PoliticsBusiness InsiderAlan Dershowitz says Texas lawsuit tossed by Supreme Court should tell Trump's allies that they 'can't count on the judiciary' to invalidate election results
Alan Dershowitz on Sunday said that the Supreme Court's decision to toss the Texas election lawsuit signaled a message to President Donald Trump's camp that they "can't count of the judiciary" to invalidate the election results, according to The Hill. Dershowitz said that Trump's campaign needed a "perfect storm" in order to invalidate the election results, with courts, governors, and state election officials aiding his cause. "I suspect on Monday we will see the electors…elect Joe Biden," he said.
WorldThe WeekRussian report claims Putin is secretly working at a duplicate office in seaside resort
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been a visible presence during Russia's COVID-19 pandemic, but only on TV, shown working from his office at his official residence outside Moscow. Few people have seen Putin in person since March, and those who are allowed into his office have to first quarantine for two weeks then walk through a tunnel that sprays a fine mist of antiseptics, Russian journalists say. Putin, a former spy, has actually been working at an identical office set up at his residence in Sochi, a resort town and popular vacation destination on the Black Sea, Proekt reports, citing anonymous sources plus presidential plane flight logs and other circumstantial evidence.
WorldThe Telegraph'We have no oxygen': First journalist to access Yemen after Covid discovers major cover up in country of her birth
Like many others in March I was spending my days locked down in my London flat, listening to reports about how overwhelmed the NHS was and the struggle to get essential supplies. If the UK was struggling to cope, I thought to myself, just how would the authorities in Yemen fare? From London I set about trying to find out what was truly happening, but it was near impossible.
U.S.ReutersGunman shot dead by police at NYC church after concert; no one else wounded
A gunman shouting "Kill me!" opened fire from the steps of New York City's Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine just after an outdoor choir performance there on Sunday, and was himself shot dead by police, according to police and a Reuters photographer at the scene. No one else was struck by gunfire thanks to quick action by three officers on the scene who confronted the suspect, New York City Police Commissioner Dermot Shea told reporters following the late-afternoon violence on Manhattan's Upper West Side. The shooting occurred outside the landmark cathedral for the Episcopal Diocese of New York, located at Amsterdam Avenue and West 112th Street, about 15 minutes after the conclusion of an outdoor choir performance on the church steps attended by about 200 people.
WorldAssociated PressFamilies marry off daughters to ease finances amid COVID-19
Before long, Marie was seated on a floor mat in a new dress as his family presented hers with 500,000 leones ($50) inside a calabash bowl along with the traditional kola nut. The day they paid for me was on a Friday and then I went to his house to stay," she says flatly, adding that at least now she gets to eat something twice a day. Many countries had made progress against such traditional and transactional marriages of girls in recent decades, but COVID-19's economic havoc has caused significant backsliding: The United Nations estimates that hardships resulting from COVID-19 will drive 13 million more girls to marry before the age of 18.
PoliticsLA TimesMcManus: Trump has changed tactics in his election fight. His new approach is more dangerous
President Trump's initial challenge to the outcome of the presidential election annoyed supporters of Joe Biden, who won the vote. But Trump's early actions weren't outrageous. A candidate — any candidate — has the right to challenge results, ask for recounts and investigate charges of wrongdoing.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderGeorgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler posed for a photo with a former KKK chief - but says she didn't know who he was
Sen. Kelly Loeffler has been photographed with Chester Doles, a former head of the Ku Klux Klan and member of the neo-Nazi National Alliance. Doles posted a selfie of them at a rally for Loeffler in Dawsonville, Georgia, on Friday, on the Russian social-media site VKontakte. The image was reshared on Twitter by a Jewish advocacy group, which criticized Loeffler.
HealthThe TelegraphFather who 'begged' GP for an MRI scan dies from cancer after Covid backlog
A father-of-two who had to "beg" to get an MRI scan because of the coronavirus crisis has died of cancer, his family have revealed. Sherwin Hall, 27, from Leeds, West Yorkshire, went to hospital on March 23 suffering from leg pain but despite repeated visits he was only given a course of antibiotics for a misdiagnosis of prostatitis. After "begging for a scan" and 13 hospital visits in four weeks, Mr Hall was finally given an MRI on May 26 which revealed a 14cm malignant tumour in his pelvis and 30 small tumours on his lungs.
U.S.The WeekNational Security Adviser Robert O'Brien, wife are reportedly making Europe event a holiday vacation
National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien is heading to Paris on Monday as head of a U.S. delegation to the 60th anniversary of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Convention, the White House announced Sunday. His wife, Lo-Mari, is accompanying him on the lame-duck trip, which will double as "a holiday tour of the romantic Mediterranean and European capitals, including seeking a private tour of the Louvre despite it being closed because of coronavirus restrictions," Axios reports. Most Americans are barred from traveling to France or other European countries, and U.S. citizens already in Paris are supposed to leave their homes only for grocery shopping or work.
PoliticsAssociated PressBiden's Homeland Security pick faces questions on 2015 probe
The last time Alejandro Mayorkas faced Senate confirmation, not a single Republican voted for him because there was an open investigation into his management of the U.S. immigration agency under President Barack Obama. Now, seven years later, Mayorkas is President-elect Joe Biden's groundbreaking nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security, and that since-completed investigation has emerged as a potential stumbling block. The Office of Inspector General's 2015 report criticized his handling of three politically connected applications to a program that grants U.S. visas to foreigners who make job-creating investments in the United States.
U.S.INSIDERTwo Ohio girls who ran away from home together were located states apart - but only one of them was found safe and alive
Ohio police are investigating a case involving the death of a 15-year-old girl who was reported missing on last month, Fox News reported. Kathryn McGuire, 15, and Haylie Vance, 15, ran away from their homes with 19-year-old Aaron Larkin, according to a news release from the Painesville Police Department. Vance was found safe by California police on December 4.
U.S.USA TODAYMan climbs on wing of Alaska Airlines plane departing Las Vegas airport, takes off shoes and socks
Police have arrested a man who managed to climb the wing of a departing Alaska Airlines plane at Las Vegas's McCarran International Airport on Saturday. Passengers watched in shock — and filmed — inside Alaska Airlines flight 1367 from Las Vegas to Portland when they saw the man climbing onboard the wing, sitting down and eventually taking off his shoes and socks during his estimated 45-minute stint. "WTH did I just witness?" passenger Erin Evans asked on Twitter, posting video of the incident.
PoliticsThe WeekJudge appointed by Trump heard his case to overturn Biden's win, wholly rejected it on the merits
President Trump told Fox News' Brian Kilmeade on Saturday, in a clip broadcast Sunday, that no judges have had "the courage" to allow his lawyers and allies to argue his baseless claims that the election was "stolen," specifically criticizing the U.S. Supreme Court for declining to "go into the evidence" on his cases because of "little technicalities, like a thing called standing." In fact, several courts have offered to hear pro-Trump lawyers argue their case, and U.S. District Judge Brett Ludwig in Wisconsin shot down the latest of those cases on Saturday. "A sitting president who did not prevail in his bid for reelection has asked for federal court help in setting aside the popular vote based on disputed issues of election administration, issues he plainly could have raised before the vote occurred," wrote Ludwig, a Trump appointee.
- PoliticsFOX News Videos
Rudy Giuliani on Trump election fight: We have ‘1,000 affidavits from witnesses in 6 different states’
President Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani provides insight into the strongest piece of evidence he will present for legal challenge.
U.S.Miami HeraldTwo inmates who escaped a Tennessee prison arrested in South Florida
The two inmates wanted by the who escaped from a prison in Tennessee were arrested in Pompano Beach Sunday night, officials said. According to the Tennessee Department of Corrections, Robert Lee Brown and Christopher Osteen were arrested by the Broward County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Marshals Service after the two absconded from Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville on Friday. Brown, 36, was serving an 18-year sentence for aggravated rape and Osteen, 34, was serving an 8-year sentence for burglary.. Brown's sentence was set to expire in 2022 and Osteen's was set to expire in 2023.
- WorldReuters
U.S. to remove Sudan from terrorism list on Monday - embassy
A U.S. decision to remove Sudan from a list of state sponsors of terrorism came into effect on Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, ending a designation in place since 1993 that has weighed on the Sudanese economy and curbed financial assistance. The delisting provides a boost to transitional authorities that took over after the ouster of former President Omar al-Bashir last year and are grappling with a deep economic crisis. A 45-day U.S. Congressional review period followed President Donald Trump's announcement that he would end the listing, days before he announced that Israel and Sudan intend to normalise relations.
PoliticsThe TelegraphTrump does U-turn on plan to vaccinate senior White House officials early as vaccinations begin in US
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested late Sunday that senior White House officials would wait longer for Covid-19 vaccines hours after media outlets reported senior officials were to receive doses within 10 days. Late Sunday night, Trump said on Twitter he had asked for an "adjustment" to be made to the plans to vaccinate White House officials. "People working in the White House should receive the vaccine somewhat later in the program, unless specifically necessary," Trump wrote, adding: "I am not scheduled to take the vaccine, but look forward to doing so at the appropriate time."
PoliticsBusiness InsiderHunter Biden told to disclose information related to Ukrainian energy company Burisma as part of his tax investigation
Hunter Biden has been asked to provide information related to his work at the Ukrainian energy company Burisma as part of the DOJ tax investigation, a source involved in the process told the Associated Press. The president-elect's second son has also been asked to provide documents relating to his business dealings with China and other financial transactions. It is not clear whether the younger Biden's work at the Ukrainian company is a central part of the tax investigation.
PoliticsAssociated PressWith his star dimmed, California's Newsom could face recall
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has had a rough year. The next one might be even tougher as a recall effort appears to be gaining momentum, fueled partly by outrage over the first-term Democrat dining with friends at an opulent restaurant while telling state residents to spurn social gatherings and stay home. It's not uncommon in California for residents to seek recalls but they rarely get on the ballot — and even fewer succeed.
PoliticsUSA TODAYDonald Trump, Mike Pence, Congress, Supreme Court will be offered COVID-19 vaccine in coming days, officials say
President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and other top federal office-holders will be offered COVID-19 vaccines over the next week-and-a-half to guard against an outbreak that could cripple the functions of government, officials said Sunday. The shots will be offered to officials across all three branches of government, including leaders at the White House, in Congress, and on the Supreme Court, officials said. White House staff members who work in close proximity to Trump are also expected to get early vaccines.
BusinessBusiness InsiderTesla is reportedly shutting down Model S and X production for 18 days, forcing staff to take unplanned, unpaid time off - or they can 'volunteer' in other parts of the business
Tesla is suspending production of two of its Model S and X electric vehicles for 18 days from December 24, according to a Friday staff email seen by CNBC. Affected staff have to take five unpaid days off work, but Tesla said they could seek limited paid opportunities, or even "volunteer" elsewhere in the business. Tesla is suspending production of its Model S and Model X vehicles for 18 days from late December, according to an email to factory staff seen by CNBC.
U.S.LA TimesUnwelcome in other countries, Americans are fleeing lockdowns and flocking to Mexico
At the same time, travel from the United States appears to have contributed to an uptick in coronavirus cases and deaths in many tourism hot spots. Mexico's official death toll last week surpassed 113,000 — the fourth highest in the world — although officials say that many cases have gone undetected and that the true tally is likely double that. Citing a "very high level of contagion," the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has cautioned against vacationing in Mexico.
LifestyleUSA TODAYCOVID-19 gave this Ohio family a 'sucker punch.' Powerful family emails show how tragedy unfolded.
The day Frank Malinowski was admitted to the hospital for treatment of COVID-19, his 36-year-old son, Frank "Keith" Malinowski, began to write. Over three weeks in October and November, the virus became a plague on the Malinowski family. For Keith Malinowski, an avid deer hunter from Canal Fulton, Ohio, who works in railroad construction, his emails were his way of coping in a time of high stress.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderBill Gates said the transition between presidential administrations is 'complicating' the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, but 'we'll get through this in a positive way'
Bill Gates said that, while the transition of administrations "is complicating" the vaccine distribution process, he believed "we'll get through this in a positive way," he said during a segment of CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday. Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccine was approved for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration on Friday. Moncef Slaoui, the head scientist of the federal vaccine initiative Operation Warp Speed, said on Sunday that Moderna's vaccine will also "likely" to be approved by Friday of the upcoming week.
PoliticsThe Daily BeastProud Boy Leader Says He Was Invited to White House. White House Says It Was Actually a Public Xmas Tour.
Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio said on Saturday that he had been invited to the White House, ostensibly while he was in Washington, D.C. to attend a series of rallies protesting the results of the 2020 election. His posts, which were made on the Trumpian social media site Parler, set off alarm bells over the possibility that a top figure with a far-right, neo-fascist movement had been granted an audience with top government officials. But the White House says that he was not, in fact, invited at all and was merely on a public Christmas tour of the complex.
“The prospect of a 2024 run is politically significant. It’s also a complete fiction.”
“His flirtation with a 2024 bid ensures he’ll remain the dominant force in the Republican Party.”
“He shouldn’t run for president again. There’s a better job and life for him on the horizon.”
“Trump is in for years of scandals and humiliations…He’ll have to devote much of his energy to trying to stay out of prison.”
“If Trump himself passes on the opportunity, his two very political children could also potentially pick up the mantle.”