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CDC criticizes White House medical adviser's discredited mask claim

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is criticizing a White House coronavirus adviser for spreading misinformation about facial coverings, in a potential escalation of the feud between the administration and public health officials within the federal government.

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 13:12:04 -0400

More than 50 former intel officials signed a public letter saying they believe the Hunter Biden story has 'all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation'

The former intel officials wrote they believed the arrival of emails to the New York Post, which they dubbed a "laptop op," was a cause for suspicion.

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 01:54:38 -0400

‘Backhanded racism’: Biden supporters weigh in after GOP senator mocks Kamala Harris’s name

After Sen. David Perdue mocked Kamala Harris’s name, Democratic supporters launched a viral Twitter campaign and called the comments “backhanded racism.”

Sun, 18 Oct 2020 17:12:27 -0400

Submarine murderer Peter Madsen surrounded by armed officers after escaping Danish prison

Danish submarine killer Peter Madsen has been seized by police on a street in central Copenhagen, after an audacious jail-break on Tuesday morning. The 49-year-old escaped before 10am, and was on the loose for more than two hours, although he only made it about 500m from prison before he was surrounded by police. "The arrest operation on Nyvej is over, and an arrested person has been driven away from the scene," police in Copenhagen said on Twitter shortly after 1pm. They said they would give further details at a press conference this afternoon. According to the BT tabloid, the killer took a hostage in the prison who he threatened with a pistol-like object, who was reported to have been a psychologist. He was then seized less than a kilometre from the prison by a squad of specialist armed police officers, after a long stand-off during which he reportedly claimed to be carrying a bomb. He has now been driven back to the prison by police.

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 06:55:54 -0400

Woman rescued in Zion National Park is 'getting her strength back'

"She was unable to take more than a step or two without collapsing," the woman's daughter said. "She told me she was so dehydrated she couldn't open her mouth."

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 14:56:00 -0400

Michigan Republican fundraised at DeVos family home while trying to downplay financial ties

John James bought ads to distance himself from Betsy DeVos as super PAC funded by family poured millions into race

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 06:00:01 -0400

Dr. Birx reportedly asked Pence to remove COVID-19 adviser pushing 'junk science'

Dr. Deborah Birx has reportedly been trying to get controversial adviser Dr. Scott Atlas removed from the White House coronavirus task force.A new report in The Washington Post describes the "discord on the coronavirus task force" that has reportedly "worsened" ever since the arrival of Atlas, a neuroradiologist who has no background in epidemiology. Atlas has reportedly "succeeded in largely sidelining" other doctors on the White House coronavirus task force, has challenged analysis from Birx and others with what experts have dismissed as "junk science," and is seen by colleagues as "ill-informed, manipulative and at times dishonest."Birx, who serves as the task force's response coordinator, recently confronted Vice President Mike Pence about Atlas, telling his office he should be removed from the task force and that she "does not trust" him nor does she believe "he is giving Trump sound advice," the Post also reports. Her effort was evidently unsuccessful, and Pence reportedly "did not take sides" in the conflict.The report also describes how Atlas has baselessly claimed to the task force that the United States is close to achieving herd immunity, an idea scientists have rejected, and that all coronavirus restrictions should be lifted. This, the Post says, led Birx and Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, to demand he produce data to support his claims during a "fierce debate." Atlas over the weekend also falsely claimed that masks don't work in fighting COVID-19, leading Twitter to remove the post."These days, the task force is dormant relative to its robust activity earlier in the pandemic," the Post writes. "Fauci, Birx, Surgeon General Jerome Adams and other members have confided in others that they are dispirited." Read more at The Washington Post. More stories from theweek.com Will Kansas go blue? What happened to third party candidates? If Roe falls

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 10:02:22 -0400

A Texas woman in her 30s died of COVID-19 earlier this year while waiting for her plane to take off

The woman reportedly had trouble breathing and required supplemental oxygen before she died while her plane was on the tarmac in Arizona.

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 16:28:43 -0400

Chief: Indiana police recruit fired for ties to neo-Nazis

A police recruit in Indiana was fired less than 24 hours after the department was notified that the officer had been involved in a neo-Nazi online chat forum.

Sun, 18 Oct 2020 15:45:15 -0400

Shanghai zoo fatal bear attack: Visitors see worker being killed

The fatal attack in Shanghai Wild Animal Park's "wild beast area" is under investigation.

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 04:51:10 -0400

Rudy Giuliani said he released his Hunter Biden story to the New York Post because he knew other outlets would scrutinize it too much

Giuliani told The New York Times that he chose the Post because other publications would "spend all the time they could to try to contradict it."

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 12:20:57 -0400

Trump delivered his SCOTUS promise, but his pandemic response cost him support among Christians

The president’s response to the coronavirus pandemic appears to be softening support for his re-election among Christians who supported him in 2016.

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 10:21:44 -0400

France closes Paris mosque in clampdown over teacher's beheading

French authorities said Tuesday they would close a Paris mosque as part of a clampdown on radical Islam that has yielded over a dozen arrests following the beheading of a teacher who had shown his pupils a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed. The mosque in a densely-populated suburb northeast of Paris had disseminated a video on its Facebook page days before Friday's gruesome murder, railing against teacher Samuel Paty's choice of material for a class discussion on freedom of expression, said a source close to the investigation. The interior ministry said the mosque in Pantin, which has some 1,500 worshippers, would be shut on Wednesday night for six months. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who vowed Monday there would be "not a minute's respite for enemies of the Republic", had asked regional authorities to carry out the mosque closure. And on Monday, police launched a series of raids targeting Islamist networks. Paty, 47, was attacked on his way home from the junior high school where he taught in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine,25 miles northwest of Paris. A photo of the teacher and a message confessing to his murder was found on the mobile phone of his killer, 18-year-old Chechen Abdullakh Anzorov, who also posted images of the decapitated body on Twitter.

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 05:25:01 -0400

Bloomberg Gun Control Group Pours $4.4 Million into Battleground States in Final Weeks

Everytown for Gun Safety, the gun-control advocacy group founded by former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, is spending $4.4 million on ads in six battleground states in the final weeks of the presidential election campaign, Politico reported on Monday.The group is spending a total of $60 million on ads in 2020 election races. In Texas, Everytown is running $2 million worth of ads attacking Republican candidates in the state's 22nd and 24th congressional districts over their support for gun rights. Another $1.4 million has been devoted to flipping state legislatures in Texas, Arizona, North Carolina, Iowa, and Minnesota, while $1 million is focused on voter mobilization efforts in Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Arizona, North Carolina, and Texas.Some of the ads attempt to connect the coronavirus pandemic with casualties of gun violence."Deaths from Covid-19 and gun violence are on the rise, but Republicans in the North Carolina state legislature have failed to take the action required to keep us safe," one digital ad reads."At the onset of the pandemic, "everyone asked, ‘was the political zeitgeist scrambled?’ And we asked ourselves the same question," Everytown president John Feinblatt told Politico. "Our polling showed us, when you couple the dual carnage of Covid and gun violence to legislative failure to address both emergencies, it's particularly potent."Gun sales have surged across the U.S. during the coronavirus pandemic. The FBI has conducted record numbers of background checks, with 2.7 million in March at the start of the pandemic and 3.9 million in June, after widespread demonstrations and riots broke out in various cities.

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 12:05:59 -0400

Lopez Obrador criticizes DEA role in Mexico after ex-army chief's arrest

Mexico's president has criticized the historic role played by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in his country, days after a former Mexican army chief was arrested in Los Angeles on drug charges at the behest of the DEA. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador described Thursday's arrest of ex-Defense Minister Salvador Cienfuegos as evidence of rampant corruption in past governments. Speaking in the southern state of Oaxaca on Saturday, Lopez Obrador said the DEA had dealt for years with Cienfuegos and Genaro Garcia Luna, Mexico's security minister from 2006 to 2012, who has also been charged in the United States with drug-trafficking offenses.

Sun, 18 Oct 2020 18:00:06 -0400

President curses and rages at coronavirus coverage during crowded rally

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Mon, 19 Oct 2020 19:52:06 -0400

A preschooler who spotted a missing endangered lemur gets a lifetime pass to the San Francisco Zoo

The 5-year-old, James Trinh, was walking out of school on Thursday when he spotted the elderly and endangered lemur on the loose.

Sun, 18 Oct 2020 10:27:41 -0400

12 Everyday Household Items That Are Worth the Investment

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Mon, 19 Oct 2020 13:31:33 -0400

Supreme Court justices chastise Vermont on the limits of police power in 'deer jacking' case

Vermont's high court ruled that game wardens had a legal right to wander around the land of a homeowner suspected of illegally hunting deer at night.

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 11:40:00 -0400

Rudy’s ‘Russian Agent’ Pal Booted from Facebook for U.S. Election Interference

Facebook has suspended the account of Ukrainian politician—and alleged Russian agent—Andrii Derkach for election interference activity.The member of Ukraine’s parliament has been working with President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani to gather allegations against former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.In a statement, a Facebook spokesperson told The Daily Beast, “We removed this account and this Page for violating our policy against the use of our platform by people engaged in election-focused influence operations.”Derkach was sanctioned by the Treasury Department in September for allegedly acting as an agent of Russian intelligence and being “directly or indirectly engaged in, sponsored, concealed, or otherwise been complicit in foreign interference in an attempt to undermine the upcoming 2020 U.S. presidential election.”Rudy: Only ‘50/50’ Chance I Worked With a ‘Russian Spy’ to Dig Dirt on Bidens and UkraineThrough his “Nabu Leaks” website, Derkach began spreading leaked recordings of conversations between Vice President Biden and former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko discussing a $1 billion loan to Ukraine and the need to fire an allegedly corrupt former prosecutor. Derkach and a number of Republican politicians have spread unsubstantiated allegations that Biden’s internationally backed pressure on Ukraine to fire its prosecutor general was part of a corruption scheme involving Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company where Biden's son, Hunter, sat on the board.Giuliani has come under increasing scrutiny for his relationship with Derkach, as revelations swirl about the U.S. intelligence community’s concerns that Russian spies may have tried to use the former mayor of New York as a conduit to launder disinformation from Moscow.Giuliani’s relationship with Derkach blossomed as he traveled around Ukraine in search of dirt on Biden’s son. Giuliani interviewed Derkach for a video series about his Hunter Biden conspiracy theories and recently told The Daily Beast, “The chance that Derkach is a Russian spy is no better than 50/50.”Read 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.

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 11:18:31 -0400

Official ballot box set ablaze with burning newspaper, Los Angeles firefighters say

Firefighters had to cut the drop box open with a chainsaw to retrieve the ballots inside.

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 11:54:32 -0400

Taiwan and Chinese diplomats injured in fight in high-end Fiji hotel

Taiwan and China have become embroiled in a diplomatic spat on the Pacific island of Fiji, after government officials from both sides were allegedly injured during a fight at an event in a high-end hotel to mark Taiwan’s National Day. The incident occurred amid growing tensions between Beijing and Taipei over Taiwan’s global status, and as both sides vie for diplomatic and economic influence in the strategic Indo-Pacific region. Taiwan’s foreign ministry said on Monday that it had asked the Fijian police to investigate the October 8 incident. The fight resulted in a Taiwanese diplomat being sent to hospital after trying to prevent two Chinese embassy officials from entering the venue to photograph people who were attending. The Chinese Communist Party claims Taiwan - a democratic island of 24 million which it has never ruled - as its own territory. It tries to undermine Taiwan internationally and strongly objects to Taipei having independent ties with any other nations. Taiwan, a strong US ally, has formal relations with four countries in the region, although not with Fiji. According to the Taiwanese foreign ministry, two Chinese diplomats stormed into a celebration marking Taiwan’s national day to “harass” their guests.

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 05:37:48 -0400

Kentucky AG Cameron: I Faced ‘Beyond the Pale’ Racial Attacks After Breonna Taylor Case

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron had always found the Left to be intolerant of black conservatives, but the spate of character assassination attempts he has faced recently have gone “beyond the pale.”In a recent interview with National Review, Cameron, the first African-American to ever be independently elected to statewide office in the Bluegrass State, detailed the experience of being on the receiving end of a firestorm of criticism over his investigation into the police shooting of 26-year-old Breonna Taylor. Much of the backlash has centered on his own identity as a black man.Perhaps most notable was rapper Megan Thee Stallion’s Saturday Night Live performance earlier this month in which she played a clip of activist Tamika Mallory calling Cameron “no different than the sellout Negroes that sold our people into slavery.”The 34-year-old attorney general, in just under a year of being in office, has found himself at the center of one of the nation’s most contentious cases of a fatal encounter between police and black Americans.Louisville police fatally shot Taylor during a botched drug raid in March. Officers were executing a search warrant shortly before 1 a.m. on March 13 when they used a battering ram to enter Taylor’s home. The officers claim they knocked and announced themselves to no response, but Taylor's boyfriend Kenneth Walker says he did not hear police identify themselves. Walked fired a shot when the door opened. He said he believed someone was breaking in.Walker’s shot hit Sargeant Jonathan Mattingly in the thigh, police said, leading Mattingly and Detectives Myles Cosgrove and Brett Hankison to fire 32 rounds in response, striking Taylor six times in her hallway, where she stood next to Walker. Outrage, which had been brewing in the months since the fatal incident, boiled over last month when the grand jury decided, on the recommendation of the attorney general’s office, to indict Hankison for wanton endangerment for firing into the empty apartment next to Taylor’s. None of the officers involved were charged in Taylor’s death. Cameron’s office made the recommendation after spending thousands of hours examining evidence in the case from mid May up until just days before the grand-jury presentation began last month.In public remarks about the investigation following the grand-jury decision September 23, Cameron called Taylor’s death a tragedy, but said his job was to investigate the facts of the case. After combing through ballistics evidence, 911 calls, police-radio traffic, and interviews, Cameron found that there was no wrongdoing on the part of Cosgrove and Mattingly, who were justified in returning fire.“The decision before my office as a special prosecutor in this case, was not to decide the loss of Miss Taylor's life was a tragedy. The answer to that question is unequivocally yes,” he said.“I deeply care about the value and sanctity of human life deserves protection. And in this case, a human life was lost. We cannot forget that,” he said. “My job as the special prosecutor in this case was to put emotions aside and investigate the facts to determine if criminal violations of state law resulted in the loss of Miss Taylor's life.”The facts, he said, are that Cosgrove and Mattingly returned fire after being fired upon and were justified in doing so."Sometimes the criminal law is inadequate to respond to or address a tragedy,” he told National Review.“Frankly that, in my judgment, is the case here. But that doesn’t exclude my responsibility to make sure that we stand up for truth and justice in this office, and make sure that the facts lead us to conclusions," he said.Cameron said he recognizes that in his role, and with all public service positions, most decisions will be met with criticism, but some of that criticism has been “beyond the pale,” he said. MSNBC host Joy Reid said on her show last month after the grand-jury decision that Cameron's identity as a black man came second to his party affiliation and criticized him for having done "nothing but give a speech.""You have to always look at [political] party," she said. "Party is the religion now in America, especially for Republicans. Don’t look at the fact that this guy is black. That does not mean anything. He is a Republican, through and through."On Reid's show, Alicia Garza, an original founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, was similarly critical, comparing Cameron to the segregation-era politician Bull Connor who fought against civil rights for blacks."I think what I saw this morning was a Bull Connor speech in 2020. And . . . unfortunately, it was being given by a black prosecutor," Garza said.Cameron said he hopes the harsh backlash he has received will shine a light on the hypocrisy of the Left.“What I hope people are seeing in this process is that a lot of those folks who preach tolerance are really being exposed for their intolerant views,” he said. “There are really a lot of intolerant people here to black folks who might have different philosophical views or don't subscribe to a liberal orthodoxy.”Cameron is a lifelong conservative, having been raised by two conservative parents in the former frontier town of Elizabethtown, Ky. Growing up, he worked in the coffee shop that his dad owned, and his mother taught at a community college. “My parents are conservatives. Owning a small business lent itself to that viewpoint. Our connection to faith and church and that background sort of lent itself in our views to the Republican Party and our views on smaller government,” he said. “It wasn’t until I got to undergrad that I realized that not everybody held those views.”Cameron studied at the University of Louisville, where he played football and later earned his law degree, in 2011. He was the recipient of one of ten McConnell scholarships, a competitive academic prize at the university, beginning an influential mentor-mentee relationship with Senator Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.).Cameron went on to intern in McConnell's Senate office and then clerked for a federal judge who had also previously worked for the Senate majority leader. McConnell hired Cameron as general counsel in 2015. In that role, Cameron helped McConnell identify and promote conservative judges to the federal bench and helped to shepherd through the nomination of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch. It was McConnell who encouraged Cameron to run for attorney general.Cameron thanked his mentor shortly after winning the AG race against Democratic competitor Greg Stumbo, becoming the first Republican elected to the office since 1944.He said the senator “changed the trajectory of my life” by recommending that he run for the role. “I’m proud to call him a friend, I’m proud to call him a mentor,” Cameron said.Speaking to The Hill last year, McConnell said there are “a lot of similarities” between him and his protégé.“Neither of us when we started out were well connected and had to start from scratch. But he’s earned this opportunity and he deserves the credit,” McConnell said. “All you could credit me with was observing the real talent.”McConnell has supported Cameron’s work in the Taylor case, saying last month that he had “conducted exactly the kind of thorough, impartial investigation that justice demands.” “I have full confidence in the attorney general’s painstaking pursuit of facts and justice,” he said.But not everyone has been so kind.The Megan Thee Stallion stunt, which Cameron called “pretty disgusting,” was just one in a series of racial attacks on the attorney general. “There are folks that had already made a determination about how they want to see this case play out and when that didn’t happen, they’ve responded in a way that is not very civil in my judgment,” he said, saying the SNL incident was “just another demonstration of that.”“It’s not uncommon for folks to make wild accusations about black conservatives,” he said. “This isn’t the first time it happened to me, and it certainly won’t be the last.”Last year during the AG race, it was clear that race would play a role of outsized importance when the Lexington-Herald Leader published a cartoon depicting Cameron latching onto the coattails of a Ku Klux Klan robe worn by President Trump. > This is what the @HeraldLeader —a “tolerant,” left-leaning newspaper—thinks about black folks who dare to be Republican. You’re a racist following the KKK unless you hate @realDonaldTrump. Let’s make history on November 5th and show we don’t take orders from the elites anymore. pic.twitter.com/gjnCT4eOsg> > -- Daniel Cameron (@DanielCameronAG) October 27, 2019Cameron blasted the cartoon then as evidence of liberal intolerance of “the idea of folks that look like me who happen to be Republican.”He told National Review that “there’s a long list of black conservatives who have been disparaged just because of the political philosophy that we have.”“I hope it exposes the intolerance of the Left and how they don't respond in civil public conversation or discourse. The way they respond is to hurl insults at black conservatives, and it's disappointing,” he said.“I wake up every day and my skin is black and I’m fully aware of that," he added. "But my responsibility as the attorney general is to be the attorney general of all of Kentucky. I ran on the idea that this office needs to be about the rule of law, and our responsibility to enforce the rule of law, regardless of the outcomes or the consequences to me whether personally or politically that is my responsibility.”In a speech at the Republican National Convention in August, Cameron called out Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden for his disparaging remarks about the black community, including black Republicans."I think often about my ancestors who struggled for freedom," he said. "And as I think of those giants and their broad shoulders, I also think about Joe Biden, who says, if you aren't voting for me, 'you ain't black.' Who argued that Republicans would put us 'back in chains.' Who says there is no 'diversity' of thought in the black community?""Mr. Vice President, look at me, I am black. We are not all the same, sir. I am not in chains. My mind is my own. And you can't tell me how to vote because of the color of my skin," he added. Cameron recognizes that, as someone who holds public office, he is opening himself up to criticism and said he supports civil discourse and peaceful protests. In July, more than 100 people gathered on Cameron's front lawn to demand the officers involved in Taylor's death be charged. Police arrested 87 protesters including Leslie Redmond, the president of the NAACP’s Minneapolis chapter; Houston Texans wide receiver Kenny Stills; and Porsha Williams, a member of the cast of The Real Housewives of Atlanta.Jefferson County attorney Mike O’Connell ultimately dropped the felony charges against the protesters.“Peaceful protest has been a part of our history,” Cameron told National Review. “But when we see these violent elements try to hijack peaceful protests and we’ve seen some of the looting and vandalism and burning of American cities, I mean that is disheartening.”He believes it will take an effort from leaders on both sides to denounce that sort of conduct and “let people know that that’s outside the bounds of what is normal and appropriate.”“I am always optimistic about the future of this country and always know that cooler heads will prevail,” he said.

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 06:30:10 -0400

Pennsylvania’s rejection of 372,000 ballot applications bewilders voters and strains election staff

The administrative nightmare highlights the difficulty of ramping up mail-in voting on the fly

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 05:00:01 -0400

Killer dubbed ‘Black Widow’ gets prison release 30 years after hit on estranged husband

Barbara Kogan organised killing to secure life insurance payout

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 18:50:02 -0400

6 Russians charged over most 'destructive series of computer attacks ever attributed to a single group'

The Department of Justice has announced charges against six Russian intelligence officers in connection with a series of majorly "disruptive and destructive" cyberattacks.The DOJ on Monday said that a federal grand jury had indicted six Russian computer hackers, officers of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), for their role in a series of "computer intrusions and attacks" conducted from 2015 through 2019 "for the strategic benefit of Russia." This allegedly included malware attacks against Ukraine's electric power grid, as well as efforts to disrupt France's 2017 elections and the 2018 Winter Olympics.Officials also said the defendants were responsible for "destructive malware attacks that infected computers worldwide" and led to nearly $1 billion in losses.The alleged hackers, The Washington Post notes, are a part of the same intelligence agency previously charged over interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, although the indictment unsealed on Monday didn't include charges related to U.S. election interference. NBC News' Kevin Collier wrote that "naming six officers (allegedly) responsible for election meddling and destruction two weeks before the election seems a pretty clear sign." The Post reports that "officials said the announcement was not timed to the current political schedule," however. Johns Hopkins University professor Thomas Rid also described the indictment as an "incredible document," which suggests intelligence communities "must have stunning visibility into Russian military intelligence operations if today's disclosures are considered dispensable."Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers in a statement on Monday said "no country has weaponized its cyber capabilities as maliciously or irresponsibly as Russia, wantonly causing unprecedented damage to pursue small tactical advantages and to satisfy fits of spite," saying the defendants were charged over the "most disruptive and destructive series of computer attacks ever attributed to a single group" and adding, "No nation will recapture greatness while behaving in this way."More stories from theweek.com Will Kansas go blue? What happened to third party candidates? If Roe falls

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 15:03:00 -0400

'Smoke coming from everywhere': Cameron Peak, Calwood fires continue to rage in Colorado

Colorado crews scrambled to gain ground against two blazes as this year's historic wildfire season imparted more heartbreak and hardships on the West.

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 00:05:58 -0400

Cruise ship rescues 24 people from boat off Florida coast

A Carnival Cruise Line ship rescued two dozen people, including two children, from a sinking boat 37 miles off the Florida coast, the cruise line reported Saturday.

Sun, 18 Oct 2020 13:53:04 -0400

Porn Stars Are Terrified of Amy Coney Barrett

Who fills the next Supreme Court vacancy matters—and it may even impact your sex life.Yes, if Trump nominee Amy Coney Barrett becomes the next Supreme Court justice, the future of the commercial sex industry could be in grave danger—as could the viewing entertainment of millions of Americans since, according to Pornhub statistics, the U.S. consistently outranks all other countries in maintaining the highest rate of daily traffic to Pornhub. Thus, as the Senate hearings to confirm Amy Coney Barrett draw to a close, her seemingly inevitable spot on the bench has sparked panic among the sex-worker community.“If she’s confirmed, it could be catastrophic for the adult industry if and when any First Amendment-related cases reach the Supreme Court,” argues adult actress Siri Dahl. “Instead of supporting equal free speech for all Americans, she seems to support privileged free speech for religious Americans. There’s no way that will be good for the porn industry.”As if worrying about the career persecution wasn’t enough, Siri anticipates a worse threat will hit much sooner. “I’m worried most about reproductive rights. Our rights to important health care like birth control and abortion are in imminent danger. It’s especially scary to me as a sex worker who also happens to have a uterus,” says Dahl. “I’d like the government to stay away from my sex organs and my personal health decisions!”How Socialite India Oxenberg Escaped the NXIVM Sex Cult—and Leader Keith RaniereThat’s unlikely given the Supreme Court’s current conservative majority, which if Barrett is appointed, will become 6-3, reaching an imbalance that could last for decades. It’s a potentially frightening group with the power to reshape our legal framework but without the wisdom to effectively balance it. Pornography laws are a prime example of striking that necessary balance.Sexually explicit material is protected by the First Amendment except in such cases where it can be prosecuted for obscenity or child pornography. Obscenity, as the Supreme Court ruled in 1957 (Roth v. United States), is not protected by the First Amendment. To be obscene it must “be utterly without redeeming social value” and “of prurient interest.” However, much of this was decided case-by-case and left to the interpretation of the court, with Justice Potter Stewart famously explaining, “I’ll know it when I see it,” regarding his method of determination on a 1964 obscenity case involving the Louis Malle film The Lovers (Jacobellis v. Ohio).Without a measurable standard, obscenity could be even more subjective. It wasn’t until 1973’s Miller v. California case when the court engineered a three-part approach to measuring obscenity (known as the Miller test). These criteria continue to inform how the lines are drawn between adult entertainment protected as free speech verses similar, but prosecutable, content found to be “patently offensive,” and lacking in “serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.” The court’s interpretation of obscenity and freedom of speech nearly 50 years ago shaped the legal framework today’s adult industry operates within, which is why who fills that seat matters. In years to come they will be dictating the existence of porn—and quite possibly free speech with it.“The adult industry is founded on bodily autonomy and freedom of expression, freedoms that religious extremist Barrett will happily erode or remove. She will even be considering First Amendment cases that could outlaw porn. While she claims to be for freedom and liberty, it’s clear she will happily regulate the bedroom on- and off-screen,” warns adult actress and former Penthouse Pet Mary Moody. “We might hope that Barrett could separate her extremist religious beliefs from her judgments but while teaching law she argued justices should be allowed to judge based on these beliefs. Her history speaks for itself, and when given the option to rule on cases that will impact sex workers, it is clear she will lean on her radical conservative religious beliefs to aid her.“I have the integrity to act consistently with my oath and apply the law as the law,” Barrett claimed during the Senate confirmation hearings. Nonetheless, it’s nearly impossible to believe her religious views won’t impact her judicial duty to the law.“I suspect that from what we know of her religious beliefs, that any anti-porn cases that come before the court will stand a good chance of winning for the religious right agenda. This goes hand-in-hand with reproductive, women’s, and civil rights protections under the 14th Amendment,” says Angie Rowntree, founder of Sssh.com, the web’s first porn-for-women feminist site. “Considering that Supreme Court seats are ‘for life’ her religious/conservative agenda will push the U.S. back to 1960 for a generation in some societal and legal aspects. The TV show Mad Men is enjoyable to watch on television, but not to watch play out in the highest court in the land which affects the lives and rights of millions every day.” Adult model and content creator Bea York says she’s worried but still trying to be optimistic. “Here’s a person that might have the power to undo a lot of important things. As a woman, I’m most concerned with other women getting the help that they need, when they need it. After that, I worry about the impact of having someone on the Supreme Court that seems pretty far removed from the big issues that people are dealing with,” York muses.Having presided over 10,000 cases, Judge Herb Dodell, author of From the Trench to the Bench, understands the value of separation of church and state and the importance of it as a judge. He questions Barrett’s ability to disengage from her personal biases when deciding a case. “For the adult industry, her confirmation could have a substantial impact. For example, SESTA/FOSTA. That legislation will be before the Supreme Court. The whole subject of free speech versus prior restraint, including liability, especially concerning social media, will be dictated by the Supreme Court. My biggest concern was the equivalent of her saying she would not necessarily be bound by stare decisis (precedent). I would also be concerned about the lack of response regarding severability, which could lead to an all-or-nothing situation,” says Judge Dodell.“As judges, we are supposed to follow the law, whether we agree with it or not. I am not sure she can do that, given her strong views.”Read 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.

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 04:47:34 -0400

National steelworkers union shines 'Biden Harris' sign on Trump Tower in Chicago

The 98-story Chicago skyscraper previously sparked controversy from the public after an enormous, LED "TRUMP" logo was stamped on it.

Sun, 18 Oct 2020 16:33:01 -0400

U.S. Postal carrier charged with stealing Miami-Dade mail-in ballot, debit cards

A U.S. Postal Service carrier has been arrested on charges of stealing one Miami-Dade County mail-in ballot that was sent to a Miami Beach resident earlier this month, federal authorities said Monday.

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 16:45:32 -0400

Unmasked man in Washington grocery store speaks out after video goes viral

In the viral video, an employee confronts Scott, who said his medical condition prevents him from wearing a mask.

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 12:08:00 -0400

Electoral college explained: how Biden faces an uphill battle in the US election

Trump won the presidency in 2016 despite Clinton receiving almost 3m more votes, all because of the electoral college. How does the system work? Who elects the US president?When Americans cast their ballots for the US president, they are actually voting for a representative of that candidate’s party known as an elector. There are 538 electors who then vote for the president on behalf of the people in their state.Each state is assigned a certain number of these electoral votes, based on the number of congressional districts they have, plus two additional votes representing the state’s Senate seats. Washington DC is also assigned three electoral votes, despite having no voting representation in Congress. A majority of 270 of these votes is needed to win the presidency.The process of nominating electors varies by state and by party, but is generally done one of two ways. Ahead of the election, political parties either choose electors at their national conventions, or they are voted for by the party’s central committee.The electoral college nearly always operates with a winner-takes-all system, in which the candidate with the highest number of votes in a state claims all of that state’s electoral votes. For example, in 2016, Trump beat Clinton in Florida by a margin of just 2.2%, but that meant he claimed all 29 of Florida’s crucial electoral votes.Such small margins in a handful of key swing states meant that, regardless of Clinton’s national vote lead, Trump was able to clinch victory in several swing states and therefore win more electoral college votes. Biden could face the same hurdle in November, meaning he will need to focus his attention on a handful of battleground states to win the presidency.A chart showing electoral college votes by state The unequal distribution of electoral votesWhile the number of electoral votes a state is assigned somewhat reflects its population, the minimum of three votes per state means that the relative value of electoral votes varies across America.The least populous states like North and South Dakota and the smaller states of New England are overrepresented because of the required minimum of three electoral votes. Meanwhile, the states with the most people – California, Texas and Florida – are underrepresented in the electoral college.Wyoming has one electoral college vote for every 193,000 people, compared with California’s rate of one electoral vote per 718,000 people. This means that each electoral vote in California represents over three times as many people as one in Wyoming. These disparities are repeated across the country. A visual of population per electoral vote by state Who does it favour?Experts have warned that, after returning two presidents that got fewer votes than their opponents since 2000, the electoral college is flawed.In 2000, Al Gore won over half a million more votes than Bush, yet Bush became president after winning Florida by just 537 votes.A chart showing recent election outcomes by popular vote and electoral college marginsProfessor George Edwards III, at Texas A&M University, said: “The electoral college violates the core tenet of democracy, that all votes count equally and allows the candidate finishing second to win the election. Why hold an election if we do not care who received the most votes?“At the moment, the electoral college favours Republicans because of the way Republican votes are distributed across the country. They are more likely to occur in states that are closely divided between the parties.”Under the winner-takes-all system, the margin of victory in a state becomes irrelevant. In 2016, Clinton’s substantial margins in states such as California and New York failed to earn her enough electoral votes, while close races in the battleground states of Pennsylvania and Michigan took Trump over the 270 majority.A visual showing margins and electoral votes by state gained by Trump and Clinton in 2016As candidates easily win the electoral votes of their solid states, the election plays out in a handful of key battlegrounds. In 2016, Trump won six such states - Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin – adding 99 electoral votes to his total.The demographics of these states differ from the national average. They are older, have more white voters without college degrees, and often have smaller non-white populations. These characteristics generally favour Republicans, and made up the base of Trump’s votes in 2016.For example, 67% of non-college-educated white people voted for Trump in 2016. In all six swing states, this demographic is overrepresented by at least six percentage points more than the national average.default The alternativesSeveral alternative systems for electing the president have been proposed and grown in favour, as many seek to change or abolish the electoral college.Two states – Maine and Nebraska – already use a different method of assigning their electoral college votes. The two “Senate” votes go to the state-wide popular vote winner, but the remaining district votes are awarded to the winner of that district. However, implementing this congressional district method across the country could result in greater bias than the current system. The popular vote winner could still lose the election, and the distribution of voters would still strongly favour Republicans.The National Popular Vote Compact (NPVC) is another option, in which each state would award all of its electoral college votes in line with the national popular vote. If enough states signed up to this agreement to reach the 270 majority, the candidate who gained the most votes nationwide would always win the presidency.However, the NPVC has more practical issues. Professor Norman Williams, from Willamette University, questioned how a nationwide recount would be carried out under the NPVC, and said that partisanship highlighted its major flaws. Only Democratic states are currently signed up, but support could simply switch in the future if a Republican candidate faces winning the popular vote but not the presidency.The NPVC is a solution that would elect the president with the most votes without the difficulty of abolishing the electoral college that is enshrined in the constitution.In 1787, the Founding Fathers could not decide on the best system to elect the president. Some delegates opposed a straight nomination by Congress, while others wanted to limit the influence of a potentially uninformed public and the power a populist candidate could have with a direct popular vote. The resulting electoral college, with electors acting as intermediaries for their states, is their compromise.This system also invoked a clause known as the three-fifths compromise between northern and southern delegates, as they debated how slavery would affect a state’s representation. Their agreement was that three-fifths of enslaved individuals (who could not vote) would count towards a state’s population, awarding a disproportionate amount of power in the electoral college to the southern states. While the 13th amendment which abolished slavery in effect removed the three-fifths clause, the impacts of an unbalanced electoral college with unequal representation remain.The current system is still vulnerable to distorted outcomes through actions such as gerrymandering. This practice involves precisely redrawing the borders of districts to concentrate support in favour of a party. The result being abnormally shaped districts that disenfranchise certain groups of voters.Today, an amendment that would replace the college with a direct national popular vote is seen by many as the fairest electoral system.According to Professor Edwards III, “There is only one appropriate way to elect the president: add up all the votes and declare the candidate receiving the most votes the winner.”default

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 09:42:36 -0400

‘You dumb b*****ds’: Trump lays into CNN over amount of Covid-19 coverage and makes series of false claims

'You turn on CNN. That's all they cover,' president says to loud cheers in Arizona

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 06:15:10 -0400

Japan to export defense tech to Vietnam under new agreement

Japan has been pursuing such pacts in recent years to bolster ties with Southeast Asian countries and sustain its own defense industry.

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 10:19:38 -0400

Journalists Share Deceptively Edited Clip of GOP Michigan Senate Candidate John James’ Answer on Health Care

A number of prominent journalists shared a deceptively edited video that purported to show Republican Michigan Senate candidate John James fumbling his response to a question about protecting patients with pre-existing health conditions."I don't see a full health care plan on your website. What do you want to replace it with?" anchor Devin Scillian of Detroit's Local 4 News asked James during an interview on Sunday."So here's the thing. I'm not a politician," James begins his response, at which point the video ends.During the rest of his answer that was not included in the clip, James goes on to outline his vision for health care and the proposals he believes could replace the Affordable Care Act."Health care is unaffordable for too many Americans, and I believe that by increasing competition, increasing choice, increasing quality of care, lowering costs, I think we can do that with some of the ways I proposed," James said.The Michigan Republican said he proposes "broadening the risk pools across state lines," as well as reforming the tort and regulatory hurdles that raise costs and allowing business association health plans "so people can make their own choice.""Those are the types of things through a legislative requirement that must protect preexisting conditions," James said.The video was put out by Michigan Democrats and subsequently shared by several prominent journalists and others with large Twitter followings.CNN White House correspondent John Harwood shared the video, as did Emily Singer and Oliver Willis of the American Independent and veteran broadcast journalist Soledad O'Brien. Several former government officials and entertainment personalities also shared the video along with Democratic Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer's communications director and incumbent Gary Peters, James's opponent in the Senate race.The Michigan Senate race is now considered a toss up between James and Peters, according to RealClearPolitics.James has been advocating for replacing Obamacare since his first unsuccessful run for Senate in Michigan three years ago.In November 2017, James called the Affordable Care Act a "monstrosity" and declared Washington needs "someone who will go and work their tail off" to repeal and replace it.“Our failure to repeal and replace Obamacare is the surest sign that we need new conservative leadership in Washington,” James said at the time.

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 16:28:45 -0400

As the Arctic's attractions mount, Greenland is a security black hole

On a windy August afternoon in 2017, Akitsinnguaq Ina Olsen was relaxing in the old harbour of Nuuk, Greenland's capital, when a Chinese icebreaker sailed unannounced into the Arctic island's territorial waters. The Chinese ship was one of a growing number of unexpected arrivals in Arctic waters as shrinking sea ice has fast-tracked a race among global powers for control over resources and waterways. Both China and Russia have been making increasingly assertive moves in the region, and after the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last year said now is "America's moment to stand up as an Arctic nation and for the Arctic's future," military activity is stepping up.

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 01:06:06 -0400

Sen. Schumer, McConnell spar over COVID relief bill

Schumer is not impressed with McConnell’s latest proposal. The Senate minority leader, Charles Schumer, believes Republicans and Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell are the reason an agreement on a COVID-19 relief hasn’t been made. On a call with reporters on Sunday, The Hill reports that Schumer says Senate Republicans are the “No. 1 reason there’s no agreement,” and they “won’t even go along with what Trump is willing” to get done.

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 17:12:00 -0400

Senator Kamala Harris demands federal investigation of police shooting of Breonna Taylor in Kentucky

The Louisville Metro Police investigation that led officers to Breonna Taylor's home centered around a "trap house" 10 miles from her apartment.

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 10:20:18 -0400

An idle Venezuelan tanker with millions of gallons of oil is creating panic in Trinidad

More than 20 months after a Venezuelan oil tanker carrying nearly 55 million gallons of crude oil was abandoned off the country’s northern coast following tightened U.S. sanctions, inspectors from neighboring Trinidad and Tobago will finally get a chance to see for themselves if the idle vessel’s cargo could lead to a major ecological disaster off the Caribbean coast of South America.

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 19:23:29 -0400

Egypt says another trove of ancient coffins found in Saqqara

Egyptian archaeologists have unearthed another trove of ancient coffins in a vast necropolis south of Cairo, authorities said Monday. The Tourism and Antiquities Ministry said in a statement that archaeologists found the collection of colorful, sealed sarcophagi buried more than 2,500 years ago at the Saqqara necropolis. Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said more than 80 coffins were found.

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 09:48:42 -0400

Bolivia 'has recovered democracy', says Arce as exit poll suggests win

Bolivian presidential candidate Luis Arce, the leftist heir to former leader Evo Morales, said his country had "recovered democracy" after an exit poll from TV station Unitel indicated he had won the election in the first round with 52.4 percent of the vote.

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 04:30:16 -0400

Trump reportedly invited a waiter into a top secret intelligence briefing room to order a milkshake

Look, sometimes a man just needs a malted milkshake. Admittedly, there are less opportune moments to indulge in such a craving — say, when you're in a highly classified briefing about Afghanistan with your country's senior defense and intelligence officials.Nevertheless, President Trump reportedly brought such a huddle to a halt a few months after he took office in 2017, Politico reports. "Does anyone want a malt?" the commander-in-chief supposedly asked the top-ranking officials who'd assembled for the briefing at his New Jersey golf club, including the head of the CIA's Special Activities Center, "a little known unit" that is "responsible for operations that include clandestine or covert operations with which the U.S. government does not want to be overtly associated," Spec Ops Magazine explains.Trump urged, "We have the best malts, you have to try them," before inviting a waiter into the code-word-secure briefing room to satisfy his sweet tooth. "The malt episode ... became legendary inside the CIA, said three former officials," Politico writes, explaining that "it was seen as an early harbinger of Trump's disinterest in intelligence, which would later be borne out by the new president's notorious resistance to reading his classified daily briefing." (That is to say, pictures were added to the briefings to help keep him engaged).Still, this is a man who has flexed the power of the nation's highest office to … install a button on his desk in the Oval Office that summons a butler to bring him a Diet Coke. The briefings can wait! To paraphrase a queen of France who was similarly burdened with the trivialities of running a country when there were sweets to consume, let them drink milkshakes.More stories from theweek.com Will Kansas go blue? What happened to third party candidates? If Roe falls

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 10:57:00 -0400

Infectious diseases specialist challenges airlines' COVID safety analysis

A campaign by coronavirus-stricken aviation giants to persuade the world it's safe to fly has been questioned by one of the scientists whose research it draws upon.

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 08:50:45 -0400

Jill Biden: From her secret identity to how Joe Biden’s wife could become first career First Lady, everything you need to know

Educator says she wants to keep on teaching if Joe Biden beats Donald Trump

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 05:35:21 -0400

US pitches Greece on a frigate co-production deal

American shipbuilder Onex, based in Greece, could help construct new frigates for the Hellenic Navy.

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 19:22:51 -0400

Flooding, landslides plague Vietnam as Tropical Storm Saudel makes landfall in the Philippines

Parts of Vietnam are still reeling from an onslaught of tropical systems in recent weeks that have worsened ongoing flooding in the country. Now, AccuWeather meteorologists say another storm may target the country after bringing flooding rainfall and gusty winds to the Philippines. At least 102 people have been killed in total by the recent flooding and landslides, while more than 90,000 have been forced to evacuate their homes, The Guardian reports. On Sunday, rescue operations were underway as multiple landslides buried a military barracks in Vietnam's central province of Quang Tri, according to the BBC. At least 11 bodies have been recovered so far. Search and rescue efforts were even paused for a time on Sunday as heavy rain returned to the area and increased the risk for additional landslides. Flooded villages are seen in Quang Tri province, Vietnam, October 13, 2020. Ho Cau/VNA via REUTERS. Thousands of hectares of ponds and land used for agriculture have been destroyed and hundreds of thousands of cattle and poultry have been swept away in the floodwaters. Hue, a city located in the province to the south of Quang Tri, has reported 2,265 mm (89.17 inches) of rainfall since the beginning of October. The city typically reports 757 mm (29.80 inches) of rain for the month. Footage from AFP showed just how high floodwaters had reached in Hue with water entering houses and disrupting other normal everyday activities. The central Vietnam city is closing in on a monthly rainfall total near what is normally reported in an entire year: 2,798 mm (110.20 inches) of rain. CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP Rounds of downpours are forecast to continue across northern and central Vietnam into the middle of the week. Then, a drier air mass is expected to approach on a southward journey from China. This break in the onslaught of rain may be short-lived for the flood-ravaged region. AccuWeather forecasters are monitoring a newly-formed tropical storm that could follow a path toward Vietnam this week. A satellite view of Tropical Storm Saudel as it nears landfall over Luzon in the northern Philippines on Tuesday night, local time. (CIRA/RAMMB) A tropical depression formed to the east of the central Philippines on Monday, local time, and strengthened to a tropical storm as it drew closer to the country on Tuesday. The tropical storm is designated as Saudel by the Japan Meteorological Agency, and is known as Pepito in the Philippines. At 9 p.m., local time, on Tuesday, the tropical storm made landfall near over San Ildefonso Peninsula in Casiguran, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration. "The storm will continue to cross Luzon through Tuesday night, local time," stated AccuWeather Lead International Meteorologist Jason Nicholls. He added that the heaviest rainfall is expected across northern Luzon and the higher terrain, where 200-400 mm (8-16 inches) of rain is expected. This is also where the AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 24 inches (600 mm) is most likely to occur. Widespread rainfall totals of 50-100 mm (2-4 inches) are in the forecast for the rest of the northern Philippines. The storm will also deliver gusty winds as it passes over the island of Luzon. "The strongest winds will occur across the northeastern and northern coasts of Luzon, as well as the higher terrain across the Interior of Luzon," stated Nicholls. "Winds will gust between 60 and 100 km/h (40 and 60 mph) with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 150 km/h (90 mph)." This can lead to damage to weaker structures, downed power lines and tree damage. This strengthening process will slow down into Wednesday as the storm moves over the northern Philippines. However, once the system emerges over the South China Sea, it will return to an environment conducive for additional strengthening. As warm water and low wind shear allow the storm to gain strength through the end of the week, it may follow a track toward Indochina, one that was also forged by Linfa and other disorganized tropical features in recent weeks. This would bring yet another round of torrential rainfall to parts of Vietnam by the weekend. However, if the track shifts to the north, more widespread impacts may be in the forecast for Hainan, located in southern China. This island took a direct hit from Tropical Storm Nangka on October 13. Residents across southern China should monitor Tropical Storm Saudel through the week as a northerly could bring the heaviest rain and strongest wind to the region. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 15:10:38 -0400

Aeroflot Airlines crew members suspected of helping smuggle $50 million worth of stolen iPads, iPhones, and more into Russia

The US State Department has revoked 113 visas of Aeroflot employees in connection to the smuggling allegations.

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 15:16:21 -0400

4 people showed up to vote in Fort Lauderdale without masks. Here’s what happened next

Police responded to an early voting site in Fort Lauderdale on Monday after a poll worker told four voters they couldn’t vote without masks. But after police consulted with Broward County Elections Supervisor Peter Antonacci, the voters were allowed back into the polling place to cast their ballots, still without masks on.

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 18:37:49 -0400

China tells U.S. companies that they are welcome in its market

China welcomes U.S. companies to actively participate in its market and will strive to create a fair and just environment, the industry ministry said on Monday, citing a meeting it held with firms such as Qualcomm Inc and General Motors. Xiao Yaqing, China's Minister of Industry and Information Technology, made the comments during a video meeting held with a delegation sent by the US-China Business Council, the ministry said in a statement published on is website. Executives from the headquarters of companies like General Motors and Qualcomm attended the meeting, alongside the heads of the US-China Business Council, the statement said, adding that Xiao had also commented on how there were good market prospects in areas like 5G technology and new energy vehicles.

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 05:38:08 -0400