- NewsYahoo News
Democrats and Republicans offer dueling narratives in recount as Thursday deadline nears
Demonstrators gather Wednesday outside the Broward County elections office where workers are recounting ballots. LAUDERHILL, Fla. – Florida Democrats stood outside the Broward County elections office Wednesday afternoon in 90-degree heat, demanding that the state’s recount go forward, while a handful of Republican protesters heckled them. Democrats beside Jones held signs that said, “Little Marco is Afraid of counting our VOTES,” and “Trump, Scott, Rubio Afraid of Democracy,” referring to Sen. Marco Rubio, Gov. Rick Scott, and President Donald Trump, who have said without evidence that Democrats are trying to use subterfuge to tilt the Florida election in their favor.
- NewsHuffPost
Stormy Daniels’ Attorney Michael Avenatti Arrested After Domestic Violence Allegations
Michael Avenatti, the lawyer who represents adult film star Stormy Daniels, was arrested in Los Angeles on Wednesday on allegations of domestic violence, according to several media outlets. The LAPD confirmed the arrest in an email to HuffPost, but said he had not been booked. The Associated Press notes that police had taken a report related to a domestic violence incident on Tuesday but did not bring Avenatti in until the following day, according to an anonymous law enforcement official.
- NewsYahoo News Video
Yahoo News Explains: Is the Vatican doing enough to address sexual abuse in the church?
The Vatican halted a plan by U.S. bishops to address the age-old sexual abuse issues plaguing the Roman Catholic Church. “At the insistence of the Holy See, we will not be voting on the two action items in our documentation regarding the abuse crisis,” said Cardinal Daniel DiNardo. America’s Catholic leaders hoped to vote on the first code of conduct for bishops.
- BusinessAOL.com
Wisconsin company gives employees handguns for Christmas: 'The perfect gift'
A Wisconsin family-owned company decided to forgo traditional cash bonuses this holiday season and, instead, opted to reward their employees' good performance with firearms. Ben Wolfgram, a co-owner of BenShot LLC, a glass manufacturer known for using bullets in their designs, told WISN his company gave each of its employees a gift card with which to purchase a gun rather than hand them the weapon. In doing so, Wolfgram says he made sure the unconventional gift complied with state law.
- PoliticsHuffPost
Justice Department OLC Opinion Claims Matt Whitaker’s Attorney General Appointment Is Legit
WASHINGTON ― Before President Donald Trump forced former Attorney General Jeff Sessions to resign, the Justice Department’s quasi-judicial Office of Legal Counsel told him he could appoint an official who had not been confirmed by the Senate, like acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker, to take Sessions’ place. The OLC opinion acknowledged that it’s rare for the acting attorney general to be an individual not confirmed by the Senate.
- NewsHuffPost
Northern California Fire Victims Are Suing The Power Company
Northern California’s Pacific Gas & Electric Co. has once again found itself at the center of both a legal and literal firestorm as customers affected by the region’s latest deadly blaze seek to hold the utility accountable. In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in San Francisco County Superior Court, attorneys representing two dozen victims of Butte County’s Camp fire ― the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in state history ― say that PG&E is responsible for the blaze’s destruction because it did not sufficiently maintain its infrastructure or properly inspect power lines. “The Camp Fire was the result of PG&E’s continued practice of prioritizing profits over safety, wherein they failed to properly maintain and inspect their power lines knowing that the likely result was a fire that would pose risk of serious injury and/or death, and damage to property,” the lawsuit says.
- NewsAOL.com
Morning Brief: The top news and buzzy moments you need to know
As search crews found another body Wednesday in a house burned by a massive Southern California wildfire, officials fear many more deaths in the destructive blazes at both ends of the state that have now claimed 59 lives. It was a historic night for James as he passed Wilt Chamberlain for fifth on the all-time NBA scoring list midway through last night's game in the fourth quarter with 39 points. Singer Pink‘s husband Carey Hart‘s post — warning looters in Malibu, the location of the Woolsey Fire, that they “will be shot on” sight — has gone viral.
- NewsThe Independent
California wildfires: Fears radioactive waste could be caught in destructive blaze
An organisation of physicians fear radioactive waste could become a major issue after southern California’s huge wildfire burned near a former nuclear test site. The organisation of Physicians for Social Responsibility said it was likely that smoke and ash from the fire spread radiological and chemical contamination that was in soil and vegetation near the Santa Susana Field Laboratory. Regulators in California said initial testing found no elevated levels of radiation of hazardous compounds after the blaze near the site.
WorldAFP Relax NewsMacron in Morocco for opening of high-speed railway
French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Morocco on Thursday to take part in the inauguration of a high-speed railway line that boasts the fastest journey times in Africa or the Arab world. The French leader, who was invited by King Mohammed VI, will attend a grand ceremony at Tangiers' newly renovated train station, with heavy security measures put in place. Macron will travel with the monarch on the high-speed train from Tangiers, a major port linking Africa and Europe, to the capital Rabat.
- WorldYahoo News Video
Yahoo News Explains: Is North Korea breaking the missile agreement with Trump?
North Korea is reportedly continuing to develop its ballistic missile program. Satellite images appear to show numerous hidden bases in the country. But the president reassured Americans on Twitter. Following a summit with the U.S., North Korean leader Kim Jong Un agreed to dismantle his country’s main nuclear site.
- WorldThe Telegraph
X-ray images show tools Khashoggi killers brought to Istanbul, Turkish paper claims
The 15-strong Saudi kill team responsible for the murder of columnist Jamal Khashoggi carried luggage containing scissors, syringes and a stun gun, a pro-government Turkish paper has claimed. The bags were loaded onto two private jets but police were not able to open them due to diplomatic immunity, according to the report. The paper, which is close to Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), is one of a number of outlets that has published a steady stream of leaks providing lurid details of Khashoggi’s death, a tactic seemingly designed to keep pressure on Riyadh and its allies.
- CelebrityHuffPost
Michelle Obama Says She And Barack Are 'Finding Each Other Again' In Post-White House Romance
Michelle Obama opened up about the struggles the two have been through in their relationship, considering the all-encompassing nature of being in politics and trying to have a family. “You go because you think the counselor is going to help you make your case against the other person,” she revealed in an OWN special with Oprah Winfrey tied to Michelle Obama’s new memoir, Becoming. It was about me exploring my sense of happiness and my voice ― the notion that you come to a relationship whole and that I couldn’t look to Barack and he couldn’t look to me to be everything,” she said.
PoliticsHuffPostMarcia Fudge, Toying With Speaker Run, Slams Nancy Pelosi
WASHINGTON ― Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) is all but announcing her intention to run for House speaker against Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), testing the waters Thursday by slamming Pelosi and foregrounding issues of race. While she stopped short of officially throwing her hat in the ring, Fudge told HuffPost she’s been “overwhelmed” by the number of people reaching out to support her potential speaker bid. According to Fudge, if the vote were held today, Pelosi would be well short of the numbers.
- NewsHuffPost
Death Toll Rises To 56 In Northern California Camp Fire, Deadliest In State History
At least 56 people have been killed in the devastating Camp fire in Northern California and 130 people are still missing, authorities said on Wednesday evening. Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea told reporters that search and rescue officials had discovered eight additional bodies on Wednesday, adding to a rising death toll in what has become the state’s deadliest fire in history. “This is the most difficult part of my job,” Honea said.
- NewsBloomberg
Amazon HQ Move Criticized by New York City Council, U.S. Senator
About 250 people huddled against the cold wind in Long Island City Wednesday, near the East River site where Amazon plans to move in. U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand later used a Twitter posting to join the chorus of critics. The gathering in Queens included dozens of elected officials, including City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, who represents the district that includes Long Island City and who said he’d been shut out of any negotiations and only learned the deal had been consummated by reading about it in the newspaper.
- U.S.Yahoo News Photo Staff
Animal survivors of the California fires
The wildfires that ripped through communities in Northern and Southern California this week have left heartbreaking images of eviscerated neighborhoods and coroners searching for human remains.There have also been inspiring stories, including those of
PoliticsAssociated PressKasich: Midterm turnout suggests opening for independent bid
Ohio Gov. John Kasich said Thursday while he remains undecided about another presidential run, the midterm election results could suggest a greater opening for an independent or third-party candidate. Kasich made his second trip this year to New Hampshire, where he finished second in the state's leadoff Republican presidential primary in 2016. Asked about his previous speculation about running as a third-party or independent, Kasich said all options remain on the table.
BusinessAFPIndonesian jet crash victim's family sues Boeing
The family of an Indonesian man killed in a Lion Air jet crash is suing Boeing, alleging that the accident may have been caused by a problem with the flight-control system in its newest 737 plane. The father of Rio Nanda Pratama filed the lawsuit Wednesday in the US state of Illinois, where the plane manufacturer is headquartered, over the death of the young doctor who was to have married his high-school sweetheart this week. Pratama's fiance Intan Syari, 26, has made headlines after she posed alone for photos in a wedding gown that she was to have worn at the couple's nuptials in Indonesia.
WorldReutersNorth Korea Kim Jong Un says new tactical weapon is display of 'defense capabilities to the whole region': KCNA
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected the testing of a newly developed tactical weapon, calling it "another display of our rapidly-growing defense capabilities to the whole region," North Korean state media said on Friday. "This result today is a justification of the party's policy focused on defense science and technology, another display of our rapidly-growing defense capabilities to the whole region, and a groundbreaking change in strengthening our military's combat capabilities," Kim said.
BusinessAFP Relax NewsUS orders restriction on e-cigarette sales; youth use surges
US regulators Thursday ordered sharp restrictions on sales of e-cigarettes, as national data showed a 78 percent single-year surge in vaping among young people, with two-thirds using fruit and candy-flavored products. The proposed regulations announced by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would allow flavored e-cigarettes products to be sold in stores only, not online, and would also ban menthol in cigarettes and flavored cigars. "These data shock my conscience," said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, referring to the latest data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey.
- PoliticsHuffPost
Bob Woodward: The Media Has Become 'Emotionally Unhinged' About Trump
Bob Woodward is no fan of Donald Trump, but he’s not exactly supporting CNN’s lawsuit against the president, either. The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist spoke out against the lawsuit Tuesday at the Global Financial Leadership Conference in Naples, Florida. Suing to restore CNN reporter Jim Acosta’s press credentials is just playing into the spotlight-loving president’s hands, he said.
- EntertainmentHuffPost
Trevor Noah Provides 'Presidential Harassment' Training For House Democrats
With Democrats taking control of the House of Representatives, Trevor Noah noted on Wednesday’s “Daily Show” that they were ready to investigate President Donald Trump on a slew of matters. “Wow,” Noah said, “Mitch McConnell is brilliant. For that reason, he said, he had a video that Democrats would be required to watch, much like the sexual harassment videos that employers show to their employees.
- NewsHuffPost
Death Toll Rises To 63 In Northern California Camp Fire, 631 Now Unaccounted For
The death toll in Northern California’s Camp fire rose once again on Thursday to 63 as rescue workers continue to search through the devastation left by the state’s deadliest blaze in history, authorities said. Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea told those gathered at a news briefing that the number of missing persons reflected ongoing work by emergency response personnel sifting through reports, but said many of the unaccounted for may simply be displaced in shelters throughout the region. “The reason that that number went up is because after they went up, [emergency officials] didn’t stop working, they continued to work into the night,” Honea said.
- LifestyleAccuWeather
Photos: Pets, owners reunited following deadly and destructive Camp Fire
The Camp Fire, the most deadly and destructive wildfire in California history, has destroyed hundreds of homes, put thousands of lives at risk and separated pets from their owners. People have been using social media to look for and share images of their
