Biden congratulates Netanyahu on election win: ‘We’ll make history together’

https://www.timesofisrael.com/biden-congratulates-netanyahu-on-election-win-well-make-history-together/

Pennsylvania Voters Line Up to Cast New Ballots as GOP Loses Lawsuit to Block Voters From Fixing Mail-In Ballots with Incorrect Dates

Pennsylvania voters are lining up to cast new ballots after GOP efforts to block voters from fixing errors on their mail-in ballots failed.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court last week invalidated thousands of ballots because of incorrect or missing dates.

Thousands of Pennsylvania voters were notified of the errors and given a chance to fix their ballots.

The line at City Hall in Philadelphia ‘snaked outside the building,’ according to the Washington Post.

The Washington Post reported:

Six days after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court invalidated thousands of mail-in ballots in response to a Republican lawsuit, citizens in Philadelphia and other parts of this battleground state scrambled to cast replacements so their votes will be counted on Election Day.

Kirby Smith said after he and his wife were told that their mail ballots would not count, because they were missing dates, they stood in line for two hours at Philadelphia City Hall to cast replacement ballots, missing much of the workday.

“Oh I’m going to vote. It’s not a question,” said Smith, a 59-year-old Democrat who said he viewed the court decision as part of an attempt to block people from voting. “I’m going to fight back.”

Multiple judges have ruled over the past two years that mail ballots returned on time by eligible Pennsylvania voters should be counted even if they lack a date on the outer envelope. Republicans sued in October to reverse that policy, arguing that it violated state law. Last Tuesday, they won a favorable ruling from the state Supreme Court, which directed counties not to count ballots with missing or inaccurate dates.

That decision triggered a sprawling volunteer-run effort to make sure voters who had already returned their ballots knew that their votes would not count if they didn’t take action.

Nowhere has that effort been more intense than in Philadelphia. On Saturday, city officials published the names of more than 2,000 voters who had returned defective ballots and urged them to come to City Hall to cast a new ballot in the few days remaining before Election Day. Community activists and volunteers for the Democratic Party and the Working Families Party began calling, texting and knocking on people’s doors to get the word out.

On Monday, the line to cast a replacement vote at City Hall snaked outside and into the building’s courtyard as volunteers supplied snacks and bottled water, according to voters and activists.

GOP efforts to stop voters from being able to fix their ballots have failed so far.

The Monroe County Republican Party sued to block elections officials from notifying voters whose mail-in ballots included errors to help them fix their ballots before Election Day.

A Pennsylvania judge on Monday blocked the GOP effort to stop elections officials from sorting through the mail-in ballots and helping voters fix their ballots.

“Given that our Supreme Court’s policy has been to enfranchise the voter when interpreting ambiguous statutes and considering the Commonwealth Court’s recent decision on this very subject, I find that MCRC has not shown a strong likelihood of success at this very early stage of litigation,” wrote Monroe County Court of Common Pleas Judge Arthur L. Zulick, according to Fox News.

The judge said issuing an injunction one day before Election Day would cause harm.

“I do not find that MCRC has a clear right to relief in view of the recent Commonwealth Court decision, and I find that at this point after 150 to 175 voters have been advised that their ballot has been canceled and that they have an opportunity to file a correct one, it would adversely affect the public interest to grant the injunction,” the judge continued.

Meanwhile the Fetterman campaign is suing the Pennsylvania Secretary of State’s office to allow misdated and undated ballots to count.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/11/developing-pennsylvania-voters-line-cast-new-ballots-gop-loses-lawsuit-block-voters-fixing-mail-ballots-incorrect-dates/

Aus State Media

ABC accused of ‘grooming’ kids after drag queen appeared on Play School

The ABC has been accused of “grooming” children after having an Aussie drag queen appear on Play School to read a book about a girl wearing pants.

Liberal Senator Alex Antic has accused the ABC of “grooming” children by allowing a drag performer Courtney Act to read a children’s book on Play School about a girl who likes to wear trousers.

The claim sparked outrage in Senate estimates on Tuesday, with Greens Senator Sarah Hanson Young suggesting it was an entirely inappropriate use of term.

“Heavens above – girls wearing pants. That is the level of rubbish you are putting forward,” Senator Hanson-Young said.

But Senator Antic doubled down on the criticism, suggesting if she didn’t like it she could leave the room.

“The program was rated G and has been heavily promoted on TV and on the app. Why is the ABC grooming children with this sort of adult content,” Senator Antic said.

Grooming traditionally refers to when someone builds a relationship, trust and emotional connection with a child or young person so they can manipulate, exploit and abuse them.

But that characterisation was entirely wrong and offensive in the context of a children's story about a girl who likes to wear pants, Senator Hanson-Young said.

Earlier, Senator Antic suggested the ABC was encouraging “gender dysphoria” by allowing a drag performer to read a children’s book on playschool.

The Spectacular Suit, by Kat Patrick, is about a young girl called Frankie who is preparing for her birthday party, but all her party dresses feel wrong. She ends up feeling comfortable wearing pants.

Senator Antic told Parliament what was being discussed was not ‘dressing up’ but a more adult concept.

“Cross dressing. Let me ask you this, does ABC agree that transgender or cross dressing are adult concepts?,” he asked.

In response, the ABC managing director David Anderson rejected the assertion.

“Senator, I don’t see that as grooming children with our content,” he said.

“That particular program is reading from a book that is about dressing up so I think …

Senator Antic then interjected, “Female children in male children’s clothing, you think that’s not …”

Before he could finish, Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young told the Parliament the complaint was a joke.

“You mean young girls wearing pants? Seriously,” she said.

“It’s offensive. It is deeply, deeply offensive.”

The Liberal Senator then invited Senator Hanson-Young to leave the room if she didn’t like it.

“Grooming is a really serious matter! It is not for being played with by conservative senators to make headlines,” she replied

“Sexual assault survivors right around this country will be deeply offended, deeply offended by you playing politics.”

https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/abc-accused-of-grooming-kids-after-drag-queen-appeared-on-play-school/news-story/efc1dd82aa4fb6b01a4c575e2f40e589

Patients receive transfusion of laboratory-grown blood in world-first clinical trial

Volunteers have received a blood transfusion of laboratory-grown red blood cells in a world-first clinical trial in the UK.

Key points:

The clinical trial involves volunteers receiving transfusions of lab-grown blood

Researchers hope the lab-grown cells will last longer than blood from standard transfusions

This would reduce the number of transfusions needed for people who require regular transfusions

As part of the University of Bristol trial, volunteers received manufactured blood cells that were grown from stem cells from a blood donor.

The control participants in the trial received a standard blood transfusion of red blood cells from the same donor.

Researchers hope the lab-grown cells will last longer in the recipients' bodies than the standard donated cells, which are of varying ages.

Longer-lasting blood could mean patients who regularly need blood many not need transfusions as often, reducing iron overload from frequent transfusions.

"If our trial, the first such in the world, is successful, it will mean that patients who currently require regular long-term blood transfusions will need fewer transfusions in future, helping transform their care," co-chief investigator Cedric Ghevaert said.

The trial is the first step towards lab-grown blood cells becoming a clinical product.

But even if it is successful, researchers say the majority of transfusions would still come from standard blood donations.

"This research offers real hope for those difficult-to-transfuse sickle cell patients who have developed antibodies against most donor blood types," chief executive of the Sickle Cell Society, John James, said.

The amount of lab-grown cells transfused into the volunteers was around 5-10 millilitres, or about two teaspoons.

‘Putin ally’ comments on US election meddling

Western outlets took the “admission” by Yevgeny Prigozhin at face value

Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin apparently trolled a domestic media outlet by declaring he interfered in US elections and would continue doing so, while recommending a comedy film about the ‘Russian troll farm’ that Democrats in the US insisted helped Donald Trump get elected president in 2016.

“Gentlemen, we interfered, we interfere and we will interfere. Carefully, precisely, surgically and in our own way, as we know how. During our pinpoint operations, we will remove both kidneys and the liver at once,” the press service of his company Concord quoted Prigozhin in reply to an inquiry by Russia News on Monday.

Reuters reported this to be “first such admission from a figure who has been formally implicated by Washington in efforts to influence American politics.” The Associated Press also wrote that Prigozhin has confirmed “for the first time the accusations that he has rejected for years.” Concord was charged by the Mueller probe of running the “Internet Research Agency” that allegedly took out ads on US social media in 2016. The US government dropped the case in March 2020, after Prigozhin challenged the indictment in US court.

The news agencies seem to have missed a massive clue that Prigozhin was trolling – Concord’s recommendation to watch “16,” a 2021 Russian comedy based on the conspiracy theories about “Russian meddling” in American elections.

Prigozhin also has a history of trolling media inquiries. Last week, he offered to fund a British lawsuit against him, as it “flatters me in many ways” and “emphasizes the immeasurable merits and the contribution made by the Wagner group to the destruction of the NATO-controlled Kiev regime.”

In another memorable post on the social media VK last month, Prigozhin offered a multiple-choice answer to an inquiry by AP about Wagner recruiting Afghans for the war in Ukraine.

“Option one: We’re currently holding talks with the Afghan army to open a second front towards Norway, Sweden and Finland. Option two: We don’t understand the motives behind asking such idiotic questions. What f**g Afghan army? Pick whichever you like best.”

https://www.rt.com/russia/566107-prigozhin-us-election-meddling/