| Trump intel chief sounds alarm over Iran intimidating voters with spoofed emails Posted: 21 Oct 2020 06:24 PM PDT  DNI Director John Ratcliffe announced in a surprise press conference that the U.S. government has concluded "that two foreign actors, Iran and Russia, have taken specific actions to influence public opinion relating to our elections."
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| Yahoo News/YouGov poll: Less than a third of U.S. voters plan to cast their ballots in person on Election Day Posted: 21 Oct 2020 07:22 AM PDT  Just 31 percent of respondents said they plan to vote in person on Nov. 3, while 64 percent planned to vote by mail or cast their ballots in early voting.
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| Police major who oversaw Taylor drug raid unit investigated Posted: 22 Oct 2020 10:05 AM PDT  A Louisville Police major who oversaw the unit that sent officers to Breonna Taylor's home the night she was fatally shot is the subject of an internal police investigation. The department's Professional Standards Unit opened an investigation this week into Maj. Kimberly Burbrink, the commander of the Criminal Interdiction Division, the Courier Journal reported. Burbrink was allowed to attend a May video call to update department leaders about the Taylor case, even though investigators "voiced concern" about her presence on the call.
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| Christian singer to host evangelical ‘worship protest’ on Washington DC’s National Mall with 15,000 expected to attend Posted: 22 Oct 2020 02:06 PM PDT  The event scheduled this weekend will not require attendees to wear masks or social distance
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| Trinidad says idle Venezuela oil vessel not a threat. Environmentalists are not convinced. Posted: 22 Oct 2020 02:51 PM PDT  The government of Trinidad and Tobago said Thursday that a floating oil-storage vessel with nearly 55 million gallons of Venezuelan crude oil floating off its coast is not taking on water and shows no sign of capsizing and creating an environmental disaster off the coast of South America.
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| Vanessa Guillén, Fort Hood soldier who went missing in April, died 'in the line of duty,' Army says Posted: 20 Oct 2020 07:30 PM PDT  Guillén's family will receive Army benefits, such as allowances, compensation for expenses, life insurance and a funeral with full military honors.
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| A 28-year-old volunteer in AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine trial has died, but a report says he was in the control group and given a placebo Posted: 22 Oct 2020 02:55 AM PDT  Brazil's O Globo newspaper reported that the man was not given a dose of the company's trial vaccine and that he died from COVID-19 complications.
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| 'They only care about votes': As millions slip into poverty, voting may be the only leverage for a 2nd stimulus check Posted: 21 Oct 2020 07:39 AM PDT  Millions of Americans across the country are fed up with elected officials who haven't worked out a second stimulus bill. As more time passes, Americans don't care how it gets done; they just want something done.
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| Bernie Sanders for Labor secretary? He's reportedly interested. Posted: 22 Oct 2020 02:42 PM PDT  Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) reportedly has an "interest" in becoming Joe Biden's Labor secretary, were the Democrat to be elected president, Politico reports. Though Sanders shook off the suggestion when asked about it on Wednesday, "one person close to the Vermont senator" reportedly told Politico that "I can confirm he's trying to figure out how to land that role or something like it. He, personally, does have an interest in it."On Thursday, Sanders said he was planning to announce his own 100 day agenda, claiming that the rival proposal will "speak to the need to begin the process of moving toward Medicare For All," as well as raising the minimum wage, instituting a "massive infrastructure program," and making it easier for workers to join unions. Sanders then asked rhetorically if he would additionally back future primary challenges against elected Democrats who don't move toward more progressive policies, answering his own question by saying, "you're d--n right I am."Biden's team has reportedly been considering Republicans for some cabinet positions. Nevertheless, former Sanders campaign manager Faiz Shakir told Politico, "It would be great to have a unity government that takes into account that progressives are a pretty healthy portion of the electorate."More stories from theweek.com Men, this should be so easy A painful postpartum injury is plaguing America's moms — but nobody really talks about it Trump doubles down on the jerk vote
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| Lindsey Graham accused of dodging debate as polls show challenger Jaime Harrison closing in Posted: 22 Oct 2020 07:57 AM PDT  'I'm not coming back until Amy Coney Barrett is a Supreme Court Justice,' senator says
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| A 73-year-old in Colorado was fined more than $1,000 after her pet deer gored a woman walking her dog Posted: 22 Oct 2020 01:10 PM PDT  Tynette Housley, 73, was cited on misdemeanor charges of illegal possession of wildlife and illegally feeding wildlife.
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| Judge keeps 2nd degree murder charge against ex-police officer in Floyd death, drops lesser charge Posted: 22 Oct 2020 07:37 AM PDT  Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill said prosecutors did not have probable cause to charge Chauvin with third-degree murder but said the evidence supported taking to trial a second-degree murder charge, which could lead to decades in prison. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced that he had activated the Minnesota National Guard as a "precautionary step" following the ruling, which he said marked "a positive step in the path toward justice for George Floyd."
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| Gaza nurses protest loss of Israeli permit, layoffs Posted: 21 Oct 2020 01:20 PM PDT  A group of nurses from the Gaza Strip staged a protest in a public square on Wednesday, saying an Israeli travel ban has led the Jerusalem hospital where they worked for many years to fire them. The seven nurses gathered at a public square in Gaza City, wearing lab coats and holding banners that said: "Firing us is a death sentence on our profession and families." "We never expected that Makassed would dismiss us arbitrarily," said Baher Lulu, 53, a critical care nurse who said he joined the hospital 30 years ago, when travel from Gaza to Jerusalem did not require Israeli permission.
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| One million Hong Kongers coming to UK could generate £6bn in tax revenues Posted: 22 Oct 2020 11:52 AM PDT  Up to one million Hong Kongers could take up the UK's citizenship offer to escape Chinese repression, netting the UK economy nearly £6 billion in tax revenues, a Home Office assessment has revealed. The influx – as a result of the Government's fast-track immigration lifeboat for Hong Kongers – would see up to 500,000 arrive in the UK in the first year, dwarfing any previous similar scheme, from the 15,000 Windrush arrivals in the 1950s to the 28,000 Ugandan Asians in the 1970s. The total potential one million spread over five years would be larger than the population of Liverpool and would bring the number of Chinese in the UK to 1.5 million, overtaking the number of Indians at 1.4 million. However, it is the potential economic uplift that could have the biggest impact on the UK, with the Home Office's estimates putting the "net positive impact" at between £2.4 billion and £2.9 billion over five years, "the majority attributable to additional tax revenue." This is based on the £6 billion generated for the Exchequer through tax revenues minus the cost to the state from the incoming Hong Kong families' use of health, education and other public services. Under the scheme, Hong Kongers who have, or are eligible for, British National Overseas (BNO) passports will be able to sidestep jobs, skills and income tests that other migrants will face from January 1 2021 and secure five-year UK visas. They will not be entitled to claim benefits and will have to pay the health surcharge and visa fees. They will also be expected to be able to accommodate and support themselves for at least six months and demonstrate a commitment to learn English and have no criminal record. The scheme was launched after the UK suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong and slapped an arms embargo on the territory in response to China's national security law on the former British territory. It means that from January, BNOs and their immediate family can apply for 30-month or five-year visas to live, work and study in the UK, and can seek British citizenship once they have been in the country for more than five years. See video below of clashes in Hong Kong in May this year, as the authorities crack down on protesters:
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| Texas woman died from COVID-19 after Spirit flight was diverted to Albuquerque in July Posted: 21 Oct 2020 10:57 AM PDT  The Garland, Texas, woman, who was in her 30s, was dead on arrival when her flight from Las Vegas to Dallas was diverted to Albuquerque in late July.
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| Health secretary promises coronavirus vaccine before 2021 Posted: 21 Oct 2020 02:52 PM PDT  The first doses of a coronavirus vaccine could be available before the end of the year, with mass vaccination of Americans taking place throughout the spring, according to public health officials at CDC headquarters in Atlanta.
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| 'It just won't be so exhausting': Obama debuts his closing argument for Biden Posted: 21 Oct 2020 04:09 PM PDT  In a rousing speech before the Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, former President Barack Obama lambasted the Trump administration and urged the Democratic faithful to turn out in droves to elect Joe Biden.
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| At least 10 bodies were found by researchers in a dig searching for victims of the Tulsa Race Massacre Posted: 21 Oct 2020 03:11 PM PDT  An estimated 150 to 300 people, who were mostly Black, were killed in the Tulsa Race Massacre, which occurred from May 31, 1921 to June 1, 1921.
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| U.S. approves $1.8 billion Taiwan arms sale Posted: 22 Oct 2020 05:06 AM PDT 
China is threatening to retaliate on Thursday (October 22) after the United States and Taiwan agreed a major new arms deal. The package - worth $1.8 billion - sees Taiwan buy sensors, missiles and artillery. Taiwan said it did not want an arms race or confrontation with its regional neighbor. It did, though, thank the U.S., and said the weapons were to help improve its defense and deal with the - quote - 'enemy threat and new situation'. China has opposed news of the deal since its inception, and says that it will, 'severely damage Chinese-U.S. relations'. It hasn't detailed what form retaliation may take. In the past, China has sanctioned U.S. companies in the past for selling weapons to Taiwan. The democratically-ruled island nation is claimed by China and has long been a key point of tension for the country. In recent years, the Trump administration has ramped up support for Taiwan through other arms sales and visits by senior U.S officials. Like most countries, the U.S. has no formal diplomatic ties with Taipei, though it is its strongest global backer. It has pushed Taiwan to modernize its military so it can become a so-called "porcupine" - in other words, hard for China to attack.
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| After teacher’s murder, France touts secularism. But Muslims feel heat. Posted: 21 Oct 2020 10:01 AM PDT |
| Ghislaine Maxwell: 'Intimate' details of British socialite's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein to be released in court documents Posted: 22 Oct 2020 05:43 AM PDT  Maxwell's lawyers fought hard to keep deposition secret
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| UK warship seizes 450 kilograms of meth in Arabian Sea Posted: 21 Oct 2020 01:20 AM PDT |
| 'Mama, they just shot us for nothing': Waukegan police officer fatally shoots Black teen, injures woman Posted: 22 Oct 2020 01:21 PM PDT  People are protesting in Waukegan, Illinois, after a police officer fatally shot 19-year-old Marcellis Stinnette on Tuesday.
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| Mali's army liberates village besieged by jihadists: army statement Posted: 22 Oct 2020 04:42 PM PDT |
| Landlord threatens to raise tenants’ rent if Biden elected Posted: 22 Oct 2020 01:22 PM PDT  Residents at a Colorado trailer park claim they were told their rent would double if the former VP wins the 2020 presidential election. A Colorado landlord allegedly threatened his tenants by sending them a letter saying their rent would double if former vice president Joe Biden is elected. 9NEWS reported residents of the Colorado trailer park emailed the letter from their landlord to the news outlet questioning whether or not the threat was legal.
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| A 26-year-old coronavirus patient who was pronounced brain dead in June just walked out of the hospital a survivor Posted: 22 Oct 2020 11:25 AM PDT  Doctors suggested Tionna Hairston's family take her off life support, but they decided to hold on. She's now a COVID-19 survivor.
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| Kobe Bryant’s Widow Vanessa Lists Tuscan-Style Southern California Home Posted: 22 Oct 2020 02:20 PM PDT  The couple purchased the three-bedroom dwelling in Irvine as an investment in 2013
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| Who wins when a fish and snake tangle? SC man catches life-or-death struggle on video Posted: 22 Oct 2020 12:57 PM PDT  "I looked down and the snake had a big catfish in his mouth," the man said. "I thought it was awesome."
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| Fake CIA Spy Almost Scammed His Way Into Immunity Posted: 22 Oct 2020 02:00 AM PDT  The scam was bigger than anyone knew.A sentencing memo filed in federal court by the Department of Justice reveals for the first time the full extent of fake spy Garrison Courtney's stunning ruse: In addition to the $4.4 million he personally extracted from his victims over the course of more than four years, he was in line for nearly $4 billion in Army, Navy, and Air Force contracts had the FBI not caught him.Even more astonishing, before his double-fake cover was blown, Courtney came "dangerously close" to getting a legal sign-off that could have made it impossible for prosecutors to bring him to justice, authorities said in the new filing.Courtney, who served as a high-level spokesperson for the Drug Enforcement Administration before embarking on his criminal career, pleaded guilty this summer to one count of wire fraud. As The Daily Beast reported, his con was so audacious and complicated—and hoodwinked so many current and former government officials—that seasoned investigators were left slack-jawed.And in a handwritten jailhouse letter, Courtney claimed that his scheme got so big, he didn't know how to stop it without exposing himself as a "fraud and failure." According to court papers, after he left his DEA job, Courtney crafted a new, entirely fictional persona as a deep-cover CIA operative on a top-secret mission crucial to national security. He approached defense contractors and convinced them to put him on their payrolls so he would look like an ordinary citizen as he went about his supposedly covert activities. Courtney promised the companies lucrative government contracts in return—and in some cases, delivered.The memo released ahead of his Oct. 27 sentencing includes part of a spreadsheet Courtney maintained to track the federal contracts he was vying for. When investigators disrupted his plot in 2016, Courtney was "seeking to corrupt over $3.7 billion in federal procurements," prosecutors wrote."The government had requirements, he knew the requirements, and he was gonna deliver the requirements," a person involved in Courtney's scheme—but who escaped criminal charges by cooperating with investigators—told The Daily Beast, explaining that Courtney specifically targeted companies he knew would qualify for the contracts. "He only needed a little bit more time, and he actually would have delivered. If left alone, he'd probably be a billionaire right now."The scam involved authentic-looking CIA documents, on actual agency letterhead, and briefings by real government officials and military officers in secure rooms called SCIFs. Using these sorts of phony documents, Courtney also managed to convince government employees as well as private citizens that they had been selected to go undercover for the CIA.In a sealed pre-sentencing investigation report, which is footnoted in the prosecutors' memo, Courtney is quoted as saying, "So many people believed in it and were determined for the 'program' to succeed. It seemed to me like the program was actually on the verge of becoming real or legitimate given who was involved and how it was operating."Courtney was so convincing, he had a number of unnamed public officials try to halt the FBI's investigation in the name of national security. One "went so far as to threaten the FBI agents with themselves being prosecuted if they continued their investigation," according to the memo. The feds say Courtney came "dangerously close" to effectively immunizing himself from prosecution" by getting his bogus program legitimized under national security law. If Courtney had convinced officials to sign off on a so-called Security Classification Guide giving the program actual legal cover, "it is chilling to consider what the defendant could have accomplished," says the memo.How a Fake CIA Spy Fooled Everyone and Swindled MillionsSince everything was supposedly highly classified, none of his marks were allowed to mention Courtney's phony program for fear of prosecution. In fact, this apparently remains a problem for investigators."Investigators commonly must confront and overcome the code of silence practiced by organized crime, gang members, or corrupt public officials," says the prosecutors' memo. "But here, law enforcement was faced with ordinarily law-abiding witnesses and victims who steadfastly refused to speak because of their mistaken belief that they had a legal and patriotic duty to remain silent. In certain instances, the defendant had fooled his victims so thoroughly that years later, despite the active involvement of cleared special agents from the FBI, and investigators from the CIA's Office of Inspector General and the Intelligence Community Inspector General (who, by statute, have access to all classified information within their areas of responsibility...)... some witnesses still refuse to speak with the prosecution team."Worse yet "is the emotional and reputational damage [Courtney] wrought on his victims," prosecutors wrote in their filing. "One victim notes that he/she gave up a solid position and career to assume what he/she was led to believe would be an important role assisting the government in the defendant's bogus program. Former colleagues hold that victim at arm's length, and the victim has lost job opportunities."Courtney's former sidekick, who spoke to The Daily Beast on condition that his name not be used, is an ex-military intelligence officer. The two worked together at cybersecurity contractor Blue Canopy, one of the companies that gave Courtney the "commercial cover" he claimed to need. The ex-coworker said his involvement with Courtney ultimately cost him his life's savings, his marriage, and his honor."The FBI agreed not to put my name out there, so I thought I could walk away from this and try to create some semblance of a life," the coworker said. "All I ever wanted to be was an intelligence officer, and I was really good."It all came crashing down in 2016 when, prosecutors say, law enforcement began "actively probing" Courtney's bona fides. In a conversation secretly recorded by the highest-ranking intelligence official in the U.S. Air Force, Courtney brazenly lied about the origins of the program, which he called, among other things, Alpha-214 and FirstNet."In 2013, it was, I can't remember if it was 15th or 18th of December... when all the Snowden fallout happened, basically the industry just got nailed," Courtney told the official. "They were losing... about 3 trillion... So they had the White House meeting... There was a group of about 15 people that were told, 'You're in the private sector now. We need you to coordinate with the private sector to get stuff aligned.' In about 2016 January, which is now, then the government will start to work with you in order to set up the portfolio or program so that we can start putting the proper protocols in place."Courtney insisted to the official, identified in the filing as a lieutenant general, that any questions about the veracity of the program were simply a result of "miscommunication" between departing Pentagon officials and their successors.The FBI raided Courtney's Florida home a few months later."Courtney's extraordinary capacity to deceive and manipulate others, and his brazen use of the powers of our government, reveal that he is in need of a substantial period of incapacitation," prosecutors wrote.This past June, Courtney took a deal and agreed to plead guilty. While out on bail, he got a job at Pizza Hut to try and pay his bills, according to a companion filing submitted by Courtney's lawyer. But Courtney continued to perpetuate his swindle even after his guilty plea, and Courtney was soon remanded to jail to await his sentencing.In the filing, defense attorney Stuart Sears pointed out that Courtney was battling "significant financial problems" when he committed his crimes, but that he used the money to support his family and take care of things like medical bills, not to "support a lavish lifestyle." This, argued Sears, should be taken into consideration by the judge determining his punishment. He is asking for a sentence of 37 months.In a handwritten letter to U.S. District Judge Liam O'Grady from his jail cell, Courtney explained that "what started with a simple lie grew into something I could no longer control or stop without admitting to being a fraud and failure."In the note, which covered four pages of lined notebook paper, Courtney said he regrets "causing others to become less trusting of the government they interact with." He admitted that "reputations have been tarnished," companies have "suffered real financial losses," and government resources were wasted on the "web" of lies he spun.He went on to promise to use his time in prison to better himself."As I said in the beginning, it is an over-whelming (sic) feeling entering a jail cell and knowing it will be my home for the foreseeable future," Courtney wrote. "I will spend the time in jail building back the trust I have lost with my family and others. I will serve my time with dignity and honorably."He mentioned his (actual) military service, the graduate degree he earned from George Mason University, and his "five wonderful boys." He also promised to be a model inmate, noting that he has "already started this process.""I will do whatever it takes to prove to my children that they can still be proud of their dad," Courtney continued. "Being seperated (sic) from them and knowing that I will not be there to help raise them has been emotionally devastating for them and myself. But, this is my fault and my fault alone and my path to redemption will be making sure they know that and strive to not make the same mistakes I have."Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Japan PM pushes closer Southeast Asia ties in China counter Posted: 20 Oct 2020 11:49 PM PDT  Japan's new prime minister pledged Wednesday to help Southeast Asian nations increase their maritime security capabilities, as he used his first overseas trip as leader to push his country's vision for greater international cooperation to counter China's influence in the region. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, speaking in the Indonesian capital, also took a thinly veiled dig at China's activities in the disputed South China Sea, where it has built and militarized manmade islands and is pressing its claim to virtually all of the sea's key fisheries and waterways.
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| 100-year-old voter shares advice ahead of election, names favorite president in her lifetime Posted: 22 Oct 2020 11:10 AM PDT  Voting since she was eighteen, Mabel Cook votes in her fifteenth presidential election. Great-grandkids witness the monumental event
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| Canada launches pilot program testing travelers to cut down on quarantine time Posted: 22 Oct 2020 11:40 AM PDT  The Canadian government and the province of Alberta are launching a pilot program to test eligible returning travelers for COVID-19, allowing them to leave quarantine once they receive a negative result, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said on Thursday. The move could potentially bring relief to the country's struggling airline and tourism industries, which have lobbied the federal government to ease travel restrictions and a strict 14-day quarantine rule. Canadian citizens, permanent residents, foreign nationals allowed entry into Canada and essential workers with no symptoms can volunteer to get tested at the Calgary International Airport and one land border crossing starting Nov. 2.
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| Pollsters and analysts increasingly predict a 1980-style landslide for Biden and Democrats Posted: 21 Oct 2020 11:40 AM PDT  This year's election is looking familiar.Polls have long given Democratic nominee Joe Biden a big advantage in this year's presidential race. And with more forecasting Democratic gains in the Senate as well, pollsters and analysts have started to compare 2020 to 1980. That's when former President Ronald Reagan swept the U.S. in a landslide, and Republicans ousted 12 Democrats in the Senate.One of those pollsters estimating a blue wave is Charlie Cook, who runs The Cook Political Report. Cook noted in a Wednesday tweet that a big presidential win doesn't necessarily mean a complete wave — it didn't in 1972 and 1984. But he thinks this year's likely big win for Biden will be different, recalling how the losses trickled in for Democrats in 1980 and saying this year's Senate losses for Republicans "won't hit 12 but could get to be a pretty big number." > Those around in 1980 might recall that Birch Bath, the first Democratic Senate incumbent to lose, was about 6:30 pm ET, another dropped roughly every half hour for six hours, totaling 12. This won't hit 12 but could get to be a pretty big number.> > — Charlie Cook (@CharlieCookDC) October 21, 2020The idea's most ardent defender is Joe Trippi, who has been working on Democratic campaigns since 1980. He has repeated over and over that this year's election looks much more like 1980 than 2016, crediting the fatigue voters already feel after just four years of Trump. > McConnell tells GOP Senators to distance from Trump "if necessary" Maybe he remembers 1980 too! Give episode 2 a listen here: https://t.co/J8maqHRBkv pic.twitter.com/tBQ8IMAzxk> > — Joe Trippi (@JoeTrippi) August 1, 2020Cook's insistence that just one Democratic-held Senate seat is in play this year versus nine Republican seats has only added to Trippi's evidence.More stories from theweek.com Men, this should be so easy A painful postpartum injury is plaguing America's moms — but nobody really talks about it Trump doubles down on the jerk vote
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| Delta brutally subtweets rival airlines like American and United for not blocking middle seats during a pandemic Posted: 22 Oct 2020 12:22 PM PDT  Delta's tweet, which read "A haunted house, but they're not blocking middle seats," appeared to call out competitor airlines.
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| Electoral college explained: how Biden faces an uphill battle in the US election Posted: 22 Oct 2020 02:57 AM PDT  Trump won the presidency in 2016 despite Clinton receiving almost 3m more votes, all because of the electoral college. How does the system work? Who elects the US president?When Americans cast their ballots for the US president, they are actually voting for a representative of that candidate's party known as an elector. There are 538 electors who then vote for the president on behalf of the people in their state.Each state is assigned a certain number of these electoral votes, based on the number of congressional districts they have, plus two additional votes representing the state's Senate seats. Washington DC is also assigned three electoral votes, despite having no voting representation in Congress. A majority of 270 of these votes is needed to win the presidency.The process of nominating electors varies by state and by party, but is generally done one of two ways. Ahead of the election, political parties either choose electors at their national conventions, or they are voted for by the party's central committee.The electoral college nearly always operates with a winner-takes-all system, in which the candidate with the highest number of votes in a state claims all of that state's electoral votes. For example, in 2016, Trump beat Clinton in Florida by a margin of just 2.2%, but that meant he claimed all 29 of Florida's crucial electoral votes.Such small margins in a handful of key swing states meant that, regardless of Clinton's national vote lead, Trump was able to clinch victory in several swing states and therefore win more electoral college votes. Biden could face the same hurdle in November, meaning he will need to focus his attention on a handful of battleground states to win the presidency.A chart showing electoral college votes by state The unequal distribution of electoral votesWhile the number of electoral votes a state is assigned somewhat reflects its population, the minimum of three votes per state means that the relative value of electoral votes varies across America.The least populous states like North and South Dakota and the smaller states of New England are overrepresented because of the required minimum of three electoral votes. Meanwhile, the states with the most people – California, Texas and Florida – are underrepresented in the electoral college.Wyoming has one electoral college vote for every 193,000 people, compared with California's rate of one electoral vote per 718,000 people. This means that each electoral vote in California represents over three times as many people as one in Wyoming. These disparities are repeated across the country.A visual of population per electoral vote by state Who does it favour?Experts have warned that, after returning two presidents that got fewer votes than their opponents since 2000, the electoral college is flawed.In 2000, Al Gore won over half a million more votes than Bush, yet Bush became president after winning Florida by just 537 votes. In all, the US has had five presidents who lost the overall popular vote but won the election.A chart showing recent election outcomes by popular vote and electoral college marginsProfessor George Edwards III, at Texas A&M University, said: "The electoral college violates the core tenet of democracy, that all votes count equally and allows the candidate finishing second to win the election. Why hold an election if we do not care who received the most votes?"At the moment, the electoral college favours Republicans because of the way Republican votes are distributed across the country. They are more likely to occur in states that are closely divided between the parties."Under the winner-takes-all system, the margin of victory in a state becomes irrelevant. In 2016, Clinton's substantial margins in states such as California and New York failed to earn her enough electoral votes, while close races in the battleground states of Pennsylvania and Michigan took Trump over the 270 majority.A visual showing margins and electoral votes by state gained by Trump and Clinton in 2016As candidates easily win the electoral votes of their solid states, the election plays out in a handful of key battlegrounds. In 2016, Trump won six such states - Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin – adding 99 electoral votes to his total.The demographics of these states differ from the national average. They are older, have more white voters without college degrees, and often have smaller non-white populations. These characteristics generally favour Republicans, and made up the base of Trump's votes in 2016.For example, 67% of non-college-educated white people voted for Trump in 2016. In all six swing states, this demographic is overrepresented by at least six percentage points more than the national average.default The alternativesSeveral alternative systems for electing the president have been proposed and grown in favour, as many seek to change or abolish the electoral college.Two states – Maine and Nebraska – already use a different method of assigning their electoral college votes. The two "Senate" votes go to the state-wide popular vote winner, but the remaining district votes are awarded to the winner of that district. However, implementing this congressional district method across the country could result in greater bias than the current system. The popular vote winner could still lose the election, and the distribution of voters would still strongly favour Republicans.The National Popular Vote Compact (NPVC) is another option, in which each state would award all of its electoral college votes in line with the national popular vote. If enough states signed up to this agreement to reach the 270 majority, the candidate who gained the most votes nationwide would always win the presidency.However, the NPVC has more practical issues. Professor Norman Williams, from Willamette University, questioned how a nationwide recount would be carried out under the NPVC, and said that partisanship highlighted its major flaws. Only Democratic states are currently signed up, but support could simply switch in the future if a Republican candidate faces winning the popular vote but not the presidency.The NPVC is a solution that would elect the president with the most votes without the difficulty of abolishing the electoral college that is enshrined in the constitution.The current system is also vulnerable to distorted outcomes through actions such as gerrymandering. This practice involves precisely redrawing the borders of districts to concentrate support in favour of a party. The result being abnormally shaped districts that disenfranchise certain groups of voters. Today, an amendment that would replace the college with a direct national popular vote is seen by many as the fairest electoral system.According to Professor Edwards III, "There is only one appropriate way to elect the president: add up all the votes and declare the candidate receiving the most votes the winner."default
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| Turkey: Police on trial for killing of prominent lawyer Posted: 21 Oct 2020 04:12 AM PDT |
| Italy Did Everything Right to Stop a Second Wave of the Coronavirus. So What Went Wrong? Posted: 22 Oct 2020 03:53 AM PDT  ROME—If you turn on the news in Italy right now, you might be forgiven for thinking you are getting reruns from March. Pictures of COVID-only units, field hospitals being erected, exhausted medics, and coffins are again dominating headlines as Italy comes to grips with a deadly second wave of COVID-19. On Wednesday, the death toll topped 125 in a 24-hour period for the first time since May when this country was still under a draconian lockdown and seen as a harbinger of what was to come.What's particularly troubling about the return of COVID in Italy is that the country has done everything experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci have been advising. Face masks in public places have been compulsory for months, social distancing is strongly enforced, nightclubs have never reopened, and sporting arenas are at less than a third of capacity. Children who are back at school are regularly tested and strictly social-distanced, and yet, the second wave seems completely unstoppable.While ruling out another full lockdown, Italian health officials are instead urging people to limit their own movements, even as concern grows that by keeping them at their homes, they are inadvertently encouraging private parties where the spread seems to be the worst at the moment. Italy's health ministry released data this week showing that 80.3 percent of the new infections "occur at home" while only 4.2 percent come from recreational activities and schools.Feds to Let 15,000 Worship on National Mall—Masks Be DamnedOn Wednesday, Italy logged 15,199 new infections—nearly three times as many as the worst day of the pandemic last March and a per capita rate that would be the equivalent of 90,000 new cases in a single day in the U.S., a level that has not yet been reached.And it is only getting worse. "Certain metropolitan areas like Milan, Naples, and Rome are already out of control in terms of containing the pandemic," Walter Ricciardi, an infectious-diseases specialist who advises the Italian government and holds the same position in Italy as Fauci does in the U.S., said at a conference Wednesday. "Their numbers are too high to be contained by the traditional method of tracing and testing. And as previous epidemics teach us, when you can't contain you have to mitigate, namely you have to block movement."To some degree, the increase in cases is also tied to Italy's aggressive testing scheme, which has paved the way for easy, fast diagnostics at all airports and in private clinics in addition to state-run drive-in facilities. Private technicians also make house calls for around $75 to conduct tests in the privacy of homes, which has also contributed to the higher number of cases. On Wednesday, nearly 180,000 tests were reported, which is a record here for a 24-hour period.But authorities are very concerned still that despite all the best efforts to contain the spread, it simply cannot be stopped. The government's experts insist that the rate of contagion among schoolchildren is not the driving factor; but young people who feel confident they won't get very sick and insist on gathering socially may be. Now major cities like Milan, Rome, and Naples have evening curfews to try to stop young people from gathering socially, which seems to be contributing to the spread. Ricciardi said most of the contagion that happens within multigenerational homes comes from young people bringing it in.Italy is by no means alone in its battle against the European second wave of the pandemic. France, Spain, and the Czech Republic have all broken records in new cases and introduced measures to mitigate the spread. The United Kingdom also has record numbers of new infections in a single day, and Ireland has completely locked down.Ireland Goes Into Total Lockdown in Desperate Bid to Save Christmas as Europe's Second Wave Gathers ForceGermany—which largely avoided major problems during the first European wave—has reported shocking numbers of new infections, which topped 10,000 in a single day Wednesday. Authorities there have also blamed young people going out or groups meeting privately for the spread. Lothar Wieler, president of its disease-control center, told the DW network that people going to work is not the problem. "We don't see so many outbreaks at workplaces or in public transportation, but it's mostly coming together in privacy, in parties, and also in services and weddings," he said. "We shouldn't have too many of these events."On Wednesday, a very concerned Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte addressed the Italian Senate, assuring them that there will not be a repeat of the full lockdown, which crippled the economy and all but destroyed the tourism sector. While urging ordinary citizens to limit unnecessary travel, he stopped short of mandating any limits to movement—for now. "We can't use the same strategy to fight the second wave as we did in spring," he said. "Now we're in a different situation than we were in March—back then we didn't have the means to diagnose. Now we are more prepared thanks to the hard work and sacrifices of all."But for many, the sacrifices that helped during the first round seem lost now, as though they had been made in vain.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Fact check: Australia never counted Aboriginal people as animals under 'Flora and Fauna Act' Posted: 22 Oct 2020 07:34 AM PDT  There is no evidence of a Flora and Fauna Act under Australian law that classified its Aboriginal population as plants and animals.
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| Trump commutes sentence of ex-Georgia teacher convicted of $8 million food stamp fraud Posted: 22 Oct 2020 08:32 AM PDT  The then-Atlanta Public Schools educator was sentenced in 2013.
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| India's richest state invites Tesla after Musk hints entry into country Posted: 22 Oct 2020 10:54 AM PDT  In a tweet https://twitter.com/AUThackeray/status/1319303674967977984 on Thursday, state tourism and environment minister Aaditya Thackeray said he and industries minister Subhash Desai held a video call with Tesla executives earlier in the day to invite them to the state. Earlier this month, Musk said "Next year for sure" on Twitter in reply to a post with a photograph of a T-shirt with the message: "India wants Tesla".
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| Australian soldiers killed Afghan prisoner as only six could fit on American helicopter, US marine claims Posted: 21 Oct 2020 08:28 AM PDT  A United States Marine Corps helicopter crew chief has accused Australian special forces of shooting dead one of seven bound Afghan prisoners because there was only space for six on the US aircraft due to collect them. The chief, "Josh", flew 159 combat missions for the Marine Corps' Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 469. He told Australia's ABC Investigations he was a door gunner providing aerial covering fire for the Australian soldiers of the 2nd Commando Regiment during a night raid in mid-2012, north of his squadron's base in Afghanistan's Helmand Province. The raid was part of a broader joint Australian special forces-US Drug Enforcement Administration campaign targetting drug operations financing the Taliban. Josh told the ABC: "We just watched them tackle and hogtie these guys and we knew their hands were tied behind their backs". He said the Australian commandos then called for the US aircraft to pick them and seven prisoners up. "The pilot said, 'That's too many people, we can't carry that many passengers.' And you just heard this silence and then we heard a pop. And then they said, 'OK, we have six prisoners'." The USMC chief said it was "apparent to everybody involved in that mission that they had just killed a prisoner that we had just watched them catch and hogtie".
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| Obama campaigns for Biden in Philadelphia Posted: 21 Oct 2020 03:15 PM PDT  Former President Barack Obama spoke at a drive-in rally for Joe Biden, 13 days before the presidential election.
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| We compared the Tesla Cybertruck, Hummer EV, and 5 other upcoming electric pickup trucks by 11 different specs and the winner isn't clear Posted: 21 Oct 2020 10:03 AM PDT  There are currently seven electric pickup trucks on the horizon, and each has its own strengths and weaknesses.
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