US Midterm Elections: Why You Shouldn't Care

If you read that next week's phenomenally expensive US elections will bring change to Washington, don't you believe it.

 

America goes to the polls in midterm elections that could shift the balance of power in Washington.

All 435 seats in the US House of Representatives are up for grabs but no one expects the Republicans to lose control.
The interesting battle is over the Senate. Every two years, a third of its seats come up for re-election. This year there are 36 Senate elections. The Democrats currently control the Senate. But that may well change.
Nearly all the Senate seats up for grabs are either dead-cert Republican in their likely outcome or sure-fire Democrat.
Only a handful are 'in-play'.
And the Republicans only need a handful of seats, six to be precise, to take control of the Senate and full control of Capitol Hill.

Kentucky's Mitch McConnell hopes to be the next Senate leader

Not that big a challenge, you might think, given the general malaise gripping America and the unpopularity of the Democratic president.
Not so.

 

Video: How Did Obama Become A Liability?

The US economy may still be in a sputtering state of fragile recovery.
The president is tanking in the opinion polls.
The least popular US leader for more than half a century by some reckonings, Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter included.
So you might expect a clamour for change.
By most standards the Republicans should be expecting to walk this.
Especially as many of the states that are contestable are in states where they traditionally do well.
But this is not a Republican shoo-in.
American voters remember how Republican hardliners took the US economy to the brink in the crisis over the debt ceiling.
Some also suspect the political gridlock that is paralysing this country and its economy has to a certain extent been engineered by the Republicans in an effort to destroy the Obama presidency.
So for some voters the challenge this election will be about punishing the Democrats with a protest vote while not allowing that to benefit the Republicans too much.
Voters have another reason to resent their politicians, every evening on their television.

 

Video: How Do Midterms Affect Hillary?

A tsunami of TV ads, many of them negative and nasty, paid for with an unprecedented amount of cash.
In North Carolina alone the amount spent on advertising has just topped $100m (£62m).
In just that one American state they have spent more than three times what all the political parties in the UK spent in the 2010 General Election.
Will it be worth it?
At this point in an election preview it is traditional to say how important it all is, what a difference it will make.
But if you read how these midterms will be a game changer, treat it with scepticism.
The truth is this election may not change very much.
Even if the Republicans end up controlling both houses of Congress, the US government continues in stalemate.
The president will have no allies with the influence to promote laws in Congress, and any legislation sent to him by Republicans on Capitol Hill, he can veto.
So a lame-duck presidency and more gridlock?
Well that's just more of the same.

Fresh Scandal Over Historical Sex Abuse Inquiry

Fiona Woolf, the new inquiry head, is accused of trying to play down her links to Lord Brittan by rewriting a letter seven times.

23:15, UK, Thursday 30 October 2014

The head of an official inquiry into historical child sex abuse is under renewed pressure over her links to a Tory grandee at the centre of cover-up allegations.

Fiona Woolf has faced calls to resign over her familiarity with former home secretary Lord Brittan, who denies failing to act on a dossier of paedophilia claims he received while in office in the 1980s.
But Home Affairs Select Committee chairman Keith Vaz claims a letter Mrs Woolf wrote to Home Secretary Theresa May was rewritten, with Home Office assistance, seven times to downplay her links to Lord and Lady Brittan.
Mr Vaz said: "It is extraordinary that Mrs Woolf did not even write the first draft of her letter which was supposed to detail her own personal experiences.

Lord Brittan denies acting on the dossier of paedophilia allegations

"The letter then underwent seven drafts with a multiplicity of editors. The final version gave a sense of greater detachment between Lord and Lady Brittan and Mrs Woolf than her previous attempts."
As well as dining with the Brittans at home five times, Mrs Woolf has met Lady Brittan for coffee, sat on a prize-giving panel with her, and sponsored her £50 for a fun run.

 

Video: July: Sex Abuse Inquiry Judge Quits

It has also been revealed that Mrs Woolf lived on the same London street as Lord Brittan for a decade.
In her written explanation, Mrs Woolf had claimed she had no "social contact" with the Brittans since 23 April last year - but a photograph has surfaced showing her chatting to Lady Brittan at a prize-giving last October.
Commenting on the photograph, Mrs Woolf said she did not recall having any "substantial interaction" with Lady Brittan that night.
Labour MP Simon Danczuk, who has campaigned on the issue of child sexual abuse, accused the Home Office of "colluding in covering up" Mrs Woolf's links with the Brittans.
He added on LBC Radio: "I think she should go now, it is the final nail, I don't think she will be able to survive this."
Mrs Woolf was appointed last month to chair the inquiry, which was launched earlier this year to examine whether alleged abuse by politicians and other powerful figures between the 1970s and 1990s was swept under the carpet.
The first person appointed to lead the investigation, Baroness Butler-Sloss, had to quit because her late brother, Lord Havers, was attorney general during much of the period in question.
Mr Vaz said: "The lessons of the Butler-Sloss appointment and resignation have not been learned."

 

Video: July: May Announces Abuse Review

The Labour MP added that his committee would decide next week whether Mrs Woolf should be recalled to give further evidence.
Mrs Woolf has insisted her panel will be "thorough, will pull no punches and show no favours".
And the Home Office said it remained confident in Mrs Woolf and her panel.
"Fiona Woolf wrote to the Home Secretary to disclose anything she thought might cast doubt on her impartiality as chairman of the independent panel inquiry into child sexual abuse," a Home Office spokesman said.
"Her letter to the Home Affairs Select Committee further demonstrates her commitment to openness and transparency in the course of her duties.
"The panel inquiry was established in order to determine the extent to which institutions have taken seriously their duty of care towards children, and recent reports into child abuse in Rotherham and Greater Manchester demonstrate the importance of this work."
But Alison Millar, a solicitor representing alleged abuse victims, has called for her to be replaced.
"The full extent of her relationship with Lord and Lady Brittan, which is still not entirely clear, only slowly unravels through these draft letters sent between Mrs Woolf and the Home Office," said Ms Millar.

One Missing After Blaze At Fireworks Factory

 

One person remains missing after an explosion sparked a large blaze at a fireworks factory in Staffordshire.

A specialist team will search the SP Fireworks premises today in the wake of the fire, which also saw two people taken to the major trauma centre at University Hospital North Staffordshire.
Search and rescue workers will begin their operation after the premises is deemed to be safe to enter, a spokesman for the Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service said.
"The search and rescue team will make an assessment as to the safety of the building, and a search of the premises will take place in daylight hours," the spokesman said.
Worried residents reported hearing a loud bang and seeing smoke coming from the premises in Tilcon Avenue, Stafford, on Thursday evening.

 

Video: Witness Tells Of Fireworks Blast

The fire service said the blaze "escalated" at one point, before later being brought under control.
Some 50 firefighters, eight engines and four specialist appliances were called to the scene. There was "significant damage" to the building caused by the fire.
One man aged in his 40s was treated for serious burns, while another in his 60s had a back injury and suffered smoke inhalation.
Two women - one in her 40s, the other in her 50s - were assessed for smoke inhalation.
Police said a cordon was put in place around the factory to protect the public, and residents in the Baswich area were urged to remain indoors.
A spokesman for Staffordshire Police said: "On Friday we will continue to investigate this incident and work to ensure everyone is accounted for.
"Sadly at this stage we believe there is a person unaccounted for and our focus remains tracing those at the factory shortly before the explosion.
"A joint investigation into the incident is already under way, which will work to establish the cause and circumstances immediately before the fire."

Abubakar shattered as terrorists annex Adamawa homeland

Abuja - Former Vice President and aspirant of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar, has expressed sadness on report that terrorists suspected to members of Boko Haram group taking over towns in his home state of Adamawa.
He called on government to brace up and ensure security of citizens, irrespective of their tribe or religion.
“I am deeply saddened by the reported takeover of Mubi and other towns in the North East by Boko Haram terrorists. Some of the dead are people I knew personally. The primary job of government is to protect the lives of citizens, irrespective of their tribe or religion; whether they're APC or PDP,” he said.
He added that citizens of Nigeria have nowhere to turn, but to the leadership of the Federal Government who have sworn to protect them.

Also Read: Atiku absent as APC unveils presidential aspirants

“I appeal to the Federal Government to treat the insurgency with maximum effort and listen more to advice of statesmen in the region as current strategies are not working too well.”
The former vice president called on government to accept the offer of international communities to assist in the fight against insurgency.
“International help has been offered to fight this insurgency. I believe strongly, that we should take these offers seriously. Our citizens are dying,” he said.
Government has experienced mixed fortunes in the fight against terror. The Boko Haram terrorists have continued wrecking havoc despite reports of a truce with government.

Keshi returns as Super Eagles coach

Lagos - Reports on Thursday suggest that sacked Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi has returned as the coach of the team after he was replaced with Shuaibu Amodu two weeks ago.
Keshi was not able to keep his job after leading Nigeria to four points from four games in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
The Amaju Pinnick-led Nigeria Football Federation replaced the former captain with former coach Amodu who was reported to have resumed duty.

Also read: Shuaibu replaces sacked Keshi
But the new media officer of the Super Eagles Toyin Ibitoye twitted on Thursday that Keshi has returned to continue with his job.
@ToyinIbitoye: “Keshi Returns as @NGSuperEagles Coach.”
The report is yet to be officially confirmed as effort by News24 Nigeria to reach top officials proved abortive.
Factional leader of the NFF, Chris Giwa has also insisted that keshi remains the coach of the team, even as the crisis rocking Nigeria football leadership lingers on.
If Keshi returns, Ibitoye may as well lose his place as media officer of the team, as Keshi has been working with Ben Alaiya since 2011.

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ECOWAS appeals for calm in Burkina Faso

Abuja - The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has called on people Burkina Faso to remain calm and law abiding over events unfolding and tension around the process leading to the consideration of the draft bill on constitutional amendment.
This was contained in a communiqué signed by John Dramani Mahama Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS in Abuja.
“The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has followed with grave attention the events unfolding in Burkina Faso and the tension around the process leading to the consideration of the draft bill on constitutional amendment.  ECOWAS takes note of the decision by the government to withdraw the passing of this draft bill. ECOWAS believes that this decision is geared towards preserving the stability and peace in the country. To this end, it reiterates the need for compliance with the principle of democracy and constitutional governance as stipulated in the ECOWAS protocol on democracy and good governance,” the communiqué read.



The regional body also called on the security forces to respect and act in accordance with the constitution of the Republic. It called on all the parties involved, notably the entire political class to embrace dialogue with a view to arriving at a political consensus that will lead to free, fair and credible election consistent with constitutional provisions.
“ECOWAS in line with its principle will not recognize any ascension to power through non constitutional means.”

Home Sweet... Meth Home? Indiana Family's Real Estate Nightmare

Jenny Nugent said she and her family became sick after they bought and moved into their dream home in Indiana.

 

When Chris and Jenny Nugent bought their dream home in Indiana, they made sure to get the house inspected for mold and damaged pipes.
But they never imagined they would also need to have the house tested for meth contamination.
The Nugents said they used their life savings to take out a mortgage on the $144,000 cheery-looking home nestled on an acre of land in the quiet suburbs, enough room for them, their two young daughters and infant son. But after they moved in, they said everyone in the house started feeling ill.
“They were sick every week,” Jenny Nugent said. “They would wake up. Throw up. Have digestive issues and then by noon, 1 o’clock start to feel better.”

When Chris and Jenny Nugent brought their dream home in Indiana, they never imagined they would need to have it tested for meth contamination.

The Nugents said their daughters were missing school, the baby wasn't sleeping through the night, and even the family dog became ill and had to be put down. Jenny Nugent also said she noticed strange metallic smells around the house, especially in the kitchen.
“It smelled like a handful of change,” she said.
Jenny Nugent said a neighbor finally cracked the mystery, telling her she suspected the previous owner had cooked meth in the house. Nugent immediately got her home tested -- a simple procedure that costs $50.
“I am so grateful that we were fortunate enough to have really good neighbors," she said. "If it were not for them, we may have not known until one of our kids ended up in the hospital.”
After two tests, the results were horrifying. The Nugents said the downstairs floor had methamphetamine levels nearly 18 times higher than what’s considered legally safe, including the room where baby Mason had been sleeping for 10 months.
The family immediately moved out and eventually ending up in an apartment, but they said they felt forced to throw away most of their belongings for fear of contamination.
“Those test results came back, I remember that night we just pulled up in the driveway and were like, ‘we’re never going back in there other than to get our clothes,’ and we haven’t,” Chris Nugent said.
For Jenny, returning to the house is painful. She says she feels like she can’t even go inside without wearing protective gear.
“It feels like a death happened, to be honest,” she said. “That’s how it feels to my husband and I.”
When methamphetamine is smoked or cooked inside a home, invisible molecules of the drug sink into the carpet, walls and everywhere else, experts said. The meth residue is then inhaled or ingested, even absorbed through the skin. Exposure can cause symptoms like headaches, nausea and vomiting, according to the National Institute of Health.
To be able to re-sell the house and recoup their savings, the Nugents had to hire a professional cleaning team, Crisis Cleaning, who handle meth decontamination, something most home insurance doesn't cover.
“That’s something that’s happening even more than what I've ever seen before since I started doing this the last five years,” said Crisis Cleaning’s Donetta Held.
To decontaminate the Nugents house, the Crisis Cleaners cut out all the carpets, gave the house a professional vacuuming and then gassed it with a mix of potent chemicals that the cleaners say neutralize the meth particles. One pass-through is often not enough, sometimes they must de-contaminate a room several times. All in, the cost to clean the Nugents' home is expected to be about $10,000.