| 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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| 'Totally irresponsible': Dems criticize Pence presiding over Amy Coney Barrett vote after aides contract COVID-19 Posted: 25 Oct 2020 02:47 PM PDT  "As vice president, I'm president of the Senate. And I'm gonna be in the chair because I wouldn't miss that vote for the world," Pence said Saturday.
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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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| 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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| Nigeria protests: Police chief deploys 'all resources' amid street violence Posted: 25 Oct 2020 06:43 AM PDT  The shooting of unarmed protesters this week sparked the worst street violence in two decades.
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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 |
| 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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| 'Murder hornet' nest vacuumed out of tree in Washington Posted: 24 Oct 2020 06:01 PM PDT  The state's agricultural department said it had spent weeks searching for and trapping the hornets, which attack honeybee hives and could pose a threat to humans, because they can sting repeatedly with venom that is stronger than a honeybee's. The state's entomologists succeeded by attaching radio trackers to three hornets they had trapped earlier in the week, one of which they followed to the nest, located in a tree near Blaine, Washington, on Thursday.
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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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| Biden tweet from exactly one year ago warns US is ‘not prepared’ for a pandemic Posted: 25 Oct 2020 12:02 PM PDT  'We need leadership that builds public trust, focuses on real threats, and mobilises the world to stop outbreaks,' former vice president wrote
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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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| 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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| 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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| 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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| 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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| 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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| Democrats planning 30-hour 'digital filibuster' to try to stop Amy Coney Barrett being confirmed Posted: 25 Oct 2020 08:16 AM PDT  Senators including Kamala Harris and Chuck Schumer will deliver messages as part of a campaign of protest against the woman set to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the Supreme Court
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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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| '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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| New Hunter Biden allegations Posted: 25 Oct 2020 09:07 AM PDT  Wall St. Journal, Fox: Joe Biden had no role.
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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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| 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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| '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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| 2 crew killed in U.S. Navy training plane crash in Alabama identified Posted: 25 Oct 2020 12:56 PM PDT  The two crew killed in a Navy training plane crash Friday were identified Sunday as Navy Lt. Rhiannon Ross and Coast Guard Ensign Morgan Garrett.
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| Trump targets Kamala Harris in sexist rant against the Democratic vice-presidential nominee Posted: 23 Oct 2020 06:47 PM PDT  "We're not going to have a socialist president, especially a female socialist president ... we're not gonna' put up with it," Trump said.
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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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| Supreme Court sides mostly with Republicans in last-minute voting cases Posted: 24 Oct 2020 06:30 AM PDT  More rulings on election procedures with mail-in ballots in key battleground states are expected before Nov. 3
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| Americans Should Brace for 100,000 New COVID Cases a Day, Experts Say Posted: 24 Oct 2020 02:41 PM PDT  "You should be prepared for how bad it's going to get."The words of Dr. William Haseltine, an internationally renowned infectious disease expert, summarized the resounding—and sobering—takeaway from several public health experts and epidemiologists who spoke to The Daily Beast on Saturday, hours after the U.S. smashed its previous record of new daily COVID-19 cases. The country hit 83,757 reported infections in one day on Friday, while hospitalizations rocketed across the nation by 40 percent.The problem, experts say, isn't Friday's number. It's the upward trajectory."It's going to get a lot worse," said Dr. Haseltine, who was at the heart of the U.S response to the HIV/AIDS and anthrax crises. "We're looking at easily an excess of 100,000 infections a day and overwhelmed hospitals all over the country."Haseltine said that prediction was supported by several factors: The weather will only get colder, forcing people indoors. Flu season is approaching. The holidays will tempt people to gather in groups. There are no silver bullets coming. The smaller—but still devastating—peaks in the spring and the summer were largely contained to specific regions of the United States."Now it's just about everywhere across the country," said Haseltine, noting that cases are impacting more age groups, environments, and facilities. While many states saw clusters originating in meatpacking plants, prisons, and retirement facilities earlier in the year, they're now being traced more often back to private family gatherings, religious services, bars, athletic events, colleges, high schools, and more.That news might be shocking to anyone who believed President Trump's declaration this week that the country is "rounding the corner" on the pandemic and that the virus is "going away."But Haseltine's prediction that "we're not even near the peak" of the latest surge was backed by other experts who spoke with The Daily Beast on Saturday."What we can hope for," said Haseltine, "is that this will plateau at 100,000 [new cases per day], and that enough people will get enough scared and that enough hospitals will get overwhelmed" that it convinces the American public to wear masks, social distance, and exercise caution.Dr. Jennifer Horney, founding director and professor in the University of Delaware's epidemiology program, noted that Haseltine's prediction was consistent with the latest published results from the forecasting team at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle. Its report on Friday in Nature estimated a cumulative total of 511,373 deaths across the United States by Feb. 28, 2021. A Pervasive Myth To be clear, more Americans are, every day, gaining increased access to quicker and effective tests, raising a question that Horney called a "pervasive" myth: Are dramatic COVID-19 case increases just a reflection of the fact that we're testing more people?In short: No.Experts surveyed by The Daily Beast on Saturday pointed out that hospitalization and fatality rates are also increasing—robust indications of trends—and that positivity rates in several states are too high to be accurately reflecting a full picture of the number of infections."Hospitalizations don't yet reflect what happened this week," Haseltine said.Even still, hospitals all over the country—from Amarillo, Texas to Salt Lake City, Utah, and Kansas City, Missouri and Milwaukee, Wisconsin—reported this week that they were overwhelmed and approaching capacity.Dr. Irwin Redlener, founding director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness and a senior research scholar at Columbia University's Earth Institute, agreed with Haseltine's prediction, saying he would "also remind people" that the number of confirmed cases is only "a fraction of the total."In June, Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the number of confirmed cases likely represented only 10 percent of true infections. That means on the days that the country saw 60,000 new cases, there were actually closer to 600,000. While Delaware's Dr. Horney noted that such case representation has likely improved with access to testing, it hasn't improved enough not to be reflecting a true rise in cases across the nation.And, worryingly, none of the experts interviewed by The Daily Beast said there was any evidence of change at the institutional, state, local, or individual level that would curb the deadly virus's worrying trend. 'Failure of Leadership'"There's a failure of leadership, failure of governance and failure of social solidarity in the Western world," said Haseltine. "The Chinese taught the world what to do. You can stop the infection without a vaccine, without a drug—and stop it forever. It's not that they're totalitarian, it's that they did what public health officials told them to do. What is wrong with the rest of us?"On that point, both Redlener and Horney agreed."The dearth of federal leadership has become so apparent and has had such a tragic impact," said Horney. "The secret in all of these kinds of emergencies is to have strong guidance with enough flexibility to make it locally relevant."The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation's projection published on Friday in Nature also found "that achieving universal mask use—95 percent mask use in public—could be sufficient to ameliorate the worst effects of epidemic resurgences in many states" and that such compliance "could save an additional 129,574 lives" through the end of February 2021. Even 85 percent mask compliance, said the forecast, could save an additional 95,814 lives."It's not too late to talk about a national mask mandate, which is one of the few tools we have to deal with this since we don't have a vaccine," said Redlener, echoing a sentiment vocalized a day earlier by Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease official.But without a national mandate, state and local health departments are left to make their own ordinances, the result of which has been headline-grabbing in-fighting from Texas to Georgia.In Illinois, the state's public health director broke down in tears on Friday, begging the public to follow health guidelines."If you're talking about COVID fatigue from having to keep wearing a mask, think about the COVID fatigue for health-care workers, respiratory therapists, who are going to have to go through this whole episode again of trying to fight for people's lives, because we couldn't figure out how to control this virus by doing some of the simple measures that have been prescribed," Dr. Ngozi Ezike said.Without a federal strategy, said infectious disease experts, pandemic-weary Americans have been left to make their own decisions in the public interest, to decipher mixed messages from departments and politicians, to understand that eating indoors at restaurants may be technically allowed, but not responsible. There will always be people who trust a corporation's analysis that its product is safe—or who believe their individual liberty is more important than the public good."We are always emotional and sometimes rational, it's just human nature," said Haseltine. "Belief trumps facts every time." 'Be Prepared'Horney's advice to the public is to "double down" and make plans now. Whether you live in New York or South Dakota, in a city or rural environment, on a college campus or in a retirement community: "Get your flu shot. Wear your mask." The more lax people are, the worse cases will get, and the worse off every community will be, she said."Be prepared—and not in this joking sort of way about running out of toilet paper—in the real way," she continued. "If your kids are in school, be ready for them to pivot to remote learning."As Redlener said, the nation is in a "battle" between pandemic fatigue and pandemic fatalities."This virus is anything but slowing down," Redlener warned, and if Americans don't begin to take it much, much more seriously, he said, "We're in trouble."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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| 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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| 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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| 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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| Mexico seizes industrial-scale meth, fentanyl lab in capital Posted: 25 Oct 2020 03:24 PM PDT |
| Miami nurse sues doctor colleague, says he ‘deliberately’ infected her with COVID-19 Posted: 24 Oct 2020 10:06 AM PDT  A Miami-Dade nurse practitioner and mother of a 2-year-old said she was deliberately exposed to COVID-19 by a Miami physician at their place of work. She has filed a lawsuit against him, the medical office and the hospital that owns the medical office.
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| Pelosi says she would seek another term as House Speaker if Democrats keep majority after election Posted: 25 Oct 2020 02:13 PM PDT  "You keep thinking that Mr. President, you just keep on thinking that," Pelosi said about Trump's claims that Republicans will take back the House.
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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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| 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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| Police chief: Illinois officer who shot Black couple in car fired Posted: 24 Oct 2020 09:00 AM PDT 
A police officer who shot a Black couple inside a vehicle — killing a 19-year-old man and wounding his girlfriend — has been fired, the police chief announced Friday.
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| 'COVID, COVID, COVID': Trump complains media too focused on pandemic as US hits record cases – election updates Posted: 24 Oct 2020 08:09 PM PDT  Trump railed against media coverage of the coronavirus pandemic: "That's all I hear about now. Turn on the TV, 'Covid, Covid, Covid, Covid."
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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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| Nearly 9,000 flee homes in Philippines as Molave intensifies into typhoon Posted: 24 Oct 2020 09:00 PM PDT |
| Florida reports 2,385 new COVID-19 cases. Three South Florida counties report 0 deaths Posted: 25 Oct 2020 10:26 AM PDT  The Florida Department of Health reported 2,385 new cases of novel coronavirus and 12 deaths from COVID-19. Most of those deaths came from Miami-Dade County.
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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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| Key al-Qaeda leader killed in Afghanistan, as death toll from suicide bombing at Kabul education centre rises to 24 Posted: 24 Oct 2020 11:41 PM PDT  Afghan forces said they had killed a top al-Qaeda militant wanted by the United States, as the death toll from a blast in the capital rose to 24 on Sunday. Abu Muhsin al-Masri, an Egyptian national believed to be the number-two for the Islamist militant group in the Indian sub-continent, was targeted in central Ghazni province, Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security said in a statement. It did not provide further details about the operation or when it was carried out. A source at the intelligence agency, who did not want to be named, told AFP that an aide to al-Masri who was "in contact with the Taliban" was also detained. Al-Masri, who also goes by the name Husam Abd-al-Ra'uf, is on the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists list. A US warrant for his arrest was issued in December 2018, after he was charged with providing support and resources to a foreign terrorist organisation and plotting to kill US nationals, according to the FBI.
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| Texas boy, 3, dies after accidentally shooting himself in the chest at birthday party Posted: 25 Oct 2020 07:18 AM PDT  The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said its "thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of this tragic accident."
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| A 58-year-old woman who's a suspect in her elderly mother's stabbing told police 'she deserved it and now she's in a better place' Posted: 25 Oct 2020 12:40 PM PDT  When Salt Lake City authorities questioned Lori Lee Donlay's motive, she told them "she'll take it to the grave," according to Utah's Deseret News.
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| Will Trump blame McConnell for blocking a new stimulus? Posted: 24 Oct 2020 06:00 AM PDT  The GOP federal response to the pandemic could shift or fragment their base going forward
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