Fauci: Keep Thanksgiving tight . . . Dr Anthony Fauci has warned Thanksgiving could cause a spike in coronavirus cases as he urged caution to families across the US. The nation's leading infectious disease expert said he was worried people will be meeting up from separate homes, sometimes from out of town, and gathering inside. Fauci, 79, said families should try to limit the number of people attending Thanksgiving and try to keep it to their own household. Daily Mail

 

Oxford scientists develop five-minute Covid test . . . Scientists from Britain’s University of Oxford have developed a rapid COVID-19 test able to identify the coronavirus in less than five minutes, researchers said on Thursday, adding it could be used in mass testing at airports and businesses. The university said it hoped to start product development of the testing device in early 2021 and have an approved device available six months afterwards. Reuters

 

Barron Trump tests positive . . . Under siege over his handling of the novel coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump on Wednesday cited what he said was his son’s mild bout of the virus as a reason why American schools should reopen as soon as possible. Republican Trump made the comment about his son, Barron, while at a rally at the Des Moines, Iowa, airport. Reuters

 

Barrett fends off Democrats in mostly drama-free confirmation hearings . . . Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett emerged unscathed Wednesday after three days of confirmation hearings, fending off Democrats’ toughest questions and leaving her on a path to be sitting on the high court within weeks. After a second day of senators’ questions, Republicans cheered the relatively drama-free proceedings. Democrats spent their time attacking President Trump and warning of a health care crisis but mounting few significant challenges to Judge Barrett on her legal views. Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican and chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said confirming Judge Barrett will shatter the glass ceiling for conservative women and prove to a generation of women that they don’t have to adhere to liberal orthodoxy. Washington Times

 

 

Trump hints he may fire Bill Barr . . . President Donald Trump hinted that he may fire Attorney General Bill Barr after Justice Department probes didn't indict any of his political enemies. In a Newsmax TV interview, Trump said it was 'too early' to determine if Barr would still have his job if there's a second Trump term. 'I have no comment. Can't comment on that. It's too early,' Trump said. 'I'm not happy with all the evidence I have, I can tell you that. I'm not happy,' he added. Daily Mail

 

Obama to stump for Biden . . . Former President Obama will hit the campaign trail for Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the closing two weeks of the presidential race, when he is expected to visit key battleground states, sources confirm to The Hill. Discussions have centered around sending Obama to key battleground states like Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. There have also been discussions around Obama appearing with Biden at a campaign event closer to the end of the race. The Hill

 

 

Democrats' Act Blue raises $1.5B in third quarter . . . Democratic candidates and left-leaning groups raised $1.5 billion through ActBlue over the last three months — a record-smashing total that reveals the overwhelming financial power small-dollar donors have unleashed up and down the ballot ahead of the 2020 election. From July through September, 6.8 million donors made 31.4 million contributions through ActBlue, the Democratic Party’s favored online donation platform, averaging $47 per donation. Politico

 

Three polls put Biden ahead of Trump in Georgia                                                                                            

 

Ice Cube slammed for working with Trump campaign . . . Rapper Ice Cube defended himself against social media attacks Wednesday after the Trump 2020 Campaign thanked him for working with the president on his "Platinum Plan" for Black Americans. “Facts: I put out the [Contract with Black America],” the rapper tweeted. “Both parties contacted me. Dems said we’ll address the CWBA after the election. Trump campaign made some adjustments to their plan after talking to us about the CWBA.” Fox News

 

Xi tell Chinese military to prepare for war . . . Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on troops to "put all (their) minds and energy on preparing for war" in a visit to a military base in the southern province of Guangdong on Tuesday, according to state news agency Xinhua. During an inspection of the People's Liberation Army Marine Corps in Chaozhou City, Xinhua said Xi told the soldiers to "maintain a state of high alert" and called on them to be "absolutely loyal, absolutely pure, and absolutely reliable." CNN
 

Russian satellite and Chinese rocket at high risk of colliding . . . Experts believe a defunct Russian satellite and a discarded Chinese rocket could smash into each other high above the earth on Thursday, according to reports. Satellite-tracking company LeoLabs on Wednesday said the defunct objects could come within 39 feet of each other and that there was a 10% chance that they could still collide around 8:56 p.m. ET. Because the objects are located high above the ground, they don't pose a risk to anyone on earth. However, a crash could cause more debris to orbit the earth, which could increase the risk of future collisions. The debris could also threaten astronauts. Fox News

 

Eight million have fallen into poverty since May as federal aid dries up . . . After an ambitious expansion of the safety net in the spring saved millions of people from poverty, the aid is now largely exhausted and poverty has returned to levels higher than before the coronavirus crisis, two new studies have found. The number of poor people has grown by eight million since May, according to researchers at Columbia University, after falling by four million at the pandemic’s start as a result of an $2 trillion emergency package known as the Cares Act. New York Times

 

 

Tax burden equal to 70% crushes Americans who want to get off welfare . . . Millions of low-income Americans are locked into poverty thanks to U.S. tax policy, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta researchers say. About a quarter of lower-income workers effectively face marginal tax rates of more than 70% when adjusted for the loss of government benefits, a study led by Atlanta Fed Research Director David Altig found. That means for every $1,000 gained in income, $700 goes to the government in taxes or reduced spending. In some cases, there are no gains at all. Bloomberg

 

US has fewest police officers in a quarter of a century . . . There are now fewer police officers per person in the United States than at any point in the last 25 years, recently released federal data show, after over a decade of decline. There were roughly 214 police officers per 100,000 Americans in 2019, according to the latest figures from the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of Public Employment and Payroll, which tracks employment across state and local governments. That represents a 1.5 percent decline from 2018 and a 9 percent drop from 2007, when police numbers last peaked. Washington Free Beacon

 

 

Student was told to leave online class over Trump flag . . . With many students taking online classes due to the pandemic, schools have been cracking down on what students can see on camera, including a Trump 2020 flag. When 17-year-old Anthony Ribeiro showed up for his virtual chemistry class last week at Toms River North High School in Ocean County, New Jersey, he says had a flag in support of the president behind him. Before class started, his teacher told him to take the sign down. He recalled his teacher saying he would have to leave the class if he doesn't take it down. "I waved goodbye and I was gone," Riberio said. NBC New York

 

Merriam-Webster changes meaning of "sexual preference after Hirono rant  . . . Merriam-Webster's online dictionary quietly changed the meaning of the word "preference" and the term "sexual preference" on Tuesday after a Democratic senator claimed it was an "offensive and outdated term." Under its online entry for the word "preference," Merriam-Webster now lists "sexual preference" as an "offensive" term. A usage paragraph was also published to explain: "The term preference as used to refer to sexual orientation is widely considered offensive in its implied suggestion that a person can choose who they are sexually or romantically attracted to." On Tuesday, Sen. Mazie Hirono (D., Hawaii) seized on Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett's use of the term "sexual preference." Washington Free Beacon

 

Person is seen flying around Los Angeles at 6,000 feet in a jet pack . . . A China Airlines crew member has reported seeing someone in a jet pack flying at an altitude of 6,000 feet near LA International Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Authority. The crew member spotted the individual around seven miles northwest of the airport in Los Angeles about 1:45pm on Wednesday, the FAA said. An air traffic controller overseeing airline approaches also reported seeing what appeared to be a person in a jet pack at around 6,500 feet and issued a warning to a commercial pilot who was just about to land at the airport. Daily Mail