May 2024

Iran has bolstered its stockpile of uranium enriched close to weapons-grade levels, according to a confidential report by the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog. Tehran seeks to have punitive economic sanctions imposed over its contentious nuclear program rescinded in exchange for curbing the program. The program, like all state matters in Iran, operates under the oversight of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. — A rocket launched by North Korea to deploy its second spy satellite exploded shortly after liftoff, state media reported, dealing a setback to leader Kim Jong Un’s ambitions to field satellites to monitor the U.S. and South Korea. The failed launch came hours after the leaders of South Korea, China, and Japan convened in Seoul for their first trilateral summit in over four years. It’s highly unusual for North Korea to take provocative action when China, its major ally and economic lifeline, engages in high-level diplomacy in the region. — Russia and Uzbekistan signed an agreement Monday for Moscow to construct a small nuclear power plant in the Central Asian nation. Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks in the Uzbek capital with Uzbekistan’s leader Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Mirziyoyev hailed the project as “vital” in remarks after the talks, noting that Uzbekistan has “its own large reserves of uranium.” Putin, in turn, vowed to “do everything in order to work effectively on Uzbekistan’s (nuclear energy) market.” — A 26-year-old man will face charges including assault with intent to murder, and two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, after police allege he stabbed two people at a local rest-stop restaurant. Authorities identified the suspect Sunday afternoon as 26-year-old Jared Ravizza. Ravizza was arrested Saturday night but is currently in a local hospital receiving medical treatment for non-life-threatening injuries. Prosecutors said they believe the man is linked to the alleged stabbing of four girls inside a movie theater in a nearby town. — A Papua New Guinea government official has told the United Nations that more than 2,000 people are believed to have been buried alive by last Friday’s landslide and has formally requested international assistance. The government figure is roughly triple the U.N. estimate of 670 killed by the landslide in the South Pacific island nation’s mountainous interior. The remains of only five people had been recovered by Monday, local authorities reported. It was not immediately clear why the tally of six reported on Sunday had been revised down. — A lightning strike killed a Colorado rancher and 34 head of cattle over the weekend, officials said. Mike Morgan, 51, was feeding his cattle from a trailer when he was struck and died on the scene despite life-saving efforts, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office said. The lightning bolt struck on wide open pasture outside the town of Rand, about 80 miles northwest of Denver, said George Crocket, the county coroner. — Famed boxer Mike Tyson, 57, suffered a medical emergency onboard a flight from Miami to Los Angeles over the weekend. The Hall of Fame fighter is “doing great,” according to representatives for Tyson. The incident on Sunday occurred mere minutes before landing, according to Tyson’s representatives. “He became nauseous and dizzy due to an ulcer flare up 30 minutes before landing,” read a statement from his representatives. “He is appreciative to the medical staff that were there to help him.” — “General Hospital” actor Johnny Wactor, who was known for playing Brando Corbin in the beloved ABC soap opera, died after being shot. Wactor was shot after he interrupted three male suspects who were allegedly attempting to remove a catalytic converter from his vehicle, his mother, Scarlett Wactor, told KABC-TV Los Angeles. The incident happened around 3:25 am on Saturday, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Donald Trump was booed repeatedly while addressing the Libertarian Party National Convention on Saturday night, with many in the crowd shouting insults and decrying him for things like his COVID-19 policies, running up towering federal deficits and lying about his political record.

Unbiased headline news for Saturday May 25, 2024 – Former President Donald Trump addressed the 2024 Libertarian National Convention on Saturday, in an endeavor to sway undecided voters. Angela McArdle, the chairperson of the Libertarian Party, stated that Trump promptly accepted the party’s invitation to deliver a speech at the convention. The party also extended an invitation to President Biden, but received no response. Trump’s outreach to the Libertarian Party comes after weeks of intensified criticisms directed at independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Junior. — The European Union and NATO have condemned Russia’s removal of buoys along a waterway demarcating its international border with Estonia. On Thursday, Russian border guards removed 24 of the 50 buoys placed by Estonia on the 48-mile river, marking sailing routes along the international boundary with Russia. “Such actions are unacceptable. The European Union expects an explanation from Russia concerning the removal of the buoys, and their immediate return,” stated EU High Representative Josep Borrell in a statement. — A U.S. soldier stationed at the Gaza pier platform sustained critical injuries and was evacuated to Israel, along with two others who were injured in incidents that a military official described as non-combat-related. The pier, anchored to the beach and Gaza, has been operational for about a week, facilitating the delivery of humanitarian food and supplies into the war-torn area via sea. Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, the deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, declined to comment on the most severe injury. — A massive fire erupted on Saturday at an amusement park in Gujarat state in western India, resulting in the tragic deaths of at least 22 individuals, including several children, according to police reports. The fire broke out at the park located in the city of Rajkot in Gujarat state. Police Commissioner Raju Bhargava confirmed that the blaze was brought under control and a rescue operation was underway. Police officer Vinayak Patel corroborated the death toll of 22 people in the fire incident. The New Delhi Television news channel reported a higher death toll of 27. — A New Mexico judge denied Alec Baldwin’s motion to dismiss his involuntary manslaughter charge stemming from the 2021 fatal shooting on the set of “Rust,” in an official order. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer determined that the prosecutors did not act in “bad faith” in securing a grand jury indictment, as alleged in the motion. Baldwin’s trial is scheduled to commence in July. The actor was practicing a cross-draw in a church on the set of the Western film when the Colt .45 revolver discharged a live round. — An illegal gold mine collapsed in northern Kenya, leaving at least five miners dead, according to police reports. The collapse of the Hillo mine in the Dabel area near the Kenyan border with Ethiopia was attributed to a landslide. Marsabit County Police Commander Patrick Mwakio stated that the miners died on the spot after being covered by debris. No other miners have been found, and it remains unclear if anyone else is missing following the collapse. — Highway bandits in Mexico made off with over 40 tons of avocados, according to federal prosecutors. The Attorney General’s Office stated that the avocados were stolen in two separate robberies in the western state of Michoacan, Mexico’s main producer of the fruit. In both cases, armed men stopped freight trucks carrying approximately 20 tons each and stole the shipments. Avocados are typically shipped in crates, which would facilitate a quicker and easier transfer of the load. — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has returned home following his “non-surgical medical procedure” on Friday and has since resumed his duties, said Major General Pat Ryder, the Pentagon’s top spokesman. Austin underwent the two-and-a-half hour procedure at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, during which his authorities were temporarily transferred to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks. “He is now back home and continued with his official schedule which included events on Monday for Memorial Day,” Ryder said.

Unbiased headline news for Thursday May 24, 2024 – Relatives of those slain in the Uvalde school massacre reached a $2 million settlement with Texas authorities over the deadly 2022 rampage, officials confirmed. The group also announced their intent to pursue lawsuits against numerous Texas Department of Public Safety officers and Uvalde’s school district. The announcement comes nearly two years after a teenage gunman tragically killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School. — Norway, Ireland, and Spain declared their formal recognition of Palestine as a state, effective Tuesday, in an effort to revitalize the hoped-for two-state solution to decades of conflict between Israel and Palestinians in the region. Amid a war that has claimed and injured countless lives, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store stressed the critical importance of keeping alive the sole political alternative for Israelis and Palestinians alike – two states, living side by side, in peace and security, according to a news release. — Boeing’s Starliner manned Crew Flight test has been indefinitely postponed after encountering a series of issues, NASA officials confirmed. The launch, originally scheduled for no earlier than Saturday, has been canceled, and no new date has been announced. The initial May 6 launch date to send a crew to the International Space Station was previously canceled, and subsequently, the launch date was pushed back multiple times. — Former GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley stated she will vote for former President Donald Trump in November, despite her disappointments with him. Haley was asked who she believes would better handle national security issues in the White House: Joe Biden or Donald Trump. The former United Nations ambassador said she prioritizes a president who will hold enemies accountable, secure the border, and support “capitalism and freedom,” and that while “Trump has not been perfect on these policies,” “Biden has been a catastrophe.” — Senator Rick Scott has officially declared his candidacy to become the next Senate Republican leader. Scott announced his plans to seek the top party leadership position in a letter to his Republican colleagues Wednesday afternoon. “I believe that our voters want us to use this leadership election to make a choice to upend the status quo in Washington,” Scott said in the letter. — A second person in the United States has contracted bird flu, health officials confirmed. The case was identified in a Michigan farmworker who had regular exposure to livestock infected with avian influenza, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services stated. The CDC said the Michigan dairy worker was being monitored due to their work exposure to infected cattle. — The U.S. Postal Service will have to compensate a probationary mail carrier in Oregon who was fired after reporting an on-the-job injury, a scenario that federal officials allege is all too common at the USPS. A federal judge has ordered the postal service to pay the worker $141,307 in lost wages and damages for emotional distress following a two-day trial, the Department of Labor announced. The USPS didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. — Elvis Presley’s iconic home of Graceland did not go up for auction on Thursday after all. In a hearing Wednesday that only lasted about eight minutes, Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins adjourned the sale of Graceland, saying, “The notary has sworn that the notary did not notarize the signature of Lisa Marie Presley on the deed of trust, which brings into question the authenticity of the signature.”

Unbiased headline news for Wednesday May 22, 2024 – Funeral events for Iran’s president and foreign minister got underway Tuesday with a procession on the streets of the northwestern city of Tabriz. Thousands of mourners lined the streets of Tabriz, the closest large city to the site of the crash, to kick off a three-day funeral for the 63-year-old hardline cleric who had been seen as a potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Khamenei announced five days of mourning for the fallen president. — Pro-Palestinian protesters continually declared U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken a “war criminal” as he testified during separate Senate hearings. Blinken testified before the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs regarding the Department of State’s $58.8 billion budget request for fiscal year 2025. “Blinken, you will be remembered as the butcher of Gaza,” one man yelled. — Technologies such as artificial intelligence and electric vehicles have increased demand on America’s power grid. The demand is so much that members of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources said Tuesday that the grid will need to rely on fossil fuel longer than expected and delay a transition to cleaner energy. — Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and 10 co-defendants pleaded not guilty Tuesday to nine felony charges accusing them of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election results in Arizona. Giuliani remotely entered his plea during the arraignment hearing in Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix, which ordered him to pay a $10,000 bond after state officials tried to serve Giuliani for several weeks. — A former University of Arizona graduate student was convicted Tuesday of first-degree murder for fatally shooting a hydrology professor on campus, months after he was expelled. A Pima County Superior Court jury deliberated for less than three hours before reaching a verdict against Murad Dervish, 48, in the death of Thomas Meixner, who was shot 11 times near his office in October 2022. Dervish also was convicted of five other felony counts, including aggravated assault for a bullet that grazed a building manager. — One person on a Singapore Airlines flight died and dozens of others were injured when the plane traveling from London to Singapore “encountered sudden extreme turbulence.” Flight SQ321 from London’s Heathrow Airport was diverted to Bangkok and touched down at 3:45 p.m. local time Tuesday at Suvarnabhumi Airport, the carrier said in a statement posted to its Facebook page. “We can confirm that there are injuries and one fatality on board the Boeing 777-300ER,” an earlier statement said. — After failing in several U.S. states this year, global chemical manufacturer Bayer said that it plans to amplify efforts to create a legal shield against a proliferation of lawsuits alleging it failed to warn that its popular weedkiller could cause cancer. Bayer, which disputes the cancer claims, has been hit with about 170,000 lawsuits involving its Roundup weedkiller and has set aside $16 billion to settle cases. But the company contends the legal fight “is not sustainable” and is looking to state lawmakers for relief. — It’s so hot in Mexico that howler monkeys are falling dead from the trees. At least 83 of the midsize primates, who are known for their roaring vocal calls, were found dead in the Gulf coast state of Tabasco. Others were rescued by residents, including five that were rushed to a local veterinarian who battled to save them. “They arrived in critical condition, with dehydration and fever,” said Dr. Sergio Valenzuela. ”They were as limp as rags. It was heatstroke.”

Unbiased headline news for Tuesday May 21, 2024 – Israeli anti-government activists clashed with police on the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway as they demanded the government resign over its failure to gain the release of hostages held by Hamas. Protesters from various anti-government organizations, including Brothers in Arms, engaged in confrontations with law enforcement officials on the major roadway connecting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. According to Brothers in Arms, 13 of its members “stood on the sidelines holding pictures of the hostages and Israeli flags” before being arrested after obstructing traffic flow. — Cyberattacks against water utilities across the country are becoming more frequent and more severe, the Environmental Protection Agency warned. Approximately 70% of utilities inspected by federal officials over the last year violated standards meant to prevent breaches or other intrusions, the agency said. Officials urged even small water systems to improve protections against hacks. Recent cyberattacks by groups affiliated with Russia and Iran have targeted smaller communities. — The death of Iran’s president is unlikely to lead to any immediate changes in Iran’s ruling system or to its overarching policies. Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash Sunday, was seen as a prime candidate to succeed the 85-year-old supreme leader, and his death makes it more likely that the job could eventually go to Khamenei’s son. A hereditary succession would pose a potential crisis of legitimacy for the Islamic Republic. — New York City Mayor Eric Adams defended the police department’s response to a pro-Palestinian street demonstration in Brooklyn over the weekend. “Look at that entire incident,” Adams said on the “Mornings on 1” program on the local cable news channel NY1. He complained that protesters who marched through Brooklyn’s Bay Ridge section on Saturday had blocked traffic, spit at officers and, in once instance, climbed on top of a moving city bus. — A 10-year-old boy who was swept into a storm drain while helping his family clean up storm debris is being kept on life support so that his organs can be donated, according to his father. The boy, Asher Sullivan, “officially passed away” on May 18, but remains on life support to facilitate the organ donation process, his dad, Jimmy Sullivan, wrote in a Facebook post. “It’s 100% an ‘Asher’ type thing to do in continuing to be selfless,” Sullivan shared on Facebook. — The cargo ship that struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore nearly two months ago was moved from the crash site for the first time on Monday morning. The Dali, a 984-foot-long and 158-foot-wide container ship, had been partially blocking the entrance to one of America’s busiest ports since the March 26 collision that triggered a catastrophic collapse of the bridge and killed six workers. — The White House said Monday that the chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation will step down. This is a departure that follows the release earlier this month of a damning report about the agency’s toxic workplace culture. The White House said Martin Gruenberg will step down once a successor is appointed and that President Joe Biden will name a replacement “soon.” — An Ohio law prohibiting cities from banning the sale of flavored tobacco products is unconstitutional, a judge has ruled. The state is expected to appeal the ruling issued Friday by Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Mark Serrott, who had issued a temporary restraining order in April that stopped the law from taking effect. The measure had become law in January, after the Republican Legislature overrode GOP Governor Mike DeWine’s veto.