Monthly Archives: May 2020

Washington (AFP) - Authorities in the southern US state of Georgia said Friday they had "more than sufficient probable cause" to charge two white men over the killing of an unarmed black jogger, but did not explain why it took 74 days for the suspects to be detained.

Gregory McMichael, 64, and his son Travis, 34, were arrested late Thursday and charged with murder and aggravated assault in the February 23 death of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery.

Arbery's death in the coastal city of Brunswick, captured in a video that has gone viral, was the latest killing of an unarmed black American, galvanizing activists who say the death highlights deeply rooted racism in the country.

Hundreds of demonstrators, their faces covered in masks to protect them from the coronavirus, gathered in front of the city's courthouse on Friday to demand justice for Arbery.

President Donald Trump said he had seen the video and called it "very, very disturbing."

"That looks like a really good, young guy... It's a very disturbing situation to me, and I just -- you know, my heart goes out to the parents and the family and the friends," he told Fox News in an interview.

Vic Reynolds, director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, told a news conference that "there is more than sufficient probable cause in this case for felony murder."

Reynolds declined to explicitly criticize local police who initially investigated the case in the two months after Arbery was killed, but admitted "there were things that needed to be done and have been done yesterday."

"Considering the fact that we hit the ground running Wednesday morning and within 36 hours we had secured warrants for two individuals for murder -- I think that speaks volumes in itself," he said.

He added that the investigation was ongoing and there could be more arrests.

- Viral video -

Gregory and Travis McMichael were arrested two days after the release of a video showing Arbery being gunned down in the middle of a road in broad daylight.

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In the footage, Arbery is seen running down a residential street and approaching a white pickup truck stopped in the right lane with a man standing in the back.

As Arbery tries to get around the vehicle, he is confronted by a second man holding a shotgun. An altercation between the two ensues and three shots can be heard.

The man who filmed the clip that caught the nation's attention has also been named as a person of interest in the investigation.

Reynolds said the investigation would focus exclusively on the killing -- and not the reasons why local authorities were so slow to act.

Media reports have said Gregory McMichael, a retired police officer, had long worked in the local district attorney's office as an investigator.

The two first prosecutors in the case recused themselves, although it took several weeks for the second one to do so.

The original police report stated that Gregory McMichael had claimed he thought Arbery was a burglar trying to escape the scene of a nearby break-in.

He said he and his son grabbed their guns and set off in pursuit, but that the confrontation went badly wrong.

The slain man's family said he was simply out jogging and was the victim of a hate crime.

The footage of the shooting sent shockwaves across the country and prompted a number of celebrities to call for action, including basketball star LeBron James and actress Zoe Kravitz.

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'More than sufficient probable cause' in US killing of black jogger - Yahoo News

Jerry Stiller, the comedian best known for playing Frank Constanza on Seinfeld, died Monday at the age of 92 and with it, a baseball player from the 1990s was unexpectedly trudged into Twitters trending topics.

As any Seinfeld devotee knows, were talking, of course, about Jay Buhner.

Jay Buhner isnt a Hall of Famer by any means. He was just an All-Star once while playing 15 years in the big leagues for the Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees. Hes remembered for a few things, though his menacing look at the plate, pairing with Ken Griffey Jr. in the Mariners lineup, and, oddly enough, one of the best Frank Costanza moments on Seinfeld.

Seinfeld loved baseball, with the famous cameo from Keith Hernandez and all the George Steinbrenner jokes. On the show, George Constanza was employed by the Yankees as an assistant to the traveling secretary, which brought forth many baseball-centric jokes.

In this famous scene thats getting shared across social media again, Seinfelds version of George Steinbrenner comes to see Frank and Estelle Constanza to tell them their son George was dead. Frank Constanza, played brilliantly by Stiller, responds not with grief about his son, but by lambasting Steinbrenner for trading Buhner to the Mariners.

Here are the quotables for those of you who dont have it memorized:

Frank: What the hell did you trade Jay Buhner for?He had 30 home runs, and over 100 RBIs last year. Hes got a rocket for an arm. You dont know what the hell youre doin!

Steinbrenner: Well, Buhner was a good prospect, no question about it. But my baseball people loved Ken Phelps bat. They kept saying 'Ken Phelps, Ken Phelps.'

R.I.P. Jerry Stiller. And, yes, the Jay Buhner trade remains one of the worst of the era for the Yankees.

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NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Friday that the focus is on restarting the season but that there will be a series of bad options in deciding how that will be done, sources told Yahoo Sports.

Silver had a conference call Friday with National Basketball Players Association executive director Michele Roberts, NBPA president Chris Paul and players to discuss the leagues ongoing strategy to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

Silver doesnt have to make a decision on whether to resume the season until some point in June, sources said, but the commissioner said there would likely be no fans present for games and that many cities have contacted him about hosting the resumed season.

The NBA would be facing a tremendous economic blow because Silver said attendance makes up 40 percent of the leagues revenue.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates recently stated that he doesnt see fans going back to live sporting events until a vaccine is readily available to the public. Silver said he found those remarks disheartening, sources said, because a vaccine is likely more than a year away from production.

Silver said its less risky to restart the season in a single location or perhaps two, sources said, and that hes not ruling out Toronto as a possible site, although the preference is to keep the games in the U.S. Silver also said Orlando and Las Vegas are options if the season were to continue, with each respectively serving as Eastern and Western Conference sites, sources said.

Silver said the goal is to play full seven-game series in the playoffs. He said tough decisions will need to be made because teams on the postseason bubble might not get a chance to clinch a spot if the leagues hiatus continues much longer.

The NBA season was suspended March 11 after Utah Jazz All-Star and two-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. Silver said Friday that Gobert wasnt the first NBA player to be tested for the coronavirus, but that he was the first to test positive, sources said.

Paul expressed concern on behalf of players that some organizations could be pressuring players to work out at team facilities, sources said. Silver reiterated that its optional and advised Paul to follow up with the league if that conduct persists.

Should the season get the green light to return, Silver said he believes three to six weeks of training camp would be required before returning to competition.

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The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in two cases that could help decide the limits of presidential accountability and whether President Trump can continue to defy lawmakers and local prosecutors seeking to view his tax and business records.

While past decisions on presidential accountability involving Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton had unanimous outcomes, questions from the nine justices did not leave observers of the unprecedented live arguments with a clear sense of how the court might rule.

Trumps returns have been the subject of intense speculation since the 2016 election, when he broke with long-standing tradition and became the first modern presidential candidate not to make his returns public. Since then, multiple investigators, including House Democrats, have sought the documents amid questions about Trumps foreign business ties and potential conflicts of interest involving his real estate empire.

Along with deciding the fate of Trumps financial secrets, the pair of Supreme Court cases have major implications for the rule of law; they will determine the investigative powers, if any, that state and local officials or Congress have over the president. Its a question that has added urgency for those Trump critics who believe the Department of Justice has covered for the president by hastily wrapping up the Russia probe and dropping the criminal charges against Trumps former national security adviser Michael Flynn. If the Justice Department is indeed uninterested in pursuing investigations against the Trump administration, that leaves Congress and local officials as one of the last sources of potential presidential accountability.

The first case heard by the court concerned subpoenas for financial records that committees of the House of Representatives had issued to Trumps accounting firm, Mazars USA, and to one of his major bankers, Deutsche Bank. The second case covered a similar subpoena issued to Mazars by a grand jury empaneled for the office of Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. as part of its investigation of a potential crime alleged to have occurred at Trumps private business, which is headquartered in New York, in connection with the payment of hush money to women during the campaign.

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Both Mazars and Deutsche Bank have said they intend to comply with a valid subpoena, and in both cases, lower courts held the subpoenas to be valid. Trumps lawyers appealed each case all the way to the Supreme Court in the hopes of obtaining a different decision.

In both cases, advocates for the investigators pointed the ourt to its past precedents.

Douglas Letter, representing the House in the first case, cited cases in which the court found that Congresss power to develop legislation implies a broad investigative powers. The court also instituted a rule of deference to congressional committee chairmen so long as they outlined a legislative purpose for their investigative activities.

In the second case, Carey Dunne, the lawyer for the Manhattan DAs office, relied on the principle that the public has a right to every mans evidence in a criminal investigation unless it is protected by some legally recognized privilege. He also pointed to the courts more recent jurisprudence cases involving former Presidents Nixon and Clinton that found a president doesnt have any absolute privilege from giving evidence to criminal or civil proceedings.

This court has long held that American presidents are not above having to provide evidence in response to a law enforcement inquiry, Dunne said.

In both cases, Trumps attorneys argued the presidents unique role makes him vulnerable to partisan attacks.

The fact that they seek personal documents doesn't mean that they're not targeting the president, Trump attorney Patrick Strawbridge said during arguments in the case involving the House subpoenas.

Indeed, both the Oversight Committee and the House Intelligence Committee have identified the president in his role as president as one of the motivating factors for their investigation, Strawbridge added.

Jay Sekulow, who represented Trump in the second case involving the Manhattan district attorneys probe, argued local prosecutors do not have authority to investigate the president.

No county district attorney in our nations history has issued criminal process against a sitting president, and for good reason: The Constitution doesnt allow it, Sekulow said in his opening remarks.

Sekulow went on to argue that granting the Manhattan prosecutor access to Trumps financial documents weaponizes 2,300 local DAs in the country.

The decision would allow any DA to harass, distract and interfere with a sitting president, Sekulow said. It subjects the president to local prejudice.

The attorney for the Manhattan prosecutor responded that most local district prosecutors would be unlikely to have jurisdiction over the president, whose business is headquartered in New York.

Sekulows opening statement touched on the second major element of Trumps attorneys defense in both cases the idea that undue investigations could distract the president from more important work. Sekulow made this case with a hypothetical:

Im going to call the president of the United States today and say, I know youre handling a pandemic right now for the United States but I need to spend a couple hours with you going over a subpoena of documents that are wanted by, here, the New York county district attorney.

Because of the unique concerns of partisan attacks and the presidential workload, Sekulowrepeatedly argued that the president is not to be treated as an ordinary citizen.

He and Strawbridge also raised the specter of a flood of subpoenas from multiplying congressional committees or district attorneys all over the country. Dunne, the lawyer for the Manhattan district attorney, suggested that concern was greatly exaggerated.

The supposed floodgates have been open for generations, Dunne replied to that argument, and theres never been a flood.

Conservative and liberal Justices found some common ground in the congressional subpoenas case, aggressively questioning Letter, the Houses general counsel, on his refusal to identify a limit on the legislative purposes the House could potentially use to justify investigation of the president.

Could you give me a plausible example of a subject that you think is beyond any legislation that Congress could write? Chief Justice Roberts asked early in the session.

Letter could not.

Time and again, the Justices returned to this point. In an argument that would almost inevitably focus on the separation of powers, the Houses lawyer had come to court without a proposed constraint on the type of information the legislative branch could forcibly extract from the head of the executive branch.

Carey Dunne, the Manhattan DAs attorney, avoided that stumbling block, proposing to the Justices that his office should be permitted to impose burdens on the presidency with subpoenas for documents if it made a showing of objective need and of a likelihood that the subpoenas would produce relevant evidence. Sekulow and the DOJ argued in effect that no subpoenas burdening the president in any way, whether as the target of an investigation or simply asa witness, should be allowed until his term is over. Dunne countered that waiting until Trump is out of office could block legitimate prosecutions due to the statute of limitations for criminal charges.

The clock is ticking, Dunne said.

It was clear that the court knew its ruling could have far reaching implications. Both liberal and conservative justices explained over the course of the mornings arguments that they were grappling with how to frame rules for Trump that could apply to future presidents as well. Nevertheless, the arguments also highlighted how Trump is a one-of-a-kind officeholder.

Unique among his predecessors, Trump came to the White House after a lifetime spent in the private sector. Other presidents placed all their investments into an independently administered blind trust; Trump chose to maintain close ties to his business empire and its attendant potential conflicts of interest through a revocable trust administered by his sons. Unlike other presidents, Trump chose to keep his tax returns and the details of his financial affairs secret.

This constellation of presidential choices, though hardly referenced in oral argument, lay at the heart of the unprecedented confrontation in the Supreme Court this morning. Dunne explained that the DAs jurisdiction over Trump is tied to his Manhattan-based business, and that the DA had to respond to public reports of impropriety at the company, namely its role in payments made by Trumps now incarcerated personal attorney, Michael Cohen, to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

The subpoena was not born of any political animus or intent to harass. Instead, it was prompted by public reports that certain business transactions in our jurisdiction were possibly illegal. Given those allegations, our office would have been remiss not to follow up in response, Dunne said.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Supreme Court has, since last week, been holding oral arguments by telephone conference, and in an unprecedented move it has opened up live audio of these conferences to the public. This gave court watchers across the nation a chance to listen in on the nine justices questioning for hints at how they might rule. That opportunity was particularly interesting since Trump has appointed two justices to the nations highest court Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh and the presidents critics have suggested a scenario in which his appointees might try to shield him from legitimate legal jeopardy.

The courts questioning in both cases revealed a panel mostly divided on ideological lines and past commitments. However, on the whole, Kavanaugh and Gorsuch didnt stake out clear positions and instead used their time to sharpen the inquiries of other justices.

Rulings in the two cases are expected in June or July, as the presidential campaign is in full swing. The court could, however, defy that timetable by ordering further argument or holding over the cases to the next term. For his part, Dunne alluded to the statute of limitations and argued that any further delay would play into Trumps hands and shield him from accountability.

Frankly, weve already lost nine months of time in this investigation due to this lawsuit, Dunne told the court. And again, you know, every minute that goes by is without even a decision on the merits here granting the same kind of temporary absolute immunity that the president is seeking.

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Supreme Court appears split on whether Congress and prosecutors can see Trump's tax returns - Yahoo News

Tom Brady says his relationship with New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is just fine, contrary to a report stating the two had friction before the quarterback left the Patriots via free agency.

Longtime NFL reporter Gary Myers tweeted on Monday morning that Bradys relationship with McDaniels had been deteriorating, and that he was worn out by Josh after all these years, according to a source. That, he said, played a part in Bradys move to leave the Patriots for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason.

Brady took umbrage with the report, posting a photo of an article citing Myers report to his Instagram story on Monday night and called it nonsense.

19 years together and brothers for life, Brady wrote at the bottom of the photo while tagging McDaniels and adding a heart emoji.

Nearly all of Bradys time in New England was spent working with McDaniels.

McDaniels has spent 16 years on Patriots coach Bill Belichicks staff, and 11 seasons as his offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Only four of Bradys 20 seasons in New England took place without McDaniels one before he joined the staff in 2000, two while he served as the Denver Broncos head coach and one when he was the St. Louis Rams offensive coordinator in 2011.

McDaniels had nothing but good things to say about Brady when he announced he was headed to the Buccaneers in March.

I have so much gratitude for Tom Brady, McDaniels said, via NESN. He has made me a better coach and more importantly a better person. He has always been genuinely kind and caring to me and my family. Yet, at the same time, I have never met anyone as demanding and relentless in his pursuit of improvement, perfection and championships.

His work ethic and drive propelled our offense and our team to perform at the very highest level throughout his career. He represented all of us with class and integrity. We will miss his passion and intensity, his character and wisdom, and his preparation and diligence. I will miss all the meetings, FaceTimes, emails and texts in our pursuit of a good play. He always performed his best in the most critical times under the most significant pressure. I have never coached a tougher player in my career.

Myers stood by his reporting Monday evening.

Based on Bradys response, McDaniels past comments and their lengthy, successful history they won six Super Bowls together theres likely nothing to worry about here whatsoever.

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After nearly a month of silence on former Senate staffer Tara Reades allegations of sexual assault against him, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden appeared on MSNBC on May 1 to publicly deny those claims for the first time. His response found a mixed reaction among the public.

According to the latest Yahoo News/YouGov poll, nearly half of respondents 49 percent were not satisfied with Bidens response to Reades allegations. Only 19 percent said they were very satisfied; the remaining 32 percent were somewhat satisfied.

This split shifts significantly in partisan cross-tabulations. Republicans taking their cue from party leaders who accuse Biden and his supporters of hypocrisy for dismissing Reades account, in contrast to how Democrats treated the assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh overwhelmingly find Bidens response unacceptable. Seventy-six percent of GOP respondents were not satisfied and only 9 percent were very satisfied.

In contrast, most Democrats were at least somewhat satisfied (41 percent) or very satisfied (37 percent) with Bidens explanation. The party rank and file may be waiting for progressive leaders to signal a direction. Many major womens groups have declined or not responded to requests for comment. Major endorsers, including former President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have yet to publicly address the allegations.

The parties are split similarly on whether they even believe the allegations in the first place.

Barely any Democrats (12 percent) said they definitely believed that Biden assaulted Reade in 1993. Many more (49 percent) said they did not, and a smaller remainder (40 percent) said they were unsure. A majority of GOP respondents (53 percent) do believe Reade, with just a smattering (9 percent) saying her allegations are not true, and the rest (38 percent) not sure.

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Notably, 62 percent of respondents who said they voted for Donald Trump in 2016 claim they believe Reade. Twenty-five women have accused the president of sexual misconduct, allegations he has denied.

Yet there seems to be little likelihood that, barring further revelations, the charges will stand in Bidens way of becoming the Democratic standard-bearer. Almost a quarter of Democrats, 24 percent, and 29 percent of respondents overall, said they favored denying him the nomination, a not-insignificant fraction but far short of a majority. (Republicans, obviously, might have reason to prefer a weakened Democratic candidate.) A contested convention would be entirely unlikely barring a party insurrection, given Bidens general popularity; it would be nearly impossible at a totally virtual convention.

Allegations of sexual assault havent hit Bidens electability numbers he is still leading Trump in head-to-head surveys 45 percent to 42 percent, though by a slightly lower margin than in late April, when he was leading by 5 points, 47 percent to 42 percent.

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The Yahoo! News survey was conducted by YouGov using a nationally representative sample of 1,573 U.S. adult residents interviewed online between May 5-6, 2020. This sample was weighted according to gender, age, race and education. Respondents were selected from YouGovs opt-in panel to be representative of all U.S residents. The margin of error is approximately 3.1 percent.

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Click here for the latest coronavirus news and updates. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please refer to the CDCs and WHOs resource guides.

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New Yahoo News/YouGov poll shows mixed reactions to Biden's handling of Tara Reade assault claim - Yahoo News

Mike Tyson isnt calling it a comeback quite yet, but he is alluding to a return.

The former heavyweight champion referenced the possibility he could be back in the ring and on Monday shared a boxing montage as part of an advertisement on Instagram that finishes with Im back.

Tyson, who turns 54 on June 30, retired in 2005 and has in recent days been said to be returning to box Evander Holyfield again. The boxers are interested in participating in exhibition bouts for charity.

In a Play Together Apart livestream on Facebook on Thursday, Tyson addressed the possibility he would return to boxing again.

It may not be over yet. Anythings possible. I feel unstoppable now. The gods of war have reawakened me, ignited my ego and want me to go to war again. I feel like Im [young] again.

Tyson was the youngest boxer to win a heavyweight title at 20 years, four months and 22 days old. But that was way back in November 1986.

He fought Holyfield twice before, including the infamous 1997 fight in which Tyson was disqualified for twice biting Holyfields ear. Holyfield, the only four-time heavyweight champion, announced his boxing comeback last week at the age of 57. He floated the idea of an exhibition bout with Tyson for charity.

Mike Tyson said he's 'back' after sharing a boxing video montage. (Donald Kravitz/Getty Images)

Tyson shared a short clip of a boxing workout after Holyfields announcement. The full video hit his Instagram page on Monday along with an advertisement for an energy drink.

Tyson told rapper T.I. on Instagram last week he was working out in the ring and getting back in boxing shape.

"Ive been working out, Ive been trying to get in the ring, I think Im going to box some exhibitions and get in shape," Tyson said in an Instagram Live session with rapper T.I.

"I want to go to the gym and get in shape to be able to box three or four-round exhibitions for some charities and stuff.

"I do two hours on cardio, I do the bike and the treadmill for an hour, then I do some light weights, 300, 250 reps.

"Then I start my day with the boxing thing, I go in there and hit the mitts, 30 minutes, 25 minutes, start getting in better condition."

He and his wife, Kiki, are donating to COVID-19 relief causes and came up with a T-shirt to sell as a fundraiser.

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Mike Tyson, 53, teases comeback: 'It may not be over yet' - Yahoo Sports