Sugar Land

Who CARES about the unemployed? How COVID benefit bill died in the Senate

Democrats passed a bill extending them in May, but Republicans were unable to agree on their own legislation that would have extended the benefits while also cutting them.

Homicides Spike in 50 Largest Cities across Nation

Homicides and gun violence have spiked in major cities around the country since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, spurred by an economic recession and unrest that arose from protests against police brutality.Across the nation’s 50 largest cities, homicides are up 24 percent this year, totaling 3,612 so far, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of police department data. In 36 of those cities, the homicide rate increased by double digits.Shootings have also surged, but other kinds of violent crime have declined, including robberies, which sank 11 percent across the 41 cities that provided such data.Chicago saw the largest jump in homicides, reporting more than 400 more homicides than last year, an increase of more than 50 percent. Philadelphia and New York City came in just behind the country's third-largest city, both tallying more than 200 more homicides this year. Along with Chicago, Austin and Fort Worth, Tx. saw the largest increase in murders.The staggering increase in violence comes after months of protests against police departments that have included calls to defund and dismantle departments in Minneapolis, where the police custody death of George Floyd sparked national outrage. Homicides in Minneapolis have nearly doubled, with 41 homicides compared to 21 by this time last year.Police and crime experts have attributed the spike in violence to a variety of factors, including a rise in gang violence, an economic recession caused by the shutdown of businesses, and the lack of activity during the pandemic by social institutions that historically help tamp down crime, such as churches and schools.Meanwhile, lockdown orders that have kept residents in their homes may help explain the decline in robberies and rapes, since burglars are less likely to target a home with residents inside, and fewer potential victims were on the streets, experts said. The rise in shootings and murders was particularly stark in disadvantaged neighborhoods rather than the sites of protests against racism and police brutality in many cities.The homicide rate in the nation's major cities is still a far cry from the crime levels of previous decades, such as in 1990, when New York City recorded a total of 2,262 murders.

Iran has been covering up its coronavirus death toll, according to BBC investigation which says the true figure is almost 3 times higher

Both coronavirus deaths and cases are significantly higher than Iran is publicly reporting, according to government figures seen by the BBC.

Who is Karen Bass?

Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., has been mentioned as a potential running mate for former VP Joe Biden, who has vowed to pick a woman as his vice president.

Emeritus Pope Benedict, 93, 'extremely frail' after visiting dying brother

Former Pope Benedict XVI became seriously ill after visiting his sick brother in Germany in June and is "extremely frail", according to a report in the German Passauer Neue Presse newspaper on Monday. Benedict, 93, is suffering from erysipelas of the face, a virus that causes a rash and episodes of severe pain, the newspaper reported, citing the former pontiff's biographer, Peter Seewald. "According to Seewald, the Pope emeritus is now extremely frail," the report said. "His thinking and his memory are quick, but his voice is hardly audible at the moment." Mr Seewald reportedly visited Benedict in Rome on Saturday to present him with his biography. "At the meeting the emeritus Pope, despite his illness, was optimistic and declared that if his strength increased again he would possibly take up his pen again," the paper said. Benedict visited his sick brother, Georg, in Germany in June, marking his first trip out of Italy since his shock resignation in 2013. Georg Ratzinger died two weeks later, aged 96.

Tropical Storm Isaias is expected to become a hurricane again as it heads for the Carolinas

Tropical Storm Isaias is expected to become a hurricane again as it prepares to make landfall in South Carolina.

As cruising resumes in some parts of world, multiple cruise ships affected by new COVID-19 cases

While most of the cruise industry remains on pause, some cruise lines have begun to resume operations in international waters.

After Missing for 9 Days, Teenager Found Safe Near Washington State Mountain Pass

Authorities located 18-year-old Gia Fuda just before they were about to start winding down their rescue efforts

Vote to renominate Trump to be held privately without media present due to coronavirus

The Republican National Convention is set to be closed to the press and held in private later this month due to coronavirus risks, a spokesperson for the event has said.If the decision stands, the vote to renominate President Donald Trump will be the first nominating convention in modern history without a media presence. The events traditionally attract a great deal of coverage, as parties use the fanfare to spread their message as widely as possible.

She got the virus. Then she was fired. Some sick workers left in cold by employers.

McDonald's and Marriott franchises are among hundreds of businesses that have illegally denied paid sick leave during the pandemic, records show.

These 43-square-foot pods were originally for travelers to take a nap at the airport, but now the company is selling them for $50,000 each

NapCity's pods are modular and customizable, starting at $50,000.

Mexico crime: Mexican police seize alleged oil theft crime boss The Sledgehammer

"The Sledgehammer" is caught after releasing a bizarre, tearful video declaring war on security forces.

South Africa's coronavirus case toll soars while Lagos continues phased reopening

South Africa has become the fifth nation to pass the grim milestone of half a million confirmed coronavirus cases, which account for more than 50 per cent of all Covid-19 infections on the continent of Africa. Zwelini Mkhezi, the health minister, announced a further 10,107 new cases on Saturday, meaning that the Rainbow Nation now only tails the USA, Brazil, Russia and India by number of infections, despite having a significantly smaller population. Despite the dizzying numbers, Cyril Ramaphosa, the president of South Africa, said he sees “promising signs” that the alarming growth of cases is stabilising and the health care system in his country is coping in most areas. In a letter to the nation on Sunday, Mr Ramaphosa said that despite the high number of confirmed cases, he sees some positive developments. Most notably, the daily increase in infections appears to be stabilizing in the provinces of the Western Cape, the Eastern Cape and Gauteng. Gauteng province has become the latest epicentre of the outbreak. Home to the capital, Pretoria, and the largest city, Johannesburg, Gauteng now has 35 per cent of the nation’s cases. Health experts warn that hospitals are struggling to cope and that the virus may not peak until late August or early September.

Dr. Deborah Birx says the US is in a new, 'more widespread' phase of the coronavirus pandemic

The White House coronavirus response coordinator told CNN that current outbreaks in the US are "different from March and April."

Portland police declare unlawful assembly during protest

The Portland Police Bureau declared an unlawful assembly Saturday night when people gathered outside a police precinct in Oregon's largest city and threw bottles toward officers, police said. Until that point, federal, state and local law enforcement had been seemingly absent from the protests Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The demonstrations — that for weeks ended with tear gas, fireworks shot towards buildings, federal agents on the street and injuries to protesters and officers — have recently ended with chanting and conversations. Activists and Oregon officials urged people at Saturday night’s protest in Portland to re-center the focus on Black Lives Matter, three days after the Trump administration agreed to reduce the presence of federal agents.

Coronavirus updates: New tests measure amount of antibodies in blood; Louisiana ravaged twice by virus; cruise crews test positive

The FDA authorizes the first COVID-19 tests that analyze the amount of antibodies in the blood. Latest COVID-19 news Saturday.

Mysterious seeds sent from China to the US identified by the USDA

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.

Biden urged not to debate Trump so president doesn't have another platform to 'lie'

Republican strategist Joseph Pinion and Democratic political analyst Kelly Hyman react.

A pastor who told congregants not to be afraid of the coronavirus was hospitalized with COVID-19

Charles Pope, a pastor in Washington, D.C., tested positive for COVID-19 after advising worshippers not to fear the virus.

Anxious WHO implores world to 'do it all' in long war on COVID-19

The World Health Organization warned on Monday that there might never be a "silver bullet" for COVID-19 in the form of a perfect vaccine and that the road to normality would be long, with some countries requiring a reset of strategy. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and WHO emergencies head Mike Ryan exhorted nations to rigorously enforce health measures such as mask-wearing, social distancing, hand-washing and testing. The WHO head said that, while the coronavirus was the biggest health emergency since the early 20th century, the international scramble for a vaccine was also "unprecedented".

Biden has edge in North Carolina, race is tight in Georgia — CBS News poll

Concern about President Trump's handling of coronavirus pandemic is continuing to take a political toll on him.

Shoprite: Africa's biggest supermarket considers pulling out of Nigeria

Shoprite is the latest high-profile South African retailer to struggle in the Nigerian market.

Spanish police launch investigation after DJ filmed spitting beer in to a crowd

Police have launched an investigation after a video emerged of a DJ spitting beer onto dancers at a beach club in a Spanish resort as the country battled to reduce a spike in coronavirus cases. Video film showed a man spraying the crowd with beer then offering some dancers drinks from the same bottle at the club in Torremolinos, a destination popular with British tourists near Malaga in southern Spain. Many people dancing do not appear to be wearing masks according to the images which were shared widely on social media. One member of the Spanish DJ duo called Les Castizos was said to be the person who spat the beer at the crowd during part of their act. Police said they were investigating the pair for alleged “behaviour which does not abide by the measures of protection and security against coronavirus”. Torremolinos council has closed the beach bar Kokun Ocean Club for 15 days after the video emerged.

Afghan forces retake prison after deadly attack by IS group

Militants affiliated with the Islamic State group stormed a prison in eastern Afghanistan in a daylong siege that left at least 39 people dead, including the assailants, and freed nearly 400 of their fighters before security forces restored order, a government official said Monday. The attack underscored that the Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan is still a formidable presence, and it highlighted the challenges ahead as U.S. and NATO forces begin to withdraw following Washington's peace deal with the Taliban. The peace accord aims to recruit the Taliban to battle the militants from IS, which U.S. officials have told The Associated Press is the Americans' biggest foe in Afghanistan.

Splash Mountain log flume ride sinks at Disney World's Magic Kingdom

Walt Disney World's Splash Mountain hit rough waters Sunday as Twitter users posted video of a submerged log flume ride they were in moments earlier.

New York City has already had more shootings in 2020 than in the whole of 2019

New York City has recorded more shootings so far in 2020 than the whole of last year, authorities have confirmed.There were 777 shootings between January and 2 August 2020, compared with 776 in 2019, according to figures compiled by the New York Post, and later confirmed by New York Police department (NYPD).

Southern California wildfire forces thousands to evacuate

The Apple fire in Riverside County, about 75 miles east of Los Angeles, burned through 12,000 acres and was 0 percent contained Saturday night.

A Chicago Dunkin' worker was arrested on suspicion of spitting in a state trooper's coffee

The incident is the latest in a series of recent tensions between restaurant workers and police officers amid nationwide uprisings against racism.

An Arizona congressman who tested positive for the coronavirus criticized Republican lawmakers for refusing to wear masks in the Capitol

Arizona Democrat Rep. Raúl Grijalva tested positive for the coronavirus on Saturday but is currently asymptomatic.

Hydroxychloroquine not effective; time to 'move on:' White House coronavirus testing chief Giroir

"I think most physicians and prescribers are evidence-based and they're not influenced by whatever is on Twitter," Adm. Brett Giroir said.

South Africa's COVID-19 cases surpass half a million

South Africa's confirmed cases of COVID-19 have crossed half a million, its health ministry said on Saturday, while cases in Africa as a whole approached a million. Africa's most industrialised nation recorded 10,107 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus, pushing the total to 503,290, the ministry said. Just over 3 million people have so far been tested for the virus in South Africa, which confirmed its first case five months ago, and 8,153 deaths have been recorded.

Pet owners urged to support lonely animals during return-to-work transition after lockdown

Half of adults are worried about leaving their pets at home if they go back to work, new research suggests. As more offices re-open this week after months of lockdown, a study by the Co-op Insurance revealed how many people had grown closer to their pets. Two fifths of 2,000 people surveyed said they had spent more time with their pets recently than ever before; often being with them all day. A similar number admitted spoiling their furry friends with more treats than usual, spending £25 a week on average. Younger people are most concerned about the impact returning to work will have on their pets. Andrew Nevitt of the Co-op said: "During lockdown, owners have spent more time with their pets than ever before. "It's therefore no surprise that so many pet owners are concerned about the impact returning to the office will have on their pets. "It's really important that pet owners do what they can to support this transition. "Those returning to the office need to take the necessary steps to make sure that their pets are gradually eased back into spending time alone."

Guyana swears in Irfaan Ali as president after long stand-off

Five months after the election, opposition candidate Irfaan Ali is declared the winner and sworn in.

Boeing wins $265 million to build more special ops Chinook helos

The Army has minted another deal with Boeing for more special ops Chinooks.

‘Murder hornets’ trapped in US for first time as officials race to eradicate colonies before breeding season

As the US grapples with the world's worst coronavirus outbreak, a new threat is emerging as Asian giant hornets – known as “murder hornets” due to their lethal sting to humans – are gaining a foothold in the country.After they were first found in Washington State in May this year, the 2-inch (5cm)-long hornets have now been trapped for the first time – giving officials an indication – firstly that their traps work, and secondly of where nests could be situated.

Scientists and environmental groups 'alarmed' by huge rise in Amazon wildfires

“It’s a terrible sign,” said Ane Alencar, science director at Brazil’s Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM).

Verdict looms in killing of Lebanon ex-PM Hariri

A UN-backed tribunal will give its verdict Friday on the 2005 murder of former Lebanese premier Rafic Hariri, but questions will remain over a long and costly trial whose suspects remain at large. Four alleged members of the Shiite Muslim fundamentalist group Hezbollah are on trial in absentia at the court in the Netherlands over the huge Beirut suicide bombing that killed Sunni billionaire Hariri and 21 other people. The judgment harks back to an event that changed the face of the Middle East, with Hariri's assassination triggering a wave of demonstrations that pushed Syrian forces out of Lebanon after 30 years.

Seattle's city council moves to abolish its police department

Is a 'community-led' safety program a suitable replacement? Reaction from former Seattle city council candidate Ari Hoffman.

'A courageous trailblazer': The US Navy's first Black female fighter pilot has earned her 'Wings of Gold'

"Very proud of LTJG [Madeline] Swegle," a senior Navy official wrote when she graduated. "Go forth and kick butt."

Russia says suspected mercenaries detained by Belarus were going to Latin America

A Russian diplomat said on Monday a group of more than 30 suspected Russian mercenaries detained in Belarus last week were only passing through Minsk and were on their way to an unnamed Latin American state. Belarusian authorities have said they suspect the men entered their country to plot "acts of terrorism" and destabilise it before an Aug. 9 presidential election. The Russian state says it does not use mercenaries.

Letters to the Editor: The cult of Trump is starting to inflict casualties. Just ask Louie Gohmert

Rep. Louie Gohmert is remaining stridently anti-mask even after being diagnosed with COVID-19, because he things that's what Trump wants.

Nigeria Boko Haram: Governor says battle against militants being sabotaged

A governor in north-east Nigeria suggests soldiers were behind gunfire that forced his convoy to flee.

Gym owners defy pandemic orders, break into own business closed by state and reopen it

Authorities closed the gym Monday, when they charged the owners with contempt and disorderly persons offenses.

Two sisters who hadn't seen each other in more than 50 years were reunited by coronavirus

One long-lost sister was being treated for her COVID-19 infection at a rehab center while the other worked as a medical aide.

Scientists retract claim of finding tiniest dinosaur

The “tiny, weird bird-like dinosaur” was not a dinosaur or a bird after all, according to a retraction of the research published in a prestigious journal

Detective Recalls Gut-Wrenching Moment Doomsday Mom’s Kids Were Found

After nearly nine months of searching, investigators found 7-year-old J.J. Vallow—still clad in red pajamas and “tightly wrapped” in black plastic—in the backyard of doomsday author Chad Daybell’s Idaho home, a detective testified Monday. The little boy’s head, arms, and feet were bound in duct tape.Several feet away, authorities discovered “a mass of burnt flesh and charred bone” they later determined to be the remains of 17-year-old Tylee Ryan, in a “pet cemetery” on Daybell’s property, said Ray Hermosillo, a detective with the Rexburg Police Department.Hermosillo described the gruesome finding on the first day of a two-day preliminary hearing in Fremont County Courthouse, where prosecutors will sketch out their case against Daybell, 52, who’s accused of hiding evidence when authorities began to investigate the disappearance of the two children of his second wife, Lori Vallow. The hearing comes nearly two months after authorities found the remains of Vallow’s children on Daybell’s Idaho property. Daybell and Vallow, who are members of a community of doomsday preppers and were married two weeks after Daybell was widowed, have not been charged in the deaths of the two children, whose bizarre missing-persons case has garnered national attention. Hermosillo described in graphic detail how authorities on June 9 found a small child’s body in a “shallow grave” near a tree that had “three large white flat rocks” placed “in a row” with “thin wood paneling” underneath.“As soon as we lifted the wood paneling out of the hole in Chad Daybell’s backyard, I could immediately smell the odor of a decomposing body,” Hermosillo said. Later, the detective said that investigators found the “burnt mass” in a melted green bucket near the remains of a dog and a cat.J.J.’s body was clad in a red pajama set and Sketcher socks. A white-and-blue blanket had been placed over him, the detective said, while duct tape tightly covered his head, arms, and feet. Hermosillo added a light plastic bag was also found on top of J.J.’s head.“His hands were folded about chest high. He had duct tape continuously wrapped from elbow, all the way around his arms over his hands, all the way to his right elbow—several layers, tightly wrapped,” Hermosillo said.“He had a ball of duct tape over where his hands would be,” Hermosillo added. “His wrists were also bound by another layer of duct tape. His ankles were also bound with duct tape.” Dressed in a white shirt and blue tie, Daybell sat quietly next to his attorney, John Prior, as Hermosillo answered questions from Madison County prosecutor Rob Wood. Family Says Bodies Found at Doomsday Home Are Missing KidsDaybell faces two felony counts of conspiracy to commit destruction, alteration, or concealment of evidence, and two felony counts of destruction, alteration, or concealment of evidence. Vallow, whose preliminary trial is set for next week, is being held on child desertion and other charges. Kay and Larry Woodcock, J.J’s grandparents, were also present at the Monday hearing, telling reporters “it’s showtime” before walking past dozens of media outlets and several community members holding signs in support.J.J., 7, and Tylee, 17, had not been seen since September, although it wasn’t until relatives asked police to check on them in late November that they were registered as missing.Hermosillo testified on Monday that he first began an investigation into Vallow’s children on Nov. 26, 2019, after the autistic 7-year-old’s grandparents contacted police for a welfare check. Upon arrival, Hermosillo found Lori’s brother, Alex Cox, at the home—without J.J. or Vallow. Hermosillo said after Cox refused to cooperate with authorities, the detective found Daybell near a second apartment, and he insisted he didn’t really know Vallow, only meeting her a few times through her brother.“I again found it suspicious because I knew they were married two weeks prior to my contact with Mr. Daybell,” Hermosillo said. A few minutes later, Daybell gave up his wife’s phone number, telling the detective he didn’t initially provide it because “he felt like I was accusing him of something,” Hermosillo testified. The detectives ultimately searched three apartments rented to Vallow, Cox, and another family member, Melani Boudreaux. In one of the units, the detective said, police found a suitcase inscribed with J.J.’s name and a half-filled prescription bottle of pills for the 7-year-old. The other two units appeared to be empty. With Vallow and Daybell refusing to cooperate, Hermosillo said the investigation quickly expanded into a search for Tylee Ryan as well, after relatives said she had also gone missing. In January, after Vallow repeatedly lied about the kids’ whereabouts and then fled to Hawaii with her new husband, Hermosillo said the mother of two was served an order instructing her to return the two minors. He said there was no sign that J.J or Tylee were staying at the Hawaii home.Doomsday Stepdad Jailed After Human Remains Found on His PropertyVallow was eventually arrested in Hawaii after failing to produce her children. After tracking the cellphone movements of Lori’s brother, authorities were able to locate the children’s remains on Daybell’s property on June 9. Hermosillo said Daybell was arrested less than three hours after they found the bodies.The children’s disappearance brought scrutiny to the couple’s involvement in the prepper community—and to the deaths of Vallow’s and Daybell’s previous spouses.Last October, Daybell’s wife of 30 years, Tammy, died of unknown causes, after which the author of apocalyptic novels for a Mormon audience declined an autopsy—a move that raised eyebrows. He married Vallow weeks later. Vallow’s husband, Charles Vallow, was shot in July—supposedly by her brother Alex Cox, who said he fired in self-defense during a domestic dispute. Cox was not charged and later died of natural causes.Court Docs Reveal How Police Found Bodies of Doomsday Mom’s KidsCharles Vallow had written in divorce and custody petitions that Lori had become obsessed with doomsday visions and had threatened his life. He said she believed she was reincarnated to lead people during the second coming of Jesus Christ in July 2020 and said that if he got in the way of her saving humanity, she would kill him, NBC News reported.  Police have exhumed the body of Tammy Daybell, who was found dead at home. While her death was initially listed as “natural,” it has since been classified as suspicious; an autopsy report has not yet been released. The Idaho Attorney General’s Office in April took over an investigation into Daybell and Vallow in connection with Tammy's death. One court document in the case reveals potential charges could include conspiracy and murder, but no one has been charged.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.

China seeks to increase influence in South China Sea by reclassifying international shipping lanes

China has quietly changed how it identifies a vast stretch of international waters in a shipping regulation, indicating it as a “coastal” region, rather than “offshore,” as authorities seek to exert even greater control over the South China Sea. The amended regulation, first drafted in the 1970s, went into effect on Saturday, and establishes a “navigation area” from China’s Hainan island in the south, all the way down to the disputed Paracel Islands, which sit east of Vietnam’s coastline. The revision, however small, allows Beijing yet another avenue to justify its claims in the region. “The move is pretty consistent with the broader, general patterns of China seeking ‘creeping jurisdiction’ using domestic laws to assert its claims and extend control in the South China Sea,” said Collin Koh,a research fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. “With those domestic laws and regulations being implemented quietly without fanfare, the less likely it’ll attract undue external attention, so that over time a fair accompli is created - in other words, for Beijing to change facts on the ground.” The risk, in the long run, is that this area of ocean already flanked by Chinese military interests and installations, could turn a navigational zone to a “future security alert zone,” he said. The change comes as China has displayed increasing swagger in the South China Sea, where Beijing and a number of Southeast Asian countries all lay claim to the rocks, reefs and waters.

Virgin Galactic just revealed a new supersonic passenger jet planned with Rolls-Royce, which used to make Concorde jet engines

Virgin Galactic, founded by Richard Branson, has until now largely focused its efforts on designing and building spaceships for tourists.