"[F]or her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy"
A Trumpf loyalist is helping lead the CIA. The same Trumpf loyalist is also apparently in control of CIA's legal judgments. What could possibly go wrong? CIA Deputy Director Michael Ellis (40) was an important figure during Dummkopf Trumpf's first term. In 2017, Ellis was accused of using his position in the White House counsel's office to feed sensitive information to one of the president's congressional allies. Two years later, then-LTC Alexander Vindman testified under oath that Ellis was one of the officials responsible for transferring the summary of the infamous 2019 call between Trumpf and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the National Security Council's top-secret computer server. Now Ellis abruptly demoted a career lawyer who had been serving as the agency's acting general counsel since January and installed himself in that role while retaining his position as the Number Two official at CIA. Read more
Russia is carrying out a "massive attack" on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, leaving parts of Kiev without power. The Kremlin appears to again be using a tactic deployed in previous years, depriving Ukrainians of power and heat ahead of the bitter winter months. Russia started attacking Ukraine's energy infrastructure in late September. The attacks have been almost daily since then, with targets including energy generating facilities, including gas production and distribution. At least eight people were injured in Kiev during Friday's attack, which had cut some power supplies. He said that the left bank of the capital is without power, with the city also reporting water supply issues. Zaporizhzhia governor Ivan Fedorov said Russia had also targeted "private sector and infrastructure facilities" in the southeastern city, killing a seven-year-old boy. "The doctors fought for the child's life until the very end, but the injuries were too severe," Fedorov said. Read more
A 7.4-magnitude earthquake has struck off the southeastern coast of the Philippines, according to the US Geological Survey, with local authorities warning dangerous tsunami waves could be generated. The quake struck off the eastern side of Mindanao island, some 123 kilometers (79 miles) from the island's capital Davao, at a depth of 58.1 kilometers (36 miles), according to USGS. There were no immediate reports of damage.
Dominion Voting Systems " the voting machine behemoth that President Trump and his allies baselessly attacked after the 2020 election " has been sold to a Missouri-based company run by a former Republican election official,
Axios has learned. Why it matters: Dominion is one of the biggest election equipment providers and was used by 27 states during the 2024 election. Read more
A new crop of couples are making content about their mixed-orientation marriages, divorced from sexual attraction but not love. Today at 8:00 a.m. EDT Read more
President Trump is temporarily barred from sending the National Guard to Illinois to aid his immigration crackdown after a federal judge in part granted the state a temporary restraining order against the deployment.
New York Attorney General Letitia James was criminally indicted on two counts by a grand jury on Thursday.
A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit by the National Retail Federation challenging a New York state law that requires retailers to tell customers when their personal data are used to set prices, known as surveillance pricing.
A few days ago, an inscrutable interstellar interloper made its closest approach to Mars, where a fleet of international spacecraft seek to unravel the red planet's ancient mysteries.
A county health officer in California issued an order requiring masking in acute care facilities starting on Nov. 1, an order authorities attribute to rising seasonal respiratory illnesses. The mandate, which lasts until March 31 of next year, requires the use of face masks by people in acute care facilities, skilled nursing facilities, surgical and maternity centers, and infusion centers such as dialysis and chemotherapy centers, during respiratory virus season, not including patients. "These respiratory viruses can cause serious illness, particularly in vulnerable groups such as infants, older adults, pregnant individuals, and those with weakened immune systems," Lisa Hernandez, the Santa Cruz County public health officer, said in a statement. "This order aims to reduce the spread of these viruses and protect those most at risk from severe outcomes, including hospitalization and death."
The Republican government shutdown has entered its second week and shortages of air traffic controllers have strained operations and disrupted flights across the US. More workers are calling in sick, leaving fewer staff to handle demand. Within 72 hours travelers endured nearly 12,000 flight delays and 200 cancelled flights. Travelers are starting to cancel trips and avoid airports until the Republicans reopen the government, which may not happen for several more days or weeks. That means a longer stretch of time for key workers, air traffic controllers and security screeners, to go without pay. Travelers will see "erosion of service" as frustrated air traffic controllers and TSA officers get tired and call in sick. Reagan National Airport became the latest this week to report delays because of staffing issues. Other affected hubs include Chicago, Newark, Denver, and Nashville, and the tower in Burbank CA had to shut down for several hours. Read more
Trump just hosted an Antifa roundtable' at the White House ... it was so much worse than you're imagining Holly Baxter reports on a meeting which, at one point, appeared to position people protesting against Nazis in the Weimar Republic as the bad guys, and at another saw the president declare, We got rid of freedom of speech' Read more
A notable flood threat is on tap for some of the driest areas of the United States as an ailing former Hurricane Priscilla combines with another storm system to create a long-lasting rainfall event. More than an October's worth of rain could fall within days in some areas of the Southwest as the week comes to a close. And another tropical system following on the heels of Priscilla early next week could pile onto the flood threat. Read more
CNN asked Miller whether the Trump Administration will abide by a district judge's order blocking the Guard's deployment in Oregon. "Well, the Administration filed an appeal this morning with the Ninth Circuit," Miller began. "I would note the Administration won an identical case in the Ninth Circuit just a few months ago with respect to the federalizing of the California National Guard." Then, Miller said: "Under Title 10 of the U.S. Code, the President has plenary authority, has"" before making an abrupt stop. Miller blinked several times, with anchor Boris Sanchez calling out his name, though he still did not respond. "Stephen, I apologize. It seems like we're having a technical issue," Sanchez said, before the show cut to a break, and resumed after with Sanchez saying some "wires got crossed." The interview with Miller continued, but neither Sanchez nor Miller brought up "plenary authority" again.
Texas AG Ken Paxton: "Leftist political terrorism is a clear and present danger. Corrupted ideologies like transgenderism and Antifa are a cancer on our culture and have unleashed their deranged and drugged-up foot soldiers on the American people. There can be no compromise with those who want us dead." The Taliban State of Texas has its priorities upside down. Right wing terrorists have been sabotaging weather surveillance systems in the American Southwest and Texas sent at least 74 insurrectionists to the US Capitol on 6 Jan 2021 who are now all free. Texas is also wasting resources prosecuting young women in need of reproductive care services. Texas executed five prisoners this year and in an average year, an incredible 4,330 people die and 7,726 are wounded by guns. Instead of addressing these appalling wartime casualty figures and the real needs of Texans, faux Christian Ken Paxton is piling on with the sinister Trumpf junta to persecute vulnerable people. Read more
