US ends use of 2 immigration jails accused of mistreatment

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration announced Thursday that it will stop using immigration detention facilities in Massachusetts and Georgia that are the subject of abuse allegations.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said federal authorities will no longer use the jail in Bristol County, Massachusetts, and the Irwin County Detention Center in Ocilla, Georgia.

The Massachusetts jail has been accused of overcrowding and overall inhumane conditions. Women held at the facility in Georgia reported being subjected to medical procedures against their will, including hysterectomies.

Those allegations are the subject of ongoing federal investigations.

“Allow me to state one foundational principle: We will not tolerate the mistreatment of individuals in civil immigration detention or substandard conditions of detention,” Mayorkas said in announcing the decision.

Both were run under contract for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

DHS is ending its agreement with the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office to run the jail facility in Massachusetts.

Mayorkas said authorities will preserve evidence for the investigations as they transfer immigration detainees out of the privately run facility in Georgia.

Watch: YouTube star Mark Rober upgrades his popular backyard squirrel maze

Ready for Round 2 between YouTube star Mark Rober and a pack of hungry squirrels?

The mechanical engineer’s latest video features “Backyard Squirrel Maze 2.0,” an intense obstacle course built for squirrels as a deterrent to stealing food from a bird feeder.

Rober built the first version of the maze a year ago after noticing squirrels continuing to infiltrate his bird feeders.

The new course includes new wrinkles such as a maze of mini-vents, a “laser” maze that will close one of the exits if tripped, and a wall of bricks that randomly pop in and out. The new maze includes Rober says the maze took about two months of planning.

A former employee at NASA and Apple, Rober rose to fame through his YouTube channel, which boasts more than 18.5 million subscribers. His biggest projects include a “glitterbomb” equipped in fart spray disguised as an Amazon package to thwart porch pirates.

With glitterbombs and fart spray: Mark Rober’s on a mission to take on porch pirates, squirrels and science

‘Everyone is Awesome’: Lego announces first LGBTQ set ahead of Pride Month

Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.

Peyton Manning hopes Aaron Rodgers remains in Green Bay

When it comes to opinions on which uniform Aaron Rodgers will be wearing in the 2021 season, the takes have been coming in fast.

The latest comes from all-time great Peyton Manning, who will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame later this summer. 

"When I think of Aaron, I think of him as a Green Bay Packer …," Manning said to TMZ.com. "Hopefully, they can get it worked out. I look forward to seeing him play this year somewhere."

It is rare that one player plays for one team his whole career, as Manning can attest. Manning spent his first 13 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, before moving on to the Denver Broncos to finish his career. 

US Reports 28K New COVID Cases, 636 Deaths

The United States reported 28541 coronavirus cases on Wednesday, taking the national total to 33,802,324, as per the latest data from Johns Hopkins University. This is lower than the seven-day average of 30206.

With 636 deaths in the same period, the total number of COVID fatalities rose to 601,949. The 7-day average is 613.

Forida reported the most number of cases (2811), while Texas led in COVID fatalities – 58.

A total of 27,299,180 people have so far recovered from coronavirus infection in the country.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that almost half of the US population have received at least one vaccine dose against coronavirus, and 38 percent of them were administered the second dose of anti-corona vaccine.

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has signed a bill that prevents mask mandates in K-12 schools and stops cities and counties from making it mandatory to wear masks in businesses.

A study led by an international team of scientists shows the pandemic likely contributed to an additional 979,000 deaths in 2020 across 29 high-income countries. Nearly half of these excess deaths occurred in the U.S., according to the study published in the British Medical Journal.

The European Union has agreed to allow vaccinated travelers from countries with low infection rates to enter the 27-nation bloc.

India reported 276,110 new Covid-19 cases and 3,874 virus-related deaths on Wednesday. The country has been consistently reporting more than 3,000 COVID-fatalities since April 28.

Man killed on East Colfax in Denver, police investigating possible homicide

An early Thursday morning shooting has left one man dead.

Denver Police officers are conducting a homicide investigation at Colfax Avenue and Colorado Boulevard.

Police first arrived at the intersection before 2 a.m.

It is unknown if there is a suspect.

Colorado Boulevard was closed for a few hours Thursday morning.

Denver Police are asking for information at 720-913-7867.

Stock Alert: Coursera Down 4%

Shares of online education company Coursera, Inc. (COUR) are trading down 4 percent on Thursday despite there being no company announcement to impact the stock.

On May 4, the company posted first-quarter net loss of $18.7 million, wider than $14.3 million in the same period last year. Adjusted net income was $13.4 million, compared to $11.3 million last year.

Quarterly revenues rose 64 percent to $88.4 million from $53.8 million in the prior-year period.

The stock is currently trading at $37.02, down $1.35 or 4% on the NYSE.

COUR has traded between $32.59 and $62.53 in the past 52 weeks.