Actress Sonya Eddy, known for playing a nurse in 'General Hospital,' dead at 55



Sonya Eddy, the actress known for her role as nurse Epiphany Johnson in "General Hospital," is dead at the age of 55 years old.

"My friend @sonyaeddy passed away last night. The world lost another creative angel. Her legions of @generalhospitalabc fans will miss her," actress Octavia Spencer wrote in an Instagram post. "My thoughts and prayers are with her loved ones, friends, and fans!"

"I am heartbroken about the loss of the incredible @TheRealSonyaEd," tweeted "General Hospital" executive producer Frank Valentini. "I truly loved her not only as actress, but as a friend. The lights in the hub of the nurse’s station will now be a little dimmer, but her spirit and light will live on in both the show and our set." In another tweet, Valentini added, "On behalf of the entire #GH cast and crew, we send our deepest sympathy to her family, friends, and fans. She will be very missed."

\u201cI am heartbroken about the loss of the incredible @TheRealSonyaEd. I truly loved her not only as actress, but as a friend. The lights in the hub of the nurse\u2019s station will now be a little dimmer, but her spirit and light will live on in both the show and our set.\u201d
— Frank Valentini (@Frank Valentini) 1671565677

Eddy had appeared in more than 500 episodes of the long-running soap opera, according to IMDb. Over her career, she had appeared on one episode each of shows such as "Desperate Housewives," "Glee," "2 Broke Girls," "Mike & Molly," "House," "Home Improvement," "Touched by an Angel," "Reba," and "Monk," according to IMDb, which also indicates that she was on two episodes of "Seinfeld." The IMDb page also indicates that she appeared in films such as "Daddy Day Care," "Inspector Gadget," and "Barbershop."

"R.I.P. Sonya u will be so missed," tweeted Kin Shriner, who plays the character Scotty Baldwin on the soap opera. "What a sense of humor she had . So sad . @GeneralHospital will never be the same," he noted.

\u201cR.I.P. Sonya u will be so missed . What a sense of humor she had . So sad . @GeneralHospital will never be the same .\u201d
— Kin Shriner (@Kin Shriner) 1671565159

Mitch McConnell not hopeful Republicans will retake control of Senate, cites 'candidate quality'



Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is not optimistic about the Republican Party's chances of retaking control of the Senate in November.

What did McConnell say?

McConnell suggested Thursday he believes the GOP will have a difficult time flipping the Senate, citing "candidate quality."

"I think there's probably a greater likelihood the House flips than the Senate. Senate races are just different, they're statewide, candidate quality has a lot to do with the outcome," McConnell said.

\u201cMCCONNELL in KY asked for his midterm projections: "I think there's probably a greater likelihood the House flips than the Senate. Senate races are just different, they're statewide, candidate quality has a lot to do with the outcome."\u201d
— Frank Thorp V (@Frank Thorp V) 1660841489

While it is not exactly clear what McConnell's "candidate quality" remark means, it most likely refers to various Republican nominees who may have a difficult time winning their elections.

For example, many Republicans whom former President Donald Trump endorsed — J.D. Vance in Ohio, Blake Masters in Arizona, Herschel Walker in Georgia, Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania — are struggling in the polls. If they lose their races, it will be difficult for Republicans to flip enough Senate seats to retake control of the Senate.

In light of their struggling campaigns, McConnell predicted earlier this month the race for control of the Senate will be "very tight."

"I think it's going to be very tight. We have a 50-50 nation. And I think when this Senate race smoke clears, we’re likely to have a very, very close Senate still, with us up slightly or the Democrats up slightly," McConnell said.

In fact, the Republican leader has been warning for months that the quality of candidates will be important for the GOP to retake control of the Senate.

And unfortunately for Republicans, the Democratic Party plans to exploit the candidate quality.

"We are just beginning to communicate about the deep flaws that their roster of candidates brings to these races," David Bergstein, the spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, told the Washington Examiner. "Their personal and political vulnerabilities are going to continue to be a centerpiece of these Senate campaigns in the months ahead."

Anything else?

While McConnell may not be enthusiastic about GOP prospects, his counterpart in the House, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), is hopeful.

"We’ll win the majority and I’ll be speaker," McCarthy told Fox News of the 2022 election outcome this week.

Frank Luntz suggests referring to 'gun safety' rather than 'gun control'



Pollster Frank Luntz is suggesting that people change the terminology they employ by using the term "gun safety" in lieu of the phrase "gun control."

"'Gun control' makes it irreversibly political. 'Gun safety' is something everyone can agree on. #WordsThatWork," Luntz tweeted on Thursday. Luntz is the author of the book "Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear."

Some on social media pounced in response to his suggested language shift.

"Yeet this fraudster into the sea," Ben Domenech tweeted.

"Is Frank all right?" Mark Davis tweeted. "'Gun safety' is taken. It's a term referring to safe handling and operation of your gun. We can call #guncontrol a pepperoni pizza if everybody wants to. It will remain a bad idea."

David Harsanyi tweeted, "Instead of providing clarity and truth, this guy's job is to come up with transparently hackish words and phrases meant to mislead people."

Luntz replied, "It's 'transparently hackish' to try bringing people from different sides of an issue to the same table for a discussion?"

\u201c@davidharsanyi It's \u201ctransparently hackish\u201d to try bringing people from different sides of an issue to the same table for a discussion?\u201d
— David Harsanyi (@David Harsanyi) 1653589138

Luntz had also suggested reframing the language to "gun safety" during a media appearance. He said that people do not think individuals should be allowed to own assault rifles, but they do believe the minimum age for firearm ownership should be increased. "The public does believe in certain checks to ensure that people have the ability to own a gun," he said, adding that, "they believe in gun training." He described these concepts as "not hostile to the Constitution."

"What gun measures do most Americans agree on?" Luntz tweeted, along with a list that included increasing the "minimum age to 21," "Universal background checks," and "Restrictions on semi-auto rifle ownership." He added, "It's possible to set smart, sensible and responsible gun policy and still preserve the 2nd Amendment."

The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states, "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

\u201c@VassyKapelos What gun measures do most Americans agree on?\n\n1. Raise minimum age to 21\n2. Universal background checks\n3. Restrictions on semi-auto rifle ownership\n\nIt\u2019s possible to set smart, sensible and responsible gun policy and still preserve the 2nd Amendment.\n\n\ud83d\udc49\ud83c\udffb https://t.co/4fd6HIHbSn\u201d
— Frank Luntz (@Frank Luntz) 1653585317

New York state trooper sues Andrew Cuomo. Sexual harassment lawsuit includes former governor's aide and spokesperson, who declares: 'I'm not afraid of these ambulance-chasing hucksters.'



A New York state trooper is suing disgraced former Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo for allegedly groping her. The lawsuit against Cuomo spilled into Twitter where Cuomo's spokesperson slammed the law firm representing the alleged sexual harassment victim.

The trooper's lawsuit filed in Manhattan on Thursday seeks attorney fees and damages for "severe mental anguish and emotional distress." The lawsuit accuses the state police of violating laws barring harassment.

"Given the threats and victim-shaming that Trooper 1 has faced after she testified truthfully about being sexually harassed in the workplace by the former governor, she has made the decision to proceed with this lawsuit anonymously with the hope that she can vindicate her legal rights and move on with her life," the trooper's counsel Valdi Licul said.

Last August, state Attorney General Letitia James said, "The independent investigation has concluded that Governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women and in doing so violated federal and state law."

James specified that Cuomo "sexually harassed current and former New York State employees by engaging in unwelcome and nonconsensual touching and making numerous offensive comments of a suggestive and sexual nature that created a hostile work environment for women." James noted that there were multiple women accusing Cuomo of inappropriate behavior, including one unnamed woman who was referred to as "Trooper 1."

Law & Crime details the new sexual harassment lawsuit against Cuomo:

"Between 2013 and 2021, the Governor of the State of New York, Andrew Cuomo, sexually harassed at least 11 women, including nine current and former state employees,” the lawsuit begins. “He wanted hugs (‘the hugs definitely got closer and tighter to the point where I knew I could feel him pushing my body against his and definitely making sure that he could feel my breasts up against his body’); kisses (‘he would normally go to kiss me on the cheek and he would quickly turn his head and catch me on the lips’); and to talk about sex (‘he wanted to know if I slept with older men’). He told his victims he was ‘lonely’ and asked them to find him a ‘girlfriend.’ He leered at them (‘he was fully staring down my shirt’). And he touched them inappropriately (‘[h]e placed and pressed, then moved his finger across my breasts in a way that clearly meant to show me his power and his ability to control by body and my dignity’).”

The lawsuit also alleges that longtime aide Melissa DeRosa utilized the "machinery of the State" to orchestrate a cover-up of the purported unwanted advances. The suit accuses DeRosa – who was Cuomo's former chief-of-staff – of being "specifically involved in hiding the governor’s behavior."

DeRosa's attorney – Paul Shechtman – told NBC News that his client's "only interaction with her [the trooper] was to say 'hello and goodbye.' It is not a viable case anywhere in America and is beyond frivolous."

Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi issued a statement on Thursday regarding the lawsuit.

"This claim relies on the AG’s proven fraud of a report, as demonstrated by the five district attorneys who, one by one – Democrat and Republican – looked at its findings and found no violations of law," Azzopardi said.

"If kissing someone on the cheek, patting someone on the back or stomach or waving hello at a public event on New Year’s Eve is actionable then we are all in trouble," he continued.

Azzopardi claimed that Wigdor LLP – the law firm representing the state trooper – is "widely known to use the press to extort settlements on behalf of 'anonymous claimants' – that is un-American and will not happen here."

"Gov. Cuomo will fight every attempt at cheap cash extortions and is anxious to have the dirty politics stop – we look forward to justice in a court of law," Azzopardi concluded.

https://twitter.com/GAGreenberg/status/1494462610149888001\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/L7L9NV2dCn
— Rich Azzopardi (@Rich Azzopardi) 1645144750

Douglas Wigdor – a founding partner at the law firm – allegedly responded quickly to the accusations. He reportedly called on Cuomo to disavow Azzopardi's comments about the law firm and that the spokesperson retract the statements. If not, Wigdor said he would file an action for defamation.

Just got this. More threats.pic.twitter.com/k4o90OEhhl
— Rich Azzopardi (@Rich Azzopardi) 1645151764

On Friday morning, Wigdor reportedly filed a retaliation claim against Cuomo over Azzopardi's comments.

That was fast. Andrew Cuomo slapped with new retaliation claim for his comments *yesterday* in reaction to Trooper 1\u2019s lawsuit. \n\nAmended complaint filed this morning, as promised by @WigdorLaw to @RichAzzopardi https://twitter.com/frankrunyeon/status/1494504551549919241\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/xbYAXFev5N
— Frank G. Runyeon (@Frank G. Runyeon) 1645197975

Azzopardi reacted by blasting the law firm.

"To be clear: I'm not afraid of these ambulance-chasing hucksters," he tweeted. "This is clearly protected free speech that is supported by actual facts; and while I'm no lawyer there is no way this thing against me is not going to get laughed out of court."

In August, Cuomo resigned just days after an independent investigation claimed he sexually harassed nearly a dozen women.

Josh Hawley is first US senator to say he will object to Electoral College certification



Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) on Wednesday became the first U.S. senator to declare his intention to object to the Electoral College certification on Jan. 6.

Hawley will object to the certification of the Electoral College votes from Pennsylvania and other states that he says failed to follow their own election laws. Hawley will also call for Congress to launch an investigation into allegations of voter fraud and other election irregularities made by President Donald Trump's campaign.

"Following both the 2004 and 2016 elections, Democrats in Congress objected during the certification of electoral votes in order to raise concerns about election integrity. They were praised by Democratic leadership and the media when they did. And they were entitled to do so. But now those of us concerned about the integrity of this election are entitled to do the same," Hawley said in a news statement.

He continued:

I cannot cote to certify the electoral college results on January 6 without raising the fact that some states, particularly Pennsylvania, failed to follow their own state election laws. And I cannot vote to certify without pointing out the unprecedented effort of mega corporations, including Facebook and Twitter, to interfere in this election, in support of Joe Biden. At the very least, Congress should investigate allegations of voter fraud and adopt measures to secure the integrity of our elections. But Congress has so far failed to act.

For these reasons, I will follow the same practice Democrat members of Congress have in years past and object during the certification process on January 6 to raise these critical issues.
Sen @HawleyMO is the 1st GOP senator to officially say he’ll object to the electoral college certification on Jan 6: https://t.co/HyWFniBpgc
— Frank Thorp V (@Frank Thorp V)1609343695.0

By officially announcing his intention to object to the certification of Electoral College votes, Hawley has all but assured that the process will be bogged down by debate in Congress and guaranteed that Republicans will face a tough vote on whether to accept the election results.

Several Republican members of the House of Representatives, led by Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), have already announced they will object when Congress moves to officially certify the Electoral College votes from several contested battleground states where the Trump campaign's legal team and its allies have made allegations of election irregularities. When Hawley joins these representatives in objecting, they will trigger several hours of debate in a joint session of Congress in the House chamber.

At the end of the debate, the House and Senate will vote on whether to accept the results from Pennsylvania and other disputed states, forcing several GOP senators to choose between supporting President Trump's unproved claims of voter fraud or respecting the certified election results of these states.

Former Liberal MP to be questioned by ethics committee over $237 million contract

The Commons ethics committee voted to review “all aspects of the government’s involvement with Baylis Medical Company Inc. as well as former Liberal Member of Parliament Frank Baylis."

GOP pollster Frank Luntz says his industry is 'done' after poor 2020 forecasts



Longtime Republican pollster Frank Luntz says his industry is "done" after major forecasts were way off in projecting outcomes in the 2020 general election.

What are the details?

As numbers rolled in during the tight race between President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Tuesday night, Luntz told Axios, "The political polling profession is done." He added, "It is devastating for my industry."

National polls leading up to Election Day showed Biden held a commanding advantage over Trump, but the two candidates were neck and neck out of the gate and remained in a heated battle so close Wednesday that lawsuits were already filed.

The Hill pointed out that "beyond the presidential election...many pollsters were projecting that Democrats would gain House seats and the Senate majority," adding that, "Instead, it appears that Republicans will gain House seats and that the party has a strong chance of keeping control of the Senate."

On Twitter, Luntz pointed to the fact that GOP Sen. Susan Collins (Maine) was behind challenger Sara Gideon (D) in 14 major polls as Nov. 3 approached, but ended up winning by several points. He called the widespread inaccuracy "a systemic failure."

Systematic failure. https://t.co/lPKVA6PNnO
— Frank Luntz (@Frank Luntz)1604515730.0

Nearly two weeks ago, Luntz told Fox News that if President Trump wins and defies the polls as he did in 2016, his "profession is done."

"I hate to acknowledge it, because that's my industry — at least partially — but the public will have no faith, no confidence." Luntz told anchor Bret Baier. "Right now, the biggest issue is the trust deficit."

He added, "Pollsters did not do a good job in 2016. So, if Donald Trump surprises people, if Joe Biden had a 5- or 6-point lead, my profession is done."

Luntz issued an apology to fellow pollster John McLaughlin on Wednesday, saying McLaughlin beat "mainstream pollsters" with his predictions that Trump would have a strong showing in "key Rust Best states." Luntz had earlier said of McLaughlin's projections: "I don't believe it. But if he's right, he's a genius. If he's wrong, I wonder if he'll ever work again."

During an interview with CNBC on Wednesday, Luntz was asked if he was surprised by the outcomes of the election thus far. "My single biggest surprise is not something that you guys have been talking about, which is that it looks like the Republicans will keep control of the Senate," he replied.

"My second biggest surprise," he continued, "is that the pollsters at CNN and a few other places have not apologized for the numbers that are completely wrong."

GOP pollster Frank Luntz on how the 2020 polls were 'completely wrong' www.youtube.com

Every single hand goes up for President Trump in post-debate focus group of undecided voters on who would be better for economy



Pollster Frank Luntz put together a virtual focus group of undecided voters from swing states Thursday night to get their impressions of the second and final debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

The economy question

In an eye-opening moment near the end of the session, Luntz asked the 13 focus group participants the following question, "Who do you believe would do a better job with the economy after listening to tonight's debate, Joe Biden or Donald Trump?"

Luntz wanted a show of hands for each candidate — and when he asked who thought Biden would be better for the economy, not one hand went up.

When he asked if Trump would do a better job with the economy, every single hand went up.

"Clearly by that Trump is the preferred candidate," Luntz said in response.

Individual responses

Luntz then turned to the focus group participants to get their individual reasons for preferring Trump over Biden.

Jennifer from Michigan said Trump "has knowledge and a skill set to actually bring us ahead. I think that prior to COVID ... the first three years of his presidency, he was doing great. And then COVID happened, and our economy has obviously gone into the tanker ... and if there's somebody who's going to get us out, I believe it's going to be him."

Elizabeth from Georgia said that before the coronavirus pandemic, the economy was "better than it has been before. Our 401Ks have grown like crazy, and even in this pandemic look at the stock market — it's crazy. Everybody had jobs ... and here in Georgia, everybody can still have a job. Everywhere I go there's 'help wanted' signs, everywhere."

Tasha from Ohio said that navigating the economy "will take a special skill set" and that Trump "has shown us that he can recover in many different areas."

Opinion: Undecided voters assess final Trump-Biden debateyoutu.be

Anything else?

A tweet from Luntz offered some words from focus group members to describe Trump and Biden based on their debate performance:

My focus group’s words to describe Trump tonight:• “Controlled”• “Reserved”• “Poised”• “Con artist”• “Surprisi… https://t.co/tcS1sGgUha
— Frank Luntz (@Frank Luntz)1603423526.0

According to the Los Angeles Times, Luntz selected participants only if they met the following criteria: Currently registered to vote in one of 11 swing states; self-described as "possible" Biden or Trump voters; self-defined independents; and consider themselves "undecided." Participants were compensated $100 each for their time, the paper said.

The Times also said that, along with Luntz, it asked Sewell Chan, its editorial page editor, to pose questions to the focus group and provide analysis. He was pictured on the bottom of the screen next to Luntz.

Verdict from Luntz?

Luntz told Bloomberg Politics the debate was a tie — which he said bodes well for Biden:

.@FrankLuntz on tonight's debate between Trump and Biden: "The net of all this is essentially a tie... and that's v… https://t.co/hbJ9zcgUx1
— Bloomberg Politics (@Bloomberg Politics)1603421433.0

Trudeau government overpaid $100 MILLION for ventilators, gifted contract to former Liberal MP

The Trudeau government spent as much as $100,000,000 more than needed, as prices for Baylis' unapproved ventilators tower those of approved competitor Medtronic

Police converge on former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale's home after he reportedly barricades himself inside and threatens suicide



Police showed up at the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, home of former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale on Sunday, according to WPLG-TV, after Parscale's wife reportedly phoned authorities and reported that her husband was threatening suicide.

Parscale was removed from the campaign manager's post in July, just four months ahead of the 2020 presidential election, but continued working with the campaign in as a digital strategy manager.

What are the details?

WPLG reported that Parscale, 44, armed himself with a gun and barricaded himself inside his Florida home around 4 p.m. Sunday.

When officers arrived at the Parscale home, the former Trump campaign manager's wife reportedly told them that in addition to locking himself in with a weapon, he also had access to multiple firearms inside the home.

The station spoke with neighbors who confirmed that the home belonged to Parscale and his wife, Candice.

Authorities transported Parscale to Broward Health Medical Center under Florida's Baker Act, which allows officials to detain patients and place them under a 72-hour psychiatric hold.

President Donald Trump's campaign communications director, Tim Murtaugh, wrote in a statement, "Brad Parscale is a member of our family and we all love him. We are ready to support him and his family in any way possible."

He added, "The disgusting, personal attacks from Democrats and disgruntled RINOs have gone too far, and they should be ashamed of themselves for what they've done to this man and his family."

A tweet from WSVN-TV's Frank Guzman read, "Brad Parscale, the former campaign manager for Donald Trump, has been involuntarily hospitalized in Fort Lauderdale. It follows an incident at a home owned by Parscale."

Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Karen Dietrich told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that the incident was brief.

"We went out and it was very short," Dietrich said. "We went and got him help."

A portion of a release from Fort Lauderdale Police states:

FLPD responded to 2319 Desota Drive in reference to an armed male attempting suicide. When officers arrived on the scene, they made contact with the reportee (wife of armed subject) who advised her husband was armed, had multiple firearms inside the residence and threatening to harm himself. Officers determined the only occupant inside the home was the adult male. Officers made contact with the male, developed a rapport, and safely negotiated for him to exit the home. The male was detained without injury and transported to Broward Health Medical Center for a Baker Act. The above concludes all information available for this incident.
More from Ft Lauderdale Police: https://t.co/bZixYgGMC1
— Frank Guzman (@Frank Guzman)1601254539.0

Former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale, armed, barricades himself in Fort Lauderdale home, ...www.youtube.com