Haitians at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince after the spread of rumors that the U.S. would hand out humanitarian visas.Joseph Odelyn/Associated Press
The assassination of Haiti’s president has thrown the nation into disarray.
“Shootouts have erupted in the streets of Port-au-Prince, and terrified citizens have been cowering in their homes after President Jovenel Moïse was gunned down in his residence on Wednesday. At least 20 people — 18 Colombians and two Haitian Americans — have been detained in the attack. One told his sister he was there to protect, not to kill, shortly before he died in the bloody aftermath.
The Haitian authorities have asked the U.S. to send troops to stabilize the country. But the Biden administration showed no immediate enthusiasm for sending even a limited American force. Some in Haiti quickly criticized the request, citing other foreign interventions that left a trail of abuses.
Moïse’s assassination sparked dueling claims to power and exposed an even more complex, less visible battle among some of Haiti’s kingmakers. One lawmaker’s luxury villa in Montreal has become an emblem of the gap between Haiti’s impoverished citizens and its political elite.” Read more at New York Times
The G20 finance ministers and central bank governors’ meeting in Venice.G20 Italy, via Reuters
The Group of 20 nations agreed on a plan that would overhaul the global tax system.
“If enacted, the plan could reshape the global economy by cracking down on tax havens and imposing new levies on big multinational companies. But major details remain to be worked out before an October deadline to complete the agreement, and big businesses and a few countries are resisting. The approach is a reversal of years of economic policies that embraced low taxes as a way for countries to attract investment and fuel growth.
At the same meeting of finance ministers in Venice, the I.M.F. announced a plan to issue $650 billion in reserve funds for poor countries to pay for vaccines, finance health care and reduce debt.” Read more at New York Times
“The death toll from the Surfside, Fla., condo collapse has now reached 86, officials said Saturday morning.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava (D) said that 43 people remain potentially unaccounted for, while more than 211 people are accounted for so far.” Read more at The Hill
“TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The state of Florida collected $13.7 million in fees in 2020 from condominium owners associations, vacation timeshares and mobile home parks. But instead of using that money for its intended purpose — including training condo associations about things like maintenance — the Florida legislature swept $5 million of it into the state's general fund.
It's a pattern that's been going on for years, records show. In the wake of the collapse of the Surfside condominium in South Florida, some legislators believe it's a practice that needs to stop.
‘I'm pretty sure this (sweeping the Division of Florida Condos trust fund) is something that will be discussed in the next legislative session,’ said state Sen. Tom Wright, a republican.
The state's Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares and Mobile Homes Trust Fund is supposed to be used to investigate complaints lodged by condo owners as well as to educate condo association board members on their responsibilities as stewards of their buildings.
Diverting some of those fees collected into the state's general fund is something the state legislature does every year.
The legislature has siphoned off $65 million — nearly 40% of the $167 million raised by those condo association fees since 2008. That's the same year state lawmakers took away much of the division’s compliance and enforcement powers.” Read more at USA Today
“Atlanta Falcons linebacker Barkevious Mingo was arrested Thursday and accused of sexual contact with a child, according to the Arlington (Texas) Police Department.
Mingo posted a $25,000 bond and was released from custody, according to Tarrant County, Texas, bond records.
The alleged offense is a felony in Texas that can carry up to 20 years in prison depending on whether it's a second or third-degree charge.
Mingo turned himself in after talking to his attorney, an Arlington Police press release stated.
Due to the nature of the alleged incident, the Arlington Police Department could not release any more information.” Read more at USA Today
“LAS VEGAS — This is not how USA Basketball expected to open its Olympic summer.
Nigeria probably didn’t expect it, either.
If there was any expectation of invincibility for the Americans heading into the Tokyo Olympics, it’s already gone after Nigeria beat the U.S. 90-87 on Saturday night, an international shocker pulled off by a roster primarily filled by little-known NBA players that found a way to beat a group of All-NBA, All-Star and max-contract performers.
‘We just wanted to compete,’ said Nigeria’s Gabe Nnamdi, who goes by Gabe Vincent when playing for the Miami Heat. ‘We know what USA Basketball means around the world and what they’ve stood for for so long.’
The U.S. had lost 11 games before Saturday in major international play — Olympics and World Cups mostly — since NBA players began filling the American rosters with the first Dream Team in 1992. None of those losses came against a team from Africa.” Read more at USA Today
Virgin Galactic's passenger rocket plane, the V.S.S. Unity.Virgin Galactic, via Reuters
The billionaire space race is scheduled for liftoff today.
“Richard Branson, the British billionaire who leads a galaxy of Virgin companies, will be a crew member on a test flight for Virgin Galactic’s space plane. His task is to evaluate the cabin experience for future customers as billionaire entrepreneurs race to make spaceflight unexceptional.
Branson’s flight comes nine days before Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, is scheduled to strap into the New Shepard capsule built by his rocket company, Blue Origin.
Virgin will broadcast coverage of the flight beginning at 9 a.m. Eastern from Spaceport America in New Mexico, with Stephen Colbert hosting the livestream. The last test flight was flawless. But the company’s first space plane crashed during a test flight in 2014, and in 2019, Virgin Galactic came close to another catastrophe.” Read more at New York Times
The visitor center at Furnace Creek in Death Valley National Park.Roger Kisby for The New York Times
Record-breaking temperatures are returning to the Western U.S.
“Over 31 million people are under heat advisories in the third heat wave to sweep through the West this summer. Temperatures in California’s Death Valley soared to 130 degrees on Friday. Forecasters are also monitoring looming thunderstorms that could bring lightning strikes and fire risk.
The record-shattering temperatures in the Pacific Northwest would have been all but impossible without climate change, scientists say. The heat wave has led to nearly 200 deaths in Oregon and Washington State. It also killed hundreds of millions of marine animals, preliminary estimates show.
In British Columbia, residents returned to the town of Lytton this week and found it almost unrecognizable after a fire that was exacerbated by the heat wave.” Read more at New York Times
“Lumber prices took a strange ride during the pandemic, soaring to four times their previous costs before dropping by half. Oil and gasoline prices, on the other hand, may just be boarding the roller-coaster. In both cases, sharply limited supplies are running up against demand levels that have become impossible to predict.” Read more at NPR
“Newly released tape and documents from the investigation into Oscar Grant's shooting by BART transit police suggest major errors were made.That includes failing to look into aggressive, escalating tactics by Officer Tony Pirone, the first officer on the scene. Detectives also failed to get an immediate statement from Officer Johannes Mehserle, before he'd locked in on a legal strategy. Read the story or listen to it here.” [NPR]
“Pro-Trump candidates are racing to launch gubernatorial campaigns across the country, posing a test for the former president’s political brand in a number of key states going into 2022.
Over the July 4 holiday weekend, former GOP Chairman Allen Westbecame the second primary challenger against Texas Gov. Greg Abbott(R), while Republican Geoff Diehl announced he was running for governor in Massachusetts, potentially sparking a challenge against Gov. Charlie Baker (R), who has yet to announce whether he is running for another term.
Meanwhile, in Maine, former Gov. Paul LePage (R) formally announced his campaign for a third term as governor, while Republican Dan Cox jumped into the gubernatorial race in Maryland.” Read more at The Hill
“A joint immigration proposal by two top Senate Republicans was received with jeers among immigration advocates on both sides of the aisle, but some observers see it as an escape valve if Senate rules don't allow Democrats to push through their version of immigration reform.
GOP Sens. John Cornyn (Texas) and Thom Tillis (N.C.) on Tuesday proposed legislation to offer a path to citizenship for “active participants” in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
Dropped as Democrats weigh whether to use the budget reconciliation package to push their own plan, the Senate Republicans’ proposal angered the left for its narrow scope, and the right for its proposed ‘amnesty.’” Read more at The Hill
“The Alaska Republican Party endorsed GOP Senate candidate Kelly Tshibaka on Saturday, breaking from longtime incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska).
The state party confirmed to The Hill that members approved the endorsement in a 58-17 vote.” Read more at The Hill
“In test runs using 2,500 workers, researchers in Iceland found support for cutting a few hours off of employees' work weeks but keeping their paychecks the same. The workers in the study reported improved well-being, while they got just as much done at the office — in some case becoming even more productive.” Read more at NPR
Jeff Greenberg/Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Imag
“Companies know that consumers see and detest price increases, so when things get tight for them, they look for alternatives. One that usually flies below shoppers' attention: Keeping the price the same, but reducing how much product is in the box. It's called shrinkflation, and it's happening right now.” (The Indicator From Planet Money)
Ellie the cow spent the last half of her life with the family on Hof Butenland.Lena Mucha for The New York Times
“The cows don’t have to produce milk. The pigs sleep late. And the term ‘out to pasture’ has an entirely different meaning.
Hof Butenland, an ex-dairy farm turned animal retirement home in Germany, offers sanctuary to cattle, pigs, a few horses, chickens, geese and rescue dogs. All animals on the farm coexist as equals with Hof Butenland’s human residents and workers.
The farm is provoking questions about how humans eat. In a country better known for juicy bratwurst and schnitzel, veganism is on the rise as Germans eat considerably less meat.
Ashleigh Barty of Australia after her victory in the Wimbledon women’s singles final.Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Tennis, soccer, basketball, ultimate fighting — it’s a sports bonanza this weekend.
“Ashleigh Barty, the world No. 1, claimed her first Wimbledon title — and became the second Indigenous Australian to do so — when she defeated Karolina Pliskova in the women’s singles final. Today, Novak Djokovic will vie for his 20th major singles title, which would tie him at long last with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. He plays Matteo Berrettini at 9 a.m. Eastern.
But Wimbledon is merely an opening act for the main event in London on Sunday: England’s first major soccer final since the 1966 World Cup, as it faces Italy in the Euro 2020 championship. Kickoff is at 3 p.m. Eastern.
Other wins and losses:
Lionel Messi delivered the title he and Argentina had chased for a generation, winning the Copa América final against Brazil.
Conor McGregor appeared to break a bone in his leg during a highly anticipated U.F.C. match against Dustin Poirier, who was declared the winner.
The Phoenix Suns play the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 3 of the N.B.A. finals tonight. The teams’s center matchup pits two eras of basketball against each other.” Read more at New York Times