PoliticsThe WeekPete Buttigieg rebuts Fox News' attack on Hunter Biden: 'If they want to make this about the business deals of a government official...'
Former Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg was back on Fox News on Thursday night ahead of the final presidential debate, where he faced questions about the recent stories alleging misconduct by Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden. "It's not even clear what [they're] claiming it adds up to," Buttigieg said of Biden's opponents and the new claims. Host Bret Baier jumped in to clarify that the unsubstantiated allegation is that Joe Biden was "discussing all of his business deals" with his son.
PoliticsThe IndependentLindsey Graham accused of dodging debate as polls show challenger Jaime Harrison closing in
Senator Lindsey Graham skipped a debate and insisted he would not return to his home state of South Carolina until Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed by the senate, as polls showed him facing an increasingly tough re-election bid. The senator did not attend the debate previously scheduled for Wednesday against his Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison, stating at a rally earlier in the week that he was “headed back to Washington” and adding: “I'm not coming back until Amy Coney Barrett is a Supreme Court Justice.” Recent polls have shown Mr Harrison, associate chairman of the Democratic National Committee and a former chair of the state's Democratic Party, rising in his bid to unseat the Republican incumbent.
WorldAssociated PressWatchdog says Lebanon probe into port blast flawed
A leading international human rights group on Thursday said a Lebanon-led probe into the devastating port explosion in Beirut this summer has been marred by political meddling and lack of judicial independence, resulting in failure to yield credible results two months later. Human Rights Watch called for a United Nations-led inquiry into the causes of the blast to determine responsibility. The New York-based watchdog called on international supporters of Lebanon, lead by France, meeting next week to press the Lebanese authorities to accept an independent probe.
U.S.INSIDERA sheriff's sergeant is questioning the rescued Zion National Park hiker's story, saying there's no way she could have survived for 2 weeks off river water
Holly Courtier was found in Zion National Park in Utah on Sunday, nearly two weeks after she disappeared on a day hike. Sgt. Darrell Cashin, who helped the search-and-rescue effort, now says he has questions about Courtier's story and pointed out discrepancies. For example, Courtier's daughter told CNN that her mother hit her head early in the hike and became so dehydrated that she couldn't open her mouth.
- NewsFOX News Videos
Meet Ali Chanel, Playboy's curviest Playmate: 'I think the world is ready to accept all bodies'
Meet Ali Chanel, Playboy's curviest Playmate. The model earned the title for the August 2020 issue.
U.S.National ReviewThird-Degree Murder Charge Dismissed against Derek Chauvin in Death of George Floyd
Video shows Chauvin pressing his knee onto Floyd's neck for almost nine minutes while he is handcuffed and yelling that he can't breathe. Cahill also upheld the charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter against the officers – Tou Thao, Thomas K. Lane and J. Alexander Kueng – who were present at the time of the video. More from National Review Atlanta Mayor Orders Protesters to 'Clear Out' After 8-Year-Old Girl Fatally Shot Portland DA Declines to Prosecute Host of Riot-Related Offenses, Citing 'Depth of Emotion' Surrounding Racial Justice Ammon Bundy Comes Out in Support of BLM, Calls to Defund the Police
PoliticsSalonScoop: Rudy Giuliani declined offer of compromising Hunter Biden emails and images in May 2019
President Donald Trump's lawyer and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani talks to journalists outside the White House West Wing July 01, 2020 in Washington, DC Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images This article originally appeared [here on Salon.com] Rudy Giuliani, the personal attorney for President Donald Trump, was approached by someone offering allegedly compromising emails and images belonging to Hunter Biden in 2019, according to two individuals familiar with the meeting. Giuliani was approached with the offer while at a lunch in New York City in May of last year, according to the sources. The content included emails, as well as allegedly salacious video.
PoliticsReutersExplainer: Red mirage, blue mirage - Beware of early U.S. election wins
The states that count mail-in votes before Election Day are likely to give Biden an early lead, since opinion polls and early voting data suggest those ballots favor the Democrat. Conversely, the states that do not tally mail-in votes until Nov. 3 will likely swing initially for Trump. These so-called red or blue mirages will disappear as more ballots are counted, though experts say it may take days or even weeks to process the huge number of mail-in ballots, spurred by voters seeking to avoid crowded polling stations because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
PoliticsThe IndependentMitch McConnell’s hand is discoloured and bandaged – but he insists nothing is wrong
After photos showing his hand discoloured and bandaged went viral earlier this week, Mitch McConnell denied that he had any health issues. The Republican Senate Majority Leader was pictured reaching down to pick up a face mask he had dropped, showing the skin on his right hand much darker than the rest of his body, and a bandage around his thumb. The Independent has contacted Senator McConnell's office for comment but was yet to receive a response.
HealthBusiness InsiderA 26-year-old coronavirus patient who was pronounced brain dead in June just walked out of the hospital a survivor
A 26-year-old North Carolina coronavirus survivor returned home Tuesday after being declared brain dead in June. She had suffered complications including strokes, which have struck other young coronavirus patients for reasons doctors don't fully understand. Doctors also don't know why some critically ill young patients who were previously healthy die while others bounce back.
PoliticsPoliticoBiden issues a pre-emptive strike on Giuliani, opening the door to Trump
For all the anticipation about how President Donald Trump would deploy Hunter Biden's business deals in the debate, it was Joe Biden who became the first to raise Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, who has been leading the effort to dig up dirt on the Bidens. "He's being used as a Russian pawn," Biden said, after name-checking Rudy and describing him as Trump's "buddy." Biden was referring to Giuliani's meeting in December in 2019 with Andriy Derkach, a Ukrainian lawmaker assessed by the U.S. government to be a Russian agent.
U.S.Associated PressJudge dismisses 1 charge against former cop in Floyd’s death
A Minnesota judge has dismissed a third-degree murder charge filed against the former Minneapolis police officer who pressed his knee against George Floyd's neck, saying there was not enough probable cause for that count to proceed to trial. Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill's ruling, dated Wednesday and made public Thursday, found probable cause for Chauvin to be tried on one count of unintentional second-degree murder and one count of second-degree manslaughter. Cahill also found probable cause to move forward with the aiding and abetting counts against three other former officers, Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao.
LifestyleArchitectural Digest26 Neutral Rugs That Make the Case for Beige
Warm up any room with a wallet-friendly classic. Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
LifestyleArchitectural DigestKobe Bryant’s Widow Vanessa Lists Tuscan-Style Southern California Home
It's unclear how much the couple paid for the three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom house seven years ago. The exterior of the single-story abode features a charming brick façade with wall-climbing greenery; inside, the 2,300-square-foot home boasts lofted wood-beam ceilings, hardwood floors, and intricate chandeliers. The kitchen, which revolves around an oversize limestone-topped center island with a farmhouse sink, features a colorful patterned backsplash.
PoliticsThe WeekIntelligence officials think the Trump administration's election interference warnings are focused on the wrong country
American intelligence officials described the Trump administration's decision to focus on Iran's election disinformation campaign on Wednesday night as "concerning," characterizing efforts by Russia to be a bigger threat to destabilizing Americans' faith in the integrity of election results come Nov. 3. FBI Director Christopher Wray and Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe shared on Wednesday that both Russia and Iran have obtained voter registration information and that Iran specifically is using it to email Americans and "intimidate voters, incite social unrest, and damage President Trump."
- U.S.Associated Press
Honda, Arizona reach $5 million settlement over air bags
Honda has agreed to a $5 million settlement with Arizona over allegations that it failed to disclose defects in air bags that led to two deaths there, the state's top attorney said Wednesday. Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced the settlement over the faulty airbag systems manufactured by Takata Corp. and used in certain Honda and Acura cars. Under the agreement, roughly $1.7 million will go toward consumer restitution in Arizona.
HealthBusiness InsiderA 28-year-old volunteer in AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine trial has died, but a report says he was in the control group and given a placebo
A volunteer in AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine trial in Brazil has died. The man, 28, died from complications of COVID-19, Brazil's O Globo newspaper and CNN Brasil reported. According to O Globo, he was in the control group and was given a placebo instead of the trial vaccine.
PoliticsThe IndependentPresidential debate summary: Biden lands repeated blows on conspiracy-focused Trump in final showdown
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden landed several blows on Donald Trump in their final debate, saying the coronavirus death toll should disqualify the president from serving a second term as the two traded sharp barbs about each other's records in office and alleged profits from foreign sources. The president accused Mr Biden of improperly taking funds from other countries while he was vice president, and Mr Biden described his rival as a “very confused guy” who falsely claims a Biden agenda would resemble the more-liberal Democrats he defeated in that party's primary. Mr Biden had just stated the US death toll, over 222,000, before launching into an attack on the president over his coronavirus response.
- U.S.Associated Press
Activist for Georgia's homeless and death-row inmates dies
Murphy Davis, a determined advocate for death row inmates and homeless people in Georgia, died on Thursday of complications related to cancer. Davis had been in hospice care in Baltimore, where she and her husband, Eduard Loring, lived after leaving Atlanta a few years earlier. Davis, a Presbyterian minister, left an indelible imprint on Georgia, where for decades she was a regular visitor to death row inmates.
BusinessBusiness InsiderA California appeals court unanimously upheld a ruling that Uber and Lyft must reclassify their drivers as employees under the state's gig work law
A California appeals court on Thursday unanimously upheld a lower court ruling requiring Uber and Lyft to reclassify their drivers as employees under the state's gig work law, AB-5. Uber and Lyft have sought to avoid being forced to comply with the ruling by trying to convince voters to exempt them from AB-5 via a ballot measure into which the companies have poured nearly $200 million. A California appeals court handed Uber and Lyft a major legal defeat on Thursday, ruling that a lower court was correct in granting an injunction forcing the companies to reclassify their drivers as employees under the state's gig worker law AB-5.
BusinessMiami HeraldCoke bids adieu to 200 drink brands, slashing portfolio in half
The Coca-Cola Company is cutting its portfolio in half, kicking at least 200 beverage brands to the curb by end of year. The money-saving move will allow Coke to focus on its most profitable products so that it may “emerge stronger from the pandemic,” the company said in a news release Thursday. The news comes nearly a week after the beverage giant announced it would discontinue its once popular sugar-free soft drink Tab after more than 60 years on shelves across the world.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderBiden called Trump 'a very confused guy' during the debate when the president falsely claimed he's a far-left liberal who wants 'socialized medicine'
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden described President Donald Trump as "a very confused guy" when the president falsely claimed Biden supports "socialized medicine" during Thursday's debate. Trump repeated the false claim that 180 million Americans stand to lose their private health insurance under Biden's plan. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden called President Donald Trump "a very confused guy" when the president falsely claimed Biden supports "socialized medicine" during Thursday night's presidential debate.
U.S.The IndependentUniversity of Utah admits error in Lauren McCluskey’s death and agrees to pay $13.5m settlement
The University of Utah admitted error in the campus slaying of Lauren McCluskey and will pay her family a $13.5 million settlement. Ms McCluskey had contacted university police multiple times to report threats from Melvin Shawn Rowland before he killed her in 2018. The 21-year-old track and field athlete had dated Rowland for a few weeks until she discovered he had lied about his identity and was a convicted sex offender.
SportsAssociated PressIn key pre-Olympic season, pandemic disrupts figure skating
With the Summer Olympics in Tokyo delayed a year by the coronavirus pandemic, not much attention has been paid to the Winter Games scheduled for February 2022 in Beijing. Except for by those who participate in the sports that compete on the ice and snow — in particular figure skating, for which the competitive season that begins this week at a watered-down Skate America in Las Vegas is critical. There's uncertainty if the 2021 event set for March 22-28 in Stockholm will be held, and the pre-Olympics worlds is the most important because it sets the field for the games.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderA report by conservative election strategists suggests swing voters have turned against Trump because of his coronavirus response
Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic has prompted swing voters in battleground states to reconsider their support for him, a report by Conservative strategists CT group has suggested. The CT group, who have masterminded multiple successful election campaigns and polling for UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the Australian Liberal Party, conducted polling in seven swing states. Their polling suggests that more than half of former Trump voters who no longer plan to back the president said that Trump's handling of the pandemic had prompted them to reconsider their support for him.
“Until solar and wind power take more of the energy load, I like not paying an arm and a leg to heat my house.”
“It is imperative to ramp down greenhouse gas emissions as quickly as possible.”
“Any kind of ban on fracking would cause severe damage to our stressed economy.”
“Climate scientists are urging us to leave all fossil fuels in the ground so that they’ll never be burned. That includes natural gas.”
“Any immediate economic repercussions to the economy can be offset if oil-and-gas companies are made to pay their fair share.”