The man originally responsible for lockdowns in the U.K. and arguably the U.S. bragged that he took his inspiration directly from the Chinese Communist Party in a recent interview with a British newspaper.
Professor Neil Ferguson, the disgraced Imperial College London scientist who convinced U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson to lock down his country in March, has spilled the beans on what inspired him to forever alter Western society.
Everyone wondered why Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger did all he could to block President Trump’s efforts to get a fair count of the votes there.
He refused to require adequate verification of signatures on absentee and mail-in ballots, kicked Republican observers out on election day and in the subsequent recounts, did not give the GOP a list of who voted so they could check for errors, and then refused to change the rules to give the Republicans a fair vote count in the Senate runoffs in Georgia coming up on January 5th.
But he’s a Republican, right? Labeling him a RINO only goes so far in explaining his conduct.
But now we find a curious fact. His brother, Ron Raffensperger, turns out to be employed by Huawei, the miscreant Chinese company controlled by the Beijing government and sanctioned by the US. Ron Raffensperger is the CTO of Huawei Enterprise Storage Solutions. Based in Shenzhen, China.
Huawei is the company peddling its new technology that will allow China to spy on all the world’s people just as it does now on all those living in China. Its HG-5 equipment is not just a profit center for China. If it is adopted world-wide it will allow spying on anyone who uses it.
Luke Letlow, the newly elected member of Congress from Louisiana, died Tuesday night from complications related to COVID-19, a spokesman announced.
The Associated Press reported earlier this month that Letlow, a 41-year-old Republican, had been hospitalized after being diagnosed with the virus. He was days away from being sworn into office.
Dr. G.E. Ghali, of LSU Health Shreveport, told NOLA.com that Letlow was in critical condition but showed signs of improvement. He “apparently suffered a cardiac event this evening that was refractory to all resuscitation efforts.”
Rep. Steve Scalise, another Republican from the state, issued a statement calling Letlowa “positive spirit” who had a “tremendously bright future ahead of him.”
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi also issued a statement saying the entire body mourns his passing.
“May it be a comfort to Luke’s wife Julia and their children Jeremiah and Jacqueline that so many mourn their loss and are praying for them at this sad time,” she wrote in a statement.
Andrew Bautsch, the Letlow spokesman, confirmed the congressman-elect’s death at Ochsner-LSU Health Shreveport.
In a statement to Fox News on Tuesday, Clark, 88, said she is in “shock and disbelief” at the despair seen across the world on Dec. 25.”I feel the need to express my shock and disbelief at the Christmas Day explosion in our beloved Music City,” Clark wrote, adding, “I love Nashville and its people.””Why this violent act – leaving behind it such devastation?” Clark pressed.
The singer, who saw her song soar to the top of the Billboard charts in 1965, said that after she was told about “Downtown” being used “in the background of that strange announcement” Clark said she wondered, “Of all the thousands of songs – why this one?”
Petula Clark responded after her 1964 record “Downtown” was used during the “intentional” explosion in Nashville, Tenn., on Christmas Day, which left a number of businesses destroyed and injured three people in its wake on Second Avenue.
Just hours after blocking Senate Democrats’ efforts to vote on a House bill for $2,000 direct payments, McConnell released his own surprise legislation which includes repealing Section 230 and funding for a commission on election fraud.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked an attempt by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to unanimously approve a House-passed bill to increase direct payments in the coronavirus relief package to $2,000 from $600.
President Trump has pushed for larger stimulus checks after threatening to veto the year-end coronavirus relief and government funding legislation.
Republicans including Georgia Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, who are running in crucial Jan. 5 runoffs that will determine control of the Senate, have expressed support for bigger checks.
Releasing two surprise albums this year, Taylor Swift has had one of the most successful campaigns in her career to date, which is saying a lot. Her most recent album, evermore, debuted at the #1 position on the Billboard 200 album chart, and the song “willow” also started off at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, her song’s stay at the top was short-lived, only staying there for a week and breaking records with the manner in which it fell from grace, even passing Tekashi 6ix9ine’s record for the most disastrous fall for a #1 debut in chart history.
President Trump on Sunday announced plans to hold a rally in Georgia to garner support for the Republican candidates the day before the state’s two Senate runoffs.
His comments blindsided members of both parties and upended months of negotiations when he demanded last week that the package — already passed the House and Senate by large margins and believed to have Trump’s support — be revised to include larger relief checks and scaled-back spending.
Before Trump signed the bill on Sunday night, Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania said he understood that Trump “wants to be remembered for advocating for big checks, but the danger is he’ll be remembered for chaos and misery and erratic behavior if he allows this to expire.”
The suspect behind the Christmas Day bombing in downtown Nashville has been identified as 63-year-old Anthony Quinn Warner, authorities confirmed during a press conference Sunday.
Police said Warner owned the RV that exploded in downtown Nashville early Friday, and that he died during the blast.
The new relief bill would extend through mid-March programs that support self-employed workers and those unemployed for more than half a year. It also gives an additional $300 a week through mid-March to all those receiving jobless benefits, some 20.3 million people. And it extends through January a moratorium on evictions due to expire on Dec. 31 and provides $25 billion in emergency rental assistance.
Negotiated by Trump’s own Treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, and the Republican Party’s congressional leaders, the bill has been flown to the president’s Florida beach resort where he is staying for the holiday, awaiting his possible signature. In tweets on Saturday, Trump signaled he was still unwilling to sign the bill, despite pleas from lawmakers to show goodwill at Christmas time.
“I simply want to get our great people $2000, rather than the measly $600,” he tweeted Saturday, referring to the bill’s stimulus checks, while he also continued to rail about the November election as he made baseless claims about election fraud.
Law enforcement sources told CBS News the suspect in the Nashville explosion on Christmas Day may have been killed in the blast. DNA tests are being conducted on the human remains found at the scene.
Multiple sources confirm that Anthony Quinn Warner, a Nashville area resident, has been identified as a person of interest in this case. Federal agents are currently searching his home.
Warner, a Nashville area resident, had a similar make and model RV as the one in photos released to the public. Warner was described as a 63-year-old White man.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Doug Korneski said Saturday there is no indication of additional explosive threats. He said officials had received about 500 tips and are “not working on any assumptions.
“Police responded to a call of shots fired early Friday near the AT&T building in downtown Nashville. Instead, they found an RV with clothes and blinds covering the windows. Shortly afterward, the warning of an imminent bomb started blaring and an explosion rocked the area at about 6:30 a.m.
Shell casings have been found at the scene, but the ammunition related to them is believed to have been set off by the large explosion. The scene is very large, and authorities said they are beginning at the “outermost” perimeter of the blast and working their way in.
There is video of the RV in downtown Nashville. Investigators have a Google Maps photo of the address of the person of interest that shows a similar looking camper in the yard. Google Maps says the picture was taken in May 2019.
GREENSBURG, Pa. — A woman who fled police at speeds exceeding 130 mph on Route 119 faces multiple charges and will appear before a judge next month.
According to our partners at TribLive.com, 44-year-old Roxanna Varriano of Jeannette was charged with illegally operating a vehicle without an ignition interlock device, illegal possession of marijuana, failing to use a seat belt and other charges after the incident in East Huntingdon.
State police said a trooper was patrolling the area around 12:30 p.m. Dec. 7 when Varriano flew past his patrol vehicle. The trooper said in court documents that Varriano’s 2020 Camaro was going more than 130 mph before she pulled off the road. The posted speed limit in the area is 65 mph.
Three people were killed and three injured in a Saturday night shooting at a bowling alley in Rockford, Illinois, local media reported, citing police.
A person of interest was reported to be in custody, said NBC Chicago.
Rockford police tweeted bit.ly/3rFLyiS, “Active shooter investigation near Don Carter Lanes on E.State Street. Avoid the area.”
Rockford police Chief Dan O’Shea told reporters that the shooting occurred inside and outside of the building. The area was no longer considered an active shooter situation, WREX reported.
O’Shea added that teenagers were among the victims but declined to give further details, WTVO reported.
The conditions of the three people injured have not been confirmed, WREX reported. Police did not say if the victims were patrons or workers of the business, the television station reported.
ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) – UPDATE: One person was taken to the hospital with a non-critical gunshot wound. No arrests were made, and people are being asked to avoid the area.Roanoke PD say they responded to a report of shots fired on the upper level of the mall following a call at 6:37 p.m.
As of 8:30 p.m., Saturday, bystanders were still in the mall, awaiting evacuation. Teams of emergency crews were going through the mall to make sure there was no existing threat, systematically checking each area before escorting people to safety, added Roanoke Police Chief Sam Roman.
Early investigation points to the shooting stemming from a verbal argument involving multiple people, leading to shots being fired by one suspect.
The huge explosion – which injured three people and caused massive damage to the city’s downtown area – emanated from a white RV parked on Second Avenue at 6.40 am Friday.
Police have ‘person of interest’ in Nashville bombing: Hunt for suspect narrows as FBI investigates whether spooky recorded warning was used to lure COPS to RV and videos show people running for cover inside stores
Explosion occurred on 2nd Avenue in Nashville’s downtown at 6.40am on Christmas morning
The blast injured three people and caused massive damage
Cops had been called to the area a short time before the explosion amid reports of a shooting
However, when they arrived at the scene they discovered a parked RV playing a recording which claimed the vehicle would explode
The FBI is now investigating whether the bomb may have been designed to deliberately target police officers as they were lured into the area
Meanwhile, possible human remains have been discovered near the site of the explosion
Dramatic new videos have also been shared; one shows buildings shaking during the impact of the blast while another shows a man run for cover
Pope Francis said in his Christmas message Friday that fraternity is a watchword for these unusually troubled times exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.
“At this moment in history, marked by the ecological crisis and grave economic and social imbalances only worsened by the coronavirus pandemic, it is all the more important for us to acknowledge one another as brothers and sisters,” he said in his “Urbi et Orbi” (“to the city and the world”) message.
This year, due to COVID safety restrictions, the the pontiff delivered his remarks from a lectern inside the Vatican instead of from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica for a crowd of thousands who traditionally fill the square. It was livestreamed for viewing around the world.
Pope Francis said this call for solidarity was especially aimed at “people who are the most fragile, the sick and all who at this period find themselves without work or in grave difficulty due to the economic consequences of the pandemic and to women who have been subjected to domestic violence during these months of confinement.
“The pontiff also touched on the plight of children caught up by war, singling out victims in Syria, Yemen and Iraq in his Christmas message.
“On this day, when the word of God became a child, let us turn our gaze to the many, all too many, children worldwide, especially in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, who still pay the high price of war,” he said.
“May their faces touch the consciences of all men and women of good will, so that the causes of conflicts can be addressed and courageous efforts can be made to build a future of peace,” he said.
(CNN)A Christmas morning explosion that rocked downtown Nashville, injuring at least three people and damaging dozens of buildings, is believed to be an intentional act, authorities said.
According to police, officers with the Metro Nashville Police Department were responding to a call of shots fired around 5:30 a.m. CT Friday when they came upon an RV parked in front of an AT&T transmission building at 166 2nd Avenue North.
The RV was playing a recorded message that indicated a bomb would explode in 15 minutes, Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake said during a news conference Friday.
Officers saw no immediate evidence of shots fired but they requested the department’s hazardous devices unit and started to evacuate neighborhood residents, police said.
The bomb squad was responding when the RV exploded at 6:30 a.m. CT, police spokesman Don Aaron said.
Shocking bodycam video shows a police officer in Columbus, Ohio, gunning down an unarmed black man holding a cellphone — opening fire within just 10 seconds of encountering him.
Columbus police officer Adam Coy was dispatched around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday to a non-emergency call about a man who had been idling a car, repeatedly turning it on and off in the Cranbrook neighborhood.
Shortly after the officers arrived, a black man later identified as Andre Maurice Hill, 47, who had been inside a garage, approached them on foot while holding a phone in his left hand and his other hand not visible.
Footage from Coy’s body camera then showed him opening fire on Hill, just six seconds after Hill entered the frame.
No audio is available since Coy did not activate his body camera until after the shooting, which only captured video due to an automatic “look back” feature.
Without audio, it’s unclear whether Coy yelled any commands at Hill.
Hill’s right hand isn’t visible in the footage, but authorities said no weapon was recovered from the scene.
After being shot, Hill lay on the ground for several minutes without any officer on the scene providing aid. He died less than an hour later at a nearby hospital.
In a statement, Police Chief Thomas Quinlan called it “a tragedy on many levels. Most importantly, a life has been lost.
”Quinlan said he has suspended Coy, a 17-year veteran, requiring him to turn in his gun and shield pending an internal review and an investigation by state authorities.
“Happy Days” star Henry Winkler reacts to Scott Baio’s critical remarks about the cast’s reunion at a virtual fundraiser in October.
“Scott is my family,” Winkler, 75, told Fox News in a written statement. “But he has his political life and I have mine.”
Winkler’s comment comes just days after Don Most, who portrayed Ralph Malph in the sitcom, communicated his disappointment in Baio’s harsh critique of the event. Baio, 60, previously claimed he wasn’t on board with it because, “I don’t believe in socialism and Marxists.”
“I knew that he would not be a part of this because of the differences in political views. So it was not a question of whether he would be a part of it or not. That was a given,” Most, 67, told Fox News. “But you know, Scott and I, we played golf together. It’s been a while now, about a couple of years, but we’ve stayed in touch somewhat. But in the last year, I haven’t seen him.”
Tucked away in the more than 5,000-page long Covid-19 stimulus bill is a new law that severely punishes streamers that pirate large amounts of copyrighted content.
You probably have nothing to worry about: The “Protecting Lawful Streaming Act,” which was introduced earlier this month by Senator Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina, doesn’t target casual internet users. The law specifies that it doesn’t apply to people who use illegal streaming services or “individuals who access pirated streams or unwittingly stream unauthorized copies of copyrighted works.”
“There was not a single violent tendency in that man, you can tell by looking at his record. And his entire criminal record is because of alcoholism and substance-use disorder, homelessness and poverty.”
For days, members of the Allegheny County Jail Oversight Board did not know who had really died within the walls of the jail on November 26. That is because they were emailed an old notice, a death copy-and-pasted from before, from another death that took place inside the ACJ earlier this year.
Jail administrators didn’t realize their error for nearly a week, according to Allegheny County Councilor at Large Bethany Hallam, who is also a member of the jail oversight board. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing: administrators had mistaken the jail’s most recent death for another, a suicide that occurred in June. To Hallam, it felt careless.
(The Allegheny County jail has one of the highest suicide rates in the country. There were nine suicides at the facility between 2016 and June of this year.)
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WTAJ) — Governor Tom Wolf announced Wednesday that he has initiated a transfer of $145 million in funds from the Workers’ Compensation Security Fund at the Pennsylvania Insurance Department to be appropriated by the state legislature into grants for businesses adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Business owners and employees have worked hard to protect their customers and their communities during this pandemic, and I thank all of those who have prioritized health and safety despite the hardship of the past several months,” Gov Wolf said. “Our business owners and workers have been forced to make sacrifices because of COVID-19 and they need and deserve our support.
“Today, I am pleased to announce that my administration will make funds available to help businesses whose operations and revenue were significantly adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The $145 million transfer from the fund into the state’s general fund requires legislative authorization to expend the loaned money for the purpose of making grants to businesses. The legislature has the authority to establish grant agreements for purposes it deems appropriate, in this case, to support businesses adversely affected by the pandemic.
Gov. Wolf urged the legislature to follow his lead and allocate this funding as quickly as possible to businesses affected by the pandemic, among them restaurants and bars, gyms and entertainment venues.
There were two more homicides in Memphis on Sunday, bringing the total to another record of 323 in 2020.
Police say the high numbers come from gangs, drugs, domestic violence, and guns, according to WREG. The latest numbers, which include 284 murders, represent 100 more than 2019.
The Grind City reached another record earlier this month when it had its 300th homicide. The Memphis Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.
Memphis was just one many cities in which violent crime spiked this year.Data released earlier this month showed that 21 cities — including Los Angeles, Chicago, and Philadelphia — had an increase of 610 homicides, or 34% more, in the fall. That was slightly lower than the 42% jump seen in the summer.
No one can say for certain whether extraterrestrial civilizations exist, but one new study suggests the Milky Way is full of them, though many of them could be dead.
WEST POINT, New York — More than 70 cadets training at the U.S. Military Academy to be Army officers have been accused of cheating on a math exam taken online when they were studying remotely because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Lt. Col. Christopher Ophardt, spokesman for the academy at West Point, said Monday that 73 cadets were accused of cheating on the calculus exam in May after instructors noticed irregularities in answers. All but one were freshmen, or plebes, in a class of 1,200. The other was a sophomore.
“West Point honor code and character development program remains strong despite remote learning and the challenges brought by the pandemic,” Ophardt said. “Cadets are being held accountable for breaking the code.”
After an investigation by an honors committee made up of trained cadets, two cases were dropped for lack of evidence and four were dropped because the cadets resigned, Ophardt said. Of the remaining 67 cases, 55 cadets have admitted cheating and have been enrolled in a six-month rehabilitation program focused on ethics. They will be on probation for the rest of their time at the academy. Three more cadets admitted cheating but weren’t eligible for the rehabilitation program.
The Senate on Monday night approved a $2.3 trillion COVID-19 relief bill and sent it to President Trump for his signature.
The legislation — which follows passage in the House — authorizes $600 stimulus checks for people who earn less than $75,000 per year and an extra $600 payment per child.
The bill contains a weekly unemployment insurance supplement of $300 and also has $284.4 billion in Paycheck Protection Program forgivable loans for small businesses.
It allocates $82 billion for schools and colleges, $40 billion for vaccine distribution and virus testing, $25 billion in rental assistance and $15 billion for live entertainment venues.
