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New poll shows plummeting GOP satisfaction with direction of country

Thanks to a marked shift among Republican voters since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, just 13 percent of Americans surveyed now say they are satisfied with “the way things are going in the United States.”

Virginia mayor urged to resign after saying Biden picked ‘Aunt Jemima’ as his running mate

A Virginia mayor has been urged to resign after he allegedly wrote that “Joe Biden has just announced Aunt Jemima as his VP pick,” on his Facebook page.Barry Presgraves, the mayor of Luray, Virginia, posted the comment on his Facebook page over the weekend, but swiftly deleted it after backlash from residents and local officials.

Black man's life sentence in stolen hedge clippers case is 'cruel and unusual,' Louisiana judge says

Repeat offender laws sent Fair Wayne Bryant to prison for life after trying to steal hedge clippers. Louisiana’s Supreme Court won't review the case.

Over 100 quarantined in school district after several test positive for coronavirus

Six students and one staff member in the 2,700-student district have tested positive for the virus since school began July 27.

Lebanese officials unloaded a 'floating bomb' and apparently ignored warnings for years, according to reports

Lebanese officials knew they were storing dangerous, explosive materials at the port in Beirut, but ignored years of warnings.

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.

There Are No Women Leading Marine Infantry Platoons. The Corps Wants to Change That

Nearly 300 female Marines have moved into combat-arms jobs that were previously open only to men.

Pelosi says Congress will resolve COVID-19 aid but must help needy: CNBC

U.S. lawmakers will resolve their differences over the next batch of COVID-19 aid and reach a deal, Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Thursday, but assistance must go to those who need it the most amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

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.

Biden asks reporter if he's a 'junkie' in testy exchange over cognitive decline

Joe Biden asked an African American reporter if he was a "junkie" for questioning whether the former vice president had taken a cognitive test in response to attacks targeting his mental health.At an event for black and Hispanic journalists, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee compared the question to asking CBS News correspondent Errol Barnett if he was using cocaine during the interview.

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.

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.

Satellite imagery shows scale of destruction after explosion at Beirut port

Satellite imagery from Planet Labs, Inc. and Maxar Technologies shows the damage sustained by yesterday’s explosions at the Port of Beirut in Lebanon.

Students at Georgia school snapped photos of maskless peers. Now, they face expulsion

One student has already been suspended.

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.

New York attorney general sues to dissolve NRA

New York's attorney general announces a lawsuit aimed at dissolving the powerful gun lobbying group.

In call with Chinese counterpart, Pentagon chief expresses concern about Beijing's activity in South China Sea

U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper expressed concerns about Beijing's "destabilizing" activity near Taiwan and the South China Sea in a call with Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe, the Pentagon said on Thursday. The call comes as U.S.-China ties have rapidly deteriorated this year over a range of issues including Beijing's handling of the coronavirus, telecommunications equipment maker Huawei [HWT.UL], China's territorial claims in the South China Sea, and a clampdown on Hong Kong. "Secretary Esper also communicated the importance that the PRC (People's Republic of China) abide by international laws, rules and norms and meet its international commitments," Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman told reporters, adding that the call lasted for an hour and a half.

Trump is going to say wild and stupid things to distract voters. Ignore him.

The US and the world are worse off because Donald Trump has been president. That's the only thing that matters this Election Day.

US announces 'highest level' visit in decades to Taiwan

The United States on Wednesday announced its "highest level" visit in decades to Taiwan, a move sure to infuriate China at a time when relations between Washington and Beijing are at historic lows. Washington's trade office in Taipei confirmed that health chief Alex Azar would lead an upcoming delegation to the self-ruled island, which China's communist leaders claim and have vowed to one day seize. "This marks... the first Cabinet member to visit in six years, and the highest level visit by a US Cabinet official since 1979," the American Institute in Taiwan said.

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.

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.

AP PHOTOS: Terror, death, devastation in Lebanon explosion

As they watched a huge mushroom cloud rise over the seaport capital, many who felt the massive explosion in Beirut on Tuesday thought it was a nuclear detonation. Others described the popping and bursting of fireworks and a raging fire that spread to another building, triggering the blast felt kilometers (miles) away. The explosion collapsed balconies, shattered windows and ripped bricks from buildings, killing more than 70 people and injuring more than 3,000.

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.

Suspect arrested for assaulting woman at NJ Staples

Hackensack Police arrested 25-year-old Terri Thomas in connection to an attack on a 54-year-old woman inside a Staples store in New Jersey.

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.

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.

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.

'I have never seen a tragedy so huge': 2 people in Beirut describe being caught up in the massive explosion that devastated the city

Two people caught up in Tuesday's explosion in Beirut described the extent of the devastation and what it was like to be in the city.

Narendra Modi lays Ayodhya temple foundation, delighting Hindus and dismaying Muslims

Narendra Modi, the Indian Prime Minister, has invigorated his Hindu support base after laying the foundation stone of a controversial new temple on a site contested by Muslims. In November, after a decades-old legal battle, India’s highest court ruled a temple could be built in the city of Ayodhya, where a mosque had stood until it was destroyed by Hindu mobs in 1992. Mr Modi made its construction a key pledge as part of his Hindu nationalist campaign, which saw him re-elected with a landslide victory last year. Many Hindus believe the deity Ram was born at the temple site in Ayodhya, and soil was gathered from more than 2,000 holy sites for its building work. Calling it the “dawn of a new era”, Mr Modi said: “India is emotional as decades of wait has ended. For years, our Ram Lalla [the infant Lord Ram] lived beneath a tent; now he will reside in a grand temple.”

Dems, White House inch closer on coronavirus relief deal, hoping for agreement by end of week

"I feel optimistic that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, but how long that tunnel is remains to be seen," Pelosi said after the meeting.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

'Are you a junkie?' Joe Biden bristles when reporter asks him about taking a cognitive test

Joe Biden bristled Wednesday when asked about his cognitive ability, snapping back at CBS reporter Errol Barnett.

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.

Racist online searches fuel NC man’s threats against Black church, feds say

John Malcolm Bareswill’s searches included “who said all whites are racist” and “why are (racial slur) protesting and looting,” according to court filings.

Australia suffers worst day of Covid pandemic with record deaths and cases

Australia has suffered its worst day of the Covid-19 pandemic as the second wave in the state of Victoria produced the country's highest daily death toll and number of cases. Victoria recorded 725 new Covid-19 cases and 15 deaths overnight, one of them Australia's youngest coronavirus fatality to date -- a man in his 30s. As the grim trio of records came, the northern state of Queensland closed its border with neighbouring New South Wales in a bid to prevent the spread of the outbreak from the south-east. Twelve new cases in New South Wales have fanned fears of the second wave's march, though it was Victoria's cases which made up the bulk of Australia’s record-high of 739. The 15 deaths in Australia's second most populous state mark the most deadly day for the entire country. Twelve of the fatalities were linked to outbreaks in residential care facilities. Queensland has also barred residents of the Australian Capital Territory, which has not reported a new case for many weeks but is located within New South Wales. In Victoria, a police officer staffing a checkpoint was injured and two others threatened with serious injury in a string of violent outbursts against personnel enforcing new restrictions over the past 24 hours. Police have made a number of arrests, including a 36-year-old man who allegedly breached lockdown measures four times in the past 14 days. On Tuesday the state authorities said the military would be brought in to aid enforcement efforts. In Western Australia, the army has been deployed to run security at quarantine hotels. Western Australia’s border has been closed to all other states and territories since early in the pandemic crisis, but that is being challenged in the High Court by mining magnate Clive Palmer. Australia’s national government has dropped its backing for Mr Palmer’s case, which it had previously denied, after the Western Australian government produced documents exposing their position and sparking a public outcry. The state of Tasmania had been considering opening its borders to Western Australia, South Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland but has postponed those plans.

Fox News Host Sandra Smith Grills Kellyanne Conway on Trump’s COVID ‘Misinformation’

On Wednesday, Facebook finally took the long overdue step of removing a piece of Trump campaign content from its platform that pushed misinformation about COVID-19. That didn’t stop Kellyanne Conway from trying to defend it Thursday morning on Fox News. The claim in question came during the president’s appearance on Fox & Friends that morning, where he falsely stated, “If you look at children, children are almost—and I would almost say definitely—but almost immune from this disease.” “Of course there is a debate happening about whether Facebook and Twitter should be arbiters of truth and decide what is fact and fiction,” Fox host Sandra Smith began, before sharing the actual facts about confirmed coronavirus cases in children. According to the CDC, she told Conway, children under the age of 18 now make up 7.4% of total cases in the United States. “So kids are getting this disease, Kellyanne,” she said. “Yes, they are and thankfully most never make it to a hospital and very few have died,” Conway replied, hastening to add, “and every death is a tragedy.” As she tried to pivot to glimmers of good news about the spread of the virus overall, Smith brought her back to the issue at hand.“I want to stick to children though,” the host said. “Because the debate right now is over the spread of misinformation by the president about children being ‘nearly immune.’” Smith cited remarks from the Republican governor of Mississippi, who has just instituted a state-wide mask mandate, as further evidence that kids are transmitting the virus in large numbers before asking, “Is it helpful for the president to tell parents that children are ‘nearly immune’ from this and then have it factually spreading from child to child in places like Mississippi where they’ve opened the doors to their schools?” Seth Meyers Brutally Mocks Trump’s Kindergarten Coronavirus Death ChartInstead of defending Trump’s claim, all Conway could do in response was try to highlight other instances when the president didn’t spread misinformation about children’s susceptibility. “So I think the president is making clear that overall the average age of those who pass away from coronavirus is still about 78,” she said, a separate fact that does not mean children are “nearly immune.” After Conway attempted yet another pivot to attack Joe Biden, Smith again brought her back to Trump and his lies about the virus. “I get that Kellyanne and that’s another conversation,” the host said. “But the point is that the president said in that interview on Fox & Friends yesterday morning said it’s going to ‘go away, like things go away’ and that is something many people are taking issue with.” She quoted the White House’s own health expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, who said, “I do not believe that it will disappear because it’s such a highly transmissible virus.” “So is the president listening to the advice of the health experts that he has at his side?” Smith asked.“Yes he is, and they should be listening to him as well,” Conway replied ominously before accusing those experts of saying things on TV that they didn’t express in classified task force meetings.Conway had plenty to say after that about Twitter and Facebook, but she could not defend Trump’s claim that COVID-19 will magically disappear. Kellyanne Conway Loses It Over Mary Trump Book on Fox NewsRead 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.

Baltimore is investigating after officials removed 5 approved Black Lives Matter murals

The city department blamed a "miscommunication" for the error, but also said a staff member accused of problematic behavior is under investigation.

US slaps sanctions on leading Zimbabwe businessman

The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on one of Zimbabwe's top businessmen and political operators, accusing him of abetting corruption that plagues the nation. The move against Kudakwashe Tagwirei comes days after Zimbabwe thwarted protests called by a small opposition party over graft and a slumping economy. Calling Tagwirei "notoriously corrupt," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States wants "a stable and democratic Zimbabwe."

N. Korea's escalating virus response raises fear of outbreak

North Korea is quarantining thousands of people and shipping food and other aid to a southern city locked down over coronavirus worries, officials said, as the country’s response to a suspected case reinforces doubt about its longstanding claim to be virus-free. In late July, North Korea said it had imposed its “maximum emergency system” to guard against the virus spreading after finding a person with COVID-19 symptoms in Kaesong city, near the border with rival South Korea. State media reported that leader Kim Jong Un then ordered a total lockdown of Kaesong, and said the suspected case was a North Korean who had earlier fled to South Korea before slipping back into Kaesong last month.

Mysterious seeds sent from China to US identified by Trump administration

The mysterious seed packs from China that hundreds of Americans received in the mail have been identified, according to the US Department of Agriculture.Federal officials warned those who received the seeds not to plant them over fears that some may be invasive species and could destroy native plants and insects.

'No such thing happened': Former acting AG Sally Yates says Obama, Biden did not urge Flynn inquiry

Yates was dismissed for refusing to defend President Donald Trump's Muslim travel ban days after he was inaugurated.

Texas cancer researcher murdered on jog

A cancer researcher and mother of two is murdered on her daily jog; Sarmistha Sen was found dead near a creek in Plano, Texas.

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.

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.”

Georgia prosecutor asks court to revoke bond for former Atlanta policeman charged with murder

A Georgia prosecutor has asked a judge to revoke the bond for the former Atlanta policeman charged with murder in the shooting of Rayshard Brooks, saying in court papers that he had violated its terms by taking an out-of-state vacation. Brooks, a Black man, was fatally shot in June in the parking lot of a Wendy's restaurant in Atlanta, an incident that was caught on video and set off days of protests over racial inequality and social injustice. District Attorney Paul Howard asked the court late on Tuesday to send former officer Garrett Rolfe, 27, back to jail for violating the terms of his bond, which include a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew and an order that he stays within the court's jurisdiction.