Senate sex tape: US Capitol Police ‘taking it seriously,’ source says
U.S. Capitol Police are continuing to investigate the filming of a sex tape inside a prominent hearing room at the Hart Senate Office Building, a source told Fox News on Monday. While there are currently no pending charges in the case, a security source did not rule out the possibility. Fox is told that the USCP is working on cases it views as more serious, such as potential threats to lawmakers. “It’s not a case we need to rush,” said one source to Fox. “We are taking it seriously.” The investigation comes after a staffer filmed an amateur pornography video inside a Senate hearing room. The identities of the men in the video have not been confirmed. The Daily Caller, which broke news of the video, reported that the footage was leaked in a chat and was “shared in a private group for gay men in politics.” SENATE DEMOCRATS AT ODDS WITH SCHUMER OVER BORDER TALKS: ‘TERRIBLY MISTAKEN’ Room 216 in the Hart Senate Office Building is a storied hearing room. The dais where the graphic video was filmed is a place from which U.S. senators have grilled high-profile presidential nominees, including those who would go on to become justices of the Supreme Court. Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley, an attorney and professor at George Washington University Law, discussed possible charges that could be brought last week. Turley said, “the question is whether this unofficial use would constitute trespass.” NSFW: CAPITOL HILL ROCKED BY SEX TAPE SCANDAL FEATURING FAMOUS SENATE HEARING ROOM “It also uses an official area for personal purposes, though it is not clear if there were any commercial benefits garnered from the video found on various sites,” Turley wrote. Turley said one possible charge could fall under D.C. code section 22-1312, which discusses lewd, indecent or obscene acts. “It is unlawful for a person, in public, to make an obscene or indecent exposure of his or her genitalia or anus, to engage in masturbation, or to engage in a sexual act as defined in § 22-3001(8). It is unlawful for a person to make an obscene or indecent sexual proposal to a minor. A person who violates any provision of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be fined not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01, imprisoned for not more than 90 days, or both,” the criminal code states. Turley says the question regarding charges falling under this section would be whether a locked Senate committee room is considered “in public.” Whether or not any video filmed in the hearing room was used to make money could also “have bearing on potential charges,” Turley argued. Fox News’ Adam Sabes and Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report
Weather update: IMD predicts dense fog for several states; check latest forecast here
According to the India Meteorological Department, exceptionally heavy rainfall was recorded in up to 39 locations in southern Tamil Nadu on Monday. The IMD said in a bulletin that light to moderate rainfall was recorded in most areas of southern Tamil Nadu.
Biden approval rating sinks to all-time low in new national poll
Only one-third of Americans gave President Biden a thumbs up on the job he is doing in the White House, according to a new national public opinion survey. The president stands at 34% approval in a Monmouth University poll released on Monday, with 61% giving Biden a thumbs down on his job performance. The president’s approval is at an all-time low in Monmouth polling since Biden took over the White House nearly three years ago. Americans questioned in the survey gave the president particularly low marks for his handling of immigration (26%) and inflation (28%). HEAD HERE TO CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLLING “The Biden administration keeps touting their infrastructure investments and a host of positive economic indicators. Those data points may be factual, but most Americans are still smarting from higher prices caused by post-pandemic inflation. This seems to be what’s driving public opinion,” Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute, highlighted. “There is political danger in pushing a message that basically tells people their take on their own situation is wrong.” Murray spotlighted that “there is certainly an element of partisanship in how people frame their own financial situation, which is based in part on who occupies the White House. But even a good chunk of Biden’s Democratic base wish he’d start paying more attention to their top priorities than he is now.” THESE SIX BATTLEGROUND STATES COULD COST BIDEN THE WHITE HOUSE IN 2024 The approval rating is a key indicator of a president’s performance, clout and popularity and is a closely watched metric, especially when an incumbent in the White House seeks a second term. The 81-year-old Biden is running for re-election in 2024. The release of the Monmouth poll comes two weeks after the president stood at 37% approval – an all-time low – in a Wall Street Journal survey. However, a new Fox News national poll released on Sunday indicated Biden’s approval rating at 43%. Biden’s approval rating hovered in the low to mid 50s during his first six months in the White House. However, the president’s numbers started sagging in August 2021 in the wake of Biden’s much-criticized handling of the turbulent U.S. exit from Afghanistan and following a surge in COVID-19 cases that summer, mainly among unvaccinated people. BIDEN REPORTEDLY UPSET BY SINKING POLL NUMBERS The plunge in the president’s approval was also fueled by soaring inflation – which started spiking in the summer of 2021 and remains to date a major pocketbook concern with Americans – and the surge of migrants trying to cross into the U.S. along the southern border with Mexico. Biden stands far below where his three most recent two-term predecessors – former Presidents Clinton, George W. Bush and Obama – stood at this point in their presidencies, as they successfully ran for re-election. The only recent president whose approval ratings were nearly as negative as Biden’s current numbers was his most recent predecessor, former President Trump, who was defeated by Biden in the 2020 election. Biden once held the upper hand over Trump in 2024 rematch surveys, but Trump began enjoying an advantage over his successor in the White House in most polls starting in October. On Sunday, as he was leaving his re-election campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, the president was asked by reporters why he was down to Trump in the latest surveys. “You’re reading the wrong polls,” Biden replied. The Monmouth University poll was conducted Nov. 30-Dec 4, with 803 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey’s overall sampling error is plus or minus 4.8 percentage points. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
GOP Rep Andy Barr endorses Trump for ‘strong leadership both at home and abroad’
EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Andy Barr is endorsing former President Trump, telling Fox News Digital that Americans “must rally behind” him to ensure “strong leadership both at home and abroad.” Barr, R-Ky., told Fox News Digital on Monday about his endorsement. “I can not sit idly by while Joe Biden and his disastrous policies continue to erode what makes America the greatest country in the world,” Barr said. “Since Biden took office, we have seen record-high illegal immigration at the Southern Border, 40-year high inflation, and threateningly weak foreign policy that has invited aggression from our adversaries.” TRUMP PICKS UP MORE SENATE GOP ENDORSEMENTS However, Barr said, “despite all of this, Democrats and the ‘mainstream media’ are doing everything they can to ensure Joe Biden remains president.” “Donald Trump is the only candidate who can defeat Joe Biden and reinstate an America First agenda,” he said. TRUMP HOLDS MASSIVE LEAD IN IOWA 5 WEEKS FROM CAUCUSES THAT KICK OFF GOP RACE: POLL Barr, reflecting on the Trump administration, said Americans “paid less at the pump and the grocery store.” “American families’ incomes rose, and their small businesses flourished,” he said, adding that none of those developments were “coincidences.” “They were a direct product of Trump’s low-tax, pro-economic growth policies,” he told Fox News Digital, saying Biden’s policies have “resulted in the opposite.” “As Kentuckians and Americans, we must rally behind a leader who understands the importance of strong leadership, both at home and abroad,” he said. “That is why, to protect our country and ensure prosperity, I am endorsing Donald J. Trump for President of the United States.” FOX NEWS POLL: TRUMP’S LEAD IN GOP PRIMARY WIDENS Trump is dominating the 2024 Republican primary field. A new Fox News poll released over the weekend also showed that if the election were held today, Trump would beat President Biden by four points in a head-to-head match-up. Meanwhile, a source close to Barr told Fox News Digital that should a Senate seat become open for 2026, the congressman could be “a serious contender.” “Barr is a prolific fundraiser and a skilled legislator who would be a formidable ally for the America First agenda in the Senate,” the source told Fox News Digital. That source said Barr’s early endorsement of Trump “could preview a closer working relationship” between Barr and Trump in the coming years. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Sky-high inflation takes a toll on mental health in Argentina
Buenos Aires, Argentina – Psychologist Jesica Bianchiotti, 35, still remembers the days when most sessions with her patients began with a chat about the weather or the results of the latest football match. But those days are long gone. With Argentina facing one of the worst economic crises in its recent history, sessions now start with conversations about politics, rising prices and how hard it is to make ends meet. “Things have changed a lot. The majority of my patients now come with issues related to anxiety, fear, problems with sleeping, all related to the uncertainty we all live with — how impossible it is to make long-term plans,” said Bianchiotti, who works in the greater Buenos Aires area. Argentina boasts the third-largest economy in Latin America — but it has been beset by financial turmoil for decades, fuelled by political instability and massive international debt. This year, inflation hit record levels, rocketing higher than 140 percent. The value of Argentina’s currency has plummeted as a result. Even basic food shopping is a challenge for some. Against that backdrop, professionals like Bianchiotti are reporting an increase in stress-related conditions. Argentina, though, has developed a way to grapple with the problem: It has the highest rate of psychologists per capita in the world. A 2015 study estimated that, for every 100,000 Argentinians, there are 194 psychologists — a rate more than three times higher than the next closest countries, Finland and Norway. Psychotherapy is so popular that certain practitioners, like Gabriel Rolon, have achieved celebrity status, appearing on TV and radio shows. In 2022, psychology was also one of the most sought-after career paths at the University of Buenos Aires, second only to medicine. A healthcare centre offers psychological services in Moreno, a city on the outskirts of Buenos Aires [Patricio A Cabezas/Al Jazeera] The widespread embrace of psychotherapy, however, corresponds with widespread need, according to Bianchiotti. She has treated patients for nearly a decade and has seen an increase in the number of consultations she conducts. “The state in which patients come in is pretty shocking. Many are not even able to listen to what I say,” she told Al Jazeera, describing how some patients talk non-stop. “They are anxious, nervous with fear, consumed by negative thoughts. Panic attacks are becoming more frequent and many people are unable to enjoy any sort of free time as they are consumed with worries.” Anxiety is a normal response to danger, real or perceived. It exists to help the body face or escape from threats. But anxiety can develop into a disorder, with symptoms like dizziness, shaking, migraines and fatigue. It can also increase risk factors for other conditions like depression. “A certain level of anxiety is necessary as a basic survival skill, but too much of it, that’s when problems start. It can become paralysing,” said Bianchiotti. In Argentina, the problem may be particularly acute. More than half of the participants in a 2022 study about the country’s psychological health, conducted by the University of Buenos Aires, said they were experiencing a “crisis”. The economy was cited as the most common reason for respondents’ crises. At 49 percent, it surpassed family problems, relationship troubles and work as a leading cause. The economy was considered the decisive factor in Argentina’s recent presidential elections, which saw libertarian candidate Javier Milei emerge victorious [Gustavo Garello/AP Photo] The study also found that 75 percent of respondents said they suffered from sleep deprivation. The number of sufferers was even higher among those with fewer resources. Meanwhile, an estimated 35 percent of those who needed psychological treatment said they could not afford it. Although psychologists are available for free in public hospitals, budget cuts have made it increasingly difficult for people with lower incomes to access their services. Those with more resources can opt for private therapy, a more expensive option that offers greater flexibility for scheduling and services. “Data shows that there are many people who go to a psychotherapist in Argentina, but many more don’t have access to any kind of services, even when they would like to access them,” Fabian Maero, a psychologist, author and professor from the University of Buenos Aires, told Al Jazeera. “If you have to choose between going to therapy and paying the rent, that is not much of a choice.” Critics including Maero worry the situation could worsen under newly inaugurated President Javier Milei, who took office on December 10. A self-described “anarcho-capitalist”, Milei was elected after promising to slash government spending to mend the economy. Though he initially proposed scrapping the Ministry of Health, Milei has since announced he would keep the agency, appointing cardiologist Mario Russo as its head. “We professionals are very worried about this situation, how the lack of psychological attention is going to affect the population and how it will affect future generations,” Maero said. He added that mental health professionals cannot ignore current events in their practices. “We are facing great challenges. You want to treat an individual for their issues, but what they might need is to talk about the context they live in, what is happening to the country.” Psychologist Fabian Maero worries budget cuts could further restrict the accessibility of mental health services [Patricio A Cabezas/Al Jazeera] Julieta Bieber, a 48-year-old administrative assistant in Buenos Aires, is among those using their therapy sessions to talk about the state of the country. “This level of inflation means you need to live day by day, and that is very hard,” she told Al Jazeera. “You wake up, and the first thing you do is check how much the dollar exchange rate is, how much things have risen in price. It really affects your quality of life.” Bieber is hardly alone. Only 68 percent of Argentinians say their state of mind is positive, according to an October survey from the consulting firm Voices and the Worldwide Independent Network of Market Research (WIN). That put Argentina’s national “mood” among the lowest of the 39
Pakistan’s Imran Khan delivers AI-generated speech to campaign from prison
In the first event of its kind in the country, the jailed ex-PM’s party uses audio clip made by artificial intelligence during a virtual rally. Islamabad, Pakistan – Jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has delivered a speech using an audio clip generated through artificial intelligence (AI) to address a virtual rally – the first event of its kind in the South Asian country. Khan delivered a four-minute address on Sunday night, using the clip, which was laid over a video containing his AI-generated image as well as photos from previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) rallies and earlier speeches by him. The PTI said its virtual rally drew more than five million views on social media platforms including YouTube, Facebook and Twitter despite internet outages reported from various parts of the country. The PTI organised the internet rally to bypass a government ban on public rallies by the party as it gears up for general elections, scheduled on February 8. “Our party is not allowed to hold public rallies. Our people are being kidnapped and their families are being harassed,” the AI-generated voice mimicking Khan said in the clip, carrying a disclaimer that the speech is based on his notes from prison. “History will remember your sacrifices,” the stilted voice added, referring to the months-long state crackdown on PTI, which has seen dozens of party leaders arrested or “forced to quit” the organisation. Khan himself has been in jail since August following his conviction in a case related to the illegal selling of state gifts he received as premier from 2018 to 2022. Though he got bail in that case, he remains in custody after he was indicted for allegedly leaking state secrets. Khan denies the allegations and says the cases against him are a ploy by the government and the powerful military to keep him and his party out of the February elections. ‘Internet censorship’ The opposition party accused the government of causing internet disruptions in order to prevent Khan’s supporters from watching his online speech. Several users reported outages in the live streaming of the speech, which was confirmed by NetBlocks, an internet tracking company. “Metrics show major social media platforms were restricted in Pakistan for [nearly] 7 hours on Sunday evening during an online political gathering; the incident is consistent with previous instances of internet censorship targeting opposition leader Imran Khan and his party PTI,” the firm said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. ℹ️ ICYMI: Metrics show major social media platforms were restricted in #Pakistan for ~7 hours on Sunday evening during an online political gathering; the incident is consistent with previous instances of internet censorship targeting opposition leader Imran Khan and his party PTI https://t.co/AS9SdfwqoH pic.twitter.com/XXMYBhknXd — NetBlocks (@netblocks) December 18, 2023 In a statement on Monday, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority denied the internet outage and urged the media to exercise caution on sharing “unconfirmed news” about it. Pakistan’s free speech activist Usama Khilji praised PTI’s “innovative” method of holding the virtual event to circumvent the ban on public rallies. “With a full crackdown on PTI’s right to freedom of association and speech via arrests of leadership, the party’s use of artificial intelligence to broadcast a virtual speech in the words of its incarcerated chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan marks a new point in the use of technology in Pakistani politics,” he told Al Jazeera. Khilji added a note of caution in political leaders and parties using AI tools for their campaigns. “This innovative use of technology shows how AI can be used to circumvent a crackdown on a political party, but it should be viewed with caution because it signifies the potential abuse of AI technology to spread disinformation and manipulate elections as well by various political and non-political actors,” he said. Adblock test (Why?)
Vatican approves blessings for same-sex couples under certain conditions
A landmark ruling approved by Pope Francis says priests can bless same-sex couples under some circumstances. The Vatican has approved a landmark ruling to allow Roman Catholic priests to administer blessings to same-sex couples as long as they are not part of regular Church rituals or liturgies, nor given in contexts related to civil unions or weddings. A document from the Vatican’s doctrinal office approved by Pope Francis on Monday said such blessings would not legitimise irregular situations but be a sign that God welcomes all. The document backed “the possibility of blessings for couples in irregular situations and for couples of the same sex” but “this blessing should never be imparted in concurrence with the ceremonies of a civil union, and not even in connection with them”. It said priests should decide on a case-by-case basis and “should not prevent or prohibit the Church’s closeness to people in every situation in which they might seek God’s help through a simple blessing”. The document elaborates on a letter Francis sent to two conservative cardinals that was published in October. In that preliminary response, Francis suggested such blessings could be offered under some circumstances if they didn’t confuse the ritual with the sacrament of marriage. The new document repeats that rationale and elaborates on it, reaffirming that marriage is a lifelong sacrament between a man and a woman. It stresses that blessings should not be conferred at the same time as a civil union, using set rituals or even with the clothing and gestures that belong in a wedding. But it says requests for such blessings should not be denied full stop. It offers an extensive definition of the term “blessing” in Scripture to insist that people seeking a transcendent relationship with God and looking for his love and mercy should not be subject to “an exhaustive moral analysis” as a precondition for receiving it. “Ultimately, a blessing offers people a means to increase their trust in God,” the document said. “The request for a blessing, thus, expresses and nurtures openness to the transcendence, mercy, and closeness to God in a thousand concrete circumstances of life, which is no small thing in the world in which we live.” The Vatican holds that marriage is an indissoluble union between man and woman. As a result, it has long opposed same-sex marriage. And in 2021, the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said flat-out that the church couldn’t bless the unions of two men or two women because “God cannot bless sin”. That document created an outcry, one it appeared even Francis was blindsided by, even though he had technically approved its publication. Soon after it was published, he removed the official responsible for it and set about laying the groundwork for a reversal. It stressed that people in “irregular” unions – gay or straight – are in a state of sin. But it said that shouldn’t deprive them of God’s love or mercy. Pope Francis has recently criticised laws that criminalise homosexuality as “unjust”, saying God loves all his children just as they are and calling on Catholic bishops who support the laws to welcome LGBTQ people into the church. The Vatican in 2008 declined to sign onto a UN declaration that called for the decriminalisation of homosexuality, complaining the text went beyond the original scope and also included language about “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” it found problematic. Adblock test (Why?)
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