Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh Resigns Amid Self-Published Children’s Books Scandal
(BALTIMORE) — Baltimore's mayor resigned under pressure Thursday amid a flurry of investigations into whether she arranged bulk sales of her self-published children's books to disguise hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks. Mayor Catherine Pugh's resignation came exactly a week after her City Hall offices, homes and multiple other locations were raided by FBI an...
5m May 03, 2019
5m
Drug Company Founder and Stripper-Turned-Sales-Rep Convicted of Bribing Doctors to Prescribe Opioids
(BOSTON) — A pharmaceutical company founder accused of bribing doctors across the U.S. to prescribe a highly addictive fentanyl spray was convicted Thursday in a case that exposed such marketing tactics as using a stripper-turned-sales-rep to give a physician a lap dance. John Kapoor, the 76-year-old former chairman of Insys Therapeutics, was found guilty of racketeerin...
3m May 03, 2019
3m
Charlize Theron Discusses That Time Rihanna Trolled Her With a T-shirt
It’s hard to compete with Rihanna, even if you’re Charlize Theron. The Long Shot star stopped by Late Night on Wednesday and shared a story that shows that even Theron’s own publicist seems to prefer Rihanna. “You want your publicist to like you,” Theron told host Seth Meyers. “You want to think that your publicist thinks that you’re worth putting out there in the world...
1m May 03, 2019
1m
The U.K. Has Officially Declared a Climate ‘Emergency’
The U.K. parliament declared an environment and climate emergency on Wednesday. Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader who put the motion forward, called the move "a huge step forward," according to the BBC. "This can set off a wave of action from parliaments and governments around the globe." The motion asks the U.K. government to achieve net-zero emissions before 2050. I...
2m May 02, 2019
2m
A Device That Heats Tobacco, But Doesn't Burn It, Can Now Be Sold in the U.S. Here's What to Know
After a two-year wait, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday green-lit the sale of a new gadget that heats tobacco instead of burning it. The device, which is called IQOS (pronounced EYE-kose) and made by Philip Morris International, works by heating tobacco-filled sticks, called Heatsticks, to produce a nicotine-rich aerosol. The FDA's decision means the de...
6m May 02, 2019
6m
Homeland Security Plans to Pilot DNA Testing at the U.S.-Mexico Border
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials will soon pilot a DNA testing program at the U.S.-Mexico border in an attempt to catch migrants traveling with children who are not their own. The program is set to start next week at two ports of entry, CNN reports, and will run for two to three days. DHS says it has seen a "staggering increase" in the number of instan...
3m May 02, 2019
3m
Who Would Win in a Fight Between Marvel's Strongest Characters? Help Us Pick a Winner
It's a debate that has consumed Marvel fanatics for more than 50 years, and it always begins the same way: "Who would win in a fight between..." Back in the "Silver Age" of Marvel Comics, there was still a manageable cast of superheroes and villains each typically occupying their own magisteria, so the perseverant argument was mostly hypothetical. But the characters beg...
2m May 02, 2019
2m
Trump Gave the Japanese Prime Minister a Break on Trade, For Now
President Donald Trump did Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe a favor last week, delaying the start of negotiations on a tricky trade decision, potentially pushing it past that country's elections in July, three officials briefed on the talks tell TIME. Trump has said repeatedly that he values his relationship with Abe, and his decision to ignore the advice of Special T...
4m May 02, 2019
4m
‘We Haven’t Invested in Humanity.’ Will.i.am, Tech Execs Discuss Tech Optimism and Anxieties
Rapper, producer and technology entrepreneur will.i.am doesn't shy away from hard truths when it comes to Silicon Valley. "The investment that society has put in AI (artificial intelligence) surpasses the investment for HI, which is human intelligence," said Will.i.am during a panel at the Dell Technologies World 2019 Conference on Wednesday. "It's so lopsided that subc...
3m May 02, 2019
3m
Thai King Confirms 4th Marriage, to Former Flight Attendant, and Appoints Her Queen
(BANGKOK) — Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn, who will have his official coronation on Saturday, has appointed his consort as the country's queen. An announcement Wednesday in the Royal Gazette said Suthida Vajiralongkorn Na Ayudhya is legally married to the 66-year-old king, and is now Queen Suthida. Although she has been in the public eye for about three years, ...
2m May 02, 2019
2m
Police Praise Hero UNC Charlotte Student Who ‘Took the Fight’ to Gunman Before He Was Killed
Authorities praised one of the victims killed at the University of North Carolina Charlotte as a hero for "taking the fight" to the gunman who opened fire on campus Tuesday night. Student Riley Howell, 21, "absolutely" saved lives, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney told reporters Wednesday. Howell followed active shooter training, Howell said, which instruc...
3m May 02, 2019
3m
Attorney General William Barr Snubs House After Contentious Senate Testimony
Attorney General William Barr told the House Judiciary Committee that he won’t show up for a scheduled hearing Thursday about Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. Barr is “trying to blackmail the committee,” Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler told reporters Wednesday evening, saying that the executive branch doesn’t get to dictate the format of the he...
6m May 02, 2019
6m
Is Seaweed Healthy? Here’s What Experts Say
Seaweed is a staple in many Asian cuisines, but many Americans still only encounter it when they go out for sushi. As a result, many diners don't know what to make of it: Is seaweed healthy? Does it count as a vegetable? Are all kinds nutritionally the same? Miho Hatanaka, a Japanese-born registered dietitian who is based in Oregon, says the sea vegetable is worth getti...
6m May 01, 2019
6m
Nebraska County Cleared to Raise Sales Tax to Pay $28 Million for Wrongfully Convicted ‘Beatrice Six’
(LINCOLN, Neb.) — Nebraska lawmakers have cleared the way for a rural county to impose a half-cent sales tax to pay a $28.1 million legal debt to six people wrongfully convicted of murder. Senators voted 41-8 on Tuesday to override the veto of Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts, who opposed the measure because it would allow the tax without approval from voters. Thirty votes...
1m May 01, 2019
1m
A Vigil Has Been Planned at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte After a Shooting Killed Two People
(CHARLOTTE, N.C.) — A shooting that killed two and wounded four at a North Carolina university left students scrambling for shelter and prompted fresh calls for ways to keep campuses safe. A vigil was planned for Wednesday on the campus of the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, where the shooting on Tuesday upended the last day of class. The governor vowed a hard l...
2m May 01, 2019
2m
Caster Semenya Loses Appeal Against IAAF Testosterone Rules
(LAUSANNE, Switzerland) — Caster Semenya lost her appeal Wednesday against rules designed to decrease naturally high testosterone levels in some female runners. The Court of Arbitration for Sport's panel of three judges gave a complex verdict and "dismissed both requests for arbitration" from Semenya and the governing body of track and field.
2m May 01, 2019
2m
Venezuela Braces For More Protests After a Day of Turmoil
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — He called it the moment for Venezuelans to reclaim their democracy once and for all. But as the hours dragged on, opposition leader Juan Guaidó stood alone on a highway overpass with the same small cadre of soldiers with whom he launched a bold effort to spark a military uprising and settle Venezuela's agonizing power struggle. Like past attemp...
8m May 01, 2019
8m
The Most-Wanted ISIS Leader Is Still Alive. Here’s How the U.S. Is Using Drones to Hunt Him Down
The call for help came from half a world away to a windowless room at a remote airbase in South Dakota. An American military advisor was calling from eastern Syria, asking the team at Ellsworth Air Force Base to deploy a drone to hunt down a small group of ISIS gunmen harassing the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the U.S.-backed force fighting in the region.
10m May 01, 2019
10m
Here Are the 10 New Books You Should Read in May
Many of the best new books coming out in May ask readers to question humankind's durability in the face of adversity, whether it be troubling changes meant to "rejuvenate" society, as in Ma Jian's China Dream or more personal, devastating loss, as in Jayson Greene's Once More We Saw Stars. Several of the characters in these books, as well as the writers behind them, mainta...
7m May 01, 2019
7m
A Minneapolis Officer Has Been Convicted in the Fatal Shooting of an Unarmed Woman
(MINNEAPOLIS) — After three weeks of testimony, a jury needed little more than a day to convict a black Minneapolis police officer of murder in the fatal shooting of an unarmed white woman who had called 911 to report a possible crime, delivering a guilty verdict that immediately sparked questions about whether race played a role. Mohamed Noor was also convicted Tuesday...
6m May 01, 2019
6m
New Japanese and Thai Monarchs Are In the Spotlight, But Here Are Some of Asia’s Other Royals
Japan is set to usher in a new imperial era come May 1: Crown Prince Naruhito will take the throne, ushering in the Reiwa Era and becoming the 126th emperor of Japan. The Japanese monarchy is said to be the world's oldest, but Japan is just one of roughly a dozen countries in Asia with monarchs as their head of state. In some, the monarchs play a solely ceremonial role,...
6m May 01, 2019
6m
50 Years After Stonewall, We’re Still Disagreeing About What Happened. That’s Why Archives Matter
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, a moment of resistance by LGBTQ people against homophobia and transphobia, police harassment and exploitation by organized crime. The conflict started in the wee hours of June 28, 1969, and continued for almost a week. The Stonewall Inn was an illegal club, operating without a liquor license, controlled by the...
8m May 01, 2019
8m
Here’s What’s New on (and Leaving) Netflix in May 2019
As far as Netflix drops go, May 2019 may be the streaming service's best collection yet. From the first season of Pose to two Austin Powers installments, everybody has a favorite on this list. This month introduces Barry Jenkins' Oscar-winning 2016 film Moonlight and the Oscar-nominated Revolutionary Road in addition to a host of original films. For your true crime f...
8m May 01, 2019
8m
Facebook Is Getting Its Biggest Redesign in Years. Here’s What to Know
(Bloomberg) — Facebook Inc. unveiled updates to the Groups feature of its main social network, doubling down on a successful but controversial part of the big blue app — and another sign that Facebook is moving toward more private, intimate communication. The changes, announced Tuesday at the company’s annual F8 conference in San Jose, California, make Groups a bigger...
5m May 01, 2019
5m
Test Dummies Fall Off Jersey Shore Roller Coaster, But Officials Assure Ride Is Safe
(OCEAN CITY, N.J.) — The operators of a New Jersey shore amusement park say a roller coaster there is safe after a pair of water-filled test dummies fell off during a recent test ride. The GaleForce coaster at Playland's Castaway Cove in Ocean City was undergoing a routine safety check April 20 when the dummies plummeted into a hotel next door, damaging the building's s...
52s May 01, 2019
52s
Fearing an Attack, Wounded Rabbi Said California Synagogue Relied on Armed Volunteers for Protection
Before tragedy struck at the Chabad of Poway synagogue in Southern California, leaders of the congregation feared an attack was coming—but they had no money to increase security. By the time a gunman stormed the house of worship late Saturday morning, killing one person and injuring three others, it was too late. “We never thought in America it would succumb to this,...
5m Apr 30, 2019
5m
Trump Keeps Talking About Second-Trimester Abortions. Here’s What He Gets Wrong
Abortions during and after the second trimester are extremely rare. In fact, fewer than 1.3% of abortions are performed after 21 weeks of gestation, according to 2015 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The procedures, often termed "late-term abortions" by opponents, mostly happen because of a serious fetal anomaly or for the health of the woman. ...
5m Apr 30, 2019
5m
ISIS Leader al-Baghdadi Appears in Video for First Time in 5 Years
(BEIRUT) — The shadowy leader of the Islamic State group claimed to appear for the first time in five years in a video released by the extremist group's propaganda arm on Monday, acknowledging defeat in the group's last stronghold in Syria but vowing a "long battle" ahead. The man said to be Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in the video also claimed the Easter Day bombings in Sri L...
5m Apr 30, 2019
5m
Wealthy, Male American Students Are More Likely to BS, Study Says
Students who are wealthier and male are more likely than others to claim that they know more than they actually do, says a new study. The study, which reviewed surveys of 40,000 15-year-old students from across nine English-speaking countries, found that boys and people from wealthier families are more likely to be “bullshitters," which it defines as “individuals who cl...
3m Apr 30, 2019
3m
Joe Biden Says Trump Abused His Office and Calls for a ‘President Who Works for All Americans’
(PITTSBURGH) — Joe Biden accused President Donald Trump of abusing the powers of his office and ignoring everyone but his political base Monday in his first public rally as presidential candidate, arguing in the crucial battleground state of Pennsylvania that strengthening unions and promoting social and economic unity can restore Democrats to the White House.
6m Apr 30, 2019
6m
Halima Aden Becomes the First Model to Wear a Burkini in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition
A Somali-American model has become the first to wear a hijab and burkini in the swimwear edition of Sports Illustrated magazine. The annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit featuring the 21-year-old Muslim model Halima Aden will be released on May 8, according to Sports Illustrated. The magazine shared news about the history-making model on its Twitter account Monday. ...
2m Apr 30, 2019
2m
Parents of Synagogue Shooting Suspect Say He Is ‘Part of the History of Evil’ Perpetrated on Jewish People
(POWAY, Calif.) — The parents of a 19-year-old college student suspected of attacking a Southern California synagogue said Monday that they are shocked and saddened that "he is now part of the history of evil that has been perpetrated on Jewish people for centuries." John T. Earnest's parents said they raised him and his five siblings in a family, faith and community th...
7m Apr 30, 2019
7m
Game of Thrones’ Star Jacob Anderson on Where He Thinks Grey Worm’s Loyalty Will Lead Him
Warning: This interview contains spoilers for Game of Thrones. Sunday night's Battle of Winterfell flipped the script on Game of Thrones: the biggest threat in the history of Westeros has now been demolished, with the living suffering heavy losses in their defense of Winterfell. Yet most of the main characters emerged alive — until next week, at least. That includes ...
8m Apr 30, 2019
8m
John Singleton’s Boyz n the Hood Was Just the Start of a Fearless, Trailblazing Career
The Oscars So White debacle of 2015 opened a galvanizing conversation about how filmmakers of color might carve out greater opportunity in Hollywood. But John Singleton, who died Monday at age 51 following a stroke, was at the forefront of that battle long before we had a hashtag for it, ushering in a new era of creativity and boldness among black filmmakers. He showed thr...
6m Apr 30, 2019
6m
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein Resigns, Will Leave Post May 11
WASHINGTON — Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein submitted his resignation Monday, ending a two-year run defined by his appointment of a special counsel to investigate connections between Donald Trump's presidential campaign and Russia. His last day will be May 11. Rosenstein's departure had been expected following the confirmation of William Barr as attorney general...
7m Apr 30, 2019
7m
How That Epic Arya Stark Scene Affects a Crucial Game of Thrones Prophecy
Warning: This post contains major spoilers for Game of Thrones season 8. Just when it seemed like there was no hope for the living to defeat the dead in the Battle of Winterfell on Game of Thrones, Arya Stark popped up out of nowhere to kill the Night King. This act, along with a closer reading of her encounter with Melisandre, may hint at an even bigger role for Arya i...
4m Apr 29, 2019
4m
‘We Will Not Let Anyone Take Us Down.’ Wounded Rabbi Defiant After California Synagogue Shooting
(POWAY, Calif.) — In the minutes after the gunman fled the scene of a shooting that killed a woman inside a Southern California synagogue, a wounded Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein wrapped his bloodied hand in a prayer shawl, stood on a chair and addressed the panicked congregation, vowing to stay strong in the face of the deadly attack targeting his community. "We are a Jewish...
7m Apr 29, 2019
7m
Does the Vice Presidency Give Joe Biden an Advantage in the Race to the Top?
Capping off months of speculation and concern, the 47th Vice President of the United States Joseph R. Biden announced Thursday morning that he will join the 2020 race for the Democratic Party nomination for President. He thus joins a small club of people who have held the role of VP and made a run for the top. https://twitter.
8m Apr 29, 2019
8m
National Security Adviser: President Trump Doesn’t Want Multi-Nation North Korea Talks
(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. has little interest in joining other countries in a multi-nation effort to get North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons, President Donald Trump's national security adviser said Sunday. The United States is not trying to exclude other nations from nuclear talks with Pyongyang, John Bolton told "Fox News Sunday," but "I think it's not what our pr...
3m Apr 29, 2019
3m
Japan Has Big Plans for a U.S. Summit. But Trump Just Wants to Talk Cars and Military Costs
Few foreign leaders have tried as hard as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to establish some personal rapport with President Donald Trump. But as the two meet again at the White House and at Trump’s golf course outside Washington, the chances of reaching even a modest agreement to ease trade tensions between the two allies rest almost entirely with Trump, according to...
5m Apr 29, 2019
5m
Review: Emily Oster Wrote the Pregnancy Bible. Now She Has Advice for Parents of Young Kids
It is often said that babies don’t come with instruction manuals, but parenting advice is hardly difficult to come by. On the contrary, there’s so much of it — from John Locke to Dr. Spock, no fewer than 50,000 books for sale on Amazon and that no pressure, but I’m totally judging you mom in your postnatal-yoga class — it can feel impossible to know what the right decision...
11m Apr 29, 2019
11m
‘Spot and Assess.’ The Intelligence Strategy Behind Russia’s Political Outreach
At 448 pages, Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 election feels definitive, but it's hardly the final word on the subject. In fact, a recent court filing in a related case has already shed more light on Russian espionage methods.
6m Apr 29, 2019
6m
Breaking Down the Complicated Time Travel in Avengers: Endgame
Warning: This post contains spoilers for Avengers: Endgame. At the end of Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos uses powerful gems called Infinity Stones to snap his fingers and destroy half of all life in the universe. At the beginning of its follow-up film Avengers: Endgame, the Avengers hunt down Thanos and try to take the Infinity Stones back to undo the damage. Unfortunat...
10m Apr 29, 2019
10m
The Birthplace of Suicide Bombing: Sri Lanka's Grim History
For many years, Sri Lanka's bloody civil war kept tourists at bay. When the 26-year conflict between the Tamil ethnic minority and the government ended in 2009, tourists flocked to the island nation's tropical beaches, highland tea country and wildlife safaris. Hotels proliferated, among them the Shangri-La in the capital Colombo. On Easter Sunday, the Shangri-La was on...
8m Apr 29, 2019
8m
It’s Not Your Imagination: That Toddler is Judging You
There are few things as irresistible as the face of a toddler: the tiny nose, the ingenuous eyes, the utter scrumptiousness of the cheeks. Well, guess what. They don't think nearly as highly of your face. Kids may not say it, but by the time they're as young as three, they give you a good hard look the moment they meet you—and they judge a lot by what they see.
5m Apr 29, 2019
5m
Avengers: Endgame Smashes Record for Biggest Opening Weekend
(NEW YORK) — The universe belongs to Marvel. "Avengers: Endgame" shattered the record for biggest opening weekend with an estimated $350 million in ticket sales domestically and $1.2 billion globally, reaching a new pinnacle in the blockbuster era that the comic-book studio has come to dominate. The "Avengers" finale far exceeded even its own gargantuan expectations, ac...
7m Apr 29, 2019
7m
1 Dead, 3 Injured in California Synagogue Shooting
A woman was killed and three people, including a juvenile, were injured at a synagogue in California on Saturday. Police say that a 19-year-old white man allegedly entered the Chabad of Poway at about 11:23 a.m. PST carrying an assault rifle. He shot and killed an older woman and wounded two men and a girl. The four victims were brought to Palomar Medical Center at 12:3...
3m Apr 28, 2019
3m
I Raised Two CEOs and a Doctor. These Are My Secrets to Parenting Successful Children
After I gave birth to my first daughter, Susan, the nurse wrapped her in a pink blanket and put a tiny yellow knit hat on her head. Stan, my husband, sat by my side. We were both exhausted but elated, and in that moment, everything was clear: I loved my daughter from the second I saw her, and I felt a primal desire to protect her, to give her the best life possible, to do ...
9m Apr 28, 2019
9m
Pentagon Clears Acting Defense Chief After He Said the F-35 Program Was 'F-cked Up'
The Pentagon’s watchdog cleared acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan in its investigation into whether he violated any ethics rules by promoting his longtime former employer Boeing Co. while serving in the Trump Administration. The reprieve removes a major hurdle for President Donald Trump to nominate him as Defense Secretary, a post that has been empty for 112 day...
8m Apr 28, 2019
8m
Does Avengers: Endgame Have a Post-Credits Scene? An Investigation
Warning: This post contains spoilers for Avengers: Endgame. Marvel Studios movies have changed the cinematic landscape: A decade ago few people would have thought to sit through the credits of a movie in order to see a teaser for the next film in the series. But now, thanks to 11 years of Marvel movie post-credit scenes, many moviegoers eagerly await the short scenes th...
5m Apr 28, 2019
5m