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Unbiased headline for Thursday April 25, 2024 – The United Nations is demanding an independent probe into alleged mass graves found at two hospitals in Gaza that had been besieged by Israeli forces. U.N. Human Rights Chief Volker Türk issued the call, stating that “independent, effective and transparent investigations into the deaths” should be conducted. The hospitals in question are An Nasser Medical Complex, in Southern Gaza, and Al-Shifa Medical Complex, in Northern Gaza. They were surrounded earlier this year by Israeli soldiers searching for militants. — Hamas has released a video of injured Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin. The footage showed him delivering a lengthy statement that appeared to have been scripted by Hamas. In a Wednesday statement, Goldberg-Polin’s parents, through the Hostage Families Forum, said, “Hersh’s cry is the collective cry of all the hostages — their time is rapidly running out. With each passing day, the fear of losing more innocent lives grows stronger.” — The U.S. Department of State has called for an immediate cessation of fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the breakaway Rapid Support Forces that endangers millions in Sudan. “We are alarmed by indications of an imminent offensive by the Rapid Support Forces and its affiliated militias,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Wednesday in a press statement. — The Transportation Department has issued a final rule mandating airline carriers to promptly provide cash refunds to passengers when owed for scenarios like canceled or significantly delayed flights and delayed or lost baggage among other issues. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the new final rule was necessary to ensure passengers were made whole for flight disruptions at or near real-time so it can still be meaningful for them in their travels. The White House also announced that it will also target “junk fees” charged by airlines. — Michigan prosecutors have charged a father for violating the state’s newly enacted safe storage law after his son allegedly got access to a firearm and shot himself in the face in their home. Theo Nichols’ 8-year-old son was in “extremely critical condition,” at a Detroit hospital following the April 19 incident, police in Warren, Michigan, said at a news conference Wednesday. Investigators said the boy used a chair to access the handgun which was “unsafely” and insecurely stored on top of a kitchen cabinet. — About one-quarter of U.S. adults age 50 and older who are not yet retired say they expect to never retire and 70% are concerned about prices rising faster than their income, an AARP survey finds. About 1 in 4 have no retirement savings, according to research released Wednesday by the organization that shows how a graying America is worrying more and more about how to make ends meet even as economists and policymakers say the U.S. economy has all but achieved a soft landing after two years of record inflation. — As federal agencies and state partners continue investigating outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza, more commonly referred to as bird flu, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it discovered fragments of the virus in some samples of milk. In an update from the FDA, the agency said it tested milk samples by polymerase chain reaction and found the presence of fragments of the virus, which is not the same as infectious virus and currently poses no increased risk to human health. — In a first-of-its-kind procedure, a terminally ill patient has become the first person in the world to undergo a gene-edited pig kidney transplant and also have a mechanical heart pump surgically implanted. Surgeons at NYU Langone Health, in New York City, performed the operation in two steps, the first being the implantation of the heart pump. The second took place days later, with the transplant of a genetically modified pig kidney and the pig’s thymus gland.

Unbiased headline news for Wednesday April 24, 2024 – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi expressed her belief that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin NetinYahoo should resign, criticizing his aggressive response in Gaza. Pelosi voiced her remarks during an interview with Ireland’s public broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann while visiting Ireland. Democrats, including President Biden, have increasingly criticized NetinYahoo’s leadership as Israel continues its assault on Gaza. — A Russian court has dismissed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich’s latest appeal regarding his detention at a Moscow prison, as he awaits trial on espionage charges that he and the United States claim are fabricated. Gershkovich, who smiled and gave a thumbs-up from within a glass defendant’s box in the courtroom, has been held at Moscow’s Lefortovo Prison for over a year since his arrest during a reporting trip, despite being accredited by Russia’s Foreign Ministry. — Swedish customs authorities made one of the country’s largest-ever cocaine seizures last week when they confiscated around 1.4 tons of the drug at a port near Stockholm, according to an official’s statement to Swedish television on Tuesday. “If it is as significant as we believe, it is one of the biggest seizures ever made,” Stefan Granath of Swedish customs told broadcaster SVT, adding they were still awaiting a precise figure of the amount discovered. The drug was found in a container at the Nynashamn port, south of Stockholm, on April 18, Granath said. — Disgraced former Rep. George Santos has suspended his long-shot bid to represent New York’s 1st Congressional District in a potential comeback attempt. Santos suggested on Tuesday that this might not be the end of his political aspirations, and his account as a digital content creator on Cameo, selling personalized videos, remains active. “I have met with leaders and with constituents and I have made the decision to hang it up here and stop perusing this race, THIS YEAR!” he said in his statement. — A man suspected of murdering two women this week in central Washington state and abducting a 1-year-old child was found Tuesday in Oregon with a self-inflicted gunshot wound after police pursued his vehicle, authorities said. The suspect was earlier identified as 40-year-old Elias Huizar, a former police officer who fled the scene of a deadly shooting at an elementary school on Monday in the city of West Richland. — A Douglas DC-4 airplane carrying two people was involved in a fiery crash Tuesday in the Alaskan city of Fairbanks, just minutes after takeoff, authorities said. The Federal Aviation Administration stated that a Douglas C-54, which is a model of the Douglas DC-4, was transporting two people when it crashed southwest of Fairbanks International Airport at approximately 10 a.m. local time. — Despite a slight decrease in U.S. vehicle sales, General Motors’ first-quarter net income rose by more than 25% due to strong deliveries of pickup trucks and other higher-profit vehicles. The automaker said that while its average sales price per vehicle was down slightly from last year at just under $50,000, pickup sales remained robust, and it’s not experiencing the price erosion across its lineup that other companies have faced. — Cyberattacks on businesses are increasing, including small businesses. It’s a concerning trend because a breach can be very costly and time-consuming if owners don’t have a plan to deal with one. According to the Verizon 2023 Data Breach Investigations Report, the median cost per ransomware attack, which involves a type of malicious software designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid, more than doubled over the past two years to $26,000.

Unbiased headline news for Tuesday April 23, 2024 – Tension gripped college campuses across the United States Tuesday as Jewish students marked the Passover holiday amid unsettling reports of antisemitism at pro-Palestinian demonstrations. The protests have escalated in recent days as Israel’s devastating conflict against Hamas continues in the Gaza Strip, where the Hamas-run Health Ministry claims more than 34,000 people have been killed, most of them women and children. — The United Kingdom approved controversial legislation on Tuesday that allows the government to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda, with deportation flights expected to commence this summer. The so-called Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill finalized its passage through the U.K. Parliament in the early morning after almost eight hours of debate overnight, clearing the path for it to soon receive royal assent and become law. — Israeli leaders have voiced outrage at the prospect that the Biden administration may cut off aid to one of the Jewish state’s army battalions over allegations that it has committed human rights violations. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hinted that a decision had been made when he was asked about internal investigations under a U.S. law that prohibits military aid being sent to foreign forces found to be violating human rights. When asked about the U.S. probe, Blinken said that it would be “fair to say that you’ll see results very soon.” — The Department of Justice on Tuesday announced it has reached a $138.7 million settlement deal with victims of the disgraced former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar to resolve their claims of wrongdoing against the FBI in its failures to investigate allegations of sexual abuse. “For decades, Lawrence Nassar abused his position, betraying the trust of those under his care and medical supervision while evading accountability,” Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer said in a statement. He stated, “These allegations should have been taken seriously from the outset.” — A judge has declared a mistrial in the criminal case against 75-year-old Arizona rancher George Alan Kelly, accused of fatally shooting a migrant on his property near the U.S.-Mexico border, the court confirmed Monday night. Jurors had been deliberating since Thursday afternoon. Kelly was charged with second-degree murder and aggravated assault in the Jan. 30, 2023, fatal shooting of Gabriel Cuen-Buitimea, 48, a migrant who lived across the border in Nogales, Mexico. He had pleaded not guilty. — Spain on Tuesday approved a plan aimed at making reparation and economic compensation for victims of sex abuse committed by people connected to the Catholic Church. The Minister of the Presidency and Justice, Félix Bolaños, said the plan was based on recommendations in a report by Spain’s Ombudsman last year. From that report, he said it was concluded that some 440,000 adults may have suffered sex abuse in Spain by people linked to the church and that roughly half of those cases were committed by clergy. — Google fired at least 20 more workers in the aftermath of protests over technology the company is supplying the Israeli government amid the Gaza conflict, bringing the total number of terminated staff to more than 50, a group representing the workers said. It’s the latest sign of internal turmoil at the tech giant centered on “Project Nimbus,” a $1.2 billion contract signed in 2021 for Google and Amazon to provide the Israeli government with cloud computing and artificial intelligence services. — Donald Trump is about to see his fortune grow by $1.3 billion. The former U.S. president is set to receive a so-called earnout bonus of 36 million shares in his newly public company, Trump Media & Technology Group, as part of an incentive that was created for the company’s public market debut in March, according to a regulatory filing.

Unbiased headline news for Monday April 22, 2024 – Ukraine is gearing up soldiers for a major Russian offensive anticipated in the upcoming months, likely before summer arrives, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy underscored that foreign assistance “must translate into tangible weapon systems,” specifically, crucial long-range artillery, to give Ukraine a fighting chance. His remarks followed the House’s approval of a $60.8 billion aid package for Ukraine, which will proceed to the Senate and President Biden for final authorization. — Hamas, the Palestinian militant group governing Gaza, lashed out at the U.S. House of Representatives after it passed a massive aid package that includes tens of billions of dollars for Israel. The U.S. House greenlighted the bill on Saturday with House Speaker Mike Johnson securing Democratic backing. “We view this move as confirmation of the official American complicity and partnership in the war of extermination waged by the fascist occupation army against our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip,” Hamas stated in an English-language statement. — North Korea claims to have conducted a cruise missile test featuring what its state-run media dubbed a “super-large warhead.” The surface-to-air missile test took place over the Sea of Japan, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency published a photograph purportedly depicting the missile launches, utilizing a mobile launching vehicle on what seems to be a runway. — Senator Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat chairing the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the potential sale of TikTok following congressional action is “complicated,” noting that allowing up to a full year for any transaction “makes sense.” The video-sharing app owned by a China-based company has faced scrutiny from U.S. officials for years over warnings that China’s government could access its data and exploit it to manipulate or spy on Americans. But a renewed push targeting TikTok has gained significant momentum on Capitol Hill in recent months, posing its biggest threat yet. — Rarely a day goes by without President Joe Biden mentioning insulin prices. He promotes a $35 price cap for the medication for Americans on Medicare — in White House speeches, campaign stops and even at non-health care events nationwide. His reelection team has inundated swing-state airwaves with ads referencing it, in English and Spanish. — Two children are deceased and 15 people were injured after a woman drove her car into a child’s birthday party, Sheriff Troy Goodnough said in a press conference Saturday evening. The 66-year-old suspect was arrested at the scene for suspected operating a vehicle while intoxicated, causing death and is currently being held at Monroe County Jail, according to Goodnough. First responders described the scene as “extremely chaotic,” Sheriff Goodnough stated. — A man was transported to the hospital with injuries after a fire and an explosion at a house in the suburbs east of Baltimore, Maryland, a fire official said. Fire crews responded to the two-alarm fire, the Baltimore County Fire Department said in a statement on social media. The house on Ridgemoor Road in Essex, Maryland, appeared in photos shared by the department to have been completely destroyed by the blast. The injured man was transported to a local hospital with non life-threatening injuries. — Taylor Swift’s brand-new album “The Tortured Poets Department” has officially begun shattering records following its highly anticipated release. Spotify announced that the global superstar’s new project broke a string of single-day streaming records as fans tuned in to hear the artist’s 11th studio album. Swift’s new work became the most streamed album in a single day in Spotify history, the music service said. “I’m so proud of it. I cannot wait to share it with you,” Swift said.

The House of Representatives approved a series of foreign aid bills on Saturday that allocate substantial funds, including $60.8 billion for Ukraine’s aid, $26.38 billion for Israel’s assistance, and $8 billion towards…

Unbiased headline news forThursday April 18, 2024 – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday his country would be the one to decide whether and how to respond to Iran’s major air assault earlier this week, brushing off calls for restraint from close allies. “Israel will decide for itself how to respond to the Iranian attack,” Netanyahu stated firmly, dismissing pleas from international partners to exercise caution. The region remains on edge, bracing for potential further escalation after months of unrest linked to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. — Group of Seven foreign ministers met on the Italian resort island of Capri, with the agenda topped by calls for targeted new sanctions against Iran over its attack against Israel and more aid to Ukraine to fight Russia’s war. Under Italy’s stewardship of the rotating presidency, the G7 leaders issued a united call for Israel to exercise restraint after Iran’s unprecedented weekend attack involving hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles fired toward the Jewish state. The ministers emphasized the need for concerted international action to hold Iran accountable. — The Solomon Islands’ closer relationship with China and a troubled domestic economy weighed on voters’ minds as they casted their ballots. As many as 420,000 registered voters had their say across 50 national seats. For the first time, the national vote also coincided with elections for eight of the 10 local governments. Opposition candidates have campaigned on re-examining elements of the Chinese relationship, including the 2022 security pact with Beijing, as a key issue for the electorate. — Donald Trump’s legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president’s criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away. A process server working for Trump’s lawyers said he approached Daniels with papers demanding information related to a documentary recently released about her life and involvement with Trump, but was forced to “leave them at her feet,” according to a court filing made public. — A man was sentenced to 47 years to life in prison for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl who went missing from a state park in upstate New York last year. Craig N. Ross Jr. pleaded guilty in February to taking the girl in September from a campground at Moreau Lake State Park, a rural area about 35 miles north of Albany. The disappearance sparked a 48-hour-search that ended when she was found alive at a camper Ross was staying in. — A Minnesota toddler who fell from a South Dakota hotel’s third-floor window has died. Kathryn and Alex Hein of Lakefield Minnesota, wrote in a Facebook post that their year-old son, Madden died Monday, two days after falling at Club House Hotel & Suites in Sioux Falls. “It is with heavy hearts to say that our sweet baby boy Madden gained his angel wings late on April 15th,” the couple wrote. Police are investigating the boy’s death. — The New York state Legislature’s bill drafting office was hit with an apparent cyberattack, officials said. The scope of the attack was not immediately clear, but officials said the bill drafting system has been down since early Wednesday. The office is responsible for printing legislation for lawmakers at the state Capitol in Albany. The apparent cyberattack came as the Legislature is moving to finalize its state budget bills. — Ford is recalling more than 456,000 Bronco Sport and Maverick vehicles due to a battery detection issue that can result in loss of drive power, increasing crash risks. According to documents published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the body and power train control modules for these cars may fail to detect changes in battery charge. When undetected, a low battery charge can cause an unexpected loss of drive power — including sudden stalling or inability to restart.