Trump Will Be Sued For Sexual Assault By Writer E. Jean Carroll Under N.Y. Adult Survivors Act
Trump Will Be Sued For Sexual Assault By Writer E. Jean Carroll Under N.Y. Adult Survivors Act https://digitalalabamanews.com/trump-will-be-sued-for-sexual-assault-by-writer-e-jean-carroll-under-n-y-adult-survivors-act/
A writer who says former President Donald Trump raped her inside a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in 1994 plans to sue him under New York’s Adult Survivors Act.
E. Jean Carroll, who is already suing Trump for defamation, notified a judge overseeing the case of her intent to sue as soon as the statute allows on Nov. 24.
E. Jean Carroll (Seth Wenig/AP)
The newly-passed legislation allows victims of sexual assault to sue their alleged assailants for a one-year look-back period that suspends the statute of limitations.
“Although we recognize that it is unusual to preview a yet-to-be-filed lawsuit for an adversary or judge, we wanted Your Honor to be aware of (Carroll’s) anticipated filing,” wrote lawyer Roberta Kaplan.
Manhattan Federal Court Judge Lewis Kaplan was notified by Carroll of her intent to sue Trump under the new law in August. The papers were made public on Tuesday night.
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Carrol, a former advice columnist has changed her mind about wanting to depose the former president, according to the latest court filings. In February, she said she only wanted a sample of Trump’s DNA to compare with semen recovered from the dress she wore during the alleged assault.
The new desire to depose Trump comes after he has “barely participated” in the lawsuit, Carroll’s lawyer. Roberta Kaplan claims.
Former President Donald Trump (Evan Vucci/AP)
“Although we met and conferred with (Trump’s) counsel on July 21 and 22 in order to better understand (Trump’s) position, his responses remained murky,” Kaplan wrote in legal documents.
“To be clear, the deposition of (Trump) need not take very long — what (Carroll) seeks to understand at this point is (Trump’s) theory of the case and the facts underlying it before the close of fact discovery.”
Carroll filed a libel suit against Trump in 2019 after he called her a liar at a White House press briefing when she first accused him of rape. The then-president said Carroll was “not my type” when asked about the alleged sexual assault.
Biden’s Justice Department has sought to defend Trump in the lawsuit because he made the comments in his capacity as president. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals has yet to decide whether the DOJ can stand in for Trump.
The DOJ’s legal position has been that it’s not defending what Carroll accused Trump of doing, but a president’s right to be shielded from lawsuits.
Read More…
NY AG Letitia James Sues Former President Trump 3 Adult Children For Alleged Business Fraud
NY AG Letitia James Sues Former President Trump, 3 Adult Children For Alleged Business Fraud https://digitalalabamanews.com/ny-ag-letitia-james-sues-former-president-trump-3-adult-children-for-alleged-business-fraud/
Sep 21, 2022, 3:50pmUpdated 8m ago
By: Associated Press
New York Attorney General Letitia James sued former President Donald Trump and his company on Wednesday, alleging business fraud involving some of their most prized assets, including properties in Manhattan, Chicago and Washington, D.C.
James’ lawsuit, filed in state court in New York, is the culmination of the Democrat’s three-year civil investigation of Trump and the Trump Organization. Trump’s three eldest children, Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric Trump, were also named as defendants, along with two longtime company executives, Allen Weisselberg and Jeffrey McConney.
The lawsuit seeks to strike at the core of what made Trump famous, taking a blacklight to the image of wealth and opulence he’s embraced throughout his career – first as a real estate developer, then as a reality TV host on “The Apprentice” and “Celebrity Apprentice,” and later as president.
James, a Democrat, was to announce details of the lawsuit at a news conference on Wednesday. The case showed up on a court docket Wednesday morning.
James’ office has spent more than three years investigating fraudulent or misleading valuations for its properties on annual financial statements that were given to potential business partners, banks or tax officials.
The goal, the attorney general’s office has said, was to burnish Trump’s billionaire image and the value of his properties when doing so gave him an advantage, while playing down the value of assets at other times for tax purposes.
“Today’s filing is neither focused on the facts nor the law – rather, it is solely focused on advancing the Attorney General’s political agenda. It is abundantly clear that the Attorney General’s Office has exceeded its statutory authority by prying into transactions where absolutely no wrongdoing has taken place. We are confident that our judicial system will not stand for this unchecked abuse of authority, and we look forward to defending our client against each and every one of the Attorney General’s meritless claims,” said Alina Habba, an attorney for Trump.
Read More…
NY Attorney General Sues Former President Donald Trump And His Company
NY Attorney General Sues Former President Donald Trump And His Company https://digitalalabamanews.com/ny-attorney-general-sues-former-president-donald-trump-and-his-company/
NY attorney general sues former President Donald Trump and his company
New York’s attorney general sued former President Donald Trump and his company on Wednesday, alleging business fraud involving some of their most prized assets, including properties in Manhattan, Chicago and Washington, D.C.Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit, filed in state court in New York, is the culmination of the Democrat’s three-year civil investigation of Trump and the Trump Organization. Trump’s three eldest children, Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric Trump, were also named as defendants, along with two longtime company executives, Allen Weisselberg and Jeffrey McConney.Watch James’ news conference live in the video player above. The lawsuit seeks to strike at the core of what made Trump famous, taking a blacklight to the image of wealth and opulence he’s embraced throughout his career — first as a real estate developer, then as a reality TV host on “The Apprentice” and “Celebrity Apprentice,” and later as president.James, a Democrat, was to announce details of the lawsuit at a news conference on Wednesday. The case showed up on a court docket Wednesday morning.James’ office has spent more than three years investigating fraudulent or misleading valuations for its properties on annual financial statements that were given to potential business partners, banks or tax officials.The goal, the attorney general’s office has said, was to burnish Trump’s billionaire image and the value of his properties when doing so gave him an advantage, while playing down the value of assets at other times for tax purposes.“Today’s filing is neither focused on the facts nor the law — rather, it is solely focused on advancing the Attorney General’s political agenda. It is abundantly clear that the Attorney General’s Office has exceeded its statutory authority by prying into transactions where absolutely no wrongdoing has taken place. We are confident that our judicial system will not stand for this unchecked abuse of authority, and we look forward to defending our client against each and every one of the Attorney General’s meritless claims,” said Alina Habba, an attorney for Trump.
New York’s attorney general sued former President Donald Trump and his company on Wednesday, alleging business fraud involving some of their most prized assets, including properties in Manhattan, Chicago and Washington, D.C.
Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit, filed in state court in New York, is the culmination of the Democrat’s three-year civil investigation of Trump and the Trump Organization. Trump’s three eldest children, Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric Trump, were also named as defendants, along with two longtime company executives, Allen Weisselberg and Jeffrey McConney.
Watch James’ news conference live in the video player above.
The lawsuit seeks to strike at the core of what made Trump famous, taking a blacklight to the image of wealth and opulence he’s embraced throughout his career — first as a real estate developer, then as a reality TV host on “The Apprentice” and “Celebrity Apprentice,” and later as president.
James, a Democrat, was to announce details of the lawsuit at a news conference on Wednesday. The case showed up on a court docket Wednesday morning.
James’ office has spent more than three years investigating fraudulent or misleading valuations for its properties on annual financial statements that were given to potential business partners, banks or tax officials.
The goal, the attorney general’s office has said, was to burnish Trump’s billionaire image and the value of his properties when doing so gave him an advantage, while playing down the value of assets at other times for tax purposes.
“Today’s filing is neither focused on the facts nor the law — rather, it is solely focused on advancing the Attorney General’s political agenda. It is abundantly clear that the Attorney General’s Office has exceeded its statutory authority by prying into transactions where absolutely no wrongdoing has taken place. We are confident that our judicial system will not stand for this unchecked abuse of authority, and we look forward to defending our client against each and every one of the Attorney General’s meritless claims,” said Alina Habba, an attorney for Trump.
Read More…
20 Famous Mugshots Of Your Favorite Celebrities Next Luxury
20 Famous Mugshots Of Your Favorite Celebrities – Next Luxury https://digitalalabamanews.com/20-famous-mugshots-of-your-favorite-celebrities-next-luxury/
Celebrities are humans too. No matter how much money or power they have, celebrities are still susceptible to doing the wrong thing. While this might be something small like a social media gaff or an offensive comment in an interview they have to apologize for later, it can also be much worse. Drink driving, drug possession, and assault are some of the crimes celebrities have been arrested for over the years. It’s not until their famous mugshots are released that the public realizes how messed up some of these celebrities are.
There have been dozens of celebrities from all walks of life who have found themselves in police custody. While many try and stop their famous mugshot from being released, they inevitably find their way to news reporters and gossip columns. While some of the celebrities look pretty normal and play up to the camera, it’s clear to see others are not in their right mind.
From Jane Fonda and Nick Nolte to Justin Bieber and Bill Gates, here are 20 famous mugshots of your favorite celebrities and the stories behind their arrests.
1. Bill Gates
Rare History/YouTube
Bill Gates is probably the last person you’d expect to end up in jail, but the clean-cut computer geek got caught driving without a license in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1977. He also failed to stop at a stop sign.
The arrest didn’t deter Gates from flaunting the law while driving, with the Microsoft founder famously receiving not one, but three speeding tickets while driving his Porsche 911 from New Mexico to Seattle.
2. Jane Fonda
Rare History/YouTube
This is one of the most iconic mugshots in history. Actress and activist Jane Fonda looks into the camera with her left arm raised in protest. She was arrested at Cleveland airport after returning from Canada on drug smuggling charges. She had bottles of vitamins that she had cleared with customs, yet were “mistaken” for drugs by American law enforcement.
Fonda wrote about the experience in an essay where she claimed her arrest was under “orders from the White House – that would be the Nixon White House.” Of course, Fonda got off and explained further in her essay. “I was released on bond and months later, after every pill had been tested in a lab (with taxpayer’s money!) The charges were dismissed and there were a few paragraphs hidden in the back of papers that they were vitamins, not drugs.”
3. Jay-Z
Rare History/YouTube
The one time Jay-Z lost his cool almost cost him his career. While attending the release party for friend and fellow rapper Q-Tip’s Amplified album, Jay-Z got into a confrontation with record executive Lance “Un” Rivera. Hova believed he was behind the leak of his album Vol. 3…, so like any sane person, he approached Rivera in a crowded club and stabbed him in the guts.
At first pleading not guilty, Jay-Z realized that wasn’t going to work due to the evidence piling up against him. He changed his plea to guilty for third-degree assault to get a lighter sentence. This got Jay three-years probation and he was able to continue his career in the music business, going on to become one of the greats.
4. Robert Downey Jr
Rare History/YouTube
Robert Downey Jr was a mess during the 90s, although you wouldn’t know it by his smile in this mugshot. Downey Jr was arrested on a bench warrant in 1999 after missing a court-ordered drug test. He was already on probation for a 1996 incident where he was found in possession of heroin, cocaine, and a .357 magnum handgun.
The missed drug test cost him six months in Los Angeles County jail. After his release, you might have thought Downey Jr would get on the straight and narrow. That wasn’t the case, with the Iron Man actor finding himself arrested several more times and heading back to prison.
He finally got his act together and with the help of good friend Mel Gibson, began making movies and resurrecting his career in the early 00s.
5. Jimi Hendrix
Rare History/YouTube
Riding high and at the peak of his career, guitarist virtuoso Jimi Hendrix found himself in trouble with the law. Flying into Toronto for a tour, Hendrix was detained by customs officers who searched his luggage and found what they believed to be small amounts of heroin and hashish. He was arrested, charged, and released on bail.
It took seven months before Hendrix stood trial, during which time the stress of 20 years in prison clearly took its toll on him. After a three-day trial, the jury deliberated for a further eight hours and found Hendrix not guilty. There wasn’t sufficient evidence to prove that the drugs were his.
Many believe Hendrix was set up as part of a police crackdown on rockstars, as he was never a known heroin user.
6. Lindsay Lohan
Nicki Swift/YouTube
Lindsay Lohan has been arrested so many times her mugshots could make an entire article. She has been arrested for drunk driving, drug possession, and various other misdemeanor crimes.
This mugshot was taken when Lohan was sent to Lynwood Jail in California for probation violations. She was to serve three months in jail followed by 90 days in a rehab facility. This wasn’t the first or last time Lohan found herself behind bars, but thankfully she appears to be in a good space these days, with her run-ins with the law a thing of the past.
7. Pablo Escobar
Rare History/YouTube
For someone who just got arrested, drug kingpin Pablo Escobar looks pretty happy in his mugshot. It’s theorized that Escobar knew he wouldn’t be detained long due to his influence.
The mugshot was taken in 1977 after Escobar and some of his crew were arrested for transporting cocaine. At that time he was running much of the cocaine through Columbia and had a policy; “plata o plomo,” which translates to “silver or lead.” Escober offered a bribe or a bullet to the head. But this time it didn’t work and he ended up in jail. His case kept getting passed around and then the arresting officer was mysterious killed, meaning there was no case against Escobar, who walked free.
8. Martin Luther King Jr
Rare History/YouTube
Martin Luther King Jr was arrested an astonishing 30 times during his short life. But unlike other famous people who ended up in handcuffs for drug possession, resisting arrest, or domestic abuse, King Jr was only fighting for his people’s freedom.
The above mugshot was taken after King Jr was arrested for a protest boycotting segregated buses in Montgomery, Alabama, on February 24, 1956. This was not long after Rosa Parks found herself on the wrong side of the law for failing to give up her seat on a bus to a white person.
The boycott lasted 385 days, in which King Jr’s house was bombed, but ended when the United States District Court issued a ruling that racial segregation on buses was illegal.
9. Johnny Cash
Rare History/YouTube
The Man in Black found himself on the wrong side of the law a few times during his life, none more so than in October of 1965. Johnny Cash was arrested in El Paso, Texas with 688 amphetamines capsules and 475 sedative tablets hidden in his guitar case. Police believed he was smuggling heroin, but it turned out Cash just had a load of prescription pills on him. Because of this he received a suspended sentence and was released on a $1,500 bond.
Surprisingly despite all his run-ins with the law and image as a tough guy and lawbreaker, Cash never served time behind bars.
10. Nick Nolte
Nick Swift/YouTube
Similar to James Brown’s famous mugshot, Nick Nolte looks like he’s been through the wringer. Wearing a bright Hawaiian shirt with his frazzled hair sticking out, Notle certainly looks like he’s doing it tough. This mugshot was taken after he was arrested in 2002 on a driving and drug charge.
Nolte was under the influence of GBH and pleaded no contest to the charges. He was given three years probation and had to undergo alcohol and drug testing as part of his sentence.
Talking about the experience in his memoir, Nolte wrote; “It went viral – my hair wild, my expression unsettling, looking like an asylum inmate out for a lark. In 1992, People magazine had named me the ‘Sexiest Man Alive,’ and now, 10 years later, I looked to all the world like a madman.”
11. Frank Sinatra
Rare History/YouTube
Ol Blue Eyes’ infamous mugshot came about after he committed the unusual crime of seduction. This is when a man or woman tricks someone into having sexual intercourse with them.
At the age of 23, long before his days as a crooning legend, Frank Sinatra was busted for this crime after promising his ex-girlfriend he would marry her so he could have sex with her. Fortunately for Sinatra, the woman was already married, which made her claims a bit of stretch. Still, the judge wanted to punish the upstart and he was charged with adultery. This charge was eventually dropped and Sinatra went on to have one of the great careers in Hollywood.
12. James Brown
MostAmazingTop10/YouTube
The “Godfather of Soul” looks like he’s been on a 24-hour bender in his famous mugshot. Appearing disheveled with a three-day growth and his hair all over the place, this mugshot was splashed all over newspapers and TV broadcasts in 2004. He was arrested in South Carolina on domestic violence charges. Brown pleaded no contest and served no jail time.
This wasn’t his only arrest, with Brown having run afoul of the law multiple times during his life. Theft, assault, rape, drug, and gun-related incidents fill out Brown’s police jacket.
13. Justin Bieber
Nicki Swift/YouTube
It shouldn’t have been a surprise when pop star Justin Bieber got arrested in 2014. A child star who became a heartthrob as a teen, Bieber was always destined to go through a “troubled” phase. After being chastised for pissing in a bucket and acting like a general nuisance in public, Bieber finally found himself in cuffs.
He was initially arrest...
Biden Says we Will Stand In Solidarity With Ukraine Amid Putins Nuclear Threats Live
Biden Says ‘we Will Stand In Solidarity With Ukraine’ Amid Putin’s Nuclear Threats – Live https://digitalalabamanews.com/biden-says-we-will-stand-in-solidarity-with-ukraine-amid-putins-nuclear-threats-live/
Biden set to rebuke Putin, rally world for Ukraine in UN general assembly speech
US president Joe Biden has taken the stage to address world leaders gathered at the United Nations in New York City, where he is expected to forcefully condemn Russia’s destructive invasion of Ukraine and call on the world to stand up against Moscow.
The American leader’s speech before the UN’s first general assembly since Russia began its incursion comes hours after Russian president Vladimir Putin put the country’s people and economy on a war footing by announcing a partial mobilization, while also suggesting he was willing to use nuclear weapons.
The Guardian’s politics live blog will cover Biden’s speech as it happens, and video of his address will also be embedded above.
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The American leader’s speech before the UN’s first general assembly since Russia began its incursion comes hours after Russian president Vladimir Putin put the country’s people and economy on a war footing by announcing a partial mobilization, while also suggesting he was willing to use nuclear weapons.
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The Guardian’s politics live blog will cover Biden’s speech as it happens, and video of his address will also be embedded above.
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Good morning, US politics blog readers. A new front in the war in Ukraine is opening temporarily in New York City today, when Joe Biden addresses world leaders gathered at the United Nations General Assembly at 10:35am ET in the wake of Vladimir Putin’s speech threatening to use nuclear weapons and ordering a partial mobilization in Russia. The American president is certainly not the only world leader speaking, but as a major supplier of aid for Kyiv, Biden’s address will be closely watched for signs of how the Western allies intend to respond to Putin’s latest gambit.
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Today’s news does not stop there:
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The Federal Reserve will likely again raise interest rates in a decision announced at 2pm eastern time. The central bank is trying to lower America’s worryingly high inflation without tightening fiscal conditions so much the economy enters a recession.
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The National Cathedral in Washington DC is holding a memorial service in honor of Queen Elizabeth II at 11am, which vice-president Kamala Harris will attend.
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Gas prices appear to be rising again after nearly 100 days of declines, though there is some dispute over when the latest uptick started.
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Biden wrapped up his speech with an appeal to unity that mentioned neither Ukraine or Russia, but instead referenced the ideals he had earlier said Moscow violated by invading its neighbor.
“Let’s stand together again, declare the unmistakable resolve. The nations of the world are united still,” Biden said, adding, “We stand for the values of the UN Charter.”
“We still believe by working together, we can bend the arc of history toward a freer and more just world for all our children, although none of us have fully achieved it. We’re not passive witnesses to history. We are the authors of history. We can do this, we have to do it, for ourselves and for our future. For humankind,” Biden concluded.
One of the most alarming comments Putin made in his speech earlier today was alluding to the possibility of using nuclear weapons in the Ukraine conflict – words that caught Biden’s attention.
“A nuclear war cannot be won, and must never be fought,” the American president said before the UN General Assembly, accusing Russia of “making irresponsible nuclear threats.”
He also said Moscow was ignoring a nonproliferation agreement, and conducting “an unprecedented, concerning nuclear buildup without any transparency.”
Biden has shifted his focus to China, saying Washington isn’t looking for a “cold war”, while underscoring the substantial policy differences with Beijing.
“Let me be direct about the competition between the United States and China,” Biden said. “As we manage shifting geopolitical trends, the United States will conduct itself as a reasonable leader. We do not seek conflict, we do not seek a cold war. We do not ask any nation to choose between the United States or any other partner. But the United States will be unabashed and promoting our vision of a free, open, secure and prosperous world and what we have to offer communities of nations.”
He also mentioned Taiwan, saying “we continue to oppose unilateral changes in the status quo by either side” amid speculation Beijing intends to seize the island it considers a breakaway province by force.
Much of Biden’s appeal on behalf of Ukraine focused on Russia’s violation of the UN charter, which is intended to stop countries from attacking each other without reason.
But he also said it was time to change how things are done in the global body, including by expanding the security council beyond its current five permanent members.
“I also believe the time has come for this institution to become more inclusive, so they can better respond to the needs of today’s world. Members of the UN Security Council, including the United States, should consistently uphold and defend the UN charter and refrain refrain from the use of the veto, except in rare, extraordinary situations,” Biden said.
“That is also why the United States supports increasing the number of both permanent and non permanent representatives of the Council. This includes permanent seats for those nations. We have long supported and permanent seats for countries in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.”
The five permanent members are currently China, France, Russia, the United States and Britain, which has more or less remained static since 1945.
If it can happen to Ukraine, it can happen to you.
That’s the meat of Biden’s argument thus far before world leaders assembled in New York City, where he’s seeking to bolster international support for Ukraine and encourage countries that have remained on the fence to form up behind Kyiv.
“If nations can pursue their imperial ambitions without consequences, then we put at risk everything this very institution stands for, everything,” Biden said, adding that a country “cannot seize a nation’s territory by force.”
“Ukraine has the same rights belong to every sovereign nation. We will stand in solidarity with Ukraine who will stand in solidarity against Russia’s aggression, period.”
Biden has kicked off his UN speech with strong rhetoric against Russia, pointed to the global body’s own rules to characterize Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine as illegal and reckless.
“A permanent member of the United Nations Security Council invaded his neighbor, attempted to erase a sovereign state from the map. Russia has shamelessly violated the core tenets of the United Nations Charter,” Biden said, as he accused president Vladimir Putin of causing a “brutal, needless war.”
“This war is about extinguishing Ukraine’s right to exist as a state, plain and simple, and Ukraine’s right to exist as a people,” the American president said. “Wherever you are, wherever you live, whatever you believe… That should make your blood run cold.”
Biden set to rebuke Putin, rally world for Ukraine in UN general assembly speech
US president Joe Biden has taken the stage to address world leaders gathered at the United Nations in New York City, where he is expected to forcefully condemn Russia’s destructive invasion of Ukraine and call on the world to stand up against Moscow.
The American leader’s speech before the UN’s first general assembly since Russia began its incursion comes hours after Russian president Vladimir Putin put the country’s people and economy on a war footing by announcing a partial mobilization, while also suggesting he was willing to use nuclear weapons.
The Guardian’s politics live blog will cover Biden’s speech as it happens, and video of his address will als...
Rocktober: October 14 https://digitalalabamanews.com/rocktober-october-14/
10/14 They Might Be Giants at First Avenue
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They Might Be Giants
The thing about They Might Be Giants is that they understand their fans. They get it; they know people don’t automatically rush out to get the latest album, so they didn’t bombard us with playing all 25
10/14/2022 Friday
They Might Be Giants
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com
“Why is the world in love again? Why are we walking hand-in-hand? Why are the ocean levels rising up? It’s brand new record for 1990. They Might be Giants’ brand new album: Flood”
Two years in the making, the 30th Anniversary of Flood is finally making its way to Minneapolis, after announcing and rescheduling originally in July 2020 and June 2021. The show was long sold out for the last two years…
Flood is TMBG’s finest hour. Every song is wonderful, and the record does contain their hit single, “Birdhouse in Your Soul”. Expect a sing along…. to every song.
North American Tour Dates
9/15: Boston, MA @ Royale
9/16: Boston, MA @ Royale
9/17: Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
9/18: Northampton, MA @ Academy of Music
9/20: Pawling, NY @ Daryl’s House Club
9/21: Ithaca, NY @ State Theatre
9/22: Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom
9/23: Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Small’s
9/24: Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Small’s
9/25: New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
10/11: Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
10/12: Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
10/13: Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre
10/14: Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave
10/15: St. Paul, MN @ Fitzgerald Theatre
10/16: St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
10/14 King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard with Leah Senior at Palace Theatre
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King Gizzard
Butterfly 3000 is the new album from King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. The album is said to be the typical synthesisers and sequencers, loops and weird noises that makes a Gizzard record. …
10/14/2022 Friday
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
with Leah Senior
at Palace Theatre
first-avenue.com
The popular psych band King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard is playing the Palace Theatre in support of their 18th studio album Butterfly 3000.
Leah Senior to open.
North American Tour Dates
Sun. Oct. 2 – Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre *
Tue. Oct. 4 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater*
Wed. Oct. 5 – Vancouver, BC @ PNE Forum*
Thu. Oct. 6 – Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre *
Mon. Oct. 10 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre*
Tue. Oct. 11 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre*
Fri. Oct. 14 – St Paul, MN @ The Palace Theatre*
Sat. Oct. 15 – Chicago, IL @ RADIUS*
Sun. Oct. 16 – Detroit, MI @ Masonic Temple*
Tue. Oct. 18 – Toronto, ON @ History*
Wed. Oct. 19 – Montreal, QC @ L’Olympia*
Fri. Oct. 21 – New York, NY @ Forest Hills Stadium*
Sat. Oct. 22 – Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall*
Sun. Oct. 23 – Washington, DC @ The Anthem *
Mon. Oct. 24 – Asheville, NC @ Rabbit Rabbit*
Wed. Oct. 26 – Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern*
Thu. Oct. 27 – New Orleans, LA @ Orpheum Theater *
Mon. Oct. 31 – Oklahoma City, OK @ The Criterion #
Wed. Nov. 2nd – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheater #
* w/ Leah Senior
# w/ The Murlocs, Leah Senior
√ w/ Grace Cummings
10/14 Blood Red Shoes with Mz Neon at Fine Line
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Blood Red Shoes
Brighton’s Blood Red Shoes to open. The last time we saw the duo (guitarist Laura-Mary Carter and drummer Steven Ansell), they blew us away with their anthemic song “Light It Up”. .…
10/14/2022 Friday
Blood Red Shoes
with Mz Neon
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com
Brighton’s is back on tour, stopping by the Fine Line Music Cafe on October 14th.
We last saw the band in Oct 2018 and wrote, “Brighton’s Blood Red Shoes opened the show, the stage completely lit in a deep green (which remained unchanged throughout their entire set), possibly due to the fact that the artwork for their forthcoming 2019 album Get Tragic is also in the same green tone. They didn’t play any of those 2019 songs, it’s really not the time to start promoting those singles, but instead concentrated on their various hit singles.”
New York’s Mz Neon to open. She recently released her new single “Pussy Stick” along with a dynamic and oh so Neon-esque video. “I just wanted to rap about authentic situations, stories, and concepts that I’ve experienced; juxtaposed with conceptualized storytelling based on life experiences, quantum realities and spiritual revelations…there’s a lot of esoteric references throughout, some more obvious than others,” says Mz Neon.
Tour Dates
Sep 10 Porto, Portugal Mouco
Oct 6 Oakland, CA, US Starline Social Club
Oct 7 Portland, OR, US Holocene
Oct 8 Vancouver, BC, Canada Biltmore Cabaret
Oct 9 Seattle, WA, US The Crocodile
Oct 11 Salt Lake City, UT, US Kilby Court
Oct 12 Denver, CO, US Hi-Dive
Oct 14 Minneapolis, MN, US Fine Line
Oct 15 Chicago, IL, US Cobra Lounge
Oct 16 Toronto, ON, Canada The Garrison
Oct 18 Montreal, QC, Canada Bar le Ritz PDB
Oct 20 Boston, MA, US Brighton Music Hall
Oct 21 Philadelphia, PA, US Kung Fu Necktie
Oct 22 Brooklyn, NY, US Saint Vitus Bar
Oct 23 Washington, DC, US Songbyrd
Oct 25 Atlanta, GA, US The Masquerade
Oct 26 Nashville, TN, US The End
Oct 28 Fort Worth, TX, US Tulips
Oct 29 Houston, TX, US Satellite Bar – Houston
Oct 30 Austin, TX, US Levitation
Nov 1 Phoenix, AZ, US Valley Bar
Nov 2 San Diego, CA, US Casbah
Nov 3 Los Angeles (LA), CA, US Echoplex
Nov 4 Mexico City, Mexico Bajo Circuito, Foro Cultural
Nov 11 Lübeck, Germany Rolling Stone Beach Festival
10/14 Boyfriend at 7th St Entry
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Boyfriend
Boyfriend will be releasing her new EP Love Your Boyfriend, Pt. 3 at some point later this year. Her two previous EPs Love Your Boyfriend, Pt. 1 & Pt. 2 have taken the hip-hop scene by storm. … .…
10/14/2022 Friday
Boyfriend
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com
New Orleans’ Boyfriend has a debut album called Sugar & Spice.
She continues, “For years I’ve been focusing on my live show, that was the medium where my thesis felt complete. I’ve been writing for others, navigating the industry as an entirely independent being, releasing singles & bite sized glimpses into my chest. This album is me finally offering a feast, not on a stage but in pockets and bedrooms, wherever folks may sit down to listen, I hope they leave the table knowing I’m their Boyfriend.”
We caught Boyfriend in Nov 2015 and wrote, “As if Big Freedia wasn’t enough amusement for one night, Boyfriend was opening for her. Boyfriend is a female rapper from New Orleans (also home to Big Freedia), and not to be confused with the Korean pop group also called Boyfriend. Boyfriend was nothing short of entertaining to watch. Boyfriend was joined onstage by two local scantily clad burlesque dancers. Boyfriend’s lyrics are vivid and inappropriate but also honest.”
Tour dates:
10/1 – San Francisco, CA – Bottom of the Hill
10/7 – Mobile, AL – Alabama Music Box
10/8 – Brooklyn NY – Elsewhere – Zone 1
10/14 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th St. Entry
10/20 – Nashville, TN – The End
10/21 – New Orleans, LA – The Rabbit Hole
10/22 – Denver, CO – Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox
10/28 – Seattle, WA – Barboza
11/5 – Washington, D.C. – Pie Shop
11/11 – Birmingham, AL – The Nick
11/12 – Atlanta, GA – Smith’s Olde Bar
11/17 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall
11/18 – Dallas, TX – Limbo Room
11/19 – Austin, TX – Mohawk (Inside)
10/14 MELT-BANANA and No Age with DREAM_MEGA at Turf Club
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Melt-Banana
Japanese noise band Melt-Banana is coming to Minneapolis on Wednesday, October 23rd, at the Triple Rock Social Club. The duo (Yasuko Onuki and Ichirou Agata) is currently in the U.S. to do a “2 do what 2 fetch” tour …
10/14/2022 Friday
MELT-BANANA and No Age
with DREAM_MEGA
at Turf Club
first-avenue.com
One of the loudest band in the world, Melt-Banana is co-headlining a tour with No Age.
No Age’s latest People Helping People is out now. Melt-Banana’s last album, Fetch, came out in 2013.
DREAM_MEGA to open.
No Age tour dates:
10/12/22 High Noon Saloon Madison WI*
10/13/22 The Back Room at Colectivo Milwaukee WI*
10/14/22 Turf Club St. Paul MN*
10/15/22 Gas Lamp Des Moines IA*
10/16/22 Subterranean Chicago IL*
10/18/22 Grog Shop Cleveland Heights OH*
10/19/22 Johnny Brenda’s Philadelphia PA*
10/20/22 DC9 Washington DC*
10/22/22 Crystal Ballroom Somerville MA*
10/24/22 Bar Le Ritz PDB Montreal Quebec Canada%
10/25/22 Lee’s Palace Toronto Ontario Canada%
10/26/22 Magic Bag Detroit MI%
10/28/22 The Lodge Room Los Angeles CA
10/30/22 Soda Bar San Diego CA#
11/8/22 The Chapel San Francisco CA@
11/10/22 Freakout Festival at Salmon Bay Eagles
11/11/22 Alma Tacoma WA@
11/12/22 Mississippi Studios Portland OR@
11/13/22 Neurolux Boise ID !
11/15/22 Kilby Court Salt Lake City UT !
11/16/22 Hi-Dive Denver CO !
11/17/22 Launchpad Albuquerque NM !
11/19/22 Rubber Gloves Denton TX
11/20/22 Antone’s Austin TX !
11/22/22 Hotel Congress Tucson AZ !
*w/ DREAM_MEGA
% w/ Syko Friend
# w/ Behavior & Mayako XO
@ w/ FM
! w/ John Wiese
If your band is coming to the Minneapolis/St Paul area, please email details to vu@weheartmusic.com with a good lead time. Thank you.
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Watch: New York AG Letitia James Announces Lawsuit Of Donald Trump His Company And Family Members Over Fraud Claims
Watch: New York AG Letitia James Announces Lawsuit Of Donald Trump, His Company And Family Members Over Fraud Claims https://digitalalabamanews.com/watch-new-york-ag-letitia-james-announces-lawsuit-of-donald-trump-his-company-and-family-members-over-fraud-claims/
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New York Attorney General Letitia James, who has been conducting a civil investigation of former President Donald Trump‘s company, is announcing a major lawsuit of former President Donald Trump, three of his adult children and his company over widespread fraud claims.
James’ announcement comes nearly a week after The New York Times reported that she had rejected an offer from Trump’s lawyers to settle her probe of the Trump Organization, which is based in Manhattan.
James’ office was investigating the company for possibly fraudulently misstating the value of various real estate assets to receive financial benefits in the form of more favorable loan and insurance rates, and tax breaks.
Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and accused James, who is a Democrat, of being motivated by politics to investigate the former Republican president.
In August, Trump appeared for a deposition conducted by James’s lawyers. He invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 440 times in refusing to answer questions under oath.
Donald Trump Jr., who runs the Trump Organization with his brother Eric, answered questions from the investigators under oath earlier in August, as did their sister Ivanka Trump. Ivanka previously was an executive at the Trump Organization.
Eric Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment right more than 500 times when he was questioned under oath in the probe in October 2020, according to a court filing in January.
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Gracie Gerlach Joins Patriot Growth Insurance Services As Vice President Of Mergers & Acquisitions
Gracie Gerlach Joins Patriot Growth Insurance Services As Vice President Of Mergers & Acquisitions https://digitalalabamanews.com/gracie-gerlach-joins-patriot-growth-insurance-services-as-vice-president-of-mergers-acquisitions/
, /PRNewswire/ — Patriot Growth Insurance Services, LLC (Patriot), one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing insurance agencies, is excited to announce Gracie Gerlach has joined the firm as Vice President of Mergers & Acquisitions. Patriot’s significant growth and nationwide expansion are accelerating at a record pace, and Gerlach will be instrumental in building the partnership pipeline. She joins Patriot’s M&A team led by Steve Carroll, Senior Vice President of Mergers & Acquisitions.
As VP of Mergers & Acquisitions, Gerlach will play a key role in advancing and sharing Patriot’s vision, while establishing and fostering new agency partnerships.
“Gracie has a proven history of developing deep and meaningful relationships with keys players in the insurance distribution industry, and she is widely recognized for her strategic insights and advocacy,” said Matt Gardner, Chairman and CEO of Patriot. “I look forward to Gracie making a significant impact at Patriot as we continue to attract and partner with only the very best agencies that align with our values and culture.”
Prior to joining Patriot, Gerlach was Vice President of Business Development at The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers (CIAB) in Washington, D.C. While in this position, she worked with top domestic and global brokerages to promote and advance industry priorities through CouncilPAC and other initiatives. Before being promoted to that role, she was Associate General Counsel providing legal strategy to The Council’s executive team on issues that impacted the functionality of The Council. She led the Council’s Legal Counsel Working Group, which is comprised of over 200 legal and compliance executives from client firms. Gerlach was also the Director of CouncilPAC, overseeing fundraising, communications, programming, and disbursements for CouncilPAC.
Gerlach holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science from The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL, and earned her Juris Doctor from Capital University Law School in Columbus, OH. She is a Big Brothers Big Sisters mentor and resides in Columbus, OH.
About Patriot Growth Insurance Services
Founded in 2019, Patriot is a growth-focused national insurance services firm that partners with employee benefits and property & casualty agencies across the United States. Patriot is ranked as the 35th largest broker in the U.S. by Business Insurance. With over 1,500 employees operating in 122 locations across 23 states, Patriot’s collaborative model delivers resources and strategic support to its agencies, whose leaders continue to operate with a high degree of autonomy in their local markets. Patriot creates true alignment with its partner agencies, and its operating philosophy fosters enhanced career opportunities for its dedicated and professional team. Patriot is backed by GI Partners and Summit Partners. For more information, please visit www.patriotgis.com.
SOURCE Patriot Growth Insurance Services
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Dollar Soars To Two-Decade High As Putin Shakes FX Market Ahead Of Fed
Dollar Soars To Two-Decade High As Putin Shakes FX Market Ahead Of Fed https://digitalalabamanews.com/dollar-soars-to-two-decade-high-as-putin-shakes-fx-market-ahead-of-fed/
Woman holds U.S. dollar banknotes in this illustration taken May 30, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
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Dollar index at two-decade high
Euro slides back toward two-decade lows
Putin announces partial troop mobilization for Ukraine
Markets gauging Fed hawkishness in Powell briefing
LONDON/NEW YORK, Sept 21 (Reuters) – The dollar surged to a new two-decade high on Wednesday just ahead of another expected aggressive Federal Reserve interest rate hike, as investors fled for safety after a decision by Russian President Vladimir Putin to mobilize more troops for the conflict in Ukraine.
Putin on Wednesday called up 300,000 reservists to fight in Ukraine and said Moscow would respond with the might of all its vast arsenal if the West pursued what he called its “nuclear blackmail” over the conflict there. read more
The news propelled the dollar index, which measures the greenback’s value against six major currencies, to 110.87 =USD, its strongest level since 2002.
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The dollar index is up almost 16% this year and set for its biggest annual surge since 1981. It was last trading at 110.71, up about 0.5% on the day.
“Most of the dollar moves today are Putin-related,” said Steven Englander, head of global G10 FX research and North America macro strategy at Standard Chartered in New York..
“When I look at my table, the five worst performing currencies are the Swedish crown, Polish zloty, Czech koruna, Hungarian forint and the euro. That’s more a Putin worry because of hints that Russia might escalate the conflict in Ukraine and on what limits he puts on the weapons they use.”
Dollar index at two-decade high ahead of Fed
European currencies bore the brunt of selling in foreign exchange markets as Putin’s comments exacerbated concern about the economic outlook for a region already hit hard by Russia’s squeeze on gas supplies to Europe.
The euro fell to a two-week low of $0.9885 , within sight of two-decade lows touched earlier this month. It was last down 0.7% at $0.9901.
Sterling fell to a fresh 37-year low of $1.1304 and was last down 0.5% at $1.1335
Later on Wednesday, the Fed is expected to lift interest rates by three-quarters of a percentage point for a third straight time and signal how much further and how fast borrowing costs may need to rise to tame inflation. read more
The policy decision, due at 1800 GMT, will mark the latest move in a synchronized policy shift by global central banks that is testing the resilience of the world economy and the ability of countries to manage exchange rate shocks as the value of the dollar soars.
“What the market is looking for is whether (Fed Chair Jerome) Powell says the Fed does not know how far they have to go and they’ll go as far as they need to go,” said Standard Chartered’s Englander.
“If someone asks him whether he sees rates going to 5% and he says he doesn’t see it, but doesn’t rule it out if that’s needed to get inflation down, then that would be really hawkish and means they’re opening up rates to an even higher range than what the market anticipates.”
The Australian and New Zealand dollars meanwhile plumbed multi-year lows. The Aussie dollar hit a trough of US$0.6655, its lowest since June 2020, while the New Zealand currency fell to US$0.5873, its lowest since April 2020.
Against the battered yen, the dollar was up 0.2% at 143.97, holding off recent 24-year peaks
“It was interesting to me that dollar/yen dipped on the news of the announcement, potentially indicating a return of the yen’s safe-haven credentials which have been absent for much of the year,” said Colin Asher, a senior economist at Mizuho Corporate Bank.
========================================================
Currency bid prices at 10:42AM (1442 GMT)
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Reporting by Dhara Ranasinghe in London and Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss in New York; Additional reporting by Lucy Raitano; Editing by Edwina Gibbs, Catherine Evans and Mark Heinrich
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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Birmingham Has Draft Plan To Spend $37 Million To Relocate Thousands Of Residents
Birmingham Has Draft Plan To Spend $37 Million To Relocate Thousands Of Residents https://digitalalabamanews.com/birmingham-has-draft-plan-to-spend-37-million-to-relocate-thousands-of-residents/
From The Lede
Updated: Sep. 21, 2022, 9:38 a.m.|
Published: Sep. 21, 2022, 9:30 a.m.
Cover of the Big Ask Document from the City of Birmingham
A document released by Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin’s office revealed that the city holds a drafted plan to aid residents of North Birmingham endangered by local pollution, though it is unclear whether Woodfin plans to do anything with it.
This 60-page document, drafted by the city’s Planning, Engineering and Permits division sometime between 2019-2020 is entitled “The Big Ask” and aims to relocate or improve the living conditions of over a thousand residents of the Collegeville neighborhood and other areas of North Birmingham.
The Big Ask proposes a $37 million budget, $19 million to purchase property from owners in the North Birmingham area and the rest split between relocating renters and making the area safer for people who choose to stay.
“Birmingham is very fortunate to have rich iron and coal deposits, which led to its success as an industrial town, but these industries come with a high level of emissions that make their proximity to residences problematic,” the document opens. “In 2012, the EPA designated areas of Collegeville, Harriman Park, and Fairmont a superfund site based on soil carcinogen contamination levels. While the EPA continues to remediate contamination through soil work, further action may be needed to address the health and safety of Birmingham residents.”
Woodfin recently discussed the plan with ProPublica’s Max Blau for an article published earlier this month.
Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission.
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Opinion | Board Of Education https://digitalalabamanews.com/opinion-board-of-education/
School board members are some of the most selfless public servants in Alabama. This accolade goes to the Alabama State Board of Education, and more specifically local school board members. These members are tasked with a very important mission but receive very little compensation for their time and efforts. They are indeed public servants.
The Alabama State Board of Education is a nine member body that sets public education policy for K-12 schools. The governor is an ex-officio member of the board and the remaining eight members are elected to four-year terms from single member districts of approximately equal population. There is no limit tothe number of terms a school board member may serve. The seats are partisan driven. Currently, our state school board hassix Republican members and two Democratic members.
Given the fact that members are elected, rather than appointed, it is somewhat surprising that our current eight members are so well-qualified and suited to be state school board members.
Dr. Wayne Reynolds, who represents District 8, best exemplifies this statement. He has a doctorate in education and has spent over four decades as an education administrator. He is retired and brings his experience and wisdom to the table. In his early years, Wayne was a decorated Vietnam War Veteran. He and his wife Carol reside in the Limestone/Madison area. Wayne is a Republican and was re-elected to his second four-year term earlier this year.
Marie Manning has just been elected to District 6, which is a Republican district. She will begin her first term in January. Prior to her recent election to the state school board, Marie served as Vice President of the St. Clair County Board of Education. During her stellar career in education, Marie was as a classroom teacher, vice-principal, principal and superintendent.
Dr. Yvette Richardson represents District 4 and is a resident of Montgomery. Yvette is a Democrat and was re-elected to another four-year term in the Democratic Primary. She has a doctorate degree from the University of Alabama and has had a distinguished career in education.
Tracie West is a Republican member of the board from District 2. She was re-elected to a second four-year term in the Republican Primary. She hails from Auburn and, as would be expected from this area, is well-qualified and versed in education knowledge and policy. Prior to being elected to the state school board, Tracie served as a member of the Auburn City Schools Board of Education, including serving as president of that board.
There are four members up for re-election in 2024, Jackie Ziegler, Stephanie Bell, Tonya Chestnut, and Belinda McRae, provided all four decide to seek another term.
Jackie Ziegler of Mobile is a Republican board member and represents District 1. She was first elected in 2016, and is an experienced and successful educator. She is a graduate of the University of South Alabama. She was a classroom teacher, then longtime principal in the Mobile County School System. She is married to State Auditor Jim Ziegler.
Stephanie Bell, who represents District 3, is by far the most veteran member of the board having first been elected in 1994 and re-elected to eight consecutive terms. At the end of her current term, she will have served over 30 years. She is a stellar member, an asset to the board, and hopefully will run again. Stephanie is a lifelong resident of Montgomery as is her husband.
Dr. Tonya Chestnut, a native of Selma, is a Democrat and represents District 5. She has a doctorate in education and is the former Dean of Alabama State University College of Visual and Performing Arts.
Belinda McRae of Hamilton is the Republican board member for District 7. She is in her first term. Belinda taught English and art for 25 years in the Marion County School System and served on the Marion County Board of Education before being elected to the State School Board.
Choosing the State Superintendent is probably the most important task of the Alabama State School Board and the Board made an excellent choice when they selected Dr. Eric Mackey asAlabama State Superintendent of Education. Dr. Mackey is a former school superintendent and former Executive Director of the State School Superintendents Association.
Most of our former governors did not take their ex-officio roleas seriously as Governor Kay Ivey. Governor Ivey has been a very active and dutiful member of the Alabama State School Board.
In closing, allow me to not only give accolades to the state school board, but also a tip of the hat to all local school board members.
See you next week.
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Dow Rises 200 Points As Wall Street Braces For Fed Rate-Hike Decision
Dow Rises 200 Points As Wall Street Braces For Fed Rate-Hike Decision https://digitalalabamanews.com/dow-rises-200-points-as-wall-street-braces-for-fed-rate-hike-decision/
Stocks open higher ahead of Fed decision
Stocks opened higher on Wednesday as investors looked ahead to the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 171 points, or 0.56%. The S&P 500 climbed 0.57%, and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.34%.
— Samantha Subin
The Fed has a big agenda in addition to expected rate increase
In addition to its expected interest rate hike, the Federal Reserve has multiple other items on the docket for its two-day meeting that concludes Wednesday.
The central bank is expected to raise benchmark interest rates by 0.75 percentage point.
But along with that, it also will provide updates on its economic and rates forecasts over the next three years. Pivotal in that outlook will be the “terminal” rate, or point when the Fed thinks it will need to stop hiking to battle runaway inflation.
Chairman Jerome Powell also will hold his traditional post-meeting news conference, where he is expected to emphasize the Fed’s commitment to battling inflation even if it means harm to the broader economy.
“Fighting inflation is job-one,” said Eric Winograd, senior economist at AllianceBernstein. “The consequences of not fighting inflation are greater than the consequences of fighting it. If that means recession, then that’s what it means.”
—Jeff Cox
Brace for disappointment coming out of the Fed meeting, Comerica’s Lynch says
Investors should prepare for more upset following the Federal Reserve’s latest rate-hike meeting as inflation numbers show persistent pressures beyond just food and energy, said Comerica Wealth Management’s John Lynch.
“Investors will be looking for clarity on the extent of the Fed’s tightening campaign and we suspect they’ll be disappointed,” he said, adding that the inflation moves further complicate the Fed’s decision making.
Given this backdrop, Lynch expects equities to retest June lows and believes third-quarter earnings — and revisions to companies’ guidance — will muddle investor sentiment.
“Fortunately, history shows improved market performance following midterm elections, so we encourage investors to maintain targeted allocations,” he said.
— Samantha Subin
Financials, tech earnings should rebound in 2023, says Credit Suisse’s Golub
Energy earnings have widely outperformed the broader S&P 500 this year, but Credit Suisse’s Jonathan Golub expects the tables to turn come 2023.
“While Energy EPS is forecasted to grow 100%+ in 2022, Financials and TECH+ earnings are projected to experience an outright contraction,” he wrote in a note to clients Wednesday. “However, these distortions are expected to reverse in 2023, with Energy EPS predicted to contract -12% while, Financials and TECH+ earnings are projected to grow double-digits.”
Earnings growth for the S&P 500 is expected to grow by just 6.1% during the first half of 2023, but expand by 9.1% through the second half.
— Samantha Subin
Wheat and corn ETFs gain pre-market as Russia calls up 300,000 reservists
The Teucrium Wheat Fund and Teucrium Corn Fund rose pre-market Wednesday after Russia called up 300,000 reservists to add to forces fighting against Ukraine.
The wheat ETF is higher by about 0.8% while the corn ETF is adding about 0.4%.
December wheat contracts reached a high of $9.195 per bushel earlier, the highest since July 11, while December corn hit $6.985 (only a nine-day high).
— Scott Schnipper, Gina Francolla
Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Beyond Meat, Stitch Fix, Aurora Cannabis and more
These are some of the stocks making big moves in the premarket:
Stitch Fix — Stitch Fix’s stock slid 5.9% in premarket trading after reporting a wider-than-expected quarterly loss and issuing a weak forecast. The online clothing styling company expects sales to fall over the short term as the number of active customers declines.
Beyond Meat – Beyond Meat suspended Chief Operating Officer Doug Ramsey after he was involved in a physical altercation over the weekend which resulted in third-degree battery and terroristic threatening charges. Beyond Meat fell 1.1% in premarket trading on top of a 6% slide Tuesday.
Aurora Cannabis – Aurora Cannabis lost 2.1% in the premarket after reporting a breakeven quarter, on an adjusted basis, surprising analysts who predicted a quarterly loss. The Canada-based cannabis producer saw overall revenue come in slightly below expectations.
Read the full list of stocks moving in premarket action here.
— Peter Schacknow, Samantha Subin
Dollar index touches fresh high
The dollar index, which has been on a tear in recent weeks, notched a fresh high of 110.869 on Wednesday.
That marked the index’s highest level since June 2002, when it hit a high of 110.87.
Meanwhile, the euro hit a low of 0.9883 against the dollar and its lowest level since Sep. 7. The pound touched a fresh low against the dollar dating back to March 18, 1985.
The dollar also hit its highest level against the Swedish krona since July 2001.
— Samantha Subin, Gina Francolla
General Mills rises amid earnings beat, guidance boost
Shares of General Mills rose 2.5% in premarket trading after the consumer food maker topped earnings estimates and upped its outlook for the full year.
The company posted adjusted earnings of $1.11 per share on revenue of $4.72 billion. Analysts surveyed by Refinitiv had anticipated earnings of $1 a share on $4.72 billion in revenue.
General Mills’ stock is trading up 12% this year and sits about 4% off its highs.
— Samantha Subin
Defense stocks jump as Putin declares partial military mobilization
Defense stock moved about 2% higher on Wednesday amid news that Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the partial mobilization of the Russian population.
As part of the mandate, Russia will order military reservists into active service. Putin has also called for more funding to increase weapons production.
Defense stocks rose in premarket trading following the news, with shares of Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies and Northrop Grumman up about 2% each.
Oil prices also jumped amid the news, fueling more uncertainty in the already volatile energy market. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was last trading at $86.14 a barrel, up $2.20, or 2.62%. Brent crude futures added $2.28, or 2.52%, to $92.90.
— Samantha Subin, Holly Ellyatt
Goldman says buy Estee Lauder
Goldman Sachs upgraded Estee Lauder to buy from neutral, citing the potential for robust growth going forward as China-related headwinds dissipate.
“While we see near-term challenges in Hainan owing to China’s zero-covid policy and uncertainty around potential lockdowns, we believe it will prove transitory as there are several structural factors in play which can drive sustained Hainan growth going forward even when international travel resumes,” analyst Jason English said.
Estee Lauder shares rose more than 1% in the premarket.
CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here.
— Alex Harring
European stocks nudge higher as markets brace for more Fed action; Uniper down 21%
European markets were cautiously higher on Wednesday as investors in the region braced themselves for another aggressive interest rate move from the U.S. Federal Reserve.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 nudged 0.3% higher by mid-morning, having recouped opening losses of around 0.4%. Travel and leisure stocks fell 1.8% while oil and gas stocks jumped 2.9%.
– Elliot Smith
Oil prices rise after Putin announces partial military mobilization
Russia’s Putin announces partial military mobilization
Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a ceremony to receive letters of credence from newly-appointed foreign ambassadors at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, September 20, 2022.
Pavel Bednyakov| Sputnik | Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday announced a partial military mobilization in Russia, putting the country’s people and economy on a wartime footing as Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine continues.
In a rare pre-recorded televised announcement, Putin said the West “wants to destroy our country” and claimed the West had tried to “turn Ukraine’s people into cannon fodder,” in comments translated by Reuters.
Putin said “mobilization events” would begin Wednesday without providing many further details, aside from saying that he had ordered an increase in funding to boost Russia’s weapons production.
Read more here.
– Holly Ellyatt
Germany nationalizes energy giant Uniper as Russia squeezes gas supplies
Uniper has received billions in financial aid from the German government as a result of surging gas and electric prices following Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Picture Alliance | Picture Alliance | Getty Images
The German government on Wednesday agreed to the nationalization of utility Uniper as it strives to keep the industry afloat in the wake of a worldwide energy crisis.
Having already accepted in July to bail out the major gas importer with a 15 billion euro ($14.95 billion) rescue deal, the state will now buy out the 56% stake of Finland’s Fortum for a 0.5 billion euros. The German state is set to own around 98.5% of Uniper.
“Since the stabilisation package for Uniper was agreed in July, Uniper’s situation has further deteriorated rapidly and significantly; as such, new measures to resolve the situation have been agreed,” Fortum announced in a statement on Wednesday morning.
Read more here.
– Elliot Smith
CNBC Pro: Want to play the EV sector? Analysts say this lithium stock could soar 70%
As interest in battery stocks picks up after a tough year so far, CNBC Pro analyzed a number of stocks in the sector that analysts say have serious potential.
CNBC Pro screened the Global X Lithium & Battery Tech ETF on FactSet for stocks that could outperform. One stock that made the list has jumped over 40...
Trump Rape Accuser Plans Suit Under New NY https://digitalalabamanews.com/trump-rape-accuser-plans-suit-under-new-ny/
NEW YORK –
A writer who accused former U.S. President Donald Trump of raping her in a department store dressing room intends to file another lawsuit against him under a new New York law letting sexual assault victims sue over attacks that happened decades ago.
A lawyer for the columnist, E. Jean Carroll, notified a federal judge of her intent to sue in an August letter entered in the public record Tuesday. The suit would allege sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
In the letter, the lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, also said she plans to depose Trump in the defamation case that Carroll already had pending against the former president. The deposition would have to occur by Oct. 19, when discovery in the case must be completed for a planned February trial.
Trump’s attorney, Alina Habba, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In an Aug. 11 letter to the court that was also posted in the public file Tuesday, she objected to the new lawsuit.
Habba wrote that letting Carroll file the new claim now “would be extraordinarily prejudicial” to Trump, given the looming trial deadlines in the defamation case.
“To permit Plaintiff to drastically alter the scope and subject matter of this case at such time would severely prejudice Defendant’s rights. Therefore, Plaintiff’s request must be disregarded in its entirety,” Habba said.
Kaplan declined to comment.
Carroll, a longtime advice columnist for Elle magazine, wrote in a 2019 book that Trump raped her during a chance encounter at a Bergdorf Goodman store in the mid-1990s. Trump denied it and questioned Carroll’s credibility and motivations.
Because the alleged attack happened so long ago, Carroll would ordinarily have missed legal deadlines to sue Trump. So she initially sued him instead for defamation, saying he smeared her reputation while denying the rape allegation.
Last spring, however, New York lawmakers passed the Adult Survivor’s Act, which provides a one-year “look back” that enables adult survivors of sexual attacks to bring civil claims when they otherwise would be barred.
The law, signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul in May, was modeled after the Child Victims Act, which provided a similar window to bring lawsuits for people who had been sexually assaulted when they were children. That law expired a year ago.
A deposition would require Trump to answer questions from Carroll’s lawyers under oath about her allegations. Carroll’s legal team in February had said they were willing to skip a deposition in order to get the lawsuit to trial more quickly. Kaplan, in her letter to the court, said she now needed to question Trump because his lawyers had turned over so few documents relevant to the case.
In her letter to the court, Habba made no mention of the plans to depose Trump, but she did complain that Kaplan’s letter was “filled with misrepresentations and inflammatory statements.”
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Alfred Al Packard Obituary (2022) https://digitalalabamanews.com/alfred-al-packard-obituary-2022/
Alfred “Al” Packard passed away at home on September 18th, 2022. He almost certainly would not have wanted his life’s story read as a standard obituary.
Al would have preferred a funny story, likely involving a harmless prank and multiple witty one-liners. It is difficult to execute a prank through an obituary, so in Al’s memory, you’ll settle for one-liners.
Al was a natural born storyteller, so sifting through the hyperbole and exaggeration to establish the basics was more difficult than you’d guess. As his bride would be quoted “I’ve gotta say, there were times in his life where he had very little respect for the truth”. Al was not a dishonest man in any sense of the word but may have added an inch or two to the length of his most recently caught fish.
Al was born to Enid Evelyn (Tomlin) and George Erwin Packard in Antigo, Wisconsin on July 27th, 1935. Alongside his brother and cousins, Al spent his formative years being a true outdoorsman – catching fish, hunting rabbits and deer, and feigning ignorance when stopped by DNR. Al’s family relocated to Grayslake, Illinois, where he became a proud athlete. Al played football, basketball, and baseball. He would be quick to remind you that today’s athletes just aren’t as tough, and that when he played football, facemasks were optional.
After graduation, Al was drafted into the US Army, where he spent two years in Germany – to be clear, this was in 1958, so the stories told to grandchildren of liberating France may have been overblown. He spent most of his time as a GI ensuring the local bier was safe to drink and keeping morale up around base with his quick wit and humor. Upon completion of his service, he moved back to Chicago and joined the Ironworkers Union.
Al worked in Chicago from 1960 to 1975. Thanks to shoddy record keeping by the City of Chicago, Al was confident in telling his grandchildren that he single handedly welded the steel on whatever building in Chicago was being discussed at the time. To this date, they have been unable to prove otherwise.
During this time, Al met Sally, and began a long life of love with her. Together, they raised 8 children: Jane (Nagel), Sue (Simmons), Ricky Smiley, Linda (Diedrich), Darlene (Eggleston), Daniel Packard, Mary (Tessendorf) and Donald Packard.
In 1975, Al and Sally loaded the 8 children into a six-passenger station wagon and moved to Lena, Illinois.
Once in Lena, Al started his own business welding and operating cranes, all while taking on various side projects as he saw fit. If 50 years from now, an outdoorsman comes across a tree-stand that weighs 150 pounds, stands 40 feet high, and is sturdy as a rock, please return it to Sally.
After running his own business for 20 years, Al had a taste for the open seas. He got his United States Coast Guard Captain’s License and earned the moniker “Captain Al”. Al then went on to captain the Harrah’s casino boat in Joliet for another 6 years until retirement.
Upon retirement, Al spent a lot of time with his (many) grandchildren: Josh Schamberger, Adam Schamberger, Jessica Parker (Holm), Shawn Tessendorf, Jeffrey Tessendorf, Bradley Tessendorf, Nick Simmons, Luke Simmons, Daniel Smiley, Michael Smiley, Chris Smiley, Stephanie Hoover, Valerie Smola (Nagel), Bonnie Hayes (Nagel), Vanessa Nagel, Grace Eggleston, Lily Eggleston, Michael Packard, Megan Packard, Ayden Packard, and Alex Packard.
Al is pleased to report that he is survived by this entire list of grandchildren, as well as all 24 great-grandchildren. Al was a devoted grandpa, providing life lessons, big hugs, and lots of love to all of his grandchildren. In return, his grandchildren gave him the nickname of “Geek”. What a cruel world.
Sally and Al purchased a winter home in Englewood, Florida, where Al returned to his childhood roots of loving to fish. He spent many days at the “House of Pain”, “Banana”, and “Swiss Cheese” catching grouper, amberjack, and shark. His mornings in Florida consisted of checking weather buoys and strategizing the plan of attack to maximize the number of fish that could be caught in a day.
As the weather warmed up, Al and Sally would return home to Lena, where Al traded the salt-water tackle for camouflage and his crossbow and began to prepare to hunt whitetail each fall. The only saving grace for the deer of Stephenson County was Al’s beloved Le-Win Panthers football team.
Al spent each of his Friday nights cheering on the team while providing unsolicited feedback on how he thought the game should be played (and oftentimes, also how he thought it should be officiated).
Al spent the last years of his life living the right way. He would do what he wanted, when he wanted. He spent many summer nights by his pond, catching fish and telling jokes around the campfire. He spent many winter days in Florida, catching fish and telling jokes on a boat. Regardless of season or location, he was always ready for dessert.
Al was preceded in death by his parents, brother, and son, Ricky. They are undoubtedly reunited, and Al is likely arguing with his brother on who gets which deer stand for opening day.
Al is survived by his wife, Sally, and seven of their children: Jane Nagel, Sue Simmons, Linda Diedrich, Darlene (Gene) Eggleston, Daniel (Debbie) Packard, Mary (Al) Tessendorf, and Donald (Stacy) Packard.
Additionally, Al is survived by many great people who blur the lines between family and friend, including Jim and Kim Goebel, John and Eddie Clark, Denny and Cheryl Burnham, Boyd and Kim Reese, among many others.
Al’s memory and legacy will live on through his loving family and friends. We love you, Geek.
A memorial service will be held at 12:00 pm on Saturday, October 1, 2022 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Lena, IL.
A visitation will be held from 10:00 am until time of service.
Cremation rites have been accorded.
A memorial has been established in his memory.
To send a flower arrangement or to plant trees in memory of
Alfred “Al” Packard, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store.
Published by Legacy on Sep. 21, 2022.
Legacy.com reports daily on death announcements in local communities nationwide. Visit our funeral home directory for more local information, or see our FAQ page for help with finding obituaries and sending sympathy.
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Post Politics Now: Biden To Offer firm Rebuke Of Russias War On Ukraine During Address To U.N.
Post Politics Now: Biden To Offer ‘firm Rebuke’ Of Russia’s War On Ukraine During Address To U.N. https://digitalalabamanews.com/post-politics-now-biden-to-offer-firm-rebuke-of-russias-war-on-ukraine-during-address-to-u-n-2/
Today, President Biden will deliver a “firm rebuke” of Russia for its “unjust war” on Ukraine during an annual address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, according to a preview of the speech offered to reporters by White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan. Biden is expected to urge other world leaders “to continue to stand against the naked aggression” by a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, Sullivan said. He is also expected to call for better preparation ahead of future pandemics.
The morning speech is part of a busy day in New York for Biden. His schedule also includes meetings with new British Prime Minister Liz Truss and U.N. Secretary General António Guterres.
Your daily dashboard
10:35 a.m. Eastern: Biden delivers remarks before the 77th session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York. Watch live here.
11:45 a.m. Eastern: Biden holds a bilateral meeting with Guterres.
1:15 p.m. Eastern: Biden hosts a bilateral meeting with Truss.
4 p.m. Eastern: Biden delivers remarks at the Global Fund’s Seventh Replenishment Conference in New York. Watch live here.
7 p.m. Eastern: Biden hosts a reception for world leaders in New York.
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.
Insight: Biden speech shaped by countries unmentioned last year: Russia, Ukraine
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When President Biden addressed the United Nations a year ago to the day, he opened his remarks by talking about the devastating pandemic that had, at that point, claimed the lives of 4.5 million. He sought to mobilize the world to fight both climate change and terrorism.
And in his 33-minute speech, two countries were never mentioned: Ukraine and Russia.
It’s a reminder of how much can change over the course of a year, and how dramatically Russia’s invasion has reshaped and dominated the geopolitical stage.
Noted: Biden bookends his visit to New York with fundraisers
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Besides addressing a range of global affairs, President Biden is also using his trip to New York this week to raise money for fellow Democrats with the November midterm elections looming.
Shortly after arriving in Manhattan on Tuesday night, Biden attended a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee that raised nearly $2 million, according to the DNC. He is set to attend another DNC event on Thursday before returning to Washington.
Tuesday night’s event, which the DNC said drew about 100 donors, was held at the home of Henry Muñoz III, a former DNC finance chairman. Among those in attendance were New York Mayor Eric Adams, former congressman Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) and actor Robert De Niro.
Analysis: These states show how far Republicans will go on abortion bans
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Next week, Republicans in the South Carolina House will reconvene to consider a bill to amend the state’s “heartbeat” abortion ban.
It’s the finale of a handful of quick, but brief, legislative sessions where abortion was on the docket soon after the Supreme Court ended the constitutional right to the procedure in June, The Post’s Rachel Roubein writes in The Health 202. Per Rachel:
Roughly 15 states have banned most abortions, including prohibitions from conception with narrow exceptions or after fetal cardiac activity has been detected (which is often around six weeks of pregnancy). But most of those states took action when such abortion bans were merely hypothetical; their “trigger” laws and limits early in pregnancy were passed in anticipation of the high court eventually overturning Roe v. Wade.
Just two states — Indiana and West Virginia — acted after the decision overturning Roe v. Wade. They’re initial examples of how far GOP-led states are willing to go in banning abortions now that these laws are no longer hypothetical. Already, some GOP candidates have backed away from aggressive positions, and some Republican states are learning their political limits.
You can read the full analysis here.
On our radar: Biden meeting with new British prime minister in New York
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Aside from his speech to the United Nations General Assembly, President Biden has a busy schedule in New York on Wednesday, including a bilateral meeting with new British Prime Minister Liz Truss.
Biden was initially on a list of foreign leaders expected to meet with Truss ahead of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in London, but the White House said Saturday that the meeting would instead take place this week while Truss is attending the United Nations General Assembly.
Biden and Truss are expected to talk about the economic relationship between the United States and United Kingdom, including prospects for a trade deal, as well as Russia’s war on Ukraine.
On our radar: Check the voter registration deadline in your state
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Voters in more than half of the states will need to register before Election Day to cast a ballot in the 2022 midterm elections. The Post has compiled a list of registration deadlines to help you participate.
You can read the full list here.
Noted: Security Council reform is on Biden’s radar, national security adviser says
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President Biden is expected to discuss U.N. Security Council reform during his visit to New York, but U.S. officials have not yet determined whether he will do so publicly or privately, the president’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told reporters Tuesday.
Since its inception, the Security Council has given veto power to five nations: the United States, China, Britain, France and, since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia, The Post’s John Hudson, Missy Ryan and Yasmeen Abutaleb note.
Analysis: Biden hopes Fed can tame inflation without a recession, but it’s a challenge
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While President Biden is in New York on Wednesday, another event will be playing out in Washington with implications for his presidency: The Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates again.
Writing in The Early 202, The Post’s Theodoric Meyer and Leigh Ann Caldwell note that the central bank’s moves to bring down inflation risk derailing the Biden administration’s efforts to keep unemployment low and avoid a recession.
The Fed is expected to raise rates by three-quarters of a percentage point Wednesday at the end of its two-day policy meeting. Some market analysts say the Fed could hoist rates by a full percentage point after federal inflation data came in unexpectedly hot last week.
On our radar: Biden expected to touch on pandemic preparation in U.N. speech
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In his speech to the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday, President Biden is expected to urge fellow world leaders to be better prepared for the next pandemic.
“One of the core things that the president wants to communicate when it comes to global health is that from the point of view of dealing with pandemics, what covid-19 should teach all of us is that we darn well better be much better prepared for the next one,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters Tuesday in previewing Biden’s speech.
Our our radar: Biden to deliver ‘firm rebuke of Russia’s unjust war in Ukraine’
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President Biden will deliver “a firm rebuke of Russia’s unjust war in Ukraine” when he speaks Wednesday at the United Nations, and he will encourage world leaders to continue their opposition to Russia’s “naked aggression,” national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters at the White House on Tuesday.
Biden will highlight that Russia, “a permanent member of the Security Council” of the United Nations, “has struck at the very heart” of the U.N. charter “by challenging the principle of territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
The latest: U.N. chief says world is ‘gridlocked in colossal global dysfunction’
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U.N. Secretary General António Guterres said Tuesday that a breakdown in global cooperation amid Russia’s war in Ukraine is exacerbating the top threats to human existence, including food insecurity and climate change.
Guterres said problems such as poverty, indebtedness, online hate and harassment, and a loss of biodiversity are resulting from the international system’s failure to function, The Post’s John Hudson, Missy Ryan and Yasmeen Abutaleb report.
Per our colleagues:
“Divides are growing deeper. Inequalities are growing wider. Challenges are spreading farther,” Guterres said at the annual gathering of leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
“We have a duty to act. And yet we are gridlocked in colossal global dysfunction,” he said.
The diagnosis was echoed by some of the more than 100 leaders attending the week-long event, but very little consensus emerged over how to bridge divides among nations deeply conflicted about how to respond to the war in Ukraine.
President Biden is scheduled to address the gathering in New York on Wednesday.
Noted: Garland meets Ukraine’s prosecutor general amid new signs of Russian atrocities
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Attorney General Merrick Garland and his Ukrainian counterpart, Andriy Kostin, signed an agreement Tuesday aimed at formalizing cooperation over joint efforts to prosecute alleged war crimes committed by Russian forces in the war in Ukraine.
The Post’s David Nakamura reports that the two men signed the memorandum of understanding after meeting at Justice Department headquarters in Washington, a show of partnership to step up international pressure amid evidence of new mass atrocities discovered after Ukrainian forces took back wide swaths of territory in recent weeks. Per our colleague:
The latest: GOP attorneys general back Trump in court fight over Mar-a-Lago docum...
A Man Was Fatally Shot In Houston. Hours Later A Boy Thought To Be His Son Was Found Dead In An SUV.
A Man Was Fatally Shot In Houston. Hours Later, A Boy Thought To Be His Son Was Found Dead In An SUV. https://digitalalabamanews.com/a-man-was-fatally-shot-in-houston-hours-later-a-boy-thought-to-be-his-son-was-found-dead-in-an-suv/
A person of interest is in custody in the deaths of a man who was fatally shot Tuesday and a toddler, thought to be the victim’s son, who was found dead in the back seat of an SUV, Houston authorities said.
The Houston Police Department said Wednesday morning that the person of interest was being questioned.
Hours earlier, the department released security video that it said showed the gunman.
Investigators are trying to determine a motive, Houston Executive Assistant Police Chief Larry Satterwhite told reporters.
The Houston Police Department released security video that it said showed the person accused of fatally shooting a man who was found dead southwest of downtown on Tuesday afternoon.@houstonpolice via Twitter
The boy’s apparent father, 38, was found dead near a strip mall southwest of downtown Houston after authorities responded to a report of a shooting at 1:46 p.m., Satterwhite said.
The victim hasn’t been identified.
Investigators determined that after the gunman and the victim met up, an argument may have followed and the gunman opened fire, shooting the man multiple times and driving away in the victim’s SUV, Satterwhite said.
Five hours later, as authorities were investigating the shooting, a woman called police and reported that her husband and her 2-year-old son were missing, Satterwhite said.
Authorities quickly determined that the missing husband and the shooting victim were the same person, Satterwhite said.
“We didn’t know about the child until she called at 6:36,” he added.
Within 30 minutes, Satterwhite said, officers found the abandoned SUV about a mile away from the original scene. The toddler was in the back seat, unresponsive, he said.
Officers broke the vehicle’s window, began administering CPR and called for an ambulance, Satterwhite said.
“Sadly, it was too late,” he said. “The child had passed in the car.”
The boy’s cause of death was unclear, although Satterwhite said he may have died of heat exhaustion. It wasn’t clear how long the SUV had been left there.
“Pray for this family,” Satterwhite said. “A mother lost her husband, and she lost her 2-year-old child today.”
Tim Stelloh is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital.
Elisha Fieldstadt
contributed
.
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House To Vote On Election Law Overhaul In Response To Jan. 6
House To Vote On Election Law Overhaul In Response To Jan. 6 https://digitalalabamanews.com/house-to-vote-on-election-law-overhaul-in-response-to-jan-6/
Wednesday, September 21st 2022, 7:46 am
By: Associated Press
WASHINGTON –
The House will vote on an overhaul of a centuries-old election law, an effort to prevent future presidential candidates from trying to subvert the popular will.
The legislation under consideration Wednesday is a direct response to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and former President Donald Trump’s efforts to find a way around the Electoral Count Act, an arcane 1800s-era law that governs, along with the U.S. Constitution, how states and Congress certify electors and declare presidential election winners.
While that process has long been routine and ceremonial, Trump and a group of his aides and lawyers tried to exploit loopholes in the law in an attempt to overturn his defeat.
The bill would set new parameters around the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress that happens every four years after a presidential election. The day turned violent last year after hundreds of Trump’s supporters interrupted the proceedings, broke into the building and threatened the lives of then-Vice President Mike Pence and members of Congress. The rioters echoed Trump’s false claims of widespread fraud and wanted Pence to block Democrat Joe Biden’s victory as he presided over the joint session.
The legislation intends to ensure that future Jan. 6 sessions are “as the constitution envisioned, a ministerial day,” said Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, a Republican who co-sponsored the legislation with House Administration Committee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif. Both Cheney and Lofgren are also members of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack.
“The American people are supposed to decide an election, not Congress,” Lofgren said.
The bill, which is similar to legislation moving through the Senate, would clarify in the law that the vice president’s role presiding over the count is only ceremonial and also sets out that each state can only send one certified set of electors. Trump’s allies had unsuccessfully tried to put together alternate slates of illegitimate pro-Trump electors in swing states where Biden won.
The legislation would increase the threshold for individual lawmakers’ objections to any state’s electoral votes, requiring a third of the House and a third of the Senate to object to trigger votes on the results in both chambers. Currently, only one lawmaker in the House and one lawmaker in the Senate has to object. The House bill would set out very narrow grounds for those objections, an attempt to thwart baseless or politically motivated challenges. The legislation also would require courts to get involved if state or local officials want to delay a presidential vote or refuse to certify the results.
The House vote comes as the Senate is moving on a similar track with enough Republican support to virtually ensure passage before the end of the year. After months of talks, House Democrats introduced the legislation on Monday and are holding a quick vote two days later in order to send the bill across the Capitol and start to resolve differences. A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation this summer and a Senate committee is expected to vote on it next week.
While the House bill is more expansive than the Senate version, the two bills cover similar ground and members in both chambers are optimistic that they can work out the differences. While few House Republicans are expected to vote for the legislation — most are still allied with Trump — supporters are encouraged by the bipartisan effort in the Senate.
“Both sides have an incentive to want a set of clear rules, and this is an antiquated law that no one understands,” said Benjamin Ginsburg, a longtime GOP lawyer who consulted with lawmakers as they wrote the bill. “All parties benefit from clarity.”
House GOP leaders disagree, and are encouraging their members to vote against the legislation. They say the involvement of courts could drag out elections and that the bill would take rights away from states.
Illinois Rep. Rodney Davis, Lofgren’s GOP counterpart on the House Administration Committee, said Tuesday that the bill would trample on state sovereignty and is “opening the door to mass litigation.”
Democrats are “desperately trying to talk about their favorite topic, and that is former president Donald Trump,” Davis said.
Cheney, a frequent Trump critic who was defeated in Wyoming’s GOP primary last month, says she hopes it receives votes from some of her Republican colleagues.
The bill would “ensure that in the future our election process reflects the will of the people,” she said.
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Former Pakistani Government Minister Visits Israel
Former Pakistani Government Minister Visits Israel https://digitalalabamanews.com/former-pakistani-government-minister-visits-israel/
ISLAMABAD — A delegation of Pakistanis, including a former government minister, met Israeli Foreign Ministry officials in Jerusalem on Wednesday, the leader of the group and trip organizers said.
Pakistan is among the countries that has no diplomatic relations with Israel because of the lingering issue of Palestinian statehood, and says no government delegation has visited Israel.
The trip organizer says the delegation also included representatives from the American Muslims and Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council and Sharaka, a U.S.-based non-government group founded in the wake of the Abraham Accords, which was brokered by the Trump administration in 2020 and normalized relations between Israel and four Arab countries — the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.
“Yes, I am in Jerusalem with a delegation to promote interfaith harmony,” Nasim Ashraf, the head of the delegation, told The Associated Press by phone. He refused to give any further details about other members of the delegation. Ashraf used to be Pakistan’s development minister and the chairman of the Pakistani Cricket Board.
The trip comes more than three months after journalist Ahmed Quraishi, who also traveled to Jerusalem to promote interfaith harmony, was taken off the air by Pakistan Television after his visit.
Anila Ali, a Pakistani-born U.S. citizen who lives in the United States and is one of the trip organizers, told the AP that Ashraf was in Jerusalem to promote interfaith harmony.
She urged Pakistan to establish diplomatic ties with Israel that would be in its best national interest.
She said Turkey was a good example for Pakistan, as Turkish leadership established diplomatic ties with Israel in their national interest. “If Turkey can do it, then why cannot we do it,” she asked.
Ali said Israel could guide and help Pakistan in improving the country’s irrigation system in the wake of the latest flooding, which has caused 1,569 deaths since mid-June.
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Kathy Griffin Says Monica Lewinsky Voted For Hillary Clinton Over Trump
Kathy Griffin Says Monica Lewinsky Voted For Hillary Clinton Over Trump https://digitalalabamanews.com/kathy-griffin-says-monica-lewinsky-voted-for-hillary-clinton-over-trump/
Comedian Kathy Griffin said that Monica Lewinsky, who had an affair with former President Bill Clinton, voted for Hillary Clinton in her 2016 bid for the White House.
Lewinsky, 49, was a White House intern when she met the president in the 1990s. The pair were involved from 1995 to 1997, and the news of their relationship broke in January 1998.
At the time, Bill Clinton vehemently denied the affair, famously saying publicly that he “did not have sexual relations with that woman.” In a sworn deposition on January 17, 1998, he denied having a “sexual relationship,” “sexual affair” or “sexual relations” with Lewinsky.
Monica Lewinsky is pictured on June 10 in Los Angeles, with Hillary Clinton in Paris on June 10. Kathy Griffin (inset, on June 12 in Los Angeles) says Lewinsky told her she voted for Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. Jerod Harris/Getty Images;/JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty Images;/Michael Kovac/Getty Images for the Critics Choice Real TV Awards
Bill Clinton would later admit to having an “inappropriate relationship” with Lewinsky, but not after repeated denials. Lewinsky later said the news media frenzy caused her to lose “so much of my life for over a decade.”
The former president was impeached by the House on December 19, 1998, on charges of lying under oath and obstruction of justice regarding his testimony. He was acquitted on both counts following a Senate vote and served the rest of his term.
Despite Lewinsy’s history with the Clintons, she disclosed that she voted for Hillary during her unsuccessful campaign against Donald Trump, Griffin said.
During a Tuesday appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Griffin spoke about her salon dinner parties, one of which was attended by Lewinsky, now an activist who speaks out against cyberbullying and harassment.
“I put her with a bunch of really smart people and journalists,” Griffin told Kimmel, speaking of Lewinsky. “She has a lot of friends in that field. And I did ask her, because she’s lovely and like really easygoing and fun and funny. She was like a dream.
“But she has, like, you know, an issue to deal with everywhere she goes—she’s very recognizable and stuff. And at first she was talking about wanting to go with a hot cop and I was like, Hold on, that’s a whole other matchmaking business. I might be open to it.”
Recounting part of their conversation, Griffin told Kimmel: “I said, ‘Look Mon…is it OK if I ask you this? If you don’t want to answer, fine…. But I’m dying to know: Were you able to bring yourself to vote for Hillary Clinton in 2016?’ And I said, ‘Have you ever been asked?’ She said, ‘No.’
“So anyway, she did,” Griffin said about Lewinsky. “She said, ‘I couldn’t let my own issues get in the way. I couldn’t be a vote for Trump. So yes, of course I voted for Hillary.'”
“That would have been a great campaign ad,” Kimmel quipped in response to the revelation. “By the way, it wasn’t enough, [it] turns out
“I know,” said Griffin, who is an outspoken critic of Trump, 76. “We tried.”
Hillary Clinton is pictured with President Bill Clinton on January 26, 1998, the year the president’s affair with Monica Lewinsky was made public. JOYCE NALTCHAYAN/AFP via Getty Images
Newsweek has reached out to representatives of Lewinsky for comment.
Lewinsky wrote in a 2018 essay that late lawyer and judge Ken Starr “turned my 24-year-old life into a living hell in his efforts to investigate and prosecute President Bill Clinton” in relation to the headline-making affair.
The Clintons, who for years dismissed allegations that they had attacked Lewinsky’s reputation in the wake of the scandal, expressed remorse in the 2020 Hulu documentary series Hillary.
“I feel terrible about the fact that Monica Lewinsky’s life was defined by it, unfairly I think,” Bill Clinton said. “Over the years, I watched her trying to get a normal life back again. But you gotta decide how to define normal.”
In the documentary, Hillary said learning of her husband’s affair was an earth-shattering experience.
“I was just devastated,” she said. “I just could not believe it. I was just so personally hurt and ‘I can’t believe this. I can’t believe you lied.’ It was—anyways, horrible. And I said, ‘If this is going to be public, you’ve got to go tell Chelsea.'”
There was no reason to stop supporting her husband politically, Hillary said.
“I defended and stood by him because I thought the impeachment process was wrong, but that wasn’t the necessary answer to what I would do with my marriage,” she said. “It was not—to me—the same. I still had to decide whether I wanted to stay in the marriage, whether I thought it was worth saving.”
Former President Donald Trump is pictured on September 17, 2022, in Youngstown, Ohio. Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. Jeff Swensen/Getty Images
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Opinion | Leaders Should Support Building Americas Next Refueling Tanker In Alabama
Opinion | Leaders Should Support Building America’s Next Refueling Tanker In Alabama https://digitalalabamanews.com/opinion-leaders-should-support-building-americas-next-refueling-tanker-in-alabama/
As Alabama’s largest historically black college and university, it’s our privilege to play an integral part of the community we operate in by contributing an economic impact of over $350 million statewide and $228 million in the greater Huntsville area. Our diverse student body and vast employee base supporting the higher education of our students ranks us number 19 among the Top 20 largest employers in the Tennessee Valley region. With this also comes great responsibility to continue investing in our region and driving innovation.
For decades, Alabama A&M University (AAMU) has grown alongside the Alabama workforce by attracting students interested in designing and building capabilities for our next generation of defense. When Lockheed Martin announced a collaboration with Airbus earlier this year to produce the LMXT aerial refueling tanker for the Air Force’s planned KC-Y tanker competition, AAMU applauded the announcement and recognized the opportunity this partnership will create for our students.
As a university that attracts students from all over the state, it is inspiring to know that Alabamians, including our graduates, would play a key role in building this aircraft. The LMXT will be partly manufactured in Mobile, Alabama at a new state-of-the-art facility that Lockheed Martin and Airbus are prepared to invest in if the Air Force proceeds with the KC-Y competition. The selection of Alabama as a manufacturing base for the LMXT further cements our state’s reputation for excellence in the aerospace industry. The LMXT is a next generation aircraft that will combine new age technologies learned by our students and the premier skills of our aerospace manufacturing community.
The LMXT’s capabilities will far exceed the capabilities of the Air Force’s current tanker and, if it wins the competition, would provide our military with the means to confront peer adversaries with the prowess such a confrontation requires. A winning competition also means a win for Alabama.
AAMU is proud to support the aerospace industry, much of which is in our backyard. An Alabama built tanker that delivers on its promised performance would benefit our nation’s military while creating good paying jobs right here at home for our graduating classes. However, this investment in our state’s economy hinges on the Air Force moving forward with a competition for the tanker. The Request for Proposal is expected in 2023, with the projection that the Air Force will award the contract in 2024.
I am urging our Congressional delegation to do everything possible to motivate the Air Force to move forward with the KC-Y competition and provide Alabamans the opportunity to compete. The Air Force has acknowledged that a competition is the best method to contain costs and deliver on value; now is not the time to forego one. Alabama is on the move and becoming internationally recognized as a leading commercial aerospace manufacturing state. As Bulldog fans all know, Alabamians are not strangers to competition. Our aerospace industry can and will deliver on the LMXT. We should have the opportunity to compete.
I am confident that our congressional delegation shares my belief that the Air Force should pick the best aircraft for its missions. The only way to ensure that the Air Force is equipped with the best aerial tanker is through a fair and open competition.
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Phoenix Ranks As No. 6 Mostdesirable City In America AZ Big Media
Phoenix Ranks As No. 6 Most desirable City In America – AZ Big Media https://digitalalabamanews.com/phoenix-ranks-as-no-6-most-desirable-city-in-america-az-big-media/
Although Americans seem to love Phoenix, they either love or hate the Grand Canyon State. Arizona was voted the seventh-most desirable state AND the ninth-least desirable state, according to research from Home Bay. But people love Phoenix. Home Bay surveyed 1,000 Americans across the U.S. and they voted Phoenix as the sixth most desirable city in America.
The distribution of people across the U.S. isn’t uniform. Some Americans choose to live in bustling cities, while others prefer spacious suburbs or slow-paced towns in the rural countryside.
READ ALSO: Ranking Arizona: Top 10 best places to live for 2022
READ ALSO: Where Should I Move? The Best (and Worst) Places to Live
Where Americans choose to live depends on individual preferences, as well as a variety of environmental, economic, and social factors.
Although some people have more choice in deciding where to plant roots, a majority (81%) are satisfied with their location, according to our study of 1,000 Americans.
But that’s never stopped Americans from chasing new opportunities or pursuing an even better life for themselves. From the Oklahoma Land Rush of the 1880s to the “Green Rush” more than a century later, Americans have a long tradition of geographic mobility.
To learn more about where Americans really want to live, we asked them what they consider the most (and least) desirable city, state, and region in the U.S.
We discovered what makes a great place to live, according to Americans — with surprising results — and what would prompt them to pack up their lives and move to a new location.
Best places to live and most desirable city statistics
• More than 80% of Americans like where they live, but 92% say they could be convinced to move to another city or state. Of those who aren’t happy where they live, more than half (52%) say they can’t afford to move.
• More than three-fourths of Americans (76%) live in urban or suburban areas, but more would trade city life for a rural home. About one-fourth of Americans (24%) currently live in rural areas, but nearly one-third (30%) would prefer to live there.
• A majority of Americans agree that high crime rates (58%), expensive living costs (56%), and high population density (51%) make a city undesirable or overrated.
• Americans consider Virginia Beach the most desirable and most underrated city in the U.S. You either love or hate Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle: All three cities make the list of the top 10 most- and least-desirable cities. Phoenix, Seattle, Salt Lake City, and Richmond round out the top five most underrated cities.
• Los Angeles is the least desirable and most overrated city. L.A. is followed on the least-desirable list by Birmingham, San Francisco, Detroit, and New York. San Francisco, New York, Dallas, and Miami also made the most overrated list.
• Florida is the most desirable state in the country, followed by California, Texas, Hawaii, and Colorado.
• Despite ranking as the No. 2 best state to live, California is also the least desirable state — even more than 1 in 4 Californians say it’s one of the five worst in the U.S. Alabama, New York, Alaska, Texas, and Arkansas round out the list of most undesirable states.
• The most desirable region in the U.S. is the South Atlantic consisting of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. The least desirable region is the East South Central consisting of Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee.
10 Most Desirable Cities to Live
1. Virginia Beach, VA
2. Seattle, WA
3. San Diego, CA
4. Los Angeles, CA
5. San Francisco, CA
6. Phoenix, AZ
7. Denver, CO
8. Miami, FL
9. Nashville, TN
10. Tampa, FL
Of the 50 most-populous U.S. cities, Americans say Virginia Beach is the most desirable city — 1 in 5 respondents (21%) list Virginia Beach in their top five.
Virginia Beach may not have the fame of other beach towns, such as Miami or San Diego, but with 35 miles of coastline, fascinating museums, and plenty of fresh food, it has many of the same great things to do for a fraction of the cost.
In fact, Virginia Beach is the only city in the top five most desirable that has a regional price parity (96) below the national average (100).
Although Americans say affordability is what makes a city desirable, the other four cities in the top five are some of the most expensive in the country. Most notably, in San Francisco, the cost of goods exceeds the national average by 17% while the typical home value has hit $1.6 million — 2.5x higher than the studied city average ($449,718).
Rising costs are forcing many Americans to flee the most expensive cities. Of the top five most-desirable cities, only Seattle has experienced population growth in the past five years.
Although these cities may be desirable for their attractions and amenities, money tends to have a greater influence over Americans’ actions.
10 Least Desirable Cities to Live
1. Los Angeles, CA
2. Birmingham, AL
3. San Francisco, CA
4. Detroit, MI
5. New York, NY
6. Chicago, IL
7. Seattle, WA
8. Dallas, TX and Milwaukee, WI*
10. Washington, D.C.
*indicates a tie
Nearly 1 in 5 Americans (19%) think Los Angeles is one of the top five best places to live, but the City of Angels isn’t as glamorous as it may seem to some.
A greater percentage of Americans (27%) consider Los Angeles the least desirable place to live in the U.S. It was the No. 1 choice among respondents of all generations, with more than one-third of boomers (34%) ranking it at the bottom.
Those who aren’t blinded by the glare of the Hollywood lights suffocate under a smog of overpriced despair. The cost of living is nearly 12% higher than the national average, and average home values nearing $1 million are more than 2x the average across all cities studied ($449,718). Although Beverly Hills is often considered the best neighborhood in Los Angeles, its celebrity-occupied properties and glamorous amenities are completely out of reach for average residents.
With an unemployment rate of 4.6% — 25% higher than the national average (3.7%) — residents are left California dreamin’ about how to afford the L.A. lifestyle.
As a result, more than 638,000 residents have migrated from Los Angeles in the past five years. That’s more than any other city in the U.S. besides New York.
Los Angeles is joined in the bottom 10 by two other cities, San Francisco and Seattle, that Americans simultaneously love and hate. But unlike L.A. and San Francisco, Seattle has far less haters.
About 21% of Americans ranked Seattle as one of the best places to live, while only 16% ranked it as one of the worst places to live.
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Great Win: Auburn High Flag Football Tops Opelika In Rivalry Game
‘Great Win’: Auburn High Flag Football Tops Opelika In Rivalry Game https://digitalalabamanews.com/great-win-auburn-high-flag-football-tops-opelika-in-rivalry-game/
Auburn’s Syriah Daniels (0) runs with the ball against Opelika on Tuesday in Duck Samford Stadium.
Adam Sparks /
CALLIE STANFORD For the O-A News
Syriah Daniels scored a touchdown on offense and pulled down an interception on defense, and the Auburn High girls flag football team won the rivalry game against Opelika 15-7 on Tuesday night at Duck Samford Stadium.
Daniels, a basketball standout, finished with 84 receiving yards and several pass breakups on the defensive side.
Quarterback Brooke Hallman also threw a touchdown pass to Taite Pearson for Auburn High’s other score.
“It was a great win. We’ve already played two games that just weren’t this competitive,” said Auburn High head coach Alison Link. “The way the game was played was right. It was a great battle.”
Opelika won the rivalry game in overtime last season.
This year, Opelika was led by quarterback Cherdi Daniels, who ran in Opelika’s touchdown.
In the fourth quarter, it was a one-score game at 13-7 when a safety on Opelika gave Auburn High a cushion and gave the game its final score.
Officials ruled that an Opelika punt attempt touchded the ground in the end zone which resulted in a safety in flag football rules. Link credited her team’s defense for putting Opelika in that position deep in its own territory.
“That was a huge stop. We’d already pushed them back and the punt was already great. We’d stopped them there,” Link said. “The safety, getting this extra two points, means they can’t just come down the field and they’ll have to go for a two- or three-point conversion if they get a touchdown. It’s really huge.”
The safety swung the momentum in favor of the Tigers.
“We’ve got to get our special teams. We can’t make mistakes like that. We’re killing ourselves,” said Opelika head coach Jaclyn Button of the late safety. “That definitely forced us, again, to regroup and refocus.”
Button said the issue wasn’t with her team’s athleticism, but rather little mistakes like the safety where they were backing themselves into a corner. Her team will go on to play again Wednesday night.
At the end of the night, Link said she was happy that the game was played cleanly and that the officiating was smooth. With those things going well, her team had the opportunity to win a rivalry that went a different way at the end of last year.
PHOTOS: Auburn High flag football vs. Opelika
Auburn’s Kristianna Ware (2) carries in the first half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Auburn High head coach Alison Link looks on as the Tigers warm up before the game. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Opelika head coach Jaclyn Button directs her team through warm-ups before the game. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Opelika’s Kay Kay Dowdell (9) carries after a catch in the first half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Opelika’s Kay Kay Dowdell (9) catches a pass in the first half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Auburn’s Taite Pearson (7) holds flags after making a stop in the first half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Auburn’s Syriah Daniels (0) carries in the first half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Auburn’s Syriah Daniels (0) carries in the first half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Auburn’s Brooke Hallman (23) throws a pass in the first half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Auburn’s Campbell Spratlin (4) carries in the first half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Auburn’s Campbell Spratlin (4) carries in the first half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Auburn’s Brooke Hallman (23) carries in the first half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Auburn’s Taite Pearson (7) carries over the goal line for a touchdown in the first half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Auburn’s Taite Pearson (7) celebrates with Brooke Hallman (23) after a touchdown in the first half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Auburn’s Syriah Daniels (0) catches a pass in the first half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Auburn’s Kristianna Ware (2) chases Opelika’s Cherdi Daniels (11) in the first half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Opelika’s Amiyah Brown (4) celebrates after making a stop in the first half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Opelika’s Kay Kay Dowdell (9) nearly intercepts a pass in the first half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Opelika’s Kay Kay Dowdell (9) returns a punt in the first half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Opelika’s Cherdi Daniels (11) escapes pressure in the backfield in the first half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Auburn’s Syriah Daniels (0) returns an interception in the first half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Auburn’s Kristianna Ware (2) carries in the first half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Opelika’s Amiyah Brown (4) pulls the flags from Auburn’s Kristianna Ware (2) in the first half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Auburn’s Taite Pearson (7) catches a pass in the first half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Auburn’s Taite Pearson (7) carries after a catch in the first half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Opelika’s Cherdi Daniels (11) carries in the first half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Auburn’s Syriah Daniels (0) celebrates as she crosses the goal line for a touchdown in the first half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Auburn’s Syriah Daniels (0) celebrates after a touchdown in the first half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Auburn’s Syriah Daniels (0) defends a pass intended for Opelika’s Kaitlyn Spoon (14) at the end of the first half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Opelika’s Jasmine Smith (8) loses her glasses as she reaches for Auburn’s Taite Pearson’s (7) flags in the second half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Opelika’s Amiyah Brown (4) races down the sideline for a large gain in the second half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Opelika’s Amiyah Brown (4) races down the sideline for a large gain in the second half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Opelika’s Tiarra Agee (3) catches a pass in the second half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Opelika’s Shaiyah Finley (7) carries in the second half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Opelika’s Cherdi Daniels (11) carries for a touchdown in the second half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Opelika’s Kay Kay Dowdell (9) catches a pass for an extra-point conversion in the second half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Opelika’s Cherdi Daniels (11) carries in the second half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
A young Auburn High fan waves his blue and white shaker in the stands during the second half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Auburn’s Jordan Wilson (5) tosses the ball in the second half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Auburn’s Campbell Spratlin (4) carries in the second half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Opelika’s Jamiah Williams (18) defends a pass intended for Auburn’s Syriah Daniels (0) in the second half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Opelika’s Amiyah Brown (4) carries in the second half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Auburn’s Syriah Daniels (0) carries in the second half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Opelika’s Tiarra Agee (3) carries in the second half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
Opelika’s Jasmine Smith (8) carries in the second half. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
The Auburn Tigers leave the field victorious after defeating the Bulldogs 15-7. Auburn vs Opelika flag football on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Auburn, Ala.
Adam Sparks /
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Post Politics Now: Biden To Offer firm Rebuke Of Russias War On Ukraine During Address To U.N.
Post Politics Now: Biden To Offer ‘firm Rebuke’ Of Russia’s War On Ukraine During Address To U.N. https://digitalalabamanews.com/post-politics-now-biden-to-offer-firm-rebuke-of-russias-war-on-ukraine-during-address-to-u-n/
Today, President Biden will deliver a “firm rebuke” of Russia for its “unjust war” on Ukraine during an annual address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, according to a preview of the speech offered to reporters by White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan. Biden is expected to urge other world leaders “to continue to stand against the naked aggression” by a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, Sullivan said.
The morning speech is part of a busy day in New York for Biden. His schedule also includes meetings with new British Prime Minister Liz Truss and U.N. Secretary General António Guterres.
Your daily dashboard
10:35 a.m. Eastern: Biden delivers remarks before the 77th session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York. Watch live here.
11:45 a.m. Eastern: Biden holds a bilateral meeting with Guterres.
1:15 p.m. Eastern: Biden hosts a bilateral meeting with Truss.
4 p.m. Eastern: Biden delivers remarks at the Global Fund’s Seventh Replenishment Conference in New York. Watch live here.
7 p.m. Eastern: Biden hosts a reception for world leaders in New York.
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.
Analysis: Biden hopes Fed can tame inflation without a recession, but it’s a challenge
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While President Biden is in New York on Wednesday, another event will be playing out in Washington with implications for his presidency: The Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates again.
Writing in The Early 202, The Post’s Theodoric Meyer and Leigh Ann Caldwell note that the central bank’s moves to bring down inflation risk derailing the Biden administration’s efforts to keep unemployment low and avoid a recession.
The Fed is expected to raise rates by three-quarters of a percentage point Wednesday at the end of its two-day policy meeting. Some market analysts say the Fed could hoist rates by a full percentage point after federal inflation data came in unexpectedly hot last week.
On our radar: Biden expected to touch on pandemic preparation in U.N. speech
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In his speech to the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday, President Biden is expected to urge fellow world leaders to be better prepared for the next pandemic.
“One of the core things that the president wants to communicate when it comes to global health is that from the point of view of dealing with pandemics, what covid-19 should teach all of us is that we darn well better be much better prepared for the next one,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters Tuesday in previewing Biden’s speech.
Our our radar: Biden to deliver ‘firm rebuke of Russia’s unjust war in Ukraine’
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President Biden will deliver “a firm rebuke of Russia’s unjust war in Ukraine” when he speaks Wednesday at the United Nations, and he will encourage world leaders to continue their opposition to Russia’s “naked aggression,” national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters at the White House on Tuesday.
Biden will highlight that Russia, “a permanent member of the Security Council” of the United Nations, “has struck at the very heart” of the U.N. charter “by challenging the principle of territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
The latest: U.N. chief says world is ‘gridlocked in colossal global dysfunction’
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U.N. Secretary General António Guterres said Tuesday that a breakdown in global cooperation amid Russia’s war in Ukraine is exacerbating the top threats to human existence, including food insecurity and climate change.
Guterres said problems such as poverty, indebtedness, online hate and harassment, and a loss of biodiversity are resulting from the international system’s failure to function, The Post’s John Hudson, Missy Ryan and Yasmeen Abutaleb report.
Per our colleagues:
“Divides are growing deeper. Inequalities are growing wider. Challenges are spreading farther,” Guterres said at the annual gathering of leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
“We have a duty to act. And yet we are gridlocked in colossal global dysfunction,” he said.
The diagnosis was echoed by some of the more than 100 leaders attending the week-long event, but very little consensus emerged over how to bridge divides among nations deeply conflicted about how to respond to the war in Ukraine.
President Biden is scheduled to address the gathering in New York on Wednesday.
Noted: Garland meets Ukraine’s prosecutor general amid new signs of Russian atrocities
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Attorney General Merrick Garland and his Ukrainian counterpart, Andriy Kostin, signed an agreement Tuesday aimed at formalizing cooperation over joint efforts to prosecute alleged war crimes committed by Russian forces in the war in Ukraine.
The Post’s David Nakamura reports that the two men signed the memorandum of understanding after meeting at Justice Department headquarters in Washington, a show of partnership to step up international pressure amid evidence of new mass atrocities discovered after Ukrainian forces took back wide swaths of territory in recent weeks. Per our colleague:
The latest: GOP attorneys general back Trump in court fight over Mar-a-Lago documents
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Texas’s Ken Paxton and 10 other GOP state attorneys general came to the defense of former president Donald Trump on Tuesday in his legal fight over documents seized by the FBI last month, filing an amicus brief in a federal appellate court that argued the Biden administration could not be trusted.
The Post’s Andrew Jeong and Amy B Wang report that in a 21-page document that repeated numerous right-wing talking points but that experts said broke little new legal ground, the officials accused the Biden administration of “ransacking” Mar-a-Lago, the Florida home of the former president, during an Aug. 8 court-authorized FBI raid and of politicizing the Justice Department. Per our colleagues:
McConnell-linked super PAC pulls out of Senate race in Arizona
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A super PAC aligned with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has canceled nearly $10 million it had reserved for television ads in Arizona, an official with the group said Tuesday, pulling out of a battleground state where Republican challenger Blake Masters trails Sen. Mark Kelly (D) in the polls.
The Post’s Hannah Knowles and Azi Paybarah report that the spending cuts — which slash all of the super PAC’s remaining ad investments in Arizona — are another blow to a GOP candidate who has been significantly outraised by his Democratic opponent and outmatched on the airwaves. Per our colleagues:
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What’s Trending Today: September 21, 2022 https://digitalalabamanews.com/whats-trending-today-september-21-2022/
News
Published: Sep. 21, 2022, 7:46 a.m.
Protesters stand outside as Donald Trump’s lawyers enter Brooklyn Federal Court on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022, in New York. Lawyers for Trump and for the Justice Department are to appear in federal court in Brooklyn on Tuesday before a veteran judge named last week as special master to review the roughly 11,000 documents — including about 100 marked as classified — taken during the FBI’s Aug. 8 search of Mar-a-Lago. (AP Photo/Brittainy Newman)AP
A look at some of the top headlines trending online today including Donald Trump’s legal issues, inflation, updates on the war in Ukraine and much more.
Top stories
Special master in Mar-a-Lago case appears skeptical of Trump ‘declassification’ claims (NBC)
Putin announces partial mobilization in Russia, threatens Western nations (AP)
Biden to push for even broader support for Ukraine at UN General Assembly (ABC)
Fed expected to hike rates by three-quarters of a point again, but its forecast may matter most (CNBC)
Migrants flown to Martha’s Vineyard say they were misled in lawsuit against Gov. Ron DeSantis (CBS)
Other trending headlines
Ruinous Hurricane Fiona reaches Category 4 as it moves north, leaving disaster-stricken areas to begin slow road to recovery (CNN)
October the best time to get COVID boosters, flu shots, experts say (ABC)
Los Angeles Dodgers great Maury Wills, NL MVP in 1962, dies at age 89 (ESPN)
Adam Levine Denies Having an Affair but Admits He ‘Crossed the Line’ After Cheating Accusations (People)
‘SNL’ Taps Megan Thee Stallion, Miles Teller, Brendon Gleeson as First Hosts For Season 48 (Variety)
Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission.
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Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly Clings To Narrow Lead In Kansas Gubernatorial Race
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly Clings To Narrow Lead In Kansas Gubernatorial Race https://digitalalabamanews.com/democratic-gov-laura-kelly-clings-to-narrow-lead-in-kansas-gubernatorial-race/
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly holds a slim lead in her bid for a second term against Attorney General Derek Schmidt, according to a new poll.
The Emerson College Polling/The Hill survey released Wednesday found Ms. Kelly, a Democrat, holds a 45%-43% lead over the Republican challenger.
Ms. Kelly is buoyed by support from independents and women.
“Independent voters favor Governor Kelly over Attorney General Schmidt 46% to 30%. In addition, men and women are voting in nearly opposite ways in the gubernatorial election; men break for Schmidt 51% to 38%, and women break for Kelly 51% to 36%,” said Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling.
Pollsters said 8% are undecided and 3% plan to support Dennis Pyle, the independent candidate.
Support for either of the top candidates aligned with how Kansans voted on a recent ballot question that would have allowed the legislature to impose new abortion restrictions in the wake of the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
“Among those who voted ‘no’ in August, 72% plan to vote for Kelly, while 76% of those who voted ‘yes’ plan to vote for Schmidt,” Mr. Kimball said. “Among those who did not vote, 52% support Schmidt and 32% Kelly.”
While the Democratic incumbent holds a small lead and voters rejected new abortion limits, there are signs Kansas remains a solidly red state.
Sen. Jerry Moran, Kansas Republican, leads his Democratic challenger, Mark Holland, 45% to 33%, while 18% are undecided.
Only 36% of Kansas voters approve of President Biden while 58% disapprove of the job he is doing.
Also, former President Donald Trump holds a 52%-36% edge over Mr. Biden in a hypothetical 2024 rematch, while others are undecided or would support someone else.
Mr. Trump won Kansas, 56% to 42%, in the 2020 contest.
The survey was conducted Sept. 15-18 among 1,000 somewhat or very likely voters and had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
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Ukraine Live Updates: Putin Calls Up More Troops As His War Effort Falters
Ukraine Live Updates: Putin Calls Up More Troops As His War Effort Falters https://digitalalabamanews.com/ukraine-live-updates-putin-calls-up-more-troops-as-his-war-effort-falters/
Video
In a rare address, which was prerecorded, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia announced a partial mobilization of his military, effective immediately, stoking speculation that Mr. Putin could officially declare war and a nationwide draft.CreditCredit…Pool photo by Mikhail Klimentyev
President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia accelerated his war effort in Ukraine on Wednesday, announcing a new campaign that would call up roughly 300,000 reservists to the military while also directly challenging the West over its support for Ukraine with a veiled threat of using nuclear weapons.
In a rare videotaped address to the nation, Mr. Putin stopped short of declaring a full, national draft but instead called for a “partial mobilization” of people with military experience. Though Moscow’s troops have recently suffered humiliating losses on the battlefield, he said that Russia’s goals in Ukraine had not changed and that the move was “necessary and urgent” because the West had “crossed all lines” by providing sophisticated weapons to Ukraine.
The speech was an apparent attempt to reassert his authority over an increasingly chaotic war that has undermined his leadership both at home and on the global stage. It also escalated Russia’s tense showdown with Western nations that have bolstered Ukraine with weapons, money and intelligence that have contributed to Ukraine’s recent successes in reclaiming swaths of territory in the northeast.
Mr. Putin accused the United States and Europe of engaging in “nuclear blackmail” against his country and warned that Russia had “lots of weapons” of its own.
“To those who allow themselves such statements about Russia, I want to remind you that our country also has various means of destruction, and some components are more modern than those of the NATO countries,” he said.
Mr. Putin also reaffirmed his support for referendums hastily announced on Tuesday that have set the stage for him to declare that occupied Ukrainian territory has become part of Russia. That annexation could potentially come as soon as next week.
Pro-Kremlin analysts and officials have said that at that point, any further Ukrainian military action on those territories could be considered an attack on Russia itself. Mr. Putin did not spell that out, but warned that he was ready to use all of the weapons in Russia’s arsenal to protect what the Kremlin considered Russian territory.
“If the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, we will certainly use all the means at our disposal to protect Russia and our people,” he said. “This is not a bluff.”
In announcing a call-up of soldiers, Mr. Putin was also responding to those in Russia who support the war but have criticized the Kremlin for not devoting the resources and personnel necessary to wage an all-out fight. Mr. Putin had previously avoided conscription in an effort to keep the war’s hardships as distant as possible from ordinary Russians, but the recent battlefield setbacks, and the drumbeat from pro-war nationalists for a more robust effort, apparently changed the calculation.
In a subsequent speech, Russia’s defense minister, Sergei K. Shoigu, put the number of new call-ups at 300,000 people, all of them with some military experience. The mobilization makes it mandatory by law for reservists who are officially called up to report for duty, or face fines or charges. Mr. Shoigu said that students would not be called up to fight and that conscripts would not be sent to the “special operation zone,” the term the Kremlin uses to refer to the war, though observers were skeptical of that claim.
Reaction from Western nations was swift, with British and European Union officials calling Mr. Putin’s move a sign that his war is failing. China, which has been an increasingly important ally of Russia, issued a brief statement from its Foreign Ministry that called for all parties “to reach a cease-fire through dialogue and negotiations.”
President Biden, in an interview with “60 Minutes” aired Sunday night on CBS, warned Mr. Putin against using nuclear weapons on the battlefield. “Don’t. Don’t. Don’t,” Mr. Biden said when asked what his message was to Mr. Putin. “You will change the face of war unlike anything since World War II.”
The number of Russian troops, including Russia-aligned separatists, members of private security companies and volunteers, does not currently exceed 200,000, according to estimates by military analysts and experts. If the partial mobilization is successful, the new recruits would more than double that amount, making it easier for Russia to defend hundreds of miles of front lines in Ukraine. However, observers say, most high-ranking personnel have already been deployed, and those called up will need further training and weapons.
Chris Buckley, Ivan Nechepurenko and Alina Lobzina contributed reporting.
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The eastern city of Bakhmut near the front lines in the Donbas region, on Monday.Credit…Tyler Hicks/The New York Times
In his provocative 20-minute speech on Wednesday announcing the call-up of hundreds of thousands more Russian soldiers, President Vladimir V. Putin also insisted that his top war aim — “liberating” Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region — remained unchanged and announced his support for referendums that would see that region and other occupied Ukrainian territory become part of Russia.
A day earlier, Russian proxy officials in four regions — Donetsk and Luhansk in the east, which are collectively known as Donbas, and Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south — announced plans to hold referendums over four days beginning on Friday. Russia controls nearly all of two of the four regions, Luhansk and Kherson, but only a fraction of the other two, Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk.
The scheduling of the votes, which appeared to be coordinated, followed swift advances by Ukrainian forces, who routed Russians from the northeast in recent weeks and are on the offensive in the east and south. Analysts say that Russia has lost tens of thousands of troops, is struggling to recruit new soldiers and is facing a growing backlash, even from some allies, over its prolonged and bloody invasion.
U.S. officials have warned for months that Mr. Putin could use sham referendums in occupied areas — which many residents have fled amid fierce fighting — to try to legitimize the illegal annexation of parts of Ukraine.
Pro-Kremlin analysts and officials have said that if the territories are formally annexed, any further Ukrainian military action on those areas could be considered an attack on Russia itself. In his speech aired on Wednesday, Mr. Putin said he would “use all the means at our disposal to protect Russia and our people” — a veiled reference to Russia’s nuclear arsenal.
“Russia can’t give up on people living close by to be torn apart by executioners and fail to respond to their desire to determine their own fate,” he said, referring to Ukrainians in occupied territory, even as reports continue to emerge of torture at the hand of Russian occupying forces.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, who was expected to address the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, said in his nightly address before Mr. Putin’s speech aired that whatever “sham” vote is staged in occupied parts of Ukraine, his military would continue to fight to drive Russian forces from the country.
“We enjoy the full support of our partners in this,” Mr. Zelensky said. “So let’s maintain the pressure. Let’s preserve unity. Let’s defend Ukraine. We are liberating our land. And we are not showing any signs of weakness.”
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Remnants of destroyed Russian military vehicles on the outskirts of the recently recaptured town of Balakliya, Ukraine, last week.Credit…Nicole Tung for The New York Times
DRUZHKIVKA, Ukraine — The announcement by President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia on Wednesday of the mobilization of thousands of additional reservists comes as Russian forces contend with mounting battlefield setbacks and an emboldened Ukrainian military.
After nearly seven months of war and defeats around Ukraine’s two largest cities — Kyiv, the capital, and Kharkiv — the Russian war machine is struggling.
It will take months for the newly announced call-up of military forces to have any effect on the battlefield. But the mobilization is one of the clearest indicators yet that while Russia has an advantage over Ukraine in equipment and ammunition, it is losing the war when it comes to manpower.
Russia’s front line in the northeast has collapsed in recent weeks as poorly manned Russian defensive positions evaporated following a Ukrainian military breakthrough.
Further east, in the mineral rich Donbas region, which Mr. Putin has pledged to capture, Ukrainian forces are being worn down after losing two strategically important cities over the summer, but have still clung to what territory remains under their control.
In the south, Russian forces concentrated there are dug in, slowing a Ukrainian offensive around the Black Sea port city of Kherson, but still are incrementally losing territory.
The world’s second largest military has suffered thousands of casualties according to some of the most modest Western intelligence estimates. Prison inmates have been sent to the front lines as cannon fodder. And despite honing artillery tactics and the use of drones, some of the most basic military skills remain lacking in Russian units.
In a rare recorded address to the nation, Mr. Putin stopped short of declaring a full, national draft but instead called for a “partial mobilization” of people with military experience.
In another speech, Russia’s defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, put the number of call-ups at around 300,000 people. Even with some military experience, that amount of recruits will ...
Hurricane Fiona Reaches Powerful Category 4 https://digitalalabamanews.com/hurricane-fiona-reaches-powerful-category-4/
WE CONTINUE TO TRACK THE TROPICS THIS MORNING. JASON: MEREDITH: — JASON: ANOTHER SYSTEM RIGHT NOW WE ARE KEEPING AN EYE ON. FIRST WARNING METEOROLOGIST ALEX ALECCI IS BACK THIS MORNING TO SHOW US WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE TROPICS. ALEX: THIS ONE HAS A 50% CHANCE OF DEVELOPING OVER THE NEXT TWO DAYS. THIS ONE, NOT TOO MUCH. HURRICANE FIONA IS DOING A WHOLE LOT. IT WINDS UP TO 130 MILES PER HOUR. HURRICANE TRACK FORECAST IT TO WE CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE. TROPICAL WAVE INVEST 98 L. THIS IS SOMETHING WE ARE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON. IT HASN’T DEVELOPED. WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE MODELS TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A CONSENSUS. IT SHOULD BE MOVING THROUGH THE CARIBBEAN AND MAKING A CURVE UP TOWARDS THE GULF. MODELS HINTING THIS WILL BE MAKING ITS WAY BACK UP TOWARDS THE EAST TOWARDS FLORIDA. SOMETHING TO KEEP AN EYE ON NEXT WEEK. CLOSER T
Hurricane Fiona reaches powerful Category 4
Hurricane Fiona had become a powerful Category 4 storm by Wednesday morning.Fiona was 105 miles north of Caicos Island and 755 miles southwest of Bermuda. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 130 mph and was moving north at 8 mph. “A turn toward the north-northeast with an increase in forward speed is expected by Thursday. On the forecast track, the center of Fiona will continue to move away from the Turks and Caicos today, and approach Bermuda late on Thursday,” the National Hurricane Center said. “Fiona is a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Additional strengthening is forecast through tonight. Some fluctuations in intensity are possible tonight and Thursday.”Increasing swells from Fiona will lead to a high risk of dangerous rip currents and hazardous boating conditions over the east central Florida coastal waters into late week and through the weekend. The government of the Bahamas has discontinued all warnings for Turks and Caicos and the southeastern Bahamas. SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for…* BermudaOther tropical disturbancesThe National Hurricane Center is tracking two other disturbances.One is Tropical Depression 8, and is not expected to pose a threat to land.However, meteorologists say Invest-98L is one to watch closely:KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN A HURRICANE WATCH IS ISSUEDStay tuned to WESH 2 News, WESH.COM, or NOAA Weather Radio for storm updates.Prepare to bring inside any lawn furniture, outdoor decorations or ornaments, trash cans, hanging plants, and anything else that can be picked up by the wind.Understand hurricane forecast models and cones.Prepare to cover all windows of your home. If shutters have not been installed, use precut plywood.Check batteries and stock up on canned food, first-aid supplies, drinking water, and medications.The WESH 2 First Warning Weather Team recommends you have these items ready before the storm strikes.Bottled water: One gallon of water per person per dayCanned food and soup, such as beans and chiliCan opener for the cans without the easy-open lidsAssemble a first-aid kitTwo weeks’ worth of prescription medicationsBaby/children’s needs, such as formula and diapersFlashlight and batteriesBattery-operated weather radioWHAT TO DO WHEN A HURRICANE WARNING IS ISSUEDListen to the advice of local officials. If you are advised to evacuate, leave.Complete preparation activitiesIf you are not advised to evacuate, stay indoors, away from windows.Be alert for tornadoes. Tornadoes can happen during a hurricane and after it passes over. Remain indoors, in the center of your home, in a closet or bathroom without windows.HOW YOUR SMARTPHONE CAN HELP DURING A HURRICANEA smartphone can be your best friend in a hurricane — with the right websites and apps, you can turn it into a powerful tool for guiding you through a storm’s approach, arrival and aftermath.Download the WESH 2 News app for iOS | AndroidEnable emergency alerts — if you have an iPhone, select settings, then go into notifications. From there, look for government alerts and enable emergency alerts.If you have an Android phone, from the home page of the app, scroll to the right along the bottom and click on “settings.” On the settings menu, click on “severe weather alerts.” From the menu, select from most severe, moderate-severe, or all alerts.PET AND ANIMAL SAFETYYour pet should be a part of your family plan. If you must evacuate, the most important thing you can do to protect your pets is to evacuate them too. Leaving pets behind, even if you try to create a safe space for them, could result in injury or death.Contact hotels and motels outside of your immediate area to see if they take pets.Ask friends, relatives and others outside of the affected area whether they could shelter your animal.
ORLANDO, Fla. —
Hurricane Fiona had become a powerful Category 4 storm by Wednesday morning.
Fiona was 105 miles north of Caicos Island and 755 miles southwest of Bermuda. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 130 mph and was moving north at 8 mph.
“A turn toward the north-northeast with an increase in forward speed is expected by Thursday. On the forecast track, the center of Fiona will continue to move away from the Turks and Caicos today, and approach Bermuda late on Thursday,” the National Hurricane Center said. “Fiona is a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Additional strengthening is forecast through tonight. Some fluctuations in intensity are possible tonight and Thursday.”
Increasing swells from Fiona will lead to a high risk of dangerous rip currents and hazardous boating conditions over the east central Florida coastal waters into late week and through the weekend.
The government of the Bahamas has discontinued all warnings for Turks and Caicos and the southeastern Bahamas.
SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for…
* Bermuda
Other tropical disturbances
The National Hurricane Center is tracking two other disturbances.
One is Tropical Depression 8, and is not expected to pose a threat to land.
However, meteorologists say Invest-98L is one to watch closely:
This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN A HURRICANE WATCH IS ISSUED
Stay tuned to WESH 2 News, WESH.COM, or NOAA Weather Radio for storm updates.
Prepare to bring inside any lawn furniture, outdoor decorations or ornaments, trash cans, hanging plants, and anything else that can be picked up by the wind.
Understand hurricane forecast models and cones.
Prepare to cover all windows of your home. If shutters have not been installed, use precut plywood.
Check batteries and stock up on canned food, first-aid supplies, drinking water, and medications.
The WESH 2 First Warning Weather Team recommends you have these items ready before the storm strikes.
Bottled water: One gallon of water per person per day
Canned food and soup, such as beans and chili
Can opener for the cans without the easy-open lids
Assemble a first-aid kit
Two weeks’ worth of prescription medications
Baby/children’s needs, such as formula and diapers
Flashlight and batteries
Battery-operated weather radio
WHAT TO DO WHEN A HURRICANE WARNING IS ISSUED
Listen to the advice of local officials. If you are advised to evacuate, leave.
Complete preparation activities
If you are not advised to evacuate, stay indoors, away from windows.
Be alert for tornadoes. Tornadoes can happen during a hurricane and after it passes over. Remain indoors, in the center of your home, in a closet or bathroom without windows.
HOW YOUR SMARTPHONE CAN HELP DURING A HURRICANE
A smartphone can be your best friend in a hurricane — with the right websites and apps, you can turn it into a powerful tool for guiding you through a storm’s approach, arrival and aftermath.
Download the WESH 2 News app for iOS | Android
Enable emergency alerts — if you have an iPhone, select settings, then go into notifications. From there, look for government alerts and enable emergency alerts.
If you have an Android phone, from the home page of the app, scroll to the right along the bottom and click on “settings.” On the settings menu, click on “severe weather alerts.” From the menu, select from most severe, moderate-severe, or all alerts.
PET AND ANIMAL SAFETY
Your pet should be a part of your family plan. If you must evacuate, the most important thing you can do to protect your pets is to evacuate them too. Leaving pets behind, even if you try to create a safe space for them, could result in injury or death.
Contact hotels and motels outside of your immediate area to see if they take pets.
Ask friends, relatives and others outside of the affected area whether they could shelter your animal.
Read More…
The Voice 5th Judge: Teen Tackles 'Don't Speak' In Front Of Gwen Stefani Does The Gamble Pay Off?
The Voice 5th Judge: Teen Tackles 'Don't Speak' In Front Of Gwen Stefani — Does The Gamble Pay Off? https://digitalalabamanews.com/the-voice-5th-judge-teen-tackles-dont-speak-in-front-of-gwen-stefani-does-the-gamble-pay-off/
It’s a huge risk to sing an artist’s song in front of that artist, so two contestants do it — plus, two huge Blocks leave John Legend and Blake Shelton fuming.
The second night of Blind Auditions on “The Voice” finally saw Blake Shelton land some artists on his team while it also brought out some incredible — and incredibly young talent.
Not only was there a 6’4” 15-year-old quarterback who just happened to have a secret talent as a great singer, we got a 13-year-old mariachi singer who just charmed the pants off of everyone, and really represented her Mexican heritage proudly on the stage.
ABC
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The gloves are definitely coming off more in this second week as two Blocks were used quite effectively. One backfired on the Coach who played it, though they absolutely Blocked the right person, while the other one worked perfectly.
Perched between Blake and Gwen Stefani, Camila Cabello had a front-row seat to their adorable romantic rivalry, while she also took full advantage of her knowledge of the show to keep poking fun at Blake. After all, he is ruthless with everyone and always lying and lying and lying, as he did when he tried to tell the mariachi teen that one Coach wanted her to sing “The Macarena.”
Two artists took the bold move of singing Coach’s songs in front of them, with one singing Blake’s cover of a Conway Twitty classic, while another actually took on No Doubt’s “Don’t Speak,” which is a very singular song by a very singular voice. Did those big gambles pay off?
Fair warning, since I’m safe at home, I’m probably going to be a little harsher than my colleagues Blake Shelton, Camila Cabello, Gwen Stefani, and John Legend. And just for fun, I’m going to rank the performances from worst to first and then see how they do as the season progresses.
NBC
The Voice Premiere 5th Judge: Blake Mutes Camila’s Mic, One Coach Scores Zero Contestants
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TEAM CLIFFHANGER
Before we can get to the new Bllind Auditions, we need to resolve the cliffhanger results from Kate Kalvach’s take on “Rainbow” Monday night. Blake, Camila and Gwen were all vying for her choice. Before revealing who she picked, we’ll repost our comments from the performance, as well as video of it below.
Kate Kalvach
(“Rainbow,” Kacey Musgraves – 27, Oklahoma City, OK) It started a little shaky, but Kate found her way into the heart of the song and offered up a really interesting singer-songwriter voice. It was a little warbly at places, though we can guess the not-turning chairs were starting to eat at her as the audition went on and on. At the same time, she really did bring a beautifully serene sound in her voice. There was a tender innocence there that felt so believable. We’re still laughing over Camila trying to make this one point with Blake somehow muting every mic she tries to talk on from her own to Kate’s and even John’s. There are clearly benefits to being the “G.O.A.T.” — another stunt that backfired horribly.
Results: Blake, Camila, Gwen Turn [Team Blake]
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BLIND AUDITIONS ROUND 2
SHEj
(“I Like It,” DeBarge – 26, Fort Lauderdale, FL) Look, SHEj has a lot of range in her voice and a really nice tone, but she needs to learn how to master her instrument. This was a little all over the place, missing notes throughout. She wasn’t consistent in her vocal presentation, either, making the song sound disjointed as if she wasn’t sure what her approach to it was going to be from moment to moment. She certainly gave it her all, but it was just too much sloppy in too many places.
Results: No Chairs Turn
Reina Ley
(“Cielito Lindo,” Quirino Mendoza y Cortés – 13, San Tan Valley, AZ) Reina went with traditional mariachi music, which immediately got Camila’s attention. We’ll give her extra credit for being able to stay focused as both Camila and Gwen started dancing in front of her — and trying to get in front of one another. She has a very young voice, but it’s rich and powerful on this traditional sound. What else she can do is a huge mystery, but she definitely had total command of this from start to finish, bringing authenticity and a really lovely tone to the stage. She did say she also sings country and pop, so it should be interesting to see what else she has.
Results: Camila, Gwen Turn [Team Camila]
Koko
(“About Damn Time,” Lizzo – 31, Mobile, AL) As the song progressed and no chairs were turning, Koko started trying harder and harder, losing the charm of how it started with runs and vocal pushes to try and will a chair to turn. We thought she showed a lot of potential in her range and the different qualities she brought to a very difficult song choice, but there were some pitch issues and overall inconsistencies. That said, we heard enough we’d have liked to see her continue and do something else because she’s got a great instrument. Her performance had Camila pitching the idea of a Regret Button that could be hit just once to give an artist a second chance (we think it’s a great idea).
Results: No Chairs Turn
Everett Collection
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Alyssa Witrado
(“Don’t Speak,” No Doubt – 19, Fresno, CA) Alyssa sounded great on the opening lines of this one, which is when she got chairs to turn, but we were less enamored when she tried to get into the grit of the chorus and just didn’t have the power behind her voice that she needed to really sell that emotion — even though she’d already expressed that she felt connected to them. It’s a young singer with a young voice that has learning and growing to do — so we’ll see if she can do that in a hurry on the show.
Results: Camila, Gwen Turn [Team Gwen]
Sadie Bass
(“Stupid Boy,” Keith Urban – 25, Bath MI) Crippled throughout most of her life by stage fright, Sadie took a huge step forward just by even agreeing to be part of the show. The coaches made her wait this one out, and you could hear the nerves in her voice, but she has a really great storytelling quality to it that made us believe what she was singing. That’s so key in country music. She has this natural charm that you can hear in her voice, almost an unexpected innocence that added a sweetness to the performance.
In a very sweet moment, even though Camila was out of the running as a Coach, she shared her own issues with stage fright before she auditioned for “The X Factor,” and offered to help Sadie throughout this journey in that aspect, which just says a lot about Camila’s heart.
Results: Blake, Gwen Turn [Team Gwen]
Devix
(“Heat Waves,” Glass Animals – 28, Queens, NY) Devix has a sweet quality to his voice and a pleasant tone, but he chose a song with a lot of character and not a lot of variation, meaning we only really got to experience one level of his talent for about half of this performance. When he finally — finally! — kicked it into gear and started showing a little bit more of himself, a hint of falsetto, and some much-needed passion, he started getting chairs to turn. In the end, it was a well-rounded performance.
Results: Camila, Gwen, John Turn [Team Camila]
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Brayden Lape
(“This Town,” Niall Horan – 15, Grass Lake, MI) Camila talked Blake into going for Brayden, which was definitely a huge moment for the towering teen. He has a sweet innocence in his voice. You can hear not only his youthfulness, but his relative inexperience as a singer and performer (he has one move and that’s to hold his hand up while he sings). But he’s so young and with a lot of natural talent, which means he can only go up from here. This confidence booster should do a lot. What mattered most was that he sounded earnest and sincere on this track, which is how you sell the story.
Results: Team Blake
Chello
(“Just the Two of Us,” Grover Washington Jr. f. Bill Withers – 22, Chester, PA) He’s got an impressive instrument with a lot of different toys in there to play with, but he definitely needs to learn how and when to best utilize them. What works is that he’s already said he’s open to guidance to better learn what he’s fully capable of. This was a perfect audition to feature a nice, classic rhythm and groove, which he settled into nicely, but he put some little modern touches to it to make it feel fresh and updated, suggesting a creative musicality, as well.
Results: Camila, John Turn [Team Camila]
Bryce Leatherwood
(“Goodbye Time,” Conway Twitty [as performed by Blake Shelton] – 22, Woodstock, GA) With a beautifully tender sound and an authentically country tone, Bryce attacked this classic song as if it had been written by or for him. He had such a classic sound, too, that if you heard that on the radio you might not even be sure in what era it was released. It’s a smooth, effortless voice that shines both in its tender pocket and when it’s stretching up (just a bit) to nail a powerful higher note. He definitely knows his instrument.
Results: Blake, Gwen, John Turn [Team Blake]
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Peyton Aldridge
(“Can’t You See,” The Marshall Tucker Band – 25, Cleveland, MS) Peyton absolutely nailed that Southern Rock vibe with a lot of gravel in his voice and a really full-throated sound through this classic rock performance. He looked and felt like an old soul up there, just nailing the energy of the song and really living in the moment. That authenticity in his voice really sets him up for a pretty good range o...
