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The US has blocked a resolution calling for Israel to allow humanitarian corridors into the Gaza Strip, a pause in the fighting and the lifting of an order for civilians to leave the north of the besieged territory, by using its veto at the UN security council.The text - supported by 12 of the 15 members of the security council on Wednesday - contained criticism of 'heinous terrorist crimes by Hamas' and made no direct reference of Israel. In an attempt to win US support, the draft resolution did not explicitly call for a ceasefire, instead referencing a 'humanitarian pause'.But the US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said the resolution, carefully crafted by Brazilian diplomats, was unacceptable because it made no mention of Israel's right to self-defence. The UK and Russia abstained

Teams have shown an increased willingness to make swings at the deadline in recent seasons. Here are a few possible deals worth looking out forWelcome to trade season!Unlike the NBA and MLB, where franchises shift into buyer' or seller' mode as they head toward trade deadline, NFL teams have always struggled with the same sense of self-awareness. Continue reading...

People from both sides of the border have reasons to hate one another, but the only way to end this war is to treat each other humanelyI grew up in the south of Israel with my parents and four siblings in a small village called Netiv Haasara, which is one of the closest Israeli villages to the Gaza Strip. What I remember most vividly about my childhood is the scenery - beautiful sand dunes overlooking the Mediterranean. As a teenager, I would run for an hour to the beach, and my father would come and pick me up afterwards in his truck.Every summer, including the last, my family and I travelled from London to spend time with my parents in the village. They enjoyed entire happy days with my three small children, getting to know our little 10-month-old boy, the youngest of their 11 grandchildren. We were so happy together - playing card games, swimming in the sea, doing artwork, working in the garden. It is hard to think of this place as a war zone, as the tragedy of the Hamas attack unfolds daily. Both my parents - my beloved wonderful parents, Yakov and Bilha Inon - are now dead.Magen Inon is a London-based father of three from Israel who is a teacher and holds a PhD in philosophy of educationAs told to Kirsty MajorDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...

Protesters rallied in Washington DC, calling on the Biden administration and Congress to press for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. About 200 demonstrators, many from the group Jewish Voice for Peace, filled the rotunda of the Cannon House office building on Capitol Hill and staged a sit-in, calling for an end to the bombing and to 'let Gaza live'. A number of arrests were made by US Capitol police, who handcuffed protesters and escorted them out of the building

As Jews, we condemn what Israel is doing in Gaza. Any mass slaughter will not just be on Israel's hands, but on the hands of AmericaIt is now impossible for US politicians to ignore the slaughter in Gaza: more than 3,500 Palestinians have been killed in the 12-day barrage, including the 500 reportedly killed Tuesday at Al-Ahli Arabi Baptist hospital. Some 50 entire families have been wiped out - every living relative, including children and babies, gone. And Israel has issued a directive to those remaining that amounts to an ultimatum: leave northern Gaza, all 1.1 million of you, for your own safety" - in other words, evacuate or risk death in the impending blitz and ground invasion.The United Nations says such a mass evacuation is impossible" and has potentially devastating humanitarian consequences," pleading with Israel to rescind the order. A UN special rapporteur was clear, calling the order a crime against humanity and a blatant violation of international humanitarian law."Ellen Brotsky is a longtime Jewish activist and volunteer with Jewish Voice for Peace Bay Area, a chapter of the world's largest anti-Zionist Jewish organization in solidarity with Palestinian freedom.Ariel Koren is an anti-Zionist Jew who quit Google in protest of the company's military contract with Israel; she is the founder of Respond Crisis Translation, a rapid-response language justice collective Continue reading...

Tally showed 22 members of his own party opposing him, including four Republicans who supported Jordan a day earlierThe House of Representatives again failed to elect a new speaker on Wednesday, after the hard-right congressman Jim Jordan failed to win the gavel in the second round of voting.The second vote tally showed 199 Republicans supporting Jordan and all 212 Democrats supporting their leader, Hakeem Jeffries of New York. Twenty-two Republicans opposed Jordan on Wednesday, leaving him far short of the 217 votes needed to ascend to the speakership. Because of Republicans' razor-thin majority in the House, Jordan can only afford four defections within his party and still become speaker. Continue reading...

Fundraising email from Florida congressman said Rinos are working with radical Democrats ... to block Jim Jordan'The Florida Republican representative Matt Gaetz has issued an apology over a fundraising email sent out allegedly without his team's approval.On Wednesday, Gaetz apologized for an email sent by a vendor without my team's approval" and said that it should have never been sent". Continue reading...

North Carolina congressman has been leading House since Kevin McCarthy's ousting, and some want him to stay in roleThe speaker pro tempore, Patrick McHenry, who has been presiding over the US House of Representatives for the past two weeks after Kevin McCarthy was ousted, could become the next actual speaker, at least temporarily.Efforts by Republicans to elect a new speaker have stalled after a top contender, the congressman Jim Jordan, repeatedly failed to get enough votes, leaving the chamber without a leader and sitting largely idle on congressional work for two weeks. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed. For our latest reporting on the House speakership election, you can read our latest report:

Arthur Engoron gives warning after ex-president conferred aloud in court and threw hands up in frustration as witness testifiedA judge warned Donald Trump and others at his New York civil fraud trial to keep their voices down on Wednesday after the former president threw up his hands in frustration and spoke aloud to his lawyers while a witness was testifying against him.Judge Arthur Engoron gave the admonition after Trump conferred animatedly with his lawyers at the defense table during real-estate appraiser Doug Larson's second day of testimony at the Manhattan trial. Continue reading...

The US president is betting that public solidarity with Israel will give him credibility to influence the country's leaders in privateJoe Biden's trip to Israel this week is without precedent in US history. Never before has a US president rushed to a conflict zone so quickly after the outbreak of a war, much less one in which no US troops are directly engaged. The unprecedented nature of the visit is a testament to the stakes. Israel is at war after suffering the worst violence in its history, and a humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, the threat of wider regional war remains ever-present. Into the maelstrom comes Biden, hoping to shape what comes next - and making decisions which will reverberate for decades to come.It's clear that Biden's first priority is to signal his unwavering support for Israel. From the opening moments of the crisis, Biden has made it clear that he will provide Tel Aviv with both moral and material support in its battle against Hamas. A presidential visit is intended as another signal that Biden stands with Israel, but sending that signal also carries risks. At a time when anger is boiling over and casualties are mounting in Gaza, Biden is essentially giving the US seal of approval to what Israel is doing - and to whatever it will do next. Continue reading...

Joran van der Sloot is not charged over Holloway's death in Aruba, but pleaded guilty to trying to extort money from her motherThe chief suspect in Natalee Holloway's 2005 disappearance in Aruba has admitted that he killed the 18-year-old and disposed of her remains, as part of a plea deal where he admitted attempting to extort money from Holloway's mother, a US judge said Wednesday.Joran van der Sloot, 36, confessed to murdering Holloway and pleaded guilty to extortion and fraud, Judge Anna Manasco said. Van der Sloot had been extradited to Alabama for the hearing from Peru, where he is serving a 28-year sentence for murdering Stephany Flores, a 21-year-old Peruvian business student, in May 2010 in Lima. Continue reading...

Maintaining international backing is becoming harder. The Israel-Hamas war is further complicating mattersAs temperatures fall and a second winter of war approaches, Ukraine fears that the international enthusiasm for its cause that followed Russia's invasion is cooling too. Slovakia halted military aid after pro-Russian Robert Fico's party took power. Poland, one of Ukraine's staunchest allies, had already suspended weapons transfers following a dispute over Kyiv's grain exports - though things may well improve after the opposition unexpectedly claimed victory in last week's elections. Now US attention is consumed by the Middle East, and Russia will be keen to keep it there.Volodymyr Zelenskiy was quick to voice his support for Israel last week following the atrocities by Hamas. But the Ukrainian president also warned that there is only a certain amount of military support to share". There may be direct competition for some weaponry. Mr Zelenskiy also acknowledged that next year's US presidential election brings uncertainty. Last month, aid for Ukraine was stripped from a government funding package to ensure its passage through Congress. Hardline Republicans are increasingly vociferous in their opposition to supplying further aid, and are gaining traction, not least due to the battle to become House speaker. Some are exploiting the Israel-Hamas war to cynically argue that the US can't afford to back Ukraine too, although Kyiv's supporters hope it may be possible to push through a joint Israel-Ukraine package. While US deliveries will continue for now, Kyiv could start rationing its use of arms if it cannot count on timely resupplies. Continue reading...

Despite hardball' attempts, Republicans voted against hard-right Ohioan's speakership again, leaving the House in limbo

The stakes couldn't be higher. A wider war in the Middle East could embolden Russia in Ukraine and encourage China over TaiwanThe White House's collective stress level must have gone up several notches as Joe Biden and his entourage sat on the runway waiting to leave for the Middle East on Tuesday night. After the violence and emotions of the past two weeks, the president's visit was already a political gamble. But, as news came from Gaza of the bombing of the al-Ahli al-Arabi hospital, anxiety about what the visit would be able to achieve surely reached new levels.If so, those doubts were soon confirmed. With the Gaza hospital death toll soaring, and with popular outrage coursing through the region, Arab leaders pulled out of their scheduled meeting with Biden in Amman. By doing so, the Palestinian, Jordanian and Egyptian leaders made at least one of Biden's key objectives - using face-to-face US presidential influence to discourage escalation - instantly more difficult. Continue reading...

Construction crews dig up wooden remains of ship probably used to extract fish and shellfish in downtown St AugustineConstruction crews in Florida found the remains of a 19th-century shipwreck while working on an infrastructure project in a north-eastern city.Workers with the Florida department of transportation (FDOT) were digging throughout downtown St Augustine as part of a project to improve drainage in the city, WFLA reported. Continue reading...

Biography says Romney considered 2016 pairing with senator - who he saw as a demagogue' - to block Trump nominationMitt Romney considered a desperate, third presidential bid in 2016, aiming to stop Donald Trump as part of an unlikely unity ticket with Ted Cruz - a hard-right Texas senator who Romney privately considered scary" and a demagogue", a new book reports.Romney was willing to wage a quixotic and humiliating presidential bid if that's what it took," McKay Coppins writes in Romney: A Reckoning, a biography of the 2012 Republican nominee written in close cooperation with its subject. Continue reading...

Friends and family hold vigil for Wadea Al-Fayoume, a Palestinian American boy killed in a hate crime in IllinoisCarrying signs including the words I am not a threat", classmates and friends of six-year-old Wadea Al-Fayoume stood on an Illinois basketball court on Tuesday night at an emotional vigil for the Muslim boy stabbed to death in a weekend hate crime.Hundreds of adults, including Dilawar Syed, the highest-ranked Muslim official in the Biden administration, joined the children in Plainfield to pay tribute to the child. The Palestinian American boy died after he and his mother were stabbed by their landlord, whom authorities say was fueled by rage over the Israel-Hamas war. Continue reading...

Davis Polk won't hire Harvard and Columbia students because they allegedly supported letters blaming Israel for violenceA leading American law firm said it rescinded job offers to three law students who were involved in groups which signed statements criticizing Israel's role in the Israel-Hamas conflict, according to a report.Davis Polk, one of the world's largest law firms, said in an internal email that it had revoked offers to the Harvard and Columbia university students because they allegedly supported letters blaming Israel for the violence. Continue reading...

The tennis champion has signed a two-book deal with Penguin Random House, saying it will be the first time she has paused and reflected on her remarkable careerSerena Williams is set to publish two books, the first of which, a memoir, will take an intimate" look at her childhood and remarkable tennis career.The 42-year-old, regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, announced her retirement from the sport last year. For so long, all I was focused on was winning, and I never sat down to look back and reflect on my life and career," she said. Continue reading...

The polls had been favourable until a brutal press campaign kicked in against this kindly, long-overdue change

Plan includes $500,000 to organizations offering Texans care but it unclear if it will go to groups that help people get abortionsSeveral anti-abortion groups on Tuesday sued the city of San Antonio over the city's plan to create a reproductive justice fund and provide $500,000 to organizations that offer Texans reproductive care.The lawsuit seeks to put a halt to the reproductive justice fund, which, it alleges, would give taxpayers' dollars to criminal organizations that violate the state's abortion laws" by helping people get abortions out of state. Because Texas law bans anybody from helping procure" an abortion, the lawsuit argues, if any part of the procurement' activity occurs within Texas, then the act is criminal even if the abortion that has been procured' takes place outside the state." Continue reading...

My love for this show and its crotchety, snobbish but warm characters is boundless. Would a new series break the spell?I love Frasier. I have a T-shirt that says Frasier" on it in the Seinfeld font, a stupid internet mashup joke I nonetheless find charming and wear sincerely, and which multiple people in my life have told me they find actively irritating. I once seriously argued with myself about buying a shirtdress printed with a still from the show, priced at more than 160. I would be interested and probably appalled to know how many hours I have clocked up rewatching episodes when I'm in a funk.Why? I don't remember seeing any episodes of Frasier when it was originally airing. What was there to delight an eight-year-old in a show about a divorced radio psychiatrist and his newly disabled father? My mum is a fan, but I don't remember watching it with her, either. Yet Frasier feels like a language I have always spoken. Continue reading...

Joe Biden on Wednesday said the explosion at a Gaza hospital appeared not to have been caused by Israel. During a meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv, the US president said: 'I'm deeply saddened and outraged by the explosion at the hospital in Gaza yesterday. Based on what I've seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you.' He said the US would give Israel what it needed to defend itself and added: 'We have to also bear in mind that Hamas does not represent all the Palestinian people and has brought them only suffering'

Arthur Brooks spent years advocating cuts to the social safety net. Now, with the help of Oprah, NPR and the Atlantic, he's teaching Americans to be happyAs economic misery in the US persists, the country's self-help industry has become a multibillion-dollar bonanza. If one reads enough of that industry's happiness catechism - including its latest bestseller, Build the Life You Want - one realizes that all of the advice revolves around a core set of directives: focus on the self rather than the collective, redeploy hours to different priorities, spend less time at work, build deeper personal relationships - and, by implication, buy more self-help books.But if time is money", then in America's survival-of-the-richest form of capitalism, time-intensive remedies are mostly for the affluent - that is, those with a big enough savings account to de-risk career changes; those with enough income to afford gym memberships, hobbies and excursions; those with enough paid leave and cash to enjoy the best vacations; those with enough resources to employ personal aides to do paperwork, chores and cleaning; those with enough workplace leverage to secure more hours off for introspection, friend time and outdoor adventures. Continue reading...

The USMNT lost to Germany 3-1 and beat Ghana 4-0 during the international break. Here's what we learnedThis is why it's worth Gregg Berhalter and Gio Reyna resolving - or at least suppressing - their well publicized differences. The 20-year-old with the dazzling blond hair scored twice in a scintillating first half in Tuesday's friendly with Ghana, his first goals for the USMNT since June 2021. Continue reading...

A new survey has thrown up some dispiriting results about workplace communicationsWe now spend a whopping eight hours 42 minutes a week writing emails, according to a survey. That is a full working day each week that we will never get back and, even worse, only 42% of the emails we send are fully read and understood.Frankly, I find the 42% figure to be on the high side. Continue reading...

US president to meet only Israeli figures after the deadly hospital blast in Gaza, as protests spread across the Middle East. Plus, how Bethann Hardison got frank about fashion's racismGood morning.A deadly blast at a hospital in Gaza City has upended US diplomatic efforts aimed at fending off the humanitarian disaster in Gaza and thrown a shadow over President Joe Biden's visit to the region.What else is happening in Gaza? Fears are growing that people in Gaza are beginning to dehydrate to death as clean water runs out, while Israeli airstrikes continue to pound the Palestinian territory of 2.3 million residents amid a total blockade on food, electricity, medicine and fuel.Is everyone in Israel supportive of the government's actions? No. The Israeli public is fiercely divided over how the state has handled the breach of its security, with the issue of the hostages becoming a lightning rod for criticism of Netanyahu's response to the crisis. Some said the prime minister's decision to prioritise striking Hamas over freeing the hostages was the latest sign that he should step aside, after a combined 16 years in power.Where do things stand? In a worrying sign for Jordan, several of his detractors, led by the congressman Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida, called for an immediate second vote yesterday, potentially indicating that they believed their ranks were growing. Jordan picked up at least one new supporter, the congressman Doug LaMalfa of California, after the first failed vote, but that still left him short of a majority. Continue reading...

Four years after coming forward about systemic abuse in Canadian soccer, Ciara McCormack has become the first female co-owner and CEO of a League of Ireland clubWhen Ciara McCormack finished her testimony before a Canadian parliamentary committee hearing on safe sport last April, she decided to buy a soccer team. It was not a spur-of-the-moment decision. For over a decade, the former Vancouver Whitecaps player and Republic of Ireland international had fought to highlight abuse and cover-ups at the highest level of Canadian soccer.Some people listened to McCormack and her fellow players. Others didn't. Or if they did listen, they decided everything was OK. Or decided institutions must be protected above the welfare of people. With the exception of police reopening an investigation into former Vancouver Whitecaps and Canada national youth coach Bob Birarda that led to multiple sex offence charges, a guilty plea and jail time, not much changed. The system remained intact and enablers dodged accountability. Continue reading...

Cancellation of summit between Joe Biden and Arab leaders raises risk of wider conflict, says analyst

Government stimulus gains some traction in third quarter as property downturn continues

Visit 11 days after Hamas attack puts US president centre-stage in global affairs at key momentJoe Biden arrives in Israel on Wednesday on a high-stakes visit overshadowed by catastrophe even before Air Force One touched down at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport.Eleven days after the Hamas attack that killed at least 1,400 Israelis, the US president faced the already tricky task of providing solace to a grief-stricken nation while attempting to persuade its leaders to prevent humanitarian crisis and even regional conflict. Continue reading...

From deals on electric cars to investment in solar panels, there is room for all sides in the global green industrial revolutionOur polarised world is failing to tackle the climate crisis at the required speed. The only way to reverse this catastrophic situation is to get the three largest historical emitters - the US, Europe and China - to join forces, directly or indirectly, to accelerate the global shift to green energy.After months of rising tensions, the possible visit to Washington of the Chinese foreign minister, Wang Yi, later this month could pave the way for a highly anticipated but still unscheduled summit between presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping, and kickstart a reset.Simone Tagliapietra is a senior fellow at the Brussels-based thinktank Bruegel Continue reading...

No set of crimes justifies another. To succumb to this principle would mean a never-ending cycle of violenceFor almost 4,000 years, some governments have insisted that if wars must be fought, there should be rules. The first known code, by the Babylonian king Hammurabi, laid down the principle on which all subsequent laws of war have been based: to prevent the strong from oppressing the weak". Needless to say, he possessed some expertise in oppressing the weak. From inception, such laws have amounted to victors' justice, enforced by but not against the dominant powers. But this neither renders them worthless nor suggests that we shouldn't attempt to hold powerful governments to account.During its assault, on Black Saturday, Hamas broke numerous laws of war, starting with its rocket fire into Israel, which made no attempt to discriminate between military and civilian targets, breaking article 13 of protocol II of the Geneva conventions. Its fighters murdered, tortured and raped, breaking common article 3 of the Geneva conventions and articles 27 and 32 of the fourth convention. They also engaged in pillage and terrorism (33, fourth convention) and the taking of hostages (34, fourth, and article 8 of the Rome statute). Hamas clearly intends to use these hostages as bargaining chips, exacerbating the crime. Continue reading...

Pentagon cites more than 180 incidents of aggression against US aircraft over the East and South China seasThe US has accused China of orchestrating a concerted" campaign of dangerous and provocative air force manoeuvres against US military planes in international airspace, warning it could spark an inadvertent conflict between them.The Pentagon said aggressive tactics by Chinese aircraft had threatened US planes flying over the East and South China Sea regions, tallying more than 180 such incidents since autumn 2021. Continue reading...

Authorities find more bodies after initial report of 115 two weeks ago, when owners were evicted and police investigated foul odorThe remains of at least 189 decaying bodies were found and removed from a Colorado funeral home, up from about 115 reported when the bodies were discovered two weeks ago, officials said Tuesday.The remains were found by authorities responding to a report of a foul odor at the Return to Nature funeral home inside a decrepit building in the small town of Penrose, Colorado. Continue reading...

Jury found Siraj ibn Wahhaj and three others guilty of a range of charges including kidnapping resulting in deathJurors on Tuesday delivered split verdicts in a case that stemmed from the search for a three-year-old boy who went missing from Georgia and was found dead hundreds of miles away at a squalid compound in northern New Mexico.Four members of the family were on trial. Three were found guilty on federal kidnapping charges. Two were convicted on related terrorism charges. The boy's father, Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, was one of the two people found guilty of terrorism-related charges. Continue reading...

After Jim Jordan failed to win the gavel on Tuesday, the House gears up for a second round of voting on WednesdayThe US representative Jim Jordan faced strong opposition to his House speakership bid Tuesday as 20 Republicans voted against him on a first ballot. The chamber adjourned for the day as the Ohio Republican worked to flip some of his detractors his way.It's the second time in this Congress that the House has faced multiple rounds of voting for speaker, following the protracted struggle in January when Kevin McCarthy won the gavel on the 15th attempt. Continue reading...

Thousands of Israelis and Palestinians have been killed in little over a week, and the risk of the violence spreading is immenseIn the wake of the carnage wrought by Hamas in southern Israel, killing at least 1,300 people; with bombs still raining upon Gaza, having killed more than 3,000; and with 199 children and adults still held hostage, the horror is increased by the prospect of this violence begetting more.The US hopes two aircraft carrier groups in the eastern Mediterranean, non-stop shuttle diplomacy by the secretary of state and a presidential visit to Israel will see off the twin spectres of even greater humanitarian disaster in Gaza and regional catastrophe. Yet hours before Joe Biden's trip to the Middle East came reports that hundreds had died in a blast on a Gaza hospital. Jordan has already cancelled its summit with him. While visiting Israel sends the message that the US is a staunch ally, and may offer Benjamin Netanyahu a political lifeline, it was intended to rein him in, as well as Hezbollah and Iran. The US had reportedly agreed to the trip only after Israel agreed to move on humanitarian aid and safe areas for civilians to avoid the bombing. Continue reading...

Twenty Republicans oppose hard-right congressman in first round of voting following historic ouster of Kevin McCarthyThe House of Representatives was unable to elect a new speaker on Tuesday, as the hard-right congressman Jim Jordan of Ohio struggled to win the gavel following the historic ouster of the Republican Kevin McCarthy earlier this month.In the first round of voting, 20 Republicans opposed Jordan, while 200 Republicans supported the judiciary committee chair. The result left Jordan far short of winning the speakership, given that he can only afford four defections within his conference and still capture the gavel. All 212 House Democrats supported Hakeem Jeffries of New York, giving the Democratic leader more votes than Jordan. Continue reading...

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Former president planned a return to coincide with Michael Cohen's testimony, which has been delayed until next weekFormer president Donald Trump returned to a New York court on Tuesday to watch and deplore the civil fraud trial that threatens to disrupt his real estate businesses, but he got no face-to-face encounter - for now - with the star witness against him.After attending the trial's first three days earlier this month, Trump initially planned a return to coincide with testimony by Michael Cohen, his one-time attorney turned outspoken foe. But Cohen's testimony was delayed until at least next week, with Cohen citing a health problem. Continue reading...

Actor's case in connection with fatal film shooting in 2021 will reportedly be brought before grand jury in mid-NovemberNew Mexico prosecutors intend to recharge actor Alec Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the fatal 2021 Rust shooting, NBC News reported on Tuesday, citing two sources familiar with the matter.Baldwin's case will be brought before a grand jury in mid-November, the report added. Continue reading...

Former MI6 officer's witness statement criticises reckless' publication of testimony about ex-president's Russia linksDonald Trump's decision to declassify evidence given by a former British spy about the former US president's alleged links with Russia led to the disappearance of two Russian sources, according to a court document.Christopher Steele, who used to run MI6's Russia desk, compiled the notorious Steele dossier" investigating Trump's connections to Russia. In a witness statement released on Tuesday, Steele said publication of his testimony to the Mueller investigation on the matter, originally classified secret, was an egregious and reckless act" that served no purpose other than to expose me and Orbis [Steele's company], our sources and our methods". Continue reading...