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Showing posts from November, 2020

SpaceX launches four astronauts to ISS on Sunday

Four astronauts were poised to launch on the SpaceX Crew Dragon "Resilience" to the International Space Station on Sunday, the first of what the US hopes will be many routine missions following a successful test flight in late spring. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3kynNoa

Democratic Party waging a war over its future just as Joe Biden takes helm

Joe Biden will take the White House as a fractured Democratic Party battles over its future, with moderates and progressives blasting each other. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3nsmJ6U

Biden's chief of staff pick expects him to campaign in Georgia ahead of Senate runoffs

Democrats in Georgia have said they'd prefer for President-elect Joe Biden to focus on the White House transition and send surrogates like former President Barack Obama to actively campaign for Democratic Senate candidates John Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, both of whom are gearing up for January runoffs against Republican incumbents that will seal the fate of the upper chamber. One of Ossoff's advisers, for instance, told Politico earlier this week that the best thing Biden can do is avoid getting into a fight with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), whom he may have to work closely with in the future should the GOP hold the Senate, and "restore faith in the presidency" while "the worst thing to happen is if it gets partisan in D.C. again."But Ron Klain, Biden's pick to be White House chief of staff, told NBC's Chuck Todd during Sunday's edition of Meet the Press that the president-elect will likely travel to Georgia to campaign for Os

Coronavirus updates: Dr. Anthony Fauci says spring could bring return to normal; British PM Boris Johnson in self-quarantine; 245K US deaths

Latest coronavirus news: The U.S. is on track to hit 2,000 deaths daily, rural hospitals are being overwhelmed, schools returning to remote learning. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/36Crjsx

Azerbaijan hits out at Armenians burning their homes as they flee conquered territory

Azerbaijan on Sunday postponed taking control of a territory ceded by Armenian forces in a cease-fire agreement, but denounced civilians leaving the area for burning houses and committing what it called "ecological terror." The cease-fire ended six weeks of intense fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region and territories outside its formal borders that had been under the control of Armenian forces since 1994. The agreement calls for Azerbaijan to take control of the outlying territories. The first, Kelbajar, was to be turned over on Sunday. But Azerbaijan agreed to delay the takeover until Nov 25 after a request from Armenia. Azerbaijani presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev said worsening weather conditions made the withdrawal of Armenian forces and civilians difficult along the single road through mountainous territory that connects Kelbajar with Armenia. After the agreement was announced early Tuesday, many distraught residents preparing to evacu

Hurricane Iota heads for already battered Central America

Iota rapidly gained strength after becoming the 13th hurricane of the Atlantic season Sunday, threatening to bring more dangerous winds and rains to Nicaragua and Honduras — countries recently clobbered by Category 4 Hurricane Eta. Nicaragua's government said authorities had begun evacuating some people near the country's border with Honduras, an area that forecasts said likely would be in Iota's path. Iota became a Category 2 hurricane late Sunday afternoon, and the U.S. National Hurricane Center warned it would likely be an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm when it approached the Central America mainland late Monday. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/38Lgsz1

Ex-Obama official suggests Biden should pack as much as he can into executive orders

Former President Barack Obama's chiefs of staff want President-elect Joe Biden to embrace his executive authority once he's in office, NPR reports.Denis McDonough who served in the role during Obama's second term told NPR that President Trump "has demonstrated ... an enormous amount of leeway for the president to institute executive action on things like immigration and energy and climate policy" and "there's no reason" the president-elect "should not use the authority that's available to him."Meanwhile, Obama's first chief of staff, Rahm Emmanuel, argued Biden, despite his fondness for working across the aisle in Congress, should fit as much of his agenda as he can into his executive orders because "the fewer things you have to clog up the legislative pipeline with allows you to concentrate your political capital in that legislative front."Should Biden heed this advice, which seems likely at least when it comes to certain

Philadelphia city council apologizes for approving the police bombing of one of its Black neighborhood's killing 11 people, including 5 children

On May 13, 1985, police dropped an explosive device on the compound of the Black militant group, MOVE, which sparked a fire that burned down 61 homes. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/36GH2qm

GOP captures second Democratic US House seat in California

Republican Young Kim defeated U.S. Rep. Gil Cisneros on Friday in a Southern California district, the second GOP candidate to snatch a Democratic-held seat in the state this year. The contest in the 39th Congressional District anchored in Orange County was a rematch from 2018, when Cisneros was one of seven Democrats who claimed GOP-held California districts that year. Kim overcame President Donald Trump’s poor performance in heavily Democratic California, where he got only one-third of the votes. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2H0ZOQL

Obama said his first instinct was to 'walk down and smack' GOP Rep. Joe Wilson on the head after he shouted 'you lie' at him during a joint session of Congress

Obama said that he was "shocked" to have been yelled at by GOP Rep. Joe Wilson from South Carolina during a joint session of Congress in 2009. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2IvLKQ5

Kamala Harris, Joe Biden send out wishes for happy Diwali

Diwali, one of the most important holidays in India, symbolizes new beginnings and the triumph of good over evil, and light over darkness. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3eYDweS

Trump news – President’s convoy swarmed at MAGA rally in DC, as he blasts Fox for ‘suppressing’ coverage

Rally-goers congregating in Washington DC in support of Donald Trump’s baseless claims of election fraud have swarmed the US president’s SUV as he drove past the event on Saturday morning. Mr Trump waved at supporters as he left the White House, heading to his golf club in Virginia for the 282nd game of his presidency. When he returned from golf he retreated into the executive mansion to tweet out thanks to his supporters in the streets and repeat debunked conspiracy theories regarding voter fraud. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3nopTbR

Washington state governor imposes sweeping restrictions amid COVID-19 surge

The restrictions, most of which will take effect Monday at 11:59 p.m. and last for one month, come as the average daily tally for cases has doubled in the past two weeks, Inslee told a news conference. The spike in cases "...means, unfortunately, the time has come to reinstate restrictions on activities statewide to preserve the public's well-being and to save lives," Inslee said. Indoor gatherings will be prohibited outside one's household and outdoor gatherings will be limited to five people. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3nvpV1R

Al-Qaida's No. 2, Accused in U.S. Embassy Attacks, Is Secretly Killed in Iran

WASHINGTON -- Al-Qaida's second-highest leader, accused of being one of the masterminds of the deadly 1998 attacks on U.S. embassies in Africa, was killed in Iran three months ago, intelligence officials have confirmed.Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah, who went by the nom de guerre Abu Muhammad al-Masri, was gunned down on the streets of Tehran by two assassins on a motorcycle on Aug. 7, the anniversary of the embassy attacks. He was killed along with his daughter, Miriam, the widow of Osama bin Laden's son Hamza bin Laden.The attack was carried out by Israeli operatives at the behest of the United States, according to four of the officials. It is unclear what role if any was played by the United States, which had been tracking the movements of al-Masri and other Qaida operatives in Iran for years.Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York TimesThe killing occurred in such a netherworld of geopolitical intrigue and counterterrorism spycraft that al-Masri's death had been r

SpaceX says 'all systems are go' to launch NASA's longest, most ambitious astronaut mission yet on Sunday night

NASA this week certified SpaceX's rocket and spaceship. Weather permitting, the company will launch its Crew-1 astronaut mission at 7:27 p.m. ET. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3pwjXQ1

A Seattle hiker was brought 'back from the dead' by doctors after his heart stopped for 45 minutes

Michael Knapinski was airlifted to a Seattle hospital after he was found unconscious in a freezing river basin on the edge of Mount Ranier. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/32MmtYq

Lawyers for 1st woman to face federal execution in decades have Covid, seek delay

Her lawyers say in a lawsuit that they are ill because Attorney General Bill Barr "recklessly scheduled Mrs. Montgomery’s execution in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic." from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3f1GU8F

Biden’s chief of staff says ‘he won’ and there’s nothing Donald Trump can tweet to change it

‘[There] has to be a seamless transition,’ incoming Biden chief of staff says, citing ongoing coronavirus pandemic from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3pwM01F

Boris Johnson is in self-isolation after a British parliament member he spent 35 minutes with tested positive for COVID-19, reports say

Johnson and Conservative MP Lee Anderson attended a 35-minute last week and were photographed standing side by side, unmasked. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2K1dXyj

L.A. Affairs: Our first date was over when he refused to pull up his face mask

2020 would be my year. I updated my online dating profile, I planned two international vacations and scheduled several road trips with friends. And then the pandemic hit. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2UupNDc

Biden's possible India links spark genealogical frenzy

Already bursting with pride at Kamala Harris's ancestry, India has now started digging up potential local roots for US President-elect Joe Biden. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3kuHsp0

Shepherd Bushiri: Preacher flees South Africa ahead of fraud trial

The self-styled prophet says he skipped bail and left South Africa because he had received death threats. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3eYuYoq

Palestinians torn as Israel seeks Gulf tourists in Jerusalem

When the United Arab Emirates agreed to normalize relations with Israel, the Palestinians decried the move as a "betrayal" of both Jerusalem, where they hope to establish the capital of their future state, and the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, the city's holiest Muslim site. “There will be some benefits for the Palestinian sector of tourism, and this is what I’m hoping for," said Sami Abu-Dayyeh, a Palestinian businessman in east Jerusalem who owns four hotels and a tourism agency. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2IIalRq

Prosecutors ask Barr to rescind memo on U.S. vote counting irregularities - Washington Post

U.S. prosecutors are asking Attorney General William Barr to rescind a memo issued earlier this week that instructed them to publicly investigate "substantial" allegations of vote counting irregularities, saying they have not seen the unusual activity, the Washington Post reported on Friday. The 16 assistant U.S. attorneys specially assigned to monitor the presidential election this month also said Barr's Monday memorandum had thrust prosecutors into partisan politics and that the policy change was not based in fact, according to the Post, which saw a copy of the letter. Barr sent his memo after days of attacks on the integrity of the election by President Donald Trump and Republican allies, who have alleged without evidence that there was widespread voter fraud. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2IypOU8

Minneapolis business owner on city’s crime spike: We don’t have help like before

The Minneapolis city council members and police chief clash over funding; Salon owner Flora Westbrooks shares with ‘Fox & Friends’ how her business was impacted during the riots. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3kBAgY2

Hurricane watches and warnings issued for stronger Tropical Storm Iota, in record season

Tropical Storm Iota, which formed in the central Caribbean Sea on Friday and marking the 30th named storm in a record-breaking hurricane season., is forecast to turn into a hurricane before approaching Central America next week. Central America is already reeling from Eta hitting Nicaragua as a Category 4 hurricane last week. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/32Dtv1B

SpaceX's next astronaut mission for NASA has been delayed until Sunday due to wind and issues with the rocket-booster recovery

This is the fourth time NASA has delayed the launch of its Crew-1 mission with SpaceX, but the first time due to weather. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3eWoqXa

20 million Americans will get a COVID vaccine this year, administration says

The Trump administration promised that 20 million Americans would receive a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the year. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/35ur3fN

AG Barr faces push back after calling for voter fraud probe

On Nov. 9, U.S. Attorney General William Barr issued a memorandum regarding the 2020 presidential election calling for voter fraud to be investigated. Federal prosecutors are now pushing back on that order, according to a report from the New York Times. The memo, entitled Post-voting Election Irregularity Inquires, was addressed to several government agents and agencies, including federal attorneys and the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), along with the Criminal, National Security and Civil Rights divisions. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3njBrgu

Philippines' Duterte absolves police chief over lockdown birthday party

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday cleared his newly appointed police chief of any violation of rules when he celebrated his birthday in May during one of the world's strictest coronavirus lockdowns. In a national address, Duterte defended police chief Debold Sinas, promoted on Monday Nov. 9 to national police commander from Manila police boss, and noted his appointee's achievements despite a social media stir over perceived special treatment. Sinas had led anti-drug operations in which thousands of people were killed. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2UrPofX

4-year-old boy in Texas loses mom and dad to Covid

"Just this morning he told me that he wishes he had his mom back and he just wanted her back," Raiden Gonzalez's grandmother said. "I just told him that they're now angels watching over us." from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3ptR1YT

The Wolverine Watchmen plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Whitmer also included a plan to burn down the state Capitol building, officials say

According to the Michigan Attorney General's Office, the group had also considered storming the Capitol to "take hostages" and "execute tyrants." from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2UpypuJ

Trump plans “vote-count rallies” to “wreck” Fox News in bid to launch competing network: report

Trump reportedly considers launching a "cheaper" streaming-only MAGA platform over an "expensive" cable channel from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3eXpN7X

Following ceasefire and concessions Armenians leave disputed territory, some setting fire to homes

Following a Russian-brokered ceasefire that includes territorial concessions which will go into effect Sunday, Armenians are leaving villages in the Nagorno-Karabakh region and some are setting fire to their homes, The Associated Press and Reuters report. It's unclear when and how many Azeris, many of whom were displaced from the same land in 1994, will return to the villages.The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory, which is officially recognized as part of Azerbaijan but has been controlled by ethnic Armenians for decades, flared up in recent months. The fighting resulted in Azerbaijan seizing the key city of Shusha, leading to the ceasefire, which Russia — generally considered a staunch ally and protector of Armenia — plans to enforce with 2,000 peacekeepers.The Armenians who are leaving their homes cast doubt on the idea that they could live peacefully beside the returning Azeris, per AP and Reuters, and many remain uncertain of where their next d

Kamala Harris, Joe Biden send out wishes for happy Diwali

Diwali, one of the most important holidays in India, symbolizes new beginnings and the triumph of good over evil, and light over darkness. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3eYDweS

Egypt finds treasure trove of over 100 sarcophagi

Egypt announced Saturday the discovery of an ancient treasure trove of more than a 100 intact sarcophagi, dating back more than 2,500 years ago, the largest such find this year. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3py9gN0

Tucker Carlson apologized on-air for making a false accusation of voter fraud in Georgia

The Fox News host alleged that a dead man in Georgia voted in the election, when in reality it was the man's 96-year-old widow who had voted legally. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2K62mhv

'The long knives are out': The Pentagon purge may be less about a Trump plan than end-of-presidency chaos and revenge

A series of personnel changes placing Trump loyalists in key Defense Department positions has sparked rumors of plans for dramatic action in the waning days of his presidency, but a number of former national security officials see it more as the chaotic final days of an outgoing administration. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3plneBw

Trumpworld's faux-intellectual grifters are helping him debase democracy with bogus 'voter fraud' claims. And Republicans rake in the cash.

Internet "skeptics" are amplifying Trump's fake voter fraud claims. The GOP is using it to raise campaign funds. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/38JV39A

Egypt finds treasure trove of over 100 sarcophagi

Egypt announced Saturday the discovery of an ancient treasure trove of more than a 100 intact sarcophagi, dating back more than 2,500 years ago, the largest such find this year. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/36DrXWQ

Alito takes aim at gay marriage in 'politically charged speech'

In a speech to the conservative Federalist Society, Justice Samuel Alito lamented that opposing same-sex marriage is now "considered bigotry." from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3luoYpW

Ahmaud Arbery's accused killers were denied bond after prosecutors brought evidence of racist social media posts and text messages

Travis and Gregory McMichael appeared in court Thursday for a bond hearing following charges for Ahmaud Arbery's death. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2K3z7fn

Airport damaged after rockets were fired towards two cities in Ethiopia's Amhara state

Ethiopia said on Saturday that forces loyal to the ruling party in the northern Tigray region had fired into neighbouring Amhara region, raising fears that ongoing fighting could draw in other parts of the country. "In the late hours of Nov. 13, 2020, a rocket was fired towards Bahir Dar & Gondar cities. As a result, the airport areas have sustained damages," a government statement said. "The TPLF junta is utilising the last of the weaponry within its arsenals," the statement said, referring to the Tigray People's Liberation Front, the Tigray ruling party. TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael said on Saturday he did not have information about the reported attacks but noted that TPLF leaders have said "any airport used to attack Tigray will be a legitimate target". The airports in both Bahir Dar, the regional capital, and in Gondar are used by both military and civilian aircraft. Residents also reported hearing gunfire in both cities on Friday night,

Elon Musk's positive COVID-19 test means he likely can't attend SpaceX's astronaut launch on Sunday, based on NASA rules

Musk's positive tests couldn't have come at a worse time: SpaceX is set to launch four NASA astronauts into orbit for its Crew-1 mission on Sunday. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2IqMdTz

Pro-Trump senator says Covid survivors should throw away their masks and ‘celebrate’ as he falsely claims they are immune

US has recorded more than 100,000 Covid-19 cases every day for the last week from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3nj58OF

Georgians will not allow Democrats to radically change America: Sen. Tom Cotton

Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton on what’s at stake in the Georgia runoffs. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2UwqRGs

Trump Loses String of Election Lawsuits, Leaving Few Vehicles to Fight His Defeat

By BY ALAN FEUER from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2GZfF26

Mr. President, Pack Your Bags and Be Gone

By BY ROGER COHEN from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/35yW0Qh

Watching CNN While Irish

By BY SÉAMAS O’REILLY from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/35s3bcE

35 Years After MOVE Bombing That Killed 11, Philadelphia Apologizes

By BY JOHN ISMAY from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/35uLERq