Image 01 Image 03

November 2018

We have been following the spread of a mysterious, polio-like disease that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has named acute flaccid myelitis (AFM). The illness, the cause of which remains undetermined, continues to expand its range and public health officials have recorded 286 cases.
The mysterious, rare 'polio-like' disease blighting the US has now spread to 31 states, sickening at least 116 children. And yet, officials still have no idea what causes acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), nor how to treat or prevent it. The poorly understood illness, which can cause paralysis and, in rare cases, prove deadly, has struck Colorado the hardest, followed by Texas.

Conservative pundit Jesse Kelly's Twitter account was reportedly banned over the Thanksgiving weekend. Mary covered the story here. Now, the account has been reinstated. At present, there's confusion aURLo whether his account was suspended or banned. If Twitter suspends an account, users are still able to access the page URL where they'll find a suspension message. That was not the case with Kelly's account.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's newest exploration vehicle InSight landed on Mars on Monday with much social media fanfare on earth.
Mission Control at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory exploded into celebratory applause and cheers after the touchdown was confirmed. The landing was watched around the world and even broadcast live on the Nasdaq Stock Market tower in New York City's Times Square. During a post-landing NASA press conference, the astronauts on the International Space Station called down to congratulate the mission team and said they "got some goosebumps" watching the coverage.

Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who accused now Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct over 30 years ago, emerged and released a statement to end the fundraising someone set up for her a few months ago. The GoFundMe account raised $647,610 in the past two months with the last donation coming in at $50 five days ago. Ford wrote on the page:
The funds you have sent through GoFundMe have been a godsend. Your donations have allowed us to take reasonable steps to protect ourselves against frightening threats, including physical protection and security for me and my family, and to enhance the security for our home. We used your generous contributions to pay for a security service, which began on September 19 and has recently begun to taper off; a home security system; housing and security costs incurred in Washington DC, and local housing for part of the time we have been displaced. Part of the time we have been able to stay with our security team in a residence generously loaned to us.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller claims that Paul Manafort, the former chairman for then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, lied to the FBI and investigators "on a variety of subject matters," which means he broke his plea agreement. NBC News continued:
Manafort, 69, was convicted of eight counts of tax evasion and bank fraud in August. In September, he agreed to cooperate with Mueller's investigation when he pleaded guilty to two new counts and admitted his guilt to 10 counts outstanding from the earlier trial in Virginia.

Mississippi citizens hit the polls today to vote in the special election for the senate seat after Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, who took over in April after Thad Cochran retired, and Democrat Mike Espy tied on Election Day. President Donald Trump went to Mississippi on Monday night in one final attempt to keep the seat red after controversies swamped Hyde-Smith for the past few weeks. However, recent polls showed Hyde-Smith with a 10 point lead.