Month: October 2024

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that Virginia can continue with its purge of more than 1,600 voter registrations ahead of next week’s general election, that state officials say are held by non-citizens. The emergency decision is considered a victory for conservatives in Virginia and can possibly affect other states.

In a 6-3 ruling, the high court reversed a lower court’s decision that put the program on hold and required the state to restore the voters in question to the rolls. The brief order noted that the three liberal justices on the court — Ketanji Brown Jackson, Elena Kagan, and Sonia Sotomayor — dissented from the decision.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in a statement: “This is a victory for commonsense and election fairness. Virginians can cast their ballots on Election Day knowing that Virginia’s elections are fair, secure, and free from politically-motivated interference.”

The Biden administration and purge opponents had won at the district court and federal appeals court levels before the Supreme Court reversed the injunction on Wednesday, allowing the purge to move forward.  The DOJ and other challengers said the purge was against federal law because it actually stripped eligible voters of their ability to vote, while opponents said those purged never knew they were taken off the rolls.

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Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday said she ‘strongly disagrees with any criticism of people based on who they vote for,” with her remarks coming after President Joe Biden received backlash after his remarks in which he appeared to call Trump supporters “garbage” on a video call with Latino activists.

Speaking to reporters on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews before leaving for campaign events, Harris said that while Biden had “clarified his comments,” she added, “I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they voted for. You heard my speech last night and continuously throughout my career: I believe that the work that I do is about representing all the people, whether they support me or not. And as president of the United States, I will be a president for all Americans, whether you vote for me or not.” (per NBC News).

In a video call with Latino activists Tuesday evening, Biden commented about the a joke made at a Trump rally Sunday at Madison Square Garden by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, in which Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.”  Biden seemed to reply: “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable.”

After Biden’s comments drew heavy criticism from Republicans, the White House went on to send out a transcript in an attempt to clarify that Biden was not saying that Trump supporters were “garbage”, but simply tripped over his lines while meaning to say he was condemning Hinchcliffe’s remarks specifically.

Later in a post on X later Tuesday, Biden reiterated that what he said was in reference to Hinchcliffe: “Earlier today I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage—which is the only word I can think of to describe it. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable. That’s all I meant to say. The comments at that rally don’t reflect who we are as a nation.”

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Police on Tuesday said they are investigating the murder of a 33-year-old woman at a high-end spa and resort in the Hamptons, New York.  The Suffolk County Police Department said that the slain woman’s body was discovered by an employee inside her guest room of Shou Sugi Ban House in Water Mill, located between Southampton and Bridgehampton and about 90 miles east of Midtown Manhattan.

Per local affiliate NBC NY, Southampton Town Police patrol units responded to the resort at 337 Montauk Highway at about 12:30 p.m. on Monday, sharing in a statement: “Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad detectives are investigating the murder of a victim whose body was found in a guest room at a Water Mll resort. It was determined the woman was a victim of a violence. Police patrol units responded to a suspicious death at the Shou Sugi Ban House… appears to be an isolated incident, with no immediate danger to the public at this time.”

The Shou Sugi Ban House’s website calls itself  “a space inspired by the principles of wabi-sabi and wellness traditions that value the simple beauty and healing properties found within the natural world. As the only comprehensive wellness program in the Hamptons, Shou Sugi Ban House offers an environment that is both tranquil and transcendent, encouraging one to Return to the Simplicity of Self.” 

No cause of death for the victim, identified as 33-year-old Brooklyn resident Sabina Rosas, has been released as of press time. In addition, no suspects have been taken into custody. Police ask anyone with information to call the department at 631-852-6392 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.

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Steve Bannon, podcast host and former White House strategist to Donald Trump, was released from federal Bureau of Prisons custody on Tuesday. Sources told ABC News that Bannon was released from federal prison shortly after 3 a.m. Bannon had been serving his time served his time at FCI Danbury, a low-security federal correctional institution in Danbury, Connecticut.

Randilee Giamusso, a Bureau of Prisons spokesperson, confirmed that Bannon was released; later in a post on X, Bannon said he had returned to hosting his “War Room” podcast, which aired later Tuesday morning.

Bannon, 70, was sentenced on two counts of contempt of Congress in Oct. 2022 for failing to comply with a subpoena related to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol, and served a four-month prison term, along with being fined $6,500. A U.S. district judge later agreed to postpone Bannon’s jail term while he appealed the decision, which was upheld by a federal appeals court in May 2024.

In the episode of Bannon’s podcast after his release Tuesday, he called himself a “political prisoner,” adding: “the four months in federal prison, not only didn’t break me, it empowered me. I am more energized and more focused than I’ve ever been in my entire life.”  He urged his listeners to vote, saying “everything is coming to fruition. We have to put this beyond their ability to steal it .. We have to crush them at the ballot box.”

Bannon’s legal problems are not over, however, as he was also charged and entered a not guilty plea in a separate New York State case in 2022.  Bannon is accused of defrauding donors to a “We Build the Wall” fundraising campaign that promised to erect a portion of wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, with charges in that case include money laundering, conspiracy and fraud.

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Apple announced on Monday its new “Apple Intelligence” tool and a series of other updates is now available for its iPhone, iPad and Mac users. The company released iOS 18.1, an update that includes the company’s artificial intelligence, called Apple Intelligence, for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 Pro. It also released software updates for iPad and Mac with Apple Intelligence, and will also be in its latest release on Apple’s macOS Sequoia operating system.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a company release: “Apple Intelligence introduces a new era for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, delivering brand-new experiences and tools that will transform what our users can accomplish.” Cook added that Apple Intelligence is generative AI in a way “that only Apple can deliver  .. [the company] is “incredibly excited about its ability to enrich our users’ lives. Apple Intelligence builds on years of innovation in AI and machine learning to put Apple’s generative models at the core of our devices, giving our users a personal intelligence system that is easy to use.”

Apple said that customers will be able to refine language by rewriting, proofreading and summarizing text virtually everywhere they write including Mail, Messages, Notes, Pages and third-party apps, adding that it has partnered with ChatGPT creator OpenAI and its new Writing Tools will be available and also takes advantage of AI.

Monday’s release also included improvements to Siri, including a new look that makes the entire screen glow around the phone’s edges. Siri can answer questions about Apple products, including troubleshooting, and has more natural voices.  Another update with ChatGPT integration and image-generation abilities is also scheduled for later this year as part of iOS 18.2.

Tto install and use Apple Intelligence, customers need an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max or any iPhone 16 model. To download iOS 18.1, go to Settings > General > Software Update. To sign up for the Apple Intelligence waitlist, go to Settings > Apple Intelligence and Siri > Join the Apple Waitlist.

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The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office has filed a lawsuit on Monday to halt a political action committee run by billionaire Elon Musk from giving away $1 million to registered voters in swing states.

The lawsuit by Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner alleges Musk and his ‘America PAC’ of trying to influence voters in the presidential election by awarding cash prizes, which amounts to an illegal lottery. The filing requests an injunction to block the daily award, which comes just days after the Justice Department sent a letter to the super PAC  warning that awarding $1 million to registered voters could violate federal laws against paying voters.

According to America PAC’s website, the PAC has so far given out sweepstakes-style checks to nine people around the U.S., including four in Pennsylvania. The group notes that the payments are only available to registered voters in seven states, but includes a “special offer” for registered voters in Pennsylvania, offering $100 to petition signers and another $100 to those who referred a signer. America PAC said registered voters are also eligible in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada and North Carolina and Wisconsin. In order to be eligible for the prize residents of the state must be registered to vote and agree to sign a petition, supporting the First Amendment and Second Amendment.

Krasner said in a statement announcing the complaint: “The Philadelphia District Attorney is charged with protecting the public from public nuisances and unfair trade practices, including illegal lotteries. The DA is also charged with protecting the public from interference with the integrity of elections.”

Krasner also accuses Musk of “lulling Philadelphia citizens — and others in the Commonwealth (and other swing states in the upcoming election) — to give up their personal identification information and make a pledge in exchange for a chance to win $1 million. That is a lottery, and it is undisputably an unlawful lottery,” noting lotteries must be regulated by the state. The lawsuit also accused Musk and the PAC of “deploying deceptive, vague or misleading statements that create the likelihood of confusion or misunderstanding,” through the lottery, which violates Pennsylvania consumer protection law.

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