Cases in nursing homes hit all-time high . . . New coronavirus cases have surged to an all-time high at nursing homes across the country despite federal efforts to shield residents through aggressive testing and visitor restrictions, a new report shows. Federal data shows 10,279 COVID-19 cases during the week of Nov. 1, the most recent data available. USA Today

 

Mouthwash kilss the coronavirus . . . Mouthwash can kill coronavirus in 30 seconds after initial exposure, a new study has found. Mouthwashes with at least .07 percent cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) showed “promising signs” of combatting the virus. CPC-based mouthwashes eradicated the virus when exposed in a laboratory, but the trial has yet to be conducted with saliva. The three most successful products were Dentyl Dual Action, Dentyl Fresh Protect and Listerine Advanced, which contained 23% ethanol, providing “the greatest level of inaction.” The research showed that ethanol alone was not enough to combat the virus, which led scientists to claim that the compound LAE, which is found in Listerine Advanced, “appears to be required for optimal efficacy.” Daily Caller 

 

Chuck Grassley, second oldest senator, tests positive . . . Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, an 87-year-old in the line of succession to the presidency, announced Tuesday that he had tested positive for the coronavirus. Grassley reported the test results late in the day, after beginning a quarantine Tuesday morning following notification he had been exposed to the virus. On Monday, Grassley gave a speech on the Senate floor, without wearing a mask. Bloomberg

 

Detroit-area Republicans certify election after pressure campaign . . . Jenna Ellis, a senior legal adviser to the Trump 2020 campaign said Tuesday that the two Republicans on Michigan's Wayne County Board of Canvassers involved in a brief deadlock in the county's election certification process faced threats and allegations of racism before they agreed to certify the ballots. Their decision to side with their Democrat colleagues after voting against certification was dramatic and viewed by conservatives on social media as a capitulation after a brutal, two-hour public pressure campaign. Fox News

 

 

Trump fires official who said election was secure . . . Trump fired Christopher Krebs, the top cybersecurity official in the Department of Homeland Security, in a tweet Tuesday evening. Krebs’ termination was expected after his office released a statement Thursday which said that the 2020 elections were “the most secure in American history.” Trump called Krebs’ statement “highly inaccurate,” and said that his termination was effective immediately. Daily Caller

 

 

Top House Democrat refuses to condemn Ihan Omar for calling Trump events "Klan rallies" . . . House Democrat Caucus Chair Rep. Hakeem Jeffries Tuesday refused to condemn a statement by Rep. Ilhan Omar that events by President Trump were “Klan rallies,” instead attacking Trump for spreading hate, etc. Jeffries said he did not know the “context” of Omar’s remarks, which I don’t believe. If that is true, it’s only because he asked not to be briefed on it, since his staff surely would have expected the question. White House Dossier

 

 

 

Half of Republicans say Biden won due to "rigged" election . . . 

About half of all Republicans believe President Donald Trump “rightfully won” the U.S. election but that it was stolen from him by widespread voter fraud that favored Democratic President-elect Joe Biden, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll. The Nov. 13-17 opinion poll showed that Trump’s open defiance of Biden’s victory in both the popular vote and Electoral College appears to be affecting the public’s confidence in American democracy, especially among Republicans. Reuters

 

Nevertheless, they are not burning down cities and tearing apart private property. Are they?

 

Georgia recount likely to show Biden still won . . . Georgia election officials are expected to complete their hand-count of the election results by Wednesday, after disparities uncovered so far are not expected to make a difference in the race. Most of the recounted results have been 'spot on' with the original tallies, according to election officials. Democrat Joe Biden's lead is expected to be about 13,000 votes. His current lead is about 14,000. Daily Mail

 

Second tranche of uncounted Georgia votes found . . . A second Georgia county has uncovered 2,755 votes not previously counted in the state's presidential race, narrowing Joe Biden's lead over President Trump to under 13,000. Gabriel Sterling, the state's voting system manager, said Fayette County election workers didn't initially upload votes stored on a memory card. "They didn't do the reconciliation process properly," he said. The breakdown of the uncounted ballots was 1,577 for Trump, 1,128 for Biden, 43 for Libertarian Jo Jorgensen, and seven write-in votes, Sterling said. On Monday, election officials said they found 2,600 uncounted ballots in Floyd County. Washington Examiner

 

Pa. supreme court rejects Trump lawsuit over Philadelphia observers . . . . The Pennsylvania Supreme Court threw out one of the Trump campaign's longest-running post-election complaints Tuesday, ruling that officials in Philadelphia did not violate state law by maintaining at least 15 feet of separation between observers and the workers counting ballots. The ruling is likely to undercut the Trump campaign's case in federal court, where Rudy Giuliani joined a hearing Tuesday afternoon to argue on behalf of President Donald Trump's effort to contest the election results in Pennsylvania. NBC News

 

Trump to issue rule lowering drug prices . . .  Trump has resurrected a long-delayed plan to slash drug prices, with advisers pitching him on an added benefit: It would hit an industry that Trump believes slow-walked coronavirus vaccine development until after the election. The about-face came after Oval Office meetings last week where Trump railed against vaccine maker Pfizer for not revealing that its vaccine was more than 90 percent effective until after Election Day, according to three people familiar with the discussion. The plan, known as the most-favored nations rule, would link government payments for medicines to lower prices paid abroad. It could cut Medicare drug payments by as much as 30 percent. Politico

 

Republicans to continue Hunter Biden probes . . . Senate Republicans, whose committees launched investigations into President-elect Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden, say their investigations will continue regardless of who is in the White House or whether they keep the majority after two Georgia runoffs are decided. Washington Examiner

 

Cuomo gets a raise . . . New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo will still receive a $25,000 pay raise in 2021, despite the state's $63 billion deficit as a result of revenue losses tied to the coronavirus pandemic. Cuomo's salary will jump from $225,000 to $250,000 on Jan. 1, 2021, according to a resolution passed by the state Senate and Assembly in 2019, making him the highest-paid governor in the nation. Fox Business

 

 

Navy successfully tests groundbreaking missile defense system . . . The U.S. Navy successfully tested a new missile defense system that can shoot down an intercontinental ballistic missile from outer space, according to a Missile Defense Agency announcement. On Tuesday, agency base in the Marshall Islands launched a projectile into space headed toward Hawaii. Navy sensors detected the missile, and the USS John Finn launched the new missile defense system and successfully struck down the projectile. Washington Free Beacon

 

 

Former pro-democracy lawmakers arrested in Hong Kong . . . Hong Kong police arrested three former opposition lawmakers Wednesday for disrupting legislative meetings several months ago, as concerns grow over a crackdown on the city’s pro-democracy camp. Posts on the Facebook accounts of Ted Hui, Eddie Chu and Raymond Chan said they were arrested in relation to the incidents in the legislature’s main chamber. The trio separately disrupted legislative meetings by splashing pungent liquids and other items on two occasions. Politico

 

 

UK police want lockdown will radicalize kids . . . The coronavirus pandemic is causing a “perfect storm” of housebound youngsters being radicalized online, U.K. counter-terrorism police said Wednesday. A sharp increase in terrorist material on the internet and isolation due to lockdown are leaving children without the counterbalance of schools, colleagues and friends to prevent radicalization, said Neil Basu, head of counter-terrorism policing. Bloomberg

 

Ethiopia faces "hell" in battle for Tigray, rebels say . . . The rulers of Ethiopia’s rebellious Tigray region refused on Wednesday to surrender to federal troops and instead claimed they were winning a war that has exacerbated ethnic fractures in the vast nation and further destabilised the Horn of Africa. “Tigray is now a hell to its enemies,” they said in a statement on the two-week offensive against them. “The people of Tigray will never kneel.” Reuters

 

Year-end fiscal cliff approaching for millions . . . A whole range of pandemic aid programs are set to expire in the new year, leaving millions of Americans without the government support that’s helped keep them afloat -- and threatening to hold back a rebounding economy. The biggest blow will likely come from the end of two federal unemployment-insurance programs, with roughly 12 million people facing a late-December cutoff. Bloomberg

 

Bitcoin emerging as a safe refuge . . . Bitcoin is seizing the spotlight from gold as a hedge against risks such as further dollar weakness or a pick-up in inflation, after widening its performance lead over the yellow metal. The cryptocurrency’s 150% jump in 2020 puts the digital coin’s price relative to gold at the highest in almost three years. Bloomberg

 

US to approve Boeing 737 Max return . . . After nearly two years of scrutiny, corporate upheaval and a standoff with global regulators, Boeing won approval on Wednesday from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to fly its 737 MAX jet again after two fatal disasters. The FAA detailed software upgrades and training changes Boeing must make in order for it to resume commercial flights after a 20-month grounding, the longest in commercial aviation history. Reuters

 

DC public school lesson: Racism and capitalism caused coronavirus . . . A District of Columbia public school teacher encouraged students to blame the coronavirus pandemic on racism and capitalism instead of China, according to a lesson plan. Hardy Middle School teacher Caneisha Mills had her students host a "People's Tribunal on the Coronavirus Pandemic," whose "defendants" included racism, capitalism, and the United States government. Washington Free Beacon

 

Star SoulCycle instructors accuses of abusive behavior . . . Star SoulCycle instructors have been accused of using racist language, fat-shaming, having sex with clients and more behind the scenes.

CDC advises no singing  or drinking on Thanksgiving . . . New guidelines from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise Americans to forego caroling, loud music and even drinking alcohol. The holiday spirit may be dampened as the CDC says to 'encourage guests to avoid singing or shouting, especially indoors,' meaning there will be no Christmas caroling this year. 'Keep music levels down so people don’t have to shout or speak loudly to be heard,' the guidelines say. Daily Mail