With early voting reporting record turnout, Joe Biden made a campaign visit in the red state of North Carolina with his teen grand daughter Finnegan. The vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris will be joining him soon. Can Joe Biden swing North Carolina this time?

Can Joe Biden win North Carolina? U.S. Election 2020 New York Direct

Republican President Donald Trump takes his re-election campaign to the political swing state of North Carolina on Saturday in an effort to boost his poll numbers against Democratic rival Joe Biden and shore up support among military members there.

Trump has boasted about revitalizing the U.S. armed forces with increased defense budgets but has seen his political support slip among troops.

A poll in the Military Times last month found a "slight but significant" preference among active duty military members for Biden, the former vice president, and a decline in favorability for Trump.

North Carolina has a number of military bases, and the president`s rally in Fayetteville is near Fort Bragg, a large base with tens of thousands of personnel.

An average of polls by RealClearPolitics shows a tight race between Trump and Biden in North Carolina, with Biden holding a slight lead.

The president has had a mixed relationship with military leaders. He described John McCain, a senator and Vietnam War veteran who is now deceased, in derogatory terms and has had to deny reporting in the Atlantic magazine that he referred to U.S. war dead as "losers" and "suckers."

Biden has sought to capitalize on that vulnerability. His campaign said on Friday it was releasing an ad directed at military families to be aired in swing states including Arizona, Florida, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.

"President Trump has been a consistent champion of America`s service members and veterans and has succeeded at rebuilding our military, reforming the Department of Veterans Affairs, and launching initiatives to help veterans adjust to civilian life," the campaign said in a statement on Friday after Vice President Mike Pence touted Trump`s record with the military in Arizona.

Trump has traveled repeatedly to North Carolina in recent weeks, making a stop there during the Republican National Convention and a later trip to declare the city of Wilmington a World War Two Heritage City.

Republican President Donald Trump takes his re-election campaign to the political swing state of North Carolina on Saturday in an effort to boost his poll numbers against Democratic rival Joe Biden and shore up support among military members there.

Republican President Donald Trump takes his re-election campaign to the political swing state of North Carolina on Saturday in an effort to boost his poll numbers against Democratic rival Joe Biden and shore up support among military members there. Trump has boasted about revitalizing the U.S. armed forces with increased defense budgets but has seen his political support slip among troops. A poll in the Military Times last month found a "slight but significant" preference among active duty military members for Biden, the former vice president, and a decline in favorability for Trump. North Carolina has a number of military bases, and the president`s rally in Fayetteville is near Fort Bragg, a large base with tens of thousands of personnel. An average of polls by RealClearPolitics shows a tight race between Trump and Biden in North Carolina, with Biden holding a slight lead. The president has had a mixed relationship with military leaders. He described John McCain, a senator and Vietnam War veteran who is now deceased, in derogatory terms and has had to deny reporting in the Atlantic magazine that he referred to U.S. war dead as "losers" and "suckers." Biden has sought to capitalize on that vulnerability. His campaign said on Friday it was releasing an ad directed at military families to be aired in swing states including Arizona, Florida, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. "President Trump has been a consistent champion of America`s service members and veterans and has succeeded at rebuilding our military, reforming the Department of Veterans Affairs, and launching initiatives to help veterans adjust to civilian life," the campaign said in a statement on Friday after Vice President Mike Pence touted Trump`s record with the military in Arizona. Trump has traveled repeatedly to North Carolina in recent weeks, making a stop there during the Republican National Convention and a later trip to declare the city of Wilmington a World War Two Heritage City.

Trump seeks to shore up military support in North Carolina campaign swing

The US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> once again asked people to go ahead and vote twice in the upcoming US Presidential elections, scheduled for November 03.

Trump took to Twitter to tell his supporters to "make sure your Ballot COUNTS". He asked the people of North Carolina to mail in their votes early and then visit the polling booth to re-check if their vote has been cast. The US is, this year, encouraging people to opt for mail-in voting, rather than visiting the polling booth, to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, as the US is the worst affected country in the world. However, Trump — who has been criticised for downplaying the danger caused by the virus — is asking people to step out rather than trusting the USPS.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-seeks-to-ramp-up-big-small-dollar-fundraising-citing-money-crunch-327057">Also read:&nbsp;Trump seeks to ramp up big, small dollar fundraising citing money crunch</a>

He further asked people to vote again if they doubt that their vote has not been cast. He said "Don’t let them illegally take your vote away from you!" The statement was criticised by many as Trump's statement urged people to participate in an illegal activity.

"NORTH CAROLINA: To make sure your Ballot COUNTS, sign &amp; send it in EARLY. When Polls open, go to your Polling Place to see if it was COUNTED. IF NOT, VOTE! Your signed Ballot will not count because your vote has been posted. Don’t let them illegally take your vote away from you!," his tweet read.

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NORTH CAROLINA: To make sure your Ballot COUNTS, sign &amp; send it in EARLY. When Polls open, go to your Polling Place to see if it was COUNTED. IF NOT, VOTE! Your signed Ballot will not count because your vote has been posted. Don’t let them illegally take your vote away from you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1304769412759724033?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2020</a></blockquote>
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However, this tweet was labelled by Twitter for violating 'Civic Integrity Policy. "This Tweet violated the Twitter Rules about civic and election integrity. However, Twitter has determined that it may be in the public’s interest for the Tweet to remain accessible," the notice on Trump's tweet read.

Twitter Support, on the social media platform, issued a series of tweets explaining the reason behind this label. "We placed a public interest notice on this Tweet for violating our Civic Integrity Policy, specifically for encouraging people to potentially vote twice.," Twitter Safety said.

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To protect people on Twitter, we err on the side of limiting the circulation of Tweets which advise people to take actions which could be illegal in the context of voting or result in the invalidation of their votes.
— Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) <a href="https://twitter.com/TwitterSafety/status/1304793048426184706?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Twitter also cleared that the tweet will stay on the platform but will have a label of exploiting civic integrity policy. The tweet will have limited engagement, which means that people can retweet with a&nbsp;comment on Trump's tweet, but they will not be able to like, comment or simple retweet it.

This is not the first time Trump's tweets have been flagged by the social media platform. Earlier, in the first week of September, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-twitter-places-notice-on-trumps-tweets-of-double-voting-325197">Twitter had flagged a similar series of tweets</a> where Trump had again asked people to vote twice to be sure their vote is counted. Back in August too, Twitter had issued a disclaimer when <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-attaches-disclaimer-on-trumps-mail-drop-boxes-tweet-322628">Trump had suggested that&nbsp;mail drop boxes are a 'fraud'.</a>

The flagging and labelling&nbsp;of tweets started after Facebook and Twitter were alleged of promoting political bias. This year, the social media platforms decided to flag any post that tries to manipulate the views of public during the upcoming <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/us-election">US elections</a>.

The US President Donald Trump once again asked people to go ahead and vote twice in the upcoming US Presidential elections, scheduled for November 03. Trump took to Twitter to tell his supporters to "make sure your Ballot COUNTS".

The US President Donald Trump once again asked people to go ahead and vote twice in the upcoming US Presidential elections, scheduled for November 03. Trump took to Twitter to tell his supporters to "make sure your Ballot COUNTS". He asked the people of North Carolina to mail in their votes early and then visit the polling booth to re-check if their vote has been cast. The US is, this year, encouraging people to opt for mail-in voting, rather than visiting the polling booth, to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, as the US is the worst affected country in the world. However, Trump — who has been criticised for downplaying the danger caused by the virus — is asking people to step out rather than trusting the USPS. Also read: Trump seeks to ramp up big, small dollar fundraising citing money crunch He further asked people to vote again if they doubt that their vote has not been cast. He said "Don’t let them illegally take your vote away from you!" The statement was criticised by many as Trump's statement urged people to participate in an illegal activity. "NORTH CAROLINA: To make sure your Ballot COUNTS, sign & send it in EARLY. When Polls open, go to your Polling Place to see if it was COUNTED. IF NOT, VOTE! Your signed Ballot will not count because your vote has been posted. Don’t let them illegally take your vote away from you!," his tweet read. NORTH CAROLINA: To make sure your Ballot COUNTS, sign & send it in EARLY. When Polls open, go to your Polling Place to see if it was COUNTED. IF NOT, VOTE! Your signed Ballot will not count because your vote has been posted. Don’t let them illegally take your vote away from you! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 12, 2020 × However, this tweet was labelled by Twitter for violating 'Civic Integrity Policy. "This Tweet violated the Twitter Rules about civic and election integrity. However, Twitter has determined that it may be in the public’s interest for the Tweet to remain accessible," the notice on Trump's tweet read. Twitter Support, on the social media platform, issued a series of tweets explaining the reason behind this label. "We placed a public interest notice on this Tweet for violating our Civic Integrity Policy, specifically for encouraging people to potentially vote twice.," Twitter Safety said. To protect people on Twitter, we err on the side of limiting the circulation of Tweets which advise people to take actions which could be illegal in the context of voting or result in the invalidation of their votes. — Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) September 12, 2020 × Twitter also cleared that the tweet will stay on the platform but will have a label of exploiting civic integrity policy. The tweet will have limited engagement, which means that people can retweet with a comment on Trump's tweet, but they will not be able to like, comment or simple retweet it. This is not the first time Trump's tweets have been flagged by the social media platform. Earlier, in the first week of September, Twitter had flagged a similar series of tweets where Trump had again asked people to vote twice to be sure their vote is counted. Back in August too, Twitter had issued a disclaimer when Trump had suggested that mail drop boxes are a 'fraud'. The flagging and labelling of tweets started after Facebook and Twitter were alleged of promoting political bias. This year, the social media platforms decided to flag any post that tries to manipulate the views of public during the upcoming US elections.

US election 2020: Trump asks North Carolina to vote twice; Twitter issues notice again

An earthquake -- the most powerful in more than 100 years -- shook much of hit US' North Carolina early Sunday, rattling homes, businesses and residents.

The National Weather Service in Greenville said the 5.1-magnitude temblor struck at 8:07 am, following a much smaller quake several hours earlier.

There were no reports of injuries, but some minor structural damage as well as cracks in roads were reported.

It was the largest earthquake to hit the state since 1916, when a magnitude 5.5 quake occurred near Skyland, the weather service said.

The US Geological Service said the quake's epicenter was about 2.5 miles (four kilometers) southeast of Sparta, just south of the Virginia-North Carolina border.

The USGS said the population in the affected region resides in structures that are resistant to earthquake shaking, though vulnerable structures exist.

The quake was felt in nearby states including Virginia, South Carolina and Tennessee.

An earthquake -- the most powerful in more than 100 years -- shook much of hit US' North Carolina early Sunday, rattling homes, businesses and residents. The National Weather Service in Greenville said the 5.

An earthquake -- the most powerful in more than 100 years -- shook much of hit US' North Carolina early Sunday, rattling homes, businesses and residents. The National Weather Service in Greenville said the 5.1-magnitude temblor struck at 8:07 am, following a much smaller quake several hours earlier. There were no reports of injuries, but some minor structural damage as well as cracks in roads were reported. It was the largest earthquake to hit the state since 1916, when a magnitude 5.5 quake occurred near Skyland, the weather service said. The US Geological Service said the quake's epicenter was about 2.5 miles (four kilometers) southeast of Sparta, just south of the Virginia-North Carolina border. The USGS said the population in the affected region resides in structures that are resistant to earthquake shaking, though vulnerable structures exist. The quake was felt in nearby states including Virginia, South Carolina and Tennessee.

5.1-magnitude earthquake hits North Carolina, causes minor damage

Jacksonville, Florida, where the Republicans are set to hold their national convention in August have declared that face masks will be mandatory due to surge in coronavirus cases.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/democrats-and-republicans-want-answers-from-trump-on-russia-bounty-reports-309509" hreflang="en">Democrats and Republicans want answers from Trump on Russia bounty reports</a>

The Republicans relocated the venue for the convention from Charlotte, North Carolina due to strict social distancing measures in place in the city.

The state health department reported 5,266 new infections and 28 new deaths due to COVID-19 on Monday.

The state's totals rose to 146,341 confirmed cases and 3,447 deaths.

"At 5 p.m. today, the city of Jacksonville will be adopting a mandatory mask requirement for public and indoor locations, and in other situations where individuals cannot socially distance," the city government said in a statement.

"Please continue to practice personal responsibility to help stop the spread of this virus."

On June 11, Trump's political party announced that the venue was shifted to Jacksonville attacking the strict rules set for the Charlotte convention. Trump went on to attack North Carolina governor Roy Cooper saying that he "is still in shelter-in-place mode" and "doesn't want to give an inch."&nbsp;

Jacksonville, Florida, where the Republicans are set to hold their national convention in August have declared that face masks will be mandatory due to surge in coronavirus cases.

Jacksonville, Florida, where the Republicans are set to hold their national convention in August have declared that face masks will be mandatory due to surge in coronavirus cases. Also read: Democrats and Republicans want answers from Trump on Russia bounty reports The Republicans relocated the venue for the convention from Charlotte, North Carolina due to strict social distancing measures in place in the city. The state health department reported 5,266 new infections and 28 new deaths due to COVID-19 on Monday. The state's totals rose to 146,341 confirmed cases and 3,447 deaths. "At 5 p.m. today, the city of Jacksonville will be adopting a mandatory mask requirement for public and indoor locations, and in other situations where individuals cannot socially distance," the city government said in a statement. "Please continue to practice personal responsibility to help stop the spread of this virus." On June 11, Trump's political party announced that the venue was shifted to Jacksonville attacking the strict rules set for the Charlotte convention. Trump went on to attack North Carolina governor Roy Cooper saying that he "is still in shelter-in-place mode" and "doesn't want to give an inch."

Florida city hosting Republican convention makes masks mandatory after surge in COVID-19 cases

Winston, a family dog in North Carolina has tested positive for the coronavirus. It may be the first dog in the United States to test positive for coronavirus, according to researchers.

The McClean family of four found their pug, Winston, tested positive for coronavirus after the family participated in a study about COVID-19 aimed at trying to find potential treatments and vaccines by&nbsp;Duke University. In this study, the subjects undergo weekly nasal swabs and give blood samples.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/covid-19-outbreak-is-mumbai-turning-into-indias-new-york-city-295323">Also read:COVID-19 outbreak: Is Mumbai turning into India's New York City?</a>

Three members of the McClean family,&nbsp;Sam McClean, wife Heather and their son, Ben,&nbsp;had tested positive last month. However, their daughter, Sydney McClean, was the only one to test negative.

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Chris Woods, the principal investigator of the study, said that the reason Winston was tested positive was because the researchers have also been collecting samples from family pets to observe the spread of&nbsp;coronavirus in households.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-gives-go-head-to-malaysias-hydroxychloroquine-request-295300">Also Read:&nbsp;India gives go head to Malaysia's hydroxychloroquine request</a>

According to the university researchers, winston might be the first dog in the US to test positive as till now they haven't received a positive result of any other house pet in the country.&nbsp;Winston was showing mild symptoms while the family was infected with the virus. However,&nbsp;researchers said they do not know if it is coronavirus that made Winston sick, or if he had an unrelated ailment.&nbsp;

The family also has another dog and a cat, who have tested negative. Heather McClean explained that the reason behind this might be that Winston is more affectionate than the other two pets, and therefore the family holds him more.

"His (Winston's) amount of virus that we detected was very low, suggesting that he would not be a likely mechanism or vector of transmission of virus to either other animals or to, to humans in these households," Woods explained.

"He had a small cough for a day or two right in the peak when all of us were sick and he didn't eat his breakfast one morning," Ben McClean told a media organization.

"But we didn't have any concrete, like, super alarming illnesses where we're like, 'we need to take him to the vet. He's like really sick," he added.

Sam McClean tested positive for the virus after he treated few COVID-19 patients at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he is&nbsp;a researcher and emergency room doctor.

"I would not change our, our behaviors with our household animals at this point. They're really an important part of our ongoing mental health as we continue to participate in our social distancing to combat the pandemic," Woods said.

The McClean family has recovered and are out of quarantine now.&nbsp;"We are feeling very grateful that we have the opportunity to participate in this research study," Heather told a media organization. "We are really hopeful that we can donate plasma to be able to help other patients."

Winston, a family dog in North Carolina has tested positive for the coronavirus. It may be the first dog in the United States to test positive for coronavirus, according to researchers.

Winston, a family dog in North Carolina has tested positive for the coronavirus. It may be the first dog in the United States to test positive for coronavirus, according to researchers. The McClean family of four found their pug, Winston, tested positive for coronavirus after the family participated in a study about COVID-19 aimed at trying to find potential treatments and vaccines by Duke University. In this study, the subjects undergo weekly nasal swabs and give blood samples. Also read:COVID-19 outbreak: Is Mumbai turning into India's New York City? Three members of the McClean family, Sam McClean, wife Heather and their son, Ben, had tested positive last month. However, their daughter, Sydney McClean, was the only one to test negative. Chris Woods, the principal investigator of the study, said that the reason Winston was tested positive was because the researchers have also been collecting samples from family pets to observe the spread of coronavirus in households. Also Read: India gives go head to Malaysia's hydroxychloroquine request According to the university researchers, winston might be the first dog in the US to test positive as till now they haven't received a positive result of any other house pet in the country. Winston was showing mild symptoms while the family was infected with the virus. However, researchers said they do not know if it is coronavirus that made Winston sick, or if he had an unrelated ailment. The family also has another dog and a cat, who have tested negative. Heather McClean explained that the reason behind this might be that Winston is more affectionate than the other two pets, and therefore the family holds him more. "His (Winston's) amount of virus that we detected was very low, suggesting that he would not be a likely mechanism or vector of transmission of virus to either other animals or to, to humans in these households," Woods explained. "He had a small cough for a day or two right in the peak when all of us were sick and he didn't eat his breakfast one morning," Ben McClean told a media organization. "But we didn't have any concrete, like, super alarming illnesses where we're like, 'we need to take him to the vet. He's like really sick," he added. Sam McClean tested positive for the virus after he treated few COVID-19 patients at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he is a researcher and emergency room doctor. "I would not change our, our behaviors with our household animals at this point. They're really an important part of our ongoing mental health as we continue to participate in our social distancing to combat the pandemic," Woods said. The McClean family has recovered and are out of quarantine now. "We are feeling very grateful that we have the opportunity to participate in this research study," Heather told a media organization. "We are really hopeful that we can donate plasma to be able to help other patients."

A pug, Winston, from North Carolina may be the first dog in US to test positive

A US&nbsp;soldier killed by an improvised bomb in Afghanistan has been identified as Army Sgt. 1st Class Elis A. Barreto Ortiz of Puerto Rico, the Department of Defense said on Friday.

Barreto, 34 and based out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, was killed on Thursday when an improvised bomb in a vehicle exploded in a suicide attack near his vehicle in the Afghan capital Kabul, the department said in a statement.

Barreto was a paratrooper and maintenance control sergeant in the 82nd Brigade Support Battalion.

A Romanian soldier also died in the attack near a neighbourhood in Kabul that housed embassy staff from the United States and other countries, the Army Times reported on its website.

The incident is under investigation, the department said.

A US soldier killed by an improvised bomb in Afghanistan has been identified as Army Sgt. 1st Class Elis A. Barreto Ortiz of Puerto Rico, the Department of Defense said on Friday.

A US soldier killed by an improvised bomb in Afghanistan has been identified as Army Sgt. 1st Class Elis A. Barreto Ortiz of Puerto Rico, the Department of Defense said on Friday. Barreto, 34 and based out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, was killed on Thursday when an improvised bomb in a vehicle exploded in a suicide attack near his vehicle in the Afghan capital Kabul, the department said in a statement. Barreto was a paratrooper and maintenance control sergeant in the 82nd Brigade Support Battalion. A Romanian soldier also died in the attack near a neighbourhood in Kabul that housed embassy staff from the United States and other countries, the Army Times reported on its website. The incident is under investigation, the department said.

United States soldier killed in Afghanistan identified

North Carolina braced for a "long night" of strong winds and driving rain as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/leaving-bahamas-devastated-dorian-regains-strength-as-it-crawls-up-us-coast-247734">Hurricane Dorian</a> closed in on the coast Thursday after devastating the northern Bahamas, where it left at least 30 people dead and thousands homeless.

Authorities in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-continues-to-defend-incorrect-map-of-hurricane-dorian-path-247743">state of Florida</a> -- which was largely spared by the storm -- blamed six more deaths on the hurricane, US media reported, though they occurred as the victims were preparing for the storm's arrival or were evacuation-related.

US weather forecasters warned that some areas of the Carolina coast could see dangerous storm surge of up to seven feet (2.1 meters) and between six and 12 inches of rain.

"We know we're in for a long night and we'll be eager to see the sunshine in the morning," North Carolina's Governor Roy Cooper told CNN.

The slow-moving monster storm also spawned several tornadoes but there were no immediate reports of casualties.

Many residents of coastal Carolina heeded evacuation orders while others battened down their homes with plywood and prepared to ride out the tempest.&nbsp;

Watch: Trump Displays an Altered Hurricane Dorian Map

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At 8:00 pm (0000 GMT), the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Dorian was a Category 2 storm packing winds of 100 miles per hour (160 kilometers per hour).

It was located about 30 miles (50 kilometers) south of Cape Fear in North Carolina, and moving up the coast in a northeast direction at 10 miles per hour (17 kilometers per hour).

US President Donald Trump tweeted that he had spoken to the governors of North and South Carolina, telling them he is "ready to assist."

Dorian was a Category 5 hurricane -- the highest on the five-level wind scale -- when it slammed into the northern Bahamas on Sunday, leaving a trail of unimaginable destruction.

An AFP team in the town of Marsh Harbour on Great Abaco on Thursday saw scenes of catastrophic damage with homes reduced to matchsticks, overturned cars, fields of jumbled debris, widespread flooding and beached boats.

Teams of men in masks and white protective suits were seen loading corpses encased in green body bags onto a flatbed truck.

Storm-dazed residents were out on the streets dragging suitcases containing their most precious possessions.

'Hell everywhere'

The full extent of the damage in the northern Bahamas was becoming known on Thursday as rescue teams fanned out searching for survivors and bringing relief to victims.

Prime Minister Hubert Minnis told CNN that at least 30 people were killed in the storm, which caused what he called "generational devastation." The death toll is expected to rise.

The United Nations said 70,000 people in the Bahamas were in immediate need of aid.

"It's hell everywhere," said Brian Harvey, a Canadian from Montreal, told AFP in Great Abaco.

"I was on my sailboat," Harvey said. "I lost everything."

"We need to get out of here," he added. "It's been four or five days. It's time to move and get out of here."

Steven Turnquest, who arrived in Nassau from Marsh Harbour with his four- and seven-year-old sons after weathering the storm, told AFP he was grateful to be alive.

Speaking of his sons, Turnquest said he prayed to God to "take me and let them live."

"I survived the hurricane holding on to a door," he added.

Looters warned

Amid fears of lawlessness in the ravaged storm zone, Minnis warned that any looters will be prosecuted "to the fullest extent of the law," and additional police and defense force officers deployed.

US and British helicopters were conducting medical evacuations, aerial assessments to help coordinate relief efforts, and reconnaissance flights to assess the damage.

The US Coast Guard said it had rescued 201 people in the Bahamas as of Thursday using multiple helicopters and Coast Guard cutters.

The UN's World Food Program said it had eight tons of ready-to-eat meals poised to arrive in the Bahamas.

The WFP is organizing an airlift from the UN hub in Panama of storage units, generators, and prefab offices for two logistics hubs to be established on the main islands, it said. 
&nbsp;

North Carolina braced for a "long night" of strong winds and driving rain as Hurricane Dorian closed in on the coast Thursday after devastating the northern Bahamas, where it left at least 30 people dead and thousands homeless.

North Carolina braced for a "long night" of strong winds and driving rain as Hurricane Dorian closed in on the coast Thursday after devastating the northern Bahamas, where it left at least 30 people dead and thousands homeless. Authorities in the state of Florida -- which was largely spared by the storm -- blamed six more deaths on the hurricane, US media reported, though they occurred as the victims were preparing for the storm's arrival or were evacuation-related. US weather forecasters warned that some areas of the Carolina coast could see dangerous storm surge of up to seven feet (2.1 meters) and between six and 12 inches of rain. "We know we're in for a long night and we'll be eager to see the sunshine in the morning," North Carolina's Governor Roy Cooper told CNN. The slow-moving monster storm also spawned several tornadoes but there were no immediate reports of casualties. Many residents of coastal Carolina heeded evacuation orders while others battened down their homes with plywood and prepared to ride out the tempest. Watch: Trump Displays an Altered Hurricane Dorian Map × At 8:00 pm (0000 GMT), the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Dorian was a Category 2 storm packing winds of 100 miles per hour (160 kilometers per hour). It was located about 30 miles (50 kilometers) south of Cape Fear in North Carolina, and moving up the coast in a northeast direction at 10 miles per hour (17 kilometers per hour). US President Donald Trump tweeted that he had spoken to the governors of North and South Carolina, telling them he is "ready to assist." Dorian was a Category 5 hurricane -- the highest on the five-level wind scale -- when it slammed into the northern Bahamas on Sunday, leaving a trail of unimaginable destruction. An AFP team in the town of Marsh Harbour on Great Abaco on Thursday saw scenes of catastrophic damage with homes reduced to matchsticks, overturned cars, fields of jumbled debris, widespread flooding and beached boats. Teams of men in masks and white protective suits were seen loading corpses encased in green body bags onto a flatbed truck. Storm-dazed residents were out on the streets dragging suitcases containing their most precious possessions. 'Hell everywhere' The full extent of the damage in the northern Bahamas was becoming known on Thursday as rescue teams fanned out searching for survivors and bringing relief to victims. Prime Minister Hubert Minnis told CNN that at least 30 people were killed in the storm, which caused what he called "generational devastation." The death toll is expected to rise. The United Nations said 70,000 people in the Bahamas were in immediate need of aid. "It's hell everywhere," said Brian Harvey, a Canadian from Montreal, told AFP in Great Abaco. "I was on my sailboat," Harvey said. "I lost everything." "We need to get out of here," he added. "It's been four or five days. It's time to move and get out of here." Steven Turnquest, who arrived in Nassau from Marsh Harbour with his four- and seven-year-old sons after weathering the storm, told AFP he was grateful to be alive. Speaking of his sons, Turnquest said he prayed to God to "take me and let them live." "I survived the hurricane holding on to a door," he added. Looters warned Amid fears of lawlessness in the ravaged storm zone, Minnis warned that any looters will be prosecuted "to the fullest extent of the law," and additional police and defense force officers deployed. US and British helicopters were conducting medical evacuations, aerial assessments to help coordinate relief efforts, and reconnaissance flights to assess the damage. The US Coast Guard said it had rescued 201 people in the Bahamas as of Thursday using multiple helicopters and Coast Guard cutters. The UN's World Food Program said it had eight tons of ready-to-eat meals poised to arrive in the Bahamas. The WFP is organizing an airlift from the UN hub in Panama of storage units, generators, and prefab offices for two logistics hubs to be established on the main islands, it said.

North Carolina faces 'long night' as Dorian's Bahamas death toll rises to 30

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-heat-wave-breaks-across-us-northeast-thousands-left-without-power-237885">Severe wind and rain in the northeastern United States</a> left thousands without power on Tuesday, as a record-breaking heatwave ebbed and a flash flood threat moved south with the storm.

Up to 4 inches (10 cm) of rain-drenched New York's eastern Long Island suburbs, while the widespread storm dumped as much as 8 inches (20 cm) of wetness on Port Arthur, Texas, said meteorologist David Roth of the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center.

Airlines cancelled more than 300 flights in the United States, with the most affected airports throughout the New York area as well as North Carolina, according to FlightAware.com.

"Today we are expecting the flash flood risk to shift to North Carolina, Virginia, anywhere in the Southeast as the front continues to shift southward," Roth said, noting the storm was likely to dry out by evening.

Late Monday and early Tuesday, flash floods swamped Long Island and other <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/american-islamic-state-sniper-charged-in-new-york-justice-department-237202">New York</a> urban areas drenched by the storm, he said.

"It hits the pavement and it runs off. Asphalt is not known for absorbing water," Roth said.

Further north, the National Weather Service confirmed a rare tornado touched down in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod.

Utilities were scrambling to restore electricity to hundreds of communities where torrential weather downed tree limbs, knocking out power.

Overnight, more than 600,000 customers were out in Michigan and more than 200,000 lost power in New Jersey. Utility DTE in Michigan said more than 100,000 remained out on Tuesday, but it would restore 90 per cent of all storm-related outages by the end of the day.

New Jersey's hardest hit utility, FirstEnergy, was still assessing the situation and did not have an estimated return to service time for all its customers without power.

New York City experienced its second successive weekend of blackouts after a July 13 outage left more than 73,000 homes and businesses without power for about three hours.

The weekend heatwave that blanketed about a third of the US population brought thunderstorms along with cooling rain when it burst on Monday, the National Weather Service said.

Some winds gusted up to 80 mph (129 kph), said meteorologist Bob Oravec of the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center in Maryland.

"The good news is that the heatwave is over," Oravec said. "It's cooled down."

Severe wind and rain in the northeastern United States left thousands without power on Tuesday, as a record-breaking heatwave ebbed and a flash flood threat moved south with the storm.

Severe wind and rain in the northeastern United States left thousands without power on Tuesday, as a record-breaking heatwave ebbed and a flash flood threat moved south with the storm. Up to 4 inches (10 cm) of rain-drenched New York's eastern Long Island suburbs, while the widespread storm dumped as much as 8 inches (20 cm) of wetness on Port Arthur, Texas, said meteorologist David Roth of the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center. Airlines cancelled more than 300 flights in the United States, with the most affected airports throughout the New York area as well as North Carolina, according to FlightAware.com. "Today we are expecting the flash flood risk to shift to North Carolina, Virginia, anywhere in the Southeast as the front continues to shift southward," Roth said, noting the storm was likely to dry out by evening. Late Monday and early Tuesday, flash floods swamped Long Island and other New York urban areas drenched by the storm, he said. "It hits the pavement and it runs off. Asphalt is not known for absorbing water," Roth said. Further north, the National Weather Service confirmed a rare tornado touched down in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod. Utilities were scrambling to restore electricity to hundreds of communities where torrential weather downed tree limbs, knocking out power. Overnight, more than 600,000 customers were out in Michigan and more than 200,000 lost power in New Jersey. Utility DTE in Michigan said more than 100,000 remained out on Tuesday, but it would restore 90 per cent of all storm-related outages by the end of the day. New Jersey's hardest hit utility, FirstEnergy, was still assessing the situation and did not have an estimated return to service time for all its customers without power. New York City experienced its second successive weekend of blackouts after a July 13 outage left more than 73,000 homes and businesses without power for about three hours. The weekend heatwave that blanketed about a third of the US population brought thunderstorms along with cooling rain when it burst on Monday, the National Weather Service said. Some winds gusted up to 80 mph (129 kph), said meteorologist Bob Oravec of the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center in Maryland. "The good news is that the heatwave is over," Oravec said. "It's cooled down."

Pounding rains, flash floods drench northeastern United States

An Indian student has been arrested after being charged with intentionally causing damage to over 50 protected computers owned by a college in New York state capital Albany, officials said on Wednesday.

Vishwanath Akuthota, 26 was arrested on February 22 in North Carolina after being charged with intentionally causing damage to protected computers owned by The College of Saint Rose in Albany, US Attorney Grant Jaquith said.

According to a criminal complaint, on February 14, Akuthota entered numerous locations around the Saint Rose campus and inserted a device into more than 50 computers used by students.&nbsp;

The device, which resembles a normal USB memory stick, sends a rapid series of power surges into a computer's electrical hardware, rendering it inoperable. The damage exceeds $50,000.

Akuthota, an Indian citizen, is residing in the US on a student visa. He appeared in the federal court in Raleigh, North Carolina, where a US Magistrate Judge ordered him detained and transported to the Northern District of New York.

The charge filed against Akuthota carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to three years.

An Indian student has been arrested after being charged with intentionally causing damage to over 50 protected computers owned by a college in New York state capital Albany, officials said on Wednesday.

An Indian student has been arrested after being charged with intentionally causing damage to over 50 protected computers owned by a college in New York state capital Albany, officials said on Wednesday. Vishwanath Akuthota, 26 was arrested on February 22 in North Carolina after being charged with intentionally causing damage to protected computers owned by The College of Saint Rose in Albany, US Attorney Grant Jaquith said. According to a criminal complaint, on February 14, Akuthota entered numerous locations around the Saint Rose campus and inserted a device into more than 50 computers used by students. The device, which resembles a normal USB memory stick, sends a rapid series of power surges into a computer's electrical hardware, rendering it inoperable. The damage exceeds $50,000. Akuthota, an Indian citizen, is residing in the US on a student visa. He appeared in the federal court in Raleigh, North Carolina, where a US Magistrate Judge ordered him detained and transported to the Northern District of New York. The charge filed against Akuthota carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to three years.

Indian student charged with using 'USB killer device' to destroy dozens of computers in New York college

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/lawyer-says-mueller-can-interview-trump-only-over-my-dead-body-184611">US President Donald Trump</a> said that he will review the case of a soldier charged with premeditated murder for killing an alleged bomb-maker in Afghanistan.

"I will be reviewing the case of a 'US Military hero,' Major Matt Golsteyn, who is charged with murder," Trump wrote on Twitter.

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At the request of many, I will be reviewing the case of a “U.S. Military hero,” Major Matt Golsteyn, who is charged with murder. He could face the death penalty from our own government after he admitted to killing a Terrorist bomb maker while overseas. <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteHegseth?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PeteHegseth</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FoxNews</a>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1074319076766433280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The president's tweet mentioned Fox News, the channel on which Golsteyn's attorney and his wife were interviewed about the issue earlier in the day.

US media reported that the soldier killed the suspected bomb-maker after he was detained in 2010, and that Golsteyn admitted to doing so both to the CIA in 2011 and on Fox in 2016.

The latter appearance prompted the military to open a new investigation after Golsteyn was previously cleared.

His attorney, Phillip Stackhouse, tweeted that Golsteyn is charged with "premeditated murder, a death penalty offence for allegedly killing a Taliban bomb-maker during combat operations in Marjah, Afghanistan."

A US military spokesperson confirmed the charge to AFP but said, "We are not at liberty to discuss details of an ongoing case or investigation to ensure the rights of the accused are protected."

Speaking on Fox, Stackhouse on Sunday denied "a narrative... Put out" by the military in which Golsteyn "released this Taliban bomb-maker, walked him back to the house... And assassinated him in his house." As to why his client is being charged now, Stackhouse said, "The prosecutor, in this case, has intimated to me that they have new evidence."

Golsteyn's wife Julie, also appearing on Fox, denied that her husband had "killed someone in cold blood" and said that "there are a lot of words flying around that make this very difficult for us as a family."

Golsteyn is due to report to Fort Bragg in North Carolina on Monday, she said.

The US has fought a grinding 17-year war against Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan -- a bloody, destructive and expensive conflict for which there is no end in sight.&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump said that he will review the case of a soldier charged with premeditated murder for killing an alleged bomb-maker in Afghanistan. "I will be reviewing the case of a 'US Military hero,' Major Matt Golsteyn, who is charged with murder," Trump wrote on Twitter.

US President Donald Trump said that he will review the case of a soldier charged with premeditated murder for killing an alleged bomb-maker in Afghanistan. "I will be reviewing the case of a 'US Military hero,' Major Matt Golsteyn, who is charged with murder," Trump wrote on Twitter. At the request of many, I will be reviewing the case of a “U.S. Military hero,” Major Matt Golsteyn, who is charged with murder. He could face the death penalty from our own government after he admitted to killing a Terrorist bomb maker while overseas. @PeteHegseth @FoxNews — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 16, 2018 × The president's tweet mentioned Fox News, the channel on which Golsteyn's attorney and his wife were interviewed about the issue earlier in the day. US media reported that the soldier killed the suspected bomb-maker after he was detained in 2010, and that Golsteyn admitted to doing so both to the CIA in 2011 and on Fox in 2016. The latter appearance prompted the military to open a new investigation after Golsteyn was previously cleared. His attorney, Phillip Stackhouse, tweeted that Golsteyn is charged with "premeditated murder, a death penalty offence for allegedly killing a Taliban bomb-maker during combat operations in Marjah, Afghanistan." A US military spokesperson confirmed the charge to AFP but said, "We are not at liberty to discuss details of an ongoing case or investigation to ensure the rights of the accused are protected." Speaking on Fox, Stackhouse on Sunday denied "a narrative... Put out" by the military in which Golsteyn "released this Taliban bomb-maker, walked him back to the house... And assassinated him in his house." As to why his client is being charged now, Stackhouse said, "The prosecutor, in this case, has intimated to me that they have new evidence." Golsteyn's wife Julie, also appearing on Fox, denied that her husband had "killed someone in cold blood" and said that "there are a lot of words flying around that make this very difficult for us as a family." Golsteyn is due to report to Fort Bragg in North Carolina on Monday, she said. The US has fought a grinding 17-year war against Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan -- a bloody, destructive and expensive conflict for which there is no end in sight.

I will review case of US soldier charged with murdering Afghan: Trump

A powerful winter storm that struck the US&nbsp;Southeast over the weekend killed at least one motorist, left more than 310,000 customers without power and forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights on Sunday.

A winter storm warning remained in effect for most of North Carolina, Virginia and southern West Virginia as at least an additional 2 inches (5 cm) of snow and sleet were expected to fall overnight and into Monday after more than a foot (30 cm) of snow fell over the weekend.

Authorities reported hundreds of spinouts and collisions across the region as snow, sleet and freezing rain covered roadways across the region on Sunday.

Divers searched for a driver whose 18-wheeler was found in a river in Kinston, North Carolina on Sunday morning, an NBC affiliate in Raleigh reported. WRAL-TV also reported that a driver was killed outside of Charlotte when a tree fell on a car.

More than 310,000 customers were without power in the Carolinas, Tennessee and Virginia on Sunday evening, Poweroutage.us reported.

The storm prompted more than 1,000 flight cancellations at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, the sixth-busiest airport in the country, and other airports across the region, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said on Sunday that the state of emergency would remain in effect and that the North Carolina National Guard had been activated to help with the response.

The effects of the storm could last for days in the state, officials warned.

In North Raleigh, residents woke up to several inches of snow that blanketed roads, cars and homes. Many people took to Twitter to share photos of the unusually harsh weather, and the hashtag #Snowmageddon2018 was trending on Twitter on Sunday morning.

In South Carolina, the snow gave way to sleet and rain as temperatures hovered around freezing, the South Carolina Emergency Management Division said on Twitter.

The storm formed earlier this week off the Texas coast and moved east, lashing parts of Arkansas and Tennessee with icy rain.

A powerful winter storm that struck the US Southeast over the weekend killed at least one motorist, left more than 310,000 customers without power and forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights on Sunday.

A powerful winter storm that struck the US Southeast over the weekend killed at least one motorist, left more than 310,000 customers without power and forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights on Sunday. A winter storm warning remained in effect for most of North Carolina, Virginia and southern West Virginia as at least an additional 2 inches (5 cm) of snow and sleet were expected to fall overnight and into Monday after more than a foot (30 cm) of snow fell over the weekend. Authorities reported hundreds of spinouts and collisions across the region as snow, sleet and freezing rain covered roadways across the region on Sunday. Divers searched for a driver whose 18-wheeler was found in a river in Kinston, North Carolina on Sunday morning, an NBC affiliate in Raleigh reported. WRAL-TV also reported that a driver was killed outside of Charlotte when a tree fell on a car. More than 310,000 customers were without power in the Carolinas, Tennessee and Virginia on Sunday evening, Poweroutage.us reported. The storm prompted more than 1,000 flight cancellations at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, the sixth-busiest airport in the country, and other airports across the region, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said on Sunday that the state of emergency would remain in effect and that the North Carolina National Guard had been activated to help with the response. The effects of the storm could last for days in the state, officials warned. In North Raleigh, residents woke up to several inches of snow that blanketed roads, cars and homes. Many people took to Twitter to share photos of the unusually harsh weather, and the hashtag #Snowmageddon2018 was trending on Twitter on Sunday morning. In South Carolina, the snow gave way to sleet and rain as temperatures hovered around freezing, the South Carolina Emergency Management Division said on Twitter. The storm formed earlier this week off the Texas coast and moved east, lashing parts of Arkansas and Tennessee with icy rain.

Winter storm kills one, knocks out power to 310,000 in US Southeast

A US soldier was killed in action in Afghanistan on Thursday, NATO said, marking the seventh American service member to die in the war-torn country this year.

The soldier had been assigned to NATO's Resolute Support mission, which trains and assists Afghan security forces.

An investigation was under way into the soldier's death, NATO said.

General Joseph Votel, who heads the US military's Central Command, said initial reports indicate the death was as a result of "combat action", but no additional information was immediately available.

"Our thoughts go out the soldier's family and to the unit that he came from," Votel told Pentagon reporters.&nbsp;

Also Thursday, the Taliban issued a statement claiming it had blown up a US armoured vehicle in Garmser district in the southern province of Helmand, killing the soldiers on board.

The incident could not be immediately verified.&nbsp;

Currently, there are about 14,000 US troops in Afghanistan, providing the main component of the NATO mission there to support and train local forces.&nbsp;

More than 2,000 American soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since the start of the war in 2001.

While casualties have fallen dramatically since the withdrawal of US-led NATO combat troops at the end of 2014, the deadly burden has shifted to Afghanistan's security forces.

The Kabul government no longer releases death tolls, but the Taliban are thought to be killing thousands of Afghan army and police forces each year.

Votel acknowledged the number is rising.

"It's my understanding that it is increasing," he said.

"This is something that we are paying very, very close attention to," Votel added, noting that the Afghan forces are still "sustaining themselves" in terms of replacing those lost in combat.

A US soldier was killed in action in Afghanistan on Thursday, NATO said, marking the seventh American service member to die in the war-torn country this year. The soldier had been assigned to NATO's Resolute Support mission, which trains and assists Afghan security forces.

A US soldier was killed in action in Afghanistan on Thursday, NATO said, marking the seventh American service member to die in the war-torn country this year. The soldier had been assigned to NATO's Resolute Support mission, which trains and assists Afghan security forces. An investigation was under way into the soldier's death, NATO said. General Joseph Votel, who heads the US military's Central Command, said initial reports indicate the death was as a result of "combat action", but no additional information was immediately available. "Our thoughts go out the soldier's family and to the unit that he came from," Votel told Pentagon reporters. Also Thursday, the Taliban issued a statement claiming it had blown up a US armoured vehicle in Garmser district in the southern province of Helmand, killing the soldiers on board. The incident could not be immediately verified. Currently, there are about 14,000 US troops in Afghanistan, providing the main component of the NATO mission there to support and train local forces. More than 2,000 American soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since the start of the war in 2001. While casualties have fallen dramatically since the withdrawal of US-led NATO combat troops at the end of 2014, the deadly burden has shifted to Afghanistan's security forces. The Kabul government no longer releases death tolls, but the Taliban are thought to be killing thousands of Afghan army and police forces each year. Votel acknowledged the number is rising. "It's my understanding that it is increasing," he said. "This is something that we are paying very, very close attention to," Votel added, noting that the Afghan forces are still "sustaining themselves" in terms of replacing those lost in combat.

US soldier killed in action in Afghanistan

Less than five weeks before elections that will determine control of the US Congress for the next two years, about a third of registered voters do not know the name of their party's candidate for office, a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll found.

Name recognition is critical in motivating voters, is the reason candidates spend millions of dollars on TV ads and is a major factor in incumbents' advantage in fending off challengers.

But it may be slightly less critical on November 6 as many voters may view their choices as referendums on a man whose name will not be on the ballot: Republican President Donald Trump.

"With the current party polarization, voters increasingly vote based on party (read: like or dislike Trump) rather than the local candidates," Robert Erikson, a professor of political science at Columbia University in New York City, wrote in an email.

A Reuter/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday found that 34 per cent of Republican registered voters and 32.5 per cent of Democratic registered voters said they did not know the names of their party's congressional candidates in their districts.

The poll of 2,597 registered voters taken September 24-30 had a credibility interval, a measure of precision, of 3 percentage points.

The level of congressional candidate name recognition is about in line with recent elections, said Marc Hetherington, a professor of political science at the University of North Carolina.

"People aren't voting for their side as much as they are voting against the other side," Hetherington said. "It really doesn't matter what the names are these days."

Generic party interest is not working to Republicans' advantage nationally. Some 54 per cent of US adults told Reuters/Ipsos they disapprove of the way Trump is handling the presidency and Democrats have a 9 percentage point lead in a generic question on which party they expect to vote for in Congress.

Democrats need to pick up 23 seats in the House to win a majority that they could use to more effectively oppose Trump's agenda.&nbsp;

Beyond party and name recognition, gender may play a role in voters' decisions this year, said Michael Cornfield, an associate professor of political management at George Washington University. The #MeToo movement and protests around Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh have played into that trend.

"In these cases, it's not just the name," Cornfield said in an email. "Gender relations may be the top issue."

Less than five weeks before elections that will determine control of the US Congress for the next two years, about a third of registered voters do not know the name of their party's candidate for office, a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll found.

Less than five weeks before elections that will determine control of the US Congress for the next two years, about a third of registered voters do not know the name of their party's candidate for office, a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll found. Name recognition is critical in motivating voters, is the reason candidates spend millions of dollars on TV ads and is a major factor in incumbents' advantage in fending off challengers. But it may be slightly less critical on November 6 as many voters may view their choices as referendums on a man whose name will not be on the ballot: Republican President Donald Trump. "With the current party polarization, voters increasingly vote based on party (read: like or dislike Trump) rather than the local candidates," Robert Erikson, a professor of political science at Columbia University in New York City, wrote in an email. A Reuter/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday found that 34 per cent of Republican registered voters and 32.5 per cent of Democratic registered voters said they did not know the names of their party's congressional candidates in their districts. The poll of 2,597 registered voters taken September 24-30 had a credibility interval, a measure of precision, of 3 percentage points. The level of congressional candidate name recognition is about in line with recent elections, said Marc Hetherington, a professor of political science at the University of North Carolina. "People aren't voting for their side as much as they are voting against the other side," Hetherington said. "It really doesn't matter what the names are these days." Generic party interest is not working to Republicans' advantage nationally. Some 54 per cent of US adults told Reuters/Ipsos they disapprove of the way Trump is handling the presidency and Democrats have a 9 percentage point lead in a generic question on which party they expect to vote for in Congress. Democrats need to pick up 23 seats in the House to win a majority that they could use to more effectively oppose Trump's agenda. Beyond party and name recognition, gender may play a role in voters' decisions this year, said Michael Cornfield, an associate professor of political management at George Washington University. The #MeToo movement and protests around Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh have played into that trend. "In these cases, it's not just the name," Cornfield said in an email. "Gender relations may be the top issue."

What's in a name? One-third of US voters don't know candidates

Alberto, the first storm of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season, spawned scattered flooding in Alabama as it weakened into a subtropical depression on Tuesday, a day after two journalists were killed in North Carolina when a tree fell on their car.

In Maryland, searchers on Monday found the body of a man swept away when a flash flood triggered by a separate storm tore through the main street of a historic town.

Near hurricane-force winds from Alberto dropped to about 30 miles per hour (48 km per hour) as it lost strength while crossing the Gulf of Mexico and making landfall in the US&nbspSouth, the National Weather Service said.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) cancelled coastal warnings and watches for the storm, which spun up days before the formal start of the hurricane season on June 1.

Local media in Alabama and the Florida Panhandle reported scattered flash flooding, downed trees and minor power outages as Alberto rumbled north. About half of Alabama's 67 counties were under a flash flood watch.

Alberto was forecast to weaken to a "remnant low pressure" system by Tuesday evening as it moves into the Tennessee Valley and then the Ohio Valley, the weather service said.

The NHC warned the storm would dump rains of 2-6 inches (6-15 cm), with up to 12 inches over north Florida and Alabama through Tuesday night. It could deliver up to 6 inches of rain in some areas as it moves toward lower Michigan by Wednesday evening, officials said.

Karen Clark & Co, a risk-modelling firm, on Tuesday, estimated the insured losses from Alberto at $50 million.

In Maryland, searchers found the body of Eddison Hermond, 39, who was swept away by a torrent of water in historic Ellicott City on Sunday, the Howard County Police Department said on Twitter.

Hermond was swept up as he tried to help a shop owner who had escaped flood waters with her cat, police said. The flooding was the second time Ellicott City had been devastated by high water in two years.

Two television journalists covering the worsening weather in North Carolina were killed on Monday by a falling tree that struck their car. Anchor Mike McCormick and camera operator Aaron Smeltzer from Greenville, South Carolina's, WYFF News were on Highway 176 when the tree came down after heavy rains saturated the ground, police said.

After Alberto's passage, Royal Dutch Shell Plc was sending workers back to the eastern Gulf of Mexico and Chevron Corp restored some production on Monday.

Four deadly hurricanes struck the United States last year, killing at least 144 people and causing billions of dollars in damage, massive power outages and devastating hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses, according to the NHC.

In Maryland, searchers on Monday found the body of a man swept away when a flash flood triggered by a separate storm tore through the main street of a historic town

Alberto, the first storm of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season, spawned scattered flooding in Alabama as it weakened into a subtropical depression on Tuesday, a day after two journalists were killed in North Carolina when a tree fell on their car. In Maryland, searchers on Monday found the body of a man swept away when a flash flood triggered by a separate storm tore through the main street of a historic town. Near hurricane-force winds from Alberto dropped to about 30 miles per hour (48 km per hour) as it lost strength while crossing the Gulf of Mexico and making landfall in the US&nbspSouth, the National Weather Service said. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) cancelled coastal warnings and watches for the storm, which spun up days before the formal start of the hurricane season on June 1. Local media in Alabama and the Florida Panhandle reported scattered flash flooding, downed trees and minor power outages as Alberto rumbled north. About half of Alabama's 67 counties were under a flash flood watch. Alberto was forecast to weaken to a "remnant low pressure" system by Tuesday evening as it moves into the Tennessee Valley and then the Ohio Valley, the weather service said. The NHC warned the storm would dump rains of 2-6 inches (6-15 cm), with up to 12 inches over north Florida and Alabama through Tuesday night. It could deliver up to 6 inches of rain in some areas as it moves toward lower Michigan by Wednesday evening, officials said. Karen Clark & Co, a risk-modelling firm, on Tuesday, estimated the insured losses from Alberto at $50 million. In Maryland, searchers found the body of Eddison Hermond, 39, who was swept away by a torrent of water in historic Ellicott City on Sunday, the Howard County Police Department said on Twitter. Hermond was swept up as he tried to help a shop owner who had escaped flood waters with her cat, police said. The flooding was the second time Ellicott City had been devastated by high water in two years. Two television journalists covering the worsening weather in North Carolina were killed on Monday by a falling tree that struck their car. Anchor Mike McCormick and camera operator Aaron Smeltzer from Greenville, South Carolina's, WYFF News were on Highway 176 when the tree came down after heavy rains saturated the ground, police said. After Alberto's passage, Royal Dutch Shell Plc was sending workers back to the eastern Gulf of Mexico and Chevron Corp restored some production on Monday. Four deadly hurricanes struck the United States last year, killing at least 144 people and causing billions of dollars in damage, massive power outages and devastating hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses, according to the NHC.

Alberto remnants threaten Alabama after two killed in North Carolina

There are die-hard non-vegetarians and then there are those who take their meat-loving fanaticism to a whole new level. Some foodies never budge or shrink away from trying out the weirdest items ever served.&nbsp;

A restaurant in Durham, North Carolina has a special, rather unusual meaty creation to entice the adventurous foodies.&nbsp;

Bull City Burger and Brewery celebrates April as the Exotic Meat Month and has given their regular menu a complete overhaul to feature some of the most gut-churning items.&nbsp;

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Martha did it yesterday, Randall did it today, and now it's David D's turn to give it a shot! 
 
David D. ticket # 907656 give us a call and claim your tarantula burger. ?️ <a href="https://t.co/rZh5cvTHKB">pic.twitter.com/rZh5cvTHKB</a>
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One of the star items on the menu is the tarantula burger. The eating joint has a Tarantula Burger eating challenge in place wherein a person can sign-up and if his/her is drawn, the person then has to appear for the challenge.&nbsp;

What some may dub as a nightmare served on a platter, the burger contains pasture-raised North Carolina beef, gruyere cheese, and chilli sauce with crunchy oven-roasted, salted tarantula atop.

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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BhRraIrgou5/" style=" color:#000 font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px font-style:normal font-weight:normal line-height:17px text-decoration:none word-wrap:break-word" target="_blank">The secret to rainy day fun? Exotic meats and a brewery tour! ??? We've got both today - brewery tour starts at 4 PM, Bug Burger on, Camel on deck.</a>

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The tarantula burger is not the only repulsive item at Bull City's. For those who would not stop with the baked tarantula, there are other unimaginably horrifying eatables like bug ice cream and burgers, rabbit meatball subs and snacks made from alligators, python, bison, duck, cattle testicles, among others. Would you dare give them a try?&nbsp;

For those who would not stop with the baked tarantula, there are other unimaginably horrifying eatables like bug ice cream and burgers, rabbit meatball subs, among others

There are die-hard non-vegetarians and then there are those who take their meat-loving fanaticism to a whole new level. Some foodies never budge or shrink away from trying out the weirdest items ever served. A restaurant in Durham, North Carolina has a special, rather unusual meaty creation to entice the adventurous foodies. Bull City Burger and Brewery celebrates April as the Exotic Meat Month and has given their regular menu a complete overhaul to feature some of the most gut-churning items. Martha did it yesterday, Randall did it today, and now it's David D's turn to give it a shot! David D. ticket # 907656 give us a call and claim your tarantula burger. ?️ pic.twitter.com/rZh5cvTHKB — Bull City Burger (@BullCityBurger) April 6, 2018 × One of the star items on the menu is the tarantula burger. The eating joint has a Tarantula Burger eating challenge in place wherein a person can sign-up and if his/her is drawn, the person then has to appear for the challenge. What some may dub as a nightmare served on a platter, the burger contains pasture-raised North Carolina beef, gruyere cheese, and chilli sauce with crunchy oven-roasted, salted tarantula atop. The secret to rainy day fun? Exotic meats and a brewery tour! ??? We've got both today - brewery tour starts at 4 PM, Bug Burger on, Camel on deck. A post shared by BCBB (@bullcityburger) on Apr 7, 2018 at 9:38am PDT × The tarantula burger is not the only repulsive item at Bull City's. For those who would not stop with the baked tarantula, there are other unimaginably horrifying eatables like bug ice cream and burgers, rabbit meatball subs and snacks made from alligators, python, bison, duck, cattle testicles, among others. Would you dare give them a try?

Insects are passe, this American eatery has a Tarantula burger on the menu

A North Carolina man who routinely broadcast his daily life on Facebook Live was fatally shot on Monday while walking through a neighborhood just outside Wingate University.&nbsp;

Prentis Robinson, 55, was shot just near North Carolina&#39;s police headquarters, where he had just reported a stolen cell phone.&nbsp;Investigators believe the shocking murder was retaliation from area drug dealer, reports said.&nbsp;

The suspect, 65-year-old Douglas Cleveland Colson, surrendered Tuesday to the Union County Sheriff&#39;s Office, reports said. Reports further quoted a lifelong Wingate resident informing that has been arrested before.

&quot;The Wingate Police Department in conjunction with the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) and the Union County Sheriff&rsquo;s Office worked a death investigation until they had a suspect, this morning they made an arrest and he is in custody,&quot; police said in a statement on Facebook.

In the live footage, which Facebook has since removed, Robinson was seen walking down a street in a neighborhood with a cell phone attached to a selfie stick, or a monopod device used to take photos or videos. He was talking to viewers.

Robinson then said &quot;you on Live&quot; repeatedly to someone off-camera. The person, who was not visible, then appears to have fired four gunshots at Robinson until he fell to the ground.

Facebook said in a statement that it removed the video because it had no way of knowing whether the victim would have wanted &quot;this horrific act&quot; to be broadcast on social media.

&quot;We will apply a warning screen to future uploads of the video intended to raise awareness or condemn this tragedy, and limit accessibility to people over the age of 18,&quot; said a Facebook spokesperson in a statement on Tuesday.

Prentis Robinson, 55, was shot just near North Carolina's police headquarters, where he had just reported a stolen cell phone. Investigators believe the shocking murder was retaliation from area drug dealer, reports say

A North Carolina man who routinely broadcast his daily life on Facebook Live was fatally shot on Monday while walking through a neighborhood just outside Wingate University. Prentis Robinson, 55, was shot just near North Carolina's police headquarters, where he had just reported a stolen cell phone. Investigators believe the shocking murder was retaliation from area drug dealer, reports said. The suspect, 65-year-old Douglas Cleveland Colson, surrendered Tuesday to the Union County Sheriff's Office, reports said. Reports further quoted a lifelong Wingate resident informing that has been arrested before. "The Wingate Police Department in conjunction with the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) and the Union County Sheriff’s Office worked a death investigation until they had a suspect, this morning they made an arrest and he is in custody," police said in a statement on Facebook. In the live footage, which Facebook has since removed, Robinson was seen walking down a street in a neighborhood with a cell phone attached to a selfie stick, or a monopod device used to take photos or videos. He was talking to viewers. Robinson then said "you on Live" repeatedly to someone off-camera. The person, who was not visible, then appears to have fired four gunshots at Robinson until he fell to the ground. Facebook said in a statement that it removed the video because it had no way of knowing whether the victim would have wanted "this horrific act" to be broadcast on social media. "We will apply a warning screen to future uploads of the video intended to raise awareness or condemn this tragedy, and limit accessibility to people over the age of 18," said a Facebook spokesperson in a statement on Tuesday.

Man shot dead while filming Facebook Live video, suspect arrested

A rare winter storm hit the US Southeast on Wednesday, dumping snow on Florida&#39;s capital for the first time in three decades and snarling travel, while New England braced for a &quot;bombogenesis&quot; blizzard forecast to bring heavy accumulations on Thursday.

The governors of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia declared states of emergency, warning residents to expect icy roads and freezing temperatures. In the northeast, work crews loaded trucks with road salt in advance of the storm.

The New York City Department of Education said it would close public schools on Thursday because of severe weather. The National Weather Service predicted New York could see 5-8 inches of snow and wind gusts as high as 50 mph on Thursday.

Much of the eastern United States is in the grips of a sustained cold spell that has frozen parts of Niagara Falls on the American and Canadian sides, played havoc with public works causing pipes to freeze and water mains to burst, and impeded firefighting in places where temperatures barely broke 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

The cold has been blamed for at least nine deaths over the past few days, including two homeless people in Houston. Police in Roseville, Michigan, said on Wednesday that a 96-year-old woman, recently diagnosed with dementia, was found dead in a playground, apparently having frozen to death after wandering outside in a robe and slippers.

The National Weather Service had blizzard warnings in effect from Virginia to Maine, with areas around Boston expected to see about a foot (30 cm) of snow on Thursday.

Snow would fall quickly during the day, at a rate of several inches per hour, with the storm intensified by the &quot;bombogenesis&quot; effect, private forecaster Accuweather warned.

&quot;Bombogenesis,&quot; also known as a &quot;bomb cyclone,&quot; occurs when a storm&#39;s barometric pressure drops by 24 millibars in 24 hours, greatly strengthening the storm.

The effect is seen along the Northeastern coast every winter, but this storm will be particularly powerful, said Judah Cohen, a visiting scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

&quot;This one is unique in how quickly the pressure is going to fall,&quot; Cohen said. &quot;The pressures could rival a Category 1 or Category 2 hurricane.&quot;

An arctic air mass will remain entrenched over the eastern two-thirds of the United States through the end of the week.

NOT FIT FOR MAN NOR BEAST

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At a news conference, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster warned people in the eastern part of the state to stay indoors if possible and to keep pets indoors.

&quot;If they can&#39;t get in the heat, they&#39;ll freeze to death and they&#39;ll be gone,&quot; McMaster said. &quot;And the same thing will happen to people. So you have to be careful about that.&quot;

In the state&#39;s historic city of Charleston, the winter storm shuttered carriage-horse tour companies after a horse slipped and fell on ice during a tour on Tuesday, city spokesman Jack O&#39;Toole said.

The wintry mix and low wind chills caused widespread power outages and icy roads, making commuting treacherous for millions of Americans from northern Florida to southern Virginia, the National Weather Service said.

The storm was starting to snarl air travel in the southern United States, with about 50 percent of flights canceled at airports in South Carolina&#39;s Charleston and Myrtle Beach and Savannah, Georgia, according to the FlightAware tracking service.

Two to 3 inches (5-8 cm) of snow were expected in northeastern Florida, coastal Georgia and South Carolina, weather service meteorologist Bob Oravec said. The weather service said its Tallahassee office had measured snow and sleet accumulation of 0.1 inch (2.5 mm) on its roof, the first snow in Florida&#39;s capital since 1989.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh ordered schools closed on Thursday, warning city residents that the peak of the storm would occur during the day, making travel extremely dangerous.

&quot;Both rush hours will be affected,&quot; Walsh told a news conference. &quot;Be patient. With the amount of snow we&#39;re getting here, we could be plowing your street and a half hour later it could look like we haven&#39;t been there.&quot;

The New York City Department of Education said it would close public schools on Thursday because of severe weather.

A rare winter storm hit the US Southeast on Wednesday, dumping snow on Florida's capital for the first time in three decades and snarling travel, while New England braced for a "bombogenesis" blizzard forecast to bring heavy accumulations on Thursday. The governors of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia declared states of emergency, warning residents to expect icy roads and freezing temperatures. In the northeast, work crews loaded trucks with road salt in advance of the storm. The New York City Department of Education said it would close public schools on Thursday because of severe weather. The National Weather Service predicted New York could see 5-8 inches of snow and wind gusts as high as 50 mph on Thursday. Much of the eastern United States is in the grips of a sustained cold spell that has frozen parts of Niagara Falls on the American and Canadian sides, played havoc with public works causing pipes to freeze and water mains to burst, and impeded firefighting in places where temperatures barely broke 20 degrees Fahrenheit. The cold has been blamed for at least nine deaths over the past few days, including two homeless people in Houston. Police in Roseville, Michigan, said on Wednesday that a 96-year-old woman, recently diagnosed with dementia, was found dead in a playground, apparently having frozen to death after wandering outside in a robe and slippers. The National Weather Service had blizzard warnings in effect from Virginia to Maine, with areas around Boston expected to see about a foot (30 cm) of snow on Thursday. Snow would fall quickly during the day, at a rate of several inches per hour, with the storm intensified by the "bombogenesis" effect, private forecaster Accuweather warned. "Bombogenesis," also known as a "bomb cyclone," occurs when a storm's barometric pressure drops by 24 millibars in 24 hours, greatly strengthening the storm. The effect is seen along the Northeastern coast every winter, but this storm will be particularly powerful, said Judah Cohen, a visiting scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "This one is unique in how quickly the pressure is going to fall," Cohen said. "The pressures could rival a Category 1 or Category 2 hurricane." An arctic air mass will remain entrenched over the eastern two-thirds of the United States through the end of the week. NOT FIT FOR MAN NOR BEAST An emergency service vehicle exits the New York State Thruway, which was closed following a major traffic incident due to blizzard-like conditions, near Buffalo, New York. (Reuters) × At a news conference, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster warned people in the eastern part of the state to stay indoors if possible and to keep pets indoors. "If they can't get in the heat, they'll freeze to death and they'll be gone," McMaster said. "And the same thing will happen to people. So you have to be careful about that." In the state's historic city of Charleston, the winter storm shuttered carriage-horse tour companies after a horse slipped and fell on ice during a tour on Tuesday, city spokesman Jack O'Toole said. The wintry mix and low wind chills caused widespread power outages and icy roads, making commuting treacherous for millions of Americans from northern Florida to southern Virginia, the National Weather Service said. The storm was starting to snarl air travel in the southern United States, with about 50 percent of flights canceled at airports in South Carolina's Charleston and Myrtle Beach and Savannah, Georgia, according to the FlightAware tracking service. Two to 3 inches (5-8 cm) of snow were expected in northeastern Florida, coastal Georgia and South Carolina, weather service meteorologist Bob Oravec said. The weather service said its Tallahassee office had measured snow and sleet accumulation of 0.1 inch (2.5 mm) on its roof, the first snow in Florida's capital since 1989. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh ordered schools closed on Thursday, warning city residents that the peak of the storm would occur during the day, making travel extremely dangerous. "Both rush hours will be affected," Walsh told a news conference. "Be patient. With the amount of snow we're getting here, we could be plowing your street and a half hour later it could look like we haven't been there."

'Bombogenesis' takes aim at US Northeast as snow sweeps South

An Indian-origin owner of a motel was shot dead and four other people were injured in a shootout in the US state of North Carolina, police said.

Akash R Talati, 40, who owned Knights Inn and Diamondz Gentlemen&#39;s Club in Fayetteville city, was an innocent bystander when a man who had been escorted out of the club returned soon and exchanged gunfire with a security guard yesterday, police Detective Jamaal Littlejohn said.

Police said they were called to the club at 1:51 AM on Saturday.

Littlejohn said Markeese Dewitt, 23, of Fayetteville has been charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury.

Littlejohn said Dewitt was shot four or five times and remained in serious condition at Cape Fear Valley Medical Centre, it was reported.

He said only Dewitt and the security guard exchanged gunfire and the others were bystanders.

One of the victims was in a fair condition at the hospital. The two others were treated and released.

Talati died at the hospital. He was&nbsp;reportedly from Anand in Gujarat.

Police have not released the names of three other people who were injured. Littlejohn said they included the security guard and a female employee of the club who operated the cash register.

Littlejohn said security escorted Dewitt out of the club because he had caused a disturbance. He said Dewitt appeared to have gone to his vehicle, got a gun, went back inside the club and started shooting.

Littlejohn said police have no idea what caused Dewitt to get kicked out of the club.

&quot;All we know is he got put out, he goes and gets a gun and it goes crazy from there,&quot; Littlejohn said.

External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj tweeted on Sunday about Talati&#39;s death and confirmed&nbsp;that help will be provided to the family.&nbsp;

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Indian Embassy in US has informed me of the circumstances leading to the death of Akash Talati, a US citizen of Indian origin. /1
&mdash; Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj/status/929673745249157121?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The deceased was shot by an assailant who was escorted out of his club. The security guard returned the fire and the assailant was also injured. /2
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We are in touch with the family of the deceased and will provide them all help. /3
&mdash; Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj/status/929674014846468097?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Detectives are actively investigating the homicide and shooting and have appealed to the public to contact them if they have any information on the incident.

External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj tweeted on Sunday about Talati's death and confirmed?that help will be provided to the family.?

An Indian-origin owner of a motel was shot dead and four other people were injured in a shootout in the US state of North Carolina, police said. Akash R Talati, 40, who owned Knights Inn and Diamondz Gentlemen's Club in Fayetteville city, was an innocent bystander when a man who had been escorted out of the club returned soon and exchanged gunfire with a security guard yesterday, police Detective Jamaal Littlejohn said. Police said they were called to the club at 1:51 AM on Saturday. Littlejohn said Markeese Dewitt, 23, of Fayetteville has been charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury. Littlejohn said Dewitt was shot four or five times and remained in serious condition at Cape Fear Valley Medical Centre, it was reported. He said only Dewitt and the security guard exchanged gunfire and the others were bystanders. One of the victims was in a fair condition at the hospital. The two others were treated and released. Talati died at the hospital. He was reportedly from Anand in Gujarat. Police have not released the names of three other people who were injured. Littlejohn said they included the security guard and a female employee of the club who operated the cash register. Littlejohn said security escorted Dewitt out of the club because he had caused a disturbance. He said Dewitt appeared to have gone to his vehicle, got a gun, went back inside the club and started shooting. Littlejohn said police have no idea what caused Dewitt to get kicked out of the club. "All we know is he got put out, he goes and gets a gun and it goes crazy from there," Littlejohn said. External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj tweeted on Sunday about Talati's death and confirmed that help will be provided to the family. Indian Embassy in US has informed me of the circumstances leading to the death of Akash Talati, a US citizen of Indian origin. /1 — Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) November 12, 2017 × The deceased was shot by an assailant who was escorted out of his club. The security guard returned the fire and the assailant was also injured. /2 — Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) November 12, 2017 × We are in touch with the family of the deceased and will provide them all help. /3 — Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) November 12, 2017 × Detectives are actively investigating the homicide and shooting and have appealed to the public to contact them if they have any information on the incident.

Indian-American motel owner shot dead in North Carolina

Political turmoil roils across the United States as the ultra-right ascends to power, symbolised by Donald Trump. The most dynamic and innovative opposition to the ultra-right has been led by the Reverend William J. Barber II, longtime pastor of the Greenleaf Christian Church in Goldsboro, North Carolina.

The ultra-right began its ascent in North Carolina when the Republicans took control of the State Legislature in 2011. They then redistricted the state in such a way as to guarantee them a legislative majority regardless of the votes, so that the next year, 2012, they won 9 of the 13 seats up for reelection even though Democrats won 51 per cent of the votes.

That strategy gave them control of both houses of the Legislature and the governor&rsquo;s office, which allowed them to implement a radical right-wing agenda: cut taxes on the rich, raising taxes on the middle class, and cutting social programs.

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Author Jeffrey Bortz with Reverend William J. Barber (Others)
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To make the rich richer, they eliminated the state&rsquo;s three-tier progressive income tax, substituting instead a flat-tax in which the poor pay the same rate as the state&rsquo;s wealthiest citizens. Furthermore, they eliminated the estate tax, which applied only to the wealthy. To pay for the tax cuts, they blocked Medic-aid expansion, leaving 500,000 North Carolinians without health care.

They cut unemployment benefits, which were already meagre, to begin with, and slashed spending on public education, including the university system. They also eliminated many environmental protections. Then to prevent being thrown out of the office, they implemented voter suppression, reducing the number of early voting days, eliminating same-day voter registration and requiring an ID to vote, measures designed to reduce the electoral participation of students, the poor, and minorities, particularly African Americans.

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<h5>Rev Barber believed that the Republican legislature was dragging North Carolina down an immoral path, and so he launched a moral crusade.</h5>
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Barber, President of North Carolina chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 2005, was outraged at the assault on the poor, on African Americans, on the middle class, and particularly at the restrictions to democracy. Measured against the many Biblical injunctions to help the poor and the powerless - James 2:15-16, &quot;Suppose there are brothers or sisters who need clothes and don&rsquo;t have enough to eat. What good is there in your saying to them, &quot;God bless you! Keep warm and eat well!&quot; &ndash; if you don&rsquo;t give them the necessities of life?&rdquo;

He believed that the Republican legislature was dragging North Carolina down an immoral path, and so he launched a moral crusade. On Monday, April 29, 2013, he led a protest at the State Legislature, which continued the following Mondays. It was his insight that protesters, to be effective, had to be willing to confront immoral laws with a moral challenge to the law, so that they occupied the Legislative building, where they were arrested, including the Rev Barber.

By the end of the summer, more than 900 Moral Mondayers had been arrested, the Rev Barber repeatedly. As Barber said, &quot;Some issues are not about left and right, Republican and Democrat &ndash; they&rsquo;re about our deepest moral values&quot;. Following through summer after summer, the 2017 Moral Monday gathering at the State Capitol assembled 80,000 protesters.

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<h5>The state cutbacks to the university budget were hurting students, faculty, university employees, and the quality of public education.</h5>
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Teaching at Appalachian State University in the mountainous far northwestern corner of North Carolina, I was well aware of how state cutbacks to the university budget were hurting students, faculty, university employees, and the quality of public education, so when I heard of the Moral Monday protests in the summer of 2013, I was intrigued. With some friends, we trekked the 200 miles from Boone, NC, to Raleigh, the state capital, where we participated in that Monday&rsquo;s protest.

As usual, before the occupation of the legislative building, Barber gave a speech to the assembled crowd, and as I listened, I realised that he is really quite brilliant, as well as courageous and passionate. We were more than impressed.

So the five of us - Greg, Sheila, Nancy and Tim - decided to bring Barber to campus to talk to the university community, an invitation he graciously accepted. He came In October and presented a spellbinding moral criticism of the Legislature, along with a moral vision for a better North Carolina.

I had an opportunity to have dinner with him during the visit and I was just as impressed by him as a person as well as I was by his leadership. Highly educated and intelligent, he was authentic, unassuming, natural, and down-to-earth, and with a keen sense of humour.

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<h5>Rev Barber resigned his post as President of the North Carolina NAACP and has founded the Poor People&rsquo;s Campaign, following Martin Luther King&rsquo;s.</h5>
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This is a man truly committed to his mission to elevate the poor. His talk was a great success, so we had him back to campus three years later, along with a Republican speaker, so that students could compare both visions of society. Once again, Barber gave an awesome presentation. This year the U.S. Supreme Court gave Barber a major victory, ratifying lower court decisions that ruled that the Republican Legislature had racially gerrymandered voting districts in such a way as to deprive African Americans of fair and Constitutional representation, the original source of his Moral Monday protests. The courts ordered new redistricting.

This year, Barber has decided to take his moral message to the rest of the country. He resigned his post as President of the North Carolina NAACP and has founded the Poor People&rsquo;s Campaign, following Martin Luther King&rsquo;s last major initiative just before his assassination in April 1968. That year, King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, itself an organisation that grew out of the 1955 Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott against racial segregation, planned a campaign to address economic injustice and to assemble &quot;a multiracial army of the poor,&quot; though King was murdered before it could take effect.

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<h5>The goal is to establish chapters around the country who will engage in civil disobedience, as in Moral Monday, in order to bring about a &quot;moral revival across the United States&quot;.</h5>
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Today Barber co-chairs the new organisation with the Rev Dr Liz Theoharis, a pastor from New York City. Their goal is to establish chapters around the country who will engage in civil disobedience, as in Moral Monday, in order to bring about a &quot;moral revival across the United States&quot;. Barber and Theoharis have already been to the Rio Grande in El Paso to share their goals with the undocumented families of the Texas-Mexico borderlands.

As in North Carolina, Barber is committed to bringing justice to those whom American society has left behind, to stand and march with them until America shares its wealth with the poor and the outcasts, much as Jesus shared his message of hope with the poor and outcasts of his time. That is the moral renewal that Barber sought and seeks. 
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Barber is committed to bringing justice to those whom American society has left behind, to stand and march with them until America shares its wealth with the poor and the outcasts, much as Jesus did.

Political turmoil roils across the United States as the ultra-right ascends to power, symbolised by Donald Trump. The most dynamic and innovative opposition to the ultra-right has been led by the Reverend William J. Barber II, longtime pastor of the Greenleaf Christian Church in Goldsboro, North Carolina. The ultra-right began its ascent in North Carolina when the Republicans took control of the State Legislature in 2011. They then redistricted the state in such a way as to guarantee them a legislative majority regardless of the votes, so that the next year, 2012, they won 9 of the 13 seats up for reelection even though Democrats won 51 per cent of the votes. That strategy gave them control of both houses of the Legislature and the governor’s office, which allowed them to implement a radical right-wing agenda: cut taxes on the rich, raising taxes on the middle class, and cutting social programs. Author Jeffrey Bortz with Reverend William J. Barber (Others) × To make the rich richer, they eliminated the state’s three-tier progressive income tax, substituting instead a flat-tax in which the poor pay the same rate as the state’s wealthiest citizens. Furthermore, they eliminated the estate tax, which applied only to the wealthy. To pay for the tax cuts, they blocked Medic-aid expansion, leaving 500,000 North Carolinians without health care. They cut unemployment benefits, which were already meagre, to begin with, and slashed spending on public education, including the university system. They also eliminated many environmental protections. Then to prevent being thrown out of the office, they implemented voter suppression, reducing the number of early voting days, eliminating same-day voter registration and requiring an ID to vote, measures designed to reduce the electoral participation of students, the poor, and minorities, particularly African Americans. Rev Barber believed that the Republican legislature was dragging North Carolina down an immoral path, and so he launched a moral crusade. × Barber, President of North Carolina chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 2005, was outraged at the assault on the poor, on African Americans, on the middle class, and particularly at the restrictions to democracy. Measured against the many Biblical injunctions to help the poor and the powerless - James 2:15-16, "Suppose there are brothers or sisters who need clothes and don’t have enough to eat. What good is there in your saying to them, "God bless you! Keep warm and eat well!" – if you don’t give them the necessities of life?” He believed that the Republican legislature was dragging North Carolina down an immoral path, and so he launched a moral crusade. On Monday, April 29, 2013, he led a protest at the State Legislature, which continued the following Mondays. It was his insight that protesters, to be effective, had to be willing to confront immoral laws with a moral challenge to the law, so that they occupied the Legislative building, where they were arrested, including the Rev Barber. By the end of the summer, more than 900 Moral Mondayers had been arrested, the Rev Barber repeatedly. As Barber said, "Some issues are not about left and right, Republican and Democrat – they’re about our deepest moral values". Following through summer after summer, the 2017 Moral Monday gathering at the State Capitol assembled 80,000 protesters. The state cutbacks to the university budget were hurting students, faculty, university employees, and the quality of public education. × Teaching at Appalachian State University in the mountainous far northwestern corner of North Carolina, I was well aware of how state cutbacks to the university budget were hurting students, faculty, university employees, and the quality of public education, so when I heard of the Moral Monday protests in the summer of 2013, I was intrigued. With some friends, we trekked the 200 miles from Boone, NC, to Raleigh, the state capital, where we participated in that Monday’s protest. As usual, before the occupation of the legislative building, Barber gave a speech to the assembled crowd, and as I listened, I realised that he is really quite brilliant, as well as courageous and passionate. We were more than impressed. So the five of us - Greg, Sheila, Nancy and Tim - decided to bring Barber to campus to talk to the university community, an invitation he graciously accepted. He came In October and presented a spellbinding moral criticism of the Legislature, along with a moral vision for a better North Carolina. I had an opportunity to have dinner with him during the visit and I was just as impressed by him as a person as well as I was by his leadership. Highly educated and intelligent, he was authentic, unassuming, natural, and down-to-earth, and with a keen sense of humour. Rev Barber resigned his post as President of the North Carolina NAACP and has founded the Poor People’s Campaign, following Martin Luther King’s. × This is a man truly committed to his mission to elevate the poor. His talk was a great success, so we had him back to campus three years later, along with a Republican speaker, so that students could compare both visions of society. Once again, Barber gave an awesome presentation. This year the U.S. Supreme Court gave Barber a major victory, ratifying lower court decisions that ruled that the Republican Legislature had racially gerrymandered voting districts in such a way as to deprive African Americans of fair and Constitutional representation, the original source of his Moral Monday protests. The courts ordered new redistricting. This year, Barber has decided to take his moral message to the rest of the country. He resigned his post as President of the North Carolina NAACP and has founded the Poor People’s Campaign, following Martin Luther King’s last major initiative just before his assassination in April 1968. That year, King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, itself an organisation that grew out of the 1955 Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott against racial segregation, planned a campaign to address economic injustice and to assemble "a multiracial army of the poor," though King was murdered before it could take effect. The goal is to establish chapters around the country who will engage in civil disobedience, as in Moral Monday, in order to bring about a "moral revival across the United States". × Today Barber co-chairs the new organisation with the Rev Dr Liz Theoharis, a pastor from New York City. Their goal is to establish chapters around the country who will engage in civil disobedience, as in Moral Monday, in order to bring about a "moral revival across the United States". Barber and Theoharis have already been to the Rio Grande in El Paso to share their goals with the undocumented families of the Texas-Mexico borderlands. As in North Carolina, Barber is committed to bringing justice to those whom American society has left behind, to stand and march with them until America shares its wealth with the poor and the outcasts, much as Jesus shared his message of hope with the poor and outcasts of his time. That is the moral renewal that Barber sought and seeks.

Rev Barber leads a moral crusade for justice in the US

Several counties in North Carolina are experiencing problems with the voting machine, The Charlotte Observer reports.

Optical scanner issues were reported in the following counties of North Carolina &mdash; Cleveland, Gates, Orange, Cumberland, Wake, Craven and Forsyth.

Narth Carolina is one of the crucial battleground states that will decide the fate of US presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

There were polling problems reported from Charlotte area as well. Some people said they had to press the button to select Donald Trump at least 10 to 15 times.

North Carolina State Board of Elections has told the counties to revert to paper-based voting systems, BBC reported.

ProPublica has also reported voting problems in&nbsp;New York, Illinois, Kentucky, Texas and Ohio.

Several states &ndash; particularly Arizona and Florida &ndash; struggled to provide obligatory support to bilingual voters.

The poll glitches come at a time when&nbsp;Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has repeatedly insisted that this year&#39;s election process would be roiled by voter fraud, by dead people voting and stolen votes.

Voters also reported long lines and isolated cases of harassment at polling places.

(WION)

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Voting machines have been reportedly causing problems in several states on election day

Several counties in North Carolina are experiencing problems with the voting machine, The Charlotte Observer reports. Optical scanner issues were reported in the following counties of North Carolina — Cleveland, Gates, Orange, Cumberland, Wake, Craven and Forsyth. Narth Carolina is one of the crucial battleground states that will decide the fate of US presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. There were polling problems reported from Charlotte area as well. Some people said they had to press the button to select Donald Trump at least 10 to 15 times. North Carolina State Board of Elections has told the counties to revert to paper-based voting systems, BBC reported. ProPublica has also reported voting problems in New York, Illinois, Kentucky, Texas and Ohio. Several states – particularly Arizona and Florida – struggled to provide obligatory support to bilingual voters. The poll glitches come at a time when Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has repeatedly insisted that this year's election process would be roiled by voter fraud, by dead people voting and stolen votes. Voters also reported long lines and isolated cases of harassment at polling places. (WION)

US election 2016: Polling glitches in North Carolina, New York mar voting process

Following days of protests, Charlotte police on Saturday released video footage of the shooting incident of a 43-year-old African-American man, who was killed during an encounter with officers in the state of North Carolina.&nbsp; 
 
The Tuesday shooting of Keith Lamont Scott triggered widespread unrest in the southern US city as residents, agitating against the &#39;racial bias&#39; by police, demanded release of the footage.&nbsp; 
 
In one of the videos, a dashboard camera from a police car showed Keith exiting his car and backing away from it, Reuters reported today. 
 
Cops shout to him to drop the gun, but it is not clear in the video if he is holding a weapon his hand. Keith later drops to ground amid gunfire by the police.&nbsp; 
 
In a second body camera video, &nbsp;Keith is seen on the ground in the moments after he was shot as officers surround him, according to AFP.&nbsp; 
 
According to the international news agency, police had previously refused to release the dash-cam and body-cam footage.&nbsp; 
 
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police chief Kerr Putney, however, said on Saturday that people &quot;want to see the facts, objective facts. And that&#39;s what we&#39;re presenting.&quot; 
 
&quot;People can interpret anything they want based on one piece of evidence, and I can tell you, I suspect they will, based on the video footage. But what I say is, you have to put all pieces together,&quot; he &nbsp;was quoted as saying by AFP.&nbsp; 
 
Before releasing the footage, Putney also said that the videos themselves were &quot;insufficient&quot; to prove that Scott held a gun. But the totality of evidence did, he stressed according to Reuters. 
 
Meanwhile, Scott&#39;s family lawyer Justin Bamberg told reporters at a press conference that despite the new videos, it was still impossible to &quot;clearly identify what, if anything, is in his hand, and that has not changed,&quot; AFP reported. 
 
On Saturday, the demonstrations entered a fifth day in Charlotte as residents demanded an end of emergency measured imposed in the city this week.&nbsp; 
 
Keith&#39;s killing is the latest in a series of deadly police encounters across the country in recent years that raises questions about the use of force by US law enforcement against African-Americans and other minorities. 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP, Reuters)&nbsp;

It's not clear in the videos if the 43-year-old African-American man, who was shot dead on Tuesday in an encounter, was holding a gun

Following days of protests, Charlotte police on Saturday released video footage of the shooting incident of a 43-year-old African-American man, who was killed during an encounter with officers in the state of North Carolina. The Tuesday shooting of Keith Lamont Scott triggered widespread unrest in the southern US city as residents, agitating against the 'racial bias' by police, demanded release of the footage. In one of the videos, a dashboard camera from a police car showed Keith exiting his car and backing away from it, Reuters reported today. Cops shout to him to drop the gun, but it is not clear in the video if he is holding a weapon his hand. Keith later drops to ground amid gunfire by the police. In a second body camera video, Keith is seen on the ground in the moments after he was shot as officers surround him, according to AFP. According to the international news agency, police had previously refused to release the dash-cam and body-cam footage. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police chief Kerr Putney, however, said on Saturday that people "want to see the facts, objective facts. And that's what we're presenting." "People can interpret anything they want based on one piece of evidence, and I can tell you, I suspect they will, based on the video footage. But what I say is, you have to put all pieces together," he was quoted as saying by AFP. Before releasing the footage, Putney also said that the videos themselves were "insufficient" to prove that Scott held a gun. But the totality of evidence did, he stressed according to Reuters. Meanwhile, Scott's family lawyer Justin Bamberg told reporters at a press conference that despite the new videos, it was still impossible to "clearly identify what, if anything, is in his hand, and that has not changed," AFP reported. On Saturday, the demonstrations entered a fifth day in Charlotte as residents demanded an end of emergency measured imposed in the city this week. Keith's killing is the latest in a series of deadly police encounters across the country in recent years that raises questions about the use of force by US law enforcement against African-Americans and other minorities. (WION with inputs from AFP, Reuters)

Charlotte shooting: Police release videos after days of unrest

A dramatic video of moments leading up to the shooting of the African-American man in Charlotte, North Carolina was released by his family on Friday.&nbsp; 
 
The two minutes and 16 seconds of video filmed by Keith Scott&#39;s wife, Rakeyia Scott shows her pleading with officers not to open fire.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Don&#39;t shoot him, he has no weapon! He has no weapon! Don&#39;t shoot him!&quot; she is heard saying in the video.&nbsp; 
 
The video does not show the shooting itself but captures the moments surrounding it.&nbsp; 
 
He was shot and killed during a parking lot encounter with police searching for another person wanted for arrest. 
 
In the recording, the policemen can be heard yelling &quot;Drop the gun! Drop the gun!&quot; 
 
Scott&#39;s family says he only had a book in his hand. But the police allege he had a handgun.&nbsp; 
 
After a few tense minutes, four quick gunshots were heard&nbsp;but was not captured in the video.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Did you shoot him? Did you shoot him?&quot; Rakeyia Scott screamed.&nbsp; 
 
The video then shows Scott lying face down on the asphalt surrounded by officers. 
 
The victim&#39;s family has viewed the police footage and are leading calls for it to be made public. 
 
But the police say it was premature to release the video as it might interfere with the investigation.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;If I were to put it out indiscriminately and it doesn&#39;t give you good context, it can inflame the situation,&quot; Charlotte police chief Kerr Putney argued. 
 
Hundreds of people gathered on the city&#39;s streets Thursday night for passionate but largely peaceful protests, chanting &quot;Release the tapes!&quot; 
 
Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts also favoured the release of the video but warned it could lead witnesses to change their accounts.&nbsp; 
 
Dozens of armed National Guard men have been positioned on street corners in Charlotte. 
 
Charlotte has been rocked by three nights of violence-marred protests, prompting the governor to declare a state of emergency in the southern US city. The curfew order is set to remain in effect Friday night. 
 
Meanwhile, US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has postponed a trip planned for Sunday to Charlotte, 
 
&quot;Hillary is grateful for, and intends to honor, the invitation from faith leaders to visit with the Charlotte community,&quot; her campaign said in a statement on Friday. 
 
&quot;After further discussion with community leaders, we have decided to postpone&nbsp;Sunday&#39;s&nbsp;trip as to not impact the city&#39;s resources,&quot; it said, adding that Clinton will visit the city on the following Sunday. 
 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
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Public protests added pressure on the Charlotte police to release their recordings of the shooting on Tuesday

A dramatic video of moments leading up to the shooting of the African-American man in Charlotte, North Carolina was released by his family on Friday. The two minutes and 16 seconds of video filmed by Keith Scott's wife, Rakeyia Scott shows her pleading with officers not to open fire. "Don't shoot him, he has no weapon! He has no weapon! Don't shoot him!" she is heard saying in the video. The video does not show the shooting itself but captures the moments surrounding it. He was shot and killed during a parking lot encounter with police searching for another person wanted for arrest. In the recording, the policemen can be heard yelling "Drop the gun! Drop the gun!" Scott's family says he only had a book in his hand. But the police allege he had a handgun. After a few tense minutes, four quick gunshots were heard but was not captured in the video. "Did you shoot him? Did you shoot him?" Rakeyia Scott screamed. The video then shows Scott lying face down on the asphalt surrounded by officers. The victim's family has viewed the police footage and are leading calls for it to be made public. But the police say it was premature to release the video as it might interfere with the investigation. "If I were to put it out indiscriminately and it doesn't give you good context, it can inflame the situation," Charlotte police chief Kerr Putney argued. Hundreds of people gathered on the city's streets Thursday night for passionate but largely peaceful protests, chanting "Release the tapes!" Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts also favoured the release of the video but warned it could lead witnesses to change their accounts. Dozens of armed National Guard men have been positioned on street corners in Charlotte. Charlotte has been rocked by three nights of violence-marred protests, prompting the governor to declare a state of emergency in the southern US city. The curfew order is set to remain in effect Friday night. Meanwhile, US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has postponed a trip planned for Sunday to Charlotte, "Hillary is grateful for, and intends to honor, the invitation from faith leaders to visit with the Charlotte community," her campaign said in a statement on Friday. "After further discussion with community leaders, we have decided to postpone Sunday's trip as to not impact the city's resources," it said, adding that Clinton will visit the city on the following Sunday. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Charlotte shooting: Police brace for more protests as Scott's family releases dramatic video

Donald Trump has praised late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein for killing off &quot;terrorists&quot;, reprising previous comments in support of dictators in the Middle East and earning a swift rebuke from White House rival Hillary Clinton. 
 
The United States &quot;shouldn&#39;t have destabilised&quot; Iraq, now a hotbed for the Islamic State (IS) group 13 years after the US-led invasion, said Trump, who showed lukewarm support for the war before it took place and later opposed it. 
 
&quot;He was a bad guy -- really bad guy. But you know what he did well? He killed terrorists. He did that so good,&quot; Trump told supporters. 
 
&quot;They didn&#39;t read them the rights. They didn&#39;t talk. They were terrorists. It was over. Today, Iraq is Harvard for terrorism,&quot; the Republican firebrand added, referring to the prestigious US university. 
 
Rival Clinton&#39;s campaign pounces after remark&nbsp; 
 
Shortly after the remarks, Clinton&#39;s campaign pounced on Trump&#39;s apparent support of a strongman, who was hanged in Iraq in 2006 for ordering the sectarian killings of nearly 150 Shiites two decades earlier. 
 
&quot;Tonight, Trump yet again lauded Saddam Hussein as a great killer of terrorists, noting with approval that he never bothered to read anyone their rights. In reality, Hussein&#39;s regime was a sponsor of terrorism,&quot; Clinton&#39;s senior policy advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement. 
 
&quot;Trump&#39;s cavalier compliments for brutal dictators, and the twisted lessons he seems to have learned from their history, again demonstrate how dangerous he would be as Commander-in-Chief and how unworthy he is of the office he seeks,&quot; he added.&nbsp; 
 
Republican speaker calls Saddam &#39;one of 20th century&#39;s most evil people&#39; 
 
Paul Ryan, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, did not back Trump when asked about the comments.&nbsp;Saddam &quot;was one of the 20th century`s most evil people. He was up there, and he committed mass genocide against his own people using chemical weapons. Saddam Hussein was a bad guy,&quot; Ryan said on Fox News. 
 
Last year, Trump said the world would be &quot;100 per cent&quot; better off if Saddam and slain Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi were still in power, adding that human rights abuses are &quot;worse than they ever were&quot; in Iraq and Libya. 
 
&quot;I mean, look at Libya. Look at Iraq. Iraq used to be no terrorists. He (Saddam) would kill the terrorists immediately, which is like now it`s the Harvard of terrorism,&quot; Trump said at the time.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

Last year, Trump said the world would be '100%' better off if Saddam and slain Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi were still in power

Donald Trump has praised late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein for killing off "terrorists", reprising previous comments in support of dictators in the Middle East and earning a swift rebuke from White House rival Hillary Clinton. The United States "shouldn't have destabilised" Iraq, now a hotbed for the Islamic State (IS) group 13 years after the US-led invasion, said Trump, who showed lukewarm support for the war before it took place and later opposed it. "He was a bad guy -- really bad guy. But you know what he did well? He killed terrorists. He did that so good," Trump told supporters. "They didn't read them the rights. They didn't talk. They were terrorists. It was over. Today, Iraq is Harvard for terrorism," the Republican firebrand added, referring to the prestigious US university. Rival Clinton's campaign pounces after remark Shortly after the remarks, Clinton's campaign pounced on Trump's apparent support of a strongman, who was hanged in Iraq in 2006 for ordering the sectarian killings of nearly 150 Shiites two decades earlier. "Tonight, Trump yet again lauded Saddam Hussein as a great killer of terrorists, noting with approval that he never bothered to read anyone their rights. In reality, Hussein's regime was a sponsor of terrorism," Clinton's senior policy advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement. "Trump's cavalier compliments for brutal dictators, and the twisted lessons he seems to have learned from their history, again demonstrate how dangerous he would be as Commander-in-Chief and how unworthy he is of the office he seeks," he added. Republican speaker calls Saddam 'one of 20th century's most evil people' Paul Ryan, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, did not back Trump when asked about the comments. Saddam "was one of the 20th century`s most evil people. He was up there, and he committed mass genocide against his own people using chemical weapons. Saddam Hussein was a bad guy," Ryan said on Fox News. Last year, Trump said the world would be "100 per cent" better off if Saddam and slain Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi were still in power, adding that human rights abuses are "worse than they ever were" in Iraq and Libya. "I mean, look at Libya. Look at Iraq. Iraq used to be no terrorists. He (Saddam) would kill the terrorists immediately, which is like now it`s the Harvard of terrorism," Trump said at the time. (AFP)

Trump hails Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein for 'killing terrorists'

US President Barack Obama will hit the campaign trail for the first time with presumptive Democratic White House nominee Hillary Clinton next Tuesday in North Carolina, her staff announced. 
 
&quot;In Charlotte, President Obama and Hillary Clinton will discuss building on the progress we&#39;ve made and their vision for an America that is stronger together,&quot; Clinton&#39;s campaign said in a statement. 
 
Their debut joint campaign appearance for the 2016 election had been scheduled for June 15 in the state of Wisconsin, but was postponed due to the massacre in Orlando, Florida - the worst mass shooting in US history. 
 
Obama came out and endorsed Clinton on June 9 after months of assiduously avoiding tipping the scales of the Democratic presidential primaries. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think there&#39;s ever been someone so qualified to hold this office,&quot; Obama said in a video message that day as he offered his full-throated endorsement of the former secretary of state, senator and first lady. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m with her, I am fired up, and I cannot wait to get out there and campaign for Hillary,&quot; added Obama, who won a brutal, months-long Democratic primary battle against Clinton in 2008. 
 
Their joint appearance comes with US Senator Bernie Sanders refusing to bow out of the race for the Democratic nomination, despite rival Clinton amassing the necessary number of delegates to clinch it outright at next month&#39;s party convention. 
 
Clinton, aiming to make history as the nation&#39;s first female commander in chief, is expected to square off against Republican billionaire businessman Donald Trump in November&#39;s general election. 
 
(AFP)

The two were scheduled to hit the campaign trail together June 15, but delayed because of the Orlando massacre

US President Barack Obama will hit the campaign trail for the first time with presumptive Democratic White House nominee Hillary Clinton next Tuesday in North Carolina, her staff announced. "In Charlotte, President Obama and Hillary Clinton will discuss building on the progress we've made and their vision for an America that is stronger together," Clinton's campaign said in a statement. Their debut joint campaign appearance for the 2016 election had been scheduled for June 15 in the state of Wisconsin, but was postponed due to the massacre in Orlando, Florida - the worst mass shooting in US history. Obama came out and endorsed Clinton on June 9 after months of assiduously avoiding tipping the scales of the Democratic presidential primaries. "I don't think there's ever been someone so qualified to hold this office," Obama said in a video message that day as he offered his full-throated endorsement of the former secretary of state, senator and first lady. "I'm with her, I am fired up, and I cannot wait to get out there and campaign for Hillary," added Obama, who won a brutal, months-long Democratic primary battle against Clinton in 2008. Their joint appearance comes with US Senator Bernie Sanders refusing to bow out of the race for the Democratic nomination, despite rival Clinton amassing the necessary number of delegates to clinch it outright at next month's party convention. Clinton, aiming to make history as the nation's first female commander in chief, is expected to square off against Republican billionaire businessman Donald Trump in November's general election. (AFP)

Obama, Clinton to make first joint campaign stop next week: official

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