Americans ‘thirsty’ for independent candidates, but Kennedy faces big challenges to ballot access

On Tuesday, environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced he was leaving the Democratic presidential primary race and launching an independent campaign for the US presidency in the November 2024 elections. Kennedy had been polling a distant second place in the Democratic race, with most liberal voters opting for the incumbent, US President Joe Biden.

The campaign of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has the potential to invigorate many disaffected voters, especially on the right, but steep restrictions on ballot access created by the two main US parties could make it impossible for him to win, political analysts told Sputnik.

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🇺🇸 US Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA), who was officially nominated for the House speakership on Wednesday, does not have enough support from his colleagues at present to hold a full confirmation vote, a congressional source told Sputnik.

Earlier Wednesday, House Republicans voted to nominate Scalise, the chamber's majority leader, as speaker in a vote of 113-99, beating fellow US Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH).

However, several Republicans, including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Max Miller (R-OH) have said they would still vote for Jordan in a full vote on the House floor.

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🇷🇺 Samara University researchers in Russia have found an affordable way to assess vein elasticity by analyzing heart and pulse rhythms, potentially aiding heart disease prevention.

Vascular elasticity is a key aspect of cardiovascular health, and traditional assessment methods are costly and require specialized equipment, researchers say.

This new non-invasive method measures the difference between a patient's heart and pulse rhythms and could improve early atherosclerosis diagnosis and support heart attack prevention. The researchers also hope their findings will benefit the field of physiology.

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Finnish police spokesman Mikko Simola said on Wednesday that some external traces had been detected in the seabed near the site where the Balticconnector gas pipeline was damaged, adding that the Central Finland Police Department is investigating the matter together with colleagues from Estonia.

Earlier in the day, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said his ministry obtained photo and video footage of the damage, which suggests the pipeline was pulled from one side and dragged. Authorities cannot rule out the pipeline was damaged by an anchor, media reported.

"At this stage of the preliminary investigation, the focus remains on the technical examination of the damage site and the incident site … maritime traffic in the area," Simola told a media briefing.

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❗️ Citing the Palestinian Ministry of Health, media reported that the latest death toll figures from Israeli strikes on Gaza reached 1,200 and another 5,600 injured

🇺🇸 US President Joe Biden filed paperwork on Wednesday to appear on Nevada’s Democratic Party primary ballot next year, making official his candidacy in the 2024 US presidential election.

The Democratic Party holds 57 nominating contests to choose its candidate for president every four years: one for each state plus contests in Washington, DC, five US territories, and a poll of Democrats living abroad. Nevada’s October 16 filing deadline is the first of the 57 contests.

Although some have questioned the wisdom of Biden’s candidacy at the age of 80, he has faced little formal challenge within his party.

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❗️ A child died when debris from a drone fell on a house near Belgorod, increasing the number of victims to three, the regional governor said.

Two victims are said to be in an extremely serious condition, and are presently in intensive care, the governor added.

🇷🇺🇸🇦 Trade between Russia and Saudi Arabia has increased by 20% in the seven months, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said.

Additionally, Russia is ready to increase supplies of petroleum products to Saudi Arabia, the official said.

Russia and Saudi Arabia will also discuss the situation on the global oil market, including the changes caused by the recent escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Novak added.

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🇷🇺🇰🇬 Vladimir Putin arrives on an official visit to Kyrgyzstan

This is the first foreign visit for the Russian president this year.

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🇵🇸🇮🇱 Israeli army kills senior Hamas member

💬 "IDF aircraft have killed Muhammad Abu Shamla, a senior operative from the Hamas naval formation in the Rafah Brigade," the army said.

Shamla’s house was allegedly used to store weapons “intended to carry out terrorist operations against Israel”.

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🇵🇸🇮🇱 Canadian-born pop star Justin Bieber posts "Praying for Israel" over a picture of Gaza

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🇱🇧🇮🇱 IDF says it has deployed reservist forces to towns on the Lebanon border

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🇷🇺 LIVE NOW: Lavrov holds press conference in Kyrgyzstan's Bishkek

Join the live stream here or follow this link to Sputnik's website

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