| Letters to the Editor: Joe Biden should read the L.A. Times before appointing Eric Garcetti to his Cabinet Posted: 13 Nov 2020 03:00 AM PST  Eric Garcetti has been an ineffectual mayor of Los Angeles, readers say, making him a poor pick for Joe Biden's Cabinet.
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| Michigan police officer on leave, probe launched after violent arrest Posted: 11 Nov 2020 08:21 PM PST  Video shows several police officers appearing to strike the 25-year-old during a combative arrest.
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| It just got harder for immigrants: the U.S. naturalization test is about to change Posted: 13 Nov 2020 12:59 PM PST  U.S. legal permanent residents who apply for citizenship through naturalization on or after Dec. 1, 2020, will face a more challenging test — in which immigrants must prove they can read, write and speak basic English, and have essential knowledge of U.S. history and government.
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| The Wolverine Watchmen plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Whitmer also included a plan to burn down the state Capitol building, officials say Posted: 13 Nov 2020 09:22 AM PST  According to the Michigan Attorney General's Office, the group had also considered storming the Capitol to "take hostages" and "execute tyrants."
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| Passengers on First Cruise to Return to Caribbean Want Out After 7 People Get COVID Posted: 12 Nov 2020 03:01 PM PST  At least seven passengers aboard the first cruise ship to set sail in the Caribbean since the coronavirus pandemic began have tested positive, according to two passengers on the ship.Ben and David Hewitt-McDonald, who operate a YouTube channel and cruise blog about their sea travels, confirmed to The Daily Beast on Thursday that a ship-wide announcement went out saying five members of a family from the U.S. had been diagnosed with COVID-19 after being tested twice. A few hours later, they said a sixth person had tested positive and at least one person was taken to the hospital.On Friday morning, the ship's captain told passengers that the wife of a person who tested positive the night before had also been tested positive."The original passenger who tested positive had another two tests along with all family members," the British couple said. "We are anxious to get off to be honest, we would like to be somewhere with more fresh air and space, to stop any spread of the virus."The SeaDream Yacht Club's cruise ship received their first positive test result on Wednesday, prompting the captain to make an announcement for all guests to return to their rooms to quarantine. The vessel immediately headed back to Barbados from the Grenadines.> We've just received an announcement from the Captain that one person is feeling unwell and has tested positive for COVID. We have been asked to stay in our cabins and we are returning to Barbados. Hopefully it's a false positive but we are impressed with SeaDreams swift actions.. pic.twitter.com/wbOUlKsMsY> > — Cruise with Ben & David (@CruiseWithBD) November 11, 2020The news came just four days into the ship's seven-day trip. It departed from Barbados on Saturday before making several stops—including Saint Vincent, Canouan Island, Tobago Cays, and Union Island—before it was set to end on Saturday.Instead, all passengers are now stuck in their rooms as the crew and local authorities in Barbados figure out the best strategy to contain the virus."We are really upset because we really felt like the passengers, crew, and cruise line took COVID very seriously yet it still managed to get on board. SeaDream requires double the amount of the tests as the CDC will require going forward," said the couple, who have been aboard the ship for almost three weeks. "So we ask ourselves is testing the way forward if it can still get onboard such a small ship?"The trip was the first time SeaDream had resumed its West Indies route since the start of the pandemic, which has killed almost 240,000 Americans. It came after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new cruise ship guidance to help an industry paralyzed by the pandemic to resume operations in a phased approach.In March, cruise ships were banned from sailing in U.S. waters after the CDC issued a no-sail order due to several outbreaks, including on the Diamond Princess and the Grand Princess, where 10 people died and more than 800 tested positive.The SeaDream had relaunched with extensive testing requirements. Every passenger had to test negative before boarding the ship—and again after boarding. The goal, SeaDream stated in September when announcing their upcoming 22 roundtrip sails from Barbados, was "to create a COVID-19 negative bubble, where guests can relax and enjoy the safety of the ship."But, in a Thursday statement issued when the first passenger tested positive, SeaDream Yacht Club stated the ship had paused its voyage "after a guests' tests for Covid-19 returned assumptive positive results.""The ship's medical staff has tested all crew members and all tests have come back negative. SeaDream is currently retesting all guests," the statement said.> Just as we posted the captain has updated us. We are still waiting for test results from Barbadian authorities, all remaining passengers will be tested at some point - when and how is not known yet, the company is actively working with the local authorities. Cruise Covid pic.twitter.com/KXF8hLT2iD> > — Cruise with Ben & David (@CruiseWithBD) November 12, 2020It's not the first time the SeaDream, which was one of the first cruise liners to resume service in Europe, has had a COVID-positive passenger. In August, the company said an asymptomatic passenger tested positive after disembarking from SeaDream I in Denmark.Despite the latest drama, three passengers who spoke to The Daily Beast on Thursday said the quarantine process had been surprisingly rigorous. Gene Sloan, a cruise writer for The Points Guy, stressed that the ship's crew had kept passengers informed of developments and had an "extensive" virus plan before the quarantine began.> Good morning from the port of @Barbados, where we have been docked since late yesterday evening. I am, unfortunately, on the side of the ship facing away from the dock, so I don't have a view of what's going on pierside. We have been told ... pic.twitter.com/6qrivrsVty> > — Gene Sloan (@CruiseLog) November 12, 2020"The first few days of the trip were pretty normal," Sloan said. "There were changes on the ship, like social distancing and discouraging passengers from mixing with one another, but overall everything was always sanitized and people were taking it seriously. The passengers on board were really excited to be back cruising."He said that everyone was tested multiple times during the trip, and the Hewitt-McDonalds said that there were three PCR rapid testing machines on board that could test nine people per hour. At each location stop, Sloan said passengers were instructed not to interact with locals and were shuttled to empty beaches and resorts.The Hewitt-McDonalds, who boarded the ship in Portsmouth and have been traveling with the ship on its various voyages, said that 40 new passengers, mostly from the U.S. and Canada, boarded on Saturday."We were very shocked with a positive test, after the rigorous pre-cruise actions we had to take we would have thought it almost impossible for COVID to get on the ship," the couple said."Before boarding, we were required to take a full COVID antigen test no longer than 72 hours before boarding. On boarding day in Portsmouth, U.K., the ship's doctor gave us another rapid PCR test. We also had our oxygen levels and temperature taken. There is hourly cleaning of the ship as well as daily temperature checks."Sloan did admit, however, that there was a controversy at the start of the voyage because the ship didn't require passengers to wear face masks on board. By Monday, after complaints from worried passengers, the policy was changed to include a mask-mandate."The ship assumed they could block COVID-19 at the door, you could say," Sloan added. "But people wanted to be extra careful."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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| At least 74 migrants dead in shipwreck off Libya coast, IOM says Posted: 12 Nov 2020 08:24 AM PST |
| Dahleen Glanton: Give Republicans a standing ovation for their voter fraud performance Posted: 12 Nov 2020 08:40 AM PST  One by one, Republicans have taken to the stage to show their support for Donald Trump's ridiculous claim that the presidential election was stolen from him. But it is just a performance. Despite how genuine their acts might appear, the GOP has already abandoned Trump. The problem is that Trump and his supporters don't seem to realize it. This preposterous brouhaha over "illegal ballots" has ...
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| Rand Paul says coronavirus survivors should ‘throw away their masks’ while falsely claiming they’re immune Posted: 13 Nov 2020 09:01 AM PST  There is no evidence to indicate coronavirus survivors are immune to the disease caused by the novel virus
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| Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who could become Biden's attorney general, said breaking up Google should be 'on the table' Posted: 13 Nov 2020 03:57 AM PST  "In a serious monopolization action like this one, it's important that a breakup remedy be on the table," Sen. Amy Klobuchar said.
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| Gen. Milley's wife saved vet who collapsed at Veterans Day ceremony in Arlington Posted: 13 Nov 2020 08:22 AM PST  "It really was an honor to help a veteran on Veterans Day," Hollyanne Milley told NBC News.
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| Disgruntled Mississippi lawmaker wants his state to secede. Fine with me. Bye! | Opinion Posted: 13 Nov 2020 01:40 PM PST  Dear Price Wallace:
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| Teen facing death penalty after being accused of murdering five relatives has shown ‘no remorse’ Posted: 13 Nov 2020 03:55 PM PST  'He has not shown any sign of remorse. While in detention, he has not talked about his family at all,' probation officer says
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| China says removal of Hong Kong lawmakers was 'right medicine' Posted: 12 Nov 2020 08:02 PM PST  The ousting of four pro-democracy lawmakers from Hong Kong's legislature was "the right medicine" for the city, China said, telling foreign governments the issue was none of their business.
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| Sudan to host Russian military base Posted: 13 Nov 2020 01:12 PM PST  The naval logistics center in Sudan will be Russia's first military base in Africa since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
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| Trump and GOP rush to “quietly pack the FEC with partisans” after election, watchdog group warns Posted: 13 Nov 2020 04:02 PM PST  The FEC would have three Republicans, two independents and only one Democrat if the Senate moves forward
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| Beijing furious over Pompeo's Taiwan comments, warns of action Posted: 13 Nov 2020 04:29 AM PST  China will strike back against any moves that undermine its core interests, its foreign ministry said on Friday, after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Taiwan "has not been a part of China."
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| One of Biden's top coronavirus advisors calls for focused restrictions based on disease spread instead of a nationwide lockdown Posted: 13 Nov 2020 10:20 AM PST  "So we've got to follow science, but we've got to also be more precise than we were in the spring," Dr. Vivek Murthy said on Friday.
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| Critics decry Supreme Court Justice Alito's 'nakedly partisan' speech on COVID-19 measures, gay marriage Posted: 13 Nov 2020 11:14 AM PST  "Supreme Court Justices aren't supposed to be political hacks.," tweeted Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. "This right-wing speech is nakedly partisan."
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| Another man charged in 'Sweetie Pie's' murder-for-hire case Posted: 12 Nov 2020 07:51 PM PST  James Timothy Norman, who has already been charged, is the uncle of the person killed and both appeared on the show "Welcome to Sweetie Pie's."
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| Typhoon causes major flooding in Philippine capital Posted: 11 Nov 2020 06:52 PM PST  The third typhoon to hit the storm-battered Philippines in as many weeks caused major flooding in Manila on Thursday, trapping some people on rooftops and claiming at least one life in another part of the country.
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| Korean girl group's panda stunt prompts anger in China Posted: 13 Nov 2020 01:29 AM PST  A publicity stunt involving South Korean girl group Blackpink and a cuddly baby panda has prompted outraged comments and calls for an apology from some in China. The endangered animals are native only to China, which claims ownership over all pandas loaned to foreign zoos, including those born abroad. The outrage over a video of group members cuddling the baby panda in Everland Zoo near Seoul may also reflect a growing awareness of animal welfare, with the China Wildlife Conservation Association among those raising their voices.
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| The Late Show succinctly captures the GOP's confused messaging on Georgia's special Senate elections Posted: 12 Nov 2020 05:26 AM PST  A major reasons congressional Republicans give for backing President Trump's quixotic legal campaign to reverse the 2020 election is that they need his supporters to turn out for the two special Senate elections on Jan. 5, with control of the Senate at stake. "We need his voters," said Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.). "Right now, he's trying to get through the final stages of his election and determine the outcome there. But when that's all said and done, however it comes out, we want him helping in Georgia." But Trump's rationale for contesting the election is that massive — and, so far, illusory — voter fraud stole the election from him.The two GOP senators hoping for Trump's active support, Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, have embraced Trump's evidence-free fraud claims, earning a stern front-page rebuke from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. But how do you persuade Trump's base that they need to vote to keep President-elect Joe Biden from enacting his policies, and that Biden only won because the elections are rigged, and that their votes will definitely count this time around? The Late Show wrapped that incoherent argument into a short ad Wednesday.The unspecified "campaign-speak attack message" from Perdue and Loeffler on Georgia's election should be "unacceptable to fair-minded Georgians," the Journal-Constitution said. "Specific, actionable allegations based even somewhat loosely in facts can be assessed and investigated. Which is appropriate. Hyperbole and sly accusations cannot. Reckless barely begins to touch on what Perdue and Loeffler have done. Without presenting reasons, they have assaulted Georgia's election system. That is dangerous behavior in this tense moment, both for this state and for the nation that is watching this risky sideshow." More stories from theweek.com 7 scathingly funny cartoons about Trump's refusal to concede Trump is reportedly 'very aware' he lost the election but is putting up a fight as 'theater' Texas senator suggests it's too soon to declare Biden the winner because Puerto Rico is still counting votes
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| Airbus hopes its $6.5 billion German Eurofighter sale will shine for Switzerland, Finland Posted: 13 Nov 2020 08:48 AM PST  The European defense giant inked a deal with the German Air Force this week after the country's parliament, the Bundestag, approved the budget earlier this month.
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| McDonald's is putting new COVID measures in place to combat what it internally says could be the worst stage of the pandemic yet Posted: 13 Nov 2020 10:19 AM PST  McDonald's is convening industry roundtables and conducting safety visits to restaurants, as the US faces a surge in COVID cases.
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| Three MSNBC contributors leaving network to join Biden administration Posted: 11 Nov 2020 06:35 PM PST  Jon Meacham, one of the contributors failed to mention that he was already working with Biden. Biden was able to snag four MSNBC contributors. On Wednesday, the network confirmed to The Hill that health expert Ezekiel Emanuel, legal analyst Barbara McQuade, political analyst Richard Stengel and historian Jon Meacham will no longer be paid by the network.
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| Pro-Trump senator says Covid survivors should throw away their masks and ‘celebrate’ as he falsely claims they are immune Posted: 12 Nov 2020 09:07 PM PST  US has recorded more than 100,000 Covid-19 cases every day for the last week
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| How police handled a DC stabbing is yet another sign of how law enforcement favors extremist group Proud Boys Posted: 13 Nov 2020 02:48 PM PST  The far-right Proud Boys brag they're close with police. Last week, Washington, D.C., police echoed their claim about a stabbing, only to retract it.
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| Convicted Killer Evaded Capture for 50 Years—Until He Got Sloppy in His New Life Posted: 13 Nov 2020 04:11 PM PST  Police in a small Detroit suburb stumbled onto the discovery of a lifetime recently when they charged a man for stealing hydrocodone pills from the local CVS pharmacy where he worked. After fingerprinting the man, a licensed traveling pharmacist by the name of Paul Dickson, authorities learned they had much more on their hands than a case of petty theft: Paul Dickson was in fact Leonard Rayne Moses, a convicted killer who'd been on the lam for nearly five decades."We've never forgotten about this case," Allegheny County Sheriff William Mullen said at a Friday news conference announcing Moses' capture, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.Moses was just 16 when he was convicted of murder for the 1968 killing of 72-year-old Mary Amplo. Moses and his friends used Molotov cocktails to set fire to Amplo's house amid rioting in Pittsburgh in the wake of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. Amplo was left with third-degree burns on more than half of her body, and she died several months later of pneumonia, which doctors believed had resulted from her being confined to a bed."The arrest of Leonard Moses brings a measure of closure to the family of the victim, Mary Amplo," Mullen said, adding that the arrest "proves the axiom that you cannot outrun your past."Moses was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole in 1969. But just a few years into his sentence, he was granted a temporary release to attend his grandmother's funeral in Pittsburgh—and that's where he made his escape.Authorities spent years following up on tips about Moses' whereabouts and traveling around the country in the hopes of finding him. In addition to being placed on the FBI's Most Wanted list, Moses' face was also featured on billboards erected as part of the search in Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.But it was the combination of new technology and the attentive eye of a loss prevention manager at the CVS store that sealed his fate.Known as Paul Dickson among co-workers at the CVS store in Saint Clair Shores, Michigan where he worked, Moses had allegedly been caught pocketing pills. Though Moses offered to repay the store for them, the unnamed loss prevention manager contacted police instead.And as soon as law enforcement entered Moses' fingerprints into the FBI's Next Generation Identification system, federal agents moved to finally arrest him on a federal unauthorized flight to avoid confinement warrant issued out of the Western District of Pennsylvania way back in 1971. The fugitive task force took him into custody in Grand Blanc, Michigan, on Thursday.Michael Christman, special agent in charge of the Pittsburgh FBI, credited "new advances in technology" for Moses' arrest."I hope this arrest brings some closure to the family members of Mary Amplo, who was killed back in 1968," he said in a statement. "Mr. Moses will now have to face justice for her murder."Though few details about the arrest were disclosed, Christman told reporters, "The arresting officers yelled the name 'Moses' and they got a response."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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| Map: State-by-state breakdown of coronavirus travel restrictions Posted: 13 Nov 2020 01:37 PM PST  U.S. states and territories are making new rules for travelers. Find which ones across the United States have implemented travel restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19.
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| Ex-Wells Fargo chief hit with fine for misleading authorities Posted: 13 Nov 2020 08:28 AM PST  US regulators on Friday charged former Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf with allegedly misleading investors, hitting him with a $2.5 million penalty.
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| Does Trump actually have a plan to reverse the election? Not really, but he reportedly wants the fight. Posted: 11 Nov 2020 11:54 PM PST  President Trump is refusing to concede that he lost his bid for re-election, at least publicly, but it's not clear he has a coherent — much less viable — plan to reverse the will of the electoral and popular majority that evidently voted him into retirement. Trump and his allies have filed at least 15 legal challenges in Pennsylvania, plus more in Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, and Michigan. "Some staffers still believe the election outcome can change with litigation and recounts," The Associated Press reports. "But there is a growing recognition among most that the election is lost and the building will be vacated by Jan. 20."One White House official told The Wall Street Journal that Trump "understands that the fight isn't winnable but characterized his feelings as: 'Let me have the fight.'" He reportedly thinks he owes it to his supporters and considers the potential damage to his successor payback for the Russia investigations. One potential line of attack Trump's legal team has discussed "would be attempting to get court orders to delay vote certification in critical states, potentially positioning Republican-controlled state legislatures to appoint pro-Trump electors who would swing the Electoral College in his favor," the Journal reports. That end run around voters isn't expected to work.GOP and Democratic officials in Pennsylvania have already said that's not legal in their state, "legal experts say it is unlikely that judges would block finalizing votes in a state unless evidence exists of widespread fraud," the Journal reports, and "many of the advisers and lawyers said they doubt the effort would succeed and say it is aimed largely at appeasing Mr. Trump, who believes the election was stolen from him and expects his legal team to keep fighting." Trump's campaign has yet to prove any fraud in court, and "his lawyers must walk a precarious line between advocating for their client and upholding their professional oath," AP notes.A senior Trump campaign official told The Washington Post that their strategy revolves around recounts and messaging about illegal votes, but most Trump aides, advisers, and allies "say there is no grand strategy to reverse the election results," the Post reports. "Asked about Trump's ultimate plan, one senior administration official chuckled and said, 'You're giving everybody way too much credit right now.'"More stories from theweek.com 7 scathingly funny cartoons about Trump's refusal to concede Trump is reportedly 'very aware' he lost the election but is putting up a fight as 'theater' Texas senator suggests it's too soon to declare Biden the winner because Puerto Rico is still counting votes
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| Iron Dome batteries activated to fill cruise missile defense gap Posted: 13 Nov 2020 11:36 AM PST  The units that will operate the Army's interim cruise missile defense capability — Israel's Iron Dome system — are activated.
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| Here's which airlines are blocking middle seats for Thanksgiving travel Posted: 13 Nov 2020 10:16 AM PST  Airlines are slowly starting to ditch blocking the middle seat as new scientific studies show it's not as effective asmasks and air filters on airplanes.
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| Biden has room on health care, though limited by Congress Posted: 12 Nov 2020 09:35 PM PST  President-elect Joe Biden is unlikely to get sweeping health care changes through a closely divided Congress, but there's a menu of narrower actions he can choose from to make a tangible difference on affordability and coverage for millions of people. With the balance of power in the Senate hinging on a couple of Georgia races headed to a runoff, and Democrats losing seats in the House, Biden's proposals for a public health insurance option and empowering Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices seem out of reach. Biden also could nudge legislation to curb surprise medical bills over the finish line.
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| Mother of college student who died following pancake eating competition drops lawsuit Posted: 13 Nov 2020 10:49 AM PST  Caitlin Nelson's family blamed Sacred Heart university for allowing 2017 event
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| Alaska congressman who ridiculed coronavirus now says he has COVID-19 Posted: 12 Nov 2020 06:59 PM PST  The Alaska congressman who once ridiculed the seriousness of the novel coronavirus, calling it the "beer virus," said on Thursday he is now infected with it. The announcement by Representative Don Young comes as the state's governor on Thursday warned that health-care and public-safety systems were at risk of being overwhelmed by the rapid spread of the virus across Alaska. Young, the 87-year-old Republican who is Alaska's sole U.S. House of Representatives member, made the announcement on Twitter.
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| Police, county attorney's office hide 738,000 records in Kentucky sex abuse case Posted: 12 Nov 2020 09:24 AM PST  Louisville police and the county attorney's office claimed sexual abuse records were turned over to the FBI. But an email indicates that's not true.
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| Record number of Covid-19 deaths in Delhi, as India gears up for 'silent Diwali' Posted: 13 Nov 2020 02:56 AM PST  Delhi has recorded its highest single-day Covid-19 death toll, as cases in India's densely-populated capital continue to surge amid a nationwide drop in new infections. On Thursday, Delhi reported 104 fatalities and over 7,000 new infections for the eighth consecutive day, with its "third wave" coinciding with falling temperatures and air pollution rising to severe levels. The number of new daily cases in India, which has recorded the world's second-highest total caseload, has halved since a September peak of just under 100,000, but public health experts warn the drop could be attributed to a decrease in testing in many states. Saturday will mark the major Hindu festival of Diwali and there are fears cases will rise again nationwide as large family groups gather to celebrate and exchange gifts. Covid-19 has caused economic devastation across India, pushing the country into a recession for the first time in its history and many are ignoring social distancing rules because they have to return to work or face destitution. The "Covid-19 fatigue" has been clearly seen in the lead up to Diwali, where there has been more outrage over the banning of firecrackers in seven states, in an attempt to reduce air pollution, than hospitals in Delhi again running out of intensive care unit beds.
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| Trump appears to almost accept that he lost the election Posted: 13 Nov 2020 02:33 PM PST 
While talking about the possibility of further restrictions due to COVID-19 in a speech at the White House Friday, President Trump seemed to almost acknowledge that he was defeated by President-elect Joe Biden.
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| New Jersey governor pleads with Covid-fatigued residents to choose inconvenience over death Posted: 12 Nov 2020 01:46 PM PST  "You know what's really uncomfortable and annoying? When you die," a blunt Gov. Phil Murphy said.
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| El Paso nurses speak out against 'irresponsible and insensitive' lifting of the city's shutdown order Posted: 13 Nov 2020 11:58 AM PST  "I'm just extremely exhausted — emotionally, physically," Idali Cooper, a registered nurse, said at a press conference. "It's very demoralizing."
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| Latinos could swing Georgia. Don't repeat the mistakes of Florida and Texas Posted: 12 Nov 2020 03:20 AM PST  Democrats must win runoff races in Georgia to control the Senate - giving Biden a mandate. Latino voters will be crucial In less than eight weeks, voters of the now-blue state of Georgia will head to the polls to vote in the Senate runoff election on 5 January 2021 to decide if the Rev Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff will join their Democratic colleagues in Congress. These two seats are crucial to deliver the mandate needed by Joe Biden to enact his ambitious vision for America's future.With the Democratic party's hopes and dreams resting on Georgia's shoulders, it would be a costly misstep to overlook a key demographic: Latinos. There are nearly a million Latinos living in Georgia, the majority of whom live in and around the Atlanta metro area. About 300,000 persuadable Latino voters who are registered to vote identify as neither Democrat nor Republican. These voters represent a small but decisive 5% of the electorate. In a world in which races are won on razor-thin margins, that 5% is a crucial swing vote.In the days leading up to the 2020 general election, I watched my colleagues' hopes rise at the sight of a string of polls showing Biden with the lead in Florida and record-breaking early voter turnout in my home state of Texas. These hopes were quickly dashed. In the wake of defeat, my phone started to buzz with people asking, urgently: what went wrong with the Latino vote? It was the first time in my 30 years of political experience that the nation finally learned a truth that Latino organizers have been trying to convey for ages. We are not a monolith and you must ask us for our vote if you want to earn our vote.Let's set the record straight: President-elect Joe Biden won Latino voters. He spent more money engaging with Latino voters in his 2020 campaign than either Barack Obama or Hilary Clinton. This investment paid off for Biden, with decisive Latino victories in the states he focused on competing in, including Florida.By now, we have all heard about the heroine of Georgia's historic blue shift. Stacey Abrams' unprecedented grassroots voter registration and mobilization efforts have unequivocally proven that the antidote to poisonous voter suppression tactics and lagging voter engagement involves two key ingredients: both statewide and community-led operations.Fair Fight Action was responsible for the registration of over 800,000 voters in Georgia – a force to be reckoned with in the once reliably red south. This level of mobilization, focused on Latinos, will be critical to swing the Georgia special election toward Democrats and clinch these two remaining Senate seats.> We are not a monolith and you must ask us for our vote if you want to earn our voteEvery 30 seconds in America, a Latino turns 18 and becomes eligible to vote. Over half of Georgia's Latino population is under the age of 18. This means there are thousands of Latino youth in Georgia who will turn 18 on or before 5 January who qualify to register to vote in the Senate elections. This is in addition to hundreds of thousands of Latinos already over the age of 18 who are currently unregistered to vote.The registration deadline for all Georgians who wish to vote in the runoff elections is less than a month away, on 7 December. These next three weeks present a small window of opportunity for Democrats to expand their electorate. Emerging Latino populations can and will tip the balance in this election.Latino organizers and groups on the ground such as Galeo, a non-profit that helps register new Latino voters across Georgia, need funding and resources right now in order to mobilize Latinos in large enough numbers to swing the state. Over the past four months, Nuestro Pac – now the largest Latino-focused Super Pac, which I helped found – spent over $5m to galvanize Latino voters for Biden in swing states like Arizona, Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania. These efforts helped deliver the margins of victory for Biden in many of the states he won.Georgia presents an enormous opportunity for Democrats, in part because the unique nuances of Latino voters in Texas and Florida, who are culturally distinct from elsewhere, are not present to the same extent in Georgia. The most pressing issue for Latinos in Georgia – and Latinos in general – is Covid relief funds, which are currently being held hostage by the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell. Healthcare is a similarly critical issue for Latinos in Georgia – yet the Republican party has voted over 50 times to strip Americans of health protections provided by the Affordable Care Act, and are trying to defeat it through the supreme court.Through the appointment of a new and diverse Covid-19 taskforce, Biden has already taken a crucial first step to instill confidence in these voters. Now it is time for investment in grassroots organizing so that Latinos can deliver Biden a mandate. * Chuck Rocha is the president of Solidarity Strategies and the founder of Nuestro Pac. He was a senior adviser to the Bernie Sanders campaign
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| Plane crashes into Los Angeles neighbourhood Posted: 12 Nov 2020 02:34 PM PST  The FAA says the plane crash occurred during its final approach to the nearby airport
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