Month: October 2020

At least six people are dead after Hurricane Zeta slammed into the Gulf Coast, leaving power outages and destruction before turning toward the Northeast. More than 1.9 million customers still were without power Thursday afternoon across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.

Due to the power outages, 15 counties in Georgia were forced to open early voting locations later in the day. In Douglas County, in the Atlanta metropolitan area, there wasn’t power at any of the six early voting locations, and none opened. Douglas County officials said the voting sites would reopen on Friday. Georgia requires every county to have three weeks of early voting.

Zeta, with winds reaching 110 mph, made landfall Wednesday as a Category 2 storm. Zeta is the strongest storm to hit the U.S. this late in the season since 1899, and it’s the fifth to strike Louisiana this hurricane season.

Zeta is now moving north, with gusty winds slamming the Carolinas and Virginia. Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia could see up to 4 inches and potential flooding. By Thursday evening, heavy rain hit Philadelphia, New York City and southern New England. Further north, in upstate New York, Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire, as much as 4 inches of snow is possible by Friday morning.

Hurricane Zeta slams into Gulf Coast, killing at least 6

Via www.cbsnews.com

At least six people are dead and millions are without power after Hurricane Zeta slammed into…

10/29/2020 7:04 PM

 

On Thursday, the Supreme Court rejected a second challenge to an extension on North Carolina’s deadline to count mail-in ballots. The court voted 5-3 to reject a challenge by North Carolina Republicans to block the state election board’s decision to extend the deadline to count mail-in ballots until Nov. 13.

Republicans in the state effectively asked the justices to undo the action by the state board of elections to extend the deadline under its powers to address natural disasters in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.In Wednesday’s ruling, Gorsuch and Alito described the board’s decision as “constitutional overreach.”

The Supreme Court also allowed Pennsylvania to extend its deadline to receive mail-in ballots to Nov. 6, but rejected a similar extension in Wisconsin.

U.S. Supreme Court rejects Trump bid to block North Carolina absentee ballot extension

Via www.reuters.com

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a request by President Donald Trump’s campaign to…

10/29/2020 2:14 AM

 

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court refused to take another look at the issue of late-arriving mail ballots in the state of Pennsylvania, leaving intact a lower court ruling that said the state must count ballots that arrive up to three days after the election. It was the second time Republicans had asked the court to roll back the deadline. They lost Oct. 19 on a 4-4 vote, when the justices denied their request to put a hold on a lower court order extending the deadline.

Wednesday’s vote was 5-3, with Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch saying the court should have taken the case immediately. In trying again, the Republicans apparently hoped that newly appointed Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s arrival would help them prevail. But she sat this one out, taking no part in the consideration or disposition of the motion. A court spokeswoman said that was “because of the need for a prompt resolution of it and because she has not had time to fully review the parties’ filings.”

Voters in Pennsylvania can request mail ballots as late as seven days before the election, and they must be delivered to them within two days after the requests are received, leaving only a short time for the completed ballots to be delivered.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled in September that the free and equal clause of the state Constitution required an accommodation in light of mail delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic. It determined that voters would be disenfranchised if their ballots were stuck in mail sorting facilities because of expected Postal Service delays. Under the ruling, ballots can arrive as late as three days after the polls close, unless there’s evidence that a ballot was mailed after Election Day. State election officials began following the ruling immediately, telling Pennsylvania voters that their ballots would be accepted if they are received by Nov. 6, provided they are mailed on or before Election Day.

SCOTUS denies GOP effort to fast-track ruling on Pa. ballot deadline

Via www.cbsnews.com

The Supreme Court declined to expedite a ruling on a Pennsylvania court ruling extending the…

10/28/2020 8:23 PM

 

Editorial credit: Orlowski Designs LLC / Shutterstock.com

Hurricane Zeta makes landfall in Louisiana as Category 2 storm with 110 mph winds

Via news.yahoo.com

Hurricane Zeta, which has been increasing in intensity and speed all day, is making landfall in…

10/28/2020 7:58 PM

 

Overnight protests in the city of Philadelphia, prompted after a Philadelphia police shot and killed a black man waving a knife toward them, left some 30 officers injured, authorities said on Tuesday.

The fatal shooting of Walter Wallace Jr., 27, on Monday afternoon was captured on video, leading to the protests against police brutality and racial bias. The video showed two Philadelphia police officers pointing guns and moving away from Wallace as he walks toward them with a knife in hand. Police Sgt. Eric Gripp said Wallace was “brandishing” the knife and “waving it erratically.”

The protests and looting that became violent Monday night with some protesters throwing objects at officers, causing dozens of injuries. One officer was hospitalized with a broken leg and other injuries after a pickup truck intentionally struck her, police said. Authorities said protesters also set fire to five police vehicles and one fire vehicle.

Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said authorities arrested 91 people during the protests, 11 for assaults on officers and 76 for burglary.

30 Philadelphia officers injured, one run over by truck, in protests after police fatally shoot Black man

Via www.usatoday.com

Dozens of police officers were injured and more than 30 people were arrested during protests in…

10/27/2020 5:17 PM

 

Editorial credit: Ray Fearon / Shutterstock.com

Keith Raniere, who ran a cult-like group that kept women as virtual sex prisoners in upstate New York, was sentenced to 120 years in prison on Tuesday. Raniere was convicted on federal sex trafficking, racketeering and possession of child pornography charges last year for his role in the alleged sex cult called NXIVM (pronounced “nexium”). The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis, who presided over the six-week trial last year that ended in Raniere convicted on all counts. 

Acting U.S. Attorney Seth DuCharme said he hopes the sentence will serve as a deterrence to any aspiring cult leaders. “When justice catches up to you, as it did today, it is severe,” DuCharme told reporters outside court in Brooklyn. “Keith Raniere will not be able to victimize people anymore after today’s sentence and we’re very grateful for that.”

In a jailhouse interview that aired Friday on “Dateline NBC,” Raniere apologized for the “tragedy” and “hurt” he caused victims — but also said that he’s not guilty of any crimes. “I am innocent,” Raniere said, adding, “This is a horrible tragedy with many, many people being hurt. There is a horrible injustice here. And whether you think I’m the devil or not, the justice process has to be examined.”

NXIVM’s president, Nancy Salzman, her daughter Lauren Salzman, bookkeeper Kathy Russell and Claire Bronfman, the Seagram liquor heiress, have all pleaded guilty to various charges. Bronfman was a key NXIVM benefactor and sentenced to 81 behind bars.

Keith Raniere, founder of cult-like group NXIVM, sentenced to 120 years in prison

Via www.usatoday.com

NXIVM founder Keith Raniere was sentenced Tuesday to 120 years in prison for his role in leading…

10/27/2020 4:51 PM

 

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