Police seize rifle, 500 ammunition rounds from controversial Christchurch pastor in New Year’s Eve raid

Police raided the home of a controversial anti-government, pro-gun pastor on New Year’s Eve to seize a gun and ammunition after receiving concerns about a person’s wellbeing. Carl Bromley, founder of the Life Connection Missionary Baptist Fellowship in Christchurch, received a voicemail and a letter in his mailbox explaining police had taken his rifle on

AmazonSmile donated more than $40,000 to anti-vaccine groups in 2020

Donations through the online retailer’s charitable program come as it faces criticism for its role in health misinformation Amazon’s charitable program is paying tens of thousands of dollars to anti-vaccine groups in a move experts say is “shocking” as millions of Americans remain unvaccinated in the face of another Covid-19 wave. AmazonSmile reportedly donated more

Moscow says 27 more Russian diplomats due to leave U.S. in January

Russia’s ambassador to the United States said that 27 more Russian diplomats and their families were expelled from the United States and would leave on Jan. 30. “Our diplomats are being expelled…A large group of my comrades, 27 people with families, will leave us on January 30… We are facing a serious staff shortage,” Ambassador

Xinjiang footage sheds new light on Uyghur detention camps

A YouTube video of Xinjiang detention facilities has rekindled concern over China’s crackdown on ethnic minorities. Researchers say the videos offer new evidence, but many fear for the vlogger’s safety. A 20-minute video featuring more than a dozen detention facilities in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region has offered fresh evidence and renewed the discussion around China’s large-scale

Trump-loving QAnon follower gets probation for shooting up federal courthouse in Portland

A QAnon follower and Donald Trump supporter has been sentenced to five years of probation for repeatedly firing a gun into the facade of the federal courthouse in downtown Portland in January. Cody Melby, 40, fired a 9mm handgun at the courthouse multiple times because he “wanted to get in front of the court for

Russia shatters COVID-19 death record as surge persists, killing 968 in a single day

Russia has recorded a new record-high daily death toll from COVID-19, continuing a persistent rise that has brought new records almost daily in October. The national coronavirus task force reported Saturday that 968 people in Russia died of COVID-19 over the past day — about 100 more daily deaths than were recorded in late September. The task

Google, YouTube to prohibit ads and monetization on climate denial content

Google and YouTube on Thursday announced a new policy that prohibits climate deniers from being able to monetize their content on its platforms via ads or creator payments. Why it matters: It’s one of the most aggressive measures any major tech platform has taken to combat climate change misinformation. Details: Google advertisers and publishers, as well as

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U.S. Facing Over Twice as Many Domestic Terror Threats as Foreign, FBI Says

The United States is facing far more domestic terror threats than those from international parties, according to the FBI. Timothy Langan, assistant director of the bureau’s Counterterrorism Division, told lawmakers Wednesday that the U.S. is approaching more than 2,700 domestic terrorism threats. The number of international terror threats is under 1,000, Langan said when asked by

Free Speech a ‘Core Value,’ YouTube CEO Says After Blocking Russian Opposition Videos

YouTube considers free speech to be one of its “core values” despite its removal of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s voting strategy videos ahead of Russia’s parliamentary elections, the video streaming site’s CEO told Bloomberg Television on Monday.   Google-owned YouTube sparked cries of censorship both in Russia and abroad when it blocked the “Smart Voting” video posted