Monthly Archives: September 2024

Kamala Harris says she's 'going to win' the black male vote: What do the polls say?

Kamala Harris says she’s ‘going to win’ the black male vote: What do the polls say?



Vice President Kamala Harris said Tuesday at a National Association of Black Journalists event in Philadelphia that it’s important not to operate from the assumption that “Black men are in somebody’s pocket.”

Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, speaking to a panel of three reporters, was asked about young black male voters, who may feel left out by the current economy and support his opponent, former President Donald Trump.

The Democratic party is experiencing a drop in support among young black people, with a quarter of them leaning toward Trump, according to a poll released Friday by the NAACP. The overall result showed a 63% favorability for Harris over Trump’s 13% among black voters. However, the gender gap is notable. While support for Harris among black women remains strong at 67%, it falls to 49% among black men under 50.

Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris answers questions during a moderated conversation with members of the National Association of Black Journalists hosted by WHYY on September 17, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Getty Images/AFP

Harris said Tuesday that, “Black men are like any other voting group. You have to earn their vote. I’m working to earn the vote, not assuming I got it because I’m Black, but because policies. and perspectives that I understand what we must do to recognize the needs for all communities.”

She continued: “We’ve come in during the worst unemployment since the Great Depression. We’ve come in the worst public health epidemic in centuries. We’ve come in after the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War. Much due in large part to the mismanagement of the former president,” Harris said. “We had a lot of work to do to clean up a mess.”

Harris said she and President Joe Biden have created more than 16 million new jobs, including more than 800,000 manufacturing jobs. The country is also facing its lowest unemployment rate for black workers “in generations,” Harris said.

The administration also capped the price of insulin and prescription medications for seniors, “which is important for Blacks who are 60% more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes,” he said. She also promoted her work with President Joe Biden to remove medical debt from credit scores.

“Do we have more work to do? Yes,” Harris said. “I believe that he offers a new generation of leadership for our country that is particularly concerned with turning a page in an era that unfortunately showed us the attempts of some to understand fear and to create divisions in our country.”

She discussed her “opportunity economy” plan, including the need for additional housing to “deal with it head on” by hiring and engaging the private sector to encourage the construction of new homes.

“I believe there are many opportunities available to the American people if we look at people and understand what they want for themselves and their families and just meet them where they are,” Harris said.

Harris announced a plan where no working family would have to pay more than 7% of their income for child care. She said it is currently “too expensive” for the “sandwich generation”, who have to pay for childcare and also care for their parents. The Democratic candidate also called for additional support for home health care and child care providers.

“It’s an unfortunate state of affairs in our country that workers often have to decide whether they can work or pay for child care,” Harris said. “It’s not really level in terms of spending versus income.”

What the polls say

A recent Washington Post-Ipsos poll found Harris boasted strong support from black male voters. According to a Reuters poll last week, 26% of black men under 50 said they supported Trump.

The survey, conducted in early August before the Democratic convention and the recent presidential debate, indicates the potential of undecided voters to shift toward Harris in the end.

On Monday, Harris faced a poll from the NAACP suggesting she could face some challenges.

The NAACP poll, conducted in partnership with Hart Research and HIT Strategies, polled black voters in 12 priority states. While 79% of black women over 50 said they would vote for her, only 66% of men in the same age group felt the same.

Among the youngest Black voters, ages 18 to 49, Harris’ support drops even further, with only 56% supporting his candidacy.

Undecided voters could also be a challenge. While 59% of respondents overall reported a more favorable view of Harris over the past month, only 14% of undecided voters shared that view, with 25% of undecided voters saying the his opinion of her was aggravated.

Earlier this month, however, another poll revealed that Harris is winning the support of an overwhelming number of Black voters.

A Suffolk University poll, which polled 1,000 likely voters from Aug. 25-28, showed Harris leading Trump by 64 points among black voters (76% to 12%). It found that Harris led Trump among all voters by just over 4 points (47.6% to 43.3%).

Trump’s appearance with the NABJ

Harris did not attend NABJ’s annual convention in July due to scheduling issues that prevented him from being there in person. However, Trump attended and made big headlines.

The appearance had several heated exchanges between Trump and the moderators. The Republican candidate questioned why Harris “turned Black” while answering a question about whether he believed he was only on the Democratic ticket because of his race.

Trump also claimed that “millions and millions of people” are coming from the border and “taking black jobs.”

Follow Newsweek’s US Election live blog for updates.

Italy weathers the storm after 21 deaths in floods in Europe

Italy weathers the storm after 21 deaths in floods in Europe


Intense storms battering central Europe are now reaching Italy, where warnings for heavy rain, strong winds and flooding have been issued for most of the country.

Flooding has already been reported in the central city of Pescara, while the weather warning of the Italian meteorological service applies from the northern coast of Emilia-Romagna to the extreme south.

The warnings come as The floods devastated parts of Polandthe Czech Republic, Romania and Austria this week, leaving at least 21 dead.

Authorities in Croatia, Hungary and Slovakia are also warning of flooding in the coming days.

The significant flooding was caused by Storm Boris, which brought large amounts of rain and snow over the weekend.

More than 5,000 soldiers have been deployed to help people in southern Poland, including the 40,000 residents evacuated from the city of Nysa.

Floodwaters are receding in some parts of the region and spreading in others, with the extent of the damage revealed in Polish cities such as Glucholazy.

The city’s main bridge collapsed after being damaged by the swollen river, while many of its streets were covered in mud.

Polish police on Tuesday confirmed that at least six people had died, warning against “false information” after media reports put the total number of people killed at more than a dozen.

The country’s prime minister, Donald Tusk, has declared a month-long state of natural disaster – with the worst flooding expected to hit the city of Wroclaw on Wednesday.

A map showing the density of rainfall in the affected areas of Europe between 9 and 15 September. The highest rainfall of more than 200 mm is concentrated over central Austria and the Polish-Czech border. More than 150 mm were recorded in southern Poland, large parts of the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Croatia and Montenegro.

(BBC)

A map of central Europe showing flood reports in Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania and Austria, with Hungary and Slovakia also marked as A map of central Europe showing flood reports in Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania and Austria, with Hungary and Slovakia also marked as

(BBC)

The areas along the Czech-Polish border are among the most affected, where 15,000 people have been evacuated also in the Czech Republic.

The country experienced the worst flooding in more than 27 years, according to the local NGO Čnoký v tísn.

Ostrava was one of the hardest hit cities, after the Oder River burst its banks following heavy rainfall on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, water levels continue to rise rapidly on the Danube River in Slovakia and Hungary, with the Slovak capital Bratislava and its Hungarian counterpart Budapest bracing for possible flooding.

Emergency services and volunteers, in some places supported by the army, are also working 24 hours a day to protect low-lying settlements in the region.

A drone view shows the area affected by the flood in Ostrava, many houses are submerged entirely or up to the second floorA drone view shows the area affected by the flood in Ostrava, many houses are submerged entirely or up to the second floor

A drone view of an area affected by flooding in Ostrava, Czech Republic (Reuters)

Austrian authorities have closed sections of the Danube to shipping traffic over high water levels along the vital waterway, according to local media reports.

The Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service has warned that the river could experience an “extremely rare” rise in water – and confirmed plans are in place to put up flood barriers if necessary.

In Italy, the country’s National Civil Protection Service has also issued yellow warnings for almost 50 regions tomorrow, warning that there is a risk of storms, landslides and floods.

Professor Hannah Cloke, a meteorologist at the University of Reading, told the BBC that river levels had risen in most of the smaller high-altitude rivers of eastern Europe.

“Some larger rivers, such as the Danube and the Oder, are still partly rising and will not begin to fall again until late Tuesday or Wednesday, and remain much higher than normal,” he added.

BBC weather forecasts indicate the Emilia-Romagna and Marche regions as areas of greatest concern.

The region could see one to two months of rainfall in the next three days alone, and there are major concerns about the prospect of flooding.

Firefighters in Pescara, Abruzzo say they have already received more than 200 calls for help after heavy rains caused flooding.

In Romania, more rain is expected in the eastern Carpathians, which will endanger towns and villages in the counties of Galati and Vaslui, which are already hard hit.

More than a dozen soldiers in uniform are stacking sandbags and plastic sheets as a temporary flood barrier More than a dozen soldiers in uniform are stacking sandbags and plastic sheets as a temporary flood barrier

Hungarian soldiers in the village of Leanyfalu help erect flood barriers with sandbags (Getty Images)

Extreme precipitation is becoming more frequent and intense across central Europe, as it is in much of the world.

While the events in central Europe fit the expectations of more extreme precipitation in a warming world, it is not yet possible to quantify exactly how much of a role climate change has played.

To know for sure, that requires a complete scientific analysis of natural and human influences – which can take weeks or months.

But climate scientists have been warning for years about extreme rainfall events like these occurring as the planet warms.

A warmer atmosphere contains more moisture, which leads to more intense precipitation.

Warmer oceans also lead to more evaporation, fueling storm systems.

For every 1C increase in global average temperature, the atmosphere is able to hold about 7% more moisture.

Professor Cloke told BBC experts that climate change will lead to worse flooding in the coming years if global temperatures continue to rise, as “extreme summer rains are heavier and fill rivers more quickly.”

She also noted: “Just a few weeks ago, parts of southern and eastern Europe were suffering from drought, heat waves and fires.”

“We’re out of the pan and into hot water.”

Snoring is not just a nuisance, it is dangerous. Why can't we handle it?

Snoring is not just a nuisance, it is dangerous. Why can’t we handle it?



Martin Parr/Magnum Photos

It has ruined a lot of sleep at night, and no doubt a lot of relationships too. Trying to sleep next to a snoring partner is exactly that: trying. Once the engines go away, there are few countermeasures other than a shove, earplugs and the patience of a saint.

That’s the thing about snoring: many of us consider it little more than an embarrassment or a nuisance and grudgingly accept it. But the accumulated results suggest that this trivialises an important and common health problem.

Snoring is not only associated with broken sleep, it can be a warning sign of problems ahead and also seems to have some serious potential impact on the cardiovascular system of the snorer. Despite a proliferation of remedies, there is little evidence of what works. But as sleep researchers increasingly wake up to the hidden dangers of snoring, there is hope that the nightmare will soon end.

Snoring is very common, although it is difficult to understand exactly how it is. Many snorers are not aware that they are doing it. “If I ask someone ‘Do you snore?’ “, they say “I don’t know, I’m asleep”, he says. Danny Eckertdirector of sleep health at Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute in Adelaide, Australia. “His bed partner could tell him, but a lot of people don’t have a bed partner.” In Eckert’s experience, however, it is rampant. …

Republican voting on college polling sites undermines the party's ability to win

Republican voting on college polling sites undermines the party’s ability to win


The Tarrant County Republican Party on Monday called on members of its own party to vote against the county’s top elected official on the issue of voting sites on college campuses.

County GOP Chairman Bo French shared a party resolution on X expressing disapproval of Republican County Commissioners Manny Ramirez and Gary Fickes, who voted Thursday for approve a list of early voting sites which included eight university campuses.

County Judge Tim O’Hare voted against the motion, which was filed by Ramirez, saying polling places on college campuses unfairly favor a small segment of the voting population. I know opponents denounced the move as voter suppression.

Ramirez and Fickes “voted with Democrats on a key electoral vote that undermines the ability of Republicans to win the general election in Tarrant County,” the resolution states.

The resolution calls Ramirez specifically to signal “a disregard for the interests of the party and its constituents”, and invites him and Fickes to “review their political decisions to better reflect the values ​​and expectations of elected Republicans”.

O’Hare publicly said that Low voter turnout is beneficial for conservatives in Tarrant County.

Ramirez and Fickes were not available for comment after Tuesday’s Commissioners Court session.

French fired the first shot Thursday after the sites were approved, accusing Ramirez and Fickes of starting “with the left crowd”.

In the following days, text messages sent by the Tarrant County Patriots PAC urged Republican voters to call and ask Ramirez “why he wants anti-Trump and anti-Cruz Democrats to win in November.”

Ramirez responded in a letter addressed to French over the weekend accusing the party president of spreading misinformation about him and other Republicans on the Commissioners Court.

“Furthermore, you used party resources and shadow PACs to attack me, all because of a personal disagreement over a single issue,” Ramirez said in the letter.

In an attempt to “set the record straight,” Ramirez wrote that he made his motion and vote on the recommendation of County Elections Administrator Clint Ludwig and that he proposed adding more early voting sites in the senior centers.

When O’Hare asked at the Sept. 4 session how many early voting sites he recommended for the county, Ludwig said between 60 and 70.

Ramirez received the support of local voters.

Texas Rep. Charlie Geren, a Republican from Fort Worth, published Ramirez’s letter to the French on X on Saturday, and thanked the commissioner for “staying on conservative principles and maintaining polling stations on university campuses. Republicans know how to win the vote.”

Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker released Ramirez’s letter on Tuesday, saying Ramirez should not be vilified for his vote.

“Democracy is meant to be an arena for ideas,” he said. “When we resort to winning at the expense of voter turnout, we all lose.”

Ramirez “recognizes that it is the communication of ideas and policies and the ability to bring people together that wins elections, not partisan politics,” he continued. “We can run for office under the banner of a party, but once elected, you take an oath to serve everyone.”

Is Brittany Mahomes rethinking her Trump endorsement after her anti-Taylor Swift meltdown?

Is Brittany Mahomes rethinking her Trump endorsement after her anti-Taylor Swift meltdown?


It seems clear that when Brittany Mahomes liked (and then allegedly unliked) a Donald Trump post on Instagram, she didn’t mean to start a national debate, and she probably wasn’t prepared for one. She responded to the backlash not by explaining how or why her values ​​led her to support potential Trump, but by accusing critics of being “haters” and then asking for compassion. Not exactly the best way to talk about who should be the leader of the free world, but a gaffe doesn’t make a monster.

Her friend Taylor Swift, however, has been very forthcoming and measured in when and how she talks about politics (to be fair, she’s been in the game much longer), and her endorsement of the Harris-Walz ticket after the presidential debate was still. but finally polite. He did not attack Trump supporters or even mention the man by name, so when the first Apprentice the host responded by saying that he “hates” the pop starIt might have irritated Mahomes (remember, Brittany hates the haters). That’s what the insiders say, anyway.

“She’s questioning her support for Donald Trump after he slammed Taylor, saying she hates him,” a source close to Mahomes said. he said Daily Mail. “Taylor is like a sister to her and has done absolutely nothing wrong. She has not mentioned Trump in her post and is allowed to speak her mind,” they added.

Brittany Mahomes/Instagram

For the source, it’s less about rethinking his vote and more about rethinking his statements. “This doesn’t mean she’s suddenly voting for Kamala. It just made her more aware of supporting (Trump) so publicly,” the source revealed, adding: “She doesn’t believe in hate in any form and she loves Taylor so much . This shook her to the core.”

Mahomes is currently pregnant with her third child with husband Patrick Mahomes, quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs. When asked recently about political endorsements, Patrick promised not to name a candidate. “I don’t want my place and my platform to be used to endorse a candidate or do anything, in any way,” Mahomes said during a press conference. “I think my job is to inform people to register to vote. It’s to inform people to do their own research and then make the best decision for themselves and their family.”

A bystander shot himself in the head as New York police tackle the evader

A bystander shot himself in the head as New York police tackle the evader


New York police have defended their actions after an aide was shot in the head as two officers confronted a knife-wielding fugitive in a busy subway station.

The man was in critical condition after the shooting at the Sutter Avenue L station in Brooklyn on Sunday afternoon. Three others, including the suspect, were injured.

Police said officers challenged a suspected fare evader, then shot him after he threatened him with a knife. His condition is critical.

New York authorities have made reducing crime on the subway and buses a top priority after a series of violent attacks, robberies and murders. A crackdown on fare evasion is part of that push.

But critics have questioned how the prosecution of a minor offender escalated into the use of lethal force in a crowded area.

Tom Donlon, the city’s acting police commissioner, ordered a full investigation, but added: “Make no mistake, the events that occurred … were the result of an armed perpetrator.”

None of those involved have been named by the police.

Jennvine Wong, of the Legal Aid Society Cop Accountability Project, told the New York Times that police had put lives at risk after choosing “in a confined space … to use disproportionate force.”

At a news conference, NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said two officers saw a man go through the barriers without paying.

Maddrey said body camera footage showed the suspect threatening to “kill” the officers if they followed him, before confronting them with a knife.

The footage shows a train pulled into the station as the confrontation escalated. Officers fired Tasers at the man – to no effect – as he attempted to board the train, before jumping onto the platform.

“At one point he advances on one of the officers with his knife,” Maddrey said. “The officer stops, draws his weapon, and both officers at this point fire.”

Two bystanders, a policeman and the suspect were hit.

Maddrey said the officer realized he had been shot in the armpit but continued to perform “safety measures” on the suspect. The two officers realized that two passers-by had also been hit by the fire. Two other officers then arrived and helped the injured.

Officials said the suspect had a record of 20 prior arrests and a significant history of mental illness.

Janno Liever, the chief executive of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, said the incident “started because someone wanted to come to the transit system with a weapon, someone who … had a history of crime and a history of violence and even gun charges.”

Police said on Sunday that a knife had been recovered and posted a photo on social media. The next day, however, he posted another message saying that the knife had been taken from the crime scene by an unidentified man.

City authorities have tried to expand the police presence in their transport system after an increase in crime. All stations on the city’s system have security cameras and pilot schemes are being run to scan passengers for weapons.

The MTA last year announced a crackdown on fare evasion, backed by police enforcement. Officials say aggressive enforcement can help catch criminals and remove weapons from New York trains.

But the problem continues to grow, with NYPD statistics showing 2,227 arrests and more than 30,000 citations in the second quarter of this year — roughly double that of the same period five years ago.

Queens driver killed by teenage gunman's stray bullet was hard-working immigrant grandfather

Queens driver killed by teenage gunman’s stray bullet was hard-working immigrant grandfather


William Alcindor, the Queens driver fatally struck in the head by a stray bullet before plowing into a pedestrian and crashing his SUV into a building, was a hard-working immigrant grandfather, his family said Tuesday.

“He didn’t like to fight. He didn’t like to argue,” said Alcindor’s daughter Gabriella Alcindor, 25, a day after the tragic murder.

“He was someone who was just non-confrontational. He just wanted to go to work, go to church, kiss his mother, kiss his children, hug his sisters, love his grandchildren. And he just wanted to go home at the end of the day”.

He didn’t do it. Cops said Alcindor, 66, was driving through the intersection at 117th Street and Farmers Blvd. in Sant’Albanu as soon as a bullet hit him in the head, triggering the horrible chain of events around 4 o’clock on Monday evening.

Relatives described Alcindor as a working Haitian immigrant. How long does it take? Some family members said they didn’t even know Alcindor was back at work after recent health problems sidelined him from his job delivering car parts.

“I actually didn’t know he went back to work because all of us didn’t want to,” said Gabriella, recalling her father’s stroke more than a decade ago. “He can’t carry these things, you know. He stopped for a while. We assume that’s what he was doing here, because he has no reason to be here. We thought he was leaving things. I found out he was working again last night from my cousin.

Shooting victim William Alcindor (Courtesy of family)

She said that Alcindor could not bear to be confined at home.

“In 2013 he had a stroke,” Gabriella said. “He had to stop working. He just wanted to find something to do. He was complaining about having to sit at home.”

It would have been safer there on Monday afternoon.

That’s when he was driving his Nissan SUV past a of Popeye parking lot, where a teenage gunman fired several shots during a dispute with several rivals.

Alcindor, mortally wounded, hit a pedestrian before throwing himself into a building.

A 66-year-old Queens man shot dead behind the wheel of his SUV, sparking a crash that left a pedestrian hospitalized, was the unintended target of the wanted teenage gunman. The shooter, described as between 15 and 18, ran away after opening fire on a rival from the Popeye's parking lot near 117th Road and Farmers Blvd. in St. Albans around 4:50 pm on Monday, September 17, 2024. (Sam Costanza for the New York Daily News)
The shooter, described as between 15 and 18, ran away after opening fire on a rival from the Popeye’s parking lot near 117th Road and Farmers Blvd. in Sant’Albano around 4:50 p.m. on Monday. (Sam Costanza for the New York Daily News)

Doctors took Alcindor to Jamaica Hospital, where he died a short time later. The pedestrian was taken to the same hospital in stable condition.

The shooter and several people around him escaped. There was no arrest.

“It’s still surreal,” said the victim’s daughter, Sophia Alcindor, 40. “I still can’t process it. I woke up this morning – I barely slept, but when I opened my eyes I was like, ‘Yes, it happened.’

Police have released a surveillance image of the teenage suspect they say fired a random shot in Queens that killed a 66-year-old man who was walking by. (NYPD)
Police have released a surveillance image of the teenage suspect they say fired a random shot in Queens that killed William Alcindor. (NYPD)

She said she doesn’t want to see that happen to anyone else.

“These guns, it’s a problem,” he said. “People don’t want to talk about it, but it’s a problem. It’s like you want to pretend it’s not happening. We’re still just trying to process everything because you don’t plan things like this. It was driving. It was just lead.”

Police on Tuesday released a surveillance image of the suspected gunman and asked for the public’s help in identifying him and tracking him down.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.

The UK can expect a 'tsunami of missed cancers' in the wake of the pandemic, experts say | Cancer

The UK can expect a ‘tsunami of missed cancers’ in the wake of the pandemic, experts say | Cancer


The UK can expect a “tsunami of missed cancers”, leading experts have said, after an international study found that diagnoses fell sharply during the pandemic.

Preliminary data from the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership, presented to delegates at the World Cancer Congress in Geneva, compared data on the incidence and stage of cancer diagnosis in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom, before and during the pandemic.

The results showed that the nations of the United Kingdom had the biggest and most sustained fall in the diagnosis of lung, breast, colorectal and skin cancers during 2020. Northern Ireland and Wales did particularly badly compared to the other countries studied.

While all countries saw a decline in diagnosed cases at the peak of the pandemic, most had rebounded within the year. In contrast, Wales and Northern Ireland have not yet recovered their diagnosis rates by the end of 2020.

The study calculated that between April and July 2020, breast diagnoses fell by 35% in Northern Ireland and Wales, compared to 24% in Norway and 14% in Denmark. For lung cancer, in the same period of time, the decrease was 16% in Northern Ireland and Wales compared to 10% in Norway or 1% in New Zealand.

For the most affected month, 44% of breast cancer cases and 30% of lung cancer cases were missed in Northern Ireland and Wales. There was also a sharp drop in colorectal cancer diagnoses.

The decrease in diagnosed cases was greater for cancers in the initial stage, partly due to the suspension of screening programs. In Northern Ireland and Wales, stage I breast cancer diagnoses fell by 44% and 51%, respectively.

Cancer experts said that because of such large drops in diagnoses, they expected to see many more patients presenting with more advanced and late-stage cancers.

“These data are a shocking wake-up call, providing key evidence that the UK can expect a tsunami of missed cancers and a potential change in stage that can lead to more aggressive cancers that are harder to treat,” said Mark Lawler. . professor of digital health at Queen’s University Belfast and chair of the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership. “And the fact that we are still far from meeting the goal of 62 days to treat cancer can only make the problem worse.”

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Lead oncologist and co-founder of the Catch Up With Cancer campaign, Prof Pat Price, said: “These figures are timely and devastating confirmation of the colossal cancer crisis. Without urgent action, we will see more patients diagnosed at a later stage late and more patients facing treatment delays.

“We were at the bottom of the cancer league tables before the pandemic, and as this study shows, we have not only recovered from the backlog in diagnosis. However, it should not be so, as the Lord Darzi’s new NHS report highlights. “If there was ever a time to deliver and implement a dedicated cancer recovery plan, it’s now.”

Naser Turabi, director of evidence and implementation at Cancer Research UK, said: “These findings suggest that the UK health system lacks resilience compared to countries such as New Zealand, leaving it more vulnerable to impact of Covid. This could have serious consequences for cancer patients who have faced delays in diagnosis due to excessive services.”

The bombshell claims by the "ABC whistleblower" that Harris had help in the debate

The bombshell claims by the “ABC whistleblower” that Harris had help in the debate


Several bombshell claims were made last week in an unverified document circulating online that purports to prove close collaboration between ABC News and Kamala Harris’ team ahead of her debate with former President Donald Trump.

The document is claimed to be a sworn statement written by a staffer at ABC News. It was posted early Sunday by an X account with the name “Black Insurrectionist.”

The document, which was a sworn affidavit signed by a notary public the day before the debate, says the network gave Harris questions in advance while agreeing to a series of other preconditions to give the vice president an advantage over to Trump.

Also prohibited in the debate were questions about Harris’ time as Attorney General of California, as well as those involving his brother-in-law, Tony West, the document shows. It includes several other stipulations, as well as redactions that obscure the identity of the supposed staffer.

An ABC statement did not address the specific claims, instead saying, “ABC News followed the debate rules that both campaigns agreed to. . . . No topics or questions will be shared in advance with the campaigns or candidates.”

The unverified document, which was a sworn affidavit signed by a notary public on September 9, has sparked controversy with its mass of claims.

A statement from the ABC did not address the specific claims, instead saying:

An ABC statement did not address the specific claims, instead saying, “ABC News followed the debate rules that both campaigns agreed to… No topics or questions will be shared in advance with campaigns or candidates.”

The document, which describes that it contains a seal from the notary public that is not really visible, says that it was written by a resident of New York.

“I have worked for ABC news for more than 10 years in various technical and administrative positions,” it read, before declaring that the staffer “observed significant transformations in the nature of news reporting in the organization” in that interval, and even a ” goes from an unbiased report to a model influenced by external factors.

The alleged staffer, who says they are not a supporter of Donald Trump, states that the intent of the affidavit is only to “address concerns regarding perceived bias in news reports in the debate of the my boss”.

It was allegedly written by a staffer who worked at the station for a decade, during which they said ABC's reporting style became increasingly annoying.

It was allegedly written by a staffer who worked at the station for a decade, during which they said ABC’s reporting style became increasingly annoying.

The document goes on to cite “promises made (that) the candidates would be required to hold firm discussions regarding their proposed policy positions and that the debate would not degenerate into an advertising campaign,” where “the candidates would only make general statements without a specific policy or explanation of…’

The end of that sentence is redacted, along with several others.

The next section offers an alleged insight into the political landscape of the ABC office, where the writer stated that employees “are looking for a fair and honest debate” while questioning “the clear bias”.yes) which is well known throughout the company.’

He specifically mentions ABC News moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis, as well as C-suite staffers at the station and its related companies.

“It is common knowledge that the Debate Moderators and even the Chief Executive Officers of my employer are well known not to support Donald Trump,” the section says.

“This has led to many employees talking about how it should be debated.”

Pictured are some of the alleged agreements reached by both parties

Pictured are some of the alleged agreements reached by both parties

The next section includes “specific cases related to the debate” that “raise concerns about procedural fairness.”

The first was that the Harris campaign supposedly “received special accommodations, including, but not limited to, the provision of a podium significantly smaller than that used by Donald Trump, and assurances regarding split-screen television views that would have a favorable impact on Harris’ aspect .’

The later stipulation was that Trump “would be subject to fact-checking during the debate, while Kamala Harris would not face comparable scrutiny.”

Pictured are some of the alleged agreements reached by both parties. The document is not verified

Pictured are some of the alleged agreements reached by both parties. The document is not verified

Adding that the Harris team allegedly “needed assurances that Donald Trump would be vetted,” allegedly “through multiple communications with the Harris campaign.”

“The Trump campaign was not included in the negotiations,” he continues.

He then argues that “the Harris campaign was provided with sample questions that, while not the exact questions, covered similar topics that appeared during the debate.”

The document then goes into “Restrictions imposed by the Harris campaign on the scope of questioning,” including: “No questions about the perceived health of President Joe Biden,” “No inquiries related to his tenure as Attorney General in San Francisco,” and finally. , ‘No questions regarding his brother-in-law, Tony West.’

West, a prominent attorney who once worked as general counsel for Uber, “faces allegations of embezzling billions of dollars in taxpayer funds,” according to an alleged affidavit.

A post on X with the document was viewed almost 8 million times in just over 24 hours

A post on X with the document was viewed almost 8 million times in just over 24 hours

Those claims are also unproven and have never been reported.

The document states that West, who is married to Harris’ sister Maya, “may be involved in (his) administration if elected.”

The New York Times recently reported that West is “a major force behind Ms. Harris’s campaign and her record-breaking fundraising,” and serves as “a critical point of contact for the leaders of businesses and major donors”.

The document then states that ABC “employees who express favorable views toward (Trump) experience significant concerns about potential retribution.”

The statement is made before several lines of text income.

The alleged staffer also reportedly sent the document to House Speaker Mike Johnson.

“I have also shipped a Federal Express package containing this affidavit, mailed on September 9, 2024, and delivered to my residence on September 10, 2024, which will remain unopened for potential investigative purposes,” the document says.

The document says that ABC News gave Harris questions before the debate, along with agreeing to preconditions to give a leg up on former President Donald Trump.

The document says that ABC News gave Harris questions before the debate, along with agreeing to preconditions to give a leg up on former President Donald Trump.

The staffer later claimed to have “secretly recorded several conversations that would prove that the Harris Campaign not only insisted on fact-checking Donald Trump, but also insisted on what questions should not be asked under any circumstances.”

“I make these statements under penalty of perjury and without coercion of any kind,” he concluded.

Although unproven, the document has picked up steam on social media, being shared by several high-profile figures.

They include Ted Cruz, Marjorie Taylor Greene, billionaire Bill Ackman, and Elon Musk, with the latest statements posted expressing belief in the claims made by the Manhattan hedge-funder.

Days earlier, before the documents were released, Trump himself reposted an account claiming that “an ABC whistleblower will release an affidavit” showing that “the Harris campaign was given sample requests.”

Such claims first appeared on the account of right-wing influencer and January 6 participant Philip Anderson last week, two days after the debate.

OceanGate CEO puts profits over safety ahead of Titan's fateful voyage, ex-employee says

OceanGate CEO puts profits over safety ahead of Titan’s fateful voyage, ex-employee says


In the desire to get a working submarine to the Titanic wreck site as quickly as possible, the Titan was built at a safety risk, with cost-cutting measures and poor engineering allowed by CEO Stockton Rush , a former employee said Tuesday in scathing remarks. in a US Coast Guard investigative hearing.

“There was a big push to get this done. A lot of steps along the way were missed,” testified David Lochridge, former director of marine operations for OceanGate, the Washington state company that operated the water vessel. deep Titan.

“The whole idea behind the company was to make money,” said Lochridge, who was fired from his role after about two years. “There was very little in the way of science.”

Rush was piloting the Titan with four others on board, some paying passengers, when it imploded in June 2023 during a Titanic dive tour at the bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean. All five were killed, including a renowned Titanic explorer and a father and his 19-year-old son.

OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, left, and pilot Randy Holt dive aboard the company’s submersible Antipodes in 2013.Wilfredo Lee / AP file

Fifteen months after the fatal voyage, the Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation is holding a two-week hearing in South Carolina to determine what led to the catastrophe and what safety recommendations can be made to federal regulatory agencies and international. Potential criminality could also be referred to the Department of Justice.

Lochridge was made director of operations in January 2016 after moving his family from his native Scotland on a work visa that OceanGate helped obtain. He testified that he was not directly involved with the design or construction of the Titan’s original hull, as his relationship with Rush broke down in the summer of 2016 after Lochridge said he “embarrassed” his boss later a heated encounter during an exploration mission to view the sunken. transatlantic, the Andrea Doria.

But Rush was still inspecting the Titan that was nearing the end of early 2018, Lochridge said.

What he found was “an abomination of a sub,” he said, and after learning firsthand that most of the same materials were “reused” in a second Titan hull that was manufactured and ultimately involved in the calamity of the past year.

“Stockton liked to do things on the cheap,” Lochridge testified.

Front row: Hamish Harding, Paul Henry Nargeolet. Bottom row: Suleman and Shahzada Dawood and Stockton Rush.
The five people killed when the submersible Titan imploded in June 2023, clockwise from top left: Hamish Harding, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Stockton Rush, and Suleman and Shahzada Dawood.Dirty Dozen Productions; AFP via Getty Images; via LinkedIn; Courtesy of the Dawood family

Lochridge was to be fired in January 2018 for voicing his concerns and appearing “anti-project”, he said.

His public comments on the second day of Coast Guard hearings came after federal investigators opened up Monday with new details from the implosion, including a photo of Titan’s tail cone, and testimony of another OceanGate executive, former director of engineering Tony Nissen.

Nissen, who was hired in 2016, said he raised concerns with Rush after the Titan’s original hull — made of experimental carbon fiber, which has not been repeatedly proven to withstand the pressures of the deep sea – was compromised after it was struck by lightning during a test mission in 2018. The hull also suffered an unsalvageable crack, Nissen said, and refused to complete another test mission the following year, prompting the i shoot

Lochridge on Tuesday said he also met with Nissen, pointing out how OceanGate was struggling internally as it tried to do business: convincing rich people to pay tens of thousands of dollars to go on deep-sea dives in their submersibles .

“It was all smoke and mirrors,” Lochridge said. “All the social media you see about all these past expeditions, they’ve always had problems with their expeditions.”

The CEO “beats me” on the head during the diving mission

Lochridge recounted a first dangerous dive in the summer of 2016, when Rush piloted another of the company’s submersibles, Cyclops 1, on a trip to visit the Andrea Doria, the Italian ocean liner that is sank off the coast of Massachusetts in 1956 after colliding with another. ship

Lochridge testified Tuesday that he told Rush he shouldn’t be in charge of that trip, but the CEO was adamant. (The submarine gained attention when it was unveiled last year because it used a PlayStation controller to pilot.)

With three paying customers aboard the Cyclops 1 during that trip, Rush piloted the vessel recklessly, Lochridge testified.

“”Don’t tell me what to do,” Rush said, according to Lochridge.

Rush then piloted the sub directly toward the decaying ocean liner.

“He decided to go straight to the wreck,” Lochridge said, adding: “He just hit the bottom” and “basically drove full speed.”

“Every time I went to take the controller from him, he pushed it further and further,” Lochridge said.

One of the passengers was in tears, Lochridge said, adding that Rush only relinquished control when a passenger screamed.

Upset, Rush threw the PlayStation controller and “hit me on the side of my head,” Lochridge said.

Ultimately, Lochridge said, he discovered the controller, which had a missing button, and repaired it before piloting the Cyclops 1, which saw some damage, back up.

Once safe, the passengers cheered Lochridge, he said.

“I embarrassed him in front of the customers. He wasn’t happy,” Lochridge said of Rush. “I knew it was a turning point in our relationship.”

After Lochridge’s dismissal, OceanGate sued him in 2018, alleging breach of contract, including violating the terms of his contractual employment by discussing confidential information with other employees and representatives of the Health Administration and Occupational Safety.

Lochridge filed a lawsuit against OceanGate. The two sides later settled their dispute out of court.

Lochridge explained on Tuesday that instead of paying money to OceanGate as part of a settlement, he signed a non-disclosure agreement; he has been unable to speak freely about his employment until now, when the Coast Guard subpoenaed him.

Pursuing a counterclaim “wasn’t going anywhere,” Lochridge said, and his wife and he realized “that was causing more hurt for us.”