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Hurricane Ian Live Updates: Manatee County Orders Evacuations, Likely No High School Football This Week https://digitalalabamanews.com/hurricane-ian-live-updates-manatee-county-orders-evacuations-likely-no-high-school-football-this-week/ Staff Report  |  Sarasota Herald-Tribune The Herald-Tribune has made this article free of charge for all readers in the interest of public safety. Consider supporting the Herald-Tribune with a digital subscription. Quick Sarasota-Manatee Hurricane Ian links: Storm Coverage: Find all of our latest coverage of Hurricane Ian Shelters: Find your Sarasota and Manatee county evacuation zone and hurricane shelters here. Closures & Cancelations: Sarasota-Bradenton closures and cancelations due to Hurricane Ian Sandbags: Where to get sandbags in Sarasota, Manatee counties Noon | Looking bleak for Sarasota-Manatee high school football this week The prospects of having high school football games this week are bleak, thanks to Hurricane Ian. “All athletic activities, including practices and games, are canceled beginning tomorrow (Tuesday) until further notice,” Sarasota County director of athletics James Slaton said. “We’ll know more once it gets over Cuba, but as of right now we are just preparing. We are opening shelters beginning tomorrow (Tuesday).” For most area teams and throughout the state, this is the first week for district play in football, so these games are mandatory as far as scheduling goes. “Football is the only one where we are mandated to play these games,” Slaton said. “The plan will be to make up those games. But our first priority is obviously safety and security. And then we’ll try to work them out.” Do not expect anything to be made up this weekend or Monday, Oct. 3. 11:30 a.m. | Manatee County orders evacuations, closes schools for Hurricane Ian Manatee County has issued evacuations to begin tomorrow, in anticipation of Hurricane Ian. “Following the updated forecast of Hurricane Ian, public safety officials are announcing plans for evacuations, beginning with a MANDATORY Zone A evacuation and VOLUNTARY Zone B evacuation, effective at 8 a.m., Tuesday, September 27,” according to a press release. (Find your evacuation zone in Manatee County here.) Though no official announcement has been made, since shelters are located in public schools, we can assume that Manatee County schools will be closed on Tuesday. In addition, Manatee County parks, libraries, animal welfare facilities, and building and construction inspection services will be closed or suspended beginning tomorrow, until further notice. Hurricane Ian: See spaghetti models, path and storm activity for Florida 11:15 a.m. | Sarasota County Schools will close on Tuesday In a press release, Sarasota County announced that Sarasota County schools will be closed tomorrow, Sept. 27. Sarasota County schools will close Tuesday, Sept. 27, out of an abundance of caution and to allow for time to prepare schools that serve as emergency evacuation centers. While there are no evacuations issued at this time, the county is expecting to announce an evacuation alert for Level A on Tuesday morning. “As the storm approaches, we are here to serve our community with our schools and personnel to provide sheltering. We will continue to communicate updates with employees and families throughout the storm as information becomes available. The latest information can be found on our website sarasotacountyschools.net/hurricane and all our social media channels,” said Dr. Brennan Asplen, Superintendent of Schools. 11:00 a.m. | Hurricane Ian strengthens, Sarasota-Manatee in danger According to the 11 a.m. National Hurricane Center update, Hurricane Ian’s storm track has shifted slightly closer to Sarasota and Manatee counties and the storm is moving slower. Sustained wind speeds have increased to 80 mph. The slower speed is especially alarming. “An even greater concern is the slower forward motion that is forecast during this period, as the upper trough passes north and east of Ian and the steering currents weaken,” said the NHC forecast. “This would likely prolong the storm surge, wind, and rainfall impacts along the affected portions of the west coast of Florida, although the roughly shore-parallel track still makes it difficult to pinpoint exactly what locations will experience the most severe impacts.” The NHC has also increased the storm surge forecast for Sarasota County to 5-10 feet, while Manatee County has remained the same at 5-8 feet. The forecast also warns of “life-threatening storm surge,” with the “highest risk from Fort Myers to the Tampa Bay region.” Because of the slight slowdown, tropical storm conditions are expected in Sarasota and Manatee counties Tuesday night, with hurricane-force winds beginning Wednesday morning. Hurricane Ian: See spaghetti models, path and storm activity for Florida 10:45 a.m. | Sarasota County expects evacuations to start Tuesday morning According to a Twitter post, Sarasota County Government expects to announce an evacuation alert for Level A beginning Tuesday morning. This would also indicate that Sarasota County schools will be closed Tuesday, although no official announcement has been made. 10:30 a.m. | New College and Ringling College cancel classes in advance of Hurricane Ian Ringling College of Art and Design has canceled classes today through Friday, and plans to close its campus effective noon on Tuesday. “Out of an abundance of caution and due to the uncertain trajectory of the storm at this time, the decision has been made to close the Ringling College campus effective TUESDAY (9/27), by 12:00 noon,” said the school on its website. Ringling students will need to vacate campus housing by noon on Tuesday. New College has similarly canceled classes beginning at 10 a.m. today through Friday. The school has not yet announced if students will need to leave campus. 10:00 a.m. | Sarasota County declares state of emergency Sarasota County declared a state of emergency on Monday in preparation for Hurricane Ian.  The declaration document states that the hurricane is tracking in a direction that could bring it to the Sarasota County area within the next 48 hours, “creating an imminent threat of severe weather, excessive rainfall, and flooding.”  In a video update Monday morning, Sarasota County Emergency Management Chief Ed McCrane said the declaration allows the county to begin using funds and purchasing equipment and services that normally would have to go through the lengthy procurement process.  McCrane said this “doesn’t mean anything’s imminent” or that “it’s a dire emergency at this moment.”  “But we’re preparing for that eventuality,” he said.  Hurricane Ian: See spaghetti models, path and storm activity for Florida 9:45 a.m. | USF cancels classes, will close campuses According to a release, University of South Florida classes will be canceled starting Monday, Sept. 26, through Thursday, Sept. 29. This will allow for students to make any necessary preparations or travel ahead of the storm.   All campuses will begin closing Tuesday, Sept 27. 9:20 a.m. | North Port declares state of emergency The North Port City Commission approved a local state of emergency this morning that will run in conjunction with the statewide declaration for Hurricane Ian. The emergency gives City Manager Jerome Fletcher or his designee authorization to procure goods and services needed to address the hurricane without going through traditional formalities. North Port Public Works Director Chuck Speake said city workers have been working to lower water levels in the 80 miles of canals and waterways, to minimize the impact of flooding. “We are doing everything we can to ensure that the City is well-prepared for the impending storm,” said Fletcher. “We’ve been in constant contact with our partners at Sarasota County and the state, and while North Port could see significant impacts in the coming days, I’m confident that our team is ready to respond.”  8 a.m. | Hurricane Ian could bring 5-8 foot storm surge, 8-10 inches of rain Little has changed with Hurricane Ian, according to the 8 a.m. update from the National Hurricane Center, as the path of the storm continues to include Sarasota and Manatee counties. “Rapid strengthening is expected during the next day or so, and Ian is forecast to become a major hurricane tonight when it is near western Cuba,” said the NHC forecast. Get hurricane updates in our mobile app: Download the updated Herald-Tribune app Both Sarasota and Manatee counties are under a hurricane watch and a storm surge watch, and can still expect a storm surge of 5-8 feet and rainfall of 8-10 inches. According to the National Weather Service Ruskin, both Sarasota and Manatee counties can expect to experience tropical storm force winds beginning as soon as Tuesday afternoon or evening. School is in session in both Sarasota and Manatee counties today, with likely closures to be announced later today. 5:00 a.m. | It’s now Hurricane Ian, storm track shifts closer to Sarasota-Manatee Tropical Storm Ian is now Hurricane Ian. Sarasota and Manatee counties are now under a Hurricane Watch that extends from Englewood to the north of Tampa, as well as a Storm Surge Watch. According to the National Hurricane Center’s 5 a.m. update, the storm’s sustained winds are at 75 mph, pushing it onto hurricane status.  Though the track has shifted to the east, there is still major uncertainty about the path of Hurricane Ian. According to the NHC, Sarasota and Manatee counties can expect a storm surge of 5-8 feet and rainfall of 8-10 inches. Hurricane Ian: Find all of our latest coverage of the storm Shelters: Find a list of Manatee and Sarasota hurricane shelters here. “Considerable flooding impacts are possible later this week in west central Florida,” said the NHC in its update. The Sarasota-Manatee area can expect to experience rain and tropical stor...

UA CrossingPoints Golf Tournament Fundraiser Set For Oct. 6 https://digitalalabamanews.com/ua-crossingpoints-golf-tournament-fundraiser-set-for-oct-6/ TUSCALOOSA, AL — The CrossingPoints Program at the University of Alabama is set to host its largest fundraiser of the year next week with the Betty Shirley Annual Golf Tournament. Click here to subscribe to our free daily newsletter and breaking news alerts. Set for Oct. 6 at Ol’ Colony Golf Course, the event will begin at 11 a.m. with lunch and registration, followed by a 12:30 p.m. Shotgun Start. Find out what’s happening in Tuscaloosawith free, real-time updates from Patch. Team prizes will be awarded, along with prizes for the closest to the pin and closest to the hole. The format will be a four-person scramble, with a maximum handicap of 24. Find out what’s happening in Tuscaloosawith free, real-time updates from Patch. CrossingPoints says the field is limited to 36 teams. Corporate sponsorship opportunities are also available. UA’s CrossingPoints Program provides opportunities for three tiers of students with disabilities, with Tier 1 students — age 18-21 — being those with significant disabilities who are still receiving services during the academic year under the the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Tier 2 or the Summer Bridge Program is a postsecondary pipeline program for college-age students over the age of 19 with intellectual disabilities, while Tier 3 students participate in a non-degree certificate program for young adults with intellectual disabilities who are interested in receiving further post-secondary education at The University of Alabama. For more information call, CrossingPoints at (205) 348-3180 or Dr. Amy Williamson at (205) 348-5884. You can also click here to learn more. Have a news tip or suggestion on how I can improve Tuscaloosa Patch? Maybe you’re interested in having your business become one of the latest sponsors for Tuscaloosa Patch? Email all inquiries to me at ryan.phillips@patch.com Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. The rules of replying: Be respectful. This is a space for friendly local discussions. No racist, discriminatory, vulgar or threatening language will be tolerated. Be transparent. Use your real name, and back up your claims. Keep it local and relevant. Make sure your replies stay on topic. Review the Patch Community Guidelines. Read More…

Only 35% Of Democrats Want Biden As Their 2024 Presidential Nominee. Among Republicans, 47% Want Trump. https://digitalalabamanews.com/only-35-of-democrats-want-biden-as-their-2024-presidential-nominee-among-republicans-47-want-trump/ By Victor Reklaitis New poll finds both the current president and his predecessor are failing to draw majority support from their party Both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are failing to attract majority support from their party’s voters ahead of the 2024 White House race, according to a new ABC News/Washington Post poll. Just 35% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents want Biden as their 2024 presidential nominee, while 56% prefer someone else and 9% gave no opinion, the poll found. Meanwhile, 47% of Republicans and GOP-leaning independents support having Trump as their party’s nominee — a 20-point drop from his level of backing in the 2020 race. Among these voters, 46% want someone else and 7% had no opinion. The new poll, released Sunday, was produced by Langer Research Associates and conducted Sept. 18-21 among a random national sample of 1,006 adults, including 908 registered voters. There is a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points. The poll also found that Biden, who is 79, has a slight edge over Trump, 76, in a rematch, with 48% support vs. 46%, as shown in the chart above. Related:Pelosi sidesteps question on if Biden should run in 2024: ‘I’m not going into politics’ Also read:Midterm elections: If this seat flips red, Republicans will have ‘probably won a relatively comfortable House majority’ This poll had similar results as a New York Times/Siena College survey in July, which found 64% of Democratic voters don’t want Biden to run again in two years. From the MarketWatch archives (Aug. 9, 2022):Betting markets favor DeSantis over Trump for 2024 Republican presidential nomination -Victor Reklaitis (END) Dow Jones Newswires 09-26-22 1047ET Copyright (c) 2022 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. Read More…

Trump’s Troubles Worsen: 6 Legal Landmines Facing The Ex-President https://digitalalabamanews.com/trumps-troubles-worsen-6-legal-landmines-facing-the-ex-president/ NEW YORK — Donald Trump’s myriad of legal problems have intensified after a whirlwind week of lawsuits and court decisions that went against the embattled former president — including a civil suit filed by the New York attorney general that partly seeks to prohibit him or his adult children from ever running a company in their home state again. It was just one of several new setbacks for Trump, as the probe into his handling of classified documents continues and unsealed court papers revealing that a writer already suing him for defamation plans to file a second lawsuit alleging he raped her, under a historic new law passed by New York legislators. The new week only promises to bring more troubles for Trump. The House panel investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection of the U.S. Capitol indicated the final televised hearing set for Wednesday will be an explosive event featuring new witness testimony. Here’s an update on the biggest legal threats facing Teflon Don in state, federal, and congressional investigations. DOJ probe of missing White House records Attorney General Merrick Garland’s investigators continue to investigate Trump’s handling of highly sensitive classified documents in a probe that could result in a federal indictment. Trump scored a point when Judge Aileen Cannon tasked a well-respected Brooklyn judge with examining more than 10,000 seized documents as a special master in the DOJ probe. He lost one when an unimpressed Judge Raymond Dearie put his lawyers on the hook by forcing them to take a position on whether he declassified documents and detail his unfounded claim the FBI planted evidence. “My view is you can’t have your cake and eat it,” Dearie told Trump’s lawyers when they appeared before him on Wednesday. In another blow, the 11th Circuit ruling that gave the Justice Department access to continue looking through the files also struck down Cannon’s order allowing Dearie to oversee documents marked “top secret.” Trump continues to claim he did nothing wrong — and was widely ridiculed after a Fox interview last week in which he claimed, “If you’re the president of the United States, you can declassify just by saying, ‘It’s declassified.’ Even by thinking about it.” N.Y. AG civil fraud case against the Trump Organization The state attorney general’s sweeping lawsuit filed Wednesday charged Trump, the Trump Organization, Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric Trump, and other senior executives with engaging in rampant financial fraud. The 280-page complaint filed in Manhattan Supreme Court includes dozens of examples of Trump and his associates inflating the value of company assets such as skyscrapers and golf courses by hundreds of millions of dollars. In doing so, the AG says the company reaped massive financial rewards, whether through better loan terms or tax breaks. It shows evidence of Trump overstating his own net worth by billions. The suit seeks to forever change how the former president’s company operates in New York. James’ office also made criminal referrals to prosecutors in the Southern District of New York and the Internal Revenue Service. New York writer’s defamation and rape cases E. Jean Carroll, who is suing Trump for defamation, now plans to accuse him in a lawsuit of raping her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in 1994. Carroll couldn’t previously bring a rape claim in a lawsuit due to statute of limitations laws, but the newly passed Adult Survivors Act allows victims to sue their assailants for a one-year look-back period regardless of when the assault allegedly occurred. In court papers unsealed Wednesday, the former Elle columnist notified the judge overseeing her libel case against Trump — for accusing her of lying about the incident — that she’ll sue as soon as the statute allows on Nov. 24. Investigations into the Jan. 6 Capitol attack The House congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol said it would hold its final public hearing on Sept. 28. Promising a worthy finale to the eight televised public hearings in June and July convened by the bipartisan Select Committee that captivated the nation, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the panel’s chairman, said there would be “significant witness testimony.” The panel is expected to make public its final report before the midterm elections. The committee can’t bring criminal charges, but it can make a criminal referral to the Justice Department, which is also conducting an expansive probe into Trump’s efforts to overthrow the election. Manhattan DA criminal case against the Trump Organization Following the recent guilty plea of the Trump Organization’s longtime chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, the company’s lawyers said they were scrambling to “ radically ” rethink a defense strategy ahead of the October trial. Weisselberg’s plea deal — which he agreed to for 100 days on Rikers instead of a potential 15-year sentence — requires he testify against the company at its trial about how they worked together to dodge taxes. If convicted of engaging in the same scheme Weisselberg admitted to, the Trump Organization faces a potentially mammoth payout in financial penalties. Paired with the relief sought in the AG’s lawsuit, a bad outcome at trial could drive Trump’s family real estate business into the ground. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg says his office continues to investigate Trump and other senior leadership and that more charges could still come. Georgia probe of Trump’s effort to overturn state’s election results A special grand jury is still hearing evidence in Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ probe into Trump and his associates’ efforts to bully officials to overturn his loss to Biden in the battleground state. Willis opened the investigation last year, which stems from Trump’s now infamous directive to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in the weeks following the election to “find” him more votes. In a recent filing she described the underlying scheme as “a multi-state, coordinated plan by the Trump campaign to influence the results of the November 2020 election in Georgia and elsewhere.” The grand jury has already heard from former New York City Mayor and Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, a subject in the criminal probe. A federal judge said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., must testify after his failed legal efforts to avoid it. Jurors are expected to hear from more Trump allies. Invalid username/password. Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration. Use the form below to reset your password. When you’ve submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code. Read More…

Tetra Tech Trumps WSP Bid For Environmental Firm RPS Group https://digitalalabamanews.com/tetra-tech-trumps-wsp-bid-for-environmental-firm-rps-group/ Dive Brief: Pasadena, California-based engineering firm Tetra Tech has trumped engineering and design giant WSP Global’s offer for environmental consulting firm RPS Group, the company said in a press release. WSP had announced in August its intention to purchase the Abingdon, England-headquartered company to bolster its climate and infrastructure work. With Tetra Tech’s offer of $691 million beating WSP’s $641 million offer by about 7.8%, the RPS board of directors unanimously approved the offer, the company announced Friday. The firm would be Tetra Tech’s largest acquisition to date. It employs about 5,000 designers, planners, engineers and technical specialists across the world. However, a counter-offer from WSP is still possible. “WSP has an aggressive reputation in M&A, while TTEK’s is historically conservative. Together we can’t rule out another WSP offer,” analysts at Baird Equity Research Industrial Services said in an investor note. Dive Insight: Montreal, Canada-headquartered WSP has been on an acquisition spree lately. Just last week the firm announced it had completed its acquisition of the environment and infrastructure business of John Wood Group through a sale and purchase agreement for $1.8 billion. WSP is growing its climate-related work as part of its 2022-2024 strategic plan, and the company is purchasing a variety of businesses to help it meet strong demand for these services. It’s not clear what the company will do next in regards to RPS Group. “The corporation is considering its options in respect of the foregoing and a further announcement will be made by WSP in due course,” a WSP press release said.  However, Tetra Tech, which has top rankings in both water and environmental management in Engineering News-Record’s 2022 list, is also enthusiastic about advancing its work in that sector. “The RPS Group advances our long-term strategy to enhance our position as the premier global high-end consulting and engineering firm focused on water, environment, sustainable infrastructure, and energy transformation,” said Tetra Tech Chairman and CEO Dan Batrack in a press release. Details of the proposed acquisition will be sent to RPS Group shareholders within 28 days, the Tetra Tech release said. It is expected that the deal will be complete by the end of the year. Read More…

Statistically Speaking: Auburn's Offense Among Worst In FBS Through Week 4 https://digitalalabamanews.com/statistically-speaking-auburns-offense-among-worst-in-fbs-through-week-4/ Auburn’s offense has had a rough go of things in September, to put it lightly. The Tigers’ revamped offense — under first-year offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau, in collaboration with head coach Bryan Harsin — has trudged through the first one-third of the regular season, and the unit reached new levels of futility in the team’s 17-14 win against Missouri over the weekend. Auburn mustered just 82 rushing yards against Missouri and averaged 1.8 yards per carry. It had 135 passing yards, which was its fewest in a game since the regular-season finale in 2020 (a win at Mississippi State that came a day before Gus Malzahn was fired as head coach). Auburn’s offense finished Saturday’s slog with 217 yards of total offense (its fewest against a team other than Alabama or Georgia since 2017) and just 3.29 yards per play — the program’s fourth-worst single-game mark in the last six seasons, behind the 2017 Clemson loss (1.77 yards per play), and last season’s losses to Texas A&M (3.23) and Alabama (2.41). Read more Auburn football: Auburn’s defense finally ends turnover drought, but work remains What went wrong for Anders Carlson before his game-winning field goal against Missouri? Robby Ashford’s injury against Missouri nothing “too bad” Auburn’s 3.29 yards per play against Missouri were the program’s fewest in a winning effort since the Cotton Bowl against Nebraska at the end of the 2006 season (3.18 yards per play). Oddly enough, that game also had a 17-14 final score. “Honestly, it was just a grimy game,” quarterback Robby Ashford. Saturday’s innocuous offensive performance only further underscored Auburn’s offensive deficiencies this season, as Harsin’s program boasts one of the worst all-around offenses in the country through the season’s first four weeks. The Tigers have been an average rushing offense, ranking 57th nationally (but 10th in the SEC) while averaging 174 yards per game; they’re 73rd in yards per carry (4.35). And that has been the strength of the offense to this point of the year. Auburn ranks 100th or worse in passing offense (202.8 yards per game), passing efficiency (121.09), scoring offense (23.8 points per game), sacks allowed (three per game) and third-down efficiency (32 percent). The Tigers are either 12th or 13th in the SEC in each of those categories. Auburn is also 89th nationally (and 12th in the SEC) in total offense, averaging 376.8 yards per game, while the team’s 5.73 yards per play is 79th among FBS programs. It has been far from inspiring for Harsin and Kiesau’s offense, and Auburn still has some of its most daunting defensive matchups ahead of it on the schedule: LSU, Georgia, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Alabama — all of which currently rank in the top-16 nationally in scoring defense. Here’s a closer look at those offensive numbers, as well as where Auburn ranks in various other statistical categories — both in the SEC and nationally — through four weeks of action. —- RUSHING OFFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank) 2013: 328.3 (1st, 1st) 2014: 255.5 (2nd, 13th) 2015: 196.4 (5th, 35th) 2016: 271.3 (1st, 6th) 2017: 218.3 (4th, 26th) 2018: 167.5 (10th, 68th) 2019: 199.1 (4th, 33rd) 2020: 162.5 (7th, 67th) 2021: 161.5 (9th, 66th) After Mercer: 285.0 (3rd, 14th) After San Jose State: 247.5 (3rd, 14th) After Penn State: 204.7 (6th 40th) After Missouri: 174.0 (10th, 57th) Why: Auburn ran for 82 yards against Missouri. . PASSING OFFENSE 2013: 173.0 (11th, 106th) 2014: 229.5 (7th, 66th) 2015: 173.6 (12th, 110th) 2016: 169.5 (14th, 112th) 2017: 233.4 (5th, 65th) 2018: 222.5 (9th, 74th) 2019: 207.5 (9th, 87th) 2020: 220.3 (10th, 71st) 2021: 240.0 (8th, 59th) After Mercer: 212.0 (11th, 84th) After San Jose State: 190.0 (12th, 103rd) After Penn State: 225.3 (9th, 87th) After Missouri: 202.8 (12th, 103rd) Why: Auburn threw for 135 yards against Missouri. . PASS EFFICIENCY OFFENSE 2013: 149.63 (6th, 24th) 2014: 156.79 (1st, 8th) 2015: 124.47 (10th, 79th) 2016: 135.17 (6th, 54th) 2017: 153.59 (5th, 13th) 2018: 140.11 (8th, 51st) 2019: 128.35 (9th, 89th) 2020: 122.96 (11th, 89th) 2021: 126.85 (12th, 94th) After Mercer: 143.37 (9th, 61st) After San Jose State: 123.23 (12th, 94th) After Penn State: 121.20 (12th, 104th) After Missouri: 121.09 (13th, 105th) Why: Auburn’s quarterbacks completed 14-of-21 passes for 135 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. . TOTAL OFFENSE 2013: 501.3 (2nd, 11th) 2014: 485.0 (2nd, 16th) 2015: 370.0 (10th, 94th) 2016: 440.8 (6th, 43rd) 2017: 451.6 (3rd, 26th) 2018: 389.9 (11th, 78th) 2019: 406.5 (6th, 64th) 2020: 382.8 (9th, 77th) 2021: 401.5 (10th, 67th) After Mercer: 497.0 (7th, 49th) After San Jose State: 437.5 (9th, 57th) After Penn State: 430.0 (8th, 61st) After Missouri: 376.8 (12th, 89th) Why: Auburn had 217 yards of offense against Missouri. . SCORING OFFENSE 2013: 39.5 (2nd, 12th) 2014: 35.5 (4th, 35th) 2015: 27.5 (8th, 75th) 2016: 31.2 (6th, 49th) 2017: 33.9 (4th, 27th) 2018: 30.9 (8th, 47th) 2019: 33.2 (3rd, 28th) 2020: 25.1 (9th, 89th) 2021: 27.8 (11th, 71st) After Mercer: 42.0 (7th, 34th) After San Jose State: 33.0 (9th, 67th) After Penn State: 26.0 (11th, 91st) After Missouri: 23.8 (13th, 100th) Why: Auburn scored 17 points in Week 4. . SACKS ALLOWED 2013: 18 sacks, 1.29 per game (3rd, 22nd) 2014: 15 sacks, 1.15 per game (3rd, 15th) 2015: 19 sacks, 1.46 per game (4th, 33rd) 2016: 19 sacks, 1.46 per game (3rd, 27th) 2017: 36 sacks, 2.57 per game (10th, 100th) 2018: 23 sacks, 1.77 per game (6th, 39th) 2019: 18 sacks, 1.38 per game (4th, 18th) 2020: 20 sacks, 1.82 per game (6th, 41st) 2021: 22 sacks, 1.69 per game (5th, 31st) After Mercer: 0 sacks, 0.00 per game (1st, 1st) After San Jose State: 1 sack, 0.50 per game (2nd, 12th) After Penn State: 8 sacks, 2.33 per game (10th, 84th) After Missouri: 12 sacks, 3.00 per game (12th, 112th) Why: Auburn allowed four sacks against Missouri. . THIRD-DOWN CONVERSIONS 2013: 46.5 percent (4th, 24th) 2014: 52.5 percent (1st, 2nd) 2015: 41.3 percent (6th, 49th) 2016: 41.8 percent (4th, 53rd) 2017: 45.5 percent (3rd, 15th) 2018: 36.9 percent (11th, 90th) 2019: 40.5 percent (6th, 60th) 2020: 44.9 percent (6th, 32nd) 2021: 40.2 percent (8th, 61st) After Mercer: 50.0 percent (7th, 40th) After San Jose State: 42.1 percent (8th, 57th) After Penn State: 38.2 percent (10th, 78th) After Missouri: 32.0 percent (13th, 114th) Why: Auburn converted three of its 16 third-down attempts in Week 4. . RED ZONE OFFENSE 2013: 88.5 percent (2nd, 21st) 2014: 87.9 percent (4th, 31st) 2015: 90.2 percent (2nd, 13th) 2016: 85.5 percent (5th, 52nd) 2017: 88.1 percent (6th, 36th) 2018: 81.1 percent (11th, 88th) 2019: 90.4 percent (3rd, 21st) 2020: 85.0 percent (6th, 50th) 2021: 84.8 percent (7th, 55th) After Mercer: 100.0 percent (1st, 1st) After San Jose State: 100.0 percent (1st, 1st) After Penn State: 83.3 percent (11th, 73rd) After Missouri: 85.7 percent (8th, 62nd) Why: Auburn scored touchdowns on both of its red-zone trips against Missouri. RUSHING DEFENSE 2013: 162.1 (10th, 62nd) 2014: 168.8 (10th, 67th) 2015: 182.7 (11th, 81st) 2016: 132.8 (3rd, 27th) 2017: 137.0 (5th, 35th) 2018: 135.9 (6th, 32nd) 2019: 123.2 (4th, 25th) 2020: 163.4 (8th, 62nd) 2021: 128.1 (5th, 29th) After Mercer: 74.0 (3rd, 25th) After San Jose State: 64.0 (1st, 10th) After Penn State: 124.3 (8th, 55th) After Missouri: 126.5 (10th, 52nd) Why: Missouri ran for 133 yards and two touchdowns against Auburn. . PASSING DEFENSE 2013: 258.6 (13th, 100th) 2014: 230.1 (12th, 68th) 2015: 222.5 (11th, 63rd) 2016: 229.2 (9th, 67th) 2017: 182.4 (5th, 18th) 2018: 219.5 (7th, 58th) 2019: 213.8 (8th, 47th) 2020: 242.6 (4th, 79th) 2021: 245.8 (12th, 96th) After Mercer: 197.0 (7th, 56th) After San Jose State: 236.0 (11th, 83rd) After Penn State: 234.7 (11th, 81st) After Missouri: 220.8 (10th, 65th) Why: Auburn held Missouri to 179 yards through the air. . PASS EFFICIENCY DEFENSE 2013: 126.88 (9th, 63rd) 2014: 124.19 (10th, 52nd) 2015: 116.99 (8th, 31st) 2016: 116.83 (4th, 22nd) 2017: 113.84 (4th, 19th) 2018: 118.12 (6th, 31st) 2019: 120.71 (9th, 32nd) 2020: 139.34 (7th, 75th) 2021: 136.73 (9th, 75th) After Mercer: 122.63 (9th, 66th) After San Jose State: 120.06 (10th, 63rd) After Penn State: 129.03 (11th, 73rd) After Missouri: 125.83 (10th, 58th) Why: Missouri completed 14-of-24 passes for 179 yards and an interception against Auburn. . TOTAL DEFENSE 2013: 420.7 (12th, 86th) 2014: 398.8 (9th, 64th) 2015: 405.2 (13th, 71st) 2016: 361.9 (5th, 28th) 2017: 319.4 (5th, 14th) 2018: 355.4 (8th, 38th) 2019: 337.0 (7th, 28th) 2020: 406.0 (6th, 63rd) 2021: 373.8 (9th, 61st) After Mercer: 271.0 (3rd, 35th) After San Jose State: 300.0 (6th, 40th) After Penn State: 359.0 (10th, 56th) After Missouri: 347.2 (9th, 49th) Why: Auburn held Missouri to 312 yards of offense. . SCORING DEFENSE 2013: 24.7 (9th, 48th) 2014: 26.7 (10th, 62nd) 2015: 26.0 (11th, 54th) 2016: 17.1 (4th, 7th) 2017: 18.5 (3rd, 12th) 2018: 19.2 (4th, 14th) 2019: 19.5 (6th, 17th) 2020: 24.7 (4th, 38th) 2021: 21.8 (5th, 27th) After Mercer: 16.0 (8th, 48th) After San Jose State: 16.0 (6th, 42nd) After Penn State: 24.3 (9th, 66th) After Missouri: 21.8 (9th, 58th) Why: Auburn allowed 14 points against Missouri. . SACKS 2013: 32 sacks, 2.29 per game (4th, 46th) 2014: 21 sacks, 1.62 per game (11th, 95th) 2015: 19 sacks, 1.46 per game (13th, 104th) 2016: 25 sacks, 1.92 per game (8th, 75th) 2017: 37 sacks, 2.64 per game (5th, 25th) 2018: 38, 2.92 per game (3rd, 16th) 2019: 28 sacks, 2.15 per game (9th, 64th) 2020: 26 sacks, 2.36 per game (6th, 53rd) 2021: 35, 2.69 per game (7th, 40th) After Mercer: 1 sack, 1.00 per game (7th, 71st) After San Jose Stat...

Liz Cheney: “If [Donald Trump] Is The Nominee, I Won't Be A Republican.” https://digitalalabamanews.com/liz-cheney-if-donald-trump-is-the-nominee-i-wont-be-a-republican/ Rep. Liz Cheney — a vocal critic of former President Donald Trump — has signaled that she may leave the GOP, saying, “If [Trump] is the nominee, I won’t be a Republican.” “I certainly will do whatever it takes to make sure Donald Trump isn’t anywhere close to the Oval Office,” the Wyoming Republican told Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith at the paper’s festival on Saturday. Cheney also said Saturday that she would be willing to stump for Democrats, the first time she has said so explicitly. The comments were made in response to a question about Wyoming gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, a supporter of Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen. “I am going to do everything I can to make sure that Kari Lake is not elected,” Cheney said, to which Smith asked if that meant potentially campaigning for Democrats. Cheney’s response: “Yes, it does.” Cheney has served as the representative for Wyoming’s at-large congressional district since 2017 — but she was defeated soundly in her August primary against Trump-backed challenger Harriet Hageman. Cheney is the vice chair of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, one of only two Republicans on the committee. Cheney is also one of only 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump. Both were positions that appeared to work against her during her campaign for reelection. Only two of the 10 GOP House members who voted to impeach Trump survived their primary challenges, while three others were defeated and four chose to either retire or not seek reelection. According to NPR, the majority of candidates Trump endorsed in the 2022 midterms have prevailed, and also said that they support the former president’s false claims about the 2020 election. In her concession speech last month, Cheney said, “We must be very clear-eyed about the threat we face and about what is required to defeat it. I have said since January 6 that I will do whatever it takes to ensure Donald Trump is never again anywhere near the Oval Office, and I mean it.” Cheney’s term will end on Jan. 3, 2023. Speculation has brewed around a potential presidential bid for Cheney in 2024, but she has not made any definitive public statements one way or the other on the matter. When Smith asked Cheney whether she planned to announce her candidacy, Cheney deflected: “What are we going to do to make sure that our kids know what it means to have peaceful transfers of power?” she responded. “And what are we going to do to make sure that we don’t contribute to the unraveling of the Republic? … That’s what I’m focused on.” Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Sign up for the The Big Sky Blend Newsletter and receive up to date information. Read More…

British Pound Falls To New Low Against The Dollar After Taxes Slashed https://digitalalabamanews.com/british-pound-falls-to-new-low-against-the-dollar-after-taxes-slashed/ LONDON — The British pound hit an all-time low Monday against the U.S. dollar amid market concerns about the new government’s plans to boost growth after it unveiled its biggest shake-up to the tax system in 50 years. The sharp drop in the value of the pound piled pressure on the British government as it grapples with soaring public debt and a cost-of-living crisis, amid deteriorating investor confidence. It also raised the prospect that Britain’s central bank may intervene in currency markets to shore up the pound. Sterling’s slump in part reflects the strength of the U.S. dollar, which has been boosted by higher interest rates. But the pound has also dropped against the euro, indicating specific concerns about the British economy. The pound crashed to a record low of $1.0327 in Asian trading early Monday, before regaining some ground and stabilizing around $1.07 — still well down from where it was on Friday morning before the government unveiled its “mini-budget.” A weaker currency, of course, does not necessarily reflect a weak economy. In many cases, it may be advantageous, for example making British exports cheaper for consumers in the United States — and so a weak pound will boost overseas sales for companies that are export-oriented. But it means that anything denominated in dollars, such as energy costs, will soar for consumers. It is good news for U.S. tourists in the United Kingdom, who suddenly find that their dollars are going a whole lot further. In this case, however, it seems to reflect a loss of confidence in the government’s ability to manage the country’s finances. On Friday, Kwasi Kwarteng, the new chancellor of the exchequer, or finance minister, announced a package of tax cuts worth 45 billion pounds ($48 billion). The top rate of 45 percent for income tax was slashed, the cap for banker bonuses will be scrapped, and taxes on house purchases were cut — moves that will predominantly help more affluent citizens in hopes they will boost their spending. While the new prime minister, Liz Truss, had pledged tax cuts during her leadership campaign, the scale of the cuts still shocked many economic observers. “In the current economic environment it is a huge gamble,” wrote Thomas Pope, an economist with the Institute for Government. It is a major shift away from the policies of Truss’s predecessor, Boris Johnson, who last year had announced tax increases to help pay for combating the pandemic. The new British government hopes that by slashing taxes and regulations, it will be able to generate growth that will help to fund public services and eventually pay down the debt. Truss, who is just three weeks into her new job, has defended the tax-cutting bonanza. In a recent interview, CNN’s Jake Tapper put it to Truss that British opposition parties are saying that her plans are “recklessly running up the deficit” and that President Biden “is, in essence, saying your approach doesn’t work.” Last week, Biden tweeted: “I am sick and tired of trickle-down economics. It has never worked.” He was referring to the supply-side economics made famous by President Ronald Reagan, which Truss’s approach resembles. In the interview, Truss responded: “The U.K. has one of the lowest levels of debt in the G-7. But we have one of the highest levels of taxes. Currently, we have a 70-year high in our tax rates. And what I’m determined to do as prime minister, and what the chancellor is determined to do, is make sure we are incentivizing businesses to invest. And we’re also helping ordinary people with their taxes.” Truss continued: “That’s why I don’t feel it’s right to have higher national insurance and higher corporation tax, because that will make it harder for us to attract the investment we need in the U.K. It will be harder to generate those new jobs.” Read More…

Alabama Soccer Stays Unbeaten In SEC Play With Win Over Texas A&M https://digitalalabamanews.com/alabama-soccer-stays-unbeaten-in-sec-play-with-win-over-texas-am/ TUSCALOOSA, AL — No. 6 Alabama soccer (10-1-1, 3-0-0 SEC) continued its winning ways on Sunday with a 3-0 win over Texas A&M (5-4-2, 0-3-0). Click here to subscribe to our free daily newsletter and breaking news alerts. The win was made possible by way of a goal and two assists from Felicia Knox, who now leads the NCAA with 11 assists on the season. Knox also now holds the school record for assists in a season, with 10 — a record set by Merel van Dongen in 2014. Find out what’s happening in Tuscaloosawith free, real-time updates from Patch. Riley Mattingly Parker and Gianna Paul also added goals in the win. On the defensive side, McKinley Crone recorded five saves en route to her fifth shutout of the season Find out what’s happening in Tuscaloosawith free, real-time updates from Patch. “We are playing like a team that is confident and expects to win games,” Tide coach Wes Hart said following the win. “You look at how we played ourselves into the game and just how we closed that game out. I mean, it looks like a team with a mindset of we want to win the SEC Championship.” No. 6 Alabama will now travel to Athens, Georgia to take on the Bulldogs on Friday at 5 p.m. Have a news tip or suggestion on how I can improve Tuscaloosa Patch? Maybe you’re interested in having your business become one of the latest sponsors for Tuscaloosa Patch? Email all inquiries to me at ryan.phillips@patch.com Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. The rules of replying: Be respectful. This is a space for friendly local discussions. No racist, discriminatory, vulgar or threatening language will be tolerated. Be transparent. Use your real name, and back up your claims. Keep it local and relevant. Make sure your replies stay on topic. Review the Patch Community Guidelines. Read More…

Bills Would Curtail Objections At Future Jan. 6 Counts https://digitalalabamanews.com/bills-would-curtail-objections-at-future-jan-6-counts/ By MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Members of Congress have officially objected to the results in four of the last six presidential elections, a partisan practice that has been legal for over a century but became much more fraught after a violent mob of former President Donald Trump’s supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol last year. In an effort to prevent another Jan. 6, 2021, bills moving through the House and Senate would make it harder to lodge those objections when Congress counts the electoral votes in a joint session after every presidential election. The move to curtail the objections is part of a larger effort to overhaul the 1800s-era Electoral Count Act and safeguard the integrity of the vote after Trump tried to persuade his allies in Congress to vote against Democrat Joe Biden’s victory and overturn his 2020 defeat. Under current law, only one member of the House and one member of the Senate has to challenge a state’s results in order to trigger votes on that state’s electors in each chamber. If a simple majority in each chamber votes to sustain the objection, that state’s votes can be thrown out. The House and Senate bills would each raise that threshold substantially, with the House bill requiring a third of each chamber to object and the Senate bill requiring a fifth of each chamber to object. The House legislation, passed last week, would also lay out new requirements for the grounds for an objection. “It is just too easy to trigger an objection when it only requires one person in each chamber,” says Maine Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican a co-sponsor of the Senate version. Eleven GOP senators have signed on to the legislation, which is up for a vote in a Senate committee on Tuesday. If the bills are consolidated into one measure that becomes law, it will do away with a tradition that has become increasingly popular as Congress has become more polarized. Democrats have objected the last three times that Republicans were elected — twice against George W. Bush and once against Trump — but in each of those cases the Democratic candidate had already conceded the election. The stakes were raised considerably in 2021, when Trump and his allies were actively trying to thwart Biden’s win, with a strategy to throw out Biden electors in Congress and the support of a violent mob that broke into the Capitol, interrupted the joint session and threatened the lives of lawmakers and Vice President Mike Pence. House Administration Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren of California, the Democratic sponsor of the House bill with Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, said the bill would protect the voters’ will from “frivolous” objections and more sinister efforts. “If you want to object to the vote, you better have your colleagues and the Constitution on your side,” Lofgren said just before the bill passed. “Don’t try to overturn our democracy.” At the 2021 joint session, two GOP senators — Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Josh Hawley of Missouri — joined a larger group of House Republicans in objecting to Biden’s electoral votes in Arizona and Pennsylvania, two swing states that Trump had won in the 2016 election but lost in 2020. Both the House and Senate voted to certify Biden’s win in those states in the hours after the rioters had injured police, rampaged through the Capitol and sent lawmakers running for their lives. Congress had only held such votes twice since the enactment of the Electoral Count Act 135 years ago. In 1969, two Democratic senators joined a member of the House to object to the vote of one elector in North Carolina during the certification of Republican Richard Nixon’s victory. In 2004, Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer of California and Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, D-Ohio, objected to President George W. Bush’s electors in Ohio over what they said were voting irregularities. In both cases, the House and Senate rejected the objections. In several other instances, members of the House have lodged objections without the support of a senator. In 2000, several members of the Congressional Black Caucus objected to Bush’s electors in Florida after the Supreme Court had forced a halt to vote-counting in that state and decided the election. Vice President Al Gore, whom Bush had defeated, gaveled the objections down as he presided over the session. In 2016, several Democrats stood and objected to Trump’s win over Democrat Hillary Clinton but no senator joined, and Vice President Joe Biden dismissed them. Like Gore, Clinton had already conceded defeat. Members on both sides of the Capitol have been working on the revisions to the Electoral Count Act since the 2021 insurrection, saying the law’s vague language was not robust enough protection against Trump’s overt attempts to subvert the will of the people. The bills would also clarify that the vice president’s role is solely ceremonial and try to prevent states from creating slates of illegitimate electors, as Trump’s allies tried to do. The House bill is more expansive than the Senate bill, and the two sides will eventually have to resolve their differences into a single measure. That includes the House language with new grounds for any objection, which would restrict the process even further. Under the House legislation, no member could make an objection unless it fell under a strict set of parameters that relate to the Constitution — that the state is not validly a state, if the state submits too many electoral votes or if a candidate is not eligible, for example. House Republicans argued against the bill by saying it was a political attack on Trump, noting the frequent Democratic objections over the years. The House bill only received nine Republican votes, all from members who are not returning to Congress next year. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., responded that if lawmakers believed there had been too many objections in the past, “you should absolutely be supporting this legislation.” Hawley, who was photographed raising a fist to pro-Trump protesters outside the Capitol ahead of last year’s joint session, said in an interview that he is “skeptical” of the effort to change a law that has been in place for so many years. “My concern is that it’s going to look like to Republican voters that Democrats can object as much as often as they want,” the Missouri Republican said, noting the objections in 2000, 2004 and 2016. “As soon as Republicans do, they change the law,” Hawley said. “I can promise you, that will be the perception.” Still, 11 Republican senators have signed on to the Senate bill, enough to break a filibuster and pass the bill in the 50-50 Senate. Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey, who is retiring, was the latest GOP senator to sign on to the legislation last week. “The poor drafting of the 1887 Electoral Count Act endangered the transition of power from one Administration to the next,” Toomey said when he announced his support. “Unfortunately, in the over 100 intervening years, individual Democratic and Republican members of Congress have occasionally attempted to exploit the ambiguities in this law to cast doubt on the validity of our elections, culminating in the debacle of January 6, 2021,” he said. “It is past time Congress act.” Read More…

Power 25 Rankings: Auburn Solidifies No. 1 Spot, Thompson Moves Up https://digitalalabamanews.com/power-25-rankings-auburn-solidifies-no-1-spot-thompson-moves-up/ Auburn High School solidified its hold on the No. 1 spot in this week’s AL.com Power 25 high school football rankings with a 42-21 win over No. 22 Ramsay last week. The Tigers garnered three of the four first-place votes and finished with 99 total points in this week’s poll, which ranks the top teams in the state of Alabama regardless of classification. Auburn has another tough test this week against rival and No. 15-ranked Opelika. Three-time reigning 7A champ Thompson jumped to No. 2 after it ended Clay-Chalkville’s 20-game win streak with a 17-14 victory. Here are this week’s rankings: 25. Gardendale (3-2) Total points: 10 Previous ranking: 16 Last week: Lost at Austin 17-10 This week: vs. Jackson-Olin, Friday 24. Pleasant Grove (4-1) Total points: 12 Previous ranking: NR Last week: Defeated Parker 49-28 This week: at John Carroll, Friday 23. Deshler (6-0) Total points: 13 Previous ranking: 25 Last week: Defeated Colbert County 36-33 This week: vs. West Morgan, Friday 22. Ramsay (4-2) Total points: 18 Previous ranking: Tied for 23rd Last week: Lost at No. 1 Auburn 42-21 This week: at Wenonah, Thursday 21. Muscle Shoals (5-0) Total points: 24 Previous ranking: Tied for 21st Last week: Defeated James Clemens 38-10 This week: vs. No. 14 Hartselle, Friday 19. (TIE) Guntersville (6-0) Total points: 26 Previous ranking: Tied for 23 Last week: Defeated Buckhorn 52-21 This week: at Scottsboro, Friday 19. (TIE) Fyffe (5-0) Total points: 26 Previous ranking: 18 Last week: Defeated Plainview 56-13 This week: vs. Collinsville, Friday 18. Pinson Valley (3-2) Total points: 27 Previous ranking: 19 Last week: Defeated Homewood 21-13 This week: vs. Huffman, Friday 17. Handley (6-0) Total points: 29 Previous ranking: Tied for 21 Last week: Defeated Lanett 37-0 This week: at Anniston, Friday 16. Andalusia (6-0) Total points: 30 Previous ranking: 17 Last week: Defeated Bibb County 55-18 This week: vs. Geneva, Friday 15. Opelika (4-2) Total points: 36 Previous ranking: 14 Last week: Lost to No. 6 Theodore 34-24 This week: at No. 1 Auburn, Friday 14. Hartselle (6-0) Total points: 43 Previous ranking: 15 Last week: Defeated Oxford 69-21 This week: at No. 21 Muscle Shoals, Friday 13. Hewitt-Trussville (4-2) Total points: 50 Previous ranking: 13 Last week: Defeated Huffman 49-8 This week: at No. 2 Thompson, Friday 12. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (6-0) Total points: 55 Previous ranking: 12 Last week: Defeated Gadsden City 45-19 This week: vs. Central-Tuscaloosa, Friday THE TOP 10 UMS-Wright kicker John Ramsay (86) celebrates an extra-point with Barr Chavers (7) in the first half of a prep football game against Gulf Shores on Friday, Sept. 9, 2022, in Mobile, Ala. (Mike Kittrell | preps@al.com) 10. (TIE) UMS-Wright (5-0) Total points: 58 Previous ranking: 11 Last week: Idle This week: at Elberta, Friday Montgomery Catholic prepares to take the field at Faulkner University against Alabama Christian. (Wesley Lyle | preps@al.com) 10. (TIE) Montgomery Catholic (6-0) Total points: 58 Previous ranking: 10 Last week: Defeated Pike Liberal Arts 56-0 This week: vs. Montgomery Academy, Friday The Red Devils line up on offense across from IMG during the IMG Academy vs Central High game on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022. (Eric Starling | preps@al.com) 9. Central-Phenix City (4-2) Total points: 67 Previous ranking: 9 Last week: Lost to IMG Academy 41-26 This week: at Dothan, Friday Fairhope’s Ben Moseley scores a touchdown against Davidson on Friday, Sept. 16, 2022. (Tom Deck | contributed) 7. (TIE) Fairhope (5-0) Total points: 71 Previous ranking: 7 Last week: Idle This week: vs. Foley, Friday Mountain Brook running back Cole Gamble (19) is tackled by Hoover linebacker Kaleb Jackson (1) during a game at Spartan Stadium in Mountain Brook, Ala., Friday, Sept. 23, 2022. (Marvin Gentry | preps@al.com) 7. (TIE) Mountain Brook (5-1) Total points: 71 Previous ranking: 4 Last week: Lost to No. 3 Hoover 26-14 This week: Idle Theodore’s Tevaris Sullivan makes a long run against Spanish Fort. (Todd Stacey | preps@al.com) 6. Theodore (6-0) Total points: 78 Previous ranking: 8 Last week: Defeated No. 15 Opelika 34-24 This week: Idle Clay Chalkville’s Mario Craver (4) carries the ball against Thompson during a game at Warriror Stadium in Alabaster, Ala., Friday, Sept. 23, 2022. (Marvin Gentry | preps@al.com) 5. Clay-Chalkville (5-1) Total points: 82 Previous ranking: 2 Last week: Lost to No. 2 Thompson 17-14 This week: Idle Saraland wide receiver Carson Gill sprints in for a TD against St. Paul’s in the first half of a prep football game Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, in Mobile, Ala. (Mike Kittrell | preps@al.com) 4. Saraland (6-0) Total points: 85 Previous ranking: 3 Last week: Defeated Foley 49-21 This week: vs. Blount, Friday Hoover defensive back DJ Estes (5) receives a punt against Mountain Brook during a game at Spartan Stadium in Mountain Brook, Ala., Friday, Sept. 23, 2022. (Marvin Gentry | preps@al.com) 3. Hoover (5-1) Total points: 86 Previous ranking: 6 Last week: Defeated No. 7 Mountain Brook 26-14 This week: at Oak Mountain, Friday Thompson wide receiver Deuce Oliver (2) carries the ball against Clay Chalkville’s Cameron Jones (10) during a game at Warriror Stadium in Alabaster, Ala., Friday, Sept. 23, 2022. (Marvin Gentry | preps@al.com) 2. Thompson (4-2) Total points: 92 Previous ranking: 5 Last week: Defeated No. 5 Clay-Chalkville 17-14 This week: vs. No. 13 Hewitt-Trussville, Friday Auburn’s Logan Blomeyer dodges Dothan High’s Javeon Walker Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, at Duck Samford Stadium in Auburn, Alabama. (Julie Bennett | preps@al.com)Julie Bennett | preps@al.com 1. Auburn (6-0) Total points: 99 Previous ranking: 1 Last week: Defeated No. 22 Ramsay 42-21 This week: vs. No. 15 Opelika, Friday Dropped out: Decatur Receiving votes: Leeds (8), Elba (8), Gulf Shores (7), Anniston (6), Moody (6), Dothan (5), Decatur (4), Enterprise (3), Piedmont (3), Tuscaloosa County (2), Highland Home (1), Mars Hill (1). PLAYER OF WEEK 6 POLLS Birmingham Huntsville Mobile Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. Read More…

Sen. Liz Cheney Will Quit GOP If Trump Is The 2024 Presidential Nominee https://digitalalabamanews.com/sen-liz-cheney-will-quit-gop-if-trump-is-the-2024-presidential-nominee/ Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming says she “won’t be a Republican” if former President Donald Trump is the GOP nominee for president in 2024 and would consider stumping for Democrats in some cases. Ms. Cheney was defeated handily in her GOP primary earlier this year, so she is pivoting toward warnings about what Mr. Trump could mean for the party’s future. “I certainly will do whatever it takes to make sure Donald Trump isn’t anywhere close to the Oval Office,” she told Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith at the publication’s festival over the weekend. Ms. Cheney is one of two Republicans on the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and voted to impeach Mr. Trump, causing friction with party leadership and stoking the ire of Mr. Trump and his allies. The congresswoman said she will try to thwart Republican nominee Kari Lake, who has questioned the 2020 election results, from becoming governor in Arizona. “I am going to do everything I can to make sure that Kari Lake is not elected,” Ms. Cheney said, adding she would be willing to campaign for Democrats. Ms. Lake shrugged off the comments, saying Ms. Cheney they could fuel her to victory. “That might be the biggest, best gift I have ever received,” Ms. Lake told Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures.” “The Republican Party, the new Republican Party, is the party of we, the people. It is no longer the party of warmongers.” “Liz Cheney probably should change her voter registration,” Ms. Lake said. “Turns out she really is a Democrat after all.” Read More…

Pound Hits Record Low After Tax Cut Plans https://digitalalabamanews.com/pound-hits-record-low-after-tax-cut-plans/ Image source, Getty Images The pound has fallen to a record low against the dollar as markets react to the UK’s biggest tax cuts in 50 years. Sterling fell close to $1.03 early on Monday before regaining some ground to stand at $1.08. Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng has promised more tax cuts on top of a £45bn package he announced on Friday amid expectations borrowing will surge. The cost of UK government borrowing climbed and markets speculated about an emergency interest rate rise. Some economists predict the Bank of England may call an emergency meeting as soon as this week to raise rates, to help stem a fall in the pound and calm high inflation. If so, it would come less than a week after the Bank lifted interest rates by half a percentage point to 2.25% and before its next official meeting on 3 November. The Bank of England declined to comment. Market-watchers now forecast that interest rates could reach 5.5% or even higher by next spring. The rate increase in September was the seventh in a row and took rates to the highest for 14 years. A further rise would increase monthly mortgage costs for millions of homeowners. If the pound stays at low levels against the dollar, imports of commodities priced in dollars, including oil and gas, will be more costly. Other imported goods could also become considerably more expensive, further pushing up inflation which is already at its highest rate for decades. And British tourists visiting America will find that their holiday money does not go as far as before sterling’s slide. Neither the chancellor or Prime Minister Liz Truss commented on the fall in the pound. While worries about the UK economy have hit the pound, its value has also been under pressure due to the strength of the dollar. Other currencies have been falling against the dollar, and the euro touched a fresh 20-year-low against the US currency amid concerns about the risk of recession. Why the falling pound matters Investors all around the world trade huge amounts of foreign currency every day. The rate at which investors swap currencies also determines what rate people get at the bank, post office or foreign exchanges. Many people don’t think about exchange rates until it’s time to swap money for a foreign holiday. When you travel abroad, things will be more expensive if the pound buys less of the local currency. However, a fall in the pound affects household finances too. If the pound is worth less, the cost of importing goods from overseas goes up. For example, as oil is priced in dollars a weak pound can make filling up your car with petrol more expensive. Gas is also priced in dollars. Technology goods, like iPhones, that are made abroad, may get more expensive in UK shops. Even things that are made in the UK but from parts that are bought abroad can get much more expensive. Commenting on the likelihood the Bank of England could raise rates before its scheduled meeting in November, former Bank deputy governor Sir John Gieve told the BBC: “I’m sure they very much don’t want to do that… because that is a sign of pressure. “Emergency meetings are avoided if at all possible and I am sure they will try to avoid it.” Sushil Wadhwani, a former member of the Bank of England’s rate-setting committee, said if he was still there: “I would be tempted to announce an extra meeting in a week. “The argument for waiting a week would be to give them time to properly assess the extra news. The reason for not waiting until November is that they are cognisant of the need to respond in a timely basis to the new developments.” He added: “Of course, the Bank of England taking action is a second best solution. The first would involve the chancellor coming up with a credible fiscal plan which is blessed by the Office for Budget Responsibility.” On Monday, the cost of UK government borrowing surged again. Interest rates on borrowing over two and five-year periods reached 4.5%, the highest since the 2008 financial crisis, while rates over 10 years hit the highest since April 2010. At the weekend, Mr Kwarteng said there was “more to come” in terms of tax cuts after announcing a massive shake-up of taxes on Friday during a “mini-budget” to boost economic growth. Under the plans, which he hailed a “new era” for the economy, income tax and the stamp duty on home purchases will be cut and planned rises in corporation taxes have been scrapped. As well as outlining £45bn in tax cuts, the government confirmed it would spend £60bn for the first six months of its scheme to subsidise rising energy bills for households and businesses. But that cost is expected to rise as the scheme to support households will last for two years. Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves described the fall in sterling as “incredibly concerning”. “We need to hear from the chancellor his plans to get a grip on the public finances because that is what is giving real concern to market traders” and “working people”, she added. The Treasury refused to publish a forecast by independent watchdog the Office for Budget Responsibility on Friday on the UK’s economic outlook as well as future borrowing and debt. BBC political editor Chris Mason said that while ministers were not saying anything publicly: “The impression I am left with is they want to ride this out. They hope it is short-term volatility. “ However, he said one Conservative MP told him: “This is very worrying. All the wheels could come off.” Image source, PA Media Image caption, Brewers say the fall in the pound is “worrying” for the UK beer industry Paul Davies, chief executive at Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company, said the fall in the pound was “worrying” for the British beer industry, which imports hops from overseas. He said: “Many of the hops used in this country are actually imported and a lot of them, particularly for craft brewers, are imported from the US, so changes in currency is actually worrying for industry. “Then of course people drink a lot of imported beers from Europe, and the euro vs the pound is also something we’re watching very closely at the moment.” Has your business been affected by the falling value of the pound? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways: If you are reading this page and can’t see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. Read More…

Alabama Men Captured While Fighting In Ukraine Return Home https://digitalalabamanews.com/alabama-men-captured-while-fighting-in-ukraine-return-home/ Andy Huynh and Alexander Drueke, two Alabama men who were captured by Russian-backed separatists while fighting with Ukrainian forces near the city of Kharkiv in June, returned to the state and their families on Saturday. Both men, U.S. military veterans and volunteer fighters with Ukrainian forces, arrived at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Birmingham on Saturday and were greeted by family members, according to the Associated Press. Last week, the pair was released as a part of a prisoner-of-war exchange between Russia and Ukraine and transported to the U.S. embassy in Saudi Arabia. Eight other international volunteers from the United Kingdom, Morocco, Sweden and Croatia were released as part of the negotiations. “At long last, Alex and Andy are back home!,” said Congresswoman Terri Sewell in a statement on Friday following the pair’s release. “So many of us have been hoping, praying, and working toward this moment for months, and I couldn’t be more excited to see that these two men have landed safely on American soil.” Both Huynh and Drueke went missing on June 8 near the city of Kharkiv, located in northeastern Ukraine approximately 23 miles from the Russia border, after intense fighting in the area between Russia and Ukrainian forces. Both were fighting in the same combat unit comprised of other foreign volunteers, with Drueke speaking with his relatives several times over the phone after their capture, according to the Associated Press. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated in a statement after the pair’s release that U.S. citizens should not travel to Ukraine “due to the active armed conflict and the singling out of U.S. citizens in Ukraine by Russian government security officials.” “U.S. citizens in Ukraine should depart immediately if it is safe to do so using any commercial or other privately available ground transportation options,” Blinken said. “Americans who travel to Ukraine to participate in the fighting there face significant risks and the United States cannot guarantee their safety.” Read More…

The NL East Race? Justin Verlander? What We https://digitalalabamanews.com/the-nl-east-race-justin-verlander-what-we/ As the 2022 regular season has winded down, all eyes have been on Aaron Judge’s chase to break Roger Maris’ American League record for most home runs in a single season and Albert Pujols’ race to 700 career home runs. One of those milestones has been reached, with Pujols hitting two home runs against the Dodgers in Los Angeles to join the elusive 700 club, while Judge sits at 60 homers, two away from the record. While these have surely been two of the most exciting storylines the past couple of months, there is still plenty left to play for in the final weeks of the season. Will the Atlanta Braves or New York Mets come out on top of the NL East and secure the No. 2 spot in the National League? Are there any players to pay special attention to before the postseason? The season ends on Oct. 5, with the postseason scheduled to begin two days later. What should we be watching? ESPN MLB experts Bradford Doolittle, Buster Olney, Jeff Passan and David Schoenfield tell you everything you need to know. Let’s get into it. Which playoff races are you following most closely the final two weeks of the season? Doolittle: The race with the most impact on the playoff bracket is the one for the NL East title between the Braves and Mets. In terms of the overall season, these are the second- and third-best teams in the NL, in whatever order you want to put them in. The winner of the division gets a first-round bye. The second-place team gets to host a wild-card series, starting the playoff fatigue meter on its pitching staff, and if it survives that, then it gets to face a rested and unusually strong Los Angeles Dodgers team. Score one for the new format because this is a race for first place with some real stakes on the table. Olney: There is some intrigue built around the home-field advantages in the American League, specifically the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays. A three-game series in Seattle would be intense, given the great history of Mariners fans supporting their laundry, and any series in Toronto seems to carry a special passion. But let’s face it, down the stretch, we will be locked into the resolution of the NL East, because you could argue that these are two of the four best teams — and the loser will have an extra playoff round to hurdle. Passan: Well, seeing as there are only three real races and nobody has mentioned the third, I’ll give some love to the sprint — or jog … or crawl — for the final two NL wild-card spots. The San Diego Padres hold the first and have that could-get-hot-and-do-a-lot-of-damage-in-October feel to them. The Philadelphia Phillies shook off their miserable start and, like San Diego, are top-heavy. And the Milwaukee Brewers, after getting lapped by the St. Louis Cardinals in the Central, have hung around by doing what they do well: hitting tanks and pitching. It might not be the sexiest race, but for now, it’s a race nonetheless. And for that we should celebrate — or appreciate … or acknowledge. Schoenfield: I was just out in Seattle and saw more Mariners gear and heard more Mariners talk than I have in a long, long time. The recent tough stretch and the injuries to Julio Rodriguez and Eugenio Suarez have Mariners fans thinking a lot of bad thoughts — and as one of those fans, those thoughts are admittedly hard to avoid given the 21-year playoff drought. So while the NL East race is certainly more important — as Brad alluded to, delaying that pitching fatigue meter for a round could be huge — my eyes are on that wild-card race. Which remaining series do you have circled on your calendar? Doolittle: There isn’t a whole lot left on the docket in terms of teams facing each other who are competing for the same thing over these last couple of weeks. A notable exception to that is next weekend when the Mets visit the Braves in Cobb County. The division should be on the line in a playoff atmosphere and all that. Olney: Mets at Braves next weekend, largely because we’ve got the last game for Sunday Night Baseball, but also because there will be so much at stake. Depending how the Mets handle their rotation in the last two weeks, it looks like we could have Jacob deGrom in that game, which would be a blast. Passan: The only series in the season’s final three days between two teams with October dreams is Philadelphia at Houston. Currently, the Phillies are lined up to throw Aaron Nola in Game 1, Ranger Suarez in Game 2 and the unfortunately named Bailey Falter in Game 3. Philadelphia understandably wants to have a postseason spot locked up by then, because the prospect of facing Cristian Javier, Lance McCullers Jr. and Justin Verlander in must-win games is a daunting one indeed. Schoenfield: Besides Mets-Braves and every Mariners series, I’m looking at the season-ending series when the Blue Jays travel to the Baltimore Orioles, which could determine whether the Blue Jays host the wild-card series and/or whether the Orioles get in. But here’s one that has nothing to do with the playoff races but will have history on the line: Colorado Rockies at Dodgers for six games to finish the season. The NL record for wins in a 162-game season is 108, by two legendary clubs — the 1975 Reds and 1986 Mets. The Dodgers won’t catch the 1906 Cubs, who won 116 games, but they have a chance to be the greatest regular-season team in modern NL history. Of the teams that have already clinched a playoff spot, who has the most left to play for in the final weeks? Doolittle: Well, this is really a choice between the Braves and the Mets. And I guess I would say the Mets have more to play for. For the Braves, they have a couple of things going for them that lighten the pressure load. First, they are the defending champions. Their fan base is as happy as it’s ever going to get. Second, most of the roster has a fresh memory of navigating all the way through the playoffs and winning it, despite not having a particularly strong playoff seed. Of course, that was a different format, but I don’t think the Braves are going to be fazed if they end up as a wild-card team. On the other hand, for much of the summer, this felt like “one of those years” for the Mets, when everything just seemed to be falling in place on the way to a banner season in team history. While the Mets haven’t exactly fallen apart, to go all the way through that and end up as a wild-card team — and not have a division title to show for it — would just seem to me to be a bit of a letdown. Olney: The Braves and Mets — Atlanta seems to have a legit shot at becoming the first team in more than 20 years to win back-to-back titles, but playing that first round would be a burden for a club that is already kind of banged up right now, with the injuries to Ronald Acuna Jr., Spencer Strider et al. And as for the Mets, at a time of the year when they would likely prefer to limit the innings of Max Scherzer and deGrom, having to roll them out in a wild-card round would be taxing. Passan: The right answer is Braves and Mets for all the reasons outlined above. But let’s not forget Seattle. If the Mariners snag the top wild-card spot in the AL, they’ll guarantee their first home playoff game in 21 years. If they finish in the second or third slot, they’ll head on the road for all three games and need to advance to bring playoff baseball back to T-Mobile Park, one of the most beloved — and loud — stadiums in baseball. Schoenfield: I’ll be curious to see how Dodgers manager Dave Roberts works his bullpen after he announced the other day that Craig Kimbrel will no longer be the closer. He said it will be closer by committee, but this final stretch will be an indicator as to exactly what that means and who might be in line to get those final three outs. Evan Phillips has been the team’s best reliever, but he’s also been so valuable in a setup role and has little ninth-inning experience with just three career saves. The Dodgers are the best team in the majors, but with one glaring weakness that will remain a question heading into the postseason. Which individual stat performances not involving Aaron Judge or Albert Pujols are you watching closest the rest of the way? Doolittle: This question is not fair because I’m only watching Judge and Pujols for the most part on the stats front. How can you not? And not for the obvious home run chases, but because there are other cool things in play. For one thing, Pujols is getting very close to overtaking Babe Ruth on the all-time RBI list. I mean, that’s amazing. (Though, because the statistic wasn’t recognized by baseball until 1920, many of Ruth’s aren’t officially counted, leaving Pujols recognized as No. 2 on the all-time list, even though he technically trails Ruth by six RBIs.) Beyond that, I have been anxiously following the injury news regarding Patrick Corbin and his ailing back. It sounds like he should be back in the Washington Nationals’ rotation soon, so that he can continue his quest to lose 20 games. He has been stuck at 18 for a while now. I know it’s perverse, and I truly wish no ill on Corbin. I just have a thing for little historical oddities like that. No one has done it since Mike Maroth in 2003. Olney: I’m going to cheat on my answer a little bit, because it does actually involve Judge — the AL batting title could be the difference between him winning the Triple Crown or not. If Xander Bogaerts wins it, that will nicely frame his foray into free agency; if Luis Arraez pulls it out, what a cool accomplishment in a race with other great players. Passan: I want to see Shohei Ohtani‘s final stat lines — and whether his 2022 performance actually exceeds that of 2021, when he was the runaway AL MVP. The easy answer is: probably. He’s nearly the same offensive player and is significantly better on the mound. The fact that Judge is putting up an all-time-great season which could ...

Post Politics Now: Amid Inflation Challenges, Biden To Hold Event Focused On Saving Money https://digitalalabamanews.com/post-politics-now-amid-inflation-challenges-biden-to-hold-event-focused-on-saving-money/ Today, with inflation remaining a challenge for his party as the midterm elections loom, President Biden is convening senior administration officials at the White House to talk about “new actions that will save families money and lower costs,” according to an advisory. Among the moves will be a new rule to require airlines and travel sites to be more transparent about additional fees, CNN is reporting. Congress returns to Washington this week with a deadline of Friday to pass a short-term funding bill to keep the government open. Also on tap this week: The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection will hold a public hearing on Wednesday. A witness list has yet to be announced but expect a heavy focus on former president Donald Trump. Your daily dashboard 10:35 a.m. Eastern time: Biden returns to the White House from Delaware. 11:45 a.m. Eastern: Biden welcomes the Atlanta Braves to the White House. Watch live here. 1:30 p.m. Eastern: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre briefs reporters. Watch live here. 4:15 p.m. Eastern: Biden hosts a meeting of the White House Competition Council. Got a question about politics? Submit it here. After 3 p.m. weekdays, return to this space and we’ll address what’s on the mind of readers. The latest: Harris discusses China’s ‘irresponsible provocations’ with Japanese prime minister Return to menu Vice President Harris, who is leading the U.S. delegation to Tuesday’s funeral of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, met Monday with the country’s current prime minister, Fumio Kishida, in Tokyo. According to a White House readout, topics included China’s “aggressive and irresponsible provocations in the Taiwan Strait” that followed a visit to Taiwan by a congressional delegation led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). Harris and Kishida also condemned a recent ballistic missile launch by North Korea and “pledged to work together to address the threats posed by [North Korea’s] nuclear and ballistic weapons program,” the White House said. On our radar: Biden welcoming Atlanta Braves to the White House Return to menu With this year’s Major League Baseball playoffs just around the corner, President Biden plans to welcome last year’s World Series champions, the Atlanta Braves, to the White House on Monday. Biden is scheduled to host the Braves late Monday morning in keeping with a long tradition of presidents celebrating championship teams in major U.S. sports. The Braves were previously scheduled to be in town for a series with the Washington Nationals. The Braves have secured a playoff spot again this year. With less than two weeks remaining in the regular season, the team is trying to overtake the New York Mets to win the National League East division. If the Braves fall short, the team will still make the playoffs as a wild card team. Noted: Ex-staffer’s unauthorized book about Jan. 6 committee rankles members Return to menu News that a former adviser to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection is publishing a book billed as a “behind-the-scenes” look at the committee’s work came as a shock to most lawmakers and committee staff when it was announced last week. The Post’s Jacqueline Alemany and Josh Dawsey report that Denver Riggleman, a former Republican congressman, is set to publish “The Breach” on Tuesday, just one day before a public hearing of the Jan. 6 panel, which has gone to extraordinary lengths to prevent unauthorized leaks, as well as keep its sources and methods of investigation under wraps. On our radar: The Biden-Trump rematch, in many ways, has already begun Return to menu President Biden was at a Democratic reception in Maryland a few weeks ago when his rhetoric turned toward an increasingly frequent topic — “what Trump is doing and the Trumpers are doing.” An audience member called out, “Lock him up!” Biden went on to cite “the new polls showing me beating Trump by six or eight points.” A few days earlier, former president Donald Trump was at a rally in Pennsylvania when he, too, turned toward a frequent topic: “We’re leading Biden … by record numbers in the polls.” He said three times, with growing enthusiasm, “So I may just have to do it again!” Take a look: On Sunday shows, Sullivan warns Russia against using nuclear weapons in Ukraine Return to menu National security adviser Jake Sullivan made the rounds on the Sunday morning talk shows, warning that there would be “catastrophic consequences” for Russia if it uses nuclear weapons in its war on Ukraine. Sullivan said that message has been conveyed to Russian officials at the highest levels. The Post’s Blair Guild pulled together what Sullivan had to say during appearances on multiple shows. Noted: Blinken says conversation about supplying weapons to Ukraine ‘ongoing’ Return to menu Secretary of State Antony Blinken said a conversation with Ukraine over the supply of U.S. weapons to aid the country’s war effort is “ongoing,” notably regarding a request from Kyiv for Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, as the surface-to-surface missiles are commonly known. The Post’s Rachel Pannett has details: “Whatever they put on the table is something we’re going to look at, to consider, and we’re going to give them our best judgment about what can be effective for them,” Blinken said in an interview with “60 Minutes.” The United States so far has made 20 transfers of defense equipment valued at billions of dollars, Blinken said, including antitank and antiaircraft weapons that helped repel Russian forces during their attempt to seize the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. “At every step of the way, we have worked to make sure that the Ukrainians had in their hands what they needed to defend themselves,” Blinken said. He described it as an “ongoing conversation” about what Ukraine needs at any given moment, adding: “We adjust as we go along.” You can read the full story here. Read More…

NYC Libraries Vs. Red State Book Bans https://digitalalabamanews.com/nyc-libraries-vs-red-state-book-bans/ Here in New York, our libraries are among our least controversial public institutions, subject to the occasional funding battle but universally beloved by politicians for photo ops. But the Brooklyn Public Library is ruffling some political feathers — not here, but in the red states that have banned books from school libraries. As our Madina Touré reports, New York libraries have waded into America’s culture wars by directly lending 25,000 books to non-residents since spring, including thousands of students living under the bans. The Brooklyn library has been particularly proactive with its “Books Unbanned” program, giving access to its eBook collection to young people between 13 and 21 anywhere in the country in response to the book-banning trend. In Oklahoma, a QR code linking to the library site has become “a symbol of resistance” against the state’s ban on materials in schools that might cause anyone to feel guilt or discomfort tied to their race or gender. An Oklahoma high school teacher resigned after suffering backlash for introducing students to the program, and faces the possibility of losing her teaching license. In protest, other teachers and students are wearing shirts and making lawn signs promoting the program with the barcode. Oklahoma’s ban is one of the most far-reaching, but similar legislation has led to hundreds of books being yanked from the shelves at nearly 3,000 schools across 26 states. In response, thelibrary opened up its catalogue to teens across the country. The library was deluged with more than 5,100 inquiries from teens nationwide. It has also proved popular in Texas, which has nixed more texts this year than any other state. “This is what libraries do. We provide access to these materials,” said Brooklyn Public Library president Linda Johnson. “Literature is such a powerful thing and it’s something which allows you to get to know yourself better, your world, it allows you to see new things and we don’t think anyone should be shut out of that regardless of where they live.” IT’S MONDAY. Got tips, suggestions or thoughts? Let us know … By email: [email protected] and [email protected], or on Twitter: @erinmdurkin and @annagronewold WHERE’S KATHY? In Erie County and New York City. WHERE’S ERIC? Meeting with senators from the Dominican Republic in Santo Domingo, visiting La Romana to distribute medical supplies and other materials and traveling back to New York. “Judge strikes down New York City’s vaccination mandate for NYPD officers,” by Newsday’s Nicole Fuller and Anthony M. DeStefano: “A Manhattan judge Friday struck down New York City’s vaccination mandate for NYPD officers and ordered the city to reinstate officers who were fired or suspended for refusing the coronavirus vaccine in a decision that will be immediately appealed. The decision from Supreme Court Justice Lyle E. Frank said the city cannot unilaterally impose a new employment condition, such as a vaccine mandate, without negotiating with the labor union representing police officers. The ruling represented a major victory for the NYPD’s largest labor union. The New York City Police Benevolent Association, with some 24,000 members, filed suit against the city in 2021 after then-Mayor Bill de Blasio mandated officers get vaccinated against COVID-19. The city has fired more than 1,400 city employees, including 36 police officers and about two dozen firefighters, as of earlier this year for refusing to get vaccinated.” — The city quickly filed an appeal of the ruling. City Hall made an 11th-hour push to torpedo planned Council lines, by POLITICO’s Joe Anuta:  On Wednesday, a top City Hall aide contacted several appointees of the local redistricting commission with a message: New York City Mayor Eric Adams opposed a revised draft map of new City Council boundaries set for a vote the following morning. The commissioners, appointed by the Democratic politician, were therefore urged to give the plan a thumbs down. The outreach was conducted by Adams’ deputy chief of staff, Menashe Shapiro, via phone and text message, according to six people familiar with the overtures, including one who said the call came after hours Wednesday evening. And the following afternoon, the New York City Districting Commission narrowly voted to reject the set of proposed lines in a surprise decision led by mayoral appointees and those from the Republican Party, who together constitute a majority in the body. “NYPD security detail racks up speed camera tickets,” by New York Post’s Rich Calder: “Mayor Eric Adams vowed to make city streets safer, but that hasn’t stopped him from getting chauffeured around the Big Apple by lead-footed cops. Two of the city-issued SUVs used by Adams’ NYPD security detail have been nabbed on camera three times in the past five months speeding in school safety zones at least 11 mph above legal limits — racking up $225.30 in fines and late fees yet to be paid, a review of city records shows.” “Ex-NYC election lawyer accused of sexually harassing subordinates is paid Brooklyn Democratic Party consultant,” by New York Daily News’ Chris Sommerfeldt: “An attorney who recently pleaded guilty to abusing his office by sexually harassing two subordinates serves as a paid election consultant for the Brooklyn Democratic Party — and even spoke on behalf of party leaders during their botched organizational meeting this week, the Daily News has learned. Steve Richman, who resigned as the city Board of Elections’ top lawyer last year while under investigation over the harassment accusations, can be seen in a photo obtained by The News at the party’s bi-annual committee meeting in Coney Island on Wednesday night.” “Mayor Adams’ pledge to build bike and bus lanes falling short,” by WNYC’s Stephen Nessen: “Just nine months after being sworn in, Mayor Eric Adams’ campaign pledge to be the ‘bike mayor’ who installs 300 miles of protected bike lanes and 150 miles of bus lanes in four years is already falling short. Adams’ administration isn’t close to hitting average yearly milestones for those targets, according to the Mayor’s Management Report released last week, which provides an update on all city agencies’ work. The report shows there were 32 protected miles installed in fiscal year 2022. But the Department of Transportation won’t say how many of those miles were built during former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s term, just that it’s on track to complete 30 this year. That puts Adams far short of 75 miles of protected bike lanes this year, which is the pace needed to reach his campaign pledge by the end of his term.” ADAMS IN PUERTO RICO: Mayor Eric Adams traveled to Puerto Rico over the weekend to help with recovery efforts following Hurricane Fiona. He met with local officials, including Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi and San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero, calling the island the “sixth borough of New York City.” “Where I am standing right now, this was 10, 12 feet of water, it may seem like it dried out now but the results of it is that people have lost everything that they own,” he said in a video taken while surveying the damage from the storm. “We’re going to continue to move throughout the island and look at other areas and identify exactly what’s needed,” he said in a different video recorded with Romero and other New York officials who joined him on the trip. A team from the city’s emergency management department came down to the island earlier to assist with recovery efforts, Adams said. — Janaki Chadha “More than 1,600 corporal punishment cases substantiated in New York public schools in recent years,” by Times Union’s Emilie Munson, Joshua Solomon and Matt Rocheleau: “In 2021, a substitute teacher grabbed a student by the throat and forced him against a wall at Watertown City Central School District near the Canadian border, according to records from the state Education Department. Two years prior, investigators determined a teaching assistant for Syracuse City Schools on multiple occasions had spanked a non-verbal student and slapped her on the hand. And in Brooklyn in 2018, a teacher at Achievement First Brownsville Charter School forced a student to hold books as a disciplinary consequence. In recent years, the state Education Department has documented nearly 18,000 complaints of corporal punishment in public and charter schools across New York, although corporal punishment is generally banned. Investigators and school officials substantiated more than 1,600 of those complaints from 2016 through 2021, according to a Times Union review of state Education Department records.” “The School Shooting Is Fake. Can It Prepare an Officer for a Real One?” by The New York Times’ Grace Ashford: “‘Shots fired,’ the instructor called, urging the officers toward what would in real life be gunfire. ‘What do we gotta do?’ Officers — many of whom have never fired their weapon at another person, let alone been fired upon — must answer that question correctly. Whether a dozen arrive, or just one, training dictates that they must engage, even if they risk death. The school shooting in May in Uvalde, Tex., where 19 children and two adults died as police officers hesitated, demonstrates the price of failure. The State Preparedness Training Center in Oriskany, N.Y., where the terrors of the future are simulated, studied and, perhaps, prevented is part of a vast infrastructure for tragedy. Since 2017, tens of millions have been spent by the federal government on mass shooter training, and states have spent even more.” “NY bill would guarantee legal help for locals enmeshed in immigration proceedings,” by WNYC’s Arya Sundaram: “Low-income immigrants in New York who face deportation or detention would be guaranteed legal help under legislation proposed by two state lawmakers. The Access to Representation Act (S81B/A1961) would make...

What Trump https://digitalalabamanews.com/what-trump/ Jen Psaki, the former White House press secretary under Joe Biden, made her debut as a commentator for MSNBC earlier this month as she continued her post-politics career. Psaki, who left the administration in May and was replaced by Karine Jean-Pierre, appeared on MSNBC’s on Alex Wagner Tonight on September 14, where she discussed how Donald Trump may have a negative influence on GOP candidates in the upcoming midterms. “Nothing is more of an excitement and driving factor than Donald Trump for Democrats,” Psaki said. “The more he engages himself in the race, the more he puts himself out there, the more it’s a reminder of what’s at stake to people. Having Trump on the ballot is a hugely energizing factor.” Psaki’s move from press secretary to media commentator is not unusual, with those who worked in the Trump administration also taking similar steps. Below, Newsweek takes a look at what Trump’s former press secretaries did after they left their roles between 2017 and 2021. In this combination image, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany (Top left), Arkansas Republican gubernatorial candidate Sarah Sanders (Top right), Stephanie Grisham and Sean Spicer (Bottom right) Getty/AP Sean Spicer Trump’s first press secretary is arguably best known for spreading falsehoods about the size of the former president’s 2017 inauguration crowd, asserting that it was “the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period, both in person and around the globe.” In a July 2018 interviews with NPR and the BBC‘s Newsnight, Spicer said he regrets the comments, but that he made them as he believed it was what Trump wanted to hear. “I sort of thought I knew what he wanted and went and did it. And I’ll be honest, if I could have a do-over on that day, I’d take it every day of the week,” Spicer told NPR. After resigning as press secretary in July 2017, Spicer published a book of memoirs, and appeared as a contestant on season 28 of Dancing with the Stars. The 51-year-old also presents his own show, Spicer & Co, on the right wing channel Newsmax. Sarah Huckabee Sanders The longtime political adviser and campaign manager became just the third female White House press secretary when she replaced Spicer in 2017. Sanders was another Trump press secretary who was infamous for making false statements while speaking to reporters. Special counsel Robert Mueller‘s report into alleged Russian interference at the 2016 Election also revealed that Sanders admitted to falsely claiming that “countless” FBI officials told her they supported Trump’s decision to fire James B. Comey as the agency’s director. Sanders said the remark was a “slip of the tongue” and not true. After leaving her role as press secretary in June 2019, Sanders returned to state level politics and will be contesting the race for Arkansas governor as the GOP nomination in November’s midterms. Stephanie Grisham Grisham took over as White House press secretary in July 2019 having previously worked as first lady Melania Trump‘s press secretary. She became the first person in the role not to hold a televised press conference, instead choosing to take part in interviews on right-wing news sites. Grisham left her job as White House press secretary in April 2020 to return as serve as Melania Trump’s chief of staff, a role she later resigned from in the wake of the January 6 attack. In September 2021, Grisham published her book of memoirs about her time in the White House entitled I’ll Take Your Questions Now. Kayleigh McEnany McEnany was appointed Trump’s forth press secretary in April 2020 despite being a vocal critic of him while was running for the GOP presidential nomination in the 2016 election. She went on to be a staunch defender of Trump, including praising his response to the coronavirus pandemic, and falsely declaring he had won the 2020 Election over Joe Biden while the votes were still being counted. In March 2021, two months after the Trump administration vacated the White House, McEnany joined Fox News as a regular commentator and later joined Fox News’ Outnumbered as a co-host. Read More…

Game Changers: Memorable Sporting Events https://digitalalabamanews.com/game-changers-memorable-sporting-events/ What is the best or most memorable sporting event you’ve attended? Meg Aronowitz: I took my dad to the Game 3 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. As lifelong Mets fans, it was so great to experience our only win of the series with my dad. It was like he was 18 again!! I will cherish every moment of that game, because I got to go with my dad. Anna Barton Kolda: Texas A&M vs. Tennessee football game at Kyle Field — Oct. 8, 2016, 2 OTs. I’ve been to a lot of college football games in my career from the ACC, Pac-12, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC, and hands down, even after seeing the Iron Bowl or even The Big House, Kyle Field is the best atmosphere around and for that game it was electric! Meredith Battin: Personally, Michigan defeating Ohio State at home in the snow to win the Big Ten and go on to win the national championship in 1997. Professionally, my first Super Bowl, SBXLII in Arizona. As a Michigan alum I was rooting for Tom Brady and the Patriots but the undefeated upset and helmet catch made it hard not to root for the Giants that night. 2015 World Series at Citi Fieldgetty images Gretchen Beaumarchais: Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium. Lindsay Brinkmann: 2015 World Series at Citi Field. Heather Brooks Karatz: LAFC’s first home match at Banc of California Stadium and the XFL’s Los Angeles Wildcats’ last home game at Dignity Health Sports Park. Debbie Brown: 2003 Marlins clinching the wild card and being on the field as a reporter in my first year covering the team (they of course went on to win the World Series). Kristin Byrd: Wimbledon — the greatest tennis tournament in the world! Elizabeth Casey: The most memorable was Super Bowl LI in Houston. Tom Brady and the Patriots came back after halftime to win it all. You could feel the momentum of the fans in the stadium as Brady started scoring. It was almost as if the fans cheering him on carried the team to victory, and it was a fun reminder that the support and faith of others can sometimes carry you across the finish line. It was also amazing to watch that comeback by such a phenomenal quarterback. Elizabeth Cohen: Tottenham Hotspur winning the 2008 League Cup Final at Wembley. My childhood team rarely wins silverware these days, so it was a moment I continue to cherish! Julie Cromer: U.S. Open. Aileen Dagrosa: 2018 NFC Championship Game when the Eagles defeated the Vikings 38-7 to make it to the Super Bowl. (The most memorable event that I wasn’t able to attend is Super Bowl LII in Minnesota because I was nine months pregnant with my son.) Natalie Epperly: Recently, my family and I were able to attend the first-ever Charlotte FC game and it was so awesome to see a sold-out stadium for a first-time club. Unfortunately, there were audio challenges during the national anthem performance, but to see 74,000 people singing the national anthem was truly a “goosebump” moment. It’s now become a tradition at games to have the crowd join in the singing.  Kelly Flatow: There are so many. 1996 Olympics in which lifelong friendships were built. 1998 Pro Bowl for which I was the Hershey’s rep, with Dennis Crawford from Cleveland, Tenn., when he won the Hershey’s Million Dollar Kick with a 40-yard field goal. As a fan, Super Bowl 2018 with an Eagles win alongside some of my favorite Philly people. Talaya Gaines: 2016 NBA Finals, Game 7. Carrie Gerlach Cecil: I am blessed to have attended thousands of remarkable sporting events with treasurable sports figures. How do you compare sitting with Hank Aaron in the dugout the night the Boston Red Sox broke the Curse of the Bambino in Game 4 of the World Series to standing with Jimmie Johnson on the track at the Daytona 500 during the national anthem or watching Brett Favre throw four touchdowns the day after his father died and feeling Irvin’s spirit everywhere in the Raiders’ stadium? There is no way to rank moments like these. However, there is nothing more special than watching my incredible husband, Chuck Cecil, play or coach on any given Saturday or Sunday. Kristen Gray: The first time, in person, I witnessed the Patriots win the Super Bowl. It was Super Bowl XLIX in Glendale, Ariz. My dad was there. It was an incredible moment to celebrate together. My Boston loyalty is a result of my dad’s fandom. Christy Hedgpeth: 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Kate Howard: My first Super Bowl in 2009. Epic. Raven Jemison: It’s a tie between two events: a. Watching my beloved alma mater, Auburn University, win the 2010 BCS National Championship Game in Glendale, Ariz. WAR EAGLE! b. Watching the Milwaukee Bucks win the 2021 NBA Finals in Game 6 at home in Fiserv Forum. Couldn’t have scripted a better ending to that season. #bucksinsix Laurie Kepron: Any of the numerous Stanley Cup Final games I have been fortunate to attend. Julie Keryc: The conclusion of the 2013 SEC football regular season. It would be easy to say the “Kick Six” (when Auburn returned the final play of the Iron Bowl for a game-winning touchdown), but people forget that the week before was the “Prayer at Jordan Hare” when Auburn caught a miracle Hail Mary to beat Georgia. To witness both of those games (from the TV truck) and be a part of those broadcasts is a memory I will never forget. Christine Lazatin: My son’s 8U baseball league championship game. It was inspiring to see so much grit, resilience and teamwork at that early age. The power of youth sports is truly incredible. Jeehae Lee: Masters 2012 (my first Masters). Jennifer Linn: Monday Night Miracle when the Jets came back to beat the Dolphins. Not only was it my first season working full time for the Jets, Monday Night Football as an employee is such a unique experience. I remember the excitement leading into the game, and then just feeling bad for everyone — the players, the coaches, the fans, the sponsors. People were leaving. And then in the 4th quarter watching these guys move the ball, score after score, Jumbo’s touchdown and then the John Hall’s kick, it was truly a miracle. Jets scored 30 points in 4th to win 40-37. Keri Lockett: In 2016 when the Chicago Cubs won the NLCS at Wrigley Field. The energy, passion and intensity that day at the field was off the charts. On the final out of the game, the stadium erupted. Fans jumping, cheering, hugging and crying all while the white “W” flag was being raised and the song “Go Cubs Go” was echoing as far as the ear could hear. Cheryl Mark: Women’s soccer gold medal match at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. It was the last Olympic appearance by the Fab Five (Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy, Joy Fawcett, Brandi Chastain and Kristine Lilly). The success of these women paved the way for my career in sports. Sports Illustrated for Women may not have existed without them, and I may not have learned that I could have a career in sports if not for SI Women. It was an honor to cheer them on! Women’s soccer gold medal match at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athensgetty images Aileen McManamon: 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers victory parade. I flew home to attend with my brother, sister and brother-in-law. And 2 million of my “homies.”  So much joy — there were no incidents, just tears of happiness and relief washing away decades of misery. Meredith McPherron: The world’s biggest match: Barcelona vs. Real Madrid. Jessi Miley-Dyer: The 4x100m men’s relay at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 in the Aquatic Center. Australia came from behind to win, the stadium was shaking, and it was that night that Ian Thorpe won the 400m. Renee Montgomery: The most memorable sporting event I’ve ever attended is the 2009 Women’s Final Four. It was my last chance to win a championship before graduating and you just don’t leave UConn without winning a championship. Best Day Ever. Amanda Oliver: One that stands out was my cousin Dean Oliver’s senior year playing his final home basketball game at Iowa. My grandma and a lot of our family flew up to support him. I think sharing that memory together made it so special. I’m lucky enough to attend the Daytona 500 every year to kick off our season and I look forward to bringing my son out to the race to enjoy the festivities and grandeur of the event now that he’s old enough to appreciate it.    Sharon Otterman: 2008 Super Bowl Pats/Giants — The “catch” (and then found out I was pregnant with twins). Kate Pratt Theobald: My first trip to Anfield (Liverpool FC’s stadium). Before flying across, I had watched an embarrassing amount of YouTube videos about Anfield and the famous anthem. I’ll never forget hearing Liverpool FC’s anthem, “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” for the first time pre-match. CHILLS! Pinky Raina: USA-Mexico Men’s World Cup qualifier in November 2021 in Cincinnati. Jill Redmond: 2022 Men’s Final Four. Alyssa Romano: Most memorable was the 2008 women’s lacrosse Patriot League semifinals, where the American University Eagles scored seven goals in 9 minutes to claim a 17-15 come-from-behind win over Navy. Megan Rose: Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021. Walking around the Olympic Village and seeing the world’s greatest able-body athletes in one place was something I’ll never forget. Diana Sabau: The 2022 Women’s Ice Hockey National Championship (Ohio State vs. Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs) and the 2015 national championship football game (Ohio State vs. Oregon). Kate Sheets: One of my first dates with my now husband (who is from San Diego) was a Chargers-Bears game at Qualcomm Stadium just over 15 years ago. We didn’t talk to each other for the entire first half because we were so competitive. I think I knew then it was going to work out. And while I didn’t attend, I have to mention the White Sox winning the World Series in 2005; I’ll never forget screaming into the phone with my dad and brother as we were spread out across the country when it happened. We were beside ourselves with joy. Leticia Silva: Game 163 in 2009...

Italy Election Victors Aim For Rare Political Stability https://digitalalabamanews.com/italy-election-victors-aim-for-rare-political-stability/ Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Rightist bloc set for clear majority in both houses Meloni would be country’s first woman prime minister League leader says government will be stable Government not expected to be sworn in for few weeks Record low turnout casts shadow over result ROME, Sept 26 (Reuters) – The right-wing alliance that won Italy’s national election will usher in a rare era of political stability to tackle an array of problems besieging the euro zone’s third largest economy, one of its senior figures said on Monday. Giorgia Meloni looks set to become Italy’s first woman prime minister at the head of its most right-wing government since World War Two after leading the conservative alliance to triumph at Sunday’s election. “I expect that for at least five years we will press ahead without any changes, without any twists, prioritising the things we need to do,” said Matteo Salvini, leader of the League party that is one of the main allies of Meloni’s Brothers of Italy. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Near final results showed the rightist bloc, which also includes Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia, should have a solid majority in both houses of parliament, potentially ending years of upheaval and fragile coalitions. The result is the latest success for the right in Europe after a breakthrough for the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats in an election this month and advances made by the National Rally in France in June. Meloni plays down her party’s post-fascist roots and portrays it as a mainstream group like Britain’s Conservatives. She has pledged to back Western policy on Ukraine and not take risks with Italy’s fragile finances. Meloni, who has spoken out against what she calls “the LGBT lobby” and mass immigration, struck a conciliatory tone in her victory speech in the early hours of Monday. “If we are called on to govern this nation we will do it for all the Italians, with the aim of uniting the people and focusing on what unites us rather than what divides us,” she told cheering supporters. “This is a time for being responsible.” TOUGH INHERITANCE Meloni and her allies face a daunting list of challenges, including soaring energy prices, war in Ukraine and a renewed slowdown in the euro zone’s third-largest economy. Leader of Brothers of Italy Giorgia Meloni speaks at the party’s election night headquarters, in Rome, Italy September 26, 2022. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane Her coalition government, Italy’s 68th since 1946, is unlikely to be installed before the end of October and Prime Minister Mario Draghi remains at the head of a caretaker administration for now. Despite the talk of stability, Meloni’s alliance is split on some highly sensitive issues that might be difficult to reconcile once in government. Draghi, the former head of the European Central Bank, pushed Rome to the centre of EU policy-making during his 18-month stint in office, forging close ties with Paris and Berlin. In Europe, the first to hail Meloni’s victory were hard-right opposition parties in Spain and France, and Poland and Hungary’s national conservative governments which both have strained relations with Brussels. Salvini questions the West’s sanctions against Russia and both he and Berlusconi have often expressed their admiration for its leader, Vladimir Putin. The allies also have differing views on how to deal with surging energy bills and have laid out a raft of promises, including tax cuts and pension reform, that Italy will struggle to afford. With results counted in more than 97% of polling stations, the Brothers of Italy led with more than 26% over the vote, up from just 4% in the last national election in 2018, supplanting the League as the driving force on the right. The League took only around 9%, down from more than 17% four years ago, but despite the relatively low score, Salvini said he would stay on as party leader. Berlusconi’s Forza Italia scored around 8%. Centre-left and centrist parties won more votes than the right but were penalised by an electoral law that rewards broad alliances. Enrico Letta, the head of the main opposition party, the Democratic Party, announced he would stand down as leader. Despite its clear-cut result, the vote was not a ringing endorsement for the right bloc. Turnout was just 64% against 73% four years ago – a record low in a country that has historically had strong voter participation. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Elisa Anzolin reported this story from Milan. Additional reporting by Crispian Balmer, Angelo Amante, Gavin Jones and Alvise Armellini in Rome Writing by Keith Weir; Editing by Crispian Balmer and Nick Macfie Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Read More…

Football News LIVE: Latest Updates From Around The Beautiful Game https://digitalalabamanews.com/football-news-live-latest-updates-from-around-the-beautiful-game/ Live Blog FOOTBALL LATEST Updated: 11:43, 26 Sep 2022 ENGLAND were relegated to the Nations League second-tier following an abysmal performance against Italy. Gareth Southgate is targeting World Cup glory in Qatar and time is running out for Southgate to take a good look at his squad ahead of the tournament. But the Three Lions boss’ preparations have not gone to plan as Giacomo Raspadori’s sensational strike saw England go five matches without a win. As things stand, England are in the same pot as Wales, Czech Republic and Austria. And could face a selection of lower-seeded Montenegro, Finland, Albania, Kazakhstan or Georgia. Meanwhile, Swedish legend Zlatan Ibrahomvic is set to star in his first movie – Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom on Twitter. How to get free bets on football – the 17 best bookies to claim rewards and bonuses Stay up to date with all the latest from around the grounds… Injured Bruno returns for treatment Newcastle ace Bruno Guimaraes is returning to Tyneside for assessment on a thigh problem. The midfielder picked up the injury while on international duty with Brazil. Guimaraes joins Alexander Isak and Chris Wood in leaving their respective national squads early after picking up knocks during this break from domestic football. The extent of these issues are not yet fully known, but the fear is that they could leave Eddie Howe short of attackers for Saturday’s game at Fulham. Allan Saint-Maximin is already expected to miss the trip to Craven Cottage although Callum Wilson has been declared fit. Boro’s Wilder is Cherries pick Middlesbrough manager Chris Wilder is the odds-on favourite to be named as Bournemouth’s new boss. Wilder was a 25/1 shot for the Premier League post on Saturday, but has been slashed by BetVictor to 2/7 following 24 hours of speculation. The former Sheffield United gaffer has overtaken current Cherries caretaker Gary O’Neil at the head of the betting. Chris Wilder 2/7 Gary O’Neil 6/4 Marcelo Bielsa 16/1 Sean Dyche 16/1 Sam Allardyce 20/1 New deal for Chelsea target? Chelsea target Rafael Leao has indicated that he wants to stay at AC Milan, according to club legend Paolo Maldini. Now the technical director at the San Siro, Maldini has revealed that he believes the Portuguese hot shot wants to commit his future to the Rossoneri. Leao had been strongly linked with a move to Stamford Bridge in the summer with a £100m deal supposedly in the pipelines. However, Maldini has refuted the reports. “He’s grateful to Milan and understands that the best way for his future is here. Yes, I feel new deal agreement is possible,” he said. “I don’t care about the rumours, it’s important what Rafa tells us.” Van Dijk praises Timber If Virgil van Dijk rates you as a defender then you are definitely doing something right. Liverpool hero Van Dijk – thought by many to be just about the best centre-half in the world when he is in top gear – says his Netherlands central defensive partner Jurrien Timber is better than he was at his age. That will be music to the ears of fans at Manchester United, who are said to be very keen on signing the 21-year-old Ajax ace. Van Dijk, 31, said: “I wasn’t nearly as far along as he is now. “I have nothing but praise for him – he is a great player and a true professional.” Atleti’s Oblak on United radar Manchester United have once again been strongly linked with a move for Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak. And according to reports in Spain, the LaLiga club are willing to do business for €30m in January. Should the Slovenian make the move to Old Trafford, it would be the same career path taken by David de Gea 11 years ago. However, Tottenham are also in the hunt for the 29-year-old stopper. Atleti are prepared to cash in on their ace goalkeeper, and could replace him with Aston Villa’s Emi Martinez. Southgate fearful for England future Gareth Southgate has admitted that he faces the sack if England underperform at the World Cup. The Three Lions boss will lead his squad into November’s competition following a run of poor performances and results. England go in to tonight’s game with Germany, having not won or scored from open play in their last five matches. Defeat to Italy on Friday night ensured they were relegated from Group A3 of the Nations League. Southgate signed a new three-year deal with the FA last year, but admits that it will mean nothing if the current problems continue. “I’m not arrogant enough to think that having a contract should protect me in any way from results,” he told reporters. “We understand how the mood changes with the results, and it has changed. I am realistic about that. “I’ll be judged on what’s delivered in Qatar and I am perfectly happy to be judged in that way.” Saliba subbed as France falter Didier Deschamps has hinted at his reasons for hooking William Saliba at half-time as France were beaten 2-0 by Denmark. The Arsenal defender was one of two players taken off at the break in Copenhagen alongside Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga. First half goals from Kasper Dolberg and Andreas Skov Olsen left Les Bleus with an uphill task as Wesley Fofana and Jonathan Clauss were introduced for the second half. Afterwards head coach Deschamps told TF1: “I don’t think it’s a shipwreck, we also had a lot of chances but we were ineffective, we made some errors when playing out from the back. “It’s a young French side, where the majority of the players don’t have experience at the very highest level. It’s not a question of formations, but when you have four corners and a Danish player is left alone each time, you can play with three, five or twelve at the back, it doesn’t change a thing.” Toney set for Lions debut Ivan Toney is expected to make his England debut against Germany this evening after being included in Gareth Southgate’s matchday squad. The Brentford striker was axed ahead of Friday’s encounter in Italy, but has been named in today’s 23. Once again, England’s under-fire head coach has been required to cut down his group from 28 players. Jack Grealish is suspended for the clash at Wembley while Trent Alexander-Arnold, James Ward-Prowse, Jarrod Bowen and Fikayo Tomori have been omitted. No truth in Vlahovic rumours Fabrizio Romano insists there is nothing in the latest speculation linking Dusan Vlahovic with Arsenal. The transfers expert was quick to dismiss the rumours that have resurfaced following the forward’s poor start to the season. The Gunners were in for the Serbian striker back in January, only for the player to snub the Premier League in favour of a move to Juventus. But while his time in Turin began brightly, Vlahovic is now experiencing a difficult spell with Max Allegri’s team faltering in Serie A. “At the moment there’s absolutely nothing between Dusan Vlahovic and Arsenal. We can’t predict the future but as of now there’s not even a direct contact,” Romano told subscribers. Allan exits Everton for UAE Everton outcast Allan has joined United Arab Emirates club Al-Wahda. The former Brazil international is understood to have a signed a two-year deal with the Abu Dhabi outfit – although the Toffees are yet to confirm the transfer. The midfielder moved to Merseyside from Napoli for £21m in 2020, and featured regularly in his first two seasons at Goodison Park. However, Frank Lampard has overlooked the 31-year-old this term, and appeared keen to move the player on following the arrivals of Idrissa Gueye and Amadou Onana. Liverpool ace the Holland hero Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk was the match-winner as the Netherlands defeated Belgium in Amsterdam to qualify for the Nations League final. The centre-back headed home the only goal of the game with 17 minutes remaining to earn Louis van Gaal’s men all three points in Group A4. It was the 31-year-old’s sixth strike for his country on his 49th cap, and his first since October last year. And perhaps more impressively, Van Dijk was part of a Dutch defence that stopped the Belgians scoring for the first time in 50 international matches. United to take their Pick Manchester United are considering a move for England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford as a replacement for David de Gea. The Metro report that the Everton number one is now the number one target at Old Trafford should they allow their Spanish stopper to leave. De Gea is out of contract at the end of the season, and the Red Devils are seriously considering letting the 31-year-old go – despite possessing the option of triggering a further 12 months on his deal. The Spaniard is understood to be United’s second highest earner behind Cristiano Ronaldo, bringing home in the region of £350,000-per-week. It is thought that United’s hierarchy believe those funds could be used better elsewhere – starting with the purchase of Pickford. Tierney update after head injury Kieran Tierney will play no further part for Scotland during this international break. The Arsenal left-back took a knock to the head during the first half of Saturday’s 2-1 win against the Republic of Ireland. He was replaced on the night by Greg Taylor, and has subsequently been ruled out of Tuesday’s Nations League decider with Ukraine in Poland. However, Scotland boss Steve Clarke has indicated that the decisions are all ‘precautionary’. Tierney is expected to be fit to feature for Arsenal in Saturday’s North London derby with Tottenham. Good morning footy fans Fabio Capello has revealed he was “proud” to sell Ronaldo because the Brazil legend loved “parties and women”. The ex-England chief even found it “funny” when AC Milan signed the striker from him at Real Madrid in 2007 – as he had warned the Italian giants about Ronaldo skipping training. He told A Bola: “Being a Real Madrid coach is a huge responsib...

European Markets Fall; Sterling Slumps Against The Dollar https://digitalalabamanews.com/european-markets-fall-sterling-slumps-against-the-dollar/ European stocks were lower on Monday as investors continued to weigh the deteriorating economic outlook in the region. The pan-European Stoxx 600 was down 0.8% by late morning, with banks shedding 2.2% while tech stocks added 1.5%. Concern for the global growth outlook has been increasing as inflation remains high and central banks resort to aggressive interest rate hikes to try to tame rising prices. Shares in Asia-Pacific fell sharply on Monday as negative sentiment continues to weigh in on markets. The British pound plunged to a record low on Monday, following last week’s announcement by the new U.K. government that it would implement tax cuts and investment incentives to boost growth. Investors in Europe are also watching Italy following a snap election on Sunday. The country is on course to elect its first female prime minister and the first government led by the far-right since the end of World War II. Brent crude slides below $85 a barrel as dollar surges Brent crude fell below $85 a barrel Monday, as recession fears mount and the U.S. dollar surged. Brent futures for November settlement were trading down over 1% around $84.92 at 8 a.m. London time. West Texas Intermediate futures also fell to trade around $77.93. Central banks around the world — including the U.S. and the U.K. — continue to hike interest rates in an effort to tackle inflation. You can read the full story on CNBC here. — Hannah Ward-Glenton Stocks on the move: Belimo up 7%, K+S down 8% Shares of Swiss heating and ventilation manufacturer Belimo Holding climbed more than 7% in early trade after Berenberg upgraded the stock to “buy” and increased its price target, citing rising demand for home renovation. At the bottom of the Stoxx 600, German chemical company K+S fell 8%. – Elliot Smith Giorgia Meloni and her far-right Brothers of Italy party top vote in Italian elections, exit poll shows Giorgia Meloni seen speaking during the campaign. Giorgia Meloni, leader of the right nationalist and conservative party Brothers of Italy (Fratelli dItalia, FDI) held the conclusive electoral rally at Arenile, in the left-oriented district of Bagnoli, Naples. Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images Italians are on course to elect the country’s first female prime minister and the first government led by the far-right since the end of World War II. Giorgia Meloni’s Fratelli d’Italia (Brothers of Italy) party are set to gain 26.4% of the vote, according to an exit poll early Monday morning. The party is in a broad right-wing coalition with Lega, under Matteo Salvini, Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia and a more minor coalition partner, Noi Moderati. This alliance is set to win 44.43% of the vote, according to exit polls, enough to gain a parliamentary majority with the center-left bloc on 26.57%. Early projections from the actual election results are due Monday morning. Read more on the story here Sterling hits record low against the dollar, as Asia-Pacific currencies also weaken CNBC Pro: Morningstar reveals its top high-dividend global stocks — and gives three 30% upside Morningstar has revealed its pick of global stocks with the highest dividend yields, saying they stand out in an environment where many companies may not be able to maintain their dividends due to “economic strain.” Pro subscribers can read more here. — Ganesh Rao CNBC Pro: Dan Niles predicts when the S&P 500 might bottom, and reveals how he’s profited this year Stocks prepare to test their lows in the final week of trading for September Heading into the final week of trading for September, the Dow and S&P 500 are each down about 6% for the month, while the Nasdaq has lost 8%. Both the Dow and S&P are now sitting 1.2% and 1.6%, respectively, above their lows from mid-June. The Nasdaq is 2.9% above its low. — Tanaya Macheel Wed, Aug 17 202212:29 AM EDT European markets: Here are the opening calls European stocks are expected to open in negative territory on Wednesday as investors react to the latest U.S. inflation data. The U.K.’s FTSE index is expected to open 47 points lower at 7,341, Germany’s DAX 86 points lower at 13,106, France’s CAC 40 down 28 points and Italy’s FTSE MIB 132 points lower at 22,010, according to data from IG. Global markets have pulled back following a higher-than-expected U.S. consumer price index report for August which showed prices rose by 0.1% for the month and 8.3% annually in August, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday, defying economist expectations that headline inflation would fall 0.1% month-on-month. Core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy costs, climbed 0.6% from July and 6.3% from August 2021. U.K. inflation figures for August are due and euro zone industrial production for July will be published. — Holly Ellyatt Read More…

Biden's Mixed Record Forces Some Dems Into Odd Balancing Act https://digitalalabamanews.com/bidens-mixed-record-forces-some-dems-into-odd-balancing-act-2/ Carol Discher, a volunteer for the reelection campaign for Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, stacks yard signs in Toledo, Ohio, on Sept. 17. Kaptur appeared with President Joe Biden during his July visit to Ohio but has since produced an ad saying she “doesn’t work for Joe Biden,” evidence of how some Democrats are struggling with how much to embrace — or distance themselves — from the president ahead of November’s midterm elections. Will Weissert | AP Democratic House candidate Greg Landsman can tick off how his party’s control of Congress and the White House has benefited his city. The bipartisan infrastructure deal will mean upgrades to the heavily traveled highway bridge linking Cincinnati with its airport and northern Kentucky while bolstering a vital westside viaduct. COVID-19 relief funding meant training for more new police academy recruits. A sprawling spending package capped insulin prices. But Landsman won’t say whether President Joe Biden, who signed those measures into law, will help or hurt his campaign to unseat longtime Republican Rep. Steve Chabot. He doesn’t think the president will visit the southwest Ohio swing district before the November midterm elections and insists that, in thousands of conversations while campaigning, Biden usually “just doesn’t come up.” Officeholders and top candidates often distance themselves from their party’s unpopular president. Some Republicans shunned Donald Trump ahead of the 2018 midterms when Democrats flipped the House, just as many Democrats ran away from Barack Obama as 2010’s red wave loomed. George W. Bush and Bill Clinton suffered similar midterm election fates. But this cycle presents conflicting political incentives that have forced some front-line Democrats into delicate balancing acts. While improving lately, Biden’s approval ratings remain low and inflation is still running near record highs. Yet unemployment is down, wages are up and the White House has notched key congressional wins applauded by many Democrats in close races. The predicament underscores the lack of a national Democratic playbook on how to run in relation to Biden ahead of the midterms. “These issues become, especially in places like Cincinnati, Greater Cincinnati, very local very quickly,” said Landsman, a City Council member whose hesitancy to mention Biden is a change from his appearance with the president in Cincinnati in May. Two hundred miles north in Toledo, Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur, the longest-serving woman in House history, has been more direct, producing an ad saying she “doesn’t work for Joe Biden” mere weeks after greeting the president at the Cleveland airport in July. Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan, running for Ohio’s open Senate seat, appeared with the president at the recent groundbreaking of an Intel computer chip factory outside Columbus. But he suggested then of the possibility of Biden seeking reelection in 2024 that both parties need “new leadership” and “it’s time for a generational move.” When Biden visited Milwaukee on Labor Day, Democratic Gov. Tom Evers, who is up for reelection, appeared with him, but Democratic Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, competing against Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, did not. In Maine, Democratic Rep. Jared Goldenhas an ad saying he opposed “trillions of dollars of President Biden’s agenda because I knew it would make inflation worse.” Democratic Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly is giving Biden’s performance “mixed reviews.” Landsman says he appeared with the president because he supported White House-backed microchip legislation that helped make the new Intel facility a reality. Kaptur says she appeared with Biden because he was announcing $1 billion for Great Lakes improvements and got a firsthand look at the town of Lorain, which has been devastated by steel mills closing. “There’s some other things I don’t agree with the president on. But that one — getting attention to Lorain, Ohio, which has endured such a battering in the international markets, and the people are still so positive and so constructive,” she said, “it was a great moment.” Phil Heimlich, a former Cincinnati City Council member and Republican county commissioner who opposes Trump and has endorsed Landsman, said Democrats’ struggles with Biden are real but pale in comparison to GOP candidates contending with a national party increasingly beholden to his predecessor. “I think the national stuff still plays a role,” Heimlich said, “but that cuts both ways.” When Trump held a rally recently in Youngstown, Ohio, Chabot didn’t attend. Kaptur’s opponent, J.R. Majewski, did. But they aren’t letting their opponents escape Biden’s political shadow. “I think people know Pelosi and Biden. Some people are favorable. But I don’t think that’s the majority,” said Chabot, who has criticized Landsman for briefly working in Nancy Pelosi’s Washington office in 1999, before she was House speaker. He’s also tagged tweets about rising prices #Bidenflation. Majewski said in his first TV ad that “Biden and Kaptur are spending more and more while inflation goes up and up.” Chabot was first elected to Congress in 1994 and has won several hotly contested reelection races. But Ohio’s new congressional maps mean his territory encompasses more of Democrat-friendly Cincinnati. A recent Landsman campaign event included his releasing a 5-year-old wire-haired dachshund named Jerome in a wiener dog race as Oktoberfest celebrations thronged the city’s downtown. Chabot, that same weekend, greeted would-be voters at a smaller, Catholic church-sponsored street festival in the nearby town of Reading, where he was born. “I know a lot of people who are not Democrats and they are definitely going to be voting,” Jean Huneck, a 67-year-old who owns a small mechanical engineering business, said of the new, ostensibly bluer district. Huneck is a registered Democrat but supports Chabot and said the GOP needs big November wins to counter Biden. “I feel like our livelihoods are depending on it,” she said. Kaptur has held her seat since 1983 but faces circumstances opposite from Chabot’s. Redistricting swapped parts of her district’s largely blue Cleveland suburbs for a conservative, eastern swath of the state that hugs Lake Erie and reaches the Indiana border. Some of the new territory is dotted with cornfields and bait and tackle shops. An occasional yard sign says “Trump 2024 or Before,” a reference to the former president’s spurious suggestions he could be reinstated into power. Majewski is Trump-endorsed, and Kaptur has branded him as a past devotee of QAnon conspiracy theories who passed police barricades during last year’s deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Kaptur says in a TV ad that her opponent is “too dangerous to serve in Congress.” The National Republican Campaign Committee, the party’s House campaign arm, promoted a photo of Biden kissing Kaptur’s hand upon arriving in Cleveland and a video of her saying that, after a year in office, the president’s “report card is outstanding” juxtaposed with headlines about inflation and the president’s sinking approval ratings. Following an Associated Press report that Majewski misrepresented his military career, the NRCC canceled TV ads it had booked to support his campaign. Brendan McHugh, a 31-year-old who works in investment real estate in Toledo, said linking Biden and Kaptur isn’t a bad thing because “Democrats have been getting some wins recently.” “I’ve been pleased with the progress that the Biden administration’s been making,” McHugh said, calling that “a net positive” for Kaptur. Michael Jones, a 56-year-old attorney who lives in the same Old Orchard neighborhood near the University of Toledo, said that he’s a Kaptur supporter and that controlling things like inflation is largely out of Biden’s hands. But he added, “There’s a lot of challenging things happening right now.” “People may look at who’s at the top right now,” Jones said. “And it may impact how an undecided person might vote.” Read More…

MLB And NFL Scores And Regional Recaps From Sunday – AM 1370 KDTH https://digitalalabamanews.com/mlb-and-nfl-scores-and-regional-recaps-from-sunday-am-1370-kdth/ INTERLEAGUE Final N.Y. Mets 13 Oakland 4 ___ AMERICAN LEAGUE Final Toronto 7 Tampa Bay 1 Final Houston 6 Baltimore 3 Final Detroit 4 Chicago White Sox 1 Final Cleveland 10 Texas 4 Final Kansas City 13 Seattle 12 Final L.A. Angels 10 Minnesota 3 Final N.Y. Yankees 2 Boston 0 ___ NATIONAL LEAGUE Final Cincinnati 2 Milwaukee 1 Final Chicago Cubs 8 Pittsburgh 3 Final Washington 6 Miami 1 Final Atlanta 8 Philadelphia 7 Final San Diego 13 Colorado 6 Final L.A. Dodgers 4 St. Louis 1 Final San Francisco 3 Arizona 2 Regional MLB Recaps PITTSBURGH (AP) — Patrick Wisdom hit a three-run homer and Adrian Sampson tossed six efficient innings as the Chicago Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-3. Wisdom is the fourth third baseman in Cubs history to reach the 25 home run-plateau at least twice. CHICAGO (AP) — Dylan Cease pitched six scoreless innings, but the White Sox bullpen got tagged and Chicago was eliminated in the AL Central with a 4-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers. Jonathan Schoop hit a tiebreaking single in the eighth and Chicago’s sixth straight loss clinched the division for Cleveland. CINCINNATI (AP) — Spencer Steer hit a go-ahead home run in the eighth and Nick Lodolo pitched six strong innings as the Cincinnati Reds defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 2-1. It was the final road game for the Brewers, who trail Philadelphia by 1 1/2 games for the third and final NL wild-card spot. LOS ANGELES (AP) — Will Smith had two hits and Michael Grove pitched five solid innings to pick up his first career victory as the Los Angeles Dodgers clinched the No. 1 overall seed in the National League with 4-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Mike Trout collected three hits, including his 37th homer of the season, as the Angels defeated the Twins 10-3. Trout also doubled twice, walked and scored three runs. Shohei Ohtani had two hits, including an RBI single in the ninth that keyed a five-run rally that broke the game open. ___ NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE Final Baltimore 37 New England 26 Final Carolina 22 New Orleans 14 Final Chicago 23 Houston 20 Final Cincinnati 27 N-Y Jets 12 Final Indianapolis 20 Kansas City 17 Final Miami 21 Buffalo 19 Final Minnesota 28 Detroit 24 Final Philadelphia 24 Washington 8 Final Tennessee 24 Las Vegas 22 Final Jacksonville 38 L.A. Chargers 10 Final Atlanta 27 Seattle 23 Final Green Bay 14 Tampa Bay 12 Final L.A. Rams 20 Arizona 12 Final Denver 11 San Francisco 10 Regional NFL Recaps TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers threw for 255 yards and two touchdowns, and the Green Bay Packers withstood a late rally led by Tom Brady to hold off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a 14-12 victory on Sunday. Rodgers tossed TD passes of 5 yards to Romeo Doubs and 6 yards to Allen Lazard on his team’s first two possessions, while the Bucs’ offense sputtered much of the day. Tampa Bay’s bid to force overtime with a 2-point conversion was thwarted, first by a delay-of-game penalty and then an incomplete pass. CHICAGO (AP) — Roquan Smith set up Cairo Santos’ game-ending field goal when he intercepted Davis Mills deep in Houston territory, and the Chicago Bears beat former coach Lovie Smith and the Texans 23-20. Khalil Herbert ran for a career-high 157 yards and two touchdowns. Both Bears running back David Montgomery and wide receiver Byron Pringle departed the game because of injuries of injury and didn’t return. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kirk Cousins connected with a wide-open K.J. Osborn for the go-ahead, 28-yard touchdown with 45 seconds remaining, and the Minnesota Vikings rallied to beat the Detroit Lions 28-24. Osborn blew by former Vikings cornerback Mike Hughes on a corner route to snag the in-stride pass and cruise across the goal line to give Minnesota the lead for the first time. Post navigation Read More…

Music Trumps Militancy In Kashmir https://digitalalabamanews.com/music-trumps-militancy-in-kashmir/ Srinagar, Sep 26 (IANS): Lanes and bylanes of Kashmir valley, not long ago filled with smokes and sounds of battles, are stirred by lilting tunes and mellifluous voices drifting in from young men and women heralding a new future for their home. Music, and Kashmir has a long tradition of music, is the new voice of Kashmir today. Young men and women are no longer misled by false ‘azadi’, they are creating the new tunes of an azadi which is unheard of in Kashmir, a freedom of lyrics and ideas that recalled the Sufi traditions of the Valley. There is a new storm on the horizon in the new Kashmir, led by young women with guitars and men with voices that rustle the leaves of Chinar and caress the alpine meadows. The valleys and forests, deafened by gunshots, are reverberating with songs and music inspired by Kashmir’s rich ethnic culture. A music event organiser, Asmat Ashai put it lyrically — “The moment you listen to your music, it just brings mountains and valleys right into your heart.” Shazia Bashir is a young woman from a remote south Kashmir’s militancy prone Achabal area. So passionate she was about singing that she left school midway to follow her dream of becoming a singer. She began to sing at public functions quite young, but it was her performance at a TV show, ‘Milay Sur’ broadcast by DD Kashir, that her voice became a regional sensation. She performs light music, ghazal, sufi besides kirtan, bhajan and lila. She is a member of an all-girl ‘Pragaash band’. In 2016, she was nominated for the Bismillah Khan award by the Sangeet Natak Academy. Yawar Abdal, from downtown Srinagar, has a different take off as a singer. His love for singing began quite early when he would spend hours writing songs and practising imaginary tunes. He was fired up by the music of eccelsiastical Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and popular music band, Junoon. He wanted to sing like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the lilt of sufi lyrics and the breathtaking pitch of the great master enveloped him. But his family was not keen on his singing; they wanted him to pursue more regular professions. He took a degree in computers and began working in Pune where he also found cafes which invited him to sing. Soon after, he left his job and began singing full time. His first album was a hit, not the second one. He is now working on his third which he believes will go some way in fulfilling his dream, of connecting Kashmir youth to their culture, of Sufi songs and mystical lyrics. Today he is a confident singer, he knows what people want from him. In his words: “Today, when I look at the number of people wanting to listen to me, my eyes can’t reach to the end and I feel I can’t take a count of it. That love, passion in the eyes of my supporters keeps me going. Greeting the audience in Kashmiri at any place I go to makes me feel that I belong to the land of strong people.” Like Abdal, Ali Saffudin is a singer-songwriter from Srinagar’s Hassanabad area. Ali’s inspiration are poets like Faiz Ahmed, Faiz, Mehjoor, among others. He was not unaware of happenings around him. In the summer of 2016, he began writing a song about hope and yearning. Militancy was brewing around him, and then in July, Burhan Wani, a militant commander, was killed, sparking protests and violence in the valley. Saffudin could not go beyond the first line for months and it took four years for him to release the music video in May 2020. His love for music and hope trumped the violence around him. Isfaq Kawa from militancy prone Bandipora had escaped to Hyderabad to work as a waiter where luck turned. He spent his childhood singing publicly but could not continue due to poverty caused by violence and mayhem. In 2015, when he sang out of blue, on request, while working as a waiter in a hotel, luck smiled upon him. The standing ovation at the hotel propelled him to become a singer and gone was fear and hesitation as singing took flight. He soon became a popular singer of Kashmiri folk songs — a hit on the Internet and most-sought after artist in various cities, including Mumbai, Delhi, Chandigarh and Hyderabad. He is a powerful writer and is broadening his genre of music with his first album. He is called the Arijit Singh of Kashmir. It is amazing how music ebbed and flowed as militancy rose and fell in Kashmir. If a single thread were to tie the young group of singers like Saffudin, it would run parallel to the bloodied trail of militancy. But it is music and its devotees which is today taking Kashmir to a world, as great singer Led Zeppelin sings, of lilting grace. Read More…

Who You Calling Fascist? https://digitalalabamanews.com/who-you-calling-fascist/ President Joe Biden has decided that the best way to minimize Democratic losses in looming elections is to shift attention away from inflation, the border, and crime to the “threat to democracy” posed by “semi-fascists” on the other side. Incumbents who can’t defend their records always try to make an election about their opponents, but Biden’s ploy differs in two interesting respects. First, by using especially inflammatory language to describe those opponents; second, by the decision to depict not just Donald Trump and Republican office-holders who support him in such fashion but also, apparently, the 74 million Americans who preferred Trump at the ballot box last time out. Amid all of Biden’s fulminations, fist-shaking, and shotgun slanders there is, however, a somewhat predictable lack of specifics. Does the “threat to democracy” come from the Supreme Court returning the issue of abortion to democratically elected legislatures? Or maybe from Republican support for voter ID laws, which an overwhelming majority of voters also support? Perhaps from Republican opposition to Biden’s embrace of racial preferences under the guise of “equity,” which are likewise opposed by most Americans? Going further, would strains of Republican fascism be found in their opposition to the lockdowns imposed in authoritarian fashion by Democrats during the pandemic? If not, perhaps in Republican resistance to Biden’s Orwellian “Government Disinformation Board?” Or maybe criticism of Biden’s use of likely illegal executive authority to excuse student loan debt and buy votes two months before an election? Since Biden and his apologists almost certainly won’t answer such questions, we might be forgiven for believing that terms like “neo-fascism,” at least when used so ambiguously, apply not just to MAGA Republicans (People who voted for Trump once? Or must it have been twice?) but anyone who criticizes in any way any of his administration’s policies, thereby defining the fascist threat in such a capacious fashion as to encompass nearly all of us. We are thus, given this sweeping indictment, left with the question of whether democracy can be saved from the fascists when the fascists are us, or whether it would even be, given the defining criterion of majority rule, a violation of “democracy” to attempt to do so. Further confusion arises when considering the question of whether Biden or his ventriloquists have the faintest clue what fascism actually is, or whether they care that they are using the term even close to properly (“semi” in itself is something of a giveaway here, a thoroughly illogical formulation that should have been replaced, to better effect, by the prefix “neo”). “Fascism” is, of course, a term used by lots of people who don’t have any idea what it means, and don’t really care that they don’t, because they are using it, like Biden, as a pejorative to discredit people who disagree with them. In Biden’s case, it serves as a complement to “insurrectionist” and as a successor to “racist” (which was beginning to lose its utility due to similar elasticity of definition and expedient overuse). There is also, the question of why, if MAGA Republicans pose such an existential threat to the republic, the national Democratic Party just spent more than $50 million nationwide supporting MAGA Republicans in Republican primaries (answer: because they know that they’re not the threat Biden claims and easier to defeat in November). Real fascism comes with the identification of political opposition as a “threat to democracy” and the equation of dissent with insurrection. All too often, those who most stridently link their opponents to fascism and depict themselves as combating it are the real fascists, using imaginary or exaggerated threats to silence critics, enforce conformity, and consolidate power. “Saving democracy” now requires, in Biden’s formulation, “unity,” in itself an eerie concept in a liberal society that cherishes freedom of expression and therefore protects expression of disagreement. But for Biden, unity is defined as acceptance of abortion on demand at taxpayer expense, ever-looser voting procedures, a ban on assault rifles, driving the oil companies out of business, allowing biological males to compete in our daughters’ sports contests, and so on. This has ceased to be a case of simple political disagreement on particular issues; a refusal to accept the entire Democratic agenda without critical assessment or questioning has become the defining criterion for “extremism,” “insurrectionism,” and now even “neo-fascism.” Political leaders who demonize their opponents are the real threats to democracy and the rule of law because the logic of “ends justify the means” is inherent in such demonization–if your opponents truly are as threatening and despicable as you claim, then any means can be justified to defeat them, to the point where it becomes irresponsible to not use whatever at hand to save the republic (and the planet itself). Only one side in American politics, consistent with fascist tactics, is trying to suppress the expression of opinion with which it disagrees, and it isn’t the (“semi-fascist”) Republican one. Either Biden doesn’t really believe the things he is saying, which would make him merely a demagogue seeking to sow division and instill fear for electoral gain, or he does believe it, which would be worse because it is compelling him to act upon that belief. Freelance columnist Bradley R. Gitz, who lives and teaches in Batesville, received his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Illinois. Read More…

Clinton Compares Trump Fans Doing Straight-Arm ‘QAnon Salutes’ To Nazis https://digitalalabamanews.com/clinton-compares-trump-fans-doing-straight-arm-qanon-salutes-to-nazis/ Former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has slammed the hand gestures made by supporters of Donald Trump at his Ohio rally, comparing them to the Nazis. Ms Clinton, who was speaking at the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin on Friday, said her reaction to the index finger salute seen at the rally was similar to how she used to feel about Nazis, adding: “What’s going on?” The former US secretary of state talked about her years as a student when she would spend time thinking about how people could be drawn to Hitler. “I remember as a young student, you know, trying to figure out how did people get basically drawn in by Hitler. How did that happen?” Ms Clinton said at the event. “I’d watch newsreels and I’d see this guy standing up there ranting and raving, and people shouting and raising their arms. I thought, ‘What’s happened to these people?” “You saw the rally in Ohio the other night,” she said, referring to the 17 September rally where Mr Trump campaigned for Senate candidate JD Vance. “Trump is there ranting and raving for more than an hour, and you have these rows of young men with their arms raised,” she said. “I thought, ‘What is going on?’’ The finger salute at the rally made by dozens of Mr Trump’s supporters made headlines inviting comparisons to gestures seen at an evangelical conference, to the so-called “QAnon salute”, and even with the Nazi sieg heil. Some, however, argued it was simply a reference to Mr Trump’s “America First” slogan. Mr Trump’s aides were quick to respond to Ms Clinton, who the former president still frequently attacks in his speeches and interviews. Taylor Budowich, a spokesman for Mr Trump, told Fox News that Ms Clinton’s comparison of his supporters with Nazis was “pathetic” and “divisive.” Read More…

Giorgia Meloni Hails ‘night Of Pride’ In Italian Elections | First Thing https://digitalalabamanews.com/giorgia-meloni-hails-night-of-pride-in-italian-elections-first-thing/ Good morning. Far-right party leader Giorgia Meloni has claimed victory in Italy’s elections and promised to govern for all citizens, after exit polls gave her coalition a clear majority, putting her on course to create the country’s most rightwing government since the end of the second world war. With the full results due today, the Brothers of Italy leader is expected to become the country’s first female prime minister – and a model for nationalist parties across Europe as she heads one of the EU’s six original member states. The poll, for the broadcaster Rai, gave her coalition 41-45% against 25.5-29.5% for the leftwing bloc. The populist Five Star Movement was on 13.5-17.5%. Meloni’s party, which has neo-fascist origins, is also poised to scoop by far the biggest share of the votes within the coalition, which includes the far-right League, led by Matteo Salvini, and Forza Italia, headed by Silvio Berlusconi. What did Meloni say last night? She said Italian voters had given a clear mandate to the right to form the next government and called for unity to help confront the country’s many problems. “This is a night of pride for Brothers of Italy but it is a starting point, not a finish line,” she told supporters. Pound hits all-time low against dollar after new UK’s mini-budget rocks markets The pound has plunged to its lowest value against the US dollar since Britain went decimal in 1971. Photograph: Daniel Sorabji/AFP/Getty Images The pound has hit an all-time low against the dollar as the tax cuts and spending measures in Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget threatens to undermine confidence in the UK. The pound plunged nearly 5% to $1.0327, its lowest since Britain went decimal in 1971, as belief in the UK’s economic management and assets evaporated. Even after stumbling back to $1.05, the currency was down 7% in two sessions, after the UK chancellor pledged over the weekend to pursue more tax cuts. City economists suggested the slump in the pound could force the Bank of England into an emergency interest rate rise to support the currency. Paul Dales, the chief UK economist at Capital Economics, said the decline could prompt “tough talk” from the Bank, supported by a large and immediate increase in interest rates. Will the pound and dollar reach parity? On Friday afternoon, Bloomberg’s options pricing model showed there was a 26% chance the pound and the dollar hitting parity within the next six months, up from 14% on Thursday. QAnon follower who chased officer on January 6 convicted of felonies Trump supporters battle with police and security forces as they storm the US Capitol on 6 January 2021. Photograph: Roberto Schmidt/AFP/Getty Images A QAnon conspiracy theorist who led a pack of Donald Trump supporters that chased a solitary police officer around the US Capitol on the day of the January 6 attack has been found guilty of several felonies. Douglas Jensen – the bearded 43-year-old Iowa man who appeared in several media photos of the attack while wearing a black T-shirt with a large “Q” – could face more than 50 years in prison after a federal jury in Washington DC convicted him on Friday, US justice department prosecutors said. However, it is rare for convicts in US district court to receive the harshest available punishment, even if they chose to stand trial rather than plead guilty in advance. And the harshest sentence handed out so far to anyone found guilty of having a role in the deadly Capitol attack has been 10 years. Prosecutors alleged Jensen formed part of the mob of Trump supporters who gathered at the Capitol on the day in early 2021 that Congress was meeting to certify Joe Biden’s victory in the previous year’s presidential election. A bipartisan Senate report linked seven deaths to the Capitol attack and said it had left more than 140 police officers injured. As of this week, more than 870 people had been charged with roles in the insurrection. In other news … Jay-Z praised Rihanna for surpassing expectations ‘at every turn’. Photograph: Mondadori Portfolio/Archivio Marco Piraccini/Marco Piraccini/Mondadori/Getty Rihanna will perform the coveted Super Bowl half-time show in February, after declining an invitation for the 2019 Super Bowl out of solidarity with Colin Kaepernick. The announcement was made on Sunday by the NFL while the singer posted an image on Instagram of an arm holding an NFL football. The US and its allies will act “decisively” if Russia uses a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine, the national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said yesterday, reaffirming the White House’s response to concerns that Vladimir Putin’s threats are increasingly in danger of being realized. Leading members of the US Congress are refusing to drop demands for a proper accounting of the death of the Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh four months ago, despite the state department seeming keen to avoid questions about what happened. Trump denied knowing at the time the January 6 attack on the US Capitol started that a mob of his supporters – whom he privately called “fucking crazy” – were rioting, the author of a forthcoming book writes. The former president claimed he did not have the television on most of the day. Don’t miss this: The forgotten history of what California stole from Black families Countless Black families have been victims of California’s racist and discriminatory policies, resulting in stolen land, destroyed homes and broken families. Photograph: Billie Rankin-Carter, Marissa Leshnov/the Guardian Stories of countless Black families who have been victims of racist policies, such as land confiscation and housing discrimination, are rarely told as part of California’s history. But after a reparations taskforce undertook the unprecedented effort to consider redress for Black residents, these stories are finally being heard as a more complicated picture of the past comes to light. It is one that, despite California’s founding in 1850 as a free state, has been marked by “atrocities in nearly every sector” of society over the past 172 years. … or this: Why plant-based meat’s sizzle fizzled in the US McDonald’s has shelved its meat-free burger trial and stock in one of the biggest manufacturers has plunged by nearly 70%. Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images At the start of the year, McDonald’s launched a plant-based burger. For a while, it looked like a glimpse of the future. The US test-run of the McPlant burger, however, was quietly shelved last month (it is still available in some markets, including the UK) in one of a series of setbacks for a meatless-meat industry that only a year ago was claiming it could change the American menu for ever. Getting meat eaters in the US to adopt plant-based alternatives has proven a challenge. Beyond Meat has had a rough 12 months, with its stock diving by nearly 70%. David Malpass, who was appointed by Donald Trump, has lost the confidence of many key diplomats. Photograph: Issei Kato/AP David Malpass, president of the World Bank, faces an uncertain future this week, after the White House joined a chorus of influential figures in condemning his apparent climate denialism. Malpass remains in post for now but under severe pressure, despite issuing an apology and trying to explain his refusal last week to publicly acknowledge the human role in the climate crisis. The Biden administration stepped into the row on Friday evening and such strong words from the White House come as a significant blow to Malpass. Last Thing: Cleaners at Amsterdam gallery ordered to let insects run wild in name of art The exhibition Casa Tomada from artist Rafael Gómezbarros is displayed at Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Photograph: Piroschka van de Wouw/Reuters No vacuum cleaners and no feather dusters: that’s the order that has gone out to cleaning staff at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. As part of an exhibition exploring the changing perceptions of creepy-crawlies, the national museum of the Netherlands has been allowing its crevices and corners to go wild for the past three months after being challenged by an artist to treasure the accumulation of spiderwebs. Those braving the museum will explore how attitudes have changed and asked to reconsider their feelings about bugs of all shapes and sizes. Sign up First Thing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday. If you’re not already signed up, subscribe now. Get in touch If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email newsletters@theguardian.com Read More…

First Look: Buckeyes Set To Host Rutgers For Homecoming Game https://digitalalabamanews.com/first-look-buckeyes-set-to-host-rutgers-for-homecoming-game/ Each week, the First Look column will be our first taste of what Ohio State will face the following week. We hope this gives you some riveting reading each week. Here is our First Look at Rutgers: FIRST LOOK: RUTGERS AT OHIO STATE * Opponent: Rutgers * Date, Time, TV: Saturday, 3:30 p.m., Big Ten Network * Location: Ohio Stadium * 2022 Records: Ohio State, 4-0 overall, 1-0 Big Ten; Rutgers, 3-1 overall, 0-1 Big Ten. * Coach: Greg Schiano * Players To Watch: QB Evan Simon, RB Kyle Monangai, RB Al-Shadee Salaam, RB Samuel Brown, WR Aron Cruickshank, WR Shameen Jones, DB Christian Izien, LB Deion Jennings, LB Tyreem Powell, DB Robert Longerbeam, DL Wesley Bailey. * NCAA Rankings (2022 Rankings): Offense: Total, 367.2 ypg (98th nationally); rushing, 185.8 ypg (43rd); passing, 181.5 ypg (111th); scoring, 28.5 ppg (84th). Defense: Total, 249.5 ypg (ninth); rushing, 56.5 ypg (second); passing, 193.0 ypg (35th); scoring, 17.2 ppg (25th). * AP Poll Rankings: Ohio State is third in the AP poll, while Rutgers is unranked. * The Setting: Greg Schiano is in the third season of his second tenure as the Rutgers head coach. With a win over Temple on Sept. 17, Schiano won his 79th game there and became the school’s all-time winningest coach. The Scarlet Knights opened the season by surprising host Boston College 22-21 in their opener. They then walloped FCS Wagner 66-7 and went on the road again to take care of Temple 16-14. But Rutgers dropped to 3-1 overall with Saturday’s 27-10 home loss to Iowa in the Big Ten opener for both schools. The win over Temple was remarkable because Rutgers won without an offensive touchdown. The Knights got three field goals and a 43-yard interception return for a touchdown by Shaquan Loyal. Rutgers managed just 201 yards (59 passing) in that win over Temple. Against Iowa, the Rutgers offense at least produced more yards as the Knights had 361 yards. QB Evan Simon was 28 of 49 passing for 300 yards and a touchdown. But Simon had two interceptions and the Knights also lost a fumble. Iowa had a pair of defensive touchdowns in taking that win over Rutgers in Piscataway, N.J. (By the way, this was Rutgers’ 20th straight home Big Ten loss – by far the longest such streak in conference history. Egads.) Simon is Rutgers’ only healthy scholarship quarterback with Noah Vedral and Gavin Wimsatt hurt. It is unclear whether either of them would be available for this match-up with Ohio State. Vedral still has not played this season after starting every game last season. * Steve Says: Well, what can I say? The gap between the haves and the have-nots in Big Ten football already seems to be readily apparent. You see what Ohio State did with over 500 yards and 50 points against a Wisconsin defense that, year in and year out, typically ranks in the top 10 nationally. Now comes Rutgers, which doesn’t seem capable of generating anything offensively right now. I mean, future Ohio State opponents like Rutgers, Michigan State, Iowa, Northwestern and Indiana have to be putting the tape on and wondering exactly how bad it’s going to be when they line up against OSU. Oddsmakers have opened Ohio State is a 41-point favorite to dismantle Rutgers. And some of that is rooted in the history of the “rivalry” between the schools. Ohio State is 8-0 against Rutgers since the Scarlet Knights joined the Big Ten in 2014. The Buckeyes have won those games by an average margin of 42.5 points. The Buckeyes won 52-13 at Rutgers last year. Schiano was an OSU assistant as the defensive coordinator for Urban Meyer for three seasons between 2016 and ’18. He was not retained when Ryan Day took over as the head coach in 2019. This will be Ohio State’s Homecoming game, for whatever that is worth. (I am really stretching here.) Tanner McCalister picked off this pass in the first quarter (Photo: Dan Harker, 247Sports) We posted our Ten Pressing Questions for Ohio State’s game against Wisconsin on Saturday. Here were some thoughts after OSU’s resounding 52-21 win over Wisconsin. * 1. Can C.J. Stroud stay hot and avoid throwing his first interception of 2022? – Stroud opened hot and then struggled with some accuracy issues after the Buckeyes had pretty much salted this one away. He ended up 17 of 27 passing for 281 yards with five touchdowns. He did throw his first pick late in the first half on a pass that may have sailed, although receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. didn’t seem to see it (or failed to make a real play for it). Make no mistake, though, Stroud had Wisconsin’s typically stingy defense on its heels early and often. He and his receivers were picking up yards in 10- and 15-yard chunks as the Buckeyes jumped ahead 28-0 early in the second quarter. * 2. Will TreVeyon Henderson be 100 percent and can the Buckeyes establish the run? – Henderson only played one series last week vs. Toledo and left the stadium with his left foot in a walking boot. He showed no ill effects here against Wisconsin’s rugged defense as he carried 21 times for 121 yards. OSU coach Ryan Day credited Henderson with giving the Buckeyes energy during their early game onslaught. Miyan Williams came on and had 11 carries for 101 yards and two touchdowns as well. This may be the best 1-2 punch of running backs in the country. * 3. Will Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Julian Fleming be healthy, available and making plays in the pass game? – After Smith-Njigba returned to action against Toledo, he was unavailable once again for this game. It did not matter, though, because Fleming, Emeka Egbuka, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Cade Stover had everything under control. Fleming caught four passes for 67 yards and made a great play to fight off defenders on his way to the goal line for a touchdown. Speaking afterwards, Day was holding out hope that Smith-Njigba could get back on the field next week. * 4. Can Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka keep their torrid play going? – Egbuka enjoyed his third 100-yard game as he caught six passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns. He is having one heck of a season. Harrison had three catches for 45 yards. Oh, and the tight end Stover is now a primary red zone target as he caught four passes for 51 yards and his first two career touchdowns. There are simply too many weapons here for any defense to try and keep up with. * 5. Can the offensive line keep Stroud clean and open holes for the running backs? – The offensive line continued its outstanding play. The Buckeyes did not surrender a sack and have only allowed two total in the first four games. OSU is the only team nationally averaging over 200 yards rushing and over 300 yards passing per game. That pretty much says it all. * 6. Can the Ohio State defense match Wisconsin’s physicality? – This was a huge objective for Ohio State during the off-season after the way the Buckeyes were pushed around in losses to Oregon and Michigan last year. Year in and year out, few programs play with the same kind of physicality that Wisconsin does. But Ohio State punched Wisconsin squarely in the mouth and it took the Badgers nearly the entire first half before mounting a response. If this were a real fight, it would have been stopped in the first 90 seconds as a TKO. * 7. Can the Buckeyes get some pressure on Wisconsin QB Graham Mertz? – Mertz was coming off a career-high game with 253 yards and three touchdowns in a win over New Mexico State. OSU only sacked Mertz one time (by defensive end Jack Sawyer). But the Buckeyes were in his face all night and he ended up just 11 of 20 passing for 94 yards with a touchdown and an interception. * 8. Can Ohio State’s 4-2-5 defense contain the Wisconsin run game? – Well, this went well on the whole for Ohio State. OSU led 31-7 at the half and, at that point, Wisconsin had netted just 47 yards on 16 rushing attempts (2.9 average). UW RB Braelon Allen ripped off a 75-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter after OSU had removed several of its starters. Remove that one play from the mix and Wisconsin netted 117 rushing yards on 34 attempts (3.4 average). LB Tommy Eichenberg had 14 tackles (two for losses) in his latest All-Big Ten (maybe All-American) effort. LB Steele Chambers and safety Josh Proctor each had six tackles for OSU. * 9. How will OSU’s cornerbacks fare in coverage? – Starting CBs Denzel Burke and Cameron Brown were each ruled out due to injuries. In their stead, JK Johnson and freshman Jyaire Brown each made their first career starts. They did a bang-up job as Wisconsin managed just 12 completions for a meager 104 yards and one touchdown. * 10. Can the Buckeyes force any turnovers in this game? – Turnovers have been hard to come by for the Ohio State defense so far this year. They had none in the wins over Notre Dame and Arkansas State before getting an interception (by Ronnie Hickman) and a fumble recovery against Toledo. Safety Tanner McCalister picked off a Mertz pass early in this game, setting up a touchdown as part of OSU’s fast start. * Bonus Question: Is Ohio State ready for Big Ten play? – We would say this is an emphatic yes as the Ohio State offense is clicking on all cylinders and, other than the long run by Allen, the Buckeyes’ defense slammed the proverbial car door on the Badgers’ head. We questioned above how several of OSU’s opponents will be able to stay on the same field as the Buckeyes. They could be in for some challenges later in the year with road trips to Penn State and Maryland and the regular season finale against Michigan. Minnesota is the class of the Big Ten West and the Gophers could prove a challenge, perhaps, if the teams meet in the conference championship game. Granted, the Buckeyes have to go out on the field and re-prove this every week. But you have to like this team’s trajectory through the first four games. Here is my updated ...

David Carroll’s News And Notes: Thankful Beyond Measure – Marion County News https://digitalalabamanews.com/david-carrolls-news-and-notes-thankful-beyond-measure-marion-county-news/ By David Carroll | on September 26, 2022 I see so much negativity. Think about this: two years ago, we couldn’t go anywhere, we didn’t have a vaccine, and our friends were sick or dying. Cardboard cutouts were in the seats at ball games. Look at us now! Every stadium is packed. One hundred thousand fans packed into Bristol Motor Speedway! If you had told me in 2020 that in two years, we could get out and have fun again…BUT, gas would be a dollar a gallon higher; I would have taken that deal. I posted the preceding paragraph on Twitter and Facebook a few days ago, and wouldn’t you know it? One of the first responses was negative. One woman wrote, “AS IF gas was ONLY a dollar a gallon higher!!!” Okay, my math might be off a bit, but that’s not really the point. Many people are so blinded by their political hatred that they cannot dodge a pothole without blaming it on “Biden,” “Trump,” or whoever. When it was announced that the Atlanta Braves would visit the White House to be honored by President Biden for their 2021 World Series championship, the news was greeted quite predictably by people who wanted to make it political. Never mind that the tradition of inviting athletic teams to the White House goes back to 1865 when President Andrew Johnson asked a couple of amateur baseball squads. Four years later, the Cincinnati Red Stockings were the first professional team to make the trip, invited by President Ulysses Grant. In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge invited the world champion Washington Senators to stop by. In the hundred years since, pro and college football, basketball, and pro hockey teams have also received the White House treatment. During most of that time, it didn’t matter which party held the presidency. It was an HONOR to be invited to the nation’s house, and teams gladly accepted that invitation. Occasionally, a player has declined the invitation for political (or publicity) reasons, but smiles and cheerful photo-ops usually dominate the visits. But this is 2022, so it took about ten seconds for some online critics (and even a few journalists) to start taking political potshots about the Braves’ late September visit. First, President Biden’s critics said he would forget to show up or call them the Milwaukee Braves and congratulate them for winning the Super Bowl. Then, the news also prompted critics of former President Trump to remind everyone that Trump was notorious for serving honored guests cold “hamberders” as he once tweeted. “At least Biden will give the Braves a hot meal,” they said. The different reactions to the news are another example of the angry divide that permeates our world. Thankfully, in President Coolidge’s day, Fox and MSNBC weren’t providing the background noise in people’s homes, spewing the angry rhetoric that boosts their ratings and revenue. I refer again to my first paragraph. As I attended two sold-out sporting events in recent weekends, you could not wipe the smile off my face. Remembering the miserable year of 2020, how could anyone look around today and not be happy and thankful? Two years ago, we couldn’t see anyone’s face, we couldn’t shake their hand, we couldn’t hug them, and we couldn’t socialize, worship, or attend concerts or games with them. Yes, as the Bad Mood Brigade often reminds me, gasoline was priced incredibly low. I was among many who lamented the fact that the price at the pump was under two dollars, yet there was nowhere to go. Restaurants were closed, along with just about any event that might provide joy or fellowship. Many of us lost loved ones and did not get to tell them goodbye due to tight restrictions at hospitals and nursing homes. We were even afraid to visit grieving families if funerals or visitations were held at all. Teachers, students, and parents were miserable due to schools being closed, locked down, or conducted virtually. The list goes on and on, but, in almost every case, we are returning to normal, hopefully for good. It’s still a free country. You can be angry if you like. Not me. I am cheering for the Braves at the White House and am thankful beyond measure. (David Carroll is a Chattanooga news anchor, and his new book “Hello Chattanooga” is available on his website, ChattanoogaRadioTV.com. You may contact him at 900 Whitehall Road, Chattanooga, TN 37405, or at RadioTV2020@yahoo.com) Read More…