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Judge Denies DOJ Request To Regain Access To Some Documents Seized In Trump Search https://digitalalabamanews.com/judge-denies-doj-request-to-regain-access-to-some-documents-seized-in-trump-search/ Washington — A federal judge on Thursday rejected a request from the Justice Department to allow its investigators to regain access to the roughly 100 documents marked classified that were seized by the FBI during its search at former President Donald Trump’s Florida residence. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon declined to put on hold any part of her Sept. 5 ruling that stopped the Justice Department from using any of the approximately 11,000 documents taken from Mar-a-Lago during the Aug. 8 search for investigative purposes, pending the review of the materials by an independent arbiter known as a special master. In her 10-page order, Cannon pushed back on two of the premises outlined by the Justice Department in its motion: that the roughly 100 documents at the center of the request are classified records and that Trump could not have a “possessory interest in any of them,” and that Trump does not have a plausible claim of privilege as to any of these records. “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,” she wrote. DALLAS, TEXAS – AUGUST 06: Former U.S. President Donald Trump prepares to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference CPAC held at the Hilton Anatole on August 06, 2022 in Dallas, Texas. CPAC began in 1974, and is a conference that brings together and hosts conservative organizations, activists, and world leaders in discussing current events and future political agendas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images) Cannon said in her order that while she agrees with the Justice Department that “the public is best served by evenhanded adherence to established principles of civil and criminal procedure,” regardless of who is involved, “it is also true, of course, that evenhanded procedure does not demand unquestioning trust in the determinations of the Department of Justice.” Federal prosecutors asked Cannon last week to allow the government to access a batch of just over 100 documents bearing classification markings for use in its ongoing criminal probe into Trump’s handling of sensitive records, but the judge’s order keeps those materials from being used by investigators for now. The Justice Department also asked Cannon to lift a second part of her Labor Day order that required the government to disclose the records with classification markings to a special master for review.  Cannon authorized the appointment of a special master to sift through the materials seized by the FBI during the Aug. 8 search for any that may be subject to claims of attorney-client or executive privileges and named Judge Raymond Dearie, the former chief judge for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, to the role. Federal prosecutors argued in their motion for a stay that if Cannon’s ruling shielding the documents was allowed to stand, the government and broader public would suffer “irreparable harm from the undue delay to the criminal investigation.” The Justice Department lawyers, including its top national security officials, also said temporarily halting their investigation risked harming the nation’s national security and intelligence interests. But Trump’s legal team opposed the Justice Department’s request, claiming in a filing Monday that some of the seized records with classification markings may not be classified anymore. They also characterized the controversy surrounding Trump’s alleged improper removal and storage of classified information as a “document storage dispute that has spiraled out of control.” Cannon’s decision to decline the Justice Department’s request for a stay paves the way for the government to file an appeal to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, as prosecutors told the court it intended to do. The decision from Cannon not to restore the Justice Department’s access to the seized records is the latest turn in the long-running effort by the National Archives and Records Administration to retrieve records taken by Trump to Mar-a-Lago at the end of his presidency in January 2021. When the FBI conducted its search at the South Florida property on Aug. 8, agents seized 33 items, boxes or containers from a storage room and from desks in Trump’s office that contained 103 documents marked “confidential,” “secret” or “top secret,” according to a detailed property list made public this month. Federal investigators also took empty folders with classified banners, along with printed news articles, books, photographs and articles of clothing, government lawyers said. Read More…

Dearie Named Special Master To Review Trump’s Mar-A-Lago Documents https://digitalalabamanews.com/dearie-named-special-master-to-review-trumps-mar-a-lago-documents/ A federal judge has appointed Raymond J. Dearie, a former chief federal judge in New York, to sort through the more than 11,000 documents — including classified materials — that FBI agents seized from former president Donald Trump’s Florida residence last month, to see if any should be shielded from criminal investigators because of attorney-client or executive privileges. The decision could significantly slow a high-profile investigation of the former president, one that prosecutors say has already been paused at a key juncture by the judge’s skepticism that the Justice Department has treated Trump fairly. Trump’s legal team proposed Dearie as a candidate to be the special master in the high-profile case, and the Justice Department agreed with the selection last week. But the two sides still disagree on whether searching through the highly sensitive classified documents taken by the FBI should be part of the special master’s responsibilities. Ultimately, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon ruled in Trump’s favor and said the special master should examine about 100 documents with classified markings, and said Dearie should prioritize those materials over the more than 11,000 nonclassified documents that were taken in the Aug. 8 search. She denied a bid by prosecutors to allow them to use the seized material in their ongoing criminal investigation before Dearie conducts his review. In her Thursday night ruling, Cannon rejected Justice Department arguments that her decision will cause serious harm to the national security investigation. Evenhanded application of legal rules “does not demand unquestioning trust in the determinations of the Department of Justice,” the judge wrote in a decision that is almost certain to be appealed by the government. Cannon, a Trump appointee confirmed by the U.S. Senate just days after Trump lost his bid for reelection, added that she still “firmly” believes that the appointment of a special master, and a temporary injunction against the Justice Department using the documents, is in keeping “with the need to ensure at least the appearance of fairness and integrity under unprecedented circumstances.” Prosecutors signaled last week that if Cannon did not amend her restrictions on the criminal investigation of Trump and his aides for possibly mishandling national defense information, or hiding or destroying government records, they would file an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta. At the same time, prosecutors asked that any special master review not include the classified documents the FBI found among the confiscated materials when it executed the court-approved search warrant. The government said that delaying investigators’ access to those documents could pose national security risks. The Washington Post reported on Sept. 6 that the seized material included information on a foreign nation’s nuclear capabilities and other sensitive documents so closely held that only a small circle of top government officials are permitted to access them. In asking the judge to back off at least part of her special master ruling, prosecutors had argued that Trump could not possibly have an attorney-client or executive privilege claim over classified documents, which by definition are the property of the federal government. Cannon roundly rejected those arguments in her filing, saying that whether the documents marked classified were actually classified is a matter of dispute. Trump’s lawyers have suggested the documents may not be classified, but have not asserted in their court appearances or court filings that Trump declassified them. The judge nevertheless said she did not necessarily believe the prosecutors, writing, “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.” While Cannon ordered the Justice Department not to use any of the seized material while awaiting the special master review, she did allow the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to conduct an assessment of any risks to national security. Prosecutors had claimed the two inquiries were “inextricably intertwined,” because the FBI is an intelligence agency, and some of the tasks necessary to conduct a risk assessment would have to be done by the FBI. Cannon’s 10-page ruling rejects that argument, saying FBI agents can do what is needed for the risk assessment, even though they cannot proceed with the criminal investigation. She ordered the assessment to proceed. The judge said prosecutors were relying heavily “on hypothetical scenarios and generalized explanations that do not establish irreparable injury.” Her ruling did not directly address a different argument by prosecutors, which said that keeping the classified documents off-limits to investigators could make it harder for them to determine whether any more classified material appears to be missing. In appointing the special master, Cannon appeared to leave most details of the review up to Dearie, including what type of material might be covered by executive privilege, a loosely defined legal concept that has historically been applied to material about a sitting president’s deliberations, to shield them from another branch of government or the public. In this case, Trump’s lawyers have raised the possibility that Trump, as a former president, could claim such a privilege over material sought by the executive branch. Cannon’s rulings in the case have not made clear how she would define such a privilege. Cannon’s order Thursday night also seems to imply that it will be in some measure up to Dearie to decide whether the 100 or so documents marked classified are, in fact, classified, and whether Trump can make any privilege claim over them. Dearie, 78, was nominated to the federal bench in Brooklyn by President Ronald Reagan after serving as U.S. attorney in the same district. Fellow lawyers and colleagues describe him as an exemplary jurist who is well suited to the job of special master, having previously served on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which oversees sensitive national security cases. Patrick Cotter, who served as a federal prosecutor in Brooklyn, said he was surprised Trump’s team suggested such a smart, low-key judge. “There wasn’t much personality, and I mean that as a compliment. Ray wasn’t chummy, and he wasn’t a good ol’ Brooklyn boy or highfalutin’ guy trying to impress you,” Cotter said. “He was a very matter-of-fact, down to earth judge with a minimum of pomposity. He will do a credible job, and will do it quickly.” Paul Bergman, a former federal prosecutor and a friend of Dearie’s for decades, called him “a perfect choice for this kind of thing, in terms of his rock-bottom judicial integrity.” Bergman said Dearie “has been called upon to perform something that is a vital task, and I don’t know that there’s anybody, frankly, out there better qualified to do this than him.” In 2015, Dearie took the unusual step of reducing the prison sentences of three convicted Canadian terrorists, saying he had been “haunted” by the case and his growing sense that their sentences were unfair. Under federal law, Dearie had been required to sentence the men to 25-year terms for conspiring to acquire missiles on behalf of the Tamil Tigers, a rebel group fighting the government of Sri Lanka. He later cut those sentences to 15 years. Read More…

Weekend Predictions: Georgia Wins Big, Georgia Tech And Falcons Lose https://digitalalabamanews.com/weekend-predictions-georgia-wins-big-georgia-tech-and-falcons-lose/ Go ahead and write your obituaries for Weekend Predictions. I don’t care. You buried me before, and after I proved you were right to do so, you’ll bury me again. Who cares? I sure don’t, which is why I’m telling you repeatedly how little I care. My picks were 3-5 against the spread in Week 2 to drop my season record to 7-9. One underdog I picked, Kentucky, won straight up at Florida. Another ‘dog, the Falcons, was on its way to victory until Arthur Smith pulled a Dan Quinn. The only other pick I got right was Arkansas (-9) over South Carolina, and there were some uneasy moments for that one in the fourth quarter. The Hogs ended up taking care of business, which is more than the Falcons can say. Falcons (+10½) at Rams Smith dismisses doubters of his team as “peripheral opponents” and Twitter bots. But real people who put real money where their mouth is also don’t think much of the Falcons. The Falcons were 5 ½-point underdogs at home against the Saints in Week 1. They are the NFL’s biggest underdog in Week 2. It’s business, not personal. The Falcons blew the big lead against New Orleans but played well before that. That could mean they’re better than the public believes, or that the Saints aren’t as good as expected. Or it could mean none of that. It’s hard to tell in the NFL, especially this early. Rams QB Matthew Stafford’s bad game against Buffalo in Week 1 was a reminder that he struggled for much of 2021 before getting hot in the playoffs. I’m taking the Falcons with the points. ExploreMore AJC coverage of the Falcons No. 1 Georgia (-24½) at South Carolina Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer is carrying on the Steve Spurrier tradition of taking unprovoked verbal shots at SEC foes. He threw shade on Tennessee for its 2019 loss to Georgia State, then ribbed LSU’s Brian Kelly for getting clowned by a reporter last week. I’m all for coaches talking trash, but Spurrier’s routine worked at Florida because he regularly beat the teams that he teased. Beamer is 3-6 in the SEC. The jokes don’t land as well if you don’t win. The idea that UGA will have to overcome crowd noise at South Carolina presupposes that the home fans will have reason to cheer all game. That hasn’t happened since 2014, when Spurrier’s Gamecocks beat No. 6 Georgia 38-35. UGA has won its past three trips by a combined margin of 114-47. South Carolina pulled within a touchdown in the final two minutes in 2016, only to see Georgia respond with a kickoff return for a TD. It won’t be that close this time. Bulldogs cover. ExploreMore AJC coverage of the Bulldogs No. 20 Ole Miss (-17) at Georgia Tech This game is a nice gift from ex-Tech coach Paul Johnson to successor Geoff Collins. It originally was scheduled as part of a home-and-home series for 2017 and 2018. According to Ole Miss, Georgia Tech asked for the series to be postponed so it could schedule other Power Five opponents. The Jackets played Tennessee in 2017 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (a 42-41 loss in overtime) but didn’t schedule a nonconference Power Five opponent in 2018 other than Georgia. The Jackets have been a home underdog of 17 points or more four times with Collins as coach. Clemson and Georgia (twice) blew them out. They lost but covered against Florida State. Collins has won three games straight up as a big underdog at Tech but never at Bobby Dodd Stadium (the 2021 victory over North Carolina, a two-touchdown favorite, was at MBS). Ole Miss covers. ExploreMore AJC coverage of the Yellow Jackets Charlotte (+19) at Georgia State Charlotte has allowed 46.6 points per game and lost 41-24 to William & Mary of the FCS. Coach Will Healy told reporters: “People are going to underestimate and doubt us, and for good reason.” If there’s good reason to believe the 49ers are terrible then that’s an accurate estimation, not an underestimation. The Panthers showed some grit against South Carolina and North Carolina but couldn’t finish. Now they drop way down in class. Georgia State is the pick. Other college games of interest Louisiana-Monroe (+49½) at No. 2 Alabama During his “Monday Night Football” broadcast with brother, Eli, Peyton Manning noted that the Seahawks are supposed to be rebuilding but opened with a victory over the Broncos. “Of course, Nick Saban didn’t say they were rebuilding until after they lost the national championship,” Manning said, per AL.com. Georgia fans should laugh loudest at that joke. I ran the numbers on Louisiana-Monroe’s 42-point loss at Texas and Bama’s one-point victory there and hey, what do you know, it adds up to me taking the big underdog. No. 13 Miami (+5½) at No. 24 Texas A&M Things are so bad at Texas A&M that Jimbo Fisher is thinking about admitting that he’s not an offensive genius and giving up play-calling duties. A&M’s 17-14 loss to Appalachian State was the latest reminder that calling plays is harder when Jameis Winston isn’t running them. Before the Aggies lost to Appalachian State of the Sun Belt, the Hurricanes blew out Southern Mississippi from the same league. I’m taking TAMU and giving the points on the theory that App State is a much better team than Southern Miss and Fisher’s offense can’t possibly be that bad again. Akron (+47½) at No. 15 Tennessee Tennessee is favored by the most points against an FBS opponent since at least 1990 (that’s as far back as the Odds Shark database goes). Maybe the Volunteers will fail to cover because they relax after a hard-fought, overtime victory at Pitt. The problem with that angle: Akron is awful. Josh Heupel’s Vols have put up 50-plus points on better teams, but then again, they’ll likely back off at some point during this blowout victory. I tried talking myself into taking the points, but I just can’t. Vols cover. South Florida (+24½) at No. 18 Florida Gators coach Billy Napier didn’t say anything embarrassing or do anything weird after his team’s loss to Kentucky. That’s a refreshing change from his predecessor, Dan Mullen. That will get Napier only so much goodwill in Gainesville if he doesn’t get more out of talented quarterback Anthony Richardson. Kentucky schemed to limit Richardson’s running, and he couldn’t make them pay throwing. USF’s pass defense is more yielding, and Florida’s defense is legit. I’m taking the Gators and giving the points. No. 22 Penn State (-3) at Auburn Bryan Harsin has coached Auburn for 15 games, and he’s already on his third offensive coordinator. QB Bo Nix transferred to Oregon after last season to play for ex-Auburn coordinator Kenny Dillingham. Last week the Tigers used two QBs while sputtering to 24 points against San Jose State, which allowed 17 to Portland State the week before. At least Tigers running back Tank Bigsby is good. Penn State is the pick. Last week: 3-5 (7-9 season) Read More…

Trump Warns Of https://digitalalabamanews.com/trump-warns-of/ 7:50PM Obituaries PGe PG Store Archives Classifieds Classified Events Jobs Real Estate Legal Notices Pets MENU SUBSCRIBE LOGIN REGISTER LOG OUT MY PROFILE Home News Local Sports Opinion A&E Life Business Contact Us NEWSLETTERS ACCOUNT Subscribe Login Register Log out My Profile Subscriber Services Search SECTIONS HOME Homepage This Just In Chats Weather Traffic Event Guide PG Store PGe Video Photos The Digs RSS Feeds NEWS News Home Crimes & Courts Politics Education Health & Wellness COVID-19 Transportation State Nation World Weather News Obituaries News Obituaries Portfolio Science Environment Faith & Religion Aging Edge Social Services LOCAL Local Home City Region East North South West Washington Westmoreland Obituaries Classifieds Legal Notices Real Estate SPORTS Sports Home Steelers Penguins Pirates Sports Columns Gene Collier Ron Cook Joe Starkey Paul Zeise Pitt Penn State WVU North Shore Drive Podcast Riverhounds Maulers NFL NHL MLB NBA NCAA College Sports High School Sports OPINION Opinion Home Editorials Letters Op-Ed Columns PG Columnists Insight A&E A&E Home Celebrities Movies TV & Radio Music Concert Listings Theatre & Dance Art & Architecture Books Events LIFE Life Home Food Buying Here Homes & Gardens Style & Fashion Travel Restaurants Seen goodness Random Acts of Kindness Pets Beer Me Outdoors Holidays BUSINESS Business Home Building PGH Your Money Business Health Powersource Workzone Tech News Business / Law Other Business Consumer Alerts Business of Pittsburgh Top Workplaces OTHER PGe NEWSLETTERS PG STORE ARCHIVES CLASSIFIEDS OBITUARIES JOBS LEGAL NOTICES REAL ESTATE CLASSIFIEDS EVENTS PETS CONTACT US / FAQ CONTACT US ADVERTISING CAREER OPPORTUNITIES TOP Email a Story Your e-mail: Friends e-mail: Read More…

Judge Names Raymond Dearie Special Master At Donald Trump https://digitalalabamanews.com/judge-names-raymond-dearie-special-master-at-donald-trump/ The Justice Department accepted Dearie, who was suggested by Trump lawyers, because of his experience handling cases of national security cases and issues of attorney-client privilege. U.S. District Judge Raymond Dearie is a senior judge in the eastern district of New York. Dearie has served on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. A federal judge Thursday appointed Raymond Dearie, a former chief federal judge in Brooklyn who also served on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, to serve as a special master reviewing the documents seized at Donald Trump’s Florida estate. But U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon refused to lift her temporary prohibition on the Justice Department reviewing the doucments for its criminal investigation. The department has appealed that part of her ruling. Cannon appointed Dearie at Trump’s request for an independent review of thousands of documents seized at Mar-a-Lago, including dozens marked “secret” or “top secret.”  Cannon ordered Trump to pay 100% of the costs of the review. She also granted access to all of the documents, including the classified records under controlled access conditions. The Justice Department, which opposed a special master as unnecessary, accepted Dearie because of his experience in national security cases and with issues of attorney-client privilege. But Cannon refused to allow the Justice Department to continue its review of about 100 classified documents while the special master conducts his review. The FBI had searched Mar-a-Lago on Aug. 8 looking for evidence of mishandling national defense documents under the Espionage Act or obstruction of justice. “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,” Cannon wrote. Prosecutors had argued their criminal review is urgent because the documents contain national security secrets. But Cannon said she wasn’t persuaded to handle the documents piecemeal or to trust the government’s characterization of the records. “First, there has been no actual suggestion by the Government of any identifiable emergency or imminent disclosure of classified information arising from Plaintiff’s allegedly unlawful retention of the seized property,” Cannon wrote. The government appealed the part of her decision that pauses their investigation to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. FBI agents found 11,000 documents, including 54 marked “secret” and 18 “top secret.” Another 48 empty folders had “classified banners” and 42 folders were marked with “return to staff secretary/military aide.” Trump lawyers argued there was “no indication any purported ‘classified records’ were disclosed to anyone” and said the Secret Service guarded Mar-a-Lago. But former national security officials told USA TODAY the categories of highly sensitive documents found at Mar-a-Lago would typically be read only in secure rooms authorized by the government and then locked in a safe. Federal authorities said there were no government-authorized rooms for classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. Trump’s lawyers have argued the search swept up communications between him and lawyers, which investigators shouldn’t have access to, under attorney-client privilege. The government identified 520 pages that fall under potential privilege. Cannon ruled an independent review by a special master would provide greater fairness to Trump. Dearie is a senior district judge in the eastern district of New York, which comprises Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island. Dearie was nominated to the court by President Ronald Reagan in 1986, after serving four years as U.S. attorney in the district. Read More…

Chinese Support For Putin’s War Looks More Shaky After Summit https://digitalalabamanews.com/chinese-support-for-putins-war-looks-more-shaky-after-summit/ Video Footage from Russian state media shows President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia meeting with Xi Jinping, China’s top leader, in Uzbekistan at a summit meant to show the strength of the relationship between the two authoritarian leaders.CreditCredit…Pool photo by Alexandr Demyanchuk/Sputnik President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia said on Thursday that Moscow understood that China had “questions and concerns” about the war in Ukraine — a notable, if cryptic, admission from Mr. Putin that Beijing may not fully approve of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. And his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping — in his first face-to-face meeting with Mr. Putin since the invasion began — struck a far more subdued tone than the Russian president, and steered clear in his public comments of any mention of Ukraine at all. Taken together, the remarks were a stark sign that Russia lacks the full backing of its most powerful international partner as it tries to recover from a humiliating rout in northeastern Ukraine last week. The two authoritarian leaders met during a summit in Uzbekistan that was meant to signal the strength of the relationship between the countries at a time of increasing animosity with the West and challenges to their agendas. The meeting was particularly important to Mr. Putin, who has become more isolated by the United States and its allies over his invasion of Ukraine. “We highly appreciate the balanced position of our Chinese friends in connection with the Ukrainian crisis,” Mr. Putin said in televised remarks at the start of the meeting. “We understand your questions and concerns in this regard. During today’s meeting, of course, we will explain in detail our position on this issue, although we have spoken about this before.” While Chinese officials have offered some lip service in recent months to Russia’s message that the war in Ukraine was the West’s fault, Mr. Xi did not repeat any of those lines in his televised comments. He carefully avoided offering any endorsement of specific Russian policies, instead offering generalities about China’s and Russia’s view of the world. After the meeting, China released a statement saying that it was “ready to work with Russia in extending strong support to each other on issues concerning their respective core interests.” It was a strikingly different tone from Mr. Xi than in early February, before the invasion. The two countries issued a joint statement before the start of the Winter Olympics in Beijing describing their partnership as having “no limits.” The lukewarm Chinese support leaves Mr. Putin in an increasingly difficult spot as the invasion approaches the seven-month mark and he faces increasing criticism inside Russia about how he is conducting the war. Sergey Radchenko, a professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, said Mr. Putin “has severely undercut his leverage with China” by cutting himself off from the West. “He has nowhere else to turn but to China,” Mr. Radchenko said. “And the Chinese are best at looking after their own interests.” In contrast with Mr. Xi’s circumspect remarks, Mr. Putin railed against the “unipolar,” American-led world order that he sees Beijing and Moscow aligned against. “We jointly stand for the formation of a just, democratic and multipolar world order based on international law and the central role of the U.N., and not on some rules that someone has come up with and is trying to impose on others, without even explaining what it’s about,” Mr. Putin told Mr. Xi. Asked about the summit meeting at a news conference on Thursday, a State Department spokesman, Ned Price, said it was “not surprising” that China had concerns about the war. “It is somewhat curious,” Mr. Price added, “that President Putin would be the one to admit it.” China has been a crucial trade partner for Russia in the months since the invasion began and Western nations turned their backs. China has increased its exports of some goods to Russia, and it bought record levels of Russian oil in May, June and July. But China has done little to help circumvent Western sanctions that prevent Russia from importing advanced Western technology. It also appears to have refrained so far this year from shipping weapons to Russia, forcing Moscow to ask Iran and North Korea for military equipment. Mr. Putin and Mr. Xi met on the sidelines of a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a multilateral, security-focused organization that includes China, Russia, India, Pakistan and four Central Asian nations. For Mr. Xi, the gathering was a chance to resume his role as a global statesman. It was his first trip abroad since he went to Myanmar in January 2020. Edward Wong contributed reporting. Image Cherelle Griner, Brittney Griner’s wife, during a rally for her wife’s release held in Phoenix in July.Credit…Antranik Tavitian/The Republic/USA Today Network WASHINGTON — President Biden will meet with the families of Brittney Griner and Paul N. Whelan at the White House on Friday, making good on a longstanding request from the relatives of the two Americans being held prisoner in Russia. But the president does not have good news to deliver about the prisoner exchange that the administration offered Russia this summer, Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, said on Thursday. “While I would love to say that the purpose of this meeting is to inform the families that the Russians have accepted our offer, and we are bringing their loved ones home, that is not what we’re seeing in these negotiations at this time,” Ms. Jean-Pierre said. “The president wanted to make sure that their families understood that they were front of mind,” she added, “and that his team was working tirelessly every day to get Brittney and Paul home safely.” Ms. Griner, a W.N.B.A. star and two-time Olympic gold medalist, was detained in Russia in February after the Russian authorities found vape cartridges with 0.7 grams of cannabis oil in her luggage when she arrived in the country to play basketball. She was convicted last month of trying to smuggle narcotics into Russia and sentenced to nine years in a penal colony. Mr. Whelan, a former Marine and corporate security executive, was arrested in 2018 and convicted in 2020 on spying charges and later sentenced to 16 years in prison. The fates of both Americans have been complicated by the deteriorating diplomatic relationship between the United States and Russia over President Vladimir V. Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Mr. Biden has condemned Mr. Putin’s actions in Ukraine, and the United States has joined with other nations to impose severe sanctions on the country. Despite that, Mr. Biden’s administration offered this summer to free Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer sentenced to 25 years by a court in New York in 2012, in exchange for the release of Ms. Griner and Mr. Whelan. Russian officials have confirmed that diplomatic discussions are taking place, but White House officials have been frustrated by the lack of a response to the offer. “The Russians should accept the offer that’s at the table, and we will encourage them to do that,” Ms. Jean-Pierre said on Thursday. In the meantime, the families of Ms. Griner and Mr. Whelan have been increasing public pressure on Mr. Biden to ensure that his administration does not let up. Early in the summer, relatives of both prisoners expressed frustration that they had not heard directly from Mr. Biden. Cherelle Griner, Ms. Griner’s wife, said on CBS in early July that the administration was “not doing anything” and that she wanted to hear from Mr. Biden directly. Two days later, Mr. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with Cherelle Griner. That prompted Elizabeth Whelan, the sister of Mr. Whelan, to publicly question why she had not received a similar call. In a call soon after, Mr. Biden assured Ms. Whelan that the administration was working to free both of the prisoners. Since then, there has been continued pressure for Mr. Biden to meet with the families face to face. Ms. Jean-Pierre said on Thursday that the meeting was scheduled for Friday because one of the family members was already going to be in the area and that the president wanted to meet with both families on the same day. It is not clear whether the president will meet with the families together or separately. The possibility of reaching a prisoner-exchange deal with Russia comes several months after the United States freed a convicted Russian drug smuggler in exchange for Trevor Reed, a former U.S. Marine who had been detained in a Russian prison for three years. White House officials said their Russian counterparts indicated at the time that another trade, for Mr. Bout, could be possible. Mr. Bout is known as the “Merchant of Death” for his activities as an arms dealer. He is serving a 25-year federal prison sentence for selling arms to undercover U.S. agents, telling them he did not object to the use of the weapons to kill Americans. Image In this combination of pictures, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, left, meeting with Xi Jinping, China’s top leader, in Uzbekistan at a summit on Thursday.Credit…Pool photo by Alexandr Demyanchuk China’s quiet ambivalence about aspects of Russia’s war in Ukraine have long been understood by Moscow, but ties between the two countries remain strong — even if it was notable that President Vladimir V. Putin acknowledged Beijing’s concerns publicly, American officials said Thursday. “What’s striking is Putin’s admission that President Xi has concerns about Russia’s war against Ukraine,” Ned Price, the State Department spokesman, said a few hours after the two leaders met in Uzbekistan. Those concerns shouldn’t be a surprise, he said, but added: “It is somewhat curious that Pre...

Trump News – Latest: Trump Nominee Appointed Special Master As He Threatens ‘big Problems’ If Charged IV News https://digitalalabamanews.com/trump-news-latest-trump-nominee-appointed-special-master-as-he-threatens-big-problems-if-charged-iv-news/ – Advertisement – Jen Psaki says Democrats ‘prefer to oppose’ Donald Trump before midterm A Florida judge has appointed Donald Trump’s nominee as Special Master in the FBI investigation into top secret papers seized by agents from the Mar-a-Lago estate. – Advertisement – Judge Raymond Deary will now review materials seized during a raid on the former president’s property in August, when Trump successfully sought the appointment of one. Earlier, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows reportedly complied with a Justice Department subpoena related to an investigation into the events surrounding the January 6 Capitol riots. Which order is he the most senior member of the Trump administration to obey? – Advertisement – Meanwhile, Donald Trump once again claimed in an interview that he had “absolute authority” as president to declassify documents and made public the files found by the FBI in an August search at Mar-a-Lago. Had done it. The claim is misleading that there are standardized protocols that are generally followed when declassifying documents, and there is no evidence that Mr. Trump or his team did. More important to Mr Trump is that the classification status of the files he took with him in Florida is irrelevant to any crime the FBI calls for a warrant for a search in his affidavit. Still, he promised a “big problem” for America if he was convicted in the case. In another investigation into the former president, the House Select Committee investigating Jan. 6 has obtained “thousands” of communications between Secret Service employees at the time of the riots, according to Speaker Benny Thompson. Judge appoints Trump nominee as special master in Mar-a-Lago secret papers investigation A Florida judge has appointed Donald Trump’s nominee as Special Master in the FBI investigation into top secret papers seized by agents from the Mar-a-Lago estate. Judge Raymond Deary will now review materials seized during a raid on the former president’s property in August, when Trump successfully sought the appointment of one. Judge appoints Trump’s nominee as special master to oversee secret files Judge Raymond Deere was nominated by President Ronald Reagan and served as a federal judge in New York since the 1980s. Graeme Massey16 September 2022 00:34 Roger Stone denies filming video for ‘Queen of Canada’ The self-proclaimed “Queen of Canada”, a QAnon follower named Romana Didullo, is apparently trying to raise money for her conspiracy-fueled movement using a cameo video made by Roger Stone. However, Mr Stone says he has no idea what the group is talking about. Greg Graziosi’s story. Roger Stone denies filming video for ‘Queen of Canada’ Trump’s former adviser said he had no idea about the group and made no pledge to match their donations Oliver O’Connell16 September 2022 00:00 WATCH: How oath-takers responded to Trump’s January 6 tweet Oliver O’Connell15 September 2022 23:15 White House expresses deep concern over GOP governors’ migrant flights The White House said Thursday that the use of migrants by Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to punish the leaders of Democratic-led state and local governments is a “deeply dangerous” stunt that has earned innocent children political points. To put in danger. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that both governors were disrupting the federal process of handling migrants and using migrants as “political pawns.” “It’s embarrassing, it’s reckless, and just plain wrong,” she said. Andrew Feinberg reports on the administration’s response. White House calls GOP governors’ migrant flights ‘deeply dangerous’ ‘Kids … are better off being left on the streets of DC or left in Martha’s Vineyard’ Oliver O’Connell15 September 2022 22:45 Trump talks about ‘bad’ McConnell, ‘Schumer’s favorite senator’ Former President Donald Trump has taken aim at Senator Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in his latest diatribe on Truth Social. he began: Mitch McConnell is giving Democrats everything they want. He is his lapdog! He didn’t stop spending trillions of dollars by refusing to use the debt ceiling as a negotiating instrument. He left it without taking anything. Now he wants to give Manchin what he wanted to destroy America and even the people of West Virginia. Continuing he said: What about his tax on coal? The Republican Senate must do something about this absolute loser, Mitch McConnell, who folds up against the Democrats every time – and he’s only getting worse! Furthermore, the former president wrote: Finally, some Republicans with great courage! Rick Scott, Ted Cruz and Mike Lee are working hard to stop Chuck Schumer and their favorite Senator Mitch McConnell through a disastrous perpetual resolution that does nothing to stop inflation, grow our economy, or restore the American dream. Won’t do—it will only put the big government first and give Munchkin his terrible deal. In conclusion, he suggested: Instead, we need a long-term sustainable resolve, so that we can deal with the real emergency, the radical left-wing destruction of America, and once again put America in the first place. McConnell is too bad! Oliver O’Connell15 September 2022 22:27 Mark Meadows complies with DoJ’s January 6 subpoena Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows has reportedly complied with a Justice Department subpoena related to an investigation into the events surrounding the January 6 Capitol riots. CNN broke down the story and cited “sources familiar with the matter.” According to unnamed sources, Mr Meadows provided the same material he had given to the House Select Committee investigating the Capitol riots. Mr Meadows’ compliance makes him the highest-ranking member of former President Donald Trump’s administration to comply with Justice Department summons. Mark Meadows complies with DoJ’s January 6 summons, turns over texts and emails Former White House chief of staff is Trump administration’s highest-ranking member to comply with Justice Department investigation Oliver O’Connell15 September 2022 22:20 Biden to talk economy, medium term, war in Ukraine on 60 Minutes Oliver O’Connell15 September 2022 21:59 Despite widespread criticism, DeSantis calls Martha’s Vineyard stunt ‘innovative’ Florida Governor Ron DeSantis boasts about his “innovative” strategy to send two planes full of Venezuelan migrants to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. “We are not a sanctuary state, and it is better to be able to move to a sanctuary jurisdiction,” Mr DeSantis said at an event. “And yes, we’ll help facilitate that transportation for you so you can move to greener pastures.” Eric Garcia reports on the governor’s comments. DeSantis boasts about Martha’s Vineyard flight of migrants despite criticism ‘We are not a sanctuary state,’ says Florida governor Oliver O’Connell15 September 2022 21:50 Tucker Carlson segment may have inspired DeSantis immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard stunt A segment by Fox News host Tucker Carlson may have prompted Republican Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida to send migrants to Martha’s Vineyard. Mr DeSantis on Wednesday sent about 50 migrants to the island off the coast of Massachusetts. Maybe this move is inspired by a segment Tucker Carlson Tonight from the end of July. Tucker Carlson may have inspired DeSantis’ move to send migrants to Martha’s Vineyard When Republicans ‘Do Corrupt Stuff It’s Worth Looking For Fox Host Who Suggested It,’ Says Media Watchdog Oliver O’Connell15 September 2022 21:20 Trump Plugs Melania’s Christmas Ornaments With Flirty Comment On Truth Social Donald Trump issued a rare flirtatious message on his own social media network Truth Social to followers who were raved about Melania Trump’s “beautiful” Christmas ornaments. The former First Lady got a ringing endorsement on Thursday after the former president “retruthed” a post by his wife, which this week announced a new range of celebratory jewelry in digital and genuine brass. “Really beautiful (jewelry, I mean!),” Trump wrote. Trump makes flirty remarks about Melania’s Christmas baubles Former First Lady Fest continues NFT hype with series Oliver O’Connell15 September 2022 20:50 Read More…

Special Master Appointed To Review Documents From Mar-A-Lago Search; DOJ Request To Revive Criminal Probe Rejected | CNN Politics https://digitalalabamanews.com/special-master-appointed-to-review-documents-from-mar-a-lago-search-doj-request-to-revive-criminal-probe-rejected-cnn-politics/ CNN  —  A Brooklyn-based federal judge was selected on Thursday to serve as an independent arbiter to review the materials seized in the FBI’s search of former President Donald Trump’s Florida home. The special master will be Senior Judge Raymond Dearie, who was put forward as a possible candidate for the special master role by Trump, who had sued in court to obtain the review. The Justice Department also endorsed Dearie’s appointment. US District Judge Aileen Cannon also rejected the Justice Department’s bid to revive its criminal investigation into classified documents seized at Mar-a-Lago last month. The denial sets the stage for the department’s dispute with Trump over the search to move quickly to an appeals court and potentially the US Supreme Court. Cannon gave the special master a deadline of November 30 to finish his review of potentially privileged documents. The schedule puts the review ending after the midterm congressional elections – essentially guaranteeing the Mar-a-Lago investigation will move slowly for the next two months, unless a higher court steps in. Dearie sits on the district court for the Eastern District of Brooklyn, where he has taken senior status – meaning his workload has been lightened significantly as he nears the end of his time on the federal bench. He was appointed as a judge by Ronald Reagan in 1986 and was for a time the chief judge of the Brooklyn-based district court. He also served a seven-year term, concluding in 2019, on the US Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. In his role as a FISA judge, Dearie was one of the judges who approved one of the Justice Department’s request to surveil former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser Carter Page, as part of the federal inquiry into Russia 2016 election interference. The department’s process for securing FISA warrants for Page was riddled with errors and sloppiness, a DOJ inspector general review later found. The IG’s review pointed to omissions and mistakes in the FBI’s court filings supporting the FISA applications, including in filings submitted to Dearie. Trump has railed against how the FISA warrants against Page were obtained, making his recommendation of Dearie to review the Mar-a-Lago search notable. Legal observers across the ideological spectrum, including vocal Trump critics, also backed the choice. Trump filed the lawsuit seeking the special master two weeks after the Justice Department executed the search on his Florida residence and resort. Prosecutors are investigating at least three potential crimes: violations of the Espionage Act, illegal handling of government records and obstruction of justice. During the search, according to court filings, investigators seized more than 100 documents marked as classified, which were obtained after Trump’s representatives were served a subpoena in May demanding they return to the government all such documents. When the FBI traveled to Mar-a-Lago in June to collect the documents, one of his lawyers signed a certification asserting the subpoena had been complied with. Trump, in his filings in the special master case, argued that his constitutional rights had teen trampled upon with the August 8 search, though Cannon herself had previously said she did not agree that the judicially authorized search amounted to a “callous disregard” of the former President’s rights. According to her order on September 5 initially granting Trump’s request for a special master review, Cannon decided it was necessary to bolster public trust in the search and because Trump, as a former president, faced increased risks of reputational harm if an indictment was wrongfully brought against him. Trump claimed on Hugh Hewitt’s radio show Thursday that he declassified the government records that were taken to Mar-a-Lago, but that’s not an argument that he’s made in any legal setting. This story has been updated with additional details. Read More…

The Last Inning (Sept. 15, 2022): Spotlighting PGF Champion Gracie Hillman, Softball News + Verbals – Extra Inning Softball https://digitalalabamanews.com/the-last-inning-sept-15-2022-spotlighting-pgf-champion-gracie-hillman-softball-news-verbals-extra-inning-softball/ PGF 18U Premier national champion Gracie Hillman, today’s standout spotlight athlete from Alabama. Get on board with Extra Inning Softball’s regular feature, The Last Inning! We are scouring the Internet and Social Media and keeping our ears to the street for the latest going on in the softball community. To contribute information, insights, thoughts or content ideas, email us at [email protected] and also [email protected] Here’s our TLI for Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022: ***** EXTRA ELITE SPOTLIGHT: GRACIE HILLMAN Georgia Tech-committed CF Gracie Hillman, #86 in the 2023 Extra Elite 100, recently talked to Extra Inning Softball about Birmingham Thunderbolts 18U Premier, speed on the bases and in the outfield, hitting away, PGF Nationals, Nebraska Gold, the medical field, Haylie McCleney and “Outer Banks.” EXTRA ELITE SPOTLIGHT Q&A Gracie Hillman Name: Gracie Hillman Hometown: Hoover, AL High School: Hoover High Club Team: Birmingham Thunderbolts 18U Premier Graduation Year: 2023 Height: 5-foot-10 Position: CF Nickname: Mustang or Gbug Twitter: @HillmanGracie Honors: Mu Alpha Theta Honor Society; National Honor Society candidate for 2022-2023; PGF 18U Premier national champion (2022); North All-Star Team; Terrific 20; All-Over The Mountain Journal Team; 7-A 1st Team All-State; All-South Metro; and currently holds Hoover High record for highest batting average. Travel Ball Highlights/Summer Stats: PGF Show Me the Money champions in Florida, placed 3rd in the Top Club Invitational in Oklahoma and won PGF 18U Premier national title in California. Batted .477 with a .500 OBP. Tell us about your travel team/organization and how you became involved with them? I’ve been playing for the Birmingham Thunderbolts organization since 8U. I’m proud to be a part of an organization that can take a talented player and make them even better, teaching a deeper meaning of the game and preparing them for college. I’m thankful for Richard Shea’s vision that started this organization and outstanding coaches like Rocky Thompson, who develops the players. Gracie Hillman What do you bring to the team? I’m here for my team. We win together and we lose together. I offer speed around the bases as well as in the outfield and have a good eye for tracking the ball. I’ve gained a solid understanding of the game as a whole over the years. I’ve been successful at stealing bases and bringing a triple threat to the plate. What areas are you focusing on/trying to improve this fall? I have a strong short game along with my ability to slap, so this fall I will be working on hitting away to increase my strength as a triple threat. Can you tell us about your experience at PGF Nationals this summer? It is a summer I will never forget. My team and I have chased this dream of winning PGF throughout the years of travel ball. It is such a well organized competition and you play the best of the best. The atmosphere at the championship game was electric. We wanted the win for each other and for our coaches. We left everything we had on the field and it payed off. Gracie Hillman Which player/team was your toughest opponent and why? Nebraska Gold was one of our toughest opponents. We won that game, 2-0. It was truly a hard fought game on both sides. What areas are you interested in future occupations and why? I’m looking into different opportunities in the medical field. Who is your sports hero and why? I’ve always admired Haylie McCleney for her athletic ability. What’s the best hype song and why? I don’t have a hype song. What’s your favorite TV show to binge and why? My favorite show is “Outer Banks” because I like the suspense. Scroll down to see more highlights … Subscribe Today to Get Unlimited Access to Extra Inning Softball Already a Extra Inning Member? Log In Read More…

Stock Futures Fall As Wall Street Heads For Losing Week, Weighs FedEx Warning https://digitalalabamanews.com/stock-futures-fall-as-wall-street-heads-for-losing-week-weighs-fedex-warning/ Traders work on the trading floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, August 8, 2022. Andrew Kelly | Reuters U.S. stock futures fell on Thursday night as Wall Street headed toward a losing week, and traders absorbed an ugly earnings warning from FedEx. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures dropped by 142 points, or 0.46%. S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures declined 0.56% and 0.64%, respectively. Shares of FedEx plunged 15% in extended trading after the shipments company withdrew its full-year guidance, and said it will implement cost-cutting initiatives to contend with soft global shipment volumes as “macroeconomic trends significantly worsened.” The three major averages were on pace to notch their fourth losing week in five. The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 3.70% this week, while the S&P 500 is 4.08% lower. The Nasdaq Composite is down 4.62%, headed toward its worst weekly loss since June. During the regular session Thursday, the Dow dropped 173 points, or 0.56%, for its lowest close since July 14. The Nasdaq Composite slid 1.43%, while the S&P 500 fell 1.13%. Traders are concerned that markets will retest June lows after a surprisingly hot reading in August’s consumer price index report indicated an increasingly difficult pathway to bring down inflation by the Federal Reserve. “They might have a hard choice to make,” iCapital’s Anastasia Amoroso said Thursday on CNBC’s “Closing Bell: Overtime.” “Before they were saying, we’re going to try to have a soft landing and bring down inflation. Now they may have to make a choice. It’s either a soft landing or bringing down inflation. In other words, they may have to engineer more of a crackdown on economic growth to bring down inflation,” she added. On the economic front, traders are expecting the latest consumer sentiment data on 10 a.m. ET Friday. Major averages on pace for fourth losing week in five All three major averages are on track to post their fourth losing week in five. Here are where markets stand through Thursday: The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 3.7% The S&P 500 is down 4.08% The Nasdaq Composite is down 4.62%, heading toward its worst week since June 17 — Sarah Min FedEx shares plunge after withdrawing guidance Shares of FedEx tumbled 15.3% in after hours trading after the transport company withdrew its full-year guidance, and said it will implement cost-cutting initiatives to contend with a worsening macro. “Global volumes declined as macroeconomic trends significantly worsened later in the quarter, both internationally and in the U.S. We are swiftly addressing these headwinds, but given the speed at which conditions shifted, first quarter results are below our expectations,” FedEx CEO Raj Subramaniam said in a statement. The company said it is closing 90 office locations, shutting down five corporate office facilities and pausing hiring efforts, as part of those cost-cutting measures. — Sarah Min Stock futures open lower U.S. stock futures opened lower on Thursday night as Wall Street headed toward its fourth losing week in five. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures dropped by 137 points, or 0.44%. S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures declined 0.51% and 0.60%, respectively. — Sarah Min Read More…

Mike Lindell's Phone Search Reveals New Details About Scope Of Federal Probe Into Efforts To Subvert 2020 Election Results https://digitalalabamanews.com/mike-lindells-phone-search-reveals-new-details-about-scope-of-federal-probe-into-efforts-to-subvert-2020-election-results/ By Zachary Cohen, Jeremy Herb and Evan Perez, CNN (CNN) — The Justice Department is seeking information about at least seven people in connection with a breach of a Colorado county’s voting system as part of efforts to subvert the 2020 election results, according to subpoena documents obtained by CNN that reveal new details about the breadth of the investigation. The subpoena issued to MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell earlier this week lists the names of people considered “subjects” in the investigation — including people involved in efforts to seize voting machine data in several states as former President Donald Trump and his allies tried to overturn his electoral loss. Lindell has not been charged with any crimes or wrongdoing. It’s unclear if federal investigators have opened probes into what happened in other states, but the subpoena shows they are gathering evidence related to three potential crimes in Mesa County, Colorado: identity theft, intentional damage to a protected computer and/or conspiracy to commit either. The subpoena covers “all records and information” on Lindell’s phone that constitutes as evidence against seven named individuals or any other unnamed co-conspirators. It details several areas of interest for investigators related to Dominion voting systems and any efforts to damage or access them. Lindell was involved in the broader effort to find evidence of voter fraud after the 2020 election, with the goal of backing-up former President Donald Trump’s baseless claims that the election had been stolen. Earlier this year, Mesa County clerk Tina Peters was indicted on 10 counts related to voting machine tampering allegations after an apparent security breach in Mesa County’s elections office in May 2021. Peters has pleaded not guilty. Peters appeared last year at Lindell’s “Cyber Symposium,” a gathering of election deniers at which a host of debunked conspiracy theories about the 2020 election were promoted. In addition to Peters, the subpoena issued to Lindell sought information about a half-dozen others who have been connected to the efforts in Colorado and other states to gain access to voting data. Most of the individuals are tied directly to the Mesa County scheme. Two of the individuals, Belinda Knisley and Sandra Brown, were Peters’ deputies in the Mesa County elections office and were charged in the Colorado state case earlier this year. Knisley reached a plea deal last month in exchange for her cooperation. According to the plea deal, Knisley told investigators that Peters created a scheme in which she helped an unauthorized individual gain entry to secure areas inside the clerk’s office and to the county’s election equipment. Knisley told investigators that individual was Conan Hayes, who was also listed on Lindell’s subpoena. (Hayes has not been charged.) Lindell told CNN last summer that he had paid Hayes and other so-called cyber experts “a lot of money” to review what he described as data from the 2020 election. Hayes, a surfer-turned-election denier, was part of the team of pro-Trump operatives who accessed voting systems in Antrim County, Michigan, in early December 2020. He worked with individuals like Cyber Ninja CEO Doug Logan to produce a since debunked-report about Antrim County’s Dominion voting machines that was used by the former President and his allies as evidence of widespread election fraud. Lindell told CNN last year that he paid Hayes and other “cyber forensic experts” to analyze data from the 2020 election. Hayes and Logan did not respond to CNN’s request for comment. In addition, the subpoena listed Sherronna Bishop, the former 2020 campaign manager for Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, who is a close ally to Peters and has appeared with the embattled county clerk at various political rallies and numerous videos on social media. In November 2021, the FBI and local investigators executed a search warrant at Bishop’s house as part of the investigation looking into the Mesa County security breach. Bishop is an election denier and has posted several far-right conspiracy theories on a Facebook page she operates called “America’s Mom.” She has also posted photos with Lindell and Trump. Asked about her name appearing on the subpoena served to Lindell, Bishop told CNN in a text message that she continues “to stand with and fully support Clerk Tina Peters creation of forensic images.” She also has not been charged. The Lindell subpoena also listed Douglas Frank, who has gained prominence in Trump world with his theories about the 2020 election results. Frank previously told CNN he has trained teams in 30 states so far on how to examine their voting rolls to uncover potential fraud and more have asked for help. It’s part of his claim that state voter registration rolls have been inflated with fraudulent or “phantom” voters. Frank previously said he began focusing on building relationships with election officials in December 2020 and has recruited dozens, including clerks and other office workers, in counties across the country to support their effort. Frank claimed that Lindell has been providing financial backing for his work, paying for flights and other expenses. “I am working with dozens of election officials across the country. I keep their identities confidential unless they wish to go public,” Frank said in January. Frank told CNN on Thursday that the FBI agents confiscated his phone after presenting him with a warrant to do so. “It took about 20 minutes,” he said about the interaction with FBI agents. He has not been charged with any crimes. Lindell has emerged as one of the most vocal boosters still pushing false claims about the 2020 election. In a series of so-called documentaries, Lindell has advanced an increasingly outlandish theory that foreign hackers broke into the computer systems of election offices to switch votes — in what he has described as the “biggest cyber-crime in world history.” He is also one of just a handful of individuals still fighting to block the House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection from obtaining their phone records and has been engaged in a months-long court battle with the panel. This story has been updated with additional details. The-CNN-Wire & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. Read More…

Opinion: Adam Kinzinger's Big Regret https://digitalalabamanews.com/opinion-adam-kinzingers-big-regret/ David Axelrod, a senior CNN political commentator and host of “The Axe Files,” was a senior adviser to President Barack Obama and chief strategist for the 2008 and 2012 Obama presidential campaigns. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his. View more opinion on CNN. (CNN)Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois is a recovering politician. Gerrymandered out of his district by Democrats, excommunicated from his party by Republicans, the Air Force veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will be leaving Washington, DC, in January 2023 after a dozen years in Congress. Still, it’s striking to hear anyone in public life candidly admit to a mistake — even “shame” — over a public act, as Kinzinger did during a conversation we had this week on my podcast, “The Axe Files.” Kinzinger’s political journey from stalwart party man to lonely critic offers a parable about the powerful pull of tribe that has seized the Republicans, with grave implications for the GOP and our democracy. The cause of Kinzinger’s contrition was not his vote in 2021 to impeach then-President Donald Trump for his role in the January 6 insurrection — a vote that made him and nine other apostate Republicans pariahs within the party’s congressional ranks. Nor does he regret his decision to serve on the congressional committee formed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to probe the January 6 uprising and Trump’s relentless effort to overturn the 2020 election. What causes Kinzinger particular anguish, he says, is that he didn’t vote to impeach the former President the first time he had the chance in 2020, when the House cited Trump for pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to dig up dirt on Trump’s rival, Joe Biden, and his son, Hunter Biden. “You can always look back at 12 years and say there’s different regrets, different votes. That’s my biggest,” he says. “It is tough to take on your party. It is tough to know you’re going to get kicked out of the tribe. And it’s tough to make a decision that you know will cost you your reelection. And so I was looking for a reason out.” The subject came up as Kinzinger catalogued the damning findings of the January 6 committee, including Trump’s pressure campaign to get the Department of Justice to allege evidence of massive voter fraud even though it had found none. Trump, he says, “was deeply involved in this. He knew what he was doing … He knew when he told the DOJ officials to ‘Just say the election was corrupt. Look, I don’t … need your DOJ to go out and prosecute this for me. I just need you to put the stamp of corruption on it, and then me and the Republican congressmen will do the rest to undermine democracy.'” I noted that this account was hauntingly reminiscent of Trump’s infamous conversation with Zelensky in the summer of 2019, when Trump tried to pressure Zelensky to launch a probe of Biden and his son over Hunter’s business dealings in Ukraine. At the time, Biden was emerging as a principal challenger to Trump in the 2020 election, but Zelensky did not grant Trump’s request. Yet Kinzinger voted no to impeachment then — and acknowledges voting to reelect Trump in 2020. “Looking back on it and seeing that pattern that exists…yeah if I could go back in time, I’d vote for it. And I probably would not have gotten reelected to this term.” So why did he balk at holding Trump accountable then? And why have so few of Kinzinger’s Republican colleagues joined him in renouncing Trump now, even after all the chilling revelations about his leading role before, during and after the January 6 insurrection and the latest scandal over the highly classified documents the former President had stowed at Mar-a-Lago? The answer is fear. But we often make the mistake of assuming that it is simply the fear of the loss of power. Kinzinger, who has spent a lot of time thinking about this since his rupture with the House Republican caucus over Trump, says it goes to more primal instincts over tribe and identity. “Tribalism is deeply ingrained,” he explains. “I think this is part of what goes to explain why some of the leaders out here … are so silent. I think people in many cases fear, more than they fear death, they fear being kicked out of their tribe … When all of a sudden the people that you love lose respect for you or basically divorce you over text messages or whatever that is, that’s a terrible feeling. I’ve lived it.” But when fearful leaders remain silent, or tacitly embrace conspiracy theories, it only reenforces them, creating an unwholesome feedback loop of misinformation. This is the reality of today’s Republican Party. “You know, if you watch Fox News and Fox News says the election was stolen, and all the people you trust in Republican politics say the election was stolen,” those who defy the narrative are the outliers. It’s one reason why a majority of Republicans still say they view Biden’s election as illegitimate, he says. Kinzinger will soon be out of office, but his “recovery” from politics may not hold. The Country First PAC he formed last year has been active this primary season, targeting election-denying Republicans in contests across the country. He promises to continue the fight this fall, even supporting Democrats in select races against Republicans who have denied the 2020 election results. Trump’s grip on the Republican Party is so great, Kinzinger says, that should the former President run, he will be the nominee in 2024 — “even if he’s indicted, for goodness sakes.” Some have urged Kinzinger to run for president as an independent but he says — correctly, I believe –that such a candidacy in 2024 would likely drain more votes from the Democrats. “I think it reelects Donald Trump.” But Kinzinger, who is just 44, hinted at his longer-term project: breaking the monopoly of the two major parties and creating a third that could meld center left and right voters. “I do think we’re in a so divided moment that another party would be beneficial,” he says. “If you look to ’28 or ’32 and you begin to actually do the process of how do we lower the barriers to entry? … Those are the kinds of things that people interested in working outside a two-party system should be working on now.” Read More…

Ayala: Ken Starr Likely Wouldn’t Have Been As Generous To Monica Lewinsky https://digitalalabamanews.com/ayala-ken-starr-likely-wouldnt-have-been-as-generous-to-monica-lewinsky/ One of the most compassionate reactions to the death of Ken Starr this week came from an unlikely source — a woman whose life he turned into a punching bag and a punchline in the infamous Whitewater investigation of the 1990s. Monica Lewinsky, now an anti-bullying activist, had no reason to be gracious about one of her tormentors. But she was. “As I’m sure many can understand,” she wrote on Twitter, “my thoughts about Ken Starr bring up complicated feelings…But of more importance, is that I imagine it’s a painful loss for those who love him.” Starr probably wouldn’t have been as generous in kind. Lewinsky was a White House intern when she had a consensual sexual relationship with former President Bill Clinton and became fodder for the politically charged inquiry. It started as an investigation into real-estate investments but like a cancer, it metastasized into several other areas, ending with tawdry conclusions in his infamous “Starr Report.” Portions of it read like a trashy novel, “Sex on the Potomac.” But the report helps encapsulate Starr’s legal career, which was also a political career defined by right-wing ideology. It didn’t end well. In part, he pursued such sex and politics case work as a defense attorney, special prosecutor, judge and self-appointed overseer of national impropriety. He reminded me of comedian Dana Carvey’s famous “Saturday Night Live” sketch character, the Church Lady, the pious Enid Strict with a talk show called “Church Chat.” As fans could say of Carvey’s Strict, critics could say of Starr, it always came back to sex. That was true of Starr’s Whitewater investigation, which grew to include Clinton’s affair with Lewinsky, and in Starr’s defense of sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, accused of having sex with underage girls. Epstein’s case could have implicated prominent politicians and corporate leaders on both sides of the aisle, including Clinton and former president Donald Trump. Still, Starr orchestrated a deal that gave Epstein an 18-month sentence. Epstein’s death in prison was ultimately ruled a suicide. His accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell got a 20-year sentence this summer for her role in Epstein’s international sex trafficking operation. That wasn’t the only case in which Starr helped an alleged child molester. He wrote a letter of support for teacher Christopher Kloman at the Potomac School. Kloman received a 43-year sentence for the molestation of five girls at the school in McLean, Virginia. From Lewinsky to Baylor University, where he was president, Starr’s legacy was misogynistic and synonymous with investigations or charges involving sexual relationships, sexual harassment, sexual assault, rape and sexual predators. Starr may have defended Trump in his 2020 impeachment case, but it was in support of a man accused by dozens of women of sexual harassment and sexual assault. That’s in addition to the multitude of cases against Trump’s activities before, during and after he left the White House, including inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection and the handling of top-secret files now under investigation. Starr also had the dubious honor of hiring and mentoring future Supreme Court Justice Brett Cavanaugh, whose nomination hearings included testimony from a classmate who said she was sexually assaulted by him decades earlier. She was entirely credible. At Baylor, Starr was removed as president for his failure to protect students who were raped and sexually assaulted by other students, notably members of its football team. Starr tried to retain his chancellor and teaching duties but that didn’t last. Baylor remains in denial, putting out a statement about Starr’s death, never mentioning his sins and crimes. It chose instead to focus on Starr’s prowess as a fundraiser and the infrastructure he helped build. Starr had a San Antonio connection. The Texas native graduated from Sam Houston High School, where he was voted most likely to succeed. According to a 1998 Washington Post story, “The roots of Ken Starr’s morality plays,” he attended Harding University for two years and sold Bibles door-to-door to help pay for college costs. His credentials were impressive. He earned degrees from George Washington, Brown and Duke universities and clerked for former Chief Justice Warren Burger. He served as a U.S. circuit judge for the District of Columbia and as solicitor general under President George H.W. Bush. Starr was briefly considered to fill a Supreme Court vacancy, but that seat went to David Souter instead. People may most remember him for the Starr Report, but his life is better suited for study as a powerful man who was always on the wrong side of history. That’s his legacy. Monica Lewinsky was just too nice to say it. eayala@express-news.net Read More…

Obituaries In Jacksonville, FL | Florida Times-Union https://digitalalabamanews.com/obituaries-in-jacksonville-fl-florida-times-union/ Mr. William Lafayette “Bill” Jameson of Orange Park, FL, beloved husband and father, went home to his Heavenly Father on September 13, 2022 at the age of 93 years. He was born September 30, 1928 in Carey, GA, to the late Edward Earl Jameson and Sallie L. Smith Jameson. He was a 1947 graduate of the Lanier High School for Boys in Macon, GA. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Business Administration from Mercer University in Macon, GA in 1951. Bill achieved the rank of Captain in the US Marine Corps and served his country during the Korean War as a Supply Officer for the Third Marine Air Wing stationed in Puerto Rico. On September 1, 1951, he married Sylvia Byrd from Macon, GA, and they started a family together and a life’s adventure that would span 71 years and 9 cities. His strong work ethic was developed early in life as he began continuous employment of some form from the age of nine years old. He was always appreciative of the mentorship he received from his employers as he journeyed to adulthood and strove to exemplify their kindness to those who were in his employ throughout his own career. In 1951, he began a 38-year career with Sears Roebuck in Macon, GA, ultimately retiring in 1989 after 14 years as the Sears Orange Park Mall store manager. Bill supported his community through his volunteer efforts with the Orange Park Hospital, the Clay County Fair and the Salvation Army. His longtime membership in the Rotary Club and its activities and charities was an important part of his life and he supported it through his participation and attendance. A man of deep faith and a lifelong Christian, he helped start a mission Baptist church in the Orange Park, FL area. An ordained deacon in the Baptist Church, he belonged to and served churches in numerous towns in Georgia and Florida as he followed his Sears career path. He loved the game of golf, playing with the same golf buddies for many years. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his son-in-law Barry Cooper. He leaves to cherish his memory, his beloved wife, Sylvia Jameson; daughters, Kathy Marie Tyler and son-in-law Philip of Auburn, AL, and Linda Jane Cooper of Villa Rica, GA; son, William Mark Jameson of Orange Park, FL; four adored grandchildren, Emily Tyler Bacon (Sam) of Atlanta, GA and Laura Tyler Strother (Kenny) of Auburn, AL, Kristin Leigh Cooper of Savannah, GA and Jonathan Barrett Cooper of Atlanta, GA; five cherished great-grandchildren, Tyler, Addie and Piper Bacon and William and Jackson Strother; many dear and loved extended family members, and his numerous personal and professional friends. Visitation will be held at 10:00 a.m., September 19, 2022 at Jacksonville Memory Gardens Cemetery and Funeral Home in Orange Park, FL. A memorial service will be held September 19, 2022 at Jacksonville Memory Gardens Cemetery and Funeral Home in Orange Park, FL at 11:00 a.m. with the Reverend Bobby Highsmith officiating with interment immediately following. Posted online on September 15, 2022 Published in Florida Times Union Service Information Visitation Jacksonville Memory Gardens Cemetery and Funeral Home, Orange Park, FL. September 19, 2022 at 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Memorial Service Jacksonville Memory Gardens Cemetery and Funeral Home, Orange Park, FL, interment immediately following. September 19, 2022 at 11:00 AM Read More…

New Hampshire GOP Senate Nominee Abruptly Backs Off False 2020 Election Claims – ABC17NEWS https://digitalalabamanews.com/new-hampshire-gop-senate-nominee-abruptly-backs-off-false-2020-election-claims-abc17news/ By Gregory Krieg and Dan Merica, CNN New Hampshire Senate candidate Don Bolduc won the Republican nomination on Tuesday after months campaigning on false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump. A little more than a day later, he attempted an about-face. Asked Thursday on Fox News about the 2020 race, Bolduc, a retired Army brigadier general who faces Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan in November, said he’s “done a lot of research on this” and, after speaking with New Hampshire voters, was changing his position. “I’ve come to the conclusion, and I want to be definitive on this: The election was not stolen,” Bolduc said, adding that while he still believes there was fraud, “Elections have consequences and, unfortunately, President Biden is the legitimate president of this country.” The comments marked a U-turn from as recently as last month, when during a primary debate he doubled down on his past false assertions. “I signed a letter with 120 other generals and admirals saying Trump won the election, and damn it, I stand by [it],” Bolduc said during the mid-August debate. Hassan’s campaign described Bolduc’s new public stance as an unconvincing and cynical ploy. “Don Bolduc has spent the entire campaign touting the Big Lie, and he can’t hide from that record. He has even said that he supports overturning the results of the 2024 election if it doesn’t go his way,” Hassan campaign spokesman Kevin Donohoe said. “A word salad on Fox will not erase his record of election denial.” Earlier Thursday, Hassan’s campaign shared on Twitter a video clip of Bolduc’s debate remark, tweeting, “Don Bolduc is an election denier.” Bolduc’s campaign did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for an explanation for his reversal. Hassan’s seat represents a top pickup opportunity for Republicans, who are trying to erase Democrats’ slim Senate majority this fall. New Hampshire broke for now-President Joe Biden by 7 points in 2020, and many in GOP leadership believe Hassan is susceptible to a competent challenger — a view that led them to back state Senate President Chuck Morse in the primary. Morse conceded to Bolduc early Wednesday. Morse had been endorsed by the state’s popular GOP governor, Chris Sununu, whom Senate Republicans had tried — and failed — to recruit against Hassan. Leading GOP establishment figures also backed Morse, worried that Bold uc’s rhetoric over the 2020 election, his calls to repeal the direct election of senators as required by the 17th Amendment, and his criticism of the FBI after the search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence would doom him to defeat in a general election. Sununu during the primary called Bolduc a “conspiracy theorist-type candidate” and warned that the Republicans “would have a much harder time” flipping the seat if he was nominated. At a news conference on Wednesday, Hassan offered a preview of the campaign to come, calling Bolduc “the most extreme nominee for US Senate that New Hampshire has seen in decades” and zeroing in on his ties to Trump. “It is interesting that Donald Trump indicated his support for Don Bolduc this morning, and again, Don Bolduc supports the election denial for 2020 — has helped spread those lies, says he supports or is open to abolishing the FBI, and says if the 2024 election doesn’t go the way he thinks it should, he would work to overturn it,” Hassan said. Trump did not make an endorsement in the New Hampshire GOP Senate primary. Trump congratulated Bolduc on Wednesday for his “BIG WIN in New Hampshire” in a post on the former President’s Truth Social platform. Bolduc’s campaign shared a screenshot of that post on Twitter, writing, “Strong words from President Trump. Thank you, sir!” Bolduc had in recent week shown some signs that he was beginning a pivot away from the false 2020 election claims that had been central to his candidacy. In an interview with New Hampshire Public Radio published on September 2, he repeatedly demurred when asked about those claims. Eventually, though, after the interviewer plainly stated that there was “no evidence that the 2020 election was stolen,” Bolduc tried to distance himself from that language. “Did I say it was stolen? I didn’t say it was stolen. I said that Granite Staters have issues, and that’s who’s important. I just want to be clear on what I’m saying,” he said. Bolduc, though, has long been an exponent of Trump’s lies. In an interview with the New Yorker published in October 2021, he defended his decision to sign on to the letter that said Trump was the 2020 winner and insisted that his rigged election and fraud claims were sincere. “I very much believe it and I think it exists, and I think it happens and it’s been happening for a long time in this country. When you try to steal the Presidency, a lot of people are going to go, ‘OK, wait a minute. What the hell’s going on here?,’” Bolduc said at the time. The-CNN-Wire & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. Read More…

NY Attorney General Rejected Settlement Offer From Trump Organization – Deltaplex News https://digitalalabamanews.com/ny-attorney-general-rejected-settlement-offer-from-trump-organization-deltaplex-news/ (NEW YORK) — The New York attorney general’s office rejected an offer this month to resolve a civil investigation into former President Donald Trump and his family real estate business, sources familiar with the matter tell ABC News. For more than three years, New York Attorney General Letitia James has been investigating whether Trump fraudulently adjusted the value of his assets to secure loans or tax breaks. James had already said in court filings she has found evidence of possible fraud. The rejection of the Trump Organization’s settlement offer is a possible sign she intends to file a civil lawsuit which, if successful, could result in financial penalties or restrictions on the company’s ability to operate in New York. A spokesperson for the AG’s declined to comment. The Trump Organization did not respond to a request for comment by ABC News. James had already said in court filings she has found evidence of possible fraud. The rejection of the Trump Organization’s settlement offer is a possible sign she intends to file a civil lawsuit which, if successful, could result in financial penalties or restrictions on the company’s ability to operate in New York. A spokesperson for the AG’s declined to comment. The Trump Organization did not respond to a request for comment by ABC News. News of the rejected settlement offer was first reported by The New York Times. Trump, who has denied wrongdoing, has called the investigation a politically motivated witch hunt. He repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during a deposition last month in James’ office. In a January court filing, James accused Trump of misstating objective facts, overstating his liquidity, and failing to use fundamental techniques of asset valuation. The filing mentioned financial statements associated with seven different Trump properties, including 40 Wall Street, the apartment in Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, and golf clubs in Scotland and in Westchester County, New York. Last month, in a separate case, longtime Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg pleaded guilty to charges of running a yearslong scheme to avoid paying taxes on nearly $2 million in income, including fringe benefits like rent, luxury cars and private school tuition for his grandchildren. He also agreed to testify against the Trump Organization when the company goes on trial in connection with the alleged compensation scheme beginning in October. The plea agreement contains no requirement for him to cooperate in the related criminal case against Trump himself. Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Read More…

Biden Surpasses Trump’s Record Of Federal Judge Appointments https://digitalalabamanews.com/biden-surpasses-trumps-record-of-federal-judge-appointments/ Biden Surpasses Trump’s Record Of Federal Judge Appointments Arjun Singh on September 15, 2022 The Biden administration has been appointing new judges to vacancies on the federal bench at the fastest rate in 30 years, beating former President Donald Trump’s rate of confirmations, according to new data published Thursday. As of September, Biden had nominated and appointed 82 federal judges, following confirmation votes by the Democratic-controlled Senate, according to data from the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts. Of this number, 19 were federal appellate judges while the rest were district judges. One such appointment was Ketanji Brown Jackson, who was elevated by Biden twice: to the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in 2021 and, one year later, to the Supreme Court of the United States. Most of Biden’s appointments were to the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, based in San Francisco, California. That court – by far the largest appellate court, with jurisdiction over most Western and Pacific states and serving a population of more than 66 million – was frequently criticized by Trump for ruling against his administration. The Senate has confirmed six Biden appointees to the 29-member court. By contrast, at this point in Trump’s first term, the Senate confirmed 26 of his appellate judge appointees and 26 district judge appointees, compared to 58 district appointees for Biden. During Trump’s term, then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that confirming judicial appointees was his “highest priority.” Over four years, Trump appointed 245 judges to federal district and appellate courts during his four-year term, including three judges to the Supreme Court, the most of any president since Ronald Reagan, who appointed five. President Biden has appointed more new federal judges than former President Trump had at the same point in his term, and there are more still to come. https://t.co/c7ZPRyfF0l pic.twitter.com/UGwm4TE3Lz — Axios (@axios) September 15, 2022 The data covered Biden’s appointments to federal courts with authority under Article III of the Constitution, which hear general cases and controversies and whose appointees serve “during good behavior,” which is understood to mean for life. Court of Appeals appointments are regarded as more significant than district judge appointments since appellate courts are the final word on most federal lawsuits. The Supreme Court hears less than 1% of the cases that petition it for appeal. For that reason, Trump and McConnell sought to place like-minded judges of originalist and textualist philosophies on the federal bench. The effort, supported by groups such as the conservative Federalist Society and the Article III Project, is widely credited with ensuring favorable decisions for Republicans, such as the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which mandated a federal right to abortion, and several injunctions blocking the Biden administration’s border policies. Biden currently has 15 more appellate judges pending before the Senate. As of writing, there are nine vacancies in federal appeals courts and 69 vacancies in federal district courts. Neither the White House nor the office of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has responded to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation. Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected] Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact  licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org. Read the full story at the Daily Caller News Foundation Read More…

PREP FOOTBALL: Week Four Prep Football Fix https://digitalalabamanews.com/prep-football-week-four-prep-football-fix/ Abraham Lincoln vs Sioux City West Records: Abraham Lincoln 1-2, Sioux City West 2-2 Last Week: Abraham Lincoln lost to Glenwood 40-6, Sioux City West lost to Des Moines Hoover 35-33 When: 7 p.m. Friday at Wickersham Stadium Rankings: Neither team is ranked  The Word: Abraham Lincoln is hoping to celebrate homecoming weekend with a victory over Sioux City West on Friday, but will need to slow down dynamic senior quarterback Keavian Hayes if it hopes to break a two-game skid and end on top.  Through four games, Hayes has 373 yards passing with five touchdowns and 418 rushing yards with four scores.  “I think the biggest thing that’s stuck out to me is the athleticism of their quarterback,” A.L. head coach John Wolfe said. “That’ll be the thing that jumps off the film. He’s very athletic, dynamic football player. He throws the ball decent, but really wants to pull it down and run and does a good job of that.”  On the other side of the ball, the Lynx hope to see more consistency out of its offense. Abraham Lincoln has only scored 13 points combined in the last two games and knows it’ll take more than that to earn the homecoming-night victory.  “We need to become more efficient on offense,” Wolfe said. “Last week against Glenwood we did some good things, but the problem was we were a little to up and down.”  Thomas Jefferson vs Denison-Schleswig  Records: Thomas Jefferson 0-4, Denison-Schleswig 1-2 Last Week: Thomas Jefferson lost to Carroll 56-0, Denison-Schleswig lost to Creston 35-9 When: 7 p.m. Friday at Denison Rankings: Neither team is ranked  The Word:  Thomas Jefferson will have its hands full when it plays Denison-Schleswig on Friday. The Monarchs have shown the ability to run and pass the football and have used different strategies in different games.  The Yellow Jackets have struggled to slow down the run game of some of their opponents and expect Denison may try to take advantage of that.  “They do a lot of stuff offensively,” T.J. head coach Kevin Culjat said. “They’ve had games where they threw the ball all over the place and they’ve had games where they line it up and run. They’ve been very successful at both. It’s kind of hard to get a gauge off of film at what they might do. Honestly, teams have had success against us running the ball, so my guess would be they run the ball early and make us stop that.”  On the other side of the ball, Thomas Jefferson will have to deal with a team that’s had success, including holding Abraham Lincoln to just seven points. What the Monarchs lack in size they make up for with athletic ability.  “They’re good up front,” Culjat said. “They were really good against A.L. and A.L. has a pretty good offense. They’re not overwhelming large. It’s not like they have great big guys, but they’re all athletic and move really well. They blitz a lot from the two inside linebackers positions. We worked a lot this week on picking up the blitz. It’s been a challenge for our offense, we’ve changed some things and moved some people around and hopefully we’ll have a little more success offensviley.”  Lewis Central vs Indianola  Records: Lewis Central 3-0, Indianola 3-0 Last Week: Lewis Central defeated Norwalk 49-27, Indianola defeated Pella 33-19 When: 7 p.m. Friday at Titan Stadium  Rankings: Lewis Central is ranked No. 1 in Class 4A, Indianola is ranked No. 5 in Class 4A  The Word: Lewis Central and Indianola split a pair of games last season. The two squares face off again in a top-five match up sure to be full of talent.  The two teams have a lot of similarities from a year ago, but new faces will hope to make their mark.  “They look very similar from what they did,” Lewis Central head Justin Kammrad said. “Same type of athletes, really good football team, that’s extremely well coached. They don’t make a lot of mistakes. They’re gonna put pressure on you both offensively and defensively.”  On offense, Indianola is well balanced with 81 pass attempts this season and 94 rushing attempts. On defense, the Indians like to stay active especially in the linebacking core and secondary.  Lewis Central will be looking to slow down senior quarterback Bennett Brueck who has thrown for 640 yards and eight touchdowns this season and senior receiver Drew Kingery who had 15 catches for 222 yards and five touchdowns.  “They’re really solid all around,” Kammrad said. “Offensively you have to try to minimize the big plays. You have to be sure that you know where all their players are at and you have to keep them in front of you.”  St. Albert vs Corning Southwest Valley  Records: St. Albert 1-2, Southwest Valley 2-1 Last Week: St. Albert lost to Underwood 57-7, Southwest Valley lost to AHSTW 28-0 When: 7 p.m. Friday at Al Leber Field Rankings: St. Albert is ranked No. 8 in Class A, Southwest Valley is unranked  The Word: Physical is the word that St. Albert head coach Jake Driver used to describe Southwest Valley. The Falcons hope to match that physicality and earn a win on homecoming night this Friday.  “They’re really physical up front,” Driver said. “They want to run the football right at you. They don’t make any bones of what they do.”  Southwest Valley has 680 rushing yards this year and only 142 passing yards.  Defense isn’t much different for the Timberwolves.  “They’re just gonna out physical you up front,” Driver said. “Their defensive ends and tackles play hard. The linebackers really support the run. They want to make us throw the football and they want to get after us when we do.”  In order to combat this St. Albert hopes to get back to basics. They’re hoping to take advantage of some personnel groupings that they hope give them the edge.  Get local news delivered to your inbox! Read More…

The Letters Left Behind By Demoralized Russian Soldiers As They Fled https://digitalalabamanews.com/the-letters-left-behind-by-demoralized-russian-soldiers-as-they-fled/ September 15, 2022 at 4:24 p.m. EDT Destroyed Russian military equipment in the center of Izyum, Ukraine, which was liberated after months of occupation. (Wojciech Grzedzinski for The Washington Post) IZYUM, Ukraine — About 10 days before Ukrainian forces retook the city of Izyum last weekend, Russian troops stationed here were so demoralized that they drafted letters begging their superiors to dismiss them from their roles. The 10 handwritten letters, dated Aug. 30, were left behind in a two-story residential house where Russians were squatting and later found by Ukrainian soldiers who provided the letters to The Washington Post for review. They paint a portrait of dejected troops desperate for rest and concerned about their health and morale after months of fighting. “I refuse to complete my duty in the special operation on the territory of Ukraine due to lack of vacation days and moral exhaustion,” wrote a man who identified himself as the commander of an antiaircraft missile platoon from the Moscow region. Another soldier asked to be released citing “the worsening of my health and not receiving the necessary medical aid.” Still another said he was experiencing “physical and moral exhaustion.” Others wrote complaining that they were denied vacation time for family obligations, including to get married and to witness the birth of a child. The similar style in which the 10 letters were written suggests the troops, weary and disheartened, banded together to draft them. The letters caught the attention of Ukrainian soldiers when they first arrived in Izyum, which the Russians abandoned hastily in retreat, and some were shared on social media. The authenticity of the letters has not been confirmed by independent forensic experts, but the original documents provided to The Post for review were among the heaps of belongings — from boots and uniforms to colorful letters of support from Russian schoolchildren — that were abandoned as the Russians fled from a remarkably rapid Ukrainian advance that put nearly all of Kharkiv region back in Ukrainian control in a matter of days. An Aug. 23 report addressed to the commander of Russia’s 2nd Motorized Rifle Division labeled “TOP SECRET” and “extremely urgent” was also left in the same house, describing how four Russian troops were killed and one was wounded by Ukrainian artillery fire in the village of Kamyanka, about 75 miles north of Izyum near the Russian border. Altogether, the contents of the house help to reconstruct the remarkable turn of events that led to the swift Russian withdrawal from Kharkiv region, where in many cases troops fled barely putting up a fight. Once the Ukrainians began their push toward Izyum, the Russians who had been based here for months had just enough warning time to destroy what they could on their way out. They set fire to the city council building where they had installed a puppet government, ignited explosives on some of the military hardware they planned to abandon and blew up a strategic bridge. In the process, civilians said, they left some of their own forces stranded on the other side with no choice but to walk or run across the damaged bridge to leave. Shortly before the Ukrainians reclaimed the city, residents said, the Russian troops imposed a 24-hour curfew, then entered civilian homes and raided closets for mismatched clothing to avoid being seen in their uniforms. Some then fled on foot or by bike, the residents recounted. Before stealing locals’ clothes “they didn’t even pay attention to who was living there or if it was someone their age, they just opened their closets,” said Tanya Lukianinka, 32, who crossed the broken bridge and walked downtown with her daughter and friends on Wednesday carrying Ukrainian flags in an act of celebration. Lukianinka’s daughter, Henrietta, 14, said she learned about the curfew on Russian radio stations — but by tuning to Ukrainian channels began to understand why Russian forces were suddenly so worried. “We heard that somewhere on the outskirts of Izyum they’d raised a Ukrainian flag,” she said. “We were very happy.” Vasil Tuskaniuk, 23, who joined the group on their walk downtown, said it was his first time visiting the area since before the Russians took control of the city. Born in western Ukraine, he feared he would be detained and deemed a threat to Russian forces if they searched his documents. To avoid interacting with Russians, he did not leave his property for the entirety of the invasion. “It’s possible I wouldn’t have returned home,” Tuskaniuk said. Over the months of occupation, Henrietta said she heard stories of people being killed or detained in Russian basements and subjected to electrical shocks. Russian newspapers advertised camps for children in Russia, she said. One of her friend’s sisters, who was around 15 years old, left for such a camp and still has not returned, she said. The Russians intended to open schools in Izyum just before the Ukrainian advance thwarted their plans. “We didn’t put our kids on the enrollment list,” Lukianinka said. “They were just trying to spread propaganda.” Russian propaganda was omnipresent, Lukianinka said, but it did not change hearts or mind. Rather, she said, the messaging appealed mainly to the people who were already Russian sympathizers. Some of those people remain in the city, she said, adding that she hoped they would change their views now that Ukraine has retaken control. The letters describing the soldiers’ lack of will to fight stand in stark contrast to the pile of schoolchildren’s letters from a city near Moscow encouraging the troops — a clear example of how the Kremlin’s narrative over the war is being portrayed in Russian schools. Still, even children in Russia seemed aware that soldiers fighting in Ukraine were facing difficult circumstances. “Hello, I don’t know who will receive this letter but I know you’re having a really hard time right now,” a girl named Nastya wrote. “That’s why I want to support you. It’s possible you’re hungry, you’re cold, you want to go to home to your family or maybe you want to go back to your friends from your childhood.” A boy named Leonid wrote: “You’re protecting peaceful civilians, you’re fulfilling the main duty of every man. I think that war is something very bad and scary. There is death of innocent people, destruction, when you can’t live a normal life, when you’re left without a home, without work, and you lose your close ones. I hope you hang in there and manage to achieve complete victory! Good luck! I believe in you!” “I very much appreciate the hardship you’re going through,” a boy, Pasha, wrote, noting he is in the fourth grade in the city of Mytishchi just north of the Russian capital in the Moscow region. “I’m grateful to you that we live under a bright and clear sky.” Another boy, Geydar, wrote: “I see how you are battling in Ukraine. I wish for your family to be very proud of you. I hope you’ll end up winning and if you have kids you’ll be a hero in their eyes.” The child added, “I see everything that is happening there. Russian people are dying. Win the war, see you.” Beneath the words, he drew stick figures facing each other holding Russian and Ukrainian flags. At the entrance to the recently liberated city on Wednesday, under the sign for Izyum, a dirty Russian flag lay crumpled on the soggy ground. One elderly woman walking near the broken bridge on Wednesday said her husband had died in a rocket attack on June 9. She declined to elaborate on her experience, saying she had suffered too much already. The area around the city’s main square now looks apocalyptic. Nearly every building is damaged if not destroyed. Shops are completely looted. One shop owner painted “No beer or vodka” on the outside of his store. Someone else painted a “Z” on top of the message. Ukrainian troops were positioned throughout the city, some directing traffic away from roads blocked by abandoned equipment and others helping move traffic across a pontoon bridge hastily set up to allow traffic to move between two sides of town. On a surprise visit to Izyum on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared that Ukraine’s blue-and-yellow flag would fly “in every Ukrainian city and village.” Hours after his visit, a woman in a red coat walking downtown appeared apprehensive about the jubilance over Ukraine’s rapid success. “Are you sure the Russians aren’t coming back?” she asked. The area around the city remains treacherous as Ukrainian forces work to clear the roads of mines and of the many damaged tanks and other equipment abandoned on the outskirts. Post reporters were turned away on one road leading into Izyum, where soldiers warned the roads were still heavily mined. An unexploded antitank mine could be seen on the side of that road, a field of yellow sunflowers growing just behind it. As civilians emerged cautiously from their basements and homes, there were some small moments of joy that had been denied over so many months of occupation. Neighbors greeted each other across their fences. Some rode their bicycles through the city’s central square. Lukianinka’s group gathered around an “I LOVE IZYUM” sign downtown, beaming as they held up their flags. A driver for The Post, who is from Izyum and had not seen his parents since before the invasion, knocked on their gate on Wednesday afternoon. Their house was damaged by shelling, and Russian troops had even tried to sleep there, until his mother told them off. When his 60-year-old father pulled the door open, the son scooped him up in a hug — his father beaming over his shoulder. Then his mother came running outside, weeping with joy as she threw herself into his arms. Wojciech Grzedzinski contributed to this report. War in U...

Senate Punts On Same-Sex Marriage Vote Until After Midterms https://digitalalabamanews.com/senate-punts-on-same-sex-marriage-vote-until-after-midterms/ The Senate will delay voting on a measure to protect same-sex marriage until after November’s midterm elections as Republican support for the measure remains uncertain, lawmakers announced Thursday. The decision to hold off on a vote came after weeks of bipartisan negotiations where a small group of senators had been working to alleviate the concerns of Republican senators in an attempt to persuade them to back the legislation. Still, negotiators were optimistic of the bill’s final passage. “I think we’re in very good shape and this bill is going to pass,” Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) told reporters. The Respect for Marriage Act would enshrine federal protections for same-sex and interracial marriages and repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which recognizes marriages in the United States as between one man and one woman. But the prospect of a vote less than two months from the midterm elections, in which control of the Senate is at stake, left some Republicans skittish about taking a position on the legislation. “I presume that’s the reason for the delay,” Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said Thursday. Collins and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) have been working alongside Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) to find 10 Republican votes necessary for it to pass. “My personal preference is to put everyone on the record before the November elections but I understand the decisions that are made about when the prospects are best for passing the measure,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said. “I want a law, not just a bill.” Some Republicans said they were unwilling to support the bill unless it included more airtight protections for religious liberty and clarification that the law would not legalize polygamy. “We’ve asked Leader Schumer for additional time and we appreciate he has agreed,” the bipartisan group said in a joint statement. “We are confident that when our legislation comes to the Senate floor for a vote, we will have the bipartisan support to pass the bill.” Two Republican senators in tight reelection battles would have had to vote on the issue: Sens. Marco Rubio (Fla.) and Ron Johnson (Wis.). Johnson had said in a statement earlier this summer that he saw no reason to oppose the measure but has since backtracked, saying this month that he is concerned about religious protections. “They shouldn’t rush it; it’s not ready,” Johnson said Thursday. The group of negotiators reached agreement on how to address Republican concerns and disseminated the new text Thursday afternoon to the GOP lawmakers considering voting for the legislation. But ultimately, the group decided that there wasn’t enough time in the waning days of the legislative session ahead of the midterms to push a vote. It would have had to take place next week to accommodate the other work the Senate must finish. “Until people could have a chance to vet the language, it was tough for them to give us a definitive answer,” Portman said. But Portman, who is retiring at the end of his term this year, acknowledged that the bill would probably get more Republican support in the lame duck session when Republicans wouldn’t have to face voters. “It takes a lot of the political sting out of it,” he said. Support for same-sex marriage continues to grow, with a record 70 percent of respondents in a recent Gallup survey saying they support it. But the conservative base is less supportive, and Republicans are wary of suppressing their motivation to vote. The push to codify same-sex marriage became more urgent to liberals after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade this summer, motivating Democrats to hold a vote on the issue and protect the right from future challenges. The House of Representatives passed the measure with the support of all Democrats and 47 Republicans in July. “We believe the Senate should find to find consensus just as the American people have,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday, without putting pressuring the Senate to act on a quicker timeline. Read More…

Birmingham Water Works Board Chairman Cannot Rescind Resignation, City Attorney Says https://digitalalabamanews.com/birmingham-water-works-board-chairman-cannot-rescind-resignation-city-attorney-says/ This story originally appeared in The Lede. For more or to subscribe, visit www.birminghamlede.com The Birmingham Water Works board may soon be on the lookout for a new chairman according to a letter sent to water works lawyer Mark Parnell today by City Attorney Nicole King. In the latest salvo in the ongoing controversy surrounding the utility, the city attorney said that board Chairman Christopher Rice can not rescind his resignation from the board – even though he wants to. Rice’s resignation as chairman of the board was “appropriately tendered and effective immediately on September 6, 2022,” King wrote, citing a 2003 Alabama Attorney General opinion which states “An unconditional resignation of a public office is effective immediately, cannot be withdrawn, and need not be accepted to be effective.” This letter comes on the heels of the earlier letter sent Wednesday by Rice’s lawyer Bruce L. Gordon, which said that the former chairman’s Sept. 6 resignation had been obtained “under duress” and continued that since it was not tendered directly to the water works board, Rice could rescind it. “It is my opinion that the Mayor of the City of Birmingham exceeded his authority in trying to secure Chris Rice’s resignation and, thus, for the reasons stated, as well as Mayor Randall Woodfin being an improper participant, Chris Rice withdrew his resignation and, in my opinion, remains Chairman of the Board,” wrote Gordon. Rice’s original resignation followed months of customer complaints, dissatisfaction and public ridicule from the mayor as thousands of water works customers throughout the Birmingham area reported not receiving bills for months, or receiving multiple bills at a time or estimated bills that far outstretch normal rates. As questions persisted about administration of the utility, with Woodfin publicly demanding that the board “get out of the way” of the general manager, Rice tendered his resignation. Then he said he had been coerced, with his attorney laying the blame on Woodfin. Then, Rice took the resignation back. Now Woodfin’s office says he can’t. Letter sent to Mark Parnell second page King wrote that although the water works board is independent from the city, the city can lawfully exercise power over the company if allowed by the charter documents i.e., the documents that bring an organization into existence. She then cited the water works and sewer board’s June 1999 articles of organization (charter) as amended, that essentially said board directors can file their resignation with the board they serve on or their city clerk. King continued that since Woodfin sent Rice’s resignation letter to the city clerk on Sept. 8, due to the mayor’s opinion that the resignation letter was sent with intent to be filed “in compliance with BWWB governing documents,” Rice’s resignation could not be withdrawn. “The BWWB Board should acknowledge the resignation and determine that there is now a vacancy. The BWWB should then notify the Mayor who may appoint a replacement for the vacant seat,” wrote King. The Office of Public Information for the mayor stated that there was “no additional comment” following King’s letter. Rice’s letter rescinding his resignation was read aloud at the opening of Wednesday’s regular board meeting by Vice Chairman William “Butch” Burbage, Jr. Board member Lucien Blankenship immediately contested Rice’s ability to take the resignation back, saying that the mayor’s office should decide if Rice could keep his seat given that the mayor appointed him. Neither Rick Jackson, the spokesman for the board, nor board attorney Parnell could be reached for comment regarding the most recent letter. This story was updated on Sept. 15 at 4:18 p.m. to correct the name of the articles of organization. Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. Read More…

Alabama Supreme Court Considers College Student Free Speech Case https://digitalalabamanews.com/alabama-supreme-court-considers-college-student-free-speech-case/ Want more state education news? Sign up for The Alabama Education Lab’s free, weekly newsletter, Ed Chat. A campus free speech case brought by a conservative student group at the University of Alabama at Huntsville was heard before the Alabama Supreme Court Thursday. The case is the first challenge brought under a 2019 state law that prohibits university policies from restricting “spontaneous speech” and from limiting speech activities to specific areas of campus. In July 2021, the UAH Young Americans for Liberty chapter and student member Joshua Greer filed a lawsuit against the university and UA System, claiming that its new campus speech policy was in violation of state law. “The bureaucrats in the University of Alabama system have made it clear that they view their students’ rights to free expression as secondary to their own desire for control,” JP Kirby, director of Student Rights at YAL, said in a statement Wednesday. The university’s grounds use policy, created in 2020 and revised in Sept. 2021, enforces some speech restrictions that it says are “viewpoint neutral” and are designed to prevent disruption on campus. The school requires students to obtain a permit no less than three days in advance if they wish to organize an event on university grounds. It also defines specific areas of campus where protests or other demonstrations may be held without advance approval – but only if the activity doesn’t disrupt teaching and learning. According to court filings, Greer had never claimed to have actually been stopped from protesting on campus, but YAL members feared being disciplined individually or as a group if they violated the policy. Greer is represented by attorneys at the Alliance Defending Freedom, who appealed to the Alabama Supreme Court in February after a Madison County circuit court dismissed the case. In previous responses, the university has argued that students are still able to gather spontaneously, at a “multitude” of designated locations and in response to news events; that students can request an expedited permit to protest outside of designated areas; and that campus officials consider different points of view and requests equally. The circuit judge ruled in favor of the university and pointed out that the UAH student was never denied the right to a permit. Attorney General Steve Marshall also filed a brief supporting the university and current state law. On Thursday, Wallace State Community College celebrated Constitution Day by hosting both parties, who presented oral arguments in front of the state’s Supreme Court in front of about 100 high school and college students. The ADF continued to press the court to rule the policy unconstitutional, and urged them to reconsider the lower court’s “premature dismissal.” In briefs leading up to the arguments, lawyers for the University of Alabama System called the ADF’s appeal a “Sturm und Drang” and urged the court to protect state campuses from “anarchy and mob rule.” “By all accounts, the university is operating as the marketplace of ideas in its classrooms, assembly halls, auditoriums, and outdoor spaces,” the defendants wrote in an April filing. “Preventing the university from using reasonable time, place and manner procedures to ensure the safety of its campus and the pursuit of its educational mission cannot be supported by law or logic.” More and more universities around the country have enacted similar “time, place and date” free speech laws in recent years, in an effort to control increasingly volatile protests without discriminating against particular viewpoints. The ADF filed an identical lawsuit against the University of Alabama in 2021, but they later dismissed it. Some state legislatures have proposed bills aimed at protecting students from possible university crackdowns. Alabama’s bill is modeled after one proposed by the conservative Goldwater Institute in 2017 – and is one of the strongest protections against campus speech restrictions, according to court filings. Courts also have been critical of limited free speech zones in recent years. In the months that followed the ADF’s appeal, a number of conservative politicians and advocacy groups wrote to the courts in opposition to the campus policy, claiming that it furthered an ongoing threat against free speech on campus. In late March, 16 Republican state legislators signed an amicus brief in support of the student group – including Rep. Ed Oliver, R-Dadeville, and Rep. Danny Crawford, R-Athens, who proposed several bills last spring that sought to limit discussions of race, gender and religion in K-12 and higher education classrooms. The Eagle Forum, a conservative group that was closely involved in drafting the Alabama Campus Free Speech Act, also filed an amicus brief in opposition to the university’s policy. The Forum claimed the university’s policy violated stipulations that campus speech policies must be clear, that it limited topics to “current events” and that it failed to provide “robust protections” for spontaneous speech and assembly. Other groups, including the Alabama Center for Law and Liberty, Speech First, Inc. and Americans for Prosperity Foundation also wrote in support of the student group. The University of Alabama System does not comment on ongoing litigation, but said Thursday that the System, the Board of Trusties and UAH are “steadfastly committed to the freedom of speech and expression for all campus community members” and that their “policies preserve this important constitutional right.” The oral arguments were likely the last step in the appeals process. It may take up to several weeks for the judge to issue a ruling. Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. Read More…

US Forecast https://digitalalabamanews.com/us-forecast-32/ City/Town, State;Yesterday’s High Temp (F);Yesterday’s Low Temp (F);Today’s High Temp (F);Today’s Low Temp (F);Weather Condition;Wind Direction;Wind Speed (MPH);Humidity (%);Chance of Precip. (%);UV Index Albany, NY;71;48;70;55;Sunny intervals;N;7;49%;25%;5 Albuquerque, NM;82;61;86;59;Mostly sunny;S;9;31%;0%;7 Anchorage, AK;55;45;53;50;Cloudy;SSE;5;84%;72%;1 Asheville, NC;78;54;80;56;Sunny and nice;ESE;5;62%;3%;7 Atlanta, GA;83;60;83;62;Sunlit and pleasant;ESE;6;55%;10%;7 Atlantic City, NJ;75;59;76;62;Hazy sun;SW;7;42%;0%;6 Austin, TX;92;73;92;75;A stray t-shower;SSE;4;67%;57%;5 Baltimore, MD;80;60;82;64;Hazy sun;WSW;4;47%;3%;6 Baton Rouge, LA;91;65;90;70;Sunny and nice;E;7;60%;7%;8 Billings, MT;76;53;71;53;Thundershowers;SW;8;64%;90%;2 Birmingham, AL;85;63;85;65;Sunny and nice;ESE;6;51%;4%;7 Bismarck, ND;62;53;64;50;Cloudy;ENE;6;84%;57%;1 Boise, ID;78;54;77;52;Partly sunny, nice;NE;7;44%;11%;5 Boston, MA;72;53;73;54;Partly sunny;NNW;10;35%;1%;5 Bridgeport, CT;72;52;76;59;Hazy sunshine;N;7;39%;0%;5 Buffalo, NY;71;51;74;60;Clouds and sun;S;7;54%;3%;5 Burlington, VT;63;49;66;48;Some sun;E;8;55%;10%;4 Caribou, ME;57;43;59;39;Winds subsiding;WNW;15;50%;0%;4 Casper, WY;57;43;70;40;Thundershowers;SW;14;64%;85%;5 Charleston, SC;83;69;84;69;Mostly cloudy;ENE;9;61%;7%;6 Charleston, WV;80;55;84;58;Patchy morning fog;E;4;68%;4%;6 Charlotte, NC;83;60;85;61;Mostly sunny;E;6;57%;6%;7 Cheyenne, WY;70;48;73;49;A p.m. t-shower;W;10;50%;59%;6 Chicago, IL;82;66;83;69;Partly sunny, warm;S;8;53%;19%;5 Cleveland, OH;70;60;79;65;Partly sunny, warm;SE;7;69%;5%;5 Columbia, SC;84;62;87;63;Sunshine, pleasant;E;6;56%;7%;7 Columbus, OH;82;57;82;59;Sunlit and pleasant;SE;5;64%;5%;5 Concord, NH;67;44;70;43;Turning sunny;NNW;9;51%;3%;5 Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX;89;69;91;74;Mostly sunny;S;10;54%;4%;7 Denver, CO;77;54;79;55;Partial sunshine;WNW;6;38%;33%;6 Des Moines, IA;84;65;82;66;Sunshine and breezy;S;14;58%;55%;5 Detroit, MI;75;59;84;63;Partly sunny, warm;SSW;7;61%;6%;5 Dodge City, KS;89;62;91;69;Mostly sunny, warm;S;10;48%;17%;6 Duluth, MN;70;58;62;59;Rain and a t-storm;ENE;11;88%;100%;1 El Paso, TX;91;65;93;68;Mostly sunny, warm;SSE;7;32%;3%;8 Fairbanks, AK;59;40;61;45;Partly sunny;WSW;5;62%;32%;2 Fargo, ND;82;59;63;50;A couple of showers;WSW;8;100%;89%;1 Grand Junction, CO;75;54;77;55;Mostly cloudy;SSE;9;50%;29%;4 Grand Rapids, MI;78;62;82;63;Partly sunny, warm;SSE;8;66%;9%;5 Hartford, CT;73;49;76;55;Mostly sunny;N;6;41%;25%;5 Helena, MT;74;54;68;46;A thunderstorm;S;5;64%;88%;4 Honolulu, HI;89;74;87;74;A couple of showers;ESE;6;68%;89%;10 Houston, TX;89;74;86;74;A t-shower, humid;SE;8;76%;85%;3 Indianapolis, IN;83;62;84;64;Sunny and warm;SE;6;57%;9%;6 Jackson, MS;88;65;89;66;Sunny and pleasant;ESE;4;55%;5%;7 Jacksonville, FL;87;74;86;74;A morning t-storm;NE;10;70%;87%;3 Juneau, AK;56;46;58;40;Clearing;NE;8;72%;25%;3 Kansas City, MO;86;67;86;71;Breezy in the p.m.;S;12;52%;44%;6 Knoxville, TN;83;59;86;61;Sunshine, pleasant;ENE;4;60%;4%;7 Las Vegas, NV;92;68;92;69;Sunshine;SW;7;25%;0%;7 Lexington, KY;83;59;85;62;Sunny and warm;SSE;6;61%;8%;6 Little Rock, AR;89;64;90;64;Mostly sunny, warm;S;6;50%;5%;7 Long Beach, CA;80;67;81;68;Mostly sunny;S;7;59%;5%;6 Los Angeles, CA;82;65;82;66;Mostly sunny;S;7;56%;2%;6 Louisville, KY;85;61;87;65;Warm with sunshine;S;5;57%;7%;6 Madison, WI;80;64;80;66;Partly sunny, warm;S;8;61%;81%;5 Memphis, TN;89;69;92;70;Mostly sunny and hot;S;6;47%;6%;7 Miami, FL;86;78;86;79;A heavy thunderstorm;NNE;7;76%;88%;6 Milwaukee, WI;80;65;83;68;Partly sunny, warm;SSW;10;63%;28%;5 Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN;88;67;76;62;A heavy thunderstorm;SW;10;73%;91%;3 Mobile, AL;90;69;91;72;Mostly sunny;ESE;8;57%;12%;8 Montgomery, AL;88;63;84;65;Sunny and nice;E;6;56%;3%;7 Mt. Washington, NH;34;30;38;33;Very windy;NW;41;76%;2%;3 Nashville, TN;85;61;89;63;Sunshine and warm;SSE;6;54%;7%;6 New Orleans, LA;88;74;89;78;Partly sunny;E;10;60%;29%;8 New York, NY;75;55;77;62;Hazy sunshine;SE;6;35%;0%;5 Newark, NJ;75;52;79;59;Hazy sunshine;ENE;5;37%;0%;5 Norfolk, VA;82;64;80;61;Hazy sunshine;ESE;8;48%;2%;6 Oklahoma City, OK;89;67;92;70;Breezy and hot;S;14;50%;8%;7 Olympia, WA;70;51;66;49;An afternoon shower;SW;9;65%;47%;2 Omaha, NE;88;64;84;65;A t-storm around;S;12;67%;64%;5 Orlando, FL;91;74;87;73;Thunderstorms;ENE;6;80%;98%;4 Philadelphia, PA;77;56;81;62;Hazy sunshine;S;6;37%;1%;5 Phoenix, AZ;98;78;98;76;Plenty of sun;W;6;30%;0%;7 Pittsburgh, PA;77;55;81;59;Fog in the morning;ESE;4;54%;5%;5 Portland, ME;67;50;69;49;Turning sunny;NNW;10;44%;2%;4 Portland, OR;72;57;68;51;Mostly cloudy;NNW;6;59%;12%;2 Providence, RI;71;49;73;53;Mostly sunny;NNW;7;37%;0%;5 Raleigh, NC;83;60;84;58;Mostly sunny;E;6;61%;5%;6 Reno, NV;77;47;79;47;Hazy sun;W;7;30%;0%;6 Richmond, VA;82;57;83;57;Hazy sun;SE;5;54%;3%;6 Roswell, NM;89;63;93;64;Mostly sunny;SSE;10;41%;9%;8 Sacramento, CA;80;56;85;56;Plenty of sunshine;S;5;51%;0%;6 Salt Lake City, UT;77;58;76;58;A t-shower in spots;ESE;6;57%;46%;6 San Antonio, TX;95;74;93;75;A stray t-shower;SE;7;63%;56%;5 San Diego, CA;74;65;75;65;Clouds, then sun;SSW;8;64%;0%;6 San Francisco, CA;67;59;70;57;Breezy in the p.m.;WSW;12;61%;2%;5 Savannah, GA;85;67;86;69;Clouds and sun;E;9;63%;13%;7 Seattle-Tacoma, WA;69;54;64;52;A shower;E;9;67%;61%;2 Sioux Falls, SD;81;62;77;60;A t-storm in spots;S;7;80%;64%;3 Spokane, WA;75;52;72;44;Hazy sunshine;SSW;8;52%;2%;4 Springfield, IL;83;61;85;64;Sunshine;SSE;7;59%;9%;6 St. Louis, MO;84;60;87;64;Sunny and warm;SSE;7;57%;10%;6 Tampa, FL;91;74;84;73;Heavy p.m. t-storms;ESE;6;86%;92%;3 Toledo, OH;74;55;82;59;Turning sunny, warm;SSE;3;66%;7%;5 Tucson, AZ;97;69;98;69;Plenty of sunshine;SE;7;27%;0%;8 Tulsa, OK;89;63;92;71;Mostly sunny and hot;SSE;10;48%;8%;6 Vero Beach, FL;88;71;87;72;A heavy thunderstorm;NE;6;79%;96%;5 Washington, DC;82;58;82;62;Hazy sun;SSE;5;48%;2%;6 Wichita, KS;85;66;93;71;A shower in the a.m.;S;16;55%;72%;6 Wilmington, DE;77;55;80;60;Hazy sunshine;WSW;6;40%;1%;5 _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather Read More…

UConn To Pay Kevin Ollie Another $3.9 Million Over Firing https://digitalalabamanews.com/uconn-to-pay-kevin-ollie-another-3-9-million-over-firing/ FILE – Then-Connecticut coach Kevin Ollie watches during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Storrs, Conn., Feb. 25, 2018. UConn announced Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022, it has agreed to pay former men’s basketball coach Kevin Ollie another $3.9 million to settle discrimination claims surrounding his 2018 firing. “I am grateful that we were able to reach agreement,” Ollie said in a statement Thursday “My time at UConn as a student athlete and coach is something I will always cherish. I am pleased that this matter is now fully and finally resolved.” Jessica Hill – freelancer, FR125654 AP STORRS, Conn. (AP) — UConn announced Thursday it has agreed to pay former men’s basketball coach Kevin Ollie another $3.9 million to settle discrimination claims surrounding his 2018 firing. The money is in addition to the more than $11.1 million in back salary Ollie has already been paid after an arbitrator ruled in January that he was improperly fired under the school’s agreement with its professor’s union. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Denny Hamlin says Kurt Busch is under no pressure to hurry up his recovery from a concussion because 23XI Racing isn’t pushing to get Tyler Reddick in its cars a year early. Richard Childress responded to Reddick’s planned move to 23XI by snatching Kyle Busch. Childress signed him to drive the No. 8 Chevrolet, which is Reddick’s car. He says Reddick will finish the final year of his contract in a third car that doesn’t yet exist. Hamlin says the plan at 23XI is for Kurt Busch to return to racing. He’s been sidelined since July with a concussion. He says Kurt Busch is under contract through next year and the team expects him back. If he’s not in the car, Hamlin says there’s a contingency plan that doesn’t include acquiring Reddick early. Better angles. It’s the two words Panthers defensive coordinator Phil Snow has been preaching all this week to his players after Carolina allowed 217 yards rushing in a 26-24 loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 1. Nick Chubb ran for 141 yards against Carolina and the Browns averaged 5.6 yards per carry. This Sunday the Panthers get another stiff test when they face a healthy Saquon Barkley and the New York Giants. Barkley, who has struggled with injuries the past two seasons, ran for a league-high 164 yards in New York’s come-from-behind 21-20 win over the Tennessee Titans in the season opener. Oklahoma State has climbed to No. 8 in the AP Top 25, and although the Cowboys have had some rough moments, they are winning. That’s more than can be said for many other teams that entered the season with playoff aspirations. The Cowboys look to keep things moving in the right direction in their final non-conference tune-up for Big 12 play. The Patriots say quarterback Mac Jones sat out Thursday’s practice with an illness. Jones was a full participant for Wednesday’s practice after suffering a back injury during New England’s Week 1 loss at Miami. He said on Wednesday that his back was feeling good and he expected to play in Sunday’s matchup at Pittsburgh. If Jones does have to miss Sunday’s game, backup Brian Hoyer would be in line to make his first start since Week 4 of the 2020 season. Notre Dame’s 0-2 start and subsequent fall out of the AP Top 25 has created anger within the program. The Fighting Irish are hoping their new quarterback can help them dig out of this early-season hole. Drew Pyne is expected to replace the injured Tyler Buchner on Saturday against California. But what would help Notre Dame most is if Pyne can provide a jump-start to a sputtering offense that has put the team’s biggest goals in peril. No. 5 Clemson is looking to stay perfect this season and against Louisiana Tech on Saturday night. The Tigers hope to improve to 3-0 on the season for the seventh time in eight seasons and move to 4-0 all-time over the Bulldogs. Clemson’s defense will have to tighten up after a sloppy showing in a 35-12 win over Furman a week ago. The FCS Paladins outgained Clemson 384-376 as their offense continually hit quick passes and screens that the Tigers struggled to defend. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney was so disappointed he said there were no players of the game on defense. Mississippi State and LSU open Southeastern Conference play against one another on Saturday in Baton Rouge. The unbeaten Bulldogs have been getting votes in the AP Top 25 poll after winning the first two games of the season. A victory at LSU would help third-year coach Mike Leach demonstrate he’s turning the Bulldogs into a more consistent winner. LSU is 1-1 under new coach Brian Kelly and is looking to show progress in the two weeks since its season-opening 24-23 loss to Florida State in New Orleans. The New Orleans Saints will try to extend their streak of four straight regular-season victories over Tampa Bay when the Buccaneers visit the Superdome. The game will be Saints quarterback Jameis Winston’s first at home since his season-ending knee injury last Halloween. That game also was against the Buccaneers. Winston spent his first five seasons with Tampa Bay after winning a Heisman Trophy and national championship with Florida State. But Winston became a free agent in 2020 when the Bucs signed former New England great Tom Brady. Winston still has yet to play a full game against his old team. Both teams opened their regular seasons with victories last weekend. No. 2 Alabama returns home to face Louisiana-Monroe after narrowly avoiding an upset. The Crimson Tide are huge favorites in this one after needing a field goal in the final seconds to beat Texas. Alabama beat Texas by 20-19 but dropped from the No. 1 spot in the Associated Press rankings. The Warhawks fell 52-10 in their own visit to Austin. But they did famously upset the Tide in Nick Saban’s debut season, 2007. ULM is led by former Auburn head coach Terry Bowden. And several Sun Belt Conference teams are coming off huge upsets. … ULM is 4-49—1 against current SEC members. The Warhawks last beat an SEC team in the 2012 opener, a 34-31 victory over No. 8 Arkansas. Louisville seeks a third consecutive series win against well-rested Florida State on Friday night. The host Cardinals used stingy defense and mobile quarterback Malik Cunningham to rally past Central Florida 20-14 last week and will play their second consecutive Friday game. FSU begins Atlantic Coast Conference play after beating LSU 24-23 on Sept. 4 thanks to a blocked extra point with no time remaining. The Seminoles boast one of the nation’s top teams in pass protection along with a veteran secondary tasked with containing Cunningham. The Chicago Bears head into Lambeau Field in an unusual position. The Bears lead the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North standings for the first time since 2018. That’s the year Chicago earned its last NFC North title. The Packers have won the NFC North every year since and are 6-0 against the Bears during that stretch. The Bears’ recent struggles in this series stem from their inability to slow reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers. The Packers are 23-5 against the Bears in games Rodgers has started. For the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders, the 2022 season started with a dud. The teams looking to build on playoff performances from last season struggled in their openers. The Cardinals got blown out at home by Kansas City and the Raiders fell on the road at the division rival Chargers. That’s put some added urgency on the game Sunday, when Arizona visits Las Vegas, given that no team that started the season 0-2 made the playoffs the past three seasons. No. 7 Southern California’s roaring start under Lincoln Riley has caught the college football world’s attention and driven the Trojans to their highest ranking in five years. Fresno State is exactly the type of opponent that could put the brakes on all the excitement around a rebuilding project that’s humming along smoothly. Caleb Williams looks to remain unbeaten on the West Coast when the quarterback leads USC back to the Coliseum to face coach Jeff Tedford, quarterback Jake Haener and the Bulldogs, who came agonizingly close to an upset of Oregon State. No. 1 Georgia looks to keep its fast start going at South Carolina on Saturday. The Bulldogs have won their first two games by a combined score of 82-3, including an opening week victory over then-11th-ranked Oregon, 49-3. Stetson Bennett improved to 16-3 all-time as Georgia starting quarterback as the team looks to a second straight national title run. South Carolina and quarterback Spencer Rattler will have their hands full against a Georgia defense that’s the only FBS team not to give up a touchdown. Georgia has won two straight and six of the past seven over South Carolina. Marcus Freeman has lost his first three games since taking over as Notre Dame’s coach. His fourth chance comes Saturday when the Fighting Irish host unbeaten California. It’s the first time the teams have met since 1967. The biggest problem for Notre Dame has been a stagnant offense. The Irish rank No. 117 out of 131 FBS teams in scoring offense and total offense. And this week they’ll have a new quarterback running the show as Drew Pyne replaces the injured Tyler Buchner. Bobby Petrino returns to Arkansas as head coach at rising FCS program Missouri State. He left the Razorbacks after a scandal in 2012. His Bears won’t be afraid. Last year, they took Oklahoma State down to the wire in Stillwater before losing 23-16. No. 10 Arkansas has opened the season with wins against Cincinnati and South Carolina. A victory over Missouri State would put the Hogs at 3-0 for the second-straight year entering their rivalry game against No. 24 Texas A&M in Arlington, Texas. No. 20 Ole Miss...

House Passes Bill To Protect Employment For Civil Service Workers https://digitalalabamanews.com/house-passes-bill-to-protect-employment-for-civil-service-workers/ House lawmakers on Thursday passed legislation that attempts to shore up protections for federal civil service employees. Why it matters: The bill comes after Axios’ Jonathan Swan reported on plans by top allies of former President Trump to implement “Schedule F” if elected in 2024, allowing him to replace tens of thousands of civil servant positions and career posts with loyalists. Driving the news: The bill, introduced by Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), would get rid of a category of Schedule F employees that was created by Trump via executive order in October 2020. The bipartisan legislation, called “Preventing a Patronage System Act,” was first introduced in January of 2021. It was co-sponsored by 16 lawmakers, including three Republicans. The legislation passed in a 225-204 vote, with six Republicans supporting the measure. President Biden rescinded the Schedule F category quickly after taking office, but Axios previously reported that Trump, if elected to a second term, would immediately reimpose it. What they’re saying: “The civil servants who make up our federal workforce are the engine that keep our federal government running,” Connolly said in a statement on Thursday after the vote. “The former president’s attempt to remove qualified experts and replace them with political loyalists threatened our national security and our government’s ability to function the way the American people expect it to,” he said. “Expertise, not fealty must define our civil service.” The big picture: Six Democratic senators last month introduced similar legislation, which would prevent any federal civil service position from being reclassified outside of merit system principles without the express consent of Congress, Axios’ Sophia Cai reports. Go deeper: A radical plan for Trump’s second term Read More…

Biden’s ‘semi-Fascism’ Rhetoric Causing More Republicans To Fly Below Polling Radar https://digitalalabamanews.com/bidens-semi-fascism-rhetoric-causing-more-republicans-to-fly-below-polling-radar/ Robert Cahaly of the Trafalgar Group polling firm, which gained prominence after accurately predicting former President Donald Trump’s 2016 surge, says judging the political landscape ahead of the midterms has just become harder. President Biden’s campaign rhetoric characterizing Republicans as a threat to democracy in thrall to “semi-fascism” is driving even moderate members of the party into the shadow unwilling to broadcast their views in public and in private, he said Getting an accurate read on Republican voters, especially those reticent to voice their support for Mr. Trump has been a consistent challenge dating back to the 2016 election. But, Mr. Cahaly told The Washington Times, public perception of just how far Democrats and government institutions such as the FBI will go to smear their political opponents in the wake of Mr. Biden’s escalating campaign rhetoric has worsened the challenge. “If you think, for example, being called a deplorable and being worried about being canceled make you less likely to tell people what side your on, imagine what suggesting that because you have a Republican sticker on your car or a sign in your yard that now your a threat to national security,” he said. “People don’t want to self-select for the next FBI raid,” Mr. Cahaly said. “It’s just sending Republican support underground and it’s making it harder for both sides to measure,” he said. Mr. Cahaly said that while, in his view, Republicans’ perception of Mr. Biden’s rhetoric is often overblown by social media, the political tensions stemming from the president’s recent remarks have begun to boil over. Among other things, Mr. Cahaly and other political analysts warn, this rhetoric distorts polls in favor of Democrats, as Republicans and Republican-leaning voters refuse to participate or be candid. Mr. Biden kicked off the Democrats’ fall campaign push by labeling former President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” political agenda as “semi-fascism” during a Democratic National Committee fundraiser. Days later, during a prime-time address before the dramatically lit Independence Hall in Philadelphia, flanked by gun-toting Marines, Mr. Biden framed the midterm elections this year as an existential battle for “the soul of America.” He accused “MAGA Republicans” in the speech of refusing to recognize free and fair elections, talking about violence in response to political policies they don’t like, and working to thwart “the will of the people.” “Democracy cannot survive” under their belief system, he said. The president and his spokespeople later insisted that he wasn’t painting Republicans with a broad brush, but rather only Mr. Trump’s followers, who he said “dominated” and “intimidated” mainstream Republicans. Still, in a nationwide survey by the Trafalgar Group and Convention of States Action in the days after Mr. Biden’s speech in Philadelphia, 56.8% of respondents said the speech was a “dangerous escalation in rhetoric designed to incite conflict among Americans.” Just 35% of those polled viewed the rhetoric as “acceptable campaign messaging” in an election year. Among third-party and independent voters, 62.4% viewed the speech as dangerous, compared with 31.2% who said it was acceptable campaign rhetoric. Mr. Cahaly said that coupled with the ramped political rhetoric, Republican voters’ fears are being stoked by what is being perceived as a weaponization of federal law enforcement against conservatives as the FBI cracks down on efforts to overturn the 2020 election. “I’ve actually heard some fear,” he said of conversations he has had with Republican voters during polling calls. “People have watched some stuff on cable that has made them very uncomfortable about people being shaken down and the FBI coming to people’s houses,” he said. On Monday, Fox News host Tucker Carlson featured a story about Lisa Gallagher, a New Jersey woman who displays a pro-Trump sign on her lawn, being questioned by the FBI after it received an anonymous tip falsely accusing her of being at U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot. “I was terrified,” she told Mr. Carlson on his show. “I called my husband, I was crying, my knees were shaking. And even though I knew I had done nothing wrong, after seeing Joe Biden’s speech the night before, I thought, ‘Oh my God, this is political.’” Ms. Gallagher said the FBI agents left her home after she allowed them to look at her phone and her calendar to prove that she was not at the Capitol. Mr. Cahaly said that while “I take everything that’s on cable news with a grain of salt … that story freaked people out.” “What this does is drives up the number of people who are either shy about who they’re supporting when they talk to a pollster or the number who refuse to even take a poll,” Mr. Cahaly said. Mr. Cahaly is not alone in warning that polls leading up to the midterms may be showing a distorted political picture. New York Times chief political analyst Nate Cohn noted this week that midterm polling is showing similar trends to 2016 and 2020. “That warning sign is flashing again: Democratic Senate candidates are outrunning expectations in the same places where the polls overestimated Mr. Biden in 2020 and Mrs. Clinton in 2016,” Mr. Cohn said. In Wisconsin, for example, Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Mandela Barnes is beating Republican incumbent Ron Johnson by up to seven percentage points in some polls. But Mr. Biden won the state by just 0.63 percentage points in 2020 after ABC and The Washington Post predicted a 17 percentage point win. “On paper, the Republican senator Ron Johnson ought to be favored to win re-election,” Mr. Cohn writes. “The FiveThirtyEight fundamentals index, for instance, makes him a two-point favorite. Instead, the polls have exceeded the wildest expectations of Democrats.” The Democrat “mirage” that may be showing up again in 2022, he said, could be the “artifact of persistent and unaddressed biases in survey research.” The ABC/Post 2020 Wisconsin poll showing Mr. Biden winning by 17 points, for example, underestimated the share of Republicans in the electorate by 11 percentage points. Mr. Cohn does not contend outright that Mr. Biden’s smears against Republicans are responsible for exacerbating the polling bias. But he does note that “some pollsters have said they’re seeing the familiar signs of nonresponse bias — when people who don’t respond to a poll are meaningfully different from those who participate — creeping back into their surveys.” Despite Republicans not showing up in pre-election polling, Mr. Cahaly said he still expects Republicans to turn out to vote – and perhaps even more so as they perceive the political stakes rising. He said that while the speech in Philadelphia was meant to rally the Democratic base it was “much more motivational for Republicans than it was Democrats.” “This is not a persuasion election, it’s a motivation election,” he said. “Whoever does a better job of getting close to their 2020 turnout is going to win.” Read More…

Trump Warns Of ‘big Problems’ If Indicted, Says He’d Still Run For Office https://digitalalabamanews.com/trump-warns-of-big-problems-if-indicted-says-hed-still-run-for-office-2/ Former president Donald Trump warned that if he were indicted on a charge of mishandling classified documents after leaving the White House, there would be “problems in this country the likes of which perhaps we’ve never seen before.” Trump, speaking Thursday to conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, added, “I don’t think the people of the United States would stand for it.” Hewitt, who is also a contributing columnist for The Washington Post, then noted that critics would describe the comment as inciting violence, and he asked Trump to respond to the claim. “That’s not inciting — I’m just saying what my opinion is. I don’t think the people of this country would stand for it,” Trump said. When pressed by Hewitt, Trump said he thought there would be “big problems, big problems.” Federal agents conducted a court-authorized search of Trump’s club and residence Aug. 8, as part of a long-running investigation into whether government documents — some of which are classified — were being stored at Mar-a-Lago instead of returned to the National Archives. The FBI probe is the latest legal pressure on Trump, who now faces growing scrutiny as the criminal probe intensifies. The investigation is looking into whether he or his former aides took classified government documents and improperly stored or never returned them. Trump’s lawyer has argued that the former president cooperated with federal authorities and that many of the documents were covered by executive privilege. In January 2021, the House impeached Trump on a single charge of “incitement of insurrection” for his role in whipping up a crowd of his supporters to stop Congress from the counting of electoral college votes for Joe Biden. A mob of pro-Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to stop the count, an attack that resulted in five deaths and injuries to dozens of members of law enforcement. Trump’s comments Thursday came hours before officials from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security briefed Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee about threats against federal officials. After the briefing, Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), the committee’s chairman, described Trump’s rhetoric as dangerous. “Inviting the mob to return to the streets is exactly what happened here on January 6th, 2021,” Durbin told reporters. After noting that five people died as a result of the attack and 149 law enforcement agents were injured that day, the senator said Trump’s “careless and inflammatory rhetoric has its consequences.” In the interview with Hewitt, Trump also said he “would have no prohibition against running” for office if he were indicted. “It would not take you out of the arena,” Hewitt said, trying to clarify the former president’s position. Trump replied, “It would not.” Trump repeatedly has hinted at another run for the presidency in 2024. In 1920, socialist Eugene V. Debs ran for president from prison, where he was serving time in the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary for speaking out against the draft during World War I. Debs and his running mate, Emil Seidel, garnered 913,693 votes, but — as in his previous campaigns — no electoral votes. Trump’s warning of problems echoes Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), who told Fox News last month that there would be “riots in the street” if Trump is prosecuted. Trump appeared to endorse the notion, sharing a link to a video of Graham’s comments on his Truth Social platform. Read More…

White House Responds After Illegal Immigrants Transported To Martha's Vineyard https://digitalalabamanews.com/white-house-responds-after-illegal-immigrants-transported-to-marthas-vineyard/ The White House sharply criticized the governors of Texas and Florida for transporting illegal immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard and outside the Washington residence of Vice President Kamala Harris. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott confirmed Thursday that he bused illegal immigrants from the border to near Harris’s home in the District of Columbia. And Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took credit for flying dozens of illegal aliens from Florida to Martha’s Vineyard, a Massachusetts island that often draws the wealthy and powerful, including the Obamas, who own an estate there. Illegal immigrants deserve better “than being left on the streets of D.C. or the streets of Martha’s Vineyard,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in response to a question about the governors’ recent actions. Jean-Pierre then alleged the governors are “using migrants as political pawns” and described the incident as “reckless” and “shameful.” For weeks, Abbott has sent dozens of buses filled with illegal immigrants—who he says voluntarily sign up for the trip—to New York, Washington, and Chicago. Top Democrat officials have decried the tactic and have even issued emergency declarations. But Abbott, DeSantis, and other Republicans assert that the Biden administration’s policies on illegal immigration are deeply flawed and noted that after the White House rolled back Trump-era immigration rules, the number of illegal aliens crossing the border skyrocketed. Illegal immigrants from Central and South America wait near the residence of Vice President Kamala Harris after being dropped off in Washington on Sept. 15, 2022. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) Abbott, whose state has a lengthy border with Mexico, said that border communities in Texas cannot handle the current influx of people who are crossing the border illegally. By sending them to Democrat-run “sanctuary cities”—named as such due to their policy of resisting cooperation with federal immigration authorities—Abbott has argued that it’s designed to raise awareness about the issue. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, also a Republican, has similarly bused illegal aliens to Washington and other areas. The mayors of Washington, New York City, and Chicago all have sounded the alarm over the local influx, drawing Republican cries of hypocrisy. A recent report issued by the Federation for American Immigration Reform, or FAIR, found that some 4.9 million illegal aliens—or “the equivalent of the entire population of Ireland”—crossed the border under President Biden’s first 18 months in office. The group asserted that Biden’s policies are tantamount to “sabotage” of federal immigration laws, particularly due to the “incursion of lethal narcotics” that are being trafficked across the border. Nonetheless, during Thursday’s briefing, Jean-Pierre echoed comments made by Harris in recent days about the border by declaring: “We agree that the border is secure” “The border is secure, but we also have a broken immigration system, in particular over the last four years before we came in, and it needs to be fixed,” Harris told NBC host Chuck Todd over the past weekend. She didn’t elaborate on how the previous administration broke the system. Follow Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter at The Epoch Times based in New York. Read More…

NEW: 16th Street Baptist Church Dedicates Restored Parsonage On Anniversary Of 1963 Bombing | Bham Now https://digitalalabamanews.com/new-16th-street-baptist-church-dedicates-restored-parsonage-on-anniversary-of-1963-bombing-bham-now/ honored the victims with a memorial inside the church and memorial events. The bombing killed four little girls who we remember to this day: Denise McNair Addie Mae Collins Carole Robertson Cynthia Wesley Two young Black boys were also killed in the aftermath of the bombing: Johnny Robinson and Virgil Lamar Ware. Website | Facebook | Instagram Dedicating the newly restored parsonage @BhamNow and let us know. Read More…

Black Warrior Riverkeeper Sues Warrior Met Coal Over Water Pollution https://digitalalabamanews.com/black-warrior-riverkeeper-sues-warrior-met-coal-over-water-pollution/ Birmingham-based environmental group Black Warrior Riverkeeper has filed a lawsuit against Warrior Met Coal and an associated company over pollution entering the river from a massive coal mine in Tuscaloosa County. The Riverkeeper group says that pollution from waste storage ponds at Warrior Met Coal’s Mine No. 7 is seeping into two unnamed tributaries to Texas Creek and Davis Creek, which then flow into the Black Warrior River at Lake Holt, a popular fishing and recreation spot. “Texas Creek and Davis Creek are beautiful streams regularly enjoyed by locals and wildlife,” Black Warrior Riverkeeper Nelson Brooke said in a news release. “Unpermitted coal mine wastewater is not welcome in these creeks.” Union miners at Mine No. 7 and Warrior Met Coal’s other operations have been on strike for more than a year, arguing for higher wages and more benefits. Former Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello performed a free concert in Brookwood Wednesday to show support for the striking miners. Black Warrior Riverkeeper filed the lawsuit Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, alleging violations of the Clean Water Act, the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act. They say that a mining waste is entering the unnamed tributaries through underground seeps from a waste ponds near the mine and a coal finishing facility. In court documents, Black Warrior Riverkeeper says its staff and members documented seeps and discharges coming from the area on 21 separate occasions between May 2021 and August 2022. The Riverkeeper group says laboratory tests on water samples taken from the area showed “presence of iron, manganese, magnesium, aluminum, nickel, and zinc as well as chloride and sodium, which are characteristic of coal mining and prep plant operations, as well as the presence of a hazardous chemical, di-n-octylphthalate.” Warrior Met Coal sent AL.com the following response on the lawsuit: “Warrior Met Coal is committed to environmental stewardship, compliance with all laws and regulations, and continually prioritizes minimizing the company’s environmental footprint. The Company has met with representatives of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) and the Alabama Surface Mining Commission (ASMC) regarding the allegations set forth in the complaint filed by Black Warrior Riverkeeper (BWR). As of today, Warrior Met Coal has not been informed by either agency that it is in violation of its operating permits or any applicable Alabama environmental laws related to BWR’s Complaint.” In a letter sent to Black Warrior Riverkeeper, Warrior Met Coal said it is taking steps to address the pollution issues, while arguing that it was in compliance with environmental laws. “While Warrior Met does not agree that we have violated any law or the terms of any permit, we are taking action to address the flow of water from the beaver dam area near Mine No. 7 to an unnamed tributary of Texas Creek,” the letter states. “We hope that the steps we are taking, described below, will satisfy your concerns.” The company then cites inspection reports by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management which described the water as “visibly clear,” and did not cite any violations. The company said it has asked permission from state regulators to reopen an outfall that had closed to “capture, control, and monitor any flow of water from the beaver dam area to the unnamed tributary of Texas Creek.” The company said it is also installing a pump system to capture runoff in the meantime, until regulators approve the new outfall. Black Warrior Riverkeeper included the letter as an exhibit in the lawsuit, saying that the pollution is ongoing even after the pump was installed last month and arguing that the discharges will continue unabated unless the court orders Warrior Met Coal to shut down the leaks. The Riverkeeper also asked the court to fine Warrior Met Coal $52,414 per violation of the Clean Water Act and to pay the group’s legal fees. Last year, the same two creeks turned black after fine particles of coal dust entered the creeks from a sediment pond at the mine. Warrior Met Coal was cited for violations of its operating permits after that incident. Warrior Met Coal is also planning to open a massive new underground coal mine in Alabama, called Blue Creek No. 1, at an estimated cost of $650-$700 million. You can read the full text of the lawsuit here. Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. Read More…