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 My son has narrated the last book I wrote.
Please consider listening to it and encouraging others to do so too. (Click on Book Cover) World & Nation Ukraine hits Russian oil refinery, ending pause and defying Trump Ukraine struck an oil refinery in Russia’s Samara region early on Friday, ending a two-week pause in refinery attacks that came amid heavy pressure from the Trump administration to halt such operations. Photos and video footage posted on social media showed columns of smoke rising into the sky over the Novokuibyshevsk refinery. Ukrainian forces last hit an oil refinery on Oct. 15, and had not struck Russian oil infrastructure of any kind since Oct. 20. The pause took place against a background of repeated demands by Trump and other U.S. officials to stop hitting refineries. Trump has publicly blamed Ukraine’s strikes for high global fuel prices, which energy experts mostly attribute to the U.S.-Iran war. Earlier this month Trump also called for Zelensky’s removal earlier this month and blamed him for Russia’s continuing war on Ukraine. Residents Evacuated From Oleshky, Reach Crimean Peninsula A humanitarian convoy carrying residents evacuated from the Russian-controlled city of Oleshky in Ukraine has reached the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula, witnesses said on Friday. They said the convoy of buses crossed into Crimea from the Kherson region of Ukraine. Starving residents of Oleshky began evacuating on Friday as part of a joint relief operation by the opposing sides, the first of its kind in four years and eight months of war. Midterm voters forced to choose between alleged adulterers, abusers, criminals and other ethically challenged pols They can’t all be winners. On Election Day, millions of voters across the country will be forced to decide whether to elect ethically or criminally challenged candidates as they juggle their political and moral priorities. From allegations of adultery and abuse to criminal indictments, a number of midterm candidates on both sides of the aisle managed to survive their primaries or had scandals emerge after securing their party’s nomination, creating a dilemma for voters. Here are some of the most scandalous pols on the ballot Nov. 3:
General fired by Hegseth referred for criminal prosecution, Pentagon says The U.S. military said it has made a criminal referral to the Justice Department in the case of Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, a top officer who was suddenly ousted after Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth accused him of leaking classified information. Hegseth fired Sylvia on Oct. 28 in a decision that was initially announced without explanation. Sylvia served on the Joint Staff as the director for strategy, plans and policy, a role known as the Pentagon’s chief military planner. Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell wrote in a post on X that “the Department took necessary personnel action to protect sensitive information.” “This matter, along with others, have been referred to the Justice Department for potential further legal action,” he added. A spokesperson for the DOJ said in a statement that it “has ongoing investigations related to possible leaks of classified information.” Cook Political Report: Dems Could Win 240 House Seats Democrats could capture as many as 240 House seats in Tuesday's midterm elections, giving the party its largest majority in nearly two decades, according to a new forecast from The Cook Political Report. The election handicapper shifted 12 additional House races toward Democrats on Friday, projecting the party will flip between 12 and 25 Republican-held seats and finish with a majority of 227 to 240 seats. The latest forecast reflects growing concerns among Republicans about President Donald Trump's declining approval ratings, voter turnout, and whether heavy GOP campaign spending can overcome a political environment increasingly favoring Democrats.
'Decoy Dan' Sullivan case leads top senator to break four-year X silence: 'Pattern of lies' The reported recruitment by Democrats of a second "Dan Sullivan" to allegedly confuse voters in Alaska’s Senate race drew a rare public rebuke from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who appeared to break four years of silence on her personal X account. The New York Times reported that members of Mary Peltola’s team helped recruit a candidate who shares the name of incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, potentially confusing voters in a closely watched race that also features Republican Gerald Heikes. In a statement on her personal account @LisaForSenate, Murkowski said the report "revealed… a pattern of lies and coverups" on the part of Peltola. "While some may try to write this off as just how politics works now, ballot-stacking should have no place in our electoral process," Murkowski said. Dershowitz to Newsmax: Rep. Omar could still face criminal prosecution Alan Dershowitz, Harvard Law professor emeritus, told Newsmax on Thursday that Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., could still face criminal prosecution over a previous marriage that federal investigators examined in 2016 and predicted she will ultimately have to resign or be barred from the House. "This is not a simple crime. This is a complex and potentially continuing crime," Dershowitz said. "So I think it's still an open, possible open case for criminal prosecution, for denaturalization, for deportation, all of those." The Times reported that prosecutors declined to pursue charges in 2016 after concluding that the five-year statute of limitations had expired, a conclusion Dershowitz disputed. North Korean hackers steal $6.3B from Binance in ‘largest bank heist in human history’ North Korean hackers stole $6.3 billion from Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, in a lightning-fast theft that an insider has called “the largest bank heist in human history.” Cybercriminals swiped the digital coins out of Binance wallets within a mere 20 minutes starting at 4:30 p.m. ET Thursday, exploiting the system by hacking into an engineer’s laptop, according to analytics firm TRM Labs and industry insiders. Binance initially said the security incident may have involved a compromised laptop. In an update Friday, Richard Teng, co-CEO of Binance, said the company’s security team has “uncovered additional points of breach,” suggesting it was a complex attack carried out by more than one person. “The attacker also used a self-destruct mechanism … making it more difficult for us to trace and investigate,” Teng said, adding that Binance’s security team is still deep in the throes of the investigation. Putin says Russia is ready for war with Europe in chilling threat Vladimir Putin said Russia is prepared for a potential war with Europe, though it does not want one. The Russian president said his country supports any steps aimed at restoring relations with European countries, as he commented on his phone call with the leaders of Norway and Finland, which took place on Tuesday. But in a chilling threat, he said that if tensions were to escalate too far, there would be no winners. He added that Moscow did not want the Baltic Sea to face a situation similar to that in the Strait of Hormuz. DOJ, States Clash Over Midterm Election Rules The Trump administration and state election officials are engaged in escalating legal battles over election procedures just days before Tuesday's midterm elections, with the Justice Department challenging voting practices in several states amid allegations that noncitizens may have cast ballots. The Justice Department is pursuing lawsuits in California and Alaska, threatening legal action in Washington state, and issuing subpoenas as part of investigations into potential election violations, The Wall Street Journal reported. In California, federal prosecutors have made three attempts to force state officials to set aside as many as 20,000 ballots submitted by voters the administration suspects are noncitizens. Federal prosecutors also issued subpoenas Thursday to state and local officials as part of an investigation into allegations of illegal voting, according to the Journal. CBS News staff revolt after MAGA-friendly boss demands coverage of Alaska scandal CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss met “significant resistance” from some staff at Thursday’s morning editorial meeting about a New York Times report on Alaska’s Senate race, insiders told Fox News Digital. Weiss called the matter a “scandal,” according to the Fox account. The Times reported that staff for Mary Peltola’s campaign and allies helped recruit a second Dan Sullivan to run against Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, in an effort to split his support. Peltola’s former campaign manager said she wasn’t directly involved but was “definitely aware.” Sources on the call told Fox that several staffers pushed back on Weiss’s enthusiasm for the story, with many viewing it as routine politics that Republicans also practice. When Weiss asked for other examples of ballot confusion, “Face the Nation” moderator Margaret Brennan mentioned New Hampshire Senate candidate John Sununu, whose brother Chris is a former governor. Correspondent Ed O’Keefe said earlier on “CBS Mornings” that Alaska “could be a dirty trick, but it’s not illegal,” and recalled a 2016 episode involving yet another Dan Sullivan. Patrick Stewart's cause of death revealed after actor dies at 86 Patrick Stewart's cause of death has been confirmed. The British actor, best known for portraying Capt. Jean-Luc Picard in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and Professor Charles Xavier in the "X-Men" film franchise, died Wednesday, Oct. 28, at his Los Angeles home following a "brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia," according to a statement shared on his social media Thursday. He was 86. "He has been held in the warm embrace of family and friends, surrounded by live music, prayer, tears, laughter, and the kind of profound emotion that only he could inspire after a lifetime of devotion to us all. We will forever cherish the peaceful ease and reflection on his face, an enduring reminder of his invincible grace," the statement read. Israel Faces Tough Talks After Netanyahu Loses Majority Israel's final election results confirmed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc lost its parliamentary majority and that weeks of difficult negotiations among very different parties, from ultra-Orthodox Jewish to secular to Arab-led, lie ahead. The results released early Friday showed Netanyahu's bloc won 53 seats in Tuesday's election. The main opposition bloc won 48. Arab-led parties secured the other 19, a historic showing. Now parties must meet, bargain, and seek a way to team up for at least 61 seats in the 120-seat Knesset. Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, remains in charge. Israel Demolishes West Bank Attackers' Homes
Obama and other Ilhan Omar defenders are looking like fools Opinion by New York Post Editorial Board
Former President Barack Obama huffed this week that an investigation into Ilhan Omar for immigration fraud was a sham. “The full weight of the federal government is being brought down on a law-abiding elected official because she has dared to criticize the president,” he ranted. “The fact that any president, or any administration, is willing to engage in such transparent efforts to intimidate someone should outrage all Americans.” Yes, it’s awful that Ilhan Omar was being investigated by — checks the record — the Obama administration. Way back in 2016, the feds had evidence that Omar entered into a sham marriage with a man thought to be her brother. The data center boom is rescuing forgotten American towns From $50,000 teacher bonuses in Louisiana to lower property taxes in Virginia, the economic benefits are reshaping towns By Chris Johnson
With the midterm elections approaching, data centers have become an increasingly popular political target. Politicians are raising alarms about their impact on communities, with some calling for construction moratoriums or outright bans. There's been plenty of fearmongering. But the more Americans learn about data centers, and the more communities experience their benefits firsthand, the stronger the case for continued development becomes. Data centers have existed for decades, but the rapid growth of artificial intelligence has dramatically increased the demand for computing power. Americans understandably have questions about what this development means for electricity prices, water supplies, and their quality of life. Newer facilities are increasingly being designed with technologies that can address these concerns, including closed-loop cooling systems and quieter operations. |
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