Trump considers moves on vaccines, fluoride in water with help from RFK Jr.
One day before Election Day, Former President Donald Trump is making one of his final pitches to voters. He said he’ll consider taking on two controversial public health topics, vaccines and fluoride in drinking water, if he wins the White House.
In a phone interview with NBC News Sunday, Nov. 3, Trump said Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would play a key role in his administration on both of those issues.
This comes after Kennedy made a last push for Trump over the weekend of Nov. 2. Kennedy originally ran for president as an Independent before he dropped out earlier this year and endorsed Trump.
“I need you to vote for Trump,” Kennedy said. “Because that’s the only way I’m going to get to Washington D.C.”
Kennedy also posted on X that Trump would push to remove fluoride from drinking water on his first day in office, noting Trump wants to “make America healthy again.”
On January 20, the Trump White House will advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water. Fluoride is an industrial waste associated with arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders, and thyroid disease. President…
Kennedy has linked fluoride to multiple illnesses. However, several medical groups including The American Dental Association support fluoride water, saying it prevents tooth decay.
When NBC News asked Trump about Kennedy’s take on fluoride, he claimed to not have discussed it yet.
“Well I haven’t talked to him about it yet. But, sounds okay to me. You know it’s possible,” Trump said.
Then when asked if banning certain vaccines would be on the table, Trump praised Kennedy and said both men plan to discuss the issue.
“Well I’m going to talk to him and talk to other people and I’ll make a decision. But he’s a very talented guy and has strong views,” Trump said.
Kennedy is well known for his criticism and skepticism of vaccines, including COVID shots.
Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris criticized the idea of Kennedy having a potential role in a Trump administration.
On “The Checkup with Doctor Mike” podcast Sunday, Nov. 3, she said it wasn’t helpful for Kennedy to talk about health care the way he does.
“It has not been helpful to have him talk about healthcare the way that he does,” she said. “So, I’m going to win the election but it’s because everyone gets out and votes and they know what’s at stake.”
Trump previously considered Kennedy as a chair to a vaccine safety commission in 2017 but that fell through.
Idaho health department bans COVID-19 vaccinations in 6 counties
In a first for the country, Idaho’s Southwest District Health Department has banned the administration of COVID-19 vaccinations. The regional health department covers six counties along the Idaho-Oregon border, including Adams, Washington, Payette, Gem, Canyon and Owyhee counties.
The department’s board voted 4-3 in favor of the ban on Oct. 22.
During a meeting, Southwest’s medical director testified the COVID-19 vaccine is necessary and requested that the board allow the health department to carry the product.
Homeless individuals, homebound individuals, long-term care residents and people undergoing the immigration process all receive vaccinations at the health department.
“I’m not aware of anything else like this,” Adriane Casalotti, the chief of government and public affairs for the National Association of County and City Health Officials told The Associated Press.
She noted other health departments have stopped offering the vaccine due to cost or low demand, but not because of the quality of the medical product itself.
According to The Associated Press, COVID-19 vaccine demand has fallen dramatically in the six counties — from 1,601 doses in 2021 to just 64 in 2024.
State health officials report that COVID-19 vaccines are still available at community health centers for the uninsured.
Harris, Trump look to win the West with 4 days until Election Day
As the presidential campaign heads into the final weekend, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris swing through the western U.S. to sway undecided voters. And crews in Spain search for survivors after a year’s worth of rain fell in just hours. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Friday, Nov. 1, 2024.
Harris, Trump look to win the West with days until Election Day
With just four days to go until Election Day and more than 65 million ballots already cast, the candidates are making their final stops on the campaign trail. On Thursday, Oct. 31, both nominees visited the western United States to make their case.
Republican nominee former President Donald Trump spoke at campaign events in New Mexico, Nevada and Arizona, while Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris held rallies in Arizona and Nevada.
At an event in Glendale, Arizona with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Trump repeated his stance of there being “an enemy within” the United States — a comment Harris has criticized in her speeches.
“If you have a smart president, somebody that knows what’s happening, you’re going to be fine,” Trump said, “But we do have an enemy from within. We have some very bad people, and those people are also very dangerous. They would like to take down our country. They’d like to have our country be a nice communist country or a fascist in any way they can, and we have to be careful of that.”
In Henderson, Nevada, Trump said Harris would not be able to handle the presidency, calling her “a child” when it comes to understanding the economy. He also announced former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would be working on “health and women’s health” if he’s reelected.
While in Reno, Nevada, Harris continued her warnings to supporters about another Trump presidency, calling trump “increasingly unstable” and “obsessed with revenge.”
“In less than 90 days, either he or I will be sitting in the Oval Office, and listen, here’s what we can imagine, right, we’ve all seen on TV — you’ve seen the Oval Office — just visually imagine what that day will be,” Harris said. “Because, if elected, Donald Trump on day one would walk into that office with an enemies list. When I am elected, I will walk in with a to-do list on behalf of you.”
The vice president told the crowd that people are “exhausted with Trump’s rhetoric.” She also appealed to female voters, criticizing Trump’s comments that he would “protect women” saying, “Trump does not respect the freedom of women.”
Harris’ Nevada rally was interrupted by protesters at times, but the vice president said it was “OK” and “we’re fighting for the right to be heard.”
Friday, Nov. 1, both candidates will hold rallies in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as the final weekend of the 2024 election cycle begins.
‘Avengers,’ LeBron endorse Harris; Jake Paul backs Trump
Some famous faces put their names behind their pick for president on Thursday. Members of the cast of Marvel’s “Avengers” film franchise assembled to show their support for Vice President Harris while YouTube star Jake Paul backed former president Trump.
Actors Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo and others gathered together in a social media video supporting Harris. NBA superstar LeBron James also backed Harris in a post on X saying, “When I think about my kids and my family and how they will grow up, the choice is clear to me. Vote Kamala Harris.”
Social media influencer turned boxer Jake Paul put his endorsement behind the Republican nominee. In a video posted to his YouTube channel, Paul laid out his reasons and asked his followers to do their own research.
“Regardless of your emotion, I’m just presenting you with facts,” he said. “Do I think Donald Trump is a perfect human being? No. I don’t think anybody on this planet is a perfect human being, myself included. To be frank, I’m not concerned with Donald Trump’s ‘character flaws’ or what he’s done in the past. What I’m concerned with is how good a president is he, because that is his job and that’s what’s going to affect the people of this nation.”
Why I Am Not Suspending My Campaign Let me be clear: Despite the immense pressures and intense assaults on my campaign and character, I intend to hold the torch and finish this race – to and after November 5th! The escalating corruption of the US political system and the… pic.twitter.com/CQrcOTX9vi
West accused the Pennsylvania secretary of state of improperly keeping him off the ballot for not filing all the required paperwork. The state’s top court agreed with the secretary of state, but a federal judge said while it does seem like Pennsylvania’s rules make it harder for third-party candidates to get on the ballot, it’s too close to Election Day to re-print ballots and re-test election machines without increasing the risk of error.
Flash floods claimed the lives of at least 158 people, with 155 deaths confirmed in the eastern Valencia region alone. Spain’s minister for territorial policy said Thursday dozens of people are still missing but they don’t have an exact number of how many.
Army specialist charged in female soldier’s murder at Missouri base
Her body was found in a dumpster at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri last week. Rancy, who’s with the 5th Engineer Battalion, is also charged with obstruction.
The Department of Army Criminal Investigation Division, which is the primary federal law enforcement agency of the United States Army, is overseeing the probe.
The department has not specified a motive for the killing. It is also unclear if Rancy and Roque knew each other.
OpenAI adds search and summary function to ChatGPT
Google has some new competition. OpenAI has added a search function to its artificial intelligence bot ChatGPT.
Paying subscribers are now able to activate a mode on ChatGPT that makes it respond to queries by searching the internet for the latest information and summarizing what it finds. The search capabilities are powered by Microsoft’s Bing search engine and will draw information from articles by publishers OpenAI has deals with, including The Wall Street Journal owner News Corp. and the Associated Press.
While this function is only for paying subscribers for now, OpenAI said it plans to bring search to all users eventually.
Supreme Court rules RFK Jr. will remain on ballot in 2 swing states
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s emergency appeal to withdraw his name from ballots in Michigan and Wisconsin, two battleground states, Tuesday, Oct. 29. Kennedy, who ended his independent campaign and endorsed former President Donald Trump, argued that keeping his name on the ballot implied he was still running, infringing on his First Amendment rights.
State officials in Michigan and Wisconsin countered that it was too late to remove Kennedy’s name, as voting was already underway. Michigan reported that more than 1.5 million absentee ballots had been returned, with an additional 264,000 early votes cast. In Wisconsin, more than 858,000 absentee ballots had been returned.
The justices did not explain their decision, as is common on emergency appeals. Justice Neil Gorsuch, however, dissented in the Michigan case, noting concerns over the timing of Kennedy’s initial request.
Previously, Kennedy sought to stay on the ballot in New York but later shifted his approach to request removal in swing states, hoping to consolidate votes for Trump. Michigan and Wisconsin are the final states where his name will appear.
With six days until the election, former President Donald Trump stumped in Allentown, Pennsylvania as Vice President Kamala Harris delivered her “closing argument.” We have what each said about what’s at stake next Tuesday. Also, details on what happened after a gunman opened fire from a hotel in Atlanta. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.
Harris gives closing argument as Trump addresses Biden’s comments
Some twists on the campaign trail with under a week to go now to Election Day and already more than 50 million ballots cast. Both presidential candidates gave dueling speeches Tuesday night, Oct. 29.
The Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris delivered what she described as her “closing argument” to the American people near the White House as the Republican nominee former President Donald Trump looked to court Latino voters in the battleground state of Pennsylvania.
During her address at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., the vice president emphasized its significance as the same site where former President Trump spoke to his supporters right before the riots on the capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
“So tonight, I will speak to everyone about the choice and stakes in this election,” she said. “Look, we know who Donald Trump is. He is the person who stood at this very spot nearly four years ago and sent an armed mob to the United States Capitol to overturn the will of the people in a free and fair election.”
The vice president also told voters she will seek common ground, saying she will give those who disagree with her a “seat at the table.”
“As Americans, we rise and fall together,” she said. “America, for too long, we have been consumed with too much division, chaos and mutual distrust. And it can be easy then to forget a simple truth: it doesn’t have to be this way. It doesn’t have to be this way. We have to stop pointing fingers and start locking arms.”
In Pennsylvania, former President Trump reached out to voters during a rally in the majority Hispanic town of Allentown.
“I’m here today with a message of hope for all Americans,” he said. “With your vote this election — oh, do I look forward to this election. We — I’m going to say ‘we’ because we are going to do it as a group. We will end inflation. Wwe will stop the invasion of criminals into our country. And we will bring back the American dream. We’re doing it together, Pennsylvania.”
During his rally, the former president asked his supporters to vote and send in their mail-in ballots early, saying “they’ve already cheated” in the state — a reference to law enforcement in Lancaster County announcing they were investigating around 2,500 voter registration forms for alleged fraud.
Trump turned his attention to President Joe Biden after Florida Sen. Marco Rubio joined him on stage.
“I wasn’t going to say anything, but I have breaking news for you Mr. President,” Rubio told Trump. “You may not have heard this: just moments ago, Joe Biden stated that our supporters are garbage, are garbage. He’s talking about the border patrol, he’s talking about nurses, he’s talking about teachers, he’s talking about everyday Americans who love their country and want to dream big again and support you Mr. President.”
“Remember Hillary [Clinton], she said ‘deplorable’ and then she said ‘irredeemable,’ right?” Trump responded. “But she said ‘deplorable.’ That didn’t work out. Garbage, I think, is worse right?”
What they were referring to were comments made by President Biden during a Voto Latino campaign call Tuesday night. Biden spoke about the comedian who made controversial jokes about Puerto Rico during Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally over the weekend.
“Just the other day, a speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico a ‘floating island of garbage,’” the president said. “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters.”
The White House issued a statement saying, “The president referred to the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally as ‘garbage.’” President Biden himself followed up on his comments with a post on X saying, “Earlier today I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage…the comments at that rally don’t reflect who we are as a nation.”
During an appearance on Fox News Tuesday night, Trump told host Sean Hannity nobody from his campaign vetted the comedian before the MSG rally.
As it pertains to the alleged voter fraud in Pennsylvania, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro told CNN there will be safe elections in the state and when asked about Biden’s “garbage” comment, Shapiro said, “It’s certainly not the words I would choose.”
Supreme Court rules RFK Jr. will remain on ballot in 2 swing states
It was unlikely the Supreme Court would have ruled in his favor, because voting is already underway in both states. Kennedy’s name also remains on the ballot in some other states, but he did not ask the Supreme Court to take it off anywhere but Wisconsin and Michigan in an apparent move to secure more voters for his ally Trump.
Steve Bannon spends first day out of prison stumping for Trump
Longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon wasted no time showing his support for the former president after being released from prison early Tuesday morning. Bannon just finished serving a four-month sentence for defying a subpoena from Congress during its investigation into the U.S. Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021.
Bannon’s first order of business was to resume his podcast “WarRoom.” He then held a news conference urging Republicans to turn out in droves to vote for Trump on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
“I’ve been empowered by my four months at Danbury Federal Prison,” Bannon said during the news conference.
He added, “Obviously with seven days or six days left, you have to have a convergence of the get out the vote effort. I am not a huge believer in our ability to actually participate in rallies or do rallies because right now I think President Trump does great and he has people long there are going to do rallies in the different states. Our focus is one thing to make sure that we get as many American citizens, either early voting when they can or to the polls next Tuesday.”
He has pleaded not guilty to money laundering, conspiracy, fraud and other charges. His trial in that case is scheduled to begin in December.
Paul Pelosi attacker sentenced to life term on state charges
A judge sentenced the man who broke into former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s northern California home and attacked her husband, Paul, with a hammer to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
David DePape, 44, was already serving 30 years in federal prison for the attack when a San Francisco jury found him guilty of multiple state charges in June.
Both the prosecution and defense said the life without parole sentence will be served concurrently with DePape’s federal sentence. It has not yet been determined where he will serve his punishment.
Suspect in custody after shots fired at Atlanta Four Seasons
A police officer and a suspected shooter are recovering after gunfire broke out at a building that houses a Four Seasons Hotel and residences in Atlanta Tuesday. The Atlanta police chief said the officer was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
UPDATE: Barricaded Gunman turned Active Shooter Situation Zone 5 at 75 14th Street Sound from Mayor Andre Dickens & Chief Darin Schierbaumhttps://t.co/TjSDcj3YTj
Authorities say the man fired at least once from the balcony of a residence on the 33rd floor of the 53-story high-rise building. They say he also shot through walls and doors, but no other injuries were reported.
Police said the suspect lives in the residential portion of the building and was not a guest at the Four Seasons hotel portion.
Yankees deny Dodgers a World Series sweep with Game 4 win
Despite another Freddie Freeman home run — becoming the first player to homer in games 1, 2, 3, and 4 — the Yankees crushed the Dodgers 11-4 in Game 4 Tuesday night in the Bronx, highlighted by three home runs including a grand slam by shortstop Anthony Volpe.
The game also featured an odd moment when Yankees fans tried to pry a foul ball out of the glove of Dodgers’ Mookie Betts. The fans were escorted from their seats by stadium security after that play.
The 11 runs were the most by the Yankees in a World Series game since Game 5 of the 1978 series when they scored 12 against the Dodgers.
Now the Yankees are hoping to do what no other team has done in Major League Baseball history: come back from being down 3-0 in the Fall Classic to win it all.
The Dodgers still just need one more win to claim the championship.
Well-known names show support for presidential candidates
It’s the final full week of the presidential campaign as former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris make their final pitch to voters. And McDonald’s is bringing the Quarter Pounder back after a deadly E. coli outbreak. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Monday, Oct. 28, 2024.
Well-known names show support for presidential candidates
It was a weekend full of big rallies, big speeches and big names as Republican nominee former President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris aimed their sights on undecided voters with just over a week to go until Election Day — hoping celebrities and well-known figures will help get their message out.
After recording a three-hour long podcast with Joe Rogan on Friday, Oct. 25, and speaking at an event in the battleground state of Pennsylvania Saturday, Oct. 26, former President Trump held a rally Sunday night, Oct. 27, at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. Trump was joined by high-profile names like Tesla CEO Elon Musk, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, pro wrestling superstar Hulk Hogan, and former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy.
One guest who was not listed as an expected speaker, surprising the MSG crowd, former first lady Melania Trump, who introduced her husband.
SURPRISE APPEARANCE: Former first lady Melania Trump stuns crowd with rare appearance to support her husband at his historic Madison Square Garden rally. pic.twitter.com/jjar9Mvk8n
“Let us charge together with a shared vision that builds on American greatness,” she said. “Let’s seize this moment and create a country for tomorrow — the future that we deserve.”
The former president then took the stage, speaking for over an hour, telling his supporters why a second Trump presidency would be better than a Harris administration.
“On issue after issue, Kamala broke it, but I will fix it,” he said. “And we’re going to fix it.”
Meanwhile, Vice President Harris was joined by Beyoncé at a rally in Houston on Friday and former first lady Michelle Obama during a stop in Michigan on Saturday.
“I got to ask myself: why on Earth is this race even close?” Obama said. “I lay awake at night wondering, ‘What in the world is going on?’”
In Philadelphia, Hollywood stars Leonardo di Caprio and Robert De Niro stumped for the vice president over the weekend. Harris then spoke at a campaign event in Philly Sunday, talking about the importance of this election.
“We know this is going to be a tight race. We will win,” she vowed.
On Monday, another rally will be held in Philadelphia in support of Vice President Harris with Bruce Springsteen and former President Barack Obama. Former President Trump will be holding a rally in Atlanta, Georgia.
Comedian’s comment on Puerto Rico at Trump event sparks controversy
One particular moment from former President Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally Sunday night is causing a stir.
“There’s a lot going on. I don’t know if you know this but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now,” Hinchcliffe said, “I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”
In response to the comedian’s comment, Trump campaign senior adviser Danielle Alvarez issued a statement saying, “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”
Hinchcliffe’s comment drew instant criticism from both Democrats and Republicans, including the chairman of the Republican Party of Puerto Rico. In response, prominent Puerto Rican figures including entertainers, Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny and Ricky Martin all posted support for Kamala Harris on social media.
Gov. Walz and @AOC react to this clip: “When you have some a-hole calling Puerto Rico ‘floating garbage,’ know that that's what they think about you. It's what they think about anyone who makes less money than them… I want every Puerto Rican in Philadelphia and Reading and… https://t.co/L5GdSvLJWTpic.twitter.com/y9DQTABM0v
Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez reacted to Hinchcliffe during a livestream of the event.
“People in Puerto Rico are citizens,” Walz said. “They pay taxes, and they serve in the military at almost a higher rate than anybody else.”
“It’s super upsetting. My family is from Puerto Rico. I’m Puerto Rican,” Ocasio-Cortez added.
Hinchcliffe later responded on social media saying in part, “These people have no sense of humor. Wild that a vice presidential candidate would take time out of his ‘busy schedule’ to analyze a joke taken out of context to make it seem racist. I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone…watch the whole set.”
Iraq says Israel violated its airspace during attacks on Iran
Iraq has accused Israel of violating its airspace when it carried out a series of strikes on Iran over the weekend. In a statement released Monday morning, an Iraqi government spokesperson said Iraq has sent a letter to the United Nations to condemn the purported breach.
On Saturday, Oct. 26, Israel struck military targets inside Iran in response to Iranian missile attacks on Israel earlier this month. Iran has also claimed Israel used Iraqi airspace to carry out the attacks and accused the U.S. of being in on it.
American officials have said Israel did notify the U.S. about the strikes, but the U.S. was not directly involved.
“I can now confirm that we have concluded the Israeli response to Iran’s attacks against Israel. We conducted targeted and precise strikes on military targets in Iran — thwarting immediate threats to the State of Israel.”
According to the Iraqi statement, Iraq’s prime minister has told the country’s foreign ministry to raise the alleged Israeli violation with U.S. officials.
In Gaza over the weekend, an Israeli strike killed several people at a school that’s being used to shelter displaced Palestinians. The Israeli military claims it was targeting Hamas operatives, and a Hamas command center was embedded in the compound.
Meanwhile, Egypt’s president announced Sunday his country has proposed a two-day cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. During the proposed cease-fire four hostages held in Gaza would be freed.
Those restaurants will resume sales of Quarter Pounders without slivered onions. While a specific cause of the outbreak has not been confirmed, it has been linked to a produce company that supplies the onions used for the Quarter Pounders in certain areas.
The E. coli outbreak has led to 75 illnesses across 13 states, including 22 hospitalizations and one death, according to the CDC, with most occurring in Colorado and Nebraska.
Nvidia briefly overtakes Apple as world’s most valuable company
Nvidia dethroned Apple as the world’s most valuable company — briefly. It came after a record-setting rally in the stock market on Friday, spurred by demand for the company’s specialized artificial intelligence chips.
Nvidia’s market value briefly touched $3.53 trillion, just slightly above Apple’s $3.52 trillion. However, Apple ended the day on top.
Nvidia ended the day with a market value of $3.47 trillion, still a win for the company, as it ended the day up.
Both companies are part of the S&P 500’s magnificent seven, which are driving the index to record levels.
Shohei Ohtani expected to play Game 3 as World Series moves to NY
The injury occurred when Ohtani slid into second base during the 7th inning. He left the game, giving Dodgers fans a scare even with the team winning the game and being up 2-0 in the series.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told ESPN Sunday that Ohtani will be playing as the New York Yankees are set to host a World Series game for the first time since 2009.
RFK Jr. considers legal action against reporter over sexting scandal: Report
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is considering suing Olivia Nuzzi, a political reporter for New York Magazine, over a series of explicit messages she allegedly sent him, according to sources close to Kennedy. Nuzzi reportedly sent pornographic photos and videos to the former presidential candidate, which led to her being placed on leave after the scandal surfaced Thursday, Sept. 19.
The messages were exchanged over an eight-month period, during which Kennedy allegedly blocked and unblocked her number multiple times.
Jessica Read Kraus, a mutual friend of both parties, claimed Kennedy was tricked into unblocking Nuzzi, who would assert she had urgent information about a damaging article being written about him. Once unblocked, she allegedly inundated him with increasingly graphic content.
Kraus, also a reporter, recalled her interactions with Nuzzi regarding their mutual coverage of Kennedy.
“Olivia would ask me almost intimate questions about him and his relationships with staff and his wife after each campaign stop — who he was seen talking to, what his mood was like, and whether he showed any signs of flirtation,” Kraus said. “There was an undercurrent of fascination that went beyond journalistic intrigue, bordering on obsession.”
Friends of Kennedy expressed concerns that Nuzzi may have been “obsessively” pursuing him, prompting Kennedy to hire a security expert to investigate whether civil or criminal action should be taken against her.
“She went after him aggressively,” an unnamed source close to the Kennedy camp told the New York Post. “She targeted him pretty hard. Bobby was blocking her continually. It was a little scary. She was obsessed with him. I think she still is.”
“It’s absolutely untrue that she was the aggressor, but both parties were aware of how high-pressure and high-risk the circumstances were, and for that reason their communication was very on and off,” a source who spoke with the New York Post said in response to these allegations.
New York Magazine placed Nuzzi on leave from her magazine after it was revealed she had a “non-physical, personal relationship” with Kennedy. Her editors stated they would have acted differently had they known about the relationship while she was covering his campaign.
North Carolina begins sending out absentee ballots for presidential election
With Election Day exactly six weeks away, one key swing state is getting the process rolling Tuesday, Sept. 24. North Carolina has started to send out absentee ballots to voters who requested them.
The North Carolina State Board of Elections received more than 200,000 requests including almost 20,000 from military and overseas voters. Those ballots to military members actually went out late last week, electronically.
State law had directed the first absentee ballots to be distributed earlier this month. However, things became complicated and delayed.
The withdrawal of Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from the presidential race turned into a court matter. Appeals court judges prevented ballots that contained his name from going out, because Kennedy wanted his name removed. He has since endorsed former President Donald Trump.
Elections offices statewide were forced to print new ballots and redo absentee voter packets. Those mail-in absentee ballots must be received by 7:30 p.m. on election night. Military and overseas voters have different rules and deadlines.
North Carolina is a swing state with 16 electoral votes. Donald Trump won the state in both 2020 and 2016. A recent New York Times/Siena College poll shows Trump with a slight two point lead over Vice President Kamala Harris. As a result of the tight race, both candidates have spent time campaigning in the state.
RFK Jr. faces federal probe over whale beheading, calls it politically motivated
Former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced he is under federal investigation for allegedly removing a whale’s head with a chainsaw and transporting it across state lines in the 1990s. Speaking during a recent Trump campaign event in Glendale, Arizona over the weekend, Kennedy said he believes the probe is politically motivated.
“Right after I endorsed President Trump, I received a letter from the National Marine Fisheries Institute saying they were investigating me for collecting a whale specimen 20 years ago,” Kennedy told a crowd at Arizona Christian University.
The origins of the allegation trace back to a story shared by his daughter, Kick Kennedy, in a 2012 magazine interview. When the whale beheading claims resurfaced in the media last month, it prompted the Center for Biological Diversity to call on federal authorities to look into the incident. The organization raised concerns that Kennedy may have violated several environmental laws in handling and transporting the whale remains.
“It’s 15 years past the statute of limitations but they’re opening an investigation, and this is all about the weaponization of our government against political opponents of the party in power, and it’s dangerous for our democracy,” Kennedy said. “Every American, whether you’re Democrat or Republican, should be offended by it.”
Kennedy has not explicitly denied the allegations, but he did downplay the probe, dismissing it as “gossipy nonsense.” He further claimed the Biden administration’s policies pose a greater threat to whales than his actions ever could, pointing to the potential harm caused by offshore wind farms.
In a letter responding to the news he was being investigated, Kennedy said he told the National Marine Fisheries Institute that offshore wind threatens marine life, including the endangered North Atlantic right whale. He accused the agency of being complicit in the deaths of those species by allowing these projects to proceed.
Michigan Supreme Court keeps RFK Jr. on November ballot despite withdrawal
In a 5-2 decision, the Michigan Supreme Court reversed a lower court ruling, keeping independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s name on the November ballot. This decision effectively closed Kennedy’s legal avenues to remove himself from the ballot after he ended his independent campaign and endorsed former President Donald Trump.
The Michigan Supreme Court’s decision could potentially influence the tight race between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. CNBC reported that even though Harris holds a lead over Trump in Michigan polling regardless of how many candidates are running, her lead shrinks when Kennedy’s name is removed and she and Trump face off head-to-head.
The court’s majority opinion stated Kennedy “has neither pointed to any source of law that prescribes and defines a duty to withdraw a candidate’s name from the ballot nor demonstrated his clear legal right to performance of this specific duty.”
The two dissenting justices voiced concerns about potential voter confusion.
“Countless Michigan voters may be deluded and deceived into casting their ballots for a candidate who has no intention to hold the office,” the dissenting justices wrote. “We can only hope that the secretary’s misguided action now sanctioned with the imprimatur of this court will not have national implications.”
Kennedy’s attorney asserted that the issue “plainly has nothing to do with ballot or election integrity” and that the aim is “to have unwitting Michigan voters throw away their votes on a withdrawn candidate.”
RKF posted a nearly three-minute video to X after the decision came down, sharing a message to voters who might be confused.
“A lot of people are asking me if they live in a red state or a blue state, should they still be voting for me?” Kennedy said. “What about swing states? The answer is easy. No. No matter what state you live in, you should be voting for Donald Trump.”
In a contrasting decision, the North Carolina State Supreme Court ruled 4-3 to keep Kennedy’s name off the November ballot.