Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Trump picks up another Nobel Peace Prize nomination from Europe after diplomatic victories

President Trump has picked up another nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize, after a Finnish member of the European Parliament (MEP) called for the American president to receive the honor. A member of the right-wing Finns Party in Europe wrote to the Nobel Committee to nominate Trump for the 2021 prize “in recognition of his endeavors to end the era of endless wars, construct peace by encouraging conflicting parties for dialogue and negotiations, as well as underpin internal cohesion and stability of his country.” She said President Trump has nearly completed a presidential term without involving the United States in a new foreign conflict, while withdrawing troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. She also cited the Abraham Accords, peace deals between two Arab Gulf nations and Israel. Additionally, she said President Trump has “maintained national cohesion and secured law and order” at home. The letter marks the latest in a growing push in Europe and elsewhere for President Trump to be awarded the prize. Nomination to the Nobel Committee is a preliminary step, and anyone within certain categories, including lawmakers, university professors and prior recipients, can nominate candidates. There were 318 candidates for the 2020 prize, which went to the World Food Bank. The prize recipient is determined by a five-person Nobel Committee, which is appointed by the Norwegian Parliament. The winner of the Peace Prize for 2021 will not be announced until October of next year. (SCRIBD)

Virus is remaking the global economy

The world economy is splintering in the wake of the pandemic, and it may very well recast the hierarchy of global superpowers. While the U.S. economy is on track to remain the same size at the close of 2021 as it was in 2019, China’s economy is poised to grow by 10%. Europe is set to falter, with economic activity expected to dip below pre-pandemic levels. (The Economist)

Wichita man uses 10,000 Halloween lights to brighten his neighborhood

While many are still gearing up for Halloween, one man is lighting up absolutely everything. The Boeing Aircraft retiree says he started getting into his extreme decorating in 2014. He spends the end of September setting up his Halloween display that consists of 10,000 lights and fine-tuning different elements throughout the year so he can light up his small stretch of ocean street from October 1 all the way to Halloween. Visitors can tune into the low wattage antenna atop their home using a radio and listen to spooky selections coordinated to lighting sequences through November 1st. (KSNW)

3 arrested after ‘borrowing car for beer run’, police say

Tulsa police arrested three people after recovering a stolen vehicle on Saturday night after it was stolen earlier that morning. Officers noticed a stolen car near Interstate 44 and the Broken Arrow Expressway. The robbery victim said his associate pointed a handgun at him and stole his Mazda. The officer pulled the vehicle over at a nearby Motel 6. The theif was identified as the driver of the car. He told police he borrowed the car for a beer run. He was arrested and booked into the Tulsa County Jail for armed robbery and possession of a stolen vehicle. Police also arrested two passengers in the vehicle for possession of a stolen vehicle. (KTUL)

Doctors using Stem cells to fight COVID-19

Doctors at the Marcus Neuroscience Institute at Boca Raton, Florida Regional Hospital are part of a study using umbilical cord stem cells to treat COVID-19 patients who have developed acute respiratory distress syndrome, known as ARDS. The team say these stem cells are known for their ability to reduce inflammation and regenerate damaged lung tissue. They are essentially turning something that would end up as medical waste into a promising potential coronavirus therapy. “These are umbilical cord cells, so this is tissue that is coming from healthy babies after delivery, so it’s post-natal. Part of the tissue that has been given it is not done during pregnancy, it is after delivery, that’s tissue that goes into a waste can and instead is used because it has a lot of stem cells with multi potential,” doctors say. But this type of therapy is not for every COVID-19 patient. This is only for the very severe forms of the disease where patients need to be mechanically ventilated and they are facing a life and death issue. That happens only in 3% to 5% of patients with COVID. The multi-institutional randomized study will enroll 30 patients with COVID-19 and ARDS who meet specific criteria. Patients will receive the cells through an IV once a day for three consecutive days. These umbilical cord stem cells have already been used with success to treat other pulmonary conditions and illnesses. And doctors around the country have safely used them on a small number of COVID-19 patients through the FDA’s compassionate use authorization. (WPBF)

Hairy caterpillar with ‘venomous spines’ found in Virginia, prompting warning

Officials in Virginia are warning residents about a breed of hairy-looking caterpillars recently spotted in the state that are among the most venomous in the nation. The Virginia Department of Forestry said on Facebook its forest health team received reports of the puss caterpillar in a few eastern Virginia counties. “The ‘hairs of this caterpillar are actually venomous spines that cause a painful reaction if touched,” according to the agency. The University of Florida’s entomology and nematology department notes the puss caterpillar is one of the most venomous caterpillars in the United States. If a person were to get stung, they would experience “an immediate intense burning pain,” following by the appearance of a “red grid-like pattern” on the skin that would match the pattern of the venomous spines on the caterpillar. Symptoms of contact may also include intense pain, rash, nausea and vomiting, fever, muscle cramps, swollen glands and shock, according to the University of Michigan Health System. (Virginia Department of Forestry Facebook)

Taco shop employee loses job after tweet about tampering with Charleston city council member’s food

A food service worker in Charleston, South Carolina is out of a job after tweeting about tampering with a local city council member’s meal. This past Saturday, an unnamed worker formerly employed at Taco Boy posted a disturbing message to Twitter that alluded to interference with a Councilman’s food. “Harry Griffin came to my restaurant tonight I asked the kitchen to put bleach on his food but I don’t think they did,” the Taco Boy employee allegedly wrote. Following the claim, the council member has since filed reports with the Charleston Police Department and the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office. A spokesperson for Taco Boy announced that the employee who made the threat had been fired, emphasizing that the restaurant’s commitment to food and customer safety remained paramount. (WCSC)

Child in stolen school bus leads police on chase, crashes into gas line and tree

A child was taken into custody after police said he led officers on a pursuit through parts of East Baton Rouge, Louisianna in a stolen school bus. Police reportedly started chasing the stolen bus around 11 a.m. this past Sunday (10/11) morning. By 11:30 a.m., the bus had crashed into a gas line and a tree. Officers surrounded the vehicle and took the juvenile driver into custody. A video sent in by a witness shows several police units chasing the bus through an intersection. The chase ended on Greenwell Springs Road in Central, Louisiana. An eyewitness posted a photo on Twitter showing the small child handcuffed near the back of the bus with police speaking to him. Nobody was injured in the incident. The child’s name has not released by Baton Rouge police. The charges the young driver may face are unknown at this time. (WBRZ)

Harry Reid Confirms Federal Government Covered Up UFOs For Years

Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid from Nevada said the U.S. government has been hiding key details about UFOs for years. “Why the federal government all these years has covered up, put brake pads on everything, stopped it, I think it’s very, very bad for our country,” he said in the new documentary “The Phenomenon” from director James Fox. The film examines the history of UFO sightings in the United States and abroad, including new details about the military-confirmed encounters off the coast involving U.S. Navy pilots. It also details a 1967 report in which an object appeared over a U.S. missile base at the same time 10 of the missiles became inoperative. Harry Reid was among the lawmakers behind a classified but since-closed U.S. government UFO program and has become increasingly outspoken about the phenomena since leaving office. However, he stopped short of confirming evidence of other-worldly activity, writing in August on Twitter that he wants the issue studied and that “we must stick to science, not fairy tales about little green men.” He repeated that point of view in the new film. (Huffington Post)

An Oklahoma police department is closed due to COVID-19 exposure

Officials with the Rogers County, Oklahoma Sheriff’s Office announced that the Chelsea Police Department is closed so officers could quarantine after the police chief tested positive for COVID-19. The department consists of eight officers. Community leaders say the officers will continue to receive calls and complete reports, but will not have direct contact with the public. Instead, nearby law enforcement agencies will help with the service calls. (KJRH)

Police officers babysit children in San Diego so father could go to the hospital

Recently, a man needed to go to the hospital on October 9th but had no one to watch his two young children. That’s when officers stepped in, and babysat the children, so the man could go to the hospital. Officers with the San Diego Police Department responded to a call for a man who was in need of medical treatment in the Alpha apartments. When officers arrived on scene, they learned that the man had a significant dilemma, he could not receive the medical care that he needed, because he could not find anyone to watch his young children. The police department tweeted: “No emergency is too small for our officers. They received a radio call of a young father living in the Alpha apartments in Southern Division with his 2 and 4-year-old kids needed to go to the hospital. “Unfortunately, he had no family or friends to help watch the girls. Officers Vital and Officer Clark arrived and saw that the dad just needed a helping hand during this emergency. The officers hung out with the kids for a couple of hours and gave the girls a ride to the hospital in one of our police cruisers. Dad was emotional and grateful for the support. If someone needs help, we’ll be there to respond!” (KGTV)

Microsoft takes down massive hacking operation that could have affected the election

Microsoft has disrupted a massive hacking operation that it said could have indirectly affected election infrastructure if allowed to continue. The company said it took down the servers behind Trickbot, an enormous malware network that criminals were using to launch other cyberattacks, including a strain of highly potent ransomware. Microsoft said it obtained a federal court order to disable the IP addresses associated with Trickbot’s servers, and worked with telecom providers around the world to stamp out the network. The action coincides with an offensive by US Cyber Command to disrupt the cybercriminals, at least temporarily, according to The Washington Post. Microsoft acknowledged that the attackers are likely to adapt and seek to revive their operations eventually. But, Microsoft said, the company’s efforts reflect a “new legal approach” that may help authorities fight the network going forward. Trickbot allowed hackers to sell what Microsoft said was a service to other hackers offering them the capability to inject vulnerable computers, routers and other devices with other malware. That includes ransomware, which Microsoft and US officials have warned could pose a risk to websites that display election information or to third-party software vendors that provide services to election officials. (CNN)

Mallinckrodt files for bankruptcy amid opioid lawsuits

Generic drug manufacturer Mallinckrodt filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as part of a large settlement with authorities over its role in the U.S. opioid epidemic. The filing, made in Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, said the company has restructured debts to cope with billions of dollars in potential legal liabilities, as state and federal authorities sue to retrieve tax dollars that were spent on the health crisis. Mallinckrodt, a U.S. company based in Ireland, said its subsidiaries will continue to operate during the bankruptcy proceedings. The measures include reducing Mallinckrodt’s debt by $1.3 billion and resolving opioid-related legal claims. The bankruptcy stems from a $1.6 billion agreement in February to settle thousands of claims seeking financial compensation from pharmaceutical companies over their roles in the crisis. Money for the claims will be channeled into a trust as part of the bankruptcy deal. (Mallinckrodt)

Tuesday Comes Sprinkled With:

• Ada Lovelace Day (2nd Tuesday)
• English Language Day
• International Day for Disaster Reduction
• International Day for Failure
• Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day
• Chess Day
• Face Your Fears Day (2nd Tuesday)
• Navy Birthday
• No Bra Day
• Silly Sayings Day
• Train Your Brain Day
• World Child Development Day (2nd Tuesday)
• World Thrombosis Day
• Yorkshire Pudding Day