Digital Alabama News

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

AP News Summary At 10:41 A.m. EDT https://digitalalabamanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-1041-a-m-edt/ Ukraine combs mass burial site, says signs of torture seen IZIUM, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian authorities have begun unearthing bodies from a mass burial site in a forest recaptured from Russian forces. A prosecutor said Friday that some said bore signs of torture. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the site was an example of “what the Russian occupation has led to.” Police said the site contained 445 graves. It was discovered close to Izium after a rapid counteroffensive by Ukrainian forces retook the northeastern city and much of the Kharkiv region. Veteran NY judge named as arbiter in Trump Mar-a-Lago probe WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has appointed a veteran New York jurist to serve as an independent arbiter in the criminal investigation into the presence of classified documents at Donald Trump’s Florida home. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon has also refused to permit the Justice Department to resume its use of the highly sensitive records seized in an FBI search last month. Cannon on Thursday empowered the newly named special master, Raymond Dearie, to review all the documents taken in the Aug. 8 search of Mar-a-Lago and set a November deadline for his work. The sharply worded order from Cannon sets the stage for a challenge to a federal appeals court. Trump openly embraces, amplifies QAnon conspiracy theories Donald Trump is increasingly embracing and endorsing the QAnon conspiracy theory, even as the number of frightening real-world events linked to the movement rises. Using his Truth Social platform, Trump this week reposted an image of himself overlaid with the words “the Storm is Coming.” In QAnon lore, the storm refers to Trump’s final victory, when his opponents supposedly will be tried and possibly executed. It’s among dozens of recent Q-related posts from the Republican former president, who also ended a rally with a QAnon song. Experts who study QAnon say Trump may be trying to rally his most stalwart supporters as investigations into his conduct escalate. Queue for queen’s coffin ‘paused’ as wait hits 14 hours Read More…

Alaska's Western Coast Is Expecting High Winds And Flooding In Powerful Storm This Weekend https://digitalalabamanews.com/alaskas-western-coast-is-expecting-high-winds-and-flooding-in-powerful-storm-this-weekend/ (CNN)The remnants of Typhoon Merbok are putting residents of western Alaska on high alert as a coastal storm is expected to bring flooding and strong winds this weekend. Wind gusts as high as 65 mph are expected for Kotzebue Sound and Chukchi Coast, according to the National Weather Service in Fairbanks. Winds are scheduled to peak early on Saturday morning. Forecasters call it “the strongest storm in over a decade.” Officials in the Nome area, with about 10,000 residents, have urged people to prepare. “Port users should secure boats and vessels in the harbor and on Belmont Point. Please check your lines and gear periodically to avoid losses,” the town of Nome said on its Facebook page. The town said its recreation center will serve as the emergency shelter. “The many local, state, federal, tribal, and non-government agencies and emergency response organizations are aware of this storm’s potential and are preparing their response capabilities,” the Alaska Division of Homeland Security said. “The State Emergency Operation Center staff will continue to monitor the situation and communicate with communities in the path of the storm.” The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities asked people to report road conditions to its Nome maintenance station. The system was moving over the Bering Sea, which spans the northern Pacific Ocean between Alaska and Russia. “This is a dangerous storm that is expected to produce widespread coastal flooding south of the Bering Strait with water levels approaching levels not seen in nearly 50 years,” the weather service warned Thursday. Along Alaska’s shore, the main threats are a double-whammy of coastal flooding and winds up to 60 mph with higher gusts that could displace loose objects, damage buildings and bring down powerlines. Weather officials in Alaska also urged residents to prepare for the storm as it could threaten to overwhelm critical infrastructure and wash away roads. The storm’s impacts are expected Friday through Sunday morning, with water levels rising the highest Saturday. Coastal flood watches have also been issued for all coastlines along the west coast of Alaska between just north of the Arctic Circle down through the Kuskokwim Delta coast. The last time Alaska saw a storm this strong was in 2011, when it left behind a wide swath of destruction. Like Merbok, the 2011 system was an extratropical storm. An extratropical storm or cyclone has cold air at its core — unlike a tropical storm or cyclone which has a warm core. Both can cause significant damage from strong winds, heavy rain and storm surge. “When a big storm comes in, we always say, ‘Does it compare to the 2011 storm?'” Jonathan Chriest, a meteorologist with the weather service in Fairbanks, told CNN. “This is the first storm since 2011 that we have high confidence … will compare impact-wise.” On Friday, the remnants of Merbok are forecast to move into the Bering Sea and “bomb out” in a process also known as bombogenesis, referring to a pressure drop of 24 millibars in 24 hours or less. That means the storm is rapidly strengthening and has the potential to cause significant damage. “Winds will peak early Saturday morning near Shishmaref, and during the day Saturday near Kotzebue and the Chukchi Coast,” the weather service said. “Coastal flooding will occur, in addition to significant beach erosion.” While most areas will see around 1 inch of rain with this storm, some could pick up as much as 3 inches through the weekend. Even if Anchorage — more than 500 miles from Nome — picks up 1 to 2 inches from this storm, it will push this year into the top five wettest years on record. CNN’s Allison Chinchar and Pedram Javaheri contributed to this report. Read More…

Phony Document Lands On Court Docket In Trump Search Case | Maryland Daily Record https://digitalalabamanews.com/phony-document-lands-on-court-docket-in-trump-search-case-maryland-daily-record/ When a government document mysteriously appeared earlier this week in the highest profile case in the federal court system, it had the hallmarks of another explosive storyline in the Justice Department’s investigation into classified records stored at former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate. The document purported to be from the U.S. Treasury Department, claimed that the agency had seized sensitive documents related to last month’s search at Mar-a-Lago and included a warrant ordering CNN to preserve “leaked tax records.” The document remained late Thursday on the court docket, but it is a clear fabrication. A review of dozens of court records and interviews by The Associated Press suggest the document originated with a serial forger behind bars at a federal prison complex in North Carolina. The incident also suggests that the court clerk was easily tricked into believing it was real, landing the document on the public docket in the Mar-a-Lago search warrant case. It also highlights the vulnerability of the U.S. court system and raises questions about the court’s vetting of documents that purport to be official records. The document first appeared on the court’s docket late Monday afternoon and was marked as a “MOTION to Intervene by U.S. Department of the Treasury.” The document, sprinkled with spelling and syntax errors, read, “The U.S. Department of Treasury through the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Marshals Service have arrested Seized Federal Securities containing sensitive documents which are subject to the Defendant Sealed Search Warrant by the F.B.I. arrest.” It cited a federal statute for collecting financial records in federal investigations. The document also included the two supposed warrants, one that claimed to be sent to CNN in Atlanta and another to a towing company in Michigan. Those supposed warrants, though, are identical to paperwork filed in another case in federal court in Georgia brought by an inmate at the prison medical center in Butner, North Carolina. The case was thrown out, as were the array of other frivolous lawsuits the man has filed from his prison cell. The man has been in custody for several years since he was found not competent to stand trial after an arrest for planting a fake explosive outside the Guardian Building, a skyscraper in Detroit. Since his incarceration, he has filed a range of lawsuits and has impersonated the Treasury Department, claimed to be a federal trustee and claimed to be a lawyer for the Justice Department, a review of court records shows. In the Georgia case, the man alleged that Trump and others had “acquired ‘millions of un- redacted classified tax returns and other sensitive financial data, bank records and accounts of banking and tax transactions of several million’ Americans and federal government agencies,” court documents say. The judge in that case called his suit “fanatic” and “delusional,” saying there was no way to “discern any cognizable claim” from the incoherent filings. The man has repeatedly impersonated federal officials in court records and has placed tax liens on judges using his false paperwork, two people familiar with the matter told the AP. Because of his history as a forger, his mail is supposed to be subjected to additional scrutiny from the Bureau of Prisons. It’s unclear how the documents — the fake motion and the phony warrants — ended up at the court clerk’s office at the courthouse in West Palm Beach, Florida. A photocopy of an envelope, included in the filing, shows it was sent to the court with a printed return address of the Treasury Department’s headquarters in Washington. But a postmark shows a Michigan ZIP code, and a tracking number on the envelope shows it was mailed Sept. 9 from Clinton Township, Michigan, the inmate’s hometown. The AP is not identifying the inmate by name because he has a documented history of mental illness and has not been charged with a crime related to the filing. “There is simply nothing indicating that he has any authorization to act on behalf of the United States,” the judge in the Georgia case wrote. But despite the clear warning signs — including a stamp noting the Georgia case number on the phony warrants — the filing still made its way onto the docket. Spokespeople for the Justice Department and the Treasury Department would not comment. They declined to answer on the record when asked if the document was false and why the government had not addressed it. Representatives in the court clerk’s office and the magistrate judge overseeing the search warrant case did not respond to requests for comment. Michael Balsamo reports for The Associated Press. Associated Press writers Eric Tucker and Fatima Hussein in Washington, Kate Brumback in Atlanta and Anthony Izaguirre in Tallahassee, Florida, contributed to this report. × Enjoy This Free Article. We Have 2 More For You. All You Need To Do Is Register To Receive Your 2 Additional Free Articles. Read More…

Alabama Port Officials Relieved Rail Strike Averted https://digitalalabamanews.com/alabama-port-officials-relieved-rail-strike-averted/ The Alabama Port Authority continues to sink millions of dollars to expand its railroad network as Mobile’s seaport continues to establish new records in the amount of cargo moved through coastal Alabama. But a railroad strike, according to officials, threatened to derail the good times. That was averted early Thursday when negotiators reached a tentative agreement between the nation’s freight rail operators and approximately 12 unions who represented 115,000 unionized railroad workers. Related content: “With tentative agreements reached before the deadline, the Alabama Port Authority will be able to continue serving our customers without interruption or delay,” said John Driscoll, CEO of the Alabama State Port Authority. The Port Authority, in a news release Monday, said it is on pace to have its busiest year on record. APM Terminals, which operates the container terminal in Mobile, is reporting a 10% bump in its 2021 numbers, which was the terminal’s busiest full year to date. John Driscoll, director and & CEO with the Alabama State Port Authority, speaks during the Mobile Metropolitan Planning Organization meeting on Wednesday, June 2, 2021, in Mobile, Ala. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com). Rail is fueling the surge. Intermodal rail moves in August were up 125% over 2021. Maggie Oliver, a spokeswoman for the port authority, said the labor negotiations did not affect the rail workers in Mobile who work at Terminal Railway (TASD), the port’s short-line railway. The TASD moved more than 160,000 rail cars last year, Oliver said. But the strike could have halted Class 1 railroads arriving into Mobile, she said. The Class 1 railroads in the U.S. include the largest companies that generate over $500 million in annual revenue for the port. The labor deal affects CSX, Norfolk Southern, BNSF and Union Pacific, which operate into the Mobile port. “If CSX doesn’t get the cars here, we don’t have anything to move,” said Oliver. Bradley Byrne, president and CEO of the Mobile Chamber, said in a statement that it was still unclear what the tentative deal means for the rail industry, which affects the port. “The last thing our economy needed was more pressure on inflation, which a rail disruption would cause,” said Byrne, the former congressman who represented coastal Alabama from January 2014- January 2021. “That being said, it’s still unclear how this deal with ultimately impact the cost to move cargo by rail. As a port and logistics center, we have a lot riding on the outcome and we are closely monitoring this situation with the Port Authority and rail companies. Rick Pate, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries, said a rail strike “would have impacted the Port of Mobile” and would have been devastating for the state’s agricultural sector. “The whole state’s economy, whether it’s coal or timber, it would have been impacted,” said Pate. “It’s carried by rail.” He added, “I don’t think people realize what a bullet we dodged.” The labor issues involving rail also coincided with the Port Authority’s plans for a freight rail expansion in Alabama. The agency, on Wednesday, got approval from the Mobile Metropolitan Planning Organization’s policy board to build a new intermodal transfer facility in Montgomery so it can expand freight rail service from the Mobile port to the state’s Capital city. The approximately $80 million project is expected to be completed by 2025, and it is anticipated to shift the movement of containers from truck to rail. The investment, officials believe, will alleviate the number of trucks traversing along Interstate 65, which is overcrowded. CSX Transportation, which received a state tax credit for the project, is partnering on the project with the Port Authority. There are also bigger rail expansion goals. The state is proposing an “Alabama-USA” corridor to move more containers from the port to Birmingham via rail. The Port Authority is working with Norfolk Southern on that project, and it has an estimated cost of $231.6 million. The rail expansion and other freight rail activities in Mobile is also spurring the Port Authority’s opposition to an Amtrak passenger rail project that would add twice-daily service from New Orleans to downtown Mobile with four additional stops in coastal Mississippi. The Port Authority has received some national attention for its opposition on a project that is before the U.S. Surface Transportation Board for consideration. The Port’s opposition is joined by CSX and Norfolk Southern. The Gulf Coast passenger rail project is viewed as a bellwether case for future rail expansion in the United States. Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. Read More…

NASA’s Perseverance Rover Finds Possible New Evidence Of Life On Mars https://digitalalabamanews.com/nasas-perseverance-rover-finds-possible-new-evidence-of-life-on-mars/ News Published: Sep. 16, 2022, 8:15 a.m. Composed of multiple images from NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover, this mosaic shows a rocky outcrop called “Wildcat Ridge,” where the rover extracted two rock cores and abraded a circular patch to investigate the rock’s composition. The site is in the delta, a fan-shaped area where, billions of years ago, a river once flowed into a lake in Jezero Crater. Scientists consider this area one of the best places on Mars to search for potential signs of ancient microbial life. NASA’s Perseverance rover has found “a potential biosignature” of life on Mars in the dry lakebed called Jezero Crater right where a one-time Alabama scientist predicted it might be. The rover scraped some samples of a rock known as “Wildcat Ridge” and submitted them to its onboard analysis instrument called Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals or SHERLOC. This is actually the second time a NASA rover has found evidence of organic matter in rock-powdered samples. In 2013 NASA’s Curiosity Rover found them, as well, but not in an ancient lake where life could have existed. Perseverance has just done that. The samples will be put into storage for pickup and return to Earth. Watching closely are scientists at Huntsville’s Marshall Space Flight Center who are developing the Mars Ascent Vehicle that will pick up the samples and bring them home. Until recently, Marshall was also the work address of planetary scientist Caleb Fassett who first suggested the landing spot as the likely site of an ancient lake where fossils might be recovered. According to his LinkedIn page, Fasset is now a senior research scientist at Brown University in Laurel, Maryland. Perseverance has detected organics before in Jezero Crater. “But unlike that previous discovery, this latest detection was made in an area where, in the distant past, sediment and salts were deposited into a lake under conditions in which life could potentially have existed,” NASA said Thursday. “In its analysis of Wildcat Ridge,” NASA went on to say, “the SHERLOC instrument registered the most abundant organic detections on the mission to date.” Laurie Leshin, director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion laboratory, said, “That we are weeks from deploying Perseverance’s fascinating samples and mere years from bringing them to Earth so scientists can study them in exquisite detail is truly phenomenal. We will learn so much.” Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. Read More…

SDS Mailbag: Most Disappointing Team In CFB, SEC Player Not Getting Enough Love And Group Of 5 CFP Chances https://digitalalabamanews.com/sds-mailbag-most-disappointing-team-in-cfb-sec-player-not-getting-enough-love-and-group-of-5-cfp-chances/ I know some of y’all will disagree with me, but I love it when Kirk Herbstreit calls games. His work on the ABC/ESPN Saturday Night Football marquee matchups speaks for itself, and now he’s working with Al Michaels broadcasting NFL Thursday Night Football games on Amazon Prime. I thought he did a great job with the Chiefs-Chargers game and I’m excited to see how he does moving forward with some of the big Thursday night games Amazon landed for 2022. Now, we just need Herbstreit to do more games. I know he likes the Cincinnati Reds. Get him on those broadcasts. Have him call a few NBA games. Who cares? He already knows the schools, so why shouldn’t he call a couple of college hoops games every year? If Herbstreit reads this (and I can only assume my Mailbag is the first thing he reads every Friday morning), he’s probably shaking his head no vigorously, as I’m sure he’s busy enough. But he’s one of the best broadcasters in the business today and he deserves more credit for that. Now, let’s dive into your questions for this week’s Mailbag: Mac: What has been the most disappointing team in college football this year? Plenty of choices to pick from. It has to be Notre Dame at this point, right? There are indeed plenty of options to choose from, but the Fighting Irish are a disappointing 0-2 to start the Marcus Freeman era. Texas A&M is an obvious runner-up at this point, having lost to Appalachian State at home. But the Irish getting schooled by Marshall in Week 2 was the worst loss of the year for a Power 5 team thus far. That’s not a knock on the Thundering Herd. Charles Huff is a hell of a coach and deserves all the good things coming his way. He’s worked hard to get to this point, and that shows in how prepared his team was for the big stage. But, if you’re Notre Dame, you can’t start 0-2. That Week 1 loss to Ohio State is now more of a concern for the Buckeyes that they didn’t blow out the Irish and let them hang around. We’ll see if either the Irish or the Aggies can turn things around moving forward. I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention Nebraska in this space, as the Huskers have already fired coach Scott Frost. Yikes. The reason they aren’t No. 1 in my most-disappointing team rankings, though, is that they were nowhere near the top 25 to start the year. Notre Dame and Texas A&M were top-10 teams. James: Which SEC player has been flying under the radar this year and deserves more love? I don’t think Arkansas RB Rocket Sanders is getting nearly enough attention so far this fall. The Razorbacks have played 2 solid opponents – Cincinnati and South Carolina – and it hasn’t slowed Sanders down at all. He has 273 rushing yards in those 2 games, leading the SEC over a pair of Vanderbilt players (Ray Davis and Mike Wright) who have each played 3 contests. Auburn’s Tank Bigsby is in second place among SEC players who have played only 2 games, with 199 yards thus far. With KJ Jefferson also drawing plenty of attention from opposing defenses in the running game, there have been some holes for Sanders to hit. But, he’s hitting them consistently and is off to a great start this year. We’ll see if he can keep it up when SEC West play starts, but so far, he’s been impressive and I haven’t heard his name mentioned nearly enough outside of Arkansas circles. Shane: Which Group of 5 team has the best College Football Playoff chances entering Week 3? Incredibly, at this point in the season, only one non-Power 5 team is ranked in the AP Poll – No. 12 BYU. Considering the Cougars just took down a top-10 Baylor team in Provo, they’re the answer to this question. This isn’t some weak Group of 5 schedule the Cougars are facing, either. They travel to Autzen Stadium to play No. 25 Oregon this weekend in a marquee game. In Week 6, they face Notre Dame in Las Vegas. In Week 7, they host No. 10 Arkansas in Provo. Then, to conclude the season, they head to Stanford to take on the Cardinal. There’s a lot of meat on that bone. If they can go undefeated this year, they’ll have as good of a case for Playoff inclusion as any Pac-12 team has ever had. There’s a reason BYU was so attractive to the Big 12, and it’s not just because it expands the league’s footprint into the Mountain time zone. The Cougars are legit. They have been for years and if they win at Oregon on Saturday, we’ll have to start having the discussion on where they belong in the top 10. @Dobbe8: Yes, only 1 week of the NFL season has passed so far, but who do you have in the Super Bowl this year? I honestly have no idea who will make the Super Bowl this year. The one thing I am confident about is that whatever AFC team makes it to the title game will beat whatever NFC team makes it that far. Since I’m not confident in anything at this point, I’m going to go crazy with my pick here. Are y’all ready for this? My Super Bowl pick is… Cincinnati Bengals over Minnesota Vikings. Why not? Yes, the Bengals are 0-1, but they lost by a field goal at the end of overtime in a game Joe Burrow threw 4 picks. I would bet a lot of money that Burrow won’t throw 4 interceptions in a game the rest of the year. In the NFC, I’m a Packers fan, so am I trying to jinx the Vikings? I’ll never tell. All I know is that Justin Jefferson looked unstoppable against a loaded Green Bay secondary on Sunday. He legitimately might be the best non-QB, non-Aaron Donald player in the league. Let’s go ahead and predict an all-2019 LSU Super Bowl reunion. Burrow, Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase… there would be storylines aplenty ahead of that game. Have a question for next week’s Mailbag? Tweet at us using #SDSMailbag or email me at Adam.Spencer@XLMedia.com. Read More…

Post Politics Now: Biden To Meet With South African Leader, Relatives Of Americans Detained In Russia https://digitalalabamanews.com/post-politics-now-biden-to-meet-with-south-african-leader-relatives-of-americans-detained-in-russia/ On our radar: House GOP holding training sessions as it readies for multiple Biden investigations Return to menu House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has begun talks with top House Republicans on how to coordinate investigations across committees if the party is successful in taking over the House next year. The Post’s Jacqueline Alemany reports that McCarthy has encouraged ranking Republicans on committees to send letters to agencies throughout the Biden administration, asking that they turn over or preserve documents, with more than 500 requests issued already. Per our colleague: McCarthy has also started holding regular training sessions for members and staff. One session held earlier this summer for House GOP attorneys, titled “Oversight Education Series: Investigations 101,” laid out strategies for how such probes should be run. … Roughly two months before midterm elections that may hand the GOP control of the House, McCarthy and other Republicans are well into mapping out an expansive list of probes that will translate the party’s grievances with Democratic policies and hot-button figures into investigative priorities. House Republicans have so far pledged to investigate President Biden’s son Hunter’s business dealings and art sales, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, the Biden administration’s military withdrawal from Afghanistan, the origins of the novel coronavirus, coronavirus-related school closures, the administration’s deliberations over weapons sales to Ukraine, and the spending of the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. Most recently, in the wake of widespread Republican outrage over the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago, McCarthy vowed to investigate the Justice Department. You can read the full story here. Read More…

Judge Names Special Master In Trump Probe; Same-Sex Marriage Vote Delayed | Hot Off The Wire Podcast https://digitalalabamanews.com/judge-names-special-master-in-trump-probe-same-sex-marriage-vote-delayed-hot-off-the-wire-podcast/ A federal judge has appointed a veteran New York jurist to serve as an independent arbiter in the criminal investigation into the presence of classified documents at Donald Trump’s Florida home. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon has also refused to permit the Justice Department to resume its use of the highly sensitive records seized in an FBI search last month. Cannon on Thursday empowered the newly named special master, Raymond Dearie, to review all the documents taken in the Aug. 8 search of Mar-a-Lago and set a November deadline for his work. Republican governors are escalating their practice of sending migrants without advance warning to Democratic strongholds, including a wealthy summer enclave in Massachusetts and the Washington, D.C., home of Vice President Kamala Harris. The White House is calling the practice a “cruel, premeditated political stunt.” Ukrainian authorities are expected to begin recovering bodies from a mass burial site in a forest recaptured from Russian forces. It’s a delicate task that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said would help show the world “what the Russian occupation has led to.” It was discovered close to Izium after a rapid counteroffensive by Ukrainian forces retook the northeastern city and much of the Kharkiv region. People are being told not to join the line to view Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin after a surge in numbers. British officials said Friday morning that the organized line was at capacity and no one will be allowed to join it for at least six hours. Medical centers around the country say fires, flooding, heat waves and other extreme weather are increasingly jeopardizing medical services, damaging health care facilities and forcing patients to flee their hospital beds. That’s according to findings released Thursday in a report from the House Ways and Means Committee. In a memoir Anne Heche worked on last year, the actor shared candid thoughts on her 3-year relationship with Ellen DeGeneres in the late 1990s, when they were among Hollywood’s first openly gay couples. Democrats are punting a vote to protect same-sex and interracial marriages until after the November midterm elections, pulling back just days after Majority Leader Chuck Schumer vowed to put the Senate on the record on the issue “in the coming weeks.” In sports, the Chiefs were three points better than the Chargers, the Twins and White Sox inched closer to the Guardians, the Rays made MLB history, the Mets ended their skid, a tennis great retired and the WNBA Finals will stretch into the weekend. Rail companies and their workers reached a tentative agreement to avert a nationwide strike that could have shut down the nation’s freight trains and devastated the economy less than two months before the midterm elections. President Joe Biden announced the deal Thursday. Biden plans to meet at the White House on Friday with the families of WNBA star Brittney Griner and Michigan corporate security executive Paul Whelan, both of whom remain jailed in Russia. The meetings are to be the first in-person encounter between Biden and the families and come amid sustained but so far unsuccessful efforts by the administration to secure the two Americans’ release. A boil-water notice has been lifted in Mississippi’s capital city after nearly seven weeks. Gov. Tate Reeves and Jackson officials made the announcement Thursday. A Virginia man who stormed the U.S. Capitol while wearing an antisemitic “Camp Auschwitz” sweatshirt over a Nazi-themed shirt has been sentenced to 75 days of imprisonment. Photographs of Robert Keith Packer wearing the sweatshirt went viral after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Thousands of mourners are waiting for up to nine hours in line to file past the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II as she lies in state at Westminster Hall. The queue to pay respects to the late monarch stretched for 4.4 miles past Tower Bridge on Thursday. Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for his “balanced” approach to the Ukrainian crisis and blasted Washington’s “ugly” policies at a meeting that followed a major setback for Moscow in the war. Roger Federer has announced that he is retiring from professional tennis at the age of 41 after winning 20 Grand Slam titles. Federer has not competed since Wimbledon in July 2021. Two minutes of silence will be observed Monday across the United Kingdom at the end of Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral at Westminster Abbey. That’s to give the British public a chance to pay their respects to the late monarch. Buckingham Palace released details Thursday of the state funeral and a ceremony at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor ahead of her private interment later Monday. Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates climbed over 6% this week for the first time since the housing crash of 2008, threatening to sideline even more homebuyers from a rapidly cooling housing market. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the 30-year rate rose to 6.02% from 5.89% last week. President Joe Biden’s popularity has improved substantially from his lowest point this summer, but concerns about his handling of the economy persist. That’s according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Support for Biden recovered from a low of 36% in July to 45%, driven in large part by a rebound in support from Democrats just two months before the November midterm elections. Newly revealed text messages show how deeply a Mississippi governor was involved in the state paying more than $1 million in welfare money to Brett Favre to help pay for one of the retired NFL quarterback’s pet projects. Instead of the money going to help low-income families in one of the nation’s poorest states, as intended, it was funneled through a nonprofit group to Favre and was spent on a new volleyball facility at a university both men attended. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Read More…

10 Best Beaches In Alabama – Usatales.com https://digitalalabamanews.com/10-best-beaches-in-alabama-usatales-com/ If you wish to visit the best beaches in Alabama, read and find out what’s in store for you. This article will give you all the details on how to reach and what to do for your beach vacation. Alabama in Southeast U.S. has everything from sugar white sand beaches, waterfront views, and six ecosystems biking trails to fresh seafood. As for the wildlife, you can try out the classy charter fishing, adopt sea turtles, see more than 400 birds, and sail with unique dolphins. Choose the Alabama Gulf Shores for your next beach vacation because you can try out all the fun activities, eat at local restaurants, and stay near amazing lodges that will help you explore almost 32 miles of beaches. Travel is also made easier with multiple options, from a car to a ferry in hand. Let us look at what are the best beaches in Alabama. Choose the best pick for you below –  1) 10 Best Beaches in Alabama Due to its aesthetic landscape and inland waterways, more than 20 million tourists visit the beaches in Alabama situated near the Gulf of Mexico. Some of the most popular beaches in Alabama to try out are – 1.1) Orange Beach The number of activities to do in Orange Beach makes it stand out from the rest. Everything is available here, from fishing, bike, and walking paths, to flyboarding, boat sailing, and sea recreational activities. It is one of the sugar white sand beaches with beautiful turquoise tinted waves that can be viewed as a relaxing spot with family. As for water-based activities, Orange Beach has the largest charter fishing fleet, so that you won’t be disappointed. 1.1.1) What to Do, See, And Eat For staying, you can either choose something like the Phoenix I, situated right on the beach, or more luxury choices like Spectrum Resorts, which has all the modern amenities and panoramic gulf views. In Orange Beach, you can try out private sailing adventures, unique tour boats, watersports, and parasailing activities. Click here to know more about the beaches in Alabama. For eat-outs, you can either try out the local food at local life, The Wolf Bay Restaurant for its fresh seafood and waterfront views, or have a good cup of coffee in The Southern Grind. There are plenty of eat-out spots in Orange Beach, each special as they come. Interstate 10 and 65 are the available access points for this beach. Apart from this, the Mobile Regional Airport and bus stops are close by as well. 1.1.2) Other Popular Beaches in Alabama Area Located near the orange beach are other Gulf State Park beaches that are worth visiting like – 1.1.2.1) Romar Beach Located at Highway 59, this is one of the beaches in Alabama located in the Perdido Pass. This is best for strolls and impromptu picnics. It has restrooms and outdoor showers for public access. 1.1.2.2) Alabama Point East Located to the east of Perdido Pass Bridge, Orange Beach, this one offers around 6000 ft. of dunes, with picnic areas. It also has restroom and shower facilities. 1.1.2.3) Shell Beach To reach the easternmost part of the Gulf State Park, you can visit this one in the orange Beach area. Get the seashells you love along the water’s edge! You can also access the white sand and dunes for Instagram-worthy pictures with small payments. 1.1.2.4) Cotton Bayou Beach Found at the intersection of Highway 182 and 161, this beach has some of the most popular activities to try out in the Orange Beach area. You can also try out the nearby restaurants by staying at The Tides Hotel, which is a small distance from Cotton Bayou Beach. You can also try out the nearby attractions like Adventure Island Amusement Park and the Arcade with family and friends. The Gulf State Park beach pavilion also has picnic tables that can be enjoyed during sunsets. Your safety is also ensured on all these Alabama beaches as lifeguards are present between March – October at specific timings. 1.2) Gulf Shores With quartz grain sand and emerald waters, these are the most popular beaches due to easy access to almost 32 miles of the Alabama coastline. It has many fun activities like boat cruises and kid-friendly locations. All favor the Gulf shore’s main public beach due to its multiple attractions with spectacular sunsets, wheelchair-accessible mats, green space, and an amphitheater. It also acts as a meeting point for many Jets Ski Dolphin Tours. Some of the most popular beaches in Alabama to try out in this area are: 1.2.1) Gulf State Park If you are traveling with your kids, the Gulf State Park, located between Orange beach and gulf shores, has picnic tables and swimming pools. You can also go along the Hugh S. Branyon backcountry trail, on foot or bike, for a relaxing trail. The most popular activity here is Surf fishing. The Gulf Adventure Centre also offers zip lining, paddle boarding, and kayaking. Some of the prominent wild animals spotted here are Alligators and deer. 1.2.2) Fort Morgan Fort Morgan, located to the west of Gulf shores, is known for its serenity. Access points depend on a hotel reservation nearby; if you don’t have one, it is better to be well equipped if you reach here. Combined with the breezes of Mobile Bay, the temperature of the Fort Morgan beach is perfect with natural dunes, birdlife, and coastal marshes. It also has a rich history, hosting civil war military forts and natural parks with rare species. A dolphin cruise through Bon Secour Bay provides great sights for water-based activities. If you rent a boat through Orange beach, you can also try out tubing and fishing further offshore. If you love hiking, the Bon Secour national wildlife refuge and the interpretive center have 7000 acres of hiking trails. For a secluded spot, the Pine Beach Trail is a great hike. You can also learn about their unique flora and fauna and see some alligators here. From here, A Mobile Bay ferry to Dauphin island would not only showcase beautiful views of Fort Morgan, but you can also get to see Fort Gaines and Estuarium. You can end the day in Tacky Jack’s, a family-friendly local place known for all-day meals and karaoke nights. Overall, it would be an amazing day out. Know about beach rentals available here. 1.2.3) Gulf Shores Public Beaches Other than these, plenty of public beaches in Alabama adorn the gulf shores like – 1) The Gulf Shores 2nd street public beach, located two blocks to the west of Highway 59, has proper facilities like outdoor showers, picnic areas with covered pavilions, and handicap-accessible restrooms. 2) The Gulf Shores 4th Street Public Beach has a special facility with only pedestrian crossing beach access points, which is great for those staying at nearby attractions. 3) Gulf Shores 5th Street is a west-end public beach at Highway 59. It has a free parking facility on the northern side, with a boardwalk leading to the beach. Southside parking is also available beside the popular Bahama Bob’s. 4) Gulf Shores 6th Street Public Beach lies six blocks towards the west of Highway 59, with a ready-to-walk boardwalk. It also has an outdoor shower and handicap-accessible restrooms. 5) Gulf Shores 10th Street Public Beach has only beach access. Parking is across the street. Showers and restrooms are other common facilities. The same is available at Gulf Shores 12th Street Public beach. 6) Gulf Shores 13th Street Public Beach has free parking, a dune walkover, and other common facilities. 1.3) Little Lagoon Pass Located in Gulf Shores al, this is a family-friendly beach. It is located near the street where Little Lagoon meets the Gulf. Since it has shallow waters, it is great to visit with your kids. The public park over here can also be enjoyed with a small picnic-packed lunch. It is popular for its fishing pier and water fountain. It is located towards the west (2.9 miles) of Highway 59, with common bathroom facilities. 1.4) West Beach West beach is the perfect place for those who want a private and secluded Alabama beach experience. You can visit this beach while seeing the rest at Gulf Shores itself by staying at the beach houses over here. You get it all here with white sugary sands, clear waters, and beautiful restaurants. It’s considered one of the best beaches in Alabama, extending from Fort Morgan to Mobile Bay, with the Little Lagoon lake separating it. The best part is if you wish to see some sea turtles, Alabama beach mouse, and some migrating birds, you only have the Bon Secour national wildlife refuge nearby. You can try out different activities in West Beach, from Kayaking, Canoeing, Zipline, Miniature Golfing, and Aerial Adventure Parks. Some of the best west beach rentals are Harbor House 5, Midnight Mullet: Gulf Shores Coastal, When Pigs Fly, and Blu Penthouse. Staying at West Beach will also give you easy access to the Gulf of Mexico, which has the Fort Morgan peninsula beside it. This can be easily accessed from the westernmost part of the Beach. The best time to visit West beach is between May to October for complete seclusion. 1.5) Dauphin Island By Altairisfar/wikimediacommons.com Copyright 2022. This is one of the gem beaches in Alabama, known for its natural landscapes, thus called the ‘Sunset Capital of Alabama.’ Filled with parks, trails, exhibits, and panoramas, it’s worth every penny you spend. Dauphin Island Park Beach is also the only pet-friendly beach in the area, and you can even camp with RVs, trailers, and bus facilities available. Almost 151 sites in Dauphin Island Park are fully hooked up camping grounds. Facilities like Free Wi-Fi, boat launches, Amp service (30/50), dump station, picnic areas, playground, and a boardwalk leading to a secluded section are available. On Dauphin Island, you can also visit the historic fort Gaines of 1821, which is a famous historical landmark, real housing cannons. Visit over here also includes exploring the Dauphin Island sea lab that is...

Phony Document Lands On Court Docket In Trump Search Case | Federal News Network https://digitalalabamanews.com/phony-document-lands-on-court-docket-in-trump-search-case-federal-news-network/ WASHINGTON (AP) — When a government document mysteriously appeared earlier this week in the highest profile case in the federal court system, it had the hallmarks of another explosive storyline in the Justice Department’s investigation into classified records stored at former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate. The document purported to be from the U.S. Treasury Department, claimed that the agency had seized sensitive documents related to last month’s search at Mar-a-Lago and included a warrant… READ MORE WASHINGTON (AP) — When a government document mysteriously appeared earlier this week in the highest profile case in the federal court system, it had the hallmarks of another explosive storyline in the Justice Department’s investigation into classified records stored at former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate. The document purported to be from the U.S. Treasury Department, claimed that the agency had seized sensitive documents related to last month’s search at Mar-a-Lago and included a warrant ordering CNN to preserve “leaked tax records.” The document remained late Thursday on the court docket, but it is a clear fabrication. A review of dozens of court records and interviews by The Associated Press suggest the document originated with a serial forger behind bars at a federal prison complex in North Carolina. The incident also suggests that the court clerk was easily tricked into believing it was real, landing the document on the public docket in the Mar-a-Lago search warrant case. It also highlights the vulnerability of the U.S. court system and raises questions about the court’s vetting of documents that purport to be official records. The document first appeared on the court’s docket late Monday afternoon and was marked as a “MOTION to Intervene by U.S. Department of the Treasury.” The document, sprinkled with spelling and syntax errors, read, “The U.S. Department of Treasury through the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Marshals Service have arrested Seized Federal Securities containing sensitive documents which are subject to the Defendant Sealed Search Warrant by the F.B.I. arrest.” It cited a federal statute for collecting financial records in federal investigations. The document also included the two supposed warrants, one that claimed to be sent to CNN in Atlanta and another to a towing company in Michigan. Those documents, though, are identical to paperwork filed in another case in federal court in Georgia brought by an inmate at the prison medical center in Butner, North Carolina. The case was thrown out, as were the array of other frivolous lawsuits the man has filed from his prison cell. The man has been in custody for several years since he was found not competent to stand trial after an arrest for planting a fake explosive outside the Guardian Building, a skyscraper in Detroit. Since his incarceration, he has filed a range of lawsuits and has impersonated the Treasury Department, claimed to be a federal trustee and claimed to be a lawyer for the Justice Department, a review of court records shows. In the Georgia case, the man alleged that Trump and others had “acquired ‘millions of un- redacted classified tax returns and other sensitive financial data, bank records and accounts of banking and tax transactions of several million’ Americans and federal government agencies,” court documents say. The judge in that case called his suit “fanatic” and “delusional,” saying there was no way to “discern any cognizable claim” from the incoherent filings. The man has repeatedly impersonated federal officials in court records and has placed tax liens on judges using his false paperwork, two people familiar with the matter told the AP. Because of his history as a forger, his mail is supposed to be subjected to additional scrutiny from the Bureau of Prisons. It’s unclear how the documents ended up at the court clerk’s office at the courthouse in West Palm Beach, Florida. A photocopy of an envelope, included in the filing, shows it was sent to the court with a printed return address of the Treasury Department’s headquarters in Washington. But a postmark shows a Michigan ZIP code, and a tracking number on the envelope shows it was mailed Sept. 9 from Clinton Township, Michigan, the inmate’s hometown. The AP is not identifying the inmate by name because he has a documented history of mental illness and has not been charged with a crime related to the filing. “There is simply nothing indicating that he has any authorization to act on behalf of the United States,” the judge in the Georgia case wrote. But despite the clear warning signs — including a stamp noting the Georgia case number on the phony warrants — the documents still made their way onto the docket. Spokespeople for the Justice Department and the Treasury Department would not comment. They declined to answer on the record when asked if the document was false and why the government had not addressed it. Representatives in the court clerk’s office and the magistrate judge overseeing the search warrant case did not respond to requests for comment. ___ Associated Press writers Eric Tucker and Fatima Hussein in Washington, Kate Brumback in Atlanta and Anthony Izaguirre in Tallahassee, Florida, contributed to this report. Copyright © 2022 . All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. Read More…

Dow Futures Tumble 300 Points After FedEx Warning, Wall Street Headed For Big Loss On The Week https://digitalalabamanews.com/dow-futures-tumble-300-points-after-fedex-warning-wall-street-headed-for-big-loss-on-the-week/ U.S. stock futures fell on Friday as Wall Street headed toward a big losing week, and traders absorbed an ugly earnings warning from FedEx about the global economy. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures dropped by 336 points, or 1.1%. S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures declined 1.2% and 1.3%, respectively. On Thursday, the Dow dropped 173 points, or 0.56%, for its lowest close since July 14 Shares of FedEx plunged 19% after the shipments company withdrew its full-year guidance and said it will implement cost-cutting initiatives to contend with soft global shipment volumes as the global economy “significantly worsened.” Transport stocks are typically seen as a leading economic indicator, so FedEx’s announcement could contribute to broader declines on Friday. “It very much is a bellwether, certainly traditionally,” Robert Teeter of Silvercrest Asset Management said on CNBC’s “Worldwide Exchange.” “[But] I think one of the things we’ve seen in this pandemic and post-pandemic economy is that different sectors are having different cycles.” “No doubt the news the was not positive, and it certainly is a tell on the importance of margins going forward, which we think is a company by company issue,” Teeter added. The three major averages were on pace to notch their fourth losing week in five as a comeback rally looks increasingly like a bear market bounce. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has declined 3.70% this week, while the S&P 500 is 4.08% lower. The Nasdaq Composite is down 4.62%, headed toward its worst weekly loss since June. The bulk of the losses came on Tuesday following a surprisingly hot reading in August’s consumer price index report, with the Dow losing 1,200 points in its worst decline in two years. 2-year Treasury yield breaks above 3.9% The front end of the yield curve continues to make new highs, with the 2-year Treasury yield topping 3.9% on Friday. It is the first time the 2-year has had a yield that high since Nov. 1, 2007. The 1-year Treasury yield, meanwhile, has surged well above 4% and was trading at 4.026% on Friday morning. The 10-year Treasury saw milder moves, deepening the inversion of the yield curve. — Jesse Pound Deutsche Bank hikes Tesla price target, says shares can rally more than 30% Expect shares of Tesla to rally as much as 32% as the electric vehicle giant boosts production at struggling factories and benefits from the government’s latest climate bill, Deutsche Bank says. Analyst Emmanuel Rosner upped his price target on Tesla to $400 from $375 a share, citing the Inflation Reduction Act’s battery production credits and elevated production at its Texas and Berlin facilities. “We view 2023 as a pivotal year in which Tesla continues to grow volume at a high pace, enters new segments with Cybertruck and Semi, optimizes its manufacturing footprint, and benefits from IRA which will lower its costs and boost demand,” Rosner wrote, while also beefing up the bank’s gross margin forecast for 2023. Further upside to Wall Street’s estimates could come from Tesla’s driver assistance system it hiked prices on earlier this month, Rosner said. Margins should also improve as volume steps up. Tesla’s stock is down roughly 14% this year. — Samantha Subin If inflation can’t be resolved without a recession, downside could be ‘substantial,’ Goldman says As investors debate whether high inflation can be resolved without a recession, Goldman Sachs analyzed how different the market could look if the pessimistic view materializes. There are uncertainties at every step, the firm’s Dominic Wilson said in a note Friday. However, “the basic story is simple. If only a significant recession—and a sharper Fed response to deliver it—will tame inflation, then the downside to both equities and government bonds could still be substantial, even after the damage that we have already seen.” — Tanaya Macheel Morgan Stanley upgraded Alcoa following underperformance Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Alcoa to an overweight rating, saying the company’s free cash flow yield and a constructive outlook for aluminum prices will support shares of the metals giant. “While we see underwhelming 2H22 results, mainly on the back of lower commodity prices and higher costs, we believe the market will see through these near term headwinds,” the firm wrote in a note to clients. Morgan Stanley added that the stock trades at a discount relative to its historical average multiple. Shares of Alcoa have dropped 18% over the last week as fears rise around a coming economic slowdown, which would cut demand for metals like aluminum. The stock added 1% during premarket trading Friday. — Pippa Stevens FedEx guidance cut drags down rivals FedEx’s guidance cut appears to be weighing on related stocks on Friday morning. Shares of shipping rival UPS fell more than 7% in premarket trading. XPO Logistics dropped 6%. Transport stocks are often seen as a bellwether for the U.S. economy, so FedEx’s warning could create selling pressure across the board on Wall Street as investors prepare for a potential recession. — Jesse Pound Analysts bail on FedEx FedEx’s earnings warning led to several analysts downgrading the stock, including JPMorgan’s Brian Ossenbeck. “Against a backdrop of weaker economic activity and slower e-commerce growth with inconsistent execution, we believe FDX will continue trading at a depressed multiple until earnings stabilize with some potential help from cost saving initiatives,” Ossenbeck wrote as he downgraded the stock to neutral. CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here. — Sam Subin Sterling falls to fresh 37-year low against dollar The British pound has dropped below $1.14 for the first time since 1985. Sterling fell as low as $1.135 at 8:50 a.m. London before rising slightly to $1.137. The pound has plummeted against the greenback this year on a combination of dollar strength and U.K. recession warnings. Data published Friday morning showed U.K. retail sales fell more than expected in August. — Jenni Reid European markets slide 1% as recession, energy fears persist European markets fell sharply in early trading as recession warnings, expectations for further rate hikes and continued volatility in the energy market weighed on stocks. The pan-European Stoxx 600 was down 1.2% in the first hour, and U.K., French and German indexes all fell. All sectors were in the red as energy, industrial and auto stocks dropped more than 2% each. Read more here. — Jenni Reid U.S. 2-year Treasury yield briefly touches 3.9% CNBC Pro: Top tech investor Paul Meeks picks between Apple and Samsung Tech stocks suffered yet another sell-off this week as investors digested a hotter-than-expected August inflation report. Amid a tough year for the sector, some investors are seeking refuge in the relative safety of mega-cap stocks. Top tech investor Paul Meeks weighs in on two such stocks and reveals which he prefers in the current environment. Pro subscribers can read more here. — Zavier Ong China’s retail sales, industrial production for August beat estimates China’s latest economic data release showed growth accelerated in August. Retail sales increased 5.4% in August from the same period last year, much higher than July’s 2.7% and also above the Reuters forecast of 3.5%. Industrial production grew 4.2% last month compared with a year ago, topping the prediction of 3.8% in a Reuters poll. Industrial output came in at 3.8% in July. Fixed asset investment for January to August this year increased by 5.8%, beating the 5.5% estimate from Reuters. — Abigail Ng, Evelyn Cheng Major averages on pace for fourth losing week in five All three major averages are on track to post their fourth losing week in five. Here are where markets stand through Thursday: The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 3.7% The S&P 500 is down 4.08% The Nasdaq Composite is down 4.62%, heading toward its worst week since June 17 — Sarah Min FedEx shares plunge after withdrawing guidance Shares of FedEx tumbled 15.3% in after hours trading after the transport company withdrew its full-year guidance, and said it will implement cost-cutting initiatives to contend with a worsening macro. “Global volumes declined as macroeconomic trends significantly worsened later in the quarter, both internationally and in the U.S. We are swiftly addressing these headwinds, but given the speed at which conditions shifted, first quarter results are below our expectations,” FedEx CEO Raj Subramaniam said in a statement. The company said it is closing 90 office locations, shutting down five corporate office facilities and pausing hiring efforts, as part of those cost-cutting measures. — Sarah Min Stock futures open lower U.S. stock futures opened lower on Thursday night as Wall Street headed toward its fourth losing week in five. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures dropped by 137 points, or 0.44%. S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures declined 0.51% and 0.60%, respectively. — Sarah Min Read More…

Kevin McCarthy: 'I Know Who Recorded' Private Remarks About Trump, Jan. 6 https://digitalalabamanews.com/kevin-mccarthy-i-know-who-recorded-private-remarks-about-trump-jan-6/ House Minority leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said he knows who was behind the leaked audio of his comments critical of then-President Donald Trump after the Jan. 6 2021 attack at the Capitol. “I know who recorded it. I know who recorded me,” McCarthy told Politico this week. The leader added: “I’ll bring it forward” at some point. “I have it.” McCarthy made the leaked comments on a conference call with a small group of Republican leaders and staff members. The New York Times, citing the audio, reported in April that McCarthy told members of his GOP conference that Trump acknowledged he bore “some responsibility” for what happened on Jan. 6. “Let me be very clear to all of you, and I have been very clear to the president: He bears responsibilities for his words and actions,” McCarthy said during a Jan. 11, 2021 conference call, the Times reported. “No if, ands or buts. “I asked him personally today: Does he hold responsibility for what happened? Does he feel bad about what happened? He told me he does have some responsibility for what happened and he’d need to acknowledge that.” The Times said the audio included McCarthy saying, “I’ve had it with this guy [Trump]. What he did is unacceptable. Nobody can defend that, and nobody should defend it.” The newspaper also reported that McCarthy, at the time, told his leadership team that he would call Trump and urge him to quit. Politico reported that McCarthy avoided major blowback, and apparently smoothed over things quickly with Trump. House Republicans “shrugged off the entire matter,” Politico said, with Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., saying the tapes were a “nothingburger” taken “completely out of context.” Several weeks after the attack, McCarthy sounded more understanding about Trump. “I was the first person to contact [Trump] when the riots” were underway, McCarthy told Fox News. “He didn’t see it. [How] he ended the call was saying — telling me, he’ll put something out to make sure to stop this. And that’s what he did. He put a video out later.” McCarthy appears to be in line to become majority leader if the Republicans regain control of the House in November. © 2022 Newsmax. All rights reserved. Read More…

Retired Mexican General Arrested Over Disappearance Of 43 Students In 2014 https://digitalalabamanews.com/retired-mexican-general-arrested-over-disappearance-of-43-students-in-2014/ Mexican authorities have arrested a retired general and two other members of the army for alleged links to the disappearance of 43 students in the south of the country in 2014. The assistant public safety secretary, Ricardo Mejia, said that among those arrested was the former officer who commanded the army base in the Guerrero state city of Iguala in September 2014, when the students from a radical teachers’ college were abducted. Mejía said a fourth arrest was expected soon. A government official with knowledge of the case who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed that another member of the army had been arrested. Mejía did not give names of those under arrest, but the commander of the Iguala base at that time was José Rodríguez Pérez, then a colonel. Barely a year after the students’ disappearances – and after the families had already raised suspicions about military involvement and demanded access to the base – Rodríguez was promoted to brigadier-general. The government official confirmed that Rodríguez Pérez had been arrested and said he was being held at a military base. The source said two of the others arrested were officers and the third was an enlisted soldier. Last month, a government truth commission re-investigating the case issued a report that named Rodríguez Pérez as being allegedly responsible for the disappearance of six of the students. The interior undersecretary Alejandro Encinas Rodríguez, who led the commission, said last month that six of the missing students were allegedly kept alive in a warehouse for days before being turned over to Rodríguez Pérez, who ordered them killed. The report had called the disappearances a “state crime”, emphasising that authorities had been closely monitoring the students from the teachers’ college at Ayotzinapa from the time they left their campus through their abduction by Iguala police that night. A soldier who had infiltrated the school was among the abducted students, and Encinas said the army did not follow its own protocols to try to rescue him. “There is also information corroborated with emergency … telephone calls where allegedly six of the 43 disappeared students were held during several days and alive in what they call the old warehouse and from there were turned over to the colonel,” Encinas said. “Allegedly, the six students were alive for as many as four days after the events and were killed and disappeared on orders of the colonel, allegedly the then Col José Rodríguez Pérez.” Numerous government and independent investigations have failed to reach a single conclusive narrative about what happened to the 43 students, but it appears that local police pulled them off buses in Iguala and turned them over to a drug gang. The motive behind the abduction remains unclear. Their bodies have never been found, though fragments of burned bone have been matched to three of the students. The role of the army in the students’ disappearance has long been a source of tension between the families and the government. From the beginning, there were questions about the military’s knowledge of what happened and its possible involvement. The students’ parents demanded for years that they be allowed to search the army base in Iguala. It was not until 2019 that they were given access along with Encinas and the truth commission. Shortly after the commission’s report, the attorney general’s office announced 83 arrest orders, of which 20 were for members of the military. Federal agents then arrested Jesús Murillo Karam, who was attorney general at the time. Doubts grew in the following weeks because no arrests were announced. The administration of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has formed a close public bond with the military. López Obrador pushed to shift the newly created national guard under full military authority and his allies in congress are trying to extend the time for the military to continue a policing role in the streets to 2028. On Thursday, Mejía also dismissed any suggestion that José Luis Abarca, who was mayor of Iguala at the time, would be released from prison after a judge absolved him of responsibility for the student’s abduction based on lack of evidence. Even without the aggravated kidnapping charge, Abarca still faces other charges for organised crime and money laundering, and Mejía said the judge’s latest decision would be challenged. The judge similarly absolved 19 others, including the man who was Iguala’s police chief at the time. Read More…

Trial For Alabama Native Jailed In Russia Set For This Month https://digitalalabamanews.com/trial-for-alabama-native-jailed-in-russia-set-for-this-month/ The trial of an Alabama native whose family says he is being held on false charges in a Russian prison is set for later this month. Carol Barnes, the sister of David Barnes, said his trial is scheduled for September 21. Alabama native held in Russian jail as family struggles for his freedom: ‘An absolute nightmare’ Barnes, 64, a native of Gadsden and resident of the Houston area, is currently being held inside Moscow Detention Center No. 5 after he was arrested back in January. His sisters, Carol Barnes and Margaret Aaron, who live in Huntsville and Madison, have spent the last eight months trying to bring attention to their brother’s case as he attempts to navigate the Russian criminal justice system. At the same time, Barnes’ case has drawn the attention of the State Department and a member of Congress. U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, was quoted in The Courier of Montgomery County as saying Barnes’ situation is a “child custody dispute, not a criminal matter.” Barnes is reportedly accused of sexually abusing his two sons, ages 12 and 8, while living in the U.S. in Texas. The charges were brought by his ex-wife, Svetlana, a Russian citizen. Because at least one of the children has Russian nationality, according to reports, Russian authorities claim jurisdiction in the case. Barnes faces up to 20 years in jail for the case. But his family says he is innocent of the charges. As with the case of Britney Griner, the WNBA star detailed in Russia since February, Barnes may have to plead guilty in order for U.S. officials to find someway of negotiating to bring him back to the U.S. His family, however, say the chances of him doing that are slim. “I firmly believe that my brother will never plead guilty to a crime he absolutely did not commit, even if it meant he could leave that hellhole,” Carol said. During divorce proceedings in the U.S., Svetlana made allegations of sexual abuse against David, which were investigated and found “not credible,” according to Kelly Blackburn, an assistant district attorney with the Montgomery County (Texas) D.A.’s office. No charges were ever filed against him. Svetlana Barnes was indicted in Montgomery County, Texas on Dec. 12, 2019, for felony interference with child custody. A warrant was issued for her arrest and is still active, Blackburn said. Svetlana Barnes left the U.S. with the two sons, and David Barnes eventually tracked them to Russia. When he entered the country earlier this year to make contact with them, he was arrested by Russian police after a report by Svetlana Barnes. Carol Barnes said the family has been told David Barnes’ trial will be closed to the public because it involves children under 12 years of age. Representatives from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow were planning on attending. “Mr. Barnes has been arrested and detained for political purposes, and my office is working with the State Department to bring him back to Texas as soon as possible,” Brady said in a statement. “We continue to urge the Biden Administration to do all it can to resolve this situation and free Mr. Barnes.” Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. Read More…

Alabama Lawsuit Possible As VA Plans Medication, Surgical Abortions https://digitalalabamanews.com/alabama-lawsuit-possible-as-va-plans-medication-surgical-abortions/ Medication abortions will be the first type of abortions offered through the Department of Veterans Affairs, said Dr. Shereef Elnahal, the under secretary of health for the VA. Elnahal said that the VA was concerned about restrictions on women’s health care and abortions following the overturning of Roe v. Wade during the U.S. House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs hearing Thursday. The new interim final rule was announced Friday and provides female veterans with access to abortions when a patient’s life is at stake or the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest. “We could simply not contend with that environment of safety for veterans,” Elnahal said. “If these veterans are under our care, and we know that we can save their lives, we have to do it.” He said federal employees who perform abortions at VA sites will be protected, even if they are working in states that ban the procedures. Alabama’s current law outlaws all abortions, excluding when the patient’s health is severely threatened. There are currently no exceptions for rape or incest. Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Montana) said at the hearing that he was “glad that the state of Alabama has already filed a lawsuit.” A representative for the state’s Attorney General Steve Marshall declined to comment or confirm whether that statement was correct. No new case appeared to have been filed as of Thursday afternoon. The rule also allows VA health care professionals to treat several pregnancy-related conditions that were previously excluded from the medical package. “VA, prior to this rule, could not treat severe preeclampsia early in pregnancy. It could not treat heavy bleeding leading to a hemorrhagic shock,” said chairman Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.). “It could not treat placental abruption causing hemorrhage. It could not treat water breaks early in pregnancy causing infection. It could not treat ectopic pregnancy.” Elnahal clarified that abortion counseling will be available to all veterans, while abortions themselves will either be limited to the opinion of a clinician or the outcome of self-reporting regarding rape or incest. He clarified that self-reporting rape or incest was sufficient proof to receive an abortion. Elnahal said the VA will work alongside the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the their own pharmacy benefits management program to comply with rules pertaining to medication abortions. Currently, abortion pills are approved by the FDA. Dr. Amanda Johnson, the VA’s director of women’s reproductive health, said the VA estimated that roughly 1,000 abortions will be now given out each year, with the majority being medication abortions. The VA reported 10-12 women annually have previously received emergency care when a pregnancy threatens their health each year, but several lawmakers pointed out that the VA excluded abortions and abortion counseling from their benefits package without exception prior to this rule change. “I understand that there are only a dozen or so of these cases a year and my colleague, Chairwoman Brownley, believes that there are more,” said Takano. “I’m with her on this, because counseling about abortion services that could save womens’ lives were not even permitted to be talked about, but there were brave VA physicians who put the life of our women veterans ahead of even their own potential livelihood.” A recent email from the Birmingham VA’s executive director Dr. Oladipo A. Kukoyi did not confirm that Alabama would begin extending abortion protection for veterans in the state, but stated that the department would be putting together a “multidisciplinary team” to begin looking at solutions surrounding women’s health care. None of the other VA locations in the state have released similar information to date. Disabled American Veterans, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Minority Veterans of America and Paralyzed Veterans of America all issued statements of support for the VA’s efforts to prioritize women’s health care. The rule will become effective upon publication in the Federal Register, along with a period of open public comment. Sarah Swetlik is a gender and politics reporter at AL.com. She is supported through a partnership with Report for America. Contribute to support the team here. Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. Read More…

Special Master Named In Trump Documents Case; 14-Hour Wait To See Queen's Coffin; Mass Graves In Ukraine – YakTriNews.com https://digitalalabamanews.com/special-master-named-in-trump-documents-case-14-hour-wait-to-see-queens-coffin-mass-graves-in-ukraine-yaktrinews-com/ September 16, 2022 4:30 AM Associated Press, CNN Posted: September 16, 2022 4:30 AM Updated: September 16, 2022 4:51 AM Today is Friday, Sept. 16, 2022. Let’s get caught up. Here are today’s top stories, celebrity birthdays and a look back at this date in history. *** TODAY’S WEATHER A trough will bring much needed rain for areas of drought-stricken California and we continue to track the Tropics. CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam has the latest forecast. *** TOP STORIES AP In 1974, President Gerald R. Ford announced a conditional amnesty program for Vietnam war deserters and draft-evaders. AP In 1974, President Gerald R. Ford announced a conditional amnesty program for Vietnam war deserters and draft-evaders. AP In 1982, the massacre of between 1,200 and 1,400 Palestinian men, women and children at the hands of Israeli-allied Christian Phalange militiamen began in west Beirut’s Sabra and Shatila refugee camps. AP In 1982, the massacre of between 1,200 and 1,400 Palestinian men, women and children at the hands of Israeli-allied Christian Phalange militiamen began in west Beirut’s Sabra and Shatila refugee camps. AP In 2007, O.J. Simpson was arrested in the alleged armed robbery of sports memorabilia collectors in Las Vegas. (Simpson was later convicted of kidnapping and armed robbery and sentenced to nine to 33 years in prison; he was released in 2017.) AP In 2007, O.J. Simpson was arrested in the alleged armed robbery of sports memorabilia collectors in Las Vegas. (Simpson was later convicted of kidnapping and armed robbery and sentenced to nine to 33 years in prison; he was released in 2017.) AP In 2009, Mary Travers, 72, part of the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, died in Danbury, Connecticut.  AP In 2009, Mary Travers, 72, part of the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, died in Danbury, Connecticut.  AP Ten years ago: President Barack Obama signed into law a major overhaul of the nation’s patent system to ease the way for inventors to bring their products to market.  AP Ten years ago: President Barack Obama signed into law a major overhaul of the nation’s patent system to ease the way for inventors to bring their products to market.  AP Ten years ago: A World War II-era fighter plane plunged into spectators during air races in Reno, Nevada, killing 74-year-old Florida stunt pilot Jimmy Leeward and 10 others.  AP Ten years ago: A World War II-era fighter plane plunged into spectators during air races in Reno, Nevada, killing 74-year-old Florida stunt pilot Jimmy Leeward and 10 others.  Pool EPA Ten years ago: A Russian Soyuz capsule carrying three crew members, including NASA astronaut Ron Garan, from the International Space Station touched down safely in Kazakhstan, but not without rattling nerves after a breakdown in communications. Pool EPA Ten years ago: A Russian Soyuz capsule carrying three crew members, including NASA astronaut Ron Garan, from the International Space Station touched down safely in Kazakhstan, but not without rattling nerves after a breakdown in communications. Susan Walsh Ten years ago: In appearances on Sunday news shows, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, said there was no evidence that the attack on the U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, Libya, was premeditated. But Libya’s interim president, Mohammed el-Megarif, told CBS he had no doubt attackers spent months planning the assault and purposely chose the date, September 11. Susan Walsh Ten years ago: In appearances on Sunday news shows, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, said there was no evidence that the attack on the U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, Libya, was premeditated. But Libya’s interim president, Mohammed el-Megarif, told CBS he had no doubt attackers spent months planning the assault and purposely chose the date, September 11. AP In 2013, Aaron Alexis, a former U.S. Navy reservist, went on a shooting rampage inside the Washington Navy Yard, killing 12 people before being shot dead by police. AP In 2013, Aaron Alexis, a former U.S. Navy reservist, went on a shooting rampage inside the Washington Navy Yard, killing 12 people before being shot dead by police. AP In 2014, President Barack Obama declared that the Ebola epidemic in West Africa could threaten security around the world and ordered 3,000 U.S. troops to the region in emergency aid muscle. AP In 2014, President Barack Obama declared that the Ebola epidemic in West Africa could threaten security around the world and ordered 3,000 U.S. troops to the region in emergency aid muscle. AP Five years ago: After five years of promoting a false conspiracy theory about Barack Obama’s birthplace, Republican Donald Trump abruptly reversed course, acknowledging that the president was born in America, but then claiming the “birther movement” was begun by his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. (While the question of Obama’s birthplace was raised by some backers of Clinton’s primary campaign against Obama eight years earlier, Clinton had long denounced it as a “racist lie.”) AP Five years ago: After five years of promoting a false conspiracy theory about Barack Obama’s birthplace, Republican Donald Trump abruptly reversed course, acknowledging that the president was born in America, but then claiming the “birther movement” was begun by his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. (While the question of Obama’s birthplace was raised by some backers of Clinton’s primary campaign against Obama eight years earlier, Clinton had long denounced it as a “racist lie.”) AP Five years ago: Three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Edward Albee, 88, died in Montauk, New York. AP Five years ago: Three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Edward Albee, 88, died in Montauk, New York. AP One year ago: Hurricane Sally lumbered ashore near the Florida-Alabama line with 105 mph winds and rain measured in feet, swamping homes and forcing the rescue of hundreds of people as it pushed inland.  AP One year ago: Hurricane Sally lumbered ashore near the Florida-Alabama line with 105 mph winds and rain measured in feet, swamping homes and forcing the rescue of hundreds of people as it pushed inland.  Jacquelyn Martin Jane Powell, a star of Hollywood’s golden age musicals, died at her Connecticut home at 92. Jacquelyn Martin Jane Powell, a star of Hollywood’s golden age musicals, died at her Connecticut home at 92. Invision Actor Alexis Bledel is 40. Invision Comedian-actor Amy Poehler is 50. Invision Actor Christopher Rich is 68. Invision Magician David Copperfield is 65.  Invision Actor Ed Begley Jr. is 72. Invision Actor Elena Kampouris is 24. Invision Actor George Chakiris is 89. Invision Actor Ian Harding is 35. Invision Actor Jennifer Tilly is 63. Invision Actor Kyla Pratt is 35. Invision Actor Madeline Zima is 36. AP Singer Marc Anthony is 53.  Invision Actor Michael Mosley is 43. Invision Actor Mickey Rourke is 69.  Invision Comedian Molly Shannon is 57.  Invision Singer Musiq (MYOO’-sihk) is 44. Invision Rock singer-musician Nick Jonas (The Jonas Brothers) is 29.  AP Retired MLB All-Star pitcher Orel Hershiser is 63.  Invision Singer Richard Marx is 58.  AP Baseball Hall of Famer Robin Yount is 66. Invision Rock musician Ron Blair (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers; Mudcrutch) is 73.  Invision News anchor/talk show host Tamron Hall is 51.  Invision Rock singer Teddy Geiger is 33.  AP Baseball Hall of Famer Tim Raines is 62. Invision Actor Toks Olagundoye is 46.  AP FILE 1927 — Rene Lacoste wins the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association championship, beating Bill Tilden in three sets. French tennis player Rene Lacoste, with his trophy after he defeated American William T. Tilden, unseen, in the final of the Men’s Singles Championship, at Forest Hills, N.Y., on Sept. 28, 1927. (AP Photo) AP FILE 1927 — Rene Lacoste wins the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association championship, beating Bill Tilden in three sets. French tennis player Rene Lacoste, with his trophy after he defeated American William T. Tilden, unseen, in the final of the Men’s Singles Championship, at Forest Hills, N.Y., on Sept. 28, 1927. (AP Photo) AP FILE 1973 — O.J. Simpson rushes for 250 yards to lead the Buffalo Bills to a 31-13 victory over the New England Patriots. Buffalo’s O.J. Simpson finds a wide opening for a first-quarter gain Sunday, Sept. 16, 1973 against the New England Patriots at Foxboro, Mass. Other Bills are J.D. Hill (40) and Bo Connoll (30). (AP Photo) AP FILE 1973 — O.J. Simpson rushes for 250 yards to lead the Buffalo Bills to a 31-13 victory over the New England Patriots. Buffalo’s O.J. Simpson finds a wide opening for a first-quarter gain Sunday, Sept. 16, 1973 against the New England Patriots at Foxboro, Mass. Other Bills are J.D. Hill (40) and Bo Connoll (30). (AP Photo) Darron Cummings 1989 — No. 1 Notre Dame beats No. 2 Michigan 24-19 in Ann Arbor, Mich. Fighting Irish wide receiver Raghib Ismail stars by returning kickoffs 88 and 92 yards for touchdowns. It’s the second time Ismail has two kickoff returns for touchdowns in the same game, accomplishing the feat against Rice in 1988. A Notre Dame player holds his helmet after running onto to field before an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings) Darron Cummings 1989 — No. 1 Notre Dame beats No. 2 Michigan 24-19 in Ann Arbor, Mich. Fighting Irish wide receiver Raghib Ismail stars by returning kickoffs 88 and 92 yards for touchdowns. It’s the second time Ismail has two kickoff returns for touchdowns in the same game, accomplishing the feat against Rice in 1988. A Notre Dame player ho...

Donald Trump Returning To Youngstown For J.D. Vance Rally https://digitalalabamanews.com/donald-trump-returning-to-youngstown-for-j-d-vance-rally/ YOUNGSTOWN — Former President Donald Trump will return Saturday to Youngstown’s Covelli Centre — the site of a rally he held five years ago — to campaign for J.D. Vance, the GOP Senate nominee, as well as Republican congressional candidates. Trump’s July 25, 2017, rally drew about 7,000 people. Saturday’s rally is likely to reach that level. Trump is scheduled to start speaking at 7 p.m. The doors to the Covelli Centre will open at 2 p.m. with guest speakers delivering remarks starting at 4 p.m. Vance is likely to be the final speaker before Trump, but the former president’s organization only provided a list of speakers and not the order in which they’ll address the audience. Other speakers on the list are U.S. Reps. Bill Johnson, R-Marietta, and Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, as well as Republican congressional candidates Max Miller in the 7th District, Madison Gesiotto Gilbert in the 13th District and J.R. Majewski in the 9th District. Among top Ohio Republicans who won’t be at Trump’s rally is Gov. Mike DeWine. DeWine said three of his granddaughters are participating in an evening cross country meet in Cedarville at the same time as the rally and he’ll be there to support them. “It’s a special night for us,” he said. “They’re running under the lights, which is kind of unusual for cross country.” Free tickets for the Trump rally are available online on the events link at donaldjtrump.com. People can register for up to two tickets per cell phone number and entry is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Traffic could be an issue for those heading to the Trump rally because Front Street, where the center is located, is currently restricted to one lane as the result of an ongoing street improvement project. Front Street also is also where much of the parking for events at the Covelli Centre is located. There is no parking at the Covelli Centre site, said Eric Ryan, president of JAC Management Group, which operates the center as well as the Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre and Wean Park for the city. “But there shouldn’t be a problem with parking,” he said. “We did 21,000 for Y-Live without our parking lot. People found parking, including downtown.” Ryan was referring to the July 16 outdoor concert with Luke Bryan at the park, which is adjacent to the Covelli Centre. Trump backed Vance in the crowded Republican primary for the open Senate seat, endorsing him a few weeks before the May 3 primary and holding an April 23 rally for him at the Delaware County Fairgrounds. Polls show a tight race between Vance, a venture capitalist and author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” and Democrat Tim Ryan, a 10-term House member who represents much of Mahoning and Trumbull counties. Luke Schroeder, a Vance campaign spokesman, said: “J.D. looks forward to welcoming President Trump to the Buckeye State. Tim Ryan pretends to be a moderate in his slick TV ads, but behind closed doors, he admits he’s a progressive. He claims to be an independent voice, but in D.C., he votes with (President Joe) Biden and (House Speaker Nancy) Pelosi 100 percent of the time.” Schroeder added that Ryan lied about wanting to ban gas cars and flip-flopped on his position on Biden running for re-election. “J.D. was born and raised in Ohio — he knows Ohioans are smarter than Tim Ryan thinks they are — he knows they won’t fall for Ryan’s despicable lies and will reject him come November,” Schroeder said. Jordan Fuja, a Ryan campaign spokeswoman, said: “Out-of-state fraud J.D. Vance is bring his out-of-state allies to Ohio for a rally at the exact same time as the Buckeyes football game in the hopes that no one actually tunes in to watch him do damage control after he’s been cheerleading an extreme and wildly unpopular national abortion ban, suggesting women stay in violent marriages, calling rape ‘inconvenient,’ and bringing a Big Pharma mouthpiece to Ohio on part of his sham nonprofit’s self-promotional tour.” Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox Read More…

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

Roy S. Johnson: The Four Girls Aren’t Little Anymore; They’re Big Enough To Still Fight Hate https://digitalalabamanews.com/roy-s-johnson-the-four-girls-arent-little-anymore-theyre-big-enough-to-still-fight-hate/ This is an opinion column They’re not little. Not anymore. Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley were 14. Denise McNair was 11. They were young on that Sunday morning when, at 10:22 a.m., a bomb of hate exploded beneath the stairwell at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, killing each of them in a tragic, cowardly instant. They were young, too young to die—but they’re not little. Not anymore. We’ve long called them our four little girls. For 59 years now, they’ve been our little girls. Because of their youth, because of their innocence, because of the joy others who were there, who were inside that majestic Birmingham church on that Sunday morning, said the girls exhibited with each other in their final moments. Because so little of their lives was lived before hate snatched them from us. Or tried to. They’re still ours, but they’re not little. Not anymore. Not now. Not in our hearts, which still ache. Not in our collective memory, which still sees their smiling faces as if the four of them were standing before us dressed in their Sunday best. Not now. Not when vestiges of the hate that murdered them still flow—59 years later. When its stench still lingers. Related: Tony Evans speaks at Sixteenth Street memorial honoring victims of 1963 bombing. On a Saturday in June, 31 members of a wretched right-wing cesspool were arrested in northern Idaho, yanked from the back of a U-Haul en route to a pride event. Each wore beige khakis, caps, and dark blue shirts, many emblazoned with “Reclaim America” on the back. They obscured (read: hid) their cowardly faces with head coverings (sound familiar?) and sunglasses. Inside the truck, police found riot gear and a smoke grenade. The bunch—which included Wesley E. Van Horn of Lexington, Alabama—was charged with conspiracy to riot. They’re slated to be tried in September. The Patriot Front is what they call themselves. White supremacists are who they are. Hate is who they are. Hate red, white, and blue-washed with a thick coat of faux patriotism. Patriotism that would turn the stomachs of our founding fathers, maybe even the slaveholders among them. Related: Museum honoring Black architect opens at renovated Sixteenth Street Baptist parsonage They believe white invaders to our shores had every right to steal land from Native Americans, and a lot of other foolishness. Such as this, from its manifest, courtesy of the Southern Poverty Law Center: “An African, for example, may have lived, worked, and even been classed as a citizen in America for centuries, yet he is not American. He is, as he likely prefers to be labeled, an African in America. The same rule applies to others who are not of the founding stock of our people…” They’re why Addie Mae, Carole, Cynthia, and Denise aren’t little. Not anymore. There’s nothing little about them—about their importance, about their vaunted pedestal along the path we still tread. The path towards a place where hate hides. Where it dies. Related: Sister of girl who died in 1963 Sixteenth Street bombing shares her story in ‘Dear Denise’ There’s nothing little about what the girls can still teach us—what they should be teaching our children. No child in Alabama should reach the age Denise was on that tragic Sunday without knowing who she was, without being taught who she was in the classroom. And most certainly, no child should reach the age of Addie Mae, Carole, and Cynthia without knowing who they were. Not just how they died, but also how they lived. How they were as daughters, nieces, cousins, and friends. How their lives must still inspire us to cut off the head of the snake of hate—and live with the joy they left behind. They’re big enough for that. More by Roy S. Johnson World Games’ $14 million debt indeed ‘sucks’, city council’s anger did not KKK image used by GOP county chair may have been an ‘error,’ it was not a mistake Black pastor arrested for watering flowers: ‘God will work it out for me’ When Bill Russell stopped blocking my shot The future of the Magic City Classic? It’s a no-brainer Roy S. Johnson is a 2021 Pulitzer Prize finalist for commentary and winner of 2021 Edward R. Murrow prize for podcasts: “Unjustifiable”, co-hosted with John Archibald. His column appears in The Birmingham News and AL.com, as well as the Huntsville Times, the Mobile Press-Register. Reach him at rjohnson@al.com, follow him at twitter.com/roysj, or on Instagram @roysj. Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. Read More…

Teacher Voices A Pulse Check For Education Minister https://digitalalabamanews.com/teacher-voices-a-pulse-check-for-education-minister/ Fourteen teachers from three education sectors – and from schools small and large – have been appointed to advise the Minister for Education, Sarah Mitchell, and bridge the gap between teaching policy and practic The Minister’s Teachers’ Advisory Group met for the first time at NSW Parliament House today, with members saying they relished the opportunity to provide a pulse check on education and a view from the frontline. Ms Mitchell said the advisory group was designed by teachers after a roundtable in May 2022. “This forum sets a formal space and conduit for teachers’ passion to directly shape education policy in NSW,” she said. Veronica Luckman, Lead Teacher at Warilla High School near Wollongong, said the advisory group would allow the Government to tap into teacher expertise. “This is a real opportunity for teachers, from a range of contexts, to share their insights and perspectives on teaching and learning directly with Minister Mitchell,” she said. Scott Waring, Head Teacher of Secondary Studies at Great Lakes College Senior Campus on the Central Coast, said it provided a platform to “engage in meaningful discussions regarding the current climate in education”. “The cross-sectional combination of teachers will generate discussions related to how expert teachers are recognised, nurtured and utilised in a variety of contexts,” he said. The teachers on the advisory group have been selected from the public education, Catholic and independent schools’ sectors – from preschools, primary and secondary schools, and geographically diverse parts of NSW. Amanda Levett, a teacher from Cootamundra Public School, said she would share her perspectives on inclusive education “and work towards innovative and sustainable change” in education. “I fully believe that every child can learn with the right support and when they belong and are accepted for exactly who they are,” she said. Alison Milling, a preschool and primary teacher at Dubbo School of Distance Education, said the advisory group would raise the status of the teaching profession by bringing together teachers from diverse backgrounds and recognising their contribution and knowledge. Kerrie Quee, an EALD Education Leader for the Department of Education, said she was privileged to contribute a “teacher voice” for her colleagues. “It will take time, thoughtful discussion, and decisive action to bring about the best possible direction for the future of the teaching profession,” she said. The membership of the Minister’s Teachers’ Advisory Group: · Melissa Grima-Schmidt, Macarthur Girls High School · Amanda Levett, Cootamundra Public School · Veronica Luckman, Warilla High School · Alison Milling, Dubbo School of Distance Education · Scott Waring, Great Lakes Senior College · Kerrie Quee, Briar Road Public School · Andrew Cornwall, St Bede’s Catholic College · Jessica Fallone, Rosebank College · Justin Short, Lumen Christi, Pambula Beach · Stefanie Thom, St John the Apostle Catholic School · Sarah Chambers, Calrossy Anglican School · Joshua Harnwell, Arden Anglican School · Hanan Saadieh, Al-Faisal College Auburn · Maria Woodbury, St Bishoy College The Minister’s Teachers’ Advisory Group operates alongside the newly formed Ambassador Schools Principal Advisory Group, and the Minister’s Student Council (DOVES). Read More…

Veteran NY Judge Named As Arbiter In Trump Mar-A-Lago Probe https://digitalalabamanews.com/veteran-ny-judge-named-as-arbiter-in-trump-mar-a-lago-probe/ VOL. 46 | NO. 37 | Friday, September 16, 2022 WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday appointed a veteran New York jurist to serve as an independent arbiter in the criminal investigation into the presence of classified documents at former President Donald Trump’s Florida home, and refused to permit the Justice Department to resume its use of the highly sensitive records seized in an FBI search last month. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon empowered the newly named special master, Raymond Dearie, to review the entire tranche of records taken in the Aug. 8 search of Mar-a-Lago and set a November deadline for his work. In the meantime, she continued to block the department from using for its investigation roughly 100 documents marked as classified that were seized. The sharply worded order from Cannon, a Trump appointee, will almost certainly slow the pace of the investigation and set the stage for a challenge to a federal appeals court. The department had given Cannon until Thursday to put on hold her order pausing investigators’ review of classified records while the special master completes his work. The department said it would ask the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to intervene if she did not do so by then. The Justice Department did not immediately comment on Thursday’s ruling. Cannon, who last week granted the Trump team’s request for a special master over the objections of the Justice Department, made clear in her Thursday order that she was not prepared to blindly accept the government’s characterizations of the documents, saying “evenhanded procedure does not demand unquestioning trust in the determinations of the Department of Justice.” She turned aside the department’s position that Trump could not have any ownership interests in the documents, and said she was receptive to the possibility that the former president could raise valid claims of privilege over at least some of the records. She noted ongoing disagreements between the two sides about the “proper designation of the seized materials” and the “legal implications flowing from those designations.” “The Court does not find it appropriate to accept the Government’s conclusions on these important and disputed issues without further review by a neutral third party in an expedited and orderly fashion,” she wrote. The selection of Dearie, a former federal prosecutor who for years served as the chief judge of the federal court based in Brooklyn, came after both the Justice Department and Trump’s lawyers made clear they would be satisfied with his appointment as a so-called special master. As special master, Dearie will be responsible for reviewing the entire inventory of documents taken during the search of Mar-a-Lago — the FBI says it recovered about 11,000 documents from the home during its search, including roughly 100 with classification markings — and segregating out any that may be covered by claims of executive privilege or attorney-client privilege. He is also tasked with identifying any personal materials of Trump’s that should possibly be returned to him. The Justice Department said last week that it did not believe that the special master should inspect records with classified markings or evaluate the former president’s claims of privilege. Cannon rejected both positions Thursday, directing the special master to prioritize in his review the documents marked as classified, “and thereafter consider prompt adjustments to the Court’s Orders as necessary.” She set a deadline of Nov. 30 for the special master to complete the work. The Justice Department has been investigating for months the hoarding of top-secret materials and other classified documents at the Florida property after Trump left office. Citing national security concerns, it has said its investigation would be harmed if the judge did not quickly lift her block on the department from continuing to make use of the classified records in its probe. Cannon rejected that idea Thursday, saying “there has been no actual suggestion by the Government of any identifiable emergency or imminent disclosure of classified information arising from Plaintiff’s allegedly unlawful retention of the seized property.” She added, “Instead, and unfortunately, the unwarranted disclosures that float in the background have been leaks to the media after the underlying seizure.” She also said nothing in her order barred the department from “conducting investigations or bringing charges based on anything other than the actual content of the seized materials,” saying investigators were welcome to interview witnesses and collect information about the “movement and storage of seized materials.” Trump’s lawyers had asked last month for a judge to name a special master to do an independent review of the records and filter out any that may be covered by claims of privilege. The Justice Department argued the appointment was unnecessary, saying it had already done its own review and Trump had no right to raise executive privilege claims that ordinarily permit the president to withhold certain information from the public and Congress. Cannon disagreed and directed both sides to name potential candidates for the role. The Trump team recommended either Dearie or a Florida lawyer for the job. The Justice Department said Monday that, in addition to the two retired judges whose names it submitted, it would also be satisfied with a Dearie appointment. Dearie served as the top federal prosecutor for the Eastern District of New York from 1982 to 1986, at which point he was appointed to the federal bench by then-President Ronald Reagan. He has also served on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which authorizes Justice Department wiretap applications in investigations involving suspected agents of a foreign power. Dearie was chief judge of the district from 2007 to 2011, when he took senior status. But the Justice Department has said he remains active and had indicated to officials that he was available for the position and could work expeditiously if appointed to it. _____ Associated Press writers Michael Balsamo and Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report. Read More…

US Judge Sides With Trump In Classified Records Probe As He Warns Of ‘problems’ If Indicted https://digitalalabamanews.com/us-judge-sides-with-trump-in-classified-records-probe-as-he-warns-of-problems-if-indicted/ A US judge has ruled in favor of former US president Donald Trump, refusing to let the Department of Justice (DOJ) immediately resume reviewing classified records seized by the FBI from the former president’s Florida mansion. The US Justice Department is conducting an ongoing investigation into Trump’s handling of classified government records – including dozens marked “top secret,” “secret” and “confidential” – at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, after leaving office in January 2021. The department is also investigating possible obstruction of the probe after it found that records may have been removed or concealed from the FBI in the aftermath of the Mar-a-Lago search in June. In an injunction earlier this month, Federal Judge Aileen Cannon barred the Justice Department from using any of the records for its investigation while the so-called special master conducted their review. The Justice Department asked the judge last week to allow it to continue scrutinizing the documents marked as classified, promising to take the case to an appeals court if Cannon ruled against their request. But in her ruling on Thursday, Cannon dismissed the department’s request and refused to lift any part of her injunction. “The court does not find it appropriate to accept the government’s conclusions on these important and disputed issues without further review by a neutral third party in an expedited and orderly fashion,” Cannon said. Trump says Americans ‘would not stand’ for his prosecution Meanwhile, Trump warned on Thursday that the United States would face problems “the likes of which perhaps we’ve never seen” if he is indicted over the case, saying Americans “would not stand” for his prosecution. He also said an indictment would not stop him from running for the White House again. “If a thing like that happened, I would have no prohibition against running,” the former president said in an interview with conservative talk radio host Hugh Hewitt. “I think if it happened, I think you’d have problems in this country the likes of which perhaps we’ve never seen before. I don’t think the people of the United States would stand for it.” Asked what he meant by “problems,” Trump said “I think they’d have big problems. Big problems. I just don’t think they’d stand for it. They will not sit still and stand for this ultimate of hoaxes.” The remarks, which many construed as incitement to violence, come as senior officials from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security briefed members of the Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security committees on the uptick in threats against federal law enforcement in the aftermath of the Mar-a-Lago search. “It was stunning the number of threats that have been cataloged since the Aug. 8 search of Mar-a-Lago,” Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said after the briefing on Thursday, specifically mentioning the gunman who tried to enter an FBI building in Cincinnati, Ohio, in the days following the search. “It’s a much more dangerous environment because of the political statements made by some individuals since Aug. 8 — it’s alarming to me.” In remarks last month, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham also said there would be “riots in the street” if “there is a prosecution of Donald Trump for mishandling classified information.” Read More…

Judge Names Special Master To Review Documents Seized In Trump Search https://digitalalabamanews.com/judge-names-special-master-to-review-documents-seized-in-trump-search/ Friday, September 16th 2022, 4:35 am By: CBS News WASHINGTON – A federal judge on Thursday appointed U.S. District Judge Raymond Dearie to serve as an independent arbiter, or special master, tasked with reviewing the documents seized by the FBI during its search at former President Donald Trump’s home in South Florida. Trump proposed Dearie for the role last Friday, and Justice Department lawyers told the court Monday evening that they did not oppose his appointment.  In his role as special master, Dearie will be responsible for reviewing the records taken by the FBI during its Aug. 8 search at Mar-a-Lago for personal items and documents, as well as material that may be potentially subject to claims of attorney client or executive privileges. In an eight-page order appointing Dearie as special master, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon set a deadline of Nov. 30 for Dearie to complete his review of the seized materials and said Trump is responsible for “100% of the professional fees and expenses of the special master and any professionals, support staff, and expert consultants engaged” in his request. She also laid out the specific duties of the special master, including that he conduct a privilege review of the records taken in the search, and identify personal items or documents, and presidential records, in the seized materials. Cannon instructed Dearie and the parties to “prioritize, as a matter of timing, the documents marked as classified.” Dearie, 78, was appointed to the federal bench by President Ronald Reagan in 1986 and served as chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York from 2007 to 2011. He assumed senior status, a form of semi-retirement that allows judges to maintain a reduced caseload, in 2011. After stepping back from active service, Dearie was appointed by Chief Justice John Roberts to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for a seven-year term that began in 2012. The court, which meets in secret, considers warrant applications from the U.S. government for approval of electronic surveillance and other investigative actions. Dearie was selected as special master from a group of four contenders put forth by the Justice Department and Trump’s legal team. The former president’s attorneys on Monday said they objected to both candidates proposed by federal prosecutors, retired federal judges Barbara Jones and Thomas Griffith. The Justice Department opposed one of Trump’s two picks, Paul Huck, former general counsel to Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, citing his lack of judicial experience presiding over federal cases, including those with national security and privilege concerns. With Dearie as the candidate suggested by Trump who was suitable to federal prosecutors, Justice Department law told Cannon in their Monday filing that he is available to serve as the third-party reviewer and could “perform the work expeditiously.” Cannon last week authorized the appointment of a special master, granting a request from Trump to name a third party to sift through the materials seized by the FBI for anything that may be potentially privileged. She also ordered federal investigators probing Trump’s handling of sensitive government records to stop using any of the documents in their criminal investigation, pending the special master’s review. The Justice Department notified the federal court in South Florida last week of its intent to appeal Cannon’s decision. The order for the government to temporarily stop reviewing and using the seized materials has sparked a separate dispute between the Justice Department and Trump’s lawyers. Federal prosecutors asked Cannon last week to partially lift her order to allow investigators to continue reviewing a batch of roughly 100 records marked “confidential,” “secret” or “top secret,” arguing the government and broader public will be harmed if the materials cannot be reviewed and used in their criminal probe. But Trump’s attorneys oppose the Justice Department’s request and urged Cannon in a filing Monday to continue barring the FBI from using sensitive documents in its continuing investigation. They claimed some of the records with classification markings may not be classified anymore. Cannon rejected the Justice Department’s request to regain access to the approximately100 documents with classification markings. First published on September 15, 2022 / 7:35 PM © 2022 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Read More…

European Stocks Extend Losses As Slowdown Warnings Weigh https://digitalalabamanews.com/european-stocks-extend-losses-as-slowdown-warnings-weigh/ The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, September 15, 2022. REUTERS/Staff Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com LONDON, Sept 16 (Reuters) – European stocks dipped on Friday and Europe’s benchmark German 10-year bond yield hit its highest since mid-June as investors braced for a U.S. rate hike while warnings from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund fanned fears of a slowdown. The World Bank’s chief economist said on Thursday he was worried about a period of low growth and high inflation in the global economy. The International Monetary Fund said downside risks continue to dominate the global economic outlook but it is too early to say if there will be a widespread global recession. read more Wall Street sold off on Thursday after U.S. economic data gave the Federal Reserve little reason to ease its aggressive rate-hike stance. read more Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com The downbeat tone continued during Asian trading, with data showing that China’s property sector had contracted further last month. read more As of 0815 GMT, the MSCI world equity index, which tracks shares in 47 countries, was down 0.5% on the day and set for its fourth consecutive day of losses. (.MIWD00000PUS) Europe’s STOXX 600 was down 1.2% (.STOXX) and London’s FTSE 100 (.FTSE) edged 0.1% lower. Germany’s DAX was down 1.8% (.GDAXI). read more Markets priced in a 75% chance of a 75-basis-point rate hike and a 25% chance of 100 bps when the Fed meets next Wednesday. In the UK, retail sales fell more than expected, in another sign that the economy is sliding into recession as the cost-of-living crisis squeezes households’ disposable spending. read more “We’re now seeing data confirm that the economy is indeed slowing down,” said Axel Rudolph, market analyst at IG Group. “I expect stocks to head back down to below their March lows. If you are in an environment where you have central banks that aggressively raise rates, historically this has always led to bear markets.” The pound weakened to a 37-year low against the U.S. dollar . read more The U.S. dollar index was up 0.3% at 110.13 , still hovering near a 20-year high, and steady against the yen at 143.365 . The yen could hurtle towards three-decade lows before the year-end, according to market analysts and fund managers. read more The dollar’s strength pushed China’s offshore yuan past the 7-per-dollar level for the first time in nearly two years. read more The euro was a touch lower at $0.9961 . Germany’s two-year bond yields hit a fresh 11-year high after the European Central Bank vice president said an economic slowdown in the euro zone would not be enough to control inflation and the bank will have to keep raising interest rates. read more Germany’s benchmark 10-year bond was up 3 basis points on the day at 1.765% – having touched its highest since mid-June in early trading . Oil prices edged higher, but were on track for a weekly drop amid fears of a reduction in demand. read more Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Elizabeth Howcroft; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Elizabeth Howcroft Thomson Reuters Reports on the intersection of finance and technology, including cryptocurrencies, NFTs, virtual worlds and the money driving “Web3”. Read More…

Pope Says Supplying Weapons To Ukraine Is Morally Acceptable For Self Defence https://digitalalabamanews.com/pope-says-supplying-weapons-to-ukraine-is-morally-acceptable-for-self-defence/ Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE, Sept 15 (Reuters) – Pope Francis on Thursday said it was morally legitimate for nations to supply weapons to Ukraine to help the country defend itself from Russian aggression. Speaking to reporters aboard a plane returning from a three-day trip to Kazakhstan, Francis also urged Kyiv to be open to eventual dialogue, even though it may “smell” because it would be difficult for the Ukrainian side. The war in Ukraine, which Russia invaded on Feb. 24, provided the backdrop to the pope’s visit to Kazakhstan, where he attended a congress of religious leaders from around the world. read more Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com In a 45-minute-long airborne news conference, a reporter asked if it was morally right for countries to send weapons to Ukraine. “This is a political decision which it can be moral, morally acceptable, if it is done under conditions of morality,” Francis said. He expounded on the Roman Catholic Church’s “Just War” principles, which allow for the proportional use of deadly weapons for self defence against an aggressor nation. “Self defence is not only licit but also an expression of love for the homeland. Someone who does not defend oneself, who does not defend something, does not love it. Those who defend (something) loves it,” he said. Pope Francis answers reporters’ questions during a conference aboard the papal plane on his flight back to Rome after visiting Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, 15 September 2022. Alessandro Di Meo/POOL via REUTERS Explaining the difference between when it is moral or immoral to supply weapons to another country, Francis said: “It can be immoral if the intention is provoking more war, or to sell arms or dump arms that (a country) no longer needs. The motivation is what in large part qualifies the morality of this action,” he said. The pope, who for the second time on an international trip sat through the news conference instead of standing because of a lingering knee ailment, was asked whether Ukraine should negotiate with the country that invaded it and if there was a “red line” Ukraine should draw, depending on Russian activities, after which it could refuse to negotiate. “It is always difficult to understand dialogue with countries that have started a war … it is difficult but it should not be discarded,” he said. “I would not exclude dialogue with any power that is at war, even if it is with the aggressor. … Sometimes you have to carry out dialogue like this. It smells but it must be done,” he said. The pope used the Italian word “puzza” (smell or stink), colloquially equivalent to the English “holding your nose” to describe doing something one would prefer not to do. “It (dialogue) is always a step forward, with an outstretched hand, always. Because otherwise we close the only reasonable door to peace,” Francis said. “Sometimes they (the aggressor) does not accept dialogue. What a pity. But dialogue should always be carried out, or at least offered. And this does good to those who offer it,” he said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Philip Pullella Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Read More…

Texas Governor Abbott Says White House Led By ‘hypocrite-In-Chief’ – Follow Live https://digitalalabamanews.com/texas-governor-abbott-says-white-house-led-by-hypocrite-in-chief-follow-live/ ‘Just plain wrong’: White House condemns migrant flight to Martha’s Vineyard Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s office said the White House is “full of a bunch of hypocrites, led by the Hypocrite-in-Chief who has been flying planeloads of migrants across the country and oftentimes in the cover of night.” The statement comes hours after the White House said Mr Abbott and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ use of migrants to punish leaders of Democratic-led state and local governments is a “deeply alarming” stunt that placed innocent children in danger to score political points. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that the two governors were disrupting the federal process for handling migrants and using the migrants as “political pawns”. Earlier on Thursday, Mr Abbott had sent two buses carrying migrants to the doorstep of Vice President Kamala Harris’s home in Washington, DC. Meanwhile, Mr DeSantis doubled down on his unannounced decision to send two planes carrying 50 migrants to Martha’s Vineyard on Wednesday. “The minute even a small fraction of what those border towns deal with everyday is brought to their front door they all of a sudden go berserk … it just shows you, you know their virtue signalling is a fraud,” he said on Thursday. Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalism By registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists Email Please enter a valid email Please enter a valid email Password Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number First name Please enter your first name Special characters aren’t allowed Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters Last name Please enter your last name Special characters aren’t allowed Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters You must be over 18 years old to register You must be over 18 years old to register Year of birth I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent.  Read our Privacy notice You can opt-out at any time by signing in to your account to manage your preferences. Each email has a link to unsubscribe. Already have an account? sign in Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalism By registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists Email Please enter a valid email Please enter a valid email Password Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number First name Please enter your first name Special characters aren’t allowed Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters Last name Please enter your last name Special characters aren’t allowed Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters You must be over 18 years old to register You must be over 18 years old to register Year of birth I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent.  Read our Privacy notice You can opt-out at any time by signing in to your account to manage your preferences. Each email has a link to unsubscribe. Already have an account? sign in Read More…

Retired Educator, Anna S. Bright, Vying For District 4 School Board Seat https://digitalalabamanews.com/retired-educator-anna-s-bright-vying-for-district-4-school-board-seat/ PRESS RELEASE- Anna S. Bright’s lifelong motto, If I can help somebody, then my living shall not be in vain, speaks for itself. A personal goal that Mrs. Bright has had for a long time is to become a member of the local school board. Consequently, she is a candidate in District 4 of Colleton County. The election will be held on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. She comes with four decades of experience in the public schools of South Carolina and Alabama, with the majority of them being in Colleton County. When asked why she is vying to become a member of the school board, Mrs. Bright says, “There are two main reasons why I am running. First of all, I want to make a significant difference in the Colleton County School District. Secondly, I want to give back to the county that was more than good enough to educate my family and me. Having served 40 successful years in the classroom as a teacher, I feel that I have gained a wealth of knowledge and expertise that will guide me to be more understanding of what our students, teachers, support staff and administrators need to educate our children. Teaching was not just a job for me; it was a career of passion. Therefore, serving on our school board would be no different!” Communication, Collaboration, Accessibility/Visibility, and Building Relationships are the four key components of her campaign platform. Mrs. Bright is a 1973 honor graduate of Walterboro High School where she was selected by the faculty as one of the ten most outstanding seniors, out of a class of 324. The highlight of her high school years was being selected to sing in the 1972 South Carolina Allstate Chorus, held that year in Greenville, SC. She highly applauds the late Mrs. Dorothy Graham Buckner for that accomplishment. After high school, she matriculated at Claflin University in Orangeburg, SC where she pursued a major in English and a minor in Education. In 1977 she graduated magna cum laude from Claflin with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Further educational pursuits include study at several other well-known universities in both Alabama and South Carolina. Mrs. Bright says “I have never regretted being a part of this honorable profession called teaching. Once a teacher—always a teacher!” In June 2018, she retired as an English teacher from the Colleton County School District where she was actively involved in several school activities over the years and served on several school, district, and state committees. Previously, she taught in the public schools of Hurtsboro and Montgomery, AL and Dorchester School District 4 in St. George, SC. The student body of Russell High School in Hurstboro, AL unanimously dedicated their yearbook to her in 1982, one of the many highlights of her career. In 1995 Mrs. Bright received the Principal’s Service Award under the leadership of Dr. Queenie L. Crawford at Ruffin High School in Ruffin, SC. Mrs. Bright was chosen as the 1997 Teacher of the Year in the Colleton County School District. During her years as a teacher, she was a workshop presenter on numerous occasions and served as chairman of the English Department. For several years, she was an advisor for the graduation speakers at both Ruffin and Colleton County High Schools. Writing, one of her avid passions, has been a rewarding experience for her over the years. Six years ago, she became a columnist for The Press and Standard, writing a weekly article on the “Faith and Values” page. Many have been led to Christ by reading her articles. Recently, she has returned to this ministry for Jesus Christ in this community, and she is very excited about it. Even though Mrs. Bright attends Isaiah United Methodist Church where her husband is an active member, her membership still remains at Friendship Liberty Ministries in Walterboro, SC, where her nephew, the Reverend Keith G. Stevens, is the Pastor. She received her license in the ministry under the leadership of her dear mother, the Reverend Dr. Evelyn Gelzer Stevens. At Friendship, she served in the following capacities: youth minister, corresponding secretary, treasurer, Bible study teacher, vocal soloist, and a sponsor of countless programs. Mrs. Bright has been delivering “soul-stirring” messages locally and in many other places since 1984. Currently, Mrs. Bright is a part-time teacher at Colleton Academy for Success, the school district’s alternative program. Further, she is very active in her community. She is a member of CTS/CHS Alumni Association, Inc., where she served as the secretary for eight years; Xi Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Colleton Branch of the NAACP, Colleton County Chapter of Claflin University International Alumni Association, Colleton Section of the National Council of Negro Women, and Lowcountry Silhouettes Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. She is a member of the advisory board of Latrice D. Ferguson School of Nursing Assistants. Formerly, Mrs. Bright served as the president, vice president, and secretary of the Colleton County Education Association. She is a past board member of the South Carolina Education Association, where she was recognized and rewarded for her outstanding efforts to coordinate the Race to Read Program in the Colleton County School District several years ago. Mrs. Bright is married to Mr. Herman G. Bright, a retired educator and veteran of the United States Army National Guard. She is the oldest daughter of the late Deacon Kalip and Rev. Dr. Evelyn Gelzer Stevens; and the devoted, loving, and praying mother of three sons, one stepdaughter, and one stepson. She is the grandmother of five grandchildren. Mrs. Bright has played a key role in organizing and coordinating family reunions for the Gelzer Family (her mother’s side) over the past several years. She firmly believes that “Family Matters” and praying together will keep a family together. Because she is an avid lover of reading and writing, one of Mrs. Bright’s goals is to one day publish a best seller, preaching Christ, which will appeal to the masses of the people. She is getting very close to completing this goal. The public is cordially invited to attend a Meet and Greet honoring her at Neyles Community Center, 445 Featherbed Road in Walterboro, on Thursday, September 29, 2022, from 6:30 p.m-8:00 p.m. For further information, Mrs. Bright can be contacted at annaforkids22@gmail.com. Her campaign manager is Mr. Herman G. Bright. Read More…

AP News Summary At 4:50 A.m. EDT https://digitalalabamanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-450-a-m-edt/ Ukraine finds new mass burials, says Russia “leaves death” IZIUM, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian authorities are expected to begin recovering bodies from a newly found mass burial site in a forest recaptured from Russian forces, a delicate task that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said would help show the world “what the Russian occupation has led to.” The burial site, containing hundreds of graves, was discovered close to Izium after a rapid counteroffensive by Ukrainian forces liberated the northeastern city and other swaths of the Kharkiv region, breaking what was largely becoming a military stalemate in the nearly seven-month war. Associated Press journalists who visited the burial site counted hundreds of graves amid the trees, marked with simple wooden crosses — most of them numbered, up to 400 and beyond. Veteran NY judge named as arbiter in Trump Mar-a-Lago probe WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has appointed a veteran New York jurist to serve as an independent arbiter in the criminal investigation into the presence of classified documents at Donald Trump’s Florida home. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon has also refused to permit the Justice Department to resume its use of the highly sensitive records seized in an FBI search last month. Cannon on Thursday empowered the newly named special master, Raymond Dearie, to review all the documents taken in the Aug. 8 search of Mar-a-Lago and set a November deadline for his work. The sharply worded order from Cannon sets the stage for a challenge to a federal appeals court. LONDON DIARY: Reflections from the queue to mourn the queen LONDON (AP) — Waiting in line to bid farewell to Queen Elizabeth II is a singular event — no matter who you are. AP correspondent Samya Kullab was No. 3,017 in the queue one day this week outside Westminster Hall. The line was full of people touched by the queen’s death in different ways. And as they wait in line and chat, they find things they have in common — and realize that they’d have never met if it were not for this singular event. In nearly eight hours in line, Kullab is able to make a bit more sense of the outpouring that the monarch’s death brought to Britain. Charles’ history with US presidents: He’s met 10 of past 14 WASHINGTON (AP) — Hanging out with Richard Nixon’s daughter. Swapping horseback riding stories with Ronald Reagan. Bending the ears of  Donald Trump and Joe Biden on climate change. King Charles III over the years has made the acquaintance of 10 of the 14 U.S. presidents who served during his lifetime. Charles met Dwight Eisenhower when he was just 10 years old. He has recalled his first visit to the Nixon White House in 1970 as the time that “they were trying to marry me off to Tricia Nixon.” Charles met Joe Biden last year. He did not meet four presidents who held office during his lifetime: Harry Truman, Gerald Ford, Lyndon Johnson and John F. Kennedy. Florida, Texas escalate flights, buses to move migrants EDGARTOWN, Mass. (AP) — Republican governors are escalating their practice of sending migrants without advance warning to Democratic strongholds, including a wealthy summer enclave in Massachusetts and the Washington, D.C., home of Vice President Kamala Harris. They are taunting leaders of immigrant-friendly “sanctuary” cities and highlighting their opposition to Biden administration border policies. The governors of Texas and Arizona have sent thousands of migrants on buses to New York, Chicago and Washington in recent months. But the latest surprise moves — which included two flights to Martha’s Vineyard Wednesday paid for by Florida’s governor — were derided by critics as inhumane political theater. EXPLAINER: States scramble as US abortion landscape shifts COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Almost three months after Roe v. Wade was overturned, the landscape of abortion access is still shifting significantly in some states, sometimes very quickly. Changing restrictions and litigation in neighboring Indiana and Ohio this week illustrate the whiplash for providers and patients navigating sudden changes in what is allowed where. As of Thursday, 13 states have current bans on abortion at any point in pregnancy and one more, Georgia, with a ban on abortions after fetal cardiac activity can be detected — usually around six weeks, often before women realize they’re pregnant. Biden, S. African leader to discuss Ukraine, trade, climate WASHINGTON (AP) — Presidents Joe Biden and Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa are set for White House talks on Russia’s war in Ukraine, climate issues, trade and more. Biden will play host to Ramaphosa on Friday. He is among African leaders who have maintained a neutral stance in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with South Africa abstaining from a United Nations vote condemning Russia’s actions and calling for a mediated settlement. South African officials said Ramaphosa would emphasize the need for dialogue to find an end to the conflict during his meeting with Biden and in separate talks with Vice President Kamala Harris. Warming, other factors worsened Pakistan floods, study finds A new study says human-caused climate change juiced the rainfall that triggered Pakistan’s floods by up to 50%. But the authors of Thursday’s study say other societal issues that make the country vulnerable and put people in harm’s way are probably the biggest factor in the ongoing humanitarian disaster. Still, they say climate change made it a lot worse. Researchers used the scientifically accepted technique of comparing what happened to computer simulations of a world without heat-trapping gases from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas. The study from World Weather Attribution is not yet peer reviewed. Palestinian farmer discovers rare ancient treasure in Gaza BUREIJ, Gaza Strip (AP) — A Palestinian farmer in the Gaza Strip has discovered a rare mosaic on his property. The man says he stumbled upon it while planting an olive tree last spring and quietly excavated it over several months with his son. Experts say the discovery of the mosaic — which includes 17 well-preserved images of animals and birds — is one of Gaza’s greatest archaeological treasures. They say it’s drawing attention to the need to protect Gaza’s antiquities, which are threatened by a lack of resources and the constant threat of fighting with Israel. The mosaic was discovered just one kilometer, or about half a mile, from the Israeli border. Federer, Serena retire; tennis moves on to Alcaraz, Swiatek The timing of it all hardly could be more symbolic: All within a span of two weeks, Serena Williams plays what is believed to be her last match at age 40, Roger Federer announces he’ll be retiring at 41, Iga Swiatek wins her third Grand Slam title at 21, and Carlos Alcaraz gets his first at 19. After so much handwringing in recent years about what would become of tennis once transcendent superstars such as Williams and Federer leave the game, the sport does seem to be in good hands as it prepares to move on. Federer said Thursday he will exit after the Laver Cup next week. Williams lost in the third round of the U.S. Open on Sept. 2. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Read More…

AP Top News At 4:41 A.m. EDT https://digitalalabamanews.com/ap-top-news-at-441-a-m-edt/ Ukraine finds new mass burials, says Russia “leaves death” IZIUM, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian authorities were expected to begin recovering bodies Friday from a newly found mass burial site in a forest recaptured from Russian forces, a delicate task that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said would help show the world “what the Russian occupation has led to.” The burial site, containing hundreds of graves, was discovered close to Izium after a rapid counteroffensive by Ukrainian forces liberated the northeastern city and other swaths of the Kharkiv region, breaking what was largely becoming a military stalemate in the nearly seven-month war. To keep the offensive going, the Biden administration announced another $600 million package of military aid Thursday for Ukraine, including more of the weaponry that has helped its troops seize momentum. Veteran NY judge named as arbiter in Trump Mar-a-Lago probe WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday appointed a veteran New York jurist to serve as an independent arbiter in the criminal investigation into the presence of classified documents at former President Donald Trump’s Florida home, and refused to permit the Justice Department to resume its use of the highly sensitive records seized in an FBI search last month. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon empowered the newly named special master, Raymond Dearie, to review the entire tranche of records taken in the Aug. 8 search of Mar-a-Lago and set a November deadline for his work. In the meantime, she continued to block the department from using for its investigation roughly 100 documents marked as classified that were seized. LONDON DIARY: Reflections from the queue to mourn the queen LONDON (AP) — A foreign correspondent, a consultant, a businessman, a retired accountant and his wife stand in a line for nearly eight hours. That is how this story begins, once I claim my spot among a growing queue of mourners coming from all corners of the United Kingdom and the world to pay their last respects to Queen Elizabeth II in England’s capital. It ends when the five of us exit the majestic hall — each in awe, in our own individual way, of the forces of change that swirl around us. One step into the line, a volunteer named Kofi jots down my number; a wristband later confirms I am No. Charles’ history with US presidents: He’s met 10 of past 14 WASHINGTON (AP) — Hanging out with Richard Nixon’s daughter Tricia at a White House “supper-dance.” Swapping stories with Ronald Reagan about horseback riding. Bending the ears of Donald Trump and Joe Biden about climate change. King Charles III, who became head of state following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, has made the acquaintance of 10 of the 14 U.S. presidents who have held office since he was born in 1948. He was just 10 when he checked off his first president in 1959. That was when Dwight Eisenhower visited the queen and her family at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where she died on Sept. Florida, Texas escalate flights, buses to move migrants EDGARTOWN, Mass. (AP) — Republican governors are escalating their partisan tactic of sending migrants to Democratic strongholds without advance warning, including a wealthy summer enclave in Massachusetts and the home of Vice President Kamala Harris, to taunt leaders of immigrant-friendly “sanctuary” cities and stoke opposition to Biden administration border policies. The governors of Texas and Arizona have sent thousands of migrants on buses to New York, Chicago and Washington, D.C., in recent months. But the latest surprise moves — which included two flights to Martha’s Vineyard Wednesday paid for by Florida — reached a new level of political theater that critics derided as inhumane. EXPLAINER: States scramble as US abortion landscape shifts COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Almost three months after Roe v. Wade was overturned, the landscape of abortion access is still shifting significantly in some states, sometimes very quickly. Changing restrictions and litigation in neighboring Indiana and Ohio this week illustrate the whiplash for providers and patients navigating sudden changes in what is allowed where. Sister clinics who just weeks ago were sending patients from Ohio, where most abortions were banned, to Indiana, where the procedure was allowed, have now flip-flopped roles after the two states’ access restrictions reversed, at least temporarily. Here is a deeper look at the current state of the shifting national landscape: WHAT CHANGED THIS WEEK? Biden, S. African leader to discuss Ukraine, trade, climate WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. President Joe Biden and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa are set to meet Friday at the White House for talks on Russia’s war in Ukraine, climate issues, trade and more. Ramaphosa is among African leaders who have maintained a neutral stance in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with South Africa abstaining from a United Nations vote condemning Russia’s actions and calling for a mediated settlement. South Africa’s international relations minister, Naledi Pandor, said Ramaphosa would emphasize the need for dialogue to find an end to the conflict during his meeting with Biden and in separate talks with Vice President Kamala Harris. Warming, other factors worsened Pakistan floods, study finds Climate change likely juiced rainfall by up to 50% late last month in two southern Pakistan provinces, but global warming wasn’t the biggest cause of the country’s catastrophic flooding that has killed more than 1,500 people, a new scientific analysis finds. Pakistan’s overall vulnerability, including people living in harm’s way, is the chief factor in the disaster that at one point submerged one-third of the country under water, but human-caused “climate change also plays a really important role here,” said study senior author Friederike Otto, a climate scientist at Imperial College of London. There are many ingredients to the still ongoing humanitarian crisis — some meteorological, some economic, some societal, some historic and construction oriented. Palestinian farmer discovers rare ancient treasure in Gaza BUREIJ, Gaza Strip (AP) — Last spring, a Palestinian farmer was planting a new olive tree when his shovel hit a hard object. He called his son, and for three months, the pair slowly excavated an ornate Byzantine-era mosaic that experts say is one of the greatest archaeological treasures ever found in Gaza. The discovery has set off excitement among archaeologists, and the territory’s Hamas rulers are planning a major announcement in the coming days. But it is also drawing calls for better protection of Gaza’s antiquities, a fragile collection of sites threatened by a lack of awareness and resources as well as the constant risk of conflict between Israel and local Palestinian militants. Federer, Serena retire; tennis moves on to Alcaraz, Swiatek The timing of it all hardly could be more symbolic: Within a span of two weeks, Serena Williams plays what is believed to be her last match at age 40, Roger Federer announces he’ll be retiring at 41, Iga Swiatek wins her third Grand Slam title at 21, and Carlos Alcaraz gets his first at 19. After so much handwringing in recent years about what would become of tennis once transcendent superstars such as Williams and Federer leave the game — he told the world Thursday he will exit after the Laver Cup next week; she made her plans public last month, then lost in the third round of the U.S. Read More…