Category: Electoral Politics

Donald Trump Jr. tests positive for COVID-19

President Trump’s eldest son Donald Trump Jr. tested positive for COVID-19 this week amid a national surge in infections. Trump Jr., 42, was diagnosed earlier in the week — as the virus struck DC Republicans including Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Sen. Rick Scott of Florida. “Don tested positive at the start of the

Several wounded in Mayfair Mall shooting in Wisconsin

Several people were shot inside of a Macy’s at a shopping mall outside Milwaukee on Friday afternoon, according to reports. The gunman opened fire at the Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin about 10 miles west of Milwaukee, the Journal Sentinel reported. The city’s mayor, Dennis McBride, told ABC News that the gunman was still on

Sightings of ravenous 4-foot lizards surge in southeastern US

A species of large ravenous reptiles are popping up in large numbers in the southeastern US, after escaping or being released from captivity. The Argentine black-and-white tegu can grow up to four feet in length and is distinguished by its spotted scales. Scientists say it is a voracious omnivore that eats everything in sight, posing

Anti-maskers give Nazi salute at CA local government meeting: report

A group of anti-mask zealots gave the Nazi salute and shouted “Sieg heil” at a local government meeting in California in a bizarre protest of coronavirus restrictions, a report said Friday. The group of about five people sat in chairs that had been blocked off for social distancing purposes and shouted the Nazi rhetoric before

Andrew Giuliani, son of Rudy and aide to Trump, has COVID-19

Andrew Giuliani announced Friday that he has contracted the coronavirus. “This morning, I tested positive for COVID-19,” Andrew, son of Rudy Giuliani and aide to President Trump, tweeted Friday morning. “I am experiencing mild symptoms, and am following all appropriate protocols, including being in quarantine and conducting contact tracing,” the younger Giuliani said. Giuliani later

Pentagon official Anthony Tata tests positive for COVID-19

Senior Defense Department official Anthony Tata tested positive for COVID-19 this week after an infected foreign official toured the Pentagon — hobnobbing with the upper echelons of the US military, including the defense secretary and the secretaries of the Army, Navy and Air Force. Tata, a retired Army brigadier general, is the acting undersecretary of

China suggests Italy may be the birthplace of COVID-19 pandemic

China is using a new study about the early, hidden spread of coronavirus in Italy to cast doubt on the firmly held assumption that it was the birthplace of the pandemic, according to reports. Officials in Beijing are pushing a new study that suggests that the contagion may have been spreading in the European nation

Drug trafficker executed for raping teen, burying her alive

A marijuana trafficker convicted of kidnapping and raping a teen – and then burying her alive – was executed this week at an Indiana prison, becoming the eighth federal inmate to die this year. Orlando Cordia Hall, 49, was put to death via lethal injection late Thursday at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute,

Joe Biden turns 78 today, set to become the oldest US president

Joe Biden’s birthday is Friday, and at 78 years old, he is set to become the oldest president in the nation’s history when he’s sworn in this January. President Trump was previously the oldest president sworn in, at 70 years and 220 days old. Before him, the eldest honors went to Ronald Reagan, who was

Man pleads guilty to helping set fire to Minneapolis police precinct

A man pleaded guilty on Thursday to helping set ablaze a Minneapolis police precinct during a George Floyd protest in May, a report said. Bryce Williams, 26, of Minnesota, copped to a charge of conspiracy to commit arson in connection to the May 28 fire at the Third Precinct, the Star Tribune reported. Williams helped

Washington man arrested mid-interview — for a job with state police

A Washington man applying for a job with the state’s police force got arrested mid-interview. The 31-year-old admitted something that set off alarms as he was going through the background check and polygraph test process for a gig with the Washington State Patrol on Tuesday, local outlet KING-TV reported. “A person in the application process

Cops handcuff woman who went on maskless rant in California Costco

A woman was removed in handcuffs from a Costco in Northern California after she caused a scene while refusing to wear a mask, authorities said. Viral video of the Tuesday incident in Eureka showed the woman taunting customers on the line and downplaying the seriousness of the pandemic. “There’s no reason why I shouldn’t be

UK driver watched Netflix while 39 migrants were loaded into truck

The British truck driver who ferried a container where 39 migrants died said in court Thursday that he didn’t see the refugees being loaded into the truck because he was watching a “wee bit of Netflix” at the time, a report said. The driver, 23-year-old Eamonn Harrison of Northern Ireland, said in court that he

Man awaiting trial for alleged murder of teen dies in prison beating

A man awaiting trial in Australia for allegedly murdering his teenage girlfriend was killed in a prison beating, local reports said Thursday. Zlatko Sikorsky, 37, was taken to a Brisbane hospital in critical condition last Tuesday after getting his head bashed during a brawl with another inmate. He spent several days on life support before

Florida woman charged with abandoning sick baby on doorstep

A Florida woman allegedly abandoned her sick 3-month-old son on the doorstep of a stranger’s home over the weekend, authorities said. Melissa Kelley, 33, is accused of dropping off her baby in his car seat on Patricia Tillman’s porch Sunday night saying she couldn’t care for the infant any longer, the Dayton Beach News-Journal reported.

Texas woman allegedly slugs cop trying to impound pot belly pig

A Texas woman was arrested Monday for allegedly punching a police officer who was trying to impound her pot belly pig, a report said. Arianna Swenson, 34, was charged with assaulting a public servant over the alleged attack on Hooks Police Officer Cole Ogden, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by TXK Today. Ogden

Gilead’s remdesivir not recommended for hospitalized COVID-19 patients: WHO

Gilead’s drug remdesivir is not recommended for patients hospitalized with COVID-19, regardless of how ill they are, as there is no evidence it improves survival or reduces the need for ventilation, a World Health Organization panel said on Friday. “The … panel found a lack of evidence that remdesivir improved outcomes that matter to patients

12-year-old New Orleans girl accused of killing her infant brother

A 12-year-old New Orleans girl was reportedly charged with murder over the death of her 6-month-old brother, officials announced on Thursday. The juvenile was charged after the infant was found dead at the family’s St. Charles Parish home on Sunday, WWL-TV reported, citing police. “He was perfect,” the children’s aunt, Nicole Brown, told the outlet,

Georgia finishes 2020 election recount, affirms Joe Biden won state

Georgia on Thursday wrapped up a recount of ballots cast in the presidential race — and the results confirm Joe Biden won the state, state election officials said. A hand tally of the Peach State’s 5 million ballots was launched Friday after initial results showed Biden narrowly leading President Trump by 14,000 votes, or about

Scientists make bigger monkey brains using human genes

What could go wrong? Scientists made monkey brains double in size by splicing them with human genes in a “Planet of the Apes”-style experiment. During the study, Japanese and German researchers injected a gene called ARHGAP11B — which directs stem cells in the human brain — into the dark matter of marmoset fetuses, according to

Anthony Fauci says COVID-19 vaccines are safe, not rushed

WASHINGTON — Dr. Anthony Fauci assured the public on Thursday that a coronavirus vaccine would be safe and effective and called for an end to suggestions that the development was rushed for political purposes. “The process of the speed did not compromise at all safety, nor did it compromise scientific integrity,” Fauci said Thursday at

Serial killer Samuel Little admits to two additional murders

America’s most prolific serial killer — who has credibly confessed to more than 90 murders — admitted to killing a woman whose death sent an innocent man to prison, according to a report Thursday. Samuel Little, who has gleefully described strangling dozens of women between 1970 and 2005, copped to slaughtering two new Florida victims,

Tyson suspends Iowa plant managers amid COVID betting claims

Tyson Foods on Thursday suspended top officials at its largest pork plant amid claims that they had a betting pool on how many workers at the facility would contract the coronavirus during a widespread outbreak. The company’s president and CEO, Dean Banks, said he was “extremely upset” about the allegations against managers at the Waterloo,

CDC warns against Thanksgiving travel amid COVID-19 surge

Scrap your Turkey Day travel plans — even if it’s only a short distance, the Centers for Disease Control urged Thursday. The public health agency released new holiday guidelines warning people to stay home for Thanksgiving festivities — and to mask up at the dinner table — due to sky-high national coronavirus infection rates. “The

Representative Cedric Richmond To Become A Biden Senior Advisor | National

Representative Cedric L. Richmond is set to join President-elect Joe Biden’s team as Assistant to the President, Senior Advisor to the President, and Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement. Richmond, who has represented New Orleans in the House of Representatives for the past 10 years and led the Congressional Black Caucus, has steadily

What is the Pompeo Doctrine? Behind the term coined on Israel trip

The State Department on Thursday appeared to describe the Trump administration’s Israel policies as part of the “Pompeo Doctrine” as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited a Jewish settlement on the West Bank. A department statement said, according to journalists from CNN and PBS, that “[t]he Secretary’s visit highlights US government support of Israeli businesses

One person dies from COVID-19 every 17 seconds in Europe: WHO

Someone in Europe is killed by the coronavirus every 17 seconds, as the continent re-emerges as an epicenter of the deadly pandemic, according to the World Health Organization. “Europe accounts for 28 percent of global cases, and 26 percent of deaths cumulatively in the region,” Hans Kluge, WHO’s European regional director, said Thursday, The Telegraph

AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine shows promise with the elderly

Britain’s Oxford University and AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine has produced a strong immune response among older people – and researchers expect to release late-stage trial results by Christmas, according to a report. The data published in The Lancet medical journal Thursday suggest that people over 70 who are at higher risk of serious illness and death

Megyn Kelly has no regrets about feud with Donald Trump

Megyn Kelly on Wednesday revisited her infamous feud with President Trump, discussing whether she’d change anything about how she handled the situation that led to months of attacks from the then-Republican presidential nominee. “Not one word,” the former Fox News anchor told the Daily Caller in a new interview. “I 100 percent stand by the

Michigan GOP again reverses course on certifying election results

Two members of a four-person board in Wayne County, Michigan, tasked with certifying election results have reversed course again following their initial refusal, and then acquiescence to certify results amid accusations of political motivations and racism by Democrats. Monica Palmer and William Hartmann, the two Republicans on the four-member board of canvassers, originally offered no