| Trump's closing pitch to voters admits that America has to be made 'great again' all over again Posted: 20 Oct 2020 01:58 PM PDT  In the closing days of the 2020 election that opinion polls show him likely to lose, President Trump has amended his famous 2016 campaign slogan, promising that, if reelected, he will "make America great again, again."
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| Porn Stars Are Terrified of Amy Coney Barrett Posted: 19 Oct 2020 01:47 AM PDT  Who fills the next Supreme Court vacancy matters—and it may even impact your sex life.Yes, if Trump nominee Amy Coney Barrett becomes the next Supreme Court justice, the future of the commercial sex industry could be in grave danger—as could the viewing entertainment of millions of Americans since, according to Pornhub statistics, the U.S. consistently outranks all other countries in maintaining the highest rate of daily traffic to Pornhub. Thus, as the Senate hearings to confirm Amy Coney Barrett draw to a close, her seemingly inevitable spot on the bench has sparked panic among the sex-worker community."If she's confirmed, it could be catastrophic for the adult industry if and when any First Amendment-related cases reach the Supreme Court," argues adult actress Siri Dahl. "Instead of supporting equal free speech for all Americans, she seems to support privileged free speech for religious Americans. There's no way that will be good for the porn industry."As if worrying about the career persecution wasn't enough, Siri anticipates a worse threat will hit much sooner. "I'm worried most about reproductive rights. Our rights to important health care like birth control and abortion are in imminent danger. It's especially scary to me as a sex worker who also happens to have a uterus," says Dahl. "I'd like the government to stay away from my sex organs and my personal health decisions!"How Socialite India Oxenberg Escaped the NXIVM Sex Cult—and Leader Keith RaniereThat's unlikely given the Supreme Court's current conservative majority, which if Barrett is appointed, will become 6-3, reaching an imbalance that could last for decades. It's a potentially frightening group with the power to reshape our legal framework but without the wisdom to effectively balance it. Pornography laws are a prime example of striking that necessary balance.Sexually explicit material is protected by the First Amendment except in such cases where it can be prosecuted for obscenity or child pornography. Obscenity, as the Supreme Court ruled in 1957 (Roth v. United States), is not protected by the First Amendment. To be obscene it must "be utterly without redeeming social value" and "of prurient interest." However, much of this was decided case-by-case and left to the interpretation of the court, with Justice Potter Stewart famously explaining, "I'll know it when I see it," regarding his method of determination on a 1964 obscenity case involving the Louis Malle film The Lovers (Jacobellis v. Ohio).Without a measurable standard, obscenity could be even more subjective. It wasn't until 1973's Miller v. California case when the court engineered a three-part approach to measuring obscenity (known as the Miller test). These criteria continue to inform how the lines are drawn between adult entertainment protected as free speech verses similar, but prosecutable, content found to be "patently offensive," and lacking in "serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value." The court's interpretation of obscenity and freedom of speech nearly 50 years ago shaped the legal framework today's adult industry operates within, which is why who fills that seat matters. In years to come they will be dictating the existence of porn—and quite possibly free speech with it."The adult industry is founded on bodily autonomy and freedom of expression, freedoms that religious extremist Barrett will happily erode or remove. She will even be considering First Amendment cases that could outlaw porn. While she claims to be for freedom and liberty, it's clear she will happily regulate the bedroom on- and off-screen," warns adult actress and former Penthouse Pet Mary Moody. "We might hope that Barrett could separate her extremist religious beliefs from her judgments but while teaching law she argued justices should be allowed to judge based on these beliefs. Her history speaks for itself, and when given the option to rule on cases that will impact sex workers, it is clear she will lean on her radical conservative religious beliefs to aid her."I have the integrity to act consistently with my oath and apply the law as the law," Barrett claimed during the Senate confirmation hearings. Nonetheless, it's nearly impossible to believe her religious views won't impact her judicial duty to the law."I suspect that from what we know of her religious beliefs, that any anti-porn cases that come before the court will stand a good chance of winning for the religious right agenda. This goes hand-in-hand with reproductive, women's, and civil rights protections under the 14th Amendment," says Angie Rowntree, founder of Sssh.com, the web's first porn-for-women feminist site. "Considering that Supreme Court seats are 'for life' her religious/conservative agenda will push the U.S. back to 1960 for a generation in some societal and legal aspects. The TV show Mad Men is enjoyable to watch on television, but not to watch play out in the highest court in the land which affects the lives and rights of millions every day." Adult model and content creator Bea York says she's worried but still trying to be optimistic. "Here's a person that might have the power to undo a lot of important things. As a woman, I'm most concerned with other women getting the help that they need, when they need it. After that, I worry about the impact of having someone on the Supreme Court that seems pretty far removed from the big issues that people are dealing with," York muses.Having presided over 10,000 cases, Judge Herb Dodell, author of From the Trench to the Bench, understands the value of separation of church and state and the importance of it as a judge. He questions Barrett's ability to disengage from her personal biases when deciding a case. "For the adult industry, her confirmation could have a substantial impact. For example, SESTA/FOSTA. That legislation will be before the Supreme Court. The whole subject of free speech versus prior restraint, including liability, especially concerning social media, will be dictated by the Supreme Court. My biggest concern was the equivalent of her saying she would not necessarily be bound by stare decisis (precedent). I would also be concerned about the lack of response regarding severability, which could lead to an all-or-nothing situation," says Judge Dodell."As judges, we are supposed to follow the law, whether we agree with it or not. I am not sure she can do that, given her strong views."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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| Singapore Airlines is launching the new world's longest flight that will see flyers spending almost 19 hours on a plane nonstop Posted: 20 Oct 2020 07:41 AM PDT  Singapore Airlines is known for its ultra-long-haul flights with this latest addition securing the top spot on the list of the world's longest flights.
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| Record-setting catch of 110-pound catfish in Georgia has angler under fire. Here’s why Posted: 20 Oct 2020 02:59 PM PDT  Some aren't happy about what happened to the catfish
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| U.S. fighter jets intercept Russian bombers near Alaska Posted: 20 Oct 2020 09:52 AM PDT  U.S. fighter jets intercepted four Russian military aircraft in international airspace near Alaska, NORAD said.
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| Heartbreak in the Magic Kingdom: Laid-off Disney workers turn to food banks as coronavirus devastates Florida tourism Posted: 20 Oct 2020 06:19 AM PDT  The coronavirus has led to thousands of layoffs at Disney in Orlando, and devastated the local economy, reports Richard Hall
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| Fake naked photos of thousands of women shared online Posted: 20 Oct 2020 09:40 AM PDT  Fake naked images of thousands of women are being made from social media photos.
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| Yahoo News/YouGov poll: Biden surges to his largest-ever lead against Trump among likely voters Posted: 19 Oct 2020 01:03 PM PDT  With only two weeks left until Election Day, Joe Biden's lead over President Trump has widened to 11 percentage points — Biden's biggest margin among likely voters in any Yahoo News/YouGov poll to date.
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| Expect a price jump, and new COVID-19 rules, when booking your next cruise Posted: 19 Oct 2020 06:45 AM PDT  Cruise companies say pent-up demand, once the U.S. no-sail order is lifted, will lead to higher ticket costs.
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| More than 50 former intel officials signed a public letter saying they believe the Hunter Biden story has 'all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation' Posted: 19 Oct 2020 10:54 PM PDT  The former intel officials wrote they believed the arrival of emails to the New York Post, which they dubbed a "laptop op," was a cause for suspicion.
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| Dr. Birx reportedly asked Pence to remove COVID-19 adviser pushing 'junk science' Posted: 19 Oct 2020 07:02 AM PDT  Dr. Deborah Birx has reportedly been trying to get controversial adviser Dr. Scott Atlas removed from the White House coronavirus task force.A new report in The Washington Post describes the "discord on the coronavirus task force" that has reportedly "worsened" ever since the arrival of Atlas, a neuroradiologist who has no background in epidemiology. Atlas has reportedly "succeeded in largely sidelining" other doctors on the White House coronavirus task force, has challenged analysis from Birx and others with what experts have dismissed as "junk science," and is seen by colleagues as "ill-informed, manipulative and at times dishonest."Birx, who serves as the task force's response coordinator, recently confronted Vice President Mike Pence about Atlas, telling his office he should be removed from the task force and that she "does not trust" him nor does she believe "he is giving Trump sound advice," the Post also reports. Her effort was evidently unsuccessful, and Pence reportedly "did not take sides" in the conflict.The report also describes how Atlas has baselessly claimed to the task force that the United States is close to achieving herd immunity, an idea scientists have rejected, and that all coronavirus restrictions should be lifted. This, the Post says, led Birx and Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, to demand he produce data to support his claims during a "fierce debate." Atlas over the weekend also falsely claimed that masks don't work in fighting COVID-19, leading Twitter to remove the post."These days, the task force is dormant relative to its robust activity earlier in the pandemic," the Post writes. "Fauci, Birx, Surgeon General Jerome Adams and other members have confided in others that they are dispirited." Read more at The Washington Post. More stories from theweek.com Will Kansas go blue? What happened to third party candidates? If Roe falls
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| Fears of ecological disaster grow over stricken oil tanker in Caribbean Posted: 20 Oct 2020 08:05 AM PDT  Lawmakers from the National Assembly called on the country's government to urgently unload oil from Nabarima to avoid a spill.
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| Paramount shooting: Police open fire on sexual assault suspect at Hollywood studios Posted: 19 Oct 2020 02:12 AM PDT  LAPD is advising the public to stay away from the area
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| The ‘siege’ of Phil Collins’ Miami Beach mansion continues: Ex wife just got served Posted: 20 Oct 2020 01:22 PM PDT  She got served.
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| Justice Department Announces Rule to Bar Some Criminal Illegal Immigrants from Asylum Posted: 20 Oct 2020 03:34 PM PDT  The Departments of Justice and Homeland Security on Tuesday announced new regulations barring illegal immigrants who have committed certain crimes from obtaining asylum in the U.S., part of the Trump administration's ongoing effort to prevent bad actors from gaining entrance to the country."To ensure that criminal aliens cannot obtain this discretionary benefit, the Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security have exercised their regulatory authority to limit eligibility for asylum for aliens who have engaged in specified categories of criminal behavior," the DOJ said in a statement.Under the new rule, immigrants who are convicted felons, have been convicted of smuggling or harboring other illegal immigrants or reentering the country illegally, committed certain drunk driving offenses, committed a crime involving gangs, received government benefits illegally, committed drug trafficking or possession offenses, or committed offenses related to false identification will not be eligible for asylum.Notably, immigrants who have committed certain domestic violence offenses, such as battery or extreme cruelty, will also be barred from asylum even if they were not convicted.Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Ken Cuccinelli said Tuesday on a call with reporters that the rule aims to "bring some sanity to the asylum system and our legal immigration system" and to "get the charlatans out of the system and preserve it for those who are deserving of America's tremendous generosity."Cuccinelli said that he expects the rule to help "speed the process along" of vetting asylum seekers, potentially easing the asylum program's current backlog of over a million cases.Asylum seekers who are currently waiting on their cases in the U.S. but are now ineligible for asylum under the new rule "will be deported" when their cases come up, Cucinelli said.The new rule will take effect 30 days after it is published in the Federal Register on Wednesday.Last year, the administration attempted to deny asylum to all migrants who failed to enter the U.S. through a legal port of entry but that policy was struck down by more than one federal judge, who said it was "inconsistent with" the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965.
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| Judge shuts down “arbitrary and capricious” Trump plan to cut food aid for up to 700K amid pandemic Posted: 19 Oct 2020 10:34 AM PDT  The administration "radically and abruptly" upended rule process and risked worsening food insecurity, a judge says
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| ‘Cheer’ star Jerry Harris was warned before child porn arrest by the owner of a gym featured on ‘AGT,’ lawsuit claims Posted: 20 Oct 2020 02:18 PM PDT  Cheer Athletics co-owner Angela Rogers warned 'Cheer' star Jerry Harris about a possible investigation into his conduct, according to a lawsuit.
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| Chipotle is killing one of customers' favorite ways to get free food Posted: 19 Oct 2020 06:37 AM PDT  The era of the free Chipotle tortilla has come to an end. The chain is now charging $0.25 for a side tortilla.
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| The 2021 IKEA Catalog Is Finally Here! Posted: 20 Oct 2020 02:31 PM PDT |
| TikTok users are super-gluing vampire fangs to their teeth, and struggling to get them off. Dentists are not happy about it. Posted: 19 Oct 2020 01:18 PM PDT  Users are posting videos, yanking furiously on their fangs to try to remove them. Dentists say it could cause permanent damage.
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| Joe Biden supporter who was installing BLM sign arrested for allegedly shooting at passing Trump supporter and son Posted: 20 Oct 2020 12:12 PM PDT  Neighbours said the political signs supporting Democrats had been previously pulled down on multiple occasions
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| Pieces of Halley’s Comet to bring meteor shower this week. Here’s how you can watch Posted: 19 Oct 2020 10:35 AM PDT  You could see up to 20 meteors per hour if you're lucky.
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| Former Mexican defense minister ordered held in U.S. jail without bond Posted: 20 Oct 2020 03:03 AM PDT  Mexico's former defense minister, Salvador Cienfuegos, was ordered held in U.S. custody without bail on Tuesday, pending his trial on drug trafficking charges in a case that could have far-reaching implications for U.S. and Mexican anti-cartel strategy. A U.S. magistrate judge also ordered Cienfuegos, 72, sent to New York to stand trial. Cienfuegos was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport last week.
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| Polls show Democrats tied or winning Georgia's Senate and presidential races — but there's a catch Posted: 20 Oct 2020 11:00 AM PDT  Democrats have a reasonable chance of sweeping Georgia's Senate and presidential races this Election Day.Georgia has two U.S. Senate seats up for grabs this fall, and as a New York Times/Siena College poll out Tuesday revealed, Democratic candidates are winning one and tied in the other. Meanwhile in the faceoff between President Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden, candidates are tied at 45 percent support in the typically red state.Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) is up for re-election this fall, and is tied with Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff at 43 percent support, the poll showed. Raphael Warnock, the Democrat looking to fill the seat vacated by retired Sen. Johnny Isakson, meanwhile has 32 percent support over current Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R). Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.), who is also looking to fill the spot, has 17 percent support, the poll shows.But it's not as if the Republican faceoff could spoil the party's chances of winning. If no one in the three-way race of Collins, Loeffler, and Warnock gets a majority of the vote, the top two candidates will have a runoff election. Still, Warnock led both Collins and Loeffler, 45-41, in a hypothetical runoff, the poll found. Warnock's 46 percent favorability rating was the highest of any candidate on the poll.The New York Times and Siena College surveyed 759 likely voters in Georgia from Oct. 13–19, with a 4.1 percentage point margin of error.More stories from theweek.com Will Kansas go blue? What happened to third party candidates? If Roe falls
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| Infectious diseases specialist challenges airlines' COVID safety analysis Posted: 19 Oct 2020 05:50 AM PDT  A campaign by coronavirus-stricken aviation giants to persuade the world it's safe to fly has been questioned by one of the scientists whose research it draws upon.
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| A US lab used rockets to launch a semi-truck into a new tractor trailer built to transport nuclear weapons Posted: 20 Oct 2020 12:53 PM PDT  "You've got to be able to ship nuclear assets safely and securely or you don't have a deterrence program," a lab project manager said.
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| Elon Musk becomes Twitter laughingstock after Bolivian socialist movement returns to power Posted: 20 Oct 2020 02:44 PM PDT  "We will coup whoever we want": the Tesla CEO's braggadocious imperialism comes back to mock him
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| 'Smoke coming from everywhere': Cameron Peak, Calwood fires continue to rage in Colorado Posted: 19 Oct 2020 09:05 PM PDT  Colorado crews scrambled to gain ground against two blazes as this year's historic wildfire season imparted more heartbreak and hardships on the West.
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| Gunfire, racist threats reported against Indiana candidate challenging Pence’s brother Posted: 20 Oct 2020 11:27 AM PDT  "It's terrifying to me," Jeannine Lake said.
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| Killer dubbed ‘Black Widow’ gets prison release 30 years after hit on estranged husband Posted: 19 Oct 2020 03:50 PM PDT  Barbara Kogan organised killing to secure life insurance payout
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| Bloomberg knocks Trump back on his heels in Florida Posted: 20 Oct 2020 03:09 PM PDT  The former New York City mayor's spending is forcing the president to dig deep in the key swing state and enabling the Biden campaign to spend ad dollars elsewhere.
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| A Texas man bought an old ambulance from a landscaping company for $4,500 and spent $10,000 converting it into his dream tiny home. Here's how he did it. Posted: 20 Oct 2020 03:30 PM PDT  Michael Talley said that he focused on creating as much open space in the converted ambulance as possible.
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| Early voting begins in crucial Florida as election nears Posted: 19 Oct 2020 05:39 AM PDT  Early voting began in battleground state Florida on Monday, with just two weeks to go until the election.
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| Watch the US Navy stealth destroyer Zumwalt fire off a missile for the first time Posted: 20 Oct 2020 09:10 AM PDT  USS Zumwalt went years without a working combat system, but now the Navy is starting to put its weapons to the test.
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| Nigeria's anti-police protesters storm prison, free inmates Posted: 19 Oct 2020 09:02 AM PDT  Nigeria's protests against police brutality turned violent Monday when a crowd stormed a prison and freed some 200 inmates in Benin in southern Nigeria. Nigerian officials have not announced if there were casualties from the prison break. For more than two weeks Nigeria has been rocked by demonstrations by many young people protesting alleged police brutality.
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| Taiwan and Chinese diplomats injured in fight in high-end Fiji hotel Posted: 19 Oct 2020 02:37 AM PDT  Taiwan and China have become embroiled in a diplomatic spat on the Pacific island of Fiji, after government officials from both sides were allegedly injured during a fight at an event in a high-end hotel to mark Taiwan's National Day. The incident occurred amid growing tensions between Beijing and Taipei over Taiwan's global status, and as both sides vie for diplomatic and economic influence in the strategic Indo-Pacific region. Taiwan's foreign ministry said on Monday that it had asked the Fijian police to investigate the October 8 incident. The fight resulted in a Taiwanese diplomat being sent to hospital after trying to prevent two Chinese embassy officials from entering the venue to photograph people who were attending. The Chinese Communist Party claims Taiwan - a democratic island of 24 million which it has never ruled - as its own territory. It tries to undermine Taiwan internationally and strongly objects to Taipei having independent ties with any other nations. Taiwan, a strong US ally, has formal relations with four countries in the region, although not with Fiji. According to the Taiwanese foreign ministry, two Chinese diplomats stormed into a celebration marking Taiwan's national day to "harass" their guests.
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| These men tried to break into two homes within minutes. Here’s what it looked like Posted: 20 Oct 2020 10:36 AM PDT  The Broward Sheriff's Office released video on Tuesday of two men they say tried to pull two burglaries from homes within minutes of one another.
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| Trump’s former national security adviser says president ‘will not leave graciously if he loses’ Posted: 19 Oct 2020 06:41 AM PDT  'If it is clear what the outcome is, it is up to Republicans, not Democrats, to say, 'This is on us. He has to go'
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| As the Arctic's attractions mount, Greenland is a security black hole Posted: 19 Oct 2020 10:06 PM PDT  On a windy August afternoon in 2017, Akitsinnguaq Ina Olsen was relaxing in the old harbour of Nuuk, Greenland's capital, when a Chinese icebreaker sailed unannounced into the Arctic island's territorial waters. The Chinese ship was one of a growing number of unexpected arrivals in Arctic waters as shrinking sea ice has fast-tracked a race among global powers for control over resources and waterways. Both China and Russia have been making increasingly assertive moves in the region, and after the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last year said now is "America's moment to stand up as an Arctic nation and for the Arctic's future," military activity is stepping up.
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| GM will make its upcoming Hummer EV 'supertruck' at a Detroit plant completely reconfigured in a $2.2 billion renovation to only make EVs Posted: 20 Oct 2020 04:22 AM PDT  GM invested $2.2 billion into Project Zero, the most the automaker has ever invested in a production plant, according to the automaker.
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| SCOTUS mail-in voting ruling raises alarm: Democrats may “never win another national election" Posted: 20 Oct 2020 09:15 AM PDT  Democrats scored a big win in a Pennsylvania mail-in voting case, but the victory "may only last a matter of days"
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