VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – A court at a Vatican corruption trial on Thursday heard a secretly recorded telephone call between the main defendant, embattled Cardinal Angelo Becciu, and Pope Francis.

The recording was made without the pope’s knowledge by someone in a room with Becciu in July 2021, shortly before the trial began and while the pope was still recovering from major intestinal surgery, the court was told.

Reporters were asked to leave the room while the tape was played but lawyers who heard it said Becciu asked the pope to confirm that the pontiff had authorised a payment to help release a nun who had been kidnapped in Africa.

The lawyers said that on the call pope seemed perplexed and confused by why Becciu was calling and that the pontiff repeatedly asked the cardinal to send him a written note about what he wanted.

In 2018, Becciu, then the third most powerful person in the Vatican, hired co-defendant Cecilia Marogna, a self-styled security analyst, to free a Columbian nun who was kidnapped in Mali by an al Qaeda-linked group.

Marogna, 44, received 575,000 euros ($598,630) from the Secretariat of State, the Vatican’s most important department, in 2018 to 2019 when Becciu was working there. The money was sent to a company she had set up in Slovenia and she received some in cash, the court has been told.

The police discovered Marogna had spent much of the money for personal use, including luxury brand clothing and visits to health spas.

She is charged with embezzlement and Becciu is changed with embezzlement, corruption, and abuse of office. They, like the other eight defendants, have denied all wrongdoing.

The chief prosecutor at the trial, Alessandro Diddi, told reporters on Thursday that he had begun a new tangent of his investigation in which he suspects Becciu of criminal conspiracy. He said he deposited the details with the court.

Becciu’s lawyers said in a statement they were not aware of any new accusations. The statement did not comment on the secretly recorded phone call.

A year before the trial started, Francis fired Becciu on suspicion of nepotism. Becciu denies doing anything to help his family financially.

On Thursday Becciu faced his main accuser, his former top aide Monsignor Alberto Perlasca. He told the court how he was ordered to make payments he considered unusual.

He said he sent 100,000 euros to a charity in Sardinia, not knowing at the time that it was linked to Becciu’s family.

Becciu has said the charity helped create jobs in a poor area.

The trial revolves around the purchase of a building in London by the Secretariat of State. The 10 defendants include former Vatican employees and Italian middle men who the prosecution says extorted the Vatican.

($1 = 0.9605 euro)

The roll call for the minority members of the Senate judiciary committee reads like a catalogue of villainy: Chuck Grassley, Lindsey Graham, Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley — eleven members in all. The same number of members are also on the Democratic side. Eleven.

That is the problem with having a 50/50 split between Democrats and Republicans in the composition of today’s United States Senate. Every time Republicans on that or any committee vote in unity against the will of the Democrats on the committee, or against what’s best for the American people (take your pick, they’re one and the same), the vote is thrown onto the Senate floor.

Now, you might think that’s no big deal because all 50 Democrats will vote in favour of the will of the people and all 50 Republicans will vote against, right? And Vice President Kamala Harris will break the tie and the Democrats and the people will get their way, right? True enough. But it’s a logistical nightmare.

It means every Democratic Senator and the Vice President must be in town every time. Otherwise the Republicans have the power to significantly disrupt the committee every time a vote is taken. And remember who’s on the judiciary committee: Chuck Grassley, Lindsey Graham, Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, etc..

That will all change should Raphael Warnock beat Herschel Walker in the runoff election for the Georgia Senator on December 6. With a 51/49 Senate composition, every committee and subcommittee in the Senate will suddenly be composed of a majority of Democrats. Deciding votes made in committee will no longer be at the mercy of evil Republicans. Committee votes will no longer need to be thrown to the whole Senate.

If they remain on the judiciary committee those scum — Chuck Grassley, Lindsey Graham, Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley — will become irrelevant. Republicans on every committee will become irrelevant. There will no longer need to be a deciding vote on the Senate floor. It will also rob evil idiots like Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema of their power as well. Without a vote on the Senate floor, they’ll have nothing to do with any committee they aren’t members of.

A 51/49 Senate majority will free up the Vice President for work other than her work in Washington. She will be able to carry out much of the important work of her office without being tied to the Capitol. She will be able to stump for Joe Biden and help him in his bid for re-election.

A 51/49 majority in the Senate will also give us a buffer against the 2024 election. We will be able to absorb one overall loss and still retain the Senate. That is why you should be doing everything you can to help Raphael Warnock win. Please make sure to donate or volunteer to help in Georgia. And if you live in Georgia, vote. And drag every friend you can to vote with you. Because Georgia is vital. And, as ever, ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, comrades and friends, stay safe.

The post All the marbles appeared first on Palmer Report.

CHOCOWINITY, N.C. (WNCT) — A 45-year search for a long-lost sister has ended, and now, they are spending Thanksgiving together for the first time.

Lisa Strang and Amanda Brooks were both adopted shortly after they were born in England. Neither of them knew they were siblings until two years ago.

Strang was adopted and taken to the United States after her birth. She now lives in Chocowinity, North Carolina. She began searching for her family in an attempt to learn more about her own medical history.

Strang’s godmother, who lives in England, offered to help her search. After sifting through birth records and Ancestry DNA testing, Strang came in contact with a distant cousin.

That cousin happened to be interested in genealogy and, using the information Strang had gathered, was able to find someone “really, really close” to being a match after two years of research.

That person? The son of Strang’s sister.

“My youngest son had done Ancestry DNA to find out more about his grandparents,” Brooks explained to Nexstar’s WNCT. She went on to recount how one morning, while she was driving to work, her son and eldest daughter sent her “loads and loads of texts” telling her a woman was trying to get in contact with her.

It was Strang’s cousin, who explained to Brooks that she believe she had found her sister. DNA testing would later confirm their sisterhood.

After a two-year delay due to the coronavirus pandemic, they met for the first time at Raleigh-Durham International Airport Monday night.

“I had built up this image of the sister that I hoped I’d have, and I am so fortunate. She’s everything I could ever wish for, for a sister. I’m blown away,” said Strang.

They will be spending Thanksgiving together before Amanda and her husband return to England on Sunday.

View the video to learn more about their reunion.

(NEXSTAR) — Looking for a quick bite to eat on Thanksgiving? Whether you’re traveling, burned the turkey, or just hungry for some French fries, here are a few fast food joints and restaurants that will still be open on Thanksgiving.

Hours may vary across locations, be sure to call or check online before visiting your nearest restaurant.

Benihana

Select Benihana restaurants will be open on Thanksgiving.

Boston Market

Boston Market locations will be open on Thanksgiving, according to the company’s website.

Burger King

Some locations will be open. You can check the hours of your nearest Burger King online.

Cracker Barrel

As it has since 1969, Cracker Barrel will be open on Thanksgiving and will serve its Thanksgiving meal at 11 a.m.

Denny’s

Known for being “always open,” Denny’s will be open on Thanksgiving.

Dunkin’

Many Dunkin’ locations will be open on Thanksgiving but hours may vary by store, a representative tells Nexstar. Before visiting, check your Dunkin’ location’s hours online or in the mobile app.

IHOP

Though IHOP locations are listed as being open online, you may want to check with your local restaurant before stopping in.

McDonald’s

Because the vast majority of McDonald’s locations are independently owned and operated, holiday hours may vary by store, a representative told Country Living. You can check your location’s hours online.

Popeyes

Some Popeyes locations will be open on Thanksgiving but with limited hours. You can check your location’s hours here.

Red Lobster

Select Red Lobster locations will be open on Thanksgiving, according to the company. Open location and hours can be viewed online.

Ruth’s Chris Steak House

Some locations will be open for Thanksgiving. You can find your nearest location on Ruth’s Chris Steak House’s website.

Starbucks

Need a little caffeine pick-me-up? You’re in luck – most Starbucks locations will be open on Thanksgiving. You can check your location’s hours online.

Waffle House

Known for being open all day, every day – and causing headlines when it closes – Waffle House locations will be open on Thanksgiving.

Wendy’s

Many Wendy’s locations will be open on Thanksgiving, according to the company’s website.

Cristiano Ronaldo, appearing in his fifth World Cup, will spearhead Portugal’s attack against Ghana alongside Joao Felix in their opening Group H match on Thursday.

Ronaldo left Manchester United this week in an acrimonious split after he said he felt betrayed by the club, but his coach and team mates have said the upheaval was having no impact on Portugal’s preparations for their campaign in Qatar.

Portugal coach Fernando Santos partnered Ronaldo with Atletico Madrid’s Felix in attack while Danilo Pereira joined Ruben Dias in the centre of defence. In midfield, Santos chose an attacking formation with only Ruben Neves as an anchor.

Ghana manager Otto Addo went for three central defenders in a bid to thwart Portugal and entrusted former Spain international Inaki Williams to lead his attack.

Teams

Portugal: Diogo Costa, Joao Cancelo, Danilo Pereira, Ruben Dias, Raphael Guerreiro, Ruben Neves, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Otavio, Joao Felix, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ghana: Lawrence Ati-Zigi, Abdul-Rahman Baba, Daniel Amartey, Alexander Djiku, Mohammed Salisu, Alidu Seidu, Thomas Partey, Salis Abdul Samed, Mohammed Kudus, Andre Ayew, Inaki Williams

The United States marked the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday with traditional feasts, parades and American football, taking a moment to celebrate in a week shadowed by gun violence.

The official holiday dates to the Civil War, when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November as a day to give thanks and seek healing. U.S. schoolchildren learn to trace the holiday to Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620 and celebrated the autumn harvest with the Wampanoag peoples. Among Native Americans, Thanksgiving is a day of dark reflection on the genocide that followed.

Americans were mourning this year in the wake of a pair of deadly shootings. On Saturday, an attacker opened fire in an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, killing five people. On Tuesday, a Walmart employee gunned down six coworkers and turned the gun on himself in Chesapeake, Virginia.

Those were just two of the more than 600 mass shootings so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, using the definition of four or more shot or killed, not including the shooter.

President Joe Biden on Thursday called the two owners of Colorado Springs nightspot Club Q, Nic Grzecka and Matthew Haynes, to offer condolences and thank them for their contributions to the community, the White House said.

While visiting a firehouse on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, to thank first responders on Thanksgiving, Biden told reporters he would attempt to pass some form of gun control before a new Congress is seated in January, possibly renewing his attempt to ban assault weapons.

“The idea we still allow semi-automatic weapons to be purchased is sick. It’s just sick. It has no, no social redeeming value, zero, none. Not a single solitary rationale for it except profits for gun manufacturers,” Biden said, presumably referring to certain rifles as many common and less lethal weapons are also semi-automatic.

Earlier Biden phoned into presenters of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, a televised extravaganza of marching bands, floats and performances by stars including Dionne Warwick, who sang the classic “What the World Needs Now.”

The approach of the long holiday weekend typically ignites a frenzy of travel as scattered families come together from across the country for holiday meals.

Midnight after Thanksgiving also marks the unofficial start of the Christmas shopping season, offering a snapshot of the state of the U.S. economy.

Televised American football serves as the backdrop to turkey dinners with mounds of side dishes and desserts. The National Football League was staging three games Thursday.

Thanksgiving also prompts an outpouring of donations to the poor and hungry, a task complicated by avian flu outbreaks that have eliminated about 8 million turkeys, making the big birds more scarce and thus more expensive this year. Production of turkey meat this year is forecast to fall 7% from 2021, according to U.S. government data.

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Much of Ukraine on Thursday remained without heat or power after the most devastating Russian air strikes on its energy grid so far, and in Kyiv residents were warned to brace for further attacks and stock up on water, food and warm clothing.

Ukrenergo, which oversees Ukraine’s national power grid, said 50 percent of demand in Ukraine was not being met as of 7 p.m. Kyiv time (1700 GMT) after key energy facilities were hit and it could not say when everything would be fully restored.

In the capital Kyiv, a city of three million, 60 percent of residents were without power amid temperatures well below freezing, mayor Vitaly Klitschko said.

“We understand that missile strikes like this could happen again. We have to be ready for any developments,” he added, according to Kyiv city council.

Ukrenergo said power would first be reconnected to sites of critical infrastructure — the gas distribution network, water supply networks, sewage systems and hospitals. Domestic consumers would be gradually reconnected, it added.

Viewed from space, Ukraine has become a dark patch on the globe at night, satellite images released by NASA showed, following repeated attacks by Russian missiles in recent weeks.

Ukrainian authorities have set up “invincibility centres”, sometimes in tents, where people can charge phones, warm up and get hot drinks.

“It is the second day we are without power and food. More than 60 children are waiting for food and we cannot prepare anything unless power gets fixed,” said a woman at one such centre in Kyiv.

Russia’s latest missile barrage killed 10 people and shut down all of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants for the first time in 40 years.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in an interview with the Financial Times that this week’s strike had created a situation not seen for 80 or 90 years – “a country on the European continent where there was totally no light.”

By early evening, officials said a reactor at one nuclear plant, Khmelnytskyi, had been reconnected to the grid.

The vast Zaporizhzhia plant in Russian-held territory was reconnected on Thursday, Ukrainian nuclear power company Energoatom said.

Since early October, Russia has attacked energy targets across Ukraine about once a week, each time firing hundreds of millions of dollars worth of missiles to destroy the power grid.

Moscow acknowledges attacking basic infrastructure, saying its aim is to reduce Ukraine’s ability to fight and push it to negotiate. Kyiv says such attacks are clearly intended to harm civilians, making them a war crime.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was Kyiv’s fault Ukrainians were suffering because it refused to yield to Moscow’s demands, which he did not spell out. Ukraine says it will only stop fighting when all Russian forces have left.

Nuclear officials say interruptions in power can disrupt cooling systems and cause an atomic disaster.

“There is a real danger of a nuclear and radiation catastrophe being caused by firing on the entire territory of Ukraine with Russian cruise and ballistic missiles,” Petro Kotin, head of Ukraine’s nuclear operator Energoatom said.

“Russia must answer for this shameful crime.”

More than 15,000 people have gone missing during the war in Ukraine, an official at the Hague-based International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) said on Thursday.

It opened an office in Kyiv in July to help Ukraine document and track down missing people. The ICMP’s programme director for Europe, Matthew Holliday, said it was unclear how many people had been forcibly transferred, were being held in detention in Russia, were alive and separated from their family members, or had died and had been buried in makeshift graves.

In Kyiv members of the Kyiv National Academic Operetta Theater tearfully bid farewell to 26-year-old ballet dancer Vadym Khlupianets who was killed fighting Russian troops in eastern Ukraine.

Moscow has shifted to the tactic of striking Ukraine’s infrastructure even as Kyiv has inflicted battlefield defeats on Russian forces since September. Russia has also declared the annexation of land it occupies and called up hundreds of thousands of reservists.

The war’s first winter will now test whether Ukraine can press on with its campaign to recapture territory, or whether Russia’s commanders can keep their invasion forces supplied and find a way to halt Kyiv’s momentum.

Having retreated, Russia has a far shorter line to defend to hold on to seized lands, with more than a third of the front now blocked off by the Dnipro River.

“Ukraine will slowly grow in capabilities, but a continued maneuver east of the Dnipro River and into Russian-occupied Donbas will prove to be much tougher fights,” tweeted Mark Hertling, a former commander of U.S. ground forces in Europe.

“Ukrainian morale will be tested with continued Russian attacks against civilian infrastructure … but Ukraine will persevere.”

Russia has pursued an offensive of its own along the front line west of the city of Donetsk, held by Moscow’s proxies since 2014. Ukraine said Russian forces tried again to advance on their main targets, Bakhmut and Avdiivka, with only limited success.

Further south, Russian forces were digging in on the eastern bank of the Dnipro, shelling areas across it including the city of Kherson, recaptured by Ukrainian forces this month.

Reuters could not immediately verify the battlefield accounts.

Moscow says it is carrying out a “special military operation” to protect Russian speakers in what Putin calls an artificial state carved from Russia. Ukraine and the West call the invasion an unprovoked war of aggression.

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