Scott

Former President Trump wanted to fire the former White House chief usher for helping the Bidens move into the executive mansion, former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham told the select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Why it matters: Grisham's account indicates that Trump's desire to delay or prevent the transition of power after the 2020 election affected traditionally nonpolitical White House positions. The detail was included in a transcript of Grisham's interview with the select committee that was released Thursday along with several other interview transcripts, including one from Donald Trump Jr. https://www.axios.com/2022/12/29/trump-fire-usher-bidens-white-house-ex-press-secretary

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A memorable and influential person. I don't think I ever saw anyone play soccer in the US before Pele came on the scene. It was around, but he helped put it on the minds of many. RIP

Per the request of a member this poll is to look at the difference in opinion about Brexit for those reside in the UK as opposed to those who live primarily as an expat. Feel free to leave a comment.

//CLOSED// Too much baiting and bickering.

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Also running in Thai News. Please post here:

At least 19 people have been killed in a fire that swept through a Cambodian hotel-casino on the border with Thailand, local authorities say. Hundreds of people were in the Grand Diamond City building in the border town of Poipet when the fire broke out after 23:30 (16:30 GMT) on Wednesday. Video circulating on social media showed people apparently jumping or falling from upper floors. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-64113401

In response to the increased number of migrants crossing the border in El Paso, US Customs and Border Protection is erecting a soft-sided tent facility to increase migrant processing capacity by about 1,000, according to Landon Hutchens, US Customs and Border Protection spokesperson. “The facility will be used by U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector to provide additional migrant processing capabilities, with a capacity to hold approximately 1,000 migrants while they are processed in accordance with U.S. immigration law,” Hutchens said in a statement. The facility is expected to be operational sometime in January. https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/28/us/el-paso-tent-processing-center/index.html

Brazilian football legend Pele, arguably the greatest player ever, has died at the age of 82. He is credited with scoring a world record 1,281 goals in 1,363 appearances during a 21-year career, including 77 goals in 92 matches for his country. The only player to win the World Cup three times, lifting the trophy in 1958, 1962 and 1970, Pele was named Fifa's Player of the Century in 2000. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/42751517

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Let's stick to Russian tourists. I believe there are other topics referencing China and Chinese.

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For those who have access, the NY Times has a good article that explains a little about the problem with their 'point-to-point' route model versus other airlines that use the 'hub-and-spoke' model used by other airlines: What Caused the Chaos at Southwest While carriers like Delta, American Airlines and United bounced back after severe winter weather wreaked havoc on holiday travel, the low-cost carrier canceled thousands of flights. Here’s why. Five days after severe winter weather wreaked havoc on holiday air travel across the United States, most major carriers are back up and running. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/28/travel/southwest-airlines-flight-cancellations.html

(CNN) — Anger over the tidal wave of cancellations of Southwest Airlines flights continued to mount Thursday. Senior officials demanded action as the company issued further apologies for the crisis which is now in its eighth day of stranding or delaying hundreds of thousands of passengers. On a day when more than 2,300 Southwest flights were canceled across the United States, the airline's chief commercial officer, Ryan Green, offered his regrets over the collapse of services, promising to rebuild customer relations that have sunk to rock bottom during the busy holiday travel period. "My personal apology is the first step of making things right after many plans changed and experiences fell short of your expectations of us," Green said in a video issued Thursday. https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/southwest-flight-cancellations-thursday/index.html

Federal prosecutors in New York are investigating the finances of Rep.-elect George Santos, a source familiar with the matter told CNN. The news of the probe, being undertaken by the US attorney’s office in the Eastern District of New York, comes as the Republican has admitted to lying about key parts of his biography. Santos has faced questions over his wealth and loans totaling more than $700,000 he made to his successful 2022 campaign. Santos told Semafor on Wednesday that he made his money through “capital introduction” and “deal making” for “high net worth individuals.” https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/28/politics/george-santos-investigating-federal-nassau-county/index.html

Since there is no mandate to be vaccinated and since their are options available other than the mRNA vaccines, I don't know exactly what this investigation will do other than create more confusion. Most people know that vaccines work by introducing either actual genetic material from the virus itself or some combination of molecules close enough to the actual virus to stimulate an immune response. Most of the symptoms we experience are caused by our immune system priming itself to fight a specific infection. A virus would prefer to enter the body unnoticed and gain a foothold without ever alerting the immune system. The HIV virus does a good job of bypassing an immune response and that is part of why it is so deadly and dangerous. As far as heart problems, it should be noted that heart issues were more common after a Covid infection, compared with cardiac issues after vaccination. The heart and the pericardium are replete with the ACE 2 receptors which are the primary target of the virus. The Food and Drug Administration has required that the drugmakers conduct studies assessing the potential long-term impacts of myocarditis, as part of its approval of the mRNA Covid vaccines in the U.S. Early findings from the research could be published as early as next year. What we do know is that myocarditis is more prevalent in people who get Covid and are unvaccinated than occurs with those who are vaccinated. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/myocarditis-covid-vaccine-research-long-term-effects-rcna55666

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President Joe Biden this week returns to St. Croix, one of his and first lady Jill Biden’s beloved vacation spots, seeking a final opportunity for rest before what is expected to be a contentious 2023 and reelection run. As Biden unwinds in a familiar spot – the first couple have visited the US Virgin Islands for more than a dozen years, vacationing there approximately ten times since the mid-2000s – the work on his path forward intensifies back in a frigid Washington, DC. Advisers are already preparing the president’s annual State of the Union address, typically delivered in late January or early February, viewing the speech as an opportunity to lay down the stakes and themes that Biden could adopt on the campaign trail. https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/28/politics/biden-st-croix-vacation/index.html

Travelers from China must test for COVID-19 starting next week, U.S. announces The U.S. announced new COVID-19 testing requirements Wednesday for all travelers from China, joining other nations imposing restrictions because of a surge of infections. The increase in cases across China follows the rollback of the nation’s strict anti-virus controls. China’s “zero COVID” policies had kept China’s infection rate low but fueled public frustration and crushed economic growth. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/travelers-from-china-must-test-for-covid-19-starting-next-week-u-s-announces

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