| Trump privately told a released American prisoner that 'Obama failed' and he deserved credit for her release, former captive says Posted: 03 Nov 2020 01:41 PM PST  "I was honestly torn and disappointed," Aya Hijazi told Insider, adding that she was voting for Joe Biden.
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| Headstones in Jewish cemetery spray-painted with ‘Trump’ graffiti, Michigan photos show Posted: 03 Nov 2020 06:36 AM PST  "We are appalled."
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| Why Beijing Hopes for a Biden Win Posted: 02 Nov 2020 03:30 AM PST  Elections have consequences, both domestic and foreign. There is a consensus among China observers that Beijing hopes for a Joe Biden win this November, because the last time Biden was in charge, as vice president of the United States, China completed its control of the South China Sea.The South China Sea is one of the most important bodies of water on the planet. Besides China, multiple nations including Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines have their own, sometimes overlapping, claims to portions of the South China Sea. In addition to historic claims, according to the United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a nation has sovereignty over waters extending twelve nautical miles from its land and exclusive control over economic activities 200 nautical miles out into the ocean.However, using its own map with a "nine-dash line," China claims that it has historic rights to about 90 percent of the South China Sea, including those areas that run as far as 1,200 miles from mainland China and which fall within 100 miles of the coasts of the Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam. No other country in the world either recognizes the legitimacy of China's nine-dash–line map or its historic claim.The disputes between China and its neighboring Asian countries are not simply about who has the rightful claim historically but are predominantly about economic rights. The South China Sea is rich with natural resources such as oil and gas. It accounts for 10 percent of the world's fisheries and has provided food and a way of living for millions of people in the region for centuries. The region is also one of the busiest trading routes, with about one-third of global shipping and more than $3 trillion worth of global trade passing through this area annually.When Xi Jinping became Communist China's supreme leader in 2013, he regarded transforming China into a maritime power, including the expansion in the South China Sea, as a key component to his great Chinese rejuvenation. According to the Chinese Communist Party's own publication, "On the South China Sea issue, [Xi] personally made decisions on building islands and consolidating the reefs, and setting up the city of Sansha. [These decisions] fundamentally changed the strategic situation of the South China Sea."China started land-reclamation efforts in the South China Sea in 2013. Beijing initially proceeded slowly and cautiously while evaluating the Obama-Biden administration's reaction. It sent a dredger to Johnson South Reef in the Spratly archipelago. The dredger was so powerful that it was able to create eleven hectares of a new island in less than four months with the protection of a Chinese warship.When it became clear that the Obama-Biden administration wouldn't do anything serious to push back, China ramped up its island-building activities. China insisted that its land-reclamation efforts were for peaceful purposes, such as fishing and energy exploration. However, satellite images show there are runways, ports, aircraft hangars, radar and sensor equipment, and military buildings on these manmade islands.Noticing the Obama-Biden administration's unwillingness to push back on China's island-building activities, China's smaller neighbors decided to find other means of addressing the crisis at hand. In 2013, the Philippines filed an arbitration case under the UNCLOS over China's claims of sovereignty over the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal.In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague rejected the majority of China's claim of the South China Sea. It also ruled that China's island build-up was not only unlawful but also a blatant violation of the Philippines' economic rights and that it "had caused severe environmental harm to reefs in the chain." Beijing chose to ignore the ruling and press ahead with more island construction and militarization.Without U.S. intervention, small countries such as the Philippines have little means to enforce the ruling and halt China's maritime expansion in the South China Sea. Former U.S. defense secretary Ash Carter criticized the Obama-Biden administration for giving Beijing a rare strategic opening for its island-building. As the Obama administration stood by, China was able to reclaim an estimated 3,200 acres of land on seven features in the South China Sea.The Obama-Biden administration bore the prime responsibility for not forcefully stopping China's South China Sea expansion early on. The administration's soft approach and wishful thinking gave China a four-year strategic window to turn the South China Sea into China's backyard pond and the most dangerous water on this planet, a reality the rest of the world now has to live with.It was reported that between 2010 and 2016, 32 out of the 45 major incidents reported in the South China Sea involved at least one Chinese ship. Fishermen from the Philippines and Vietnam can't even fish in their own nations' water safely without being harassed by Chinese coastal guards and militarized Chinese fishing boats. The Chinese Navy also has responded to the U.S. Navy's "freedom of navigation" operations in an increasingly defiant and aggressive manner. Some national-security experts predict that the first real Sino–U.S. war could be fought in the South China Sea.The Trump administration ended China's unchallenged expansion in the South China Sea by announcing in July that the United States supports the 2016 Hague ruling and opposes several of Beijing's claims in the South China Sea. In the same month, the U.S. Navy also sent two aircraft carriers to waters near the South China Sea when China held a large military exercise. Following the U.S. lead, Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, who had appeased Beijing since he came to office in 2016, recently told Beijing to follow international law, including The Hague ruling to resolve any dispute in the South China Sea.Biden might have adopted harsh rhetoric against China, but his past actions — and inactions — speak louder than his words. The last time when Biden was in charge, China completed its expansion in the South China Sea. Should Biden get elected this November, Beijing believes that Biden is someone it could do business with and expects him to revise the Trump administration's hard line policies toward China. The recent revelation of Hunter Biden's questionable dealings in China shows that Beijing has invested heavily to cultivate a good relationship with the Biden family for decades. A four-year Biden presidency will likely give China's Xi ample time to fulfill his ambition: putting the final building blocks of a Sino-centric world order, turning China into a technology powerhouse through the completion of the "Made in China 2025" initiative, and possibly taking Taiwan by force.
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| A WNBA star bailed a Florida woman out of jail after she was arrested for destroying Trump campaign signs Posted: 03 Nov 2020 09:41 AM PST  Tonya McRae — a 42-year-old self-proclaimed "anarchist" — was arrested and held on $500 bond for damaging a roadside "Women for Trump" campaign sign.
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| Mexico tried, failed to get warrant for ex-cabinet secretary Posted: 03 Nov 2020 07:53 AM PST  Mexico's president confirmed Tuesday that federal prosecutors had tried to get an arrest warrant for former Treasury and Foreign Relations Secretary Luis Videgaray, but said a judge rejected the request. Videgaray, currently a faculty member at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Management, is considered the political figure closest to former President Enrique Peña Nieto, in whose 2012-2018 administration he served. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Tuesday he did not know what the charges were because he maintains an arms-length relationship with the independent attorney general's office, though he said he had read they included a charge of treason.
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| Dow soars by 600 points as investors bet on clear election winner and swift passing of stimulus bill Posted: 03 Nov 2020 07:09 AM PST  "Ultimately, the markets want clarity, and the main threat this week is the emergence of a contested election," one analyst said.
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| Supreme Court throws out First Amendment ruling against Black Lives Matter activist DeRay Mckesson Posted: 02 Nov 2020 07:21 AM PST |
| Melania Trump made her staff work from home and wear face masks, and was shocked seeing her husband's aides often go without them, report says Posted: 02 Nov 2020 06:57 AM PST  The first lady's actions during the pandemic, according to Bloomberg, differed greatly from her husband's, which were to downplay the health crisis.
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| Vermont's Phil Scott becomes first incumbent GOP governor to vote for Biden Posted: 03 Nov 2020 01:54 PM PST  Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R) on Tuesday became the first incumbent Republican governor in the U.S. to vote for the Democratic nominee, Joe Biden, for president. Scott, who said he has never backed a Democrat for the White House before, apparently reached the decision after "some soul searching."> Some news: Vermont @GovPhilScott tells reporters he voted for @JoeBiden just now, making him the first incumbent Republican gov to publicly support the Democratic nominee.> > — Paul Heintz (@paulheintz) November 3, 2020Scott's vote isn't entirely surprising, given that he's a moderate Republican who leads a solidly blue state and is heavily favored to win re-election. So, ultimately, eschewing President Trump doesn't feel like a huge risk for him.Still, the fact that Scott not only refused to vote for Trump but actively backed his opponent is a rarity. For example, Massachusetts' Republican Gov. Charlie Baker left his presidential vote blank, and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) said he voted for former President Ronald Reagan, who is no longer living.As for Vermont's gubernatorial race, however, Scott did wind up sticking with his party.More stories from theweek.com COVID-19 keeps proving everyone wrong Is this the year the New South turns blue? Democrats' first priority
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| Disney World restaurants appeared to suddenly increase their indoor dining capacity, but representatives say it was just a technical issue with online reservations Posted: 03 Nov 2020 01:48 PM PST  Disney-goers noticed an increase in reservation availability at restaurants across the Florida parks this morning, but Disney said it was a glitch.
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| Another four lots of a diabetes drug recalled for having too much of a carcinogen Posted: 03 Nov 2020 03:27 AM PST  Nostrum Laboratories announced Monday evening and Tuesday morning that four lots of its version of Type 2 diabetes drug metformin have too much of the carcinogen NDMA.
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| Teen babysitter killed while trying to stop man from stealing truck, Colorado family says Posted: 02 Nov 2020 01:21 PM PST  The man has been accused of strangling and almost killing a young girl.
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| Alassane Ouattara, I. Coast leader who 'didn't want' third term Posted: 03 Nov 2020 01:26 PM PST  Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara, re-elected to a contested third term on Tuesday, is a US-educated economist who campaigned on stability and growth but whose critics portray as another African leader who took the path of authoritarianism.
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| Southwest empties flight at Nashville airport after passenger refuses to wear a mask Posted: 03 Nov 2020 04:14 PM PST  Nashville airport authorities said a female passenger refused to wear a face mask or exit a Southwest flight when it returned to the gate.
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| Lung damage found in COVID dead may shed light on 'long COVID': study Posted: 03 Nov 2020 04:02 PM PST  A study of the lungs of people who have died from COVID-19 has found persistent and extensive lung damage in most cases and may help doctors understand what is behind a syndrome known as 'long COVID', in which patients suffer ongoing symptoms for months. Scientists leading the research said they also found some unique characteristics of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, which may explain why it is able to inflict such harm. "The findings indicate that COVID-19 is not simply a disease caused by the death of virus-infected cells, but is likely the consequence of these abnormal cells persisting for long periods inside the lungs," said Mauro Giacca, a professor at King's College London who co-led the work.
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| My final election prediction: Reality wins Posted: 03 Nov 2020 02:45 AM PST  The Trump era has been a deranging time — and not least because the president practices a perspectival form of politics. He talks and acts as if there is no objective truth, no common world of reality and facts out there setting the boundaries of the possible. Instead, there are only "takes" — different partisan perspectives, none of which has more or less purchase on what's happening in the world.So, for Trump and his supporters it doesn't matter that his approval rating has been about 10 points under water for the entirety of his presidency, or that he's never once taken the lead in head-to-head national polls, or even once been within 3 points of Joe Biden, or that Biden has led in nearly every swing state, week after week, month after month. For Trump and his supporters, this is all irrelevant. It's just a mirage concocted by the president's opponents — a competing narrative that isn't truer than the account put forth by the Trump campaign.According to the Trump campaign's alternative narrative, the proof is in the pictures. Just look at how many thousands of people are showing up for the president's rallies in swing state after swing state! Look at how many Trump supporters stopped traffic in solidly blue New York and New Jersey on Sunday afternoon with their imposing-looking trucks! Biden should be terrified! A red wave is forming!Don't believe the gaslighting.We've been bombarded by it day-in and day-out for four interminable years, with the president and his media echo chamber amplifying and repeating it endlessly. That, combined with PTSD from the outcome of the 2016 race, has left us prone to self-doubt. "Maybe it's true," we worry. "Maybe we just tell ourselves our own made-up stories. Sure, our narratives make use of reporting and polling data and math and probability theory. But why should those be more trustworthy than what we see with our own two eyes? Just look at those crowds in Pennsylvania! How could Biden possibly prevail there? It's hopeless! We're doomed!"Yes, it's possible that Trump could win. But it isn't likely. At all. One necessary condition of him eking out a victory was the polls narrowing in the final two weeks of the race. It hasn't happened by nearly enough. Two weeks ago, Biden was up by 10.5 points in FiveThirtyEight's polling average. And now? He's up by 8.4. For comparison, on Election Day four years ago, Hillary Clinton led by 3.9 points in the final polls, less than half of Biden's lead today. (Clinton ended up beating Trump by 2.1 points in the popular vote.)So we're expected to believe that a guy who won last time by a grand total of 80,000 votes scattered across three states when he was almost 4 points behind in national polls is now going to win when he's more than 8 points behind in national polls? Sure, that could happen. But only if Trump benefits from the most drastic, consistent, systematic error in the history of modern polling.That's it. That's Trump's path to victory.The reality of American life for the past four years is that Trump barely won the White House, it took less than a month for a majority of the country to disapprove of his presidency, and that has hardly ever changed. (For a brief period in late March and early April 2020, during a fleeting moment when it seemed like Trump was attempting to exercise leadership against the COVID-19 pandemic, his disapproval rating fell slightly below 50 percent. It took about two weeks for the numbers to revert to the norm.) The pattern is clear and incredibly consistent: A little more than two-fifths of the country laps up Trump's B.S. like it's a gourmet meal. But a solid, consistent majority opposes him and wants to kick him out of the people's house.That isn't a "take." That isn't a "narrative." That isn't a "story." It's a fact.Yes, Trump can get several thousand people to show up for a rally, just as if you live in a very pro-Trump area you may see nothing but Trump yard signs and encounter people who think Biden's a senile socialist who smiles every time a riot breaks out in an American city. In my neighborhood in suburban Philadelphia, I see Biden signs in every direction. That doesn't mean he's going to win 98 percent of the popular vote. It's a big country! My perspective is severely limited, as is that of any particular voter in any particular place. I live in a pro-Biden area. But if I drive ten minutes further out from the city, I'll see a mixture of Biden and Trump signs. If I go a half-hour further, the Trump signs will dominate. None of this can be taken as determinative about the overall results in Pennsylvania or in the country as a whole.That doesn't mean we're epistemologically at sea, or blindly groping around in the dark. We can know things about the world. The sun appears to circle the Earth, but by combining observation with mathematical calculations, we can know that in fact that Earth circles the sun. Likewise, by polling the American electorate, we can know more than we would if we simply relied on our senses, hopes, wishes, and fears. And on that basis, we have every reason to think — based on a mountain of redundant evidence — that significantly more Americans want Trump to lose than want him to win re-election.That's real. As real as the knowledge that the United States has not "turned the corner" on the COVID-19 pandemic, no matter how many times the president repeats the lie, and no matter how loudly crowds applaud it. We know this because more and more Americans are testing positive for the virus every day, because hospitalizations are rising, and because daily deaths from the virus (a lagging indicator) have begun to rise as well. Our senses don't tell us this, and neither does our individual experience. We know it because we live in a civilization that keeps track of things, that aspires to understand the truth about what's really happening in the world, and we get slowly better at both over time, even if we make plenty of mistakes and often judge badly when our own interests are at stake.Whatever the final outcome of the election, we need to remember one thing above all others: Reality is what it is, and it doesn't care one bit about what you want to be true. We either devote our lives to living in the world as it is or we flee into fantasy.Those are the options, and that is the ultimate choice before us.More stories from theweek.com COVID-19 keeps proving everyone wrong Is this the year the New South turns blue? Democrats' first priority
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| I moved from the US to Canada — here's why I'll never go back Posted: 03 Nov 2020 11:11 AM PST  From legalized marijuana to great healthcare, here are some of the reasons this writer thinks Canada is better than the US and why she plans to stay.
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| Letters to the Editor: Liberals are buying firearms. Will they admit they were wrong about 'gun nuts'? Posted: 03 Nov 2020 03:00 AM PST  It takes a lot of cognitive dissonace for people who voted against gun rights to now arm up because they want to defend themselves.
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| 'Trump trains' and 'MAGA drags' snarl traffic and raise tensions in multiple states Posted: 02 Nov 2020 02:23 PM PST  Caravans of Trump-supporting motorists in 'Trump trains' caused chaos in multiple states over the weekend.
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| Macron said he understands Muslims' fury over cartoons mocking the Prophet Muhammad but defended France's 'freedom to speak, to write, to think, to draw' Posted: 02 Nov 2020 02:56 AM PST  France has weathered three terror attacks in the past two weeks. On Oct 16 a teacher was beheaded after showing cartoons mocking the Prophet Muhammad.
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| Azerbaijan claims to have retaken enough land in Nagorno Karabakh war to resettle 500,000 Azeris Posted: 03 Nov 2020 07:51 AM PST  Azerbaijan has recaptured enough land in its war with Armenia over Nagorno Karabakh to rehouse up to half a million displaced Azeris, a senior government advisor has said. Hikmet Hajiyev, the chief foreign policy aide to Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliev, told the Daily Telegraph that Azeri forces had now retaken four key territories during the five-week long war. It means that up to 500,000 Azeri citizens would eventually be able to return to the area, which was seized by Armenian forces in the early 1990s when Nagorno Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijani control. "We are talking about a substantial region that has been retaken, and a potentially substantial number of people being able to return to their homes once the conflict is finally over," Mr Hajiyev said. "For nearly 30 years we have been waiting for the return of these territories. There is a lot of building and de-mining work that will have to be done, but every village that is retaken is a success for the Azeri people."
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| 2 girls pulled out of rubble in Turkey three days after earthquake Posted: 02 Nov 2020 03:38 AM PST  In what one rescue worker called "a miracle," extraction teams brought two girls out alive Monday from the wreckage of their collapsed apartment buildings in the Turkish city of Izmir, three days after a strong earthquake hit Turkey and Greece.
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| 2020 Congressional Race Updates: McConnell Wins Reelection Posted: 03 Nov 2020 05:00 PM PST  All eyes are on the Senate this Election Day as Republicans look to maintain control of the legislative body where they currently hold a 53-seat majority.Shortly after polls closed on Tuesday, the Associated Press had called 12 Senate races: seven in favor of Democrats and five in favor of Republicans, including the reelection of Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.). McConnell held off Democratic challenger Amy McGrath, a retired Marine combat pilot, to win a seventh term in the Senate.Republican Bill Hagerty has won an open seat in Tennessee, while Shelley Moore Capito becomes the first Republican in West Virginia to be reelected to the Senate in more than a century, according to the AP. Senators Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) and Cory Booker (D., N.J.) are projected to win as well.In the House, the AP has called 22 races in favor of Democrats and 22 in favor of Republicans.Twenty-three Republican-controlled seats and 12 Democrat-controlled seats are up for election: seven of the posts, all of which are currently Republican-held, have been rated a "toss-up" by the Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan outlet dedicated to analyzing and predicting elections.The "toss-up" seats are those held by Senators Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Thom Tillis (N.C.), Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue (Ga.), Joni Ernst (Iowa), Susan Collins (Maine), and Steve Daines (Mont.). Elections featuring two Republican incumbents — Martha McSally (Ariz.) and Cory Gardner (Colo.) — are listed as leaning Democrat.Democrats would need a net gain of three seats to control the Senate in the event that Joe Biden wins, as the vice president can act as a tie-breaker on Senate votes. Should Trump and Vice President Mike Pence win, Democrats would need a net gain of four seats to wrest control from the current Republican majority. There are two independent senators who caucus with Democrats.McConnell warned recently that Democrats had a "50-50" chance of winning a majority in the Senate."It's a 50-50 proposition," McConnell said. "We have a lot of exposure. This is a huge Republican class….There are dogfights all over the country."In Georgia, both Senate seats are up for grabs and may be subject to a runoff race held on January 5 if a candidate cannot pass 50 percent of the vote by Election Day. If one or both Georgia seats go into a runoff, that could leave the fate of the Senate unknown for weeks after November 3.Graham is neck and neck with Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison, a marked change from earlier this year when the South Carolina senator enjoyed a double-digit lead. The Democrat smashed Senate fundraising records by hauling in $57 million during the third quarter — twice as much as Graham has raised in the previous six quarters combined.Graham has breezed to victory by double-digit margins in each of his reelection races since he first won his seat in 2002. In 2016, President Trump won the state by more than 14 points. But Harrison has proven a formidable opponent to Graham, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, who has been scorned by Democratic donors for leading the push to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court ahead of Election Day. If elected, Harrison would be the first Democratic senator to represent South Carolina in over two decades. The race between Tillis and Democratic opponent Cal Cunningham in North Carolina has also attracted a great deal of national attention. In early October it was revealed that Cunningham, who had run on a campaign of "truth" and "honor," had allegedly had an extramarital relationship. The U.S. Army Reserve is investigating Cunningham, who is a Reserve officer, over reports that he had an affair this year with Arlene Guzman Todd, whose husband has served in the Army.However, the affair allegations don't seem to have impacted Cunningham much: a Friday poll from Marist College found the Democrat up by 10 points, 53 percent to 43 percent. A New York Times poll showed him up by three points, 46 percent to 43 percent.In Iowa, Democratic challenger Theresa Greenfield leads Ernst by three points, according to a recent Des Moines Register poll. While both Iowa senators are Republicans, Ernst's seat was previously held by a Democrat, Tom Harkin, who held his seat for 30 years before his retirement in 2014. Ernst is a Trump ally in a state where support for the president has waned since 2016.In Maine, Collins is in danger of losing the seat she has held since 1997 to challenger Sara Gideon after mounting criticism for her decision to support the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and to vote to acquit President Trump in his Senate impeachment trial earlier this year. Gideon, who serves as state House speaker, leads in the polls. In Montana, Daines, the incumbent, will take on Steve Bullock, the outgoing governor of Montana. Similarly, in Colorado, Republican incumbent Gardner is up against the state's former governor, John Hickenlooper, who also made a bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. However, Michigan's Democrat-held seat may be in danger of flipping, as incumbent Senator Gary Peters holds a single-digit lead over Republican Army veteran John James. The incumbent's slight lead has largely remained within the margin of error in recent polls. RealClearPolitics rates the race a "toss-up."In the House, Democrats will look to maintain or grow their majority, which currently stands at 232 seats to Republicans' 198. The Cook Political Report lists 25 House seat races as "toss-up," 16 of which are Republican seats in danger of flipping.While six of those seats are open, the rest are currently held by Republicans: Representatives David Schweikert (Ariz.), Mike Garcia (Calif.), Rodney Davis (Ill.), Jim Hagedorn (Minn.), Ann Wagner (Mo.), Don Bacon (Neb.), Jeff Van Drew (N.J.), John Katko (N.Y.), Steve Chabot (Ohio), Scott Perry (Pa.) and Chip Roy (Texas).Assuming there are no vacancies and no members from a third party, Democrats or Republicans need a minimum of 218 seats to ensure control of the House of Representatives. As Democrats currently hold 232 seats, they would need a net loss no greater than 15 seats to remain in control. Republicans have 198 seats.
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| Typhoon Goni: Fears after Philippine town said to be 90% damaged Posted: 02 Nov 2020 12:00 AM PST  The Red Cross says initial assessments of Philippines municipality suggests widespread destruction.
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| Cyprus leaders, in first encounter, back five-way U.N. meeting Posted: 03 Nov 2020 11:54 AM PST  The leaders of Cyprus's estranged Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities on Tuesday agreed to support the possibility of a five-party meeting under the auspices of the United Nations to resolve the island's decades-old division. Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, who is the Greek Cypriot leader, met with newly-elected Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar late Tuesday at a United Nations compound in the capital Nicosia. It was their first encounter since Tatar was elected head of breakaway northern Cyprus in October.
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| Obama says if a Democrat behaved like Trump, 'I couldn't support him' Posted: 02 Nov 2020 04:58 PM PST  Former President Barack Obama told a crowd in Miami on Monday that he puts country over party, and if there was a Democrat behaving "the way our current president does, I couldn't support him."Obama has spent the last several days on the campaign trail for the Democratic presidential nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, visiting battleground states like Florida and Georgia. In Miami, Obama railed against President Trump, and said that if he "saw a Democrat who was lying every single day — the fact checkers can't keep up, it's like, just over and over again — I would say that's not the example I want, I don't trust that person to manage the country's affairs because it's violating the values that we try to live by. And those are values we try to teach our kids."Since Trump entered office, The Washington Post has been tracking how many false and misleading claims he has made, and in July, he hit 20,000.Obama also brought up the GOP talking point that Biden is a socialist in disguise, an accusation that is being pushed hard in Florida, which has a high Cuban American population. "Here in south Florida you see these ads, 'Joe palling with Communists, palling with socialists,'" Obama said. "You'd think he was having coffee with Castro every morning. Don't fall for that. Joe Biden served as a senator from Delaware, he was my vice president. I think we'd all know if he was a secret socialist by now."More stories from theweek.com COVID-19 keeps proving everyone wrong Is this the year the New South turns blue? Democrats' first priority
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| McDonald's worker, 16, killed in 'random' shooting by man at drive-thru Posted: 03 Nov 2020 10:45 AM PST  The 24-year-old suspect walked up to the drive-thru window of the Nevada restaurant and opened fire, killing a 16-year-old girl, police said.
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| Fargo, North Dakota, mayor clashes with governor over whether the state should require people to wear face masks as COVID-19 cases multiply in the state Posted: 02 Nov 2020 05:57 PM PST  "All the major mayors ... feel the mask would be very helpful to make it uniform throughout the state," Mayor Tim Mahoney said.
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| AP PHOTOS: In Mexico, a quieter Day of the Dead under COVID Posted: 02 Nov 2020 01:51 PM PST  Mexico's usually ebullient and colorful Day of the Dead celebration was quieter and lonelier than usual, with many cemeteries closed to visits because of fears of spreading the coronavirus. Mexican families often visit graveyards to decorate their relatives' tombs with flowers and sing, talk and snack during the Nov. 1-2 observance.
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| Hurricane Eta could be near Florida this weekend as a tropical storm, hurricane center says Posted: 03 Nov 2020 04:37 PM PST |
| Michigan's election has more than 77,000 spoiled ballots. Here's what that means. Posted: 03 Nov 2020 04:01 PM PST  An official said 77,000 ballots were spoiled in Michigan as of Tuesday morning, but that number requires some context.
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| Kim Kardashian Shows Off Over-the-Top Halloween Decor Posted: 02 Nov 2020 01:35 PM PST  The KKW beauty founder had her entire sleek, minimalistic home covered in spiderwebs
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| Pelosi Calls Amy Coney Barrett an ‘Illegitimate Supreme Court Justice’ Posted: 03 Nov 2020 10:12 AM PST  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday called newly confirmed Justice Amy Coney Barrett "an illegitimate Supreme Court justice.""The president is installing an illegitimate Supreme Court justice just one week before the election," Pelosi said during an Election Day news conference with the chairwoman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Illinois congresswoman Cheri Bustos.Pelosi claimed that Barrett will vote to dismantle the Affordable Care Act and noted that the judge declined to say whether she thought Medicare was constitutional during her confirmation hearings last month.The Senate confirmed Barrett to the Supreme Court in a 52-to-48 vote last week, giving conservatives a 6-to-3 majority on the court. Senator Susan Collins of Maine was the only Republican to vote against Barrett's confirmation.The Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments on November 10 in a case that could overturn part or all of the Affordable Care Act. The justices are expected to release their opinion sometime in the first six months of 2021.The House speaker also snapped at a reporter who asked whether she expects the next Congress to be her last term serving as speaker, which would honor a pledge she made in 2018 to House Democrats who opposed her bid for speaker."That's the least important question you could ask today," Pelosi responded. "The fate of our nation, the soul of our nation is at stake in this election."Pelosi said the conversation was about "plans for our country for our future, for our children," and "not about my plans.""One of these days I will let you know what my plans are, when it is appropriate and when it matters. It doesn't matter right now," she added.The Supreme Court could also end up deciding Tuesday's election should close swing state results or absentee ballot controversies end up before the justices.
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| Vatican says pope's civil union remarks were taken out of context Posted: 02 Nov 2020 09:59 AM PST  The Vatican says Pope Francis' comments on gay civil unions were taken out of context in a documentary that spliced together parts of an old interview, but still confirmed Francis' belief that gay couples should enjoy legal protections.
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| Trump sounds 'exhausted' Posted: 03 Nov 2020 07:18 AM PST  President Trump just capped off a frantic effort in the final stretch of his re-election campaign, holding multiple rallies a day several days in a row, including five apiece on Sunday and Monday. And it sounds like the hectic schedule has taken a toll.The president appeared on Fox & Friends on Tuesday morning as polls opened around the country, and many observers noted that he sounded exhausted.> I've never heard Trump sound like this. There was a clear difference in his demeanor and energy level between Kenosha & Grand Rapids last night. https://t.co/kJJO6CHYKC> > -- John T. Bennett (@BennettJohnT) November 3, 2020Even his rhetoric was a bit toned down -- Trump has stirred controversy throughout the campaign over how he may react to results on election night, and there have been reports (which he's denied) that he's planning to declare a premature victory if ahead. But on Tuesday, Trump merely said he'll declare victory "when there's victory, if there's victory ... there's no reason to play games." > An exhausted-sounding Trump on when he'll declare victory: "When there's victory. If there's victory ... there's no reason to play games." pic.twitter.com/MiuuPjTe1E> > -- Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 3, 2020More stories from theweek.com COVID-19 keeps proving everyone wrong Is this the year the New South turns blue? Democrats' first priority
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| Fort Lauderdale attorney suspended after posing online as opposing attorney’s client Posted: 03 Nov 2020 11:49 AM PST  Much of the six-month suspension Fort Lauderdale attorney Tracy Newmark began serving Sunday comes down to lying, according to the referee's reports of Newmark's Florida Bar discipline cases. Lying about:
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| Former Bank of America analyst charged nearly $21,000 to his corporate card at an 'adult venue' and refused to pay it back, new complaint alleges Posted: 03 Nov 2020 03:21 PM PST  The employee said his card was stolen and that the charges were fraudulent, but a recorded phone call showed otherwise, the complaint said.
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| No trace of 19-year-old woman two weeks after she disappeared from Home Depot in Sacramento Posted: 02 Nov 2020 04:37 PM PST  Veta Belford, 19, was last seen leaving her shift at Home Depot in Sacramento, California, October 17, 2020, after being laid off from her job. She did not have a car and left on foot. Her family says security video outside the store captured Veta walking out of the parking lot toward Applebee's around 3:45 p.m. Her phone has been turned off since that day. The Sacramento Police Department is investigating.
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| Goni en route to Vietnam after deadly strike in Philippines Posted: 02 Nov 2020 03:07 AM PST  Goni slammed into the eastern Philippines on Saturday night, local time as a super typhoon with maximum sustained winds equivalent to a strong Category 4 hurricane in the Atlantic and East Pacific basins. At 4:50 a.m., local time, Super Typhoon Goni made its first landfall near Bato, Catanduanes, according to Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). At least 20 deaths have been blamed on the torrential rainfall, dangerous winds and devastating storm surge from Goni, most occurring in the province of Albay, according to Reuters. Super Typhoon Goni lurks to the east of the Philippines Saturday afternoon, Oct. 31, 2020, local time. A well-defined eye can be seen on satellite. (AccuWeather) After desolating parts of the Philippines over the weekend, Tropical Storm Goni emerged over the South China Sea on Monday. A continued track to the west will bring the storm near to Vietnam by Thursday. CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP Goni is forecast to remain a tropical storm as it tracks across the South China Sea through the middle of the week. Despite pushing through an area of light wind shear, the waters are cool, having been disrupted by several tropical systems in recent weeks. This will limit how much intensity Goni is able to hold through the end of the week. The storm is expected to bring another round of tropical downpours and gusty winds to central and southern Vietnam from later on Wednesday into Thursday, local time. Central Vietnam has been the target of most of the tropical systems that disturbed the South China Sea. Widespread rainfall of 50-100 mm (2-4 inches) is expected to encompass central and southeastern Vietnam during this time. Near Goni's track, a more concentrated area of 100-200 mm (4-8 inches) of rain is expected, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 350 mm (14 inches) possible. With much of eastern Vietnam already recovering from recent heavy rainfall from tropical storms, rainfall from Goni is expected to slow recovery and potentially lead to new flooding and mudslides. While Goni is expected to be a tropical depression at landfall, widespread wind damage is not expected to be a significant concern. Wind gusts of 65-95 km/h (40-60 mph) are expected to cause minor structural damage and power outages along the track of the storm across southeastern Vietnam. An AccuWeather Local StormMax™ wind gust of 130 km/h (80 mph) is possible along the immediate coast. Due to its expected impacts in Vietnam, Goni is a 1 on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Tropical Cyclones. The AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale is a 6-point scale with ratings of less than one and 1 to 5. In contrast to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, which classifies storms by wind speed only, the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale is based on a broad range of important factors, including wind speed, flooding rain, storm surge and economic damage and loss. Once inland, Goni is expected to quickly lose wind intensity and become a tropical rainstorm. Locally heavy rain can spread into southern Laos and eastern Cambodia during the end of the week, though the threat for flooding is expected to diminish in these areas. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Atsani, also known as Siony in the Philippines, is spinning across the Philippine Sea. After stalling over the Philippine Sea through the middle of the week, Atsani may take a path toward the northern Philippines during the second half of the week. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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| Republicans in battleground Pennsylvania sue over balloting near Philadelphia Posted: 03 Nov 2020 11:05 AM PST  The lawsuit against Montgomery County officials was filed by Kathy Barnette, who is seeking a House seat in Pennsylvania's 4th Congressional district, and Clay Breece, chairman of the Republican Committee in neighboring Berks County. Pennsylvania state law forbids votes from being tabulated before 7 a.m. on Election Day. The lawsuit in Philadelphia federal court also accuses Montgomery County officials of making it harder for the plaintiffs' representatives to monitor vote counting, and leaving ballots in a public hallway where anyone can access them.
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| Here's why Republicans are 'red' and Democrats are 'blue': USA TODAY may have contributed to it Posted: 03 Nov 2020 12:23 PM PST  Prior to 2000, red and blue did not always respectively denote Republicans and Democrats.
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