PoliticsBusiness InsiderAlan Dershowitz says Texas lawsuit tossed by Supreme Court should tell Trump's allies they 'can't count on the judiciary' to invalidate the election results
Alan Dershowitz on Sunday said the Supreme Court's decision to toss the Texas election lawsuit signaled to President Donald Trump's camp that they "can't count on the judiciary" to invalidate the election results, according to The Hill. Dershowitz said Trump's campaign would need a "perfect storm" 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.
WorldReutersChina urges EU to stop 'irresponsible remarks' after statement on Bloomberg employee
BEIJING (Reuters) -China said on Monday the European Union should stop making "irresponsible remarks" after it called for the release of all those arrested for reporting in China in a statement on a detained Chinese national working for Bloomberg News. China's foreign ministry said on Friday authorities had detained Haze Fan, who works for the Bloomberg bureau in Beijing, on suspicion of endangering national security. The European Union called for authorities to grant Fan "medical assistance if needed, prompt access to a lawyer of her choice, and contacts with her family."
WorldAssociated Press'External source' causes oil tanker blast off Saudi Arabia
An oil tanker off Saudi Arabia's port city of Jiddah suffered an explosion early Monday after being hit by “an external source,” a shipping company said, suggesting another vessel has come under attack off the kingdom amid its yearslong war in Yemen. The attack on the Singapore-flagged BW Rhine, which had been contracted by the trading arm of the kingdom's massive Saudi Arabian Oil Co., marks the fourth assault targeting Saudi energy infrastructure in a month. It also apparently shut down Jiddah port, the most important shipping point for the kingdom, which later said a bomb-laden boat like the remote-controlled ones used by Yemen's Houthi rebels caused the explosion.
WorldThe TelegraphIsrael announces full diplomatic relations with Bhutan
Israel announced on Saturday that it is establishing full diplomatic relations with the relatively isolated Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, the latest in a string of international deals designed to show Israel's growing acceptance abroad. “The circle of recognition of Israel is widening,” said Israeli foreign minister, Gabi Ashkenazi. “The establishment of relations with the Kingdom of Bhutan will constitute a new stage in the deepening of Israel's relations in Asia.”
PoliticsBusiness InsiderAttorney General Barr reportedly instructed prosecutors not to reveal the Hunter Biden tax probes before the election to keep the DOJ out of politics
Attorney General William Barr went to great lengths to prevent prosecutors and senior Justice Department officials from revealing the existence of federal tax investigations into Hunter Biden before the election, The Wall Street Journal reported. The report includes new details of Barr's efforts to keep the investigations under wraps. Monday's report adds to a growing list of frustrations President Donald Trump has with Barr and may catalyze the president's efforts to fire the attorney general weeks before he leaves office.
WorldReutersVaccine refusal in Brazil grows to 22%, most reject Chinese shot: poll
The share of Brazilians unwilling to take any COVID-19 vaccine grew to 22% this week, from 9% in August, and most said they would not accept one made in China, a new poll showed on Saturday, as President Jair Bolsonaro's comments stoked wider skepticism. The survey by pollster Datafolha found 73% of respondents plan to take a shot and 5% do not know if they will, compared to 89% and 3%, respectively, in August. Late last month, Bolsonaro said he would not take any coronavirus vaccine that becomes available.
- WorldAssociated Press
Roadside bomb wounds 23 near Pakistan police station
A roadside bomb exploded near a police station in the Pakistani garrison city of Rawalpindi on Sunday, wounding at least 23 people, police said. Initially police said a hand grenade was thrown near a water filtration plant across the road from the police station, but a senior Rawalpindi police officer Ahsan Younas later confirmed the blast was from a device planted on the side of the road. Police said three of the casualties received deep wounds, while others were given medical care and discharged from the hospital.
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AstraZeneca shares dip after $39 bln Alexion deal
Shares in AstraZeneca fell around 6% early on Monday morning (Dec 14). That as investors reacted to news from the firm over the weekend. The British drugmaker on Saturday (December 12) announced it is buying Alexion Pharmaceuticals for $39 billion in cash and stock.
WorldThe Daily BeastRussian Chemical Experts Trailed Alexei Navalny for Years Before Poisoning Him: Report
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was stalked, trailed, and spied on for more than three years before Russian intelligence agents allegedly poisoned him with a novichok-type nerve agent, according to a new investigation published by Bellingcat on Monday. The extensive investigation by Bellingcat, the Insider, Der Spiegel and CNN, names two Russian doctors working with at least six Russian Security Service, or FSB, operatives who trailed Navalny, flying within him at least 30 times, and possibly attempting to poison him at least once before successfully doing so in August 2020 in the Siberian city of Tomsk.
U.S.BBCAlfred Bourgeois: Second death row inmate executed in two days
A man who killed his toddler daughter nearly 20 years ago has become the second US federal inmate to be executed in as many days. Alfred Bourgeois' death by lethal injection on Friday comes after Brandon Bernard was put to death on Thursday. Three more executions are planned before the end of Donald Trump's presidency on 20 January.
WorldAssociated PressThe Latest: Nurse is 1st to get COVID-19 vaccine in Florida
THE VIRUS OUTBREAK: — COVID-19 vaccine shipments begin in historic US effort — Tens of thousands of new child brides are being married off as their families struggle amid the pandemic's economic fallout — London and nearby areas will be placed under the highest level of restrictions starting Wednesday — AP PHOTOS: Italian health workers still under enormous strain. One says Christmas I will be here. Just like I had Easter here, just like August here, just like every day.
U.S.Business InsiderAtlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms says she declined a position in Biden's cabinet
The office of Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms on Saturday told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that she declined an offer to serve in the cabinet of President-elect Joe Biden. Bottoms, considered a rising star among Democrats, had previously been considered for the role of Biden's vice president before he ultimately selected Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottom has declined an offer to serve in President-elect Joe Biden's cabinet, her office said in a statement Saturday.
WorldAssociated PressGermany's heath minister urges EU to approve vaccine faster
Germany's health minister demanded that the European Union's regulatory agency work faster to approve a coronavirus vaccine and bring an end to the suffering on the continent, but the head of the agency said Monday that his team is already working “around the clock.” Other German officials suggested that residents should forgo Christmas shopping and attend Christmas Mass online as a new lockdown loomed that will close schools and most stores. Chancellor Angela Merkel and the governors of Germany's 16 states agreed Sunday to step up the country's lockdown measures beginning Wednesday and running to Jan. 10 to stop the exponential rise of COVID-19 cases.
WorldAssociated PressIran president says Israel was behind killing of scientist
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani on Monday claimed that Israel was behind the killing of a scientist who founded the Islamic Republic's military nuclear program in the 2000s in an effort to start a war in the last days of President Trump's administration. Rouhani's comments in a news conference marked the first time he has directly accused the Jewish state of carrying out the killing of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh late last month. Israel, long suspected of killing Iranian nuclear scientists over the last decade, has repeatedly declined to comment on the attack.
EntertainmentUSA TODAYFact check: Altered image makes false claim about Time magazine's Person of the Year
The claim: Front line health care workers were named Time magazine's Person of the Year Following Time magazine's 2020 "Person of the Year" issue, an old post resurfaced on social media claiming that medical workers were selected for the title. "Finally it's not celebrities that make to covers," reads a Facebook post from April 3 with over 32,000 shares that recently went viral. Accompanying the text is a purported Time magazine cover featuring a photo collage of medical workers bruised from wearing protective equipment used when treating COVID-19 patients.
U.S.Associated PressDOJ probe of Catholic church abuse goes quiet 2 years later
Two years ago, the U.S. attorney in Philadelphia joined the long line of ambitious prosecutors investigating the Roman Catholic Church's handling of priest-abuse complaints. The Justice Department had never brought a conspiracy case against the church, despite exhaustive reports that showed its long history of burying abuse complaints in secret archives, transferring problem priests to new parishes, silencing accusers and fighting laws to benefit child sex assault victims. U.S. Attorney William McSwain sent subpoenas to bishops across Pennsylvania asking them to turn over their files and submit to grand jury testimony if asked.
WorldBBCIndia farmers: Misleading claims about high-profile support
Protests by farmers in India over new pricing laws show no sign of abating. The dispute has become highly politicised, with many thousands of farmers blocking access roads around the capital Delhi with their tractors and other machinery. Both sides have sought to control the social media narrative, and we've taken a look at attempts to spread misinformation about well-known personalities takings sides in the dispute.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderTrump wants Congress to approve stimulus checks for 'more money than they're talking about'
As his time in office nears its end, President Donald Trump is once again asking Congress to include another round of stimulus payments in the next federal coronavirus relief package. "Right now, I want to see checks — for more money than they're talking about — going to people," Trump said in a Fox News interview that aired Sunday. Members of Congress are discussing a $908 billion bipartisan relief package that does not include any money for a new round of direct payments to Americans.
U.S.Associated PressStatement: Atlanta mayor turned down Biden's Cabinet offer
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms turned down an opportunity to serve in President-elect Joe Biden's Cabinet, a spokesperson for the mayor said Saturday. Bottoms, one of the state's most influential Democrats, had previously been under consideration to become Biden's vice presidential nominee. “Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms was honored to have been offered a role in the Cabinet, which she respectfully declined,” a Bottoms spokesperson said in a statement.
HealthAssociated PressAfter 110K virus deaths, nursing homes face vaccine fears
After 110,000 deaths ravaged the nation's nursing homes and pushed them to the front of the vaccine line, they now face a vexing problem: Skeptical residents and workers balking at getting the shots. “You go get that first and let me know how you feel,” said Denise Schwartz, whose 84-year-old mother lives at an assisted living facility in East Northport, New York, and plans to decline the vaccine. Everyone from members of the military to former presidents have announced their intentions to get the shots, echoing the refrains of others who say the drugs are the product of rigorous review, firm data and independent experts.
WorldAssociated PressItaly surpasses UK for worst COVID-19 death toll in Europe
Italy on Sunday eclipsed Britain to become the nation with the worst official coronavirus death toll in Europe. Italy, where the continent's pandemic began, registered 484 COVID-19 deaths in one day, one of its lowest one-day death counts in about a month. Counting criteria differ in the two countries, and many coronavirus deaths, especially early in the pandemic, are believed to have gone undetected, including those of elderly people in nursing homes who were not tested for COVID-19.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderChris Christie criticizes the Trump campaign's legal approach as 'an absurdity'
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Sunday criticized President Donald Trump's legal team, calling their approach to overturn the election results "an absurdity." "It's an absurd idea to think that any state, or any number of states, no matter how good they are, can challenge another state's right to run the election as they see fit," he said. In an unsigned order issued on December 11, the Supreme Court declined to hear the GOP-backed lawsuit brought by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton due to lack of standing.
WorldAssociated PressSudan's PM visits Ethiopia, as Tigray refugees top 50,000
Sudan's prime minister made a brief visit to Ethiopia on Sunday, his office said, amid a growing refugee crisis that has seen more than 50,000 Ethiopians flee conflict in the Tigray region into neighboring Sudan. Abdalla Hamdok was met at the airport by his Ethiopian counterpart, Abiy Ahmed, and was accompanied by acting Sudanese Foreign Minister Omar Qamar al-Din and top intelligence and military officials. Shortly after fighting erupted in Ethiopia's Tigray region in early November, Sudan deployed more than 6,000 troops to the border with Ethiopia.
HealthBusiness InsiderPfizer's coronavirus vaccine should be safe for most Americans, but 5 groups may want to wait for more data before getting shots
Some public-health experts have also questioned whether people who were already infected with the coronavirus should get vaccinated, particularly if they have lingering symptoms. Here are five groups that may want to wait for more data on how the vaccine affects people like them. At least two groups, young children and those with severe allergies to the vaccine's ingredients, will have to wait no matter what.
PoliticsBBCElectoral College: The people who ultimately pick the US president
State and local elected officials - New York governor Andrew Cuomo was a Democratic elector in 2016 Grassroots activists, lobbyists or other figures from a state - we have two examples below Personal or professional connection to candidate - Donald Trump Jr was an elector for his father last time How are electors chosen? Each political party with a candidate on the presidential ballot nominates or votes on its own slate of electors in the months prior to election day. States have their own rules for choosing electors.
“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.”