Hurricane Laura makes landfall as Category 4 early Thursday: Live updates and path tracker Isobel van Hagen and Natalie Obregon 2m ago / 1:22 PM CEST 'Absolutely catastrophic': American Red Cross volunteers on hand to help As Hurricane Laura made landfall on the Gulf Coast and tore inland Thursday morning, hundreds of American Red Cross volunteers stood ready to help, the organization's spokesperson said. The Red Cross has more than 600 volunteers deployed up and down the Gulf Coast. Be sure to check those PlayStation 5 prices and pet adoption details, they top the holiday scam list Monster growth in online sales this holiday season will trigger an explosion of duplicitous deals, fake websites, phony emails and outright shopping scams. More than ever, online buyers better beware. Instead of standing in line to snag deals on Black Friday, many consumers will be hitting their laptops and iPhones to spend $10.3 billion online, up 39% from a year ago, according to forecasts from Adobe Analytics. And on the Monday after Thanksgiving weekend, dubbed Cyber Monday, sales online could surge to $12.7 billion.
U.S. faces nitrile glove shortage ahead of national COVID-19 vaccination effort - 60 Minutes In hospitals, medical clinics, and doctor's offices across America the need for personal protective equipment, or PPE, has not waned since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Requisite items including N95 respirators, gowns, and nitrile gloves have seen dramatic price increases since March as demand surged and supply levels lagged. A result of the raging COVID-19 pandemic. Inside the chaotic PPE market where shortages of critical supplies persist RNC: Trump paints Biden as a 'radical' candidate and a danger to America Against a backdrop of a global pandemic, heightened racial tensions, and widespread unemployment, Donald Trump framed his Democratic rival Joe Biden as the real danger to the country’s safety and economic welfare in his address to the Republican convention on Thursday. Accepting the party’s presidential nomination ahead of November’s elections, Trump argued for more than an hour that his administration had accomplished everything it had set out to do and warned that a Biden presidency could be ruinous. “This is the most important election in the history of our country,” Trump told an audience of around 1,500 supporters and officials on the South Lawn of the White House, raising concerns over the ethics of holding a political rally at the site, and over the apparent lack of social distancing measures. “At no time before have voters faced a clearer choice between two parties, two visions, two philosophies, or two agendas.”
Google Pay positions itself as Apple Pay, PayPal and Venmo alternative Google, which hasn't gained as much traction with consumers as Apple for getting people to use their phones for payments at retailers, is switching gears. Yes, you can still use Google Pay on your phone at retailers, but now Google wants us to think of Google Pay as a better alternative to Venmo, Cash and PayPal, apps people use to pay each other (rent, music lessons, etc.) and split bills with friends. "People are sending more money to each other, more frequently," says Brian Lau, an analyst with eMarketer. "That's expected to continue." Google announced a sweeping number of changes to Google Pay Wednesday, turning the "tap to pay" app into something larger.
Supreme Court tosses GOP bid to throw out PA mail ballots without hearing it The Supreme Court on Tuesday denied a request from GOP allies of President Trump to stop the certification of Pennsylvania's election results. The high court left intact a decision from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court which tossed a lawsuit from Rep. Mike Kelly challenging a 2019 law to expand mail-in voting. The GOP appeal to the high court was referred to U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., who then referred it to the full court. Chadwick Boseman, 'Black Panther' star, has died The actor has been battling colon cancer since 2016 and died at home with his family and wife by his side, according to a statement posted on his Twitter account. He was 43, his publicist Nicki Fioravante said in a statement. "A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you so many of the films you have come to love so much," the statement said. "From Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and several more, all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy."
Dow closes above 30,000 for first time on news that Biden transition will begin and signs of progress for COVID vaccines Former New York City Mayor David Dinkins was honored with a moment of silence Tuesday at The New York Stock Exchange. Dinkins died Monday. He was 93. (Nov. 24) AP Domestic The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 30,000 points for the first time Tuesday as progress in the development of coronavirus vaccines and news that the transition of power in the U.S. to President-elect Joe Biden will finally begin kept investors in a buying mood. Traders were also encouraged to see that Biden had selected Janet Yellen, a widely respected former Federal Reserve chair, as treasury secretary. Listen to me - The best albums of 2020 “Shortly After Takeoff”. By BC CamplightBrian Christinzio, an American songwriter, wanted to write a road song. The problem was that in 2012 he had moved to Manchester in the north-west of England, a city which did not lend itself to Springsteen-esque anthems.
Oregon fires: Over 500,000 people flee dozens of infernos Image copyright Reuters More than half a million people in the US state of Oregon are fleeing deadly wildfires that are raging across the Pacific Northwest, authorities say. Fanned by unusually hot, dry winds, dozens of fires are sweeping the state, and at least one is being treated as suspected arson. Governor Kate Brown said the exact number of fatalities was not yet known, though at least four were confirmed. More than 100 wildfires are currently scorching 12 western US states. Will Trump ever concede to Biden? Approving the transition may be as close as he gets to that, aides say In an annual Thanksgiving tradition, President Donald Trump offered a reprieve to a pair of meaty turkeys at the White House. (Nov. 24) AP Entertainment WASHINGTON – When President Donald Trump signed off this week on formally allowing President-elect Joe Biden's transition to move forward, it was a decision he arrived at after a series of embarrassing setbacks in his efforts to challenge the results of the Nov. 3 election. Though Trump made clear he intends to keep up his election legal battle, it was a turning point after conversations over the weekend with top aides about how he could approve a transition without conceding the race.
Books and T-shirts pushing anti-vaccination messages abound on retail sites As countries around the globe prepare to inoculate their citizens against the coronavirus, a search for "vaccine" on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and eBay finds an array of books and T-shirts casting doubt on the science behind vaccines. A search for "vaccine" on Amazon.com yielded results leading with two books promoting anti-vaccination theories and an anti-vaccination T-shirt. Searches on eBay and Barnes & Noble produced similar results. A book authored by Thomas Cowan, a physician who contends 5G wireless technology is behind the ongoing pandemic, tops the results on Barnes & Noble's site.
Coronavirus: Tighter national rules considered by government Image copyright Reuters New England-wide measures which could see hospitality businesses forced to shut are being considered by the UK government to try to slow a second surge of coronavirus cases. A short period of national rules - a "circuit break" of a few weeks - could be announced in the next week, BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said. Schools and most workplaces would be kept open during those weeks. 'I have concerns': Americans crowding airports for Thanksgiving, despite CDC plea to stay home As cases soar, the CDC issued a warning urging Americans not to travel this Thanksgiving to avoid spreading the coronavirus. USA TODAY In spite of a plea from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to stay put over Thanksgiving, Americans appear to be traveling to be with family and friends for the holiday. On Monday and Tuesday, almost a milliontravelers passed through security checkpoints at U.S. airports each day.