| Coronavirus pushes Trump into a 'fiasco vortex' as events spin out of administration's control Posted: 09 Oct 2020 01:15 PM PDT  The coronavirus outbreak at the White House has plunged Trump's presidency into what crisis relations expert Eric Dezenhall calls "the fiasco vortex," a phenomenon in which crisis overtakes a public figure, destroying any attempts to impose a favorable cast on developments.
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| Suspects in Michigan plot hid their cellphones in a box to be safe but failed to check one another for wires, FBI says Posted: 08 Oct 2020 12:49 PM PDT  An FBI special agent described a meeting where he said an informant recorded attendees discuss a plot to assault Michigan's capital.
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| Trump yard sign rigged with razor blades left town worker needing 13 stitches Posted: 09 Oct 2020 07:26 AM PDT  The worker was trying to move a sign that was too close to the road when "he was cut by razor blades that had been attached to the bottom edge of the sign," the sheriff's office said.
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| Former commander of Guantánamo Bay Navy base sentenced to federal prison Posted: 09 Oct 2020 07:26 AM PDT  A federal judge sentenced a former commander of the Navy base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, on Thursday to two years in prison for trying to cover up a drunken fight with a commissary worker who was later found dead in the bay.
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| Woman says Southwest wouldn’t let her on plane due to ‘inappropriate’ outfit Posted: 09 Oct 2020 09:35 AM PDT  Kayla Eubanks said Southwest Airlines employees told her that she needed to wear a shirt over her outfit in order to board one of their planes.
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| Hunter Biden’s Former Business Partner to Be Sentenced after Court Revives Fraud Conviction Posted: 09 Oct 2020 07:32 AM PDT  Hunter Biden's former business parter will face sentencing in a fraud case after a federal appeals court on Wednesday reinstated his conviction.Devon Archer, a longtime business associate of Joe Biden's son, was convicted in June, 2018 on charges related to his involvement in a scheme to defraud a Native American tribe.The defendants, including Archer, are accused of pressuring the Wakpamni Lake Community Association, an affiliate of the Oglala Sioux Tribe to issue $60 million in economic-development bonds which the defendants then used for their own purposes, such as investing in their own businesses instead of investing it back into the tribe.After his conviction, a federal judge in New York overturned Archer's conviction later that year, saying the evidence was insufficient to prove that Archer was aware of the multi-million dollar bond fraud scheme.The three-judge panel of the New York-based 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated Archer's conviction on Wednesday, ruling that the lower court "abused its discretion in vacating the judgment and granting a new trial" and stating that Archer "knew at least the general nature and extent of the scheme and intended to bring about its success."Archer is scheduled to be sentenced on January 21.Archer worked with Hunter Biden on various business ventures, including serving with the Democratic presidential nominee's son on the board of a Ukrainian gas company Burisma Holdings.Hunter Biden was appointed to Burisma's board in 2014 while his father was vice president and resigned from the board in April of last year after his lucrative position on the board drew scrutiny.In spring, 2016, Biden called on Ukraine to fire the prosecutor who had been investigating the energy company paying his son. The vice president threatened to withdraw $1 billion in U.S. military aid to Ukraine if the country did not fire the prosecutor, who was accused by the State Department and U.S. allies in Europe of being soft on corruption.
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| Moderator Susan Page on Pence interrupting her during VP debate: 'I don't know that I've seen him in that kind of setting with a male moderator' Posted: 08 Oct 2020 07:54 PM PDT  A post-debate analysis by CBS News found that Pence interrupted Harris twice as often as she did to him during the debate.
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| Pompeo warns of China risks ahead of US-India talks Posted: 09 Oct 2020 01:35 PM PDT  US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday urged closer ties with India as he warned of China's growing might on its doorstep, amid a flurry of diplomacy between the world's two largest democracies.
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| Trump clings to bogus claim that he saved 2.2 million Americans from death by COVID-19 Posted: 08 Oct 2020 03:13 PM PDT  For months, President Trump has pushed the dubious idea that he and his administration have saved the lives of "potentially 2.2 million people" during the pandemic.
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| Most so-called “missing” ballots are simply unvoted ballots, Republican elections official says Posted: 09 Oct 2020 10:48 AM PDT  A prominent statistic cited by those concerned about election fraud — about millions of ballots that have supposedly gone missing over the last several years — is misleading and exaggerated, the top elections official in Washington state said in an interview.
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| After 46 years, Cypriot ghost town's beach opens to public Posted: 08 Oct 2020 10:25 AM PDT  For the first time in 46 years, members of the public were permitted on Thursday to access the beach of Varosha in the breakaway Turkish Cypriot north of ethnically divided Cyprus. Hundreds filed through a gate manned by Turkish Cypriot police to walk on a freshly paved asphalt road leading to the beach that was the jewel of what was once Cyprus' premier tourist resort. For some, like one woman draped in the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot flags, it was a moment of joy to witness an "historic" moment.
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| Server asks customer to wear mask — then gets ‘mask’ as a tip, Pennsylvania pub says Posted: 08 Oct 2020 06:24 AM PDT  She said she asked the customer to wear a mask until he was seated.
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| South Carolina Senate debate replaced with interviews after Lindsey Graham ‘refuses Covid-19 test' Posted: 09 Oct 2020 02:59 PM PDT  Republican senator reportedly declines coronavirus test and attacks rival for demanding 'special treatment' as GOP under scrutiny for White House disease outbreak
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| Bella Hadid looked like she stepped out of the early 2000s while wearing chunky hair highlights and a graphic tank top Posted: 08 Oct 2020 09:21 AM PDT  Bella Hadid debuted her new, chunky highlights while walking around New York City in an early 2000s-inspired outfit on Tuesday.
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| 'We all had a hand in this': Louisville police officer who got Breonna Taylor warrant in the hot seat Posted: 08 Oct 2020 12:14 PM PDT  Joshua Jaynes' explanation to the Public Integrity Unit marks the first time the public has heard from the detective who obtained the search warrant for Breonna Taylor's apartment.
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| Facebook's nudity-spotting AI mistook a photo of some onions for 'sexually suggestive' content Posted: 09 Oct 2020 03:00 AM PDT  Facebook said the onion-seed ad had been removed for breaking its rules on "products with overtly sexual positioning."
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| Harry Litman: The Supreme Court is already pulling us back to the future Posted: 09 Oct 2020 03:00 AM PDT  On the first Monday in October, the Supreme Court minus Ginsburg flexed its hard-right muscles.
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| Biden's lead doubles to 10 points in new Fox News poll Posted: 07 Oct 2020 11:02 PM PDT  Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has doubled his lead over President Trump in a Fox News national poll of likely voters released Wednesday. In the new poll, conducted after the first presidential debate and after Trump contracted COVID-19, Biden leads by 10 percentage points, 53 percent to 43 percent; in the previous Fox News poll three weeks ago, Biden led by 5 points.Biden's 10-point advantage is in line with other recent polls. The RealClearPolitics average has Biden up 9.7 points, 51.6 percent to 41.9 percent, while FiveThirtyEight clocks Biden's lead at 9.5 points (51.7 percent to 42.2 percent) and gives him 84 in 100 odds of winning the Electoral College.There are several outsized reasons for Biden's lead in the new Fox News poll. First, the two biggest issues for voters are the coronavirus pandemic and the economy, and Biden beats Trump by 39 points among the COVID-19 voters while Trump leads by only 12 points with economy voters. A 72 percent majority agrees with Biden that masks should be required attire outside the home, 24 percent said the virus is under control, and 65 percent rate economic conditions as poor or fair.Trump spent the summer attacking anti-racism protests and touting "law and order," but "those who say violent crime is the most important factor to their vote favor Trump by a single point, while voters who prioritize racism back Biden by 44," Fox News reports. And voters increasingly like Biden, whose favorability rating has grown to a net-positive 16 points, and dislike Trump, now at a net-negative 10 points.The Fox News poll was conducted via phone Oct. 3-6 by Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Co. (R). The pollsters surveyed 1,012 likely voters, and the poll's margin of sampling error is ± 3 percentage points.More stories from theweek.com Mike Pence was the unlikely winner of the vice presidential debate The myth of Mike Pence's appeal Trump is shockingly bad at this
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| Korean group must remove Berlin tribute to "comfort women" Posted: 09 Oct 2020 04:19 AM PDT  A Berlin district has ordered a local Korean group to remove a statue commemorating women used as sex slaves by Japan during World War II, saying Friday it goes beyond what had been approved. The issue of sex slaves, euphemistically called "comfort women," has been a major source of friction between South Korea and Japan, and the district's decision came after Japan expressed irritation about the statue depicting a woman sitting next to an empty chair. Stephan von Dassel, mayor of the central Mitte district, said permission had been given for the Korean organization to display a "peace statue" for one year, as a broad "statement against sexualized violence against women in armed conflicts."
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| How to get your cat to like you: Smile like them, study says. Here’s how to do it Posted: 08 Oct 2020 01:37 PM PDT  Doing the "cat smile" might just get your cat to tolerate you.
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| Affidavit: Texas officer was offered handshake before fatal shooting Posted: 08 Oct 2020 06:31 AM PDT  A Black man who was killed by a Texas police officer offered him a handshake prior to being shot, a court document said.
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| Explosive texts found on phone of suspect in Ahmaud Arbery murder case Posted: 09 Oct 2020 05:29 AM PDT  "48 Hours" uncovers the content of virulent, racial slurs found on the phone of William "Roddie" Bryan, the man who filmed the killing of Ahmaud Arbery. Bryan's attorney says his client "doesn't have a hateful bone in his body."
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| Virginia residents warned to stay away from venomous caterpillars after several sightings reported in state Posted: 09 Oct 2020 11:18 AM PDT  Department of Forestry urged people to 'SocialDistance away' from creature
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| Hope Hicks returned to work at the White House the day after self-quarantining aboard Air Force One, according to report Posted: 09 Oct 2020 02:36 PM PDT  Hope Hicks only told Trump and a handful of senior staff about her COVID-19 diagnosis, much to the dismay of her coworkers, the Washington Post said.
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| The best memes from the 2020 vice-presidential debate, from the giant fly on Pence's head to 'I'm speaking' Posted: 08 Oct 2020 09:48 AM PDT  From the fly on Mike Pence's head to Kamala Harris' responses to Pence's interruptions, here are the best memes from the vice-presidential debate.
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| Op-Ed: The world should not ignore the deadly attacks in the South Caucasus Posted: 08 Oct 2020 03:02 PM PDT  Artsakh, also called Nagorno-Karabakh, has endured a deadly barrage of Azerbaijani attacks. Armenians see them as an attempt to continue the Armenian genocide of 1915.
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| Code enforcement crackdown: One officer arrested, others fired Posted: 09 Oct 2020 08:00 AM PDT  Derrick Erwin had been an Opa-locka code enforcement officer for over a decade before his career came crashing down last week. At around 1 a.m. last Friday, police took him into custody at his home less than half a mile from city hall, saying he committed fraud and theft by imposing thousands of dollars in fines on a property, then buying it himself before deleting the fines from the city's computer system.
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| Lebanon's ex-PM Hariri says he would return to rule, with conditions Posted: 09 Oct 2020 01:50 AM PDT  Former Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri says he is "the natural candidate" to take the premiership again, a year after nationwide protests forced his resignation. But Mr Hariri, who has served as prime minister three times already, said he would only return if Lebanon's sectarian parties agreed to a reform plan necessary to secure help from the International Monetary Fund. During an interview on Lebanese television on Thursday evening, Mr Hariri, a pro-Western Sunni leader and billionaire businessman who maintains close ties with the Gulf, said the only way out of Lebanon's economic collapse was with international help. Lebanon has been without a government since the cabinet resigned in the wake of the massive August 4 Beirut port explosion that damaged whole neighbourhoods of the Lebanese capital. The country has been in crisis for much longer however, since Mr Hariri's coalition government was forced out a year ago by massive nationwide protests demanding an end to corruption and an overthrow of the country's entrenched political class that has run the country since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war. Since then, Lebanon's economy has collapsed, with the lira losing over 80 percent of its value and hyperinflation driving up prices. The deeply-indebted country defaulted for the first time in March and foreign donors say no more financial aid will be offered until Lebanon introduces reforms to reduce waste and corruption and improve transparency. But the country's sectarian-based parties have repeatedly failed to agree on a reform plan and the country's most recent prime minister designate Mustapha Adib stepped down on September 26 after not being able to form a cabinet. Amid horse-trading over ministerial posts, Iran-backed Hizbollah and its ally Amal are demanding they nominate the finance minister. But Mr Hariri says the militant Shiite group must be willing to compromise. "The Lebanese people are not responsible for the sanctions that are imposed on them [Hizbollah] and they have to make concessions," he said. Mr Hariri said he fears another civil war, following recent clashes between clans and armed factions in the Bekaa valley and the outskirts of Beirut. "What is happening in terms of carrying arms and what we are seeing in terms of military displays in the street...means the collapse of the state," he said.
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| Judge lets ex-cop charged in Floyd's death live out of state Posted: 09 Oct 2020 10:03 AM PDT  A Minnesota judge cited safety concerns as he issued new conditions of release for an ex-Minneapolis police officer charged in the death of George Floyd that would allow him to live in a neighboring state while he awaits trial. Derek Chauvin posted $1 million bond on Wednesday and was allowed to walk free from the maximum security state prison where he had been held for his safety since shortly after his arrest. Floyd died after Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee against Floyd's neck for several minutes even after the handcuffed Black man pleaded for air before his death May 25.
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| Chinese military spokesperson tells U.S. to halt provocative actions Posted: 09 Oct 2020 08:27 AM PDT  A Chinese military spokesperson said on Friday that the U.S. destroyer John McCain had entered waters around the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea claimed by China without China's permission. "We demand the U.S. immediately stop such provocative actions, (and) strictly control and restrict military operations in the sea and air," the spokesperson said in a post on an official WeChat account. The spokesperson also said it would take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and security and to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.
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| No one will buy the Watts murder house featured in Netflix's 'American Murder: The Family Next Door Posted: 09 Oct 2020 12:54 PM PDT  The house is technically still owned by Watts despite its foreclosure
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| 'You're lying, it's a hoax': Disbelief of the coronavirus is driving a wedge through American families — even those who've been infected Posted: 09 Oct 2020 12:43 PM PDT  We spoke to two women on opposite ends of the political spectrum who both had the coronavirus to see how it's impacted their choice in the election.
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| Barrett confirmation hearing may pressure Feinstein, Harris to subdue their political instincts Posted: 08 Oct 2020 08:55 AM PDT  California Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris face distinct challenges at Judge Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court confirmation hearing.
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| Trump would 'rant' about politics and media at COVID task force meetings, aide says Posted: 08 Oct 2020 04:28 PM PDT  President Trump would interrupt coronavirus task force meetings with protracted and irrelevant "rants" about his coverage on Fox News, causing his aides to "look down at the floor" in embarrassment, says a former member of the task force.
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| Snowboarders accused of starting avalanche should pay $168,000, Colorado official says Posted: 09 Oct 2020 03:07 PM PDT  "I've never heard of anyone receiving a criminal penalty for making a mistake like this," one of the snowboarders said.
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| South Korea to replace Black Hawks with homemade Surion helos, says lawmaker Posted: 09 Oct 2020 09:15 AM PDT  The lawmaker has decried the effort as a means to support the local economy without considering performances and production cost.
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| 'It's the law': Kentucky AG seeks to keep Breonna Taylor grand jurors silent on case Posted: 09 Oct 2020 01:34 PM PDT  Attorney General Daniel Cameron wants an immediate stay on any judge's order granting grand jurors the right to speak freely in the Breonna Taylor case.
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| Homeless migrants sleep rough beneath Dubai's skyscrapers as Covid employment crisis bites Posted: 09 Oct 2020 06:49 AM PDT  Dubai is witnessing a rare uptick in homelessness as migrant workers left destitute by the Covid downturn have begun sleeping out in parks under the glistening skyscrapers. Blue collar workers from Asia and Africa say they are trapped after losing jobs and running out of money to return home. Migrant workers who spoke to The Telegraph claimed they have been left abandoned after losing their jobs as the economy tightens. With no jobs and expired visas, many have congregated in parks in Dubai's poorer Satwa area, appealing for help for repatriation flights home. Homelessness and poverty are not typically visible in the United Arab Emirates' glitziest city. White collar jobs have also been threatened by the pandemic in UAE, with many UK expats returning home since coronavirus. Dubai's economy is geared towards heavy consumer spending in hospitality, luxury real estate and travel. Oxford Economics, a UK forecaster, estimates 900,000 jobs are under threat among a population of under 10 million.
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| California Democrat in Congress tests positive for COVID-19 Posted: 08 Oct 2020 02:23 PM PDT  Rep. Salud Carbajal of California has tested positive for the coronavirus after coming into passing contact with Sen. Mike Lee, a Utah Republican who is among a growing number of lawmakers and White House staff now confirmed to have the virus, his office said. "I hope this serves as a reminder of how easily this virus can spread," Carbajal said. While he did not identify the person in public statements, Mannal Haddad, a spokesperson for the congressman, said in an email that he "interacted with Sen. Lee in passing a couple of times last week and was prompted to get a test after being informed Sen. Lee tested positive."
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| Suspects accused of targeting Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have a history of ties to self-styled militias. Here's what you need to know about these extremist groups. Posted: 09 Oct 2020 11:52 AM PDT  Authorities have said the men were members or associates of the so-called militia group "Wolverine Watchmen."
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| Self-funding QAnon candidate gave own campaign $450,000 after getting PPP loan Posted: 09 Oct 2020 03:00 AM PDT  Watchdog group, along with Marjorie Taylor Greene's former GOP opponent, call on her to give the money back
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| Fearing Biden tax hikes, wealthy Americans rush to change estate plans Posted: 09 Oct 2020 04:37 AM PDT  The biggest concern is that the White House and Congress could get swept up in a "Blue Wave" of Democratic wins that give Biden the power to propose and pass a sweeping set of tax reforms. Democrats want to raise estate taxes to the "historical norm," according to the party's platform.
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| In this small town, police are looking for suspects. The crime? Stealing campaign signs Posted: 09 Oct 2020 03:00 AM PDT  Love your neighbor, unless he or she supports the wrong candidate.
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