Digital Alabama News

LGBTQ Liaisons: No ‘religious Liberty’ Ordinance Coming, Focus On Visibility https://digitalalabamanews.com/lgbtq-liaisons-no-religious-liberty-ordinance-coming-focus-on-visibility/ Mobile’s two LGBTQ+ liaisons say they received assurance from Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson’s office that there are no plans to press ahead with a “religious liberty” ordinance pitched last month by a group of Mobile Baptist Church leaders. Natalie Fox and Michael Tyner, during an LGBTQ leadership town hall at a downtown bar on Thursday, said they met with Stimpson recently and feel “grateful” that city officials will not pursue any ordinances pitched by the city’s leading Baptist ministers. A group of ministers met with Stimpson on August 15, and presented him with a resolution that requests among other things to “preemptively pass a religious liberty ordinance” to protect Christians who are not supportive of the LGBTQ+ lifestyle and marriage. “They assured us wholeheartedly that the mayor will not be doing anything on it,” said Tyner, an events planner. “They will not pursue it at all. That was encouraging.” Fox, in citing Stimpson’s successful campaign motto of “One Mobile,” said she’s looking forward to the LGBTQ+ community playing a key role in the city. “I am grateful for the stance the mayor and our city took, and that’s a Mobile for all,” said Fox, executive director of academic physician practices at USA Health. “And that’s the vision statement and that’s ‘One Mobile.’ We’re included in ‘One Mobile.” Baptist concerns A Stimpson spokesperson did not provide a response Friday. Last month, the mayor’s office, in a statement to AL.com, said Stimpson was committed to “upholding the protections of religious liberty guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution” as well as “individual liberty of members of the community, including LGBTQ+ Mobilians.” “That’s not my intention to threaten anyone’s religious liberty, just like I don’t want any of my own liberties threatened,” said Fox. The Rev. David Roach, pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Saraland and a representative of the Mobile Baptist Association’s executive committee – whose members met with Stimpson last month – said he has not had any further conversations with the mayor since the August 15 meeting. Roach said the ministers take the mayor at his word based on the comments he gave to AL.com last month. Roach said the reason for their meeting with Stimpson last month was to communicate that religious liberty, “in its traditional formulation is broader” than the LGBTQ+ community “sometimes suggest.” “Religious liberty is not merely the freedom to believe privately and express religious beliefs in church,” said Roach. “It is the freedom to conduct every sphere of life consistently with our sincerely held religious beliefs. That includes acting on our religious beliefs about marriage and sexuality in the realms of business, education, and the family.” He added, “The MBA continues to urge the mayor to protect religious liberty in that broad, traditional sense.” Fox said aside from the Mobile Baptist Association’s executive committee, and learning about their resolution through an AL.com story, there has been no other backlash against the city’s addition of LGBTQ+ liaisons. “I think that was the first one,” said Fox, when asked about it during the town hall meeting attended by approximately two dozen people at Flip Side Bar & Patio. “It comes down to visibility,” she added. “I don’t want to lose sight of how many opportunities there are to change and really improve our community. It’s not about me and Mike. We are all doing this work together.” Municipal Equality Index Fox said one of chief reasons Stimpson appointed her and Tyner as liaisons was to boost Mobile’s Municipal Equality Index (MEI) rating that is published each year by the Human Rights Campaign. Mobile currently scores a 19 out of 100, a rating which Fox considers a failing score. Birmingham, by comparison, has 100. Birmingham attainted its high score in 2018, shortly after the city approved a non-discrimination ordinance that protects LGBTQ+ rights in the workplace, housing, and education. The Alabama Baptist Convention, one month after Birmingham adopted its ordinance, then passed a resolution opposing it and claimed that the new city law infringed on religious liberties. Birmingham city officials have not touched the ordinance since. Mobile has no such ordinance on the books, but Fox said she is committed to seeing that the city’s score is boosted to 100. No other city in Alabama comes close to scoring 100, largely because their elected leaders have not passed a similar law as Birmingham. The next highest score is in Montgomery, where the city earned a 40 last year. Fox said she spoke with Stimpson during last year’s mayoral campaign and about the importance of improving the city’s MEI and the potential economic benefits it can bring. “Businesses ask about the score all the time,” she said. Fox said she anticipates the score going up when the HRC releases updated statistics early next year. In fact, the score is guaranteed to go up because the HRC provides 10 points to a city that appoints LGBTQ+ liaisons. Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson speaks to Natalie Fox, chief nursing officer with USA Health, following a news conference on Monday, Feb. 1, 2021, at the Mobile Civic Center. At the time, the city of Mobile and USA Health partnered to provide a drive-in COVID-19 clinic at the downtown venue. Fox has since been appointed by Stimpson to serve as one of two of the city’s LGBTQ+ liaisons. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com). Fox, who worked with Stimpson during the COVID-19 pandemic and helped administer a vaccination clinic at the Civic Center, said she first discussed the MEI score with the mayor during the campaign. After the campaign, Stimpson contacted Tyner and Fox and asked them to serve as the city’s first-ever LGBTQ+ liaisons. “Soon after he was (re-elected), Mike and I got a call and they were serious saying it’s about ‘One Mobile’ and ‘Mobile for all,’ and ‘We are here for the Baptists and the LGBTQ community,’” said Fox. “It really meant a lot that he was sincere and meant it. It’s all inclusive.” Seeking data, successes The liaisons are planning to host quarterly town hall events, with the next one scheduled for January. They are also coordinating with other groups – such as the AIDS Alabama South and Prism United – on several projects and increased diversity and inclusion training through the United Way of Southwest Alabama. In addition, the liaisons are part of a team administering a comprehensive survey of the LGBTQ+ community in Southwest Alabama. Those eligible to take the survey include members of the LGBTQ+ community living or have lived in the following counties: Baldwin, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia, Marengo, Mobile, Monroe, Washington, or Wilcox. Fox said the community has enough qualitative data on the LGBTQ+ community based on needs expressed through subjective stories about individual experiences. But she said the survey, a first of its kind in coastal Alabama, will dive deeper for a look at more quantitative data. According to the Southwest Alabama Inclusion Project, the aim is to gather data and set community actions and priorities, establish goals and direct future funding allocations. Twenty-one community partners are involved in the survey that will also have tracks for LGBTQ+ youth and adults and will include K-12 teachers and counselors. A complete survey is expected to go out before the end of the year, with assessments continuing through the spring of 2023. The results and an analysis of them will be released sometime later next year. Fox and Tyner, during the town hall also recounted several achievements during the recent months since they were appointed liaisons in February. Among them: The Mobile Carnival Museum, for the first time, had a display of the various LGBTQ+ Mardi Gras organizations during the month of June. Attendance was strong, according to Tyner, and there is an expectation that the museum will feature an entire series on gay Mardi Gras organizations of both Mobile and New Orleans in the coming year. Related content: LGBTQ group is Mobile Mardi Gras’ hottest ticket Mobile, each month, hosts an Art Walk event and June’s ArtWalk coincided with LGBTQ+ Pride Month. It was also among the most well-attended, Fox said. She credited the city’s parks and recreation department for coordinating the event and for maintaining and level of inclusivity in the city’s park-related activities. Related content: Mobile cannon painted in honor of LGBTQ Pride Month stirs backlash, receives support Tyner said the liaisons are collaborating with the Mobile Police Department on appointing an LGBTQ+ liaison within the agency. B-Bob’s in Mobile, a popular LGBTQ+ club, is celebrating its 30th anniversary celebration in mid-October. The bar is also building a rooftop bar, which will be the first in Mobile, according to owner Jerry Ehlen. Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. Read More…

Bankston Motor Homes Opens New $15 Million Location In Etowah County https://digitalalabamanews.com/bankston-motor-homes-opens-new-15-million-location-in-etowah-county/ Business Updated: Sep. 16, 2022, 2:23 p.m.| Published: Sep. 16, 2022, 1:49 p.m. Bankston Motor Homes today opened its newest showroom off Interstate 59 in Attalla – a sprawling, $15 million, 49,000-square-foot facility situated on 26 acres. The dealership has locations in Huntsville, Warrior, and Florence, as well as Nashville and Ardmore, Tenn. Gov. Kay Ivey attended today’s grand opening, touting the company and saying that “Made in Alabama is bringing back ‘Made in America.’” “This is a business investment that knows no bounds,” Ivey said, adding that RV sales will boost Alabama’s tourism industry. “The opening of this showroom will allow more of our families, from near and far, to get out and experience the great state and explore its outdoor amenities.” The showroom building has two 27-foot wide by 50-foot long heated and enclosed delivery bays, two fully covered service drop-off lanes, and 12 fully-enclosed service bays. The dealership offers many different brands of RVs, including Tiffin, Forest River, Thor Motor Coach, Winnebago, Keystone, Alliance RV, Dutchmen, Coachmen, Lance and others. Company President Chase Baerlin said the new location was an investment in the future. “This building represents our strong commitment to our customers, our employees, and the industry,” he said. “We have always aspired to serve our customers with the highest standards, and we feel this building sets the stage for the future.” Harrison Bankston, founder and president emeritus, said RVs allow families to spend time together. Eleven of his grandchildren, along with other extended family members, are employed in the company. Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. Read More…

Susan L. Fuhrman Obituary (1959 – 2022) Daily Record https://digitalalabamanews.com/susan-l-fuhrman-obituary-1959-2022-daily-record/ Susan L. Fuhrman Susan Lee Fuhrman, 63, longtime Ellensburg resident, passed away at the Yakima Memorial Hospital on Tuesday, September 6, 2022. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, September 23, 2022 at the Ellensburg Presbyterian Church with Rev. Al Sandalow officiating. Susan was born on January 7, 1959, the third of four children born to Donald & Hazel (Chamberlain) Tank. She grew up in the Mission Bay neighborhood of San Diego and graduated from Mission Bay High School in 1979. Following graduation, she began working at SeaWorld before working in the Los Angeles shipyards. Susan married Richard Nodine in 1981 and they immediately deployed to Guam. After serving 3 years on Guam, they relocated to Renton, WA and began to be blessed with five children – Brandon, Luke, Michael, Matthew and Risa. After relocating to Ellensburg and a few years after Susan’s marriage to Richard ended, she met Darryl Fuhrman and they were married on July 8, 2007 at Lion Rock, WA. Susan and Darryl have been each other’s best friends and inseparable companions since that time. Susan is best known in the community for her 21 years of dedicated service at Bi-Mart. She always had a friendly smile and kind words for everyone she came in contact with at work. Susan and Darryl were longtime volunteers for Jazz in the Valley and also spent many summers together as volunteer firewatchers, camping at the Red Top Lookout on the Wenatchee National Forest. They loved to hike and camp and explore the outdoors. One of their favorite outdoor activities was to identify wildflowers as they blossomed through the seasons. As the winter snow melted, they followed the spring to higher elevations and watched the spring and summer seasons unfold the wildflowers. Susan is survived by her husband, Darryl Fuhrman, at the family home in Ellensburg; children Brandon Nodine of Kent; Luke DeMers of Kent; Michael (Chelsey) Nodine of Auburn; Matthew (Ashley) Nodine of Renton and Risa Nodine of Kent; grandchildren Dartanian, Isaac, Evelyn, Benjamin, Christian, Logan, Sophia; siblings Jim Tank of Payson, AZ, Donna Tank of San Diego, CA, Vicky Tank of San Diego, CA as well as numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents. Memorial contributions in Susan’s honor are suggested to the Gretchen Weller Foundation, PO Box 1762, Ellensburg, WA 98926. Johnston & Williams Funeral Home and Crematory of Ellensburg has been entrusted with caring for Mrs. Fuhrman and her family. Online condolences may be left at www.johnston-williams.com Published by The Daily Record on Sep. 17, 2022. Read More…

Special Master For Seized Trump Records Seen As Minor Setback For Feds https://digitalalabamanews.com/special-master-for-seized-trump-records-seen-as-minor-setback-for-feds/ “There is no chance all of the documents found at Mar-a-Lago are protected by the attorney-client or executive privileges,” one legal expert said. WASHINGTON (CN) — A federal judge in Florida has appointed a semi-retired New York federal judge as special master to review records seized from former President Donald Trump’s home and denied the government’s request to keep using them in its investigation, causing a delay that one legal expert sees as only a minor setback. Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Courthouse News on Friday that Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond Dearie’s appointment will not affect the Department of Justice’s investigation into national defense information stored at Trump’s south Florida resort home, “aside from delaying it.” “There is no chance all of the documents found at Mar-a-Lago are protected by the attorney-client or executive privileges,” Rahmani said. As a neutral third party, Dearie will be tasked with reviewing the thousands of documents seized during the FBI’s Aug. 8 raid on Trump’s estate to make sure personal items and any records protected by attorney-client privilege or executive privilege are returned. The former president brought the motion for judicial oversight last month and U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, granted his request for a special master last week – prompting swift appeal to the 11th Circuit by the Department of Justice, which also filed a motion to stay part of her order. The department argued in its motion that investigators should be allowed to continue using the roughly 100 documents identified as classified by the government in its criminal probe while the appeal plays out in court. Government attorneys insisted pausing the probe would cause irreparable harm and that classification markings on the seized documents establish that they are government property, not Trump’s personal records. But Cannon disagreed in her 10-page order on Thursday. “Indeed, if the Court were willing to accept the Government’s representations that select portions of the seized materials are—without exception—government property not subject to any privileges, and did not think a special master would serve a meaningful purpose, the Court would have denied Plaintiff’s special master request,” the judge wrote. She said the DOJ also failed to provide concrete examples of potential harm it may face without access to the purportedly classified documents and instead relies “heavily on hypothetical scenarios and generalized explanations that do not establish irreparable injury.” “This restriction is not out of step with the logical approach approved and used for special master review in other cases,” according to Cannon, who said it is “often with the consent of the government.” “And it is warranted here to reinforce the value of the Special Master, to protect against unwarranted disclosure and use of potentially privileged and personal material pending completion of the review process, and to ensure public trust,” she wrote. In appointing Dearie, who was suggested by Trump’s legal team and unopposed by the government, Cannon wrote that she will direct him to prioritize review of the purportedly classified documents sought by the Justice Department. Dearie is a former chief federal judge for the Eastern District of New York who is semi-retired with senior status at the Brooklyn federal court. As Rahmani sees it, the classification dispute is a “red herring” that will not impact potential charges under the Espionage Act or Presidential Records Act. He pointed out that Cannon’s ruling requires Dearie to resolve any privilege disputes by November, “if the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals doesn’t step in before then.” “Attorney General Merrick Garland will then need to make the ultimate decision of whether to charge Trump or not,” Rahmani said. Trump is under investigation for removing government records from the White House at the end of his single term as president on Jan. 20, 2021, and storing them at his 12-acre Mar-a-Lago estate in West Palm Beach.  According to the FBI affidavit unsealed last month, agents obtained a warrant to search his home based on probable cause “that evidence of obstruction will be found.” Trump, for his part, denies any wrongdoing and he told “The Hugh Hewitt Show” on Thursday that his indictment would result in “problems.” “I think you’d have problems in this country the likes of which perhaps we’ve never seen before,” he said during the radio interview. “I don’t think the people of the United States would stand for it.” Trump said a potential indictment wouldn’t stop him from running for president again in 2024 if he decides to launch another campaign. Read the Top 8 Sign up for the Top 8, a roundup of the day’s top stories delivered directly to your inbox Monday through Friday. Read More…

AP News Summary At 2:46 P.m. EDT https://digitalalabamanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-246-p-m-edt/ Trump openly embraces, amplifies QAnon conspiracy theories Donald Trump is increasingly embracing and endorsing the QAnon conspiracy theory, even as the number of frightening real-world events linked to the movement rises. Using his Truth Social platform, Trump this week reposted an image of himself overlaid with the words “the Storm is Coming.” In QAnon lore, the storm refers to Trump’s final victory, when his opponents supposedly will be tried and possibly executed. It’s among dozens of recent Q-related posts from the Republican former president, who also ended a rally with a QAnon song. Experts who study QAnon say Trump may be trying to rally his most stalwart supporters as investigations into his conduct escalate. Ukrainian president: Burial site contains torture victims IZIUM, Ukraine (AP) — Investigators searching through a mass burial site in Ukraine have found evidence that some of the dead were tortured, including bodies with broken limbs and ropes around their necks. That’s according to Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy, who spoke Friday. The site near Izium was recently recaptured from Russian forces. It appears to be one of the largest of its kind discovered in Ukraine. Zelenskyy rushed out a video statement just hours after the exhumations began, apparently to underscore the gravity of the discovery. Putin vows to press attack on Ukraine; courts India, China SAMARKAND, Uzbekistan (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed to press his attack against Ukraine despite its latest counteroffensive. Speaking to reporters Friday after attending a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Uzbekistan, Putin said the “liberation” of Ukraine’s entire eastern Donbas region remained Russia’s main military goal and that there was no need to revise it. Putin says “we aren’t in a rush,” adding that Russia has only deployed volunteer soldiers to fight in Ukraine. Asked about the Ukrainian counteroffensive that forced Russian forces to withdraw from large swaths of northeastern Ukraine last week, Putin replied: “Let’s how it develops and how it ends.” Surprise is key part of migrant travel from Florida, Texas EDGARTOWN, Mass. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took the playbook of a fellow Republican, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, to a new level by catching officials flat-footed in Martha’s Vineyard with two planeloads of Venezuelan migrants. An immigration attorney says the migrants had “no idea of where they were going or where they were” when they arrived on the wealthy Massachusetts island. Providing little or no information is part of the plan. On Friday, the migrants were being moved voluntarily to a military base on nearby Cape Cod. Gov. Charlie Baker says he will activate up to 125 National Guard members to assist. Queue for queen’s coffin reopened, wait hits 24 hours LONDON (AP) — A surging tide of people — ranging from London retirees to former England soccer captain David Beckham — have lined up to file past Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin as it lies in state at Parliament. So many people have shown up that authorities called a temporary halt Friday to more people joining the miles-long queue. Late afternoon, a live tracker of the queue said it had reopened. Still the government warned the waiting time had climbed to more than 24 hours. King Charles III on Friday visited Llandaff Cathedral in the Welsh capital of Cardiff for a prayer service in honor of his late mother. Charles and his siblings will be standing vigil around queen’s flag-draped coffin in London on Friday evening. Queen’s death is reminder of disappearing WWII generation LONDON (AP) — The long good-bye for Queen Elizabeth II is a reminder of a broader truth playing out with little fanfare across Britain: The nation is bidding farewell to the men and women who fought the country’s battles during World War II. The queen, who served as a mechanic and truck driver in the last months of the war, was a tangible link to the sailors, soldiers, airmen and others who signed up to do their bit in a conflict that killed 384,000 service personnel and 70,000 British civilians. But like the queen, even the youngest veterans of the war are now nearing their 100th birthdays. A steady stream of obituaries tells the story of a disappearing generation. Breaches of voting machine data raise worries for midterms ATLANTA (AP) — The revelation earlier this week that federal prosecutors are involved in investigations of suspected voting system breaches across the U.S. is fueling questions about the security of voting machines just two months before the midterm elections. Security breaches at election offices in Colorado, Georgia and Michigan have been sometimes aided by local officials who allowed unauthorized access to people who copied software and hard drive data, and in several cases shared it publicly. Security experts say the breaches by themselves have not necessarily increased threats to the November elections, but say they increase the possibility that rogue election workers could access election equipment to launch attacks. Racism seen as root of water crisis in Mississippi capital JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A boil-water advisory has been lifted for Mississippi’s capital, and the state will stop handing out free bottled water on Saturday. But the crisis isn’t over. Water pressure still hasn’t been fully restored in Jackson, and some residents say their tap water still comes out looking dirty and smelling like sewage. Carey Wooten says even her dog won’t drink it. Jackson’s treatment plants need billions in repairs, the mayor says. Many blame systemic racism as the root cause. The tax base plummeted after white people moved to the suburbs in response to school desegregation, and government policies denied resources to the Black and poor people who stayed in the city. Phony document lands on court docket in Trump search case WASHINGTON (AP) — A document purporting to be from the U.S. government and claiming the Treasury Department had information related to the search at Donald Trump’s Florida estate was a fabrication. But the document appeared last week on the court docket in the case involving the Mar-a-Lago search warrant. A review of court documents and interviews by The Associated Press show identical documents were filed in a separate case brought by a North Carolina federal inmate. The document that appeared in the Trump case purported to be from the Treasury Department and claimed the agency had seized sensitive documents related to the search. The incident highlights the vulnerability of the U.S. court system and its vetting of documents. Book ban efforts surging in 2022, library association says NEW YORK (AP) — The wave of attempted book banning and restrictions continues to intensify, the American Library Association reported Friday. Numbers for 2022 already approach last year’s totals, which were the highest levels in decades. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” says Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. Friday’s announcement is timed to Banned Books Week, which highlights some of the most contested releases. It begins Sunday and will be promoted around the country through table displays, posters, bookmarks and stickers and through readings, essay contests and other events. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Read More…

Kyrgyzstan Reports Heavy Fighting With Tajikistan, Says Casualties High https://digitalalabamanews.com/kyrgyzstan-reports-heavy-fighting-with-tajikistan-says-casualties-high/ A view shows a burnt armoured personnel carrier of Kyrgyz forces near Golovnoi water distribution facility outside the village of Kok-Tash in Batken province, Kyrgyzstan May 5, 2021. The clashes broke out last week along the frontier between Tajikistan’s Sughd province and Kyrgyzstan’s southern Batken province because of a dispute over a reservoir and pump, claimed by both sides, on the Isfara River. REUTERS/Vladimir Pirogov/File Photo Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Kyrgyz, Tajik leaders meet, agree on ceasefire Fighting escalated from shootouts to tanks and rocket artillery Kyrgyzstan says Tajik troops entered Kyrgyz village Conflict stems from disputed border BISHKEK, Sept 16 (Reuters) – Kyrgyzstan reported “intense battles” with Tajikistan on Friday and said its Central Asian neighbour was moving forces and equipment to the border in the latest outbreak of violence to hit the former Soviet Union. Both of the small impoverished landlocked nations have accused each other of restarting fighting in a disputed area, despite a ceasefire deal. In a statement, the Kyrgyz border service said its forces were continuing to repel Tajik attacks. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com “From the Tajik side, shelling of the positions of the Kyrgyz side continues, and in some areas intense battles are going on,” it said. Kamchybek Tashiev, the head of the Kyrgyz state committee on national security, was quoted by Russia’s RIA news agency as saying military casualties had been high. “The situation is difficult and as for what will happen tomorrow – no one can give any guarantees,” he said. Thousands of people have already been forced to evacuate. Separately, RIA cited a source as saying that 17 people, including 11 Kyrgyz border guards, had been killed. Earlier in the day Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and his Tajik counterpart Emomali Rakhmon agreed to order a ceasefire and troop pullback at a regional summit in Uzbekistan, Japarov’s office said. Kyrgyzstan reported fighting in its southern Batken province which borders Tajikistan’s northern Sughd region and features a Tajik exclave, Vorukh, a key hotspot in recent conflicts. The same area is famous for its jigsaw-puzzle political and ethnic geography and became the site of similar hostilities last year, also nearly leading to a war. Clashes over the poorly demarcated border are frequent, but usually de-escalate quickly. SOVIET LEGACY Border issues in Central Asia stem to a large extent from the Soviet era when Moscow tried to divide the region between ethnic groups whose settlements were often located amidst those of other ethnicities. Both countries host Russian military bases. Earlier on Friday, Moscow urged a cessation of hostilities. The clashes come at a time when Russian troops are fighting in Ukraine and a new ceasefire appears to be holding between former Soviet states Armenia and Azerbaijan. Kyrgyzstan has said that Tajik forces using tanks, armoured personnel carriers and mortars entered at least one Kyrgyz village and shelled the airport of the Kyrgyz town of Batken and adjacent areas. About 18,500 people have already left the area, Russia’s RIA news agency cited the Red Cross as saying. In turn, Tajikistan accused Kyrgyz forces of shelling an outpost and seven villages with “heavy weaponry”. Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace focussing on Central Asia, said the remote, agricultural villages at the centre of the dispute are not economically significant, but that both sides have given it an exaggerated political importance. Umarov said that governments in both Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan have come to rely on what he called “populist, nationalist rhetoric” that made an exchange of territory aimed at ending the conflict impossible. Another Central Asia analyst, Alexander Knyazev, said the sides showed no will to resolve the conflict peacefully and the mutual territorial claims provoked aggressive attitudes on all levels. He said only third-party peacekeepers could prevent further conflicts by establishing a demilitarised zone in the area. (This story refiles to fix advisory line; adds Kyrgyz reports of heavy fighting Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Olga Dzyubenko; Additional reporting by Nazarali Pirnazarov in Dushanbe and David Ljunggren in Ottawa; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Guy Faulconbridge, Frank Jack Daniel, Raju Gopalakrishnan, William Maclean and Jonathan Oatis Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Read More…

Legal Troubles For Jeffrey Clark, Eyed For AG By Trump, Come Into Focus https://digitalalabamanews.com/legal-troubles-for-jeffrey-clark-eyed-for-ag-by-trump-come-into-focus/ It was nearly three months ago when we learned federal investigators had descended on Jeffrey Clark’s home, as part of a Justice Department investigation into the Republican scheme to overturn the 2020 election. It was obvious at the time that the former DOJ official was facing some serious legal troubles. This week, the nature of those troubles came into focus. NBC News reported: Federal agents who seized former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark’s phone in June were looking for evidence of crimes of making false statements, criminal conspiracy and obstruction of justice, according to a new filing. Clark … told officials with the Washington, D.C., bar that the search warrant for seizure of his electronic devices was connected to a criminal investigation into violations of three federal laws. The report added that the filing came in connection with a disciplinary case brought against Clark over by the D.C. Bar’s Office of Disciplinary Counsel. I’m mindful of the fact that when it comes to the post-election scandal, there are a lot of players from Trump World to keep track of, but when it comes to understanding the plot to overturn the 2020 presidential election, few people are as important as Clark. For those who may need a refresher, let’s circle back to our earlier coverage. In late 2020, Clark was the acting head of the Justice Department’s civil division. Donald Trump, however, had a different role in mind for him: The outgoing president considered a plan in which he’d fire the acting attorney general, Jeffrey Rosen, and replace him with Clark as part of a scheme to ramp up the Justice Department’s anti-election efforts. Trump was prepared to do this because Clark, unlike Rosen, was telling the then-president what he wanted to hear about keeping him in power, despite his defeat. Indeed, Clark sketched out a map for Republican legislators to follow as part of the partisan plot, even as he quietly pressed Trump to put him in charge of the Justice Department. Trump ultimately backed away from the plan to make Clark the acting A.G., not because the plan was stark raving mad — though it certainly was — but because the Justice Department’s senior leadership team threatened to resign en masse if Rosen was ousted. Trump decided such tumult would “eclipse any attention on his baseless accusations of voter fraud.” This wasn’t just some random thought experiment. The New York Times reported last year that there was a “bizarre” presidential meeting in January 2021 in which Rosen and Clark made competing presentations, which “officials compared with an episode of Mr. Trump’s reality show ‘The Apprentice,’ albeit one that could prompt a constitutional crisis.” Not surprisingly, the bipartisan House committee investigating Jan. 6 came up with a few questions for Clark. Their first interaction didn’t go especially well: Investigators sat down with the Republican lawyer in November, but according to the panel, he was not cooperative. In fact, Clark reportedly asserted attorney-client privilege, despite the fact that Trump was never Clark’s client. That was last fall. A few months later, investigators tried again, and by some accounts, Clark pleaded the Fifth — more than 100 times. Now, according to the lawyer’s own account, he’s facing a federal criminal investigation into alleged false statements, obstruction of justice, and criminal conspiracy. Watch this space. Steve Benen is a producer for “The Rachel Maddow Show,” the editor of MaddowBlog and an MSNBC political contributor. He’s also the bestselling author of “The Impostors: How Republicans Quit Governing and Seized American Politics.” Read More…

Special Master In Trump Documents Case Described As Fair And No-Nonsense https://digitalalabamanews.com/special-master-in-trump-documents-case-described-as-fair-and-no-nonsense/ Raymond Dearie, the senior US district judge named on Thursday night as the “special master” – or independent arbiter – to vet records seized by the FBI from Donald Trump’s Florida estate has been described as an experienced legal operator who “doesn’t tolerate nonsense” and won’t “play games”. The Florida-based US district judge Aileen Cannon on Thursday appointed Dearie to sit in the middle of a hot and bright political spotlight, serving as the special master, requested by Trump’s side, in the legal fight between the former Republican president and the Department of Justice. They are arguing over access for criminal investigators to dozens of boxes of government documents, including highly classified US secrets, that the former president stashed at his Florida resort and residence after leaving the White House. “He [Dearie] works incredibly well with parties, but doesn’t tolerate nonsense. He will not allow parties, or attorneys, to play games, or play fast-and-loose with the rules,” the New York-based civil lawyer Richard Garbarini, of Garbarini Fitzgerald, told Politico. Dearie was one of two candidates for the post proposed by the former president, and the US justice department had said it would not oppose his appointment. In her order, Cannon also rejected the justice department’s demand that prosecutors be allowed to continue their review of the seized records while the dispute is ongoing, and their assertion that the investigation is urgent due to the highly classified and sensitive material in the records. Investigators are currently blocked by Cannon from continuing to examine the material. “The court does not find it appropriate to accept the government’s conclusions on these important and disputed issues without further review by a neutral third party in an expedited and orderly fashion,” Cannon said in the ruling. Dearie, who is 78 and based in Brooklyn, is tasked with deciding whether any of the documents seized by the FBI during the August search are privileged – either due to attorney-client confidentiality or through a legal principle called executive privilege – and should be off limits to federal investigators. Other lawyers with experience of Dearie described him as thorough and even-handed. “He’s one of the few judges who both sides want to appear in front of. He is held in the highest regard by attorneys. He’s someone who actually listens to the lawyers and considers what they have to say before he makes a decision,” Lindsay Gerdes, a former Brooklyn federal prosecutor, told Politico. Dearie has until 30 November, which falls after the midterm elections in early November, to finish the review. In less good news for Trump, he will be required to pay the costs associated with the special master. Earlier this month, Cannon had granted a request by Trump’s lawyers to name a special master to vet the seized records. The justice department also is looking into possible obstruction of the investigation after it found evidence that records may have been removed or concealed from the FBI when it sent agents to the property in June to try to recover all classified documents. Dearie served as US attorney in Brooklyn before being appointed to the federal bench there by the Republican president Ronald Reagan in 1986, and was chief judge of that court from 2007 to 2011. He assumed what is called senior status – a sort of semi-retirement with a reduced case load – in 2011, a role in which he continues to serve. The justice department had said in a court filing on Monday that Dearie’s experience as a judge qualified him for the special master role, but opposed the other candidate proposed by Trump’s team, private attorney Paul Huck. Trump’s lawyers opposed the two retired federal judges proposed by the department. On the bench, Dearie was one of multiple judges presiding over cases against several men accused in 2009 of plotting to bomb New York City’s subway system at the direction of al-Qaida leaders. Dearie was appointed in 2011 to the foreign intelligence surveillance court, which reviews warrant applications from the US government on matters of national security, where he served until 2019. In 2017, he was one of four federal judges who approved warrants used to surveil the former Trump campaign aide Carter Page amid concern about Trump campaign contacts with Russians, according to papers released to media outlets that sued for the records. The justice department had opposed Trump’s request for a special master to review the seized documents to see if any should be withheld from investigators as privileged. In ruling in favor of Trump’s request for a special master, Cannon rejected the department’s arguments that the records belong to the government and that because Trump is no longer president he cannot claim executive privilege. Cannon was appointed to the bench by Trump in 2020. Read More…

Governor Gives ‘Spirit Of Montana’ Award To Missoula Firefighters https://digitalalabamanews.com/governor-gives-spirit-of-montana-award-to-missoula-firefighters/ Montana Governor Greg Gianforte was in Missoula on Thursday afternoon to present the ‘Spirit of Montana’ Award to members of the Missoula City Fire Department for a dramatic rescue that occurred on July 16 when a paraglider crashed 80 feet up in a tree coming off Mount Sentinel. Missoula Fire Department Captain Bill Bennett described what happened that day near UM Married Student Housing. “We received recognition graciously for a paraglider rescue that we did in mid-July,” said Captain Bennett. “It was an abnormal circumstance that turned out to be a very unique rescue. Fortunately were able to accomplish the rescue and get the injured party off to the required medical care. We appreciate the recognition from the governor and for all of us here at MFD. We’re just happy to do the job and look forward to serving more in the future.” Aside from being in a tree 80 feet in the air, we asked Captain Bennett to describe the most challenging part of the rescue. “It was probably getting them out of his harness,” he said. “Honestly, he’s in his paragliding harness with a parachute over him, and he’s injured, and so without injuring him further, we needed to extricate him and get him to the ground. So, yes, after accessing him, removing an injured party from a parachute is not something we do every day.” Governor Gianforte said his ‘Spirit of Montana’ award was created for just such a heroic incident. “I was really pleased to be able to present to them the Spirit of Montana award,” said Governor Gianforte. “We like to find folks doing exceptional things and that is certainly the case here. It’s what Montanans do. Neighbors helping neighbors. “They don’t know what they’re going to face every day when they come to work.” Gianforte related the facts of the rescue that led to the award presentation on Thursday afternoon. “July 16 2022, was an exceptional day,” he said. “They had a paraglider 80 feet up in a tree and they had to get him down. So I was pleased to present to them a flag that I flew over the State Capitol in their honor along with this certificate, and it’s a way to say thank you to not just these gentlemen, but everybody that suits up every morning and comes to work to protect us and make sure that they are there when we need them.” Also presenting the award was the newly appointed Mayor of Missoula, Jordan Hess. 20 Impressive Features at the New and Improved Missoula Airport Missoula’s new airport will include large windows for loved ones to watch planes depart and arrive, and the only escalator on this side of Montana! Plus, a keggerator system for the Coldsmoke Tavern. 14 Destinations to Visit With Direct Flights From Missoula Here’s a list of places to visit (and things to do while you’re there) with nonstop flights out of the Missoula Montana Airport. Read More…

Harris’ Punt Return Flips Switch For Gulf Coast – Picayune Item https://digitalalabamanews.com/harris-punt-return-flips-switch-for-gulf-coast-picayune-item/ Published 1:08 pm Friday, September 16, 2022 PERKINSTON — Jonathan Harris’ long punt return for a touchdown sparked Mississippi Gulf Coast to a 45-7 blowout of Southwest Mississippi on Thursday at historic A.L. May Memorial Stadium. He doubled the Bulldogs’ lead in the dying moments of the first half, sending them into the locker room up 14 points on the way to the runaway victory. “I was on the sideline and thought we needed a return to get some field position for a field goal,” Harris said. “But walking on the field I, was like, I gotta do this. I kind of spoke it into existence on the sideline, and my teammates really hyped me up.” Gulf Coast (2-1) held the Bears (1-2) to 140 yards of total offense, and finally scored on some big plays. Harris’ return went for 75 yards, Cam Thomas (So., Picayune/Picayune) had a 39-yard touchdown run and Jervin Smith (So., Columbus/Biloxi) had a 30-yard pick-6. “The more football I watch, those are really game-changing moments,” Gulf Coast coach Jack Wright said. “We hadn’t had many of those the first two games. It was a little worrisome we hadn’t created anything like that, so I’m a little relieved. We’ll need more of those going forward.” The Regulators sacked elusive Southwest quarterback Christopher Roberson seven times, and were it not for a turnover in Bulldogs territory and two costly penalties, they might have pitched a shutout. SMCC managed only 14 first downs, and five of those came via penalty. The Bears completed only 9-of-25 passes for 94 yards, and Roberson was ejected in the fourth quarter for slapping a Gulf Coast player in frustration. “We were very energetic, expecting to do what we did,” Gulf Coast defensive lineman Scott Burton said. “We’ve been practicing for it all week. We knew their quarterback was very athletic, an elusive guy, and we were ready for him.” Gulf Coast took a 14-0 lead early in the second period thanks to a second Keymari Odum (So., Haines City Fla./Ridge) touchdown reception. He had a 10-yarder in the first half, and a long 5-yard fade pattern. “I didn’t see the catch he made in the back of the end zone, but the press box was going crazy,” Wright said. “It was a great catch apparently, so I look forward to seeing that on film.” Odum had four catches for 47 yards, and Jonathan Harris (So., Hattiesburg/Petal), Rico Dorsey (So., Hattiesburg/Presbyterian Christian) and Ramone Bradley (Fr., Fairhope Ala./Fairhope) had three catches each. Southwest made it 14-7 with 3:55 left and got the ball back, but had to punt after a three-and-out and a Gulf Coast timeout. “He had a little space to get the return started,” Wright said, “but there was one cut he made in the middle of the field that really carried his momentum forward and took pursuit angles away from the defense.” Gabe Showalter (Fr., St. Martin/St. Martin) nailed a 41-yard field goal in the third quarter before Gulf Coast exploded in the fourth. Thomas broke his long run to score early in the quarter, and one play later Smith returned his interception. Dayan Bilbo (Fr., Vancleave/Vancleave) closed out the scoring with a 5-yard plunge in the final two minutes. Gulf Coast will play No. 9 East Mississippi (2-1) on Sept. 22 at Perk. The game will be carried exclusively on ESPN+, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. “It’s a big game,” Wright said. “Thank goodness it’s a home game and we’re back here. We don’t know a lot about them this year. We’ve got to study them closely this weekend and put our kids in position to make plays.” For more information on MGCCC’s 11 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com. Read More…

Nick Saban-Backed Boutique Hotel The Alamite Opens In Tuscaloosa https://digitalalabamanews.com/nick-saban-backed-boutique-hotel-the-alamite-opens-in-tuscaloosa/ Tuscaloosa Real-Time News Published: Sep. 16, 2022, 12:52 p.m. A boutique hotel backed in part by Alabama Coach Nick Saban is now open in Tuscaloosa. The Alamite, part of Marriot Bonvoy’s Tribute Portfolio, is situated downtown on 6th Street. Boasting 112 guestrooms, the Alamite also has meeting spaces, a fitness center and two restaurants. There’s Forte: Cuts & Cocktails, featuring a brasserie-meets-steakhouse vibe with Executive Chef Jacob Stull, and Roll Call, a indoor/outdoor rooftop concept with fresh sushi, wood fired pizzas, sliders and share plates. The beverage menu has cocktails, local and craft beer along with artisanal wines by the glass. In a statement, Saban said he and his wife Terry are excited to be part of The Alamite ownership group. “Not only will this investment benefit our local economy, but it also represents a new standard for design and comfort in downtown Tuscaloosa,” Saban said. Los Angeles-based firm Avenue Interior Design contributed to the look, which co-founder Andrea DeRosa said was aimed at bringing “an inventive, artistic and educated personality to this boutique property while maintaining components of Southern hospitality throughout.” The hotel also features an art collection featuring works by prominent female artists, including Angela Chrusciaki Blehm, Gina Julian, and others hailing from the Tuscaloosa area and the South. The Alamite plans to add an oversized mural in the coming months. “From architecture to design and service, The Alamite is an experience infused with authentic touches inspired by the unique character, culture, heritage, and people of our city,” General Manager Karen Steiger said. “We are excited to welcome visitors and locals alike to experience this new hotel, which builds on local traditions while maintaining a forward-looking perspective in Tuscaloosa.” For more information, click here. Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. Read More…

Opinion: Psychological Concept May Explain Those Who Believe https://digitalalabamanews.com/opinion-psychological-concept-may-explain-those-who-believe/ John Westefeld  |  Guest opinion If something is seen as big, and is a lie, why is it still seen as truth by so many?   I have been thinking about this as I have watched the Jan. 6 hearings this summer. The claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump — promulgated by him and others — has seemingly taken on a life of its own. The concept of “the big lie” has been repeated many times by countless people. And many believe it — or say they believe it — though the facts indicate otherwise.  How do we make sense of this?  In the world of psychology, we have a concept known as “The Illusory Truth Effect” that is relevant to this paradox. This idea first appeared in 1977 in a paper entitled “Frequency and the Conference of Referential Validity” by Hasher, Goldstein and Toppino in the Journal of Verbal Learning & Verbal Behavior. Since 1977, research has validated the ITE as a significant force. The Illusory Truth Effect fundamentally postulates that there is a tendency for some people to see untrue information as true, if exposed to that information repeatedly over time.  There are numerous examples of the ITE. The idea of “fake news” is one. But I want to focus on the big lie. The evidence is overwhelming for numerous reasons that Joe Biden won the election. Yet the big lie continues to be repeated by many as truth.  Why? Because, according to the ITE, if the big lie is repeated constantly, people will believe it regardless of its merit.  I think there are two types of people publicly supporting the big lie. First, those who truly believe it. I would hypothesize that many of these folks have been influenced by the ITE.  Then there are those who do not believe it, but state publicly that they do. I think these are often Republican politicians at all levels of government. They frequently behave this way in order to stay in the good graces of Trump and in order to win an election.   As I have written elsewhere, (Iowa City Press-Citizen, March 21, 2021), it astounds me that so many people appear to criticize Trump privately, but endorse him publicly. In particular it is distressing that elected officials behave this way.  Is holding public office, which in this case often means being dishonest publicly, so important that one is willing to abandon one’s moral principles and integrity? Apparently for many it is. As New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd wrote on Aug. 6, “So many Republicans have behaved grotesquely out of fear that Trump will turn on them.”    Thankfully, there are some who have spoken out against the big lie. Elizabeth Cheney is one, though certainly there are others.  She is willing to lose an election. She is willing to risk the wrath of many Republicans and of Trump. Her public comments are commensurate with her private beliefs, and she will not succumb to the ITE.  Cheney realizes the dangers posed by both Trump, as well as continued endorsement of the big lie. Speaking in June at the Ronald Reagan Library, she stated “Donald Trump attempted to overturn the presidential election, he attempted to stay in office and prevent the peaceful transfer of presidential power. … The reality that we face today as Republicans, as we think about the choice in front of us, we have to choose, because Republicans cannot both be loyal to Donald Trump and loyal to the Constitution.”  She also stated in an Aug. 6 interview with CNN: “Some things are more important than any individual office or political campaign.” Based on her recent comments the night of her primary defeat, clearly — and thankfully — she intends to continue to fight for democracy and what is right.    I am sure we will continue to see endorsement of the big lie by many. However, the next time you encounter someone supporting it, consider introducing them to the concept of the ITE.  And while it is of course unlikely that they will endorse the notion of the ITE, maybe it will at least give them pause, and they will consider the issue further. And just maybe they will stop endorsing the big lie — no matter how many times they hear it repeated.  John S. Westefeld of Iowa City is a professor emeritus of counseling psychology.  Read More…

Joe Biden Insists On New Ban – That Will Drive Donald Trump Crazy https://digitalalabamanews.com/joe-biden-insists-on-new-ban-that-will-drive-donald-trump-crazy/ Joe Biden keeps trying to challenge the laws of the Trump era.Build: www.imago-images.de / imago images During his tenure as the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump repeatedly caused a stir. Violence against people of color escalated, health care went further down the drain – and many other problems that worsened in America during Trump’s tenure. Donald Trump and his Republicans still have great influence over US law.Image: Associated Press/Mary Altafer However, now a different wind is blowing in the White House. At least a gentle breeze is trying to squeeze through the walls of Republicans in the Senate. We are talking about Democratic US President Joe Biden. And he pushed for a ban on Friday night, which probably would have angered his predecessor. At a conference on hate crimes, Biden spoke of the growing hatred of inciting violence against democracy and public safety. “In recent years, much oxygen has been given to hate in our politics, in our media, and on the Internet.”Biden said in Washington. Joe Biden wants to get gun laws Now he wants to go back to gun laws in the United States. a difficult area Americans have been known to stick to their own loose rules on handling and keeping guns. In June itself, the Supreme Court again expanded the gun law, sparking outrage from gun opponents around the world. But Biden is not giving up: he wants to ban assault rifles in the USA. The Gun Free Zone is near Time Square, New York.Image: Xinhua/Michael Nagle He also commented on Twitter: “White supremacy and hateful violence of all kinds have no place in America. Those who do not speak are collusion. Silence is collusion. And we must not remain silent,” he writes. Biden said extreme hatred fueled extremist violence. “And it was allowed to spread.” According to US intelligence, right-wing extremism is the biggest terrorist threat to the country. Right-wing extremism in particular flared up again in the United States during and shortly after Donald Trump was in office. Biden has been calling for stricter gun laws for years – and has repeatedly insisted on them since his presidency. But Republicans are stalling his plans. So now Biden is trying again. Assault rifles were banned in the United States from 1994 to 2004. Donald Trump and guns: Violence on the rise in the United States Trump, on the other hand, has repeatedly advocated for easing gun laws. Or they denied links between right-wing violence and deadly attacks, for example on the black population in the United States. People mourn and demonstrate after the attack in Buffalo.Build: www.imago-images.de / imago images The country has a history of deadly hate crimes that are clearly rooted in racism. Around May this year: A racially motivated gunman killed ten people, mostly black, with an assault rifle in Buffalo. In Charlottesville in 2017: A right-wing extremist hurls his car at a group of counter-protesters during a Nazi march. During this a woman died. Contrary to many expectations, Ukraine has been able to gain more and more land in the east of the country in recent times. For Russia and Putin, it means above all: defeat. dead. Injured. Nation World News Deskhttps://nationworldnews.com Nation World News is the fastest emerging news website covering all the latest news, world’s top stories, science news entertainment sports cricket’s latest discoveries, new technology gadgets, politics news, and more. Read More…

Donald Trump Openly Embraces, Amplifies QAnon Conspiracy Theories https://digitalalabamanews.com/donald-trump-openly-embraces-amplifies-qanon-conspiracy-theories/ Former President Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Sept. 3, 2022. (AP Photo / Mary Altaffer, File) After winking at QAnon for years, Donald Trump is overtly embracing the baseless conspiracy theory, even as the number of frightening real-world events linked to it grows. On Tuesday, using his Truth Social platform, the Republican former president reposted an image of himself wearing a Q lapel pin overlaid with the words “The Storm is Coming.” In QAnon lore, the “storm” refers to Trump’s final victory, when supposedly he will regain power and his opponents will be tried, and potentially executed, on live television. As Trump contemplates another run for the presidency and has become increasingly assertive in the Republican primary process during the midterm elections, his actions show that far from distancing himself from the political fringe, he is welcoming it. He’s published dozens of recent Q-related posts, in contrast to 2020, when he claimed that while he didn’t know much about QAnon, he couldn’t disprove its conspiracy theory. Pressed on QAnon theories that Trump allegedly is saving the nation from a satanic cult of child sex traffickers, he claimed ignorance but asked, “Is that supposed to be a bad thing?” “If I can help save the world from problems, I’m willing to do it,” Trump said. Trump’s recent postings have included images referring to himself as a martyr fighting criminals, psychopaths and the so-called deep state. In one now-deleted post from late August, he reposted a “q drop,” one of the cryptic message board postings that QAnon supporters claim come from an anonymous government worker with top secret clearance. A Trump spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. Even when his posts haven’t referred to the conspiracy theory directly, Trump has amplified users who do. An Associated Press analysis found that of nearly 75 accounts Trump has reposted on his Truth Social profile in the past month, more than a third of them have promoted QAnon by sharing the movement’s slogans, videos or imagery. About 1 in 10 include QAnon language or links in their profile bios. Earlier this month, Trump chose a QAnon song to close out a rally in Pennsylvania. The same song appears in one of his recent campaign videos and is titled “WWG1WGA,” an acronym used as a rallying cry for Q adherents that stands for “Where we go one, we go all.” Online, Q adherents basked in Trump’s attention. “Yup, haters!” wrote one commenter on an anonymous QAnon message board. “Trump re-truthed Q memes. And he’ll do it again, more and more of them, over and OVER, until (asterisk)everyone(asterisk) finally gets it. Make fun of us all you want, whatever! Soon Q will be everywhere!” “Trump Sending a Clear Message Patriots,” a QAnon-linked account on Truth Social wrote. “He Re-Truthed This for a Reason.” The former president may be seeking solidarity with his most loyal supporters at a time when he faces escalating investigations and potential challengers within his own party, according to Mia Bloom, a professor at Georgia State University who has studied QAnon and recently wrote a book about the group. “These are people who have elevated Trump to messiah-like status, where only he can stop this cabal,” Bloom told the AP on Thursday. “That’s why you see so many images (in online QAnon spaces) of Trump as Jesus.” On Truth Social, QAnon-affiliated accounts hail Trump as a hero and savior and vilify President Joe Biden by comparing him to Adolf Hitler or the devil. When Trump shares the content, they congratulate each other. Some accounts proudly display how many times Trump has “re-truthed” them in their bios. By using their own language to directly address QAnon supporters, Trump is telling them that they’ve been right all along and that he shares their secret mission, according to Janet McIntosh, an anthropologist at Brandeis University who has studied QAnon’s use of language and symbols. It also allows Trump to endorse their beliefs and their hope for a violent uprising without expressly saying so, she said, citing his recent post about “the storm” as a particularly frightening example. “The ‘storm is coming’ is shorthand for something really dark that he’s not saying out loud,” McIntosh said. “This is a way for him to point to violence without explicitly calling for it. He is the prince of plausible deniability.” Bloom predicted that Trump may later attempt to market Q-related merchandise or perhaps ask QAnon followers to donate to his legal defense. Regardless of motive, Bloom said, it’s a reckless move that feeds a dangerous movement. A growing list of criminal episodes has been linked to people who had expressed support for the conspiracy theory, which U.S. intelligence officials have warned could trigger more violence. QAnon supporters were among those who violently stormed the Capitol during the failed Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. In November 2020, two men drove to a vote-counting site in Philadelphia in a Hummer adorned with QAnon stickers and loaded with a rifle, 100 rounds of ammunition and other weapons. Prosecutors alleged they were trying to interfere with the election. Last year, a California man who told authorities he had been enlightened by QAnon was accused of killing his two children because he believed they had serpent DNA. Last month, a Colorado woman was found guilty of attempting to kidnap her son from foster care after her daughter said she began associating with QAnon supporters. Other adherents have been accused of environmental vandalism, firing paintballs at military reservists, abducting a child in France and even killing a New York City mob boss. On Sunday, police fatally shot a Michigan man who they say had killed his wife and severely injured his daughter. A surviving daughter told The Detroit News that she believes her father was motivated by QAnon. “I think that he was always prone to (mental issues), but it really brought him down when he was reading all those weird things on the internet,” she told the newspaper. The same weekend a Pennsylvania man who had reposted QAnon content on Facebook was arrested after he allegedly charged into a Dairy Queen with a gun, saying he wanted to kill all Democrats and restore Trump to power. Major social media platforms including YouTube, Facebook and Twitter have banned content associated with QAnon and have suspended or blocked accounts that seek to spread it. That’s forced much of the group’s activities onto platforms that have less moderation, including Telegram, Gab and Trump’s struggling platform, Truth Social. Read More…

Little Big Town Releases 10th Studio Album https://digitalalabamanews.com/little-big-town-releases-10th-studio-album/ ACM, CMA and GRAMMY Award-winning band Little Big Town – consisting of Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Phillip Sweet, and Jimi Westbrook – release their new, 10th studio album Mr. Sun. The band also unveiled the music video for “Three Whiskeys and the Truth,” which was directed by Running Bear Film’s Stephen & Alexa Kinigopoulos – watch below. Immediately following the video’s premiere today, the band went live exclusively on YouTube Premium for a livestreamed afterparty to answer fan questions about the new album. “Three Whiskeys and the Truth” was written by Fairchild and Schlapman alongside their beloved Love Junkies (Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, and Liz Rose), ruminating on the feelings that hide in the dark but that always come to the surface somehow. “Lori had that title, and I just love how it tells the story of what we do to numb the pain we’re going through,” Fairchild says, recalling a long day of writing. “And the melody makes it feel like an old school country song like the ones we grew up with.” On the eve of the record’s release last night, the band took to Twitter for an #AskLBT Album Q&A with the fans about the record, including the message they want to give fans from the album: “This record was written during the pandemic, so a spirit of gratefulness ties all these songs together. Even the painful songs lead us to better days ahead.” Fans can engage in the album launch through multiple social media activations, including using the hashtag #MrSun on Twitter to reveal album’s official Twitter emoji and a custom Mr. Sun Instagram filter that went live with the album’s release, which can be found on the filter tab of LBT’s Instagram profile. This morning, they took the stage at New York City’s Rockefeller Plaza in front of hundreds of fans for the 2022 Citi Concert Series on TODAY, performing a mix of new songs – “All Summer” and “Rich Man,” both of which New York Magazine has praised as “exuberant” – and classic LBT hits (“Wine, Beer Whiskey” and “Little White Church”). Additional praise for Mr. Sun includes The New York Times hailing it “a sweeping record” and American Songwriter observes that “inside the record, notes reminiscent of the Bee Gees, Fleetwood Mac, and the Eagles ring out, but they’re all tailored to Little Big Town’s country expertise.” Rolling Stone calls it “smooth and sweet, with just the right undercurrent of sadness,” with production that feels “spacious and golden. Billboard singles out the album’s “swelling” closing track “Friends of Mine,” as a “benediction to finding the collective strength to persevere through tough times,” while Rolling Stone further ties it to the full record: “Like much of Mr. Sun, it feels like a warm embrace from a loved one.” The album’s lead single “Hell Yeah” has amassed 49.8 million streams since its April release. The song was co-written by Sweet, Westbrook, Corey Crowder and Tyler Hubbard. Of its creation, Westbrook notes: “Corey dropped that hook idea on us, and we all gave a resounding hell yeah! At that point, you just don’t want to mess it up.” Physical copies of Mr. Sun are available as CDs and a baby blue vinyl; a sky blue vinyl is available exclusively through Barnes & Noble. The genesis of Mr. Sun was unlike any of their previous albums. Due to the pandemic, the band found themselves off the road and apart for the first time ever throughout their 20-year journey. The resilience and creativity born from those months unearthed a deep appreciation for both one another, and the privilege of making music – ultimately inspiring the self-produced Mr. Sun, which packs both the sparkle of storytelling and the heat of truth-telling in a way only Little Big Town can. “Mr. Sun is intentionally an emotional record that holds hands well with our last album Nightfall,” Fairchild has previously shared. “Mr. Sun is focused on better days ahead, the value of friendships and family; it touches on heartbreak and letting go, but it’s full of sunshine and joy.” Little Big Town spent all summer bringing their exceptional live shows to fans worldwide – they recently wrapped up The Bandwagon Tour with Miranda Lambert and joined The Eagles on all dates of their European stadium tour this summer. This fall, Little Big Town will join Wynonna Judd on select dates of The Judds: The Final Tour in Duluth, GA (October 14) and Huntsville, AL (October 15). For more news, tour dates, and information, please visit www.LittleBigTown.com. Watch the new music video here: Listen to the new album here: Photo: Blair Getz Mezibov Read More…

College Football Preview 2022: SEC On CBS Gets Going With New C360 Pylon Cams, AR Graphics https://digitalalabamanews.com/college-football-preview-2022-sec-on-cbs-gets-going-with-new-c360-pylon-cams-ar-graphics/ The schedule begins with Penn State vs. Auburn on Saturday, Sept. 17 SEC on CBS, in its penultimate season, will wow at-home viewers once more with a pair of innovations. Beginning with tomorrow’s Penn State vs. Auburn matchup in Jordan-Hare Stadium at 3:30 p.m. ET, the coverage will deploy C360’s new wired Pylon Cams with pan-tilt-zoom control in 4K, and augmented-reality (AR) virtual graphics. “We’ve been waiting for SEC Saturdays for a long time,” says Steve Karasik, VP, remote production, CBS Sports. “We’re excited to see what the next few months of college football will bring to CBS.” Testing and Development: C360 Pylon Cams Give Coverage a Fresh Look Seen during the network’s NFL opening weekend, C360’s wired Pylon Cams debuted on CBS’s college-football coverage with Arizona vs. San Diego State on Sept. 3. The equipment comprises four separate cameras within the pylons — two for each end zone — and provides the production team new ways to show pivotal plays at the goal line. To enhance SEC coverage, the operations team replicated the technology seen on pro football. New C360 wired Pylon Cams at each end zone provide 4K video with PTZ capability. “We are extremely excited to see pylon-camera technology continue to evolve,” says Jason Cohen, VP, remote technical operations, CBS Sports. “The advances by our partner, C360, allow us to seamlessly pan, tilt, and zoom as action transpires in the end zone and thus no longer edit or cut multiple angles together. The 4K camera provides a unique field of view of nearly 200 degrees, so we are capturing a tremendous amount of field action with one lens.” From a production perspective, adding these new elements to the broadcast will accentuate the growing number of technologies seen throughout the season. In addition to the Pylon Cams, SEC on CBS broadcasts will tap into more than 20 camera feeds. Highlighting the arsenal for this weekend’s opener in Auburn, AL, will be a drone from Kaze Aerials, a fixed-wing airplane for more aerial shots, a wired Sony HDC-F5500 as the shallow–depth-of-field camera, four specialty cameras with super-slow-motion capabilities, and a Sony HDC-P43 as the four-point Skycam. “Director Steve Milton can take Skycams, drones, and specialty equipment and make it feel like an organic part of our coverage,” says Karasik. “Between Steve and [producer] Craig [Silver], it really is a cohesive unit that is always making decisions to do what’s best for the broadcast.” AR View: Fans To See Information in a New Way With Virtual Graphics Broadcasts around the industry have slowly integrated virtual graphics, and CBS Sports will do the same this year for SEC on CBS. Its internal production team, CBS VFX, has provided engaging graphics for other high-profile events under the CBS umbrella, including the 2022 Men’s Final Four. Building on Trackmen real-time 3D tracking technology and live video feeds from Skycam, the broadcaster is mapping out each venue to apply the augmented-reality overlays on the live crowd feed. Working closely with Lead Analyst Gary Danielson, the crew is putting together virtual graphics that are both aesthetically pleasing and statistically relevant. “Gary is extremely involved in the production and is invested in every graphic,” says Karasik. “it’s great to have an analyst who’s not only passionate about the sport but also passionate about the televised product.” Creatively, the production team is showcasing the pomp and circumstance of the sport with a handful of activations along with the graphics. Some visuals will include team mascots, logos, and other elements. “We’re trying to have some fun with our design,” says Karasik. “We want to capture and lean into the fandom that you usually see in college football.” Onsite and Remote: Hybrid Environment Features Mobile Units On the technical side, CBS Sports will leverage a hybrid workflow for each week’s SEC Game of the Week. The onsite team for Penn State–Auburn will be housed in F&F Productions GTX20 A and B units. Replay operators will be working on six 12-channel EVS XT VIA servers; graphics operators, on eight separate machines. F&F Productions GTX20 mobile unit is onsite at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL, for Saturday’s Penn State–Auburn matchup. With onsite infrastructure much larger than that used during the pandemic, the broadcaster will deploy much smaller remote workflows for the college-football slate. Like CBS Sports’ NFL team, the college-football production crew will receive Hawkeye replay services from two offsite staffers. Overall, Karasik relies on the expertise of the operations team — Cohen; VP, Talent, Production Planning and Technology Development, Ross Molloy; VP, Engineering and Technology, Mike Francis; and others — to tell the story of a game in a compelling yet understandable way. “We want the technologies to enhance what we’re doing and not overwhelm the audience,” says Karasik. “In the end, the coverage of these games is what fans are looking for.” More Collegiate Action: CBS Sports Network To Air 70 Games This Season Aside from the SEC power teams on the main linear channel and Paramount+, CBS Sports Network (CBSN) will pack a hefty punch this fall. Besides 70 games, including selected UConn home games, the network will carry 15 telecasts of the U.S. Service Academies (six for Army, five for Air Force, four for Navy, and the three Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy games) and matchups from Conference USA, Mid-American Conference, and Mountain West Conference. The 2022 Conference USA Championship Game will be aired for the fourth consecutive year at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, Dec. 2. Notable contests ahead on CBSN are UCF vs. Florida Atlantic University at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17; Boise State vs. Air Force at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22; Boston College vs. UConn at 22 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29; and Air Force at San Diego State in its new Snapdragon Stadium at 9 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 26. In the short term, Week 3 will be headlined by Air Force vs. Wyoming at 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 16 and Villanova vs. Army at noon and Vanderbilt vs. Northern Illinois at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17. This weekend, three mobile-unit providers will be represented in the compound of the CBSN games: NEP Supershooter 26 at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie, WY; Game Creek Video Dynasty at Michie Stadium in West Point, NY; and a Ross Video truck at Huskie Stadium in Dekalb, IL. UFC vs. FAU will see NEP NCP7 parked outside FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, FL. “I would put our lead team of [producer] Scott Brandwein and [director] Matt Plundo against anyone in the business,” says Karasik. “They have a unique sense of timing and feel for the game.” Behind the Mic: On-Air Talent Take Fans Through Games on CBS, CBSN Leading the way for SEC on CBS, the duo of play-by-play voice Brad Nessler and analyst Gary Danielson will guide fans through every play on the field as newly named reporter Jenny Dell roams the sideline. Gene Steratore will be rules analyst. Before, during, and after each game, College Football Today with host Adam Zucker and analysts Rick Neuheisel and Brian Jones will offer in-depth breakdowns of the game’s critical moments. On CBSN, the lead broadcast team comprises play-by-play commentator Rich Waltz, analyst Aaron Taylor, and newly elevated sideline reporter Sherree Burruss. Four new personalities have joined the team: former University of Texas head coach Tom Herman and former Utah State running back and Super Bowl champion Robert Turbin as analysts, Meghan McPeak as play-by-play commentator, and Christian Fauria as an analyst for UConn games. Virtual graphics will feature each team’s mascot. Two of the three service academies have their own dedicated team: Army — play-by-play commentator Jason Knapp, analyst Ross Tucker, and reporter Tina Cervasio; Navy — John Sadak and Chick Hernandez on play-by-play, analyst Randy Cross, and reporter Sheehan Stanwick-Burch. Play-by-play announcers Dave Ryan, Alex Del Barrio, and Chris Hassel and sideline reporters Amanda Guerra, Brandon Baylor, and Justin Walters also will call games. Studio show Inside College Football has returned for its 20th season. Every Tuesday night, Zucker, Neuheisel, Jones, Cross, and Taylor will bounce around the NCAA to recap the weekend’s biggest games. During the weekend, live studio coverage is anchored by Brent Stover and analysts Houston Nutt, Kevin Carter, and Danny Kanell. High-Quality Football: CBS Sports Covers the Nation’s Toughest Conference Home to one of the best conferences in the U.S., CBS Sports always looks forward to this time of year. With important regular-season games played every week, the tide of the college-football world turns with each result. “Every week, we have a matchup that will play a role in determining the national championship this year,” says Karasik. “There aren’t many networks that can say that, so it’s hard not to get excited.” With Milton and producer Craig Silver at the helm, the broadcaster is bullish on improving its technological offerings and is ready for the first of many action-packed weekends. “We’re off to a great start in our early NFL and SEC seasons,” says Cohen. “As we attempt to innovate, it requires everyone’s hard work to get both efforts off the ground. We’re fortunate to have an amazing team at CBS that collaborates incredibly well, which turns into successful productions every weekend.” The 2022 SEC on CBS schedule will feature a handful of nationally ranked teams, including No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 18 Florida at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 29; No. 10 Arkansas vs. Missouri at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 25; and the SEC Championship Game at 4 p.m. in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 3. Read M...

AP News Summary At 12:45 P.m. EDT https://digitalalabamanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-1245-p-m-edt/ Ukraine president says burial site includes torture victims IZIUM, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy has cited evidence of atrocities in a mass burial site that has been found in an area recently freed of Russian occupation. In an unusual special video, Zelenskyy said hundreds of people had been found “tortured, shot, killed by shelling” at the site in Izium. He cited evidence of atrocities such as a body with a rope around its neck and broken arms. In the video, Zelenskyy says more than 400 graves have been found at the site but that the number of victims isn’t yet known.  Zelenskyy, who visited the Izium area on Wednesday, said the discoveries showed again the need for world leaders to declare Russia a state sponsor of terrorism. Trump openly embraces, amplifies QAnon conspiracy theories Donald Trump is increasingly embracing and endorsing the QAnon conspiracy theory, even as the number of frightening real-world events linked to the movement rises. Using his Truth Social platform, Trump this week reposted an image of himself overlaid with the words “the Storm is Coming.” In QAnon lore, the storm refers to Trump’s final victory, when his opponents supposedly will be tried and possibly executed. It’s among dozens of recent Q-related posts from the Republican former president, who also ended a rally with a QAnon song. Experts who study QAnon say Trump may be trying to rally his most stalwart supporters as investigations into his conduct escalate. Live updates: Wait to see queen’s coffin extends to 24 hours The line organized by British authorities for people to view Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin as she lies in state has reopened after being closed for more than seven hours due to a surge in numbers. But officials said Friday afternoon that people may have to stand in line for more than 24 hours before reaching Westminster Hall. And they say that it will be cold during the night. The line was about 5 miles (8 kilometers) long, snaking along the banks of the River Thames. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to pay their respects before Monday’s state funeral. China’s Xi calls for effort to prevent ‘color revolutions’ Read More…

AP News Summary At 12:45 P.m. EDT https://digitalalabamanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-1245-p-m-edt-2/ Ukraine president says burial site includes torture victims IZIUM, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy has cited evidence of atrocities in a mass burial site that has been found in an area recently freed of Russian occupation. In an unusual special video, Zelenskyy said hundreds of people had been found “tortured, shot, killed by shelling” at the site in Izium. He cited evidence of atrocities such as a body with a rope around its neck and broken arms. In the video, Zelenskyy says more than 400 graves have been found at the site but that the number of victims isn’t yet known.  Zelenskyy, who visited the Izium area on Wednesday, said the discoveries showed again the need for world leaders to declare Russia a state sponsor of terrorism. Trump openly embraces, amplifies QAnon conspiracy theories Donald Trump is increasingly embracing and endorsing the QAnon conspiracy theory, even as the number of frightening real-world events linked to the movement rises. Using his Truth Social platform, Trump this week reposted an image of himself overlaid with the words “the Storm is Coming.” In QAnon lore, the storm refers to Trump’s final victory, when his opponents supposedly will be tried and possibly executed. It’s among dozens of recent Q-related posts from the Republican former president, who also ended a rally with a QAnon song. Experts who study QAnon say Trump may be trying to rally his most stalwart supporters as investigations into his conduct escalate. Live updates: Wait to see queen’s coffin extends to 24 hours The line organized by British authorities for people to view Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin as she lies in state has reopened after being closed for more than seven hours due to a surge in numbers. But officials said Friday afternoon that people may have to stand in line for more than 24 hours before reaching Westminster Hall. And they say that it will be cold during the night. The line was about 5 miles (8 kilometers) long, snaking along the banks of the River Thames. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to pay their respects before Monday’s state funeral. China’s Xi calls for effort to prevent ‘color revolutions’ SAMARKAND, Uzbekistan (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin says that Russia will press on with its offensive in Ukraine despite a Ukrainian counteroffensive. Speaking to reporters Friday after attending a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Putin said the “liberation” of the entire territory of Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland of Donbas has remained Russia’s main goal and there is no need to revise that military plan. Putin added that “we aren’t in a rush” to achieve the stated goals, noting that Russia has only engaged volunteer soldiers in the operation. On a Ukrainian counteroffensive, Putin said “let’s how it develops and how it ends.” Migrants flown to Martha’s Vineyard moving to military base EDGARTOWN, Mass. (AP) — Authorities say migrants flown to Martha’s Vineyard on the orders of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will be moved to housing on a military base on Cape Cod. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker says the move Friday is voluntary. Those migrants who decide to make the trip will receive food and services and be housed in dormitory-type lodging, with separate quarters for families. Authorities haven’t said what will happen to those who want to stay put. Baker has praised the residents of Martha’s Vineyard for caring for the migrants, who are mostly from Venezuela, but says the island lacks the resources to provide long-term care. DeSantis, a Republican, has said the flights to Martha’s Vineyard are part of an effort to “transport illegal immigrants to sanctuary destinations.” Racism seen as root of water crisis in Mississippi capital JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A boil-water advisory has been lifted for Mississippi’s capital, and the state will stop handing out free bottled water on Saturday. But the crisis isn’t over. Water pressure still hasn’t been fully restored in Jackson, and some residents say their tap water still comes out looking dirty and smelling like sewage. Carey Wooten says even her dog won’t drink it. Jackson’s treatment plants need billions in repairs, the mayor says. Many blame systemic racism as the root cause. The tax base plummeted after white people moved to the suburbs in response to school desegregation, and government policies denied resources to the Black and poor people who stayed in the city. LONDON DIARY: Reflections from the queue to mourn the queen LONDON (AP) — Waiting in line to bid farewell to Queen Elizabeth II is a singular event — no matter who you are. AP correspondent Samya Kullab was No. 3,017 in the queue one day this week outside Westminster Hall. The line was full of people touched by the queen’s death in different ways. And as they wait in line and chat, they find things they have in common — and realize that they’d have never met if it were not for this singular event. In nearly eight hours in line, Kullab is able to make a bit more sense of the outpouring that the monarch’s death brought to Britain. Book ban efforts surging in 2022, library association says NEW YORK (AP) — The wave of attempted book banning and restrictions continues to intensify, the American Library Association reported Friday. Numbers for 2022 already approach last year’s totals, which were the highest levels in decades. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” says Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. Friday’s announcement is timed to Banned Books Week, which highlights some of the most contested releases. It begins Sunday and will be promoted around the country through table displays, posters, bookmarks and stickers and through readings, essay contests and other events. Oktoberfest is back but inflation hits brewers, cost of beer MUNICH (AP) — Oktoberfest is on tap again in Germany after two years of pandemic cancellations. The beer will be just as cold and the roast pork knuckle just as crispy. Mayor Dieter Reiter says the return of the city’s hallmark tourist event on Saturday is “beautiful.” But brewers and visitors are under pressure from inflation in ways they could hardly imagine in 2019. Energy, barley, hops, even paper and glue for labels, cardboard for cases and steel barrels have all gone up in price as record inflation has taken hold across Europe. The price of one of the hefty mugs that revelers will hoist has gone up by 15%, with the brewing industry under pressure from rising costs. Review: A classic battle epic in ‘The Woman King’ In “The Woman King,” Viola Davis a mass of muscle, battle wounds and world weariness as General Nanisca, the head of the Agojie, an all-female unit of warriors who protected the West African Kingdom of Dohemy in the 19th century. Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood the film is a throwback of sorts to the big, exciting, emotional warrior epics that used to be all too common at the multiplex, with the twist that it’s women not men driving the action, writes Associated Press Film Writer Lindsey Bahr in her review. Rated PG-13, “The Woman King” is currently playing in theaters nationwide. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Read More…

Obituaries, Week Of September 21, 2022 – Atmore News https://digitalalabamanews.com/obituaries-week-of-september-21-2022-atmore-news/ Leslie E. Guelsby Mr. Leslie E. Guelsby, age 66, of Atmore, Ala., passed away Friday, September 9, 2022 in Atmore, AL. He was born at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. to James Cecil and Patsy Patch Gulsby. He served in the Army National Guard and was an electrician with Engels.  He was preceded in death by his father; his sister, Vicki Lynn Jordan and his nephew, Michael Scott “Scotty” Jordan. Mr. Guelsby is survived by his mother, Patsy Patch Gulsby; his brother, David Gulsby and his nephew, Casey Jordan. A memorial graveside service will be held Monday, September 19, 2022 at 2 p.m. at Oak Hill Cemetery with Bro. Don Sanks officiating. Inurnment will follow at Oak Hill Cemetery. Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home in charge of arrangements. Rose Mary Madison Davis Mrs. Rose Mary Madison Davis, age 79, of Wetumpka, Ala., passed away Thursday, September 15, 2022 at her residence. She was born in Fairhope, Ala. to Charlie Hybart and Daisy Louellan Dyal Madison. She was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ Latter-Day Saints.  She was employed by the State of Alabama Department of Corrections until she retired.  She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, James Oscar Davis; her sister, Gaylyn Madison Miller and brother, Charlie Dayton Madison.  Mrs. Davis is survived by her daughter, Pamela Lusk Andersson (Thomas); grandson, Davis Andersson; her brother, Rodger A. Madison (Michelle); her sister, Robin Madison Sullivan and many nieces and nephews.  Graveside services will be held Saturday, September 17, 2022 at 10 a.m. at Semirah Springs Cemetery with Bro. Andy Akins officiating. Interment will follow in Semirah Springs Cemetery in Jeddo, Ala.  Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home in charge of arrangements. Read More…

AL.com Recruiting: Watch As We Evaluate Alabama’s 2023 Running Backs https://digitalalabamanews.com/al-com-recruiting-watch-as-we-evaluate-alabamas-2023-running-backs/ Alabama Football Published: Sep. 16, 2022, 11:44 a.m. Week 3 of the AL.com Alabama Recruiting Show is taking a look at the future ground game for the Crimson Tide. Sponsored by Inline Lighting, reporter Nick Alvarez and social media producer Patrick Greenfield analyze the Tide’s pair of elite commitments: Florida’s Richard Young and Georgia’s Justice Haynes. What will they bring to Alabama’s backfield next fall? Why are they suited to boost the offense as a tandem? Find out here. We provide updates of Alabama’s recruits taking official visits elsewhere, also we check on G.W. Carver-Montgomery’s star tandem of James Smith and Qua Russaw. MORE Alabama football: Nick Saban flashes horns down on ‘Hey Coach’ ahead of Week 3 What you need to know about Louisiana-Monroe at Alabama Will Reichard is more than Alabama football’s weapon. He’s a necessity Saban’s view on ‘most difficult judgment calls’ in football, CB play The Alabama Recruiting Show on AL.com will occur live throughout the season on our social media channels. If you have a recruiting question re: any targets, strategies or flips, please email us at nalvarez@al.com or drop them in the show comment section. Click here for last week’s show. Thanks for tuning in! Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at NAlvarez@al.com. Patrick Greenfield (@PCGreenfield) is a digital sports & social media producer for AL.com based out of Birmingham. Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. Read More…

It Is Rare Both Pairs End Up As Losers – Marshall Democrat-News https://digitalalabamanews.com/it-is-rare-both-pairs-end-up-as-losers-marshall-democrat-news/ Harry S. Truman wrote, ‘It’s a recession when your neighbor loses his job; it’s a depression when you lose yours.’ Both pairs were depressed at the end of this deal, which you will recognize from yesterday’s column. South was in four spades. (East’s third-hand opening looks dangerous if West responds two clubs, but East-West were using the Drury convention, so this bid would have indicated heart support.) North’s cue-bid showed three or more spades and a maximum pass. West led his singleton heart, of course. East took two tricks in the suit and then gave his partner a ruff. West shifted to a low diamond. Declarer won with dummy’s ace, cashed the spade king and confidently played a club to his queen. However, West produced the king: down one. Instead, South should have played a trump to his hand and continued with the heart queen. Here, West could not have ruffed, so a club would have disappeared from the dummy. Then declarer would have crossruffed home. Did you notice that East had missed a tough winning defense? Since West had surely led a singleton (he would have raised hearts with three), East could have returned a low heart at trick two. West would have ruffed and shifted to a diamond (or led his second trump). When East got in with the heart ace, he could have led another spade, reducing declarer’s club ruffs to one. Anyone who found that defense would deserve to win the annual award from the International Bridge Press Association. Read More…

UAH Interim President Chuck Karr Named Permanent President https://digitalalabamanews.com/uah-interim-president-chuck-karr-named-permanent-president/ News Updated: Sep. 16, 2022, 11:39 a.m.| Published: Sep. 16, 2022, 11:23 a.m. Chuck Karr, shown here after being appointed interim president at UAH in November 2021, was approved Sept. 16, 2022, as permanent president.(Michael Mercier/UAH).The University of Alabama, Hunts The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees on Friday removed the “interim” label and named Chuck Karr president of the University of Alabama in Huntsville. In making the recommendation to the trustees, Chancellor Finis St. John IV lauded the work Karr has done since replacing Darren Dawson in November 2021. Related: UAH looks to Tuscaloosa for long-term interim president Related: UAH President Darren Dawson announces retirement Karr was recently retired as the dean of the UA College of Engineering when he was named interim president. “Dr. Karr has proven during his tenure as interim president at UAH that he has the necessary skills to be an extremely effective president,” St. John told the trustees. “Already in these few short months, and with the support of his strong administrative team, he has strengthened and grown key relationships in the Huntsville community, including with major employers. The vast majority of UAH graduates stay in our state and these relationships are critical to fill in the communities and the state’s workforce pipeline.” Said Stancil Starnes, president pro tem of the trustees, “This is a four-star day for the University of Alabama System as our permanent president (at UAH).” Following the unanimous vote to become permanent president at UAH, Karr briefly addressed the trustees. “We will keep working hard every day to fulfill our institutional mission as a premier research intensive university, one that is responsive to the needs of our community and beyond. There’s so many exciting things happening on the UA H campus. And I know there is much more to come. I appreciate the confidence that you’ve shown in me. This is truly a great honor. And I’m very excited for UAH’s future. Thanks so much. And go Chargers!” This story will be updated. Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. Read More…

Migrants Sent By Gov. DeSantis To Martha’s Vineyard Depart For Cape Cod https://digitalalabamanews.com/migrants-sent-by-gov-desantis-to-marthas-vineyard-depart-for-cape-cod/ VINEYARD HAVEN, Mass. — On Friday morning, the dozens of migrants that landed on Martha’s Vineyard this week filed out of the church they’d been sleeping in for two nights to hugs from the local volunteers. They now had full bags and new cell phones. As they boarded the three white busses that would take them to the ferry, many cried. Eliomar Aguero, 30, put up a peace sign, smiling and thanking the dozens of volunteers waving him on. “Thank you all,” Aguero said in Spanish. Soon, he and his wife Maria would board a ferry. Massachusetts authorities announced Friday that the 50 migrants would be moved from Martha’s Vineyard to a military base in Cape Cod so they can find shelter and chart next steps. The move is voluntary for the migrants, the state said. Gov. Charlie Baker (R) said the migrants will be offered “shelter and humanitarian supports” in dormitory-style rooms at Joint Base Cape Cod in Bourne. State and local officials will also ensure migrants have food, shelter and other services. Baker said he plans to activate up to 125 members of the Massachusetts National Guard to aid in the relief effort. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) surprised federal and state officials on Wednesday by sending migrants who recently crossed the U.S.-Mexico border to the affluent resort island. The move is part of an ongoing campaign by DeSantis and other Republican governors in Texas and Arizona to send migrants to Democrat-heavy cities such as Washington, New York and Chicago to publicize soaring numbers of crossings this year on the southern border. Many migrants might have ended up in these states anyway, but the unexpected arrivals are catching locals off guard and sending them scrambling to find supplies and shelter for the newcomers. Many of the migrants are from Venezuela, a South American nation that has been engulfed in a political and economic crisis, with shortages of food, water and electricity. In a speech at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s annual gala on Thursday night, Biden lashed out at Republicans. “Instead of working with us on solutions, Republicans are playing politics with human beings, using them as props,” he said. “What they’re doing is simply wrong, it’s un-American, it’s reckless.” Activists have also called on government Biden administration officials to do more. Domingo Garcia, president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, one of the oldest Hispanic membership organizations in the country, said Friday at a news conference on Martha’s Vineyard that the governors’ flights to Democrat cities and towns a “gross abuse of power.” He called on the U.S. Justice Department to investigate the incident for possible human-trafficking or civil-rights violations. The Department of Justice declined to comment, said spokeswoman Dena Iverson. But Republicans defended the action, saying border cities were experiencing influxes in even greater numbers. Federal border agents have made nearly 2 million apprehensions on the southern border this fiscal year, exceeding last year’s total. “If there is a humanitarian crisis in Martha’s Vineyard, wouldn’t it stand to reason there is a drastically more significant humanitarian crisis at the Southwest border?” the House Republicans on the Homeland Security Committee tweeted Friday. State and local politicians in Massachusetts praised the response on Martha’s Vineyard, an offshore island accessible only by air and sea, where volunteers turned out in droves to assist the migrants when they showed up carrying maps and a few belongings. Some said they had expected to arrive in a bigger city, close to public transportation, and not a small island of 20,000 people. The state said “the island communities are not equipped to provide sustainable accommodation.” The military base is already used as an emergency shelter and officials said it can provide “safe temporary accommodation appropriate for the specific needs of families and individuals.” The facility also has space for access to legal services and healthcare. In the past the base has sheltered Louisiana residents who fled Hurricane Katrina and Massachusetts residents affected by covid. “We are grateful to the providers, volunteers and local officials that stepped up on Martha’s Vineyard over the past few days to provide immediate services to these individuals,” Baker said in a statement. “While Wednesday’s arrival on Martha’s Vineyard was unexpected, the extraordinary response was not,” Public Safety and Security Secretary Terrence Reidy said. “The work of so many state and local partners exemplify the best values of our Commonwealth, providing safe shelter, food and care for individuals that had been through a long harrowing journey.” State officials said they had a plan to assist the migrants who decide to stay on the base, including clothing, personal hygiene kits and food. The migrants will have access to health care and mental health counseling in their native language. The base is unable to accept donations, officials said. Rosenzweig-Ziff reported from Vineyard Haven. Sacchetti reported from Washington, D.C. Cleve Wootson in Washingotn, D.C., Molly Hennessy-Fiske in Houston and Joanna Slater in Williamstown contributed to this report. Read More…

England Football Legend David Beckham Spotted In The Queue For Queen Elizabeth II https://digitalalabamanews.com/england-football-legend-david-beckham-spotted-in-the-queue-for-queen-elizabeth-ii/ (CNN)England football legend David Beckham has been spotted in the queue for the Queen’s lying-in-state in London. Speaking to reporters by the queue, Beckham said he had been waiting with members of the public for more than 12 hours. “We all want to be here together, we all want to experience something where we celebrate the amazing life of our Queen,” Beckham said. “You know something like this today is meant to be shared together. So, you know the fact that we’ve been here. We’re eating Pringles. We’re eating Sherbet Lemons, sandwiches and coffee,” the football player continued. Speaking to a reporter from ITV News, Beckham said he “grew up in a household of royalists” and had come on behalf of his grandparents who he said would have queued if they were still alive. Beckham recounted how lucky he was to have met the Queen on a number of occasions, highlighting the honor he felt to play for the national English football team. “You know I always wanted to represent my country, to be captain in my country, and every time that we stood there when we wore those Three Lion shirts, and I had my armband and we sang, you know, ‘God save our Queen.’ That was something that meant so much to us,” he said. Dressed in a black suit, navy coat, and flat cap, Beckham said that despite being in the queue for more than 12 hours, his “knees were OK,” though the same couldn’t be said for his back. Beckham has appeared in selfies with fans on social media, and one woman who had queued alongside Beckham for hours told reporters that she had “big respect” for the sportsman who she said, “had paid his respects however he wanted.” The queue snakes from Westminster Hall, where the late monarch’s body is lying in state, for miles along the south bank of the River Thames. It stretches past landmarks such as the London Eye, the Royal Festival Hall and the Globe theater. Plans are in place for it to be as long as nine miles, or 14.5 kilometers. To get updates on the British Royal Family sent to your inbox, sign up for CNN’s Royal News newsletter. Read More…

Trump’s Lawyers Dance Around Declassification Claims But Score Special Master Win https://digitalalabamanews.com/trumps-lawyers-dance-around-declassification-claims-but-score-special-master-win/ September 16, 2022 11:47 AM Lawyers for Donald Trump have not directly claimed in legal filings that he declassified records seized by the FBI at Mar-a-Lago, despite the former president’s repeated assertions that he did, but they nevertheless scored a win in the special master saga. A federal judge denied the Justice Department’s motion for a partial stay that sought to allow the use of classified documents obtained during an FBI raid on Trump’s Florida resort home, and the judge also appointed a special master who had been offered up by the former president. Judge Aileen Cannon said the DOJ wanted her to accept the premise “that all of the approximately 100 documents isolated by the Government … are classified government records.” But she said she “does not find it appropriate to accept the Government’s conclusions on these important and disputed issues without further review by a neutral third party.” TRUMP SPECIAL MASTER SIGNED OFF ON CARTER PAGE FISA The judge ruled she will direct the special master “to prioritize review of the approximately 100 documents marked as classified.” Judge Raymond Dearie, the new special master, was a former FISA court judge who signed off on the final warrant against Trump campaign associate Carter Page. Trump claimed again on Thursday that all the records seized had been declassified. “Remember this. Everything was declassified, No. 1,” Trump said when asked by conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt if he had taken the documents down to his Florida resort home after declassifying them intentionally. The DOJ’s Tuesday filing had argued Trump “does not actually assert — much less provide any evidence — that any of the seized records bearing classification markings have been declassified.” Trump’s team pushed back the next day without directly claiming the former president had declassified the Mar-a-Lago documents. “The Government’s stance assumes that if a document has a classification marking, it remains classified irrespective of any actions taken during President Trump’s term in office,” Trump’s lawyers told the court Monday, arguing “the President enjoys absolute authority under the Executive Order to declassify any information.” “The argument goes, as President Trump has no right to have the documents returned to him — because the Government has unilaterally determined they are classified — the Government should be permitted to continue to use them, in conjunction with the intelligence communities, to build a criminal case against him,” Trump’s attorneys told the judge. “However, there still remains a disagreement as to the classification status of the documents. The Government’s position therefore assumes a fact not yet established.” Former Pentagon chief of staff Kash Patel had told Breitbart in May he was present with Trump when the former president said, “We are declassifying this information.” On Thursday, Trump said: “That’s correct, and not only that, I think it was other people also were there. But I have the absolute right to declassify.” Trump has contended he had a “standing order” throughout his presidency that “documents removed from the Oval Office and taken to the residence were deemed to be declassified the moment he removed them.” Several former Trump administration officials have cast doubt on that notion. The DOJ has said that when Trump’s team handed over documents in January and again in June, it did not assert that the records had been declassified. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Trump attorney M. Evan Corcoran pointed to “a few bedrock principles” in a May letter to the DOJ, including that “A President Has Absolute Authority To Declassify Documents” and that “Presidential Actions Involving Classified Documents Are Not Subject To Criminal Sanction.” Read More…

Trump’s Cronies Are Getting Slammed With Subpoenas https://digitalalabamanews.com/trumps-cronies-are-getting-slammed-with-subpoenas/ U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a “Save America Rally” near the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. Photographer: Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images This content comes from the latest installment of our weekly Breaking the Vote newsletter out of VICE News’ D.C. bureau, tracking the ongoing efforts to undermine the democratic process in America. Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Friday. The Jan. 6 criminal investigations got a hell of a lot more real this week. Suddenly it seems like the feds are everywhere. Some 40 subpoenas were blasted out at top MAGA-world figures by a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., which is reportedly seeking answers on practically every aspect of the insurrection.  The feds want to know about the so-called fake electors scheme, sure. But they’re also poking around to learn more about the planning of former President Donald Trump’s rally on the Ellipse, and even fundraising for Trump’s Save America political action committee.  In other words, the first whiff of autumn is in the air—and so is that faint, burnt-leaf smell of accountability. The Department of Justice’s upshift into a higher gear comes after critics spent months lambasting Attorney General Merrick Garland for moving too slowly. That chatter now seems likely to subside. Federal agents seized the cellphones of top Trump adviser Boris Epshteyn and campaign strategist Mike Roman. Subpoenas were served on former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik and Trump’s former social media director Dan Scavino.  Mike Lindell, aka “the pillow guy,” did not escape the dragnet.   FBI agents pounced on the MyPillow CEO and prominent election conspiracy theorist in the drive-thru lane of a Minnesota Hardee’s and ordered him to turn over his phone. (Imagine, for a moment, that a genie let you travel back in time to warn your past self about our discordant future—but you could only transmit that one, bizarre sentence.)  Hardee’s capitalized on its trending moment with a pillow pun on Twitter: “Now that you know we exist… you should really try our pillowy biscuits.” Lindell—never one to sit quietly, even under legal scrutiny—also made much of the incident, discussing every detail in frenetic media appearances and even posting his warrant on social media.   Judging from the document, Lindell’s run-in with the feds appears linked to an investigation that’s formally separate from the big Jan. 6 subpoena blast. Instead, it’s tied to the widening investigation of a breach of election voting systems in Colorado and the prosecution of former Colorado election official and regular BtV cast member Tina Peters.  Peters, you might recall, has been charged with state-level crimes and pleaded not guilty. She is specifically named in the seizure warrant for Lindell’s phone, which was approved by a federal grand jury in Colorado and posted online by Lindell. What happens next, after all this frothy action? Some lawyers and former prosecutors say they expect the DOJ may tamp down overt investigative or prosecutorial activity during the run-up to November’s midterm elections. The recent spurt might have been an attempt to make headway before the DOJ’s so-called “60-day rule” sets in. Ditto, perhaps, for the FBI search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club for sensitive secret government documents in August. After all, nothing focuses the mind like a deadline.  That reasoning also suggests that officials will be unlikely to announce criminal charges against Trump himself before the Nov. 8 elections.  By the same token, prosecutors won’t want to make big moves right before the next round of presidential campaign primaries officially begin, likely in very early 2024, either. In other words, it’s plausible the next two months will be relatively quiet, from a strictly prosecutorial point of view. After that, if officials feel indictments are warranted, they’ll have an incentive not to sit on their hands too long.  Trump, for his part, was asked by radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt on Thursday whether picking up a criminal charge would stop him from running for president. Trump replied with his usual reserve: “It would not.”  Gettin’ the band back together The Jan. 6 Congressional committee is talking about at least one more gig. The committee is eyeing Sept. 28 for one more hearing, but that date is not yet confirmed. The team received “significant” new information from the Secret Service, according to Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), including a lot of text messages from Jan. 5 and 6.  Thompson said this week that the committee is contemplating sharing more information with the Department of Justice, now that the DOJ is getting more serious about its investigations. But a committee spokesperson said the decision wouldn’t be made until October or November. Berman’s revelations We don’t have a VICE News–branded crystal ball that could show the future of a second Trump term. But let’s pretend we do. Inside, you’d see something that looks a lot like the pages of a new memoir released by Geoffrey Berman, former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Berman’s new book, Holding the Line, details his efforts to resist political pressure to prosecute more Democrats, including former Democratic presidential nominee and ex-Secretary of State John Kerry. Berman’s revelations prompted the Senate Judiciary Committee to launch an investigation.  Trump 3 Q  Just in case there was any lingering doubt about Trump’s return embrace of the Trump-worshiping QAnon conspiracy movement, the former president posted a picture of himself literally wearing a Q lapel pin on his Truth Social account.  David Gilbert has the story. The image was overlaid with QAnon slogans “The Storm is Coming” and “WWG1WGA.” In QAnon lore, the “storm” is the moment Trump reveals his master plan to take down his cowering enemies. And “WWG1WGA” is a phrase that refers to the group’s collective hive-mind vibe, meaning “Where We Go One, We Go All.”  All the president’s lawyers I wrote about Trump’s lawyer problem this week. His attorneys have racked up an impressive range of legal trouble over the years, like Michael Cohen’s criminal conviction for financial crimes and the recent news that Rudy Giuliani is a target in the Fulton County DA’s investigation into the Trump team’s attempt to reverse Trump’s 2020 election defeat in Georgia.  All this drama now appears to be catching up with Trump, who seems to be having a hard time adding heavy hitters to his legal lineup. This is a problem for a guy facing this many investigations, because he’s going to need sober, competent representation. And the recent performance of his team in the Mar-a-Lago scandal, when outside lawyers have openly mocked their baffling arguments and substandard legal briefs, hasn’t exactly inspired confidence. Box-a-Lago — Reporter Andrea Bernstein wrote about one of the big, unsolved questions of our time: WHY Trump tookmay have taken documents at Mar-a-Lago. “He knows the value of hoarding secret information and wielding it for his own ends.” Virginia ham — Virginia’s Republican Attorney General announced the creation of an “Election Integrity Unit” to prosecute election law violations, despite the lack of credible evidence that such violations are a problem.  “The FBI seized Mike Lindell’s phone! Fight back by shopping RUDY at mypillow.com to support.” —Rudy Giuliani on Twitter  CLICK  In Doug Mastriano’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, a chilling template for future races https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/editorials/doug-mastriano-donald-trump-2020-election-overturn-20220914.html How a spreader of voter fraud conspiracy theories became a star https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/14/technology/catherine-engelbrecht-voter-fraud-conspiracy-theories.html House members roll out bipartisan plan to stop future coups https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-members-roll-bipartisan-election-bill-aimed-preventing-future-co-rcna47725 Read More…

The Les Dames Market Takeover At Pepper Place Is Putting A Spotlight On Female Culinary Talent In Birmingham https://digitalalabamanews.com/the-les-dames-market-takeover-at-pepper-place-is-putting-a-spotlight-on-female-culinary-talent-in-birmingham/ There are two weeks left to enjoy the Birmingham chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier International’s month-long celebration of women in food. Since the beginning of September, the organization of women leaders in the food, beverage, and hospitality industry have partnered with the Market at Pepper Place for the “Les Dames Market Takeover,” a month of promoting female chefs, food makers, culinary instructors, and cookbook authors who are Les Dames d’Escoffier members and also work in the Birmingham food scene. “When the Market started in 2000, there were hardly any women chefs in Birmingham,” Pepper Place Market Executive Director and Les Dames Chapter President Leigh Sloss-Corra said in a press release. “Now women are everywhere in the food scene and the city is better for it. Our chapter has almost 100 women members, all of whom are leaders in their culinary fields. It’s impressive!” Each week in September at the Market, a different theme has highlighted specialties of different members, or Dames. Different female chefs will host the market’s chef demo at 9 a.m. each Saturday, and throughout the morning. The first week of September was Tailgating Week, spotlighting Dames known for BBQ, tailgate dishes and catering. The second week was dedicated to sweet treats, highlighting pastry chefs and bakers. Saturday, Sep. 17 will showcase Latin Food Week, spotlighting Dames who specialize in Latin cuisine. The week will also honor Hispanic Heritage Month. Mi Pueblo owner and Dame Dulce Rivera will present the chef demo. Global Flavors Week– the last week of September– will spotlight members with world culinary roots and specialties including Italian, Greek, Israeli, Lebanese, Mexican and Venezuelan. Fanoula Gulas of The Greek Kouzina will lead the chef demo that morning. Members of Les Dames d’Escoffier will also set up a tent with a bake sale of different items related to the theme of the week. Proceeds from the bake sales will fund the organization’s cooking and nutrition instruction outreach program at The Wellhouse, which aids women victims of sex trafficking. Dames will also be selling tickets for this year’s Champagne & Fried Chicken Picnic Fundraiser, happening at Pepper Place on Sunday, Oct. 2. Organizers say the month-long event is also an opportunity for Les Dames d’Escoffier to share the organization’s mission of philanthropy. Since the Birmingham chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier was founded in 2013, the chapter has given away over $120,000 in scholarships and entrepreneur grants to female culinary students and women in food and beverage industries in Birmingham and around Alabama, according to the press release. Members of the chapter also volunteer regularly at the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama and support Pro-Start, a state-wide culinary program offered in area public schools. Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. Read More…

How Latinx Voters Could Influence The 2022 Midterms https://digitalalabamanews.com/how-latinx-voters-could-influence-the-2022-midterms/ The countdown to the 2022 midterm elections is on. As the clock winds down to Nov. 8, political campaigns are pulling out all the stops to get support. No, we’re not talking about campaign yard signs, door knocking, or rallies. But about efforts to connect with one of the fastest-growing voting blocs in the country: Latinx voters.  One in five Americans identify as Latinx. And in 2020, Latinx voters represented the second-largest electorate in the country, with an estimated 16.6 million people casting ballots. But that’s only about half of all eligible Latinx voters in the US. Meaning, there’s a lot more voting power this group can flex to influence legislation on everything from education, to gun control, to the economy.  Ahead of Election Day, experts talked to theSkimm about who the Latinx voting bloc represents, recent voting trends, and the important issues and states on the radar.  Who does the Latinx voting bloc represent? There’s no simple answer. Latinx voters aren’t a monolith — aka a uniform or singular group. Mark Hugo Lopez, the director of Race and Ethnicity Research at Pew Research Center, said this group represents diverse backgrounds. People have origins from South America, Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico. Some are immigrants, and many have been in the US for generations. That’s on top of the differences in age, sexuality, education, political ideology, and economic status.  All of this info may or may not be new to you. But repeatedly, journalists, politicians, and analysts have portrayed the estimated more than 62  million Latinx people living in the US as one group — failing to explore their differences. Equis Research is working to change that narrative. The org has been working to learn and highlight the different experiences and political identities within the Latinx bloc. “One of the ways in which Latino voters are not a monolith is in language,” Maria Isabel Di Franco Quinonez, who’s a research manager at Equis Research, said. “Across the states that we are polling in, Spanish-speaking voters tend to be more undecided, less familiar with the candidates, and — in some states — report lower levels of [voting] motivation.” In other words, it’s important for campaigns to meet Latinx voters where they’re at — and acknowledge the issues that they care about. But candidates have historically used a unified message or issue to try to appeal to this group — a tactic that can fall flat given that Latinx voters don’t vote as a monolith.  Political advocacy groups have also pointed the finger at campaigns’ lack of Latinx voter outreach and education efforts. And how outreach typically happens late in an election cycle — something that can make the Latinx population feel as an afterthought. But the strategy to gain Latinx support has started to change among some political parties (read: the GOP), and that’s got many asking… Will Latinx voters ride the blue or red wave in 2022? It’s too early to tell. Democrats have historically counted on Latinx voters to ride the blue wave. And that remained true in the 2020 presidential election. Then-candidate Joe Biden won 61% of the bloc’s vote. But that’s also a drop for a Democratic candidate when compared to 2016. Meanwhile, former President Trump gained Latinx support between the two election cycles.  The results may have come as a surprise to some people. Especially given Trump’s history of disparaging comments about Mexican immigrants and others. But it’s another example of the diversity among this group, according to Lopez. Still, Trump’s support in 2020 has political analysts asking, ‘are Latinx voters jumping from the Dem ship?’  Over the years, the GOP has embedded itself in Latinx communities across the country, including in Wisconsin and Florida. Republican organizers have focused on the issues important to these communities and have gotten a boost in support. Still, experts want you to keep a few things in mind before drawing any conclusions about how Latinx voters align politically, including… Latinx support for the GOP isn’t new: “In some ways, Trump’s support is within the range you would expect given what we’ve seen historically all the way back to the 1980s,” Lopez said. Note: Cuban Americans in particular have leaned Republican for decades. Trump continued to appeal to this group with his anti-socialist messaging.  The impact of Latinx evangelicals: 19% of Latinx in the US identify as evangelical Christians. And among the American evangelical community, the Latinx population is the fastest-growing group. “That’s a group that tends to be more conservative [and] leans more toward the Republican Party than other groups of Latinos,” Lopez said.  The Latinx gender gap: Trump’s popularity saw a boost in Latinx support in part due to Latinas. The reasons for that aren’t entirely clear. Equis Research is monitoring if it’s a trend that continues among GOP candidates this year.  Overall Latinx turnout: Each year, there are about 1 million Latinos who turn 18 and become eligible to vote. But despite this consistent boost, they still vote at lower rates than white, Black, and AAPI voters. Why? One major reason, a lot of these voters are young and still figuring out where they stand along the political spectrum. Quinonez said polling isn’t revealing a clear national trend on whether the Latinx population is shifting to the right. And added that, “It’s not fair to discount the importance of the candidates in each state and how they relate to the Latino electorate.” Meaning, how things play out for Latinx voters across the country still has a lot of room to change between now and Nov.  The states where Latinx voters could make an impact Reminder: The fate of the US House and Senate hangs in the balance. And statewide elections are also on watch as 36 states hold gubernatorial elections. For some political analysts, Latinx voters could make all the difference in determining whether Republicans or Democrats take control.  “If it’s a close election, Latinos could be very important. For example, where there might be a need for a recount or the margin of victory looks to be very close for a particular race,” Lopez said.  One analysis estimated that at least 11.6 million Latinx voters will turn out to cast ballots in November — mirroring their historic turnout in 2018. But that’s less than half of the eligible Latinx electorate. Still, don’t count out efforts to get out the vote. Especially in battleground states with a high Latinx electorate or toss-up races. Including: Arizona: Political pundits are keeping close tabs on the Senate and governor’s race. Reminder: Biden narrowly won the state in 2020 — where more than 1 in 5 eligible voters are Latinx. More than 644,000 Latinx voters in AZ are expected to hit the polls in Nov.  Colorado: One of the eight congressional seats on the ballot is a toss-up. Meet: Colorado’s 8th congressional district. Latinx voters are expected to play a big role, especially since they make up 39% of the electorate in the district. Overall, an estimated 280,000 Latinx voters in CO are expected to turn out. Georgia: Latinx voters helped turn the Peach State blue in 2020. But TBD if the 5% Latinx electorate can help swing another Democratic win. The US Senate race between Sen. Raphael Warnock (D) and Republican Herschel Walker is said to be very close.  Nevada: More than 165,000 Latinx voters in the state are estimated to turn out. Important because Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D) — the only Latina in the US Senate — is up for reelection this year. And could play a role in whether Dems hang on to the upper chamber.  New Mexico: More than 40% of the eligible voting population is Latinx — the highest in the US. And Republicans have been working to recruit voters to go red. But despite all that, one study found that the state will see a nearly 10% drop in Latinx voter turnout compared to 2018. The reasons why aren’t clear.  Other states that pundits and civic orgs are keeping a close eye on include: Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin. And part of what happens in those states may hang on the issues they see on the ballot.  What issues are Latinx voters paying attention to? Polls have shown that Latinx voters are putting the economy and cost of living front and center. This summer, UnidosUS and Mi Familia Vota — Latinx advocacy and civic engagement orgs — found that inflation is the No. 1 issue. Here’s a closer look at the top-ranking issues: The economy: Equis Research found that while this has been a top issue since December, the percentage of voters who are reporting it as the No. 1 issue has increased to over 50% in states like Arizona and Nevada. It comes as some Latinx communities — among the hardest hit in terms of job losses during the pandemic — still try to recover. Note: In 2020, Latinx voters embraced the Republican Party’s take on the economy amid COVID-19. And that’s something that could continue into the midterms, depending on the candidates on the ballot.   Gun violence: Mi Familia Vota found this ranked as the second most important issue. Researchers from Equis Research also found Latinx communities are backing Dems’ views on gun reform. “This has been an issue where we have seen a gender gap in every state we’ve polled in — except for Pennsylvania,” Quinonez said. “We’re just seeing Latinas resonate with this issue and the Democratic stances at really high rates.” Abortion: For the first time in polling, abortion is a top five issue for Latinos. “It really makes us think that we’re no different than any other electorate,” Irving Zavaleta, Mi Familia Vota national programs manager, said. But abortion doesn’t rank high in all states, according to Equis Research. Arizona and Florida were two states where abortion ranked ...

8 ‘hateful Competitors’ Who Helped Define Alabama Football Under Nick Saban https://digitalalabamanews.com/8-hateful-competitors-who-helped-define-alabama-football-under-nick-saban/ Does Alabama need more, uh, “hateful” players? During his weekly radio show, Nick Saban lamented about the lack of intensity his team showed in recent road games, as Alabama barely escaped with a win over Texas in Austin during week two of the 2022 season. “We used to play better on the road than what we played at home,” Saban said, “because we had some hateful competitors on our team and when they played on the road, they were mad at 100,000 people and not the 11 guys they were playing against. And they wanted to prove something to everybody.” Saban spoke generally, and he has waxed poetic about competitive character of current players like Bryce Young and Will Anderson. Heck, you even see it in the eyes and the play of kicker Will Reichard, who had ice water in his veins during the game-winning field goal in Austin. READ: Alabama football’s 10 ugliest wins under Nick Saban But after Saban’s comments, we dug back into past Alabama rosters to find a few players who might embody the spirit of “hateful competitors” and wanted to win at all costs. See below. Ryan Anderson The outside linebacker’s intensity never wavered, especially during Bama’s historic defensive run during the 2016 season, never more apparent when asked if he would ever sit out a bowl game ahead of the College Football Playoff semifinal. “For what?” Anderson asked. “For what? I’m playing for a national championship. I ain’t playing in the Birmingham Biscuit Bowl, or the Louisiana Crawfish Bowl, so why would I sit out? This is what I work all my life for. This is the ultimate goal. I don’t think you’ll ever have to worry about nobody around here doing that…That’s stupid. Maybe if we was playing in the Ragin’ Cajun Bowl…” Anderson had a 26-yard interception return for a touchdown against Washington in Atlanta two days later. Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster (10) celebrates after a huge hit in the last play of regulation during the fourth quarter of the Alabama at LSU football game, Saturday, November 8, 2014, at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. (Vasha Hunt)AP Reuben Foster Foster never shied away from contact or confrontation, on the field or the sideline (once getting between teammates in a brief argument during the Tide’s 52-6 blowout against USC in 2016). One of Alabama’s all-time greatest and most prolific middle linebackers, in a sea of greatness at the position, Foster at times seemed to operate on pure adrenaline, most apparent as he launched himself like a missile at returners in kickoff coverage. Alabama fans will never stop talking about the pulverizing hit he laid on Leonard Fournette in 2014. Foster played with joy, often with a smile on his face during and after games, but the force with which he delivered his tackles might keep his former opponents up at night. Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban watches as running back Mark Ingram (22) and quarterback Greg McElroy (12) encourage the second-string offensive players against Duke in the third quarter at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, N.C., Sat., Sept. 18, 2010. (The Birmingham News / Mark Almond)BN Mark Ingram Alabama’s first-ever Heisman Trophy-winner might be the program’s most competitive player ever. People would often say Ingram ran “angry,” as he often mauled defenders on his way to obscene yards-after-contact numbers. Above all — along with highly touted and hyper-competitive recruits like Julio Jones and Dre Kirkpatrick — Ingram set the standard for similar players hoping to play for the Crimson Tide. He wanted to win, and he laid it all out on the field every time he touched the ball, with Alabama often putting the whole game on his shoulders (see his 246 yards against South Carolina in 2009). Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron (10) and Alabama offensive lineman Barrett Jones (75) get set in the first quarter of the BCS National Championship NCAA football game, Monday, January 07, 2013, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. The #2 Alabama Crimson Tide played the Notre Dame Fighting Irish for the BCS National Championship. (Vasha Hunt)AP Barrett Jones One of the most decorated players in college football history, let alone at Alabama, the All-American won three national championships, the Outland Trophy and the Rimington Trophy while playing multiple positions during his storied career. But Jones’ competitive fire boiled over in the Tide’s 2012 BCS title game against Notre Dame. Even though they had an insurmountable 42-14 lead, Jones and his quarterback had a very public disagreement on the snap count, as Jones ultimately shoved his QB for all to see. The pair hugged it out when the clock hit zero, with each guy later insisting he was right. Saban discussed the incident during a “60 Minutes” interview: “The game’s probably won, and they’re still trying to get it right, aight, which to me is the kind of pride and performance that you want in the players.” Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain (25) sacks Miss. State qb Tyson Lee (16) in the first quarter at Davis-Wade Stadium at Scott Field in Starkville, MS., Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009. (The Huntsville Times/Robin Conn)Hvt Rolando McClain Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of the Nick Saban era in Tuscaloosa, McClain set the standard for the middle linebacker position moving forward, leading the team in tackles on his way to a Butkus Award and a national championship in 2009. Saban frequently praised McClain’s leadership and character while at Alabama, not to mention his prowess on the field even calling him “probably the best defensive player in the country.” It was McClain’s leadership and intensity, especially by example, that still set him apart among the legends who would join the tradition in subsequent years. Alabama wide receiver Kevin Norwood (83) grabs the Tide’s first TD over Texas A&M defensive back De’Vante Harris (1) during first quarter of the #1 Alabama vs #6 Texas A&M NCAA football game, Saturday, September 14, 2013, at Kyle Field in College Station, TX. (Vasha Hunt)AP Kevin Norwood This underrated wide receiver’s demeanor does not scream “hateful,” but his clutch performance and knack for posterizing helpless defensive backs are downright cruel. Before the “WRU” era of Alabama football boasted the likes of future first-round picks like DeVonta Smith, Jerry Jeudy, Calvin Ridley and Jaylen Waddle, the Tide had a greater reliance on the running game and passed to create the necessary balance to throw off opponents. But Norwood took it up a notch under the brightest lights, and often on the road. His breakthrough game came in the 2011 BCS championship when he high-pointed a few balls over Heisman finalist Tyrann Mathieu (AKA, the “Honey Badger”), and the T.J. Yeldon screen pass that scored Bama a miraculous win over LSU in 2012 doesn’t happen unless AJ McCarron finds Norwood for critical conversions. One of the most dependable players Saban ever coached. Alabama defensive lineman Damion Square reaches for a loose ball in the second quarter against Florida at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla., Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011. (The Birmingham News/Mark Almond)BN FTP Damion Square The defensive lineman’s production never cast any doubt on his relentlessness as a competitor in an Alabama uniform. Square won three national championships with the Crimson Tide on his way to a respectable (and unfinished) NFL career. But no one knew just how intense Square got on game days until a clip of a pregame locker room speech he delivered circulated Twitter and became a go-to hype video for fans ahead of big games. We’ll let Mr. Square speak for himself: “…They done pissed me off, and the man on the field gotta see me. I’m’ll choke his ass out from snap to whistle. It ain’t my fault he’s the next man on the m———n’ schedule. We Bama. That’s what we do. They talk that s–t ‘cause they scared. We ain’t talkin’ no s–t. That’s the routine. That’s how we do it. That will not change today, I promise you that. They may look like they want it. But I guarantee you, he don’t want it. I’m’ll let him know, he don’t want it from me.” If that doesn’t embody Saban’s opening press conference quote — “What I would like for every football team to do that we play is to sit there and say, ‘I hate playing against these guys.’” — what does? Alabama wide receiver ArDarius Stewart (13) cheers during the first half Alabama’s SEC football game with Kentucky, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016, at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (Vasha Hunt)AP ArDarius Stewart Listen, the man brought an axe on the sideline when a first-half knee sprain took him out of Alabama’s 48-43 win at Ole Miss in 2016. “You know, I was going to ask him that,” Nick Saban said after the game. “I’ve never seen the axe before. I don’t know much about it.” Indeed, Stewart had a black axe with a crimson handle and the word “Assassins” printed on it as he stood on the sideline and cheered his squad to victory. “Axe= assassins.. Had to lead my troops off the field and not let them see me down and out .. I just want the W !!!!! #3peat?????” Stewart tweeted. Stewart was Alabama’s second-leading receiver that season and remains less-celebrated than other standouts at the position, but we say again, the man had an axe that his coach did not know about. He meant business, and his play often reflected that ferocity. More on Alabama Football: See how Alabama football uniforms have changed throughout the years Alabama football moments that made us cry tears of joy It’s OK, Nick Saban: These Alabama football moments left us in tears, too Alabama football tickets: 17 vintage stubs that’ll take you back in time Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. Read More…

Jumbo Package: Alabama Looks To Improve Vs Warhawks https://digitalalabamanews.com/jumbo-package-alabama-looks-to-improve-vs-warhawks/ Happy Friday, everyone. The Tide will enjoy a tasty Warhawks cupcake tomorrow afternoon. I have heard it tastes like chicken. Your scant previews: Saturday should be a good opportunity for the Tide to keep developing its ground approach, open up some running lanes on the interior of the line, patch up the blocking issues on the edges when protecting Bryce Young, and play cleaner defense in the secondary without drawing so many penalties like it did at Texas. College Football HQ Prediction: Alabama 45, UL Monroe 0 There’s this, then a home game against Vanderbilt, and then the schedule gets nasty. The team needs tuning, it has to get the wide receivers more involved, and the secondary has to be a whole lot sharper without so much grabbing. Of course Nick Saban is worrying about the win – the 21-14 loss to the Warhawks in his first year with the Tide is still discussed – but this will be used more like a scrimmage to fix the problems exposed by the Longhorns. At least that’s the hope. Alabama 52, ULM 3 “It just shows you can’t get complacent,” Alabama safety DeMarcco Hellams said. “We have to take all our opponents seriously. We have to prepare for every opponent the same way. We’re just preparing this week to make sure we’re not one of those teams.” Those fresh upsets aside, ULM coach Terry Bowden knows Alabama has four- and five-star recruits and NFL prospects all over the field. “Quite obviousy, coaches are coaches and you’d like to think that we had an impact on the game, but 99% of the time the team that has the best football players wins,” said Bowden, a former Auburn coach. Emerge healthy, work on some stuff, get the backups plenty of action, and move on. Let it be written. Saban wants to see a little more hatefulness out of his team on the road. “We used to play better on the road than what we played at home,” Saban said, “because we had some hateful competitors on our team and when they played on the road, they were mad at 100,000 people and not the 11 guys they were playing against. And they wanted to prove something to everybody.” Some of that has slipped in recent years. “As time has gone on, “Saban said. “I think that maybe just winning the game is the focus.” Want to know why that is, in my opinion? The focus on adopting and defending the spread in order to keep up with the modern offenses that were giving the team issues some years ago. Like it or not, Alabama has been more of a finesse outfit the past several years, but titles have been won just the same. Tyler Harrell needs a little more time. “He has not been able to practice this week. He will not play in this game (against Louisiana-Monroe). Hopefully, he’s kind of day-to-day with this foot that he has. Hopefully, he will be back sometime soon,” Saban said. Last, Nick Alvarez talks about the one trait that makes Will Reichard so great. “I’d say over my now 20-plus years of coaching kickers and working with colleges, of anyone I’ve ever coached, I’ve never had more confidence in anyone than him as a high school and college player,” national specialist coach Chris Sailer told AL.com, “The only one that comes close when it comes to mentality is Justin Tucker.” The legend of Will Reichard has spread and is growing this fall. How many college kickers are compared to future NFL Hall of Famers, like Tucker? How many have had a perfect season? Are a kid’s hero? Have a Cameo account? Alabama’s “weapon” and fan favorite may have a more important role this year, though. With the margin of error seemingly thinner for the Tide, Reichard has become a necessity. Unlike some kickers we have had, Will never looks the least bit rattled when he walks onto that field. This isn’t to say that he will never miss as no one is perfect, but he is going to block out all the noise and focus on a quality kick, and his consistency has been amazing so far. That’s about it for today. Have a great weekend. Roll Tide. Read More…