Digital Alabama News

Judge Remains At 60 Homers, But Yankees Win Again https://digitalalabamanews.com/judge-remains-at-60-homers-but-yankees-win-again/ NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge went homerless for the fourth straight game and remained one shy of Roger Maris’ American League record of 61 as the New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 7-5 on Saturday to close in on their first AL East title since 2019. Judge was 0 for 3 with two strikeouts and a walk. Since hitting No. 60 to spark a ninth-inning comeback Tuesday night, the slugger is 3 for 13 with two doubles, five walks and six strikeouts. Anthony Rizzo hit a two-run homer off John Schreiber (3-4) that broke a 5-all tie in the seventh inning. Rizzo equaled his career high, reaching 32 for the fourth time. The Yankees (93-58) have won six straight and 10 of 12, surpassing last year’s wins total and opening an 8 1/2-game division lead with 11 to play. Xander Bogaerts went 2 for 4 for Boston and took over the AL batting lead with a .315 average to Judge’s .314. Judge leads the majors with 128 RBIs and is in contention for the first Triple Crown since Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera in 2012. Oswaldo Cabrera had a two-run homer for the Yankees, and Gleyber Torres hit his 24th of the season. Triston Casas and Reese McGuire homered for Boston. Lucas Luetge (4-4) for the win and Scott Effross earned his third save, second with the Yankees. BLUE JAYS 3, RAYS 1 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Alek Manoah pitched seven shutout innings, Whit Merrifield hit a three-run homer and Toronto regained the top AL wild-card spot with a victory over Tampa Bay. The Blue Jays lead the Rays by one game. The top wild card finisher will host all games in their best-of-three opening-round series, while the other two wild cards play strictly on the road. Manoah (15-7) scattered four hits, walked two and struck out eight while throwing a season-high 113 pitches. Jordan Romano got four outs for his 35th save in 41 chances. Tampa Bay starter Drew Rasmussen (10-7) gave up one run and three hits in 6 1/3 innings. Merrifield connected in the seventh off Brooks Raley. ATHLETICS 10, METS 4 OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Jacob deGrom got hit around and lasted a season-low four innings as New York squandered an early lead and lost to Oakland. Handed a 3-0 advantage, deGrom (5-3) gave up four runs in the bottom of the first. He was tagged for five runs and four walks overall — the worst start for the two-time Cy Young Award winner since 2019. In his last three starts, the right-hander has allowed 11 earned runs in 15 innings. The four walks doubled his previous season total. The Mets lost for only the second time in nine games. They lead the NL East by 1 1/2 games over reigning World Series champion Atlanta. Pete Alonso launched his 38th homer for New York, and Mark Vientos hit his first in the majors. Conner Capel homered among his career-best three hits and drove in a career-high four runs. Seth Brown also went deep for the A’s, and rookie Dermis García had a two-run double. Ken Waldichuk (1-2) earned his first major league win in his fifth career start with five solid innings. BRAVES 6, PHILLIES 3 PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kyle Wright became the first 20-game winner in the majors this season and Atlanta beat Philadelphia to stop a three-game losing streak. William Contreras and rookie Michael Harris II each homered and had three hits for the Braves (94-58), who moved within 1 1/2 games of the first-place Mets in the NL East. The teams play three games in Atlanta next weekend. Bryce Harper hit a two-run homer for Philadelphia (83-68), which holds the third and final NL wild-card spot by 1 1/2 games over Milwaukee. The 26-year-old Wright (20-5) went 5 1/3 innings and became the first Braves pitcher to win 20 games since Russ Ortiz won 21 in 2003. Kenley Jansen earned his 37th save. Bailey Falter (5-4) allowed six runs and 10 hits over 3 2/3 innings in his first loss since July 24. PADRES 9, ROCKIES 3 DENVER (AP) — Yu Darvish settled in after serving up a leadoff homer and equaled a career high with his 16th win as San Diego climbed into second place in the NL wild-card race by beating Colorado. Jake Cronenworth and Ha-Seong Kim each had a two-run single as part of a six-run seventh inning that broke open a 3-2 game. The Padres moved a half-game ahead of Philadelphia, with the surging Brewers just 1 1/2 games behind the Phillies for the third and final slot. Darvish (16-7) struck out eight over six efficient innings to match the win total he set as a rookie with Texas in 2012. He had thrown 16 straight scoreless innings before Ryan McMahon homered on his fourth pitch. Slumping center fielder Trent Grisham contributed with his glove in the fifth when his diving grab prevented the tying run from scoring. It was a rare win for the Padres at Coors Field, where they are 4-14 over the last two seasons. Chad Kuhl (6-10) allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings. GUARDIANS 4, RANGERS 2 ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Cal Quantrill won his career-best 10th consecutive decision, rookie Oscar Gonzalez hit two home runs and Cleveland moved closer to clinching the AL Central by beating Texas. The streaking Guardians won for the 17th time in 20 games. They can wrap up the division title with one more win or a White Sox loss. Quantrill (14-6) hasn’t lost in 15 starts dating to July 5 while setting a career high for wins. He allowed only Marcus Semien’s solo homer in six innings. Andres Gimenez hit a solo homer in the seventh off Brock Burke (7-4) to give the Guardians a 2-1 lead. Emmanuel Clase earned his major league-best 39th save in 43 opportunities despite giving up a solo homer to Sam Huff in the ninth. BREWERS 10, REDS 2 CINCINNATI (AP) — Hunter Renfroe hit a pair of two-run homers and had a season-high five RBIs against Cincinnati in Milwaukee’s fourth straight victory. Renfroe’s shots boosted Milwaukee’s homer count against the Reds this season to 42, tied with the 2016 Cubs for the most by any team against Cincinnati in franchise history. Renfroe tied his career high with four hits in support of Corbin Burnes (11-8). The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner gave up four hits and two runs with eight strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. Reds rookie Graham Ashcraft (5-4) came off the injured list to make his first start since Aug. 19. He was tagged for eight hits and four runs in four innings. DODGERS 6, CARDINALS 2 LOS ANGELES (AP) — Miguel Vargas hit his first big league home run, Clayton Kershaw won his third straight start and Los Angeles bounced back with a victory over St. Louis. Will Smith and Trayce Thompson also went deep for the NL West champion Dodgers, who had dropped three of four — including an 11-0 blowout by the Cardinals on Friday night. St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols went 1 for 4, a night after becoming the fourth player to reach 700 career home runs. Nolan Arenado had a solo shot for the Cardinals, but their NL Central lead dropped to 6 1/2 games over Milwaukee. Vargas started at first base after major league batting leader Freddie Freeman was scratched due to illness. With Austin Barnes aboard in the second inning, Vargas homered off Jordan Montgomery (8-6) to make it 4-0. Kershaw (10-3) struck out seven in six innings and allowed two runs on six hits. The left-hander is 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA in five starts since coming off the injured list. He was sidelined nearly a month due to lower back pain. Cody Bellinger laced an RBI double in the fourth and scored on a single by Mookie Betts. MARINERS 6, ROYALS 5 KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Cal Raleigh homered and drove in three runs as Seattle rallied past Kansas City. The Mariners have won two of three after dropping five of six as they try to hold off Baltimore for the third and final AL wild card. They closed to a half-game behind Tampa Bay for the second spot. With one out in the ninth inning, Jarred Kelenic and Jesse Winker singled ahead of Raleigh’s tiebreaking RBI double off Brad Keller (6-14). Raleigh had tied the score 5-5 as a pinch-hitter with his 25th homer, a two-run shot to start the sixth. Paul Sewald (5-4) tossed two scoreless innings and Andres Munoz worked the ninth for his fourth save. The loss ended the Royals’ season-best four-game win streak. ASTROS 11, ORIOLES 10 BALTIMORE (AP) — Yuli Gurriel hit a two-run single to cap a ninth-inning uprising that carried Houston past Baltimore, giving manager Dusty Baker his milestone 100th win of the season. The AL West champion Astros trailed 9-7 before mounting a four-run rally against closer Félix Bautista (4-4). Kyle Tucker tied it with a two-out RBI double and Gurriel followed with a single. On the brink of making up ground in the playoff hunt, the Orioles dropped four games behind Seattle for the third and final AL wild card. Both teams have 11 games left. Baker joined Hall of Famers Sparky Anderson, Tony La Russa and Whitey Herzog as the only managers in major league history to have 100-win seasons in both leagues. He won 103 games in his 1993 debut with San Francisco. Anthony Santander hit two home runs for the Orioles, and Cedric Mullins and Rougned Odor also went deep. Coming off two straight shutout losses to Baltimore, the Astros trailed 7-6 in the eighth before Gurriel doubled in a run against Bautista. In the bottom half, Ryan Mountcastle singled off Rafael Montero (5-2) and Santander followed with a shot to deep center. But it wasn’t enough in this wild slugfest. Ryan Pressly gave up a ninth-inning homer to Odor but earned his 31st save. TIGERS 7, WHITE SOX 2 CHICAGO (AP) — Javier Báez taunted Chicago fans after hitting a home run, and Detroit pushed the White Sox closer to elimination in the AL Central. Cleveland has a magic number of one to close out the White Sox to win the division. Before Chicago lost its fifth in a row, the team announced manager Tony La Russa will not return to the dugout this season. Báez hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning. As he rounded ...

Philippines On Red Alert As Super Typhoon Noru Approaches https://digitalalabamanews.com/philippines-on-red-alert-as-super-typhoon-noru-approaches/ (CNN)The Philippines has issued an extreme emergency alert as Super Typhoon Noru approaches. The storm, known locally as Super Typhoon Karding, reached super typhoon status early on Sunday morning local time in the Philippines after suddenly intensifying. “The highest emergency preparedness and response protocol has been activated in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and the Bicol region,” said the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. It urged the public to take care, adding strong winds are expected to hit within the next 18 hours The typhoon is expected to make landfall in the northern part of Quezon or the southern part of Aurora in the evening, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on a live hourly television bulletin. It said it does not rule out an earlier landfall in Polillo Islands in the afternoon. Schools in multiple cities including Muntinlupa City and Aurora suspended classes for Monday, Sept. 26, due to the approaching storm. According to CNN Weather, Noru now has winds equal to a category 5 US hurricane. It is expected to bring large waves and storm surge, torrential rains, and winds in excess of 200 kph (124 mph) to Luzon over the next 24 hours. PAGASA issued a warning for the Polillo Islands in anticipation of extensive damage that could be caused by the storm. The warning comes after the storm rapidly intensified in the early hours of Sunday. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center said it had strengthened from a 140 kph (85 mph) typhoon to a 250 kph (155 mph) super typhoon in just six hours. Earlier on Sunday the PAGASA has issued a signal warning level four for the Polillo Islands in anticipation of extensive damage and level two and three warnings for much of Luzon, including metro Manila. This is a developing story. More to come Read More…

Alabama A&M Falls 38-25 As Florida A&M Scores 31 Unanswered In SWAC Opener https://digitalalabamanews.com/alabama-am-falls-38-25-as-florida-am-scores-31-unanswered-in-swac-opener/ Carlton Rice TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Alabama A&M (0-4, 0-0 SWAC) held a 12-point lead in the first half but could not weather 31 unanswered points as Florida A&M (2-2, 1-0 SWAC) rallied for a 38-25 victory in an NCAA Division I football game and Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) opener on Saturday, September 24. THE STATS – ALABAMA A&M Junior quarterback Xavier Lankford (Pelham, Ala.) was a threat through the air and on the ground as he went 18-of-28 for 180 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions and notched 81 yards on 11 carries to pace the Bulldogs. Senior wide receiver Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim (Miramar, Fla.) hauled in six catches for 49 yards and senior wide receiver Cameron Young (Daphne, Ala.) came away with the lone receiving touchdown on the day. In the backfield, graduate running back Gary Quarles (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) and sophomore running back Donovan Eaglin (Houston, Texas) each found the endzone to round out the offensive performances. Junior punter Troy Lendvay (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) anchored special teams as he drove five punts for 197 yards, including two for fair catches, one for 50-yards and three that were planted inside the 20-yard line. THE GAME After allowing just three plays and negative six yards on FAMU’s opening possession, the Bulldogs would take over on the offensive end at the 42-yard line. They would then go six plays and all 42 of those yards, 29 on a catch down the sideline by junior tight end Bryson Clark (Delray Beach, Fla.) and the last two on a dive into the endzone by Quarles at the 9:42 mark. Trailing 7-0, the Rattlers second time with the ball was about as successful as the first – three plays for negative five yards – and set up a second score for Alabama A&M. Getting the ball on their own 42, they worked their way down to the FAMU 29, extending the drive on a 3rd and 4 on a shovel pass to senior tight end Kendric Johnson (New Market, Ala.), before freshman kicker Zach Alvarez (Hialeah, Fla.) banged through a 35-yarder for a 10-0 lead at 4:38. Florida A&M would finally gain traction on their next possession and would benefit from a penalty for too many men on the field on a missed field goal. They would take that new life and turn it into a one-yard touchdown run by Terrell Jennings with 14:03 showing on the clock in the second quarter. The drive covered 80 yards in a span of 4:11 and pulled the Rattlers to within 10-7. It wouldn’t take long for the score to change again, however, and this time it would be on the defensive side of the ball. Pinned at their own two-yard line courtesy of a 33-yard punt from Lendvay, FAMU’s Jah’Marae Sheread could not get out of his own endzone, being brought down for a safety that stretched it to 12-7 at the 10:10 mark. Neither team could get anything going over the next several possessions until A&M took over at their own 30-yard line with 3:23 left in the half. Highlighted by a 64-yard scramble by Lankford down to the five-yard line, that drive would hit paydirt as Eaglin went in from one yard out to push to a 19-7 advantage. Far from done, the Rattlers answered with a 20-yard touchdown strike from Jeremy Moussa to Xavier Smith with 15 seconds left in the half, sending the clubs to the break with the score at 19-14. Building off that momentum heading into the locker room, FAMU marched 60 yards down field on nine plays on their second possession of the third quarter. That would be a drive that would once again be capped by Moussa connecting with Smith, this time from 10 yards out to take their first lead of the day at 21-19 with 8:29 on the clock. Things would continue trending the Rattlers’ way as they would squelch A&M’s next drive after just seven plays as Nadarius Fagan stepped in front of a Lankford pass to give them the ball right back. It would take just 36 seconds for Florida A&M to capitalize as Jaylen McCloud took it in from six yards out to make it a two-score game at 28-19 with just under five minutes left in the period. FAMU would then add on a field goal from Jose Romo-Martinez at the 13:54 mark of the fourth and another strike from Moussa to Smith, this time from two yards out, to extend to 38-19 at 10:01. The Bulldogs would snap that stretch of 31 unanswered points with a 29-yard rifle by Lankford to Young with 34 seconds to play. Following a failed two-point attempt, the Rattlers put the finishing touches on the 38-25 victory. THE STATS – FLORIDA A&M Moussa anchored the offense for FAMU as he went 22-of-40 for 323 yards and three touchdowns – every single one of them to Smith who finished with eight grabs for 97 yards. Sheread added seven catches for 138 yards and Jennings had a score and 59 yards on the ground and McCloud found the endzone for the other score on the day. Defensively Isaiah Major delivered an impressive 13 tackles, nine solo and one for loss, and Fagan and Javan Morgan each had interceptions. Gentle Hunt, Kamari Stephens and Stanley Mentor each produced a sack and Eric Smith added seven tackles to round out the top performers. UP NEXT The Bulldogs return to the friendly confines of Louis Crews Stadium on Saturday, October 1 and plan to bring a bunch of their friends with them as Homecoming 2022 has arrived. They will take on Bethune-Cookman at 2 p.m. Read More…

Voters Divided Amid Intense Fight For Control Of Congress, Poll Finds https://digitalalabamanews.com/voters-divided-amid-intense-fight-for-control-of-congress-poll-finds/ Heading into the final weeks of the midterm election campaign, Americans are split nationally in their vote for Congress, with Republicans holding sizable advantages on the economy, inflation and crime and Democrats far more trusted to handle the issues of abortion and climate change, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll. With control of the House and Senate possibly shifting from Democrats to Republicans in November and the country deeply divided, 2 in 3 registered voters see this election as more important than past midterm campaigns. That’s the same percentage that said this in 2018 when turnout surged to the highest in a century. At this point, both sides are highly motivated to turn out in November. Among registered Democratic voters, 3 in 4 say they are almost certain to vote compared with about 8 in 10 Republicans. Independents are less motivated. Four years ago, Democrats were about as mobilized as Republicans and had a clear lead in overall support. Eight years ago, when Democrats suffered losses, Republicans were more motivated. Historical trends have favored Republicans throughout this election year, and political forecasters still rate the GOP as likely to win the House. Earlier predictions of big GOP gains have been clouded by the Supreme Court’s decision in June to overturn Roe v. Wade, spurring on abortion rights supporters, especially younger women. Legislative victories by Democrats and the defeat of a Kansas antiabortion referendum over the summer also appeared to boost morale among some Democrats. The poll also surveyed Americans on their attitudes toward the ongoing investigations of former president Donald Trump by the Justice Department. A slim 52 percent majority says the former president should be charged with crimes for his handling of classified documents, his fundraising or for his actions related to the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. President Biden continues to be a drag on Democratic candidates this fall. The Post-ABC survey pegs his approval rating at 39 percent, with 53 percent disapproving, including 41 percent strongly disapproving. The share of Americans saying Biden has accomplished “a great deal” or “a good amount” has grown from 35 percent last November to 40 percent today, although a 57 percent majority still says he has not accomplished much or anything. Still, the fight for control of Congress is an intense one, with Democrats finding themselves competitive among critically important independent voters. But in the most competitive congressional districts, the poll finds Republicans with the advantage. Among registered voters, 47 percent say they would vote for the Republican in their House district in November while 46 percent say they would vote for the Democrat. That finding is about the same as it was in April. In February, Republicans held a seven-point advantage. Democrats’ standing is weaker than in 2018, when they led by seven points in national House support before winning control of the chamber. Political independents narrowly favor Republicans, 47 percent to 42 percent, in the vote for Congress. In 2018, the final Post-ABC poll found Democrats holding a seven-point advantage among independents. Democrats’ competitiveness with independents is perhaps notable, given that independent voters disapprove of Biden by 60 percent to 31 percent. More than 9 in 10 self-identified Democrats and Republicans support their party’s candidate for Congress. Among voters who disapprove of Biden, 79 percent support Republicans for Congress but 13 percent support Democrats. The smaller number of voters who approve of Biden are more united behind Democrats, favoring them 91 percent to 7 percent over Republicans. In some past years, there has been more uniformity in voting intentions among those approving and disapproving of a president’s performance. On a related question, 49 percent of registered voters say they prefer that the next Congress be controlled by Republicans to act as a check on Biden while 45 percent say they favor Democratic control to support the president’s agenda. By 51 percent to 40 percent, independent voters say they prefer Republicans be in charge. The latest poll finds a significant gender gap, continuing a trend from previous cycles: Democrats’ support margin for Congress is 18 points better among women than men, similar to 2018 when Democrats fared 15 points better among women than men in a final Post-ABC national poll. Democrats hold a 10-point advantage among women under age 50, down from a 32-point lead ahead of the 2018 election. On the other hand, Democrats’ support among non-White registered voters appears weaker than before the 2018 election, with 58 percent favoring Democrats, down from 69 percent in the final Post-ABC poll. Meanwhile, 54 percent of White voters favor Republicans, similar to 52 percent in 2018. Black, Asian American and Hispanic voters are a critical voting bloc that typically votes Democratic in large numbers. These findings shed light in particular on the battle for control of the House. In past years, Republicans have been able to score gains in House races even when narrowly trailing on the question of people’s voting preference. This year Republicans need only modest gains to win the majority in the House, and most forecasts continue to show them on a course to do that. The battle for control of the Senate, which is currently split 50-50 with Vice President Harris able to cast tiebreaking votes, will turn on both the overall political climate and on the quality of the candidates. Many of the key races remain close, according to public polls. The state of the economy looms as a major issue over the election. About 3 in 4 Americans say the economy is either “not so good” or “poor” while about 1 in 4 say it is “good” or “excellent.” In the spring of 2021, 42 percent rated the economy positively, but for the past year, perceptions have soured significantly amid rising prices and stock market declines. Voters say inflation and the economy are two of the most important issues in their decision, along with abortion and education. Republicans hold a 17-point advantage among registered voters on trust to handle the economy and an 18-point advantage on trust to handle inflation. But Democrats answer with a 17-point advantage on trust to handle abortion. On other issues, Republicans hold a 22-point advantage on handling crime while Democrats hold a 21-point advantage on climate change. Democrats and Republicans are about even on handling education and schools. Among those who say the economy is the single most important issue in their vote, 64 percent say they would vote for the Republican in their congressional district, while 58 percent of those who cite inflation as their top issue say they would vote Republican. Among those who cite abortion as the single most important issue, 66 percent say they would vote for the Democrat in their district. Americans have different reactions to the costs of food, gasoline and other products and services. Not quite half (48 percent) say they are concerned but not upset about the rate of inflation, while 45 percent say they are upset. But there is a clear partisan division on those perceptions, with more than 6 in 10 Republicans calling themselves upset and nearly 7 in 10 Democrats saying they are concerned but not upset. Neither party holds an advantage on the issue of immigration, though Republicans have sought to make it a central issue in their messaging. Republican governors in Florida and Texas have elevated the issue by sending immigrants to blue states and cities, which has inflamed the debate in recent days. Overall, when voters are asked which party they trust to handle the main problems facing the country over the next few years, they are split down the middle, with 42 percent citing Democrats and 43 percent citing Republicans. There is a predictable partisan split on this, with about 9 in 10 Republicans and Democrats favoring their party, while independents are roughly split. The two parties are running almost parallel campaigns, with Republicans focused on inflation, crime and immigration and Democrats targeting abortion and Trump’s takeover of the Republican Party. The impact of the Supreme Court’s abortion decision continues to affect many campaigns. The Post-ABC poll finds that 64 percent of Americans oppose the ruling, including 53 percent who say they are strongly opposed. More than 8 in 10 Democrats oppose the decision while 56 percent of Republicans support it. Almost 7 in 10 independents are opposed. Majorities of women and men oppose the court’s ruling, but more women (69 percent) disapprove than men (58 percent). Younger Americans are significantly more likely to say they are opposed than those age 50 and older. Republicans have pushed for more restrictive laws in states where they control the legislatures, and some Republicans have called for Congress to enact a national ban on abortion. Meanwhile, some Republican candidates have tried to temper their language on the issue in the face of the opposition to the court decisions. When the positions of the two parties are weighed on the issue, 50 percent of Americans say Republicans favor too many restrictions, while 29 percent say the GOP’s posture is about right and 10 percent say Republicans favor too much access to abortion. About 3 in 10 say Democrats favor too much access while 45 percent say Democrats’ positions are about right and 13 percent say Democrats favor too many restrictions. The decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization has motivated younger women. The poll finds that women under age 40 are now just as likely to say they are certain to vote as men under 40, with about half of each ...

Israel Elections: Benjamin Netanyahu Looks To Return As Prime Minister https://digitalalabamanews.com/israel-elections-benjamin-netanyahu-looks-to-return-as-prime-minister/ The year 5782 began and ended with Benjamin Netanyahu as opposition leader, which means that, necessarily, his influence has waned from its peak. The politician once known as “King Bibi” was relegated from the center stage to the occasional secondary Knesset speech. His trademark PowerPoint presentations on the Iranian nuclear threat went from prime–time TV to Facebook Live. Except for a trip to London at the invitation of Conservative Friends of Israel, his jet–setting to represent the country has mostly come to a halt, though Fox News is always happy to have him. See No. 4: US’s influential ambassador See No. 6: Entertainment industry leader See full list Download full magazine See 2021’s list To add insult to injury, former US president Donald Trump doesn’t seem to be Netanyahu’s buddy anymore, with the president’s son–in–law and adviser, Jared Kushner, describing Trump’s deep disappointment with him in a recently published memoir. And yet, Netanyahu continues to cast a very long shadow over the Israeli political scene. With Iran high on Israel’s agenda in recent weeks, Prime Minister Yair Lapid seems to devote time in almost every public statement on the matter, defending his policy on how to counter a nuclear deal as better than Netanyahu’s more aggressive one from 2015. Head of the Likud Party Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a conference at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Jerusalem this week. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90) Netanyahu’s influence continues in Israel ahead of elections Netanyahu’s machinations, combined with the seemingly limitless and exceptionally vocal devotion of his supporters, pulled right–wing lawmakers away from the diverse governing coalition, bringing about its demise in June and the upcoming election in November. Even though Netanyahu is not running as an incumbent for the first time since 2009, the electoral field is still mostly organized between “Yes Bibi” and “No Bibi.” The party staking its campaign on bringing the sides together, Zionist Spirit, fell apart and its former leader Ayelet Shaked is now running at the helm of the Jewish Home which is polling way below the threshold. Netanyahu continues to lead the polls So far, Netanyahu is leading the pack in polls by far, consistently showing to be the leader of the largest party and the candidate viewed as most fit to be prime minister. This is despite the ongoing trials for corruption charges and more recently, a warning that he could be held responsible for the deaths of 45 people at Meron last year. And while most polls show him still short of the needed 61 MKs for a majority coalition, Netanyahu used the days before parties submitted their final election lists to get feuding factions to merge so that no vote within his bloc goes to waste. He succeeded in getting United Torah Judaism to remain a single party in the election by pledging to increase funding for haredi schools that do not teach math, English or science and even met with Rabbi Zvi Tau from Har Hamor Yeshiva to get his representative in the Knesset, Avi Maoz, to merge with the Religious Zionist Party.  While looking at the packed field of candidates, it is hard not be impressed by the nearly 73-year-old’s stamina. There is barely a day that goes by that he is not in another city, walking the streets or speaking from behind the bulletproof window of the Likud campaign bus.  Netanyahu is going into 5783 as a contender, fighting to return to Balfour, the official residence that was his home for 15 years, 12 of them consecutively, making him Israel’s longest–serving prime minister. Will he set the bar even higher to beat that record? We’ll know in November. Read More…

US And Russia Engage In A Digital Battle For Hearts And Minds | Politics https://digitalalabamanews.com/us-and-russia-engage-in-a-digital-battle-for-hearts-and-minds-politics/ The battle over Ukraine extends across the world: Information warfare is quickly evolving as key nations seek to influence public opinion and gain political support. During the Cold War, Russia and the United States are the two main combatants. Some efforts are clandestine, but plenty of material is broadcast to the public as each country attempts to, in the words of political linguists, “constrain the power and influence of the other … and win ‘hearts and minds’ … around the world”. Key government-sponsored media outlets in the current battle are Russia Today, often known as RT, and two US government-backed operations, Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. But it can be hard for many people to tell the difference between these outlets and independent news. As a propaganda scholar, I believe citizens of all nations deserve to know how their media have been filtered and when governments are seeking to influence their views. My colleague Weston Sager and I developed a test for determining whether a particular media outlet is, or is not a government mouthpiece. We examine key factors such as government control, funding, attribution, and its resemblance to the news. At their best, these types of outlets provide official government information – at worst, blatant propaganda. Here’s how the main players in the US and Russia measure up. Russia Today: Propaganda with some facts sprinkled in RT is a multilanguage international media broadcaster that claims to be an “autonomous, non-profit organization”. But in reality, it has officially declared to the US State Department that it is an arm of the Russian government. In lockstep with the Kremlin, RT has supported the 2008 Russian invasion of Georgia, the 2014 Russian invasion of the Crimean peninsula of Ukraine, and the 2022 Russian invasion of mainland Ukraine. The outlet has a history of publishing sensationalized and biased articles promoting Russian policies and accentuating the perceived failings of the United States and its allies. For example, in 2015, RT devoted extensive coverage to the Occupy Wall Street movement. Not only did this storyline allow RT to selectively showcase people protesting in the United States, it helped further Russia’s narrative that its economic system is superior to US capitalism. More recently, RT has, without credible evidence, accused the United States of developing bioweapons in Ukraine and testing them on people there. But this doesn’t mean that RT is “able to dispense with facts all together”, as propaganda often leverages truthful bits of information, nor that it is strictly anti-American. In 2010, for instance, RT published an interview containing accusations that the Republicans were exploiting racial fears ahead of midterm elections. Then RT publicly defended the Obama administration against Fox News host Glenn Beck’s accusations that Obama was turning the United States into a socialist country. Propaganda works by supporting themes that are in popular discourse at the time. It does not necessarily follow a linear path and may be counter-intuitive at times. In the wake of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, RT was blocked in many nations around the world to limit the spread of Russian propaganda. Nevertheless, RT continues to publish its content, especially in less developed countries where the Russian government is working to increase its international reputation and influence. Major US outlets present mostly facts – that support American values Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty are the US government’s primary international media outlets, though there are other channels as well. In 1942, during World War II, the US government established VOA to broadcast pro-Allied messages and to combat Nazi propaganda abroad. In the 1950s, the CIA founded RFE/RL to counter Soviet propaganda in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. Both outlets are now overseen by the US Agency for Global Media, a part of the executive branch of the federal government. The agency receives over USD 800 million in annual funding from Congress. Similar to RT, VOA and RFE/RL claim that they are independent media outlets. In support of that claim, they often point to a vaguely defined “firewall” that is supposed to shield their editorial integrity from US government influence. But the firewall is often strained under the weight of political pressure. In 2020, President Donald Trump’s newly appointed CEO of the US Agency for Global Media rescinded the firewall regulation, which compromised VOA’s independence in advance of the 2020 US presidential election. In 2021, the firewall was legislatively strengthened, but questions remain about its effectiveness in preventing government influence. Governmental influence over the editorial direction of US state media can also come through legislation. In 2021, Congress introduced a bill that would instruct the agency to “facilitate the unhindered dissemination of information to Islamic majority countries on issues regarding the human rights and religious freedom of Uyghurs”. Additional editorial pressure comes from federal law. VOA material must be “consistent” with US foreign policy objectives, “represent America”, “present the policies of the US clearly and effectively” and include editorials that reflect the views of the US government. Under the same law, RFE/RL is required to support the US government abroad. Additionally, federal law also more pointedly provides a new pathway for folding this into a larger outlet that would be expressly required to “counter state-sponsored propaganda which undermines the national security or foreign policy interests of the US and its allies”. VOA and RFE/RL have a history of providing slanted and incomplete portrayals of major events and issues. Scholarship has highlighted how, during the Cold War, RFE spread “rumors as fact” and displayed a “consistent pattern of downplaying or ignoring evidence that contradicted RFE’s vision of Eastern Europe as a totalitarian dystopia” early in the Cold War. US government editorial pressure has also come indirectly through funding cuts, which VOA experienced after senators balked at spending tax money to produce “unpleasant news” surrounding Watergate. The Reagan administration was known to object to critical VOA coverage and also steered its “editorial voice” to align with the administration’s political agenda. Today, VOA often publishes stories about the US that promote American values, such as recent articles titled “Refugees Shape America” and “US International Festival Celebrates Traditional Food, Dance”. On the other hand, RFE/RL is more focused on countering propaganda. It includes coverage that is often critical of US adversaries, such as ”We Have To Pay For Our Indifference”: A Russian Deserter Speaks Out After Ukraine War Memoir Hits A ”Nerve” and “Putin Hints At ‘Changing Routes’ For Ukrainian Grain Exports, Warns Of Food ‘Catastrophe’.” Even though VOA and RFE/RL sometimes publish pieces that show unflattering aspects of the United States, such as “The Global Legacy of January 6”, this is by design, as the outlets would lose credibility if they ignored important topics covered in independent media. Concealed influence Because VOA and RFE/RL rely on facts, the US State Department has argued that US government media are less threatening than Russian “disinformation”. But the US approach is still risky: VOA and RFE/RL content more closely resembles independent news, so it is more difficult for readers to identify it as government-run media. This is especially problematic in cases in which the outlets are targeting US citizens, who may not be able to tell that they’re interacting with their government. Despite what VOA and RFE/RL claim, they are not independent. Both are funded by the US government and are used to deliver US policy abroad. Even though VOA and RFE/RL may look like news, they aren’t; like RT, their underlying purpose is to bolster their government’s influence around the world. (This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Read More…

Troy Holds Off Marshall 16-7, Improves To 2-2 https://digitalalabamanews.com/troy-holds-off-marshall-16-7-improves-to-2-2/ Sports Updated: Sep. 24, 2022, 10:55 p.m.| Published: Sep. 24, 2022, 10:54 p.m. Buddha Jones’ 23-yard fumble return accounted for Troy’s only touchdown in a 16-7 victory over Marshall on Saturday at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Troy. (Joey Meredith/Troy athletics) Troy used defense and special teams to beat Marshall 16-7 at Veterans Memorial Stadium on Saturday. The Trojans (2-2, 1-1 Sun Belt Conference) won despite not scoring an offensive touchdown, bouncing back after losing the previous week to Appalachian State on a last-second Hail Mary. On Saturday, Brooks Buce kicked three field goals and defensive tackle Buddha Jones returned a fumble 23 yards for Troy’s only six-pointer of the night. “Really great win for our team and for our program,” head coach Jon Sumrall said. “I think we came back after the heartbreak of last week and competed. We would also like to thank our fans for showing out tonight. I’m really proud of our guys for how they responded after last week.” Jones’ touchdown accounted for the first score of the game, when T.J. Jackson sacked Marshall quarterback Henry Colombi for a 19-yard loss and the ball came loose. Jones’ scoop-and-score made it 7-0 at the 10:51 mark of the first quarter. Buce’s first field goal — a 40-yarder — put the Trojans up 10-0, a score that would stand through the half. Khalan Laborn ran 14 yards for a Thundering Herd touchdown with 4:25 left in the third to make it a 10-7 game, but Buce added field goals of 25 and 28 in the fourth quarter to put the game away. Troy’s defense totaled five sacks and 11 tackles for loss, 2.5 of the latter by Jones. Star linebacker Carlton Martial returned after missing the last game-and-a-half due to injury and piled up 18 tackles. Martial now has 475 tackles in his career, a new Sun Belt Conference record. The Mobile native needs 71 to break the all-time FBS record of 545, held by former Northwestern linebacker Tim McGarigle. “I’m so incredibly happy for the win tonight, first and foremost,” Martial said. “As for the record, I’ve always been judged by my size, but my dad always asked, ‘Why not you?’ I give all the credit to my coaches and my defensive line. Those guys are awesome, and I could go on and on talking about the work they put in. We’re just 11 guys playing the game with incredible detail, and those are the results.” Gunnar Watson passed for 321 yards for Troy, but somehow could not get his team’s offense in the end zone. Tez Johnson and Jabre Barber both went over the 100-yard receiving mark, while DK Billingsley ran for 85 yards. Troy steps out of conference to play at Western Kentucky at 1 p.m. next Saturday. Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. Read More…

1 Dead After Crash Involving Tractor-Trailer On I-285, Police Say https://digitalalabamanews.com/1-dead-after-crash-involving-tractor-trailer-on-i-285-police-say/ WATCH 61° WATCH    News   Weather   Video   2 Investigates   Sports   UGA Bulldogs   Community   Election 2022   Home Experts   Steals and Deals News EEO statement Local News Consumer Download News App Newsletter Sign-up(Opens in new window) Weather Current Conditions Stormtracker 2HD Radar 5 Day Forecast Hour by Hour Fish and Game Pollen Count School Closings Free Weather App Video Watch Live WSB Now 24/7 Severe Weather Team 2 WSB 24/7 News 2 Investigates Sports High School Football Athlete of the Week Scholar Athlete Lottery Results UGA Bulldogs Election 2022 Community Black History Month Family 2 Family Local Programs Upload Photos Steals and Deals(Opens in new window) Traffic Things 2 Do Trending Your pets Contests WSB-TV Contests Contact Us Action News Staff What’s On WSB-TV Advertise With Us Speakers Bureau Home Experts Better Money Atlanta Celebrity Atlanta By WSBTV.com News Staff September 24, 2022 at 11:42 pm EDT 1 dead after crash involving tractor trailer on I-285 By WSBTV.com News Staff September 24, 2022 at 11:42 pm EDT FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — One person is dead after a crash involving a tractor-trailer on I-285 eastbound in Sandy Springs. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Sandy Springs Police told Channel 2 the crash happened on I-285 eastbound near Roswell Rd. exit. Police believe the crash involved a tractor-trailer and a car. 285 EB at Roswell Rd has been shut down due to an accident with serious injuries. Please use an alternate route. pic.twitter.com/sxN8OANWZM — Sandy Springs Police (@SandySprings_PD) September 24, 2022 TRENDING STORIES: Final suspect arrested in murder of coach, father who went to QuickTrip to put air in tires Teacher put on leave after video shows him choke middle school student in class ‘Incident’ between 3 Fulton County inmates leaves 1 dead, deputies say Police are still investigating the crash. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: New program is using shelter dogs to break the cycle of incarceration ©2022 Cox Media Group Read More…

South Korea Says North Korea Test-Fired Missile Toward Sea https://digitalalabamanews.com/south-korea-says-north-korea-test-fired-missile-toward-sea/ Sportradar Updated 15 min ago All Times EDT Sportradar Updated 15 min ago Sportradar Updated 15 min ago All Times EDT Sportradar Updated 15 min ago All Times EDT Sportradar Updated 15 min ago All Times EDT Sportradar Updated 15 min ago Sportradar Updated 15 min ago Sportradar Updated 15 min ago Sportradar Updated 31 min ago Sportradar Updated 31 min ago Sportradar Updated 31 min ago The Associated Press Updated 15 min ago PREP FOOTBALL= The Associated Press Updated 15 min ago PREP FOOTBALL= The Associated Press Updated 15 min ago PREP FOOTBALL= The Associated Press Updated 15 min ago PREP FOOTBALL= By The Associated Press 31 min ago Sunday, Sept. 25MLB Sportradar Updated 31 min ago All Times EDT Sportradar Updated 31 min ago AMERICAN LEAGUE Sportradar Updated 31 min ago THROUGH SEPTEMBER 23 Sportradar Updated 31 min ago AMERICAN LEAGUE Sportradar Updated 31 min ago THROUGH SEPTEMBER 23 Sportradar Updated 31 min ago THROUGH SEPTEMBER 23 Sportradar Updated 31 min ago NATIONAL LEAGUE The Associated Press Updated 15 min ago PREP VOLLEYBALL= Sportradar Updated 31 min ago All Times EDT Sportradar Updated 46 min ago BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (AP) – Results from Argentine football: Sportradar Updated 46 min ago Liga Profesional The Associated Press Updated 31 min ago PREP FOOTBALL= Ian Sayson, Andreo Calonzo and Shery Ahn – Bloomberg News (TNS) 51 min ago The Philippines is interested in renewing talks with China on joint oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea to expand and diversify its sources of energy, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in an interview with Bloomberg TV. The Associated Press Updated 47 min ago PREP FOOTBALL= The Associated Press Updated 47 min ago PREP FOOTBALL= Matthew Ormseth – Los Angeles Times (TNS) 1 hr ago LOS ANGELES — A heat wave is coming to Los Angeles County, with temperatures expected to reach triple digits next week from the beaches to the San Gabriel Valley. Sportradar Updated 55 min ago Sportradar Updated 55 min ago EAST Sportradar Updated 55 min ago EAST The Associated Press Updated 31 min ago PREP VOLLEYBALL= Sportradar Updated 55 min ago Sportradar Updated 55 min ago Sportradar Updated 1 hr ago THROUGH SEPTEMBER 23 The Associated Press Updated 55 min ago PREP FOOTBALL= Read More…

Dozens Of Dartmouth Health Staff Being Shifted To Texas-Based Billing Company https://digitalalabamanews.com/dozens-of-dartmouth-health-staff-being-shifted-to-texas-based-billing-company/ LEBANON — About 50 employees of Dartmouth Health in Lebanon are slated to become employees of Conifer Health Solutions, a Texas-based company that oversees DH’s billing and collections, starting late next month. The move, scheduled to take effect Oct. 23, brings DH’s Lebanon location in line with the health system’s other locations that already rely on Conifer employees to serve as front desk staff, providing registration services to patients. “Managing our registration process under one system allows us to improve our patient experience by providing a consistent experience at every Dartmouth Health location,” Audra Burns, a DH spokeswoman, said in an emailed statement. In addition to DHMC, DH includes four other hospitals, a visiting nursing organization and several clinics in Vermont and New Hampshire. Conifer has worked with DH since 2015; now it “will assume responsibility for registration services currently provided through General Ambulatory Services and Radiology at the Lebanon Campus,” Burns said. The approximately 50 front-line employees affected by the change received a letter dated Sept. 14 informing them of the transition. The employees will be eligible for a $1,000 transition bonus to be paid out the first full pay period after their first six months of employment with Conifer, according to the letter. The offer of employment is contingent on “satisfactory completion of Conifer’s pre-employment screening process.” An emailed request for comment sent to the media contact listed on Conifer’s website was not returned by deadline. Conifer, on its website, has a page congratulating DH on a recent award from the Healthcare Financial Management Association, an industry group. In June, DH was one of 27 recipients of a MAP Award, which “recognizes providers that have excelled in meeting industry-standard revenue cycle benchmarks (…), implemented the patient-centered recommendations and best practices (…), focused their efforts on improving price transparency and achieved outstanding patient satisfaction,” according to HFMA’s news release announcing the award winners. “High-performing revenue cycles design business processes around the consumer’s needs,” HFMA President and CEO Joseph J. Fifer said in the news release. “Kudos to all the 2022 MAP Award winners for putting consumers first.” Conifer, on its website, celebrates DH’s achievement of 101.9% of its cash collection goal over a five-year partnership with Conifer. The website explains that DH’s business goals were to enhance revenue cycle operational performance while adding new members to the DH system. Specifically, DH sought to improve cash collections, patient satisfaction and funding for uninsured patients, as well as receive support in integrating the new partners on Epic, DH’s shared electronic medical record. DH chose Conifer to assume operational management of the revenue cycle and the so-called “Single Business Office” for the entire health system, including physicians, outpatient surgery centers and imaging centers, according to Conifer’s website. In a June 2019 news release announcing a new “revenue cycle management agreement” with Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital, a DH member in Lebanon, then-DH CFO Dan Jantzen credited Conifer with “consistently delivering on key performance metrics.” “Their expertise helps D-HH (DH was previously known as Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health) maintain the firm financial footing to realize our vision for a sustainable health system that will serve New Englanders for generations to come,” Jantzen said in the 2019 release. “As D-HH and APD work to connect people throughout New Hampshire and Vermont to the thriving, integrated care community they expect, we rely on Conifer to deliver the high-quality patient financial experience they deserve.” The 2019 release said APD was the second DH-member hospital to adopt Conifer for “comprehensive” revenue cycle management services, following Cheshire Medical Center in Keene, which engaged Conifer in 2017. “The impact of our work extends beyond improved margins, reduced costs and more efficient operations,” Stephen M. Mooney, then-president and CEO of Conifer, said in the 2019 release. “As part of the community, we have also made a commitment to bring the highest quality service to patients and their families whenever and wherever they access care.” But some DH employees have concerns about Conifer’s increasing role. An Instagram page maintained by a nurse at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon featured a meme including a picture of a bride and groom kissing. The bride is labeled “Conifer” and the groom “DH,” with a woman in the foreground looking grim-faced at the camera, labeled “main desk employees.” A second picture on the page includes text at the top that reads: “When DH decides to let Conifer buy out all of the registration staff, forcing them to either sign new employment contracts or quit.” Below that text is a picture of former President Donald Trump saying, “This has been the worst trade deal in the history of trade deals, maybe ever.” Additionally, some patients have struggled with DH and Conifer’s billing practices. A May story by Kaiser Health News featured Sunapee resident Elizabeth Melville, a 59-year-old patient at New London Hospital who faced a $2,185 bill for her second colonoscopy. Her first, nearly six years earlier, cost $0, as required under the preventive services provisions of the Affordable Care Act. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has said polyps removed during a screening colonoscopy, as Melville had, are considered part of the procedure and shouldn’t affect a patient’s cost-sharing responsibilities. But it was only after KHN reached out to DH and Conifer regarding Melville’s bill that Conifer told Melville her bill was being reprocessed. Melville’s insurer, Cigna, then told KHN that Melville wouldn’t be responsible for any out-of-pocket costs. According to the story, Melville’s situation shows that patients ought to check in with their insurance company before a colonoscopy to see what costs they might expect; doctors and hospitals are required to give patients a good faith estimate before a procedure; and patients should read through paperwork they’re required to sign beforehand. Melville told KHN that the burden placed on patients felt unfair: “I still feel asking anyone who has just prepped for a colonoscopy to process those choices, ask questions and potentially say ‘no thank you’ to the whole thing is not reasonable.” Nora Doyle-Burr can be reached at ndoyleburr@vnews.com or 603-727-3213. Read More…

Donald Trump Inadvertently Says ‘we Have To Keep Our Country Gay’FGN News https://digitalalabamanews.com/donald-trump-inadvertently-says-we-have-to-keep-our-country-gayfgn-news/ Former President Donald Trump speaks at a Save America rally at the Aero Center Wilmingto. (Allison Joyce/Getty) Donald Trump became an accidental queer ally for an awkward few seconds after he mistakenly said “we need to keep our country gay”. The former president performed poorly at a campaign rally in North Carolina on Friday, September 23, where he addressed a bored crowd in a hodgepodge of buzzwords he appeared to be reading from. a self-cue. “Remember I was going to say, I was going to use an expression, ‘We have to keep our country gay, but, uh, but it’s not, I mean for some reason, it’s not great anymore “, said a confused Trump. Trump just malfunctioned again. Yeah. pic.twitter.com/4sFvCGdxnT —MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) September 24, 2022 Twitter, of course, jumped at the chance to congratulate the new queer ally in a flurry of hilarious tweets, with one user saying, “Donald Trump, welcome to the LGBTQ+ community.” “Finally, I agree with Trump on something!” another user said, along with those who agreed, saying, “Keep our country gay? Phew! » Others joked that the Republican was showing signs he was a robot, with one saying, “Here’s their guy with a programming problem.” In addition to mistakenly sending his overwhelming support for gay people, Trump was also at the Wilmington rally to support Senate candidate Ted Budd, who is currently the U.S. Representative for North Carolina’s 13th District. But Trump used much of his time at the rally to complain about the lawsuit brought against him and his family business by New York Attorney General Letitia James for allegedly overvaluing his assets by billions of dollars. “There is no better example of the chilling obsession with targeting political opponents than the baseless, abusive and depraved lawsuit against me, my family, my business, by…the New York State Attorney General “, said Trump, managing to say all the words correctly. Her words against James then became increasingly personal and insulting, saying she was a “rabid maniac” and that he was thinking, “boy, this woman is angry”. Trump also didn’t jump on his usual talking points, including the lie that he won the 2020 election when he actually lost. He then reiterated his call for an end to early voting and claimed that votes should only take place in person on Election Day in a bid to fix what he perceives to be a broken electoral system. “We’re going to keep working on that,” he said. “What’s the best thing you can do?” How about that? A really complex idea – requiring people to vote on Election Day, in person, with photo ID. So it’s easy to vote and hard to cheat. Leaders have made similar mistakes in the past In an equally disastrous jumble of words, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson mistakenly thanked Vladimir Putin instead of Volodymyr Zelensky during his second speech in the House of Commons as a backbench MP. The Conservative minister for Uxbridge and South Ruislip made the mistake while noting Ukraine’s successful counter-offensive against Russia and urging the government to “redouble our efforts in our defense of Ukrainians”. He then wanted to thank Ukrainian President Zelensky for his “inspirational leadership”, but instead uttered the name of Vladimir Putin. “Thanks to the heroism of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, thanks in part to the weapons that we are proud to offer,” he said. “Thanks also, of course, to the inspiring leadership of Vladimir Putin… Volodymyr Zelensky. Forgive me.” Read More…

AP News Summary At 11:19 P.m. EDT https://digitalalabamanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-1119-p-m-edt/ Kremlin stages votes in Ukraine, sees protests in Russia KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces launched new strikes on Ukrainian cities as Kremlin-orchestrated votes took place in occupied regions of Ukraine to create a pretext for their annexation by Moscow. In Russia, hundreds were arrested on Saturday while trying to protest President Vladimir Putin’s order to mobilize more troops to fight in Ukraine. Kyiv and its Western allies say the votes underway in four regions of Ukraine are a sham with no legal force. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged residents to undermine “this farce.” He also encouraged people called up to fight to desert or sabotage the Russian military. Ukraine’s presidential office said the latest Russian shelling killed at least three people and wounded 19. Fiona sweeps away houses, knocks out power in eastern Canada TORONTO (AP) — Fiona washed houses into the sea, tore the roofs off others and knocked out power to the vast majority of two Canadian provinces as it made landfall as a big, powerful post-tropical cyclone Saturday. Fiona transformed from a hurricane into a post-tropical storm late Friday, but it still had hurricane-strength winds and brought drenching rains and huge waves as it hit Nova Scotia. There was no confirmation of fatalities or injuries. Ocean waves pounded the town of  Channel-Port Aux Basques on the southern coast of Newfoundland, where entire structures were washed into the sea. Fiona has weakened to tropical storm strength as it moves across the Gulf of St. Lawrence Florida emergency declared as Tropical Storm Ian strengthens TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency across his entire state as Tropical Storm Ian gains strength over the Caribbean and is forecast to become a major hurricane in coming days. An emergency order DeSantis initially issued for two dozen counties was expanded to a statewide warning on Saturday. The governor is encouraging residents and localities to prepare for the storm, which could lash large swaths of Florida. The National Hurricane Center said Ian is forecast to rapidly power up to a hurricane by Sunday and a major hurricane as soon as late Monday. It’s expected to move over western Cuba before approaching Florida in the middle of next week. ‘Fighting fit’: Trial to show Oath Keepers’ road to Jan. 6 It’s been a long road to the upcoming Capitol riot trial of the the leader of the extremist group Oath Keepers. But the prosecution’s case against Stewart Rhodes covers a lot more than just the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021. Rhodes and four co-defendants are facing the difficult-to-prove charge of seditious conspiracy. Prosecutors will try to show that for the Oath Keepers, the siege wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment protest but that it was part of a weekslong plot to stop the peaceful transfer of presidential power from election-denier Donald Trump to Joe Biden. Jury selection begins Tuesday in federal court in the nation’s capital. The trial is expected to last several weeks. West works to deepen sanctions after Putin heightens threats WASHINGTON (AP) — How will American leaders and their allies respond if President Vladimir Putin seeks to escalate his way out of his bad situation on Ukraine’s battlefields? Putin this week renewed threats of claiming more Ukrainian territory, and even using nuclear weapons. U.S. and European leaders have made clear they will try to double down on the same tactics that have helped put Russia in a corner in Ukraine. That means more financial penalties and international isolation for Russia, more arms and other backing for Ukraine. There’s no sign of the United States and NATO matching Putin’s intensified nuclear threats with the same bluster, which could raise the risks of escalating the conflict. Dissident: ‘Iranian women are furious’ over headscarf death NEW YORK (AP) — Iranian activist Masih Alinejad says the videos and messages she’s been receiving in recent days from women in Iran are showing how angry they are following a young woman’s death in police custody over a violation of the country’s strict religious dress code. The spur for this latest explosion of outrage was the death earlier this month of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. The young woman was detained for allegedly wearing her hijab too loosely in violation of strictures demanding women wear the Islamic headscarves in public. She died in custody. Protests have been going on around the country for days. Alinejad would love to see more support from those in the West, as well. GOP quiet as Arizona Democrats condemn abortion ruling PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Democrats are vowing to fight for women’s rights after a court reinstated a law first enacted during the Civil War that bans abortion in nearly all circumstances. Democrats on Saturday looked to capitalize on an issue they hope will have a major impact on the midterm elections. Top Democrats implored women not to sit on the sidelines this year, saying the ruling sets women back  to an era when only men had the right to vote. Republican candidates have been silent since the ruling, which said the state can prosecute doctors and others who assist with an abortion unless it’s necessary to save the mother’s life. Saudi Arabia’s triumphant week reclaims the West’s embrace NEW YORK (AP) — Saudi Arabia appears to be leaving behind the stream of negative coverage the killing of Jamal Khashoggi elicited since 2018. Once again enthusiastically welcomed back into polite and powerful society, it is no longer as frowned upon to seek their investments and accept their favor. Saudi Arabia’s busy week of triumphs included brokering a prisoner swap between Ukraine and Russia, holding a highbrow summit on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, marking the country’s national day, hosting the German chancellor and discussing energy supply with top White House officials. The pivot is drawing focus back to the crown prince’s ambitious re-branding of Saudi Arabia and its place in the world. CIA unveils model of al-Qaida leader al-Zawahri’s hideout McLEAN, Virginia (AP) — The CIA has revealed the scale model of the safe house where it found and killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri in Afghanistan. The model is now on display at the CIA Museum, newly refurbished for the agency’s 75th anniversary. Intelligence officials used the model to brief President Joe Biden in the White House Situation Room in July. The house shows several balconies, which officials used to show Biden where and how al-Zawahri liked to sit. The museum is not open to the public and generally restricted to agency employees and guests, but it allowed journalists in on Saturday to see its newest exhibits. Kim Kardashian culls Dolce&Gabbana archives for Milan show MILAN (AP) — Kim Kardashian took Milan by storm with a a new collection she curated for Dolce & Gabbana that took inspiration from 20 years of archival looks. The designers had refused to open their archives until Kardashian proved she had the right stuff. They were convinced after she and her sisters all wore vintage Dolce & Gabbana when Kourtney Kardashian got married in Italy. Saturday was a day of debuts at Milan Fashion Week. Maximilian Davis, a 27-year-old British designer with Afro-Caribbean roots, was at the creative helm of Salvatore Ferragamo. Filipino American designer Rhuigi Villasenor led Bally as the brand returns to the runway for the first time in 20 years. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Read More…

Ukraine War: Hundreds Arrested As Russian Draft Protests Continue https://digitalalabamanews.com/ukraine-war-hundreds-arrested-as-russian-draft-protests-continue/ By Matt Murphy BBC News Image source, Getty Images Hundreds of people have been arrested by authorities as protests against Russia’s new “partial mobilisation” continue across the country, an independent rights group has said. OVD-Info said 724 people were detained across 32 different cities on Saturday. Widespread demonstrations have broken out since President Vladimir Putin announced plans to draft 300,000 men to fight in Ukraine. Unsanctioned rallies are banned under Russian law. But Mr Putin’s move to draft civilians into the military has sparked large scale protests in urban areas, with more than 1,000 people being detained at demonstrations earlier this week. In Moscow, news agency AFP reported witnessing one demonstrator shouting “we are not cannon fodder” as she was arrested by officers. And in St Petersburg, Russia’s second city, one man told reporters: “I don’t want to go to war for Putin.” Seventy-year-old Natalya Dubova told AFP that she opposed the war and confessed she was “afraid for young people” being ordered to the front. Some of those arrested on Saturday reported being handed draft papers and ordered to report to recruiting centres while being held by security officials. The Kremlin defended the practice earlier this week, saying “it isn’t against the law”. Moscow has also approved harsh new punishments for those accused of dereliction of duty once drafted. Mr Putin signed fresh decrees on Saturday imposing punishments of up to 10 years imprisonment for any soldier caught surrendering, attempting to desert the military or refusing to fight. The president also signed orders granting Russian citizenship to any foreign national who signs up to serve a year in the country’s military. The decree, which some observers have suggested displays how severe Moscow’s shortage of troops has become, bypasses the usual requirement of five years of residency in the country. Elsewhere, other young Russians continue to flee mobilisation by seeking to leave the country. On the border with Georgia, queues of Russian cars stretch back more than 30km (18 miles) and the interior ministry has urged people not to travel. Local Russian officials have admitted that there’s been a significant influx of cars trying to cross – with nearly 2,500 vehicles waiting at one checkpoint. The admission is a change of tone from Russia, with the Kremlin describing reports of Russians fleeing conscription as “fake” on Thursday. One man the BBC spoke to in Vladikavkaz in North Ossetia, on the Russian side of the border, said he could see car registration numbers from all over Russia. “Our people don’t have the correct information about the situation in Ukraine,” he said. “Also, what I can say about people that I’ve been speaking with… it’s simple, people don’t want to go to war.” Meanwhile, Finland has also seen a sharp increase in the number of Russians seeking to enter the country. Matti Pitkaniitty, a spokesperson for the country’s Border Guard, said said the number of Russians arriving had more than doubled since last week. Media caption, Watch: Sped-up footage from earlier this week appears to show large queues at the Russia-Georgia border On Friday, the government announced plans to stop Russian tourists entering the country. “The aspiration and purpose is to significantly reduce the number of people coming to Finland from Russia,” President Sauli Niinistö told the state broadcaster. Several other neighbouring states have already ruled out offering asylum to Russians seeking to avoid the draft. “Many Russians who now flee Russia because of mobilisation were fine with killing Ukrainians,” Latvia’s Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs said. “They did not protest then. It is not right to consider them as conscientious objectors.” On Friday, the Kremlin revealed a host of occupations it said will be exempt from conscription aimed at boosting its war effort in Ukraine. IT workers, bankers and journalists working for state media will escape the “partial mobilisation” announced by President Putin on Wednesday. But some have cast doubt on the truth of the Kremlin’s claims, and reports have been emerging of Russian men who do not meet the criteria being called up by local recruiting officers. Margarita Simonyan, the editor of the state-run media outlet RT, posted to Twitter a list of elderly and disabled citizens ordered to report for duty. Read More…

Jim Hartman: Biden Declares War On ‘MAGA Republicans’ https://digitalalabamanews.com/jim-hartman-biden-declares-war-on-maga-republicans/ Jim Hartman Read More…

Liz Cheney Says She Will Not Remain A Republican If Donald Trump Is GOP Nominee In 2024 – ABC17NEWS https://digitalalabamanews.com/liz-cheney-says-she-will-not-remain-a-republican-if-donald-trump-is-gop-nominee-in-2024-abc17news/ By Annie Grayer, CNN Wyoming GOP Rep. Liz Cheney said at The Texas Tribune festival Saturday that if former President Donald Trump becomes the Republican Party’s nominee for president in 2024, she will not remain a Republican. “I’m going to make sure Donald Trump, I’m going to do everything I can to make sure he is not the nominee. And if he is the nominee, I won’t be a Republican,” Cheney said. Cheney also said she will campaign for Democrats to ensure that Republican candidates who promote election lies do not get elected. Cheney was talking about the Arizona gubernatorial race, and how she will work to ensure that GOP nominee Kari Lake, the former television journalist who has become a leading voice behind Trump’s lies about election fraud, does not get elected. “I’m going to do everything I can to make sure Kari Lake is not elected,” Cheney said. When asked if that includes campaigning for Democrats, Cheney said, “Yes.” But, Cheney would not go as far as saying that she wants Democrats to keep control of the House of Representatives after the midterm elections. Cheney said there are a lot of “bad policies” in the Biden administration but added, “I think it’s really important though, as voters are going to vote, that they recognize and understand what the Republican Conference consists of in the House of Representatives today.” Cheney’s primary loss against Trump-backed attorney Harriet Hageman last month represented a significant marker in the wider fight over the direction of the Republican Party. Once considered an up-and-comer, Cheney was booted from House GOP leadership last year over her unyielding opposition to the former President. She trailed in polling back home this year as she helped lead the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. But as questions about her future political moves loom, Cheney continued to dodge the question of whether she will run for President in 2024. “It’s not about me or making a decision about what I’m going to do,” she said. “I certainly will do whatever it takes to make sure Donald Trump isn’t anywhere close to the Oval Office.” Cheney’s advisers previously told CNN she intends to wait until next year to make any decisions, when she’s no longer in Congress or serving as vice chair of the House January 6 committee. She is cognizant of appearing to politicize the findings of the committee. However, her role on the select committee comes with the kind of spotlight that other Republican Trump critics have struggled to find. Cheney would confront the same challenge when she departs office in January, and a presidential candidacy could be the only way to address it. On whether the House January 6 committee, which will hold its next hearing next week, will speak with Trump before its investigation concludes, Cheney said, “Let me say that any interaction that Donald Trump has with the committee will be under oath and subject to penalties of perjury.” And on where talks stand between the committee and the legal counsel for former Vice President Mike Pence stand, Cheney said she believes Pence has an “obligation” to speak with the committee. While she respects executive privilege, she believes that type of privilege is “not absolute.” Cheney said the committee has not made a decision on whether to make a criminal referral to the Department of Justice based on the panel’s investigation, but when the time does come to make that decision, she believes it will be “unanimous.” But she did share that the committee has received approximately 800,000 pages from the Secret Service in response to a subpoena and reiterated that the documents contain a lot of new information. On whether the text messages from certain Secret Service agents are gone from the day before and during the Capitol attack, Cheney said, “The text messages themselves, in many cases, are gone. There are other forms of communication like teams messages and emails. And other forms of communication and we have received probably about 800,000 pages at least.” Cheney was also asked to share a memorable moment with her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, since the Capitol attack and she shared that on New Year’s Day of this year, as she was leaving his house, he said to her, “defend the republic, daughter” and she said it was a moment she will never forget. The-CNN-Wire & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. CNN’s Gregory Krieg, Eric Bradner and Jeff Zeleny contributed to this report. Read More…

9/24/22 Rep. Cheri Bustos, Former Chair Of The DCCC, Talks Inflation, Abortion, Jan. 6th & Midterms https://digitalalabamanews.com/9-24-22-rep-cheri-bustos-former-chair-of-the-dccc-talks-inflation-abortion-jan-6th-midterms/ WASHINGTON (Gray DC) – Washington, DC – Gray Television White House correspondent and senior national editor Jon Decker interviewed Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Illinois), former chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) for the third episode of Gray TV’s Midterm Election Series, “Election 2022 Just the Facts,” airing Saturday, September 24 and Sunday, September 25. On the conventional wisdom that the party in power loses seats during a midterm election, Rep. Bustos cited the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade and the subsequent Kansas abortion vote as “an indication of things to come.” “I am a Democrat in a Trump district … So I think I’ve got a pretty good feel for those swing voters,” she said. “And that changed the feeling on the ground.” When pressed on Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s vow that Democrats will keep control of the House, Bustos answered: “I’m a realist, but as Speaker of the House, that’s her job to express that,” adding: “She was right last time. Let’s hope she’s right this time as well.” And when asked why so many Democratic members of Congress have chosen not to seek reelection this year, Bustos said the Capitol insurrection was partly to blame. “January 6th, I think, played into some people’s decision,” she said. “It certainly was part of my family’s decision.” “I remember my husband saying ‘things are not going to get better and let’s take a look at what you’re going to do in near future,’” she added. Excerpts are below. Rep. Cheri Bustos Highlights On the impact of January 6 Jon Decker, Gray TV White House Correspondent You’re retiring. In fact, 31 Democrats in Congress are retiring. I’m a cynic. I see those numbers. And I think to myself, well, they’re retiring because they in large part don’t want to be in the minority. What do you think is the reason for this large number of Democrats not seeking reelection? Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Illinois) It’s different from member to member Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Illinois) It was just a very personal decision that, hey, you know what? I’m going to go on and do something else. But [for] some members, health was the reason that they want to move on. Some might have said that this job is not what it used to be. January 6th, I think, played into some people’s decision. It certainly was part of my family’s decision. That day I was on the House floor and I was in regular communication with my family through text. And I think it was tougher on them than it was on me. And they were scared for me. They were scared for my colleagues. And it was at that moment, I remember my husband saying “things are not going to get better and let’s take a look at what you’re going to do in near future.” Jon Decker, Gray TV White House Correspondent Do you think those hearings are making a difference as it relates to the midterms? Is this resonating with voters? Will it impact the way they vote in the midterm elections? Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Illinois) I think it has awakened some people to the severity of what happened on January 6th and really the collusion of what happened on January 6th. This wasn’t just some random group of people who decided to come to the nation’s capital and protest. It was much more coordinated than that. And people at the highest levels of our government had an involvement in that. We just learned today that Clarence Thomas’s wife is going to testify in front of the special committee. And I think that will be very interesting because the stories that have been out there sure leave me scratching my head as to why a Supreme Court Justice’s wife was so involved in something that was so horrible in our nation’s history. On the Trump factor Jon Decker, Gray TV White House Correspondent Former President Donald Trump is essentially the de facto leader of the Republican party. And it’s pretty apparent in pretty much every race all across the country. How do you think his impact will in any way affect the midterm elections? Will it be a good motivating factor for getting out Republican voters? Does it motivate Democrats ahead of the midterm? Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Illinois) I think both sides. Look, if you like Donald Trump right now, I don’t know what’s going to take your mind off of liking Donald Trump. I mean, there’s a lot to be seen there and we’ve lived through his presidency and now his post-presidency. We’ve seen what happened on January 6th. We’ve got the special committee looking at January 6th, going on right now, where a lot has been uncovered, keeping in mind that most of the people testifying worked in his administration were chosen by him to work in his administration. And then on the other side of it, if you’re a Democrat or I’m going to say a reasonable Republican or an Independent who just needs to make up their mind on what to do, I think it’s also motivating and not in Donald Trump’s favor. Jon Decker, Gray TV White House Correspondent The people that are running for Congress in the Senate that believe there was massive fraud—falsely-that in the 2020 election are often called election deniers. And there’s a significant percentage of those people running for Congress. Does that concern you? Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Illinois) Yeah. I don’t think there’s anything more important as Americans than to make sure that our democracy is in a good place. And I think it’s very dangerous to deny the fair election that was in November of 2020. The facts do not bear out this notion that the election was stolen. There have been investigations, many of which have been led by Republicans. And so the facts do not support the claims that the election was stolen. On immigration Jon Decker, Gray TV White House Correspondent Do you think that that is an important issue for voters or just some voters depending upon what part of the country they’re in? Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Illinois) Well, certainly if you live in a border community, it’s top of mind because they’re looking at it in the face every single day. If you care about the safety of our nation and also that we treat people seeking asylum in a humane way, I think it’s top of mind from that perspective. But look, I think it’s got to be a combination of a few things. First of all, we need to make sure that our borders are strong and that- Jon Decker, Gray TV White House Correspondent Well, do you believe they’re strong? Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Illinois) I think we’ve got work to do. Jon Decker, Gray TV White House Correspondent Two million arrests … We’re not even at the end of the fiscal year yet. And we’ve already passed that two million threshold. That is not a good record, I would think, for Democrats to run on. What’s your view? Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Illinois) Well, I don’t think we can run on that we’ve gotten this right, but we’ve also had attempts at bipartisanship on immigration reform. We need immigration reform. I come from an area, I come from a long line of family farmers, first of all, but we have close to 10,000 family farms where I live. And if you go to an egg farm or you go to a dairy and you talk with the folks running those operations, they need workers. So I think we can take a look at, we’ve got an opportunity actually to fill the slots that you’re not going to be able to hire your neighbor to work at that egg farm or you’re not going to be able to hire your neighbor to work at that dairy. We need workers and we need them in manufacturing. We need them in agricultural work. Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Illinois) I also want to make sure that we are humane to people who are seeking asylum. This idea of shipping people who are coming into our country seeking asylum, which is very different than just- Jon Decker, Gray TV White House Correspondent Three governors have done that … Three Republican governors. Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Illinois) But let’s sit down and talk about how that might look. Who’s to say that there are states or cities that don’t want people seeking asylum to come to their communities, but let’s do it in a coordinated way where we’re not tricking people and saying, hey, we’re going to take you to this place. And then they go there and there’s really no resources in place to manage that. Jon Decker, Gray TV White House Correspondent Did you view those actions by those Republican governors, the governors of Arizona, Texas, and Florida as political ploys in some way? Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Illinois) I think that they were not doing it with the intent of helping and they can do it in a way that helps their own states. Look, if you’re a governor of a state, your top priority should be looking out for the citizens of your state. And that means the border communities. It means public safety, all of that, but just to dump people in a place, outside of the vice president’s residents, I mean, let’s sit down and have a conversation and figure out how this can look and how it can treat people seeking asylum in a good way, and be good to the states that have to deal with this and to the destination state as well. On abortion Jon Decker, Gray TV White House Correspondent The conventional wisdom is that the party in power loses seats during a midterm election…Do you share that conventional wisdom? Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Illinois) Well, the numbers back up that conventional wisdom, right? You can go back many, many election cycles. And if you’ve got a Democrat in the White House, Democrats don’t typically do so well, same thing if there’s a Republican in the White House. Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Illinois) However, I think what has changed and you can feel it on the ground is the Dobbs decision overturning Roe versus Wade, which was for close to 50 years, that was the law of the land. When the new Supreme Court justices...

Colorado Police Release Video Of Police Car With Suspect Inside Hit By A Train | CNN https://digitalalabamanews.com/colorado-police-release-video-of-police-car-with-suspect-inside-hit-by-a-train-cnn/ 01:24 – Source: CNN Police cruiser struck by train with woman inside CNN  —  Colorado police have released videos showing a train hitting a police cruiser in which a detained suspect was handcuffed. The Fort Lupton Police Department released body camera and dashcam video on Friday showing Yareni Rios-Gonzalez inside the patrol car that was hit by a train. Rios-Gonzalez is hospitalized with multiple injuries but is expected to survive, the Colorado Bureau of Investigations said. The newly released video of the September 16 incident shows Rios-Gonzalez – a suspect in a road rage case – asking why she was pulled over as she is handcuffed and put into a cruiser that was parked on railroad tracks, yards behind her truck. Rios-Gonzalez is left in the vehicle alone as officers search her truck. Minutes later, a train horn is heard and officers express alarm as the train barrels into the cruiser, crumpling the side and pushing it dozens of feet into a field. Officers can be heard on the video calling for medical assistance. Paul Wilkinson, an attorney for Rios-Gonzalez, told CNN Saturday that she was desperate to get out of the vehicle as the train approached. “When she was in the back of the car, she was able to see the train coming,” Wilkinson said. “She was frantically trying to escape, trying to open the doors, but she was handcuffed.” Rios-Gonzalez tried to get out of the cruiser on her own and attempted to get the attention of officers by screaming, Wilkinson said. “I don’t know if they just couldn’t hear her or if they were too busy searching her car, but she saw it coming and prepared for the worst,” he said. “And as you can imagine, lost consciousness and woke up at the hospital. She’s obviously very upset.” Rios-Gonzalez sustained multiple injuries, including nine broken ribs, a broken arm, broken teeth and injuries to her head, according to Wilkinson. As of Saturday, she remained in the hospital. The vehicle that was hit was a cruiser from the Platteville Police Department, which was assisting with the traffic stop. Platteville Police Chief Carl Dwyer said the officer who parked on the railroad tracks has been placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation by the CBI. Neither police department has identified any of the officers involved in the incident. Fort Lupton police say the case they were pursuing against Rios-Gonzalez has been referred to the Weld County District Attorney. Krista Henery with the Weld County District Attorney’s Office told CNN on Saturday that “everything is still being investigated and no charges have been filed for the suspect/victim or any officers.” Read More…

Former Alabama Prep Star Reaches 20 Wins For Braves https://digitalalabamanews.com/former-alabama-prep-star-reaches-20-wins-for-braves/ Former Buckhorn High School standout Kyle Wright became Major League Baseball’s first 20-game winner for the 2022 season in the Atlanta Braves’ 6-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday. “It’s pretty cool,” Wright said. “I don’t know if I really realized how cool it was until all the teammates and coaches congratulated me real quick. It’s special, obviously. It’s kind of a team stat. Couldn’t do it without these guys if they’re not scoring, playing defense, so certainly gratifying, I think, for myself, but for the team as a whole.” Wright took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, but he left in that frame after yielding a double to Rhys Hopkins and a home run to Bryce Harper. Wright ended May with a 4-3 record. But he’s had only two no-decisions since while running his record to 20-5. In winning his seventh straight decision, Wright became the Braves’ first 20-game winner since Russ Ortiz in 2003. Wright became the seventh player from an Alabama high school or college to record 20 pitching wins in one season. The other pitchers from Alabama high schools and colleges who have won 20 games in an American or National League season include: · Tim Hudson (Glenwood, Chattahoochee Valley/Auburn) had 20 wins in 2000 for the Oakland Athletics. · Frank Lary (Tuscaloosa County, Alabama) had 21 wins in 1956 and 23 wins in 1961 for the Detroit Tigers. · Jon Lieber (South Alabama) had 20 wins in 2001 for the Chicago Cubs. · Rip Sewell (Decatur, Alabama Military Institute) had 21 wins in 1943 and 21 wins in 1944 for the Pittsburgh Pirates. · Virgil Trucks (Tarrant City) had 20 wins in 1953 – 15 for the Chicago White Sox and five for the St. Louis Browns. · Early Wynn (Geneva County) had 20 wins in 1951, 23 wins in 1952, 23 wins in 1954 and 20 wins in 1956 for the Cleveland Indians and 22 wins for the Chicago White Sox in 1959. A two-time All-State player at Buckhorn, where he played for his father, Roger Wright, Kyle Wright pitched three seasons at Vanderbilt before going pro as the fifth player picked in the 2017 draft. Wright reached the big leagues the next year. But in spending the previous four seasons shuttling between Atlanta and the minors, he had compiled a 2-8 big-league record in regular-season play and a 1-1 mark in the postseason. “I think I’m more confident,” Wright said. “I keep myself under control a lot better than I did before. Things don’t spiral out of control like they used to. A lot of that’s because I finally have confidence in myself as a pitcher. I trust my stuff. I’ve really bought into trusting the defense. That’s my greatest weapon. I get a lot of ground balls.” In 29 starts this season, Wright has pitched 175.1 innings. He has a 3.18 earned-run average and has struck out 171 while yielding 149 hits and 52 walks. 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…

Alabama Prison Officials: Man In Viral Photos Got Medical Care At Least 11 Times Since July https://digitalalabamanews.com/alabama-prison-officials-man-in-viral-photos-got-medical-care-at-least-11-times-since-july/ An Alabama prison inmate whose photos of his physical deterioration have gone viral on social media has sought and received medical attention nearly a dozen times since July, prison officials said Saturday. Kastellio Vaughan, 32, is serving a 20-year sentence for 2019 convictions of multiple car break-ins and a burglary in Baldwin and Mobile counties. Earlier this week, his sister posted to Facebook photos of Vaughan that showed him emaciated and his eyes rolling back into his head. The images were in stark contrast to a photo of Vaughan taken in July. The sister said she was sent the photos with the message, “Get Help.” On Saturday, the Alabama Department of Corrections issued a statement regarding Vaughan’s medical care. “As of today, he was housed in Staton (prison) infirmary where he was observed walking and eating,’’ according to the statement. “He has been in contact with his family to update them on his situation and ease their concerns.” Prison officials said Vaughan has requested and received medical attention with the ADOC at least 11 times between July 30, 2022, and September 22, 2022. As a result, they said, each time he received appropriate medical treatment and/or care. As part of that care, he has spent at least 13 days in the institutional infirmary. Additionally, he was treated at an outside hospital three times in the same time frame, resulting in one major surgery and at least 17 days in the hospital. “The ADOC offers a constitutional level care to all inmates,” ADOC’s statement read. “However, inmates are not required to undergo care, just as citizens in the civilian world are afforded choice of whether to receive care.” On Friday, civil rights attorney Lee Merritt announced he was hired by the inmate and his family. A GoFundMe started two days ago by Vaughan’s sister for legal fees has raised more than $30,000. Merritt said Vaughan reportedly underwent surgery in August to remove a portion of his intestines as a result of gunshot injuries sustained prior to his incarceration. Vaughan, as previously reported by AL.com, was shot in 2013 when authorities say he was carrying out an attempted home invasion in Mobile. Police at the time said the incident happened about 8 p.m. on July 10, 2013. Two men told police they had invited two women whom they didn’t know into a home on South Gimon Circle. Shortly after their arrival, a man, who police identified as Vaughan, came into the home. His face was covered by a ski mask, police said. Vaughan demanded money from the men, according to authorities. However, one of the victims was the homeowner and knew a gun was stashed in the bedroom closet. He grabbed the gun and was shot. He spent a week in the hospital and was ultimately arrested and indicted on a first-degree robbery charge. The charge was later dismissed. Merritt on Friday said Vaughan’s family members report that following Vaughan’s surgery last month, he was immediately discharged from the hospital on the same day as his surgery and placed back into the general population at Elmore Correctional Facility. “Due to inadequate facilities, abuse and medical neglect, Vaughan’s medical condition rapidly deteriorated,” Merritt said. “Vaughan is believed to have lost 75 pounds in less than a month.” “Vaughan’s surgical scars were exposed to unsanitary conditions and were possibly infected,” Merritt said. “Alabama state prisons have a duty to provide the appropriate medical care for Mr. Vaughan while he remains in their custody,” Merritt wrote. “Prisoners are entitled to the same basic human decency as all other citizens in our country.” Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. Read More…

Recession Fears Mount As Stocks Fall Sharply https://digitalalabamanews.com/recession-fears-mount-as-stocks-fall-sharply/ DOW plunges amid fears of a recession DOW plunges amid fears of a recession 01:56 A wave of heavy selling driven by investors’ concerns that the global economy could fall into recession rocked major stock indexes around the world Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq each lost more than 1.5% on Friday, with the Dow closing at its lowest level since late 2020. The S&P is down 23% since its peak in January. As Michael George reports for “CBS Saturday Morning,” interest rate hikes aimed at cutting inflation are having a ripple effect on the economy. On Friday at the New York Stock Exchange, the president of a company called Sustainable Development Equity officiated the close of what was a terrible 486-point drop-day, preceded by a terrible week. The market has dropped more than 5,000 points in 12 months, with more than 1,000 points lost this week. And there are more storm clouds ahead, according to UC Berkeley economist James Wilcox. “It is very likely that we are going to have a recession, and the probability of that occurring has been rising all year really, and especially since the summer with the Fed being so aggressive about raising interest rates,” he said. The Federal Reserve board’s trio of 2022 interest rate hikes has made borrowing harder for companies that want to grow, and for consumers — particularly those who hope to own a home. The average 30-year fixed mortgage interest rates have spiked from 3.3% to 6.7% over the past nine months thanks to the Federal Reserve board hikes. “How much further mortgage interest rates might go up is awfully hard to know, but I think we could still see some other interest rates, auto rates, credit card interest rates, moving up, and that’ll make it more difficult for people to buy new cars or to buy more expensive cars,” said Wilcox. In all of this, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre addressed the economy on Friday. “That is why we passed, that is why Democrats in Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act. By the way, no Republicans supported that,” she said.  The White House also points to gas prices, which have fallen significantly over the past few months, and one part of the economiy that remains strong: the job market. Unemployment is at 3.7%.   In: Stock Market Thanks for reading CBS NEWS. Create your free account or log in for more features. Please enter email address to continue Please enter valid email address to continue Read More…

AP News In Brief At 9:04 P.m. EDT https://digitalalabamanews.com/ap-news-in-brief-at-904-p-m-edt-2/ Kremlin stages votes in Ukraine, sees protests in Russia KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces launched new strikes on Ukrainian cities Saturday as Kremlin-orchestrated votes took place in four occupied regions to create a pretext for their annexation by Moscow. In cities across Russia, police arrested hundreds of people who tried to protest a mobilization order aimed at beefing up the country’s troops in Ukraine. Other Russians reported for duty, while the foreign minister told the U.N. General Assembly his country had “no choice” but to take military action against its neighbor. Ukraine’s presidential office said the latest Russian shelling killed at least three people and wounded 19. Oleksandr Starukh, the Ukrainian governor of Zaporizhzhia, one of the regions where Moscow-installed officials organized referendums on joining Russia, said a Russian missile hit an apartment building in the regional capital, killing one person and injuring seven others. Ukraine and its Western allies say the referendums underway in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south and the eastern Luhansk and Donetsk regions have no legal force. They alleged the votes were an illegitimate attempt by Moscow to seize Ukrainian territory stretching from the Russian border to the Crimean Peninsula. Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai said the voting “looked more like an opinion survey under the gun barrels,” adding that Moscow-backed local authorities sent armed escorts to accompany election officials and to take down the names of individuals who voted against joining Russia. Fiona sweeps away houses, knocks out power in eastern Canada TORONTO (AP) — Fiona washed houses into the sea, tore the roofs off others and knocked out power to the vast majority of two Canadian provinces as it made landfall before dawn Saturday as a big, powerful post-tropical cyclone. Fiona transformed from a hurricane into a post-tropical storm late Friday, but it still had hurricane-strength winds and brought drenching rains and huge waves. There was no confirmation of fatalities or injuries. Ocean waves pounded the town of Channel-Port Aux Basques on the southern coast of Newfoundland, where entire structures were washed into the sea. Mayor Brian Button said Saturday over social media that people were being evacuated to high ground as winds knocked down power lines. “I’m seeing homes in the ocean. I’m seeing rubble floating all over the place. It’s complete and utter destruction. There’s an apartment that is gone,” René J. Roy, a resident of Channel-Port Aux Basques and chief editor at Wreckhouse Press, said in a phone interview. Roy estimated between eight to 12 houses and buildings have washed into the sea. “It’s quite terrifying,” he said. Florida emergency declared as Tropical Storm Ian strengthens TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for all of Florida on Saturday as Tropical Storm Ian gains strength over the Caribbean and is forecast to become a major hurricane within days as it tracks toward the state. DeSantis had initially issued the emergency order for two dozen counties on Friday. But he expanded the warning to the entire state, urging residents to prepare for a storm that could lash large swaths of Florida. “This storm has the potential to strengthen into a major hurricane and we encourage all Floridians to make their preparations,” DeSantis said in a statement. “We are coordinating with all state and local government partners to track potential impacts of this storm.” The National Hurricane Center said Ian is forecast to rapidly strengthen in the coming days before moving over western Cuba and toward the west coast of Florida and the Florida Panhandle by the middle of next week. The agency said Floridians should have hurricane plans in place and advised residents to monitor updates of the storm’s evolving path. It added that Ian was forecast to become a hurricane on Sunday and a major hurricane by late Monday or early Tuesday. Ian on Saturday evening had top sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph) as it swirled about 230 miles (370 kilometers) south of Kingston, Jamaica. ‘Fighting fit’: Trial to show Oath Keepers’ road to Jan. 6 The voting was over and almost all ballots were counted. News outlets on Nov. 7, 2020, had called the presidential race for Democrat Joe Biden. But the leader of the Oath Keepers extremist group was just beginning to fight. Convinced the White House had been stolen from Republican Donald Trump, Stewart Rhodes exhorted his followers to action, suggesting they emulate a popular uprising that brought down Yugoslavia’s president two decades earlier. He published a version of his appeal online, headlined, “What We The People Must Do.” “We must now … refuse to accept it and march en-mass on the nation’s Capitol,” Rhodes declared to fellow Oath Keepers. Authorities allege that Rhodes and his band of extremists would spend the next several weeks amassing weapons, organizing paramilitary training and readying armed teams outside Washington with a singular goal: stopping Joe Biden from becoming president. Their plot would come to a head on Jan. 6, 2021, prosecutors say, when Oath Keepers wearing helmets and other battle gear were captured on camera shouldering their way through the crowd of angry Trump supporters and storming the Capitol in military-style stack formation. West works to deepen sanctions after Putin heightens threats WASHINGTON (AP) — How do American leaders and their allies intend to respond if President Vladimir Putin seeks to escalate his way out of a bad situation on Ukraine’s battlefields, and makes good on renewed threats of annexing territory or even using nuclear weapons? At least to start with, by trying to double down on the same tactics that have helped put Russia in a corner in Ukraine, U.S. and European leaders have made clear: more financial penalties and international isolation for Russia, more arms and other backing for Ukraine. That won’t necessarily be easy. It’s been tough enough staying the current course of persuading all of dozens of allies to stick with sanctions and isolation for Putin, and persuading more ambivalent countries to join in. Global financial and energy disruptions from Russia’s war in Ukraine already promise to make the coming winter a tough one for countries that have depended on Russia for their energy needs. And there’s no sign of U.S. or NATO officials matching Putin’s renewed nuclear threats with the same nuclear bluster, which in itself might raise the risks of escalating the conflict to an unimaginable level. Even if Putin should act on his nuclear threat, President Joe Biden and others point, without details, to an ascending scale of carefully calibrated responses, based on how far Russia goes. To start with, “they’ll become more of a pariah in the world than they ever have been,” Biden told CBS’ “60 Minutes” just before Putin’s new wartime measures and renewed nuclear threat. Dissident: ‘Iranian women are furious’ over headscarf death NEW YORK (AP) — The tears come quickly to Masih Alinejad when she talks about the messages she’s received in recent days from women in Iran protesting against their government after a young woman died in police custody over a violation of the country’s strict religious dress code. They talk about the risks, possibly fatal ones, in facing off against government forces that have a long history of cracking down on dissent. They share stories of saying goodbye to their parents, possibly for the last time. They send videos of confrontations with police, of women removing their state-mandated head coverings and cutting their hair. According to a tally by The Associated Press, at least 11 people have been killed since protests began earlier this month after the funeral of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in custody after being detained by Iran’s morality police. State media has said the toll could be as high as 35. “I feel the anger of people right now through their text messages,” Alinejad told The Associated Press in New York City, where the 46-year-old opposition activist and writer in exile has lived since fleeing Iran following the 2009 election. “They have been ignored for years and years,” she said. “That is why they are angry. Iranian women are furious now.” GOP quiet as Arizona Democrats condemn abortion ruling PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Democrats vowed Saturday to fight for women’s rights after a court reinstated a law first enacted during the Civil War that bans abortion in nearly all circumstances, looking to capitalize on an issue they hope will have a major impact on the midterm elections. Republican candidates were silent a day after the ruling, which said the state can prosecute doctors and others who assist with an abortion unless it’s necessary to save the mother’s life. Kari Lake, the GOP candidate for governor, and Blake Masters, the Senate candidate, did not comment. Katie Hobbs and Kris Mayes, the Democratic nominees for governor and attorney general, implored women not to sit on the sidelines this year, saying the ruling sets them back more than a century to an era when only men had the right to vote. “We cannot let (Lake) hold public office and have the power to enact extreme anti-choice policies that she’s spent her entire campaign touting,” Hobbs said during a news conference outside the attorney general’s office. “As Arizona’s governor I will do everything in my power and use every tool at my disposal to restore abortion rights in Arizona.” The ruling presents a new hurdle for Republicans who were already struggling to navigate abortion politics. It fires up Democrats and distracts attention from the GOP’s attacks on President Joe Biden and his record on border security and inflation less than three weeks before the start of early and mail-in voting, which are overwhel...

Takeaways: After Rush To Give Tucker Megadeal, MSU Slips https://digitalalabamanews.com/takeaways-after-rush-to-give-tucker-megadeal-msu-slips/ Michigan State blew up the market for college football coaches last year by giving Mel Tucker a massive 10-year contract as the Spartans charged out to a 9-1 start in his second season. It was a bit puzzling at the time. Tucker’s overall record as a head coach was 16-13 at that point, covering not even three full seasons at Colorado and Michigan State, but things looked promising in East Lansing. And there were already rumors that LSU and maybe even some NFL teams were plotting to lure the 50-year-old coach away from the Spartans. Since that 9-1 start, Michigan State is 4-3, including Saturday’s 34-7 loss to Minnesota, a thorough beatdown coming on the heals of a decisive loss last week to Washington. “I’m really not happy with what I’m seeing,” Tucker told reporters. “I don’t accept it.” In the long run, Tucker could very well be worth every penny of the fully guaranteed, $95 million deal. It would be way premature to make any definitive judgments. But then again, it was premature to make Tucker one of the highest paid coaches in the country. The coach-as-savior mentality is rampant in college football. A good coach can have a huge impact on a program, especially after years of incompetence. Look no further than Kansas for proof. Lance Leipold has the Jayhawks 4-0 for the first time since 2009. The turnaround behind quarterback Jaylon Daniels has been remarkable for a program that hasn’t won more than three games in any season since that ’09 campaign. Still, the rush to find and then lock up a great college football coach has given coaches all the leverage and led decision-makers — athletic directors, university presidents, well-heeled boosters — to make highly questionable financial decisions. Tucker’s deal is far from the first and maybe not even the most questionable. Nebraska just paid an extra $7.5 million to make Scott Frost go away a few weeks before his buyout was scheduled to be cut in half. This business is crazy. The contract Tucker got reshaped the market and made extra-long megadeals the norm for any established and successful coach. If Tucker was worth it after 16 victories, of course Ryan Day, Jim Harbaugh, James Franklin, Brian Kelly, Dabo Swinney, Kirby Smart, et al, were worth at least that. Miami is a private school and does not disclose how much it pays its coaches, but it has been mostly assumed the school gave Mario Cristobal a market-rate megadeal to leave Oregon and be the Hurricanes’ savior. Clearly, that’s going to take a while. A week after a lackluster showing at Texas A&M, Middle Tennessee handed the Hurricanes what can reasonably be called one of the worst losses in program history. We all came here for a purpose and a reason. We’ve got a lot of work to do,” Cristobal said. The Blue Raiders came in 2-1, including a blowout loss to James Madison. They weren’t even one of the favorites to win Conference USA. The cost of a savior has skyrocketed in college football while the chances of actually landing one has never been more fraught with risk. UT BACK! No, the other one. Hendon Hooker and No. 11 Tennessee will likely head into October as a top-10 team and maybe the biggest challenger to Georgia in the SEC East. The Volunteers beat Florida for just the second time in the last 18 seasons, with Hooker putting on what has become a typical show: 349 yards passing, 112 rushing, three total touchdowns. Nobody pegged Josh Heupel as a savior when he came to Knoxville to replace Jeremy Pruitt after the 2020 season. Heupel was viewed as a safe pick by athletic director Danny White, who took his UCF coach with him to Rocky Top. The results have been very good so far, but realistically the Vols are probably still a long way from being a threat to Georgia and Alabama in the SEC. See: 453 yards passing by Florida’s Anthony Richardson. As for that other UT, Texas dropped to 2-2, losing at Texas Tech in overtime. AROUND THE COUNTRY Missouri’s overtime loss to Auburn and beleaguered head coach Bryan Harsin will rank among the most painful in school history. After Mizzou’s second-team preseason All-America kicker Harrison Mevis missed a potential winning chip shot on the final play of regulation, Tigers running back Nathan Peat let a game-ending TD slip out of his hands about a foot away from the goal line in OT. Whether that allows Harsin to keep his job another week almost seems like a moot point … America’s team, Appalachian State, played yet another bonkers game. This week the Mountaineers blew a 28-3 first-half lead and losing to James Madison. … It’s the full Bo Nix experience for No. 15 Oregon. The Auburn transfer threw a Pick-6 that went 95 yards and helped Washington State to the verge of an upset in the fourth quarter. Nix then led the Ducks on two late scoring drives to keep them undefeated in non-Georgia games … No. 5 Clemson has now won 10 straight games after a wild overtime victory against No. 21 Wake Forest. The good news for the Tigers is D.J. Uiagalelei played his best game since 2020. The bad news was a defense that was supposed to be Clemson’s strength got carved up by Sam Hartman and Co. No. 12 North Carolina State comes to Death Valley next week for another ACC Atlantic showdown. … How to cure an ailing offense? North Carolina’s defense did the trick for Notre Dame. ___ Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at http://www.appodcasts.com ___ More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/ap_top25. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/mrxhe6f2 Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. For Related Stories: NFL Read More…

Puerto Ricans Fear Extended Blackout After Hurricane Fiona https://digitalalabamanews.com/puerto-ricans-fear-extended-blackout-after-hurricane-fiona/ Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share. Dennis Rodríguez’s home, in the center of San Juan, has been without power since Hurricane Fiona hit Puerto Rico last week.Credit…Erika P. Rodriguez for The New York Times By Laura N. Pérez Sánchez Sept. 24, 2022Updated 8:31 p.m. ET SAN JUAN, P.R. — Michelle Rivera trudged slowly up the stairs of her apartment building, stopping to collect her breath and regain the strength to carry one more gallon of water to her home on the eighth floor. It was Friday, the sixth day of a power blackout in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Fiona. “I’m so tired,” said Ms. Rivera, 41, as she prepared to spend another night in the dark. “Exhausted of going up and down.” The rank smell of rotting food filled the stairs and hallways. The staircase, in the middle of the 14-story Jardines de Francia building in the San Juan neighborhood of Hato Rey, had no emergency lighting. Ms. Rivera and her neighbors in the building’s more than 100 units climbed the steps carefully, with the help of flashlights and cellphones. Image A resident of the Jardines de Francia building walked up five flights of stairs as her granddaughter lit the way with her phone. Credit…Erika P. Rodriguez for The New York Times The building not only did not have power since early Sunday morning, but it also had no running water since there was no electricity to run the pumps. About half of Puerto Rico’s 1.5 million electrical customers remained without electricity on Saturday, nearly a week after Hurricane Fiona, a Category 1 storm, caused widespread flooding and mudslides. At least three people died and two were injured this week in accidents related to the power outage. A candle fire burned down a house in San Juan, killing two and injuring one. Another person died and another was sent to the hospital after being intoxicated with fumes from a generator. (On Saturday, the Puerto Rican government said up to 16 people overall may have died as a direct or indirect result of the storm, though at least a dozen of those cases were still being investigated.) Restoring power after a hurricane can take time anywhere. But Puerto Rico, with its aged and fragile grid, is especially vulnerable to both outages and extensive recovery time. Having lived through months without electricity after Hurricane Maria, a Category 4 storm that ripped through the island five years ago, weary Puerto Ricans — who pay some of the highest electricity rates in the United States — say they have little patience to accept another prolonged blackout after Hurricane Fiona. “Do you think it’s fair that you pay so much to not have electricity?” said Dennis Rodríguez, 59, one of Ms. Rivera’s neighbors, who said monthly bills have jumped from $80 to more than $200 over the past year. “I can bet you that the power bill will arrive on time.” Hurricane Fiona caused catastrophic floods across Puerto Rico, but the damage on the island’s power grid was not as evident as it was after Hurricane Maria, when it seemed as if the wind had knocked over every post and shredded every line. Some residents have started to protest the slow progress of the restoration. On Friday, former employees of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, the public utility that runs power generation, urged Gov. Pedro R. Pierluisi to let them work on power restoration. The ex-workers criticized LUMA Energy, the private company that has been in charge of power transmission and distribution since last year, for the slow progress — and reminded Mr. Pierluisi that the extended power failure significantly contributed to some 3,000 people dying after Hurricane Maria. Several mayors have expressed discontent and one, in the San Juan suburb of Bayamón, said he would hire crews of former PREPA linemen to get to work. LUMA executives have said they have the necessary crews to restore the grid. Image A darkened street in the Santurce neighborhood of San Juan on Friday.Credit…Erika P. Rodriguez for The New York Times In the days since the storm hit, hospitals, supermarkets, businesses and residents have had trouble finding diesel to fuel their generators, forcing some to turn them on for only a few hours a day. Others have seen their generators fail, as what happened to a building in the suburb of Guaynabo, where residents were stranded without elevators in a 27-story building, without water or electricity, until a backup generator was brought in a day later. Of the 68 hospitals on the main island in the Puerto Rico archipelago, 15 to 20 were still without power and operating on generators on Friday, said Jaime Plá Cortés, president of the Puerto Rico Hospital Association. Mr. Plá Cortés said that several hospitals installed backup generators after Hurricane Maria, when some had to rely on them for more than five months. But the machines need fuel to run. Without saying that there is a fuel shortage or disruption in distribution, Mr. Pierluisi ordered the Puerto Rico National Guard on Friday to take control of diesel distribution to hospitals, supermarkets and water facilities. On Saturday, about one-fifth of an estimated 1.2 million customers of the water utility did not have service, mainly because of lack of power in water plants. Edan Rivera Rodríguez, the secretary of consumer affairs who is in charge of overseeing fuel supplies, said in an interview on Friday that though there had been distribution issues at a couple of ports, Puerto Rico had 10.2 million gallons — or 11 days’ worth — of diesel supply. He was expecting that number to more than double with the arrival that same day of a cargo ship filled with 13 million more gallons of diesel. Usually, among the five private fuel importers in Puerto Rico, the island has up to a 30-day diesel supply, Mr. Rivera Rodríguez said. But for residents of buildings like Jardines de Francia, assurances that more diesel is coming soon provide little relief. The building does not have a generator, unlike many high-rises in Puerto Rico. The lack of access to essential services such as electricity and water has affected the physical and mental health of Ms. Rivera and her neighbors. Diabetics store their insulin, which is supposed to be kept cool, in powerless refrigerators. One neighbor suffered an anxiety attack at night this week, apparently overcome by the post-hurricane stress, Ms. Rivera said. Image Ana María Santos, with her granddaughter Carla, was storing her insulin in a small freezer next to her refrigerator, neither of which had power. Credit…Erika P. Rodriguez for The New York Times Some residents pay $5, $10 or $40 for people to bring up their groceries and water. One neighbor bought a small $1,050 inverter generator this week, paid someone to bring it up and installed it in her balcony. On Friday night, Ms. Rivera, who lives with her 10-year-old daughter and 59-year-old mother in her mother’s apartment, carried up the gallons of water that she uses for drinking, doing dishes and flushing toilets. A nonprofit provided trays of hot meals. She saved one for herself and another for her mother and daughter. Then she went upstairs to visit older neighbors with limited mobility. A neighbor in her 80s, who lives alone on the 13th floor, cried when Ms. Rivera brought her a plate of hot food. “I think she had not eaten in a while, because she started crying,” said Ms. Rivera as she stood in the middle of her dark and hot living room. “I told her: ‘Do not cry, stay calm. Tomorrow I’ll bring you more.’” Read More…

FOOTBALL RESULTS: Big Central Conference And Area Roundup For Week 4 https://digitalalabamanews.com/football-results-big-central-conference-and-area-roundup-for-week-4/ PLEASE CHECK BACK OFTEN. GAMES ARE ADDED AS THEY’RE REPORTED SATURDAY’S RESULTS Governor Livingston 16, J.F. Kennedy 10: Quarterback Michael Geertsma ran in a three-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to snap a 10-10 tie, and the Governor Livingston defense came up with two big stops late and held on for its third straight victory. Liam Quigley opened the scoring with a 22-yard field goal for the Highlanders (3-2), before J.F. Kennedy (0-5) tied it on a 43-yard boot by Diego Mazzara. Geertsma put GL ahead with a 33-yard TD pass to Kyle Bade, with Quigley adding the PAT to make it 10-3, and the score remained into halftime. JFK found the equalizer in the third quarter on a 19-yard Brandon Rivera TD poass to Angel Ruiz, plus a Mazara kick, setting up the winning drive in the fourth. Geertsma finished 6-for-11 for 110 yards, tossing a TD and an interception. He also ran for 30 yards and the score. Bade also starred on defense, notching eight tackles, including two for losses, and an interception. Jack Dally added seven tackles and a pick in the win. GAME STORY: Westfield blanks rival Scotch Plains-Fanwood WEEK 4 FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD: Scores and story links in the Big Central Conference North Hunterdon 42, Plainfield 13: Kente Edwards gobbled up 106 yards and scored two touchdowns on the ground, adding a score on a 52-yard catch from Luke Martini and a fourth on an 83-yard kickoff return to open the second half, and North Hunterdon cruised to 4-1. Martini finished 4-for-8 for 163 yards for the Lions, while Danny DeLusant, who caught a 73-yard TD pass from Martini to open the scoring, added a 53-yard punt return for a touchdown. Ben Cleary finished 5-for-5 kicking extra points in the win. Sophomore quarterback Alameen Watkins connected on a pair of TD passes for Plainfield (0-4), finishing 16-for-21 for 212 yards. Senior Samir Cherry, who also ran for 46 yards, caught seven passes for 96 yards and a score for the Cardinals, while senior Al-Khabir Bethune finished with five catches for 94 yards and a TD. Spotswood 28, South River 21: Quarterback Trey Lazar unofficially rushed for 115 yards on 27 carries and a touchdown and also caught a 55-yard TD from Anthony Christian as Spotswood improved to 4-1. Lazar was 5-for-9 for 66 yards behind center. Christian added 81 rushing yards on 17 carries and a 31-yard TD run, as well as returning an interception for about 20 yards cross the end zone. Brandon Bandoy had three catches for 47 yards. South River fell to 2-2. Linden 13, Perth Amboy 0: Alex Donic had a 2-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and Tequan Thomas rushed for an 11-yard score in the second quarter for Linden (2-2). Thomas, an electric quarterback, rushed for 126 yards on 20 carries and was 7-of-14 for 65 passing yards. Perth Amboy rallied in the second half, but Obidima Rogers intercepted a pass at the goal line. For Perth Amboy (2-2), Angel Alvarado had three carries for 63 yards. Elizabeth 23, St. Joseph-Metuchen 21: Vito Tropeano Jr. threw for 409 yards (18-of-24) and three touchdowns as Elizabeth  (2-2 overall, 1-1 in division) earned the American Gold division victory. Tropeano threw touchdown passes of 23 yards to Ibn McDainels (5 catches for 146 yards), 11 yards to Thian Grimaud and 97 yards to Michael Sagues (2 catches for 107 yards). David Lazo added a 30-yard field goal for the Minutemen. Omari Jones rushed for touchdowns of 57 and 28 yards for St. Joseph (3-1, 2-1) and QB Daniel Degennaro had a 1-yard TD run. Capitol Prep Harbor 20, Pingry 12: Ryan Moye threw two touchdown passes but it wasn’t enough as Pingry fell to 1-3. Jason Weaver and Mason Vance were on the receiving end of the TD tosses for the Big Blue. FRIDAY’S RESULTS Phillipsburg 34, Hillsborough 0: Jett Genovese connected on 14-of-18 passes for 171 yards and a touchdown, adding 6 carries for 80 yards and a score, and Phillipsburg blasted previously undefeated Hillsborough, dealing the reigning state Central-South Group 5 champs its first loss in 17 outings, dating back to 2020. Xavier Moore and John Wargo each also ran one in for the Stateliners (4-0), while Matt Scerbo caught eight passes for 75 yards and a score in the win. Isaiah Jackson returned a punt 53 yards for a touchdown. Voorhees 35, Bound Brook 6: Justin Wistuba scored on a 26-yard run, and then caught a 54-yard scoring pass from Isaac Levitan, and Voorhees built a 41-0 lead by halftime and rolled to 2-2. Levitan tossed two TD passes, running in another, including a 77-yard TD connection with Chris Salko to get the scoring started. Mickey Tramutola and Anthony Vassiliades also scored for the Vikings. Zahid Lee’Jackson scored on a 12-yard run in the fourth quarter for Bound Brook (0-4). Immaculata 63, Hoboken 6: Cameron Chadwick caught a touchdown pass and returned a kick for a touchdown, and Luke Scott paced the Spartans (2-2) on the ground, rushing for 83 yards and two scores, as Immaculata went up 63-0 at halftime and never looked back. Mason Geis completed 5-of-8 passes for 81 yards and two scores, also hitting Amir Mason with a TD toss. Daysir Spille and Martin Watong also ran in TDs in the win. Immaculata’s defense was led by Jaxon Laub, whose tackle in the end zone got the scoring started with a safety, and he later added an interception return for a TD. Jackson Roberts aldso notched a pick-6 for the Spartans. Will Grabko finished 7-of-8 on PATs in the win. FRIDAY FOOTBALL:North Brunswick defeats Sayreville as everything clicks FRIDAY FOOTBALL: Bernards scores late to rally past Delaware Valley in back-and-forth contest THURSDAY FOOTBALL: Watchung Hills surges past Bridgewater-Raritan A.L. Johnson 14, Roselle 6: Ryan George scored on a seven-yard run in the first quarter, and Dylan Perrotto caught a 20-yard TD pass from Robert Gallagher in the second period and the A.L. Johnson did the rest to stay undefeated. George finished with 197 rushing yards on 17 carries, while Gallagher added six rushes for 72 yards. Ryan Volmut and Vincent Pisano each recorded 13 tackles to pace the Crusaders (4-0), while Thomas Woods grabbed an interception. Emmanuel Lyles scored a first-quarter TD on a one-yard run for the Rams (0-4), who have suffered three of its losses by one TD or less. Montgomery 41, Hamilton West 2: Michael Schmelzer connected on 7-of-19 passes for 154 yards and three touchdowns, and Matt DaVino caught a TD pass and ran in another and Montgomery improved to 5-0 – the best start in the program’s 21-year history. Hamilton West began the game with a safety, pouncing on a bad snap in the end zone to make it 2-0, and the score remained into the second quarter, before Schmelzer and friends went to work. Gavin Guidette, who also forced a fumble in the win, ran for nine times for 80 yards and two touchdowns, second to Chris Eubaks, who gobbled up 189 rushing yards on 15 carries, adding a TD. Eddie Quan and Elhadji Dirra also caught TD passes for the Cougars, while Trey McFadden was 5-for-5 kicking extra points. Zach Schick and Nino Spera each grabbed an interception for Montgomery. Colonia 14, Woodbridge 13: Jaeden Jones ran in touchdowns of 22 yards and 17 yards, and the Colonia defense made a big stop on a Woodbridge 2-point conversion attempt in the final minutes and held on for the win against its neighborhood rivals to remain undefeated. Jones opened the scoring in the second quarter, with Patrick Miller adding the PAT, before Antonio Rosato ran in an 18-yard score to tie it for Woodridge (1-4). Jones and Miller teamed to make it 14-7 in the third quarter for Colonia (5-0), before Rosato scored on an 8-yard run in the closing minutes of regulation, but the Barrons’ 2-point pass was incomplete. Manville 13, South Hunterdon 0: Shawn Purcell caught a TD pass, ran in a touchdown, and recorded an interception in the end zone to secure the shutout and Manville scored a huge took control of the Freedom Silver Division with a huge win at home. The Mustangs (4-1) opened the scoring in the third quarter on a 12-yard pass from Danny Wildgoose to Purcell, capping a 12-play, 80-yard drive. After holding South Hunterdon (3-1) to a 3-and-out, and then getting a bad punt, Manville went 34 yards for another score, with Purcell running it in from eight yards out. Sophomore Na’quavere Thomas led Manville with 66 rushing yards on 11 carries, while Purcell rushed 16-for-58 and caught four passes for 58 yards. Ryan Oset contributed on defense for the Mustangs, blocking a kick to end the first half. Ridge 35, Hunterdon Central 7: Will Deady rushed 25 times for 216 yards and three touchdowns, adding an interception, and Ridge (2-2) pulled away late to win a battle of the Red Devils in a game that was tied 7-7 at halftime. Jack Berisha hit Patrick McCaffery with a 60-yard TD pass, adding a scoring run. Chris Molinari also picked off a pass for Ridge. Jakob Saus scored on a 22-yard run for Hunterdon Central (2-3). Union 21, Somerville 7: O’Malley King threw two touchdown passes to Omar Ibrahim, and Todd Francis ran in a score, as Union scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to finally get into the win column at 1-3. Somerville (1-4) took the lead on the opening kickoff, as Terrell Mitchell retuned the kick for 90 yards and a score. South Brunswick 14, Piscataway 13: Khalil McLean blocked a point-after attempt and Khiri Summers scored on a 62-yard run in the second quarter and threw a TD pass nearly 50 yards to Darren Rodman with just over two minutes left as South Brunswick (2-2) won its second straight. Summers also ran in the two-point conversion after his first score. Piscataway (2-2) scored in the first quarter on Antonio Rivera’s 12-yard run and Vincent Novak made the extra point. The Chiefs took a 14-8 lead into halftime when Aleks Sitkowski scored on a short QB sneak. McLean t...

My Morning Jacket Ascends In Nashville With Support From Joy Oladokun [Photos/Videos] https://digitalalabamanews.com/my-morning-jacket-ascends-in-nashville-with-support-from-joy-oladokun-photos-videos/ My Morning Jacket stopped by Ascend Amphitheater in Nashville, TN on Friday. The band welcomed singer-songwriter Joy Oladokun as support. Oladokun opened the show with brief but powerful and emotionally raw performance featuring songs from her 2020 album In Defense of My Own Happiness (The Beginnings) and its 2021 followup In Defense of My Own Happiness. Rounding out the set with Nirvana‘s “Smells Like Teens Spirit” and Elton John‘s “Rocket Man”, the Nashville-based singer left the audience spell-bound, concluding with her song “jordan” before ceding the stage to the night’s headliners. Jim James, Tom Blankenship, Patrick Hallahan, Carl Broemel, and Bo Koster then took over and delivered a 20-song set starting with two songs from 2005’s Z, “Gideon” and “It Beats 4 U”. The setlist drew songs from 2011’s Circuital and 2008’s Evil Urges, including the album’s title track and “Touch Me I’m Going to Scream” parts 1 and 2, as well as some newer tunes from 2020’s The Waterfall II and the band’s latest release, 2021’s self-titled My Morning Jacket. After wrapping the set up with “Dancefloors”, from 2003’s It Still Moves, MMJ offered a four-song encore consisting of the georgraphically appropriate “Nashville to Kentucky”, the seasonally inappropriate “Spring (Among the Living)”, and two more tracks from Z, “Off the Record” and “Wordless Chorus”. View fan-shot videos and a gallery of photos from My Morning Jacket at Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater courtesy of photographer Christian Stewart below. My Morning Jacket’s tour continues tonight, Saturday, September 24th at The Orion Amphitheater in Huntsville, AL. For a full list of upcoming shows and tickets, visit the band’s website. My Morning Jacket – “Lay Low” – 9/23/22 [Video: darkstarflashes] My Morning Jacket – “Golden” – 9/23/22 [Video: darkstarflashes] My Morning Jacket – “Feel You” – 9/23/22 [Video: Brent Turner] My Morning Jacket – “Run Thru” – 9/23/22 [Video: Brent Turner] My Morning Jacket – “Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Pt. 2” – 9/23/22 [Video: darkstarflashes] My Morning Jacket – “Never in the Real World” – 9/23/22 [Video: darkstarflashes] My Morning Jacket – “Dancefloors” – 9/23/22 [Video: darkstarflashes] My Morning Jacket – “Wordless Chorus” – 9/23/22 [Video: darkstarflashes] View Videos Setlist: My Morning Jacket | Ascend Amphitheater | Nashville, TN | 9/23/22 Set: Gideon, It Beats 4 U, Evil Urges, Lay Low, One Big Holiday, Golden, Feel You, Victory Dance, Holdin On to Black Metal, Love Love Love, Least Expected, Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Pt. 1, Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Pt. 2, Knot Comes Loose, Never in the Real World, Circuital, Run Thru, I’m Amazed, What a Wonderful Man, Dancefloors Encore: Nashville to Kentucky, Spring (Among the Living), Off the Record, Wordless Chorus Setlist: Joy Oladokun | Ascend Amphitheater | Nashville, TN | 9/23/22 Set: if you got a problem, smoke, Heaven is a place on earth (walk on), sunday, I See America / Smells Like Teen Spirit, Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going to Be a Long, Long Time) (Elton John), jordan My Morning Jacket | Ascend Amphitheater | Nashville, TN | 9/23/22 | Photos: Christian Stewart Read More…

TED NUGENT Once Again Rails Against 'Big Tech': 'They're Admitting They're Censoring And Denying First Amendment Rights' https://digitalalabamanews.com/ted-nugent-once-again-rails-against-big-tech-theyre-admitting-theyre-censoring-and-denying-first-amendment-rights/ Ted Nugent has once again railed against large social-media companies that block users from their platforms. The outspoken conservative rocker is an ardent supporter of former U.S. president Donald Trump who was famously suspended from his social accounts in January 2021 over public safety concerns in the wake of the Capitol riot. Nugent repeated his unsubstantiated accusations that tech companies are censoring his speech during the September 22 edition of “The Nightly Nuge”, a news-style clip in which Ted offers his take on the news of our world every night. Responding to co-host Keith Mark‘s claim that Meta chief product officer Chris Cox “on behalf of Facebook admitted” in a recent hearing “that there was collusion to thwart the First Amendment rights of a lot of Americans, but he justified it because it was for a greater good,” Nugent said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Well, that’s right out of the communist playbook and straight out of rules for radicals by Saul Alinsky, where they can cripple truth, logic and common sense and freedom and life, liberty and pursuit of happiness by censoring people who fight for, exercise and preach truth, logic and common sense. When you censor a segment of society who is about God, family, country, Constitution, Bill Of Rights, being the best that you can be… But that’s really not what the First Amendment protects; the First Amendment, it was proven in the Hustler magazine thing [Editor’s note: The U.S. Supreme Court voted unanimously in 1988 to overturn a $200,000 judgment awarded to the Rev. Jerry Falwell for his emotional distress at having been parodied in Hustler, a pornographic magazine.], the court system, the First Amendment is about protecting the most offensive speech, the most unfriendly speech, the most uncommon speech.” “So, finally the truth came out that they’re admitting they’re censoring and denying First Amendment rights, which I think is against the law,” Ted continued. “The U.S. Constitution is the foundation of our law. “I’m telling you, this is a pivotal moment. “When I first started out on Facebook years ago — I don’t think they really knew enough about Ted Nugent yet — because during the late, late… well, I guess it was in the 2000s, I had between 25 million and 36 million reach on Facebook,” Nugent added. “And then the Big Tech America haters finally figured out that I was a truth, logic and common sense guy. So I went from 36 million to 3.6 million overnight. And now even with 3.6 million on Facebook, they reduce it to 15 — not 15 million, not 15 hundred; 15. Sometimes I’ll make a statement that is irrefutably true, and they’ll censor it and suppress it down to a couple of dozen people. “So Big Tech, here’s a word from good families of America, Big Tech. You people suck. Your fact checkers are psychopathic liars. Your fact checking is dishonest and it’s against the law and it’s against the First Amendment and it trounces freedom of speech. Shame on you idiots at Facebook and Big Tech. You are bad, bad people, because when you suppress freedom of speech, you’re anti-human, you’re anti-American, you are a voice and a power of communism. ‘For the greater good.’ And Big Tech hates the Constitution. I think those that are involved in the power of Big Tech, I think they look at the Constitution as toilet paper. I think we should look at them as toilet paper.” Social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook have suspended or removed the accounts of prominent conservatives who have violated their terms of service. Trump was banned from Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat following the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot that he was accused of inciting, adding to claims that conservatives are being unfairly treated. Twitter, along with Facebook and Instagram, pointed to their terms of service, which prohibit inciting violence on their platforms. Defenders of the technology industry have repeatedly said that private companies cannot be forced to host speech they don’t agree with. They also argue that private owners should be able to do as they please with their own property. In addition, they note that social media companies can only decide what speech they host and present. Those unsatisfied with their choices can choose to read or contribute elsewhere. Earlier this year, Trump launched Truth Social, the Twitter alternative. Trump has since used the platform to post, including spreading further misinformation, such as the ongoing false claim that Joe Biden‘s 2020 election win was fraudulent. Trump had consistently attacked the media throughout his presidency and called the press the “enemy of the people.” He also regularly accused reporters of spreading “fake news” — his term for stories he dislikes. In addition, he has assailed the news media at rallies and even at more formal presidential events, encouraging his audiences to chant “CNN sucks!” This past January, Nugent once again repeated the baseless conspiracy theory that the riot at the U.S. Capitol was orchestrated by undercover FBI agents, Antifa and Black Lives Matter. Nugent, who has refused to take the vaccine, has falsely claimed that public health measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic violate the Nuremberg code, a set of medical experimentation guidelines set after World War Two, as the vaccine is “experimental.” In the past, Nugent, who battled COVID-19 in April 2021, had referred to the virus as a “leftist scam to destroy” Trump. He had also repeated a narrative pushed by conservative media and disputed by health experts that suggests the official death count from the coronavirus is inflated. Read More…

AP News Summary At 8:32 P.m. EDT https://digitalalabamanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-832-p-m-edt/ Kremlin stages votes in Ukraine, sees protests in Russia KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces launched new strikes on Ukrainian cities as Kremlin-orchestrated votes took place in occupied regions of Ukraine to create a pretext for their annexation by Moscow. In Russia, hundreds were arrested on Saturday while trying to protest President Vladimir Putin’s order to mobilize more troops to fight in Ukraine. Kyiv and its Western allies say the votes underway in four regions of Ukraine are a sham with no legal force. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged residents to undermine “this farce.” He also encouraged people called up to fight to desert or sabotage the Russian military. Ukraine’s presidential office said the latest Russian shelling killed at least three people and wounded 19. Fiona sweeps away houses, knocks out power in eastern Canada TORONTO (AP) — Fiona washed houses into the sea, tore the roofs off others and knocked out power to the vast majority of two Canadian provinces as it made landfall as a big, powerful post-tropical cyclone Saturday. Fiona transformed from a hurricane into a post-tropical storm late Friday, but it still had hurricane-strength winds and brought drenching rains and huge waves as it hit Nova Scotia. There was no confirmation of fatalities or injuries. Ocean waves pounded the town of  Channel-Port Aux Basques on the southern coast of Newfoundland, where entire structures were washed into the sea. Fiona has weakened to tropical storm strength as it moves across the Gulf of St. Lawrence Florida emergency declared as Tropical Storm Ian strengthens TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency across his entire state as Tropical Storm Ian gains strength over the Caribbean and is forecast to become a major hurricane in coming days. An emergency order DeSantis initially issued for just two dozen counties was expanded to a statewide warning on Saturday. The governor is encouraging residents and localities to prepare for the storm, which could lash large swaths of Florida. The National Hurricane Center said Ian is forecast to rapidly power up to a hurricane by Sunday and a major hurricane by late Monday or early Tuesday. It’s expected to move over western Cuba before approaching Florida in the middle of next week. ‘Fighting fit’: Trial to show Oath Keepers’ road to Jan. 6 It’s been a long road to the upcoming Capitol riot trial of the the leader of the extremist group Oath Keepers. But the prosecution’s case against Stewart Rhodes covers a lot more than just the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021. Rhodes and four co-defendants are facing the difficult-to-prove charge of seditious conspiracy. Prosecutors will try to show that for the Oath Keepers, the siege wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment protest but that it was part of a weekslong plot to stop the peaceful transfer of presidential power from election-denier Donald Trump to Joe Biden. Jury selection begins Tuesday in federal court in the nation’s capital. The trial is expected to last several weeks. West works to deepen sanctions after Putin heightens threats WASHINGTON (AP) — How will American leaders and their allies respond if President Vladimir Putin seeks to escalate his way out of his bad situation on Ukraine’s battlefields? Putin this week renewed threats of claiming more Ukrainian territory, and even using nuclear weapons. U.S. and European leaders have made clear they will try to double down on the same tactics that have helped put Russia in a corner in Ukraine. That means more financial penalties and international isolation for Russia, more arms and other backing for Ukraine. There’s no sign of the United States and NATO matching Putin’s intensified nuclear threats with the same bluster, which could raise the risks of escalating the conflict. Dissident: ‘Iranian women are furious’ over headscarf death NEW YORK (AP) — Iranian activist Masih Alinejad says the videos and messages she’s been receiving in recent days from women in Iran are showing how angry they are following a young woman’s death in police custody over a violation of the country’s strict religious dress code. The spur for this latest explosion of outrage was the death earlier this month of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. The young woman was detained for allegedly wearing her hijab too loosely in violation of strictures demanding women wear the Islamic headscarves in public. She died in custody. Protests have been going on around the country for days. Alinejad would love to see more support from those in the West, as well. GOP quiet as Arizona Democrats condemn abortion ruling PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Democrats are vowing to fight for women’s rights after a court reinstated a law first enacted during the Civil War that bans abortion in nearly all circumstances. Democrats on Saturday looked to capitalize on an issue they hope will have a major impact on the midterm elections. Top Democrats implored women not to sit on the sidelines this year, saying the ruling sets women back  to an era when only men had the right to vote. Republican candidates have been silent since the ruling, which said the state can prosecute doctors and others who assist with an abortion unless it’s necessary to save the mother’s life. Saudi Arabia’s triumphant week reclaims the West’s embrace NEW YORK (AP) — Saudi Arabia appears to be leaving behind the stream of negative coverage the killing of Jamal Khashoggi elicited since 2018. Once again enthusiastically welcomed back into polite and powerful society, it is no longer as frowned upon to seek their investments and accept their favor. Saudi Arabia’s busy week of triumphs included brokering a prisoner swap between Ukraine and Russia, holding a highbrow summit on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, marking the country’s national day, hosting the German chancellor and discussing energy supply with top White House officials. The pivot is drawing focus back to the crown prince’s ambitious re-branding of Saudi Arabia and its place in the world. CIA unveils model of al-Qaida leader al-Zawahri’s hideout McLEAN, Virginia (AP) — The CIA has revealed the scale model of the safe house where it found and killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri in Afghanistan. The model is now on display at the CIA Museum, newly refurbished for the agency’s 75th anniversary. Intelligence officials used the model to brief President Joe Biden in the White House Situation Room in July. The house shows several balconies, which officials used to show Biden where and how al-Zawahri liked to sit. The museum is not open to the public and generally restricted to agency employees and guests, but it allowed journalists in on Saturday to see its newest exhibits. Kim Kardashian culls Dolce&Gabbana archives for Milan show MILAN (AP) — Kim Kardashian took Milan by storm with a a new collection she curated for Dolce & Gabbana that took inspiration from 20 years of archival looks. The designers had refused to open their archives until Kardashian proved she had the right stuff. They were convinced after she and her sisters all wore vintage Dolce & Gabbana when Kourtney Kardashian got married in Italy. Saturday was a day of debuts at Milan Fashion Week. Maximilian Davis, a 27-year-old British designer with Afro-Caribbean roots, was at the creative helm of Salvatore Ferragamo. Filipino American designer Rhuigi Villasenor led Bally as the brand returns to the runway for the first time in 20 years. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Read More…

Beto O'Rourke Blames Biden For More Texas Latinos Voting GOP: 'Didn't Spend A Dime Or Day' In Border Region https://digitalalabamanews.com/beto-orourke-blames-biden-for-more-texas-latinos-voting-gop-didnt-spend-a-dime-or-day-in-border-region/ NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! AUSTIN, Texas – Beto O’Rourke, who is facing off against Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in November’s election, said that the rightward shift of Latino voters in recent years is partly due to a disregard for the demographic by Democrats.  “Candidate Biden didn’t spend a dime or day in the Rio Grande Valley or really anywhere in Texas, for that matter, once we got down in the homestretch of the general election,” O’Rourke told a crowd at the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin on Saturday. “You got to be locking eyeballs with the people that you want to fight for and serve and whose votes that you want to win.” Despite losing the 2020 presidential election, Donald Trump carried 38% of the Latino vote, a 13 percentage point increase over the level of support that Republican candidates received from that group in the 2018 midterm elections, according to Pew research data.  Beto O’Rourke, Democratic gubernatorial candidate for Texas, during The Texas Tribune Festival in Austin, Texas, US, on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022. (Jordan Vonderhaar/Bloomberg via Getty Images) O’Rourke also said that Trump offered a “very strong, compelling economic message” during the last presidential election.  “It was literally one syllable one word, it was ‘jobs,’ and he kind of offered a false choice: ‘I can either keep you holed up in your house during this pandemic, or I can open up all places of employment and prioritize the economy,'” O’Rourke said Saturday. “What did we have on our side? Nothing.” DEMOCRATS LOSING SUPPORT FROM HISPANIC VOTERS IN KEY NEVADA RACES, NEW POLL SHOWS The trend appears to have continued in the past two years. Mayra Flores, the first Mexican-born congresswoman to serve in the House, flipped a House seat red during a special election in June for Texas’ 34th Congressional District, which has historically been a Democratic stronghold in south Texas.  Rep. Mayra Flores is the first Republican Latina ever elected to Congress from Texas, and she is also the first female Mexican-born member of the House of Representatives.  (Fox News Photo/Joshua Comins) Two other Latina women – Cassy Garcia in the 28th Congressional District and Monica De La Cruz in the 15th Congressional District – are also running as Republicans in the upcoming midterm elections.  2022 MIDTERM ELECTION NEWS AND UPDATES AS DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS FIGHT FOR CONTROL OF CONGRESS Rep. Tony Gonzalez, R-Texas, who represents a district that spans more than 800 miles along the US-Mexico border, said that the rightward shift of Hispanic voters will continue.  “We’re going to be winning races that no one thought we’d win before. And how are we going to do it? By leaning into our conservative values,” Gonzalez told Fox News Digital on Saturday. “This is just the start of the future of the Republican Party. I’m excited to be a part of it.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Polls in recent weeks show O’Rourke as an underdog in his race against Abbott, but the Democratic candidate pledged not to make the same mistakes as others from his party.  “I am making sure that we do not commit the same sin as some Democrats before me have committed, which is to take voters of color, Black voters and Latinos, for granted,” O’Rourke said Saturday.  Paul Best is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to Paul.best@fox.com and on Twitter: @KincaidBest.  Read More…

North Korea Fires Ballistic Missile Ahead Of U.S. VP Harris Visit https://digitalalabamanews.com/north-korea-fires-ballistic-missile-ahead-of-u-s-vp-harris-visit/ North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un addresses the Supreme People’s Assembly, North Korea’s parliament, which passed a law officially enshrining its nuclear weapons policies, in Pyongyang, North Korea, September 8, 2022 in this photo released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). KCNA via REUTERS Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com SEOUL, Sept 25 (Reuters) – North Korea fired a ballistic missile towards the sea off its east coast on Sunday, ahead of planned military drills by South Korean and U.S. forces involving an aircraft carrier and a visit to the region by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. South Korea’s military said it was a single, short-range ballistic missile fired from near the Taechon area of North Pyongyan Province just before 7 a.m. Japan’s Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada said Japan estimated it reached maximum altitude at 50 km and may have flown on an irregular trajectory. Hamada said it fell outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone and there were no reports of problems with shipping or air traffic. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Many of the short-range missiles tested by North Korea in recent years have been designed to evade missile defences by maneuvering during flight and flying on a lower, “depressed” trajectory, experts have said. “If you include launches of cruise missiles this is the nineteenth launch, which is an unprecedented pace. North Korea’s action represent a threat to the peace and security of our country, the region and the international community and to do this as the Ukraine invasion unfolds is unforgivable,” Hamada said, adding that Japan had delivered a protest through North Korea’s embassy in Beijing. The U.S. Indo-pacific Command said it was aware of the launch and consulting closely with allies, in a statement released after the launch, while reaffirming U.S. commitment to the defence of South Korea and Japan. “While we have assessed that this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies, the missile launch highlights the destabilizing impact of the DPRK’s unlawful Weapons of Mass Destruction and ballistic missile programs.” The launch comes after the arrival of the nuclear-powered American aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan in South Korea to participate in joint drills with South Korean forces, and ahead of a planned visit to Seoul this week by Harris. read more It was the first time the North carried out such a launch after firing eight short-range ballistic missiles in one day in early June, which led the United States to call for more sanctions for violating U.N. Security Council resolutions. North Korea rejects U.N. resolutions as an infringement of its sovereign right to self defence and space exploration, and has criticized previous joint drills by the United States and South Korea as proof of their hostile policies. The drills have also been criticised by Russia and China, which have called on all sides not to take steps that raise tensions in the region, and have called for an easing of sanctions. After North Korea conducted an unprecedented number of missile tests earlier this year, including its intercontinental ballistic missiles for the first time since 2017, the United States and South Korea said they would boost joint drills and military displays of power to deter Pyongyang. “Defense exercises are not going to prevent North Korean missile tests,” said Leif-Eric Easley, an international affairs professor at Ewha University in Seoul. But U.S.-South Korea security cooperation helps to deter a North Korean attack and counter Pyongyang’s coercion, and the allies should not let provocations stop them from conducting military training and exchanges needed to maintain the alliance, he added. South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported on Saturday North Korea may also be preparing to test a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), citing the South’s military. read more Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Additional reporting by Josh Smith and Tim Kelly; Editing by Daniel Wallis Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Read More…

Nate Oats, Alabama Basketball Add 4-Star From North Carolina https://digitalalabamanews.com/nate-oats-alabama-basketball-add-4-star-from-north-carolina/ Alabama Basketball Published: Sep. 24, 2022, 6:00 p.m. Alabama head coach Nate Oats now has three prospects in the 2023 recruiting class. (Photo by Robert Sutton)Crimson Tide Photos / UA Athletics Alabama basketball picked up a win on Saturday. Davin Cosby, a shooting guard, made his verbal pledge to Nate Oats and co. Cosby is a four-star and ranked 114th nationally on 247Sports Composite rankings. He’s the fourth-overall player from North Carolina and attends Word of God Christian Academy. He is the second-highest rated guard from his state at 6-foot-5, 180-pounds. Alabama landed Cosby over a final four of Virginia, North Carolina State and Wake Forest. Cosby has visits scheduled to Tennessee and LSU but felt confident enough to commit after taking an official to Tuscaloosa on Sept. 3. His primary recruiter was Antoine Pettaway and projects as a score-first guard that can shoot and operate off of pick-and-rolls. Playing at Benedictine (Va.) High as a junior, Crosby scored a team-high 23.6 points per game, averaging 28.1 minutes. He finished with 613 points, helping lead the Cadets to a 21-5 record and playoff appearance. The Crimson Tide offered Crosby in July amid a wave of Southeastern Conference interest. He’ll join Sam Walters (four-star forward) and R.J. Johnson of Grissom in the 26th-best class in the country, according to the 247Sports team metrics. Oats’ landed five high schoolers in 2022 and two transfers. The trio of 2023 commits rank sixth in the SEC. 2022-23 Alabama basketball schedule released Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at NAlvarez@al.com Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. Read More…