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Ukraine's Zelenskiy Sees Damage In Recaptured Towns; Russia Strikes City Water System https://digitalalabamanews.com/ukraines-zelenskiy-sees-damage-in-recaptured-towns-russia-strikes-city-water-system/ Russian missiles attack Kryvyi Rih water system, Ukraine says Dam repair works underway, floods receding -Krivyi Rih official Zelenskiy makes surprise visit to Izium, Ukrainian flag raised Russian, Chinese navies conduct joint patrols in the Pacific IZIUM, Ukraine, Sept 15 (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said towns and villages recaptured from Russian forces had been devastated, while a major city stepped up efforts on Thursday to repair damage to its water system from missile attacks. Kryvyi Rih, the largest city in central Ukraine with an estimated pre-war population of 650,000, was hit by eight cruise missiles on Wednesday, officials said. The strikes hit the Karachunov reservoir dam, Zelenskiy said in a video address released early on Thursday. The water system had “no military value” and hundreds of thousands of civilians depend on it daily, he said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Oleksandr Vilkul, the head of the Krivyi Rih military administration, said in a post on Telegram that 112 homes were flooded but that works to repair the dam on the Inhulets river were under way and that “flooding was receding”. Russian forces suffered a stunning reversal this month after Ukrainian troops made a rapid armoured thrust in the Kharkiv region in its northeast, forcing a rushed Russian withdrawal. Zelenskiy on Wednesday made a surprise visit to Izium – until four days ago Russia’s main bastion in the Kharkiv region – where he watched as the blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flag was raised in front of the charred city council building. “Our law enforcers are already receiving evidence of murder, torture, and abductions of people by the occupiers,” he said, adding there was “evidence of genocide against Ukrainians”. “They only destroyed, only seized, only deported. They left devastated villages, and in some of them there is not a single surviving house,” Zelenskiy added in the video address. Russia denies deliberately targeting civilians, and Reuters could not immediately verify battlefield reports. read more Zelenskiy’s video address was released after his return to Kyiv from the Kharkiv region and following word from his office that his car had collided with a private vehicle in the capital. “The president was examined by a doctor, no serious injuries were found,” presidential spokesman Serhii Nykyforov said in a Facebook post early on Thursday. read more The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said on Thursday that Russian forces had launched attacks on several settlements on the Kharkiv frontline in the past 24 hours. However, Ukraine’s forces continue to consolidate their control of the newly liberated areas in the region, Britain’s defence ministry said in an update on Thursday. Ukraine’s swiftest advance since driving Russian forces away from the capital in March has turned the tide in the six-month war DIPLOMACY Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping are set to discuss Ukraine and Taiwan at a meeting in Uzbekistan on Thursday which the Kremlin said would hold “special significance”. read more Ahead of the meeting, the navies of the two countries were conducting joint tactical manoeuvres and exercises involving artillery and helicopters in the Pacific Ocean. read more Moscow and Beijing declared a “no limits” partnership earlier this year, backing each other over standoffs on Ukraine and Taiwan with a promise to collaborate more against the West. read more Also on the diplomatic front, the U.N. General Assembly is on Friday due to consider a proposal for Zelenskiy to address the annual gathering of leaders next week with a pre-recorded video. Russia is opposed to Zelenskiy speaking. read more Away from Ukraine, Russian authorities are facing challenges in other former Soviet states, with deadly fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia and border guard clashes between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. read more Western politicians and military officials have said it was too early to tell whether Ukraine’s recent success marked a turning point because Russia had yet to fully respond. “We should avoid euphoria. There is still a lot of work to be done to liberate our lands, and Russia has a large number of weapons,” Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of the national security and defence council, said in an online post. Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, in a Twitter post after the attacks on Kryvyi Rih, said “Russia is a terrorist state and must be recognised as such”. In that vein, U.S. senators from Democratic and Republican parties introduced legislation that would designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. The measure is opposed by President Joe Biden’s administration. read more FEAR LINGERS IN IZIUM Back in Izium, smashed windows, pock-marked facades and scorched walls lined a battle-scarred main thoroughfare comprised of deserted meat shops and pharmacies and ruined beauty salons. A forlorn handwritten sign on a front door read: ‘People live here’. read more With a pink hood wrapped around her face for warmth, Liubov Sinna, 74, said Izium residents were still fearful. “Because we lived through this whole six months. We sat it out in cellars. We went through everything it is possible to go through. We absolutely cannot say that we feel safe,” she said. She said the town stood at the “gates of the Donbas”, the eastern region whose entire capture Putin has talked up as a key war objective. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who spoke to Putin over the phone this week, said the Russian president “unfortunately” still did not think his invasion was a mistake. Putin says he wants to ensure Russian security and protect Russian-speakers in Ukraine. Ukraine and the West accuse Russia of an unprovoked war of aggression. In a move that suggests Putin had wider war aims when he ordered troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, three people close to the Russian leadership told Reuters that Putin had rejected a provisional deal with Kyiv around the time the war began. They said the deal would have satisfied Russia’s demand that Ukraine stay out of the U.S.-led Western military alliance NATO. The Kremlin said the Reuters report had “absolutely no relation to reality”. It also said Ukraine’s ambitions to join NATO still presented a threat to Russia. read more Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Reuters bureaux; writing by Grant McCool and Himani Sarkar; Editing by Cynthia Osterman, Stephen Coates and Gerry Doyle Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Read More…

Week Of September 15, 2022 https://digitalalabamanews.com/week-of-september-15-2022/ LEGAL NOTICE There will be a public hearing before the Montgomery City Council on Tuesday, October 4, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. to hear all persons who have an interest in the following proposed amendment to the City’s Zoning Ordinance: Request to rezone two (2) lots located on the west side of Sprott Drive, approximately 2,800 ft. north of Edna Brake Lucas Drive, from an AGR-1 (Residential Agriculture) Zoning District to a B-2 (Commercial) Zoning District. Hearing will convene in the Council Auditorium at 103 North Perry Street, Montgomery, Alabama. Full length publication of the proposed Ordinance appeared in the Montgomery Independent a newspaper of general circulation on September 8, 2022. Brenda Gale Blalock City Clerk (Mont. Ind., September 15, 2022) | LEGAL NOTICE There will be a public hearing before the Montgomery City Council on Tuesday, October 4, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. to hear all persons who have an interest in the following proposed amendment to the City’s Zoning Ordinance: Request to rezone to rezone one (1) parcel of land containing 0.95 acres located on the northwest corner of Motley Drive and Old Wetumpka Highway from R-60-d (Duplex Residential) and B-2 (Commercial) Zoning Districts to a PGH-35 (Patio-Garden Home) Zoning District. Hearing will convene in the Council Auditorium at 103 North Perry Street, Montgomery, Alabama. Full length publication of the proposed Ordinance appeared in the Montgomery Independent a newspaper of general circulation on September 8, 2022. Brenda Gale Blalock City Clerk (Mont. Ind., September 15, 2022) | LEGAL NOTICE There will be a public hearing before the Montgomery City Council on Tuesday, October 4, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. to hear all persons who have an interest in the following proposed amendment to the City’s Zoning Ordinance: Request to rezone one (1) parcel of land containing 17.63 acres located on the south side of Ashley Road, approximately 1,000 ft. east of Old Selma Road, from AGR-1 (Residential Agriculture), M-1 (Light Industrial) and FH (Flood Hazard) Zoning Districts to an M-1-Q (Light Industrial-Qualified) Zoning District, restricted to an Auction Company. Hearing will convene in the Council Auditorium at 103 North Perry Street, Montgomery, Alabama. Full length publication of the proposed Ordinance appeared in the Montgomery Independent a newspaper of general circulation on September 8, 2022. Brenda Gale Blalock City Clerk Mont. Ind., September 15, 2022) | SPECIAL NOTICE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD PUBLIC HEARING At the regularly scheduled meeting of the Architectural Review Board of the City of Montgomery on Tuesday, September 27, 2022 at 5:30 p.m., in Council Auditorium, City Hall, 103 N. Perry Street, a public hearing will be held for consideration of the following items: Request for approval after the fact of a parking pad with additional landscape plan for the property located at 1007 Woodward Avenue (Cloverdale). VIOLATION Request for approval of new business ID sign for the property located at 108 Bibb Street (Lower Commerce). Request for approval of new rear yard deck for the property located at 1031 Woodward Avenue (Cloverdale). Request for approval of a side property line fence for the property located at 1339 South Perry Street (Garden District). Request for approval after the fact of the removal of a rear gable roof to construct a rooftop deck for the property located at 422 Herron Street (Cottage Hill). VIOLATION All property owners interested in the above items are urged to attend this hearing and express themselves concerning the same. For additional information concerning these items call 625-2722, Land Use Division. ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD Thomas M. Tyson, Executive Secretary (Mont. Ind., September 15, 2022) | NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE Storage World will hold a public auction to sell personal property listed below at this location 3009 McGehee Rd Montgomery AL 36111 @ 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, September 22, 2022 The auction will be listed and advertised on www.StorageAuctions.com. Purchases must be paid by cash only and paid at the referenced facility to complete the transaction. Storage World may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property. A116 – Brittany Jones C225 – Timothy Wells E204 – Lonnie Daughtery Jr H104 – Alisha Hall H205 – Doriann Broaden H208 – Demarreo Carter H217 – Johnny Hartzog J110- Raynard Johnson L122 – April Gaither (Mont. Ind., September 15, 2022) | NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE Storage World will hold a public auction to sell personal property listed below at this location 513 Ann Street Montgomery AL @ 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, September 22nd 2022 The auction will be listed and advertised on www.StorageAuctions.com. Purchases must be paid by cash only and paid at the referenced facility to complete the transaction. Storage World may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property. D200 Veronica Milwood G224 LAURETTA WILLIAMS (Mont. Ind., September 15, 2022) | MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE Default having been made in the payment of the indebtedness secured by that certain Mortgage executed by Grace McBryde, a single person, to Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Mortgage Corp., its successors and assigns, on June 16, 2009, in the original amount of $$63,822.00, said Mortgage being recorded on June 17, 2009 in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Montgomery County, Alabama, in Book 3911 Page 861 ; and last assigned to Carrington Mortgage Services, LLC by virtue of that Assignment of Mortgage recorded in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Montgomery County, Alabama on February 17, 2015, in Book 4662 Page 863 . Carrington Mortgage Services, LLC, as holder, under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in said Mortgage, the following described property will be sold at public outcry to the highest bidder for cash, in front of the main entrance of the Montgomery County Courthouse, Montgomery, Alabama on March 15, 2022, during the legal hours of sale the following described real estate, situated in Montgomery County, Alabama, to-wit: Lot 5, in Block 50, according to the Correction Map of the Correction Map of the Replat of Lots L, M, and N, Block 50, Carriage Hills Plat F, as said Correction Map appears of record in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Montgomery County, Alabama, in Plat Book 29, at Page 74. This conveyance is made subject to covenants, restrictions, easements, and rights-of-way, if any, heretofore imposed of record affecting title to said property, municipal zoning, ordinances nor or hereafter becoming applicable, and taxes or assessments hereafter becoming due against said property. Subject to mineral and mining rights. Property Known As: 3527 Castle Ridge Road, Montgomery, AL 36116 (address for informational purposes only) Said property will be sold on an “as is, where is” basis subject to any easements, encumbrances, and exceptions contained in said Mortgage and those contained in the records of the Office of the Judge of Probate where the above-described property is situated. Said property will be sold without warranty or recourses expressed or implied as to title, use andor enjoyment, and will be sold subject to the right of redemption of all parties entitled hereto. Said property will be sold subject to any outstanding ad valorem taxes (including taxes which are a lien, but not yet due and payable), any matters which might be disclosed by an accurate survey and inspection of the property, any assessments or easements, liens, zoning ordinances, restrictions, covenants, and any security deeds, mortgages or deeds of trust and any other matters of record superior to the Mortgage first set out above. The sale will be conducted subject (1) to confirmation that the sale is not prohibited under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and (2) to final confirmation and audit of the status of the loan with the holder of the security deed. Alabama law gives some persons who have an interest in property the right to redeem the property under certain circumstances. Programs may also exist that help persons avoid or delay the foreclosure process. An attorney should be consulted to help you understand these rights and programs as a part of the foreclosure process. This sale is made for the purpose of paying the indebtedness secured by said mortgage, as well as the expenses of foreclosure, including attorney’s fees. The Mortgagee/Transferee reserves the right to bid for and purchase the real estate and to credit its purchase price against the expenses of sale and the indebtedness secured by the real estate. This sale is subject to postponement or cancellation. Carrington Mortgage Services, LLC Robert J. Solomon Attorney for Holder Solomon | Baggett, LLC 3763 Rogers Bridge Road Duluth, GA 30097 (678) 243-2512 The law firm is acting as a debt collector attempting to collect a debt. Any information obtained will be used for that purpose. Publish:2/24/2022,3/3/2022,3/10/2022, 5/5/22, 7/14/22 The above mortgage foreclosure sale has been continued to September 27, 2022, at the time and place as set out above. (Mont. Ind., September 15, 2022) | NOTICE OF MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE STATE OF ALABAMA COUNTY OF MONTGOMERY Default having been made of the terms of the loan documents secured by that certain transaction executed by Frederick W. Kreps, a widower, originally in favor of Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for United Security Financial Corp., on December 10, 2012, said mortgage recorded in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Montgomery County, Alabama, in RLPY Book 04375, Page 0784; the undersigned U.S. Bank National Association not in its individual capacity but so...

Obituaries, Sept. 15, 2022 https://digitalalabamanews.com/obituaries-sept-15-2022/ Sylvia Canon Sylvia Canon, 81, of Murray, Kentucky died Monday, Sept. 12, 2022, at TriStar Skyline Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. She was born Aug. 10, 1941, in Henderson Kentucky, to Grover “Johnson” and Jessie Marler. Sylvia was a member of the Glendale Road Church of Christ; a volunteer in LBL for many years, serving in the Elk and Bison Prairie and the Between the Rivers Preservation Organization; as well as volunteering in the Coast Guard Auxiliary for many years.  In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her grandparents, Cliff and Ossie Cawood; her father-in-law and mother-in-law, Ardath and Velma Canon; and one brother, Gerald Marler. Mrs. Canon is survived by her husband, Beale Canon of Murray; one daughter, Amy Elmore and husband Billy of Murray; one son Alan Canon of Louisville; four grandchildren, Katie Elmore, Abby Elmore, Jack Elmore and Hannah Elmore. A graveside service will be at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, in Murray City Cemetery with John Dale officiating. Visitation will be  from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the J.H. Churchill Funeral Home & Cremation Services.  Online condolences may be left at www.thejhchurchillfuneralhome.com. The J.H. Churchill Funeral Home & Cremation Services is in charge of arrangements. Virginia Morris Virginia Morris, 88, of Murray, Kentucky, died Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022, at her home.  She was born Sept. 1, 1934, in Murray, to Carl Miller and Ruth Young Miller. She was the co-owner of Ginger’s Antiques, and a member of   Glendale Road Church of Christ.  In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Marlon Morris; one daughter, Marilyn Kay Morris; one brother, Billy Ray Miller; and one sister, Mary Sue Foster. Mrs. Morris is survived by one daughter, Dannetta Clayton and husband Dave of Murray; one son, Dennis Morris of Murray; five grandchildren, Jerad Morris of Mayfield, Casey Darnell and wife Laken of Farmington, Kayla Schneider and husband Anthony of Ft. Pierce, Florida, Aaron Clayton and wife Julie of Gilbertsville and Carlee Cossey and fiancé Kylen Johnson of Murray; and five great-grandchildren, Skylar Cossey of Murray, Mia Schneider of Ft. Pierce, Florida, Ava Schneider of Ft. Pierce, Lorelye Darnell of Farmington and Adley Darnell of Farmington. A graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022, at  Antioch Cemetery with John Dale officiating. There will be no public visitation held before the graveside service.  Expressions of sympathy may be made to the Antioch Cemetery Fund, c/o Chris Douglas, 2273 Kelso Road, Murray, KY 42071.  Online condolences may be left at www.thejhchurchillfuneralhome.com. The J.H. Churchill Funeral Home & Cremation Services is in charge of arrangements. Teresa M. Jones Teresa M. Jones, 64, of Hazel, Kentucky, died Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022, at her home.  She was born Aug. 2, 1958, in Murray, Kentucky, to Hilman Outland and Wilma Brittain Outland Starks. She owned and operated T & N Motor Sales, and was of Baptist faith. She was preceded in death by her parents; one son, Jammie Williams; one brother, Eugene Outland; and one sister, Tammy Seavers. Mrs. Jones is survived by her husband, Ned Jones of Murray; stepson, Jimmy Jones of Aurora; one sister, Cathy Baswell of Huntsville, Alabama; one brother, Dale Outland of Murray; two grandchildren, Olivia Ballard of Texas and C.J. Williams of Arkansas; and one step-granddaughter, Kalia Jones of Murray. There will be a memorial graveside service held at a later date. There will be no public visitation. Online condolences may be left at www.thejhchurchillfuneralhome.com. The J.H. Churchill Funeral Home & Cremation Services is in charge of arrangements. Beverly Galloway Taylor Beverly Galloway Taylor, 84, of Farmington, Kentucky, died Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, at Mills Health & Rehab in Mayfield, Kentucky. She was a member of Farmington Church of Christ and a retired teacher with the Graves County School System. She taught for more than 30 years at Farmington Elementary School. She was preceded in death by her first husband, John Galloway; her second husband, Dan Taylor; two sisters, Peggy Roach and Judy Newsome; one nephew, Ted Newsome; and her parents, Ted and Charlene Colley Mangrum. Mrs. Taylor is survived by two stepsons, Dr. Randy (Lee Ann) Taylor of Murray and Russ (Kim) Taylor of Metropolis, Illinois; two nephews, Greg Roach and Barry (Connie) Newsome, both of Farmington; nine great-nieces and great-nephews, Corey (Paige) Newsome, Wesley (Katie) Newsome, Brooke (Brad) Smith, Whitney (Tom) Howard, Lauren (Landon) Meadows, Lindsey (Blake) Howard, Tayler Newsome, Tucker Newsome and Jullian Newsome; and 12 great-great-nieces and nephews. A graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022, at Farmington Cemetery with Jerry Mayes and Al Colley Jr. officating. Burial will follow. There is no visitation scheduled. Friends are asked to meet at the cemetery. Pallbearers will be Gavin Newsome, Tucker Newsome, Corey Newsome, Wesley Newsome, Brad Smith, Landon Meadows, Blake Howard, Russ Taylor and Dr. Randy Taylor. Expressions of sympathy may be made to Farmington Cemetery Fund, c/o FNB Bank, 310 Charles Dr., Mayfield, KY 42066. Byrn Funeral Home in Mayfield is in charge of arrangements. Zana Lee Elkins Renfro Zana Lee Elkins Renfro, 61, of Paducah, Kentucky, died Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, at Mercy Health-Lourdes Hospital in Paducah. She was born Dec. 3, 1960, in Evansville, Indiana,to Peggye Taylor Elkins and the late Joe Pat Elkins. She was a graduate of Henry County High School and attended Murray State University, where she was a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority. She was employed by Mercy Health-Lourdes Hospital and Mercy Health Physicians for the nearly 12 years. Zana is well-known for her 21 years in local government, where she was elected as both a Paducah City Commissioner (1993-1998) and McCracken County Commissioner (1999-2014). She was the first woman elected to the McCracken County Fiscal Court, and served terms as both Mayor Pro Tem and Judge Pro Tem. She was a founding board member of the Joint Sewer Agency and served on the E911 Board. In addition to her government roles and current employment at Mercy Health, she previously worked at United Way of Paducah-McCracken County, the American Cancer Society, Paducah Area Transit, and the family business, the Kentucky Cardinal Shop. She was a member of the Charity League of Paducah, where she also served as president; Leadership Paducah; and served on the board of directors for more than 20 different local nonprofit agencies. She was well regarded for her leadership and interpersonal skills. Her goal was to leave the world in a better place and sought to accomplish this through her meaningful interactions with others and her generosity. She was a people person with strong empathy and a desire for everyone to be happy.  Above all of her many accolades, Zana cherished being a mother and grandmother the most, being affectionately called “ZiZi” by her doting three-year-old grandson and eight-month-old granddaughter. In Zana’s final act of love and generosity, it was her decision to give the gift of life to three individuals through organ donation. Zana is survived by her husband of 38 years, Brad Renfro; her daughter, Leigh Ann Ballegeer (Paul) of Paducah; her son, Jonathan Renfro, serving in the U.S. Army; her mother, Peggye Elkins; one sister, Kim Smith of Nashville, Tennessee; one niece, Leslie Smith of Nashville; one nephew, Evan Smith of Charleston, South Carolina; her mother-in-law, Mary Renfro of Paducah; and her beloved grandchildren, Luke Taylor Ballegeer and Kate Ann Ballegeer. She was preceded in death by her father, Joe Elkins; one sister, Leslie Kane Elkins; and her father-in-law, James Renfro. A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, at Broadway United Methodist Church with Richard Smith officiating.  A private family graveside will follow. Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16, 2022, at Milner & Orr Funeral Home of Paducah. Expressions of sympathy may be made to an organization close to Zana’s heart, Mercy Health Foundation Lourdes, 1530 Lone Oak Road, Paducah, KY 42003. Online condolences may be left at www.milnerandorr.com. Milner & Orr Funeral Home of Paducah is in charge of arrangements. Billy Gene Adams Billy Gene Adams, 86, of Murray, Kentucky, died Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete at the J.H. Churchill Funeral Home & Cremation Services. Read More…

Today In History: September 15, Birmingham Church Bombing https://digitalalabamanews.com/today-in-history-september-15-birmingham-church-bombing-2/ Today in History Today is Thursday, Sept. 15, the 258th day of 2022. There are 107 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Sept. 15, 1963, four Black girls were killed when a bomb went off during Sunday services at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. (Three Ku Klux Klansmen were eventually convicted for their roles in the blast.) On this date: In 1776, British forces occupied New York City during the American Revolution. In 1789, the U.S. Department of Foreign Affairs was renamed the Department of State. In 1857, William Howard Taft — who served as President of the United States and as U.S. chief justice — was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1935, the Nuremberg Laws deprived German Jews of their citizenship. In 1940, during the World War II Battle of Britain, the tide turned as the Royal Air Force inflicted heavy losses upon the Luftwaffe. In 1955, the novel “Lolita,” by Vladimir Nabokov, was first published in Paris. In 1959, Nikita Khrushchev became the first Soviet head of state to visit the United States as he arrived at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington. In 1972, a federal grand jury in Washington indicted seven men in connection with the Watergate break-in. In 1981, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted unanimously to approve the Supreme Court nomination of Sandra Day O’Connor. In 1985, Nike began selling its “Air Jordan 1” sneaker. In 2001, President George W. Bush ordered U.S. troops to get ready for war and braced Americans for a long, difficult assault against terrorists to avenge the Sept. 11 attack. Beleaguered Afghans streamed out of Kabul, fearing a U.S. military strike against Taliban rulers harboring Osama bin Laden. In 2006, Ford Motor Co. took drastic steps to remold itself into a smaller, more competitive company, slashing thousands of jobs and shuttering two additional plants. Ten years ago: Four days after the deadly attack on a U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, Libya, al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula called for more attacks on U.S. embassies. The State Department ordered non-essential government personnel and family members to leave its embassies in Sudan and Tunisia and warned U.S. citizens against traveling to the two countries. The National Hockey League locked out its players at 11:59 p.m. EDT; it was the league’s fourth shutdown in a decade and one that would cost the league nearly half its season. Five years ago: North Korea fired an intermediate-range missile over Japan into the northern Pacific, its longest-ever such flight. A bomb partially detonated on a London subway car, injuring 51 people. (An 18-year-old Iraqi asylum-seeker was convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to a minimum of 34 years in prison.) Harvard University reversed its decision to name as a visiting fellow Chelsea Manning, the former soldier who’d been convicted of leaking classified information. The Cleveland Indians saw their winning streak end at 22, an American League record, as they lost 4-3 to the Kansas City Royals. NASA’s Cassini spacecraft disintegrated in the skies above Saturn after a journey of 20 years; it was the only spacecraft ever to orbit Saturn and sent back images of the planet, its rings and its moons. Character actor Harry Dean Stanton died at the age of 91. One year ago: California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom emphatically defeated a recall aimed at kicking him out of office. SpaceX’s first private flight streaked into orbit for a three-day trip carrying two contest winners, a health care worker and their rich sponsor. Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles told a Senate panel that the FBI and gymnastics officials turned a “blind eye” to USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar’s sexual abuse of her and hundreds of other women. President Joe Biden announced that the United States was forming a new Indo-Pacific security alliance with Britain and Australia. Today’s Birthdays: Baseball Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry is 84. Actor Carmen Maura is 77. Writer-director Ron Shelton is 77. Actor Tommy Lee Jones is 76. Movie director Oliver Stone is 76. Rock musician Kelly Keagy (KAY’-gee) (Night Ranger) is 70. Actor Barry Shabaka Henley is 68. Director Pawel Pawlikowski is 65. Rock musician Mitch Dorge (Crash Test Dummies) is 62. Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino is 61. Actor Danny Nucci is 54. Rap DJ KayGee is 53. Actor Josh Charles is 51. Actor Tom Hardy is 45. Actor Marisa Ramirez is 45. Pop-rock musician Zach Filkins (OneRepublic) is 44. Actor Dave Annable is 43. Actor Amy Davidson is 43. Britain’s Prince Harry is 38. TV personality Heidi Montag is 36. Actor Kate Mansi is 35. Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Read More…

Next Gen Julio Jones Still Among NFL’s Speediest https://digitalalabamanews.com/next-gen-julio-jones-still-among-nfls-speediest/ The Atlanta Falcons traded Julio Jones last year after he’d become the franchise’s all-time receiving leader. The Tennessee Titans released him in March. In each of the past two seasons, Jones missed seven games because of hamstring injuries. And at 33 years old, he stayed unsigned for four months on the open market this summer before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers added the seven-time Pro Bowler on July 26. So after Week 1 of the season, the NFL’s Next Gen Stats list of the 20 fastest ball-carriers in 2021 featured 19 names. The player in the top 20 twice? Julio Jones. MORE NFL: · OUT OF FOOTBALL 1 WEEK AGO, CARSON TINKER HAS A JOB TO DO FOR SEATTLE · APPENDICITIS, MONONUCLEOSIS SIDELINE ALABAMA ALUMNI · WITH 1 WEEK OF PRACTICE, O.J. HOWARD PRODUCES 2 TOUCHDOWNS In the Buccaneers’ 19-3 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night, Jones caught three passes for 69 yards and ran twice for 17 yards. Jones had two rushing attempts in the same game for the second time in his career. The first occurred in 2011 in his eighth NFL game. Next Gen Stats’ fastest ball-carrier ratings show the maximum speed a player achieves while running with the ball. In Week 1, Jones ranked seventh-fastest at 20.62 mph on a 48-yard reception. Jones also clocked in at No. 17 with a 19.98-mph top speed on a 12-yard run. “Julio can play,” Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles said after the game. “We keep saying it all along. He’s got in shape. He’s got healthy. He’s a warrior. He’s one of them guys that’s going to come out every week, and we’re happy to have him.” But the revival came with an apparent cost: Jones did not practice on Wednesday, with the ailment listed as “knee” on the Buccaneers’ injury report. Jones played 32 of Tampa Bay’s 62 offensive snaps and compiled all his stats in the first half on Sunday night. Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool reached 21.46 mph on a 12-yard run to rank as the fastest ball-carrier in the Next Gen Stats for Week 1. Four other players with Alabama football roots joined Jones (Foley, Alabama) in the top 20: · Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (Alabama) ran 20.8 mph on a 42-yard touchdown reception to rank fifth. · Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (Alabama) ran 20.5 mph on a 16-yard rushing attempt to rank eighth. · Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (West Alabama) ran 20.33 mph on an 18-yard reception to rank 10th. · Cleveland Browns wide receiver Anthony Schwartz (Auburn) ran 19.92 mph on 15-yard rushing attempt to rank 20th. FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1. Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. Read More…

Biden Approval Rises Sharply Ahead Of Midterms: AP-NORC Poll https://digitalalabamanews.com/biden-approval-rises-sharply-ahead-of-midterms-ap-norc-poll/ WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s popularity improved substantially from his lowest point this summer, but concerns about his handling of the economy persist, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Support for Biden recovered from a low of 36% in July to 45%, driven in large part by a rebound in support from Democrats just two months before the November midterm elections. During a few bleak summer months when gasoline prices peaked and lawmakers appeared deadlocked, the Democrats faced the possibility of blowout losses against Republicans. Their outlook appears better after notching a string of legislative successes that left more Americans ready to judge the president on his preferred terms: “Don’t compare me to the Almighty. Compare me to the alternative.” The president’s approval rating remains underwater, with 53% of U.S. adults disapproving of him, and the economy continues to be a weakness for Biden. Just 38% approve of his economic leadership as the country faces stubbornly high inflation and Republicans try to make household finances the axis of the upcoming vote. Still, the poll suggests Biden and his fellow Democrats are gaining momentum right as generating voter enthusiasm and turnout takes precedence. Average gas prices have tumbled 26% since June to $3.71 a gallon, reducing the pressure somewhat on family budgets even if inflation remains high. Congress also passed a pair of landmark bills in the past month that could reshape the economy and reduce carbon emissions. Republicans have also faced resistance since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and its abortion protections. And Biden is openly casting former President Donald Trump as a fundamental threat to democracy, a charge that took on resonance after an FBI search of Trump’s Florida home found classified documents that belong to the U.S. government. This combination of factors has won Biden some plaudits among the Democratic faithful, even if Americans still feel lukewarm about his leadership. “I’m not under any belief that he’s the best person for the job — he’s the best from the people we had to choose from,” said Betty Bogacz, 74, a retiree from Portland, Oregon. “He represented stability, which I feel President Trump did not represent at all.” Biden’s approval rating didn’t exceed 40% in May, June or July as inflation surged in the aftermath of Russia invading Ukraine. The president’s rating now is similar to what it was throughout the first quarter of the year, but he continues to fall short of early highs. His average approval rating in AP-NORC polling through the first six months of his term was 60%. Driving the recent increase in Biden’s popularity is renewed support among Democrats, who had shown signs of dejection in the early summer. Now, 78% of Democrats approve of Biden’s job performance, up from 65% in July. Sixty-six percent of Democrats approve of Biden on the economy, up from 54% in June. Interviews suggest a big reason for Biden’s rebound is the reemergence of Trump on the national stage, causing voters such as Stephen Jablonsky, who labeled Biden as “OK,” to say voting Democratic is a must for the nation’s survival. “The country has a political virus by the name of Donald Trump,” said Jablonsky, a retired music professor from Stamford, Connecticut. “We have a man who is psychotic and seems to have no concern for law and order and democracy. The Republican Party has gone to a place that is so unattractive and so dangerous, this coming election in November could be the last election we ever have.” Republicans feel just as negative about Biden as they did before. Only about 1 in 10 Republicans approve of the president overall or on the economy, similar to ratings earlier this summer. Christine Yannuzzi, 50, doubts that 79-year-old Biden has the capacity to lead. “I don’t think he’s mentally, completely aware of everything that’s happening all the time,” said Yannuzzi, who lives in Binghamton, New York. “The economy’s doing super poorly and I have a hard time believing that the joblessness rate is as low as they say it is.” “I think the middle class is being really phased out and families are working two and three jobs a person to make it,” the Republican added. Twenty-nine percent of U.S. adults say the economy is in good shape, while 71% say it’s doing poorly. In June, 20% said conditions were good and 79% said they were bad. Democrats are more positive now than they were in June, 46% vs. 31%. Republicans remain largely negative, with only 10% saying conditions are good and 90% saying they’re bad. About a quarter of Americans now say things in the country are headed in the right direction, 27%, up from 17% in July. Seventy-two percent say things are going in the wrong direction. Close to half of Democrats — 44% — have an optimistic outlook, up from 27% in July. Just 9% of Republicans are optimistic about the nation’s direction. Akila Atkins, a 27-year-old stay-at-home mom of two, thinks Biden is “OK” and doesn’t have much confidence that his solutions will curb rising prices. Atkins says it’s gotten a little harder in the last year to manage her family’s expenses, and she’s frustrated that she can no longer rely on the expanded child tax credit. The tax credit paid out monthly was part of Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package and has since lapsed. The Census Bureau reported Tuesday that the expanded tax credit nearly halved the child poverty rate last year to 5.2%. Atkins said it helped them “stay afloat with bills, the kids’ clothing, shoes, school supplies, everything.” Whatever misgivings the Democrat in Grand Forks, North Dakota, has about Biden, she believes he is preferable to Trump. “I always feel like he could be better, but then again, he’s better than our last president,” she said. ___ The poll of 1,054 adults was conducted Sep. 9-12 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.9 percentage points. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Read More…

Letters To The Editor: Let https://digitalalabamanews.com/letters-to-the-editor-let/ Let’s take the ‘truth tellers’ label with a grain of salt I recently had the opportunity to read a letter to the editor in the PNR regarding devaluing the truth and liars. Imagine my surprise, and quite frankly astonishment, to see the writer use Congressman Adam Schiff as a reference for his point of view. Congressmen Schiff has told a few whoppers in his time. Not exactly who I would quote in a letter about truth telling. Isn’t Adam Schiff the guy I heard tell Americans on many occasions that he had uncovered a criminal conspiracy involving Trump’s 2016 campaign? Collusion between Russia and the campaign? He actually said he had the “smoking gun.” For the record, although the Mueller Special Counsel investigation did result in numerous indictments and convictions, none of them, I repeat, none of them, related to a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia to influence the election. Schiff has never presented any such evidence, let alone a smoking gun. It doesn’t exist. He lied. Schiff, aided by his friends in the media, actively promoted a false story related to the Steele Dossier. This document was thoroughly discredited and found to be false. Fake, made up, lies. In fact, the dossier was commissioned by the DNC and the Hillary Clinton Campaign in an effort to influence the election. Actual election interference. He had the nerve to read parts of this nonsense into the record at a congressional hearing. More lies. I’m not excusing anyone in Washington for lying. They should all be held accountable. Both parties. Is Adam Schiff someone we should look to for information on truth telling? Give me a break. John CalabresePetoskey ‘Where Have All the Flowers Gone?’ Where indeed have all the flowers gone? If you are old enough to remember this anti-war ballad from the 1960s, then you may be wondering “What’s Going On?” “My Generation” had higher hopes for the future than to be still living on this “Ball of Confusion.” The Flower Children of the ’60s and ’70s were the first “woke” generation (“talkin’ ’bout my generation”). We rejected conventional society and advocated love, peace, and simple, idealistic values. We sought change through passive resistance and nonviolence. Our symbol — a flower. We marched, we sat, we sang and we were content with burning bras and draft cards (not cities). And we changed the world, at least for a little while. “You may say I’m a dreamer, But I’m not the only one” who had hopes that “the world will live as one.” For some, the ’60s and ’70s were about sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll. Free love and communal living were certainly fads that many embraced. But for others it was about living a better life and making the world a better place. We were the ones who vowed that “only love can conquer hate, you know we’ve got to find a way.” It worked, at least for a little while. The ’80s and ’90s were two of the best decades in American history filled with relative peace and prosperity. About the only threat we faced was from a Disco Invasion that thankfully was short-lived. But now we are facing many of the same problems as before — “segregation, determination, demonstration, integration, aggravation, humiliation, obligation to our nation…” Now I see why we sang “I hope I die before I get old.” And I’m left to wonder: “Can it be that it was all so simple then? Or has time re-written every line? If we had the chance to do it all again, tell me, would we? Could we?” Randall RousseloRoscommon Vote to have your voice heard A recent letter to the editor from a reader was boasting about the wonderful things the Democratic administration has done for our country. She cited the Inflation Reduction Act, the Chips Act, and big subsidies for renewable energy investments. The writer forgot a few other achievements the Biden democratic administration has done for Americans: Democrats (Biden) ended our energy independence on the first day in the office, which resulted in job losses for thousands of American workers and led to the highest gasoline and diesel prices ever. The Democratic Congress passed spending bills exceeding $3 trillion, which led to the highest inflation in over 40 years. This is a regressive tax that hurts the lowest earning Americans the most. To combat record inflation, the recent increase in interest rates is another regressive tax that hurts the lowest earning Americans the most. We’ve not seen the end of interest rate increases. The Democrats have chosen to ignore the flood of illegal drugs coming across our southern border. Drug overdoses are the leading killer of young adults. Lastly, the Democratic administration is now proposing to take tax dollars from hard-working Americans to pay off their neighbors’ kids student loans. Talk about enabling poor ethics. Biden says paying off other people’s student loans is fair for everyone. I disagree. Please help end this Democratic debacle. The vote is yours. Use it wisely! J. DalyPetoskey Just say no to Damoose, Friske What’s with these clueless and apparently lazy northern Michigan candidates? Consider current GOP 107th Rep. John Damoose: Not even two full years into that term and Mr. D wants to “jump in line,” as one fellow Republican noted, and be our next MI 37th District Senator. While claiming, on his web page, that he’s “not a politician seeking to find the next step-up in politics?” Yet a GOP source says Damoose is being recruited to replace GOP U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman in 2024. What else? Mr. Damoose: Says his top issues include “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” But when it comes to women’s reproductive rights and their “happiness” and “liberty?” Crickets. Appears not to be a serious affordable housing advocate, given his vote to dilute local governments’ ability to restrict short-term rentals. Big Realtor PAC donations might have something to do with this? Didn’t know the difference, in 2020, between absentee voter (AV) applications and actual AV ballots after several unsolicited applications were mailed to his household; Markets himself as a patriot and civic-duty kind of guy yet, according to his clerk, he failed to vote in his own, hometown Harbor Springs’ May 3 special school millage election (not even easy peasy absentee?) Even with his wife on the school board and a child enrolled in the district. Next up is 107th state rep wannabe Neil Friske of Charlevoix who, in a recent Instagram post, pledges to “eliminate drop boxes” because they are “ripe for cheating and fraud.” Seriously? Has Mr. Friske — a Trump Big Lie devotee with apparently no record of “public service” — reported any “cheating and fraud” to his own clerk? Will his mentor, Damoose, support him? What needs eliminating here is any chance of these guys being elected in November. Dixon DudderarHarbor Springs Read More…

Immigrants Land On Martha's Vineyard; Florida's DeSantis Takes Credit https://digitalalabamanews.com/immigrants-land-on-marthas-vineyard-floridas-desantis-takes-credit/ By Daniel Trotta (Reuters) – A group of immigrants landed on the wealthy Massachusetts island of Martha’s Vineyard on Wednesday, part of a campaign by Republican governors to shift the immigration burden to Democratic areas. Florida governor Ron DeSantis took credit for the arrival of two planes of immigrants, one spokeswoman told Fox News and a second said on Twitter, though a Massachusetts state representative said immigrants had arrived from Texas. “Yes, Florida can confirm the two planes with illegal immigrants that arrived in Martha’s Vineyard today were part of the state’s relocation program to transport illegal immigrants to sanctuary destinations,” Taryn Fenske, communications director for Governor Ron DeSantis, told Fox News Digital. The website showed video of people getting off a plane and boarding a van. It said the video depicted the immigrants who had been sent from Florida. Border states Texas and Arizona have sent thousands of immigrants to cities such as New York, Chicago and Washington. They say Democratic areas should take more immigrants because they have encouraged immigration by failing to fully enforce immigration laws. Martha’s Vineyard is distinct in that it is a summer vacation destination and farm area with a year-round population of only 20,000. “Martha’s Vineyard residents should be thrilled about this. They vote for sanctuary cities – they get a sanctuary city of their own. And illegal aliens will increase the town’s diversity, which is strength. Right?,” Christina Pushaw, a spokesperson for DeSantis’ reelection campaign, said on Twitter. “Sanctuary cities” refers to states and localities that do not comply with the strictest federal immigration policies, including those put forth under former President Donald Trump. Massachusetts state representative Dylan Fernandes said on Twitter that immigrants had arrived without warning from Texas. “Currently immigrants are being dropped off on Martha’s Vineyard by chartered flights from Texas. Many don’t know where they are. They say they were told they would be given housing and jobs. Islanders were given no notice but are coming together as a community to support them,” Fernandes, a Democrat who represents Martha’s Vineyard, said on Twitter. States cannot compel immigrants to move, so their consent is needed. Some accept because the journey takes them closer to their intended destinations, although a report on MassLive.com on Wednesday said many Venezuelan and Colombian immigrants who had arrived in Martha’s Vineyard were unaware of where they had landed. Last week, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a public emergency over buses of migrants sent from Texas and Arizona. (Reporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Heather Timmons and Bradley Perrett) Read More…

Today In History: September 15, Birmingham Church Bombing https://digitalalabamanews.com/today-in-history-september-15-birmingham-church-bombing/ Today is Thursday, Sept. 15, the 258th day of 2022. There are 107 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Sept. 15, 1963, four Black girls were killed when a bomb went off during Sunday services at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. (Three Ku Klux Klansmen were eventually convicted for their roles in the blast.) On this date: In 1776, British forces occupied New York City during the American Revolution. In 1789, the U.S. Department of Foreign Affairs was renamed the Department of State. In 1857, William Howard Taft — who served as President of the United States and as U.S. chief justice — was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1935, the Nuremberg Laws deprived German Jews of their citizenship. In 1940, during the World War II Battle of Britain, the tide turned as the Royal Air Force inflicted heavy losses upon the Luftwaffe. In 1955, the novel “Lolita,” by Vladimir Nabokov, was first published in Paris. In 1959, Nikita Khrushchev became the first Soviet head of state to visit the United States as he arrived at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington. In 1972, a federal grand jury in Washington indicted seven men in connection with the Watergate break-in. In 1981, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted unanimously to approve the Supreme Court nomination of Sandra Day O’Connor. In 1985, Nike began selling its “Air Jordan 1” sneaker. In 2001, President George W. Bush ordered U.S. troops to get ready for war and braced Americans for a long, difficult assault against terrorists to avenge the Sept. 11 attack. Beleaguered Afghans streamed out of Kabul, fearing a U.S. military strike against Taliban rulers harboring Osama bin Laden. In 2006, Ford Motor Co. took drastic steps to remold itself into a smaller, more competitive company, slashing thousands of jobs and shuttering two additional plants. Ten years ago: Four days after the deadly attack on a U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, Libya, al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula called for more attacks on U.S. embassies. The State Department ordered non-essential government personnel and family members to leave its embassies in Sudan and Tunisia and warned U.S. citizens against traveling to the two countries. The National Hockey League locked out its players at 11:59 p.m. EDT; it was the league’s fourth shutdown in a decade and one that would cost the league nearly half its season. Five years ago: North Korea fired an intermediate-range missile over Japan into the northern Pacific, its longest-ever such flight. A bomb partially detonated on a London subway car, injuring 51 people. (An 18-year-old Iraqi asylum-seeker was convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to a minimum of 34 years in prison.) Harvard University reversed its decision to name as a visiting fellow Chelsea Manning, the former soldier who’d been convicted of leaking classified information. The Cleveland Indians saw their winning streak end at 22, an American League record, as they lost 4-3 to the Kansas City Royals. NASA’s Cassini spacecraft disintegrated in the skies above Saturn after a journey of 20 years; it was the only spacecraft ever to orbit Saturn and sent back images of the planet, its rings and its moons. Character actor Harry Dean Stanton died at the age of 91. One year ago: California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom emphatically defeated a recall aimed at kicking him out of office. SpaceX’s first private flight streaked into orbit for a three-day trip carrying two contest winners, a health care worker and their rich sponsor. Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles told a Senate panel that the FBI and gymnastics officials turned a “blind eye” to USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar’s sexual abuse of her and hundreds of other women. President Joe Biden announced that the United States was forming a new Indo-Pacific security alliance with Britain and Australia. Today’s Birthdays: Baseball Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry is 84. Actor Carmen Maura is 77. Writer-director Ron Shelton is 77. Actor Tommy Lee Jones is 76. Movie director Oliver Stone is 76. Rock musician Kelly Keagy (KAY’-gee) (Night Ranger) is 70. Actor Barry Shabaka Henley is 68. Director Pawel Pawlikowski is 65. Rock musician Mitch Dorge (Crash Test Dummies) is 62. Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino is 61. Actor Danny Nucci is 54. Rap DJ KayGee is 53. Actor Josh Charles is 51. Actor Tom Hardy is 45. Actor Marisa Ramirez is 45. Pop-rock musician Zach Filkins (OneRepublic) is 44. Actor Dave Annable is 43. Actor Amy Davidson is 43. Britain’s Prince Harry is 38. TV personality Heidi Montag is 36. Actor Kate Mansi is 35. Read More…

Exclusive: Mark Meadows Complied With DOJ Subpoena In January 6 Probe | CNN Politics https://digitalalabamanews.com/exclusive-mark-meadows-complied-with-doj-subpoena-in-january-6-probe-cnn-politics/ Politics of the Day Sources tell CNN that former White House Chief of Staff official Mark Meadows has complied with a subpoena from the Department of Justice. CNN’s Elie Honig explains why this subpoena could potentially be a “major breakthrough.” ” data-duration=”01:24″ data-editable=”settings” data-headline=”Honig: DOJ’s subpoena to Mark Meadows is potentially a ‘major breakthrough'” data-index=”idx-0″ data-show-name=”Don Lemon Tonight” data-show-url=”https://www.cnn.com/shows/cnn-tonight” data-source=”CNN” data-uri=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_3b8015e1dc93082b376dc1eca424c5d6-h_9279a80edce27df1f8fbab5f329ac94e@published” data-video-id=”politics/2022/09/15/doj-subpoena-mark-meadows-honig-sot-dlt-vpx.cnn” data-video-instance=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_3b8015e1dc93082b376dc1eca424c5d6-h_9279a80edce27df1f8fbab5f329ac94e@published” Now playing Honig: DOJ’s subpoena to Mark Meadows is potentially a ‘major breakthrough’ CNN National Correspondent Athena Jones shares key takeaways from New Hampshire’s Republican primary. ” data-duration=”03:00″ data-editable=”settings” data-headline=”Jones: New Hampshire could see clean sweep for election deniers” data-index=”idx-1″ data-show-name=”New Day” data-show-url=”https://www.cnn.com/shows/new-day” data-source=”CNN” data-uri=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_b3b8978795673700d945f4c8a8da0991″ data-video-id=”politics/2022/09/14/election-deniers-new-hampshire-primary-newday-jones-sot-vpx.cnn” data-video-instance=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_b3b8978795673700d945f4c8a8da0991″ CNN Now playing Jones: New Hampshire could see clean sweep for election deniers Mike Lindell, CEO of My Pillow and prominent supporter of former President Donald Trump’s false voter fraud claims, said the FBI served him with a grand jury subpoena for the contents of his phone as part of an investigation into a Colorado election security breach. Dave Aronberg, State Attorney for Palm Beach County, Florida weighs in on CNN’s New Day. ” data-duration=”03:00″ data-editable=”settings” data-headline=”Lawyer explains the DOJ subpoena ‘blitzkrieg’ ahead of midterm elections” data-index=”idx-2″ data-show-name=”New Day” data-show-url=”https://www.cnn.com/shows/new-day” data-source=”CNN” data-uri=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_fb3568aa3f5cdf5c68f40842bcec016b” data-video-id=”politics/2022/09/14/mike-lindell-phone-seized-colorado-investigation-new-day-vpx.cnn” data-video-instance=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_fb3568aa3f5cdf5c68f40842bcec016b” Now playing Lawyer explains the DOJ subpoena ‘blitzkrieg’ ahead of midterm elections CNN’s senior legal analyst and former prosecutor Elie Honig breaks down the latest developments in the four major ongoing investigations into former President Donald Trump. ” data-duration=”03:45″ data-editable=”settings” data-headline=”Honig breaks down the four major investigations into Trump” data-index=”idx-3″ data-show-name=”Newsroom” data-show-url=”https://www.cnn.com/shows/newsroom” data-source=”CNN” data-uri=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_21537662a6872ede9bd70577288257de” data-video-id=”politics/2022/09/13/honig-explains-four-trump-probes-nr-vpx.cnn” data-video-instance=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_21537662a6872ede9bd70577288257de” Now playing Honig breaks down the four major investigations into Trump Public opinion of the Supreme Court has plummeted since Roe v. Wade was overturned, and the Justices that sit on the high court are taking notice. Justice Elena Kagan commented on the diminishing perception of the Court while Chief Justice Roberts is defending its legitimacy ahead of its new term. SCOTUS biographer Joan Biskupic discusses with CNN’s Laura Coates. ” data-duration=”03:53″ data-editable=”settings” data-headline=”Justice Kagan speaks out on SCOTUS’ record-low favorability” data-index=”idx-4″ data-show-name=”” data-show-url=”” data-source=”CNN” data-uri=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_5f5a4709c993f84a6b9cd2157466eeb0″ data-video-id=”politics/2022/09/13/scotus-public-opinion-losing-confidence-justice-kagan-legitimacy-problems-polls-biskupic-sot-ctn-vpx.cnn” data-video-instance=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_5f5a4709c993f84a6b9cd2157466eeb0″ Now playing Justice Kagan speaks out on SCOTUS’ record-low favorability David Laufman, a former Justice Department counterintelligence chief who investigated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s possession of classified documents, reacts to more than 30 subpoenas issued to people in former President Donald Trump’s orbit and the former president’s ongoing fight against the DOJ over the appointment of a special master to oversee the agency’s Mar-a-Lago investigation. ” data-duration=”03:49″ data-editable=”settings” data-headline=”Former Hillary Clinton investigator reacts to Trump’s classified documents fight” data-index=”idx-5″ data-show-name=”Erin Burnett Out Front” data-show-url=”https://www.cnn.com/shows/erin-burnett-out-front” data-source=”CNN” data-uri=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_19e6ab4491c59532f8be72670e5a0026″ data-video-id=”politics/2022/09/13/trump-grand-jury-subpoenas-classified-documents-laufman-reax-ebof-vpx.cnn” data-video-instance=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_19e6ab4491c59532f8be72670e5a0026″ CNN Now playing Former Hillary Clinton investigator reacts to Trump’s classified documents fight Top officials from Donald Trump’s political fundraising and former campaign operation are among dozens of people in the former President’s orbit who received grand jury subpoenas in recent days – as the Justice Department intensifies its criminal investigation into January 6, 2021, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. Dave Aronberg, State Attorney for Palm Beach County, Florida, discusses. ” data-duration=”02:11″ data-editable=”settings” data-headline=”Attorney says slow build up of Jan. 6 investigation is what Garland’s known for” data-index=”idx-6″ data-show-name=”Situation Room” data-show-url=”https://www.cnn.com/shows/situation-room” data-source=”CNN” data-uri=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_f975b6f9a70f9c18e187fea5542c8448″ data-video-id=”politics/2022/09/12/trump-orbit-grand-jury-subpoenas-justice-department-aronberg-sot-sitroom-vpx.cnn” data-video-instance=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_f975b6f9a70f9c18e187fea5542c8448″ Now playing Attorney says slow build up of Jan. 6 investigation is what Garland’s known for Two pollsters, Republican Kristen Soltis Anderson and Democrat Margie Omero, join CNN’s John King to discuss the key issues surrounding November’s midterm elections. ” data-duration=”05:41″ data-editable=”settings” data-headline=”What issues will decide the 2022 election? Hear what two pollsters say” data-index=”idx-7″ data-show-name=”Inside Politics” data-show-url=”https://www.cnn.com/shows/inside-politics” data-source=”CNN” data-uri=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_3a4b184081ab733957ca0273b5226af2″ data-video-id=”politics/2022/09/12/two-main-issues-midterm-elections-ip-vpx.cnn” data-video-instance=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_3a4b184081ab733957ca0273b5226af2″ Now playing What issues will decide the 2022 election? Hear what two pollsters say A report by the Anti-Defamation League found that hundreds of law enforcement officers, and other individuals in positions of power, had signed up for membership with far-right extremist group the Oath Keepers. CNN’s Josh Campbell breaks down the report and its implications for national security. ” data-duration=”04:21″ data-editable=”settings” data-headline=”How the Oath Keepers have recruited people in power” data-index=”idx-8″ data-show-name=”Newsroom” data-show-url=”https://www.cnn.com/shows/newsroom” data-source=”CNN” data-uri=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_11a033120a633fbfed6ce5bb8eeb17db” data-video-id=”politics/2022/09/12/oath-keepers-recruitment-campbell-pkg-nr-vpx.cnn” data-video-instance=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_11a033120a633fbfed6ce5bb8eeb17db” Now playing How the Oath Keepers have recruited people in power New reporting provided to CNN from New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman’s new book details new revelations on former President Donald Trump’s final days in the White House. CNN’s Kristen Holmes has more. ” data-duration=”02:56″ data-editable=”settings” data-headline=”Book: Trump told aides he wouldn’t leave White House after election loss” data-index=”idx-9″ data-show-name=”New Day” data-show-url=”https://www.cnn.com/shows/new-day” data-source=”CNN” data-uri=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_e2e7f1817df8a8c8d2e9428a28498cec” data-video-id=”politics/2022/09/12/trump-maggie-haberman-book-holmes-dnt-new-day-vpx.cnn” data-video-instance=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_e2e7f1817df8a8c8d2e9428a28498cec” Now playing Book: Trump told aides he wouldn’t leave White House after election loss Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) talks to CNN anchor John Berman about the Democrats’ push for GOP support of the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and protect marriage equality on a federal level. ” data-duration=”03:04″ data-editable=”settings” data-headline=”Senator calls out GOP colleague’s resistance to codify same-sex marriage” data-index=”idx-10″ data-show-name=”New Day” data-show-url=”https://www.cnn.com/shows/new...

Mobile Public Safety Director Responds To Recent Youth Violence https://digitalalabamanews.com/mobile-public-safety-director-responds-to-recent-youth-violence/ MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — Three arrests in Mobile, in the span of three days. All the suspects are under the age of 17. The crimes committed by these teens include gun violence and fighting. On Wednesday, the Mobile Police Department arrested a 16-year-old in connection to a shooting at Get Air on Sept. 3. This past Monday, Mobile Police arrested two girls, ages 14 and 16, after a fight broke out inside Williamson High School. Two adults were also arrested in connection to that fight. Instead of trying to resolve the issue verbally, they brought guns to the school’s campus. Mobile Police Public Safety Director Lawrence Battiste said the community has been making efforts lately to reach out to our youth. Battiste said it’s about time the youth value themselves, and their futures more. “We continue to talk about the ability to solve conflict without a weapon,” said Battiste. “When these young people figure the only way they can solve their problem is at the end of a gun, nothing good comes from it. Innocent people often end up getting hurt as a result of it, and most importantly the individual that pulls the trigger on the other end of the gun has basically thrown away a very good part of their future as they move forward.” In recent months, The city of Mobile as a whole has pushed efforts to try and combat youth violence. Battiste said the youth in our community need to meet them halfway. “We need our young people to understand that conflicts can be solved in several different ways,” said Battiste. “And, probably the most powerful weapon anybody could ever have been their voice. So, if they minimize their voice because they’ve got a gun, they just turned a light on what could be.” Battiste said it’s time for the parents to get involved in their children’s lives if they aren’t already. “Parents need to let their children know that they love them and that they’re going to be engaged in what they’re doing and they’re not going to stand for the foolishness,” said Batiste. Read More…

Stephen Miller Calls For 'accountability' Of FBI, DOJ If Republicans Retake Congress https://digitalalabamanews.com/stephen-miller-calls-for-accountability-of-fbi-doj-if-republicans-retake-congress/ NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Former senior adviser to President Trump, Stephen Miller blasted the FBI and DOJ, labeling them an “instrument” of the Democrat Party on Wednesday’s “Hannity.” STEPHEN MILLER: The Department of Justice, the FBI, federal law enforcement has become an instrument of the Democrat Party. It has become a tool and extension of partisan Democrat politics to put innocent Republicans in jail, to raid their homes, to steal their property, to target them and their families while Democrats are immunized, shielded, protected. Again, as you mentioned, where’s the raid on Hunter and Joe? Where’s the raid on Hillary and all of her aides who destroyed all of that property, who smashed up the phones, who erased the emails, as well as the law firm that was involved in the destruction of her records so they cannot be handed over to federal investigators. Right. Where is the raid on the homes of the FBI agents who were involved in the Russian collusion hoax from the very beginning and who knew it was false as they were paying for that false information … They lied to the FISA court. This is what we have in America. And for the love of God, if Republicans get control of Congress, there must be accountability. We need a Department of Justice that goes after the murderers, the drug cartels, the criminals that are laying waste to our cities instead of going after Republicans, conservatives and Donald Trump.  DURHAM MOVES TO ADMIT EVIDENCE IN DANCHENKO TRIAL THAT MAY DISCREDIT TRUMP RITZ-CARLTON MOSCOW ALLEGATIONS WATCH THE FULL SEGMENT BELOW:  This article was written by Fox News staff. Read More…

Ex Trump Chief Of Staff Complies With Subpoena Over Jan. 6 Events- CNN https://digitalalabamanews.com/ex-trump-chief-of-staff-complies-with-subpoena-over-jan-6-events-cnn/ Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows speaks to reporters following a television interview, outside the White House in Washington, U.S. October 21, 2020. REUTERS/Al Drago/File Photo Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Sept 14 (Reuters) – Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, who served under Donald Trump, has complied with a subpoena from the Justice Department’s investigation into the events surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, CNN reported on Wednesday, citing sources. That makes him the highest-ranking Trump official known to have responded to a subpoena in the federal investigation, CNN said. The onslaught on the Capitol by Trump supporters led to several deaths, injured police officers and delayed certification of Democratic President Joe Biden’s victory over Republican Trump in the November 2020 election. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Meadows provided the same materials he gave to the Jan. 6 committee investigating the attack, satisfying the obligations of the subpoena, CNN reported, according to an unnamed source. Meadows initially cooperated with the Jan. 6 committee in 2021, but later sued the panel over the subpoenas. The U.S. House of Representatives earlier this year voted to refer Meadows to the U.S. Justice Department for contempt of Congress, but the department declined to charge him. Reuters could not immediately contact Meadows for comment. George Terwilliger, a lawyer who represents Meadows, did not immediately respond to an e-mailed request for comment. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Costas Pitas in Los Angeles; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Read More…

Digital World Acq (NASDAQ:DWAC) – Trump's Bizzare Idea To Buy Greenland Came From Estee Lauder's Son, Says New Book https://digitalalabamanews.com/digital-world-acq-nasdaqdwac-trumps-bizzare-idea-to-buy-greenland-came-from-estee-lauders-son-says-new-book/ Former President Donald Trump had wanted Greenland, a Danish autonomous country, to be a part of the United States, but the idea apparently came from cosmetics heir, Ronald Lauder. What Happened: The revelation was made in the upcoming book “The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021,” authored by Susan Glasser of The New Yorker magazine and chief White House correspondent of The New York Times Peter Barker. The Estée Lauder heir was behind the notion, according to Barker, who wrote a piece for the Times on Wednesday.  “A friend of mine, a really, really experienced businessman, thinks we can get Greenland,” Trump told his national security adviser, according to Barker. Lauder reportedly had known Trump since college, and the former president’s request led to the formation of a special team to look into obtaining the Danish Arctic territory. See Also: The Saga Of Trump’s Bizarre Bid For Greenland Why It Matters: Baker wrote that Lauder discussed Greenland with Trump from the early days of his presidency and offered his services for negotiations with the Danish government. Trump-era national security adviser, John Bolton, delegated his aide to create a small team to brainstorm ideas, and they engaged in secret talks with Denmark’s ambassador and produced an options memo, according to the author. In an interview for the book, Trump reportedly claimed the idea was his, saying, “I’m a real estate developer. I look at a corner, I say, ‘I’ve got to get that store for the building that I’m building’ … It’s not that different.” Trump had also suggested swapping Puerto Rico for Greenland after first taking federal funds from the Caribbean territory to fund the purchase of the world’s largest island. In August 2021, Denmark Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Greenland was not for sale, which led to the cancellation of Trump’s visit to the Kingdom.  Since his loss in the 2020 Presidential election to Joe Biden, Trump has continued to allege that the event was rigged, and on Thursday called the United States a “Third World Country” on Truth Social. Screenshot From Donald Trump’s Truth Social Truth Social is owned by Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), a company set to go public after merging with Digital World Acquisition Corp DWAC. Read Next: Trump Says US ‘Laughing Stock All Over The World’ As Supporter ‘Pillow Guy’ Mike Lindell Alleges FBI Seized His Phone © 2022 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Read More…

Tie Between Ex-Alabama Football WR D.J. Hall And 2007 ULM Loss Needs Cutting | Goodbread https://digitalalabamanews.com/tie-between-ex-alabama-football-wr-d-j-hall-and-2007-ulm-loss-needs-cutting-goodbread/ Keyboard keynotes … Nick Saban’s first Alabama team, the 2007 squad that infamously lost to Louisiana-Monroe, is regarded as something of a stepchild among the 14 full seasons under Saban that have followed. How could it not be, as a positively average 7-6 team that preceded eight SEC champions and six national champions? It lost as many games as the Crimson Tide lost over the following four seasons, and the loss to ULM — the Crimson Tide’s opponent this Saturday — was the unquestioned low point. Over the years, fans have had a tendency to make wide receiver D.J. Hall the face of that loss. Don’t believe it? Casually bring up ULM 21, Alabama 14 from the seat of your next local barstool, and Hall’s first-half suspension that day will inevitably be scapegoated by someone within earshot. SABAN’S 15Order The Tuscaloosa News’ special book on Nick Saban’s first 15 seasons at Alabama ON THE MENDNick Saban offers update on injured WR Tyler Harrell “It shouldn’t be,” said Keith Brown, one of Hall’s best friends on that team and a fellow wide receiver who, like Hall, is from the Florida Panhandle. “That’s people knocking his character, but that guy played his heart out for the team, for the fans, and for his family. We all feel like if we’d done something different, that game might’ve had a different outcome. We had a ton of drops in that game. It wasn’t D.J.’s fault that I dropped a ball, or that I ran a wrong route. We can’t place a loss to ULM, of all teams, on D.J.” I tried to reach Hall for this column, to get his thoughts on this phenomenon he might not even be aware of. I failed — he’s tough to get a hold of, perhaps by design. Brown admits he’s “gone dark” himself. But on this topic, he’s outspoken enough. “In my opinion, it’s absolutely absurd. Yes, he was a significant player, but there are 11 people on the field,” Brown said. “If you really go back to that game, we scored our 14 points in the first half without D.J. It was the second half when he was out there that we couldn’t move the ball. And we gave up four turnovers.” Fact check: all true. The reality is that a heartbreaking 41-34 home loss to LSU two weeks earlier, which eliminated the Crimson Tide from the SEC West race, knocked the collective wind out of the entire team and triggered a four-game skid to end the season. It is too easy, especially through the haze of 15 years gone by, to conjoin a team’s loss to the suspension of a guy who was arguably its best player. But it shouldn’t be easy to forget Hall as the Tennessee killer that he was, even though beating UT was a much tougher trick for Alabama at the time. He caught 10 balls for 139 of Brodie Croyle’s 190 passing yards in Mike Shula’s only win over Tennessee, a 6-3 game in 2005, including a spectacular, leaping 44-yard grab to make the game-winning field goal possible. But it was a crucial fumble caused by safety Roman Harper that noted artist Daniel Moore used to capture the win. Even in 2007, just four weeks before the ULM debacle, Hall posted a 13-185-2 day in the undisputed highlight of that season, a 41-17 win over the Vols. Maybe it’s not surprising, and somewhat understandable, that a star player’s suspension became emblematic of a team’s overall failure to buy into a Saban program that, just a year later, reached an SEC title game and a Sugar Bowl. But in proper context, the two-time 1,000-yard receiver and breaker of school records deserves a legacy that’s more than being the first footnote on the most embarrassing loss of the Saban era. Quotable “I don’t think anybody has represented our profession and coached with more class than coach (Bobby) Bowden did. And I have the same kind of respect for both of his sons who have been in and out of our profession, and I have a tremendous amount of respect for Terry and what he’s trying to do at ULM.” — Saban on the Bowden family. Around the SEC Ahead of Kentucky’s upset of Florida last week, Wildcats QB Will Levis got himself fired up watching the 1983 Al Pacino classic, Scarface. As a connoisseur of the gangster/mafia genre, I’d say he can dial it back to Donnie Brasco for Youngstown State this week, and should save Goodfellas for Georgia week. … In a battle of former Saban assistants, Jimbo Fisher’s TAMU team will try to get off the mat from a loss to Appalachian State in a home game against Miami, led by coach Mario Cristobal. It’s going to be a long year in College Station if an Aggies team ranked No. 7 in the preseason catches two September losses in nonconference play. … SEC Spread Pick of the Week: Penn State -3 at Auburn. Season: 1-1. Reach Chase Goodbread at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on Twitter @chasegoodbread Read More…

In NHGOP Primaries, Sununu Endorsement Record Earns A 'Gentleman's C' – NH Journal https://digitalalabamanews.com/in-nhgop-primaries-sununu-endorsement-record-earns-a-gentlemans-c-nh-journal/ President Donald Trump is known for bragging about his record of success endorsing in GOP primaries this election cycle. He has endorsed in nearly 200 Republican races in 39 states and claims a winning record of 92 percent. Compare that to New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, who made high-profile endorsements in the U.S. Senate and Second Congressional District primaries. He has also been openly critical of several members of the New Hampshire House Republican Caucus, and a pro-Sununu political action committee also targeted those GOP House members as well. Unlike Trump, Sununu’s record is more mixed. Sununu has often said he does not believe endorsements matter, and he seemed to prove himself right Tuesday night. His endorsement was not enough to get state Senate President Chuck Morse or Keene Mayor George Hansel over the line in their federal races. And despite the pro-Sununu Granite PAC spending thousands of dollars on mail targeting Reps. Josh Yokela (R-Fremont), Melissa Blasek (R-Merrimack), and Paul Terry (R-Alton), the three survived a more Sununu-friendly primary. For Reps. Max Abramson (R-Seabrook), Norm Silber (R-Gilford), and former Belmont County delegation chair Mike Sylvia (R-Belmont), Sununu’s efforts were enough to help take them out. Granite PAC spent nearly $27,000 against the six representatives who were a thorn in Sununu’s side for the past two years and only succeeded in unseating three. Sylvia’s defeat in his party’s primary is particularly notable. He led the push for a House vote on a bill related to New Hampshire seceding from the union, an effort many Republicans in Concord found embarrassing. Sylvia was also a key figure in the turmoil at Gunstock Mountain Resort, a battle he lost to Sununu and his allies. Another contingent more friendly to Sununu and willing to buck House leadership took some hits as well. That was not good news for a governor who needs all the help he can get in the House caucus. Rep. Jim Allard (R-Pittsfield), leader of what some in the House call the “Allard Caucus,” was defeated by Cyril Aures and Clayton Wood, two new candidates who stepped up, angry about Allard’s voting record. Allard voted against Right to Work, tanked Education Freedom Accounts in the House Education Committee, and worked against other priorities pushed by House Majority Leader Jason Osborne (R-Auburn). Another Rep., Brodie Deshaies (R-Wolfeboro), was ousted in a four-for-two primary losing to newcomer Katy Peternel (R-Wolfeboro) and incumbent John MacDonald (R-Wolfeboro). Deshaies and MacDonald ran as a slate, both receiving the endorsement of Sununu, but Deshaies voted against Right to Work legislation while MacDonald supported the measure. Editor’s Note: A previous story on Rep. John MacDonald incorrectly stated that he voted against the Right to Work legislation. It has subsequently been corrected. We regret the error. Read More…

Trump’s ‘Muddled’ Claims About The Presidential Records Act, Explained https://digitalalabamanews.com/trumps-muddled-claims-about-the-presidential-records-act-explained/ The former president’s legal team keeps invoking a 1978 law as a basis for various assertions in the dispute over the seized files he was hoarding. Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share. Donald J. Trump’s lawyers have claimed that the Presidential Records Act is the only law that governs the dispute over the documents marked as classified.Credit…Jamie Kelter Davis for The New York Times Sept. 14, 2022Updated 9:39 p.m. ET WASHINGTON — Lawyers for former President Donald J. Trump have repeatedly invoked the Presidential Records Act in expressing grievances about the F.B.I.’s search of his Florida residence and club last month to retrieve government documents, including some marked as highly classified. Despite being highlighted in their legal arguments, however, the law has not played a major role in the litigation to date. The Justice Department has largely brushed off the topic, and Judge Aileen M. Cannon did not make it a focus when she issued an order saying she would appoint a special master to filter the documents for any privileged material. Steven Aftergood, a government secrecy specialist with the Federation of American Scientists, called the Trump team’s discussion of the act “a lot of smoke,” adding, “One runs the risk of taking these arguments more seriously than they deserve, and from my point of view they are muddled, confused and have a tendency to draw unwarranted conclusions.” Christopher M. Kise, a lawyer for Mr. Trump who signed a brief on Monday that repeatedly raised the Presidential Records Act, said in an interview that it was “premature for us to have the debate over the substantive merits” of particular documents until the special master had reviewed them. But in response to questions for this article, Mr. Kise declined to go beyond the legal arguments presented in the lawyers’ court filings. Here is a dissection. What is the Presidential Records Act? It is a law Congress enacted in 1978 after the Watergate scandal, when control of former President Richard M. Nixon’s White House files had been a subject of dispute. The law says that the government “shall reserve and retain complete ownership, possession, and control of presidential records.” It also set rules for the National Archives for how to handle such records when a president leaves office. It defines presidential records as materials the president or his staff create or receive in the course of their official duties. It excludes personal documents, like diaries and political campaign files, and files produced by agencies, which are instead governed by the Federal Records Act. What has the Trump legal team said about the act? Mr. Trump’s lawyers have insisted that it is the only law that governs the dispute over the documents marked as classified. “The ultimate disposition of all the ‘classified records,’ and likely most of the seized materials,” they contend, “is indisputably governed exclusively by the provisions of the Presidential Records Act.” Their premise appears to be that any government document handed to the president becomes a presidential record. Among their assertions, Mr. Trump’s lawyers have claimed that he could have deemed the most disputed documents — more than 100 records marked as classified — as his own personal property, the National Archives could not second-guess him, and even courts would have “very limited judicial oversight over such categorization.” They have also intimated that because the Presidential Records Act gives former presidents and their representatives a right to have access to presidential records from their time in office, there was no problem with Mr. Trump keeping them, including classified ones, at Mar-a-Lago. And they have claimed that the Presidential Records Act lacks any criminal enforcement mechanism, so it was improper for the Justice Department to open a criminal investigation into Mr. Trump’s handling of sensitive government documents. Is the Presidential Records Act the only relevant law? No, said Margaret Kwoka, an Ohio State University professor who specializes in information law. To start, presidents also routinely handle documents produced by departments and agencies like the Pentagon and the C.I.A. As agency records, they are instead governed by the Federal Records Act, which has no provision allowing a president to declare any to be his personal property. The Presidential Records Act states that presidential records do not include “official records of an agency.” A 1993 ruling by the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit says the law avoids any “potential definitional overlap” by making clear that if a document qualifies as an agency record, that trumps any possibility it could also be considered a presidential record. “Certainly anything produced by an agency and given to a president would be considered an agency record,” Ms. Kwoka said. Mr. Aftergood agreed that agency records keep that status even when brought into the White House. Pointing to this and other apparent flaws, Ms. Kwoka suggested that Mr. Trump’s lawyers may be raising their claims about the act “to create a bunch of confusion around something that doesn’t have to be that confusing” in order “to win over a portion of public opinion or delay the legal proceedings.” Why do Mr. Trump’s lawyers say he might own the files marked as classified? Based on their premise that the Presidential Records Act is the only relevant law, they have asserted that “all of the records at issue in the government’s motion” — meaning those marked as classified — can only be presidential records or “personal records, the determination of which was in President Trump’s discretion.” And they have cited a 2012 ruling, by Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia, in arguing that the Presidential Records Act gives “extraordinary discretion” to departing presidents to decide whether materials should be designated as presidential records for the National Archives or personal records to keep. Notably, Mr. Trump’s legal team has not argued that he actually deemed any of the disputed documents as his personal property. Instead, the lawyers have coyly insinuated that he might have done so — in an apparent effort to persuade the government to back off. “To the extent President Trump may have categorized certain of the seized materials as personal during his presidency, any disagreement as to that categorization is to be resolved under the P.R.A. and cannot possibly form the basis for any criminal prosecution,” they wrote. What are some of the problems with this idea? First, there may be a timing problem. In some instances, the Trump legal team hints that Mr. Trump might have designated the records as personal before leaving office. But in one place in their filing on Monday, the lawyers implied that despite being out of office, he may still wield that purported power: “Critically, the former president has sole discretion to classify a record as personal or presidential.” But the same 2012 ruling they cited makes clear that any such decision has to be “made during, and not after, the presidency.” A broader problem would arise if any of the documents at issue are agency records, which are not subject to the Presidential Records Act even if they are shown to the president, agreed Mark J. Rozell, an information law specialist at George Mason University and the dean of its Schar School of Policy and Government. “He can’t just willy-nilly declare agency records to be his personal property,” Mr. Rozell said. How far does a former president’s right of access extend? It is very likely to be far less expansive than Mr. Trump’s lawyers imply. Pointing to a provision of the Presidential Records Act that says “the presidential records of a former president shall be available to such former president or the former president’s designated representative,” they have claimed that this means he “has an unfettered right of access.” Thus, they wrote, whether it was improper for Mr. Trump to be holding onto presidential records at Mar-a-Lago was a “civil matter governed by the P.R.A.” and was not a legitimate basis for a criminal investigation. That argument takes the access provision out of context. The provision exempts former presidents from general limits the National Archives imposes on public access to presidential records that are already in its custody. It does not say former presidents can indefinitely retain custody of presidential records. And it does not apply to agency records. Mr. Trump’s legal team has also cited this provision in pushing back against the Justice Department’s proposal to exclude documents marked as classified from the special master’s review. The lawyers made the novel suggestion that Mr. Trump could designate the independent arbiter as his representative to give that person unlimited access to the files. What about their claim that there is no enforcement mechanism? It raises several issues. The Trump legal team has argued in various filings that the Presidential Records Act lacks an enforcement mechanism for resolving document disputes between the head of the National Archives, known as the archivist, and a former president. Sometimes the lawyers declared that without qualification; other times they have said it has no “criminal” enforcement mechanism. “The government reads into the Presidential Records Act an enforcement provision that does not exist; the law exhorts a former president to interface with the archivist to ensure the preservation of presidential records, but it does not oblige the former president to take any particular steps with respect to those records,” they...

Patagonia's Founder Transfers Ownership Into Two Entities To Help Fight The Climate Crisis https://digitalalabamanews.com/patagonias-founder-transfers-ownership-into-two-entities-to-help-fight-the-climate-crisis/ Patagonia’s founder is transferring ownership of the company after nearly 50 years into two entities that will help fight the climate crisis.Related video above: How climate bill pushes Americans to go greenPatagonia is a private company based in Ventura, California, that sells outdoor apparel and equipment. Yvon Chouinard founded the company in 1973.Patagonia said in a press release on Wednesday that, effective immediately, Chouinard and his family will transfer their entire ownership stake into two newly created entities. Those entities will ensure that the company’s values will continue to be upheld — and that Patagonia’s profits are used to combat climate change.”If we have any hope of a thriving planet 50 years from now, it demands all of us doing all we can with the resources we have,” Chouinard said in a statement Wednesday. “Instead of extracting value from nature and transforming it into wealth, we are using the wealth Patagonia creates to protect the source.”The biggest share of the company — or 98% of Patagonia’s stock — will now be under the Holdfast Collective. This nonprofit will make sure that the company’s annual profits, about $100 million per year, will be used to “protect nature and biodiversity, support thriving communities and fight the environmental crisis.”The rest of the company’s stock will fund the newly created Patagonia Purpose Trust.This trust will create a permanent legal structure so that the company can never deviate from Chouinard’s vision: That a for-profit business can work for the planet.”Two years ago, the Chouinard family challenged a few of us to develop a new structure with two central goals,” said Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert in the press release. “They wanted us to both protect the purpose of the business and immediately and perpetually release more funding to fight the environmental crisis. We believe this new structure delivers on both and we hope it will inspire a new way of doing business that puts people and planet first.”Patagonia has long been known as a conservationist company and has been outspoken on hot-button issues outside of its stores over the years. Patagonia’s corporate activism is a large part of its brand identity.In 2017, the company sued then-President Donald Trump over his administration’s move to dramatically shrink two national monuments in Utah.”The president stole your land,” Patagonia’s website said at the time. “This is the largest elimination of protected land in American history.”The company emerged as one of the most vocal corporate opponents of Trump’s environmental policies.Last year, Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert called for companies to join the brand in pressuring Facebook to fix its platforms and the company donated $1 million to voting rights groups in Georgia. Patagonia’s founder is transferring ownership of the company after nearly 50 years into two entities that will help fight the climate crisis. Related video above: How climate bill pushes Americans to go green Patagonia is a private company based in Ventura, California, that sells outdoor apparel and equipment. Yvon Chouinard founded the company in 1973. Patagonia said in a press release on Wednesday that, effective immediately, Chouinard and his family will transfer their entire ownership stake into two newly created entities. Those entities will ensure that the company’s values will continue to be upheld — and that Patagonia’s profits are used to combat climate change. “If we have any hope of a thriving planet 50 years from now, it demands all of us doing all we can with the resources we have,” Chouinard said in a statement Wednesday. “Instead of extracting value from nature and transforming it into wealth, we are using the wealth Patagonia creates to protect the source.” The biggest share of the company — or 98% of Patagonia’s stock — will now be under the Holdfast Collective. This nonprofit will make sure that the company’s annual profits, about $100 million per year, will be used to “protect nature and biodiversity, support thriving communities and fight the environmental crisis.” The rest of the company’s stock will fund the newly created Patagonia Purpose Trust. This trust will create a permanent legal structure so that the company can never deviate from Chouinard’s vision: That a for-profit business can work for the planet. “Two years ago, the Chouinard family challenged a few of us to develop a new structure with two central goals,” said Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert in the press release. “They wanted us to both protect the purpose of the business and immediately and perpetually release more funding to fight the environmental crisis. We believe this new structure delivers on both and we hope it will inspire a new way of doing business that puts people and planet first.” Patagonia has long been known as a conservationist company and has been outspoken on hot-button issues outside of its stores over the years. Patagonia’s corporate activism is a large part of its brand identity. In 2017, the company sued then-President Donald Trump over his administration’s move to dramatically shrink two national monuments in Utah. “The president stole your land,” Patagonia’s website said at the time. “This is the largest elimination of protected land in American history.” The company emerged as one of the most vocal corporate opponents of Trump’s environmental policies. Last year, Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert called for companies to join the brand in pressuring Facebook to fix its platforms and the company donated $1 million to voting rights groups in Georgia. Read More…

Stock Futures Rise Slightly Ahead Of A Fresh Batch Of Economic Data https://digitalalabamanews.com/stock-futures-rise-slightly-ahead-of-a-fresh-batch-of-economic-data/ U.S. equity futures were slightly higher Wednesday evening as investors looked ahead to several economic reports scheduled to come out in the morning. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average inched higher by 17 points, or 0.05%. S&P 500 futures added 0.22%, and Nasdaq 100 futures advanced 0.12%. Earlier in the day, the major averages ended a choppy session on a modestly higher note. The Dow closed slightly higher, by 30 points, after falling more than 200 points at one point. The S&P 500 rose 0.3%, and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.7%. Stocks sought stability after a hotter-than-expected inflation report on Tuesday sent them tumbling to post their worst day since 2020. August’s consumer price index report showed headline inflation rose 0.1% on a monthly basis, despite a drop in gas prices. “One-day events are tough to extrapolate,” said Jeff deGraaf, founder and chairman of Renaissance Macro Research, on CNBC’s “Closing Bell: Overtime.” “It is one of those extreme events that doesn’t have follow-through and that tends to be good news, not bad.” “Inflation is really a dark cloud over equities, but I think it’s really important that people keep in mind that it’s not about good and bad in the markets, it’s about better and worse,” he added, “and it does appear that inflation is getting better.” Wednesday’s producer price index report showed an decrease in wholesale prices of 0.1% in August, which deGraaf said provided him some comfort. Investors are looking ahead to a raft of economic updates on Thursday morning, including retail sales, import prices and jobless claims, as well as the Philadelphia Fed manufacturing survey and the Empire State manufacturing survey – all at 8:30 a.m. ET. U.S. 2-year Treasury yields hits 3.8% again Inflation isn’t as bad as the data makes it seem, says Commonwealth’s McMillan This week’s CPI data was “terrible,” but there are signs some key components may improve shortly, according to Brad McMillan, chief investment officer at Commonwealth Financial Network. One of them is Wednesday’s producer price index report. “The headline number held steady at 0.2 percent, but the annual number dropped by much more, from 9.8 percent to 8.7 percent (a much bigger drop than the CPI),” he said. “Similarly, for the core PPI, while there was a gain from 0.2 percent to 0.4 percent, the annual number was down as well, from 7.6 percent to 7.3 percent. That’s still too high, but even if that monthly 0.4 percent figure held, there would be a decline in inflation going forward.” “As always, markets have reacted to a headline—although not about the headline number. But when you look at the details, things are not so bad,” he added. “The CPI and the market reaction suggest inflation will keep rising at an accelerating rate, but not all of the data agree. Even using much of the data as it stands, it still looks likely inflation will end the year lower than it is now.” — Tanaya Macheel Danaher shares rise after hours Danaher was one of the top stock movers in extended trading Wednesday evening after the medical company announced plans to spin off its environmental and applied solutions business to create an independent, publicly traded company. Its shares rose about 4%. Danaher also raised its third-quarter revenue guidance, according to FactSet. — Tanaya Macheel Stock futures open slightly higher Dow Jones Industrial Average futures opened 33 points, or 0.11%, higher Wednesday night. S&P 500 futures added 0.15%, while Nasdaq 100 futures advanced 0.14%. The moves came after all of the major averages ended a choppy trading day modestly higher. — Tanaya Macheel Read More…

Special Master In Trump Case Might Be Judge Who OKed Carter Page FISA https://digitalalabamanews.com/special-master-in-trump-case-might-be-judge-who-oked-carter-page-fisa/ The special master in the Justice Department case involving former President Donald Trump’s documents seized from Mar-a-Lago could be a judge who signed off on a secret surveillance warrant on then-Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. Judge Raymond Dearie was the same judge who approved the final Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrant to continue allowing the FBI to spy on Page as it was looking for any signs of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, based on a dossier of phony allegations paid for by the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee. That FISA warrant came after then-FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith was aware that Page, a Navy reservist, had acted as a CIA informant but purposely hid that information, which was favorable to Page, by doctoring an email to falsely indicate that Page had not been a CIA informant. Clinesmith pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement and received 12 months of probation and a sentence of 400 hours of community service. Dearie was one of the names submitted by Trump’s team to serve as special master in the case, causing surprise among both Trump supporters and critics. #MaraLago Declassified records indicate Judge Dearie, potential Special Master, approved final FISA June 2017 for @carterwpage. NOTE: This FISA is among most problematic because it did not share intel about Page’s work for USG + failed to disclose key concerns Steele reporting. pic.twitter.com/Zm6JD56Xi2 — Catherine Herridge (@CBS_Herridge) September 14, 2022 Andrew Weissman, the lead prosecutor in the failed special counsel investigation helmed by Robert Mueller, called Trump’s decision to submit Dearie’s name as a “screw up.” “Having their own SM choice rule against them will be fun to watch. Dearie is a model judge,” he tweeted. I completely understand people who don’t know Judge Dearie being highly suspicious of anyone who Trump wants. I wd be too. But this is actually a Trump team (unsurprising) screw up: having their own SM choice rule against them will be fun to watch. Dearie is a model judge. — Andrew Weissmann (@AWeissmann_) September 10, 2022 However, according to Fox News, Dearie could be in a unique position to review actions taken by the FBI, given that he approved the FISA warrant based on falsified information by Clinesmith. Judge Aileen Cannon is expected to decide this week on a special master, as well as the scope of what could be used by the Justice Department in its investigation. Follow Breitbart News’s Kristina Wong on Twitter, Truth Social, or on Facebook. Read More…

U.S. Senate Panel Advances Bill To Boost U.S. Ties With Taiwan https://digitalalabamanews.com/u-s-senate-panel-advances-bill-to-boost-u-s-ties-with-taiwan/ FILE PHOTO – Taiwan flags flutter during a welcome ceremony for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves (not pictured) outside the presidential palace in Taipei, Taiwan August 8, 2022. REUTERS/Ann Wang Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com WASHINGTON, Sept 14 (Reuters) – A U.S. Senate committee on Wednesday approved legislation that would significantly enhance U.S. military support for Taiwan, including provisions for billions of dollars in additional security assistance, as China increases military pressure on the democratically governed island. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee backed the Taiwan Policy Act of 2022 by 17-5, despite concerns about the bill in U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration and anger about the measure from Beijing. The strong bipartisan vote was a clear indication of support from both Republicans and Biden’s fellow Democrats for changes in U.S. policy toward Taiwan, such as treating it as a major non-NATO ally. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Sponsors said the bill would be the most comprehensive restructuring of U.S. policy toward the island since the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 – the bedrock of U.S. engagement with what China views as one of its provinces since Washington opened up relations with Beijing that year. “We need to be clear-eyed about what we are facing,” said Senator Bob Menendez, the committee’s Democratic chairman, while stressing that the United States does not seek war or heightened tensions with Beijing. “If we want to ensure Taiwan has a fighting chance, we must act now,” said Senator Jim Risch, the committee’s top Republican, arguing that any change in the status quo for Taiwan would have “disastrous effects” for the U.S. economy and national security. The bill would allocate $4.5 billion in security assistance for Taiwan over four years, and supports its participation in international organizations. The act also includes extensive language on sanctions toward China in the event of hostilities across the strait separating it from the mainland. BEIJING’S OPPOSITION When the bill was introduced in June, China responded by saying it would be “compelled to take resolute countermeasures” if Washington took actions that harmed China’s interests. read more “We haven’t discussed any specifics,” Hsiao Bi-khim, Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to Washington, told reporters at an event at the Capitol when asked if she has had discussions with the White House over specific sanctions. “We talked about integrated deterrence in a broader sense of the need to explore different tools to ensure that the status quo in the Taiwan Strait can be maintained,” Hsiao said. She said she had expressed “gratitude” to Congress for the legislation. “Given the complication of different views here in the United States too, we’re hoping that we can reach some consensus on security, which is our top priority,” she said. The committee’s approval paved the way for a vote in the full Senate, but there has been no word on when that might take place. To become law, it must also pass the House of Representatives and be signed by Biden or win enough support to override a veto. The White House said on Tuesday it was in talks with members of Congress on how to change the act to ensure that it does not change long-standing U.S. policy toward Taiwan that it considers effective. The Taiwan bill is likely to be folded into a larger piece of legislation expected to pass late this year, such as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), an annual bill setting policy for the Department of Defense. (This story corrects paragraph 4 on description of Taiwan) Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Patricia Zengerle and Michael Martina; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Richard Chang Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Read More…

FBI Seizure Of Lindell's Phone Has Mankato Hardee’s Location In National Spotlight https://digitalalabamanews.com/fbi-seizure-of-lindells-phone-has-mankato-hardees-location-in-national-spotlight/ MANKATO — The FBI’s execution of a search warrant on MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell at a Mankato fast-food drive-thru brought a wave of attention to the Mankato Hardee’s. Lindell, who became an enthusiastic supporter of Donald Trump’s false claims of a stolen election, has said he was forced to hand his phone to FBI agents who surrounded him at a Mankato Hardee’s drive-thru on Tuesday. The execution of a warrant was part of an FBI investigation centered on a Colorado official accused of allowing an unauthorized person to break into the county’s election system to search for evidence that would validate Trump’s election conspiracy theories. Lindell, born in Mankato and raised in Chaska, said he was returning from a hunting trip in Iowa when the incident happened. Reports say that the incident happened at the Hardee’s on Highway 169 north. Adam Mahowald, manager of the Madison Avenue Hardee’s, said he isn’t sure the incident happened at all. “I was here all of (Tuesday) and my girlfriend works at the (Hardee’s off Highway 169 north), and neither of us saw any FBI raid,” he said. But an FBI spokesperson, who was contacted by several national media outlets, confirmed agents were “at that location executing a search warrant authorized by a federal judge” but would not give other details. Mahowald was spending Wednesday in the glare of the spotlight. “I’ve had reporters and camera crews up here. We got a whole lot of attention,” he said, noting that relatives have called from as far away as New York about the incident. Twitter and other social media were filled with comments about the Hardee’s incident. “I visited both Hardees in Mankato today. Still have my phone, but now need a nap. Where’s my pillow?” wrote A.J. Lagoe on Twitter. “Do not — I repeat: DO NOT EVER — carry your cell phone to a Hardee’s in Mankato!,” quipped Leigh Pomeroy. “In my city, we crash cars into the Walmart, we accidentally spill truck loads of live pigs onto the highway, and we get the My Pillow Guy being raided by the FBI at Hardee’s. I truly love my weird little goober town,” tweeted Kat Baumann. Hardee’s also capitalized on the publicity, sending this tweet out on Wednesday: “You should really try our pillowy biscuits.” Staff Writer Robb Murray contributed to this article. (c)2022 The Free Press (Mankato, Minn.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Read More…

Kari Lake ‘not A Fan’ Of Ron DeSantis Sending Undocumented Immigrants To Martha’s Vineyard https://digitalalabamanews.com/kari-lake-not-a-fan-of-ron-desantis-sending-undocumented-immigrants-to-marthas-vineyard/ “We’re just taking people here illegally who shouldn’t be here, moving them further inland.” Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake is speaking out against Gov. Ron DeSantis sending planes of undocumented immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard. Lake, appearing on Tucker Carlson Tonight on the Fox News Channel Wednesday, broke with the Florida Governor’s decision. “I’m not a fan of it, Tucker. I mean, we’re just taking people here illegally who shouldn’t be here, moving them further inland,” Lake said. It wasn’t all criticism. “I actually get a kick out of it, watching these liberal mayors just throw their hands up and say we can’t handle it, because it’s life every day for us in these border states,” Lake told Carlson. The criticism from Lake comes just weeks after DeSantis went to Arizona to campaign with her after she won her Primary with Donald Trump’s endorsement. Lake, a former newscaster, extolled DeSantis as a chip off the Donald Trump block, while saying being called “DeSantis of the West” was a major compliment. “He’s got BDE. I call it Big DeSantis Energy. He’s got the same kind of BDE President Trump has,” Lake said, introducing DeSantis as a Governor who brought “Trump strength” to Florida. By the end of the evening, DeSantis was promising to send National Guard members to stand guard at the Mexican border in cooperation with Lake, if she were elected Governor. Lake said on Fox News Wednesday that if elected she would send National Guard troops to the border, but did not reference DeSantis’ kind offer. Fox News Digital obtained the photo of the arrivals to Martha’s Vineyard, with Gov. DeSantis’ communications director confirming its veracity and saying it was a move of them to “sanctuary” jurisdictions. “As you may know, in this past legislative session the Florida Legislature appropriated $12 million to implement a program to facilitate the transport of illegal immigrants from this state consistent with federal law,” Fenske told Fox News. As far back as last year, DeSantis floated the idea of moving undocumented immigrants to other areas. “If you sent (them) to Delaware or Martha’s Vineyard, that border would be secured the next day,” he said in Jacksonville in December. Post Views: 0 Read More…

Former Vice President Mike Pence Visits Liberty University https://digitalalabamanews.com/former-vice-president-mike-pence-visits-liberty-university/ Pence told students he considers himself a Christian, Conservative, and Republican – in that order Former Vice President Mike Pence spent the morning in our region, speaking to Liberty University students during their convocation LYNCHBURG, Va. – Former Vice President Mike Pence received a standing ovation Wednesday at Liberty University’s convocation. Pence told the crowd he considers himself a Christian, Conservative, and Republican – in that order. “Where the spirit of the Lord is there’s liberty. That means liberty always wins,” Pence said. The former Indiana governor said he came to Liberty with a call to action. “You must be the freedom generation because, the truth is, your generation may be the last line of defense for the Constitution of the United States,” Pence said. Pence warned students that they will face challenges, but they must defend their values. “When your convictions are tested, you will be, at that moment, the man or woman you have been preparing to be on every quiet day before,” said Pence. Ad Wednesday marked Pence’s third visit to the Christian university – his first since 2019 and the Jan. 6 insurrection, where he was called on to overturn the 2020 election. With several Trump 2024 flags in attendance, students said they were not surprised by the warm welcome for pence. “Although not all conservatives agree with Pence’s actions, we do agree with his Christian faith and his values; and that’s something he carried throughout the Trump administration,” said LU student Emily Huseman. “He got a standing ovation when he left [the stage], so I believe everyone was in support of the vice president,” said Gabriel Spencer, another LU student. You can watch his full speech here. Copyright 2022 by WSLS 10 – All rights reserved. About the Author: Tim Harfmann Tim Harfmann joined the 10 News team in September 2020 and works at the station’s Lynchburg bureau. Read More…

Mobile County Officials Seeking Additional Funding For New Aquatic Center https://digitalalabamanews.com/mobile-county-officials-seeking-additional-funding-for-new-aquatic-center/ MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) -“Really an aquatic center has been talked about probably into the 90s,” said Danny Corte with Mobile Sports Authority. Right now, a lot of swim meets in the area are held at Bishop State which is an older facility that can only accommodate smaller meets. “When we go compete against a newer aquatic center for swim meets, high school swim meets, youth swim meets they’re always going to choose another venue because of the age of ours,” said Corte. Because of that, groups like the Mobile Swim Association have had to leave the area to host home meets. “Frankly it’s a little embarrassing,” said County Commission President Connie Hudson. “To be a well balanced well rounded community you have to offer these amenities to citizens.” That’s why officials are working to build a new aquatics center at the sportsplex on Halls Mill Road which many feel would make a big difference. “Not only bring the kids and the coaches to town but they also bring the parents, grandparents, siblings so those events for us bring some strong economic impact for us,” added Corte. The center is in the final stages of the design phase, but due to rising construction costs the project will now be done in phases. “The first phase will include the outdoor 50 meter pool which also has dive well capabilities and an indoor instructional pool. It will also include the restrooms and locker rooms,” said Hudson. County Commission President Connie Hudson says the cost for the first phase is estimated between $18-$21 million dollars. So far, the county has contributed $4 million while the city has chipped in $3 million. Commissioner Hudson says she’s hopeful to get some support from the Mobile County Public School System. “I know there are 13 high schools with swim teams and right now they’re very limited,” said Hudson. Nothing is set in stone but school board member Dr. Reginald Crenshaw says he was encouraged after seeing Commissioner Hudson’s presentation. “At that time the superintendent indicated that he would take it under consideration and since then has indicated to me that there would be a financial donation made. As far as how much we’re waiting on him to tell us,” said Dr. Reginald Crenshaw. Commissioner Hudson says they are exploring options for the rest of the funding. She hopes to have phase one finished sometime in 2024. She says they’re ready to start construction as soon as they have the funding. — Download the FOX10 Weather App. Get life-saving severe weather warnings and alerts for your location no matter where you are. Available free in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. Copyright 2022 WALA. All rights reserved. Read More…

Today In Alexander City History: 9/11 https://digitalalabamanews.com/today-in-alexander-city-history-9-11/ As part of The Outlook’s ongoing coverage of Alexander City’s 150th anniversary, we are reflecting on important historical events that have defined our city. In this new series, The Outlook shares photos from the city’s past.  In the days following September 11, 2001, Alexander City residents united with fellow Americans in solidarity as the nation reeled from the deadliest terrorist attack in U.S. history. With this past Sunday marking the 21st anniversary of the day’s events, we highlight the bravery and resolve of local residents in the tragedy’s aftermath.  A shocked nation  Those living in Alexander City learned in horror either from television or the radio that Tuesday, September 11, 2001 would become a dark day in American history when two jet-liners crashed into the World Trade Center in a deliberate terrorist attack.  Four planes in total were hijacked as part of the plot, with one hitting the Pentagon and another crashing in a field in Pennsylvania. Following the attacks, local leaders and residents expressed their reactions and disbelief.   The Outlook’s coverage of the attacks on Sept. 12, 2001.  File / The Outlook Spirits still strong  Alexander City residents held their heads high even amid national grieving and suffering in the days following September 11. Locals passed out American flags as an act of patriotism during a football game on Thursday, September 14, 2001, just two days after the attacks.  Citizens proudly displayed the stars and stripes during a football match-up between Alexander City Middle School and Auburn.  Alexander City Veterans Honor Guard member Al Tapley also conducted a special ceremony honoring the victims of the attack during a football match-up between Alexander City Middle School and Auburn.  File / The Outlook ‘For God so loved the world’ Alexander City residents also joined in support of fellow Americans at the pulpit. Following the tragedy, over 200 locals poured into the First Baptist Church to pray for the victims, their families and the nation at large.  Today in history 5.jpg Dr. Gerald Hallmark, the church’s pastor at the time, called for unity and faith during the crisis in the days following the tragedy. Hallmark reassured his congregation during the prayer service with the Bible verse John 3:16, which said “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Together as one Alexander City firefighters hung a large flag following to attacks which saluted their fellow first responders that died.  File / The Outlook The attacks on September 11, 2001 united Americans of all faiths, religions and denominations. That was apparent in Alexander City as well during candlelight vigil at the First United Methodist Church. At a ceremony on Friday, September 15, 2001, Alexander City neighbors lit candles during a remembrance vigil.  File / The Outlook That unity soon exceeded the church when Alexander City firefighters also raised an enormous flag that same day for fellow firefighters who lost their lives in New York City.  City businesses decorated downtown with red, white and blue bows. Connor Smith still remembers where he was on September 11, 2001. The Roanoke, Alabama-native formed his first memories of the day while at school.   William Marlow is a multimedia reporter for Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc. To reach William, email william.marlow@alexcityoutlook.com. Read More…

Biden To Host White House Summit To Combat Racism, Violent Extremism https://digitalalabamanews.com/biden-to-host-white-house-summit-to-combat-racism-violent-extremism/ President Biden will convene a forum at the White House Thursday aimed at confronting what civil rights groups, local officials and academics say is an explosive rise in extremism and white supremacy that threatens the core of America’s democracy. The “United We Stand” summit builds upon the administration’s push to root out the threat of racially motivated domestic violent extremists, which sparked a sweeping strategy to deal with the threat and the creation of a specialized unit within the Justice Department to combat domestic terrorism. Mr. Biden will deliver the keynote address to highlight the administration’s response to hate and “put forward a shared vision for a more united America,” officials said. But current and former FBI agents tell The Washington Times that the perceived threat has become overblown under the administration, and say that bureau analysts and top officials are pressuring FBI agents to create domestic terrorist cases and tag people as white supremacists to meet internal metrics. “The demand for white supremacy” coming from FBI headquarters “vastly outstrips the supply of white supremacy,” said one agent, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “We have more people assigned to investigate white supremacists than we can actually find.” The agent said those driving bureau policy “have already determined that white supremacy is a problem” and set agency-wide policy elevating racially motivated domestic extremism cases as a priority. “We are sort of the lapdogs as the actual agents doing these sorts of investigations, trying to find a crime to fit otherwise First Amendment-protected activities,” he said. “If they have a Gadsden flag, and they own guns, and they are mean at school board meetings, that’s probably a domestic terrorist.” The Gadsden flag is a historical American flag with a yellow field showing a timber rattlesnake and the words: “Don’t Tread on Me.” It is often used as a symbol of liberty. The FBI denies targeting groups or people based on their espoused political views, and says the bureau focuses only on those “who commit or intend to commit violence and criminal activity that constitutes a federal crime or poses a threat to national security.” “The FBI aggressively investigates threats posed by domestic violent extremists,” an FBI spokesperson said. “We do not investigate ideology and we do not investigate particular cases based on the political views of the individuals involved. The FBI will continue to pursue threats or acts of violence, regardless of the underlying motivation or socio-political goal.” Others say the concern over the rise of extremism and white supremacist ideology is far from unfounded. Nationwide hate crime data point to a concerning rise in racially motivated attacks in recent years, according to Brian Levin, who founded the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino and has been appointed to California’s recently formed Commission on the State of Hate. According to Mr. Levin’s preliminary analysis of hate crime statistics pulled from 52 U.S. cities, hate crimes rose 20% in 2021, with nine states breaking annual records. Last year marked an especially concerning rise in anti-Black hate crime, according to his analysis, though anti-Asian, anti-Jewish and anti-Latino hate crimes also added to the spike. Mr. Levin, an independent, said that white supremacist ideology consistently motivates the most deadly hate-fueled attacks, and has noted a concerning rise in online extremism among white supremacist groups. “We have these ticking time bombs walking around like Buffalo or Mother Emanuel church,” he said, referring to mass shootings in which Blacks were targeted. “That’s something that we really have to have to address. White supremacy is absolutely something that we have to look at as not only a hate crime issue, but a national security issue.” Furthermore, Mr. Levin said that not all of those who perpetrate hate crimes motivated by racial animus are carried out by “dyed in the wool” extremists or that “the klan is operationally directing” all white supremacy-inspired attacks. But he said it is still important to consider the sometimes subtle biases that motivate the crimes. The FBI agent’s claims of a crusade against an inflated white supremacist and domestic extremism threat echo complaints raised by conservative lawmakers who accuse the Biden administration of ignoring left-wing violence and leveraging fears of right-wing terrorism to target political opponents and stifle legitimate debate. Rep. Jim Jordan, the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, said several whistleblowers have come forward with similar allegations that the FBI has pressured agents to open cases to fulfill the Biden administration’s crusade against home-grown terrorism. “I think [it is] what’s ultimately driving his politics,” Mr. Jordan said. “If you own a gun, display the flag and voted for Trump, the president’s going to call you an extremist and it appears the FBI is going to use the numbers to satisfy that narrative that the president laid out.” White House officials have billed Thursday’s summit as a stand against “the corrosive effects of hate-fueled violence on our democracy and public safety.” The lineup for the summit includes federal, state and local officials along with civil rights groups, business leaders, law enforcement officials and former members of violent hate groups who now work to prevent violence. Those backing the White House summit cite a series of recent mass shootings motived by racial animus, including the targeted killing in May of Black shoppers at a Buffalo, New York grocery story by a self-described white supremacist. Mr. Biden, who has often cited the violence surrounding the 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, as spurring his run for president in 2020, has made fighting extremism a priority for his administration. The president has signed into law measures to combat anti-Asian hate crimes and the nation’s first new gun control bill in decades, following back-to-back mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas. As part of his efforts to stamp out hate crimes, Mr. Biden announced a sweeping strategy to deal with the threat of domestic terrorism. The Department of Homeland Security declared that extremists were a “national threat priority.” In January, the Justice Department launched a specialized unit to combat domestic terrorism. Critics say Mr. Biden’s efforts have done little to unite the country, and many within the GOP warn that the country is becoming further divided under his administration. Attorney General Merrick Garland piqued fears among conservatives of a burgeoning police state last year when he issued a memorandum directing federal law enforcement officials to strategize against the terrorist threat from parents protesting at local school boards. The memo was a response to a National School Boards Association letter to Mr. Biden requesting federal assistance to stop threats from parents against public school officials. Conservatives said the move was a weaponization of the Justice Department to target average Americans for activities protected under the First Amendment.  Republican distrust of federal law enforcement has grown further amid the FBI’s raid of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, last month and the recent crackdown of Trump insiders allegedly involved in the plot to overturn the 2020 election. Mr. Biden also has stoked conservatives’ fears with campaign rhetoric casting Republicans as anti-democratic extremists and labeling Mr. Trump’s “Make America Great Again” political agenda as “semi-fascism.” In a nationwide survey by the Trafalgar Group and Convention of States Action in the days after Mr. Biden’s recent speech in which he framed the midterm elections as a battle for the “soul of our nation,” 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. Nonetheless, the White House has stood by the escalation in rhetoric, which has been echoed by groups on the left pushing for the president to take action in the face of what a consortium of civil rights leaders has deemed to be “America’s most precarious moment since the Jim Crow era.” Civil rights leaders also cite a spike in racially-motivated vandalism at places of worship; the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol; and the ongoing push to overturn the 2020 election as evidence of a concerning rise in domestic extremism in addition to the rise nationwide spike in hate crime. “White supremacy is the greatest threat to the well-being of our nation,” said Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “In order to dismantle it, we need a bold, coordinated response.” “President Biden’s ‘United We Stand’ summit is a critical first step towards a Marshall Plan-style approach to galvanize the type of federal resources and civil society initiatives for which I and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law have been advocating,” he said. Read More…

The One, BIG Lesson Of The 2022 Primary Season https://digitalalabamanews.com/the-one-big-lesson-of-the-2022-primary-season/ Analysis by Chris Cillizza, CNN Editor-at-large The 2022 primary season officially ended Tuesday night, with voters in New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Delaware casting their final ballots. There are a lot of good takeaways from the primary season that was, but in raw political terms, there’s really only one lesson that matters as we contemplate where we are as a country at this moment: Donald Trump still has a vice grip on the Republican Party. In contested primary after contested primary, the Trumpiest candidate — and usually the one who the former President explicitly endorsed — won. And in many of those races, the Trump-ified candidate defeated an opponent who had backing from the more establishment wing of the party. Tuesday’s results in New Hampshire are a good microcosm of this trend. Don Bolduc, a retired Army brigadier general, won the Senate primary over a field of candidates that included state Senate President Chuck Morse. Bolduc did not receive Trump’s endorsement, but he is an outspoken supporter of the former President’s election denialism and even floated the possibility of disbanding the FBI in the wake of the Mar-a-Lago search last month. Morse was considered a more pragmatic candidate who had the endorsement of New Hampshire Republican Gov. Chris Sununu. (Sununu had also said that Bolduc was “not a serious candidate.”) In GOP Senate primaries in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Arizona and North Carolina, a similar scenario played out. Candidates clambered — at times desperately — for Trump’s approval and voting coalition, often by adopting his false claims about the 2020 election. In each of those cases, Trump’s chosen candidate won the nomination. (Sidebar: CNN’s Daniel Dale found that more than half of the 35 Republican Senate nominees this year have expressed at least some skepticism about the 2020 election results.) Governor’s races weren’t much different. In Arizona, Kari Lake, a high-profile election denier, rode a Trump endorsement — and an adoption of Trumpism writ large — to the GOP nomination. Ditto Doug Mastriano, who rose to prominence for his unswerving belief that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump, in Pennsylvania. In Wisconsin, Tim Michels won the Republican primary with Trump’s backing, as did Tudor Dixon in Michigan. (Georgia was a notable exception here, with Gov. Brian Kemp fending off a Trump-backed primary challenger.) Which is a remarkable thing. Why? Because Trump is a former president of the United States, someone who lost his bid for a second term. And not just that, but someone who was in office when Republicans lost their House and Senate majorities. The story of Trump’s political life is marked by more defeats than victories. And yet, there is a credible case to be made that he is at least as powerful today — in terms of his influence over the GOP — as he was when he was in the White House. What does that mean going forward? That Trump would start a 2024 Republican presidential nomination fight as a very clear favorite — even as it remains a very open question as to whether he can appeal to voters outside of the GOP base. The Point: The Republican Party is Donald Trump’s party. Any doubt of that fact was erased by the 2022 primary season. The-CNN-Wire & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. Read More…

Trump Told Jordan’s King He Would Give Him The West Bank, Shocking Abdullah II, Book Says https://digitalalabamanews.com/trump-told-jordans-king-he-would-give-him-the-west-bank-shocking-abdullah-ii-book-says-2/ President Trump once offered what he considered “a great deal” to Jordan’s King Abdullah II: control of the West Bank, whose Palestinian population long sought to topple the monarchy. “I thought I was having a heart attack,” Abdullah II recalled to an American friend in 2018, according to a new book on the Trump presidency being published next week. “I couldn’t breathe. I was bent doubled-over.” The unreported offer to Abdullah is among the startling new details about Trump’s chaotic presidency in the book “The Divider: Trump in the White House 2017-2021” by Peter Baker, chief White House correspondent for the New York Times, and Susan Glasser, staff writer for the New Yorker. The book, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Post, is the latest in a long-running series of deeply reported behind-the-scenes accounts featuring, or written by, Trump administration insiders, with some claiming that they tried to curb the 45th president’s worst instincts. Baker and Glasser write that their book is based on reporting they did for their respective outlets, “as well as about 300 original interviews conducted exclusively for this book.” They added: “We obtained private diaries, memos, contemporaneous notes, emails, text messages, and other documents that shed new light on Trump’s time in office.” The husband-and-wife journalists also conducted two interviews with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate. One theme that emerges in the book is the growth of Trump’s fixation with attacking his perceived enemies and an increasing concern among top officials in his administration that they must prevent Trump’s lawlessness and erratic demands. Several top officials “were on the verge of quitting en masse,” according to the book, citing an October 2018 message Kirstjen Nielsen, then the homeland security secretary, wrote to a top aide over the encrypted app Signal. Chief of Staff John F. Kelly; Defense Secretary Jim Mattis; Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Education Secretary Betsy DeVos; and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke “all” wanted to quit, Nielsen wrote, according to the book. At the time, Trump was fearful of losing control of Congress and eager to appeal to his base of supporters. Fox News was focusing attention on a caravan of migrants moving through Central America toward the southern border — referring to it as an “invasion,” the book notes. Trump, in response, urged Nielsen to “harden the border even to the point of pushing her to take action she had no authority to take,” according to the book. Nielsen and Alex Azar, the health and human services secretary, even agreed that they would both resign in protest if Trump resumed family separations at the southern border. In fall 2018, she wrote to an aide, “The insanity has been loosed.” Those officials ultimately left the administration, but not in unison over one single issue. “The people who were most fearful of his reign were those in the room with him,” Baker and Glasser write. In November 2018, Democrats swept to power in the House, winning the majority. While he was in the White House, Trump also tried to use his office to punish — demands his own aides saw as illegal and tried to stop, according to the book. Trump not only tried to block a merger between CNN’s parent company, Time Warner, and the telecommunication giant AT&T, driven by his anger over the network’s coverage of him, but also tried to prevent a government contract from going to a company owned by Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon. (Bezos owns The Washington Post). “He’d do anything to get Bezos,” a senior Trump official told the book’s authors. Trump also targeted former intelligence officials James R. Clapper Jr. and John Brennan, demanding more than 50 times that they be stripped of security clearances. And when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit blocked one of his policies, Trump told Nielsen he wanted to eliminate the court altogether. “Let’s just cancel it,” he told her, according to the book, adding that they should “get rid” of the judges and using a profanity. Trump ordered that legislation be drafted and sent to Congress as soon as possible, the authors write. Nielsen, according to the book, “did what she and so many other administration officials did when Trump issued nonsensical demands — ignored it and hoped it would go away.” Trump, who is eyeing another presidential run, also ruled out picking his former vice president Mike Pence as his running mate, telling Baker and Glasser, “It would be totally inappropriate.” Pence’s refusal to block Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election, despite Trump’s false claims that the election was rigged, opened a fissure between the two men. Trump, seething over what he considered a betrayal by Pence, told the authors, “Mike committed political suicide by not taking votes that he knew were wrong.” On Jan. 6, 2021, when a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol to stop the counting of electoral votes for Biden, several of the president’s supporters chanted, “Hang Mike Pence.” The book also quotes Trump’s wife, Melania, expressing deep concerns over her husband’s handling of the coronavirus. She spoke directly to Trump in the early days of the pandemic and, according to the book, recounted that conversation later to Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.), from whom the president had routinely sought advice. “You’re blowing this,” she recalled telling her husband, according to the book. “This is serious. It’s going to be really bad, and you need to take it more seriously than you’re taking it,” she said, according to Baker and Glasser. Trump “just dismissed her,” they write. “You worry too much,” Melania recalled Trump telling her, according to the book. The offer to Abdullah of the West Bank — which is bordered by Israel and Jordan, and which Trump had no control over — came in January 2018. Trump thought he would be doing the Jordanian king a favor, not realizing that it would destabilize his country, according to the book. A previous excerpt of the book published in August in the New Yorker described how Trump once told a top adviser that he wanted “totally loyal” generals like the ones who had served Adolf Hitler — unaware that some of Hitler’s generals had tried to assassinate the Nazi leader several times. Trump complained to Kelly, then his chief of staff and a retired Marine Corps general, “why can’t you be like the German generals?” When Kelly asked which generals he meant, Trump replied: “The German generals in World War II.” “You do know that they tried to kill Hitler three times and almost pulled it off?” Kelly said, according to the book. Trump didn’t believe him, the book says. “No, no, no, they were totally loyal to him,” Trump insisted. Read More…

Trump Told Jordan’s King He Would Give Him The West Bank, Shocking Abdullah II, Book Says https://digitalalabamanews.com/trump-told-jordans-king-he-would-give-him-the-west-bank-shocking-abdullah-ii-book-says/ President Trump once offered what he considered “a great deal” to Jordan’s King Abdullah II: control of the West Bank, whose Palestinian population long sought to topple the monarchy. “I thought I was having a heart attack,” Abdullah II recalled to an American friend in 2018, according to a new book on the Trump presidency being published next week. “I couldn’t breathe. I was bent doubled-over.” The unreported offer to Abdullah is among the startling new details about Trump’s chaotic presidency in the book “The Divider: Trump in the White House 2017-2021” by Peter Baker, chief White House correspondent for the New York Times, and Susan Glasser, staff writer for the New Yorker. The book, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Post, is the latest in a long-running series of deeply reported behind-the-scenes accounts featuring, or written by, Trump administration insiders, with some claiming that they tried to curb the 45th president’s worst instincts. Baker and Glasser write that their book is based on reporting they did for their respective outlets, “as well as about 300 original interviews conducted exclusively for this book.” They added: “We obtained private diaries, memos, contemporaneous notes, emails, text messages, and other documents that shed new light on Trump’s time in office.” The husband-and-wife journalists also conducted two interviews with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate. One theme that emerges in the book is the growth of Trump’s fixation with attacking his perceived enemies and an increasing concern among top officials in his administration that they must prevent Trump’s lawlessness and erratic demands. Several top officials “were on the verge of quitting en masse,” according to the book, citing an October 2018 message Kirstjen Nielsen, then the homeland security secretary, wrote to a top aide over the encrypted app Signal. Chief of Staff John F. Kelly; Defense Secretary Jim Mattis; Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Education Secretary Betsy DeVos; and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke “all” wanted to quit, Nielsen wrote, according to the book. At the time, Trump was fearful of losing control of Congress and eager to appeal to his base of supporters. Fox News was focusing attention on a caravan of migrants moving through Central America toward the southern border — referring to it as an “invasion,” the book notes. Trump, in response, urged Nielsen to “harden the border even to the point of pushing her to take action she had no authority to take,” according to the book. Nielsen and Alex Azar, the health and human services secretary, even agreed that they would both resign in protest if Trump resumed family separations at the southern border. In fall 2018, she wrote to an aide, “The insanity has been loosed.” Those officials ultimately left the administration, but not in unison over one single issue. “The people who were most fearful of his reign were those in the room with him,” Baker and Glasser write. In November 2018, Democrats swept to power in the House, winning the majority. While he was in the White House, Trump also tried to use his office to punish — demands his own aides saw as illegal and tried to stop, according to the book. Trump not only tried to block a merger between CNN’s parent company, Time Warner, and the telecommunication giant AT&T, driven by his anger over the network’s coverage of him, but also tried to prevent a government contract from going to a company owned by Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon. (Bezos owns The Washington Post). “He’d do anything to get Bezos,” a senior Trump official told the book’s authors. Trump also targeted former intelligence officials James R. Clapper Jr. and John Brennan, demanding more than 50 times that they be stripped of security clearances. And when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit blocked one of his policies, Trump told Nielsen he wanted to eliminate the court altogether. “Let’s just cancel it,” he told her, according to the book, adding that they should “get rid” of the judges and using a profanity. Trump ordered that legislation be drafted and sent to Congress as soon as possible, the authors write. Nielsen, according to the book, “did what she and so many other administration officials did when Trump issued nonsensical demands — ignored it and hoped it would go away.” Trump, who is eyeing another presidential run, also ruled out picking his former vice president Mike Pence as his running mate, telling Baker and Glasser, “It would be totally inappropriate.” Pence’s refusal to block Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election, despite Trump’s false claims that the election was rigged, opened a fissure between the two men. Trump, seething over what he considered a betrayal by Pence, told the authors, “Mike committed political suicide by not taking votes that he knew were wrong.” On Jan. 6, 2021, when a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol to stop the counting of electoral votes for Biden, several of the president’s supporters chanted, “Hang Mike Pence.” The book also quotes Trump’s wife, Melania, expressing deep concerns over her husband’s handling of the coronavirus. She spoke directly to Trump in the early days of the pandemic and, according to the book, recounted that conversation later to Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.), from whom the president had routinely sought advice. “You’re blowing this,” she recalled telling her husband, according to the book. “This is serious. It’s going to be really bad, and you need to take it more seriously than you’re taking it,” she said, according to Baker and Glasser. Trump “just dismissed her,” they write. “You worry too much,” Melania recalled Trump telling her, according to the book. The offer to Abdullah of the West Bank — which is bordered by Israel and Jordan, and which Trump had no control over — came in January 2018. Trump thought he would be doing the Jordanian king a favor, not realizing that it would destabilize his country, according to the book. A previous excerpt of the book published in August in the New Yorker described how Trump once told a top adviser that he wanted “totally loyal” generals like the ones who had served Adolf Hitler — unaware that some of Hitler’s generals had tried to assassinate the Nazi leader several times. Trump complained to Kelly, then his chief of staff and a retired Marine Corps general, “why can’t you be like the German generals?” When Kelly asked which generals he meant, Trump replied: “The German generals in World War II.” “You do know that they tried to kill Hitler three times and almost pulled it off?” Kelly said, according to the book. Trump didn’t believe him, the book says. “No, no, no, they were totally loyal to him,” Trump insisted. Read More…