| Trump's election challenge is continuing, but the campaign is already shedding staff Posted: 09 Nov 2020 03:44 PM PST  Trump and senior members of the campaign team have insisted this election is not over, potentially making the loss of staff more consequential.
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| MSNBC cuts off correspondent as he replies ‘s***’ and ‘f***’ to anchor question about transition Posted: 10 Nov 2020 01:01 PM PST  Ken Dilanian quickly apologises for swearing live on air
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| Kenosha shooter's mother tries to deflect blame from her son Posted: 10 Nov 2020 09:29 AM PST  The mother of an Illinois 17-year-old charged in the fatal shooting of two men during a protest in Wisconsin said neither her son nor the protesters should have been on the street that night and put much of the blame for what happened on police and the governor. Kyle Rittenhouse, of Antioch, Illinois, is also charged in the wounding of a third person Aug. 25 in Kenosha, Wisconsin, during the demonstration to protest the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man. Rittenhouse said her son felt he needed to protect businesses in Kenosha from the looting that erupted after Blake was shot seven times in the back two nights earlier.
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| Edmund Fitzgerald crew memorialized across Great Lakes 45 years after ship sank Posted: 10 Nov 2020 12:29 PM PST  The Great Lakes have claimed some 6,000 ships but few have captured the public's imagination as has the Edmund Fitzgerald, which sank Nov. 10, 1975.
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| Analysis: Putin draws Erdogan a red line on Russia's southern flank with Karabakh deal Posted: 10 Nov 2020 09:24 AM PST  Russian President Vladimir Putin has brokered a Nagorno-Karabakh peace deal that locks in territorial gains for Turkey-backed Azerbaijan. In doing so, he has thwarted a stronger Turkish presence in a region Moscow views as its backyard. Six weeks of heavy fighting between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenian forces over the enclave have tested Moscow's influence in the South Caucasus, a swath of the former Soviet Union it views as vital to defending its own southern flank.
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| Dominic Raab urged to boycott G20 over Saudi Arabia's bid to evict Bedouin tribe from homeland Posted: 10 Nov 2020 05:26 AM PST  Dominic Raab is facing calls to boycott the G20 summit in Saudi Arabia over the Kingdom's attempts to drive a Bedouin tribe from their homeland to make way for a futuristic "megacity". In a letter to the foreign secretary, British lawyers representing the tribe said Mr Raab had a "moral imperative" to stand up for the Howeitat tribe, which has inhabited northwestern Saudi Arabia for hundreds of years but is now being ordered to leave the area. "The Howeitat Tribe are the victims of ongoing serious human rights violations by the Saudi Arabian government," wrote Rodney Dixon QC, in a letter seen by the Telegraph. "[They] are now in the process of being forcibly removed from their homeland by the Saudi Arabian authorities." The tribe is being cleared from the area so that construction can begin on Neom, a $500bn (£377bn) city of skyscrapers, self-driving cars and robot dinosaurs next to the Red Sea. The project is the brainchild of Mohammad bin Salman, the Crown Prince and de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, and the centrepiece of his Vision 2030 business reforms.
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| These Are the Most Beautifully Designed Outdoor Dining Experiences in America Posted: 10 Nov 2020 01:48 PM PST |
| The retired general and Trump ally who called Obama a 'terrorist leader' is taking over the Pentagon's top policy job Posted: 10 Nov 2020 10:58 AM PST  The Fox News guest was tapped by the White House for the post this past summer, but that effort failed. Then the administration found another way in.
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| Biden lines up ex-Google boss for White House role as Mark Zuckerberg could face hostile reception Posted: 10 Nov 2020 02:59 PM PST  Mr Biden has been a vocal critic of the social media giant
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| 4 Florida teens face attempted murder charges. They drove a van over a mother, cops say Posted: 10 Nov 2020 10:56 AM PST  A gang of four Polk County teens looking to settle a romantic beef put a mother in critical condition and are charged with attempted murder, the Polk County Sheriff's Office says.
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| South Africa's Ramaphosa warns of racial division after school clash Posted: 10 Nov 2020 05:31 AM PST  President Ramaphosa warns against racial polarisation after parents and activists clash.
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| Miss USA Cheslie Kryst said she was 'frightened' by how Congress handled Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court nomination Posted: 09 Nov 2020 02:55 PM PST  Miss USA Cheslie Kryst told Insider "it was clear our legislators didn't care" that most Americans wanted the nomination to occur after the election.
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| Philippines extends termination process of U.S. troop deal, eyes long-term defence pact Posted: 10 Nov 2020 11:36 PM PST |
| FDA gives emergency authorization to drug that can keep COVID-19 patients out of the hospital Posted: 10 Nov 2020 10:00 AM PST  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized use of bamlanivimab, a drug that appears to protect infected people from getting very sick.
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| Belarus nuclear plant stops power output soon after opening Posted: 10 Nov 2020 06:56 AM PST  Belarus' first nuclear power plant stopped generating electricity the day after it was formally opened by President Alexander Lukashenko and some of its equipment needs to be replaced, a Belarusian official told The Associated Press on Tuesday. Lukashenko inaugurated the Russian-built and -financed Astravyets plant on Saturday. The plant stopped producing power Sunday because some electrical equipment broke down, according to Oleg Sobolev, a consultant at the Belarusian Emergency Ministry's department of nuclear and radiation safety.
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| Michael Cohen thinks Trump will skip Biden's inauguration so the cameras can't capture him as 'a loser' Posted: 10 Nov 2020 08:46 PM PST  Michael Cohen is pretty sure President Trump will head south for the winter and never come back.Cohen, Trump's former personal attorney and fixer, told MSNBC's Ari Melber on Tuesday evening that Trump likes to go to his Florida club Mar-a-Lago during Christmas, and thinks that after spending the holidays there, he won't return to Washington. "I don't believe he's going to go to the inauguration because he himself fundamentally cannot sit in a chair knowing that the cameras are on him and that the world is looking at him as a loser," Cohen said. "He cannot do that." Trump, he added, does "not have the inner strength in him to be gracious."Trump has been stalling the transition and installing loyalists in top government positions, but Cohen told Melber he's not worried about Trump refusing to vacate the office. Trump "talks a lot of nonsense," he said, and "99.9 percent of everything that comes out of his mouth is a lie. He's not going to stay in the White House past Jan. 20. They will remove him. He knows that."Cohen also discussed Trump's campaign sending out emails to supporters, asking for money to fill his "election defense fund." The small print shows that 60 percent of the donations will go to paying off campaign debt, which didn't surprise Cohen. "He's going to use this like he used the Trump Foundation," he said. "As a slush fund." More stories from theweek.com Trump wants to be forced out Mitch McConnell's amazing filibuster of his own bill Late night hosts agree it's time to 'Operation Warp Speed President Trump's concession speech'
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| Biden Team Won’t Say Who’s Currently Funding The Transition Posted: 10 Nov 2020 06:07 PM PST  President-elect Joe Biden is preparing to ramp up his new administration. But who, exactly, is providing him with the funds to do so remains a mystery.The Trump administration has so far refused to provide standard sources of funding for the transition in light of the president's dubious claims of a stolen election and ongoing litigation regarding supposed voter fraud in key electoral contests. That's left Biden's transition team to rely entirely on funds provided by private donors.But Biden's team is declining to provide details on the precise sources of those funds—or even how many donors its presidential transition entity has, or the total amount they've given to date. Efforts to get that data or any other details were politely declined by a Biden spokesperson on Tuesday.That information will eventually be disclosed after Biden's inauguration in January. But for now, the presidential transition is being underwritten entirely by political supporters who've chipped in to support the effort since the summer, and who remain largely anonymous. The transition team will have a dramatic impact on the makeup of the Biden administration right out of the gate—not just who staffs key federal agencies, but the policy proposals that they'll work to put into effect starting on January 21.That gives the people working to craft that transition, and the people providing the funds to do so, a potentially huge impact on the political direction of the nation going forward. But to the extent any special interests are attempting to influence the process through financial contributions, those contributions remain, for now, shrouded from public view.White House Instructs Agencies to Ignore Biden's Transition Team Until Trump Accepts Defeat, Says ReportAccording to documents filed with state charity regulators in Florida and North Carolina in August, the Biden transition, which operates under the name PT Fund Inc., said it expected to raise about $5.7 million this year, though recent reporting suggests it's now on track to far exceed that total. In charity registration filings, the PT Fund said it anticipated financial and logistical cooperation from the General Services Administration, the agency that oversees presidential transitions. But that agency has so far refused to cooperate with the Biden transition team.The PT Fund, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit formed in Delaware in May, told state charity regulators that it planned to spend the money it raised on office space, fundraising, and, primarily, staff and executive compensation. And according to information released by the Biden transition on Tuesday, those funds are currently paying the salaries of nine staffers on what the transition is calling its "agency review teams." Those teams are "responsible for understanding the operations of each agency, ensuring a smooth transfer of power, and preparing for President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris and their cabinet to hit the ground running on Day One," according to the transition team's website.Those nine staffers represent a small sliver of the hundreds of people appointed to those transition "beachhead" teams, the vast majority of whom are serving on a volunteer basis, according to a list that Biden's team released on Tuesday. But some of the transition's paid staffers are in some significant positions of influence. Don Graves, an executive vice president at KeyBank, is listed as the team lead for Biden's Treasury Department beachhead team, and other paid members of the transition are filling out teams assigned to the Labor Department, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Reserve, and the White House National Security Council.Like Biden's campaign, the PT Fund has pledged not to accept contributions from corporations, corporate PACs, lobbyists, or registered foreign agents. But beyond that, little is known about its financial backers. While it hasn't disclosed any of its donors, Federal Election Commission records show that it received contributions from the congressional campaigns of Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) and Dan Baer, a former senior State Department official in the Obama administration.The PT Fund certified in filings with the Internal Revenue Service that it would not engage in any political activity. Instead, it said it would primarily focus on general administrative expenses, interviewing and evaluating candidates for federal posts, and developing policies for the new administration.The group, it told the IRS, is "helping to ensure that the new administration's appointees are ready to manage the federal government from the start of Biden's term in office."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.
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| Suspect in 1972 Murder Dies in Apparent Suicide Hours Before Conviction Posted: 10 Nov 2020 05:10 AM PST  A man who eluded homicide investigators in Washington state for nearly 50 years -- until a DNA match on a coffee cup cracked the cold case -- died in an apparent suicide Monday just hours before a jury convicted him of murder, authorities said.The man, Terrence Miller, 78, was charged last year with killing Jody Loomis in 1972 in Snohomish County, which is about 20 miles north of Seattle.Loomis, 20, had been riding her bike to visit her horse at a nearby stable when she was sexually assaulted and then shot in the head with a .22-caliber gun, according to a probable cause affidavit.Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York TimesInvestigators used genetic genealogy, a process that involved cross-checking DNA evidence -- taken from a hiking boot worn by Loomis -- with ancestry records to connect Miller to the unsolved murder. They did not know each other, the authorities said.Genetic genealogy has been instrumental in identifying more than 40 suspects in languishing cold cases, most notably the so-called Golden State Killer in California. It also led to a double-murder conviction in another high-profile case in the same Pacific Northwest county where Loomis was killed.Just before 10 a.m. Monday, sheriff's deputies in Edmonds, Washington, responded to a report of a suicide and found what they believed to be Miller's body, the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office said. Miller had been out on bond, and a family member reported the suicide, the sheriff's office said.About three hours later, in Snohomish County Superior Court, a jury that had been hearing the case against Miller for two weeks convicted him of the murder of Loomis. The judge in the case announced in court that Miller had died, a local radio station reported.A final determination on Miller's cause of death won't be made until at least Tuesday, a spokesperson for the county medical examiner wrote in an email Monday night.For decades, the killing of Loomis had stumped investigators. A couple who had gone out target shooting discovered her partially nude body off a secluded dirt road near Bothell, Washington, on Aug. 23, 1972. Semen was recovered from Loomis' body and from a "waffle stomper" hiking boot that she had been wearing at the time and had borrowed from her sister.In 2008, the samples were sent to the Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory for DNA testing, but they did not return a match.The breakthrough in the case came in 2018 when investigators, working with Parabon NanoLabs, were able to put together a family tree of possible suspects based on the semen sample found on the heel of the victim's hiking boot. The company uses DNA to help law enforcement agencies find genetic matches.That's when investigators began their surveillance of Miller, whom they followed to a nearby casino and from whom they retrieved a coffee cup that he had thrown in the garbage, the probable cause affidavit said. The DNA sample was an exact match to the semen found on Loomis' boot, the affidavit said. He was arrested in April 2019 and charged with first-degree murder.Both of Loomis' parents are deceased, and her sister could not be immediately reached for comment Monday night.Laura Martin, the public defender for Miller, contested the integrity of the DNA evidence in an email to The New York Times on Monday night."Death seemed preferable to letting a jury decide a verdict on tainted evidence," Martin wrote. "This is a terrible tragedy that began with Jody Loomis' death and is compounded by an innocent man taking his own life."When two undercover detectives visited a ceramics business that Miller ran with his wife out of their garage in November 2018, they noticed a nearly 7-month-old newspaper on a table with a headline about an arrest made in another cold case in Snohomish County, the affidavit said. That case involved the double murder of a young couple from British Columbia in 1987, which led to the conviction of William Talbot II."The presence of the newspaper seemed, at best, an odd coincidence," the affidavit said. "A fair inference could also be drawn that the defendant was keeping track of the techniques that law enforcement was using to solve cold cases."This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2020 The New York Times Company
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| Let it go! Japan PM declares war on ink stamp 'hanko' Posted: 10 Nov 2020 07:09 PM PST  Japan's new prime minister is declaring war, but there's no danger of an international conflict: the target of his ire is the humble ink stamp known as hanko.
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| Ejection Sequence Failed Before Deadly Fighter Jet Crash, Investigation Shows Posted: 09 Nov 2020 04:22 PM PST |
| Wave of migrant arrivals leaves 2,000 stranded at Gran Canaria dockside camp Posted: 10 Nov 2020 09:36 AM PST  More than 2,000 African migrants were stranded in a dockside camp on the Spanish island of Gran Canaria on Tuesday after a wave of arrivals overwhelmed local authorities' capacity to house them. Seeking relief from the sun blazing down on the port of Arguineguin in the south of Gran Canaria, some of the migrants fashioned shelters out of Red-Cross blankets propped up by plastic fencing. After 2006, when more than 30,000 people reached the shores of the Canaries, Spain stepped up security and numbers dwindled to a few hundred per year.
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| MSNBC's election guru Steve Kornacki has moved on to analyzing Thanksgiving Posted: 10 Nov 2020 07:47 AM PST  MSNBC's election week chartthrob Steve Kornacki has undoubtedly been going through big board withdrawal ever since Joe Biden was declared the president-elect on Saturday. The nice people at Today, though, decided to throw him a bone -- or perhaps more aptly, a turkey drumstick -- and asked him to analyze a map of national Thanksgiving trends on the show Tuesday.You could practically see the lights turn back on in Kornacki's eyes. "This is going to be such a fun break for me, I'm so used to doing this electoral map," he said, flipping over to a map that broke down the most popular Thanksgiving side dishes by state.Kornacki proceeded to walk through the Today show hosts' home states, noting that many belonged to "stuffing country" in the northeast. Craig Melvin cut in, though, with the million dollar question: "Steve, can you get us to 270 using the Thanksgiving map?""This is an election that would be going to the House of Representatives," Kornacki quipped, before thoughtfully adding that "mashed potatoes get California. That's a lot of electoral votes…" > With just 16 days until Thanksgiving, @stevekornacki returns to the big board to break down the most popular sides dishes in every state. pic.twitter.com/q6NldeTp1V> > -- 3rd Hour of TODAY (@3rdHourTODAY) November 10, 2020More stories from theweek.com Trump wants to be forced out Michael Cohen thinks Trump will skip Biden's inauguration so the cameras can't capture him as 'a loser' Mitch McConnell's amazing filibuster of his own bill
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| Harris' husband, Doug Emhoff, poised to break stereotypes Posted: 10 Nov 2020 09:09 PM PST  In the Biden White House, the first lady wants to keep her job teaching and the second gentleman plans to quit his law firm to support the vice president's career. When it comes to political marriages, we've reached a new moment. Doug Emhoff, the 56-year-old husband of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, will leave his private law practice by Inauguration Day to focus on his role at the White House, a spokesperson said Tuesday.
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| Tesla employees reportedly fear having a meeting with Elon Musk the day after a SpaceX rocket test fails Posted: 10 Nov 2020 08:33 AM PST  Tesla employees will watch SpaceX launches and live in fear of Musk's bad mood if they fail, according to a new report from Vanity Fair.
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| Trump’s evangelical adviser, Bishop Harry Jackson Jr., has died at 66 Posted: 10 Nov 2020 06:03 AM PST  Jackson, the senior pastor at Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Maryland, was a conservative prison reform advocate. Bishop Harry Jackson Jr., an evangelical advisor to President Donald Trump and senior pastor at Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Maryland, died Monday at 66. The church released a statement after his death, saying, "It is with a heavy heart that we notify you that our beloved Bishop Harry R. Jackson, Jr. has transitioned to be with the Lord on November 9, 2020."
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| Dem Senator Joe Manchin Vows to Vote against Packing Court, Eliminating Filibuster Posted: 10 Nov 2020 05:01 AM PST  Senator Joe Manchin (D., W.V.) vowed to oppose ending the filibuster and packing the Supreme Court in a Monday interview on Fox News, two actions many Democrats have called for over the past several months.Former president Obama has voiced support for ending the filibuster as a "Jim Crow relic" even though he himself used it to stall the confirmation of Justice Samuel Alito in 2006. During and after the confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett in October, progressive Democrats pressured more moderate colleagues to support packing the court, or expanding the number of justices on the bench.However, Manchin promised in his interview with Bret Baier not to support potentially drastic moves by other Democrats. The comments were significant because if the Republican senators from Georgia are both defeated in runoff elections, the Senate will likely be tied at 50-50. In that case, Manchin would be able to scrap initiatives by simply withholding his support."I commit to you tonight, and I commit to all of your viewers and anyone else who's watching…when they talk about packing the courts, or ending the filibuster, I will not vote to do that," Manchin said. "Brett, this system, this Senate is [such a] unique body in the world. It was made to work together in a bipartisan way, and once you start breaking down those barriers, then you lose everything."Manchin also denounced support by members of his own party for efforts to "defund the police" and even to institute Medicare for All, which he said was practically impossible to pay for."I'm a proud moderate conservative Democrat. Maybe there's not many of us left but I can tell you what this country wants is moderation," Manchin said. "It was wrong for this many people to be split, for us not to be able to have a mess that didn't scare the bejeezus out of people and when you're talking about basically the Green New Deal and all this socialism, that's not who we are as a Democratic Party."The West Virginia senator has stuck with Democrats on a number of key issues, including voting for President Trump's impeachment and against the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett. However, Manchin broke with Democrats to vote for Senator Tim Scott's police reform bill, and also voted to confirm Trump nominees Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch to the Court.
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| FBI arrests Cincinnati councilman after undercover agents reveal 'brazen' bribery scheme, feds say Posted: 10 Nov 2020 01:47 PM PST  Undercover FBI agents and at least two whistleblowers helped to unravel the pay-to-play scheme, prosecutors say.
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| Moscow to close bars and restaurants overnight as Russia's COVID-19 cases climb Posted: 10 Nov 2020 02:59 AM PST  Bars, clubs and restaurants in Moscow face two months of overnight closures to reduce the spread of COVID-19, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Tuesday, as Russia's daily tally of cases exceeded 20,000. Russia is already testing two vaccines against the virus and is on the cusp of registering a third, President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday, adding that all of the country's vaccines were effective. Russia is rolling out its Sputnik V vaccine for domestic use despite the fact that late-stage trials have not yet finished, and on Monday said it was more than 90% effective, following earlier comments by vaccine developers Pfizer Inc and BioNTech, who said the same of their experimental COVID-19 vaccine.
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| Tropical Storm Theta is record-breaking 29th storm of 2020 — and there could be more Posted: 09 Nov 2020 07:41 PM PST  Tropical Storm Theta formed in the Atlantic Monday night. It poses no threat to land but was notable nonetheless, making 2020 a record-breaking hurricane season.
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| SpaceX Crew Dragon cleared for weekend launch Posted: 10 Nov 2020 02:40 PM PST  The Crew-1 launch marks the first NASA- and FAA-certified orbital flight by a commercially developed spacecraft.
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| COVID-related hospital overcrowding has gotten so bad the Utah governor has issued a state of emergency Posted: 09 Nov 2020 12:29 PM PST  Utah Gov. Gary Herbert said "our hospitals are full" in a video to residents about the issued state of emergency due to coronavirus uptick.
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| ‘I don’t think that would be helpful’: Anthony Fauci hopes Trump doesn’t fire him after veiled threats Posted: 10 Nov 2020 04:52 PM PST  The president suggested at a campaign rally that he would wait until after the election to fire Mr Fauci
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| Chief Justice Roberts: Striking down ObamaCare 'not our job' Posted: 10 Nov 2020 08:48 AM PST  Chief Justice John Roberts on Tuesday appeared to signal that the Affordable Care Act, as a whole, should stand.During Tuesday's Supreme Court hearings, which are part of a third attempt by Republican states to overturn the health care law, Roberts echoed earlier comments from his colleague, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who suggested that, under court precedent, cutting out the individual mandate while leaving the rest of the massive bill intact was "straightforward." (Kavanaugh repeated the same argument later, as well.)Roberts, addressing Texas Solicitor General Kyle Hawkins, followed that up by noting that while some lawmakers may have hoped the high court would strike down the whole law after the mandate repeal, it's tough to ascertain that was their intention when they didn't actually try to do so. Ultimately, striking down the bill, he said, is not the Supreme Court's "job."> Chief: On severance question, hard to argue that Congress intended entire ACA to fall when the same Congress did not even try to repeal the rest of the Act. I think, frankly, they wanted the Court to do that but that's not our job.> > THE CHIEF JUSTICE IS NOT AMUSED.> > -- Leah Litman (@LeahLitman) November 10, 2020If Roberts and Kavanaugh remain unconvinced by the GOP states' arguments about severability, they would seemingly join the court's three liberal justices in preserving the law. > Kavanaugh again says it's "fairly clear" that precedent is the court would cut out the individual mandate but leave the rest of the Affordable Care Act. He asks the Texas lawyer how he gets around that as the precedents "seem on point here."> > -- Paul McLeod (@pdmcleod) November 10, 2020More stories from theweek.com Trump wants to be forced out Michael Cohen thinks Trump will skip Biden's inauguration so the cameras can't capture him as 'a loser' Mitch McConnell's amazing filibuster of his own bill
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| Relative of 8 slaying victims files wrongful death lawsuit Posted: 10 Nov 2020 09:31 AM PST  A man who lost several relatives in the killings of eight people in southern Ohio four years ago filed a wrongful death lawsuit Tuesday against the suspects, saying he wants to be sure none of them receive financial gain from the crime. Tony Rhoden Sr. is seeking unspecified economic and punitive damages against four suspects in the April 2016 killings and two others who were charged with peripheral offenses. Four are awaiting trial in Pike County; charges were dropped against one suspect, and another pleaded guilty to an obstruction charge last year.
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| Macron stirs controversy with defence of French secularism Posted: 10 Nov 2020 06:15 PM PST  President Emmanuel Macron has stirred controversy even beyond the Muslim world with a staunch defence of the French model for secularism and integration of minorities in the wake of a string of attacks blamed on Islamist radicals.
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| No presidential candidate in modern history has refused to concede, but there's no law that requires it Posted: 10 Nov 2020 08:00 AM PST  If Joe Biden wins, will Donald Trump concede? A concession speech isn't in U.S. law or the Constitution; it's a time-honored voluntary gesture.
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| Japan suicides rise as economic impact of coronavirus hits home Posted: 10 Nov 2020 01:42 AM PST  The number of suicides in Japan rose in October for the fourth month in a row to the highest level in more than five years, data showed on Tuesday, a trend activists have blamed on the economic impact of the coronavirus, on women in particular. According to preliminary police data, the total number of suicides for October was 2,153, an increase of more than 300 from the previous month and the highest monthly tally since May 2015. Cases of suicide had been falling steadily until July but then the economic impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak hit home and the numbers started rising, activists say.
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| Hikers found a message dropped by a clumsy carrier pigeon more than a century ago Posted: 10 Nov 2020 09:19 AM PST  The note, likely written by a Prussian soldier, was well preserved and tucked inside an aluminum capsule.
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| Why are forecasters encouraging decorating for winter holidays early this year? Posted: 10 Nov 2020 02:28 PM PST  As Americans brace for a long winter heading toward the end of what has been a taxing year, AccuWeather forecasters are encouraging people to set up holiday decorations before Thanksgiving. In a conference call with reporters on Tuesday, AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok encouraged hanging outdoor Christmas lights early ahead of the winter season, which officially begins on Dec. 21. Now-ish is a good time to get to work on those outdoor holiday decorations, he said. "Mine are up!" Pastelok laughed, adding that he had chosen to take advantage of the warm spell that enveloped the Northeast in recent days thanks to the influence of Tropical Storm Eta. He encouraged others to do the same as the United States buckles down for what could be prolonged winter weather that could include harsh conditions even extending well into March. Factors driving the U.S. winter weather forecast A La Niña weather pattern, the cooler phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ESNO) climate pattern across the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, along with a weak polar vortex and western Atlantic temperature anomalies will be among the contributing factors of the winter weather this season. La Niña weather patterns typically lead to a stronger, more frequent northern storm track over the U.S., with heavier precipitation for the Northwest and drier weather for the South. Pastelok noted this would be the "main driver" of the winter weather this season. As for the western Atlantic, temperatures have been running above normal, which will influence cold air as it reaches the East, according to Pastelok. Cold air could modify and warm up as it encounters the mild Atlantic waters. Because of that, it will be "harder to get cold air masses to stick in the East," Pastelok said, adding that's why his team is predicting a mid-season thaw with above-normal temperatures during January and February in the East. As for the third factor, the term "polar vortex" grabbed the attention of headlines after a lapse in the upper-level low pressure area centered over the North Pole caused a breach of bone-chilling air to seep into the states during the winter of 2018 into 2019. The weakening of the polar vortex can result in just that -- cold air pushing the boundaries into areas with generally more mild air. A stronger polar vortex, as is expected for most of this season, tends to hold the colder air back. However, toward March, it could weaken and the U.S. could see bitterly cold weather, resulting in what could feel like a prolonged winter. What to expect for Thanksgiving and Black Friday Black Friday deals have hit the shelves early this year, not only encouraging early shopping ahead of the holidays but also emphasizing the importance of the weather during the early weeks of the season. After Eta's influence wanes, a chill will come over the northeastern U.S., though temperatures could bounce around a bit. Regardless, one or two potential big storms in New England may interrupt holiday shopping and traveling before Thanksgiving. Nor'easters could develop and lead to coastal flooding, wind damage and drifting snow events in New England, Pastelok warned. However, the holiday itself in the region should remain dry with chillier air ahead of a warmer holiday weekend. The mid-Atlantic into the southern U.S. will experience more mild weather, though an occasional chilly bout, meaning outdoor dining is likely to be able to continue into at least early December. Severe weather threats such as thunderstorms may still be possible into the winter months, but they likely won't carry a large impact on holiday shopping and shipping as in the Great Lakes and Midwest. Cold fronts may stir up several rounds of gusty to severe thunderstorms in the lower Mississippi Valley from November to early December, though the southern Plains and Gulf Coast should see less concerns. The central Gulf states into Tennessee and into the interior Southeast may have a few isolated severe weather events in December into February. A northern storm track could bring quick-moving storms through the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley regions, resulting in frequent lake-effect snow for the areas during both holiday periods, creating the possibility of slippery conditions or impassible roadways. The more northern areas are likely to experience above-average snowfall as rain and ice target areas farther south across Missouri, Illinois and Iowa. Farther to the west, a couple storms my impact Colorado and eastern New Mexico with mountain snow, rain and brief cold weather, but a spaced-out timing between the storms should keep any disruptions in holiday shopping to only a few days. Similarly, heavy rain, snow and a windy conditions will make for rough travel through the passes in the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies from November into the new year. Shoppers should prepare for wet and windy conditions, which could lead to travel delays at times. Alternatively, parts of Southern California will face localized visibility not from snow squalls or showers, but from smoke as the wildfire season in the state as well as western Arizona extends into December. Due to the persistent wildfires, any precipitation can lead to flooding and mudslides in charred areas of California and Oregon, which could force road closures in some locations. Dry and seasonable conditions should provide for pleasant travel, shopping and dining for the Southwestern part of the county through the end of the year. Chances of a white Christmas This winter season holds good news for snow lovers in the northern half of the nation. In addition, areas of northwestern Washington to northwestern Nevada and areas from Iowa to Ohio to areas of northern Tennessee may have higher chances for a white Christmas compared to normal. Conversely, much of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado, including the southern Rockies, will face a lower-than-normal chance for snow. Skiing Season Outlook Thanks in a large part to the La Niña pattern in place, winter weather will provide excellent skiing conditions across most of the northern swath of the country. At times, frigid air in the northern Rockies and Midwest as well as icy periods possibly around midseason in New England and upstate New York may keep people from the slopes, but the snow season may make up for it for ski resorts in these areas with snowfall possibly lasting into the spring. The Midwest is also set to benefit from the cold shots for snowmaking operations, and a variety of lighter and heavier snow events expected throughout the season could add some fresh powder to the slopes. Skiers in Colorado and Utah are expected to face a roller coaster ride of a season. Winter conditions will at times bring cold and snow, but more mild and drier conditions are anticipated for other periods. Additionally, big gaps in snow events are expected for the two states. Across the nation, those seeking to hit the slopes and escape the confines of home may not be in luck this season. Central Appalachia and the mid-Atlantic are expected to experience poor skiing conditions at least into December due to warmups that can lead to melting and icy spots. The impact of winter weather events on COVID-19 precautions The novel coronavirus has seeped into nearly every nook and cranny of everyday life, from pushing schools to use more online classes to prompting some stores to enforce stricter capacity limits. Here are some concerns with how the weather could play into these. The number of storms will be less of a problem for the southern half of the U.S., but areas in the northwestern U.S. and Great Lakes region should be prepared for not just snow, but high wind events that can threaten power outages and potentially cause disruptions to remote work and learning. High winds cannot only cause power outages, but also prompt delays at airports for anyone traveling by air over the holidays. Consumers should keep in mind that COVID-19 has also caused delays in shipping for some producers, which may add further stress if any dangerous winter weather adds to timelines. Areas to watch for ice events will extend from Missouri to Indiana to northern New England, Pastelok said. Power outages from these ice events can rival those even caused by hurricanes, plunging households into a period without active heat if precautions aren't taken ahead of time. Online classes may also be interrupted by these events in a power outage, Pastelok pointed out.
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| Brazil suspended trials for one of China's coronavirus vaccines after someone died, but researchers say the death was not related to the drug Posted: 10 Nov 2020 02:44 AM PST  On Monday, Brazil's health regulator said a "serious adverse event" had occurred on October 29 during clinical trials of Sinovac's COVID-19 vaccine.
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| Republicans are disgruntled with the party and want civility, empathy and compassion: Cindy McCain Posted: 09 Nov 2020 11:07 AM PST  Cindy McCain tells 'Outnumbered Overtime' why she thinks some Republicans crossed over to vote for President-elect Joe Biden.
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| Trump schedule for Monday empty as Biden’s shows president-elect to hold meetings, briefing and speech Posted: 09 Nov 2020 05:55 AM PST  On the first weekday after Joe Biden was declared victorious in the US election, the president-elect and incumbent Donald Trump appear to have very different schedules. In a press release, the Biden transition team revealed Mr Biden and vice president-elect Kamala Harris would on Monday receive a coronavirus briefing from its Covid-19 advisory board, before Mr Biden delivers remarks on how he plans to beat the pandemic and boost the US economy. Mr Trump in contrast has nothing on his official public schedule for Monday.
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| A Florida corrections officer is charged with the beating death of an inmate Posted: 10 Nov 2020 12:52 PM PST  Michael Riley Jr., became a Florida Department of Corrections officer in 2019, one month after Christopher Howell became a Corrections inmate at Lake Correctional Institution. Howell was scheduled to do three years, at the most.
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| Coronavirus patients in Italy receive oxygen in their cars as health care system becomes strained again Posted: 10 Nov 2020 06:47 AM PST  Italy's health care system is becoming strained once again.Coronavirus cases are rising swiftly in the country, which was one of the first epicenters of the pandemic earlier this year. Back then, it was Italy's northern regions that felt the brunt of the virus, but now in Naples, the largest city in the south, the local health care system became overwhelmed this month. Infections, deaths, and hospitalizations are all surging, and NBC News reports that COVID-19 patients at one Naples hospital were administered oxygen while waiting in their cars because of a bed shortage.Milan, the country's northern financial center, is also dealing with a renewed coronavirus crisis. The city was hit hard in the first wave, though not as badly as smaller towns in Lombardy, and it was able to rebound over the summer following a strict lockdown. But the second wave has been worse than expected. To put it into context, The Wall Street Journal notes that a temporary hospital constructed in the city treated just 23 patients all spring. This week alone, the same hospital had 37 patients. Read more about Italy's second wave at The Wall Street Journal.More stories from theweek.com Trump wants to be forced out Michael Cohen thinks Trump will skip Biden's inauguration so the cameras can't capture him as 'a loser' Mitch McConnell's amazing filibuster of his own bill
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| Senator Whitehouse Slams FBI for Lack of Transparency around ‘Tanked’ Kavanaugh Sex Assault Probe Posted: 10 Nov 2020 11:21 AM PST  Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D., R.I.) slammed the FBI for not investigating sexual assault allegations against Justice Brett Kavanaugh, during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday.The hearing itself was organized by Committee head Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) to interview former deputy FBI director Andrew McCabe regarding the origins of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation. However, Whitehouse criticized the Republicans on the committee for not looking into other allegations of wrongdoing involving the FBI and Justice Department."We have what appears to have been a tanked FBI investigation into the Kavanaugh hearings, and I've asked questions about that, to which I've had no answer whatsoever," Whitehouse said. "We're highly selective in what we choose to look into, and we've been extremely solicitous of the stonewalling and non-responsiveness of this Department of Justice."Whitehouse went on to argue that Senate Republicans had established a precedent during the Trump administration whereby the FBI could simply ignore requests for information issued by the minority, and suggested this precedent would come back to haunt them during the Biden administration.The FBI investigated allegations of sexual assault against Kavanaugh by Christine Blasey Ford, but found "no corroboration" of those allegations, according to a summary of the report released by then-Judiciary head Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa).During the 2018 confirmation hearings, Whitehouse also released a report detailing an allegation of rape against Kavanaugh. However, after the FBI investigated that allegation, the accuser admitted that the story was false.Democrats on the committee have vociferously opposed President Trump's nominations to the Supreme Court, including Kavanaugh himself as well as Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett. With the confirmation of all three, conservative justices hold a 6-3 majority on the Court bench.During Barrett's confirmation hearings in late October, Whitehouse portrayed the nominee as a "judicial torpedo" who would strike down the Affordable Care Act.
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