NEWS

Unbiased headline news for Tuesday April 2, 2024 – A federal judge has rejected Hunter Biden’s attempts to have his felony tax indictment dismissed, clearing the path for a trial in June. The judge expressed skepticism towards Biden’s arguments during a hearing last week in Los Angeles. Biden has entered a not guilty plea to all nine charges. He stands accused of repeatedly failing to file and pay his taxes on time and engaging in an illegal tax-evasion scheme by submitting false tax returns and manipulating the books on his company’s payroll. — The Florida Supreme Court has ruled that a ballot initiative guaranteeing broader abortion access in the state can be put up for a vote in November. The potential amendment states that, with exceptions for parental notification of minors seeking abortions, “no law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.” — The Israeli military has withdrawn from its second devastating raid on Shifa, Gaza’s largest hospital, leaving it in ruins, with the walls blasted and frame charred. Despite the destruction, Israel claimed victory in its battle against Hamas militants — and insisted it had not harmed civilians sheltering inside the hospital. But accounts from observers on the ground and the World Health Organization paint a contrasting picture. — North Korea has declared it is on its way to becoming a “space power” and vowed to launch several more reconnaissance satellites into orbit this year, following its first successful launch in November. “Great progress has been made in strengthening the national defense capability with the successful launch of the reconnaissance satellite ‘Malligyong-1’ last year,” said Pak Kyong Su, vice director of the North’s National Aerospace Technology Administration, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency. — Former crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried told ABC News in an exclusive interview that he is remorseful for his actions that last week resulted in a 25-year prison sentence for fraud. “It’s most of what I think about each day,” he said. Bankman-Fried’s sentence capped off a 17-month saga that began in November 2022 when FTX, a global cryptocurrency exchange he co-founded and served as CEO, imploded, resulting in a $8 billion loss for its customers. — A driver rammed into the front gate of the Atlanta FBI office Monday afternoon and was taken into custody, according to FBI officials. The car appeared to attempt following an authorized vehicle as it was entering the gate, and the pop-up barrier was deployed to stop the unauthorized car, officials said. The man’s motives are not known and he is being evaluated at a local hospital, officials said. No injuries were reported, FBI officials said. — Federal researchers indicate the gray whale population along the West Coast is showing signs of recovery five years after hundreds washed up dead on beaches from Alaska to Mexico. The increase in population numbers comes after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association determined in November that the “unusual mortality event” that began in 2019 has ended. — A man who was paralyzed from the neck down after a surfing accident seven years ago is now able to stand and walk on his own, thanks in part to a potentially groundbreaking stem cell treatment. Chris Barr was the very first patient in a Mayo Clinic study that collected stem cells from his own stomach fat, expanded them in a laboratory to 100 million cells and then injected the cells into Barr’s lumbar spine. Over five years after undergoing the therapy, Barr said he is continuing to gain more independence and get faster at walking.

Unbiased headline news for Monday April 1, 2024 – The Syrian military asserted that Israeli airstrikes in the vicinity of the northern city of Aleppo had resulted in casualties and inflicted damage, with “a number of” individuals either killed or wounded. A monitoring group focused on the conflict reported that the strikes had claimed the lives of 44 individuals, the majority of whom were Syrian troops. The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor organization, stated that the Israeli strikes targeted missile depots under the control of Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group in Aleppo’s southern suburb of Jibreen, near the Aleppo International Airport, as well as the nearby town of Safira, home to an extensive military facility. — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed a longtime aide and several advisers as part of an ongoing reshuffle, while Russia unleashed fresh attacks overnight. Zelenskyy removed Serhiy Shefir from his position as first assistant, a role he had held since 2019. The Ukrainian president also let go of three advisers, and two presidential representatives responsible for overseeing volunteer activities and soldiers’ rights. — The leader of the Iran-backed Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad vowed victory over Israel in the war in Gaza during a meeting with Iran’s foreign minister in Tehran for talks. “I promise you that we will be the victors in the war,” Ziad al-Nakhalah told reporters, according to the official IRNA news agency. He referred to his meeting with Iran’s foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian as “important” and expressed gratitude to Iran for its support for the Palestinians. — Three United Nations military observers and a Lebanese interpreter sustained injuries on Saturday while patrolling the southern Lebanese border after a shell exploded in their vicinity, as stated by the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. The military observers are part of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization, which supports the U.N. peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, UNIFIL. UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti informed The Associated Press that the four individuals who were wounded were in stable condition. — Three law enforcement officers in Northern Nevada were shot and wounded last Friday, following a traffic stop in the Reno area that rapidly escalated into an hourslong standoff involving multiple shootouts between officers and the suspect, according to police reports. Chris Crawforth, the police chief in the nearby city of Sparks, stated during a news conference on Saturday that the wounded officers — two Sparks police officers and a Washoe County sheriff’s deputy — had received treatment for their injuries and had been released from the hospital. — Police in New Mexico had all the horsepower in a chase: A shoplifter was detained outside a Walgreens this month after attempting to outrun a horse-mounted police officer. Albuquerque police bodycam video shows a dark-brown horse trotting through a parking lot behind a man in black clothing. The horse catches up to him within seconds. “It wasn’t me,” the man yells as he leads the horse and police officer into the street, stopping traffic. — A Pennsylvania judge has overturned the convictions of three men imprisoned for decades in the 1997 slaying of a 70-year-old woman, despite the fact that their DNA never matched that found at the scene. “This case never should have been prosecuted. These guys never should have been charged. The evidence always was that they were innocent,” said Paul Casteleiro, Grasty’s lawyer and legal director of the nonprofit Centurion. The three men will remain in prison while a prosecutor decides whether to appeal. — A monthslong probe into an alleged drone-based contraband operation in Georgia’s prisons has led to the arrest of 150 individuals, including eight correction officers, according to officials. The investigation, dubbed “Operation Skyhawk,” uncovered that drones were being utilized to move cellphones, drugs, and weapons into Georgia Department of Corrections facilities, as stated by the governor’s office. Search and arrest warrants were served at two locations in the Metro Atlanta area.

Unbiased headline news for Saturday March 30, 2024 – A woman from Texas, Lizelle Gonzalez, has filed a lawsuit against prosecutors along the U.S.-Mexico border who initiated a criminal case against her for self-managing an abortion, resulting in her being charged with murder and spending two nights in jail before the charges were eventually dropped. The federal court lawsuit, filed by Gonzalez on Thursday, comes a month after the State Bar of Texas fined and disciplined the district attorney in rural Starr County over the 2022 case, in which Gonzalez was charged with murder for “the death of an individual by self-induced abortion.” — On Saturday, a three-ship convoy departed from a port in Cyprus, carrying 400 tons of food and other essential supplies destined for Gaza, as concerns about hunger in the territory continue to escalate. World Central Kitchen stated that the vessels and a barge were loaded with enough provisions to prepare more than 1 million meals, including items such as rice, pasta, flour, legumes, canned vegetables, and proteins. Additionally, dates, traditionally consumed to break the daily fast during the holy month of Ramadan, were also on board. — A massive salvaging operation is currently underway to reopen the Port of Baltimore following the deadly collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The Navy has mobilized a 1,000-ton lift capacity derrick barge, a 400-ton lift-capacity revolving crane barge, and a 160-ton revolving crane to assist in lifting the debris from the water, a colossal undertaking that is in progress. Officials have stated that the section of the bridge trapping the cargo ship dolly weighs between 3,000 and 4,000 tons. — Tensions are running high at South Dakota’s largest prison on Saturday after two nights of disruptions at the facility. A media group posted a live video to X of an incident at the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls on Thursday night. Inmates in the video could be heard yelling “we have rights,” and “water.” A spokesperson for the South Dakota State Employees Association informed KSFY-TV that inmates had also set fires inside cells. — Convicted Rust film armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed must remain in jail while awaiting a sentencing hearing and cannot have a retrial, according to a ruling by a New Mexico judge. On Friday, District Court Judge Mary Marlowe-Sommer ruled against requests made by Gutierrez-Reed’s attorneys, denying their motions to overturn her conviction, grant a retrial, and order her release from jail as she awaits an April 15 sentencing, as reported by Variety. — A 21st birthday party turned deadly when two men in their 20s were fatally shot early Saturday in Jacinto City, Texas, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. The party had about 50 people in attendance and featured a live band. Police said it was unclear whether the deceased were partygoers or suspects, according to a post from Sheriff Ed Gonzalez on X. Shots were fired, and at least two people were struck. — As these incidents have gained traction online, the New York Police Department said on Friday that they have identified seven instances in which TikTok users have posted about being randomly punched in the city. Two suspects have been arrested so far, but the NYPD stated that there is no evidence that any of the incidents are related. Police said that while there are numerous unprovoked attacks daily in the city, TikTok has just become a platform for dissemination. — The Environmental Protection Agency announced its new emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles on Friday, which the agency claims will avoid 1 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions. The move comes in an election year when the Biden-Harris campaign is working to demonstrate achievements in their climate agenda. The new standards impact vehicles such as freight trucks and buses manufactured for model years 2027-2032.

Unbiased headline news for Thursday March 28, 2024 – Texas’ immigration enforcement plan remains temporarily halted by a federal appeals court ruling, likely delaying enforcement of Governor Greg Abbott’s new immigration law until a broader decision on its legality. The 2-1 ruling marks the second time a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has temporarily blocked the Texas law. It follows a brief period last week when the Supreme Court allowed the law to take effect, sparking anger and anticipation along the U.S.-Mexico border. — The death toll from last week’s deadly attack at a Moscow concert hall has climbed to 143, Russian authorities said. Around 80 other people wounded in the siege by gunmen remain hospitalized. The Friday night massacre at Crocus City Hall, a vast shopping and entertainment complex on the northwestern outskirts of Moscow, was the deadliest extremist attack on Russian soil in nearly two decades. At least four gunmen armed with automatic rifles opened fire on thousands of concertgoers and set the venue ablaze. — For over a month, House Speaker Mike Johnson has deliberated on a funding package that would send urgently needed ammunition and weapons to Ukraine, considering how best to navigate what is expected to be a challenging endeavor in the House. The Republican speaker has indicated he will attempt to secure approval for tens of billions in wartime funding for Ukraine, as well as Israel, once the House returns in April. However, it will likely be his most formidable task since assuming the speaker’s gavel late last year. — Allies of Governor Ron DeSantis and Disney have reached a settlement agreement in a state court battle over future development plans for Walt Disney World. During a meeting, the DeSantis-appointed members of the board of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District approved the settlement agreement, ending nearly two years of litigation sparked by DeSantis’ takeover of the district from Disney supporters following the company’s opposition to Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law. — The federal judge overseeing Hunter Biden’s tax case in California posed probing questions to Hunter Biden’s legal team during the early portion of a hearing on defense motions in the case. Judge Mark Scarsi appeared skeptical of some motions seeking to dismiss the nine-count indictment to which the president’s son pleaded not guilty earlier this year. Hunter Biden did not attend the hearing. — An adult male allegedly stabbed multiple victims in the Rockford, Illinois area on Wednesday, leaving four people dead, one in critical condition, and four others in stable condition, authorities said at a press conference. A postal worker is among the four individuals who died, Rockford Police confirmed. Details about the other victims have not been released. Rockford police stated the suspect is in custody. No known motive has been established at this time. — Former Sen. Joe Lieberman has passed away, his family announced Wednesday. He was 82 years old. Lieberman died in New York City “due to complications from a fall,” his family said in a statement. “His beloved wife, Hadassah, and members of his family were with him as he passed. Senator Lieberman’s love of God, his family, and America endured throughout his life of service in the public interest,” the statement read. — Earth’s changing rotational speed is threatening to disrupt our conception of time, clocks, and computerized systems in an unprecedented manner — but only for a second. For the first time ever, global timekeepers may need to consider subtracting a second from our clocks in a few years because the planet is rotating slightly faster than before. Clocks may have to skip a second, called a “negative leap second”, around 2029, according to a study published in the journal Nature.

Unbiased headline news for Wednesday March 27, 2024 – The Kenyan government has begun returning 429 bodies of individuals who were members of a doomsday cult at the center of a legal case that has caused shock throughout the nation. The exhumed bodies from a vast rural area in coastal Kenya have displayed signs of starvation and strangulation. The cult’s leader, Paul Mackenzie, stands accused of instructing his followers to starve themselves to death in order to meet Jesus, and now faces charges that include murder. — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has lashed out at a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, which Israel’s closest ally, the United States, opted not to block. He stated that the resolution had emboldened Hamas and vowed to continue pressing forward with the war. As the conflict grinds through its sixth month, both Israel and Hamas have rejected international cease-fire efforts, each insisting that their version of victory is within reach. The passage of the U.N. resolution has also heightened tensions between the U.S. and Israel over the conduct of the war. — Despite vehement denials of involvement from Kyiv and a claim of responsibility by an affiliate of the Islamic State group, Russian officials persist in stating that Ukraine and the West had a role in last week’s deadly Moscow concert hall attack. Without offering any evidence, Alexander Bortnikov, head of the Federal Security Service, or FSB, echoed similar allegations by President Vladimir Putin, who linked the attack to Ukraine even as he acknowledged that the suspects who were arrested were “radical Islamists.” — Venezuela’s main opposition coalition has stated that the country’s government has allowed them to register a provisional candidate for the upcoming presidential election. The coalition, the Unitary Democratic Platform, said they have temporarily enlisted former diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia as their candidate as a way to “preserve the exercise of the political rights that correspond to our political organization” until they are able to register another candidate. — Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Tuesday that he has chosen lawyer Nicole Shanahan as his running mate. Speaking to cheering supporters inside the vast auditorium of an Oakland convention center, Kennedy spent several minutes teasing his choice, speaking about Shanahan without naming her. “I wanted a vice president who shared my passion for wholesome, healthy foods, chemical-free; for regenerative agriculture; for good soils,” the former environmental lawyer said. — The House Ethics Committee has stated that it is investigating Representative Troy Nehls, a Republican from Texas. The committee did not specify what it is investigating and said it will make another announcement on the matter by May 10th. The issue was first flagged to the committee by the independent Office of Congressional Ethics in December. Nehls stressed his cooperation and transparency. — Visa and Mastercard have announced a major settlement with U.S. merchants, potentially ending nearly two decades of litigation over the fees charged every time a credit or debit card is used in a store or restaurant. The deal would lower and cap the fees charged by Visa and Mastercard and allow small businesses to collectively bargain for rates with the payment processors in a similar way that the large merchants do on their own now. — Amid outcry from some of their top talent, NBC News is dropping former Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel as a contributor, according to a network memo. “There is no doubt that the last several days have been difficult for the News Group. After listening to the legitimate concerns of many of you, I have decided that Ronna McDaniel will not be an NBC News contributor,” Cesar Conde, the NBCU News Group chairman, wrote.

Unbiased headline news for Tuesday March 26, 2024 – The United Nations Security Council demanded a cease-fire in Gaza during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The Council’s first call to halt hostilities, the United States abstained from the resolution, which also insisted on the release of all captives taken during Hamas’ surprise assault on October 7th in southern Israel, the event that ignited the conflict. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres stated that the “resolution must be implemented.” — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he will not send a delegation to Washington after the U.S. declined to veto a United Nations Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in Gaza. The Security Council adopted the resolution on Monday, calling for a cease-fire during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which concludes in two weeks. The U.S. abstained from the vote, which Netanyahu’s office termed a “clear retreat.” — Ecuador’s youngest mayor was discovered shot to death on Sunday, police said, as the South American nation approaches its third month of a state of emergency declared by the government to combat surging gang violence. Brigitte Garcia, the 27-year-old mayor of the coastal town of San Vicente, was found dead along with her adviser, the municipality’s communications director, Jairo Loor. During the early morning hours, “two individuals were identified inside a vehicle without vital signs, bearing gunshot wounds.” — The United States has imposed sanctions on China-based hackers for allegedly targeting U.S. critical infrastructure, the Treasury Department announced. The U.S., together with the United Kingdom, sanctioned certain representatives of Wuhan Xiaoruizhi Science and Technology Company Ltd., a Wuhan, China-based Ministry of State Security front company that the Treasury Department alleges has served as cover for multiple malicious cyber operations. — Sean “Diddy” Combs’ residences in Los Angeles and Miami were raided by federal agents on Monday, according to authorities. A Homeland Security Investigations spokesperson stated in a statement that the raid was executed as part of an “ongoing investigation.” Law enforcement sources said that while the search warrant was being executed in Los Angeles, Combs’ sons were detained outside the home, as is customary in such circumstances, and then released without charges. — Three middle school students from southern Maryland have been charged with hate crimes after they displayed swastikas, performed Nazi salutes, and made derogatory remarks about a classmate’s religion, according to county prosecutors. Officials with the Calvert County State’s Attorney’s Office said the harassment began in December and the students refused to stop despite repeated requests. The victim ultimately reported the behavior to Maryland State Police, which investigated and filed charges against the students. — At least three assailants were being sought Monday in the killings of two teenagers police said were “targeted” in a shooting at a Nashville apartment complex over the weekend. One of the victims was identified as 17-year-old Camron McGlothen, who resided at the Hermitage Flats Apartments in East Nashville, according to police. The name of the other victim, an 18-year-old, was withheld by police, pending the notification of his relatives. — Chick-fil-A is updating its commitment to customers about the quality and standards of its staple ingredient, chicken. The fast food chain announced on its website that while “serving quality food has always been our priority,” effective this spring, the restaurant will “shift from No Antibiotics Ever to No Antibiotics Important To Human Medicine.”