Louisville

SCOTUS mail-in voting ruling raises alarm: Democrats may “never win another national election"

Democrats scored a big win in a Pennsylvania mail-in voting case, but the victory "may only last a matter of days"

They caught thousands of flying squirrels in Florida and sold them illegally, cops say

Four Florida men and two men from Georgia are accused of a scheme to illegally catch and export to Asia flying squirrels and other protected species.

Ratcliffe: No proof foreign actors tied to 'Biden' laptop. Officials: FBI is probing

Frank Figliuzzi, a former FBI counterintelligence chief, said it's possible the laptop was the product of a political dirty trick by domestic actors.

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.

Fake naked photos of thousands of women shared online

Fake naked images of thousands of women are being made from social media photos.

U.S. fighter jets intercept Russian bombers near Alaska

U.S. fighter jets intercepted four Russian military aircraft in international airspace near Alaska, NORAD said.

'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.

Pelosi and Mnuchin are 'narrowing their differences' on a stimulus package as the deadline for a deal looms

Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin will speak again on Tuesday to see if they can come to an agreement on the stimulus deal.

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.

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

Danish submarine killer Peter Madsen took a female psychologist hostage and then escaped from prison in Copenhagen on Tuesday, keeping police at bay for nearby two hours after he wore what police feared was an explosives belt strapped around his abdomen. The 49-year-old escaped from Herstedvester prison at around 10am, seizing the woman and brandishing a "pistol-like object". "He used her as a shield to threaten the staff to open the gate. It was very violent and the staff, therefore, chose to back off," Bo Yde Sorensen, Chairman of the Danish Prison Federation, told Ekstra Bladet newspaper. "The weapon was life-like so the prison guards at the gate did not dare take any chances in relation to the hostage, who they judged to be in life danger. He threatened to kill her if they did not open the gate." Madsen, who murdered a Swedish journalist on his submarine in 2017, made it little more than half a mile from the prison gates.

Joe Biden supporter who was installing BLM sign arrested for allegedly shooting at passing Trump supporter and son

Neighbours said the political signs supporting Democrats had been previously pulled down on multiple occasions

Florida is voting early. Here’s how many Democrats and Republicans are showing up

Floridians braved the rain and fears of COVID-19 to head to the polls in record numbers Monday on the first day of early voting, with slightly more Democrats casting ballots in person than Republicans.

TikTok users are super-gluing vampire fangs to their teeth, and struggling to get them off. Dentists are not happy about it.

Users are posting videos, yanking furiously on their fangs to try to remove them. Dentists say it could cause permanent damage.

Letters to the Editor: It's time for Anthony Fauci to say what he really thinks about Trump

Dr. Anthony Fauci has given his honest medical opinion throughout the pandemic, and Trump denigrates him.

Expect a price jump, and new COVID-19 rules, when booking your next cruise

Cruise companies say pent-up demand, once the U.S. no-sail order is lifted, will lead to higher ticket costs.

Moderna says COVID-19 vaccine could be approved in December

Stéphane Bancel, chief executive of Moderna Inc., said Monday that the federal government could grant emergency use authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine in December, assuming the company gets promising data from its Phase 3 trial in November. Moderna started its final-phase trial with 30,000 volunteers in July, and in order to apply for emergency authorization, 53 of the subjects have to become infected with the new coronavirus, and the cases have to be significantly higher in the half of the trial that received a placebo.That first analysis will likely happen in November, Bancel said at a Wall Street Journal conference, but "it's hard to predict exactly which week because it depends on the cases, the number of people getting sick." If the results don't show sufficient efficacy, Moderna will try again when 106 trial participants contract symptomatic COVID-19, likely delaying authorization until early next year. Under Food and Drug Administration guidelines, drugmakers also have to show that their vaccine is safe for at least two months after vaccination, a benchmark Bancel said Moderna should hit in late November.Moderna is testing one of four viable COVID-19 vaccines, and its timeline is closest to Pfizer, which said last week it expects to seek emergency use authorization of its vaccine in late November. The trials of vaccine candidates from Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca are on pause while the companies look into unexplained health issues among participants. Moderna says it plans to produce 20 million does of its vaccine this year and 500 million next year.More stories from theweek.com Will Kansas go blue? What happened to third party candidates? If Roe falls

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.

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.

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.

Florida company warns employees they might lose jobs if Trump doesn’t win

Boss has given hundreds of thousands to Republican political causes

Tourist seen hand-feeding a bear on TikTok has been charged, Tennessee officials say

She appeared to give the animal chocolate and watermelon, footage from a mountain town shows.

‘Cheer’ star Jerry Harris was warned before child porn arrest by the owner of a gym featured on ‘AGT,’ lawsuit claims

Cheer Athletics co-owner Angela Rogers warned 'Cheer' star Jerry Harris about a possible investigation into his conduct, according to a lawsuit.

Sudan trial defence rejects case against ousted Bashir

The trial of Sudan's ousted president Omar al-Bashir and others over a 1989 coup heard defence arguments Tuesday dismissing charges of illegal use of military force.

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

Heartbreak in the Magic Kingdom: Laid-off Disney workers turn to food banks as coronavirus devastates Florida tourism

The coronavirus has led to thousands of layoffs at Disney in Orlando, and devastated the local economy, reports Richard Hall

Fears of ecological disaster grow over stricken oil tanker in Caribbean

Lawmakers from the National Assembly called on the country's government to urgently unload oil from Nabarima to avoid a spill.

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

Early voting begins in crucial Florida as election nears

Early voting began in battleground state Florida on Monday, with just two weeks to go until the election.

Trump says people 'have to flush their toilet 15 times' in a bizarre campaign rally rant about water restrictions

Trump also turned his attention to showers: 'You ever get under a shower and no water comes out? And me, I want that hair to be so beautiful.'

Pieces of Halley’s Comet to bring meteor shower this week. Here’s how you can watch

You could see up to 20 meteors per hour if you’re lucky.

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.

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

Barbara Kogan organised killing to secure life insurance payout

Judge strikes down 'arbitrary and capricious' USDA rule ending food stamps for 700,000 unemployed

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., stuck down a Trump administration rule Sunday that had attempted to end food stamp benefits for up to 700,000 unemployed adults. The U.S. Department of Agriculture finalized the rule last year, but Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell had put a hold on its implementation in March, on the same day President Trump declared the COVID-19 pandemic a national emergency. Congress then froze the new rule's requirements for the duration of the state of emergency. In s scathing 67-page ruling, Howell formally struck the rule down.The USDA's rule, designed to stop states from waiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) work requirements during economic downturns, "radically and abruptly alters decades of regulatory practice, leaving states scrambling and exponentially increasing food insecurity for tens of thousands of Americans," Howell wrote. The USDA "has been icily silent about how many [adults] would have been denied SNAP benefits had the changes sought ... been in effect while the pandemic rapidly spread across the country," he added, and that "utter failure to address the issue renders the agency action arbitrary and capricious."Two other proposed rule changes are still in the works; one would limit access to SNAP benefits for working poor families and the other would affect unity allowance deductions, The Washington Post reports. "A study by the Urban Institute indicated the combined impact of these rules would cut 3.7 million people from SNAP in an average month. Benefits would be reduced for millions more, and 982,000 students would lose automatic access to free or reduced-price school meals."More stories from theweek.com Will Kansas go blue? What happened to third party candidates? If Roe falls

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.

CNN pundit Jeffrey Toobin on leave amid disturbing sex scandal

Fox News senior correspondent Rick Leventhal has the latest on 'Hannity.'

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.

Archaeologists find huge 2,000-year-old cat image carved into Peru hillside

The massive design of a cat was found at the UNESCO heritage site known as Nazca Lines which features thousands of drawings scratched into the ground.

Elect Joe Biden. Reject Donald Trump.

Our View: In 2016, we broke tradition in urging you not to vote for Trump. Now we're making our first presidential endorsement. We hope it's our last.

Watch the US Navy stealth destroyer Zumwalt fire off a missile for the first time

USS Zumwalt went years without a working combat system, but now the Navy is starting to put its weapons to the test.

Gunfire, racist threats reported against Indiana candidate challenging Pence’s brother

“It’s terrifying to me,” Jeannine Lake said.

Lindsey Graham and Jaime Harrison in deadlock in South Carolina Senate battle

Senator Lindsey Graham and his Democratic opponent this autumn, Jaime Harrison, are in a statistical deadlock, recent polling in the Palmetto State has found. A new poll conducted by liberal writer and strategist Cornell Belcher and his consulting outfit Research and Strategies found Mr Harrison, the challenger, with a 2 percentage point lead over Mr Graham as the race enters its final two weeks. Mr Harrison led Mr Graham 47-45 per cent in that poll, with 5 per cent of respondents undecided.

French police raid homes of dozens of suspected Islamists to send message to 'enemies of the republic'

French police raided the homes of dozens of suspected Islamist militants on Monday as the government moved to ban groups accused of spreading extremism following the beheading of a teacher. The authorities plan to search the premises of more than 51 groups this week, including NGOs suspected of using campaigns against Islamophobia as a cover for Islamist propaganda. “Some of these groups will be banned,” said Gérald Darmanin, the interior minister. He added that there would not be “a minute’s respite for the enemies of the Republic”. The brutal murder of Samuel Paty has stunned a nation already traumatised by terror attacks that have killed more than 250 people since 2015. Mr Paty was decapitated by an 18-year-old Chechen refugee influenced by an online campaign against the history and geography teacher for discussing controversial cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in a class about freedom of expression. Muslims regard depictions of the prophet as blasphemous. President Emmanuel Macron, under pressure from Right- and Left-wing parties to root out extremism, vowed on Sunday: “Islamists will not sleep peacefully in France. Fear will change sides.” Mr Darmanin on Monday ordered the closure of a mosque in north-eastern Paris suspected of spreading militant Islam. The authorities have launched more than 80 investigations into online hate speech and people who posted messages of support for the killer, Abdoullakh Anzorov, who was shot dead by police. The government plans to tighten social media regulation amid growing public anger that the teacher was targeted in what Mr Darmanin described as an “online fatwa”. Social media bosses have been summoned to a meeting at the interior ministry on Tuesday. Government legislation banning hate posts was overturned by France’s Constitutional Council in June on the grounds that it infringed free speech. The government believes it would have forced social media to remove a video in which Brahim Chnina, the father of a pupil, denounced and identified the teacher. It will now table another version of its bill. Fifteen people have been arrested since the murder, including Mr Chnina and Abdelhakim Sefrioui, a preacher flagged as a suspected radical, and four teenage schoolchildren. Anzorov contacted Mr Chnina and Mr Sefrioui on social media after seeing the video, investigators said. The presumed killer’s parents, grandfather and 17-year-old brother were also arrested.

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.

Tension and defiance in trenches of Karabakh

Scorched grass, some trees on the horizon and coils of barbed wire are visible from a small slit in the wall protecting a trench on the frontline of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Las Vegas resorts increase security amid shootings, fights on the Strip

The city is seeing an increase in violent events amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

A tabloid got a trove of data on Hunter Biden from Rudy Giuliani. Now, the FBI is probing a possible disinformation campaign.

The FBI is examining whether the material supplied to the New York Post by Rudy Giuliani is part of a disinformation campaign by Russia.

Singapore Airlines is launching the new world's longest flight that will see flyers spending almost 19 hours on a plane nonstop

Singapore Airlines is known for its ultra-long-haul flights with this latest addition securing the top spot on the list of the world's longest flights.