While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Oct 9
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US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks during a TV interview in Washington, Oct 8, 2020.
PHOTO: BLOOMBERG
US Democrats want panel to investigate Trump's capacity to govern
US Democrats on Thursday proposed a commission to investigate whether Donald Trump is mentally fit for office - and look at the constitutional options for his removal if necessary.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, told reporters that on Friday she and other Democrats would introduce a measure relating to the US Constitution's 25th Amendment, which allows for the vice president to take over should it be determined that the president "is unable" to fulfil his duties.
Pelosi's office said Friday's Bill would "help ensure effective and uninterrupted leadership in the highest office in the executive branch of government."
The move comes at a moment of crisis in the White House, with Trump being treated for a Covid-19 infection that sent him to the hospital for three nights.
Plot to kidnap Michigan governor thwarted; militia members arrested
Thirteen people, including seven men associated with the Wolverine Watchmen militia group, have been arrested for alleged plots to take the Michigan governor hostage and attack the state capitol building, prosecutors said on Thursday.
The group aimed to kidnap Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat and frequent target of Republican President Donald Trump's ire, ahead of the Nov 3 presidential election, according to a criminal complaint filed in a Michigan federal court.
At one point, the alleged plotters discussed recruiting a force of 200 to storm the state capitol in Lansing and take hostages, but later abandoned the plan in favour of a scheme to kidnap Whitmer at her vacation home, the complaint said.
Mitch McConnell says he's avoided White House due to lax coronavirus controls
Mitch McConnell, the top Republican in Congress, said on Thursday he has avoided the White House for two months over concerns that officials like President Donald Trump have not taken sufficient coronavirus precautions.
McConnell, the Senate majority leader and a Trump ally, told reporters in Kentucky that he and the president have "talked a lot on the telephone" but that he has not been to the executive mansion since Aug 6.
"My impression was, their approach to how to handle this was different from mine and what I insisted that we do in the Senate, which is to wear a mask and practice social distancing," McConnell said.
WHO reports record one-day rise in global coronavirus cases, up over 338,000
The World Health Organisation (WHO) reported a record one-day increase in global coronavirus cases on Thursday, with the total rising by 338,779 in 24 hours led by a surge of infections in Europe.
Europe reported 96,996 new cases, the highest total for the region ever recorded by the WHO.
Global deaths rose by 5,514 to a total of 1.05 million.
Tennis: Swiatek blows qualifier Podoroska away to reach 'unreal' French Open final
Teenager Iga Swiatek became the first Polish woman in 81 years to reach the French Open final on Thursday as she demolished Argentine qualifier Nadia Podoroska 6-2, 6-1.
The 19-year-old has yet to drop a set at the tournament and will play two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova or Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin for the title on Saturday.
"It seems unreal," said Swiatek. "I never thought at the start I would play so good here but I always knew that if I was going to be in the final of a Grand Slam it would be at the French Open.
