| Detroit lawyers say fraud allegations based on 'extraordinary failure to understand how elections function' Posted: 11 Nov 2020 04:18 PM PST  The city of Detroit has rejected claims of cheating brought by Trump supporters, stating in a court filing that the allegations made by a handful of election observers and one election worker were based on a lack of understanding the processes they were watching.
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| White House attorney dispatched to agency blocking Biden transition Posted: 10 Nov 2020 09:33 AM PST  The General Services Administration has so far declined to provide President-elect Joe Biden with the transition resources that the agency is legally mandated to offer an incoming president. Trent Benishek could prove a crucial ally in that effort, Democrats fear.
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| A fifth-grade teacher in Texas is accused of fatally shooting her 17-year-old son while taking him to school, local reports say Posted: 11 Nov 2020 12:13 PM PST  According to an affidavit cited by local news, Sarah Hunt told police she "didn't mean to" shoot her son.
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| Yerevan reels from defeat in Nagorno-Karabakh Posted: 11 Nov 2020 09:05 AM PST  On Yerevan's emblematic Republic Square, a giant screen continuously broadcasting videos to the glory of Armenian soldiers fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh has been quickly, quietly removed.
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| UPS lifts its longstanding ban on beards for employees and scraps gender-specific dress codes in a drive to 'celebrate diversity' Posted: 11 Nov 2020 08:31 AM PST  From now on, UPS staff can have beards and moustaches, as well as hairstyles such as "afros, braids, curls, coils, locs, twists and knots."
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| Republican state AGs ask Supreme Court to hear mail-in ballot dispute Posted: 10 Nov 2020 03:39 PM PST  A group of Republican attorneys general on Monday urged the Supreme Court to take a case challenging a lower court ruling that extended Pennsylvania's deadline to receive mail-in ballots.
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| California school board president quits after wife’s racist Kamala Harris comments Posted: 11 Nov 2020 01:59 PM PST  A school board president in the San Francisco Bay Area has resigned after his wife's racist comments about Vice President-elect Kamala Harris raised an outcry. Jon Venverloh announced Sunday that he was stepping down from his position with the Las Lomitas Elementary School District in Menlo Park.
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| What is a 'lame duck' president? Hint: The political term has nothing to do with waterfowl. Posted: 11 Nov 2020 05:31 PM PST  The description of a "lame duck" refers to a politician who remains in power but will soon be replaced by a newly-elected successor.
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| GOP candidate John James starts high-dollar legal fund to challenge Michigan election loss Posted: 10 Nov 2020 08:35 PM PST  The fund partners with the RNC and allows six-figure donations, which could transfer to Trump campaign legal fees
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| A Virginia gynecologist is facing a 465-year prison sentence after performing unnecessary hysterectomies on patients to defraud insurance companies Posted: 11 Nov 2020 08:25 AM PST  Former gynecologist Javaid Perwaiz was found guilty on Monday. Hundreds of former patients have said he performed unnecessary surgeries on them.
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| US Postal Service 'whistleblower,' cited by Republicans and right-wing activists as evidence of election tampering, retracts his claims, officials say Posted: 10 Nov 2020 05:44 PM PST  The original claim had been cited by Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, who called for a federal investigation.
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| Why AOC Unleashed Her Fire Early Posted: 11 Nov 2020 01:56 AM PST  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) had heard enough.Shortly after Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) vented about progressives nearly destroying the Democrats' House majority in a strongly worded phone conversation with colleagues—one that instantly leaked to the press—Ocasio-Cortez decided she had to hit back, quickly and publicly. She immediately worked out an interview with New York Times and then with CNN.In interviews with The Daily Beast, multiple sources with knowledge of the newly re-elected congresswoman's thinking said that the Saturday Q&A with the newspaper was a direct response to Spanberger's remarks, which were amplified by other moderates over the weekend. By going to the Times, she was performing both rapid response to the proliferating post-election narrative that the left cost the party seats and sounding an alarm about tactical, fixable problems within the Democratic Party.She also was, in effect, unleashing the left's opening salvo against Democratic centrists in a war that all sides expect will rage throughout the Biden years, this time about their backwards approach to campaigning in competitive areas across the country."100 percent of it's planned and strategic," said a source with insight into Ocasio-Cortez's messaging style. "If she's out there taking shots in the New York Times, it's going to be easier for WFP, PCCC, Justice Democrats down the line," the source added, referencing the grassroots organizations the Working Families Party and the Progressive Campaign Change Committee.On Nov. 5, before the race had been officially called, narrowly, in Spanberger's favor, she said angrily on the call that "we lost members who shouldn't have lost," starting on what ended up being a lengthy diagnosis of the perceived errors leading up to Election Day from the left flank."We need to not ever use the words 'socialist' or 'socialism' ever again," she said. "Because while people think it doesn't matter, it does matter. And we lost good members because of that." She went on to lambaste the slogan "defund the police" as causing more losses in the lower chamber, a message strongly endorsed by the third-highest-ranking elected Democrat in the House, Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC).After Spanberger threw what was considered to be a grenade, progressives quickly mobilized.Going to the Times made sense. Back in April, Ocasio-Cortez selected the paper as a medium to discuss the issues she thought were defining the party, but that weren't getting enough serious attention. In the Q&A, she divulged that the Biden campaign had not yet contacted her and reiterated problems she detected in segments of his outreach to key constituencies, including Latinos.This time, the implications stretched beyond just a sting from Spanberger and some bad press. She stressed the importance of using better digital functions, which have helped candidates win certain districts, while also mentioning Democrats who won their campaigns by running as tried-and-true progressives, like incoming Reps. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) and Cori Bush (D-MO)."We know about extreme vulnerabilities in how Democrats run campaigns," she told the paper. "I have been defeating Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee-run campaigns for two years. That's how I got to Congress."Analyzing the Spanberger call, progressive allies pointed to both the short- and long-term effects of negatively and, in their view, prematurely, pinning down-ballot losses of several moderate representatives to the left wing in a public setting, a sentiment that Ocasio-Cortez herself shared. A second progressive aide agreed; the story was "definitely a reaction to Spanberger."On Sunday, in an appearance on CNN, she said: "When we kind of come out swinging not 48 hours after Tuesday, and we don't even have solid data yet, pointing fingers and telling each other what to do, it deepens the division in the party," adding that, "It's irresponsible to pour gasoline on what is already very delicate tensions in the party."AOC: It's Imperative that Biden Appoint Progressives in Key Cabinet PositionsMore fuel came pouring in from outside. On Saturday, former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican who has long boosted Biden, told the same network: "The Democrats have to make it clear to the far left that they almost cost him this election," prompting an instant rebuke from Ocasio-Cortez in defense of minority organizers who helped bag wins up and down the ballot."A lot of what you're seeing is jockeying for influence in the party," the progressive aide said. "People are trying to shape the public opinion about how to read the results."It's a fight that feels particularly pressing, both to progressives and moderates, because of the upcoming special elections in Georgia, where Democrats are fighting for control of the Senate after what appears to be a slim victory there for Biden."I think she's extremely concerned about the tactics in Georgia because that's still in the balance," said Saikat Chakrabarti, Ocasio-Cortez's former chief of staff. "I think if Georgia wasn't there I don't know if this would have been a long-form interview," he said about the Times."I think it probably would have been some tweets or maybe wouldn't have happened at all. It feels extremely high stakes."They're not the only stakes, however. When progressives largely agreed to join the far-flung coalition to defeat President Donald Trump, they signaled their intention, both in private and in public, to push Biden to the left "immediately" after the election—on everything from policy priorities to Cabinet picks. A third source familiar with Ocasio-Cortez's thinking is now concerned that those forthcoming decisions in Bidenworld could be poorly impacted by the ripple effect from Spanberger's remarks, hence the early and hot fire."They can't just keep belittling her and the squad and thinking what she says doesn't matter," said Rebecca Katz, a progressive strategist, about moderates casting aside the New York representative's concerns as illegitimate or too lofty. "She is the future."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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| 2 infant boys found dead behind Bronx apartment building Posted: 09 Nov 2020 07:05 PM PST |
| Study: Testing COVID-19 T cells instead of antibodies more accurately finds past infections Posted: 11 Nov 2020 03:47 AM PST  Most tests to determine if somebody has already been infected with COVID-19 check for antibodies, but a new study in Italy found that those tests are much less accurate than a new type that looks for a type of immune cell called a T cell. Researchers from the U.S., Britain, and Italy conducted blood tests on 70 people in Vo, Italy, who had been infected with the new coronavirus in the past two months. With the antibody screen, 16 people tested negative, a false negative rate of 23 percent; with T cells, there were only two false negatives, a rate of 3 percent, CNN reports.The researchers also studied 2,200 people who had tested negative for COVID-19, and only 45 of them were found to have been infected with the T cell test. Dr. Lance Baldo, a coauthor of the unpublished study, said many of those 45 people likely had COVID-19 at some point but did not realize it. The company that makes the test in question, Adaptive Biotechnologies, plans to seek FDA emergency use authorization for a commercial vision of its test in late November.The body's immune response to a virus like COVID-19 is "like a military operation, where you have different components," former FDA commissioner Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach tells CNN. "The Navy lands on the shore, the Air Force attacks from on high, the Army comes in with artillery. ... When something tries to invade us, the fight our body launches is extremely sophisticated and complicated." The source of the antibodies dies off in a few months, but T cells have been known to remain in the body for years.More stories from theweek.com Ivanka Trump may have incidentally undermined part of the Trump world's election argument Trump is a demonic force in American politics Trump's most dangerous ideas always start as 'jokes'
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| Laura Ingraham dragged for interviewing anonymous poll worker claiming voter fraud Posted: 11 Nov 2020 06:19 AM PST  The disguised woman told Ingraham she saw envelopes being opened and passed around near a Biden-Harris vehicle. Fox News host Laura Ingraham is being criticized today for her interview of an anonymous person who described seeing envelopes being ripped open and marked for a vote for Democratic presidential challenger Joe Biden. The unnamed woman told Ingraham she saw envelopes being opened and passed around near a Biden-Harris campaign vehicle, where she saw workers opening ballots and changing the vote.
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| Mexican journalist shot dead while reporting discovery of human remains Posted: 11 Nov 2020 03:59 AM PST  Israel Vázquez was shot Monday as he was about to go live on-air and died in hospital later the same day
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| Mexico confirms foreign minister in talks with U.S. over ex-defense secretary's arrest Posted: 11 Nov 2020 07:50 AM PST  Mexico confirmed on Wednesday that its top diplomat Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard spoke to U.S. Attorney General William Barr about the arrest of former Mexican defense minister and retired army general Salvador Cienfuegos on U.S. soil. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said during a regular government news conference that Ebrard is in talks with U.S. Attorney General William Barr and that a diplomatic memo had been sent.
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| U.S. hits record COVID-19 hospitalizations Posted: 11 Nov 2020 08:25 AM PST  The United States hit a record number of coronavirus hospitalizations Tuesday and surpassed 1 million new confirmed cases in the first 10 days of November amid a surge of infections across the country.
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| The CDC issued new advice saying cloth masks protect the wearer from COVID-19 infection. It's not that simple. Posted: 11 Nov 2020 10:00 AM PST  In a shift, the CDC now says face masks perform 2 functions: keeping viruses from spreading, and protecting healthy individuals from exposure too.
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| Alaska Republican Dan Sullivan Wins Reelection, Giving Republicans 50 Senate Seats Posted: 11 Nov 2020 09:49 AM PST  Republican Senator Dan Sullivan has won his Senate reelection bid in Alaska, giving Republicans 50 Senate seats, two more than Democrats currently hold.The Associated Press called the race for Sullivan over his Democratic opponent Al Gross on Wednesday, more than a week after Election Day.Two Georgia runoff elections in January will decide the composition of the upper chamber. Should both Democrats triumph over Republican incumbents David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, the Senate will be split 50-50, allowing vice president-elect Kamala Harris to serve as the tie-breaking vote.Sullivan, a father of three and Marine who served in Afghanistan, has represented Alaska in the Senate since 2015. He previously worked in the White House as an advisor to President George W. Bush and as Assistant Secretary of State for Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs.Gross is a surgeon and Alaska native as well as a former commercial fisherman.Alaska was also called for President Trump in the presidential race on Wednesday, the president winning the state by at least 17 points.
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| Blackpink: Why a K-pop girl band's panda cuddle has angered Chinese Posted: 11 Nov 2020 06:20 AM PST  Members of Blackpink are accused of mishandling the panda in a viral video, causing anger in China.
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| Illinois is seeing worst surge of COVID since pandemic started Posted: 10 Nov 2020 01:15 PM PST  Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker COVID-19 hospitalizations are far high than they ever were in the spring.
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| Puerto Rico finds uncounted ballots in vault week after election Posted: 11 Nov 2020 11:57 AM PST  Puerto Rico's elections commission said it has found over 100 briefcases with uncounted ballots a week after the U.S. territory held its election.
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| A gym trainer exposed 50 athletes to COVID-19, but no one got sick — because one member is a ventilation expert who redesigned the room's layout Posted: 11 Nov 2020 10:57 AM PST  World-renowned viral transmission expert Linsey Marr is also an avid athlete. Here's how she helped her local gym prevent an outbreak.
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| Wave of migrant arrivals leaves 2,000 stranded at Gran Canaria dockside camp Posted: 10 Nov 2020 09:36 AM PST  More than 2,000 African migrants were stranded in a dockside camp on the Spanish island of Gran Canaria on Tuesday after a wave of arrivals overwhelmed local authorities' capacity to house them. Seeking relief from the sun blazing down on the port of Arguineguin in the south of Gran Canaria, some of the migrants fashioned shelters out of Red-Cross blankets propped up by plastic fencing. After 2006, when more than 30,000 people reached the shores of the Canaries, Spain stepped up security and numbers dwindled to a few hundred per year.
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| Jeffrey Toobin fired from The New Yorker after exposing himself during a Zoom call with coworkers Posted: 11 Nov 2020 02:24 PM PST  The prominent legal expert and longtime staff writer had been suspended from the magazine for several weeks while Condé Nast investigated the matter.
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| Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders to be frozen out of Biden cabinet, report says Posted: 11 Nov 2020 08:59 AM PST  'We cannot afford to put any seats in jeopardy,' says Democrat Gerry Connolly
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| Fiery crash closes bridge linking Ohio, Kentucky for days Posted: 11 Nov 2020 07:04 AM PST |
| Archaeologists uncover 1,000-year-old Viking ship burial site Posted: 11 Nov 2020 09:24 AM PST  Researchers have found a ship, feast hall and cult house that date back to the Iron Age.
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| Mass resignations as Hong Kong ousts four pro-democracy lawmakers Posted: 10 Nov 2020 11:44 PM PST  Hong Kong's parliament has been plunged into turmoil as 19 pro-democracy lawmakers announced they would resign in protest against a decision by Beijing to unseat four of their colleagues. The news comes just hours after China's ruling Communist Party granted Hong Kong officials sweeping powers to remove lawmakers deemed a threat to national security. Authorities in Hong Kong moved swiftly, saying four lawmakers – Dennis Kwok, Alvin Yeung, Kwok Ka-ki and Kenneth Leung – would "lose their qualification as legislators immediately." Hong Kong's pro-Beijing leader Carrie Lam called the decision "legal, reasonable and necessary." Members of the pro-democracy, anti-Beijing camp were just as quick to respond. "We will resign from our positions because our partners, our colleagues are being disqualified by the central government's ruthless move," said Wu Chi-wai, a pro-democracy lawmaker and chairman of the Democratic Party. "According to the Basic Law, there is separation of power, but today, the decision made by the central government simply said that all the separation of power will be taken away, and all the power will be centralised in the chief executive." Once the resignations are accepted and take effect, Hong Kong's mini-parliament, the 70-member Legislative Council, will be reduced by about a third, with remaining lawmakers largely supportive of Beijing's increasingly aggressive policies. "In terms of legality and constitutionality, obviously from our point of view this is clearly in breach of basic law and our rights to participate in public affairs, and a failure to observe due process," said Dennis Kwok, one of the ousted lawmakers. Mr Yeung, also unseated, pledged to continue supporting freedoms in Hong Kong out of office, even though "the road ahead will be bumpy, difficult and challenging."
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| The new Miss USA says she doesn't support banning guns but believes AK-47s are better left to the military Posted: 11 Nov 2020 03:20 PM PST  Miss USA Asya Branch publicly supports the Second Amendment but told Insider "there's no reason" for civilians to have AK-47s and similar guns.
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| Tropical storm warning, storm surge watch issued for Florida’s west coast as Eta nears Posted: 10 Nov 2020 04:04 AM PST  Tropical Storm Eta has grown a little stronger as it moved north-northeast Tuesday night posing a risk of flooding over South Florida and an eventual landfall in the Florida Panhandle, forecasters say.
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| Photos show El Paso using refrigerated trucks in parking lots to store a backlog of bodies from a new COVID-19 surge Posted: 11 Nov 2020 05:08 AM PST  As of Wednesday, El Paso County had the second-most active COVID-19 cases in Texas. The state has recorded the most infections in the US.
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| Democrats win 218th seat to cling on to House majority: ‘We have the gavel’ Posted: 11 Nov 2020 01:06 AM PST  Democrats held enough seats in the suburbs to retain their House majority
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| Iran finishes moving first batch of advanced centrifuges underground Posted: 11 Nov 2020 08:55 AM PST  Iran has finished moving a first cascade of advanced centrifuges from an above-ground plant at its main uranium enrichment site to an underground one in a fresh breach of its nuclear deal with big powers, a U.N. atomic watchdog report showed on Wednesday. The transfer to the underground plant apparently built to withstand aerial bombardment was done in response to the burning down of an above-ground centrifuge-building workshop at Natanz in July, which Tehran has called an act of sabotage. It also slowed Iran's output of enriched uranium, the report showed.
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| Gingrich: McCarthy could form alliance with House Democrats from moderate districts Posted: 11 Nov 2020 06:46 AM PST  Fox News contributor Newt Gingrich weighs in on the power struggle between House Speaker Pelosi and the progressive wing of the Democratic Party on 'America's Newsroom,'
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| Boris Johnson refers to Trump as the 'previous president,' describes conversation with Biden as 'refreshing' Posted: 11 Nov 2020 12:38 PM PST  President Trump hasn't admitted he lost the 2020 presidential election yet, but British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is already talking about him as if he's no longer in office.While speaking to the House of Commons on Wednesday, Johnson referenced Trump as the United States' "previous president" after congratulating President-elect Joe Biden on his win, The Hill reports."I had and have a good relationship with the previous president," Johnson said.Johnson was responding to a question from a member of Parliament who blasted Trump's refusal to concede the election as "embarrassing for him and dangerous for American democracy" and asked Johnson if has "any advice for his erstwhile best friend, President Trump." Johnson did not offer Trump advice but said he's "delighted to find the many areas in which the incoming Biden-Harris administration is able to make common cause with us."The British prime minister said on Tuesday he had just spoken with Biden and congratulated him on his election win. On Wednesday, Johnson described their conversation as "excellent" and "refreshing," adding that "I look forward to many more." Meanwhile, as world leaders like Johnson congratulate Biden on his win, Trump continues to challenge the election results and fails to offer Biden a concession. > British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called his conversation with President-elect Joe Biden "refreshing," saying he was "delighted to find the many areas in which the incoming Biden-Harris administration is able to make common cause." https://t.co/7O5n5pSiMJ pic.twitter.com/zH7rsHLVGb> > -- ABC News (@ABC) November 11, 2020More stories from theweek.com Ivanka Trump may have incidentally undermined part of the Trump world's election argument Trump is a demonic force in American politics Trump's most dangerous ideas always start as 'jokes'
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| China's Sinovac coronavirus vaccine trial suspended in Brazil after participant dies Posted: 09 Nov 2020 07:07 PM PST  Brazil has suspended clinical trials for China's coronavirus vaccine after a participant died. Instituto Butantan, the research centre in Sao Paulo developing the vaccine in partnership with Sinovac, a private Chinese firm, said it was surprised by the decision. Dimas Covas, director of the institute, told Brazilian media that a study volunteer had died, though the death was not linked to ongoing trials. "As there are more than 10,000 volunteers at this moment, deaths can occur," said Mr Covas. "It's a death that has no relation with the vaccine and as such it is not the moment to interrupt the trials." The state government of Sao Paulo, where the trial is being run, said the death of a trial volunteer had been registered as a suicide and was being investigated. Brazil's health regulator Anvisa said in a statement late on Monday that an "adverse, serious event" had occurred on Oct 29, but it didn't say there had been a death. Nor did it elaborate on what happened or why it was revealing this more than a week later. Anvisa later said the initial information it received from Butantan had not specified that the death was a suicide. "We had no choice but to suspend the trials given the event," the head of the agency Antônio Barra Torres said. Sinovac said it had been in touch with Butantan, and learned the director, Mr Covas, "believed that this serious adverse event is not related to the vaccine." The Chinese company remains in contact with Brazil and reiterated its confidence in the safety of its vaccine. Vaccine studies have been suspended in recent months after serious adverse events to allow experts to investigate. Suspensions have impacted vaccines jointly developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, and another by American firm Johnson & Johnson, though trials later resumed after scientists deemed it safe to continue. In Brazil, the second hardest-hit by the pandemic with more than 160,000 deaths, access to the coronavirus vaccine has been politicised by a rivalry between president Jair Bolsonaro and Sao Paulo state governor Joao Doria. Mr Doria is expected to challenge Mr Bolsonaro for office in 2022 elections, and has supported development of the Sinovac vaccine, vowing to inoculate all residents of his state as early as March next year. Earlier on Monday before Anvisa announced the trial suspension, Mr Doria said that workers had broken ground on a facility that will produce 100 million doses annually of the Sinovac vaccine. Sao Paulo will import 120,000 doses of the vaccine, expected to arrive Nov. 20. Butantan, the Brazilian institute partnering with Sinovac, is also supported by the state of Sao Paulo.
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| Cuomo orders curfew on New York restaurants and gyms, parties capped at 10 people as COVID-19 cases climb Posted: 11 Nov 2020 02:28 PM PST  ALBANY, N.Y. — Bars, restaurants and gyms across New York must close by 10 p.m. and private parties will be limited to 10 people as part of new coronavirus restrictions that Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday. Cuomo's curfew and cap on gatherings at private residences comes as COVID-19 cases skyrocket across the country and parts of Staten Island are now facing new lockdowns after being ...
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| The country's longest-serving inmate for marijuana crimes will be released early, organization says Posted: 11 Nov 2020 04:48 PM PST  Richard DeLisi, sentenced to 90 years by a Polk County, Florida, judge in 1989, will be released in December, an advocacy group announced.
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| Why are forecasters encouraging decorating for winter holidays early this year? Posted: 10 Nov 2020 02:28 PM PST  As Americans brace for a long winter heading toward the end of what has been a taxing year, AccuWeather forecasters are encouraging people to set up holiday decorations before Thanksgiving. In a conference call with reporters on Tuesday, AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok encouraged hanging outdoor Christmas lights early ahead of the winter season, which officially begins on Dec. 21. Now-ish is a good time to get to work on those outdoor holiday decorations, he said. "Mine are up!" Pastelok laughed, adding that he had chosen to take advantage of the warm spell that enveloped the Northeast in recent days thanks to the influence of Tropical Storm Eta. He encouraged others to do the same as the United States buckles down for what could be prolonged winter weather that could include harsh conditions even extending well into March. Factors driving the U.S. winter weather forecast A La Niña weather pattern, the cooler phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ESNO) climate pattern across the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, along with a weak polar vortex and western Atlantic temperature anomalies will be among the contributing factors of the winter weather this season. La Niña weather patterns typically lead to a stronger, more frequent northern storm track over the U.S., with heavier precipitation for the Northwest and drier weather for the South. Pastelok noted this would be the "main driver" of the winter weather this season. As for the western Atlantic, temperatures have been running above normal, which will influence cold air as it reaches the East, according to Pastelok. Cold air could modify and warm up as it encounters the mild Atlantic waters. Because of that, it will be "harder to get cold air masses to stick in the East," Pastelok said, adding that's why his team is predicting a mid-season thaw with above-normal temperatures during January and February in the East. As for the third factor, the term "polar vortex" grabbed the attention of headlines after a lapse in the upper-level low pressure area centered over the North Pole caused a breach of bone-chilling air to seep into the states during the winter of 2018 into 2019. The weakening of the polar vortex can result in just that -- cold air pushing the boundaries into areas with generally more mild air. A stronger polar vortex, as is expected for most of this season, tends to hold the colder air back. However, toward March, it could weaken and the U.S. could see bitterly cold weather, resulting in what could feel like a prolonged winter. What to expect for Thanksgiving and Black Friday Black Friday deals have hit the shelves early this year, not only encouraging early shopping ahead of the holidays but also emphasizing the importance of the weather during the early weeks of the season. After Eta's influence wanes, a chill will come over the northeastern U.S., though temperatures could bounce around a bit. Regardless, one or two potential big storms in New England may interrupt holiday shopping and traveling before Thanksgiving. Nor'easters could develop and lead to coastal flooding, wind damage and drifting snow events in New England, Pastelok warned. However, the holiday itself in the region should remain dry with chillier air ahead of a warmer holiday weekend. The mid-Atlantic into the southern U.S. will experience more mild weather, though an occasional chilly bout, meaning outdoor dining is likely to be able to continue into at least early December. Severe weather threats such as thunderstorms may still be possible into the winter months, but they likely won't carry a large impact on holiday shopping and shipping as in the Great Lakes and Midwest. Cold fronts may stir up several rounds of gusty to severe thunderstorms in the lower Mississippi Valley from November to early December, though the southern Plains and Gulf Coast should see less concerns. The central Gulf states into Tennessee and into the interior Southeast may have a few isolated severe weather events in December into February. A northern storm track could bring quick-moving storms through the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley regions, resulting in frequent lake-effect snow for the areas during both holiday periods, creating the possibility of slippery conditions or impassible roadways. The more northern areas are likely to experience above-average snowfall as rain and ice target areas farther south across Missouri, Illinois and Iowa. Farther to the west, a couple storms my impact Colorado and eastern New Mexico with mountain snow, rain and brief cold weather, but a spaced-out timing between the storms should keep any disruptions in holiday shopping to only a few days. Similarly, heavy rain, snow and a windy conditions will make for rough travel through the passes in the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies from November into the new year. Shoppers should prepare for wet and windy conditions, which could lead to travel delays at times. Alternatively, parts of Southern California will face localized visibility not from snow squalls or showers, but from smoke as the wildfire season in the state as well as western Arizona extends into December. Due to the persistent wildfires, any precipitation can lead to flooding and mudslides in charred areas of California and Oregon, which could force road closures in some locations. Dry and seasonable conditions should provide for pleasant travel, shopping and dining for the Southwestern part of the county through the end of the year. Chances of a white Christmas This winter season holds good news for snow lovers in the northern half of the nation. In addition, areas of northwestern Washington to northwestern Nevada and areas from Iowa to Ohio to areas of northern Tennessee may have higher chances for a white Christmas compared to normal. Conversely, much of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado, including the southern Rockies, will face a lower-than-normal chance for snow. Skiing Season Outlook Thanks in a large part to the La Niña pattern in place, winter weather will provide excellent skiing conditions across most of the northern swath of the country. At times, frigid air in the northern Rockies and Midwest as well as icy periods possibly around midseason in New England and upstate New York may keep people from the slopes, but the snow season may make up for it for ski resorts in these areas with snowfall possibly lasting into the spring. The Midwest is also set to benefit from the cold shots for snowmaking operations, and a variety of lighter and heavier snow events expected throughout the season could add some fresh powder to the slopes. Skiers in Colorado and Utah are expected to face a roller coaster ride of a season. Winter conditions will at times bring cold and snow, but more mild and drier conditions are anticipated for other periods. Additionally, big gaps in snow events are expected for the two states. Across the nation, those seeking to hit the slopes and escape the confines of home may not be in luck this season. Central Appalachia and the mid-Atlantic are expected to experience poor skiing conditions at least into December due to warmups that can lead to melting and icy spots. The impact of winter weather events on COVID-19 precautions The novel coronavirus has seeped into nearly every nook and cranny of everyday life, from pushing schools to use more online classes to prompting some stores to enforce stricter capacity limits. Here are some concerns with how the weather could play into these. The number of storms will be less of a problem for the southern half of the U.S., but areas in the northwestern U.S. and Great Lakes region should be prepared for not just snow, but high wind events that can threaten power outages and potentially cause disruptions to remote work and learning. High winds cannot only cause power outages, but also prompt delays at airports for anyone traveling by air over the holidays. Consumers should keep in mind that COVID-19 has also caused delays in shipping for some producers, which may add further stress if any dangerous winter weather adds to timelines. Areas to watch for ice events will extend from Missouri to Indiana to northern New England, Pastelok said. Power outages from these ice events can rival those even caused by hurricanes, plunging households into a period without active heat if precautions aren't taken ahead of time. Online classes may also be interrupted by these events in a power outage, Pastelok pointed out.
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