Category Archives: US Politics

Six people charged in plot to kidnap Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer

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FBI said plot involved contacting members of a militia who ‘talked about murdering tyrants or taking a sitting governor’

Six people have been charged with a plot to kidnap the Michigan governor, Gretchen Whitmer, that involves links to a rightwing militia group, the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced.

Another seven people were charged with plotting to target law enforcement and attack the state capitol building. The state attorney general, Dana Nessel, announced additional charges under Michigan’s anti-terrorism law. Seven men, all in custody, are linked to the militia group Wolverine Watchmen.

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Covid drug given to Trump developed using cells derived from aborted fetus

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Trump touts Regeneron antibody cocktail as a potential ‘cure’ while he has consistently sought to restrict abortion access

One of the drugs taken by Donald Trump that he has touted as a potential “cure” for coronavirus was developed using human cells originally obtained from an elective abortion, a practice repeatedly denounced by the president and many of his supporters.

The drug is a monoclonal antibody cocktail developed by Regeneron. The president received an 8-gram infusion under a “compassionate use” exemption when he was hospitalized over the weekend after testing positive for Covid-19. There is no cure for Covid-19, and the drug is not approved.

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Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer slams Trump in response to kidnapping plot – video

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Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer called for unity and condemned Donald Trump for stoking division during the coronavirus outbreak during a press conference in which she addressed a plot to kidnap her.

Members of two domestic terrorist groups have been charged with Whitmer's attempted kidnap, which she said she 'never could have imagined' when she took office.

Referencing the first presidential debate, when Trump told far-right group the Proud Boys to 'stand back and standby', the governor said he is 'rallying' groups such as the ones that plotted her kidnap

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Trump’s Afghanistan withdrawal announcement takes US officials by surprise

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Tweet calling for troops’ return by Christmas puts peace negotiations in jeopardy and was greeted enthusiastically by the Taliban

Donald Trump has announced on Twitter that he wants to bring all US troops home from Afghanistan by Christmas – a plan that came as a surprise to administration officials and which puts complicated peace negotiations in jeopardy.

Multiple officials told the Associated Press they had not been informed of any such deadline and military experts said it would be impossible to withdraw all 5,000 US troops in Afghanistan and dismantle the US military headquarters by the end of the year.

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Nancy Pelosi suggests future 25th Amendment discussion on Donald Trump’s fitness for office – video

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Nancy Pelosi teased a discussion about the 25th amendment, which pertains to the president’s removal from office if found unfit, which she said would be held tomorrow.

The House speaker also spoke about Trump calling himself a 'perfect physical specimen'. She said the president owed it to the American people to share when he tested positive for Covid-19 after the White House refused to provide a timeline of the president’s testing before he was admitted to the hospital

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Donald Trump says he will not participate in virtual debate with Joe Biden – video

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The US president made his announcement in a Fox Business interview, moments after the commission that oversees the presidential election debates said the next event would be conducted from remote locations after Trump's Covid-19 diagnosis. The White House has refused to say when the president's last negative test for the virus was and, as a result, it is unclear how long he has been positive. The next debate is scheduled for 15 October

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Mike Pence and Kamala Harris spar on Covid, race and climate in VP debate – video highlights

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Mike Pence and Kamala Harris met in Utah for the only vice-presidential debate of the election, separated by Plexiglass barriers as a protection against coronavirus.

From the pandemic to healthcare and race to the supreme court, via a fly, here are some of the key moments

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‘They’re coming for you’: Harris slams Trump and Pence on healthcare – video

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One of the most memorable moments of the vice-presidential debate was on healthcare, when Harris issued a stark warning about the Trump administration’s intentions.

Trump is seeking to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, which prevents health companies turning away patients with pre-existing conditions.

'If you have a pre-existing condition, heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, they’re coming for you. If you love someone who has a pre-existing condition, they’re coming for you.'

Pence responded by claiming the Trump administration has a plan to protect people with pre-existing conditions. Trump has spent years claiming he will release a comprehensive healthcare plan. We’re yet to see it

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Fly that landed on Mike Pence head becomes VP debate star – video

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A fly that landed on Mike Pence's head has become the star of the vice presidential debate after the Republican went head-to-head with Kamala Harris. The fly was on Pence's head for over one minute, which proved more than enough time to grow its notoriety online. Democratic candidate Joe Biden used the opportunity to raise money for his campaign, while multiple Twitter account where setup on the fly's behalf

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Looks speak louder than words as Harris makes quotable case against Pence

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The vice-presidential debate was more courteous than last week’s horror show but still showed two contrasting faces of America

It was always going to be about the two faces of America.

One: white, male, midwestern, evangelical Christian. The other: Black, female, coastal, progressive.

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Pence-Harris vice-presidential debate: six key takeaways

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Coronavirus was the key theme, but Harris also warned of the threat to Obamacare as both candidates dodged questions

The vice-presidential debate on Wednesday was less openly hostile than the Donald Trump-Joe Biden debacle last week – but provided a further insight into the state of both campaigns ahead of November.

Related: Kamala Harris and Mike Pence clash over coronavirus response in vice-presidential debate

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Trump calls Covid diagnosis ‘blessing from God’ amid false treatment claims

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President returns to Oval Office despite concerns he should be self-isolating as virus spreads in White House

Donald Trump has called his Covid-19 infection “a blessing from God” as he returned to the Oval Office on Wednesday despite concerns that he should be self-isolating, as the virus continued to spread among senior White House figures.

In a video message posted to Twitter, Trump said that an experimental drug cocktail from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals was key to recovering from his infection. He said it was his suggestion to be treated with the drug, which has rarely been used outside clinical trials.

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Donald Trump says catching Covid-19 was ‘like a blessing from God’ – video

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Donald Trump has described getting Covid-19 as 'a blessing in disguise' in a video delivered outside the Oval Office. Trump described his three-night stay at Walter Reed medical center, referring to the treatment he received as a cure, and promising to make it available to all Americans. 'I want to get for you, what I got and I'm going to make it free. You're not going to pay for it,' he said. 'It wasn't your fault that this happened. It was China's fault. And China is going to pay a big price – what they've done to this country. China is going to pay a big price.' Covid-19 has killed more than 210,000 Americans and over a 1 million people worldwide in 10 months

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CNN reporter fends off White House raccoon before live cross – video

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CNN reporter Joe Johns was forced to fend off a raccoon on the White House lawn, moments before going to air. “Frickin' raccoons, man. God, again!" he said. "This is the second time! Jesus ... It always comes around right around when I’m about to go on TV." The incident comes after reports of increasing belligerent raccoons on the property by other media outlets

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Trump returns to Oval Office against CDC’s isolation guidelines – live

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Here’s a recap of today so far, from me and Martin Pengelly:

Related: Coronavirus live news: Brazil cases pass 5m; Trump calls catching Covid 'a blessing in disguise'

Facebook has announced significant changes to its advertising and misinformation policies, saying it will stop running political ads in the United States after polls close on 3 November for an undetermined period of time.

The changes, announced Wednesday, come in an effort to “protect the integrity” of the upcoming election “by fighting foreign interference, misinformation and voter suppression”, the company said in a blog post.

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White House coronavirus cluster: who has tested positive?

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After Donald Trump fell ill with Covid-19, we look at which of his close contacts have contracted the virus

For White House staff and senior visiting officials and journalists, the coronavirus outbreak in Donald Trump’s inner circle has become like a whodunnit amid a shortage of information and mounting anxiety.

As cleaners in hazmat suits have been pictured disinfecting areas – including briefing rooms and the White House press and communications “shop” where three staff have been infected – the questions now being asked are: who caught Covid from whom and when and where? And who might be next?

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Two sides of DC: those threatened by Covid are unimpressed by Trump’s bravado

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The president’s words fell on deaf ears to those just down the street from the White House who wouldn’t get the same treatment

Washington’s mayor, Muriel Bowser, has struggled to bring the US capital’s coronavirus infection rate down.

In July, she ordered the wearing of masks in crowded places outside, and the order has largely been obeyed: on Tuesday afternoon, more than nine in ten people walking around the city were wearing masks, and almost everyone in shops and cafes.

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Joe Biden calls for unity in Gettysburg speech: ‘Again we are a house divided’ – video

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Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has called for the US to put politics aside and unite as the country faces 'too many crises'. Speaking at Gettysburg, the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the US civil war, Biden said he decided to run for president after the far-right rally and resulting violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017. 'It was hate on the march in the open. In America,' he said. 'Hate never goes away. It only hides. And when it's given oxygen, when it's given an opportunity to spread, when it's treated as normal and acceptable behaviour, we've opened a door in this country that we must move quickly to close'

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‘Be afraid of Covid’: New York governor Cuomo blasts Trump over coronavirus ‘denial’ – video

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New York governor Andrew Cuomo has denounced Donald Trump over remarks he made telling Americans 'to get out there' and not fear Covid-19. Cuomo attacked Trump's comments as 'just more denial' after the president returned from the White House following a three-night stay at the Walter Reed national military medical center. 'Don't be afraid of Covid? No. Be afraid of Covid. It can kill you. Don't be cavalier.'

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US military chiefs in quarantine as Trump Covid chaos spreads

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  • Mark Milley, chairman of joint chiefs of staff, in isolation
  • Military leaders attended event with president last week

The top general in the US military, Mark Milley, and several other members of the US joint chiefs of staff who advise Donald Trump entered quarantine on Tuesday, as the president, infected with the coronavirus himself, continued to recuperate at the White House.

While the number of White House staff and aides who have tested positive is unknown, given the administration’s cloak of secrecy around the outbreak, total cases appeared to number in the dozens, making the White House one of the hottest active zones for virus circulation in the entire US.

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