A pandemic of conspiracy theories spreads across the internet and around the world

Depending on who you talk to, the current coronavirus pandemic might be the natural product of evolution, the result of a lab accident or a biological weapon designed by the Chinese.

Two regional IS leaders killed in Syria: CentCom

US-led coalition forces and their Kurdish allies the Syrian Democratic Forces killed two regional Islamic State group leaders in a raid in eastern Syria this week, US Central Command announced on Friday. Ahmad 'Isa Ismail al-Zawi and Ahmad 'Abd Muhammad Hasan al-Jughayfi were killed in the May 17 joint raid on an IS position in Deir Ezzor province, CentCom said in a statement. Al-Zawi, also known as Abu Ali al-Baghdadi, was the IS regional leader of North Baghdad, it said, and was "responsible for disseminating terrorist guidance from senior IS leadership to operatives in North Baghdad."

Passenger plane carrying more than 100 crashes in Pakistan

A Pakistani passenger plane carrying 99 passengers and eight crew members has crashed, officials said.

Ahmaud Arbery: Third man charged over death of black jogger

The motorist is accused of murder and attempted false imprisonment over the shooting in Georgia.

Stacey Abrams endorses candidates in 7 US Senate contests

Alongside discussions of her own national political ambitions, former Georgia gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams is wading into elections outside her home state, endorsing the campaigns of seven Democrats vying for U.S. Senate seats. On Thursday, Abrams announced that she was backing Democratic candidates in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina. In statements provided ahead of her official endorsement, Abrams called Jaime Harrison, the associate chair of the Democratic National Committee who is seeking to block Sen. Lindsey Graham from a fourth term, “a strong leader for the people of South Carolina” who “will work hard to address inequalities" such as in rural health care and infrastructure.

Venezuela says Iranian tankers will get military escort

Venezuela on Wednesday said its navy and air force would escort Iranian tankers arriving with much needed fuel, after Tehran warned of "consequences" if the US stopped the ships from reaching their destination. "We're ready for whatever, whenever," President Nicolas Maduro told state-run media, thanking "all the support" from its Middle East ally in its confrontation with the United States. Venezuela has the world's largest proven oil reserves, but its capacity to refine crude into gasoline is limited.

Tucker Carlson and Pete Hegseth Try to Bring ‘Kung Flu’ Back

Fox News hosts Tucker Carlson and Pete Hegseth on Thursday night defended the use of racist terms to describe the novel coronavirus, all while wondering why Democrats are “sucking up” to China by decrying these phrases.Taking aim at Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) for introducing a Senate resolution condemning “anti-Asian sentiment as related to COVID-19”—which includes the use of the phrase “Wuhan virus”—Carlson claimed Harris was denouncing “basic facts.” “Why is she sucking up to the government of China, exactly?” Carlson wondered aloud before introducing Hegseth, a Fox & Friends co-host and informal Trump adviser.“Say it with me, Tucker,” Hegseth excitedly declared. “Wuhan virus, Chinese virus, maybe even the ‘Kung Flu.’ A little off-color, but funny and you know, we still live in a free country the last time I checked.”Back in March, when President Trump and many Republican allies were making a show of calling the disease the “Chinese virus,” Chinese-American CBS reporter Weijia Jiang said a White House official referred to coronavirus as “the Kung Flu” right to her face. Trump would later brush off the controversy, insisting Asian-Americans agreed “100 percent” with his use of “Chinese virus” to describe COVID-19.Hegseth complained that the left wants to “weaponize” language and “control it” in an effort to make conservatives appear to be the “bad guy,” something that Carlson agreed with wholeheartedly.“They control language to control your thoughts,” Carlson declared.Hegseth would then go on to hawk his latest book, American Crusade, claiming America is now in a “holy war and the righteous cause for human freedom” before snarking that the left should file a class-action lawsuit.“They should seek reparation because they’ve been damaged forever with the title they were given based on the racist notions of Americans who name something after where it came from,” he exclaimed. “As we’re staring down the communist Chinese who want to end our civilization. So, join the crusade, that’s what it’s going to take to save our country.”Hate crimes against Asian-Americans, meanwhile, have continued to rise amid the coronavirus pandemic, as people of Asian descent have increasingly reported being verbally assaulted, coughed at, and spat on by assailants who blame them for the virus.Kellyanne Conway Spars With Reporters Over ‘Kung-Flu’ Coronavirus SlurRead more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.