USA

13 Oct 2020; MEMO: Hollywood A-lister Mark Ruffalo called out Israeli apartheid during an interview on the Mehdi Hasan Show aired yesterday.

Speaking to the British journalist, Ruffalo said: “My connection to Palestine came through Palestinians and hearing their stories and then watching this asymmetrical warfare being enacted upon them.”

“That kind inequality, that kind of oppression, that kind of apartheid.”

(Reuters) - Apple Inc on Tuesday is expected to announce an iPhone 12 capable of tapping into faster 5G networks, a new feature designed to spur sales during the company’s busiest sales quarter.

The event is nearly one month later than normal and comes as the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted Apple’s well-oiled machine for designing and churning out its biggest-selling product.

NEW YORK, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- COVID-19 cases in the United States totaled 7,802,281 with 214,045 deaths as of 7:24 p.m. local time (2324 GMT) on Monday, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.

California has so far reported a total of 857,563 cases, the highest among all states. Texas registered 820,921, followed by Florida with 736,024. The caseload of New York state exceeded 470,000.

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday that 2.99 billion U.S. dollars is needed in 2021 to fully implement the mandates entrusted to the organization.

"To fully implement the mandates entrusted to us, we will require a total of 2.99 billion U.S. dollars, which represents a net reduction of 2.8 percent compared to 2020, despite additional initiatives and mandated activities," the UN chief told the UN General Assembly's (UNGA) Fifth Committee.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A voter initiative led by Michelle Obama is partnering with a similar group founded by NBA star LeBron James and other prominent Black athletes and entertainers to sponsor events in major U.S. cities starting next week to generate excitement about voting early for the Nov. 3 election.

Mrs. Obama’s When We All Vote and James’ More Than A Vote are teaming to provide information, transportation, food, music, personal protective equipment and other support at early voting sites around the country Oct. 18-31.

(AP) --- Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s opponent accused him of failing the country with the lack of another coronavirus relief package, while the Republican incumbent described himself as a powerful advocate for Kentucky in a hard-hitting televised debate Monday evening.

In their first, and potentially only debate of the campaign, McConnell and Democratic challenger Amy McGrath sparred over the federal response to the COVID-19 crisis, the Supreme Court nomination fight and the Republican incumbent’s decadeslong record.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California’s chief elections official on Monday ordered Republicans to remove unofficial ballot drop boxes from churches, gun shops and other locations and Attorney General Xavier Becerra warned those behind the “vote tampering” could face prosecution.

Republican refused, saying they are taking advantage of California’s liberal ballot collection law that allows anyone to collect ballots from voters and deliver them to county election offices.

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) — A late-stage study of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate has been paused while the company investigates whether a study participant’s “unexplained illness” is related to the shot.

The company said in a statement Monday evening that illnesses, accidents and other so-called adverse events “are an expected part of any clinical study, especially large studies,” but that its physicians and a safety monitoring panel would try to determine what might have caused the illness.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — Five men accused in a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will appear in federal court Tuesday for a hearing on whether they should be detained before trial.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Sally Berens will oversee the bail and detention proceeding in Grand Rapids for Adam Fox, Ty Garbin, Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta — all Michigan residents. A sixth man, Barry Croft, was being held in Delaware.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Grasping for a comeback, President Donald Trump and his Republican allies are intensifying their focus not on Democratic nominee Joe Biden, but on his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris — arguing without evidence that it’s Harris, the first Black woman on a major party ticket, who would really be in charge if Democrats win the White House.