Category Archives: US News

Elon Musk declares Twitter ‘moderation council’ – as some push the platform’s limits

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Conservative users began recirculating conspiracy theories as others voiced concerns over allowing hate speech and disinformation

Among the most urgent questions facing Twitter in its new era as a private company under Elon Musk, a self-declared “free speech absolutist”, is how the platform will handle moderation.

After finalizing his takeover and ousting senior leadership, Musk declared on Friday that he would be forming a new “content moderation council” that would bring together “diverse views” on the issue.

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‘Criminalizing kindness’: US woman arrested for feeding homeless people sues

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Norma Thornton, 78, files lawsuit against Bullhead City in north-west Arizona over law about food-sharing events in public park

A woman who was arrested for feeding homeless people in north-west Arizona is suing over a local ordinance that regulates food-sharing events in public parks, accusing the authorities of criminalizing kindness.

Norma Thornton, 78, became the first person arrested under Bullhead City’s ordinance in March for distributing prepared food from a van at Bullhead community park. Her lawyer said the lawsuit filed this week is part of a nationwide effort to let people feed those in need.

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Man who attacked speaker’s husband Paul Pelosi facing attempted homicide charge – as it happened

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Paul Pelosi was attacked at San Francisco home while House speaker was in Washington

The Guardian’s Joan E Greve has taken a close look at Democrats’ chances ahead of the 8 November midterms, and finds things are not looking good for Joe Biden’s party:

With less than two weeks to go until election day, Democrats’ hopes of defying political history and keeping their narrow majorities in the House and Senate appear to be fading, as many of the party’s candidates go on the defensive in the final days of campaigning.

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Senator Tom Cotton brags about ignoring Trump impeachment evidence

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New book by Arkansas senator, a Republican presidential hopeful, also suggests president did not understand military procedures

In January 2020, the rightwing Arkansas Republican Tom Cotton said he would vote to acquit Donald Trump in his first impeachment trial because despite senators having “heard from 17 witnesses … and received more than 28,000 pages of documents”, Democrats had not presented their case correctly.

According to Cotton, the senators who sat through so much evidence would “perform the role intended for us by the founders, of providing the ‘cool and deliberate sense of the community’, as it says in Federalist 63”.

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Paul Pelosi, husband of Nancy Pelosi, in hospital with skull fracture after attack

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Paul Pelosi underwent ‘successful surgery’ after he was attacked at his home early on Friday by an assailant with a hammer

Paul Pelosi, husband of the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, was hospitalized with a skull fracture on Friday after he was attacked at the couple’s home in California with a hammer by an assailant who was reported to have shouted “Where is Nancy? Where is Nancy?”

Paul Pelosi, 82, underwent “successful surgery” to repair a skull fracture and other “serious injuries” sustained during the assault and is expected to make a full recovery”, according to Nancy Pelosi’s longtime spokesperson, Drew Hammill.

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Andy Warhol work not seen in public for 15 years could fetch $80m at auction

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White Disaster (White Car Crash 19 Times) to go under the hammer in New York

Six months after a vivid image of Marilyn Monroe smashed records when it sold for $195m, a rather more dark and brutal work by the cult pop artist Andy Warhol may also be about to fetch a large sum.

White Disaster (White Car Crash 19 Times) – repeated graphic black and white images across a huge canvas measuring 12ft tall and 6ft wide – is expected to sell for at least $80m in New York next month.

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ExxonMobil’s record-breaking $20bn profit nearly matches Apple’s

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Oil company’s third-quarter result smashes Wall Street forecasts – as does Chevron’s £11.2bn

The US oil supermajor ExxonMobil has reported a quarterly profit of nearly $20bn (£17.3bn), $4bn more than analysts had forecast, almost matching the earnings of the tech giant Apple.

Exxon’s $19.7bn profit for the third quarter outstripped the record $17.9bn it reported for the previous quarter, as it became the latest fossil fuel producer to enjoy soaring earnings, a day after Shell announced global profits of $9.5bn between July and September.

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Gun used by Mexican cartel to shoot down military helicopter bought in US

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Investigation into the 2015 incident revealed the 0.50-caliber weapon for the Jalisco cartel was purchased in Portland, Oregon

The 0.50-caliber gun used by the Mexican Jalisco cartel to shoot down a Mexican military helicopter in 2015 came from a gun supplier in Portland, Oregon, a joint Mexico-US investigation has found.

On Wednesday, the Louisville Courier Journal reported confirmation of the connection between the incident and Portland, Oregon by federal firearm officials.

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‘Bone-appetite’: San Francisco’s latest trendy restaurant caters to canines

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Dogue, run by a trained chef, has garnered outrage for the high cost of pampering pups but pet parents have been supportive

San Francisco is a foodie heaven with plenty of Michelin-starred restaurants. And San Franciscans love dogs. So it might come as no surprise that an entrepreneur has decided to combine the two passions, creating what’s believed to be the first restaurant exclusively for man’s best friend.

Dogue, which rhymes with “vogue”, opened last month in the city’s trendy Mission District.

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Apple weathers tech industry storm to top profit and revenue targets

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The company reported an 8% increase of earnings at $90.1bn beating Wall Street expectations with net profit of $1.29 a share

Apple’s quarterly earnings on Thursday revealed that the company is weathering the ongoing tech downturn better than its competitors, reporting revenue and profit that topped Wall Street targets.

Revenue rose 8% this quarter to $90.1bn, above estimates of $88.9bn, while net profit was $1.29 a share, topping with the average analyst estimate of $1.27 a share, according to data from the market research firm Refinitiv.

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Sixth set of human remains found in vanishing Lake Mead

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A second world war-era boat, half emerged B-29 plane and five other bodies have so far been found in the receding waters

Yet another set of human remains was pulled from the shallows of Lake Mead this week, marking the sixth time this year the receding water levels uncovered bodies from the past.

The National Park Service confirmed on Wednesday that a human bone discovered by a diver directed a park dive team to an area where the skeletal remains were found.

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Republican Liz Cheney endorses Michigan Democrat in midterm elections – as it happened

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Joe Biden plans to use his speech at a semiconductor factory in New York today to make the case that the economy is benefiting from Democratic policies, and Republicans would undo that progress, CNN reports.

“We can talk about what we’ve done, all these huge legislative wins, ‘til we’re blue in the face,” a Democratic campaign official told the network. “If people can’t feel it, it doesn’t matter at this point.”

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Republican and Trump critic Liz Cheney to campaign for Michigan Democrat

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Wyoming congresswoman, who lost her Republican primary, endorses Elissa Slotkin in seventh congressional district

Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney on Thursday endorsed Democratic congresswoman Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and plans to campaign for her.

It is the first time that Cheney, a critic of Donald Trump who lost her Republican primary, has crossed party lines to formally support a Democrat.

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Open letter to top publisher condemns $2m Amy Coney Barrett book deal

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More than 250 literary figures rail against acquisition by Penguin Random House of book by conservative US supreme court justice

Nearly 250 figures from the US literary world have signed an open letter protesting the acquisition by Penguin Random House of a book by the conservative supreme court justice Amy Coney Barrett.

The hardline Catholic conservative was Donald Trump’s third appointee, her nomination rushed through by Senate Republicans after the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a liberal lion, shortly before the 2020 election.

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Kroger-Albertsons merger could cause more US food deserts, experts say

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Agreement between two of the largest supermarket chains in the US could also make prices increase

The proposed $24.6bn merger of Kroger and Albertsons could have dramatic consequences for customers, including higher prices for groceries and more food deserts, experts say.

The agreement between two of the largest supermarket chains in the US – which own brands such as Ralphs, Mariano’s, Fred Meyer, Safeway and Vons – would give the combined company control of nearly one-fifth of the US grocery market, with about 5,000 stores across 48 states. If the deal is approved by regulators, it is expected to close in 2024.

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Kanye West escorted out of Skechers office after showing up unannounced

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Executives removed the rapper from the Los Angeles building and said the footwear brand has ‘no intention of working with West’

Executives at Skechers escorted Kanye West out of the company’s corporate offices in Los Angeles, after the rapper and fashion designer showed up “unannounced and without invitation” on Wednesday.

In a statement released after the incident, the footwear brand said it “has no intention of working with West” and that the artist, now known as Ye, was engaged in “unauthorized filming”.

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Meta shares plummet alongside billion-dollar losses in metaverse division

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Latest in a series of difficult quarterly earnings reports forced Mark Zuckerberg to defend his virtual reality project

Shares of Meta plummeted on Wednesday after the company announced mixed results in its third-quarter earnings report, alongside billion-dollar losses in the division devoted to its ambitious “metaverse” project.

The Facebook parent company beat analyst predictions for revenue but offered a weak forecast for the upcoming quarter. It posted $27.7bn in revenue for the third quarter, higher than the $27.4bn predicted but 4% less than the same period last year. Its earnings a share, which accounts for expenses, was $1.64 – lower than the $1.89 predicted.

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Second woman says Herschel Walker pressured her to have abortion

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Lawyer Gloria Allred introduces woman as Jane Doe who alleges anti-abortion candidate drove her to a clinic in the 1990s

Another woman has claimed that Herschel Walker pressured her into having an abortion and drove her to a clinic to obtain one.

On Wednesday, lawyer Gloria Allred – who has represented numerous alleged victims of sexual misconduct and assault – introduced to reporters a woman who alleges Walker, the anti-abortion Republican candidate for Senate in Georgia, took her to an abortion clinic to have an abortion in the 1990s.

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Elon Musk makes splashy visit to Twitter headquarters carrying sink

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Tesla CEO changes his profile to ‘Chief Twit’ as Friday deadline to finalize his takeover deal nears

Elon Musk paid a visit to Twitter’s headquarters ahead of an end-of-week deadline to close his deal to buy the company, posting a video of himself in the company’s San Francisco lobby carrying a sink.

“Entering Twitter HQ - let that sink in!” he tweeted on Wednesday.

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Fetterman’s performance in high-stakes Pennsylvania debate splits Democrats – live

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Joe Biden is the oldest president ever inaugurated, and will turn 80 this year – but still plans to run for re-election, according to a reporter who recently interviewed the president, Martin Pengelly reports:

Joe Biden is “totally running” for a second term, the MSNBC host Jonathan Capehart has said, just days after interviewing the US president.

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