| Experts call for including pregnant women in COVID-19 vaccine trials Posted: 06 Oct 2020 11:13 AM PDT  The data on whether pregnancy increases the risk for coronavirus or leads to more complications is incomplete, but preliminary indications are that it is a potential risk factor. Yet so far, manufacturers and U.S. regulators have held off on including pregnant women in coronavirus vaccine trials.
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| Trump coronavirus: Morning Joe host says president could be guilty of ‘manslaughter’ if he infects Secret Service and White House staff Posted: 06 Oct 2020 11:26 AM PDT  'At some point isn't this manslaughter?' Ms Brzezinski said
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| Supreme Court: Could COVID-19 infections and Democratic delays torpedo Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation? Posted: 05 Oct 2020 02:05 PM PDT  Many GOP senators on the Judiciary Committee, which will question Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, have probably been exposed to the coronavirus.
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| Man faces charges after 80-year-old dies following mask dispute Posted: 06 Oct 2020 09:05 AM PDT  "We see it everywhere, where people are confronting one another and having arguments about not wearing masks," the district attorney said." It's unfortunate "this escalated" into a man's dying.
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| Hurricane Delta now Category 4 storm Posted: 06 Oct 2020 11:46 AM PDT  Hurricane Delta intensified into a Category 4 hurricane with 130 mph winds on Tuesday on a course to batter southeastern Mexico on its approach to the U.S. Gulf Coast this week.
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| Beirut blast was 'historically' powerful Posted: 05 Oct 2020 10:26 AM PDT  The port area of Beirut was destroyed by one of the biggest non-nuclear explosions in history.
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| Venice successfully stopped a flood for the first time by raising a mile-long network of barriers to hold back the sea Posted: 06 Oct 2020 09:37 AM PDT  The mile-long network of barriers, named MOSE in a nod to the the Biblical figure Moses, blocked high water from entering Venice's lagoon.
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| Democrat Cunningham appears to lead Republican Tillis in North Carolina: Reuters/Ipsos poll Posted: 06 Oct 2020 12:22 PM PDT  Democratic Senate challenger Cal Cunningham appears to lead incumbent Senator Thom Tillis in North Carolina, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll taken as the news broke of Tillis' COVID-19 diagnosis and a scandal involving Cunningham. Democratic Senator Gary Peters of Michigan leads his Republican challenger businessman John James among likely voters, according to the opinion polls released on Tuesday. There are about ten competitive U.S. Senate races this year, eight with vulnerable Republican incumbents and two with vulnerable Democrats.
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| White Male Prof Allegedly Posed as Woman of Color to Bully Women Posted: 06 Oct 2020 01:45 AM PDT  "The Science Femme" claimed to be a female academic. She claimed to have upended efforts by her social justice-obsessed department to draft a statement condemning racism.And when Twitter users accused her of racism, she claimed to be a woman of color herself—and an immigrant to boot.But The Science Femme, who tweeted from the handle @piney_the, wasn't any of those things, digital sleuths began alleging late last month. Instead, they claimed, "she" was Craig Chapman, a white male assistant professor of chemistry at the University of New Hampshire. The allegations, bolstered by an internal chemistry department email, would make Chapman at least the fourth white academic revealed to have posed as a person of color in recent weeks.In three of those cases, academics are accused of shamelessly trying to further their own careers. But in Chapman's case, Twitter users who came into contact with @piney_the say the account harassed real women working in science.The University of New Hampshire said the incident was under investigation."UNH was recently made aware of allegations on social media about a member of its faculty," a spokesperson told The Daily Beast. "We are deeply troubled by what we've learned so far and immediately launched an investigation. The employee at the center of allegations on social media is on leave and not in the classroom. In order to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation the university is unable to comment further."Chapman did not return repeated requests for comment for this story. Both his account and @piney_the were deleted last week.Susanna Harris, a microbiology Ph.D. holder who currently works in science communications, first noticed the @piney_the Twitter account in July."They put out this huge long thread about how they, as a woman of color in science, a professor, made a big change in their university by shutting down diversity, equity, and inclusion work," Harris, who is white, told The Daily Beast.Harris wasn't the only person to make note of the thread, in which @piney_the claimed to have been "successful in killing my dept's woke statement on recent social unrest." The viral thread earned write-ups in conservative publications like RedState, which lauded the efforts to derail an anti-racism statement. Some academics were suspicious of the claims, coming from an anonymous professor at an unnamed university."I did a little bit of poking around to see if there was any chance this was a real person," Harris recalled. "I've been on Twitter for a while and nothing about their account said anything to make me think this is a genuine account."Other Twitter users had raised similar concerns earlier this year. @piney_the was an especially combative Twitter personality, who frequently tangled with the left online. The account described a female opponent in explicit anatomical terms on at least one occasion, repeatedly railed against transgender people, and posted censored nude pictures of former Rep. Katie Hill. Hill, a former California politician, resigned last year after those pictures were made public in an alleged revenge-pornography campaign.When users accused the account of "attacking POC [people of color]," as one did in September, @piney_the frequently claimed to be one. "You know I'm a woman of color, right? Racist," the account responded.But some of @piney_the's tweets teased highly specific personal details, like that their brother owned a brewery. Later, the account tweeted a recommendation for a small New Jersey brewery, owned by Craig Chapman's brother, as Twitter sleuths like the account @drama_science noted. (His brother could not immediately be reached for comment.) Other similarities between @piney_the and Chapman, like fandom for Chicago sports teams, New Jersey origins, and knowledge of niche chemistry fields, abounded.Some of the similarities were more glaring than others.In April, both @piney_the and Chapman tweeted the same picture of a coffee homebrewing setup, within minutes of each other, with similar captions. The picture does not appear to have been uploaded anywhere else on the internet. And both accounts tweeted about marinating meat, with both appearing to tweet pictures of the same baking tray on the same marble countertop.Although a few Twitter users had noted their suspicions about the account for nearly a year, those whispers grew louder in late September, after @piney_the came into conflict with several female academics, Harris included. She was among those who had previously tweeted in opposition to Mike Adams, a University of North Carolina professor, who was famous for his anti-feminist stances. Adams and UNC arrived at an agreement by which he would retire in August and receive a half million-dollar settlement upon leaving. He died by suicide in July.@piney_the, which had more than 13,000 followers at the time of its deletion last week, was one of the key actors stoking what Harris said was a subsequent harassment campaign against her."They were were literally saying that I had killed [Adams], that I had blood on my hands, that I had pushed him into suicide," she said. "That was when the tide changed, and when I started getting emails from anonymous people saying that they hope I die, that they will dox me."The bile renewed some of Harris's previous suspicions about @piney_the's authenticity. If she was right that this was a bogus twitter personality claiming to speak for the marginalized, it wouldn't be the first time.White academics faking their racial or ethnic identity has emerged as a troubling trope in a year of racial justice protests. In September, white George Washington University professor Jessica Krug resigned after she was revealed to have faked a series of Black and Hispanic identities in order to further her career as an Africana academic. Later that month, University of Madison-Wisconsin graduate student CV Vitolo-Haddad resigned from a teaching position after it was revealed that they had also falsely claimed to be Black.Those scandals came a month after former Vanderbilt University assistant professor BethAnn McLaughlin was revealed to have been behind a long-running Twitter account that claimed to be a Native American science professor at Arizona State University. McLaughlin had previously used the fake professor's popular Twitter account to promote a petition to give McLaughlin a tenure position at Vanderbilt. The ruse was only exposed when McLaughlin claimed the non-existent professor died of COVID-19.Ironically, @piney_the made fun of race-faking when it came from liberals, sharing a meme of Sen. Elizabeth Warren with the caption "growing up Chinese in South Detroit I struggled as an African American Jewish Boy." (Warren has dubiously claimed Native American ancestry, and subsequently apologized.)Harris was thinking about McLaughlin's case in late September when she decided to tweet her doubts about @piney_the. She asked the anonymous account to provide evidence that they were a woman of color, and offered to delete her own account if proven wrong. Other academics soon seized on the similarities between @piney_the's account and Craig Chapman's, shortly before both accounts were deleted last week.An internal email (shared by department members and previously reported by local media) from UNH chemistry chair Glen Miller suggests those fears were well-founded."The fake twitter account was in fact set up and run by Craig," read the email, obtained by The Daily Beast. "There were a large number of things written by Craig that ranged from unfortunate to hurtful to deeply offensive. These statements do not represent me, nor the collegial, collaborative, accepting department in which I have had the privilege to work for the past 25 years. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, of course, but when those opinions are dismissive or hurtful or harmful to others, it is not ok with me. I reject those statements and their intent, wholeheartedly. But even so, I do not reject Craig. I am not giving up on Craig."The letter went on to describe Chapman as "embarrassed and overwhelmed and shell shocked. He fears that this could be the end of his academic career. I hope it is not and I told him so." Chapman would "come clean" and express remorse to colleagues soon, Miller wrote.Miller, who did not return requests for comment, also accused Chapman's accusers of being "highly motivated to reveal Craig as the person responsible for the fake twitter account, and to inflict damage on him." He urged readers not to speak to the media about the incident.Some UNH graduate students protested what they believed to be the rogue professor's Twitter activities last week, marching with signs on campus. "Craig Chapman does not speak for us," one sign read."Miller said sorry, we say get out," read another.Harris argued the incident—and other recent cases of academics feigning their identities—sap resources from some of the very people Chapman posed as."It's sort of the extreme version of cultural appropriation," she said. "They take the small protections or the scraps of support that women of color and other people have, and they use them as leverage against that exact population."Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet 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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| Japan’s feared ‘yakuza’ gangsters banned from Halloween festivities Posted: 06 Oct 2020 06:37 AM PDT  One of the most fearsome "yakuza" underworld groups in Japan has been told it cannot hand out sweets to trick-or-treating children at Halloween. The local government of Hyogo Prefecture, in central Japan, on Monday unanimously approved a new provision to existing anti-gangster legislation that makes it illegal for members of the Yamaguchi-gumi to hand out treats at its headquarters in the city of Kobe on Halloween. The local authority was acting on a proposal from the prefectural police, which has been waging a war of attrition against the largest "yakuza" group in Japan. The gang operates across Japan, earning millions every year from extortion, underground gambling, the sex industry, weapons trafficking, drug sales and kickbacks in the property and construction sectors. Despite their reputation as violent criminals, members of the gang have been enthusiastic participants in Kobe's Halloween festivities for many years, with gangsters in costumes handing out sweets outside their offices. The new ordinance makes that illegal, with children also banned from entering the gang's offices. Members are also banned from giving money or gifts to children, and contacting minors by phone or email with the intention of encouraging them to join the group. Any gangster found guilty of violating the ordinance faces a sentence of up to six months in prison and fines of as much as £3,640. "The authorities are acting to deprive the Yamaguchi-gumi of any good public relations that might make them appealing to young people", said Jake Adelstein, author of 'Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan' and an authority on the nation's underworld groups. "They have been trying to ostracise this gang from society for some years and this is just the latest measure to do that." "By clamping down like this, they are hoping to deprive them of new blood because the average age of a 'yakuza' is now 50 and they're struggling to attract new members", he said. Authorities are also attempting to keep people away from the gang's facilities out of concern that passers-by might be injured or killed in the Yamaguchi-gumi's ongoing feud with a rival group. In October last year, two members of an affiliated group were shot dead on a street in Kobe, while a senior member of the splinter group, the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi, was killed in November 2019 in the nearby city of Amagasaki. In the last five years, police say there have been 127 incidents of violence involving gangs in and around Kobe.
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| Trump and coronavirus: Viral picture shows White House chief of staff rubbing his head during president’s health briefing Posted: 05 Oct 2020 08:39 AM PDT  The Reuters picture comes from Dr Sean Conley's press briefing on Sunday
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| Justice Clarence Thomas suggests Supreme Court should overturn same-sex marriage in scathing attack Posted: 05 Oct 2020 09:43 AM PDT  The landmark ruling legalizing same-sex marriage had "ruinous consequences for religious liberty," Thomas says
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| 4 Rohingya refugees killed in factional attack in Bangladesh Posted: 06 Oct 2020 12:37 PM PDT |
| California wildfires spawn first ‘gigafire’ in modern history Posted: 06 Oct 2020 09:11 AM PDT  August complex fire expanded beyond 1m acres, elevating it from a mere 'megafire' to a new classification: 'gigafire'California's extraordinary year of wildfires has spawned another new milestone – the first "gigafire", a blaze spanning 1m acres, in modern history.On Monday, the August complex fire in northern California expanded beyond 1m acres, elevating it from a mere "megafire" to a new classification, "gigafire", never used before in a contemporary setting in the state.At 1.03m acres, the fire is larger than the state of Rhode Island and is raging across seven counties, according to fire agency Cal Fire. An amalgamation of several fires caused when lightning struck dry forests in August, the vast conflagration has been burning for 50 days and is only half-contained.The August complex fire heads a list of huge fires that have chewed through 4m acres of California this year, a figure called "mind-boggling" by Cal Fire and double the previous annual record. Five of the six largest fires ever recorded in the state have occurred in 2020, resulting in several dozen deaths and thousands of lost buildings.There is little sign of California's biggest ever fire season receding. The state endured a heatwave this summer, aiding the formation of enormous wildfires even without the seasonal winds that usually fan the blazes that have historically dotted the west coast.Vast, out-of-control fires are increasingly a feature in the US west due to the climate crisis, scientists say, with rising temperatures and prolonged drought causing vegetation and soils to lose moisture.This parched landscape makes larger fires far more likely. Big wildfires are three times more common across the west than in the 1970s, while the wildfire season is three months longer, according to an analysis by Climate Central."We predicted last year that we were living with the chance of such an extreme event under our current climate," said Jennifer Balch, a fire ecologist at the University of Colorado Boulder. "Don't need a crystal ball."The 2020 fire season has caused choking smoke to blanket the west coast and at times blot out the sun. But experts warn this year may soon seem mild by comparison as the world continues to heat up due to the release of greenhouse gases from human activity."If you don't like all of the climate disasters happening in 2020, I have some bad news for you about the rest of your life," said Andrew Dessler, a climate scientist at Texas A&M University.Parts of California are expected to receive some relief this week, with temperatures in northern California dropping up to 15F by Friday, according to the National Weather Service. Meteorologists are forecasting some light to moderate showers that could aid in firefighting efforts in the north, but climate scientists warn that it likely won't be a season-ending storm."The temperatures will start dropping closer to seasonal normals, the relative humidity will slowly start climbing up and we'll start to see lighter winds," said Tom Bird, incident meteorologist on the Glass fire, which has devastated parts of wine country and continues to burn. Rain forecasted for this weekend would be a "temporary dip" in the fire weather, but, come next week, "we will warm up, dry up again", Bird said. "By no means are we looking to end the fire season with this event."> CA fire weather update: pattern change still looks likely for Fri-Sat, but models trending drier (as ensembles had suggested was possible). Still a good chance of light-mod showers from Bay Area northward. Will help w/fires & smoke, but will not be season-ending. CAwx CAfire pic.twitter.com/TAASIhj5OQ> > — Daniel Swain (@Weather_West) October 6, 2020Much of the Central Valley is still under an air quality alert because of wildfire smoke from the Creek fire, which has burned more than 326,000 acres, and the SQF Complex fire, which has burned nearly 159,000 acres in the Sierra National Forest.Northwest California, where the August Complex fire rages, had air quality "in the unhealthy to locally hazardous category" as well. Meanwhile, coastal swathes of the state woke up to dense fog on Tuesday, a confusing contrast to the smoke-filled haze that many got used to seeing during the peak of the wildfires.
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| Misleading India-China claims being shared online Posted: 06 Oct 2020 05:22 PM PDT  Videos of the India-China border stand-off have been circulating - but they are not what they claim to be.
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| College student: I was in quarantine on campus. They gave me a bag lunch and little help. Posted: 06 Oct 2020 04:00 AM PDT  I thought the end of my senior year of high school was disappointing. But then I noticed coronavirus symptoms on my first day of college classes.
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| Malaysian PM quarantines after minister tests positive for COVID-19 Posted: 05 Oct 2020 02:18 AM PDT  Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said on Monday he would go into quarantine for 14 days after coming into contact with a minister who had tested positive for COVID-19. The 73-year-old premier said he had been at a meeting on Saturday with religious affairs minister Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri to discuss the country's rising number of coronavirus infections. Zulkifli tested positive two days later on Monday, the prime minister said.
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| Arkansas Republican County Chair Dies of COVID-19 Weeks After His Committee Hosted Maskless Gathering Posted: 06 Oct 2020 10:28 AM PDT  The chairman of an Arkansas county Republican committee died from complications associated with COVID-19 on Tuesday—less than one month after his organization hosted a maskless gathering with other elected leaders. Steven Farmer, who served as the chairman of the Craighead County Republican Committee, died on Tuesday after a weeks-long battle with the coronavirus that resulted in a stay at the ICU and a ventilator, his daughter and the organization announced. The news comes just three weeks after his committee hosted an event with Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Rep. Louis Gohmert (R-TX), who contracted COVID-19 in July, for Reagan Day. Photos of the event show few attendees wearing masks and minimal social distancing. Arkansas state Rep. Dan Sullivan, who is currently spearheading a lawsuit to overturn the mask mandate and other health directives in his state, also appears to have spoken at the event.A committee spokesperson told The Daily Beast that Farmer, who also served as the superintendent of the Jonesboro Human Development Center, did not attend the Sept. 14 event. Now Kayleigh McEnany Has COVID, Making a Dozen From Rose Garden Ceremony"Dad's soul is singing today even though ours aren't. But grief is the price you pay for being blessed enough to experience the kind of love that dad gave and lived through his actions every day," Audrey Haynie, Farmer's daughter, said in a Tuesday Facebook post. "I'm sorry we couldn't save you....but I know that you're even more perfect now than when you were here. We will see your face and hear your voice in everyone and everything you left here.....in your legacy. Thank you for that. For the gift of you. We'll be seeing you."Haynie has chronicled her father's illness since Sept. 18, posting on Facebook that he was admitted to the ICU the same week as the Reagan Day event. Over several posts, Farmer's daughter described how the GOP county chair had been showing some signs of recovery until Sept. 25—when his condition took a turn for the worse. "We got a horrible report this morning. The doctor called me and said he was very worried that dad was not going to make it through this," Haynie wrote, adding that her father was beginning to show signs of shock. On Monday, Haynie posted, "Breathe easy, dad. Just breathe," while sharing that his EEG showed that Farmer had minimal brain activity.Following Haynie's announcement about her father's passing, the Craighead County Republican Committee released a statement, calling Farmer a "great caring friend to all and a dedicated leader." In addition to his duties as chairman of the GOP committee, Farmer has also served as coordinator for the Craighead County Crisis Response Team. According to KAIT, Farmer was a former board member of the Arkansas Crisis Response Team, and served as a chaplain for the Jonesboro Fire Department.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet 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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| Texas police officer charged with murder of Jonathan Price, a Black man who was shot while 'walking away' from a disturbance Posted: 05 Oct 2020 10:56 PM PDT  The Texas Rangers charged Wolfe City police officer Shaun Lucas for the fatal shooting of Jonathan Price last weekend outside a convenience store.
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| ‘There are going to be deaths no matter what’: Outrage follows Chris Christie’s ‘hypocrisy’ on coronavirus Posted: 05 Oct 2020 09:00 AM PDT  Republican criticised for self-admission to hospital despite saying public 'were gonna have to' accept high death toll
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| US court orders Iran to pay $1.4 bn damages to missing intelligence agent Robert Levinson's family Posted: 06 Oct 2020 05:03 AM PDT  A US court has ordered Iran to pay $1.45 billion to the family of a former FBI agent who is believed to have been detained by the Iranian government while on a secret CIA mission to an Iranian island. Robert Levinson, who disappeared aged 58 on Kish island in March 2007, is believed by his family and the US government to have died in Iranian custody aged 71 or 72 after becoming the longest-held hostage in US history. US District Judge Timothy Kelly signed an order last Thursday awarding his family $107 million in compensation and punitive damages of $1.3 billion. Iranian state media and officials have not acknowledged the ruling in the case, which Iran did not defend. The order is unlikely to be paid in full, with damages coming from a US government fund for victims of state-sponsored terrorism, but Mr Levinson's family welcomed the judgement. "This judgment is the first step in the pursuit of justice for Robert Levinson, an American patriot who was kidnapped and subjected to unimaginable suffering for more than 13 years," his family said. "Until now, Iran has faced no consequences for its actions. Judge Kelly's decision won't bring Bob home, but we hope that it will serve as a warning against further hostage taking by Iran," the family said, adding: "We intend to find any and every avenue, and pursue all options, to seek justice for Robert Levinson." In March, Mr Levinson's family said information they received from US officials suggested he had died in Iranian custody. Iran denied this, saying he had left the country "years ago". Mr Levinson disappeared on Kish island after meeting an American Islamic militant who fled to Iran while facing charges over the murder of an Iranian embassy official in Washington. Months later, US government sources acknowledged that Mr Levinson had an informal contractual relationship with the Central Intelligence Agency. Shortly after he went missing, Iran said its security forces had detained Mr Levinson. That statement was later retracted and nothing was heard of him until 2010, when a video was released showing him looking haggard and thin. "I am not in very good health," he said in the footage in which he appealed to the US government to "answer the requests of the group" holding him. "I am running very quickly out of diabetes medicine," he said.
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| In California: Newsom’s nominee for state Supreme Court would make history Posted: 05 Oct 2020 06:11 PM PDT  If confirmed, Martin Jenkins would be the court's first gay Black member. Plus, California is the 6th happiest state and Uber and Lyft spend nearly $100M to overturn a state law that would make them classify drivers as employees.
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| Sen. Ron Johnson Says He Will Vote in Person to Confirm Barrett Despite Testing Positive for Coronavirus: ‘I’ll Go in a Moon Suit’ Posted: 05 Oct 2020 12:50 PM PDT  Senator Ron Johnson said Monday that he has no symptoms after testing positive for the coronavirus over the weekend and announced that he plans to vote in person on the Supreme Court nomination even if it means he has to wear a "moon suit.""I feel perfectly normal, I have not had any symptoms," Johnson said Monday during a radio interview on the Ross Kaminsky Show.Johnson's office announced Saturday that the Wisconsin Republican tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday and was not experiencing any symptoms after he was exposed to an individual who also tested positive. The senator is currently quarantining for his third time since the U.S. outbreak began. His diagnosis came a day after President Trump announced that he and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for the coronavirus.Republican senators Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Mike Lee of Utah, both of whom serve on the Judiciary Committee, also announced last week that they had tested positive for the coronavirus.With the confirmation hearings of President Trump's Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett scheduled to begin on October 12, some Senate Democrats including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, have called for the upcoming hearings to be postponed to allow Barrett and senators who were potentially exposed to the virus to be tested and isolate.Johnson argued that Barrett's confirmation can proceed as long as the Senate takes the proper health and safety precautions."There's no reason we can't confirm Judge Barrett," Johnson said, cautioning that the confirmation hearings could be held "electronically," but voting remotely is "probably not possible" since the rules of the Senate would have to be changed."But If we have to go in and vote, I've already told leadership I'll go in a moon suit," Johnson said."Where there is a will, there's a way," Johnson said. "We can do these things."
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| Voters sue Republican Gov. Greg Abbott over his order to shutter ballot drop-off locations in Texas Posted: 05 Oct 2020 09:41 AM PDT  Abbott forced two of Texas' Democratic strongholds to close a number of drop-off sites which had already opened
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| Trump administration will cease federal funding to hospitals that do not report COVID-19 data Posted: 06 Oct 2020 03:10 PM PDT  Starting Wednesday, hospitals will be given 14 weeks to provide daily reporting to HHS on COVID-19 cases and deaths, as well as other information such as influenza cases and use of personal protective equipment, the officials said. Hospitals that fail to comply will lose access to reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid, federal insurance programs for seniors, the disabled, and people with low incomes, they said. The data will help coordinate the federal government's response to COVID-19, including helping allocate supplies of antiviral drug remdesivir, and distribute its stockpile of personal protective equipment, such as surgical masks, said Deborah Birx, the White House Coronavirus Task Force coordinator.
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| Surgeon general reportedly cited for violating Hawaii's coronavirus policies Posted: 06 Oct 2020 11:54 AM PDT  Surgeon General Jerome Adams went to Hawaii to aid in its coronavirus response — and reportedly ended up violating the state's coronavirus policies himself.According to a police citation dated Aug. 23, Adams was spotted in Kualoa Regional Park, which was closed amid the pandemic, Axios reports. Adams told the officer he was there to work with the governor, but was still issued a citation and has a court date set for Oct. 21.Adams was seen "with two other males standing, looking at the view taking pictures," the citation said. He put on his mask once he started to walk back to his car. When the officer confronted Adams, he said he didn't know the park was closed, per the citation. But Adams joined Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell just two days later when he announced Honolulu's parks, beaches, and trails had been and would remain closed.Adams is among tens of thousands of Honolulu residents who have recently faced citations for violating pandemic rules, Honolulu Civil Beat reports. Violators face up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine. Hundreds of cases have been dismissed, but Adams' is still listed as active on the court system's website, Axios reports.Axios also notes Adams' violation "is very minor," even in comparison to instances where Trump administration officials have violated coronavirus safety protocols.More stories from theweek.com President Superspreader Trump is finally doubling down on COVID skepticism 5 worrying red flags from Trump's doctor
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| India police book hundreds over 'foreign involvement' in gang-rape protests Posted: 06 Oct 2020 07:58 AM PDT  Indian police on Tuesday accused foreign human rights groups and Muslim organisations of inciting caste tensions after widespread protests against their handling of a gang-rape and murder of a young Dalit woman.
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| Trump continues Biden attack ads on Facebook Posted: 05 Oct 2020 02:23 PM PDT  Biden is removing attack ads against Trump but the Trump campaign isn't following suit.
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| Kidnapped Mexican model’s body found in mass grave Posted: 06 Oct 2020 10:27 AM PDT  The disappearance led to street protests in Mexico demanding justice, with police since arresting three men over the crime
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| Democrat's personal scandal roils N. Carolina Senate race Posted: 06 Oct 2020 02:24 PM PDT  A race in North Carolina critical to control of the U.S. Senate has been thrown into turmoil over allegations of personal misconduct by Democrat Cal Cunningham, a married man who had an extramarital relationship this summer with a consultant. Previously undisclosed text messages obtained by The Associated Press and additional interviews show that the relationship extended beyond suggestive texts, as was previously reported, to an intimate encounter as recent as July. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, and the contest between Cunningham and Republican Sen. Thom Tillis has been among the most watched in the country, with polls showing a tight race and both parties investing heavily in the outcome.
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| Interpol issues 'red notice' for Thai Red Bull heir over hit-and-run Posted: 04 Oct 2020 08:24 PM PDT  Interpol has issued a "red notice" to arrest the fugitive Thai heir to the Red Bull billions for his role in a fatal hit-and-run, police said on Sunday. The move by the international police organisation is the latest in the years-long saga surrounding Vorayuth "Boss" Yoovidhya who crashed his Ferrari in 2012, killing a police officer. The charges against Vorayuth, who is the grandson of Red Bull's co-founder, were dropped in July - sparking public outrage from Thais who saw it as an example of impunity enjoyed by the kingdom's elite. It spurred probes by various government agencies, including the Attorney General's Office which last month announced fresh charges against Vorayuth of reckless driving causing death and cocaine use. National Police deputy spokesman Colonel Kissana Phathanacharoen confirmed Sunday a red notice - Interpol's most urgent alert - was issued earlier this week. "After we received the confirmation, we then passed our request to 194 member countries asking for assistance from them," he told AFP.
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| Supreme court launches attack on gay marriage ahead of Amy Coney Barrett nomination Posted: 06 Oct 2020 04:30 AM PDT  Two conservative justices made an unexpected statement attacking 2015 decision, causing alarm amongst campaigners
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| Case of biracial woman saying she was set on fire by white men closed for lack of evidence Posted: 06 Oct 2020 03:19 PM PDT  The U.S. attorney's office in Madison, Wisconsin, said that "authorities could not establish that the attack, as alleged by the complainant, had occurred."
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| Mitch McConnell backs Trump's coronavirus relief decision. Analysts think it makes no sense. Posted: 06 Oct 2020 02:43 PM PDT  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told CNN he supports President Trump's decision to spike coronavirus relief talks because the negotiations with congressional Democrats "were not going to produce a result and we need to concentrate on what's achievable," perhaps referring to the upcoming Supreme Court confirmation process.But some analysts, like The Washington Post's Philip Bump, are baffled by Trump's move. Bump is of the opinion that the Democrats' latest offer was a gift for the president since it would have allowed him to take credit for rejuvenating the economy just weeks before November's presidential election.> The Democratic Speaker of the House was willing to let Trump sign off on a $2.4 trillion investment in the country. > > Trump, four weeks before his reelection, said ... no? https://t.co/pclkDs4oba> > -- Philip Bump (@pbump) October 6, 2020"It's inexplicable that an incumbent president whose primary argument for his re-election is the strength of the economy would prefer to argue that 'jobs are coming back in record numbers' -- a function of how deep they'd plunged -- instead of actually pouring money into the economy," Bump wrote before suggesting the president is using the stalled talks to leverage votes, since he said he'd sign a "major" relief package after the election. Axios' Jonathan Swan agreed, writing, "I truly don't understand this, and nor do a number of people who advise the president. It's like he's trying to lose."Former Obama administration economist Byron Auguste, meanwhile, isn't interested in the "political implications" of the end of talks. Instead, he said, "what matters most" is how it will affect the American people. > I really don't want to hear the political implications of this ghastly decision right now. > > What matters most: millions of Americans will lose jobs, homes, savings, incomes, and essential local services due to a pandemic they didn't cause and a President who couldn't care less. https://t.co/8d22TVU7EX> > -- Byron Auguste (@byron_auguste) October 6, 2020More stories from theweek.com President Superspreader Trump is finally doubling down on COVID skepticism 5 worrying red flags from Trump's doctor
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| Sisters of man killed by Vallejo PD arrested outside Newsom's home Posted: 05 Oct 2020 08:56 PM PDT  'WE POSED NO THREAT': The two girls were arrested during a protest outside the Governor's home. It was on the 4-month anniversary of their brother being shot and killed by Vallejo Police.
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| Dangerous Hurricane Delta bears down on Mexico's Yucatan Posted: 05 Oct 2020 09:00 PM PDT  Hurricane Delta rapidly intensified into a dangerous Category 4 storm with 145 mph (230 kph) winds Tuesday while following a course to hammer southeastern Mexico and then continue on to the U.S. Gulf Coast later in the week. The worst of the immediate impact was expected along the resort-studded northeastern tip of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, where hurricane conditions were expected Tuesday night and landfall early Wednesday. From Tulum to Cancun, tourism-dependent communities still soaked by the remnants of Tropical Storm Gamma could bear the brunt of the storm.
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| Proud Boys: Far-right group becomes LGBT trend online Posted: 05 Oct 2020 06:04 AM PDT  Users have been posting pictures of gay pride on social media to drown out offensive online content.
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| Cardinal sent Vatican money to intelligence expert who 'spent it on handbags and shoes' Posted: 06 Oct 2020 08:22 AM PDT  A cardinal sacked by the Pope for alleged embezzlement has been accused of funneling €500,000 to an Italian woman who spent some of the cash on luxury shoes, handbags and accessories. Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, who was stripped of his rights as a cardinal by Pope Francis last month, allegedly paid the money from Vatican funds to Cecilia Marogna, who claims to be an intelligence operative with links to the Italian secret services. She reportedly spent it on buying shoes, clothes and luxury items from brands such as Prada, Tod's, Moncler and Mont Blanc, according to Corriere della Sera, an Italian daily, basing its report on leaked Vatican documents. Ms Marogna admitted to receiving the €500,000 in Vatican funds through a company she runs that is based in Slovenia. But she said she had spent it on "diplomatic trips, paying sources for information, mediation and donations to humanitarian organisations." It was the latest tangled web of claims and counter-claims to involve Cardinal Becciu, 72, a once powerful Vatican figure who is being investigated for his role in the buying of a £400 million pound property in London. Cardinal Becciu has denied any wrongdoing in the London sale.
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| Bernie Sanders interrupted at Biden rally after Trump supporter waves flag in his face Posted: 05 Oct 2020 06:52 PM PDT  The senator's mic is temporarily cut off after a maskless MAGA supporter interrupted his speech
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| Singapore PM takes the stand in defamation case against blogger Posted: 05 Oct 2020 08:11 PM PDT  Singapore's prime minister testified in court on Tuesday in his defamation case against a blogger who shared an online article linking him to Malaysia's 1MBD money-laundering scandal. As the head of a government that has pledged zero tolerance of corruption, Lee Hsien Loong, 68, is no stranger to seeking to protect his reputation via legal channels. Lee is suing financial adviser Leong Sze Hian, 66, over a since-deleted November 2018 Facebook post that linked to an article by Malaysian news site, the Coverage.
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| ‘Vanished Into Thin Air’: Florida Mom Disappears After Withdrawing $20 From ATM Posted: 06 Oct 2020 12:11 PM PDT  Authorities on Tuesday continued their frantic search for a Florida mother who disappeared over a week ago after withdrawing $20 from an ATM.Stephanie Hollingsworth, 50, left her home around noon on Sept. 25 and drove to a local Bank of America to withdraw $20, the Belle Isle Police Department said. The mother of three then stopped by a Walmart around 2 p.m., where she was caught on store cameras walking through an aisle near the entrance. Belle Isle Police Chief Laura Houston told The Daily Beast on Tuesday that during her brief trip to the superstore, Hollingsworth was caught on camera buying "a small bottle of vodka.""She's a beautiful soul that was dedicated to her family and community," one family friend told The Daily Beast. "It's completely out of character for her to just completely disappear without telling anybody."Missing Amish Teen Went to Church on Sunday—and Never Came HomeThe Belle Isle Police Department has launched a massive multi-county search and announced a $5,000 reward for helpful information related to the case. Despite coordinating with the woman's family, who have created a makeshift "command post" and distributed hundreds of flyers throughout the Orlando area, a police spokesperson told The Daily Beast their office has not yet received any "meaningful leads.""I am extremely concerned about her well-being, but we have no idea what happened yet. Did someone accost her? We don't know. It could be anything," Houston told The Daily Beast on Tuesday. > PLEASE SHARE: Belle Isle PD & the family of the mother of 3 StephanieHollingsworth need your help locating her. She was last seen on Friday, Sept. 25th in her Chevy Tahoe FL/ Y50XUR at a nearby Walmart on S Goldenrod Rd. Any info? Contact @CrimelineFL or call 407-836-4357. pic.twitter.com/3cdnJBenAi> > — Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) October 6, 2020Multiple municipalities in Central Florida have joined the search and are hoping to locate the yoga instructor's silver Chevy Tahoe."Right now, we got 50 tips today, so things are moving along, and we have the support from the governor's office and other Florida counties. So we are hopeful," Houston said. She added that while Hollingsworth's husband suspects foul play was involved in his wife's disappearance, police are "not there yet."On Sept. 25, Hollingsworth left her house, which is about 20 minutes outside of Orlando, in her Tahoe and went to the Bank of America drive-thru to withdraw $20 in cash. "Stephanie took her purse and left her cell phone at the residence," police said in a Sept. 29 statement, adding that Hollingsworth "suffers from some mental conditions and needs care."Houston said that additional footage from Walmart shows Hollingsworth using a $20 bill to purchase a small bottle. Authorities believe the purchase and her hasty departure from home implies she was in an "vulnerable state.""We don't have any more information than that," her husband, Scott Hollingsworth, told People. "But she couldn't have made it far with only $20. She hasn't been seen, and the Tahoe hasn't been picked up on any intersection or toll road cameras.""She basically vanished into thin air. It makes no sense," he added.Larry Miles, another family friend, told The Daily Beast that it was completely out of Hollingsworth's character to leave for several hours without a way to be reached.Police Search for Missing Texas Mom and Her 2-Week-Old BabyPolice say surveillance video from the bank does not seem to show Hollingsworth in distress. According to a surveillance video released Monday, Hollingsworth entered an Orlando Walmart around 2 p.m. wearing a face mask and dark clothing and then abruptly walked out. The 50-year-old appeared to be holding something in her hand.Hollingsworth's friend said she has a "heart of gold," and her family is desperate to find her. Since her disappearance, hundreds of community members have helped the Hollingsworth family pass out flyers and conduct searches. Miles added that Hollingsworth was "very spiritual" and "a very strong Christian woman."Hollingsworth's family did not immediately respond to The Daily Beast's requests for comment."She's got three boys and we just want her back safe," the friend added.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet 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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| Police are searching for a man who they say used an anti-gay slur before punching someone filming a TikTok Posted: 05 Oct 2020 02:15 PM PDT  The assailant uttered an anti-gay slur before punching the victim in the face and the back of the head, according to police.
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| Members of White House household staff reportedly test positive for COVID-19 Posted: 05 Oct 2020 04:44 PM PDT  Donald and Melania Trump are not the only people living and working in the White House. As news broke last week that the couple had tested positive for COVID-19, few thought to ask how that impacted the team of household staffers, Secret Service, and the myriad other people it takes to service the couple's needs and to keep the 228-year-old mansion running. Now, according to Forbes, two members of the White House housekeeping staff have tested positive, and have reportedly been told to be discreet about it.
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| Tsai defiant as Taiwan's anti-China jet flights double Posted: 06 Oct 2020 02:34 AM PDT  Taiwan will not "yield an inch" in defending itself, President Tsai Ing-wen warned Tuesday, as new figures revealed the island is scrambling fighter jets at more than double the rate of last year in response to Chinese incursions.
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| Thai protesters spark interest in 1976 university massacre Posted: 05 Oct 2020 08:46 PM PDT  Anti-government protests challenging the institutions of Thailand's traditional ruling class are not just prompting intense debate about the country's future. Academics and researchers say they're seeing a surge in the number of people wanting to learn about a massacre of students 44 years ago that mainstream Thai history books ignore. At Bangkok's Thammasat University last week, students who were exploring connections to the troubled past took photographs for "then and now" comparisons to the bloodletting that took place on the campus on Oct. 6, 1976.
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| Boris Johnson says rumors he has long-term coronavirus health problems are 'seditious propaganda' Posted: 06 Oct 2020 04:49 AM PDT  The UK prime minister said reports that he had lingering health problems since contracting COVID-19 were "self-evident drivel."
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