Alcohol deaths claim lives of working-age Americans
An estimated 1 in 8 deaths of Americans ages 20 to 64 in the years 2015-19 was the result of injuries or illness caused by excessive alcohol use, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study assessed the effects of alcohol on people of working age, who accounted for nearly two-thirds of the country’s annual average of 140,000 alcohol-related deaths. The rates of excessive alcohol use and related deaths have most likely climbed since the period the CDC researchers analyzed. After the onset of the pandemic, a variety of data showed Americans drank more frequently.
Suspect in Pelosi attack had other targets, authorities say
After an intruder broke into the San Francisco home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and bludgeoned her husband with a hammer, leaving him unconscious for three minutes as he lay in a pool of blood, the attacker told police that he had other targets: a local professor, and several prominent politicians. The new details of the attack that police officers say was motivated by the assailant’s desire to take Pelosi hostage, interrogate her and break her kneecaps if she “lied” emerged Tuesday in a court filing, as the suspect, David DePape, 42, appeared in court for the first time and pleaded not guilty to several state felony charges.
Supreme Court rules that Lindsey Graham must testify in Georgia inquiry
The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to block a Georgia grand jury subpoena seeking testimony from Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., about his activities in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election. The court’s order was one paragraph and did not note any dissents. It said that Graham had been afforded substantial protections by lower courts, which had ruled that he did not have to testify on subjects related to his official duties. But the Supreme Court’s order refused to block rulings by lower courts that permitted questioning on other topics, and it noted that Graham remained free to object to questions that implicated his legislative activities.
Once a GOP stalwart, Liz Cheney hits the trail for Democrats
As political speeches go, Rep. Liz Cheney’s address to a packed gym in East Lansing, Michigan, Tuesday evening was hardly a barn burner. But her message was deeply serious, and the aim of her visit was extraordinary, for a Wyoming Republican: to reelect a Michigan Democrat, Rep. Elissa Slotkin. For the first time in her political career — in her life, she said — Cheney was campaigning for a Democrat. Her appearance is part of a broader last-ditch push by Republican opponents of former President Donald Trump to try to thwart a comeback of his political movement in the midterm elections next week.
Roberts extends freeze on House’s attempt to obtain Trump’s tax returns
Chief Justice John Roberts issued an order Tuesday to temporarily bar the Treasury Department from giving former President Donald Trump’s tax returns to a House committee. Lawyers for Trump had asked the Supreme Court on Monday to freeze matters while they prepared a formal appeal of a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which held that the House Ways and Means Committee had a right to see his returns. Roberts gave lawyers for the committee a deadline of Nov. 10 to file a response to Trump’s latest move, an indication that the full Supreme Court will rule on the matter.
Bolsonaro agrees to transition of power in Brazil
Two days after losing Brazil’s presidential election, President Jair Bolsonaro agreed to a transition of power Tuesday, easing fears that the far-right leader would contest the results after warning that the only way he would lose would be if the vote were stolen. In a speech, Bolsonaro thanked his supporters, encouraged protesters to be peaceful and celebrated his accomplishments. What was absent was any acknowledgment that he had lost the vote to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Instead, after Bolsonaro spoke, his chief of staff took the lectern and said that the government would hand over power to the incoming administration.
Russia pushes Ukrainians to relocate as possible battle for Kherson looms
Russia moved Tuesday to expel Ukrainian civilians from their homes in a broader swath of occupied Kherson, as signs grew that a major battle for control of the region was nearing. The city of Kherson is the only regional capital conquered since the Russians invaded in February, and Ukrainian officials say they are determined to retake it. The Ukrainian military said that the calls by occupation officials for people to leave the area were part of a campaign to terrorize and deport tens of thousands of civilians across the Dnieper River to areas in the east still firmly under Moscow’s control.
Israel’s Netanyahu appears to hold lead in election
Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears to hold a narrow lead in Israeli elections. That’s according to exit polls. The vote could pave the way for him to return to power thanks to a boost from an extreme right-wing ally known for inflammatory anti-Arab comments. The exit polls were preliminary, and final results could change as votes are tallied overnight Wednesday. However, they pointed to a continued rightward shift in the Israeli electorate, further dimming hopes for peace with the Palestinians and setting the stage for possible conflict with the Biden administration and Israel’s supporters in the U.S. Tuesday’s election was Israel’s fifth in less than four years.
By wire sources