Digital Alabama News

US Takes Aim At Some Trump Offshore Safety Rule Rollbacks https://digitalalabamanews.com/us-takes-aim-at-some-trump-offshore-safety-rule-rollbacks/ Published Monday, Sept. 12, 2022 | 6:33 p.m. Updated 12 minutes ago NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The U.S. Department of the Interior said Monday that it wants to reverse some Trump administration rollbacks of offshore safety rules to prevent blowouts like the BP catastrophe that killed 11 people and fouled the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. “This proposed rulemaking will help ensure that offshore energy development utilizes the latest science and technology to keep people safe,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a news release. “As our nation transitions to a clean energy economy, we must commit to strengthening and modernizing offshore energy standards and oversight.” The changes are a step in the right direction but not far enough, said Diane Hoskins of the ocean environmental nonprofit Oceana. “No operator can promise there won’t be another disaster like BP’s Deepwater Horizon blowout. The only way to prevent offshore drilling disasters is to permanently protect our coasts and workers from new offshore leasing,” she said in an emailed staatement. Under Trump, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement acted in 2019 to change rules put in place three years earlier while Barak Obama was president. The agency is proposing to change seven out of the scores of revisions and additions made in 2019, director Kevin M. Sligh Sr. said during a phone news conference with Haaland. He said one would require the bureau to accredit independent agencies that inspect offshore rigs and equipment. Another would require blowout preventers — the equipment that failed in 2010 — to always be able to handle the well’s maximum gas flow specifications. Others would require operators to send failure data to the federal offshore safety agency rather than to designated third parties, and would cut a month off the time allowed to begin failure analyses and investigations, allowing three months rather than four. “The 2019 revisions to the Well Control Rule addressed technical problems and cleared up ambiguity,” changing 68 of the original rule’s 342 provisions, said Erik Milito, president of the National Ocean Industries Association, which represents oil and gas companies. “Any further updates … should follow a similar tailored approach.” Environmental groups sued in 2019, claiming the changes would make oil and gas exploration and development off the Pacific, Atlantic, Alaska, and Gulf coasts “significantly more dangerous.” “We are still reviewing the proposed rule to determine the best way forward with the lawsuit,” said Chris Eaton, senior attorney at Earthjustice, which filed the lawsuit. Scientists still worry about effects of the nation’s worst offshore oil spill on dolphins, whales, sea turtles, small fish vital to the food chain and ancient corals in the cold, dark depths. The proposal opens a 60-day public comment period, which ends Nov. 14. ___ This story has been corrected to show the rules up for revision were made in 2019, not 2010. Read More…

Mary Jeanette Counts Blackmon Obituary (2022) The Birmingham News https://digitalalabamanews.com/mary-jeanette-counts-blackmon-obituary-2022-the-birmingham-news/ Mary Jeanette Counts Blackmon March 30, 1925 – September 11, 2022 Mary Jeanette Counts Blackmon, 97, went home to be with Jesus her Lord on Sunday, September 11, 2022. She was born on March 30, 1925 and was part of the Greatest Generation. She was preceded in death by her husband of 68 years, Leon Albert Blackmon; her father, Jesse Cleveland Counts; her mother, Margaret Lykes Counts; and her three sisters Sarah Counts Barrett, Helene Annette Counts and Annie Belle Counts. She is survived by her five children, Margaret Louise Blackmon, James Daniel Blackmon (Cheryl), Harry Cleveland Blackmon (Donna), Charles Henry Blackmon (April), Kenneth Edwin Blackmon (Melinda), ten grandchildren, 24 great grandchildren, many nieces and nephews and one great-great-grandson. Jeanette graduated from Woodlawn High School in 1943 where she was the Concert Meister in the school orchestra. In 1947 she graduated from Howard College where she was President of Phi Mu sorority and listed in Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities. After college she served as a founder of the Auburn University chapter of Phi Mu. She was a devoted mother and Air Force pilot’s wife, never leaving the home for a career. Her first church membership was at Ruhama Baptist Church in East Lake where she committed her life to Christ as a teenager. She was a member of First Baptist Church Trussville at the time of her death. The world will never know the strength of her love for her family and the kindness, grace and radiant smile she showed every person she met. Funeral services will be September 17 at 12:00 PM, preceded by visitation at 11:00. Published by The Birmingham News from Sep. 12 to Sep. 14, 2022. 34465541-95D0-45B0-BEEB-B9E0361A315A To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store. Read More…

2 Dead, Including Toronto Police Officer, And 3 Others Wounded In 2 Shootings In Ontario https://digitalalabamanews.com/2-dead-including-toronto-police-officer-and-3-others-wounded-in-2-shootings-in-ontario/ (CNN)A Toronto police officer who was taking a lunch break during training was shot and killed in Mississauga by a suspect who later was taken into custody in Hamilton after a second deadly shooting, authorities said at a media briefing Monday night. Authorities said another person was wounded in Mississauga. The suspect fled to Milton and is thought to have shot three more people, killing one, police said. Constable Andrew Hong, 48, of the Toronto police’s traffic unit was shot at close range and died at the scene, Chief James Ramer told reporters. “This is devastating news for his family and for all members of the Toronto Police Service and our entire policing community,” the chief said. “We will lean on each other while we work to support Constable Hong’s family, and each other, in our grief.” Hong is survived by his wife and two children. He had been with the department for 22 years. Peel Regional Police in Mississauga earlier said they were called to the scene of a shooting that took place at the intersection of Argentia Road and Winston Churchill Boulevard where two people were shot just after 2 p.m. ET. The victim who was taken to a hospital has “life-altering wounds” and is at a trauma center, Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah said at the briefing. He called the shooting of the constable an ambush. After the suspect fled, three people were shot on Bronte Street South in neighboring Milton, Halton Regional Police said. One person was pronounced dead at the scene and two others were transported to a hospital, according to police. Their conditions were not immediately available. “We believe that this was the same suspect who was involved in the shooting here in Mississauga,” Duraiappah said. The suspect — who Peel police said was wearing all black with a yellow construction vest — was taken into custody, according to Halton Regional Police. Both police agencies said they are investigating the connection between the two incidents and believe they are linked to the same person. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted about the shootings late Monday. “My thoughts, and the thoughts of many others, are with all those who knew the police officer killed in the line of duty in Mississauga today,” Trudeau tweeted. “We’re also thinking of those who were injured in today’s shootings — we’re wishing you a full recovery.” Milton, Mississauga and Hamilton are not far west of Toronto. CNN’s Rob Frehse and Isa Kaufman Geballe contributed to this report. Read More…

Traffic Enforcement Event Sees Nearly 90 Citations In Two-Day Period | Alabama Metropolitan https://digitalalabamanews.com/traffic-enforcement-event-sees-nearly-90-citations-in-two-day-period-alabama-metropolitan/  STORY POSTED 1 HOUR AGO The Tuscaloosa Police Department and Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Highway Patrol Division conducted a recent two-day traffic detail aimed at reducing dangerous driving in Tuscaloosa. During the hours of the Sept. 2 and Sept. 3 detail, officers issued 86 citations to 70 drivers…. ★ FURTHER REFERENCES ★ Posted in: Places: Tags: ★ RELATED STORIES IN ALABAMA ★ 05-24 Georgia heads to polls after highest primary turnout EVER – despite new voting laws: Marjorie Taylor Greene looks to secure her re-election bid and Brian Kemp looks… 05-24 Opinion | “Summer of rage” call for abortion rights protests rhetorically violent, but legally protected 05-24 ‘More than Folding Paper’: a Look at Origami 05-24 Flow Tuscaloosa Lantern Parade a Glowing Success 05-24 New Capstone Men and Women Ready to Shine ★ RECENT ARTICLES IN ALABAMA METROPOLITAN ★ 01:33 Paving the Way: Meet the offensive line taking Moody to new heights 01:33 Springville News 01:33 Meet Your Neighbor – Jacque Owens 01:33 Warm the soul with home canned soup in the winter months 01:31 Amory Police arrest a local man on 2 burglary charges (Video) 01:31 Crews working in Starkville to repair a water line (Video) 01:31 Baby Crosswhite is here, mom and baby healthy (Video) 01:31 Help continues to pour in for those affected by the water crisis in Jackson (Video) 01:31 Winona police made an arrest connected to murder investigation (Video) 01:31 TUPELO VICTIM (Video) 01:31 Two Boonville guys who are family members are arrested for an alleged kidnapping (Video) 01:31 Fulton man has turned himself into the Itawamba County Sheriff (Video) 01:23 Talladega County Commission approves new contract for jail medical services 01:19 Monday Evening Weather Update by Ashley Gann (Video) 01:19 Local start up wins 50K to expand services Read More…

Channeling JFK In Boston Visit, Biden Breathes New Life Into Cancer ‘moonshot’ – The Boston Globe https://digitalalabamanews.com/channeling-jfk-in-boston-visit-biden-breathes-new-life-into-cancer-moonshot-the-boston-globe/ Biden’s speech echoed Kennedy’s commitment to scientific advancement and technological innovation that helped land a man on the moon in 1969. On Monday, Biden detailed a vision that included vaccines that could prevent cancer and molecular “zip codes” that could deliver drugs and gene therapies to the right place. He envisioned a blood test that could detect cancer early, and a single shot that could replace grueling chemotherapy treatments. The commitment to battling cancer is deeply personal to Biden, who lost his son Beau to brain cancer in 2015. He remarked that after Beau’s death, Ted Kennedy’s wife, Vicki Kennedy, wrote to him. She recalled that after John Kennedy died, Kennedy’s father wrote a letter remarking that when a loved one’s life is cut short, it makes you wonder what you’ll accomplish with the rest of yours. “For so many of us, that’s what we’re trying to do. Live a life worthy of the loved ones we have lost, and the loved ones we can save,” Biden said. As part of the effort, Biden announced that Dr. Renee Wegrzyn, an executive at Ginkgo Bioworks of Boston, will be the inaugural director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, which will focus on biomedical research and innovation. While some in health care have expressed skepticism that cancer deaths could be cut so dramatically in so short a time, Dr. Bill Hahn, executive vice president and chief operating officer at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, said there was no better time to double down on the moonshot initiative, given the discoveries of the human genome, the advent of immunotherapy, and the promise of advances in early detection. Those efforts could address cancers that have been incredibly challenging to confront, such as pancreatic cancer and brain tumors. In 2022, the American Cancer Society estimates, 1.9 million new cancer cases will be diagnosed and 609,360 people will die of cancer diseases. “We’re at an important juncture where a lot of progress has been made and there’s a lot of potential, but there’s a lot of hard work that will require more than the usual people involved. His vision is just in line with what is needed,” said Hahn, after attending Biden’s speech. Biden also signed an executive order to launch a National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative, aimed at boosting domestic biomanufacturing and identifying research and development needs in bioscience and biotechnology. The president’s Cancer Cabinet, formed seven months ago to help realize a vision of eradicating cancer as we know it, has also been busy, noting that the National Cancer Institute launched a national trial for multicancer detection through blood tests. Research is also progressing with a program, created by the Department of Defense, to better understand the links between cancer and military toxic exposure. The cancer moonshot was launched in early 2016, when President Barack Obama announced that Biden would lead the initiative. While out of office, Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, founded the Biden Cancer Initiative, a nonprofit that worked to coordinate new approaches to cancer medicine with multiple organizations. In February, Biden relaunched the moonshot initiative with a new goal — reducing cancer death rates by 50 percent by 2047 and improving the experience for cancer patients and families. Biden’s cancer moonshot echos the war on cancer launched by President Richard Nixon, who in a December 1971 address said that “the same kind of concentrated effort that split the atom and took man to the moon should be turned toward conquering this dread disease.” In October 2016, speaking at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the US Senate, next door to the JFK library, Biden remarked that progress on Nixon’s vision was slow-going but technological advancements, many of which occurred in Boston, had changed the outlook. Kate Walsh, chief executive of Boston Medical Center, who also attended Monday’s speech, said she was struck by the idea of bringing the power of the US government behind the challenge, especially to focus on reducing the disparities in care and outcomes. She also noted Biden’s comments that health systems had to smooth the experience for families going through the disease. Katie Murphy, president of the Massachusetts Nurses Association and a nurse at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said the focus on cancer would propel progress in other diseases. Lisa Lacasse, president of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, said she appreciated that Biden’s focus was on more than just research and treatments, but also on screenings and the broader continuum of care. Biden’s speech was also well attended by many in Boston politics, including US Secretary of Labor Martin J. Walsh, a child cancer survivor; US representatives Stephen Lynch, Ayanna Pressley, Lori Trahan, and Jake Auchincloss; state Senate President Karen Spilka; and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. As he set out a broad vision, Biden met with those who were confronting cancer more immediately. Dr. Daphne Haas-Kogan, chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center, said she saw her own patient, who is battling a brain cancer, seated in front of her. Her eyes were red, and the patient told her said she had wept on Biden’s shoulder. “He handed her his handkerchief and she was holding on to it for dear life, saying, ‘This will be my good luck charm,’” Haas-Kogan said. “To think such an important leader touched her in such a personal way brought me to tears. It was really something.” Jessica Bartlett can be reached at jessica.bartlett@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @ByJessBartlett. Read More…

Biden Administration Presses Unions, Railroads To Avoid Shutdown https://digitalalabamanews.com/biden-administration-presses-unions-railroads-to-avoid-shutdown/ The United States Chamber of Commerce building is seen in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 10, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com WASHINGTON/LOS ANGELES, Sept 12 (Reuters) – The Biden administration urged railroads and unions to reach a deal to avoid a railroad work stoppage, saying on Monday it would pose “an unacceptable outcome” to the U.S. economy that could cost $2 billion a day. Railroads, including Union Pacific (UNP.N), Berkshire Hathaway’s (BRKa.N) BNSF, CSX (CSX.O), and Norfolk Southern, have until a minute after midnight on Friday to reach tentative deals with hold out unions representing about 60,000 workers. Failing to do so opens the door to union strikes, employer lockouts and congressional intervention. read more U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh is postponing travel to Ireland to remain in talks, the department said Monday. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com “The parties continue to negotiate, and last night Secretary Walsh again engaged to push the parties to reach a resolution that averts any shutdown of our rail system,” a Labor Department spokesperson said. “All parties need to stay at the table, bargain in good faith to resolve outstanding issues, and come to an agreement.” The brinkmanship comes at a sensitive time for unions, railroads, shippers, consumers and President Joe Biden, who appointed an emergency board to help break the impasse. A White House official told Reuters Biden has been in touch today with unions and companies to try to avert a strike, as have cabinet officials. U.S. railroads account for almost 30% of cargo transport by weight and maintain about 97% of the tracks Amtrak uses for commuter rail. Widespread railroad disruptions could choke supplies of food and fuel, spawn transportation chaos and stoke inflation. read more Unions, which won significant pay increases, are pushing back on work rules that would require employees to be on-call and available to work most days. Railroads are struggling to rebuild employee ranks after slashing their workforce by almost 30% over the past six years. At midday on Wednesday, Norfolk Southern will stop accepting intermodal cargo: goods that move by combinations of ship, truck and rail transport. Those shipments include consumer products and e-commerce packages that account for almost half of U.S. rail traffic. That could exacerbate existing backups at East Coast seaports and inland hubs, causing cascading delays across the country as farmers prepare for harvest and retailers restock stores for the Christmas shopping season. Bulk commodities – including food, energy, automotive and construction products – make up the remainder of U.S. rail shipments. U.S. industry groups are pressuring Congress to avert the worst-case scenario. “A shutdown of the nation’s rail service would have enormous national consequences,” the Chamber said on Monday, adding it would lead to perishable food waste, disrupt goods delivery and prevent heating fuel and chemicals transport. The Labor Department said there have been dozens of calls by Cabinet officials and other top administration officials to help the sides reach agreement. Railroads late last week said they would cease shipments of hazardous materials such as chlorine used to purify drinking water and chemicals used in fertilizer on Monday so they are not stranded in unsafe locations if rail traffic stops. read more On Sunday, two unions negotiating contracts said halting hazardous shipments was designed to give employers leverage ahead of this week’s deadline to secure labor agreements. read more As of Sunday, eight of 12 unions had reached tentative deals covering about half of 115,000 workers, the National Railway Labor Conference (NRLC) said. Hold outs include the transportation division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART-TD) and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET). There has not been a nationwide U.S. rail service stoppage since 1992, when major freight railroads closed operations for two days in response to an International Association of Machinists strike against CSX, saying that a strike against one railroad was a strike against all railroads. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by David Shepardson and Lisa Baertlein; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Jonathan Oatis and Josie Kao Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Read More…

Huntsville Transit Holds Public Meetings For Feedback On Services https://digitalalabamanews.com/huntsville-transit-holds-public-meetings-for-feedback-on-services/ HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) – Huntsville Transit serves over 2,400 residents each day. However, with city expansion comes new needs and desires to improve service operations. The city scheduled a series of meetings to gain feedback from current riders and learn how they can make adjustments for anyone needing a lift in the future. The majority of riders are looking for more stops and faster pickups in addition to a route connecting to Madison. “As the region is growing we are hearing more and more people want to move regionally between the cities,” said City Transit Manager John Autry. “That’s something we’re listening to, and providing that information to the Metropolitan Planning Organization.” In the meantime, some riders are left finishing their route on foot to work or appointments in the Madison area. “If the bus transfer can go into Madison that would accommodate a lot of people who otherwise have to walk in Madison,” explained one transit rider. Common requests from daily bus riders included expanding the hours on weekends. Huntsville Transit currently runs Monday through Friday 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Riders say Sunday operations would be a “great help” for those who can’t find the time to run errands during the week. Riders like John Poarch said this adjustment could benefit the whole community. “On Saturdays, your route stops at 7 p.m. as opposed to during the week at 9 p.m. So if you work all night, by the time you sleep and get up the next morning you don’t have much time. And it doesn’t run at all on Sunday.” One rider told News 19 that the increase in population has created growing pains for everyone involved. “We’re growing and the shuttle bus is growing, so they’re doing the best they can.” Huntsville Transit will hold five meetings over two days. The meeting schedule is as follows: Tuesday, Sept. 13 10 a.m. to noon – Brahan Spring Recreation Center (3770 Ivy Ave. SW, Huntsville) – NEW LOCATION 1-3 p.m. – Huntsville Transit Center (500-B Church St. NW, Huntsville) 4-6 p.m. – Dr. Richard Showers, Sr. Recreation Center (4600 Blue Spring Road NW, Huntsville) Wednesday, Sept. 14 7-10 a.m. – Huntsville Transit Center (500-B Church St. NW, Huntsville) 4-6 p.m. – Sandra Moon Community Complex Community Room (7901 Bailey Cove Road SE, Huntsville) Those who can’t attend the meetings can visit GoHuntsvilleTransit.com and complete an online survey. Read More…

University Of Alabama Breaks Two Student Enrollment Records This Fall https://digitalalabamanews.com/university-of-alabama-breaks-two-student-enrollment-records-this-fall/ Alabama’s flagship university is enrolling its largest freshman class in campus history – one that, officials say, is its most diverse and “academically talented” ever. Total enrollment at the University of Alabama has climbed to 38,645 students, which is about 100 more students from its previous 2017 record and 300 more students from last year. Of those, 8,036 students are freshmen. The jump comes during an era of rapid growth for the university. Enrollment has doubled in the past 20 years, and the campus continues to expand as the University sets out on a $1.5 billion capital campaign. Read more Ed Lab: University of Alabama planning for record enrollment, changing campus “The University of Alabama experience is continuing to draw diverse, talented students from all over the state, nation and world,” UA President Stuart R. Bell said in a news release. “As high achieving students graduate and begin their careers or further their education, they demonstrate the incredible value of a UA degree. The many who do so by remaining in Alabama are critical to growing and strengthening our local and state economies.” This year’s students come from all 67 of Alabama’s counties, all 50 states, and 88 countries. The university has awarded more than 9,300 degrees over the past year. At the start of the school year, officials hinted at such a large influx of first-year students, claiming they had received about 55,000 freshmen applications this year – the highest the university has had “by far.” “We’re not close to being done with what we set out to do even seven years ago, but we’re making incredible progress,” Bell told reporters last month, as students began their first day back on campus. Nearly 3,000 freshmen are from the state of Alabama, which marks the university’s fourth consecutive year with an increase of in-state freshmen. The majority of freshmen (about 63%) are coming from out of state. Officials said the campus is enrolling a record number of minority students this year as well, including “an all-time high” of 4,344 Black students – up 1.5% from last year – and 2,138 Hispanic students – up 5% from last year. A record number of National Merit Scholars are also attending the university this fall. A total of 1,088 students, including 322 freshmen, are recognized with the honor, which is the most ever to attend the Capstone and 16% more than a year ago, officials said. The school is tied with the University of Alabama at Birmingham for 64th place in the latest 2022-23 U.S. News and World Report rankings of top public universities, below Auburn at No. 42. The University of Alabama isn’t the only public college in the state that’s growing. Enrollment at the University of North Alabama topped 9,500 students for the first time this year, marking its 14th year of consecutive growth. And while numbers aren’t yet finalized, Auburn officials expect to see record enrollment this year as well. Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. Read More…

Justice Department Open To One Of Trump's Proposed Candidates For Special Master Review https://digitalalabamanews.com/justice-department-open-to-one-of-trumps-proposed-candidates-for-special-master-review/ (CNN)The Justice Department said it is open to a judge appointing one of the candidates that former President Donald Trump’s legal team put forward as a special master to review the documents seized from Mar-a-Lago, according to a court filing Monday evening. DOJ said senior Judge Raymond Dearie is acceptable, along with its two previously proposed selections: retired federal judges Barbara Jones and Thomas Griffith. “Each have substantial judicial experience, during which they have presided over federal criminal and civil cases, including federal cases involving national security and privilege concerns,” prosecutors wrote. Dearie, originally a nominee of former President Ronald Reagan, has served as a federal judge in New York since the 1980s. He retired in 2011 and is now a senior judge on the circuit. Dearie also served a seven-year term on the US Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, or FISA court. He was one of the judges who approved an FBI and DOJ request to surveil Carter Page, a Trump campaign foreign policy adviser, as part of the federal inquiry into whether Russia interfered in the 2016 election. It is unclear when US District Judge Aileen Cannon will decide who the special master is. Cannon last week granted Trump’s request for a third-party attorney outside of the government to review the seized materials and asked that each side submit proposed candidates. Cannon also ordered criminal investigators at the Justice Department to stop using the seized materials as part of their ongoing probe until the special master finishes his or her review. Trump opposes DOJ nominees, but didn’t say why Earlier Monday, Trump said he opposes the Justice Department’s two proposed candidates to be the special master, but didn’t explain why. “Plaintiff objects to the proposed nominees of the Department of Justice. Plaintiff believes there are specific reasons why those nominees are not preferred for service as Special Master in this case,” the Trump lawyers wrote. The Justice Department nominated Griffith, who served as a judge on US Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington, DC, from 2005 to 2020, and Jones, a former federal prosecutor who has been a special master in several recent high-profile investigations. The Trump team also has suggested lawyer Paul Huck Jr., a former partner at the Jones Day law firm. The Justice Department opposed Huck Jr., noting he “does not appear to have similar experience” to the three judges. The Trump lawyers argued Monday that the court didn’t ask for detailed reasoning, and they are trying to be “more respectful to the candidates from either party.” “Plaintiff also submits it is more respectful to the candidates from either party to withhold the bases for opposition from a public, and likely to be widely circulated, pleading,” Trump’s lawyers wrote. “Therefore, Plaintiff asks this Court for permission to specifically express our objections to the Government’s nominees only at such time that the Court specifies a desire to obtain and consider that information.” Trump and the Justice Department have also disagreed on other key aspects of the special master’s responsibilities, including how long the review should take, who is responsible for paying the special master, and what type of documents are subject to review. In a nod to the government’s hope for a speedy review of the thousands of documents seized by the FBI, the Justice Department wrote that “in selecting among the three candidates, the government respectfully requests that the Court consider and select the candidate best positioned to timely perform the special master’s assigned responsibilities.” This story has been updated with additional details. CNN’s Hannah Rabinowitz contributed to this report. Read More…

In Miami, The Post-Trump Populist Right Speaks To Its Base — And Courts Donors https://digitalalabamanews.com/in-miami-the-post-trump-populist-right-speaks-to-its-base-and-courts-donors/ MIAMI — Some of the biggest names on the right, from mega-donor Peter Thiel to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, flew to South Florida to address a conference of “national conservatives” who have steadily gained sway in the GOP in recent years. On the surface, the National Conservatism Conference held Sunday through Tuesday at the JW Marriott Turnberry Resort and Spa looked like an attempt to appeal to the Republican Party’s right-wing base, with a heavy focus on Christian nationalism, curbing immigration and battling “woke” politics. But veteran GOP operatives saw a second conference just below the surface: a play for money. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at a rally in August. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images) The continuing realignment of the Republican base and its supporters, which has kept political professionals supremely confused about what exactly America’s political right is at the moment. (The only constant seems to be that neoconservatives, who held the reins of the party and the conservative movement for decades, seem almost entirely boxed out.) In Miami, a broad array of old conservative battlers and new, authoritarian-tinged activists, shared stages as part of an effort to apply an intellectual structure to the sprawling brand of Trumpist populism that swept the right seven years ago. Thiel, the money man behind much of the new right, compared California to communist China and berated the scourge of literal “homeless poop” which has beset his home state of California in a speech arguing that the flood of tech money into California had distorted the nation’s politics by giving the state outsized influence in national debates. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the likely heir apparent of this brand of Trumpism, seized the crowd touting his fight against COVID-19 vaccines, gender reassignment surgery for minors and the Disney Corp. Most of DeSantis’s positions are longstanding hallmarks of the right, but DeSantis dressed them in rigid language, declaring himself “the protector of the state’s freedom and the state’s security.” Supporters of former US President Donald Trump gather near his residence at Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., on Aug. 9. (Giorgio Viera/AFP via Getty Images) And Balasz Orban, the son and top adviser to Hungary’s authoritarian leader, Viktor Orban, who has become a hero to the hard right in recent years, said that “woke globalists” were “brainwashing” children. He also said that the West’s economic sanctions against Russia for its war against Ukraine has Europe “down on its knees,” alluding to rising gas prices. But behind the scenes, top Republicans corralled with donors from this South Florida enclave of Republican money. Blake Masters, a Thiel protégé who’s running for a Senate seat in Arizona, was added at the last minute to headline a closed-door fundraiser for the NatCon crowd. And National Senatorial Republican Committee Chairman Rick Scott, who’s tasked with helping Republicans try to win back the chamber, spent Sunday afternoon at the luxurious Miami resort meeting with donors, including Claremont Institute chairman and Republican mega donor Tom Klingenstein, before his Sunday night speech. “We’ve actually done really well,” Scott told Yahoo News. “After taking over the National Republican Senatorial Committee in January 2021, we said we’re going to raise money, define our opponents early,” Scott told Yahoo News afterward. Trump supporters at a rally in Sarasota, Fla., July 3. (Paul Hennessy/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) A New York Times investigation of the NRSC’s digital fundraising operation under Scott sparked cries that Scott was more interested in promoting himself than the Senate Republican candidates. But a spokesman for Scott refuted those concerns. Scott has been pulling in top Florida donors to the NRSC since he took over and has also “flipped” spending plans, with the NRSC spending more earlier in the year ahead of the November midterm elections, leaving more money for candidates and outside groups to spend closer to election day, NRSC communications director Chris Hartline said. “The reality is this has worked, despite all the pissing and moaning from Washington,” Hartline told Yahoo News. Far from the most well-known of the conservative conferences, like the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, which has turned into something of a comic-con for far-right activists and podcast celebrities, the NatCon conference felt more subdued and restrained. Washington Republican operatives and longtime conservative think tank leaders, like National Conservative Conference chairman Chris DeMuth, mingled with conservative media outlets, Orthodox and Hasidic Jewish leaders from South Florida and college students. JD Vance, Republican Senate candidate in Ohio. (Gaelen Morse/Bloomberg via Getty Images) In his speech, Thiel called the gathering a “ragtag band of rebels” which he equated to “Star Wars.” (Thiel dubbed himself the Han Solo of the group and former President Donald Trump Obi-Wan Kenobi. In the original “Star Wars” films, Obi-Wan is an ever-present apparition guiding the group but not controlling it.) “It’s donors, Zionists and a nerd prom,” said one veteran Republican operative as he watched from the sidelines. The operative and other veteran Republicans speaking on background said the conference felt more like a play to peel donors from CPAC, which is increasingly seen as a singular extension of longtime operative and CPAC chairman Matt Schlapp. Schlapp told Yahoo News the chatter and sniping didn’t bother him and that he likes what he sees from the Miami conference. “The more generals on the field, the better,” he said. Read More…

Justice Department Issues 40 Subpoenas Linked To Trump Behavior Before Jan. 6: Report https://digitalalabamanews.com/justice-department-issues-40-subpoenas-linked-to-trump-behavior-before-jan-6-report/ The Department of Justice has issued dozens of subpoenas in the last week to people who were familiar with the efforts by Donald Trump and his top aides to remain in power after the 2020 election and the former president’s actions before the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, The New York Times reported Monday. The DOJ’s actions, which include about 40 subpoenas as well as phone seizures from two top Trump advisers, is a dramatic uptick in the agency’s investigation, which is separate from the one involving the seizure of hundreds of classified documents Trump and his team kept at his Mar-a-Lago resort for more than 18 months after he left office. Subpoenas have been issued to a wide range of Trump associates, including Dan Scavino, the former social media director at the White House and a longtime aide. Others have been issued to Bernard Kerik, a friend of Rudy Giuliani and a former New York City police commissioner. Two top advisers, Boris Epshteyn and Mike Roman, had their phones seized. An attorney for Kerik said the subpoena for his client was served early last week and was extremely broad in its scope. “Basically, give us anything and everything related to anybody that is tangentially related to the Trump campaign including a long, long laundry list,” the lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, told The Hill. A prime focus of the investigation appears to be the plot to install slates of fake electors in swing states after Trump’s 2020 election loss to Joe Biden. That plan was crafted by Giuliani and attorney John Eastman, but it tell apart when then-Vice President Mike Pence refused to go along with it. One subpoena obtained by the Times requested information about any member of the Trump administration or legislative branch who helped plan or took part in the Jan. 6 rally preceding the attack on the Capitol. Prosecutors asked for any information on those who tried to “obstruct, influence, impede or delay” the certification of the 2020 Electoral College results. About 20 of the subpoenas asked for information and communications about the fake elector scheme, the Times added. The newspaper said prosecutors also appear to be homing in on a new line of investigation involving Trump’s Save America political action committee, a major fundraising arm for the former president. The House select committee investigation the Jan. 6 attack has also been eyeing the former president’s fundraising campaigns, opening questions into whether his false claims about election fraud misled solicited donors. Read More…

U.S. News Dropped Columbia’s Ranking, But Its Own Methods Are Now Questioned https://digitalalabamanews.com/u-s-news-dropped-columbias-ranking-but-its-own-methods-are-now-questioned/ After doubt about its data, the university dropped to No. 18 from No. 2. But now many are asking, can the rating system be that easily manipulated? Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share. On Friday, Columbia said some of its data was using outdated or incorrect methodologies.Credit…Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times Sept. 12, 2022Updated 7:33 p.m. ET U.S. News & World Report likes to say that it is performing a consumer service when it puts out its annual college rankings. But on Monday, those ratings were again called into question after the publication demoted Columbia University to No. 18 from No. 2 in its newest annual list, after a monthslong controversy over whether the school had fudged its numbers. The drop suggests that the highly influential rankings — which have been criticized for having an outsize influence on parents and college admissions — can be easily manipulated, since they rely heavily on data submitted by the universities that directly benefit from them. Columbia’s No. 2 status was not questioned until one of its own math professors, Michael Thaddeus, in a February blog post, accused the school of submitting statistics that were “inaccurate, dubious or highly misleading.” Last week, the university said in a statement that it had miscalculated some data. Columbia’s public humiliation raises questions for many parents and educational policymakers: Can the quality of a college be ranked by a single number, the way critics rate movies with stars? And should students choose where to go to college based on what has become a proxy for prestige? Dr. Thaddeus said he would not draw conclusions about the quality of a Columbia education from the rankings, whether the No. 2 or the No. 18 spot. “The broader lesson everyone should keep in mind is that U.S. News has shown its operations are so shoddy that both of them are meaningless,” Dr. Thaddeus said. “If any institution can decline from No. 2 to No. 18 in a single year, it just discredits the whole ranking operation.” U.S. News, which has been rating colleges since 1983, says that given the cost and importance of education, it is ever more important that parents and students have some kind of guide to quality schools. “For most of these students and their families — other than buying a home — attending college is the most consequential investment they will ever make,” Eric Gertler, chief executive of U.S. News, said in a statement. Some experts say that though the numerical ranking system provides the satisfaction of a snap judgment, it exaggerates the differences among schools, and blurs more nuanced considerations, like whether a college is strong in certain fields or has good support systems and extracurricular activities. And, they say, the rankings encourage students to apply to a similar list of schools, regardless of their own personal interests. “I don’t think there’s any reason that a student going to a school that’s ranked 60 versus one ranked 50 is going to have a meaningful risk for their lives,” said Mushtaq Gunja, a former official in the Obama administration’s Education Department and a senior vice president at the American Council on Education, which represents universities. But students often apply to schools that they think will give them a leg up in life, enhancing their prospects for upward mobility, or at least for a satisfying career, solid earnings and the sense of accomplishment that comes with being educated. The fixation with status that keeps the college rankings organizations — not just U.S. News but others like The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and Washington Monthly — in business may be overblown but it is not irrational, said Colin Diver, former president of Reed College, a rare school that does not participate in the rankings, and former dean of the University of Pennsylvania law school, which does. Image Professor Thaddeus accused the school of submitting statistics that were “inaccurate, dubious or highly misleading.”Credit…David Payr for The New York Times “It’s based on a not-irrational premise that you’re more likely not only to get jobs, but you’re more likely to get noticed, you’re more likely to have good connections,” he said. “You’ll have a pedigree, and in America, a little of that is conferred by family, but most of it is conferred by education.” As for the schools themselves, he said, “They have a love-hate relationship with U.S. News. Publicly, they may be reluctant to say, ‘We love this ranking system, anti-intellectual as it is,’ but in fact, when your ranking goes up you tend to brag about it.” Mr. Diver argued that schools were far too complex to be properly reduced to a single number, even taking into account the 17 criteria and subcriteria used by U.S. News, including reputation (20 percent); student selectivity (7 percent, of which SAT and ACT scores are weighted at 5 percent); and debt held by graduates (5 percent). Mr. Gertler of U.S. News countered that the rankings strove to be “the pre-eminent, objective resource to help high school students and their families make the most well-informed decisions about college and ensure that the institutions themselves are held accountable for the education and experience they provide to their students.” Many critics of the rankings are especially troubled by the peer assessment, a survey of school reputation sent out to presidents and deans. They argue that it is impossible for anyone to know enough about hundreds of institutions to accurately rank their reputations, a survey that counts for 20 percent of the U.S. News score. But schools continue to cooperate with the rankings because they are afraid that if they do not, U.S. News will use data from other sources that may be unfavorable to them, Mr. Diver said. Mr. Gunja recalled that the Obama administration had created a college scorecard that compares institutions. “What you’ll see is not a ranking, but it does give important information about salary after graduation, graduation rate, field of study, demographic information,” he said. “U.S. News tries to boil all of that stuff down to one number, and I get that — families are looking for some help here — but I don’t think it’s the answer,” he said. He said the scorecard had become increasingly popular among guidance counselors. Columbia’s downfall began in February, when Dr. Thaddeus questioned the accuracy of the university’s data, saying he had compared it to publicly available sources and found discrepancies. But on Monday, U.S. News announced the 2022-23 rankings, with Columbia restored to the list, at No. 18. The statement said that Columbia’s new rank was calculated with data from the U.S. Education Department’s National Center for Education Statistics, the peer assessment survey conducted by U.S. News, and the government’s College Scorecard. Where there was no third-party data, U.S. News said, it “assigned competitive set values.” Robert Morse, chief data strategist for U.S. News, said the formulas for calculating assigned values generally assigned a value below the average score for that indicator. Dr. Thaddeus said the values appeared to be “just a slightly more decorous way of saying they pulled these numbers out of the air.” Image No longer No. 2, but still prestigious: Columbia University commencement ceremony in 2022.Credit…Andrew Kelly/Reuters In the new rankings, Princeton ranks first, M.I.T. is second, and Harvard, Yale and Stanford are tied for third. Last year, Columbia was second to Princeton and tied with Harvard and M.I.T. U.S. News regularly announces that it has found discrepancies in data submitted by universities. The consequences of misreporting usually involve being pulled from the list, but on occasion they have been harsher. Last year, a former dean of Temple University’s business school was found guilty of using fraudulent data between 2014 and 2018 to improve the school’s rankings. In those years, the school’s online M.B.A. program was ranked best in the country. This year, the University of Southern California pulled its education school out of the rankings because of inaccuracies that went back five years. But Columbia, an Ivy League institution, is probably the most prestigious university in recent memory to be accused of providing incorrect data. On Friday, just before the new rankings were released, Columbia admitted that it had submitted either “outdated” or “incorrect” data in two of the metrics that go into the ranking, class size and the number of faculty with the highest degrees in their field. Columbia said the mistakes were a result, at least in part, of the “complexity” of the reporting requirements. “We deeply regret the deficiencies in our prior reporting and are committed to doing better,” Columbia’s provost, Mary Boyce, said in a statement. In last year’s rankings, Columbia claimed that about 83 percent of its classes had fewer than 20 students. On Friday, Columbia said that 57 percent of undergraduate classes had enrollments of fewer than 20 students in fall 2021. Last year, Columbia said that 100 percent of its full-time faculty had “terminal degrees,” the highest in their field. On Friday, Columbia revised that to about 95 percent. But as if to prove the potency of the U.S. News rankings, many schools sent out jubilant emails on Monday extolling their ratings. Kettering University in Flint, Mich., announced it had jumped six spots to No. 6 in the Midwest section of the rankings. And the University of California system sent out a news release celebrating that six campuses were among the country’s top public universities. Read More…

Mobile Man Accepts Murder Plea Bargain – Prosecutors Say He Killed Cousin Over $15 Argument https://digitalalabamanews.com/mobile-man-accepts-murder-plea-bargain-prosecutors-say-he-killed-cousin-over-15-argument/ MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) – Three months after rejecting a plea bargain, a man accused of shooting his cousin to death after an argument over $15 accepted a less-favorable deal. Xavier Davis, 28, of Mobile, pleaded guilty to murder, and Mobile County Circuit Judge Brandy Hambright sentenced him to 20 years in prison. The shooting occurred at a Prichard gas station in February 2020. According to prosecutors, Davis argued with George Paige over $15. Mobile County Assistant District Attorney Coy Morgan said Paige saw the defendant selling drugs and wanted money that Davis owed him. Paige walked out to his car, and the defendant followed. Morgan said Paige got out of the car and walked behind the defendant, stopping about 4 feet from him. At that point, the prosecutor said, Davis turned and shot the unarmed Paige four times in the chest. According to court records, Davis backed out of a plea bargain in June that would have required him to plead guilty to manslaughter. On the eve of Monday’s scheduled trial, Davis sought a hearing under Alabama’s Stand Your Ground law, arguing that the shooting was self-defense. The prosecution objected, noting that 947 days passed from the day of the shooting until the defendant made his self-defense claim. Before the judge held a hearing on the issue, though, Davis agreed to the new plea offer – 20 years in prison for murder. “The guilty plea and sentence imposed today has brough closure to the victim’s family who will no longer have to wait anxiously through a trial and appeal process,” Morgan told FOX10 News. “We are thankful that the parties in this case could reach a resolution – a resolution that has resulted in Xavier Davis going to prison for a long time.” — Download the FOX10 Weather App. Get life-saving severe weather warnings and alerts for your location no matter where you are. Available free in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. Copyright 2022 WALA. All rights reserved. Read More…

UN Expert Describes ‘staggering Repression’ Of Women And Girls In Afghanistan https://digitalalabamanews.com/un-expert-describes-staggering-repression-of-women-and-girls-in-afghanistan/ A UN expert has described the “staggering repression” of women and girls in Afghanistan, as the UN mission in the country accused Taliban authorities of harassing its female Afghan employees. In a statement on Monday, the UN mission described “an emerging pattern of harassment of Afghan UN female staff by the de facto authorities. Three Afghan women working for the UN were recently detained briefly and questioned by Taliban gunmen,” it said. The UN called for an immediate end to all such acts of “intimidation and harassment targeting its Afghan female staff,” and reminded local authorities of their obligations under international law to guarantee the safety and security of all UN personnel operating in Afghanistan. A statement released by the Taliban late Monday evening denied that local authorities had detained any UN employees. The incident came as Richard Bennett, the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, called for radical changes. “The severe rollback of the rights of women and girls, reprisals targeting opponents and critics, and a clampdown on freedom of expression by the Taliban amount to a descent towards authoritarianism,” he told a Human Rights Council meeting. Afghanistan ambassador Nasir Ahmad Andisha, who represents the toppled government, went further, describing a “gender apartheid” in the country. Several Afghan women addressed the same meeting, including rights activist Mahbouba Seraj, who urged the 47-member council to set up a mechanism to investigate abuses. “God only knows what kind of atrocities are not being reported,” she told the room full of UN diplomats in Geneva. “And I want that to be reported because this is not right. World: this is not right. Please, please, you’ve got to do something about it.” A year after the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, teenage girls are still barred from school and women are required to cover themselves from head to toe in public, with only their eyes showing. Hardliners appear to hold sway in the Taliban-led government, which imposed severe restrictions on access to education and jobs for girls and women, despite initial promises to the contrary. Assistant secretary general for human rights, Ilze Brands Kehris, said that approximately 850,000 girls had so far dropped out of school, placing them at risk of child marriage and sexual economic exploitation. On Saturday, in eastern Afghanistan’s Paktia province, Taliban authorities shut down five girls’ schools above the sixth grade that had briefly opened after a recommendation by tribal elders and school principals. Earlier this month, four girls’ schools in Gardez, the provincial capital, and one in the Samkani district began operating without formal permission from the Taliban education ministry. On Saturday, all five schools were once again closed by authorities. The UN has repeatedly urged the Taliban to ensure respect for international human rights. Read More…

70 Motorists Cited During 2-Day Traffic Detail In Tuscaloosa Aimed At Reducing Dangerous Driving https://digitalalabamanews.com/70-motorists-cited-during-2-day-traffic-detail-in-tuscaloosa-aimed-at-reducing-dangerous-driving/ A two-day operation aimed at reducing dangerous driving in Tuscaloosa ended with law enforcement officers issuing 86 citations to 70 drivers. The special detail was carried out by the Tuscaloosa Police Department and the Alabama State Troopers. It took place on Sept. 2 and Sept. 3. The two agencies plan to conduct additional joint traffic enforcement details over the next several months. Officers will be on the lookout for risky driving in areas where accidents and speeding are common. “Our goal is to reduce the number of accidents we’re having and increase the safety of drivers, especially on football game weekends when we have so many more drivers on the roads,” said Tuscaloosa police Capt. Billy Hallman, commander of the department’s Traffic Division. “We hope this will promote safe driving habits, and ultimately prevent wrecks with serious injuries or fatalities.” On Friday, Sept. 2, officers and troopers conducted high-visibility patrol of I-359 northbound between 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., TPD spokeswoman Stephanie Taylor. Sixty drivers were written 74 citations. The detail on Saturday, Sept. 3, focused on I-359 and downtown Tuscaloosa between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m., following the Alabama-Utah State football game. Ten drivers were written 12 tickets. On each night, drivers were ticketed for racing and exhibition of speed in the area of I-359 and Skyland Boulevard. Both of their vehicles were impounded. Also on Saturday, an ALEA trooper attempted to stop a Ford Mustang for going 131 mph on I-359 southbound, where the speed limit is 65 mph. The driver refused to stop and led the trooper on a brief pursuit that went south on Alabama Highway 69 South and onto Old Greensboro Road and Canterbury Drive, Taylor said. He was traveling at a high rate of speed and crashed into an embankment as he tried to navigate a traffic circle and turn onto Wakefield Drive. The driver was able to run from the scene, but his car was towed. ALEA is still investigating the case. Here’s a look at the breakdown by day: Friday, Sept. 2, 1 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Tickets Issued: – Speeding – 62 –  Racing – 1 –  Insurance violation – 6 –  Other driver’s license violations – 3 –  Driving while revoked – 1 – Other violations – 1 Total traffic stops – 60 Total enforcement activity – 74 Saturday, Sept. 3 11 p.m. – 3 a.m. Tickets Issued: – Running red light – 2 – Racing – 1 – Speeding – 4 – Exhibition of speed- 1 –  Insurance violation – 4 – Other violations – 1 Total traffic stops – 10 Total enforcement activity – 12 Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. Read More…

Emergency Abort On Blue Origin Flight Following 'anomaly' https://digitalalabamanews.com/emergency-abort-on-blue-origin-flight-following-anomaly/ An “anomaly” forced an in-flight capsule abort Monday during a Blue Origin flight from West Texas. The New Shepard rocket, now grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration, was not carrying people. It’s an earlier version of one that’s launched six times with people onboard. One minute and four seconds into its 10-minute mission is when the booster of the Blue Origin NS-23 failed.Just after an irregular jet of flame streaked from the engine, the abort system kicked in and rocketed the capsule away from the failing main stage.“If you go back and play it very slowly, you see that there are some flashes. Normally, when you have those flashes, it means that there is some type of debris or some extra fuel or something happening,” said Paula do Vale Pereira of Florida Tech. But the company said the escape system performed as designed.“It’s launch escape system. A solid rocket motor essentially at the base of this capsule fired right when it needed to. And the capsule got away from the rocket that was in the process of exploding,” Eric Berger with Ars Technica said. While there were no humans in the capsule, there were 36 payloads of science experiments, half funded by NASA. “If people were on board, they would have gotten a big kick in the pants and felt some Gs, but they would have been just fine,” Berger said.There are three more passenger New Shepard missions planned for this year. “Despite these companies trying to move toward airline-like operations, I think there’s still a long ways to go,” Berger said.As a result of Monday’s aborted mission, the FAA has grounded the New Shepard.The agency wrote the following in a statement to WESH 2 News: “Before the New Shepard vehicle can return to flight, the FAA will determine whether any system, process, or procedure related to the mishap affected public safety.” This is standard practice for all mishap investigations.Mission NS-23 was delayed three times because of the weather. The failed booster is an earlier version than the one rated for missions with people onboard.The capsule drifted back down to earth under three parachutes, just like how it would have come down even if everything went as planned.”Given their history of regular and reliable flights, I’m pretty sure they can figure it out without major issues,” said Julie Brisset with UCF’s Florida Space Institute.See the moment the flight was aborted below VAN HORN, Texas — An “anomaly” forced an in-flight capsule abort Monday during a Blue Origin flight from West Texas. The New Shepard rocket, now grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration, was not carrying people. It’s an earlier version of one that’s launched six times with people onboard. One minute and four seconds into its 10-minute mission is when the booster of the Blue Origin NS-23 failed. Just after an irregular jet of flame streaked from the engine, the abort system kicked in and rocketed the capsule away from the failing main stage. “If you go back and play it very slowly, you see that there are some flashes. Normally, when you have those flashes, it means that there is some type of debris or some extra fuel or something happening,” said Paula do Vale Pereira of Florida Tech. But the company said the escape system performed as designed. “It’s launch escape system. A solid rocket motor essentially at the base of this capsule fired right when it needed to. And the capsule got away from the rocket that was in the process of exploding,” Eric Berger with Ars Technica said. While there were no humans in the capsule, there were 36 payloads of science experiments, half funded by NASA. “If people were on board, they would have gotten a big kick in the pants and felt some Gs, but they would have been just fine,” Berger said. There are three more passenger New Shepard missions planned for this year. “Despite these companies trying to move toward airline-like operations, I think there’s still a long ways to go,” Berger said. As a result of Monday’s aborted mission, the FAA has grounded the New Shepard. The agency wrote the following in a statement to WESH 2 News: “Before the New Shepard vehicle can return to flight, the FAA will determine whether any system, process, or procedure related to the mishap affected public safety.” This is standard practice for all mishap investigations. Mission NS-23 was delayed three times because of the weather. The failed booster is an earlier version than the one rated for missions with people onboard. The capsule drifted back down to earth under three parachutes, just like how it would have come down even if everything went as planned. “Given their history of regular and reliable flights, I’m pretty sure they can figure it out without major issues,” said Julie Brisset with UCF’s Florida Space Institute. See the moment the flight was aborted below Read More…

Two Tennessee Vols Win SEC Weekly Awards https://digitalalabamanews.com/two-tennessee-vols-win-sec-weekly-awards/ BIRMINGHAM, Al. (WVLT) – Tennessee had two players earn Southeastern Conference weekly awards on Monday. Quarterback Hendon Hooker earned SEC Offensive Player of the Week, and defensive end Byron Young was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week. The honor marks the second time that Hooker has been tabbed the SEC Offensive Player of the Week in his career. Young is the first Vol to win SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors since Kyle Phillips did so in 2018. The pair helped lead the Vols to a significant victory over then-No. 17 Pittsburgh, marking the program’s first non-conference road win over a top-20 opponent since defeating No. 6 Miami back in 2003. Hooker accounted for 352 yards of total offense and two touchdowns to push No. 24 Tennessee to a 34-27 victory over Pitt. The signal-caller was 27-of-42 for 325 yards and two scores through the air. Hooker also broke the school record for consecutive attempts without an interception. The new record sits at 167 straight attempts without a pick. The redshirt senior is second in UT history for consecutive games with a touchdown pass at 14. Young, a preseason first-team All-SEC selection, totaled four tackles: a game-high two tackles for loss, a sack and a game-high three quarterback hurries. The senior edge rusher recorded a sack at a crucial moment in the fourth quarter on third down for a loss of six yards. Tennessee returns home to Neyland Stadium for its next two contests, hosting Akron this Saturday at 7 p.m. before an SEC showdown against rival Florida on Sept. 24. The Florida-Tennessee game will air on WVLT at 3:30 p.m. Copyright 2022 WVLT. All rights reserved. Read More…

Gladys Rebecca Sylvester Obituary (2022) The Birmingham News https://digitalalabamanews.com/gladys-rebecca-sylvester-obituary-2022-the-birmingham-news/ Mrs. Gladys Rebecca Sylvester 1934-2022 Mrs. Gladys Rebecca Sylvester, age 89, passed away September 11, 2022 at her residence. She was predeceased by her husband of sixty years, William A. (Bill) Sylvester, her parents, Velpo Foust, Sr. and Gladys Clark Foust, sister and brother-in-law, Betty and Harold Talley, and her brother, Velpo (Sonny) Faust, Jr. She is survived by sisters-in-law, Tommye Faust and Anne Sylvester Gruye’, and three generations of nieces and nephews. Mrs. Sylvester was born and raised in the small community of Rosa, Alabama. A graduate of Cleveland High School and Auburn University, she began her teaching career in Pensacola, Florida, where she met her future husband who was stationed there with the United States Marine Corps in flight training school. They were married in Kingsville, Texas, in 1958. When Mr. Sylvester left the USMC in 1959 to move to Bethesda, Maryland to begin his engineering career with a company involved in the NASA Space Program, Mrs. Sylvester continued her teaching career there. Teaching English and social studies to junior high students whose parents were often quite involved in the US Government sparked an interest which led her to fill many hours of her free time attending live sessions of Congressional and Senate proceedings. Later in life, career moves took Mrs. Sylvester and her husband to Arizona and then to California. During these years, she co-owned a business and served as a financial planner and stock advisor. After retirement in 1999, Mr. and Mrs. Sylvester moved to Alabama, living first in Vestavia and then in Homewood. One activity Mrs. Sylvester enjoyed was her participation at the local, state and national levels of The League of Women Voters in Arizona, California and Alabama. Memorials may be made to any organization that supports the welfare and care of animals. Suggested recipients would be to the Mandy Faust Scholarship Fund at the Alabama Wildlife Center in Pelham, Alabama, or the Alabama Humane Society. Published by The Birmingham News from Sep. 12 to Sep. 18, 2022. 34465541-95D0-45B0-BEEB-B9E0361A315A To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store. Read More…

Amtrak Cancels Some Long-Distance Trips As Freight Strike Threat Looms https://digitalalabamanews.com/amtrak-cancels-some-long-distance-trips-as-freight-strike-threat-looms/ A possible strike by freight rail workers began to disrupt the nation’s passenger rail Monday, while potentially rattling commutes and cross-country travel for thousands of Americans if a strike isn’t averted. Amtrak announced Monday that interruptions will begin Tuesday on its national network. The passenger railroad said it is pulling trains on three long-distance routes “to avoid possible passenger disruptions while on route.” “These initial adjustments … could be followed by impacts to all Long Distance and most State-Supported routes,” Amtrak said in a statement. “These adjustments are necessary to ensure trains can reach their terminals prior to freight railroad service interruption if a resolution in negotiations is not reached.” Amtrak owns and operates much of its own track in the busy Northeast Corridor between Washington and Boston, but elsewhere it crosses the country on tracks owned by freight lines. Commuter lines that run between major cities and suburbs often operate on a similar model. Those freight tracks likely wouldn’t be available to passenger trains in the event of a widespread strike. Any disruption would affect a passenger rail industry already weakened by 2 1/2 years of the pandemic, which has hit commuter rail lines especially hard. Amtrak said it is closely monitoring the labor negotiations and is “hopeful that parties will reach a resolution,” citing potential effects on passenger operations. Amtrak said it has begun phased adjustments to service in preparation for a possible freight rail service interruption later this week, adding that “such an interruption could significantly impact intercity passenger rail service.” Amtrak Monday announced cancellations on trains with Tuesday departures on the Empire Builder, the California Zephyr and the Southwest Chief routes. Most travel within the Northeast Corridor would not be affected, Amtrak said. However, minor schedule changes are expected on a small number of Northeast Regional trains serving destinations from Virginia to Boston. The company will let passengers change their reservation for free for departures scheduled through Oct. 31 Jim Mathews, president and chief executive of the Rail Passengers Association, said canceling trains early in the week makes sense to avoid a scenario in which rail passengers could become stranded. “It’s better to cancel some trains now than to send some people out onto the road and then have them stranded in the middle of nowhere because the strike has hit and the train can’t move anymore,” he said. “Meanwhile, we all keep our fingers crossed that finally [the railroads and labor unions] get to a settlement.” Freight railroads and unions representing their workers have been locked in a lengthy dispute over pay and working conditions. After a presidential board recommended a compromise, 10 of 12 unions involved in the talks have signed on to the deal, but the two largest have not. A cooling-off period ends Thursday night, after which workers could strike or the railroads could lock out passenger rail agencies. Officials at several regional rail agencies said Monday they were holding internal meetings to determine the potential effects and to develop contingency plans. A strike is not certain and the scope of any disruption to passenger services was not clear. A key question would be whether the freight railroads’ dispatchers — whose job is to route trains — would continue to work. Without them, passenger trains probably could not operate on freight tracks. Metrolink, a network of seven lines serving Los Angeles and other Southern California communities, warned customers last week of the potential for disruptions. Scott Johnson, a spokesman for the agency, said five of its seven lines use tracks owned by freight railroads, meaning as many as 70 percent of its customers could be affected. Yet Johnson said Metrolink had little information Monday about what the precise effects might be. “We are largely working from a position of darkness,” he said. Normally when Metrolink cancels trains, Johnson said it organizes buses as a replacement. But in the case of a strike, the agency does not expect it would be able to provide an alternative means of transportation. “Because of the possible expansive nature and the high number of trains, there simply are not enough buses to provide alternative service,” Johnson said. The Maryland Department of Transportation said Monday that freight railroad CSX had notified it about the potential for a strike beginning Friday. The state said a strike would result in the “immediate suspension” of all service on two of its three MARC commuter lines serving the District — one to Baltimore and another to Martinsburg, W.Va. The Virginia Railway Express in Northern Virginia said CSX and Norfolk Southern have notified VRE of the potential for the labor strike, which would result in the immediate suspension of all VRE train service until a resolution is reached. “We of course hold out hope for a resolution,” the agency said in a notice to passengers. “VRE recommends riders plan for alternative commute options in the event of a strike. We will continue to monitor the situation as events unfold and will keep our riders informed.” DJ Stadtler, executive director of the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority, which oversees passenger service in the state, said the authority is working with Amtrak and freight railroads to ensure passengers get the “most up-to-date information available” in the event of a strike. Not every commuter rail operation would be affected. RTD, the transit agency serving Denver, said it didn’t expect its lines to suffer in the case of a strike. The nation’s biggest transit operator, New York’s MTA, said its two commuter rail services also were not expected to be affected. New Jersey Transit also didn’t expect to be affected, although Chicago’s Metra service said customers see disruptions on four lines that have service contracted through freight rails. The looming rail labor strike could further snarl a national rail network that’s been slowing to a crawl for months, officials with the Rail Passengers Association said, particularly hurting Amtrak passengers. Disruptions to intercity train operations are on the rise, and more are likely as uncertainties linger amid staffing shortages and increased demand. Amtrak trips have been hampered by worsening problems on freight rail lines, which often share tracks with Amtrak trains. One-third of Amtrak customers encountered delays in July, according to on-time performance data, with an average delay of 71 minutes. The share of delayed customers is trending up, Amtrak data shows, and delays are getting longer. The disruptions are more pronounced for travelers on long-distance routes — which are late more than half the time — and in parts of the country outside the Northeast Corridor. Railroad association officials said the dispute could result in more widespread late trains or cancellations. Commuter rail operators have been hard-hit by changing working patterns brought on by the pandemic. In many cases, they offer more limited service at rush hour, which no longer suits workers with more flexible schedules. In Los Angeles, for example, Johnson said Metrolink had about 40,000 weekday boardings before the pandemic, a figure that now stands at about 17,000. Read More…

Lloyd Dale Davis https://digitalalabamanews.com/lloyd-dale-davis/ Dr. Lloyd Dale Davis, of Signal Mountain, Tennessee, died peacefully on September 9, 2022. He was born in January, 1935, to the late Lois and Raymond Davis near Cairo, OH. He graduated from Lima Central High Schoo and Ohio Northern University with an AB degree in Physics and Mathematics. He then married the love of his life, Barbara in 1956. He attended the University of Miami, obtaining a Masters in Mathematics. After various teaching assignments the couple arrived at Cape Canaveral, FL where he worked as a research scientist for NASA. There he welcomed the arrival of his son, Lloyd R. He then transferred to Huntsville, AL to continue his work for NASA and expanded the family with son Franklin. In 1964 he returned to his second love, teaching and studying at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The family grew once again as they welcomed a daughter Laura. In 1970 the family arrived in Chattanooga where he began duties at the newly created University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC). He returned to his studies, obtaining his Education Doctorate emphasizing Educational Research from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. He had multiple accomplishments while remaining at UTC. These included a Guerry Professorship, starting the Computer Science program, Academic Computing, and the Center of Excellence for Computer Applications. He also served for four years on the board of an international users group for Hewlett Packard where he was able to travel extensively here and abroad. Through this period he remained true to his passion of teaching. After 44 years with the University he retired in 2014. In Lloyd’s later life, his loves included his grandchildren, travels to Jekyll Island, GA, bird watching, and his fellowships at Signal Crest Methodist Church and Jekyll Island Methodist Church. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Barbara Davis, brother Don (Jane) Davis, sons Lloyd R. (Trish) Davis, Franklin Davis, daughter Laura (Brian) Thompson. He is also survived by grandsons Dr. Raleigh (Dr. Mary) and Dr. Hayden Davis, granddaughters Gailen Davis, Esq., Madison and Kelsey Thompson, great grandson Joshua Davis as well as many nieces, nephews and friends. A celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, Sept. 24, at 2 p.m. at the Signal Crest United Methodist Church, 1005 Ridgeway Ave., Signal Mountain, Tn. 37377 with Reverend Dave Graybeal and Reverend Bill Thornton officiating. Visitation will be held at the Signal Crest United Methodist Church from 1 to 2 p.m. prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, a memorial contribution can be made to the Building Fund at Signal Crest United Methodist in Signal Mountain, Tn. Arrangements are entrusted to Hamilton Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 4506 Hixson Pike, Hixson, 423 531-3975. Read More…

Justice Dept. Issues 40 Subpoenas In A Week, Expanding Its Jan. 6 Inquiry https://digitalalabamanews.com/justice-dept-issues-40-subpoenas-in-a-week-expanding-its-jan-6-inquiry-2/ Over the past week, it also seized the phones of two top Trump advisers, a sign of an escalating investigation two months before the midterm elections. Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share. Protesters surrounding the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.Credit…Jason Andrew for The New York Times Sept. 12, 2022Updated 5:40 p.m. ET WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has issued about 40 subpoenas over the past week seeking information about the actions of former President Donald J. Trump and his associates related to the 2020 election and the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, according to people familiar with the situation. Two top Trump advisers, Boris Epshteyn and Mike Roman, had their phones seized as evidence, those people said. The department’s actions represent a substantial escalation of a slow-simmer investigation two months before the midterm elections, coinciding with a separate inquiry into Mr. Trump’s hoarding of sensitive documents at his residence in Florida, Mar-a-Lago. Among those the department has contacted since Wednesday are people who are close to the former president and have played significant roles in his post-White House life. Those receiving the subpoenas included Dan Scavino, Mr. Trump’s former social media director who rose from working at a Trump-owned golf course to one of his most loyal aides and has remained an adviser since Mr. Trump left office. Stanley Woodward, one of Mr. Scavino’s lawyers, declined to comment. Key Revelations From the Jan. 6 Hearings Card 1 of 9 Making a case against Trump. The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack is laying out a comprehensive narrative of President Donald J. Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Here are the main themes that have emerged so far from eight public hearings: The Justice Department also executed search warrants to seize electronic devices from people involved in the so-called fake electors effort in swing states, including Mr. Epshteyn, a longtime Trump adviser, and Mr. Roman, a campaign strategist, according to people familiar with the events. Federal agents made the seizures last week, the people said. Mr. Epshteyn and Mr. Roman did not respond to requests for comment. A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment. Bernard Kerik, a former New York City police commissioner who promoted baseless claims of voter fraud alongside his friend Rudolph W. Giuliani, was issued a subpoena by prosecutors with the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, his lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, said on Monday. Mr. Parlatore said his client had initially offered to grant an interview voluntarily. The subpoenas seek information in connection with the plan to submit slates of electors pledged to Mr. Trump from swing states that were won by Joseph R. Biden Jr. in the 2020 election. Mr. Trump and his allies promoted the idea that competing slates of electors would justify blocking or delaying certification of Mr. Biden’s Electoral College victory during a joint session of Congress on Jan. 6, 2021. In a new line of inquiry, some of the subpoenas also seek information into the activities of the Save America political action committee, the main political fund-raising conduit for Mr. Trump since he left office. What we consider before using anonymous sources. Do the sources know the information? What’s their motivation for telling us? Have they proved reliable in the past? Can we corroborate the information? Even with these questions satisfied, The Times uses anonymous sources as a last resort. The reporter and at least one editor know the identity of the source. For months, associates of Mr. Trump have received subpoenas related to other aspects of the investigations into his efforts to cling to power. But the fact that the Justice Department is now seeking information related to fund-raising comes as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack has raised questions about money Mr. Trump solicited under the premise of fighting election fraud. The new subpoenas were issued for a wide variety of people around Mr. Trump, from low-level aides to his most senior advisers. The Justice Department has spent more than a year focused on investigating hundreds of rioters who were on the ground at the Capitol on Jan. 6. But this spring, they started issuing grand jury subpoenas to people like Ali Alexander, a prominent organizer with the pro-Trump Stop the Steal group, who helped plan the march to the Capitol after Mr. Trump gave a speech that day at the Ellipse near the White House. While it remains unclear how many subpoenas had been issued in that early round, the information they sought was broad. According to one subpoena obtained by The New York Times, they asked for any records or communications from people who organized, spoke at or provided security for Mr. Trump’s rally at the Ellipse. They also requested information about any members of the executive and legislative branches who may have taken part in planning or executing the rally, or tried to “obstruct, influence, impede or delay” the certification of the presidential election. By early summer, the grand jury investigation had taken another turn as several subpoenas were issued to state lawmakers and state Republican officials allied with Mr. Trump who took part in a plan to create fake slates of pro-Trump electors in several key swing states that were actually won by Mr. Biden. At least 20 of these subpoenas were sent out and sought information about, and communications with, several lawyers who took part in the fake elector scheme, including Mr. Giuliani and John Eastman. Around the same time, federal investigators seized Mr. Eastman’s cellphone and the phone of another lawyer, Jeffrey Clark, whom Mr. Trump had sought at one point to install as the acting attorney general. Mr. Clark had his own role in the fake elector scheme: In December 2020, he helped draft a letter to Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia, saying that the state’s election results had been marred by fraud and recommending that Mr. Kemp convene a special session of the Georgia Legislature to create a slate of pro-Trump electors. At least some of the new subpoenas also requested all records that the recipient turned over to the House committee investigating Jan. 6, according to a person familiar with the matter. Michael S. Schmidt and Katie Benner contributed reporting. Read More…

Justice Dept. Issues 40 Subpoenas In A Week, Expanding Its Jan. 6 Inquiry https://digitalalabamanews.com/justice-dept-issues-40-subpoenas-in-a-week-expanding-its-jan-6-inquiry/ Over the past week, it also seized the phones of two top Trump advisers, a sign of an escalating investigation two months before the midterm elections. Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share. Protesters surrounding the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.Credit…Jason Andrew for The New York Times Sept. 12, 2022Updated 5:40 p.m. ET WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has issued about 40 subpoenas over the past week seeking information about the actions of former President Donald J. Trump and his associates related to the 2020 election and the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, according to people familiar with the situation. Two top Trump advisers, Boris Epshteyn and Mike Roman, had their phones seized as evidence, those people said. The department’s actions represent a substantial escalation of a slow-simmer investigation two months before the midterm elections, coinciding with a separate inquiry into Mr. Trump’s hoarding of sensitive documents at his residence in Florida, Mar-a-Lago. Among those the department has contacted since Wednesday are people who are close to the former president and have played significant roles in his post-White House life. Those receiving the subpoenas included Dan Scavino, Mr. Trump’s former social media director who rose from working at a Trump-owned golf course to one of his most loyal aides and has remained an adviser since Mr. Trump left office. Stanley Woodward, one of Mr. Scavino’s lawyers, declined to comment. Key Revelations From the Jan. 6 Hearings Card 1 of 9 Making a case against Trump. The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack is laying out a comprehensive narrative of President Donald J. Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Here are the main themes that have emerged so far from eight public hearings: The Justice Department also executed search warrants to seize electronic devices from people involved in the so-called fake electors effort in swing states, including Mr. Epshteyn, a longtime Trump adviser, and Mr. Roman, a campaign strategist, according to people familiar with the events. Federal agents made the seizures last week, the people said. Mr. Epshteyn and Mr. Roman did not respond to requests for comment. A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment. Bernard Kerik, a former New York City police commissioner who promoted baseless claims of voter fraud alongside his friend Rudolph W. Giuliani, was issued a subpoena by prosecutors with the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, his lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, said on Monday. Mr. Parlatore said his client had initially offered to grant an interview voluntarily. The subpoenas seek information in connection with the plan to submit slates of electors pledged to Mr. Trump from swing states that were won by Joseph R. Biden Jr. in the 2020 election. Mr. Trump and his allies promoted the idea that competing slates of electors would justify blocking or delaying certification of Mr. Biden’s Electoral College victory during a joint session of Congress on Jan. 6, 2021. In a new line of inquiry, some of the subpoenas also seek information into the activities of the Save America political action committee, the main political fund-raising conduit for Mr. Trump since he left office. What we consider before using anonymous sources. Do the sources know the information? What’s their motivation for telling us? Have they proved reliable in the past? Can we corroborate the information? Even with these questions satisfied, The Times uses anonymous sources as a last resort. The reporter and at least one editor know the identity of the source. For months, associates of Mr. Trump have received subpoenas related to other aspects of the investigations into his efforts to cling to power. But the fact that the Justice Department is now seeking information related to fund-raising comes as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack has raised questions about money Mr. Trump solicited under the premise of fighting election fraud. The new subpoenas were issued for a wide variety of people around Mr. Trump, from low-level aides to his most senior advisers. The Justice Department has spent more than a year focused on investigating hundreds of rioters who were on the ground at the Capitol on Jan. 6. But this spring, they started issuing grand jury subpoenas to people like Ali Alexander, a prominent organizer with the pro-Trump Stop the Steal group, who helped plan the march to the Capitol after Mr. Trump gave a speech that day at the Ellipse near the White House. While it remains unclear how many subpoenas had been issued in that early round, the information they sought was broad. According to one subpoena obtained by The New York Times, they asked for any records or communications from people who organized, spoke at or provided security for Mr. Trump’s rally at the Ellipse. They also requested information about any members of the executive and legislative branches who may have taken part in planning or executing the rally, or tried to “obstruct, influence, impede or delay” the certification of the presidential election. By early summer, the grand jury investigation had taken another turn as several subpoenas were issued to state lawmakers and state Republican officials allied with Mr. Trump who took part in a plan to create fake slates of pro-Trump electors in several key swing states that were actually won by Mr. Biden. At least 20 of these subpoenas were sent out and sought information about, and communications with, several lawyers who took part in the fake elector scheme, including Mr. Giuliani and John Eastman. Around the same time, federal investigators seized Mr. Eastman’s cellphone and the phone of another lawyer, Jeffrey Clark, whom Mr. Trump had sought at one point to install as the acting attorney general. Mr. Clark had his own role in the fake elector scheme: In December 2020, he helped draft a letter to Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia, saying that the state’s election results had been marred by fraud and recommending that Mr. Kemp convene a special session of the Georgia Legislature to create a slate of pro-Trump electors. At least some of the new subpoenas also requested all records that the recipient turned over to the House committee investigating Jan. 6, according to a person familiar with the matter. Michael S. Schmidt and Katie Benner contributed reporting. Read More…

Senate Intelligence Chair Says Briefing On Trump Classified Documents On Hold https://digitalalabamanews.com/senate-intelligence-chair-says-briefing-on-trump-classified-documents-on-hold/ Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner (D-Va.) said on Sunday that a congressional briefing to get a damage assessment of the classified documents potentially mishandled by former President Trump is on hold since a judge allowed a special master to review what was seized. “My understanding is there is some question because of the special master appointment by the judge in Florida whether they can brief at this point,” Warner told CBS “Face the Nation” moderator Margaret Brennan. “We need clarification on that from that judge as quickly as possible because it is essential that the intelligence community, leadership at least, get a briefing of the damage assessment.” Warner, along with the committee’s vice chairman, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), have requested more information on the classified documents obtained during an FBI search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property in August, seeking both the documents seized and an assessment of any national security threats posed by potential mishandling of the information. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon granted Trump’s request last week to appoint an independent special master to review materials seized by the FBI after he raised concerns that some of the information obtained as part of the Justice Department’s investigation into the former president was protected under attorney-client and executive privileges. Warner said the congressional request in no way sought to hinder the DOJ’s ongoing investigation and sidestepped questions by Brennan about information shared with Congress being more likely to leak to the public. “I believe that it’s our congressional duty to have that oversight,” Warner said. “Remember what’s at stake here is the fact that if some of these documents involved human intelligence and that information got out, people will die,” noting that years of work could be “destroyed.” Warner said the Senate Intelligence Committee, which he called the “last functioning bipartisan committee, I believe, in the whole Congress” had an obligation to review any potential security dangers to the country and its intelligence gathering capabilities.  “I do want the damage assessment of what would happen to our ability to protect the nation,” Warner said, adding that the request by the intelligence leaders sought to “assess whether there’s been damage done to our intelligence collection and maintenance of secrets capacity.” Updated 11:32 a.m. Read More…

Russian Forces Forced To Retreat https://digitalalabamanews.com/russian-forces-forced-to-retreat/ Ukraine’s counteroffensive gained momentum, as Russia was forced to withdraw troops. Queen Elizabeth II’s casket arrived at St. Giles’ Cathedral. And this past year in television will be celebrated at the Primetime Emmys tonight. Hey! Julius Lasin and Laura Davis here. We’re tag-teaming the news today! Let’s get to it. But first, the answer to a question on everyone’s mind.  What happens to the queen’s corgis!? No worries – they have a home! A representative for the Duke and Duchess of York said the couple will care for Queen Elizabeth’s beloved dogs. The Short List is a snappy USA TODAY news roundup. Subscribe to the newsletter here or text messages here. Ukrainian forces break through to Russian border “The world is impressed. The enemy is panicking,” Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, lauding Ukraine’s military efforts after a stunning offensive that gained momentum Monday, reclaiming several more northeastern villages and forcing the retreat of overwhelmed Russian troops from the region. Ukrainian forces outnumbered Russian troops 8 to 1, and had broken through to the Russian border, said Vitaly Ganchev, a Russian-installed official in the Kharkiv region. “The situation is becoming more difficult by the hour,” he added. Kyiv’s sudden momentum comes after months of little movement, save Russia’s small gains in the Donbas region. Ukraine’s encouraging counteroffensive has lifted morale and provoked some rare public criticism of President Vladimir Putin’s war. More updates from Ukraine. Photo gallery: Children caught up in chaos as Russia invades Ukraine. As Ukrainian forces surge, how might Putin spin the war? A glorious, fantastic success!  |  Opinion Queen Elizabeth II’s casket arrives at Scottish cathedral Queen Elizabeth II’s casket arrived at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh for a memorial service Monday. King Charles III and his three siblings marched behind their mother’s casket in a procession along the Royal Mile in the historic heart of the Scottish capital. The queen’s casket will remain at the cathedral before being flown to London on Tuesday. It will then be moved from Buckingham Palace on Wednesday to the Houses of Parliament to lie in state until a state funeral at Westminster Abbey on Sept. 19. More live updates. Will ex-U.S. presidents attend Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral? It’s not likely. Prince Harry gives touching tribute to his ‘Granny’ and her ‘infectious smile.’ Lamprey pie: Michigan man prepares to ship invasive, blood-sucking fish to England for king’s coronation. What everyone’s talking about Most Black people want reparations. They don’t believe America will give them any, survey says. ‘A huge part of me has died’: Britney Spears opens up about strained relationship with sons. NFL Week 1 winners and losers: Justin Herbert, Patrick Mahomes set up enticing TNF showdown. The complexity of mourning Queen Elizabeth II and questioning her legacy. ‘I watched life leave his eyes’: Parents warn against metal straws after 4-year-old stabbed in the throat. The Short List is free, but several stories we link to are subscriber-only. Consider supporting our journalism and become a USA TODAY digital subscriber today. Many prisons don’t have full AC. Climate change is making it ‘torture.’ At least 44 U.S. states don’t universally air condition their prisons, and inmates are getting sick and dying, according to a USA TODAY analysis. Quintero Jones was one of them. He died on a 98-degree day in Texas, and it felt hotter in his prison cell. While some things have changed in Texas prisons since then, advocates say it’s not enough. USA TODAY’s analysis found only one state – Tennessee – that said it fully air-conditioned all its prison facilities. With summer temperatures rising due to climate change, the problem is expected to only get worse. Keep reading. Trump lawyers urge judge to keep blocking DOJ from seized records While U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon works to name a special master for an independent review of the documents seized at Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump’s lawyers have been brewing some arguments. In a court filing Monday, Trump’s lawyers argued against allowing the Justice Department to review seized documents while a special master independently reviews them. And in a separate filing, Trump’s lawyers objected to the government’s two candidates for special master – without explaining the opposition in detail. Lawyers for Trump and the Justice Department submitted four names Friday of potential special masters, although they didn’t agree on any. More updates. Do Trump’s attacks on the DOJ cross the line into illegal incitement? Trump racketeering lawsuit against Hillary Clinton dismissed as ‘political manifesto.’ Real quick 3 children dead after being found unresponsive on Coney Island beach. What to watch for ahead of Delaware’s primary Tuesday. Thousands of homes threatened as Mosquito Fire roars in California. What QB Dak Prescott’s imminent surgery means for Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys. September heat blazed across North Atlantic, melting ice and setting records. Blue Origin’s New Shepard crashes in Texas, the first launch failure for the rocket company. Texas doctor tampered with IV bags, leading to colleague’s death, board says. There are four new top 10 teams in college football’s NCAA Re-Rank 1-131. What’s the weather up to in your neck of the woods? Check your local forecast here. Who will take home Emmys on ‘TV’s biggest night’?  The 74th Primetime Emmy Awards, hosted by “Saturday Night Live” stalwart Kenan Thompson, will take place Monday night in Los Angeles. Among the night’s favorites are HBO dramas “Succession” and “The White Lotus,” both with 20 nominations. Apple TV+ comedy “Ted Lasso” also received 20 nods this year, following seven wins during last year’s show. This year’s Primetime Emmys kick off at 8 p.m. EDT/5 p.m. PDT on NBC. It will also stream on Peacock. Red-carpet coverage will air on E! Everything you need to know about the show. ‘More community than competition’: Emmy nominees reflect ahead of Monday’s awards show. ‘Squid Game’? ‘Abbott Elementary’? Who will (and who should) win at the 2022 Emmys. A break from the news Apple iOS 16 is here: What to know about the latest iPhone update. 7 Amazon living room furniture essentials every new homeowner needs. D23 highlights: These Disneyland and Disney World additions will have fans itching to go back. Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at USA TODAY. Send her an email at laura@usatoday.com or follow along with her adventures – and misadventures – on Twitter. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to USA TODAY here. This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Want this news roundup in your inbox every night? Subscribe to the newsletter here or text messages here. Read More…

White House Confirms Trump Not Invited To Queen Elizabeth’s Funeral https://digitalalabamanews.com/white-house-confirms-trump-not-invited-to-queen-elizabeths-funeral/ President Joe Biden will not be bringing his predecessor — or any other former president — to accompany him when he travels to London for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, the White House has said. In response to a question on whether Mr Biden would invite Donald Trump or any of the three other living ex-presidents to join an official delegation to the late sovereign’s memorial service, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that the official invitation from His Majesty’s Government was extended only to the incumbent president and his spouse, First Lady Jill Biden. Ms Jean-Pierre said the invitation was transmitted on Saturday as a diplomatic note from the protocol directorate of the UK foreign and commonwealth office, with Mr Biden accepting it a day later. “The invitation was extended to the US government for the President and the First Lady only,” she said. Foreign heads of state and their partners have been asked to arrive in the UK on commercial flights and have been told there will be no use of helicopters allowed to move them around London. They have also been told that they will not be allowed to use official cars to attend the funeral on Monday 19 September but will instead be bussed to Westminster Abbey from a site in west London, according to Politico. The late Queen’s seven decades on the throne spanned the terms of 14 US presidents, from the 33th — Harry S Truman — to Mr Biden, the 46th. Of those 14, the only one she did not meet in person was the 36th, Lyndon Johnson. Following the announcement of the Queen’s death, Mr Trump, who was invited for a state visit to the UK in 2019, took to Truth Social to praise her “generous friendship, great wisdom, and wonderful sense of humor”, adding that she was a “beautiful lady”. “Melania and I are deeply saddened to learn of the loss of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Together with our family and fellow Americans, we send our sincere condolences to the Royal Family and the people of the United Kingdom during this time of great sorrow and grief,” he wrote. The former president continued: “Melania and I will always cherish our time together with the Queen, and never forget Her Majesty’s generous friendship, great wisdom, and wonderful sense of humor. What a grand and beautiful lady she was—there was nobody like her!” The former president visited the UK on three occasions during his time in office. In July 2018 he met with the Queen and Prime Minister Theresa May, returning in June of the following year for an official state visit and the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings. In December 2019 he returned for a Nato summit and again met with the Queen. Read More…

🌱 James Spann At September Luncheon + Household Hazardous Waste Day https://digitalalabamanews.com/%f0%9f%8c%b1-james-spann-at-september-luncheon-household-hazardous-waste-day/ Skip to main content Vestavia Hills, AL Mountain Brook, AL Birmingham, AL Pelham, AL Trussville, AL Tuscaloosa, AL Montgomery, AL Huntsville, AL Dallas-Hiram, GA Douglasville, GA Alabama Top National News See All Communities Hello and happy Tuesday. I’m back in your inbox this morning to walk you through everything you need to know about what’s happening in town. Let’s do this. First, today’s weather: Sunny, nice and less humid. High: 83 Low: 59. Find out what’s happening in Hooverwith free, real-time updates from Patch. Attention local businesses & marketers: Attract more customers in Hoover by sponsoring this daily newsletter, which gets read by the same people you’re trying to reach. Click here to learn more. Here are the top three stories today in Hoover: Find out what’s happening in Hooverwith free, real-time updates from Patch. On Thursday, the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce will host its September Luncheon. The event, sponsored by Lake Homes Realty, will feature television meteorologist and podcast host James Spann. The luncheon will take place on Sep. 15 from 11:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham-The Wynfrey Hotel in Birmingham. (Hoover Chamber) An Alabama woman and a New York City man pleaded guilty on Monday to attempting to provide material support to ISIS. 30-year-old Arwa Muthana of Hoover pleaded guilty yesterday and her 21-year-old husband, James Bradley, aka Abdullah, of the Bronx, pleaded on Friday to one count of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The two are ISIS supporters who attempted to travel to the Middle East to join and fight for ISIS, according to court documents. (Department of Justice) The fall Household Hazardous Waste Day event is scheduled for this Saturday. On Sep. 17, Hoover and Indian Springs Village residents are invited to dispose of household items like old paint, pesticides, batteries and electronics, cooking oil, ammunition and firearms, medication, and more. The event will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Hoover Public Safety Building located at 2020 Valleydale Road. Please note that businesses are not allowed to participate and verification of residency will be required. (Twitter) Today in Hoover: FY 2023 Budget Hearing, At Hoover City Board Of Education/Central Office At 2810 Metropolitan Way (4:30 PM) Live Music: Matt Broach, At Moss Rock Tacos & Tequila (5:30 PM) True Crime Digital Book Club, At North Shelby Library (6:00 PM) From my notebook: On Saturday, the Hoover Fire Department held its annual Patriot Day Ceremony and Memorial Stair Climb. They had 97 registered climbers for the stair climb and raised about $3,500 for the Hoover Public Safety Foundation. (Hoover Fire Department via Facebook) Are you looking to add a furry friend to your family? Check out these adoptable pets available in the Hoover area, including a female kitten named Lou Lou. (Hoover Patch) The Hoover Public Library’s shelves are full and waiting for your buds and blooms. Come by the Houseplant Exchange to trade for a new-to-you houseplant — available any time the library is open. (Twitter) That’s it for today. I’ll see you around! — Miranda Fraraccio About me: Miranda Fraraccio is a born and raised Rhode Islander, now living in New York. She works as a staff writer for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and is a graduate of The University of Rhode Island, where she earned a degree in Writing & Rhetoric and Communication Studies. In her free time, you can find her traveling, drinking tea, or photographing her neighborhood as a street photographer. Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. The rules of replying: Be respectful. This is a space for friendly local discussions. No racist, discriminatory, vulgar or threatening language will be tolerated. Be transparent. Use your real name, and back up your claims. Keep it local and relevant. Make sure your replies stay on topic. Review the Patch Community Guidelines. Read More…

US Forecast https://digitalalabamanews.com/us-forecast-27/ City/Town, State;Yesterday’s High Temp (F);Yesterday’s Low Temp (F);Today’s High Temp (F);Today’s Low Temp (F);Weather Condition;Wind Direction;Wind Speed (MPH);Humidity (%);Chance of Precip. (%);UV Index Albany, NY;79;66;75;56;Thunderstorms;SW;7;86%;88%;1 Albuquerque, NM;85;63;81;59;A stray p.m. t-storm;ESE;7;48%;90%;4 Anchorage, AK;56;47;55;47;A couple of showers;NNW;5;84%;94%;1 Asheville, NC;78;50;75;52;Mostly sunny;NW;7;55%;8%;7 Atlanta, GA;83;57;81;59;Sunshine, less humid;NW;8;48%;4%;7 Atlantic City, NJ;80;71;82;63;Humid;W;10;73%;53%;5 Austin, TX;93;70;96;71;Sunny and very warm;SSE;3;49%;2%;8 Baltimore, MD;85;70;82;63;Clouds breaking;NW;9;51%;13%;5 Baton Rouge, LA;88;63;87;63;Mostly sunny;NE;7;57%;5%;8 Billings, MT;88;56;85;60;Considerable clouds;NNW;8;34%;10%;3 Birmingham, AL;80;57;82;60;Sunny and less humid;SW;6;47%;4%;7 Bismarck, ND;89;50;75;50;Partly sunny, cooler;E;13;54%;5%;5 Boise, ID;87;62;79;57;Not as warm;ESE;7;48%;56%;3 Boston, MA;77;67;76;62;A shower and t-storm;WSW;7;87%;93%;1 Bridgeport, CT;78;70;81;60;Showers;WSW;9;74%;83%;2 Buffalo, NY;74;60;67;61;A passing shower;WSW;10;68%;88%;3 Burlington, VT;82;66;76;59;Rain, a thunderstorm;SSW;7;85%;100%;1 Caribou, ME;79;57;79;59;A p.m. shower or two;SE;6;69%;99%;2 Casper, WY;84;43;86;56;Sun and clouds;SSW;7;28%;10%;5 Charleston, SC;88;74;87;71;A thunderstorm;WNW;7;70%;81%;6 Charleston, WV;73;55;76;57;Partly sunny;NW;7;63%;12%;6 Charlotte, NC;87;64;82;60;Partly sunny;NW;6;49%;10%;7 Cheyenne, WY;84;51;83;56;Mostly cloudy;SSW;11;16%;9%;5 Chicago, IL;64;59;75;61;Clearing and warmer;W;9;63%;12%;5 Cleveland, OH;72;59;70;61;Breezy;SW;14;72%;65%;3 Columbia, SC;91;69;87;62;Partly sunny;NW;6;52%;12%;7 Columbus, OH;71;56;70;57;Some sun;W;9;62%;12%;4 Concord, NH;84;64;73;56;Heavy thunderstorms;WSW;5;93%;99%;1 Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX;86;68;91;70;Sunny;ESE;7;41%;2%;8 Denver, CO;88;56;87;60;Mostly sunny;SSW;8;19%;21%;6 Des Moines, IA;75;51;81;59;Sunny and pleasant;SE;5;48%;0%;5 Detroit, MI;70;57;73;57;Clouds and sun;W;7;58%;25%;3 Dodge City, KS;89;58;94;64;Sunny and very warm;SE;8;46%;8%;7 Duluth, MN;72;53;75;54;Mostly sunny, warm;ENE;8;62%;3%;5 El Paso, TX;89;68;90;66;Mostly cloudy;NNW;6;45%;66%;6 Fairbanks, AK;63;43;63;44;Mostly cloudy;NNE;5;61%;67%;1 Fargo, ND;81;49;70;50;Partly sunny, nice;NE;12;61%;9%;5 Grand Junction, CO;90;62;73;57;A p.m. t-storm;NNW;9;50%;88%;2 Grand Rapids, MI;66;53;71;55;A shower in spots;WNW;8;72%;40%;3 Hartford, CT;80;68;80;59;Thunderstorms;WSW;7;83%;98%;2 Helena, MT;85;55;77;54;Hazy sun and smoky;ESE;5;37%;44%;3 Honolulu, HI;88;76;88;75;Breezy with sunshine;ENE;15;57%;10%;10 Houston, TX;92;73;91;70;Partly sunny;SSE;6;56%;27%;8 Indianapolis, IN;64;57;76;58;Warmer;WNW;8;64%;15%;3 Jackson, MS;83;59;85;60;Sunny and less humid;E;4;48%;2%;8 Jacksonville, FL;90;74;87;72;A shower and t-storm;W;6;75%;96%;4 Juneau, AK;59;48;59;49;Rain and drizzle;ESE;6;79%;94%;1 Kansas City, MO;82;58;87;65;Plenty of sunshine;ESE;4;51%;0%;6 Knoxville, TN;80;52;81;55;Sunny and pleasant;SSE;6;54%;7%;7 Las Vegas, NV;87;71;87;70;A stray p.m. t-storm;SSE;8;49%;77%;6 Lexington, KY;73;56;76;57;Partly sunny, nice;WNW;8;62%;9%;4 Little Rock, AR;82;59;89;62;Sunny and nice;SSW;6;42%;1%;7 Long Beach, CA;88;72;83;70;Humid;WSW;6;62%;11%;6 Los Angeles, CA;84;69;83;67;Patchy fog, then sun;SSE;7;62%;11%;7 Louisville, KY;75;58;78;59;Partly sunny;NW;8;59%;10%;3 Madison, WI;61;51;74;54;Mostly sunny, warmer;WSW;6;59%;0%;5 Memphis, TN;82;61;89;64;Sunny and pleasant;ESE;7;41%;1%;7 Miami, FL;91;78;90;79;A stray p.m. t-storm;S;7;70%;71%;8 Milwaukee, WI;66;59;76;60;Clearing and warmer;W;9;62%;8%;5 Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN;76;55;82;58;Mostly sunny;SW;6;45%;1%;5 Mobile, AL;89;68;88;65;Partly sunny;NNE;7;49%;4%;8 Montgomery, AL;86;59;81;59;Sunlit, less humid;N;5;49%;5%;8 Mt. Washington, NH;54;50;54;41;Thunderstorms;W;13;99%;98%;1 Nashville, TN;77;56;83;56;Sunny and nice;NE;7;43%;1%;7 New Orleans, LA;91;73;86;72;Partly sunny;E;8;59%;6%;8 New York, NY;81;71;82;63;Showers;WSW;9;71%;79%;2 Newark, NJ;82;70;82;60;Showers;WSW;8;69%;75%;2 Norfolk, VA;91;71;84;66;Humid with a shower;WNW;7;67%;44%;3 Oklahoma City, OK;85;62;91;67;Very warm;SSE;13;49%;3%;7 Olympia, WA;75;52;70;50;Partly sunny;WSW;5;70%;29%;2 Omaha, NE;82;53;86;62;Plenty of sunshine;SE;8;54%;3%;5 Orlando, FL;92;76;91;75;A t-storm or two;SSE;5;70%;84%;7 Philadelphia, PA;85;72;83;63;A stray a.m. shower;W;8;61%;48%;5 Phoenix, AZ;98;79;97;78;Partly sunny;WSW;7;38%;8%;7 Pittsburgh, PA;77;56;70;55;Partly sunny;WSW;10;63%;16%;3 Portland, ME;82;63;68;60;A shower and t-storm;S;7;99%;96%;1 Portland, OR;77;57;73;56;Clouds and sun;NNW;5;60%;27%;3 Providence, RI;76;67;77;60;Thunderstorms;WSW;7;85%;99%;1 Raleigh, NC;88;67;83;61;Partial sunshine;WNW;7;54%;13%;7 Reno, NV;83;57;80;49;Partly sunny;W;9;36%;0%;6 Richmond, VA;88;67;83;59;Clouds breaking;W;7;61%;13%;6 Roswell, NM;89;62;90;64;A t-storm around;WNW;7;48%;55%;6 Sacramento, CA;92;61;81;58;Not as warm;S;10;47%;0%;6 Salt Lake City, UT;93;67;77;61;A p.m. t-storm;SSE;10;60%;92%;2 San Antonio, TX;94;71;95;72;Lots of sun, warm;SE;7;56%;5%;8 San Diego, CA;79;71;77;68;Turning sunny, humid;SW;8;71%;12%;5 San Francisco, CA;68;61;71;61;Breezy in the p.m.;W;15;61%;2%;6 Savannah, GA;86;71;88;65;A thunderstorm;SW;5;71%;81%;7 Seattle-Tacoma, WA;74;56;69;56;Some sunshine;WSW;6;71%;25%;3 Sioux Falls, SD;81;52;87;60;Partly sunny;SE;8;48%;10%;5 Spokane, WA;85;57;83;54;Hazy sun and smoky;SSW;3;46%;66%;5 Springfield, IL;72;52;79;52;Sunny and pleasant;N;5;55%;3%;6 St. Louis, MO;79;53;80;55;Sunny and pleasant;SE;6;43%;0%;6 Tampa, FL;88;77;88;75;A morning t-storm;N;6;77%;81%;5 Toledo, OH;67;53;71;53;Partly sunny;WSW;5;70%;25%;4 Tucson, AZ;92;70;90;69;A stray p.m. t-storm;SW;6;48%;42%;8 Tulsa, OK;85;59;91;62;Plenty of sunshine;SSE;8;43%;0%;7 Vero Beach, FL;92;72;90;72;A stray p.m. t-storm;W;6;75%;67%;7 Washington, DC;84;67;82;61;Clouds breaking;NW;8;55%;30%;5 Wichita, KS;86;60;92;66;Sunny and very warm;SSE;12;50%;10%;6 Wilmington, DE;86;70;81;61;A stray a.m. shower;W;9;66%;44%;5 _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather Read More…

FOX NEWS Host Criticizes Democrats For Having The Audacity To Oppose … Fascism??? https://digitalalabamanews.com/fox-news-host-criticizes-democrats-for-having-the-audacity-to-oppose-fascism/ It’s been two weeks since President Biden delivered “his historic Soul of America speech“, wherein he alerted the nation to the growing threat of authoritarian forces deeply embedded in Donald Trump’s MAGA crusade. The speech addressed the stark choice that the country faces between being “a nation of hope and unity and optimism, or a nation of fear, division, and of darkness?” Click here to Tweet this article In the intervening weeks, Fox News has remained fiercely fixated on what they have falsely characterized as Biden’s hostility to half the nation. Never mind that Biden explicitly said that he was not referring to all Republicans, or even to all Trump supporters. The dishonest narrative that Fox News was intent on promulgating was more important than the truth. RELATED: Biden Was Wrong to Call MAGA Republicans Merely ‘Semi’ Fascist That same seething obsession was evident on Monday’s episode of Fox and Friends. in a response to remarks by her guest, far right radio talker Jason Rantz, co-host Harris Faulkner latched onto the fake Fox factoid that Biden had insulted the MAGA cultists saying that… “If they’re anti-semi-fascist, which is how they see more than half the country now – because Democrats are looking up and saying ‘Look we we just want lower prices. Where’s that $1.99 gas.’ – Are they pro-Antifa?”

PolitiFact – King Charles III Didn't Declare Trump Winner Of The 2020 Election https://digitalalabamanews.com/politifact-king-charles-iii-didnt-declare-trump-winner-of-the-2020-election/ Stand up for the facts! Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy. We need your help. More Info I would like to contribute King Charles III signs an oath to uphold the security of the Church in Scotland during the Accession Council at St James’s Palace in London on Sept. 10, 2022. (AP) King Charles III didn’t declare Trump winner of the 2020 election If Your Time is short When Queen Elizabeth II died Sept. 8, King Charles III ascended the throne. Charles was formally proclaimed king at an accession ceremony Sept. 10. During that ceremony, he signed an oath to uphold the Church of Scotland.  There’s no evidence he issued a proclamation about the 2020 U.S. presidential election. As if losing his mother and ascending the throne wasn’t enough for one week, the United Kingdom’s newly proclaimed King Charles III also tried to rewrite U.S. history Sept. 10.  At least, that’s what some social media users are falsely claiming.  “King Charles III signs a proclamation stating that Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election and is the rightful president by law,” read one Sept. 11 Facebook post.  It continued, saying that Charles warned President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris “to vacate the premises within 48 hours” or the U.K. would declare war on the U.S. The post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.) The claim also spread on Twitter. (Screenshot from Facebook.) After 70 years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II, 96, died peacefully at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on Sept. 8, according to the royal family. Her son, now King Charles III, ascended the throne upon her death.  He was formally proclaimed king on Sept. 10. The accession ceremony was a constitutional and ceremonial step that was broadcast live on television and online. As part of the ceremony, Charles read and signed an oath to uphold the Church of Scotland.  The image shared on Facebook shows the king signing that oath. It does not show him signing a proclamation declaring former U.S. President Donald Trump the winner of the United States’ 2020 presidential election. Trump lost that election and there is no evidence it was because of widespread fraud. The results are clear: Biden won.  There’s also no evidence Charles is declaring war on the U.S. As king, he is the only person in the U.K. with the power to declare war, but such a declaration would need approval from Parliament and the prime minister.  Our ruling A Facebook post claimed King Charles III signed “a proclamation stating that Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election” and planned to declare war on the U.S. if Biden did not step aside.  That’s a fabrication. At a ceremony on Sept. 10, Charles signed an oath stating that he would uphold the Church of Scotland. He took no action related to the 2020 U.S. election nor did he threaten war of any kind.  We rate this claim Pants on Fire. RELATED: The facts of a fair US election have only gotten stronger since Capitol attack Facebook post, Sept. 11, 2022 Tweet, Sept. 10, 2022 The Washington Post, “Charles formally proclaimed king as princes William and Harry reunite,” Sept. 10, 2022 The royal family’s tweet, Sept. 8, 2022  The Washington Post, “Here’s what we know about the queen’s health,” Sept. 8, 2022 The Guardian, “King Charles signals to aide to remove pens during signing of oath – video,” Sept. 10, 2022 CNBC, “King Charles spent decades preparing for the throne. His reign promises to be unlike his mother’s,” Sept. 10, 2022 NBC News, “King Charles III ascends to the throne at 73 years old,” Sept. 9, 2022 Associated Press, “Charles is proclaimed king; sons unite to thank the public,” Sept. 10, 2022 Sky News, “In full: King Charles III’s Accession ceremony,” Sept. 10, 2022 Business Insider, “9 things Queen Elizabeth II actually has the power to do,” June 25, 2018 PolitiFact, “Claims that the 2020 election was stolen are still false,” May 4, 2022 In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts. Sign me up Read More…

Biden Proposes Strengthening Offshore Drilling Safety Regulations Loosened By Trump https://digitalalabamanews.com/biden-proposes-strengthening-offshore-drilling-safety-regulations-loosened-by-trump/ The Biden administration on Monday proposed to strengthen certain safety regulations for offshore oil and gas drilling that were loosened under the Trump administration.  After the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill that killed 11 workers and released 134 million gallons of fuel into the Gulf of Mexico, the Obama administration implemented new safety regulations.  In 2019, the Trump administration revised these standards, making them more industry-friendly. On Monday, the Interior Department indicated that it would further tweak the rules, although the new proposal does not appear to be identical to what was put forth during the Obama years.  “The Biden-Harris administration is committed to the highest standards of worker safety and environmental protections,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a written statement.  “As our nation transitions to a clean energy economy, we must commit to strengthening and modernizing offshore energy standards and oversight,” she added.  Among the changes is the reinstatement of a requirement to send information on safety equipment failures to the federal government, instead of to certain third parties that were permitted to collect data during the Trump years.  Under the new rule, inspections of these failures will also need to start sooner. Under the Trump administration, inspections needed to begin 120 days after a failure; they would now need to start in 90. Under the Obama rule, inspections had to be finished within 120 days. The move comes after the Environmental Protection Agency similarly reinstated safety standards for chemical plants that were also loosened under Trump. They also come after the Biden administration released an offshore drilling plan that could enable as many as 11 new opportunities to drill for oil and gas offshore.  Under that plan, it’s not clear whether the department will move ahead with that many leasee sales, saying it could also pursue fewer or no lease sales in the coming years.  Read More…