Latest news with #O'Connor
The Hill
2 hours ago
- Health
- The Hill
Is Biden's doctor covering up the president's last physical?
Dr. Kevin O'Connor, former President Joe Biden's longtime personal doctor and reportedly sometime family business associate, refused to answer questions about Biden's health at a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee meeting on July 9. Asked to testify about Biden's physical and mental condition, the doctor invoked the Fifth Amendment and declined to answer based on doctor-patient confidentiality — or was it to not incriminate himself? O'Connor's lack of response only raises more doubts about Biden's health and his administration's cover-up of it. According to a statement from O'Connor's legal team, 'On the advice of his legal counsel, Dr. O'Connor refused to answer questions that invaded the well-established legal privilege that protects confidential matters between physicians and their patients.' While the expectation of privacy in the doctor-patient relationship is fundamental and sacrosanct, that expectation is greatly reduced when we're talking about the president, who lives in a glass White House. Many issues that are normally nobody's business become everybody's business when it comes to the president — and that includes medical issues. On Feb. 28, 2024, O'Connor released to the public the results of Biden's most recent (and last) presidential physical. Although it has apparently been taken down from the White House website, it is still available at the National Archives. It is a public document. If nothing else, O'Connor could have restricted his comments to what is revealed in the summary of the physical. The document highlights the medical conditions Biden was being treated for at the time: obstructive sleep apnea, non-valvular fibrillation, low lipid levels, reflux, his 'stiffened gait,' and several other conditions. No mental health assessment was made because O'Connor thought it wasn't necessary. Or maybe it just wasn't prudent. In the summary, O'Connor asserts the 2024 'Physical exam is essentially unchanged from baseline,' which presumably is referring to his first presidential exam in 2021. And he added at the release that Biden is a 'healthy, active, robust 81-year-old.' But that conclusion is questionable, given Biden's performance in the presidential debate just four months later. While it would be totally inappropriate for a doctor to publicly release the results of your or my physical exam, the American people have come to expect presidents to produce a summary of their annual physical. President Trump's physician, Dr. Sean P. Barbabella, released a summary of Trump's physical on April 13. And the White House just revealed Trump's chronic vein problem, even though it doesn't affect his job performance. People want to know if the person holding the most important job in the world is healthy and capable of doing the job. When a president goes under anesthesia for some medical procedure, reporters inform the public. If the president contracts COVID-19, as both Trump and Biden did, the news reports it. Note that Trump's physical included a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test, which can indicate prostate cancer. The result was normal. Biden's released results did not include a PSA test, and we recently discovered he has an aggressive form of prostate cancer. Even former presidents may not have much of an expectation of privacy on medical issues. While Biden's medical conditions can no longer affect presidential duties, it's important to know whether there was a medical cover up so that, if there was, steps can be taken to prevent it in the future. So, what can Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), who chairs the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, do about O'Connor's stonewalling? First, the simplest solution is for Comer to send Biden an official letter requesting him to allow O'Connor to discuss results of Biden's physicals. If Biden gives his consent — which I doubt he will — O'Connor can quit hiding behind doctor-patient confidentiality. If Biden refuses to give his consent, Comer should invite O'Connor back to discuss Biden's last two physical exams. They are public information, so O'Connor shouldn't have any problem discussing the results that have been made public. If O'Connor refuses, Comer has another option. When O'Connor initially released the results of the president's physical, he claimed that doctors in several specialties, without naming names, reviewed and signed off on O'Connor's report. Comer could ask for a list of the doctors who reviewed the data and ask them to testify as to whether they had reviewed and confirmed the physical's results. Although such hearings would no doubt be partisan, there is a broader policy issue at stake. The public needs to be able to trust information about a president's medical condition. Given what we've seen from the Biden administration, that's not the case.
The Irish Sun
3 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Shocking moment gang of robbers crash stolen Jaguar into cop car in horror head-on smash
THIS is the shocking moment a gang of robbers crash a stolen Jaguar into a cop car in a horrific head-on smash. Two men and a 14-year-old boy stole the £25,000 motor and threatened a 76-year-old classic car owner with a hammer before the collision. 6 This is the shocking moment a stolen Jaguar hits an unmarked police car head on Credit: Merseyside Police 6 The police car is thrown backwards and smoke can be seen coming from the Jagaur Credit: Merseyside Police 6 O'Connor, one of three defendants in the Jaguar, tried to flee Credit: Merseyside Police 6 He was detained by police on the pavement nearby Credit: Merseyside Police Norman O'Connor, Colin Miller and a 14-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, brazenly pinched cash from the man's pockets during the horrific burglary. Threatening the man with a hammer, the gang of three stole his vintage Jaguar after raiding his home. They then wrote off the vehicle, which was driving at speed with the lights switched off, in a head-on crash with a police car. Liverpool Crown Court heard how the 76-year-old man, who has not been named, was at home alone watching television on the evening of December 20 last year. Read more News He then "heard a loud bang" as his windows were smashed. The three defendants then proceeded to enter the property through the broken window. One of them brandished a hammer at the classic car collector demanding money. Prosecutor, Helen Chenery, described how the pensioner gave them £240 from his pocket before one of the offenders took the keys to his £25,000 Jaguar from his briefcase. Most read in The Sun All three then fled the address and sped away with the vehicle. Just minutes later, the stolen car ploughed head-on into an unmarked police car on Heyworth Street in Everton as they were pursued by other patrols. Moment Manchester bus crashes into bridge ripping off roof as driver arrested Two officers were in the police car at the time with the Jaguar, driven by O'Connor, said to be travelling up to 90mph prior to the collision. The 37-year-old fled before he was detained nearby on the pavement while the 14-year-old boy was discovered in the front passenger seat with a leg injury. Miller, meanwhile, was flung from the back seat and into the centre console. One of the officers in the unmarked police car suffered "bruising and pain" while the other will be left with permanent scarring after a cut to his hip. A statement from the 76-year-old Jaguar owner was read to the court which said: "Prior to the incident, I was an independent 76-year-old man who lived on his own. My home is meant to be a safe space. "I knew, because of my age, that I was unable to fight. These males entered my home, where I'm meant to feel safe, and made me feel vulnerable and scared. "This has affected my family greatly, to the point where they want me to relocate to Southampton to ensure that I'm safe and that nothing like this will happen again." He went on to add that many of the motors in his classic toy car collection, which were damaged in the attack, were presents from his wife who passed away a few years ago causing him "a lot of heartache". The robbery comes a month after O'Connor stole a £429 coat from John Lewis in Liverpool One shopping complex before he was detained in the city centre for possessing a set of bolt cutters. He also set fire to a Vauxhall belonging to his neighbour in May 2024. His criminal record shows 17 previous convictions for 32 offences including burglary, aggravated vehicle taking and dangerous driving. Peter White, defending, said on O'Connor's behalf that there was "no justification" for his conduct and that the defendant told him that this period of his life was "dominated by drink and drugs". He went on to tell the court that O'Connor's offending "massively escalated" after his long-term relationship came to an end in 2018 and he lost contact with his young son. The court heard how O'Connor was living with his 70-year-old mother who is in poor health and his "greatest fear" is that he will not be there for her in her final days. Miller has 40 prior convictions for 112 offences dating back to 1987 - 54 of which are theft related matters. The 54-year-old's counsel, Brendan Carville, told the court that he has not been well and is currently awaiting test results for bowel cancer. Carville added that Miller "bitterly regrets" his involvement and "apologises to both complainant and the court". O'Connor admitted robbery, theft, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, theft and going equipped for theft - he has been locked up for nine years. Miller pleaded guilty to robbery and theft and was jailed for eight years and one month. Sentencing, Recorder Richard Pratt KC said of the 76-year-old victim: "It is clear that his independence and pride was shattered by your actions on this night. "The only real mitigation that can be advanced on either of your behalves is the fact that you pleaded guilty." The youth, now aged 15, was previously handed four years and seven months in youth detention. He admitted robbery, theft of a motor vehicle, possession of a bladed article in a public place, two counts of racially aggravated assault, assault, criminal damage and possession of cannabis. He was also found guilty of wounding with intent having repeatedly stabbed a man in the street earlier this year. 6 Norman O'Connor was locked up for nine years Credit: Merseyside Police 6 Colin Miller, 54, has been jailed for eight years and one month Credit: Merseyside Police
ITV News
4 hours ago
- ITV News
Men jailed after head-on 90mph crash with unmarked police car in Liverpool
A group of robbers totalled a stolen Jaguar after driving head-on into an unmarked police car at 90mph as they tried to evade other patrols. Norman O'Connor, Colin Miller, and a 14-year-old boy who cannot be named, made off at speed in the Jaguar convertible after raiding its elderly owner's home, threatening him with a hammer. Minutes later, as it was being pursued by marked police patrols, the group ploughed the car, head-on, into an unmarked police car on patrol on Heyworth Street in Everton. The vehicle, driven by O'Connor, 37, was said to have been travelling at up to 90mph prior to the crash. O'Connor, of Anfield, Liverpool, fled the car before being detained nearby on the pavement, while the teenager was discovered with an injury to his leg in the front passenger seat. Miller, 54, of Sefton Park, Liverpool, was "propelled from the back seat" into the centre console. Liverpool Crown Court heard the pensioner was watching television alone at his home in Anfield at around 10.15pm on 20 December 2024 when he "heard a loud bang" as his window was smashed. The three defendants then proceeded to enter through the broken window, with one of the men brandishing a hammer towards the pensioner while demanding money. Helen Chenery, prosecuting, told the court the pensioner ultimately handed over £240 from his pocket as a result of the threats, while another of the offenders took the keys to his £25,000 Jaguar car from his briefcase. All three then climbed back out of the home via the broken window and sped away inside the vehicle. In a statement read to the court on his behalf, the victim said: "Prior to the incident, I was an independent 76-year-old man who lived on his own. My home is meant to be a safe space. "I knew, because of my age, that I was unable to fight. These males entered my home, where I'm meant to feel safe, and made me feel vulnerable and scared. "I have worked hard all my life. This has affected my family greatly, to the point where they want me to relocate to Southampton to ensure that I'm safe and that nothing like this will happen again. "I have a large classic toy car collection. A lot of these were bought as presents by my wife, who passed away a few years ago. "A lot of these were damaged by the offenders breaking in through the window. This has caused a lot of heartache for me." One of the Merseyside Police PCs involved in the crash reported suffering "bruising and pain" as a result, while the other will be left with permanent scarring as a result of a cut to his hip. O'Connor, who admitted robbery, theft, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, theft and going equipped for theft, was jailed for nine years. While Miller pleaded guilty to robbery and theft, and was jailed for eight years and one month. Sentencing, Recorder Richard Pratt KC said: "It is not possible to say which of you held the hammer, neither does that matter. Whichever one of you did not have the hammer plainly knew that the other one did. "It was you, O'Connor, who was driving the vehicle. The vehicle was driven in a highly dangerous way at speed with its lights switched off. A collision was almost inevitable, and it happened. Those police officers suffered injury, both physical and psychological, while they were doing nothing more than their duty. He continued: "It is clear that his independence and pride was shattered by your actions on this night. The only real mitigation that can be advanced on either of your behalves is the fact that you pleaded guilty." O'Connor's criminal record shows 17 previous convictions for 32 offences, including burglary, aggravated vehicle taking and dangerous driving. Peter White, defending, said on his behalf: "There is no justification for Mr O'Connor's conduct. He tells me that this period of his life was entirely dominated by drink and drugs. "He had a chaotic lifestyle and was acting wholly inappropriately and not thinking straight. He tells me that he had a long term relationship which came to an end in 2018. He lost contact with his young son. Since then, his offending has massively escalated. He has been in that vicious cycle, in and out of prison and doing anything to fund his addiction. "He has heard the consequences of his actions. He is more than aware that someone could have easily died in that horrendous piece of dangerous driving, and it is only through good fortune that he is not facing a more serious offence." Miller has 40 prior convictions for 112 offences dating back to 1987, including 54 for theft related matters. His counsel, Brendan Carville, told the court: "He is not in good health. While in prison, he has been tested for bowel cancer. He is awaiting the results of that. "He bitterly regrets his involvement in this. He has little memory of what happened and is lucky to be alive, given the crash that occurred head-on. He feels very stupid to be involved in this and apologises to both the complainant and the court. His plan, when released, is to go and live in Plymouth with his brother." The youth, now aged 15, was previously handed four years and seven months in youth detention. He admitted robbery, theft of a motor vehicle, possession of a bladed article in a public place, two counts of racially aggravated assault, assault, criminal damage and possession of cannabis and was found guilty of wounding with intent, having repeatedly stabbed a man in the street.
Scottish Sun
4 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Shocking moment gang of robbers crash stolen Jaguar into cop car in horror head-on smash
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THIS is the shocking moment a gang of robbers crash a stolen Jaguar into a cop car in a horrific head-on smash. Two men and a 14-year-old boy stole the £25,000 motor and threatened a 76-year-old classic car owner with a hammer before the collision. 6 This is the shocking moment a stolen Jaguar hits an unmarked police car head on Credit: Merseyside Police 6 The police car is thrown backwards and smoke can be seen coming from the Jagaur Credit: Merseyside Police 6 O'Connor, one of three defendants in the Jaguar, tried to flee Credit: Merseyside Police 6 He was detained by police on the pavement nearby Credit: Merseyside Police Norman O'Connor, Colin Miller and a 14-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, brazenly pinched cash from the man's pockets during the horrific burglary. Threatening the man with a hammer, the gang of three stole his vintage Jaguar after raiding his home. They then wrote off the vehicle, which was driving at speed with the lights switched off, in a head-on crash with a police car. Liverpool Crown Court heard how the 76-year-old man, who has not been named, was at home alone watching television on the evening of December 20 last year. He then "heard a loud bang" as his windows were smashed. The three defendants then proceeded to enter the property through the broken window. One of them brandished a hammer at the classic car collector demanding money. Prosecutor, Helen Chenery, described how the pensioner gave them £240 from his pocket before one of the offenders took the keys to his £25,000 Jaguar from his briefcase. All three then fled the address and sped away with the vehicle. Just minutes later, the stolen car ploughed head-on into an unmarked police car on Heyworth Street in Everton as they were pursued by other patrols. Moment Manchester bus crashes into bridge ripping off roof as driver arrested Two officers were in the police car at the time with the Jaguar, driven by O'Connor, said to be travelling up to 90mph prior to the collision. The 37-year-old fled before he was detained nearby on the pavement while the 14-year-old boy was discovered in the front passenger seat with a leg injury. Miller, meanwhile, was flung from the back seat and into the centre console. One of the officers in the unmarked police car suffered "bruising and pain" while the other will be left with permanent scarring after a cut to his hip. A statement from the 76-year-old Jaguar owner was read to the court which said: "Prior to the incident, I was an independent 76-year-old man who lived on his own. My home is meant to be a safe space. "I knew, because of my age, that I was unable to fight. These males entered my home, where I'm meant to feel safe, and made me feel vulnerable and scared. "This has affected my family greatly, to the point where they want me to relocate to Southampton to ensure that I'm safe and that nothing like this will happen again." He went on to add that many of the motors in his classic toy car collection, which were damaged in the attack, were presents from his wife who passed away a few years ago causing him "a lot of heartache". The robbery comes a month after O'Connor stole a £429 coat from John Lewis in Liverpool One shopping complex before he was detained in the city centre for possessing a set of bolt cutters. He also set fire to a Vauxhall belonging to his neighbour in May 2024. His criminal record shows 17 previous convictions for 32 offences including burglary, aggravated vehicle taking and dangerous driving. Peter White, defending, said on O'Connor's behalf that there was "no justification" for his conduct and that the defendant told him that this period of his life was "dominated by drink and drugs". He went on to tell the court that O'Connor's offending "massively escalated" after his long-term relationship came to an end in 2018 and he lost contact with his young son. The court heard how O'Connor was living with his 70-year-old mother who is in poor health and his "greatest fear" is that he will not be there for her in her final days. Miller has 40 prior convictions for 112 offences dating back to 1987 - 54 of which are theft related matters. The 54-year-old's counsel, Brendan Carville, told the court that he has not been well and is currently awaiting test results for bowel cancer. Carville added that Miller "bitterly regrets" his involvement and "apologises to both complainant and the court". O'Connor admitted robbery, theft, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, theft and going equipped for theft - he has been locked up for nine years. Miller pleaded guilty to robbery and theft and was jailed for eight years and one month. Sentencing, Recorder Richard Pratt KC said of the 76-year-old victim: "It is clear that his independence and pride was shattered by your actions on this night. "The only real mitigation that can be advanced on either of your behalves is the fact that you pleaded guilty." The youth, now aged 15, was previously handed four years and seven months in youth detention. He admitted robbery, theft of a motor vehicle, possession of a bladed article in a public place, two counts of racially aggravated assault, assault, criminal damage and possession of cannabis. He was also found guilty of wounding with intent having repeatedly stabbed a man in the street earlier this year. 6 Norman O'Connor was locked up for nine years Credit: Merseyside Police
RTÉ News
14 hours ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
No one-man show in Kerry as O'Connor aims for steady Kerry performance against Donegal
Jack O'Connor can't help but smile when it's hinted that Kerry might be something of a one-man show. The men from the Kingdom are aiming for title number 39 on Sunday, and a second Sam Maguire triumph in four seasons. And any game involving Kerry sees David Clifford being put under the microscope. The preeminent forward of his era continues to deliver in every game, hitting 1-05 from play against Tyrone and 0-07 against Armagh. But O'Connor is quick to point out that it's more than a one-man show, with others having stepped up, particularly Seán O'Shea, who hit 10 points from play against Armagh. "It's always the mantra by us that we want the burden shared," he tells RTÉ Sport ahead of the big game. "We've managed to do that fairly well in different games. The likes of Joe O'Connor, Seán O'Shea, and different players have stepped up on different days. "I don't think we're a one-man team, the way some people try to portray us," the Kerry manager adds with a grin. O'Connor has a remarkable record with the game's most successful county, having led them to All-Ireland and National League doubles on no fewer than four occasions; 2004, 2006, 2009 and 2022. Twice, those successes bookended Munster titles - in '04 and '22 - and there's a chance to complete another "treble" on Sunday with victory over Donegal. Paul Geaney and Paul Murphy have two All-Ireland winners medals already, from 2014 and 2022, while much of the panel were involved in their most recent triumph three years ago. "You never treat it as normal because All-Ireland final day is a big day in the players' lives," O'Connor points out. "There's a good share of experience in the room. Most of them are going into their fourth All-Ireland. A couple of them - Paul Murphy and Paul Geaney - are going into their sixth All-Ireland. "There's a good bit of experience and that always helps." And that experience drove them on after a shock loss to Meath in the All-Ireland group stages in Tullamore. They went down by nine points but had a favourable draw in the preliminary quarter-finals to get the show back on the road. That's what we'd be looking for the next day, a good, steady, even performance It's often said that if Kerry had to play in Ulster, they'd struggle having to face tougher opposition in the provincial championships. But, they saw off Cavan before putting in hugely impressive performances against defending champions Armagh and 2021 winners Tyrone to reach this point. And they'll be aiming for a fourth consecutive win over an Ulster county to land the ultimate prize on Sunday. "It's a very intense season and there's bound to be a blip somewhere," O'Connor says of the loss to the Royals. "That was our blip. We were coming off a league where we had eight games in nine weeks, very intense. "We played five games in a row because our first game with Donegal didn't go ahead. That's tough going and somewhere along the line, players are going to take their foot off the gas. "Unfortunately that was against Meath. And that's taking nothing away from them, I thought they played particularly well on the day and we were down a good share of important players. "We managed to regroup and get our season back on track the following week against Cavan. Thankfully, we've continued to improve since. "We just hit a great patch in the second-half in that game [against Armagh], we weren't perfect by any means. There was a spell in the second-half when we were five points down. "It was a funny game. For a 15-minute period we got a stranglehold on the kick out and that was the game there really. We scored 14 points in that period. "So I thought the Tyrone game was a truer reflection because we struggled early on and then from there for most of the rest of the game we were quite steady. "That's what we'd be looking for the next day, a good, steady, even performance." A consistent performance over the 70 minutes, yes, but like any manager going into a final, O'Connor will be hoping that his players can deliver their best performance when it matters most. Opponents Donegal, with Jim McGuinness back in charge, and talisman Michael Murphy returning, give the sense of a group that feels there is another set of Celtic Crosses in them after 2012. And O'Connor says they're dangerous all over the park. "I'm expecting a ferocious challenge," he says. "In the semi-final, they seemed to be peaking at the right time. They've a lot of weapons all over the field. "Starting with their goalie, who is probably the best goalie in the country at the moment, with the weapon he has on his kickouts. "It'll take a massive performance by us to get the job done."
