegates told to stay home Posted: 24 Jun 2020 04:45 PM PDT  Wisconsin is a key battleground state for the Democrats to win in November. President Donald Trump won the state by a slim margin in 2016.
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| US Army suspects 'foul play' was involved in the disappearance of Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillen Posted: 24 Jun 2020 11:29 AM PDT  Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillen, age 20, was last seen at about noon on April 22 on the Texas Army base.
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| Meng Wanzhou: Trudeau rejects calls to release top Huawei executive Posted: 25 Jun 2020 01:31 PM PDT  The PM is under pressure to release Meng Wanzhou in order to help free two detained Canadians.
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| Gun battle over El Chapo legacy leaves 16 dead in Mexico Posted: 25 Jun 2020 05:07 PM PDT  Culiacán (Mexico) (AFP) - The fight for control of drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's legacy spilled into the open on Thursday after a gun battle between rival Mexican gangs left 16 dead, authorities said. The 16 men, heavily armed and wearing bullet-proof vests, died in a six-hour running shootout near the rural town of Tepuche in northwestern Sinaloa province. "A van with seven bodies was located" after an initial clash, while nine bodies were discovered following a second exchange, Sinaloa's state security minister Cristobal Castaneda told reporters.
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| Mississippi mayor in tears after ordering removal of state flag from city buildings Posted: 25 Jun 2020 10:27 AM PDT  A black mayor in Mississippi held back tears as he signed an executive order to remove the state's flag from outside Laurel City Hall and other city properties.The order signed by Mayor Johnny Magee reads that "there comes a point in time in the annals of history when it becomes necessary to re-define who we are and what a collection of people represent" and the state's flag — which includes the Confederate battle flag — "should be a unifying image of our ideals and values".
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| Seattle Businesses, Residents Sue City for ‘Extensive Harm’ for Allowing ‘Autonomous Zone’ Posted: 25 Jun 2020 08:42 AM PDT  Over a dozen businesses and residents in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood have filed a lawsuit against the city for its "unprecedented decision to abandon and close off an entire city neighborhood" to allow for the creation of the "Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone/Organized Protest" (CHAZ/CHOP).The suit, which is seeking damages as well as the restoration of full public access to Capitol Hill, emphasizes that, while it does not want to "undermine CHOP participants' message or present a counter-message," the city's decision to abandon the East Precinct earlier this month allowed the rights of the plaintiffs to be "overrun.""The City's policies have effectively authorized the actions of the CHOP participants. The City has communicated clearly to CHOP participants that they may indefinitely continue occupying the streets in the area, maintaining their barricades, and blocking traffic, all without interference from the City," the lawsuit reads.Seattle police chief Carmen Best has told reporters that her officers are unable to respond to emergency calls — including rapes, robberies, and "all sorts of violent acts that have been occurring in the area" — because they are not allowed inside the area."The City's decision has subjected businesses, employees, and residents of that neighborhood to extensive property damage, public safety dangers, and an inability to use and access their properties," the lawsuit reads. It explains that, since CHAZ was created several weeks ago, the neighborhood has been left "unchecked by the police, unserved by fire and emergency health services, and inaccessible to the public at large." Seattle mayor Jenny Durkan, who has been heavily criticized by President Trump for her response to the situation, said this week that the city would move to dismantle the area after multiple deadly shootings."The cumulative impacts of the gatherings and protests and the nighttime atmosphere and violence has led to increasingly difficult circumstances for our businesses and residents," she admitted at a news conference. " . . . There should be no place in Seattle that the Seattle Fire Department and the Seattle Police Department can't go."The plaintiffs detail how anarchists in CHAZ "threatened business owners with retaliation if they paint over graffiti" and threatened to steal the phones of local residents who tried to take pictures near Cal Anderson Park. "CHOP participants have been observed carrying guns in the public streets and parks in broad daylight," the suit also states.
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| Turkey releases three journalists on trial for reporting deaths of intelligence officers Posted: 24 Jun 2020 08:08 AM PDT |
| An AOC-backed New York candidate just pulled off a stunning upset over a powerful House Democrat in New York Posted: 24 Jun 2020 09:36 AM PDT  Jamaal Bowman is a former Bronx middle-school principal who ran to Engel's left on a platform of Medicare for All and a Green New Deal.
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| The Best Gas Grills to Rule Any Barbecue Posted: 25 Jun 2020 10:48 AM PDT |
| Kellyanne Conway Defends Trump’s Use of ‘Kung Flu’ by Attacking Asian-American Reporter Posted: 24 Jun 2020 11:43 AM PDT  White House counselor Kellyanne Conway flip-flopped on her previous position that the use of the racist term "Kung Flu" is "highly offensive," defending President Donald Trump's use of it on Wednesday while bizarrely attacking an Asian-American reporter for not having the "courage" to out a White House official who said the phrase months ago.During a White House driveway gaggle with reporters on Wednesday morning, Conway was immediately confronted by NBC News reporter Monica Alba over the president's recent habit of tossing out the phrase and Conway's March denouncement of the term, which the Trump adviser called "wrong" while noting she is "married to an Asian."Conway, meanwhile, turned the question back around on the press corps, seemingly placing the blame on CBS News reporter Weijia Jiang, who reported in March that a White House official referred to the novel coronavirus as the "Kung Flu" to her face."I also asked Weijia to reveal to us who said it, I think that would have gone a long way," Conway said to Alba before saying the reporter should confront Jiang.Alba, however, pressed forward and asked Conway if she would react to Trump's repeated use of the loaded term, prompting the presidential aide to claim that Trump was merely making it "very clear" that the virus originated in China. Conway then pressed Jiang to reveal her source."I still invite you up here to tell us who said that," Conway taunted the reporter. "And I think that that would be a very important revelation for us. That's not a source for you to protect. That's somebody who shouldn't have said that, and you're claiming did say that, and we still don't know who that was."While Conway accused her of "changing the subject," Jiang noted that at the time Conway said the phrase was "hurtful," asking the Trump official if she was going to tell that to the president now."I speak to the president daily on many different topics," Conway replied, causing Jiang to ask again if she'd tell Trump his use of "Kung Flu" is offensive."We don't always agree on everything, and that's why I work here," the veteran pollster shot back before pivoting to another subject. Moments later, however, Conway circled back to the topic, defending the president by saying "it's incredibly important" for Trump to "not let China escape responsibility here." Jiang wondered aloud if Conway could explain the "logic" on how Kung Flu accomplishes that as it doesn't refer to a particular place."How do you know, excuse me, how do you know the way people, how do you know that people aren't anticipating that or are not connecting that?" Conway exclaimed, her voice rising. "You don't know that! Excuse me, while the president is saying it, he's also saying this virus came from China. China is responsible!"Interestingly, Conway refused to actually use the phrase, instead saying that Trump has "said it's called many different things," such as "the Wuhan virus, the Chinese virus, and then he used another term."As Jiang continued to press her on Trump's embrace of the racist term, Conway eventually placed the blame squarely on the CBS reporter's shoulders."You should have come forward a hundred days ago when you had the chance. You lost your opportunity, you lacked the courage to tell everybody who said that to you," Conway fumed. "You like to stoke this instead of solving it. I'm here to solve things not stoke them. You did the opposite on this issue."Conway flailing on this issue comes on the heels of White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany struggling to fend off questions about the president using the racist term. Earlier this week, McEnany insisted the president was just trying to point out where the virus came from while blaming the media for "trying to play games with the terminology."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.
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| DNC announces sweeping changes to convention, but Biden will still accept nomination in Milwaukee Posted: 25 Jun 2020 08:58 AM PDT  Even as Democrats downsize their convention, they say former Vice President Joe Biden will still formally accept the nomination in Milwaukee.
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| Asia Today: India to survey 29 million New Delhi residents Posted: 24 Jun 2020 08:22 PM PDT  India says it will carry out a massive survey for the coronavirus targeting the entire population in New Delhi of 29 million. The survey will be completed by July 6, according to the government of New Delhi, the worst-hit city with 70,390 confirmed cases. India on Thursday registered another record high of 16,922 new cases, taking the total to 473,105.
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| Royal Navy Frigate Shadowed Russian Warship in the English Channel Posted: 24 Jun 2020 06:30 AM PDT  Russian warships have been monitored in the English Channel in recent months.
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| Czech coronavirus cases jump again as restrictions are eased Posted: 25 Jun 2020 02:44 AM PDT  The Czech Republic recorded 127 cases of the new coronavirus on Wednesday, health authorities reported on Thursday, the highest daily number in two months as the country eases restrictions on business and public life. As of Thursday morning, the European Union country of 10.7 million had 10,780 cases of the disease. The Czech government was fast to close down schools, borders and retail businesses in mid-March, before any deaths from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
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| Amid a Crippling Economy and U.S. Sanctions, the Syrian Regime May Be On the Brink of Collapse Posted: 25 Jun 2020 03:44 AM PDT  As Syria faces a crippling economic crisis and U.S. sanctions, questions swirl around what will happen to President Bashar Assad's regime.
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| Coronavirus: New York imposes quarantine on eight US states Posted: 25 Jun 2020 08:28 AM PDT  It comes as a US university predicts 180,000 US deaths from the virus by October.
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| Federal judge pans Trump order used to expel migrants at border Posted: 24 Jun 2020 01:11 PM PDT  Citing a CDC order, border officials have expelled tens of thousands of migrants, including children and many seeking asylum.
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| Palmdale chase ends with 2 killed, 6 injured after crash Posted: 24 Jun 2020 09:43 PM PDT  Two people were killed and six others were injured after a chase ended in a crash in Palmdale, authorities said.
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| Businesses sue Seattle over 'occupied' protest zone Posted: 24 Jun 2020 06:50 PM PDT  A collection of Seattle businesses, property owners and residents sued the city Wednesday over its tolerance of an "occupied" protest zone, saying officials have been complicit in depriving them of their rights to their property. The plaintiffs — including a tattoo parlor, auto repair shop and property management firm — emphasized in the lawsuit that they were not trying to undermine the anti-police-brutality or Black Lives Matter messaging of the "Capitol Hill Occupied Protest." "Rather, this lawsuit is about the constitutional and other legal rights of plaintiffs — businesses, employees, and residents in and around CHOP — which have been overrun by the city of Seattle's unprecedented decision to abandon and close off an entire city neighborhood, leaving it unchecked by the police, unserved by fire and emergency health services, and inaccessible to the public at large," the lawsuit said.
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| White men in car chased down Black teens on bikes, police say Posted: 24 Jun 2020 01:57 PM PDT  "We got to stand together because this could have been very different; I could have woke up on Sunday morning hearing" that my child is dead, the mother of one of the teens said.
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| Only 19 of the 25 busiest airports in the US require passengers to wear masks — see the full rundown Posted: 25 Jun 2020 08:20 AM PDT  The busiest airport in the US before the pandemic is not requiring passengers to wear masks while the least busy on the top-25 list is.
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| California weighs overturning 24-year ban on affirmative action Posted: 24 Jun 2020 04:30 AM PDT  Bill comes amid fresh discussion about whether institutions should consider race in admissions and hiring A proposal to repeal California's 24-year-old ban on affirmative action will go before voters in November after it passed the state senate on Wednesday.The bill would remove rules in California's constitution, passed in 1996, which bar universities and government agencies from giving preferential treatment on the basis of race or sex.The proposed amendment, known as ACA 5, comes amid a national reckoning on racial injustice, triggered by the killing of George Floyd and other publicized cases of racist violence, and rejuvenates a decades-long conversation about the degree to which colleges and government employers can consider race in admission and hiring decisions.In an emotional session on the senate floor, in which numerous lawmakers of color recounted personal experiences of discrimination, Steven Bradford, a Democrat from Los Angeles who is black, challenged his white counterparts to count the times they've entered a room in which they were the only members of their race."I know about discrimination. I live it every day. We live it in this building," Bradford said."Quit lying to yourselves and saying race is not a factor," he added. "The bedrock of who we are in this country is based on race.""We are living in a moment when so many are finally opening their eyes to the structural and institutional racism that has burdened the black and brown communities for generations," Lorena Gonzales, the co-author of the bill, said in advance of Wednesday's vote."Once you acknowledge that, then the next step you must take is to correct that injustice. With ACA 5, we have an opportunity to do something," she said.Under the governorship of Pete Wilson, who made opposition to affirmative action a centerpiece of his bid for the presidency, California became the first of eight states to ban affirmative action in college admissions. A study published by the Brookings Institution found the states that implemented the ban saw their share of underrepresented students go down in the years that followed.In California, admissions rates for black and Latino students have dropped since the ban on affirmative action, according to data from the California department of education.In 1994, before the ban took effect, the admission rates for black students who applied to UC schools was six percentage points below the average admission rate for all students; Latinos were admitted at higher than average rates. Today, UC admission rates are 16 points below average for black students, and six points below average for Latinos.Patricia Gándara, a research professor of education at UCLA and co-director its Civil Rights Project, said the impact of Prop 209, which banned affirmative action, was seen most acutely at UCLA and UC Berkeley – two of the state's flagship universities.Since 1995, a smaller percentage of all applicants to UC schools have been admitted, as universities didn't expand to keep pace with demand. But the number of black and Latino students admitted to UCLA and UC Berkeley dropped by 70% to 75% at the two universities, compared to just 35% and 40% for Asian and white applicants."The numbers just got worse and we never really gained it back even to the level where we were before 1995. In California, we're desperate to recruit bilingual teachers. But Prop 209 has really tied our hands in terms of being able to recruit students from underrepresented groups and bring them into the pipeline," said Gándara.Today, about two-thirds of high school graduates in California are latino, black or Native American, but those students account for only a third of incoming freshman, she said.The proposal would not create racial quotas, which in 1978 the US supreme court found to be unconstitutional, but rather would allow universities to create race-conscious strategies like targeted outreach in order to boost diversity.The ban on affirmative action has survived a number of challenges over the years. Some of the push to keep it in place has come from advocacy groups who argued that using race as a factor in admissions could disadvantage Asian students.The Silicon Valley Chinese Association Foundation, for example, argues ACA 5 would amount to de facto racial quotas that could work against Asian students, who on average score higher on standardized tests."ACA-5's proposal to legalize racial preferences erodes America's fundamental principles of equal opportunity, merit and individual liberty. It further hurts the unity of our society, at a particularly vulnerable moment facing our nation and California," the group said in a press release.That race-conscious admissions policies discriminate against Asian students was central to a lawsuit against Harvard that was rejected by a federal judge in 2019.Janelle Wong, a professor of Asian American Studies at the University of Maryland, said that much of the pushback to a repeal on affirmative action has been led by older, first-generation Chinese American groups that have campaigned against the repeal through misinformation – stating falsely that institutions will institute racial quotas that will slash representation of Asian American students."As Asian Americans, particularly Chinese Americans, have gained influence in the political system, they have mobilized against a variety of efforts to racially integrate schools and programs that try to ensure equity," said Wong."It comes from a sense of sense of scarcity – an assumption that there aren't enough resources for all. And it's also about prestige and a fear that Chinese American students will lose seats at UC schools and Ivy League universities", she said.Despite organized opposition among certain demographics, survey results indicate the majority of Asian Americans favor affirmative action.Yet, while much of the focus in the affirmative action debate is on college admissions, the proposal would have more important implications for the state's K-12 system, said Elisha Smith Arrillaga, the executive director of The Education-Trust West, a research organization that advocates for student equity.Currently, education officials in California can allocate resources to students based on income, but not race."Race and income overlap, but they're not synonymous", said Smith Arrillaga."If we were allowed to consider race, we could target funds to black and brown students who need the most support. We could invest in resources like summer bridge programs, which help colleges recruit and retain students of color. Right now we don't have the tools to do that".It would also help to recruit a more diverse pool of teachers, she said. According to data from the California Department of Education and California Credentialing Commission, more than 250,000 students in California attend schools without a teacher of the same race and more than half of all schools don't have a single black teacher."A lot of the pushback to repealing affirmative action has been 'racism doesn't exist.' But recent events surrounding the killing of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and so many others has made clear that we can no longer pretend racism doesn't exist, and if we want to fight it, we have to use race-conscious policies. That's what ACA 5 does", said Smith Arrillaga.Now that members of the state senate have ratified ACA 5, it will go before voters as a state ballot measure in November. If approved at the ballot box, colleges and institutions will determine how race will be considered in applications.
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| India says China amassed troops along border in violation of agreements Posted: 25 Jun 2020 06:04 AM PDT  China has deployed large numbers of troops and weapons along a disputed Himalayan border in violation of bilateral agreements, India's foreign ministry said on Thursday, accusing Beijing of escalating tensions and triggering a deadly clash last week. "At the heart of the matter is that since early May the Chinese side had been amassing a large contingent of troops and armaments along the LAC," ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava said in a briefing in New Delhi, referring to the Line of Actual Control, the de facto border. "This is not in accordance with the provisions of our various bilateral agreements," he said, including a 1993 treaty that dictates that both sides will maintain limited border deployments.
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| Watch Out, Kim Jong Un: These Are the Five Weapons the U.S. Marines Will Use Against You Posted: 25 Jun 2020 09:15 AM PDT  The Marines would be the tip of the spear.
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| Huawei loses out in Singapore 5G bid Posted: 25 Jun 2020 03:49 AM PDT  Nokia and Ericsson have been chosen as Singapore's main 5G network providers, telecom operators said, leaving Huawei with only a minor role as the Chinese tech giant faces growing US pressure. Huawei has been dogged by allegations of stealing American trade secrets and aiding China's espionage efforts, with Washington pushing countries to bar the company from involvement in their next-generation networks. Huawei has denied ties with the Chinese government.
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| John Bolton is a Pariah, But Will Republicans Still Take His Cash? Posted: 25 Jun 2020 01:15 AM PDT  Congressional Republicans have largely rejected what John Bolton has to say in his newly released memoir about his time working for Donald Trump. What's less clear is whether they'll reject Bolton's money.Bolton, the ultra-hawkish former national security adviser to Trump, is a longtime fixture in Republican politics, and for years he's used a personal political action committee to direct campaign money to politicians whose values align with his own. Since the 2014 election cycle, Bolton's PAC has doled out $1.6 million to a number of sitting GOP lawmakers. Two out of every five current GOP senators have cashed a check from Bolton at some point in the last six years, and dozens of U.S. House members, former lawmakers, and candidates have, too. For the 2020 election, Bolton has backed three GOP senators up for re-election—Sens. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Cory Gardner (R-CO), and Thom Tillis (R-NC)—as well as two House members, Reps. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) and Lee Zeldin (R-NY). Each has received the maximum $10,000 contribution from his PAC.In addition to those contributions, Bolton's sister super PAC ran a handful of Facebook ads in late 2019, seemingly designed to build up its voter contact list with petitions to "defend Ambassador John Bolton" from "the radicalized liberal Left." But both the PAC and super PAC have remained largely dormant so far this year.If Bolton decides to reactivate his political operation, though, it will have a significant war chest at its disposal. All told, the PAC and super PAC are still sitting on roughly $2.5 million in cash, largely raised during previous election cycles. Bolton's plans for the two groups and the substantial sums they still command aren't yet clear. A spokesperson for the PACs did not respond to questions about their activities going forward.Bolton Says Jared Kushner Was the Most Important Person in the White HouseWhen Bolton's book dropped and alleged that Trump had, among other things, attempted to persuade Chinese President Xi Jinping to help him win re-election by buying U.S. exports from farm states, Tillis told reporters that he agreed with the blistering response from Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), who said Bolton was "unpatriotic" for putting his testimony in a book instead of under oath during Trump's impeachment trial. "I got a long reading list ahead of me, and it's not going to go to the top of the stack," Tillis said of Bolton's book. Cotton, meanwhile, said on Fox News that he found Bolton's claims to be "simply implausible."All five of Bolton's current endorsees for this election cycle were contacted by The Daily Beast; none indicated they'd return Bolton's money. Asked directly on Capitol Hill if he'd considered returning Bolton's contributions, Cotton declined to comment. A spokesman for his campaign later told The Daily Beast in an email, "We're keeping the contribution and will be using it to run ads against Joe Biden for his failure to stand up to the woke liberal mob."The apparent reluctance among Republican politicians to cut all ties with Bolton, especially supportive ones, may speak to the power of lingering good feelings toward the GOP stalwart, even as he derides the leader of their party as unfit for the presidency. Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO), who took $10,000 from Bolton's PAC in 2016, said he'd take a check from him again. "He's been a valued adviser on foreign policy for a long time and he's helped a lot of Republicans running for office," Blunt told The Daily Beast on Tuesday. "He established a PAC just to do that. And I suspect that will continue to be the case. "Per federal campaign finance records, however, Bolton's PAC has been quiet since Sept. 23, 2019, two weeks after he left the White House on poor terms with the president. On that day, the PAC dropped $50,000 to support its five initial endorsees for 2020, but no disbursements have been made since. As recently as May 2020, the PAC has continued to spend money on overhead such as fundraising expenses, rent, and payroll. Bolton's super PAC has been spending money on similar things through March, though it has not directed any money toward ads or other communication yet for the 2020 cycle.If holding onto Bolton's money hasn't proven thorny for the Republicans who already have it, it's unclear what might happen if he decides to spread the wealth to more candidates, just as he has in the last three election cycles.In particular, several of the candidates Bolton has supported in the past find themselves in tough elections in which some extra dollars would be welcome—but Bolton's imprimatur might not. Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ), for example, has long been one of Bolton's favorites. His PAC has given $35,000 to her campaigns since 2014—that year, her successful bid to unseat a Democratic House incumbent was actually the first that Bolton's PAC officially endorsed. McSally, a former fighter pilot and a strident hawk, has previously been effusive in her praise for the former national security adviser, calling Bolton a "true patriot" in 2018.But McSally, who's seriously at risk of losing the seat she was appointed to after Sen. John McCain's death, has hugged Trump closely. Her campaign did not respond to a question from The Daily Beast about whether she'd return any of Bolton's money or welcome it again in the future.Tillis, whose re-election battle in North Carolina could be among the hardest-fought in the country, has received $20,000 from Bolton over the years. In 2014, Bolton's super PAC spent $1.3 million on ads boosting Tillis' first successful bid for Senate. Two other top Democratic targets, Sens. David Perdue (R-GA) and Steve Daines (R-MT), also received Bolton contributions during their 2014 campaigns. Another current Bolton-supported candidate, Zeldin, is a marginal Democratic target in the House but maintains close ties with Trump and Trumpworld. He was a vocal defender of the president during the impeachment inquiry, and traveled with Trump on Air Force One to his recent rally in Oklahoma. A frequent tweeter, Zeldin has not mentioned Bolton's allegations since they were revealed on June 17. 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.
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| Fact check: Officer in Breonna Taylor killing not shot by friendly fire Posted: 25 Jun 2020 12:49 PM PDT  The claim that a Louisville officer was hurt by friendly fire at Breonna Taylor's apartment is false.
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| Prosecutor decides not to charge officer who shot Black teen Posted: 24 Jun 2020 07:37 AM PDT  A South Carolina prosecutor said Wednesday that he will not file charges against the white police officer who fatally shot a Black teenager who pointed a gun at the officer as he ran away. Josh Ruffin, 17, was an immediate threat to the safety of the officers and others when he stopped during the chase and pointed a gun at Columbia police Officer Kevin Davis, Fifth Circuit Solicitor Byron Gipson said at a news conference. Davis had reason to chase the teen because he was outside during the COVID-19 shutdown order during and a neighborhood leader had just reported suspicious activity in an area with a higher than average crime rate, Gipson said.
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| Scottsdale councilman apologizes for saying 'I can't breathe' at anti-mask rally Posted: 24 Jun 2020 10:41 PM PDT  "It was a stupid and insensitive comment that I shouldn't have made, and I had no intention of disrespecting anybody," Guy Phillips said.
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| Pakistani pilots grounded over 'fake licences' Posted: 25 Jun 2020 10:24 AM PDT  Pakistan's aviation minister said a large number of pilots cheated in exams or have fake qualifications.
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| This Day in History: Battle of Little Bighorn Posted: 25 Jun 2020 06:33 AM PDT  This Day in History: Battle of Little Bighorn June 25, 1876 The battle was between the Sioux and Cheyenne tribes of the Great Plains, and the U.S. Army. It is also known as Custer's Last Stand, after Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer. Led by Chief Crazy Horse, the Native American forces defeated Custer's 7th Cavalry near the Little Bighorn River in southern Montana. The members of the Great Plains tribes had gathered near the river in defiance of a U.S. War Department order. Sent in to scout for enemy troops, Custer fatefully decided not to wait for reinforcements. Custer and 200 of his men were killed in the attack. The Great Plains tribes would be confined to reservations within five years.
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| U.S. and EU must face down China together, Pompeo says Posted: 25 Jun 2020 08:30 AM PDT  The United States and European Union need a shared understanding of China to resist it, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday, calling Beijing a threat and accusing it of stealing European know-how to develop its economy. Pompeo said he had accepted a proposal by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell to create a formal U.S.-EU dialogue on China and would travel to Europe soon to host the first session. "There is a transatlantic awakening to the truth of what's happening," Pompeo told a think-tank event via video link.
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| RIP, F-35: Meet the Air Force and Navy’s 6th Generation Stealth Fighter Programs Posted: 25 Jun 2020 05:30 AM PDT  Though the program is full of promise, both branches have to prove to Congress that they're worth it.
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| Brad Parscale, Other Trump Staff in Quasi-Quarantine After Tulsa COVID Cases Posted: 25 Jun 2020 12:31 PM PDT  Donald Trump's reelection campaign manager, Brad Parscale, is one of a group of campaign staffers in quasi-quarantine after he attended a rally in Oklahoma last weekend where eight campaign aides tested positive for the novel coronavirus.Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh announced on a conference call Thursday that, "as a precaution," staff who made the trip to Tulsa were "working remotely" and would be tested for COVID before returning to work. Asked by The Daily Beast in a follow up email if the self-imposed work isolation applied to the campaign manager, Murtaugh said, "Everybody who was in Tulsa, yes."Parscale returned to his home in Florida after the rally in Tulsa, and Murtaugh told The Daily Beast that he flew commercial.Sources close to the campaign described the quarantine measure as a precaution, and said the campaign plans to step up its coronavirus testing regime going forward in order to avoid similar incidents. One source said dozens of staffers had attended the Tulsa rally.After publication, Murtaugh emailed to say that everyone "who flew home from Tulsa tested negative before leaving." The reason they were working from home still, he added, was as a "precaution." Even 'Fox & Friends' Isn't Buying Kayleigh McEnany's Spin on Tulsa Rally CrowdMultiple U.S. Secret Service agents were also ordered into quarantine after accompanying the president to the rally, CNN reported this week. Despite fears about the possibility that the event would lead to the spreading of the virus, many luminaries in the Trump orbit descended on Tulsa for the rally. The president's son Eric gave an opening speech, as did Vice President Mike Pence. A number of Republican National Committee officials and White House staffers attended the Tulsa rally as well, including Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, who said she would be there sans face mask. McEnany did not return a request for comment, though staffers who are in close proximity to the president are tested for the virus daily.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.
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| Trump pulled support for testing sites in 5 states as he's trying to push coronavirus test numbers downward. Health officials say the move could have 'catastrophic cascading consequences.' Posted: 25 Jun 2020 08:49 AM PDT  The Trump administration's decision to defund comes amid record-high numbers of new coronavirus cases.
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| 2 brothers change minds, will cooperate in Smollett case Posted: 25 Jun 2020 09:11 AM PDT  Two brothers who admitted helping actor Jussie Smollett stage a racist and homophobic attack in Chicago last year are again willing to help in the case after initially saying they were done cooperating with prosecutors, their attorney said Thursday. In yet another strange twist in a story that has been full of them, attorney Gloria Schmidt Rodriguez said in a statement that Abimbola (Abel) and Olabinjo (Ola) Osundairo changed their minds after a 9mm handgun that was seized during a search of their home last year was located after it went missing. "Abel and Ola will recommence their cooperation in the Smollett case now that the handgun has been produced by the Special Prosecutor's Office," Schmidt Rodriguez wrote, referring to Special Prosecutor Dan Webb, who is now handling the case.
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| Azerbaijan to buy armed drones from Turkey Posted: 25 Jun 2020 08:28 AM PDT  Recently, the Azeri parliament approved a bill to receive financial assistance from Turkey to be used for the purchase of weapons systems.
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| Calling all cops! Your food isn't being poisoned by anyone, despite your claims Posted: 24 Jun 2020 01:32 PM PDT  Officers' claims of Shake Shack 'bleach poisoning' were formally investigated and quickly dismissed by the NYPD's own chief of detectives while Starbucks has debunked 'tampongate'Some good news, finally, for cops: you can go back to eating at Shake Shack without worry.Last week, after drinking some weird tasting shakes, three New York officers alleged they had been poisoned with bleach. The claims were formally investigated and quickly dismissed by the NYPD's own chief of detectives after video footage showed that the drinks had not been tampered with by employees. Subsequent New York Post reporting has shown the officers checked into the hospital even though they weren't sick and, importantly, that Shake Shack could not have known they were cops because they pre-ordered through the Shake Shack app.Before the investigation into the alleged poisoning was concluded the New York police union issued a lengthy statement condemning how persecuted cops are in America. The Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York (NYCPBA) put out a statement on twitter: "Three of our brothers in blue were intentionally poisoned … under attack by vicious criminals who dislike us simply because of the uniform we wear," it said, in a since deleted tweet. That an ongoing investigation had not yet been concluded also didn't stop Don Jr's rallying cry to his 5.2 million followers, asking for a pile on in honor of the wronged cops (also since deleted) – nor did it stop the officers from taking free food and drink vouchers from the Shake Shack in question.After a number of incidents in the last couple years – including a cop claiming McDonalds staff took a bite out of his McChicken sandwich, then being placed on administrative leave after remembering it was he who bit it; and the Kansas officer who resigned after writing "Pig" on his own coffee cup and blaming it on McDonalds staff – people might reasonably have suspicions and want to wait for a verdict to be reached before concluding that cops have it hard in America. But, nope.> BREAKING: Sources tell me an off duty LAPD officer allegedly found a tampon halfway thru his Frappuccino at a Starbucks in Diamond Bar on Friday. I'm told he used his police credit union debit card. Sheriff's Dept. confirms they took a report & they're now investigating. @FOXLA pic.twitter.com/HdLTreNuur> > — Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) June 23, 2020Just yesterday, the LA police union jumped the gun, after an off-duty, plain clothes LA cop allegedly found a tampon in his frappucino. Many of us who have used tampons have already concluded that whilst disgusting looking, whatever was in that drink doesn't look like any tampon we've ever seen (in fact, a very serious investigation by Jezebel yesterday also raises the eyebrow on this one).But it doesn't matter what the investigation finds, the LA Police Protective League has already condemned it as a "disgusting assault on a police officer was carried out by someone with hatred in their heart and who lacks human decency," calling for employees to be sacked, in a statement to Fox News. Since that statement was released, a representative from the Target in which the Starbucks has reviewed its CCTV footage, finding no wrongdoing, and shared it with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.But the cycle has already begun. Whenever these claims are made, they are given ample time across Fox News; and shared by right-wing pundits like Sean Hannity and Tomi Lahren, who continue to repeat them after they have been shown to be false, without issuing corrections. Even yesterday, in Fox News' reporting on tampon-gate, the since-debunked bleach poisoning claims were reiterated. Meanwhile, the officers who shot Breonna Taylor have still not been charged, and police unions are yet to jump to any conclusions about that.> "We hope they are arrested and prosecuted," is the LAPD's official statement about someone who allegedly put a tampon in a Frappuccino, but not about Breonna Taylor's killers. https://t.co/CGcXwEQWIn> > — Aaron Fullerton (@AaronFullerton) June 23, 2020But sure, it sounds tough to be a police officer in America in the current climate. If you don't agree, just look at this video of an officer crying after she didn't receive her McMuffin on time last week.
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