| Why is QAnon more obsessed with an imaginary sex-trafficking ring than with Jeffrey Epstein’s real one? Posted: 23 Oct 2020 06:31 PM PDT  Epstein's long history of sexual misconduct, on private islands, in his Florida mansion, aboard yachts and and his private jet, with a who's who of powerful "elites" including former President Bill Clinton (who denies having had a close relationship with Epstein or any knowledge of his crimes), is probably the closest real-world analogue of the imaginary global sex-trafficking ring at the core of the QAnon conspiracy.
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| Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is heavily favored to win her reelection race. Her challenger has still raised $10 million because Republicans are desperate to beat her. Posted: 25 Oct 2020 09:22 AM PDT  "I guarantee you 75% of his contributors don't know anything about him," a Republican strategist told The New York Times.
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| Biden promises increased scientific investment if elected in 'most in-depth statement of priorities' Posted: 24 Oct 2020 10:38 AM PDT  In the latest episode of Pod Save America -- a podcast hosted by several former Obama administration staffers -- the Democratic presidential nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, laid out what Politico described as "the most in-depth statement of priorities we've heard from" the candidate.Biden, responding to the Republican Party's agenda for a second Trump administration term (which includes items focused on space exploration and a national high speed wireless network), said that, first and foremost, he's determined to "get control" of the coronavirus pandemic. Beyond that, though, he said he wants to invest in "real infrastructure," with a heavy focus on science and technology. "We used to invest a little over 2.6 percent of our GDP in research and science," Biden said. "It's now down to 0.6 percent ... We're going to make sure that we can compete with the rest of the world and lead the rest of the world."The former vice president predicted that, through these renewed efforts, "we're going to cure cancer" while making strides in research on Alzheimer's and diabetes, among other diseases. He also described an aspect of his agriculture policy plan, which he said could make the industry the first in the U.S. to reach the net zero carbon emission threshold. > I led Playbook with this podcast because @jonlovett and @danpfeiffer got Biden to talk about first term priorities in a way that I don't thin I've heard before> > Got the transcript and podcast linked in Playbook too, so you can explore the whole thing. https://t.co/71NsqXqKKD> > -- Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) October 24, 2020More stories from theweek.com Trump loses on the merits Who won the final 2020 debate? Call it a draw. Get ready for Trump TV, America
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| George Floyd death: A city pledged to abolish its police. Then what? Posted: 25 Oct 2020 06:05 AM PDT  Minneapolis has struggled to keep a promise that made global headlines after George Floyd's death.
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| Family of hiker missing for 2 weeks in Mount Rainier pushes for active search Posted: 23 Oct 2020 10:09 PM PDT  Sam Dubal, 33, went missing while on an overnight trip that began Oct. 9. His family is pleading for three more days of searching.
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| JetBlue bans white man, donning Burger King crown, after racist scene on New York-bound flight Posted: 24 Oct 2020 07:12 AM PDT |
| Ethiopia blasts Trump remark that Egypt will 'blow up' dam Posted: 24 Oct 2020 10:10 AM PDT 
Ethiopia on Saturday denounced "belligerent threats" by President Trump over the huge dam it has nearly completed on the Blue Nile River. This comes a day after Trump said downstream Egypt will "blow up" the project it has called an existential threat.
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| Erdogan doubles down in backlash against Macron's Islam comments Posted: 25 Oct 2020 02:09 PM PDT  The backlash against President Emmanuel Macron's comments on Islam intensified Sunday, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan again urging him to have "mental checks" and protests in Muslim-majority nations.
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| Afghan security forces kill senior al Qaeda leader al-Masri Posted: 24 Oct 2020 12:20 PM PDT  Afghan security forces have killed Abu Muhsin al-Masri, a senior al Qaeda leader who was on the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Most Wanted Terrorists list, Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security (NDS) said in a tweet late on Saturday. The head of the U.S. National Counter-Terrorism Center, Chris Miller, confirmed al-Masri's death in a statement, saying his "removal .. from the battlefield is a major setback to a terrorist organization that is consistently experiencing strategic losses facilitated by the United States and its partners."
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| Singapore Airlines doesn't want to dethrone its original world's longest flight even though the new one is 3 miles longer – here's how the two will differ Posted: 25 Oct 2020 05:45 AM PDT  The new Singapore-New York route is one of the few new international routes to launch during the pandemic, but the airline is keeping it low-key.
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| 'An incredibly tragic day for Ocala': Florida police chief Greg Graham killed in plane crash Posted: 25 Oct 2020 03:15 PM PDT  The death of Greg Graham, who became Ocala's 30th police chief in January 2012, stunned the central Florida city northwest of Orlando.
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| A white woman yelled 'f--- Black Lives Matter' at a Starbucks barista after she told her to wear a mask Posted: 25 Oct 2020 08:03 AM PDT  An unnamed white woman yelled at barista Alex Beckom when she told her she had to put on a mask in Starbucks. A video of the encounter went viral.
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| Indiana student, 20, killed by stray bullet while visiting New York City Posted: 25 Oct 2020 11:59 AM PDT  Indiana University sophomore Ethan Williams had dreamed of a trip to New York City ever since seeing a Spider-Man movie as a child, his family said.
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| Rep. Stefanik: ‘Joe Biden Is Lying to the American People’ about Hunter’s Business Dealings Posted: 24 Oct 2020 08:12 AM PDT  Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is "lying to the American people" about his son Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings, claimed Representative Elise Stefanik (R., N.Y.) on Saturday.The House Intelligence Committee member's comments came during an appearance on Fox & Friends Weekend, in which she accused the former vice president of lying when he issued his denial of wrongdoing during Thursday night's presidential debate. Stefanik detailed her experience asking each witness in President Trump's impeachment hearings whether there was a conflict of interest, or an appearance of one, created by Hunter Biden's role on the board of Ukrainian natural-gas firm Burisma Holdings during Joe Biden's time as vice president. All of the witnesses said yes, she recalled.She said the Obama administration "proactively brought this up as a conflict of interest" while preparing former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch for her Senate nomination. "This is Joe Biden running from his record and trying to wipe away this very clear conflict of interest," Stefanik said."This is not just a Hunter Biden scandal. This is a Joe Biden scandal, and it's not just Burisma. It's also now the Chinese Communist government and the Chinese Communist Party," she added, referring to allegations of a business arrangement between a Chinese company and the Biden family.During Thursday's debate, the former vice president claimed there was "nothing unethical" about Hunter Biden's involvement in Burisma.He said though questions had arisen over whether he had done something wrong in respect to Hunter Biden's role on the board of Burisma that, "every single solitary person, when [Trump] was going through his impeachment, testifying under oath, who worked for him said I did my job impeccably, I carried out U.S. policy, not one single, solitary thing was out of line."
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| Amy Coney Barrett faces recusal questions over links to Shell Posted: 24 Oct 2020 01:15 AM PDT  Barrett previously recused herself from cases because her father worked for Shell but has failed to commit to doing so in futureAmy Coney Barrett is poised to make critical rulings on whether oil and gas companies will be held accountable for the effects of the climate crisis once she is confirmed to the supreme court, even though she has acknowledged in the past that she has a conflict of interest in cases involving Royal Dutch Shell.As an appellate court judge, Barrett – who is expected to be confirmed to the supreme court on Monday – recused herself from cases involving four Shell entities because her father worked at Shell Oil Company as a lawyer.Industry experts and lawyers have expressed concern – and doubt – whether Barrett would recuse herself from the cases again once she joins the court, in part because there are no rules for supreme court justices that would force her to do so.Pressed on the matter in written questions by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat from Rhode Island, Barrett would not commit to recusing herself from cases in the future."The question of recusal is a threshold question of law that must be addressed in the context of the facts of each case," she wrote. "As Justice Ginsburg described the process that supreme court justices go through in deciding whether to recuse, it involves reading the statute, reviewing precedents, and consulting with colleagues. As a sitting judge and as a judicial nominee, it would not be appropriate for me to offer an opinion on abstract legal issues or hypotheticals."Barrett has not recused herself in the past from cases involving the oil industry's most powerful lobby group, the American Petroleum Institute, even though her father was an "active member" of the group's subcommittee of exploration and production law as recently as 2016, and twice served as its chairman.Environmentalists have already expressed alarm at Barrett's handling of environment-related questions at her confirmation hearing, in which she refused to accept science that shows humans are dangerously heating the planet and said she could not opine on the issue of climate change because it was a "very contentious matter of public debate". She separately stated that she did not hold "firm views" on climate change.Her views are behind even most mainstream Republicans, many of whom have stopped denying climate change and instead begun to downplay its impacts or suggest that a free market and new technology will be enough to fix the problem.In the very likely event that she is confirmed, Barrett's decision about whether she will recuse herself from cases involving Shell given her conflict will be known relatively soon because the supreme court recently agreed to hear a case in which the city of Baltimore is suing major oil companies, including Shell, for damages related to the climate crisis."Judge Barrett's evasions last week and in responses to our questions for the record may be what Senate Republicans needed to jam this nominee through for their big donors, but that's no good for a court that must be seen as giving every litigant a fair proceeding and impartial ruling," said Whitehouse. "As the Senate rushes headlong to get her confirmation done before the election, we are left to wonder whether she will recuse herself in matters involving Shell subsidiaries, or the American Petroleum Institute, once in a court with no code of ethics; particularly where her evasions on climate change aligned with industry propaganda."At the heart of the Baltimore case – whose outcome will probably influence similar legal challenges in a dozen other lawsuits across the country – is the question of whether cities and states can seek damages through state laws for harms due to the climate crisis, which they blame on the companies.According to Scotusblog, the case before the supreme court is centered on a narrow and technical procedural matter about federal law. But the handling of the case by Barrett will nevertheless be closely watched, in part because another conservative justice, Justice Samuel Alito, recused himself from the case.Of 16 lawsuits from state and local governments who want the courts to hold oil and gas companies accountable for the effects of the climate crisis, 13 name Shell.Jean Su, energy justice director and attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, said if Barrett does not recuse herself on cases involving the company "it is a true reflection of the unraveling of the ethics of that court.""If you now have the supreme judicial branch and judges who completely flout pretty cut and dry ethical rules, you are discrediting the judiciary very heavily," Su said. "It'll be a sign that the highest court in the land is political."Helen Kang, a law professor and director of the Environmental Law and Justice Clinic at Golden Gate University School of Law, said that if Barrett has recused herself previously "unless there has been a change of circumstances, it appears that she should recuse herself".
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| Spain declares state of emergency over coronavirus as Italy closes cinemas, theatres and gyms Posted: 25 Oct 2020 09:16 AM PDT  Pedro Sánchez, the prime minister of Spain, declared a state of emergency and imposed a nationwide curfew on Sunday, as Italy closed down event halls and Bulgaria's leader tested positive for coronavirus. Under Spain's state of emergency, which was due to come into force on Sunday, citizens must remain inside their homes between 11pm and 6am unless they have a valid reason, such as work or other essential activities. Regional governments have been allowed to adjust the timing of the start and end of the curfew by one hour, while the Canary Islands have been exempted from the curfew altogether. After Spain recorded 110,000 new cases last week, passing a milestone of one million cases, Mr Sánchez said the situation was "extreme", and urged citizens to "stay at home wherever possible". The state of emergency also includes a "rule-of-six" limit on social gatherings, and allows regional governments to seal their borders against non-essential entry or exit, as well as place districts or cities under perimeter lockdowns. Mr Sánchez said he wants parliament to approve the state of emergency for six months, until 9 May. "Experts estimate that is the time we need to overcome the most destructive phase of the pandemic. The cost in terms of lives must be as low as possible," he said. It came as Italy announced it would close cinemas, theatres, gyms and swimming pools, while restaurants and bars were told to shut at 6pm, in a fresh round of tough restrictions. The new rules, which come into force on Monday, were imposed after 20,000 cases of coronavirus were recorded on Saturday. Giuseppe Conte, the Italian prime minister, has stopped short of a full nationwide lockdown as the country's economy was severely damaged by a ten-week lockdown imposed earlier in the pandemic. "Our aim is to protect health and the economy," Mr Conte said.
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| Lebanese Christian cleric to Hariri: avoid 'secret deals' in forming cabinet Posted: 25 Oct 2020 04:37 AM PDT  Lebanon's top Christian cleric urged Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri on Sunday to avoid back-door deals and to quickly form a new government that will start lifting the country out of financial crisis. Veteran Sunni politician Hariri was named premier for a fourth time on Thursday, a year after huge protests against the ruling elite pushed him to quit. Hariri promised a cabinet of specialists to enact reforms set out in a French plan to unlock foreign aid.
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| 'Of course not': McConnell responds to questions about whether there are health issues the public should be warned about concerning his bruised hands Posted: 24 Oct 2020 07:56 AM PDT  The Republican Kentucky Senator seeks reelection in November against Democratic candidate Amy McGrath.
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| Nigeria's police order massive mobilization after unrest Posted: 24 Oct 2020 11:46 AM PDT  Nigeria's top police official on Saturday ordered the immediate mobilization of all officers to "reclaim the public space from criminal elements masquerading as protesters" after days of unrest and demonstrations over police abuses that left at least 69 people dead. The police order could further heighten tensions in Africa's most populous country after some of its worst turmoil in years. Nigeria's inspector general of police, M.A. Adamu, ordered colleagues to "dominate the public space" while announcing that enough is enough, a statement said.
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| 'Toxic': CDC staffers say morale inside the agency has plummeted during the pandemic Posted: 25 Oct 2020 03:00 AM PDT  One CDC staffer said a Trump victory in November could be a "tipping point" for a mass exodus of employees.
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| Hurricane force gusts prompt extremely critical fire risk in California Posted: 24 Oct 2020 07:28 PM PDT  Meanwhile, record shattering cold brings heavy snow and wind chills below zero to Colorado.
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| Hotels are trying to attract families with gourmet cooking classes, cabana classrooms, and yoga breaks as kids continue with remote schooling across the US Posted: 25 Oct 2020 05:53 AM PDT  Hotels are beckoning families with "schoolcation" packages that tap into their newfound flexibility to travel during the school year.
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| 'Murder hornet': First nest found in US eradicated with vacuum hose Posted: 25 Oct 2020 07:39 AM PDT  The Asian giant hornets can wipe out a colony of honeybees in hours.
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| More mass testing in China after 137 virus cases in Xinjiang Posted: 25 Oct 2020 09:40 AM PDT  Chinese officials were racing Sunday to smother a fresh coronavirus outbreak in the country's far northwest after 137 new infections were discovered.
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| Women donors emerge as new power brokers in 2020 election as Democrats look to flip the Senate Posted: 25 Oct 2020 05:22 PM PDT  Record-high campaign contributions from women helped Democrats take the House in 2018 and now women have their sights set on the Senate.
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| The operator of this Boeing 767 private jet says the plane has an air system so advanced it kills pathogens so passengers don't need to wear a mask onboard – see inside Posted: 25 Oct 2020 05:16 AM PDT  This luxury flying apartment costs an hour what a New York City studio costs for an entire year. The difference being this one kills COVID in the air.
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| Black contractor braves threats in removing Richmond statues Posted: 25 Oct 2020 06:07 AM PDT  Devon Henry paced in nervous anticipation, because this was a project like nothing he'd ever done. An accomplished Black businessman, Henry took on a job the city says others were unwilling to do: lead contractor for the now-completed removal of 14 pieces of Confederate statuary that dotted Virginia's capital city. "You did it, man," said Rodney Henry.
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| Trump travel anticipates race decided by one Electoral College vote Posted: 25 Oct 2020 12:43 PM PDT  The president heads to Maine and Nebraska this week as his team cites several scenarios under which the election could come down to one or two electoral votes.
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| Gottlieb warns of "dangerous tipping point" as virus spread accelerates Posted: 25 Oct 2020 09:29 AM PDT  "These cases are going to continue to build. There's really no backstop here," Gottlieb said on "Face the Nation."
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| Kuwait retail co-ops remove French products over Prophet cartoon Posted: 25 Oct 2020 08:06 AM PDT  Kuwait's retail co-ops have pulled French products in boycott over the use of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad in a French school class on freedom of expression whose teacher was then beheaded by a Chechen teenager. France's foreign affairs ministry said there had been calls to boycott French products, notably food products, in several Middle Eastern countries as well as calls for demonstrations against France over the cartoons.
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| British-Australian academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert detained in Iran moved out of desert prison Posted: 25 Oct 2020 06:43 AM PDT  Kylie Moore-Gilbert, the British-Australian academic who has been detained in Iran for the past two years, has been moved from the notorious desert prison of Qarchak to an unknown location. Her move was first reported by the Iranian Association of Human Rights Activists, who said that she was moved, along with all of her belongings, on Saturday. A source close to the case confirmed the move, but did not know any further details. There has been no official word from the Iranian government. Dr Moore-Gilbert, a lecturer in Islamic Studies, was arrested for espionage after attending a conference in Qom in 2018. She was charged in a secret trial and given 10 years imprisonment. Both Dr Moore-Gilbert and the Australian government reject the charges, which they say are politically motivated. Iran's Revolutionary Guards claim that someone she interviewed for a research project flagged her as suspicious so they stopped her from returning to Melbourne. Qarchak prison, in the desert on the eastern outskirts of Tehran, has a reputation for being the most dangerous of the country's women's prisons. Dr Moore-Gilbert had been moved from Evin prison in Tehran to Qarchak in August, which activists at the time believed to be a "punishment". It was not immediately clear where Dr Moore-Gilbert has been taken. Just 11 days prior to her movement she had been transferred to Ward Eight (formerly known as the Mothers' Ward) of Qarchak, alongside at least 15 other political prisoners. While those campaigning for her release see her move as a sign of hope, not knowing where the mystery location she has been sent to or the reason behind the move, gives little to base it on.
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| Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Kun-hee dies at 78 Posted: 24 Oct 2020 09:32 PM PDT  Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Kun-hee, who transformed the South Korean firm into a global tech titan, died at the age of 78 on Sunday, the company said.
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| Bombardier's new $9.9 million private jet that has its own private office and near-cross-country range just entered service – see inside the Learjet 75 Liberty Posted: 24 Oct 2020 05:21 AM PDT  Bombardier designed the Learjet 75 Liberty to specifically compete against the best aircraft from Cessna and Embraer in price and performance.
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| 'Not just numbers': The women disappearing in Peru Posted: 24 Oct 2020 04:17 PM PDT  Thousands of women go missing in Peru every year and many are never found.
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| Mexico seizes industrial-scale meth, fentanyl lab in capital Posted: 25 Oct 2020 03:24 PM PDT |
| Murkowski to vote to confirm Barrett to the Supreme Court Posted: 24 Oct 2020 12:54 PM PDT  Murkowski was the only Republican who did not support Justice Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation.
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| UK 'SBS' special forces storm tanker and detain stowaways in Channel Posted: 25 Oct 2020 07:50 AM PDT  Troops from the Special Boat Service, a navy special forces unit whose headquarters in just a few miles away from where the vessel began showing signs of distress, boarded the Nave Andromeda near the Isle of Wight off southern England. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Home Secretary Priti Patel authorised the armed forces to board the ship "to safeguard life and secure a ship that was subject to suspected hijacking", the defence ministry said. The defence ministry declined to confirm or deny the involvement of the SBS - in line with British government policy of not commenting on special forces operations.
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| Demonstrators in Louisville rallied peacefully at Kentucky attorney general's home on the 150th day of Breonna Taylor protests Posted: 25 Oct 2020 08:57 AM PDT  Around 100 demonstrators were met with officers in riot gear at Attorney General Daniel Cameron's house, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal.
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| Colombia surpasses one million Covid-19 cases: ministry Posted: 24 Oct 2020 05:05 PM PDT  Colombia on Saturday surpassed the benchmark of one million cases of Covid-19 registered in the country since the beginning of the pandemic, the health ministry announced.
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| Pfizer has expanded its COVID-19 vaccine trial to include minors. Some say it's risky. Others argue it's necessary. Posted: 25 Oct 2020 11:45 AM PDT  After months of testing its COVID-19 candidate vaccine in adults, Pfizer recently lowered the age of participation to 16.
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| The new Centurion Lounge at JFK airport blows every airline lounge I've been to during the pandemic out of the water – here are its 9 coolest features Posted: 25 Oct 2020 05:09 AM PDT  Chef-inspired meals and mixologist-curated cocktails are just some of the draws to American Express' largest Centurion Lounge.
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| Brexit talks could see Merkel intervene after France refused fishing compromise Posted: 25 Oct 2020 12:45 PM PDT  Brexit talks face a roadblock this week after France refused to compromise on fishing, with Government sources hoping Angela Merkel will intervene to break the impasse. Sources close to the negotiations said that Emmanuel Macron was refusing to soften his stance and had adopted an "egregious" position on the issue. The UK has proposed adopting a similar arrangement to Norway, whereby fishing quotas would be agreed annually in shared fishing zones. However, sources said that Brussels negotiators, under pressure from France, have "not moved at all" leading to fresh deadlock. The Government hopes the German Chancellor will manage to persuade the French President to budge. A Whitehall source said: "We are relatively optimistic but that doesn't mean it won't end in tears. Fisheries is the biggest thing. We are hoping Merkel can unlock Macron on fisheries."
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| Navy investigating fatal plane crash near Gulf Coast Posted: 24 Oct 2020 06:00 PM PDT  The Navy is investigating a fatal plane crash that occurred Friday when a training aircraft crashed into a home in the Foley, Alabama. Two crew members were killed but no one on the ground was injured.
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| Elderly couple who wouldn't evacuate killed in Colorado wildfire Posted: 23 Oct 2020 11:20 PM PDT  The couple, in their 80s, cherished their home and refused to leave, the sheriff and family said. There are no other known missing people in the blaze.
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