Biden mauls Trump's record on coronavirus in final presidential debate The Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden assailed Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic during Thursday night’s final presidential debate, as the president attempted to reset a race that shows him trailing his opponent in opinion polls less than two weeks before election day. The evening in Nashville began relatively calmly, with the rivals making their closing arguments to the nation amid a pandemic that has killed more than 220,000 Americans and infected millions more, including the president. In part due to the pandemic, more than 40 million Americans have already cast their ballot, shattering records and leaving Trump an increasingly narrow window to reset the debate around his handling of the coronavirus crisis and its economic fallout. “It will go away,” Trump said, offering a rosy assessment of the pandemic’s trajectory even as cases have started rising again across the US and public health experts warn that the US is on the precipice of a dangerous new wave.
Facebook shareholders try to block encryption plan Image copyright Getty Images Investors at Facebook's annual stockholder meeting will vote on a proposal to postpone the firm's plans for end-to-end encryption. The firm says it wants to make the measure the default option across its messaging platforms to protect privacy. But activist shareholders say this would make it nearly impossible to detect child exploitation on Facebook. The group wants the company to delay the move until after its board of directors studies the risk further. "As shareholders, we know that privacy is important to a social media company, but it should not come at the expense of unleashing a whole new torrent of virtually undetectable child sexual abuse on Facebook," said Michael Passoff, founder of Proxy Impact, a shareholder advocacy service supporting the measure.
Trump’s Pardon of Flynn Signals Prospect of a Wave in His Final Weeks in Office WASHINGTON — When President Trump pardoned Michael T. Flynn on Wednesday, he did more than wipe clean the record of his first national security adviser, who had twice pleaded guilty to lying to the F.B.I. He also bolstered the hopes of a wide array of clemency seekers that he might deliver a wave of pardons and commutations before leaving office. Among the others looking for pardons are two former Trump campaign advisers, Rick Gates and George Papadopoulos, who like Mr. Flynn were convicted in cases stemming from the special counsel’s Russia investigation. But lawyers and others who have been in touch with the White House say they anticipate that Mr.
Israel and Sudan have agreed to normalize relations, Trump announces Trump made the announcement from the Oval Office while joined on the phone by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Sudanese Chairman of the Sovereignty Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. According to a joint statement from the three countries, the leaders of Sudan and Israel "agreed to the normalization of relations between Sudan and Israel and to end the state of belligerence between their nations" and "agreed to begin economic and trade relations, with an initial focus on agriculture." "The leaders also agreed that delegations will meet in the coming weeks to negotiate agreements of cooperation in those areas as well as in agriculture technology, aviation, migration issues and other areas for the benefit of the two peoples. The leaders also resolved to work together to build a better future and advance the cause of peace in the region," the joint statement said.
Minnesota violence: Clashes over death of black man in police custody Image copyright Getty Images There have been violent clashes between police and protesters in the US city of Minneapolis following the death of an unarmed black man in police custody. Police fired tear gas and protesters threw rocks and sprayed graffiti on police cars. Video of the death shows George Floyd, 46, groaning "I can't breathe" as a policeman kneels on his neck. Coronavirus live news: US suffers one Covid death every minute as global cases near 60m Nevada’s governor, diagnosed with Covid-19 himself earlier this month, said on Sunday he was tightening coronavirus restrictions on casinos, restaurants and bars, while imposing a broader statewide mandate for face-coverings over the next three weeks. The new measures, effective on Tuesday, come as state and local government leaders around the United States have moved to reinstate a wide range of limits on social and economic life to tame an alarming surge of Covid-19 infections following a summertime lull in the pandemic. “Whether you believe in the science of Covid or not, the reality is this - Covid is filling up our hospital beds, and that threatens all Nevadans,” Governor Steve Sisolak, a Democrat said in announcing what he called a new “statewide pause”.
Poland delays abortion ban as nationwide protests continue Poland’s rightwing government has delayed implementation of a controversial court ruling that would outlaw almost all abortion after it prompted the largest protests since the fall of communism. “There is a discussion going on, and it would be good to take some time for dialogue and for finding a new position in this situation, which is difficult and stirs high emotions,” Michał Dworczyk, the head of the prime minister’s office, told Polish media on Tuesday. The decision by the country’s constitutional tribunal promised to further tighten Poland’s abortion laws, which were already some of the strictest in Europe.
Twitter tags Trump tweet with fact-checking warning Image copyright EPA A post by US President Donald Trump has been given a fact-check label by Twitter for the first time. President Trump tweeted: "There is NO WAY (ZERO!) that Mail-In Ballots will be anything less than substantially fraudulent." Twitter put a warning label under the post and a subsequent tweet under its new policy on misleading information. For the World Economy, a Grim Slog Tempered by New Hopes Nearly a year into a pandemic that has ravaged the global economy like no time since the Great Depression, the only clear pathway toward improved fortunes is containing the virus itself. With the United States suffering its most rampant transmission yet, and with major nations in Europe again under lockdown, prospects remain grim for a meaningful worldwide recovery before the middle of next year, and far longer in some economies. Substantial job growth could take longer still. A significant hope has emerged this month in the form of three vaccine candidates, easing fears that humanity could be subject to years of intermittent, wealth-destroying lockdowns. But significant hurdles remain before vaccines restore any semblance of normalcy. More tests must be conducted, and vast supplies manufactured.
U.S. Records 100,000 Cases in a Day for the First Time The United States on Wednesday recorded over 100,000 new coronavirus cases in a single day for the first time since the pandemic began, bursting past a grim threshold even as the wave of infections engulfing the country shows no sign of receding. The total count of new infections on Wednesday was more than 107,800, according to a New York Times database. Twenty-three states have recorded more cases in the past week than in any other seven-day stretch. Five states — Maine, Minnesota, Indiana, Nebraska and Colorado — set single-day case records.
Coronavirus deaths in US top 100,000 Image copyright Reuters The US has passed 100,000 deaths in the coronavirus outbreak in less than four months. It has seen more fatalities than any other country, while its 1.69 million confirmed infections account for about 30% of the worldwide total. The first US infection was reported in Washington state on 21 January. Globally there have been 5.6 million people recorded as infected and 354,983 deaths since the virus emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year. Used Forge For Sale He who is not angry when there is just cause for anger is immoral. Why? Because anger looks to the good of justice. And if you can live amid injustice without anger, you are immoral as well as unjust. - St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) - See more at: He who is not angry when there is just cause for anger is immoral.
Coronavirus live news: US breaks new cases record for second straight day as world suffers highest daily deaths I don’t mean to besmirch this blog’s good name with US election content too often, but in case you’re wondering, this is when we just might know the result (Georgia might be called on Thursday night in the US – if Biden manages to overtake Trump’s narrow margin, we could have a winner): Five states have yet to be called: Alaska, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Several news organizations, including the Associated Press and Fox News’ decision desk, have called Arizona for Joe Biden. The Trump campaign is arguing, however, that call was made too early.