My Daily Grind News

BERLIN/PARIS (Reuters) – Germany decided to shut bars and restaurants for a month on Wednesday and France prepared to tighten controls on movement as the coronavirus surged across Europe and financial markets tumbled at the likely cost of a second lockdown. Source: Germany and France prepare new lockdowns as COVID sweeps Europe | Reuters The article was originally published here!

The sprawling agency, which employs some 4,000 people in more than 100 offices across Texas, has for months had to contend with the added challenges of the coronavirus, many staff members working from home and others deployed as legal backup to Gov.  Greg Abbott  in coronavirus-related lawsuits on everything from abortion rights to business closures. Communications director Marc Rylander departed more than a month ago, and Nick Moutos, an assistant attorney general,  lost his job at the agency  in early September after revelations that he had shared racist rhetoric and QAnon conspiracy theories on social media. Meanwhile, top state attorneys are juggling a handful of fast-moving election-related lawsuits — When will early voting begin? Will Texas ballots allow for straight-ticket voting? — and gearing up for  a Nov. 10 argument before the U.S. Supreme Court , the culmination of a yearslong effort to strike down the Affordable Care Act. Source: Texas AG Ken Paxton’s office proc...

Trump’s own business history is filled with overseas financial deals, and some have involved the Chinese state. He spent a decade unsuccessfully pursuing projects in China, operating an office there during his first run for president and forging a partnership with a major government-controlled company.And it turns out that China is one of only three foreign nations — the others are Britain and Ireland — where Mr. Trump maintains a bank account, according to an analysis of the president’s tax records, which were obtained by The New York Times. The foreign accounts do not show up on Mr. Trump’s public financial disclosures, where he must list personal assets, because they are held under corporate names. The identities of the financial institutions are not clear. Source: Trump Records Shed New Light on Chinese Business Pursuits – DNyuz The article was originally published here!

Trump personal attorney Rudy Giuliani argued on Tuesday that the American public deserved to see reports based off material from Hunter Biden’s laptop “even if it isn’t accurate.” Appearing on AM1100 The Flag, a North Dakota radio show, the former New York City mayor grumbled about social media companies initially restricting access to the Post stories, saying it “reminds me of the communist and the Nazis.” From there, he said the story should be spread regardless of its accuracy. “They’ve set up an Iron Curtain so you can’t get out the New York Post story which I happened to know is 100 percent accurate,” Giuliani declared. “But even if it isn’t accurate, the American people are entitled to know it.” Source: Giuliani: Even if Hunter Laptop Story ‘Isn’t Accurate,’ Americans ‘Are Entitled to Know It’ The article was originally published here!

Conservative talk radio show host Rush Limbaugh says he’s had a setback in his fight against advanced lung cancer. Limbaugh, 69, said recent scans show “some progression of cancer.” It’s “not dramatic, but it is the wrong direction,” he told listeners Monday, according to a transcript posted on his website. The host said Monday that he has been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. On Feb. 3, he first disclosed that he was sick. The following day, President Donald Trump awarded Limbaugh the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, during the State of the Union address. Source: Rush Limbaugh says cancer has shown progression in the ‘wrong direction’ The article was originally published here!

Joe Biden’s transition team is vetting a handful of Republicans for potential Cabinet positions — despite doubts it will win him new support from the right and the risk it will enrage the left. Reaching across the aisle to pick senior members of his administration could shore up Biden’s credentials as a unity candidate, a message he’s made a cornerstone of his campaign. Past presidents including George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama have all done the same. But that tradition died with President Donald Trump, and liberal Democrats are already warning that a Republican pick, even a moderate one, could sow distrust within the party before Biden even takes office. Source: Biden eyes GOP candidates for Cabinet slots – POLITICO The article was originally published here!

Robert F. Smith, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of a San Francisco based private equity company, entered into a Non-Prosecution Agreement (the agreement) with the Department of Justice, for his involvement from 2000 through 2015 in an illegal scheme to conceal income and evade millions in taxes by using an offshore trust structure and offshore bank accounts, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Tax Division, U.S. Attorney David L. Anderson for the Northern District of California, and Chief of Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation Jim Lee. In that agreement, Smith admits his involvement in the illegal scheme and agrees to cooperate with ongoing investigations and to pay back taxes and penalties in full. “It is never too late to do the right thing,” said U.S. Attorney Anderson. “It is never too late to tell the truth. Smith committed serious crimes, but he also agreed to cooperate. Smith’s agreement to cooperate has p...

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Fueled by extreme heat and dry, windy conditions, wildfires ravaged California in September, blazing through almost 1.9 million acres, destroying nearly 1,000 homes and killing at least three people. One wildfire, the Creek Fire, became the largest single inferno in California history and grew so fierce it spun up fire tornadoes with 125 mph winds. On Friday, the request for federal assistance to help pay for the recovery from a half dozen of those fires spun up a tornado of its own. Like the proverbial tempest, the storm over the money had been contained in a tea pot by the day’s end. The day began with news that the Trump administration had refused to grant California’s emergency declaration that would make hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding available for areas devastated by the Creek Fire and five others. Federal officials said the most recent application did not meet the criteria for federal relief. Source: Trump administration rejects, th...

President Trump’s influential supporter Rupert Murdoch is telling close associates he believes Joe Biden will win the election in a landslide. The Australian-born billionaire is disgusted by Trump’s handling of COVID-19, remarking that the president is his own worst enemy, that he is not listening to advice about how best to handle the pandemic, and that he’s creating a never-ending crisis for his administration, according to three people who have spoken with Murdoch. Source: Fox News Owner Rupert Murdoch Predicts a Landslide Win for Biden The article was originally published here!

In 2016, many mainstream media outlets let themselves be used by Donald Trump and his henchmen (Rudy Giuliani, Steve Bannon, Roger Stone, etc.) to amplify nutso Hillary conspiracy stories. It helped put Trump in the White House, where he has violated the Constitution, his oath of office, and common decency pretty much every day since. So far this time around, the media’s track record has been better. But it’s better because all the conspiracy-mongering has fallen flat. Prosecutor John Durham, who I really thought was going to do Bill Barr’s dirty work and try to rig the election by indicting a number of deep-staters with “ties” to the Obama administration, reportedly won’t issue a report until after the election, which means he has found nothing. And Wednesday morning we learned that another prosecutor set up by Barr to try to gin up a fake scandal has folded up his tent, too. He was investigating the “unmasking” “scandal,” but he too found nothing. Source: Donald Trump, Rudy Giulian...

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Accused conspirators charged in a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also discussed “taking” Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, an FBI agent testified at a court hearing Tuesday. During the hearing here in Grand Rapids to discuss the charges filed last week against members of a self-proclaimed militia accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan’s Democratic governor, FBI Special Agent Richard Trask revealed that months ago some of the suspects met in Dublin, Ohio, where Northam, also a Democrat, was discussed as a potential target. “At this meeting they discussed possible targets, taking a sitting governor, specifically issues with the governors of Michigan and Virginia, based upon the lockdown orders,” Trask told the court, referring to state-mandated restrictions implemented to combat the spread of coronavirus. Source: Virginia Gov. Northam also a possible target of Whitmer kidnapping plotters, FBI agent tells court – The Washington Post The...

COLUMBIA — The second debate in South Carolina’s competitive U.S. Senate race was scrapped hours before it was scheduled to begin Friday night after Democratic challenger Harrison insisted that Republican incumbent Lindsey Graham take a coronavirus test in advance and Graham refused.Instead of an hour-long debate, the two candidates participated in separate 25-minute interviews hosted by television station WSPA in Spartanburg that covered a range of topics including the Supreme Court, economic relief during the pandemic, vaccines requirements for schools, police brutality, health care and more.The decision to move to a forum format put an end to tumultuous back-and-forth in the final 24 hours before the debate. Source: SC Senate debate replaced by separate interviews after Harrison insisted on COVID tests | Palmetto Politics | postandcourier.com The article was originally published here!

(CNN) California Gov. Gavin Newsom has nominated a candidate who could be the first openly gay justice and only the third Black man to serve on the state’s highest court if confirmed. Judge Martin Jenkins, a former NFL player for the Seattle Seahawks turned civil rights attorney and Alameda County prosecutor, has been nominated to serve on California’s Supreme Court. “Justice Jenkins is widely respected among lawyers and jurists, active in his Oakland community and his faith, and is a decent man to his core,” Newsom said in a news release. “As a critical member of my senior leadership team, I’ve seen firsthand that Justice Jenkins possesses brilliance and humility in equal measure. The people of California could not ask for a better jurist or kinder person to take on this important responsibility.” Source: Gov. Newsom nominates first openly gay man, third Black man to California Supreme Court – CNN The article was originally published...

The U.S. Supreme Court has refused, for now, to reimpose FDA regulations that require women seeking medication abortion to pick up the prescribed pills in person at a clinic instead of by mail. The court’s decision came Thursday night on a 6-to-2 vote that rejected an emergency appeal from the Trump administration.The challenge to the FDA regulation was brought by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists after the the agency relaxed similar regulations for other drugs–including opioids–in order to limit patients’ exposure to Covid-19 during the pandemic, but refused to relax the same rule for those with prescriptions for abortions with pills in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. Federal Judge Theodore Chuang in Maryland ruled in favor of ACOG, declaring that requiring such in-person pick-ups of pills during a pandemic posed “a substantial obstacle to women seeking an abortion.” The Supreme Court has long ruled that such substantial obst...

The FBI revealed Thursday that it thwarted a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, unsealing charges against six people who it said contemplated a violent overthrow of the government and conducted firearms training, tested explosives and tactical drills. The plotters, according to an FBI affidavit, seemed to be motivated by their belief that state governments, including Michigan’s, were violating the Constitution. One of those involved complained in June that Whitmer (D) was controlling the opening of gyms — an apparent reference to coronavirus shut down restrictions. But unbeknown to them, the FBI had confidential informants recording many of their discussions, according to the affidavit. President Trump has been publicly critical of Michigan’s leaders over the state-imposed measures to stem to spread of coronavirus, tweeting in April, “LIBERATE MICHIGAN.” Federal and state authorities are scheduled to have a news conference on the charges at 1 p.m., and Whitmer is expecte...

(Reuters) – The U.S. trade deficit surged in August to the largest in 14 years with imports climbing again, suggesting that trade could be a drag on economic growth in the third quarter. The Commerce Department said on Tuesday the trade deficit jumped 5.9% to $67.1 billion, the widest since August 2006. Source: U.S. trade deficit jumps to largest in 14 years in August | Reuters The article was originally published here!

Eddie Van Halen, the guitarist and songwriter who helped give the radio-rock band Van Halen its name and sound, died Tuesday after a battle with cancer. He was 65. His death was announced by his son, Wolf Van Halen, on Twitter. “I can’t believe I’m having to write this,” the statement said, “but my father, Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, has lost his long and arduous battle with cancer this morning. He was the best father I could ever ask for. Every moment I’ve shared with him on and off stage was a gift.” In a band known for its instability — due in part to a rotating cast of lead singers that most notably includes David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar — Eddie Van Halen and his brother Alex remained constants, appearing on 12 studio albums that reached across five decades and sold tens of millions of copies. No matter the singer, Eddie Van Halen’s high-flying guitar sound — heavy on tapping, with both hands on the neck of the instrument — was dee...

Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are in isolation after the Coast Guard’s No. 2 officer tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the Pentagon said Tuesday in a statement. Adm. Charles W. Ray, the vice commandant of the Coast Guard, first tested positive for the virus on Monday, said Rear Admiral Jon Hickey, a service spokesman. It is not clear when or where the admiral was infected, but his travels in recent days include attending a Sept. 27 event at the White House recognizing Gold Star military families and a meeting at the Pentagon on Friday with the military’s top generals. Hickey said that after Ray experienced mild symptoms over the weekend, he sought a test. “Although he is experiencing mild symptoms, he is in good spirits,” Hickey said. “In accordance with established Coast Guard COVID policies, he will be quarantining from home for the required 14-day timeframe, where he will continue to perform his duties as Vice Commandant.” Source: Joint Chiefs officers in isolati...

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany announced Monday that she tested positive for the novel coronavirus. McEnany said in a statement that “after testing negative consistently, including every day since Thursday, I tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday morning while experiencing no symptoms.” She added that according to the White House medical unit, she was not in close contact with any reporters, producers, or members of the press. McEnany also said that she “definitively had no knowledge” that White House counselor Hope Hicks had tested positive for COVID-19 when McEnany held a press briefing on Thursday. Source: White House press sec Kayleigh McEnany tests positive for COVID-19 – Business Insider The article was originally published here!

President Trump has received two experimental coronavirus treatments, according to his physician: an “antibody cocktail” and remdesivir. Other lowlights: “Going welI, I think! Thank you to all. LOVE!!!”  Trump tweeted  from the hospital shortly before midnight. His physician  said in a statement late Friday  that “the President is doing very well” and “is not requiring any supplemental oxygen.” Kellyanne Conway, a former senior adviser to Trump, said Friday that she tested positive for the virus, just days after attending a Rose Garden event announcing Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court. At least a half-dozen people who were at the event have confirmed infections, including Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and University of Notre Dame President John I. Jenkins. Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and top White House aide Hope Hicks have also tested positive for the virus. Vice P...

US President Donald Trump is being taken to hospital less than 24 hours after testing positive for coronavirus. The White House said the decision to transport him to Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre was taken “out of an abundance of caution”. Mr Trump began exhibiting “mild symptoms” of Covid-19 on Thursday after disclosing that he and his wife had gone into quarantine late Wednesday. The White House said he was feeling “fatigued but in good spirits”. The president’s symptoms include a low-grade fever, according to the BBC’s US partner, CBS News. Source: Trump being taken to hospital after testing positive for Covid-19 – BBC News The article was originally published here!

WASHINGTON (AP) —The White House said Friday that President Donald Trump was suffering “mild symptoms” of COVID-19, making the stunning announcement after he returned from an evening fundraiser without telling the crowd he had been exposed to an aide with the disease that has killed a million people worldwide. The announcement that the president of the United States and first lady Melania Trump had tested positive, tweeted by Trump shortly after midnight, plunged the country deeper into uncertainty just a month before the presidential election. However, White House aides said he was in good spirits and working in quarantine in the family quarters. Trump has spent much of the year downplaying the threat of a virus that has killed more than 205,000 Americans. His diagnosis was sure to have a destabilizing effect in Washington and around the world, raising questions about how far the virus has spread through the highest levels of the U.S. government. Hours before Trump announced he had...

Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett is a legal scholar and jurist who has a lengthy list of publicly known achievements and accolades on her resume, but she is not a “Rhodes scholar” as White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany falsely said on Thursday Before Barrett graduated summa cum laude from Notre Dame Law School, she earned a bachelor’s degree from Rhodes College—in Tennessee. Source: Kayleigh McEnany Falsely Says Amy Coney Barrett Is a Rhodes Scholar | Law & Crime The article was originally published here!

Brad Parscale, a senior adviser to Donald Trump’s campaign who was involuntarily detained by police this weekend, said he is stepping away from the reelection effort and seeking help for what he called “overwhelming stress” on him and his family. In a statement provided to POLITICO on Wednesday, Parscale’s wife, Candice, also denied that Parscale physically abused her, despite a police report in which said she told authorities the contrary. Source: Parscale steps away from Trump campaign as wife denies physical abuse – POLITICO The article was originally published here!