Navy SEALs training plagued by pervasive problems, according to investigation after death of sailor
The training program for Navy SEALs is plagued by widespread medical failures, poor oversight and the use of performance-enhancing drugs that have increased the risk of injury and death to those seeking to become elite commandos.
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'Operation Varsity Blues' reenacts and reorients a scandal
NEW YORK – Chris Smith didn’t initially think the 2019 college bribery scandal made for a good documentary subject. He was editing “Fyre,” the hit Netflix documentary about the music-festival fiasco, when his longtime collaborator, Jon Karmen, suggested another real tale of fraud and spectacle be their next film. By shifting the focus, Smith’s “Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admission Scandal,” which debuts Wednesday on Netflix, attempts to reorient center stage in a headline-grabbing drama that has already spawned one Lifetime movie. The documentary, like the scandal, has a dose of Hollywood. “One of the only people that got back to us was John Vandemoer.”Vandemoer, a Stanford University sailing coach, was the first person sentenced in the scandal.
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House approves pro-union bill despite dim Senate odds
But it faces an all-but-certain Republican blockade in a narrowly divided Senate and is unlikely to become law. Ad“I’ve heard Democrats argue that it’s the unions that built the middle class,” said Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., the senior Republican on the House labor panel. And what this bill does is take away their freedom.”Labor unions have long been a bedrock of Democratic support. “This far-reaching legislation is nothing more than an union boss wish list,” said Foxx, who led Republican debate on the bill. Virginia Republican Rep. Bob Good excoriated the bill, saying it would effectively “funnel money to Democrats” by allowing unions to collect additional dues.
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Netflix doc to examine man behind college admissions scandal
This image released by Netflix shows key art for Operation Varsity Blues, a documentary about the college admissions scandal, premiering March 17. (Netflix via AP)LOS ANGELES – A Netflix documentary will use actor recreations of FBI wiretaps to tell the story of Rick Singer, the man at the center of the college admissions scandal that sent actors Felicity Huffman, Lori Loughlin and and several other prominent parents to prison. Netflix announced Monday that “Operation Varsity Blues" will be released on March 17. More than 50 people were charged in the scandal that saw parents pay bribes to have someone cheat on their children’s entrance exams or pretend their kids were star athletes for sports they didn’t play. Singer pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and several other charges, and is expected to testify at defendants' trials.
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China sanctions 11 US politicians, heads of organizations
BEIJING – China on Monday announced unspecified sanctions against 11 U.S. politicians and heads of organizations promoting democratic causes, including Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, who have already been singled out by Beijing. The number of Americans named by the ministry exactly equals the number of Hong Kong and Chinese officials placed on a sanctions list by the U.S. last week over the crackdown. “China urges the U.S. to have a clear understanding of the situation, correct mistakes, and immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and interfering in China’s internal affairs." Four other lawmakers were named by the foreign ministry: Senators Josh Hawley, Tom Cotton and Pat Toomey and Representative Chris Smith. Cotton, an Arkansas Republican, said he was sanctioned for defending the victims of Communist Party rule, including Hong Kong students fighting for democracy.
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China sanctions Cruz, Rubio, Smith, Brownback for criticism
Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, Rep. Chris Smith and Ambassador for Religious Freedom Sam Brownback were targeted, as was the Congressional-Executive Commission on China. The U.S. prohibited any property transactions by Americans with four senior Chinese officials and barred three of them from entering the U.S. The Trump administration has also slapped visa bans on Chinese officials deemed responsible for barring foreigners’ access to Tibet, along with those seen as enforcing a clampdown on civil rights in Hong Kong. Uighurs are mostly Muslim and their Turkic language, Muslim religion and central Asian culture make them distinct from China's Han majority. In October 2019, the United States imposed visa restrictions on Chinese officials “believed to be responsible for, or complicit in” the detention of Muslims in Xinjiang.
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Trump strikes China over virus, Hong Kong and student visas
President Donald Trump speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House, Friday, May 29, 2020, in Washington. He noted that the U.S. contributes about $450 million to the world body while China provides about $40 million. Tensions over Hong Kong have increased over the past year as China has cracked down on protesters a nd sought to exert more control over the former British territory. Trump said the administration would begin eliminating the full range of agreements that had given Hong Kong a relationship with the U.S. that mainland China lacked, including exemptions from controls on certain exports. Still, the country has insisted that its control of Hong Kong is an internal matter, and it has disputed that it mishandled the response to the virus.
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Von Miller’s 95-game starting streak over due to hurt knee
Von Miller’s 95-game starting streak is over because of an injured left knee. The Denver Broncos star edge rusher hurt his left knee at Buffalo last week and is inactive against the Los Angeles Chargers. He wore a cap and shorts as he tested out the knee on the field a few hours before kickoff. Ravens: QB Trace McSorley, WR Jaleel Scott, S Bennett Jackson, CB Anthony Averett, CB Iman Marshall, G Ben Powers, DT Zach Sieler. Jaguars: LB Myles Jack, S Ronnie Harrison, QB Joshua Dobbs, CB Tae Hayes, OL Brandon Thomas, TE Seth DeValve, DT Dontavius Russell.

Browns' Chris Smith plays week after girlfriend's death
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cleveland Browns defensive end Chris Smith played on Monday Night Football against the New York Jets less than a week after his girlfriend died in a car accident. The Browns blew out the Jets 23-3, and Smith had one pass defended. Smith and Petara Cordero were driving Wednesday on I-90 West in Cleveland when a tire on his Lamborghini blew out. "I am going to play tonight because it is something she would want me to do," Smith said before the game Monday. "When it first happened, I was ready to give up," Smith told a group of reporters after the game.

NFL star pays tribute to his 'best friend'
Jonathan Daniel Getty Images(CNN) - Cleveland Browns defensive end Chris Smith paid tribute to his girlfriend, who died in a car accident Wednesday, on social media, saying, "God has a plan for all of us we can't understand." Petara Cordero was killed after being struck by a car while the two were pulled over with a blown tire. "She is in a better place now and she can rest easy," Brown captioned the post. "My wifey my best friend and the mother of my beautiful daughter. Just last month, Brown posted another picture of Cordero announcing the birth of their daughter Haven Harris Smith.

Does Melania Trump's Coat Show Plane Flying Into Tower? Today on Inside Edition
Melania Trump is no stranger to fashion controversies, but her newest scandal may be the most outrageous of all. For a 9/11 tribute last year, the first lady donned a coat that featured stitching on the back that some say makes it look like a plane flying into a tower. Will Felicity Huffman face time behind bars for her role in the college admissions scandal? And what a former "Survivor" producer is saying after he was released from a Mexican prison after killing his wife. For these stories and more, watch Inside Edition.

Girlfriend of NFL's Chris Smith Killed by Car Just Weeks After Their Baby Was Born
Cleveland Browns star Chris Smith is facing a personal tragedy as his girlfriend was killed after being hit by a car this week. Smith's girlfriend exited the car on the passenger side and moments later was struck and killed by an oncoming car. The 47-year-old woman who struck and killed Smith's girlfriend said she had been drinking before the accident, according to police. The Browns organization has expressed its support for Smith, saying he's excused from team activities should he need it to grieve. RELATED STORIESDwayne Johnson Jokes He Spoke With Kevin Hart's 'Pediatrician' After Car CrashKevin Hart Can Walk, Expected to Make Full Recovery After Car Crash: ReportWoman's Abdomen Is Nearly Cut in Half by Seat Belt That Saved Her Life in Horrific Car Crash

Pentagon to look into past tick research
The most common disease spread by ticks is Lyme disease, which can cause multiple symptoms including fever, muscle aches, joint pain, rash and facial paralysis. Each year, nearly 30,000 cases of Lyme Disease are reported to the CDC, which also says that more than 300,000 people are diagnosed with the disease each year. In 2017, a total of 42,743 confirmed and probable cases of Lyme Disease were reported to the CDC, 17% more than in 2016, according to the agency. During the amendment's debate, Smith said Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases were "exploding" in the US and that "Americans have a right to know whether any of this is true." According to his website, Smith has also authored the TICK Act, which would create a holistic government strategy to fight Lyme disease and authorize $180 million to boost funding for research, prevention and treatment of the disease.