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Two more cases of a new strain of mpox have been detected in the UK, officials say.

Last week, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said a single case of the mpox virus variant Clade 1b had been confirmed in London.

The agency has now announced a further two cases – in household contacts of the first case.

The two patients are currently under specialist care at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London, it added.

“The risk to the UK population remains low,” the UKHSA said.

“There has been extensive planning under way to ensure healthcare professionals are equipped and prepared to respond to any further confirmed cases.”

The UKHSA’s chief medical adviser, Professor Susan Hopkins, said: “Mpox is very infectious in households with close contact and so it is not unexpected to see further cases within the same household.

“The overall risk to the UK population remains low. We are working with partners to make sure all contacts of the cases are identified and contacted to reduce the risk of further spread.”

The first case detected in London last week was a person who had been on holiday in Africa.

They developed flu-like symptoms more than 24 hours after returning to the UK and later developed a rash which worsened in the following days.

The agency said contacts of all three cases are being followed up on and would be offered testing and vaccination as needed.

What are the symptoms of mpox and how is it passed on?

Common symptoms of the disease include a skin rash or pus-filled lesions, which can last between two to four weeks. It can also cause fever, headaches, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen lymph nodes.

Mpox, and the Clade 1b strain, is usually passed on by close physical contact, contact with infected animals, or sexual transmission.

The UK has a stock of mpox vaccines and last month announced more were being procured to support a routine immunisation programme.

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Actor and comedian Will Ferrell is throwing his star power behind Kamala Harris – it’s just another in a long list of celebrity endorsements for the vice president.

In an official Harris campaign ad, Ferrell jokingly threatens voters if they don’t vote for Harris.

‘This election is going to be one of the closest in history. Your vote will make the difference,’ Ferrell begins.

He then mocks a voter disagreeing about their vote making a difference. 

‘That means you, Gary. ‘Oh, blah blah blah, I’m just one person.’ No. Shut the f— up, Gary,’ Ferrell says. 

‘Last time, only a few thousand votes kept Trump out of office. And this time, we will hold you personally responsible, Gary,’ Ferrell threatens.

Critics took to X, telling the actor to stick to comedy and stay out of politics.

‘Democrats have now resorted to physically threatening people to vote for Kamala. Will Ferrell should’ve stuck to comedy. This isn’t funny at all,’ one user wrote.

‘Will Ferrell is making it REAL tough for me to watch Elf this season,’ another user commented. 

Ferrell joins a list of actors and celebrities who have used their status to endorse Harris in the homestretch of the campaign. 

On Thursday, actors Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Danai Gurira, Don Cheadle and Paul Bettany took part in a video endorsement, mocked as ‘new cringe’ for Harris and Tim Walz, that was posted on Ruffalo’s X account.

‘We’re back. Let’s #AssembleForDemocracy. In the #ElectionEndgame, every vote counts,’ Ruffalo wrote, encouraging people to vote for Harris and Democrats.

In the video, they jokingly suggested Harris needed a catchphrase, referencing their past movies.

Bettany remarked, ‘How about ‘I’m down with democracy’? It’s clean and simple.’

‘I’m Kamala Harris and I say down with democracy,’ Cheadle joked, adding, ‘Yeah, together we got to tear down democracy.’

Near the end of the video, he phrased it saying, ‘I’m Kamala Harris, and I am down with democracy.’

Singer Beyoncé introduced Harris at a rally in Houston, Texas.

The final New York Times/Siena College Battleground poll of the 2024 race shows a razor-tight election in the battleground states just days before the election.

Trump leads in Arizona, while Harris has a lead in Georgia, North Carolina, Nevada and Wisconsin. Michigan and Pennsylvania are tied between the two candidates, according to the poll.

The poll comes just two days before an election that promises to be one of the closest in recent memory, with the New York Times/Siena poll not being the only one showing tight margins.

Fox News Digital’s Lindsay Kornick, Michael Lee, and Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report. 

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Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi claimed that former President Donald Trump’s brain is ‘deteriorating’ and he will not be capable of serving out a four-year term as president.

During an appearance on MSNBC, Pelosi said that individuals thinking of voting for Trump ‘have to know that he can’t last as president for four years with his brain deteriorating at the rate that it is … and they may be voting for President Vance, which would be a horrible thing for our country.’

While speaking in Pennsylvania on Sunday, Trump — who was shot in the ear earlier this year during a speech — made a joke, saying, ‘to get me somebody would have to shoot through the fake news, and I don’t mind that so much.’

Pelosi described the former president’s comments as ‘further indication of his cognitive degeneration.’

She then referenced Trump’s prior discussion of whether he would prefer electrocution or getting eaten by sharks. 

‘Something’s very wrong there,’ Pelosi said.

Trump has spoken about a hypothetical scenario of being on a sinking electric boat and having to choose death by electrocution or sharks — he notes that he would choose electrocution. 

‘I’ll take electrocution every single time,’ Trump has said.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt slammed Pelosi.

‘The only thing deteriorating is Nancy Pelosi who is a decrepit washed up corrupt politician who America can no longer stand,’ Leavitt said in the statement. ‘She should go back to the City of San Francisco, which she has totally destroyed, and never return.’

Pelosi has served in Congress since mid-1987.

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Former President Trump taunted Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., during a rally in Kinston, North Carolina, on Sunday, calling him a ‘disgrace,’ despite receiving his endorsement for president in 2024. 

‘Hopefully we get rid of Mitch McConnell pretty soon ‘cause he helped them, that guy,’ he said, claiming the Kentucky Republican assisted President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ administration. 

McConnell, the longest-serving party leader in Senate history, notably announced in February that he would not seek the role of leader again after the 2024 elections. 

‘Can you believe he endorsed me?’ Trump asked the crowd Sunday. ‘Boy, that must have been a painful day in his life.’

In March, once it became clear that Trump would go on to win the Republican nomination for president, McConnell gave him his backing. ‘It is abundantly clear that former President Trump has earned the requisite support of Republican voters to be our nominee for President of the United States,’ he said in a statement at the time. 

The endorsement came as a surprise to some, given the contentious relationship between the two men. But McConnell insisted it should not be considered at all unusual. ‘It should come as no surprise that as nominee, he will have my support,’ he said. 

Remarking on the early 2024 endorsement from McConnell, Trump said on Sunday, ‘Every time I think of it, he didn’t have to do that.’

‘He provided the necessary votes,’ Trump claimed, presumably referring to votes he disagreed with in Congress. ‘What a disgrace.’

McConnell’s office did not provide comment to Fox News Digital in time for publication. 

The former president’s mocking of both McConnell and his endorsement comes after the minority leader’s own thoughts on him over the years were revealed in a new book. 

In ‘The Price of Power,’ by Michael Tackett, deputy Washington bureau chief of The Associated Press, it was reported that McConnell referred to Trump at times as a ‘sleazeball,’ ‘stupid,’ ‘erratic,’ a ‘despicable human being,’ and a ‘narcissist.’

The secret ballot election for the next leader, who will succeed McConnell, is slated for Nov. 13, just after the general elections. In the running to replace him are Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., and Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rick Scott, R-Fla.

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Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have spent all their time traveling to a select group of states leading up to Election Day, with two of them commanding the most of their attention. 

An analysis of trips reveals that both candidates have visited Pennsylvania and Michigan a combined 52 times since Aug. 5, according to Axios.  

Later today, Harris will be visiting Pennsylvania for the 17th time during that period when she speaks at a series of campaign rallies there, Axios reported. 

The analysis found that she has made 10 visits to Michigan – her second most-traveled-to state – eight to Wisconsin, six to Georgia, six to North Carolina, four to Arizona and four to Nevada. 

Harris also has traveled two times each to New York and California for fundraisers and hosted a campaign rally in Texas late last month. 

For Trump, he has been to Pennsylvania 15 times already, followed by 11 visits to Michigan and 11 visits to North Carolina, according to Axios. 

On the eve of Election Day, Trump is hosting rallies in all three of those battleground states one more time. 

Following those states, since the start of August, Trump has traveled to Wisconsin seven times, Georgia seven times, Nevada five times, Arizona four times and New York four times, Axios reported. 

The analysis was based on press releases and media reports and does not include stops that Harris or Trump made in Washington, D.C., or Florida, where they are respectively based. 

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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is telling Americans ‘do NOT vote for me’ on the eve of Election Day, adding in a video that a vote for Trump is ‘the only way that we can get me and everything I stand for into Washington, D.C. and fulfill the mission that motivated my campaign.’ 

The fresh plea comes after the Supreme Court last week denied separate appeals by RFK Jr. to remove his name from the ballots in Wisconsin and Michigan.  

‘I’ve asked my voters repeatedly to vote for President Trump, but even a few votes for me in [Michigan] could swing the ballot in a way that the public doesn’t intend and the voters don’t intend,’ he told ‘America’s Newsroom’ on Sunday.

Kennedy, who once was running as an independent presidential candidate, has been trying to get his name off ballots in key battleground states since he suspended his campaign in August and endorsed Trump. 

‘Hey everybody, a lot of people are asking me if they live in a red state or blue state should they still be voting for me? What about swing states? The answer is easy – no,’ RFK Jr. then said in a video posted to his X account on Monday. 

‘No matter what state you live in, you should be voting for Donald Trump. And let me tell you why. That’s the only way that we can get me and everything I stand for into Washington, D.C. and fulfill the mission that motivated my campaign,’ he continued. 

Above the video, RFK Jr. wrote ‘No matter what state you live in, do NOT vote for me’ and ‘Let’s get President Trump back in the White House and me to Washington so we can Make America Healthy Again, end the forever wars, and protect our civil liberties.’ 

When he suspended his campaign, Kennedy said he planned to keep his name on the ballot in safe Democratic and Republican states, but didn’t want to be a spoiler in battleground states. 

Fox News’ Stepheny Price contributed to this report. 

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It has been five decades since Lorne Michaels’ ‘not ready for prime-time players’ created Saturday Night Live, a show whose stars and characters became touchstones for all Americans, regardless of politics. But this weekend, Michaels decided to flush that all down the toilet.

On Saturday night, Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on the birthplace of Ed Grimley and the Church Lady in a cringeworthy skit that also happened to be a blatant violation of Federal Communications Commission elections rules.

Now isn’t that special?

Back on Oct. 1, Michaels told The Hollywood Reporter that neither Harris nor her opponent Donald Trump would appear on the show, a statement which turned out to have all the honesty of Jon Lovitz saying, ‘Yeah, that’s the ticket.’

Suddenly, with three days left before the election, Michaels decided that his comedy show, one of the few things all Americans still share, would become a full-blown arm of the Harris campaign.

Live from New York….It’s Democrat Propaganda!

I’d be very curious to know exactly how this happened. Did Michaels have a change of heart and reach out to Harris? Or, as seems more likely, did a panicked Harris campaign beg for her star turn on the weekly broadcast?

This is the same Kamala Harris who couldn’t be bothered to attend the Al Smith dinner at the invitation of Cardinal Timothy Dolan because her schedule was too tight. Suddenly, 72 hours before the election, she cancels a rally in Michigan to appear live at the home of Father Guido Sarducci?

Live from New York….It’s Democrat Propaganda!

Michaels broke a real and serious trust here, part of what makes comedy as social commentary work. It’s something SNL has often strived at: fairness and the idea that all sides are open to ridicule. Such a blatant display of partisanship destroys that.

This is why woke comedy doesn’t work. In the place of the edgy and honest skewering of society, it instead is a laundry list of pseudo-religious shibboleths wearing a shabby comic costume. 

The audience isn’t laughing at the joke, but at the stupidity of those they disagree with.  

It is also worth noting that SNL has produced some of the most notable conservatives in Hollywood, including Dennis Miller, Rob Schneider, and Victoria Jackson.

The reason that comedians skew more to the right is that, unlike actors, screenwriters, or directors, they don’t learn their craft in colleges or conservatories with progressive worldviews. They just sign up at a club and if people laugh they get asked back.

Comedians also need to be free to walk right up to the line of decency in their work, to challenge the things the left says should not be challenged. This is why Dave Chappelle is in hot water every six months.

In this sense, Michaels has not only done the worst disservice to his audience since he took Norm MacDonald off of the Weekend Update segment, he’s also harmed his own cast who he decided to feature in a super expensive political ad.

In response to the FCC violation, NBC gave Trump equal time during NASCAR and NFL broadcasts, but who at the network greenlighted this mess to begin with? Whoever it is deserves to be sleeping in a van down by the river. 

If there is a silver lining to Michaels’ mendacity, it is that the Harris skit was abysmal. Every time she looked in the mirror, all I could think of was Stuart Smalley saying, ‘I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me.’

Michaels really ought to apologize to his audience and his cast for either his harebrained decision to hand the show over to Harris or his cowardly acquiescence to their unfair and illegal request.

Whichever it is, he doesn’t exactly look marvelous.

If there is ever a time when Americans need an escape from the constant drumbeat of partisan politics, ads and signs, it is three days before an election, but Michaels didn’t care, trying to elect Harris was more important.

Michaels might think he pumped up Harris like Hanz and Franz, but all he really did was soil the reputation of his show. As Wayne and Garth might say, at least in this instance, ‘he’s not worthy.’

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A new poll released Monday with just hours to go until Election Day shows Vice President Kamala Harris with a four-point lead over former President Trump nationally, while the gender gap between both candidates is narrowing. 

The NPR/PBS News/Marist Poll of 1,297 likely voters, which was conducted from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2., shows Harris capturing 51% of the vote, compared to Trump with 47%. The poll has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.

The survey shows that as Election Day nears, more men are gravitating to Harris while increasing numbers of women are supporting Trump. 

In the same poll taken in late September, Trump led Harris among men by 57% to 41%. Now that lead has shrunk to 51-47%.   

For Harris, a month ago she led Trump among women voters 58% to 40%, but now that gap has narrowed to 55-44%, according to PBS News. 

Trump is leading Harris among independent voters 51% to 46%, and of those likely voters who say they already have cast their ballots, Harris received 56% support, while Trump has captured 53% among those who have yet to vote, Marist reported. 

Thirty-one percent of those surveyed listed preserving democracy as their ‘top of mind’ issue when they think about voting this November, followed by inflation with 25%, immigration with 19%, abortion with 10% and health care with 7%. 

When asked if Harris is mainly making proposals that she intends to carry out or is making proposals that are just intended to get people to vote for her, voters were divided at 49% for each choice. 

When the same was asked about Trump, 55% said they believed he was making proposals he intends to follow through on, compared to 44% who believe he is just trying to secure votes, the poll shows. 

Despite Harris holding a national lead in the poll, when the voters were asked who they think will actually win the election, 49% said Trump, while 46% said Harris. 

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Vice President Harris and former President Trump dropped the last ads of their 2024 presidential campaigns — both focusing their final pitch to voters on the ‘people.’

Harris’s ad focused on issues and a new generation of leadership, while Trump partnered with several of his most prominent teammates, such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Elon Musk, to make the closing statement.

Trump’s final ad featured not only his own narration, but those of all the top political figures who were key players throughout his campaign.

‘What will we do with this moment? How will we be remembered? Look at the opportunities before us,’ Trump said in the opening of his closing ad.

The video then turns to Democrat-turned Republican Tulsi Gabbard, who says, ‘This election really isn’t about the left versus the right. It’s about we the people, choosing our government and the choice between freedom versus tyranny.’

‘Nobody has a chronic disease burden like we have. Why are we allowing this to happen to our children?’ former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says. ‘Ultimately, the only thing that will save our country is if we choose to love our kids more than we hate each other.’

The ad also heard from Nicole Shanahan, RFK Jr.’s former running mate and a former Democrat voter.

Vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and Tesla CEO Elon Musk were also featured in Trump’s final pitch to voters.

‘The people dreamed this country,’ Trump said. ‘And it’s the people who are making america great again.’

Harris’ ad, titled ‘Brighter Future,’ opened with clips of her talking with voters on the campaign trail before she begins speaking about different issues frequently highlighted throughout her campaign.

‘Throughout this campaign, I’ve seen the best of America, and I’ve seen what is holding you back and weighing you down,’ Harris said. ‘High costs, fundamental rights taken away, and politics that have driven fear and division. You deserve better. As president, I’ll bring a new generation of leadership.’

The advertisement played a segment from her closing argument speech in front of the White House.

‘The vast majority of people in our country have so much more in common than what separates them. Good people, hardworking people. We see in our fellow Americans, neighbors, not enemies,’ she continued. ‘Together, we’ll build a brighter future for our nation.’

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5.

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American intelligence officials released a recent statement warning about Russian actors conducting ‘additional influence operations’ to impact the upcoming election on Tuesday.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) published the latest update on its website on Monday evening. Speaking on behalf of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the ODNI detailed the latest intelligence findings.

Last week, officials said that they observed Russian actors creating and disseminating a fake video that showed individuals voting illegally, and a video accusing a politician of taking a bribe. Since then, the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) has observed Russia and other foreign adversaries ‘conducting additional influence operations intended to undermine public confidence in the integrity of U.S. elections and stoke divisions among Americans.’

‘The IC expects these activities will intensify through election day and in the coming weeks, and that foreign influence narratives will focus on swing states,’ the statement read.

Of all the foreign adversaries seeking to impact the election, the ODNI said that Russia ‘is the most active threat.’

‘Influence actors linked to Russia in particular are manufacturing videos and creating fake articles to undermine the legitimacy of the election, instill fear in voters regarding the election process, and suggest Americans are using violence against each other due to political preferences, judging from information available to the IC,’ the ODNI continued. ‘These efforts risk inciting violence, including against election officials.’

‘We anticipate Russian actors will release additional manufactured content with these themes through election day and in the days and weeks after polls close.’

In recent days, Russian actors created an article reporting about false plans for swing state officials to orchestrate election fraud, and also made a recent video that ‘falsely depicted an interview with an individual claiming election fraud in Arizona.

Officials also believe that Iranian actors may be meddling with the election and disseminating false information, as they have done in the past. The meddlers may intend ‘to create fake media content intended to suppress voting or stoke violence, as they have done in past election cycles,’ the ODNI noted.

The FBI encourages anyone who observes suspicious or criminal activity to call 1-800-CALL-FBI. Cyber incidents impacting election infrastructure can be reported to the CISA through the number 1-844-SAY-CISA.

The report came less than 24 hours before polls are set to open on Nov. 5, in what is expected to be a toss-up election between Vice President Harris and former President Trump. Swing states across the country have been on the lookout for fake ballots.

On Monday, the chair of a Pennsylvania county election board announced that he had found 2,500 suspicious registration and mail-in ballot applications. At least 17% of the applications were fraudulent.

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